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Apple Reveals Mac OS X 10.2, 17" iMac, Windows iPod
The Address Book is now system-wide, accessible from many applications, and even has Bluetooth integration. Jobs dialed his cell phone via Address Book, and then when someone called him back on that phone, the computer popped up with the caller's name in Address Book. He had the option to pick up the phone or reply with a short text message.
iSync is a new system for synching your contacts and calendars with GPRS cell phones, Palms, and iPods; so Palms and cell phones are now a part of the digital hub. The iSync program shows you connected devices, and allows configuration of what to sync, and when. The demo showed a complete sync of an address book on the computer to the cell phone, again over Bluetooth. iSync will also allow integration with .mac to update your contacts and calendars between multiple computers, and will be available as a free download in September.
The Mail app now has much better searching and spam filtering, and inline QuickTime (no, that won't be abused ...).
Rendezvous will allow such things as automatic accessing of other's playlists in iTunes, accessing USB printers on the network, and more, with "zero configuration" (I hope there is some configuration, so I can opt in or out of such things). Epson, HP, and Lexmark will have Rendezvous-compatible printers. Jobs didn't mention any way to share USB printers between Mac OS and Mac OS X.
iChat, the new instant messaging program, and iCal, the new shared calendar program, can work with the $100-per-year .mac subscription, or with the free AOL IM account and any web server. iChat will use Rendezvous for finding local users, and shared calendars can be sent via iChat or mail. iCal will ship in September, as a free download.
Sherlock 3 has been completely rewritten, using Internet services (SOAP? XML-RPC?) instead of trying to parse HTML. The demo showed movie listings with embedded trailers, eBay searches with intelligently organized information and pictures, Google image searching, and a Yellow Pages search that knows your ZIP code and sorts by distance, and shows directions and maps.
iTunes 3 is out today, with new features such as rating songs, keeping track of how often songs are played, playing back all songs at the same volume, integration with audible.com, and "Smart Playlists" with rulesets so they are automatically populated (e.g., "25 most played songs", or "500 MB of songs where playcount is 0", to play songs you've never listened to). It is only available for Mac OS X, and requires registration with an email address.
For the iPod, Apple lowered prices on the 5GB and 10GB models ($299, $399), and introduced a 20GB model ($499). The 10GB and 20GB have a solid state scroll wheel, a door to protect the FireWire port, a remote control, and a case. The playlist counts, Smart Playlists, and audible.com integration sync between the iPod and iTunes. Sound volume check has also been added to the iPod. The new 10GB model is 7.692 percent thinner than the previous version.
Also added to the iPod, in addition to the contacts, is calendars, synched with iCal, so it can really act as a PDA for most people. Jobs also announced Windows versions of iPod, synching with musicmatch and including a FireWire 6-to-4 pin cable.
The new iMac has a 17" widescreen display at 1440x900, with an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX, G4/800, and 80GB hard drive.
Jobs also noted that there are 2.5 million Mac OS X users, that 77 percent of owners of new Macs keep Mac OS X as the primary OS, and that they estimate there will be 5 million Mac OS X users by the end of the year, representing 20% of all Mac users using the new OS in the first 24 months.
Apple showed some new ads in the "Switch" campaign, including a student who lost her paper on Windows, a student whose CDs get messed up in his bag (although they didn't point out that he can use iPod under Windows now), and a comedian who ended his commercial with, "My name is Will Ferrell ... and I'm a porn actor."
Twice. You buy X.0. Then you got X.1 for free and all the updates with it. You then buy X.2. Of course, if you buy a computer sometime in the last 2 years, you will only buy OSX once. Either once with having to upgrade to X.2 or once having to get X.2 for the first time.
Doesn't a demonstration of such kickass tech (especially the Bluetooth stuff) realised today for the consumer show just how many streets ahead Apple are?
This is all stuff that should exist under Windows, but doesn't. Apple has, after so many years, arrived at the point of equality (and now usurption) to everything else in the market - they can only produce better and better products.
Yay.
Regardless, it's $129 for a bunch of features I didn't ask for (which is also a common complaint behind Microsoft). Of course I'm free to not purchase the 'Update,' but how long until 10.[01] is no longer supported? If I don't buy the upgrade, how long will it be until I can't get bugfixes and critical security updates?
So as I figure it, if Apple continues along this path, that's $130/year from each user.
_______
2B1ASK1
As a Mac user for nearly 18 years, I'm quite happy that Apple is now charging some modest fees for their value-added services.
.mac, they've got to fight similar interests at Microsoft.
This is something that Microsoft's hedgemony WON'T let other PC manufacturers do - at least not to the extent that Apple has shown here. If Gateway (Dell, whoever) wants to create a value-added portal like
Apple has no such conflict - they own the whole ball of wax, so the hardware and OS sides of the company can work together to produce a best-in-class (and don't pretend they aren't class-leading or at least very innovative and polished) set of services for Mac users - for free in many cases (iTunes, iPhoto) and for a modest yearly charge in other cases.
My ISP charges $20.00 a month for a 5MB mailox and 50MB of FTP space. Apple is providing more than that for $100.00 a year. That's half off for me - for more space.
Owning a mac has never looked better. Apple is again taking positive steps to increase revenue growth and reduce it's dependence on volatile hardware sales. Reasonable prices for services that generate recurring revenue...new product refreshes on a regular basis to win the fence sitters and an advertising program that _is_ winning over some converts (right here in my office) - rather unfunny Penny Arcade cartoons notwithstanding.
Good job, Apple.
As the first keynote I've watched, I have to say I was impressed with how well it came off. Jobs had a few glitches along the way with some of the new feature demos, but recovered nicely. There're a lot of people saying Apple's so bad for charging for "what was free" but the thing is, they're doing what had to be done. iTools cost them money, and a pretty substantial chunk I'm sure. And .Mac will actually do nothing but improve the iTools featureset. iCal, five times the storage space, and iSync could make .Mac quite useful to a lot of people. I'm not one of them yet, but I definitely respect the effort they've gone to. Yes, I'm a bit upset that they're taking away my email address - and wouldn't be too surprised if they turned around and let people keep the email addresses for nothing if people complain enough - but I won't get pissed off.
And $100 a year isn't a bad price, considering the integration you get. One service to offer all those features, rather than five services and a mishmash of programs to do it.
And even though $129 seems a bit of a shock for 10.2, it really isn't a point upgrade so much as it is a rewrite level. Compare 10.2 to 7.5, if you're familiar with Mac history. 10.2 gives you a whole new rendering layer for new Mac machines, a hell of a speed boost from the reports I've heard, and several new features like iCal, iSync and Rendevouz. I'll probably pay for it. I -would- like a $49 upgrade for 10.1 owners, but I think Apple's probably feeling enough of a financial pinch not to do that.
I think the part of it all that would be most respected by Slashdot readers is the fact that open standards were touted quite loudly. SyncML and Rendevouz (zeroconf) primarily. They might not be opening up as much as we want in some areas, but at least when they're moving in a new direction they look like they're trying to make the best of it.
And I've decided people who push for open sourcing -everything- in OS X, or porting to x86 are just idiots with no business sense. That would kill Apple's income. 'nuff said.
My own pointless vanity vintage computing page
Or perhaps Apple has some extra benefit to testing it can do, owing to only having to worry about the G4 processor?
Says the RIAA: When you EQ, you're stealing bass!
If you don't want the new features, don't buy them. Stay with MacOS X 10.1.5 ...
The "paying for features I don't want" excuse is getting old. If what you have is working well for you, then you have no need to upgrade. I for one still have several Red Hat 6.2 boxes running here because Red Hat 7.2 has features I don't need. It's a free upgrade if I want it, but I don't.
Mac OS X is a great OS. Apple put a lot into those new features you don't want. $129 isn't bad for what you're getting. Hell, look at Windows. It doesn't include half the functionalty and it costs $200-$300 depending on your persuasion (Home/Pro).
Ya, buy XP is a HUGE upgrade from ME. Heck, it's almost a completely different product. When XP SP1 came out - with major updates, not just bug fixes - we didn't have to pay $20. I think I'd be frustrated as an OS X user. Personally, I think they should just price major versions accordingly so that all updates are free. As a developer, this would ensure that a larger population was upgrading to newer versions
There is no longer anything that can be done with computers that is nontrivial and clearly legal. -- Paul Phillips
The people that have already bought and paid for OS X are Apple's staunchest supporters. If anyone deserves to finally have a fast OS, it's them. Yet they are being asked to pay full tilt ($129) for the speed that should have been there in the very first release.
OS X as it currently sits can be slow even on fast Mac hardware, and annoyingly laggy on slower Macs. This is simply not acceptable. Mac OS X users deserve these fixes for free, and I suspect that most people will take them without paying if they have the opportunity.
You're deluding yourself, buddy. Dell isnt worried at all, they deal ALOT with schools and businesses and everyone I know wants a "Dell". And Microsoft has BILLIONS of cash.. and 90%+ of the O/S and office suite marketplace.
$2000 is still double the price of an Athlon-based PC that'll probably smoke a G4. Plus Windows 2000/XP is stable as heck and I havent had any crashes.
I bought a Mac last summer because OSX seemed like the best thing since sliced bread for me as a Java developer. Java version parity with official JDK releases really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Performance of the Apple runtime is barely tenable. For me, the Mac has become a curiosity, a toy, nothing more. I've gone back to x86 Linux for the majority of my development work. I'm even eyeing the Mac I have as a candidate for Yellow Dog or Gentoo PPC. I will buy the upgrade, but there's no motivation to do so by the end of the year.
Stop whining about Apple's upgrade policies, since they've historically been done this way. You always have a choice. That's the great part about capitalism.
However, for those of you for which the Mac is a primary computer, think of the alternatives.
1) Load Yellow Dog/Gentoo/. Your cost is nothing but time. Learn to become one with the source. MacOnLinux will allow you to run any Classic apps you'll absolutely need.
2) Sell the Mac. Buy a PC. Move to the Orwellian world of Microsoft licensing vis a vis Windows and Office XP. Enjoy PAYING EVEN MORE for EVEN LESS.
3) Suck it up, plop down the 130 clams and support one of the best damn *nix desktops I've seen to date. Normal people can use it! It even has Office for those of you who need it.
Apple is trying to make themselves ubiquitous when it comes to consumers who have digital cameras, camcorders, mp3 players, etc. Everything they do now is moving the company closer and closer to that vision.
Even for those of you who bought the public beta and the first full version, 130 bucks is cheap for what you get. Yes, printing may not be perfect. Yes, there are still a lot of bugs. Yes, Apple has a penchant for adding things we current users don't need or want, but they have to balance what existing customers want vs. what will bring new users to the platform.
The following is a personal motto of mine, which gathers more credibility each day:
Pay now or pay later, but keep in mind that you WILL pay.
Pony up the $130 bucks for the upgrade. Be a good MacHead and support your platform of choice. Use something else if you don't. The ultimate alternative is that Bill gets your money and control over your desktop.
Rant complete.
Ready.
Keith
--- If you hadn't stayed to read this
Also, for those whiny babies complaining "I bought a Mac last week and I'm pissed now!", shut the hell up. Practically everyone on the planet knew Apple was going to talk about Jaguar and a butload of other stuff at the MacWorld conference. Anyone with half a brain would have waited a bit longer until the conference, if nothing else in the hopes of a price drop on the computer itself. I bought a new G4 a month and a half ago, and I'm not going to complain about the Jaguar price.
Title bar? Try a banner ad--89 or 90 pixels is the standard height of one. Just look at the top of your page.
You heard it here first.
:wq
I mean, youare talking to people in a community who think it's cool to serve web pages on a Mac Plus.
You start talking about how long a computer stays useful and decide to get in a pissing contest with the Mac and you're goin down hard. Part for part upgradability I'll take a clone PC built on my kitchen table any day but for getting the most life out of the parts you bought when it was new nothing touches an Apple.
A 3 year old PC (RUNNING WINDOWS - pick your current version, this works in any era) is damned near useless. Of course take that same box and remove the OS and you got some life left in it but then that's not where the comparison lies really is it?
Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
The trick is to keep waiting. Always keep waiting, because there is always something better aroung the corner, this is why i only have a p2-266. Sure you miss out on heaps of cool stuff, but at least you don't get BITTER at waisting a lot of money.
I for one am pissed. I will wait for a rebate before I ever pay $129 for it. Just spent $3,000+ on a G4 two months ago.
"I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX