MacBook, PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. iPod, iPhone,
and Apple TV news is covered in The iNews
Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Reviews
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
Apple Takes Nearly Half of Retail US Desktop Sales
Revenues - and One-Third in Laptops
BetaNews's Joe Wilcox reports that Mac US retail desktop computer
revenue share in October was 47.7% - up from 33.4% a year earlier,
according to NPD - "a stunning number, given just how many Windows PC
companies combined command so much more market share, while competing
for the same revenue share."
Wilcox muses that Apple likely can't sustain such high desktop
dollar share, but cites an industry expert saying even a decline to 40%
revenue share would put Apple far ahead of every competitor selling
Windows PCs, and that that Mac desktop revenue share had already risen
to 44.9% by April 2009, well before the recent release of the
hot-selling new 21.5" and 27" iMacs.
As for Mac notebooks' share of the revenue pie, NPD tracked that at
33.7% in October, up from 30.1% in April but down from 38.1% a year
ago. Portable computer sales are the fastest-growing PC market segment,
and Apple has the advantage of its notebook Average Selling Price (ASP)
being nearly three times that of the typical Windows notebook at $1,410
vs. $519 respectively in October, according Wilcox (citing NPD data). A
similar ratio applies with desktop computers.
Wilcox predicts that notwithstanding the Windows 7 rollout, that Mac
overall US retail revenue share will stay well above one-third for
notebooks and more than 40% for desktops.
Editor's note: Keep in mind that this is only includes retail sales,
and are where Dell, which deals primarily on online sales, has a
minimal presence. There is no indication how well the Apple Store is
doing in the online market. According to
recent figures, HP and Dell each have about 26% of the
overall US market in units sold, compared with 8.8% for Apple.
(Worldwide, Apple doesn't even make the Top 5 list, and Dell, which
vies with HP for top spot in the US market, falls to third place.)
dk
Link:
Apple Takes Nearly 50% of US Desktop and One-Third of Laptop Sales
Revenues
Apple Mac mini and MacBook Family Ace Sust-it's Eco Energy
Charts
UK-based Sust-it has published its desktop and laptop energy usage
roundup, citing Apple as among the most energy efficient computers.
Apple's Mac mini (the
March 2009 version) shot to the top of its energy efficiency chart
for desktop computers, and Apple portables nail down five spots of the
Top 10 in the laptop category. Having been slated by Greenpeace in
2006, when it launched its
Green My Apple campaign, Apple has responded by making its products
more recyclable, removing toxic materials, and now proving that it can
make fast and energy efficiency computers too.
Ross from Sust-it says, "There's a staggering difference between the
energy consumption of computers in the marketplace; you could save
nearly £150 per year on electricity in choosing the most
efficient models. We've been highlighting these savings through our
unique ranking system, and it's great news that Apple has responded to
the environmental issues; I hope other manufacturers will follow their
lead."
By using Sust-it's energy consumption website, which ranks over
5,000 electrical products by their energy efficiency, you can spot
those devices that contribute to your inflated electricity bills and
CO2 emissions. You could save over £600 a year by
buying energy saving products.
In the survey results, computers are ranked by annual running cost
based on in-use power consumption using data published by their
manufacturers and with electricity costs calculated at UK National
Average Tariff of 13.94p per unit.
Calculations per year are based on Energy Star "TEC" estimates for
annual energy consumption.
Sust-it's calculations include the lower tariff rates if a product's
power consumption exceeds the applicable kWh break points. Calculations
do not take into account unknown variables (e.g., other
appliances/lights that may take annual usage above the tariff rate
breakpoint) or standing charges (where applicable).
Highest Rated Desktop Computers
|
Model
|
CPU/hard drive
|
Sleep
|
Idle
|
Off
|
kg CO2/year
|
Cost/year
|
|
1. Mac mini
|
2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 120 GB HD
|
1.71W
|
12.6W
|
0.94W
|
21.25
|
£6.89
|
|
2. Mac mini
|
2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 320 GB HD
|
1.71W
|
12.6W
|
0.94W
|
21.25
|
£6.89
|
|
3. Mac mini
|
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo, 120 GB HD
|
1.82W
|
13W
|
0.96W
|
21.92
|
£7.11
|
|
4. Mac mini
|
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo, 320 GB HD
|
1.82W
|
13W
|
0.96W
|
21.92
|
£7.11
|
|
5. Asus Eee Box B204
|
1.6 GHz Intel Atom PC
|
1.35W
|
13.71W
|
1.11W
|
23.21
|
£7.52
|
No other Apple machines made the top 40.
Highest Rated Laptop Computers
|
Model
|
CPU
|
Sleep
|
Idle
|
Off
|
kg CO2/year
|
Cost/year
|
|
1. HP Pavilion DM3
|
2.26 GHz Intel Laptop
|
0.85W
|
6.83W
|
0.52W
|
9.21
|
£2.99
|
|
2. MacBook Air (MC233)
|
1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.07W
|
6.7W
|
0.56W
|
9.24
|
£3.00
|
|
3. MacBook Air (MC234)
|
2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.07W
|
6.7W
|
0.56W
|
9.24
|
£3.00
|
|
4. MacBook (MC207)
|
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.21W
|
8.3W
|
0.56W
|
11.10
|
£3.60
|
|
5. Panasonic CF-F8G
|
2.40 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.83W
|
8.07W
|
0.72W
|
11.44
|
£3.71
|
These Apple laptops made the top 20 laptops:
|
Model
|
CPU
|
Sleep
|
Idle
|
Off
|
kg CO2/year
|
Cost/year
|
|
8. 13" MacBook Pro (MB990)
|
2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.11W
|
9W
|
0.47W
|
11.65
|
£3.78
|
|
9. 13" MacBook Pro (MB991)
|
2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.11W
|
9W
|
0.47W
|
11.65
|
£3.78
|
|
12. MacBook (MC240)
|
2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
0.99W
|
9.3W
|
0.53W
|
12.08
|
£3.92
|
|
14. 15" MacBook Pro (MC118)
|
2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.14W
|
10W
|
0.47W
|
12.79
|
£4.15
|
|
16. 15" MacBook Pro (MB985)
|
2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.13W
|
9.9W
|
0.59W
|
12.95
|
£4.20
|
|
17. 15" MacBook Pro (MB986)
|
2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.13W
|
9.9W
|
0.59W
|
12.95
|
£4.20
|
|
18. 15" MacBook Pro (Z0GH)
|
3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo
|
1.13W
|
9.9W
|
0.59W
|
12.95
|
£4.20
|
The Sust-it site is constantly updated and contains a wide range of
products from TVs to chest freezers. You can even switch between
electricity tariffs so you can see what other energy providers have
in-store and calculate your CO2 emissions - it even works on
the iPhone.
Editor's note: It strikes us as odd that Sust-it considers the Mac
mini as two separate 2.0 GHz and 2.26 GHz models because of different
hard drive capacities, particularly since the energy ratings are
identical for both drives. Still, that gives Apple the top two spots.
dk
Operating System Market Share for November
2009
It's been a couple of months since we looked at Hitslink's OS and
Browser market share figures. Four months ago NetApplications revised
the methodology it uses to tally its HitsLink Market Share statistics
to a new system of weighting the data, which now gives more prominence
to page views globally based on the estimated size of each country's
Internet population, rather than focusing mostly on the US and other
Western markets as had previously been the case.
So here's the Operating System Total Market Share rundown of the
significant players for November, 2009, based on the new calculating
methodology (Sept. '09 figures in parentheses) showing no change over
the past two months in the Mac OS's favor, but essentially no change
for Windows either. Things have remained remarkably static across the
board.
Operating System Market Share, November 2009
- Windows 92.52% (92.77%)
- Mac 5.12% (5.12%)
- Linux 1.00% (0.95%)
- iPhone 0.36% (0.35%)
- JavaME 0.46% (0.30%)
- Symbian 0.19% (0.15%)
- iPod touch 0.07% (0.07%)
- Windows Mobile 0.04% (0.04%)
- Playstation 0.03% (0.03% )
- Android 0.03% (0.02%)
- BlackBerry 0.30% ( 0.02%)
- Palm 0.01% (0.01%)
- FreeBSD 0.01% (0.01% )
- SunOS 0.01% (0.01%)
In terms of OS specific versions, Windows 7 has gained ground on
Windows XP and Vista, and Snow Leopard has leapfrogged Tiger:
OS Market Share by OS Version, November 2009
- Windows:
- Windows XP 69.05% (71.91%)
- Windows Vista 18.55% (18.62%)
- Windows 7 4.00% (1.52%)
- Windows 2000 0.69% ( 0.988%)
- Windows 98 0.09% (0.13%)
- Windows ME 0.04% (0.11%)
- Windows NT 0.09% (0.11%)
- Macintosh:
- Mac OS X 10.5 2.65% (3.45%)
- MacOS X 10.6 1.38% (0.77%
- Mac OS X 10.4 0.84% (0.96%)
- iPhone 0.36% (0.35%)
- Mac OS X (no version reported) 0.22 (0.27%)
- iPod 0.07% (0.07%)
- Mac OS X Mach-O 0.06% (0.08%)
- Linux 1.00% (0.95%)
Link:
Operating System Market Share
Link:
Operating System Market Share by Version
Browser Market Share for November 2009
Turning to browsers, Firefox browser still is nibbling away at
Internet Explorer's erstwhile hegemony and now enjoys just shy of
one-quarter of the browser market, while Safari has also gained some
ground over the two months, and Firefox was the biggest gainer among
browsers with Google's newcomer Chrome solidly in fourth place, with a
Mac beta version expected any day now, Opera scratching out a it more
ground and Opera Mini now the 6th place browser.
Browser Total Market Share (August figures in parentheses)
Browser Market Share, November 2009
- Microsoft Internet Explorer - 63.62% (65.71%)
- Firefox - 24.72 (23.75%)
- Safari 4.36% (4.24%)
- Chrome - 3.93% (3.17%)
- Opera - 2.31% (2.19%)
- Opera Mini - 0.46% (0.30%)
- Netscape - 0.30 (0.35%)
- Mozilla - 0.10% (0.11%)
- Konqueror - 0.05% (0.04%)
Link: Browser
Market Share
Firefox Brings an End to 10 Years of Internet
Explorer Dominance in Germany
Fittkau & Maaß consulting have issued a report (in German)
indicating that Firefox had displaced Internet Explorer as the most
popular browser in Germany - the first time since 1999 that IE has not
held the top spot in the German market.
German Browser Market Share, 1996 to 2009
Link:
Firefox setzt langjähriger Internet Explorer-Dominanz ein Ende
(Babelfish
translation)
Apple Settles with Psystar, May Leave Door Open for
Install-It-Yourself Mac Clones
NBC Bay Area's Jackson West reports:
"Want an Apple Macintosh computer but don't want to pay the sticker
price at the Apple store? You're not alone.
"...in a partial settlement announced yesterday, there may be hope
yet for customers looking to install Mac OS on a computer running any
old Intel processor.
"While the exact terms of the settlement haven't been fully
disclosed, a district court judge has imposed an injunction on Psystar
selling machines with Apple's operating system already
installed...."
Link:
Apple Settles with Rogue Retailer - Settlement May Leave Door Open for
Clone-It-Yourself Macs
What's So Great About a Mac?
The University of Denver Clarion's Alex Gallegos says:
"As time goes by, I'm becoming increasingly annoyed at the number of
people who seem to have become enamored with the Macintosh operating
system. I say this not because I have anything against the notions of
free choice or people having their own opinions.
"I say it because most of the arguments that I hear about why Macs
can thrash any Intel machine out there are based on an almost complete
lack of knowledge about how computers actually work."
Editors' note: Uhhhhh, since 2006 Mac are Intel machines.
Most of the arguments in this screed are recycled boilerplate we've
been hearing since the early '90s, viz: the "Fischer (sic) Price"
interface shot....
Link: What's
So Great About a Mac?
Get USB 3.0 in Your Existing Mac? Maybe
MacFixIt's Topher Kessler says:
"With the release of the original 'Bondi Blue'
iMac, Apple was one of the first to adopt USB technology, but was a
little late on getting USB 2.0 implemented. USB 3.0 is just around the
corner, and I've wondered whether we will see Apple jump on the
bandwagon or wait for another technology. Regardless of what Apple
decides to do, claims around the release of new external drives from
Buffalo Technologies suggest Mac Pro and some Power Mac users
may already have a USB 3.0 option available.
"Buffalo Technology recently announced their latest hard drives with
USB 3.0 support, beating speculation that these devices would not
arrive until next year . . . As for what this means with
regards to USB 3.0 in Macs, the drives apparently ship with a USB 3.0
PCI-express (sic) card that can be dropped in and used on any
system, and according to the press release they are compatible with
both PCs and Macs."
Editor's note: In an update, Kessler notes, "unfortunately the
supplied PCI-e card will not work in OS X." The problem is drivers
for the Mac OS. dk
Link: Get USB 3.0 in
Your PCI-express Mac, Maybe?
Reviews
In Depth with Snow Leopard Server
Computerworld's Ryan Faas reports:
"I've worked with various versions of Apple's Mac OS X Server for
nearly a decade now. Each new release has brought major advances to the
company's server software in terms of overall features, performance and
ease of administration. The most recent iteration, version 10.6 a.k.a.
Snow Leopard Server - is no exception.
"It offers a number of advances compared to Leopard Server (v.
10.5), which was released two years ago.
"These changes include performance gains, improvements to several
collaboration tools introduced in Leopard Server, enhanced simple
administration for non-technical users and new features designed for
mobile access and for supporting the iPhone."
For current prices, see our roundup of OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard"
prices.
Link:
In Depth with Apple's Snow Leopard Server
Mac mini Gets Down to Business with Snow Leopard
Server
MacNewsWorld's John P. Mello Jr. reports:
"Though the Mac mini
was originally marketed only as a tiny personal desktop, some users
recognized its potential as a pint-sized server. Apple responded by
creating a special server version of the mini. It drops the optical
drive and ties in stout hardware, server-class software and an optional
enterprise support plan. And unlike some other servers, it doesn't look
so ugly that you want to make it live in a closet."
Mello cites cyberpunk author William Gibson, who once wrote, "The
street finds its own use for things," noting that's been the case for
the Mac mini since its introduction in 2005, which, while originally
marketed as a personal computer, quickly gained street cred as a media
server for the blossoming digital living room, and that now Apple has
given its mighty mite a proper server configuration in the hopes of
moving the white box from the home to the office with the new $999 Mac
mini with Snow Leopard Server that was introduced last month.
For current prices, see our roundup of Mac mini prices.
Link: Mac mini Gets Down to
Business
27" iMac 'the Fastest All-in-One on the
Market'
ZD Net Australia's Rich Brown reports:
"If we could, we'd take points away from this iMac simply because by
giving it a 27-inch display Apple threatens our livelihood. You don't
need our input to simply walk past the 27-inch iMac on a store shelf
and recognise that it's the largest all-in-one currently available, and
that it has a reasonable price tag relative to its size advantage. Look
deeper into this . . . iMac and you'll find a desktop that's
equal parts compelling and polarising.
"Some new features, like the SD Card slot, the now-standard wireless
mouse and keyboard, and the LED backlight, have obvious appeal. The
glossy screen coating, the limited (for now) bidirectional
functionality of the Mini DisplayPort, and the absence of both a
Blu-ray drive and a quad-core processor all provide openings for
criticism. For us, however, and we expect for many others, the screen
trumps most of our concerns."
Link:
Apple iMac 27-inch (Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz)
21.5" iMac Merits PCMag's Editor's Choice
PCMag's Joel Santo Domingo calls the new iMac "the ultimate
all-in-one, now with the ultimate display," noting that the $1,199
21.5" iMac is a study in duality, sporting the AppleDesign and
mystique that looks and feels pricey, but the system is also a lot less
expensive than the 27" version and still manages to fit true 1080p HD
screen resolution, a speedy 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and wireless
everything into an attractive aluminum and glass all-in-one desktop,
summarizing: "It's the Mac desktop to get if you want to get multimedia
work done, and as such earns our nod for Editors' Choice."
Link: Apple iMac
21.5-inch (Core 2 Duo)
This 27" iMac arrived with a cracked screen.
Is the 27" iMac All It's Cracked Up to Be?
Macworld's James Galbraith says that the quad-core iMac may among
the fastest Mac models. But the 27" all-in-one desktop might be at risk
for a feature that Mac users will not find as impressive - a cracked
display, noting that the 27" Core i7 iMac Macworld used in benchmark
testing arrived at their offices earlier this month with a cracked
screen.
Link: Is
the 27-Inch iMac All It's Cracked Up to Be?
Products & Services
They're Back: The Beloved JBL Sci-Fi Speakers
Return
PR: Harman International announces the availability of the
JBL Creature III, a stylishly updated version of the popular
three-piece speaker system that originally landed on desktops in 2002.
An ideal gift for the music lover, the gamer or the college student,
the JBL Creature III's refreshed design boasts a more streamlined, airy
feel while staying true to its sci-fi roots. The Creature III subwoofer
is now more compact, making it an easy addition to any desk, dorm room
or small living space.
The quirky-cool JBL Creature III audio system features the legendary
JBL sound quality combined with a funky, futuristic design. Available
in black and white, these stylish speakers also glow from the bottom,
adding another dimension of geek chic to their eccentric look. The
Creature III is a plug and play solution that is compatible with Mac
and PC platforms, portable music players and gaming consoles. The
Creature III delivers a straightforward interconnect technology, which
allows for minimal desktop wiring and an effortless user interface.
Our inspiration for the Creature series was rooted in our weariness
with static, six-sided box designs so commonly seen on desktop speaker
systems, said Kurt Solland, vice president of Industrial Design for
Harman International's consumer group. The idea of a creature bubbling
next to your desktop with acoustic waveguides that look like face masks
gives the system a distinctive personality that our consumers love.
Creature fans enjoyed the style of the previous designs and will be
excited that the Creature III is back in time for the holidays, said
Christopher M. Dragon, director of Consumer and Field Marketing for
Harman International. The Creature III stays true to Harman
International's longstanding reputation for unbeatable sound quality
and forward-thinking designs that create the best experience in music
and gaming.
The JBL Creature III speaker system features soft-touch tactile
controls, which require only a slight touch to increase/decrease volume
or mute the system. The unit also has the ability to recall the volume
settings in use when the system was last used.
The JBL Creature III incorporates the latest in Odyssey transducer
technology and JBL's heritage of high-quality speaker performance to
produce impressive bass response and clear midrange tonality, which
those seeking impressive sound can appreciate.
The JBL Creature III is compatible with all computer platforms,
along with analog stereos, game consoles, digital music players and
personal CD players. The JBL Creature III has a suggested retail price
of $129.99 and will be available exclusively at Apple retail stores and
at www.apple.com.
Product Specifications
- Colors: Black, White
- Input requirement: 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo minijack
- Drivers: 1-5/8" (40mm) in satellites, 3" (75mm) in subwoofer
- Power: satellites 5 watts each (10% THD+N), subwoofer 15 watts
total (10% THD+N)
- Satellite dimensions: 3" x 3" x 2-3/4" (75mm x 75mm x 70mm)
- Subwoofer dimensions: 9" x 9" x 9" (230mm x 230mm x 230mm)
- Input impedance: >5k ohms
- Frequency response: 50Hz 20kHz
- Input sensitivity: 400mV RMS for rated power
Suggested retail: $129.99
The JBL Creature III speakers are available
for preorder from Amazon.com for $129.95 shipped. It can also be
used with iPods, MP3 players, and other electronics with a standard
1/8" headphone jack.
Link: Harman
International
Software
Scribus: Open Source DTP Software
PR: Scribus is an Open Source program that brings
award-winning professional page layout to Linux/Unix, Mac OS X, OS/2
Warp 4/eComStation and Windows desktops with a combination of
"press-ready" output and new approaches to page layout. Underneath the
modern and user friendly interface, Scribus supports professional
publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, Spot Colors, ICC
color management and versatile PDF creation
After almost 2 years of intensive work, the Scribus Team announces
the release of Scribus 1.3.5. This release is a major development
version on the road to milestone 1.4, which will be based on 1.3.5.
Scribus is powerful software that helps you create great looking
documents of all kinds. It also comes with a lot of support options to
help you achieve the best result. There is an enthusiastic and friendly
community around Scribus that assists beginner and pro alike through
our mailing list, IRC channel, wiki, contracted support, and the bug
tracker.
Link: Scribus
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers monthly:
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
