MacBook, PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. iPad, iPod,
iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in The
iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Ubuntu
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
Operating System and Browser Shares for April
Windows slipped a bit more in April, but the Mac OS lost share too,
and all the other significant players gained or held their ground, and
iPad already at 0.03%. In browser space, Internet Explorer is still
losing ground, falling below 60%, and Firefox is up marginally, edging
closer to one-quarter of the browser market, with Chrome, again the
biggest gainer in April.
Here's the Operating System Total Market Share rundown of the
significant players for April 2010 (March '10 figures in parentheses)
showing the change during the past month, with Windows slipping a bit
more, but the Mac OS losing share too. Linux and all the other
significant players gained or held their ground.
- Windows 91.40 (91.58%)
- Mac 5.32% (5.33%)
- Linux 1.05% (1.03%)
- JavaME 0.79% (0.78)
- iPhone 0.53% (0.51%)
- Symbian 0.23% (0.23%)
- iPod touch 0.12% (0.11%)
- Android 0.09% (0.07%)
- Windows Mobile 0.09% (0.07%)
- BlackBerry 0.05% 0.04%)
- Playstation 0.04% (0.04%)
- iPad 0.03%
- FreeBSD 0.01% (0.01% )
- SunOS 0.01% (0.01%)
In terms of specific versions OS, Windows 7's momentum continues,
accelerating slightly, while Windows XP and Vista are fading, and
Apple's OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is now the most prolific Mac OS
version prowling, more than tripling OS X 10.4 Tiger's receding
user share - a contrast with Windows, whose OS X 10.4 contemporary
Windows XP is still far and away the most prolific version in the
Windows space.
- Windows:
- Windows XP 63.41% (64.46%)
- Windows Vista 15.60% (16.01%)
- Windows 7 11.68% (10.23%)
- Windows 2000 0.50% (0.56)
- Windows NT 0.17% (0.21% )
- Windows 98 0.07% (0.07%)
- Windows ME 0.03% (0.07%)
- Macintosh:
- MacOS X 10.6 2.29% (2.13%)
- Mac OS X 10.5 2.13% (2.26)
- Mac OS X 10.4 0.71% (0.75%)
- iPhone 0.53% (0.51)
- Mac OS X (no version reported) 0.14% (0.15)
- iPod 0.12% (0.11%)
- Mac OS X Mach-O 0.04% (0.04%)
- iPad 0.03%
- Linux 1.05% (0.03%)
Browser Share
Turning to browsers, Internet Explorer is still losing ground,
falling below 60%, and Firefox is up marginally, edging closer to
one-quarter of the browser market. Chrome is again the biggest gainer
again in April among the major browsers, with Safari gaining a hair,
Opera losing a bit of ground, and Opera Mini remaining the 6th place
browser and gaining slightly.
Browser Total Market Share (December '09 figures in
parentheses):
- Microsoft Internet Explorer - 59.95% (60.65%)
- Firefox - 24.59% (24.52%)
- Chrome - 6.73% (6.13%)
- Safari 4.72% (4.65%)
- Opera - 2.30% (2.37%)
- Opera Mini - 0.79% (0.78%)
- Netscape - 0.46% (0.47%)
- Mozilla - 0.16% (0.16%)
- Flock 0.06% (0.06%)
Link:
Operating System Market Share by OS
Link:
Operating System Market Share by OS Version
Link: Browser
Market Share
Is Apple Giving OX a Second Place Behind the iPhone
OS?
Computerworld blogger Mitch Wagner says:
"Apple announced the dates of its annual Worldwide Developers
Conference. We're seeing rumors that the next-generation iPhone will be
announced and available at the June event. But Apple seems to be giving
the cold shoulder to its longtime mainstay business: The Mac....
"The focus is heavily iPhone OS centric. There are some Mac OS X
developer sessions and labs, but not many. (Translation: Mac OS X
10.7 is not going to be announced this year.) The IT track appears to
be gone. Looking at the session list, one could argue that this year's
WWDC is an iPhone OS developers conference, not an Apple developers
conference. Look no further than this year's AppleDesign Awards, which
will only honor iPhone and iPad apps - no category for Mac
apps...."
Link: Is Apple Making the
Mac a Second-class Citizen?
Has Apple Abandoned the Mac?
technobuffalo.com says:
"Perhaps 'abandoned' is too strong of a word, but it sure does seem
that Apple's interest in its flagship Mac product line seems to be
waning somewhat....
"While I certainly don't feel that Apple is about to kill off the
Macs anytime soon, it does feel like the company is lessening the
importance of the product line inside of its corporate structure, and
amongst the developers. In case you hadn't noticed, when the last
update to the MacBook Pros happened, there were some major changes made
to the product line. Normally this would have involved Steve Jobs
having one of his keynote talks where he gathers the press on short
notice, but this last time around it just all happened on the Apple
Store website without any fanfare.
"Something is changing over the corporate headquarters at One
Infinity Loop to be sure, but what the end game is is known only to the
company executives."
Link: Has
Apple Abandoned the Mac?
Steve Jobs: Apple Is Not De-emphasizing Mac OS
X
Loop Insight's Jim Dalrymple reports:
"In announcing the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference on
Wednesday, Apple upset some of its Macintosh developers. But Apple is
not abandoning the Mac platform."
Link:
Steve Jobs Says Apple Is Not De-emphasizing Mac OS X
A Call to Action on Those Mac-less AppleDesign
Awards
Macsimum News' Dennis Sellers says:
"Okay, I'm still hacked off that Apple is only allowing iPhone and
iPad apps in the 2010 AppleDesign Awards. Various stories have already
been written about this (links at the bottom). Now it's time for a call
to action...."
Link:
A Call to Action on Those Mac OS-less AppleDesign Awards
Those Who Know Use Chrome
ZDNet blogger Garett Rogers says:
"Are your parents using Chrome yet? Likely not, but they
should be - it's secure enough for even for them. That said, Chrome is
the browser of choice for a good chunk of people - but it's still
limited to 'those who know'. Know what you ask? Know that Google Chrome
is extremely fast, secure, and out of your face.
"Where I work, almost every developer uses Chrome....
"Do you use Chrome yet? If not, why not?"
Link: Those Who Know Use
Chrome
Why Is Google's Chrome Getting So Much
Attention?
ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes observes that Net Applications' data
for April is out, showing that Google Chrome is the only browser making
any real usage gains, with Safari and Firefox only making tiny gains,
while Opera lost and Internet Explorer lost even more, and asks
"Why?"
Short answer: Because it's a really great browser.
"What is it about Chrome that people like?" Kingsley-Hughes queries.
"Is it that's a lightweight browser, or the fact that it's pretty
secure? Or maybe it's because of its minimalistic look and feel? Or the
no-fuss way it updates itself? Is is that it's new? Is it because
Google is pushing it hard through various channels?"
Editor's note: Your editor would say all of the above, save for the
last two speculatives, plus the facts that its really fast, has a
kick-ass, no-fuss Download manager, and generally hauls the mail.
cm
Link:
Why Is Google's Chrome Getting So Much Attention?
Am I No Longer an Apple Fan Boy If I Use
Google?
The Other Mac Blog's Colum O' Dwyer says:
"For the past 9 years or so I have been an Apple Fan Boy, running
this website is the culmination of that fact. For the majority of those
9 years Apple was taking on Microsoft and so I swore of the Windows OS
and begrudgingly used Microsoft Office for Mac until iWork 09 was
released.
"While Apple was taking on Microsoft another tech giant, Google, was
growing. For Apple Fan Boys like myself Google seemed a natural
extension to the Apple culture. I embraced Gmail, Gchat, Google search
and the other products of Google Labs. Hell, Apple had members of
Google sitting on Apple's Board. However, in the past year Mac, general
tech, and mainstream media have begun to hype a growing competition
between Google and Apple.
"This means over the past year, as a self proclaimed Apple Fan Boy,
I have begun to wonder if I will have to choose sides between Apple and
Google...."
Link: Am I
No Longer an Apple Fan Boy If I Use Google?
Ultimate Collection of Google Related Mac Apps
AppStorm's Joshua Johnson reports:
"Google is undisputedly one of the best providers of free
technological resources and applications on the planet. Though they
tend to favor PCs with earlier releases of new software, eventually
they get around to throwing Mac users some great apps as well.
"Below is a huge list of both official Google and third party Mac
applications, desktop widgets and plugins. Most are free downloads but
there are a few that you'll have to purchase. These usually stay within
the $10-$20 range.
"Just to be thorough, let's start out the list with the official
Google apps that you're probably already familiar with. All of these
applications are free, ready to download, and possess the high quality
you'd expect from Google."
Link:
Ultimate Collection of Google Related Mac Apps
27" iMac Fans Running Full Speed after SMC
Update
MacFixIt's Joe Aimonetti reports:
"Users have experienced an issue where the fans in their late-2009 27-inch iMacs run at full
speed after installing the SMC firmware update 1.0.
"In cases where this happens, it is most likely the result of the
SMC update not being applied properly...."
Link: 27-Inch iMac
Fans Running Full Speed after SMC Update
Ubuntu
Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Released
PR: Linux distro Canonical has released Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
(Lucid Lynx) in Desktop, Server and Netbook editions. Featuring a new
look that some rate more attractive and up-to-date than Snow Leopard's,
"Lucid Lynx's" new graphics card drivers and other consumer-oriented
innovations front a Linux-based operating system package containing all
the essential productivity applications you need for free: a web
browser, office suite, media apps, instant messaging and much more, and
is being pitched as an open-source alternative to Windows and Office or
Mac OS X and the iApps. Ubuntu's core applications are all free and
open source.
Last year's Ubuntu 9.04 release included the Ubuntu Netbook Remix
(UNR) designed for small screened netbook devices. Also noteworthy was
the inclusion of Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) which enabled
organizations to deploy a private computing cloud in their own data
center. The Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition brings all the advantages of
Ubuntu to your mini-netbook - optimised for smaller screens,
Ubuntu 10.04 is distributed on four types of images:
Desktop CD
The desktop CD allows you to try Ubuntu without changing your
computer at all, and at your option to install it permanently later.
This type of CD is what most people will want to use. You will need at
least 256 MB of RAM to install from this CD.
There are two images available, each for a different type of
computer:
- PC (Intel x86) desktop CD - For almost all PCs. This includes most
machines with Intel/AMD/etc. type processors and almost all computers
that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple Macintosh systems
based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at all unsure.
- 64-bit PC (AMD64) desktop CD - Choose this to take full advantage
of computers based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64,
Opteron, EM64T Xeon, Core 2). If you have a non-64-bit processor made
by AMD, or if you need full support for 32-bit code, use the Intel x86
images instead.
Server install CD
The server install CD allows you to install Ubuntu permanently on a
computer for use as a server. It will not install a graphical user
interface.
There are two images available, each for a different type of
computer:
- PC (Intel x86) server install CD - For almost all PCs. This
includes most machines with Intel/AMD/etc. type processors and almost
all computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple
Macintosh systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at
all unsure.
- 64-bit PC (AMD64) server install CD - Choose this to take full
advantage of computers based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g.,
Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon, Core 2). If you have a non-64-bit
processor made by AMD, or if you need full support for 32-bit code, use
the Intel x86 images instead.
Alternate install CD
The alternate install CD allows you to perform certain specialist
installations of Ubuntu. It provides for the following situations:
- setting up automated deployments;
- upgrading from older installations without network access;
LVM and/or RAID partitioning;
- installs on systems with less than about 256 MB of RAM (although
note that low-memory systems may not be able to run a full desktop
environment reasonably).
There are two images available, each for a different type of
computer:
- PC (Intel x86) alternate install CD - For almost all PCs. This
includes most machines with Intel/AMD/etc. type processors and almost
all computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple
Macintosh systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at
all unsure.
- 64-bit PC (AMD64) alternate install CD - Choose this to take full
advantage of computers based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g.,
Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon, Core 2). If you have a non-64-bit
processor made by AMD, or if you need full support for 32-bit code, use
the Intel x86 images instead.
Netbook live CD
The live CD allows you to try Ubuntu Netbook Edition without
changing your computer at all, and at your option to install it
permanently later. This live CD is optimized for netbooks with screens
up to 10". You will need at least 256 MB of RAM to install from this
CD.
There is one image available:
- PC (Intel x86) netbook live CD - For almost all PCs. This includes
most machines with Intel/AMD/etc. type processors and almost all
computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple Macintosh
systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at all
unsure.
Netbook live image
The live image allows you to try Ubuntu Netbook Edition without
changing your computer at all, and at your option to install it
permanently later. This live image is optimized for netbooks with
screens up to 10". You will need at least 256 MB of RAM to install from
this image.
A full list of available files, including BitTorrent files, can be
found at: http://releases.ubuntu.com/lucid/
Editor's note: For a hands-on review, see A Mac User Tries Out Ubuntu
10.04 Lucid Lynx.
Link: Ubuntu
(there is also a PowerPC build for those
using pre-Intel Macs)
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx: A Mactastic Experience
The Register's Scott Gilbertson has posted a review of Ubuntu 10.04,
officially available as of Thursday, noting that this is an important
update for the popular Linux distro, combining new social network with
media capabilities and a brace of online services with a brand new
look.
Gilbertson reports that Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth wants
Ubuntu to beat Mac OS X on features and interface polish, and
while Lucid Lynx still has some rough edges, this release is a huge
leap for UI design in Linux and puts Ubuntu well on its way to
Shuttleworth's goal with an array of new applications, features, and
services that make Ubuntu seem more like a consumer-friendly operating
system (like OS X) rather than the Linux of the command line
loving past.
Link: Ubuntu's
Lucid Lynx: A (Free) Mactastic Experience
Ubuntu 10.04: Never a Better Time to Switch
ZDNet Education blogger Christopher Dawson says he's been using the
betas of Ubuntu 10.04, the final releases of which launched last week,
in both desktop and server environments for a while, and has been
incredibly pleased. He suggests that school IT departments should
seriously consider Ubuntu instead of (or in addition to) Windows 7, Mac
OS X, and various server upgrades when updating their systems over
the summer break, noting that there are probably plenty of places where
the latest and greatest (and it really is great) release from Canonical
can save you money and hassle in the long run.
Link: Ubuntu 10.04: Never a Better Time
to Switch
Products & Services
OWC Mercury On-the-Go Prices Are Falling
PR: Just when you thought the deals on our OWC Mercury
On-the-Go Pro drive line were as good as you could get, they drop like
an errant meteor.
Available in USB 2.0, FireWire 400 & USB 2.0, and FireWire
800/400 & USB 2.0 varieties, OWC Mercury On-the-Go portable
solutions provide convenient, flexible storage at a competitive price.
Built to for performance, reliability, and durability, Mercury
On-the-Go models have been recognized with top reviews and include
'Very Good', 'Gear of the Year', and Editor's Choice award
bestowments.
OWC Mercury On-the-Go Solutions require no external power; they
reliably bus power via a single port - No Y-Cables or dual ports
required! All of our solutions utilize the best qualified hard drive
mechanisms for optimum performance and reliability. The On-the-Go's
shock absorbing design further protects the drive and your valuable
data from external forces.
Other great features:
- All connecting cables included
- Bootable via all interfaces
- Oxford chipsets (models with FireWire only)
- Carrying Case Included
- Intech Hard Disk Speed Tools suite, Carbon Copy Cloner
included
Full retail versions of Prosoft DataBackup III for OS X (a $59.95
retail value) and NovaStor NovaBACKUP for Windows (a $49.95 retail
value).
Industry Leading 3 Year OWC Warranty
Right out of the gate, these storage solutions are among the best
values out there. With our great new prices, that value gets even
better!
USB 2.0 Model
- 160 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $67.99
- 250 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $74.99
- 320 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $84.99
- 400 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $87.99
- 500 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $99.97 (a $10 drop)
- 640 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $129.99 (a $10 drop)
- 1.0 TB 5200 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $219.99 (a $10 drop)
- 250 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $87.99
- 320 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $94.99
- 500 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $117.99 (a $32 drop!)
FireWire 400 + USB 2.0 "Combo" Model
- 160 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $79.99
- 250 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $89.99
- 320 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $97.99
- 400 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, Special $104.99
- 500 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $119.99
- 640 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $149.99 (a $10 drop)
- 1.0 TB 5200 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $239.99 (a $20 drop)
- 250 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $99.97
- 320 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $109.99
- 500 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $139.99 (a $10 drop)
FireWire 800/400 + USB 2.0 'Triple' Model
- 160 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB Buffer, $ 99.97
- 250 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $107.99
- 320 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $117.99
- 500 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $139.99 (a $10 drop)
- 640 GB 5400 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $169.99 (a $10 drop)
- 1.0 TB 5200 RPM, 8 MB buffer, $259.99 (a $20 drop)
- 250 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $119.99
- 320 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $127.99 (a $10 drop)
- 500 GB 7200 RPM, 16 MB buffer, $159.99 (a $25 drop!)
Also available: OWC On-the-Go 2.5" 'add your own drive' kits from
$24.99.
Not only are these great portable drives at great prices, but these
drives also qualify for the Prosoft Drive Genius Special Offer. You can
get Drive Genius 3 for $39 with the purchase of any OWC External
Storage Solution. That's 60% off Prosoft's retail price, and 50% off
OWC's lowest normal selling price.
Link: OWC Mercury
On-the-Go Pro
Scan, Share, and Recycle with the New Visioneer
Strobe 400
PR: Small mobile scanner helps users reduce their paper
regeneration by digitizing paper documents and sharing them
electronically
Visioneer, a specialist in intelligent document imaging
solutions, today announced the Strobe 400, a new duplex color scanner
designed for busy people who need a fast and reliable scanning solution
that can be used anywhere. The Strobe 400 is slim and lightweight,
measuring only 11.6" x 2.5" x 2" and weighs a mere 22 ounces and when
used in duplex mode, the Strobe 400 scans both sides of the page in
only 6 seconds. Priced at $299.99, the Strobe 400 is one of the most
affordable "green" scanning solutions available for PC or Mac.
"While we may never become truly paperless, we believe you can have
a 'less paper' office," said John Capurso, vice president of marketing
at Visioneer. "The Strobe 400 is a great, low cost solution for anyone
looking to reduce the amount of paper in their life and Visioneer will
plant a tree on behalf of every customer who registers a new scanner
through our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation."
Make a Commitment to Sustainability
Scanning is a highly effective green technology. By digitizing
documents, they can be shared in electronic form rather than sharing
via fax, reprinting or copying, saving the user time, money and
valuable resources. Any business that handles paper can benefit from
using a scanner. Whether scanning contracts, forms, receipts, photos,
ID cards, handwritten notes or virtually any document of varying size
or complexity, the Strobe 400 meets the changing needs of users in many
paper-intensive markets.
Healthcare - By scanning patient documents, insurance cards and
driver's license at patient registration and creating a digital image
accessible to the patient's authorized care providers, hospitals can
reduce registration time, solve data inaccuracy problems and improve
customer relationships.
Banking - The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21)
allows banks to replace original paper checks with "substitute checks"
that are scanned digital copies of the originals. Check 21 reduces the
time, risks and costs associated with paper check processing and
accelerates cash flow for retail merchants, small/medium businesses and
civic organizations.
Insurance/Financial Services - From Sarbanes-Oxley to the PATRIOT
act, records management has become an important part of doing business.
A document scanner is therefore essential to first digitize paper
records into electronic files that can be securely and accurately
stored, transmitted and retrieved.
Traveling Professionals - Road warriors looking to maximize
productivity can quickly capture the day's contracts, business cards,
briefing papers, and expense receipts.
The Strobe 400 can be connected to computer quickly via the Hi-Speed
USB 2.0 interface and has a resolution of 600 DPI. It incorporates
Visioneer OneTouch with Kofax VRS technology to create perfect images
from imperfect originals by which users can scan, file and store all of
their documents, plastic ID cards, checks, articles, brochures and
business cards. Productive in any location, the Strobe 400 may be
powered through the computer's USB port, or via wall-power. The Strobe
400 includes patented Paper Driven and AutoLaunch technologies so
scanning begins as soon as a document is inserted into the scanner. It
will also automatically convert, at the user's option, any scanned item
into a text-searchable PDF file while maintaining the visual integrity
of the original document.
Intelligent Flexibility
Powered by Visioneer OneTouch technology, users may scan to the
"destination" of their choice by pressing a single button, eliminating
multiple steps usually required to save scanned documents in popular
file formats. This enables your documents to be scanned with the
correct settings for resolution, color, cropping, file format and then
delivered to virtually any application, folder or device - all at the
touch of a button. Bundled software includes Nuance® PaperPort,
OmniPage Pro, NewSoft Presto! BizCard, an enhanced TWAIN and WIA driver
and Visioneer OneTouch with Kofax VRSTM technology for the PC. The
Strobe 400 supports Mac users with ExactScanTM, a driver and capture
application that integrates with the OneTouch scanning buttons, plus
NewSoft Presto! PageManager®.
Priced at $299.99 US List price, the Strobe 400 is available through
online channel partners and major resellers. Configured as a dual
platform product, the Strobe 400 bundled software and drivers support
Windows 7, Vista, and XP, as well as Mac OS X 10.4 and above, including
Snow Leopard.
Visioneer's Sustainability Program
Visioneer is committed to conserving natural resources and
minimizing our impact on the environment. We actively implement
measures to increase efficiency, conserve energy and water, improve air
quality, and reduce waste through our office building operations, waste
management, and product development programs.
Link: Visioneer
Strobe 400
Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition Gaming
Mouse
PR: Razer, specialist high-end precision gaming and lifestyle
peripherals, announces the Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition gaming
mouse. Combining a sleek and simple design with a high performance 3.5G
3500 dpi infrared sensor, the Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition
features a special edition black chrome mirror finish while maintaining
all of the key features of the original Razer Abyssus.
"The black chrome mirror finish of the Razer
Abyssus Mirror Special Edition adds a certain stylistic sensibility to
the desktop," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA.
"The Razer Abyssus Mirror is designed for gamers that prefer a slick
glossy aesthetic finish. It also serves as the ideal complement to
other reflective peripherals, such as the Razer Lycosa™ Mirror
Special Edition keyboard."
The Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition was created specifically
for gamers that demand the utmost in form and functionality, as well as
reliability under the most intense gameplay conditions. The Razer
Abyssus Mirror features a glossy finish and is equipped with two large
buttons tuned for maximum tactile feedback, as well as Razer's
signature Hyperesponse™ technology. Underneath, Razer has placed
two easily accessible mechanical switches - one on-the-fly dpi switch
giving the user their choice of 450, 1800, or 3500 dpi and one polling
rate switch allowing instant adjustment from a standard 125 Hz to 1000
Hz Ultrapolling.
At the Game Developers Conference at San Francisco in March, Razer
announced an effort to increase support for Mac users by issuing driver
support for all upcoming Razer products, including the Razer StarCraft
II peripheral suite.
"I'm very proud to say that at Razer, we are committed to supporting
both Mac and PC gamers," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president,
Razer USA. "We are constantly working to increase driver support for
Mac with our existing Razer products and have plans to release all of
our new products with dedicated Mac and PC drivers. This is a really
exciting opportunity to expand the gaming industry and make it more
inclusive for Mac users by providing the same level of support that we
give to our PC users."
Razer offers several options for the Mac gaming community, providing
full Mac support for the Razer Naga, the world's best selling MMO
gaming mouse, as well as the Razer DeathAdder, a cult favorite among
the right-handed gaming community. Razer is completely committed to
supporting Mac users and will be releasing drivers to equip existing
products with Mac compatibility. Basic Mac support is already available
for the Razer Orochi, Razer Mamba and Razer Imperator, with further
updates scheduled for later this year.
Product Features:
- High gloss mirror finish
- 3500 dpi Razer Precision™ 3.5G infrared sensor
- 1000 Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1 ms response time
- Mechanical dpi/polling rate switches
- On-The-Fly Sensitivity adjustment
- Always-On mode
- Ultra-large buttons
- 16-bit ultra-wide data path
- 60-120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
- Three independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
- Ambidextrous design
- Scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions
- Zero-acoustic Ultraslick Teflon feet
- Seven-foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
- Approx. size in mm 115(L) x 63(W) x 40(H)
Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition sells for:
Availability:
- Razerzone.com - Available Now
- Worldwide - Available Soon
Link: Razer Abyssus
Mirror
Software
Typinator 4 Adds QuickSearch - Like Spotlight for
Text Snippets
PR: Ergonis Software has announced the release and immediate
availability of Typinator 4.0, a major leap forward in the evolution of
text expanders. Typinator 4 introduces a new feature called
"QuickSearch" that takes usage and management of text snippets to the
next level. Instead of inventing and remembering hundreds of cryptic
abbreviations, you just type a keyboard shortcut and enter a few
characters. Typinator instantly displays a list of matching snippets.
Pick the one that you want, and it appears in your document right away.
It's like Spotlight for snippets, only much faster. QuickSearch can
also be used for quickly opening and editing existing snippets.
"When you start using a text expander, you typically set up five or
ten abbreviations for the most frequently typed text snippets like your
name, your address, the current date, your email address, and similar
things. You choose good mnemonics and use them a lot. Over the time,
however, you add more and more snippets, and you soon end up with
forgetting the abbreviations that you defined. Thus, the potential
productivity boost cannot be fully achieved," said Christoph
Reichenberger, CEO of Ergonis Software. "With Typinator 4, we found a
great way to overcome this phenomenon. The new QuickSearch feature lets
you define a hot key to bring up a search field. You enter a search
string, Typinator pops up a list of matches, you select the one you
want, and - boom - it appears in your document. This allows you to
actively use a huge number of text snippets without having to remember
their abbreviations."
Besides this new killer feature, the new version delivers a number
of other improvements like an option to globally enable and disable
individual sets, further speed enhancements, increased compatibility
with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and many applications like Mellel,
Nisus Writer Pro as well as smoother synchronization via Dropbox or
Mobile Me.
Typinator is a powerful, yet elegantly simple solution that works
across all applications. It detects specific sequences of typed
characters and automatically replaces them with text snippets,
graphics, URLs, dates and special characters.
For business users, Typinator leads to a layer of operational
consistency and productivity across heterogeneous applications. A
standard customer service response, a signature image on an email, a
clause in a contract - each of these can be inserted in any application
with just a couple of keystrokes. For technical users, Typinator
automates typing of code and the implementation of documentation
standards.
Visit Ergonis Software's website to learn more about the changes in
this release and to download and try the new version.
System Requirements: Typinator 4 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or newer.
Mac OS X 10.6 or newer is recommended.
Typinator 4 is a recommended update for everyone running on Mac OS X
10.6 (Snow Leopard). Typinator can be purchased securely on the Ergonis
Software website. The upgrade to Typinator 4 is free for all customers
who purchased Typinator in the last 2 years. For information about
purchases, including enterprise licenses, volume discounts, and upgrade
pricing offers, see the company's web site.
Link: Typinator 4
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