2007: Ten years? Has it been that long? Well, not necessarily for me. Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s publisher, dropped me an email back in 2000 asking if I’d like to contribute to this fine website. Young enough to have the time, I figured why not? A column every two weeks seemed easy enough, and […]
Author Archives: Stephen Van Esch
2004: My trusty PowerBook had its very first hardware failure yesterday. I must admit that I’m surprised and disappointed by this event. This PowerBook is only a little over two-and-a-half years old.
2004: As poor cousins, we Canucks are used to waiting a tad longer for some of the wonderful goods introduced south of the border. It’s been some time since the iTunes Music Store made its appearance in the States, and, well, we’re still waiting.
2004: If your head’s been buried in the sand, you may have missed the fact that Mac OS X finally made it to Intel hardware. It’s dog slow and buggy as, well, as Windows, but we can’t blame that on x86 architecture because this is just an emulator called PearPC.
2004: It’s been some time since I’ve used Windows with any regularity. I can’t say I’ve missed it terribly. About the only time I need to go near Windows is when my Dad needs a hand with his machine.
2004: Seems there’s more hand-wringing regarding Apple’s computer market share. Andrew Neff, a Bear Stearns analyst, calls Apple’s market share loss “worrying.”
2004: The small form-factor PC finally makes its debut. Apple is, without a doubt, the computing industry trendsetter. Most computer users admire Apple’s stylish hardware designs. Even if people don’t want to use a Mac, they’re hard-pressed to find a problem with how they look.
2004: Apple has been doing well, as usual. Or has it? If I turn one way, I see a great number of reports that indicate that Apple, which by most accounts looks good, is slowly but surely losing the battle to remain relevant.
2004: I heard the most interesting Mac comment the other day. It goes like this: “There are two types of Macs. Those that have crashed and those that are going to crash.”
2004: The more I look at the iTunes Music Store, the more I feel that there could be some improvements to the system.
2004: I generally stay far away from speculating on new products. There are simply too many variables at work for one person to come up with a reasonable prediction. For example, the original iMac was doomed to fail because it didn’t have a floppy drive and wasn’t expandable. PC pundits trashed the little machine, while […]
2004: There’s a bit of outrage regarding Apple and Pepsi using kids that have been targeted by the RIAA in their Super Bowl ad. Whether they really are the kids being targeted or simply actors is beside the point.
2004: Few would argue that much of Apple’s success over the past six years can be attributed to Steve Jobs. He gave Apple a strong mandate, pared down the product line, and really helped focus the company on delivering Mac OS X. Without these three things, it’s entirely possible that Apple wouldn’t be in as good […]
2004: By all accounts, the goodies unveiled at Macworld Expo will satisfy most Mac user’s cravings for new and better hardware and software. The new iPod mini should maintain – if not extend – Apple’s dominance of the portable music player market. Updated iLife applications have finally arrived. The G5 Xserve will bring more power […]
2003: Everyone is no doubt caught up in the full swing of the holidays. Presents to give and receive, festivities to attend, and delicious meals to digest. But for most Mac fans, the real Christmas season starts with Steve Jobs taking to the stage at Macworld Expo on January 6th.
2003: Man + dog seem to be getting into the online Music industry. Coca-Cola is the most recent entry in a parade of iTunes Music Store wannabes. Who’ve we got so far? Let’s see. BuyMusic.com, Napster, Puretracks, Dell, and the list goes on. Even the mighty Walmart is apparently getting into the act.
2003: With hell freezing over and all, I’m hoping that Apple will be able to introduce another cold front in the Windows world. Windows users like their iTunes. They really like their iTunes. Really. Some have even toyed with the possibility of buying a Mac just so their whole computing experience can be as simple […]
2003: With the recent release of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, Proteron has made a bit of a stink about the inclusion of an application switcher that is, apparently, a “near pixel duplication” of Proteron’s LiteSwitch X.
2003: Is it just me, or is Redmond in a holding pattern? It seems that all the innovation is happening elsewhere in the computer industry these days. Apple is a prime example of this. It continues to update Mac OS X and other software packages at a good clip. OS X 10.3 Panther contains a boatload […]
2003: Recent reports indicate that governments around the world are considering the switch away from Windows to Linux. This has Microsoft worried enough to create a battle Linux slush fund to convince governments to stick with Windows.
2003: Grind you teeth, readers, because I’m going to be asking you to do something you likely haven’t had to do since Microsoft gave Apple a financial hand in 1997. That’s right, it’s time to root for Microsoft.
2003: Simple fact: Microsoft is a monopoly. Simple fact: Monopolies produce inferior products that fail to push the market forward.
2003: BuyMusic* has reached the end of its second week of operation, and things seem to be going, well, less than swimmingly for the PC upstart. Let’s put this in perspective, shall we?
2003: To absolutely no one’s surprise, a music downloading company is taking a run at the iTunes Music Store. When you’re top dog (or the only dog), people come knocking. Needless to say, yesterday’s announcement by BuyMusic.com to bring music downloading to the Windows masses sparked an interesting round of articles.
2003: The sky is falling! Wonderfully negative reports regarding Adobe’s decision to make the latest version of Premiere a Windows-only application might make people think that Apple is going the way of the dodo (for the umpteenth time).
2003: No doubt you’ve heard that Apple has announced new, powerful desktop computers that are sure to give Windows machines a run for their money.
2003: Is Apple in for a repeat of the computer revolution? The iTunes Music Store has lit a fire under the seats of a few big names. According to a Macworld UK article, Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo are looking to get in on the music download act. Amazon, Viacom, and MTV are also mentioned as […]
2003: The iTunes Music Store (in spite of the annoying commercials) has been selling a steady stream of songs since its inception. Breathless accounts of downloads passing the 1 million and then 2 million mark make it clear that Apple has made some good progress in making downloadable music a viable business.*
2003: If the first week of sales at Apple’s iTunes Music Store is any indication, Apple may have a monster hit on its hands – again.
2003: It seems my previous column (Mac Myths and the Apple Challenge) touched a nerve or two. In particular, the claim that Macs are not, in fact, more expensive than Windows machines seemed to raise the ire of more than one reader. If anything, this only proved that Apple has a hard slog ahead of […]
