2002: No doubt about it, the new iMac G4 is a machine that people will either love or hate. Apple has again rewritten the rules of how a computer should look and perform. With the release of the new iMac, however, Apple has further blurred the line between the consumer electronics and computer worlds. Apple […]
Author Archives: Stephen Van Esch
2001: Mac OS X has come more or less into its own since the release of OS X 10.1. Unfortunately, the main competition, Windows XP, will also be coming into its own shortly. It’s a bittersweet triumph that OS X is fast, stable, and oh so nice to look at. It seems that Windows XP is […]
2001: I’ve written several articles about the digital hub, the concept that Steve Jobs and the rest of the computer makers have been chasing as the Holy Grail that will keep an otherwise fading industry alive. One of the main problems with the digital hub vision is the mental barrier that users must overcome to […]
2001: It’s been quite a love-in for Apple over the last couple of years. Great looking products that are pleasing to the eye is an Apple tradition, and the iPod simply adds to it.
2001: Steve (and that other guy named Bill) has been droning on about how the PC is moving away from being a single-purpose machine shoehorned under the desk and becoming the center of the new digital universe. They’ll control all the digital devices and become the command center of digital activities.
2001: A class action lawsuit was launched against Apple yesterday: Milberg Weiss Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Apple Computer, Inc. and its CEO.
2001: The consumer acceptable version of Mac OS X (version 10.1) is now out of the gate and on track to be the standard operating system in the Mac universe. It’s time to start beating the drum.
2001: Oh great, my little 350 MHz G3 upgrade is about to look even pokier: Motorola Completes 1.6 GHz PowerPC G5. My tired but indefatigable workhorse PowerCenter Pro is chugging along nicely, thank you very much. Darn it.
2001: It’s no secret that Apple (courtesy of Motorola) has been lagging quite badly in the Megahertz War. Stuck at 867 MHz, Apple has stood on the sidelines as Intel and AMD offerings have soared past the 1 GHz mark and have now reached 2 GHz.
2001: For the first time in recent memory, Apple has announced the contents of Jobs’ keynote for the Paris Expo: Jobs: No New Hardware at Apple Expo 2001 (no longer online) Nouveaux Ordinateurs? Non! (no longer online) Steve Jobs to Keynote Apple Expo, Says “No New Hardware In Paris” Let the games begin.
2001: The fact that Apple is out of trouble is really, really old news. The profits have been rolling in fairly consistently and have put Apple solidly in the black and on the road to long-term financial stability. The problem now, as always, is maintaining and increasing market share.
2001: Apple will soon be releasing its quarterly report, and macolytes everywhere are waiting with bated breath. We’ll either be celebrating or bracing for a pummeling on the market.
2001: Another Macworld Expo has come and gone, and Apple has decided not to wow the crowd with some gee-whiz innovation. However, solid performance upgrades were the norm and, I suspect, welcome for a lot of people.
2001: The strong-arm tactics that Microsoft has used lately have put their previous control efforts to shame. Microsoft aims to control as much content, software, and (by default) hardware as it can. This, I’m sure, is normal. Market dominance is the goal of all corporations.
2001: Apple seems to be on a roll these days. Knock your socks off hardware, a new assault on the education market, accolades for their software efforts – and the list goes on.
2001: Last time I outlined the basic Mac Populist user. To recap: The Mac Populist believes that Macs should appear on every desk in every home and office. Their interpretation of “The Computer for the Rest of Us” is that the Mac is a computer meant for the mass market, and its destiny is to […]
2001: My previous article, The Computer for the Best of Us, stirred up quite a few emails. Some were angry; others agreed with my opinion. What became clear, however, was that there are two interpretations of “The Computer for the Rest of Us”.
2001: Charles Moore recently wrote a short piece on Applelinks, Macs Still Cost Too Much, discussing how Macs are too expensive when compared to PCs. While hardly one to drag an old argument out of the closet (Macs have better components, Macs last longer, etc.), I will admit that Charles does have a point.
2001: Microsoft recently announced it’s Hailstorm initiative. In a nutshell, Hailstorm is a storage system for the personal information of its users.
2001: As of this Saturday, the single largest system software release since the Mac’s inception is ready for public consumption (finally!). Mac users will no longer have to endure the slings and arrows of the Wintel crowd regarding protected memory. Mac users will no longer have to put up with crazy extensions bringing the system […]
2001: Apple has been a niche player for many years. Its market share has been reduced to the point where most people don’t see Apple as a major threat to the PC landscape.
2001: Several articles have recently touted the fact that Apple wants to compete directly with Sony in the digital appliance market. This is all well and good. Moving beyond the “computer” market and into new spaces that service Jobs’ “digital lifestyle” is a good idea – a good idea that will face an uphill battle, […]
2001: Enough hay has been made of the recent softening of the PC market to last us until next year. The PC is dead! The vultures fly around the PC market! Consumers abandon PCs in droves! Handhelds are where it’s at! Unfortunately, while Steve Jobs may not always be right, he’s probably pretty close with […]
2001: Macworld Expo has come and gone, and Mac users certainly weren’t disappointed. A slew of great announcements and one sweet sweet PowerBook release kept the Mac folk happy.
2001: After shaking up the computer world with sleek hardware designs, Apple is finally getting serious about pushing “the other half” of its business: software. What’s inside the box is essential to the Apple business, but it is widely ignored in print and ad campaigns. After all, a curvy iMac looks much better on a […]
2000: Apple has twice as many hurdles to overcome with its new machines. Right now, things are looking up for Mac users. If you want a new machine, you can buy now at a good price. You won’t suffer too much on the performance front (you hope) when Apple releases new machines (we hope) at […]
2000: Like it or not, Mac OS X will be a reality in a few short months. All of the hand-wringing, hair tearing, and general sighs of resignation (along with a few cheers) will be done, and OS X will make its debut – and it’s in your best interest to swallow the medicine (sweet […]
2000: Way back when, Apple stock was in the toilet, trading at $11 a share. Don’t look now, but the earnings forecast that came out on Tuesday brought investors close to that same spot. On Wednesday, AAPL closed at 14-5/16. Not a pretty sight.
2000: A rip off of Apple’s G4 Cube appeared at Comdex last week. While we’ve heard nothing yet from Apple legal, it’s a sure bet that Apple will throw a lawsuit at DA Computing as soon as they’ve researched the matter a little.
2000: In a previous article, I mentioned that Jesse Berst was jumping the gun by saying that Apple was offering nothing new. A particularly astute reader pointed out that, in fact, Apple has indeed stopped innovating. This reader was obviously a Mac lover and was in no way bashing me or Apple. So, has Apple […]
