Mac notebook and other portable computing is covered in The 'Book Review. iPad, iPod, iPhone, and
Apple TV news is covered in iOS News
Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple CEO
Tim Cook Named New CEO and Jobs Elected Chairman of the Board
PR: Apple's Board of Directors on Wednesday announced that
Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has
named Tim Cook, previously Apple's Chief Operating Officer, as the
company's new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board, and
Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.
"Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided
it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable
technology company," said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on
behalf of Apple's Board. "Steve has made countless contributions to
Apple's success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple's immensely
creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as
Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his
unique insights, creativity and inspiration."
"The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to
be our next CEO," added Levinson. "Tim's 13 years of service to Apple
have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated
remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does."
Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board and strongly recommended
that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as
CEO.
As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company's
worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of
Apple's supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all
markets and countries. He also headed Apple's Macintosh division and
played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller
and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an
increasingly demanding marketplace.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Apple Board of Directors
and the Apple Community, Jobs wrote:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I
could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would
be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to
serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and
Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that
we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days
are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its
success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at
Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work
alongside you.
Steve
Apple to Release a Completely New Mac Design This
Year?
The Japanese Apple-watching tech blog site Macotakara's danbo says
that according to information from suppliers in Asia, Apple is planning
to announce a new Mac later this year that is different enough from
anything in the current product lineup as to rate a new name, although
no details are supplied.
Link: Apple、年内に新しいMacを発表する計画？
(Google Japanese-to-English translation,
Apple, Plans to Announce a New Mac This Year?)
Piper Analyst Pours Cold Water on Rumor of
Radically Different Macs
Barrons' Tech Trader Daily's Tiernan Ray cites Piper Jaffray's
Apple-watching analyst Gene Munster expressing doubt about the Japanese
Macotakara blog's rumor of radically new Mac systems coming later this
year, suggesting that the most substantial change in Apple's Mac lineup
coming will be a slimmer line of MacBook Pro models next year, and that
an introduction of a dramatically different model this year seems an
unreasonable fancy, observing that Apple seems to have most PC system
needs well-covered at this point, making it difficult to discern where
there's a niche to fill.
Link: Apple: Piper
Doubts Rumor Of Widly Different Macs
Apple's Success Not Due to 'Liberal' Ideology
Salon's Andrew Leonard says while Steve Jobs may have hippie street
cred, Apple doesn't owe its success to left-wing values, noting the
company's demonstrated ability to play the game of cutthroat capitalism
as well as - or better than - anyone else, asking rhetorically whether
it can be considered "liberal" to exploit cheap Chinese labor in
massively dehumanizing monster manufacturing complexes, to lock down
absolute control over the computing ecosystem, and to wield a ruthless
intellectual property litigation strategy to ward off competitive
threats to market share.
Leonard contends that open-source software, which anyone can modify
or copy, fits the definition of "liberal" much more aptly, and that
fighting aggressively for higher wages and better benefits for all
employees, across borders, would probably be more "liberal" than
offshoring all one's manufacturing operations in search of the lowest
possible operating costs, and summarizes that cool does not equal
"liberal."
Publisher's comment: The core values of liberalism are liberty and
equal rights, and liberals tend to support democratic principles, free
and fair elections, due process and the rule of law, core freedoms
(freedom of thought, expression, religion, assembly, etc.), fair trade,
and human/civil rights. Classical liberalism believes in individual
responsibility and limited government, while social liberalism tends
more toward corporate responsibility and that government has an
obligation to actively support social justice. Steve Jobs appears to be
more of a classical liberal, while Leonard is differentiating him from
social liberals. dk
Link: Apple's Cool Is No
Liberal Triumph
Gartner: Europe's PC Market Down 19%, Apple Only
Top 5 Vendor Up
PR: PC shipments in Western Europe totaled 12.7 million units
in the second quarter of 2011, a decline of 18.9% from the same period
in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc.
"The PC market in Western Europe suffered from weak demand in both
the professional and consumer sectors, a market which also faced
inventory issues caused by overstocking in 2010," says Meike Escherich,
principal analyst at Gartner.
The mobile PC market was particularly hit hard with a 20.4% decline,
as mini-notebook shipments decreased 53%. Desktop PCs declined 15.4%
year-on-year.
"The much anticipated uptake in the professional segment, in the
wake of migration to Windows 7, was subdued by the negative economic
outlook," says Ms. Escherich. "PC shipments in the professional segment
declined 9% in the second quarter of 2011. The biggest decline
continued to come from the consumer segment which decreased 27%
year-on-year.
In the Q2 2011, Acer lost the No. 1 position as a result of
significant inventory adjustments and a decrease in mini-notebook
sales. Acer's weak performance resulted in HP moving to the No. 1
position while Dell remained in the No. 3 position. Asus shipments
declined 22.9% as consumer demand remained weak and mini-notebook
shipments fell rapidly.
"This quarter's results highlights the ongoing weakness of consumer
demand, and could indicate a structural change in the market that
threatens to continue in the near future," Ms. Escherich comments.
UK: PC Shipments Fell Further Due to Acer's Steep Decline
PC shipments in the UK totaled 2.5 million units in the second
quarter of 2011, a decline of 15% compared with the same period in 2010
(see Table 2).
"Acer's decline of nearly 50% in the second quarter pulled down the
market further than expected, says Isabelle Durand, principal analyst
at Gartner. "Acer had significant inventory that led to its weak
performance, but it also prevented other vendors from pushing new
shipments into the channel. The poor performance of Acer this quarter
does not mask the fact that the consumer market in the UK remained weak
with a decline of more than 15% in the second quarter of 2011. Most
consumers continue to hold back spending on PCs by extending life
cycles on existing PCs and purchasing other devices."
The professional market remained weak with a decline of 13.5% in the
second quarter of 2011. The migration to Windows 7 and replacement of
aging PCs continued to be muted by the negative economic outlook.
HP moved to the No. 1 position while Dell maintained the No. 2
position. Apple and Samsung were the only vendors in the top five
vendors ranking to post single-digit growth.
"PCs are not attracting consumers' disposable income, particularly
in light of alternative devices. While remaining an important device to
consumers, there are few compelling technological reasons to drive PC
replacements," comments Ms. Durand.
Fourth Consecutive Quarterly Decline for the PC Market in
France
PC shipments in France totaled 2.3 million units in the second
quarter of 2011, a decline of 17.8% compared with the same period in
2010 (see Table 3).
"For the fourth consecutive quarter, the PC market in France showed
decline," says Ms. Durand. It also exhibited the weakest PC growth of
the three major countries in Western Europe in the second quarter of
2011.
The PC market in France performed below expectations and remained
weak due to slow consumer demand and lower sell-in PC shipments. In
addition, Acer's high inventory adjustments had a negative impact on
the PC market in France.
The consumer market declined 33% partly due to the rise in
popularity of media tablets and smartphones, which impacted PC
purchases.
The professional market increased 9% in the second quarter of 2011
but volumes were not significant enough to compensate for the drop in
consumer demand.
In the second quarter of 2011, the mobile PC market accounted for
67% of total PC shipments in France, with volumes declining 18 per
cent. Desktop PCs declined 18% year-on-year. Of the total mobile
segment, mini-notebook sales declined 49% in the second quarter of
2011.
Apple made its entry in the top five PC vendors ranking in the
second quarter, and it was the only top five vendor to exhibit shipment
growth., moving to the No. 5 position and displaced Toshiba. HP
remained in the No. 1 spot achieving solid growth in the professional
market, but it continued to face challenges in the consumer
segment.
"The French PC market is expected to improve in the second half of
2011, with more attractive back-to-school promotions compared to a year
ago and product refreshes, says Ms. Durand. However, the availability
of new media tablet models will lead to a price battle in the mobile
market. Some level of government austerity measures due to the recent
economic issues could also impact consumer confidence and spending in
France."
Germany: PC Shipments Saw Second Consecutive Quarter of
Double-Digit Decline
PC shipments in Germany totaled 2.4 million units in the second
quarter of 2011, a decrease of 13.3% compared with the same period in
2010 (see Table 4). The PC market in Germany exhibited its second
consecutive quarter of double-digit shipment decline.
"The PC market in Germany is in a period of adjustment after
exhibiting strong shipment growth of consumer PCs for several years,"
says Ms. Escherich. "For the second half of 2011, we expect to see a
modest increase, rather than high double-digit annual growth
patterns."
The PC market continued to be hit by poor mobile PC sales that
decreased 14% in the second quarter of 2011. Desktop PC shipments
declined 12% in the quarter. The double-digit fall in mobile PC sales
was mainly caused by a steep decline in mini-notebook shipments, which
decreased 43% in the second quarter of 2011.
HP continued to lead in the German PC market as it accounted for
13.3% of PC shipments in the second quarter of 2011. Demand in the
professional PC market has improved as organizations released budgets
to migrate aging PCs to Windows 7. HP in particular seemed to benefit
from this upturn in the professional market.
Acer's problems stemmed from its low-price, high-volume business
model, which is no longer effective. Further inventory clearance saw
Acer's shipments decline 43%, as a large number of mobile PCs were
cleared out of distribution. Lenovo's takeover of Medion did not have
any impact on the overall PC shipments this quarter, but the
Chinese-based company is poised to gain market share in future.
"Given the hype around media tablets such as the iPad, retailers
were very conservative in placing orders for PCs," says Ms. Escherich.
"Instead, many of them wanted to secure space for media tablets."
Link: Gartner
iSuppli DRAM Pricing to Plunge Rest of 2011
PR: IHS iSuppli's Mike Howard says that a dramatic oversupply
and freefalling prices are in store for the dynamic random access
memory (DRAM) sector during the third quarter of 2011, which will
result in a turbulent second half for besieged DRAM suppliers,
according to a new IHS iSuppli DRAM market brief from information and
analysis provider IHS.
The average selling price for Double Data Rate 3 (DDR) in the 2
gigabit (Gb) density - the bellwether DRAM product - is projected to
drop to $1.60 in the third quarter, down 24% from $2.10 in Q211. The
dive would be the biggest decline for the year, following a
surprisingly solid second quarter during which pricing fell only 5%
from the first. However, going into the fourth quarter, the price could
plummet another 22% to $1.25 - dangerously close to cash costs for many
manufacturers. Only a year ago in Q310, pricing stood at $4.70.
Contrary to typical seasonal patterns in which prices are very soft
during the second quarter, that period this year saw relatively
unchanged DRAM pricing compared to the first quarter. However,
companies did not capitalize on the healthy pricing levels to increase
shipments in the second quarter which, in retrospect, may have been the
best time to do so.
DRAM manufacturers attribute the low growth in shipments in the
second quarter to two primary reasons: bloated inventory and challenges
in transitioning to new process technologies.
Nonetheless, says Howard, if trends in the past are any indicator,
DRAM companies not only will shift inventory rapidly but also will move
quickly up the yield curve. As a result, the events of the second
quarter wont continue for long this year.
Should historical patterns hold fast in the third quarter - and
nothing suggests that they won't according to Howard - the industry
could see a oversupply in DRAM inventory and an ensuing drop in prices.
As much as a 15.9% increase in shipments is anticipated in the third
quarter, and prices are not expected to ramp up anytime soon because of
that, IHS believes.
For DRAM suppliers faced with the inevitable - a descent in pricing
sure to provoke more concern in the industry -there's some room left to
maneuver during the period. A weakening DRAM market will encourage
manufacturers to optimize their product mix, moving toward increased
production of a higher-margin memory such as NAND flash. And for
manufacturers still weighed down by lagging technology, capacity could
be cut back to reduce overall DRAM supply in the market.
Both these measures could help stabilize DRAM prices in what is
shaping up to be a buyers heaven for the rest of the year.
Link: Slow Q2 Shipment
Growth Points to Turbulent Second Half of 2011
Products & Services
Free BarracudaDrive Cloud Service License Turns
Your PC or Mac Into a Cloud Server
PR: Real Time Logic, maker of the BarracudaDrive personal
cloud server, has announced that a free license for home users is
available on the BarracudaDrive Facebook fan page.
With BarracudaDrive, it's easy to store, access, and share files
online, but BarracudaDrive is different from the standard "online file
service" provided by a myriad of providers. BarracudaDrive turns your
home network into a powerful online file storage.
For example, BarracudaDrive turns your PC or Mac into an online file
server, so whatever is on your computer can be accessed from anywhere,
such as from work. You can also give your friends limited or unlimited
access to your computer, so you can easily share documents, photos,
music, and so on. You specify what you want to share. BarracudaDrive is
similar to the iDisk service provided by Apple, but without the monthly
fee. BarracudaDrive also includes other services, such as a powerful
blog that you can connect with your friends on Facebook.
The free license on the BarracudaDrive Facebook fan page gives home
users who are on a tight budget access to one of the easiest to use
personal cloud servers for Mac, Windows, and Linux. (Note: This is a
time limited license. You must install a new license when the above
license expires by navigating back to this Facebook page and by
repeating the license installation.)
Can you really trust content stored by online service providers?
Since BarracudaDrive is exclusively hosted by you, it becomes your
personal cloud, allowing you to store and access your files and
appliances anytime from anywhere but without the vulnerability inherent
in third party web portals. BarracudaDrive transforms your home network
into a powerful online storage system, letting you access and share
files from any computer, anywhere.
BarracudaDrive is a consumer product developed by using the
Barracuda Embedded Web Server SDK.
Link: BarracudaDrive
Link: BarracudaDrive Facebook
Page
iFixit Releases Dual Hard Drive Installer Kit for
Mid 2011 Mac mini
PR: iFixit says that when they took apart the 2011 Mac mini, they found the
optical drive conspicuously absent. And while few are bemoaning Apple's
efforts to hasten the death of physical media, they were saddened that
Apple didn't make better use of the extra space. However, iFixit now
has a solution to bring your mini back to the space-efficiency you'd
expect in an Apple product.
They've custom designed a kit with all the parts and
tools needed to install a second hard drive inside your 2011 Mac Mini.
This kit includes:
- Proprietary SATA hard drive cable
- Shock-absorbing mounting grommets
- Mounting screws
- Mac Mini Logic Board Removal Tool
- 26-Piece Bit Driver Kit
- Spudger
You're free to install whatever combination of SSDs and/or spinning
drives that suits your fancy. Both drives are recognized as a regular
internal drive, and performance is identical in either position.
The Chef Recommends:
- Seagate's 500 GB Hybrid SSD Hard Drive
- Seagate's 750 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
- Samsung's 1 TB Massive Hard Drive
The iFixit installation guide makes installing this kit a
breeze.
Works with: Mac mini Mid 2011
- 2.33 GHz (A1347)
- 2.5 GHz (A1347)
- 2.7 GHz (A1347)
Don't have the newest Mac mini? iFixit has a solution to add a
second drive (9.5mm maximum drive thickness) to any Mac mini:
Unfortunately, due to overwhelming demand, they're already out of
stock of their first batch of kits, but are working hard to make more.
Click the 'Notify me' button on the product page and they'll email you
when they have more in stock.
$69.95
Link:
Mac mini Dual Hard Drive Kit
OWC Upgrade Service for Mid 2011 iMacs: Up to 3
SSDs, 3 TB Hard Drive, 32 GB RAM - and eSATA Interface for 27"
iMac
PR: Other World Computing
(OWC) has announced its OWC Turnkey Upgrade Installation Program for
the Mid 2011 Apple iMac that enables any 2011 21.5" or 27" iMac model
owner to have OWC professionally install up to three award winning OWC
Mercury 6G Solid State Drives up to 480 GB each, a larger capacity hard
drive up to 3.0 TB, and OWC Memory Upgrades up to 32 GB. 27" iMac
owners also have the option of OWC installing the industry's only eSATA
interface for the iMac and experience data transfer rates up to 600
MB/s. OWC's installation service program offers multiple configuration
options starting at $169 with a 48 business hours or less installation
turnaround.
OWC Options Create a Better Than Factory Built 2011 iMac
Owners of a 2011 iMac can experience the following benefits from the
OWC Upgrade Program and enjoy a superior performing iMac than what is
available direct from the factory:
Over Twice as Fast & Double the Capacity Solid State Drive
OWC Mercury 6G SSDs offer capacities up to 480 GB, nearly double the
capacity of the single factory 256 GB SSD option, and offer read/write
speeds in excess of 550 MB/s - over twice the performance of the
factory 3G speed limited SSDs. Support for a RAID-0 configuration
allows data rates of up to 1 GB/s (1000 MB/s), nearly four times
the data performance vs. factory options in available multi-SSD
configurations. Depending on other options selected, up to three OWC
Mercury 6G SSDs can be installed for a total of up to 1.44 TB SSD
capacity.
More Main Bay Storage Configuration Options
iMac owners requiring more storage capacity than the factory stock
500 GB - 1 TB hard drive can have OWC replace it with up to a
3 TB drive for up to 6x greater platter-based storage. Or, instead
of a traditional hard drive, OWC can add additional OWC Mercury 6G SSD
capacity of up to from 480 GB to the 3.5" drive bay.
Additional & Lower Cost Memory Options Than Factory
Add up to 4x the factory maximum installed RAM with the OWC RAM 32
GB option. Or, select from OWC Memory Upgrade kits providing 8 GB
total RAM starting from $80. For iMac owners only seeking a memory
upgrade, OWC Memory Kits for the 2011 iMac are also available with
savings up to 77% compared to factory upgrades and come backed by OWC's
free installation videos and lifetime support.
Only eSATA Interface Option Offered for iMac
With fast data transfer rates up to 600 MB/s, OWC's external eSATA
port option for the 2011 27" iMac lets users take advantage of
plentiful and affordable eSATA external drives for data backups and
transfers at up to 6x faster than the built-in FireWire 800
interface.
"The 2011 iMac comes equipped with up to Quad-Core i7 Intel
Processors and can provide performance that rivals the currently
available Mac Pros, except for inherent upgrade limitations based on
its design and factory options," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO,
Other World Computing. "Being able to add memory and drives through our
Turnkey service, iMac owners now can utilize the full potential of
their iMac for intensive A/V, graphics, and other professional creative
services tasks and turn their machine into a full blown desktop
production workstation."
The Turnkey Upgrade Installation Program for 2011 Apple iMac is
available for immediate ordering at:
For answers to frequently asked questions regarding the program, OWC
has created an easy to follow
FAQ.
Link: Turnkey Upgrade
Installation Program for 2011 Apple iMac
Software
iFixit Launches Dozuki, a New Way to Write How-to
Manuals That Don't Suck
PR: "User manuals are stuck in the 20th century," says
iFixit's CEO Kyle Wiens. "Even the best manuals are still distributed
as static PDFs. Service technicians are often stuck with documentation
that is months, if not years, out of date. Users hate IKEA-style
manuals with vague instructions, confusing graphics, and no
photos."
Publishing service manuals that don't suck
"We started iFixit with the idea that there was a better way that
useful documentation could help people do amazing things," Wiens
explains. "iFixit's intuitive, step-by-step repair manuals changed the
world. Millions of people have fixed their own electronics using
iFixit's manuals - making it the most popular service documentation
platform ever created."
iFixit is announcing Dozuki, the software behind iFixit's manuals.
Dozuki has two products, Guidebook and Answers, which you can find
online (link below).
Guidebook is a modern procedural documentation platform that makes
it easy for anyone to create how-to instructions or publish service
documentation for complex devices. Every manual is available online, as
downloadable PDFs, through dedicated mobile apps like iFixit's iOS app,
or through custom API applications. It's simple for technicians to
suggest changes and updates, so manuals consistently get better over
time.
Answers is enterprise-grade Q&A for experts. Answers is a
structured tool for focusing expert conversations into a useful (and
searchable) knowledge base. Answers gives companies the ability to make
their products a hub for knowledge exchange.
Building Expert Communities
iFixit won top online community this year at South by Southwest
(SXSW). This announcement makes their expertise at building communities
available to manufacturers of all sizes.
"Dozuki isn't just a content management system - its a community
platform that empowers companies to give their expert customers a
voice," says Wiens. "Companies that allow their customers to extend
their documentation will see consumers flock to sustainable, durable
products. By joining the community, manufacturers have the opportunity
to set a positive tone, provide leadership, and increase long-term
demand."
Workgroup Collaboration
Dozuki also targets enterprises needing collaborative workgroup
tools. Imagine improving the productivity of distributed teams by
giving people access to domain expertise already available within the
company. Dozuki can transform existing procedures and support documents
into a framework for social interaction.
Proven Solution
Dozuki's powerful framework has powered iFixit onto Inc's list of
the 5000 fastest growing companies for the past three years. iFixit is
now one of the largest Apple parts companies in the world, hosting
complete service manuals for every major Apple product. iFixit's
popular gadget teardowns receive millions of views and drive consistent
ecommerce growth.
Dozuki partnered with O'Reilly to bring Make Magazines exciting
do-it-yourself projects into the digital realm. Their successful
Guidebook community, Make: Projects ( http://makeprojects.com ), allows
users to post their own DIY projects alongside Make's professional
articles.
Release Date
The software is in private beta now and will be launching publicly
this fall.
I'd love to talk to you about why this is important to iFixit, and
to the electronics industry. Manufacturers need to step up and provide
users with better documentation, and we want to make that possible. I'm
available all day today and tomorrow for interviews.
Link: Dozuki
Sophie's Cards 6.1.1.1.1 Released
PR:
With Sophie's Cards, you can personalize, email, or print greeting
cards, note cards, holiday cards whenever you would like, as often as
you would like, using your own photos or the program's bundled unique
images. Sophie's Cards includes a Saved Cards feature so you'll never
send the same card to the same person twice.
New in version 6.1.1.1.1:
- A completely re-mastered, easy to use interface.
- Selection and Design changes now appear instantly on the same
screen.
- You can now email cards.
- The Sophie's Cards logo on the back of the card can now be replaced
with your own logo or text, artists and photographers love this
feature.
- Saved Cards feature, fully searchable, let's you build your own
Card Store.
- Now offers Business Cards.
- The ability to enter and edit text directly on the card.
Includes a short tutorial movie, simple steps guide you how to make
a card.
- Any Font on your computer is now available to use formatting a
card.
- Dramatic speed improvements.
- Terrific new and unique images
You can check out the Sophie's Cards promo video on YouTube.
System requirements: PowerPC G5 or faster with at least 256 MB of
RAM, or an Intel based Mac with at least 512 MB of RAM, running at
least Mac OS X v10.5 or newer (note: Sophie's Cards has not yet been
tested with OS X 10.7 Lion); 1 GB of available hard disk drive space,
and a photo quality inkjet printer; CD-ROM drive for CD versions of
Sophie's Cards.
For printing, you need either U.S. or International paper, including
envelopes, in note card, half-fold, or postcard sizes, or US Letter or
A4 sheets for quarter-fold cards or frameable art.
Purchase Sophie's Cards sells for $39.95.
Also see Charles W. Moore's review of Sophie's Cards, Make Your Own Custom Greeting Cards
with Sophie's Cards.
Link: Sophie's
Cards
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.
