MacSwitching.com > Mac OS X

Jason D. O’Grady’s Apple blog reports:
In a not-so-surprising move, Apple filed for confidentiality with the FCC on October 12, 2006 for almost everything relating to iPhone. The document obtained by LoopRumors (picture courtesy of WorldOfApple) details Apple’s request:

The above mentioned documents contain detailed system and equipment descriptions and are considered proprietary information. The public disclosure of the above mentioned documents might be harmful to [Apple] and would give a competitor an unfair advantage in the market.

If you’re keen on this rumor-shaped story, read more on ZDNet

See what you’ve done, Steve?
You’ve gotten people so whipped up in a froth over your new phone that they’re actually baking cakes in its visage.
Same with the Mac mini, but it’s safe to say that’s probably not the first Mac mini cake that’s come to be.

Check here.

Another good reason to switch to a Mac? iTunes seems to have authorization issues & problems with new Win Vista.

Now-shipping PCs already come with some flavour of Vista, from the basic one to the Ultimate Premium – sort of XP Pro + Media Center, but early users are reporting critical problems with iTunes and fear losing their music library, as posted in some forums.

Read more on News.com: Apple to Windows iTunes users: Don’t install Vista yet , on Afterdawn’s forum iTunes has problems with Vista and here, on partner web site www.ipodpalace.com coverage on Vista and Apple software compatibility list.

Here are some thoughts I’ve been making after reading lots of web pages around about yesterday’s iPhone and Apple TV announcements.
I know very few will care about them but… it’s my blog after all…

Don’t care how good reviews the iPhone will get, the real message is somewhere else.
To be more accurate, it’s right where Steve says from now on it’s going to be called Apple, no longer (and not just) Apple Computer.
See what?
Apple entering the TV room of every household with a (yeah…) Win-compatible box, Apple entering our pockets and suitcases with something that a ‘smartphone’ definition just won’t fit.
But that’s just a part of the game.
See Apple entering mobile devices arena with a new operating system: the very Mac OS X that runs iPhone?
See Apple engaging Symbian, Windows Mobile, UIQ and most other players around?

I’m (still) a proud owner of a Treo 650, PalmOS-based, and still think that PalmOS devices have been running fine (not just with Macs) for a long time, but now it’s over with PalmOS: check the new Treo 750 – which is Windows Mobile-based.
But Mac OS X for mobile looks like something really new.

Note: these are just personal speculations, not dogmatic truth or long-term forecasting…

From trusted Jason D. O’Grady’s Apple blog comes a cool round on MacWorld surprises.

iLife & iWork ’07 – Apple’s iApps usually get updated at Macworld Expo and this year should be no exception. Look for updates to both of Apple’s software suites and maybe we’ll even see the addition of a spreadsheet (rumored to be called “Numbers” or “Sheets”).
[odds: even money]

Mac OS 10.5 – Leopard could be released at Macworld Expo despite Steve Jobs’ assertion that it would be released in “Spring 2007.” Remember that Steve likes to under-promise and over-deliver and take a peek under your seat at the keynote address.
[odds: 2:1]

Jason goes on with Quad Mac Pros, renewed Apple Cinema Displays and the usual ‘rumors’-items.

I’m trying to avoid the usual junk of rumors and just concentrating on what should really be… here is a some-thing wish list:

And for the reportedly rumorous part:

News.com reports on upcoming media center from both Apple and Microsoft (at CES).

There’s more than just the 30th anniversary for Apple…

Apple UK web site is right now showing in its home page something we should be expect really soon now!

Leopard upcoming?

Skype-lovers to-do list:

– go & check on www.skype.com,
– log in with your account data (unless you’re already logged in or you use Firefox)
– get some minutes (or SMSs) for FREE!, should be 15 minutes (but check effective call rates!)

As stated on Skype web site, this will work on Fridays for the full month of December!

Mac users only 😉

Update: some users pointed out that this offer may be related to selected countries only.
UK, France & Italy seem to be working fine…

It’s been exactly one year.
Check here…
On November 9th, 2006 I had the opportunity to trade in my (trusted) old G4 1.67 GHz PowerBook in favour of a brand new MacBook Pro 2.16 GHz, with Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM and so on…
Thanks to Enry & Donato for this…

Why am I writing this only now?
Because I got very little time to use it, and had even less time to save all my data/software to ensure a smooth transition from one Mac to another.

I’ll be writing more about this direct experience on Universal Binary, Windows on Mac & so on…

Following the recente MacBook Pros with Core 2 Duo processors, Apple renews the MacBook family with the same new Intel processor.
Apple says it’s up to 25% faster than previous MacBooks.

Not much changes, beside the priceline.
Same configurations, 1.83 and 2.0 GHz for the white model, 2.0 GHz for the beloved black one.
Same RAM, starting from half a Gig up to 2 Gigabytes, same disk configurations,same 6x dual-layer SuperDrive for two out of three configurations.

Maybe there will be some disappointment about the graphics card, it’s still the same Intel GMA 950 used in previous MacBooks.

Rumors have been talking about enhanced graphics chipset but it simply didn’t happen.

Prices range from the 1.83 GHz white MacBook US $1,099, to the 2.0 GHz white MacBook for US $1,299, up to the 2.0 GHz black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of US $1,499.

Get ready for Halloween and download some spooky stuff.
Desktop icons, fonts, screen savers and lots of other (useless you may say in other days) widgets to make your Mac terrific, horrorific … or anyway you like it!

Get some nice (free) Halloween fonts here, some desktop icons here (from Apple’s site), and a whole Mac OS X Hallo-theme here.

Some other nice icons here and an older horribly screensaver right here.
Boo!

Apple’s gift to travelers: Magsafe airline power adapter.

Well hidden deep within the product pages for Apple’s new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro is mention of a new product that will make frequent flyers happy – the Magsafe Airline Power Adapter.

For US$59 you can now purchase an adapter (PN MA598LL/A) that works with the in-seat DC power ports found on many commercial airliners. Both EmPower and 20mm ports are supported with the included adapter.

The Magsafe Airline Power Adapter provides power for the MacBook Pro but will not charge the battery. Disappointingly, the new adapter is incompatible with automobile power ports.

Anyway is one of those add-ons that really make Macs usable & useful worktools!