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>> Postings for November 2008

What chance a Apple netbook in 2009?

Wed, 26 Nov 2008

So it's no secret that lots of people are desperately pining for a netbook, a small, trimmed-down laptop that would be a bit easier to tote around than a full-fledged laptop.

However, one analyst, Ezra Gottheil - you know, a member of that tribe that gets paid way too much money to say stuff that the rest of us already have figured out for free - says that, based on Steve Jobs's comments during last month's quarterly financial conference call (to wit: "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that.") that Apple will, for sure, come out with a netbook in the first half of 2009.

Cyrus Farivar | Read more...


Bugs & Fixes: When MobileMe contacts will not delete

Tue, 18 Nov 2008

When I first gave MobileMe a spin months ago, I synced my Address Book contacts to the cloud. Recently, I wanted to clear those contacts from MobileMe. You might think this would be easy to do. You'd be wrong.

After trying several dead-ends, I ultimately tripped over what is almost certainly a bug in Apple's MobileMe software. I did come up with a work-around for the bug, but it's a bit ugly.

Ted Landau | Read more...


The book of MacBook

Fri, 14 Nov 2008

People keep asking me about my new MacBook. The machines came out about a month ago, but that clearly hasn’t been enough time for people to get their fill of Apple’s latest portable lineup. I have to remind myself that these are, for the most part, civilians: people who don’t eat, drink, breathe, and immerse themselves in all things Apple.

Still, I’ve fended off envious looks and an assortment of questions, ranging from whether the performance is a huge improvement to whether the screen is too reflective.

Dan Moren | Read more...


Biggest threat Windows 7: Journalists

Thu, 13 Nov 2008

CNET blogger Don Reisinger has an interesting take on the biggest threat to the success of Windows 7: Journalists. His reason?

Regardless of whether you believe in the greatness of Steve Jobs or you choose to use only Velocity Micro machines out of your hatred for Apple, one thing remains: the vast majority of journalists use Macs to write their stories and have a deep-seeded [sic] love for Apple products.

Robet X Cringely | Read more...


Remembering Michael Crichton

Mon, 10 Nov 2008

I was deeply saddened to read of the passing of Michael Crichton, at the way-too-young age of 66. Michael was an amazingly talented individual, as evidenced by his background—a Harvard-educated medical doctor who wrote The Andromeda Strain while still in medical school, and then wrote (and directed the movie version of) The Great Train Robbery.

From there, his writing career really took off, and he had me hooked at a relatively early age—I remember reading my dad’s copy of The Andromeda Strain in my teen years. While I may not have agreed with all of his recent writing, his books were consistently entertaining, and mixed just enough reality in with some out-there science fiction to get me thinking about the possibilities.

Rob Griffiths | Read more...


Is Yahoo dead?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008

The problem with writing about the endless Microsoft-Yahoo-Google mini-series is eventually you run out of metaphors. So I'll quote Michael Corleone: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Google has bailed on its bailout of Yahoo. After 7.5 years of near total stasis, the Department of Justice's anti-trust division emerged from a persistent vegetative state to declare that a Google-Yahoo partnership will not stand. Why this particular battle roused U.S. anti-trusters from their dirt nap is a mystery. But it was enough to scare off the Googlers.

Robert X. Cringely | Read more...


Loving the MacBook Air

Thu, 06 Nov 2008

Will the MacBook kill the MacBook Air? Screamed a headline I read recently. "Er, no" was the rather sheepish answer. But the MacBook Pro is in serious danger of killing my back, and I've developed a newfound love of my Air as a result.

It started with a test MacBook Pro sent in by Apple. The one that's been in the office for the last week or two, and yesterday escaped from the test lab and ended up back on my desk.

Mark Hattersley | Read more...


Microsoft haters, Mac daddies and Linux lovers

Thu, 06 Nov 2008

Now that the elections are finally over, let's focus on something even more contentious -- the holy war over operating systems. I've gotten a lot of responses regarding my Halloween post on Microsoft's "I'm a PC" marketing campaign and Windows 7. Some good, some bad, and some plug-ugly.

Lady Geek took mild umbrage at my joke about Windows 7 being "Vista in garters and a tight sweater."

Robert X. Cringely | Read more...


Glass trackpads: faulty or just different?

Tue, 04 Nov 2008

Apple's discussion forum is filling up with comments that the MacBook Glass trackpads are often unresponsive, sometimes not working for several clicks at a time.

As with other Mac problems, we have been keeping an eye on the situations and investigating the problem. But one reader has asked us why we aren't reporting this, so I thought I'd jump ahead with a blog.

Mark Hattersley | Read more...


Stop the page-flicking madness - give us iPhone folders

Mon, 03 Nov 2008

I've been using my iPhone with the 2.x software since it came out a few months back. At first, I wasn't too thrilled with this "upgrade" to my iPhone - my previously speedy and stable device (despite being jailbroken for most of its life) had been converted into a very slow, unstable, and ultimately unreliable product. Then the iPhone 2.1 software came out, and an amazing thing happened...all my iPhone's issues vanished, and it was back to being the device I'd grown to enjoy using over the last year.

For that, I thanked Apple, because this version of the software fixed all of the major stability and usability issues I had with my iPhone.

Rob Griffiths | Read more...


The Microsoft comedy continues

Mon, 03 Nov 2008

Only one company could spend $300 million to promote a product while at the same time quietly trying to shove it under the carpet. A corporation that posted more than $4 billion in profits in its most recent quarter. A company with more money than God, but far less taste.

Still. Why should Bill Gates, Jerry Seinfeld, and Deepak Chopra have all the fun? Microsoft's I'm a PC site now lets any Tom, Dick, or Mary share the spotlight -- for five seconds at least. The 'softies want you to upload a blink-or-you'll-miss-it video stating exactly why and how you're a PC. "Winning" entries will get to have their five seconds of fame on a TV commercial. (But, sadly, not a US$10 million paycheck.)

Robet X Cringely | Read more...


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