The advantages of an open source core OS.0
rzwitserloot posted in apple on January 24th, 2007

Google has recently released MacFUSE, a nicely packaged up mac port of the FUSE drivers; these allow ‘user level’ (e.g. do not require being administrator to install, rebooting, and other nastiness) software to create virtual drives.

Just do give you an idea how brilliant this simple idea is, think of:

A folder which contains, dynamically, all your flickr photos. Each foto can be opened in your favourite photo editor, and when you save, the photo is automatically uploaded to flickr again. Works with any app, as the app just thinks its viewing a folder on your harddrive.

I’m already enjoying the benefits of sshfs - a way to ‘mount’ a directory on another linux, posix, or mac machine (and with some effort, a windows machine), securely, as if it’s on your own file system. If you’ve been looking for a ‘norton commander’ like SCP tool, look no further; just use sshfs and then any random file tool, like finder.

Spotlight, the live and automatic searching tool of mac os x, has a ’smart folder’ feature. You create a ’smart folder’ with a search term, and the contents of that folder represent each file that matches the term, ‘live’ - spotlight iss hooked directly into the file system, so the moment you move, delete, or change a file, all smart folders you happen to be looking at update instantly. Unfortunately, smart folders are really just files; only Finder (the mac version of explorer for you windows folk) ‘knows’ what to do with these.

The MacFUSE guys have slapped together a Spotlight plugin for MacFUSE which creates REAL folders that act just like the smart folders. these you can open in any program, not just Finder.

Clearly, this is the right way of implementing the smart folder system.

Clearly, then, MacFUSE should be integrated into Mac Os X. And having an open source core makes this possible, easier, and more honest. Apple is bouncing around between keeping the core os x open sourced (as darwin) and closing it down for fear of hackers e.g. creating mac os x for non-mac hardware.

Legislative crud - iPhone trademark is apple’s.0
rzwitserloot posted in me, apple on January 13th, 2007

I’m back from an excellent vacation, and more about this later.

However, for now, just a quick shine on the ongoing internet armchair debates on who really owns the “iPhone” name - apple, or cisco?

It’s apple’s, and the reason is simple. Fortunately, in this case, Cisco’s clear bungling of the case should make this a slam dunk for Apple’s legal team, but it’s a nice foray into why the whole patent & trademark office isn’t working.

zd.net’s sleuting - read it for all the details.

Now how come the very obvious nature of that sticker wasn’t caught by the USPTO?

Apple’s still on the ball…0
rzwitserloot posted in apple on December 6th, 2006

3 of the top 10 gadgets are apple products. List composed by a (so he says, I guess it might take a grain of salt) non-apple fanboy. While the superiority of MacBook(pros) vs. PC notebooks is obvious to me, I still don’t entirely get how the hell Apple’s continuing to pull off the iPod business. The shuffles - yes. The bigger ones just got me stumped. Are they -THAT- pretty?

I mean, a friend of mine even bought a 5G iPod together with his MacBook. I don’t get it.

Macbook Mini take II2
rzwitserloot posted in apple on September 26th, 2006

Remember my prediction of the macbook mini?

I mentioned that in order for it to be really small and fairly cheap, not including a DVD or CD player of any kind would help reduce costs and make a 10″ casing design feasible. Offering movies as part of iTunes is pretty much a pre-requisite before the optical drive could be ditched, but iTunes just launched the very service, so that’s one part of the puzzle in place.

The other part is this nifty device. A 32GB solid state disk. whoo, still very expensive but if that ever drops into the 150 bucks range, the notebook can seriously reduce the size of the battery, reduce RAM and CPU speeds (an SSHDD boosts speed by being much faster compared to an ordinary HDD), thoroughly reduce battery size, and combining all those things, reduce the size and power of the fans.

Then again, apple has plenty of experience with tiny harddrives given their iPod line, so maybe going as far as including a solid state disk is overkill.

The MacBook Mini?4
rzwitserloot posted in apple on June 8th, 2006

upfront note: This is pure conjecture.

This new macbook is bigger than the iBook. It’s also sufficiently powerful to act as your only computer with ease.

Which makes this macbook overpowered, really, for a lot of notebook target audience: Those who only use their notebook as a quick way to check email, take presentations and some files on the road, and possibly to use for watching a movie or 2 while on the road.

The macbook is ridiculously cheap for what it packs - apparently, apple either wants market share, or they have their suppliers and construction process very streamlined. Either way, it opens the door to a new notebook. A Macbook mini.

It would cost around the same price, and similar hardware, as a Ordinary Mac Mini - about 600 bucks. From iBook experience, I know OS X will run just fine on a 40GB slow (4200 rpm) harddrive, with 512MB soldered right onto the mainboard, with a core solo 1.5Ghz processor. Combine this with a much smaller, cheap 10 or 9″ screen, and voila. A macbook mini.

To make sure everything fits, it might be possible to ditch the CD/DVD drive. Apple’s original eMac was the first mainstream computer to forego the floppy drive entirely. iTunes Music Store’s video sales would help market it - get your videos that way instead of using DVDs. Any software that can put movies on a video iPod can put movies on this notebook.

Marketing would then heavily rely on the iPod. Perhaps this thing will be called ‘iBook’ to try and keep the link to the iPod.

I wouldn’t buy it myself (I’m quite happy with my macbook), but I know plenty of people who need a notebook not as main PC but for certain relatively simple things. The handheld revolution isn’t happening, probably because it just isn’t possible to reasonably type and read on such a small device, so a very portable and cheap notebook would be the better alternative then.

That particular market is also wide open. Very few notebook hardware makers make cheap, tiny notebooks.

Review of the MacBook.5
rzwitserloot posted in apple on June 1st, 2006

My MacBook arrived Mondayafternoon, nicely timed to coincide with an extremely busy week for me. Fortunately, Oliver was so kind as to babysit my door.

Let me tell you right away: I can’t believe this marvelous little gem is being sold for only 1100 EUR/USD. I prefer this thing to a 15″ MacBook Pro and those cost 2600, give or take.

Finish

A major complaint I had with my old iBook (latest model 12″) involved the finish of the notebook casing. Others gawking and oogling the quant little iBook noticed these things as well - seams that didn’t quite close properly, filling up with dust. A battery that sticks out a tad due to being supported by only a single locking brace, and a large and slanted gap between the screen and the case when closed. Through personal use other things are noticed - the keyboard, while beating out EUR 50 USB models with ease for feel and comfort, did feel a bit cheap. One of the keys (left cursor) actually tore almost in half over use, which didn’t help, obviously. Also, pushing down on the casing or the trackpad also clicked the mousebutton. The space bar was drooping to the left, and the trackpad button drooped right. These last points are but pet peeves, really - hardly noticable, but still there.

The MacBook suffers from none of these problems. Its built like an iPod shuffle - the base is a solid plastic brick, the battery is lodged tight with 2 brackets, the keyboard feels very robust and is perfectly symmetrical, and the trackpad feels much more solid.

In fact, the MacBook feels like a PowerBook in this regard - one of the big differences between the old 12″ PowerBook and 12″ iBook (which are extremely similar to each other in layout and build) was this feeling of sturdiness.

Of course, the magnetic auto-latch means the screen now closes more neatly than any other Apple laptop ever built.

GlossBook?

Yes, the screen is glossy. Yes, having a tube-shaped lightsource behind you means you have to fiddle around with the angle of the screen. However, aside from that one problem, this screen easily matches old PowerBook screens, and even facing a MacBook Pro 15″ screen, the MacBook puts up a fair fight. Contrast this to the old iBook, which had one serious failing: The screen sucked. This screen is so bright, it hurts your eyes unless you’re looking at it in daylight. I normally operate near the lowest brightness setting. iBook: Always the highest.

Comparing gloss to PCs, there is definitely less of it, as well.

Ports

Again, the MacBook really doesn’t lose any significant advantage here compared to more than double the price MacBook Pro. Unlike the old iBook, you can connect an external microphone. Unlike the old iBook, you get optical audio in and out. You also get gigabit ethernet and an iSight camera. You even get a MagSafe power connector, and a full mini DVI video out - another feature that the iBook never had.

Mactel stability

Mactels aren’t quite as stable as MacPPC systems. However, according to Cristiano who has owned a MacBook Pro for a couple of months now, every new automatic system upgrade improves stability by leaps and bounds. Even so, mactels are almost as stable as older macs - certainly the MacBook does not sport any driver troubles like so many Windows notebooks. The MacBook has crashed twice so far, forcing a hard reset, but on the other hand I was installing a load of applications and trying to move over old files from my iBook.

heat and speed

The MB features a processor almost as fast as the MBP: A 1.83 or 2Ghz intel core duo. Given the MBP’s almost ridiculous heat generation, the less heat conductive plastic casing had me worried that the fans would be on nearly all the time.

Fortunately, for some reason, MBs run even colder than iBooks. The heat is focussed around the edges, meaning the wrist rests do not get hot like on the iBook. The bottom of the case gets a bit hotter than an iBook but it’s very managable. Contrast this to the MBP, which fries your legs (and definitely your nuts) after even moderate use. The fan hasn’t kicked in yet, even during movie playback. I have no clue how Apple managed it.

Speedwise I can only report that day to day operations are very quick. I tried to run Quake 4. This doesn’t work well due to the hugely inferior graphics engine. That, then, is also the only major area where the MBP wins out. But, is that worth 1400 euros?

Running windows

With parallels, windows runs side by side with mac os x, and runs smoothly. Excellent for quickly checking if your site works well in IE6 for the stragglers amongst the internet crowd.

MBP or MB?

I truely think the MB wins this battle. Here’s what the MacBook is actually better at than its larger, far more expensive cousin:

• Batterij Life (5 vs. 3.5 hours)
• wireless range (plastic case helps)
• Powerpack (60W small profile pack vs. 85W almost twice the size. Airplane sockets can only power up to 75W)
• User servicable HDD bay. Swapping out your harddrive on a MacBook Pro voids your warranty and takes many hours
• Keyboard. The MB keyboard is full size, spanning the entire base. The MBP keyboard is of similar size to old 12″ iBooks, with large speaker grilles on the sides
• speakers. Eventhough the MBP has a much more obvious speaker grille, the speakers tucked away on the backside sound very crisp and produce just as much volume.
• Trackpad. Aside from the extremely useful 2-finger tap = rightclick feature only available to the MB, the trackpad’s size beats the MBP. Also, unlike the iBook, the trackpad remains completely responsive even around the edges
• Magnetic latch is more stylish and locks better compared to the physical latch of the MBP.
• heat. This is a huge issue. The MB is almost as fast as the MBP on non-game performance, yet it doesn’t get even remotely close to the MBP’s temperature during operation. See previous section
• Looks. This is a tossup. I personally prefer the white plastic case to the anodized aluminum. I guess this one comes down to personal preference

Regrets?

Comparing the MacBook to my old trusty iBook, there are some areas where the iBook actually outperforms the MacBook. First and foremost is the bulkiness of the MacBook. While the MacBook actually occupies less space than the 12″ iBook due to it being thinner and a bit shorter, it’s far bulkier. Compare trying to lug a deck of cards around with trying to lug a sheet of A4-sized metal around. yes, the sheet is volumetrically speaking smaller, but it is just more unwieldy compared to the deck of cards. While I frequently carried an opened iBook by holding a wrist-rest, trying to do that with a MacBook is uncomfortably heavy due to the increased torque exerted by the wider MacBook. It requires a larger bag as well.

Another obvious problem of the MacBook is the edge of the notebook itself - whereas both the MBP and the old iBook have a more or less smooth edge, the MacBook’s single seamless case schtick leaves a sharp edge which is irritating on the wrists when typing. I think it’ll dull quickly with use to be less of a problem, but a smoother edge would definitely be welcome. The MacBook still has an enter that’s too small and a number of irrelevant keys that could have been left off to i.e. increase the size of the enter key and the left shift. iBooks have this problem as well but for those 2 keys the full size keyboard is actually making matters worse.

Conclusions

I’d have to say that no notebook in the world, including apple’s own Macbook pros, can hold a candle to this thing. It’s ridiculously cheap for the power it packs, and eventhough its a new case design, it feels like they’ve already worked out virtually all the kinks. Apparently the many troubles with the MBP series helped a lot. There is absolutely no need to own a desktop as well, a MacBook is the only computer hardware you really need. The added benefit of supporting bootcamp and parallels also means this notebook is still an excellent deal, easily capable of going toe to toe with dell notebooks on price, and lightyears ahead in every other way, if you just need a windows notebook.

It’s just that good.

Back when some of us apple junkies met at ‘De Balie’ in Amsterdam to hold our own little MacWorld gathering, unable to actually attend Steve Jobs’ presentation where the MBP was unveiled, I secretly hoped for a magic bullet notebook sporting all the benefits of apple’s powerbooks, along with faster chips, the capability to run windows in a pinch, and yet a price tag of about a 1000 bucks. The MBP (with its hefty pricetag) thoroughly disappointed me, but the wait is over: This is the magic bullet notebook.

Mac switcharoo0
rzwitserloot posted in apple on May 23rd, 2006

I sold the iBook and bought the MacBook. Fortunately, I managed to sell the iBook for almost the same price I paid for it 7 months ago.

I’ll admit that such an unprecedented resale value for computer hardware is made possible partly by some really decent student discounts, but still:

Resell a computer for the same price you bought it for even after the model has been made obsolete?
Used to be that notion would generate laughs.

I’m strongly considering ‘riding the wave’ for macs from here on out: Everytime a new model is released, sell the old one, buy the new one. While a bit of a hassle, it doesn’t cost anymore than completely replacing it every 3 years, and you get the considerable advantage of getting a shiny new toy every year. For this new MacBook I’m also going to take extra care with keeping it scratch-free, and, needless to say, I’ll keep the box again, because that improves resale value.

The notion that you can resell a mac for almost buying price means its effectively really cheap to testdrive one: Just order a new one, and, if you don’t like it, you get your money back, ‘guaranteed’. You can take as long as you want to test it as long as you don’t break it.
I know Alper struck out trying to convince a developer at his employer to buy a mac portable instead of a PC notebook. Perhaps the resale argument might help?

NB: There is some devaluation when your model becomes ‘deprecated’. However, you can work around it by buying new macs every 6 months, bouncing between ie a MacBook and a MacBook Pro, which so far have different model upgrade cycles. Then you’ll always be selling a macbook with the exact same specs as a model still being sold by Apple, and provided you keep it good looking, you should be able to fetch 90%+ of full price.

Drool!0
rzwitserloot posted in apple on May 17th, 2006

Everyone and their uncle has heard about it by now, but in the spirit of ‘me too’…

OMG! Shiny! Me want one!

So, someone, buy my current iBook.

Now to clean up this puddle.

Making/Rating ‘according to spec’.6
rzwitserloot posted in apple on April 16th, 2006

Since the beginning of the computer industry, everything that has anything to do with computers has basically been made, and is rated, according to the list of specifications. Is it faster? Does the screen support a higher resolution? Etcetera.

Apple is leading the way in realizing that this is a fairly ridiculous practice these days. I can’t think of any industry that works like that. Take the car industry. I don’t know anyone that bought a car just because it had a higher maximum speed. Yet, in the Computer industry, most other companies aren’t getting it. A good example to make my point clear: the origami mini laptop. Microsoft, Intel, Samsung: wake up and smell the 21st century, would you? This thing looks about as fun to use as this intriguing device. ouch.

Read on for a more thorough trouncing of the importance of the specification list.

EDIT: This entire article is filled with gems. A voice activated remote control? Aside from the fact that that stuff neverworks, who would POSSIBLY want to use this? It’s a remote control for crying out loud!
(more…)

… praise Apple! Uh, no, bashing time?0
rzwitserloot posted in apple on April 2nd, 2006

I am generally considered an apple evangelist. Especially by those around me who find my continuous put-downs of their archaic dinky windows-based notebooks rather annoying.

However, I also believe that, if apple did ‘win’ and gained the kind of market share that microsoft currently enjoys, we (the IT world) would be in a heap of trouble. I feel Apple will out-microsoft microsoft by miles, applying DRM, TPM, and a host of other three-letter acronyms to lock out everyone, from everything.

I’m still an Apple evangelist because I’ll be old and grey before it’ll ever happen.

Steve Jobs and co. had a real shiny chance of proving my reservations about the Apple Hegemony wrong in the France vs. Apple lawsuit regarding lack of interoperability of the iTunes Music Store.

Basically, France has ordered Apple to allow music bought with iTunes to work in all portable music players, not just iPods. Needless to say, that’s a good idea.

Apple has fought the decision tooth and nail, bringing in loads of dubious arguments - in the sense that they are basically complete lies.

Tip of the iceberg, people. This IS the company spouting this crap, and this IS the company sticking TPM chips into their hardware, then locking their software to it. And the worst thing? Not one of the people I know who use Apples appear to care about this stuff one iota, with an exception for Alper, who also reports on the French situation.

I refer you to Alper’s blog article about why, exactly, DRM, TPM, and all that jazz is Bad.

Here’s hoping Steve never gets that market share.