iPod killers have come and gone, and come and gone, and come and well, lingered on like an unwanted wart. iPod killing is an old game and no one seems interested in displacing the thing anymore, now all attention has turned to… ]]> 2008-07-24T09:33:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-23-1981-steve-jobs-perfectionism-is-displayed-on-the-original-mac-proj/ Steve Jobs has a many enviable qualities. His attention to detail, his ability to grasp what people actually want, his management style and presentation skills are all things that many CEO's envy.

Anything, taken to the extreme, can yield less than desirable results. Steve's insistence that… ]]> 2008-07-23T14:25:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/welcome-to-the-real-world-apple/   Today's headlines on my local newspaper's website made for an interesting contrast. The first read, "Apple rides high on Macs and iPods", the second, "Apple's MobileMe meltdown". The real world can be a wonderful place of billion dollar earnings, but it can also be a place that, like an… Opinions  

Today's headlines on my local newspaper's website made for an interesting contrast. The first read, "Apple rides high on Macs and iPods", the second, "Apple's MobileMe meltdown". The real world can be a wonderful place of billion dollar earnings, but it can also be a place… ]]> 2008-07-23T10:41:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-22-1997-os-8-nee-os-77-rolls-out/ Mac OS 8 was interesting for more than OS advances. It was interesting because the OS was supposed to be the first apperance of the all new operating system Copland but even more interesting because it effectively voided most of the contracts the clone makers had with… ]]> 2008-07-22T14:24:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/11-top-free-apps-for-your-ipod-touch/ I'm not going to be in line as planned for the new iPhone because at this point I don't think it's worth paying an extra 100 bucks for the early upgrade on my existing AT&T account. Screw them. I'll wait it out, and other existing AT&T customers should too. In… Reviews I'm not going to be in line as planned for the new iPhone because at this point I don't think it's worth paying an extra 100 bucks for the early upgrade on my existing AT&T account. Screw them. I'll wait it out, and other existing AT&T customers… ]]> 2008-07-22T10:03:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-21-2002-wifi-introducedby-apple/ The iMac was a huge success for Apple. With a homerun like that, the question naturally arises "How can we repeat that with a laptop?" Apple's answer was the iBook. The machine had several shortcomings: it was heavy, the styling was questionable and the price was considered… ]]> 2008-07-21T14:24:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/a-great-podcast-for-military-history-fans/ Periodically I find a podcast that stands out amidst the sea of mediocracy and when that happens I just have to share my discovery. Today's gem is the Military History podcast from the History Network. Written by Angus Wallace and read by Nick Barker, these podcast are both historically accurate… Reviews Periodically I find a podcast that stands out amidst the sea of mediocracy and when that happens I just have to share my discovery. Today's gem is the Military History podcast from the History Network. Written by Angus Wallace and read by Nick Barker, these podcast are… ]]> 2008-07-21T12:02:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-20-1982-hertzfeld-listens-to-alan-kay/ The programmer behind a lot of what was good about the original Macintosh was Andy Herzfeld. While Herzfeld had a rebel streak and couldn't abide corporate politics he was also smart enough to appreciate good ideas when he heard them.

Herzfeld heard many good ideas when… ]]> 2008-07-20T14:24:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-19-2001-cube-introduced/ The G4 cube was hailed by the media as a design breakthrough. There is little wonder why, the small form factor and convection cooling made the cube a desirable computer for anyone who valued form and silent computing while still demanding near top of the line performance. 2008-07-19T14:23:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-18-1994-quadra-630-introduced-last-of-a-breed/ The 680x0 processor by Motorola had served Apple well since the introduction of the original Mac based on a 8 MHz 68000. However, the elderly, in computer years, chips were in danger of being outclassed by offerings from Intel and other rival chip manufacturers.

Apple faced… ]]> 2008-07-18T05:43:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-17-2002-apple-kills-itools/ If you were using iTools, Apple's suite of web enhancements used to help lure people into buying Mac OS 8, you got a nasty bit of news when you checked your iTools account.

"Today we announced .Mac, pronounced "Dot Mac," that replaces the Apple iTools service.… ]]> 2008-07-17T10:18:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/whats-next-for-the-iphone/ Turns out that the iPhone 3G is very hard to get. Who knew? Not this guy and this guy certainly couldn't have predicted the rate… Opinions

Turns out that the iPhone 3G is very hard to get. Who knew? Not this guy and this guy certainly couldn't have… ]]> 2008-07-17T09:01:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-16-1994-a-mac-does-dos/ A Macintosh booting into Windows seems passe since the release of Boot Camp. Perhaps surprisingly, Boot Camp it isn't the first dual boot solution Apple offered. That honor goes to the LC 630 DOS caompatible.

The Mac side of the machine was powered by a 33MHz… ]]> 2008-07-16T13:18:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/does-the-ipod-matter-anymore/ Poor iPod. It once had all the glory. Remember when it first had video? That was so exciting. Or, remember those iPod games? Now it is the forgotten child, it's identity swallowed up by that thing Apple won't stop talking about. The iPod has been relegated to a menu item… Opinions Poor iPod. It once had all the glory. Remember when it first had video? That was so exciting. Or, remember those iPod games? Now it is the forgotten child, it's identity swallowed up by that thing Apple won't stop talking about. The iPod has been relegated to… ]]> 2008-07-16T10:11:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-15-1985-aldus-pagemaker-completed/ Most people with a bent for technology are aware how Xerox influenced Apple's development of the GUI. What many tech geeks are unaware of is how Kodak made the Mac a viable business.

Sales of the nascent Mac had been in line with expectations for the… ]]> 2008-07-15T13:17:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/tracking-your-time-with-slife/ I've always struggled to account for the time I spend on both personal and client projects. It's usually been a guessing game because I'm simply not focused enough to track my time very effectively. Some days I multi-task, while other days I wake up and dig into a project because… Reviews I've always struggled to account for the time I spend on both personal and client projects. It's usually been a guessing game because I'm simply not focused enough to track my time very effectively. Some days I multi-task, while other days I wake up and dig into… ]]> 2008-07-15T10:07:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-14-2002-apple-previews-jaguar/ In the great cavalcade of cat names the first one that really mattered was Jaguar, the code name for OS 10.2. The first iteration of OS X was code named Cheetah and offered as a beta version for $29.99. The second iteration was Puma and retailed for… ]]> 2008-07-14T13:17:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/enterprising-apple/ The plethora of features in the iPhone make it a perfect fit for your average consumer, small wonder then that it also fits in well with the business crowd. In fact, so far the iPhone is doing a great job of sneaking its way in to a variety of business… Opinions The plethora of features in the iPhone make it a perfect fit for your average consumer, small wonder then that it also fits in well with the business crowd. In fact, so far the iPhone is doing a great job of sneaking its way in to a… ]]> 2008-07-14T08:36:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-13-1994-powerbook-150-introduced/ One of the first low cost PowerBooks introduced was the PowerBook 150. The price was nice but Apple made it clear that this wasn't the top of the line model, or even close.

The PowerBook 150 lacked, for the time, the ever useful ADB port and… ]]> 2008-07-13T13:12:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-8-2004-apple-stops-taking-orders-for-the-imac/ The iMac, since its introduction, has been Apple's flagship product. The iMac generally features Apple's pro line chip at a consumer friendly price and, to top it all off, an integrated monitor. In short, the iMac has always been Apple's most compelling computer for consumers.

Unfortunately,… ]]> 2008-07-13T07:13:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-7-2001-g4-cube-discontinued/ The Power Mac G4 Cube was widely hailed as a great computer, pundits couldn't stop gushing about the convection cooled, positively tiny tissue box design. The cube design smacked of originality in every area, whether it was the vertical slot loading media drive or the clever way… ]]> 2008-07-13T06:12:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-6-2000-goodbye-hockey-puck-hello-pro-mouse/ The original iMac brought a lot of nice things with it, increased market share, stylish looks and renewed profitability. With the good came some bad, in this case the hockey puck mouse. While some users loved the translucent puck, the vast majority found it too light, too… ]]> 2008-07-13T05:12:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-12-mac-business-plan-goes-gold/ The Mac's first business plan under the leadership of Steve Jobs was crudely produced but full of ambitious sales targets. Macs, the plan plainly stated, would cost $1500, ship in 1982 and sell over 2 million units in less than three years.

The plan was… ]]> 2008-07-12T13:11:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-11-itunes-hits-100-million-songs-sold-mark/ On July 11 Kevin Britten, a resident of Hays Kansas, did something wholly unremarkable, he downloaded a song from iTunes.

While downloading a song from iTunes requires very little effort Kevin was richly rewarded for his purchase of "Somersault (Dangermouse remix)." Not only did Kevin get… ]]> 2008-07-11T13:11:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/cooler-than-abraham-lincoln/ How cool is the iPhone? Cooler than Abraham Lincoln How cool is the iPhone? Cooler than Abraham Lincoln

The worst part about the getting the… ]]> 2008-07-10T01:07:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-9-1997-dr-gil-amelio-resigns/ When someone asks, "Who saved Apple?" the knee jerk reaction is to give all the credit to Steve Jobs. That answer leaves out a crucial part of the equation: who brought Steve back?

The answer to the second question is: Dr. Gil Amelio. Dr.Amelio had taken… ]]> 2008-07-09T09:10:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-5-1997-board-asks-steve-jobs-to-run-apple/ Apple's board of Directors had given Gil Amelio the boot and they knew whom they wanted to take the newly vacated position. A part time advisor that came along for the ride when Apple bought NeXT, a part timer named Steve Jobs.

Before Dr. Amelio's seat… ]]> 2008-07-08T10:16:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/an-apple-history-of-obsolescence/ I hold in my hands something that this time a year ago was the most lusted after product in recent history, perhaps ever. I waited 18 hours in line for it and now observe that, come Friday, it will be essentially… Opinions

I hold in my hands something that this time a year ago was the most lusted after product in recent history, perhaps ever. I waited 18 hours in line for it and now observe that, come Friday, it… ]]> 2008-07-08T09:10:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-3-1991-ibm-promises-to-license-risc-processor-to-apple/ In the early nineties Apple needed a new processor and IBM wanted a new OS. Apple was working on a project called Pink, which more or less brought the Mac experience to PCs, and IBM was working on a RISC based chip.

It seemed like a… ]]> 2008-07-08T08:15:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-2-1987-the-canon-cat-the-original-mac-concept-is-released/ When Jef Raskin started the Mac project he had high hopes for a low cost machine. When Steve Jobs came on board their vision clashed and Mr. Raskin left the project. While the Mac evolved in to a beast completely different from what Jef Raskin had in… ]]> 2008-07-08T06:15:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/july-1-1970-xerox-opens-parc/ Most computer fans have heard of Xerox PARC (Palo Alto research Center). It is the place where, in exchange for being allowed to purchase a million shares of Apple before the initial public offering, Apple employees got their first look at the graphical user interface. While that… ]]> 2008-07-08T05:15:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/emacs-commands-work-in-os-x-how-awesome-is-that/ In the beginning, there was Assembly, and from it flowed many programs. And the programmers of the day looked upon what they had wrought and judged it to be...a freaking pain in the neck. But it worked, and you don't just throw away something that works. However, it only took… Reviews In the beginning, there was Assembly, and from it flowed many programs. And the programmers of the day looked upon what they had wrought and judged it to be...a freaking pain in the neck. But it worked, and you don't just throw away something that works. However,… ]]> 2008-07-07T10:19:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/june-30-1999-tv-guide-names-1984-ad-as-the-best-television-ad-of-all-time/ The "1984" ad is often said to have been played only once during the 1984 SuperBowl. That bit of common wisdom is in error. The ad was aired during signoff at a televison station in Idaho in 1983, played at movie theatres just because people enjoyed it,… ]]> 2008-07-07T08:27:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/june-29-1998-glenn-reid-tastes-the-apple/ In the olden days Apple programmers were exalted with such niceities as placing their name on the mold for the original Mac or getting some credit in the "About" box of a program. Sadly, Apple programmers, even those who do something very special, get much less credit… ]]> 2008-07-07T07:27:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/june-28-2004/ Apple had been selling LCD monitors exclusively since 2001 but even with the all panel lineup the monitors were in need of an update. Out went translucent plastics and in came brushed aluminum. Also gone were the feet and support of the previous generation monitors. The new… ]]> 2008-07-07T05:26:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/the-iphone-3g-guided-tour-under-a-microscope/   Furthering a trend that has been going on for well over a year now, Apple released the iPhone 3G Guided Tour to give us a fairly detailed sneak peak into what the new version of the iPhone is going to bring to… Reviews  

Furthering a trend that has been going on for well over a year now, Apple released the iPhone 3G Guided Tour to give us a fairly detailed sneak peak into what the new version of the iPhone is going… ]]> 2008-07-04T17:38:00-05:00 http://www.applematters.com/article/drm-free-oreilly-titles-an-authors-perspective/ Usually book publishers don't make news. This isn't much of a surprise as there is nothing very exciting to the public about the business of publishing books, particularly technical books. O'Reilly bucked the trend and managed to make some ripples in the tech community when the company announced that it… Opinions Usually book publishers don't make news. This isn't much of a surprise as there is nothing very exciting to the public about the business of publishing books, particularly technical books. O'Reilly bucked the trend and managed to make some ripples in the tech community when the company… ]]> 2008-07-03T08:42:00-05:00