Apple Matters http://www.applematters.com/article/ en josh@applematters.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-06T18:00:01-05:00 Apple Matters http://www.applematters.com November 8, 1997: Apple Online Store Debuts http://www.applematters.com/article/november-8-1997-apple-online-store-debuts/ An online presence is considered a necessity today, but in years past it was something revolutionary.

Apple wasn't ahead in the online store game. In the era before mall-based Apple retail stores, consumers were at the mercy of resellers. The situation made customization difficult and selection… ]]> 2009-11-08T12:29:00-05:00 November 7, 1980: Apple Files Paperwork to Go Public, Sorry Massachusetts http://www.applematters.com/article/november-7-1980-apple-files-paperwork-to-go-public-sorry-massachusetts/ Apple became a partnership on April 1, 1976. Success came rapidly and soon the company began passing out shares to valued employees and founders. A lot of shares went to the founders.

Apple IIs were selling well and Apple decided to raise cash (and personal net… ]]> 2009-11-07T12:42:00-05:00 Macheist nanoBundle Review http://www.applematters.com/article/macheist-nanobundle-review/ Say what you will about MacHeist's ethics, but you can't deny the group provides huge exposure to independent Mac developers who elect to participate in the program. Through ARG-style online puzzles and slick videos and websites, they turn the relatively mundane act of purchasing software into an event that commands… Reviews Say what you will about MacHeist's ethics, but you can't deny the group provides huge exposure to independent Mac developers who elect to participate in the program. Through ARG-style online puzzles and slick videos and websites, they turn the relatively mundane act of purchasing software into an… ]]> 2009-11-06T17:00:01-05:00 Screen Flow 2: Advance Screencast Productions http://www.applematters.com/article/screen-flow-2-advance-screecast-productions/ One or two new screen-capturing applications seem to come out every year. Even the latest version of QuickTime Player in Snow Leopard now contains a rudimentary screen recording feature. You simply open QuickTime Player, select File>New Recording and once you click the red record button, actions you… One or two new screen-capturing applications seem to come out every year. Even the latest version of QuickTime Player in Snow Leopard now contains a rudimentary screen recording feature.

You simply open QuickTime Player, select File>New Recording and once you click the red record… ]]> 2009-11-06T12:49:00-05:00 November 6, 1997: Jobs Eyes Dell http://www.applematters.com/article/november-6-1997-jobs-eyes-dell/ There is no small amount of drama to be found when recalling the public comments of Steve Jobs and Michael Dell.

Michael Dell quipped that if he were President of Apple he would close the company and give the money back to the stockholders. Steve Jobs… ]]> 2009-11-06T12:36:00-05:00 The DROID vs. the iPhone: It’s in the Advertising http://www.applematters.com/article/the-droid-vs-the-iphone-its-in-the-advertising/ Someday, there will be a time when our way of life causes our destruction. There could be a physical attack on the fiber-optic and phone lines that provides us with Internet service, and America's infrastructure will be hopelessly crippled — or terrorists could successfully destroy one of the many data… Opinions Someday, there will be a time when our way of life causes our destruction. There could be a physical attack on the fiber-optic and phone lines that provides us with Internet service, and America's infrastructure will be hopelessly crippled — or terrorists could successfully destroy one of… ]]> 2009-11-05T12:06:00-05:00 November 5, 2004: Jobs, iTunes Honored http://www.applematters.com/article/november-5-2004-jobs-itunes-honored/ It wasn't surprising when Apple's iTunes was named "Brand of the Year" and Steve Jobs was named "Visionary of the Year" by Billboard's Digital Music Awards. What would have been surprising is if Apple hadn't swept the awards altogether.

And in fact, Apple didn't. "Download Service… ]]> 2009-11-05T12:21:00-05:00 Why the iPhone Can’t Be Beat http://www.applematters.com/article/why-the-iphone-cant-be-beat/ It was Halloween. The doorbell rang. You saw zombies, Elvises and pregnant nuns. You also saw you share of crappy costumes bought at the local Walmart but one costume you didn't see was the iPhone Killer. The reason an iPhone killer didn't darken your door looking for… Opinions It was Halloween. The doorbell rang. You saw zombies, Elvises and pregnant nuns. You also saw you share of crappy costumes bought at the local Walmart but one costume you didn't see was the iPhone Killer. The reason an iPhone killer didn't darken your… ]]> 2009-11-04T12:58:00-05:00 November 4, 1997: Store within a Store Program Begins http://www.applematters.com/article/november-4-1997-store-within-a-store-program-begins/ Apple's relationship with retailers has always been tenuous. Macs have been sold (and subsequently pulled from) Circuit City, Sears and Best Buy, to name a few. One chain reseller Apple has gotten along with a little better than others over the years has been CompUSA.

For… ]]> 2009-11-04T12:16:01-05:00 Apple’s Quality Control Is Overloaded http://www.applematters.com/article/apples-quality-control-is-overloaded/ There is no doubt that Apple is a successful company. I've seen more Macs and iPhones in my university campus than ever before—Apple has cornered the market on "cool" and "hip". And of course, Apple markets itself as the company that makes products that "just work."However, this success… Opinions There is no doubt that Apple is a successful company. I've seen more Macs and iPhones in my university campus than ever before—Apple has cornered the market on "cool" and "hip". And of course, Apple markets itself as the company that makes products that "just work."
 2009-11-03T11:58:01-05:00 November 3, 2003: No Need for Intel http://www.applematters.com/article/november-3-2003-no-need-for-intel/ At an investors’ conference Steve Jobs was queried about moving OS X to Intel. While he admitted such a thing was possible, he was dismissive of the notion, to wit:

"Right now we don't see a compelling need to switch processor families. We have all the… ]]> 2009-11-03T11:37:00-05:00 What Happened to the Apple-Bandai Pippin? http://www.applematters.com/article/what-happened-to-the-apple-bandai-pippin/ Video games already are one of the largest entertainment markets out there. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have controlled the market for the last two decades. We have the Playstation series, the Xbox, and the multitudes of Nintendo consoles. Where does a… Opinions
Video games already are one of the largest entertainment markets out there. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have controlled the market for the last two decades. We have the Playstation series, the Xbox, and the multitudes of Nintendo consoles.… ]]> 2009-11-02T12:00:00-05:00 November 2, 2004: Firefox Comes to the Mac http://www.applematters.com/article/november-2-2004-firefox-comes-to-the-mac/ When OS X first debuted the browser of choice was Internet Explorer 5. Then Apple released Safari, a direct competitor to Internet Explorer.

Microsoft used the introduction of Safari as the reason the company stopped development of IE for the Mac, but the consensus was… ]]> 2009-11-02T12:26:00-05:00 November 1, 1983: Steve Jobs Goes Ballistic http://www.applematters.com/article/november-1-1983-steve-jobs-goes-ballistic/ When Bill Gates announced Windows 1.0 before the Mac came out, Steve Jobs was furious, so furious he demanded that the Apple employee in charge of Microsoft relations get Bill Gates to Apple's campus the next day.

Bill Gates made the trip to Cupertino for what… ]]> 2009-11-01T11:54:00-05:00 October 31, 2005: Apple Sells a Million Videos http://www.applematters.com/article/october-31-2005-apple-sells-a-million-videos/ With the introduction of the video iPod, iTunes was forced into double duty. Not only did the online store sell music it now sold videos. And judging from this Apple headline—iTunes Music Store Sells One Million Videos in Less Than 20 Days—iTunes was doing just fine in… ]]> 2009-10-31T11:16:00-05:00 Data Gathering with Bento 3 http://www.applematters.com/article/data-gathering-with-bento-3/   Data gathering and management can be tedious tasks, especially in working with programs like Excel or even Numbers. Just imagine having to maintain your address contacts in a traditional spread sheet!Since its inception, FileMaker’s Bento, a consumer-based data management program, was…

 

Data gathering and management can be tedious tasks, especially in working with programs like Excel or even Numbers. Just imagine having to maintain your address contacts in a traditional spread sheet!

Since its inception, FileMaker’s Bento, a consumer-based data… ]]> 2009-10-30T12:00:00-05:00 October 30, 2002: iPod Availability Increases http://www.applematters.com/article/october-30-2002-ipod-availability-increases/ When the iPod debuted in October of 2001, few imagined what a hit the diminutive player would become, propelling Apple's profits and stock price into the stratosphere.

There were several key moments along the way that moved the iPod from trendy Mac add on to must… ]]> 2009-10-30T12:26:00-05:00 Minimalist Mac Freeware—Six Great Apps http://www.applematters.com/article/minimalist-mac-freeware-six-great-apps/ Sometimes the best software has the fewest features. Personally, I love choosing the bare-bones program that does one or two things extremely well over the more popular, bloated, memory-intensive version. Often, these apps are freeware: passion projects by one developer who had a problem, used his or her… Reviews Sometimes the best software has the fewest features. Personally, I love choosing the bare-bones program that does one or two things extremely well over the more popular, bloated, memory-intensive version. Often, these apps are freeware: passion projects by one developer who had a problem, used… ]]> 2009-10-29T15:34:00-05:00 What the i Can Tell You about Apple http://www.applematters.com/article/what-the-i-can-tell-you/ Louis François I de Bourbon, Prince de Conti was fond of the number twelve. How fond? The rumor is that he owned twelve guns and twelve swords, that his shirt buttons were embossed with the number twelve, and that among other things, he always had a twelve-course dinner at a… Louis François I de Bourbon, Prince de Conti was fond of the number twelve. How fond? The rumor is that he owned twelve guns and twelve swords, that his shirt buttons were embossed with the number twelve, and that among other things, he always had a twelve-course… ]]> 2009-10-28T12:04:00-05:00 October 28, 1991: Apple Monitors Break the 20 Inch Barrier http://www.applematters.com/article/october-28-1991-apple-monitors-break-the-20-barrier/ Apple knew that when it comes to monitors the bigger the better. One of the company's earliest efforts to grab the big monitor market (and the requisite jumbo-sized profits) was the Macintosh 21 inch color monitor. A veritable behemoth at 80 lbs, the 21 appelation hid the… ]]> 2009-10-28T10:03:01-05:00 October 27, 2003: iTunes for Windows http://www.applematters.com/article/october-27-2003-itunes-for-windows/ The fact that users could plug the iPod into a Windows machine was great, but Windows users weren't getting the entire Apple iPod experience because they were forced to use the comparably clunky MusicMatch software instead of iTunes.

While not a fan of making Windows compatible… ]]> 2009-10-27T11:39:00-05:00 Pixelmator: An Affordable Alternative to Photoshop http://www.applematters.com/article/pixelmator-an-affordable-alternative-to-photoshop/ Anyone using a version of Photoshop CS knows how robust its features are. However, though it’s not a bloated program, its abundance of tools and capabilities can be intimidating to new users.  For those who find Photoshop overwhelming or pricey for what they need, the… Reviews

Anyone using a version of Photoshop CS knows how robust its features are. However, though it’s not a bloated program, its abundance of tools and capabilities can be intimidating to new users.  For those who find Photoshop overwhelming or pricey for what… ]]> 2009-10-26T12:00:00-05:00 October 26, 2004: Apple Introduces iPod Photo http://www.applematters.com/article/october-26-2004-apple-introduces-ipod-photo/ Steve Jobs called carrying your photos with your music on your iPod the "next big thing," but really it was an iPod with a color screen.

Of course introducing an iPod with a color screen lacks panache so Apple updated the iPod's capabilities by making… ]]> 2009-10-26T11:07:01-05:00 October 25, 2003: Day of Panther http://www.applematters.com/article/october-25-2003-day-of-panther/ How great was Panther? Just ask Phil Schiller, Apple Veep of marketing:

"With more than 150 new features, we're delivering innovations today that will not be seen in any other operating system for years to come... Thousands of Mac users across the country will be the… ]]> 2009-10-25T12:10:00-05:00 October 24, 1985: Sculley’s biggest “Oops” http://www.applematters.com/article/october-24-1985-sculleys-biggest-oops/ Nine months after the release and, despite what some call the best commercial ever, the Mac wasn't selling well. In fact it was selling at a rate less than a fifth of the projections.

The Mac was in danger of dying and Sculley knew he… ]]> 2009-10-24T05:24:00-05:00 Why It’s Okay to Loathe the iPhone http://www.applematters.com/article/its-okay-to-loathe-the-iphone/ If you own stock in Apple the iPhone is all good: a wildly popular product, a consistent revenue stream, a grabber of headlines, and the standard to which all smartphones are compared. Even if you don't own stock, the iPhone is equally fantastic. The slick hardware and intuitive software, not… If you own stock in Apple the iPhone is all good: a wildly popular product, a consistent revenue stream, a grabber of headlines, and the standard to which all smartphones are compared. Even if you don't own stock, the iPhone is equally fantastic. The slick hardware and… ]]> 2009-10-23T12:02:00-05:00 October 23, 1999: Mac OS 9 Released http://www.applematters.com/article/october-23-1999-mac-os-9-released/ OS 9 was the last iteration of Apple's Classic Mac OS and it had users excited.

What was so great about OS 9? Things that Mac users take for granted today made their first appearance in OS 9. The list includes: automatic software updates, multiple accounts,… ]]> 2009-10-23T11:02:00-05:00 October 22, 2002: OS X free for Teachers http://www.applematters.com/article/october-22-2002-os-x-free-for-teachers/ To foster the move by schools and educators to OS X Apple decided to do something very unApple like, give away free copies.

The move was explained thusly by VP John Couch:

"Getting Jaguar and a training CD for free makes it easy for… ]]> 2009-10-22T11:11:00-05:00 October 21, 1991: PowerBooks Debut http://www.applematters.com/article/october-21-1991-powerbooks-debut/ PowerBooks are a thing of the past, like rotary phones and coal chutes the computers have been surpassed by superior technology. Well, surpassed by a new name anyway, the notebook line is now saddled with the "MacBook" moniker.

The PowerBook idea came along early in the… ]]> 2009-10-21T12:10:00-05:00 October 20, 1997: Last Newton Introduced http://www.applematters.com/article/october-20-1997-last-newton-introduced/ For those still enamored of the Newton, the most desirable model is the Message Pad 2100. The handheld (not pocketable) PDA was leaps ahead of most other Newtons. It featured support for an Ethernet card (a first). Users also loved the expanded memory of the 2100. 2009-10-20T12:11:00-05:00 October 19, 1989: America Online Launches http://www.applematters.com/article/october-19-1989-america-online-launches/ Founded by ex-Apple Employee Steve Case, Q Link for Commodore machines morphed into America Online.

The service would go on to become the de facto standard for online connectivity until the internet revolution in the nineties. Users loved the chat rooms and businesses were spawned using… ]]> 2009-10-19T12:50:00-05:00 October 18, 1991: Quadra 900 Introduced http://www.applematters.com/article/october-18-1992-quadra-900-introduced/ The Quadra 900 was Apple's king of performance for a short time. The machine featured Motorola's peppy 040 processor, and sharing a first with the Quadra 700, shipped with built-in Ethernet.

More interesting than the inclusion of Ethernet was the form factor of the Quadra 900;… ]]> 2009-10-18T11:04:00-05:00 October 17, 1998: System 8.5 Released http://www.applematters.com/article/october-17-1998-system-85-released/ System 8.5 was Apple's first system that would run only on PowerPC hardware, instantly forcing obsolete status on all 68030- and 68040-based machines.

The wow factor of 8.5 centered around the inclusion of Sherlock, a search everywhere application that could find a file by name, by… ]]> 2009-10-17T12:10:01-05:00 Five Ways to De-Clutter Your Desktop http://www.applematters.com/article/five-ways-to-de-clutter-your-deskop/ You can’t see the forest for the trees is an apt adage for how frustrating it can be to get work done on your Mac when you have a cluttered desktop. I struggle with this problem a lot, and though I think maybe having a second monitor attached to my… You can’t see the forest for the trees is an apt adage for how frustrating it can be to get work done on your Mac when you have a cluttered desktop. I struggle with this problem a lot, and though I think maybe having a second monitor… ]]> 2009-10-16T12:00:01-05:00 October 16, 2003: Apple and Pepsi Announce Plans to Give Away 1 Million Songs http://www.applematters.com/article/october-16-2003-apple-and-pepsi-announce-plans-to-give-away-1-million-songs/ In conjunction with a Super Bowl ad, Apple and Pepsi announced that certain Pepsi products would come with a chance to win a free song. The drinks that could get you free iTunes music were Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and Sierra Mist--provided that said drinks were purchased in… ]]> 2009-10-16T12:47:00-05:00 October 15, 1990: Original Mac Discontinued http://www.applematters.com/article/october-15-1990-mac-classic-introduced/ Old school Mac fans can instantly conjure up an image of the original Mac in their minds. The small, boxy machine was regarded as "cute" or "toylike" when it came out, but is now seen as the start of something big.

For all the waves the… ]]> 2009-10-15T12:13:00-05:00 October 14, 1998: Apple Releases Results Early http://www.applematters.com/article/october-14-1998-apple-releases-results-early/ Apple generally waits until after the market closes to announce results, but there have been a few exceptions. The most notable came right before Mac OS 8.5 was to be released.

In the middle of the day, Apple announced that demand was extraordinarily high for Macs… ]]> 2009-10-14T12:48:01-05:00 Verizon, Is That the Best You Can Do? http://www.applematters.com/article/verizon-is-that-the-best-you-can-do/ When you see someone with a Blackberry Storm you're seeing a person who is willing to pay a price, a premium price, for something that just comes close to the iPhone. But odds are good that you're seeing someone who really wants the iPhone and really wants Verizon, but since… Opinions When you see someone with a Blackberry Storm you're seeing a person who is willing to pay a price, a premium price, for something that just comes close to the iPhone. But odds are good that you're seeing someone who really wants the iPhone and really wants… ]]> 2009-10-14T12:09:00-05:00 October 13, 1988: NeXT Introduces First Computer http://www.applematters.com/article/october-13-1988-next-introduces-first-computer/ It's a fair guess to say that Steve Jobs really, really likes cubes. As evidence of this assertion you've got the failed Mac Cube, the popular Mac mini, the NeXT logo and the first NeXT computer.

NeXT's first computer had specifications that were awe-inspiring for the… ]]> 2009-10-14T12:01:00-05:00 Paperless Reading on Your Mac http://www.applematters.com/article/paperless-reading-on-your-mac/ I want my desktop printer to be nearly as archaic as film-based cameras. Paperless reading would be fairly easy if you’re not the kind of reader who needs or likes to annotate text as you read. Though I’ve tried, I can’t quite read most documents like I read the… I want my desktop printer to be nearly as archaic as film-based cameras.


Paperless reading would be fairly easy if you’re not the kind of reader who needs or likes to annotate text as you read. Though I’ve tried, I can’t quite read most documents like… ]]> 2009-10-13T12:00:00-05:00