Dude, Where’s My CPU?

On the last day of August, Apple Computer (to no one’s surprise) finally announced the long-awaited G5 iMac. What may come as a surprise to many people is the form factor for the latest version of Apple’s popular desktop computer. Sure it sits on a desk, but only a few square inches of the new computer actually touch the surface. The CPU and all of the internal hardware components are tucked behind the monitor in a revolutionary new design.

The new iMac sports the IBM G5 processor in 1.6 and 1.8 GHz options, and uses the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra to power graphics on the 17" or 20" LCD displays. Released at prices similar to the G4 iMac it replaces, the new G5 iMac will ship in September.

.Mac Again

It’s renewal time again for many .Mac members. Apple’s subscription-based Internet service has become an important component of the company’s “beyond the box” revenue and gross margin strategy. Now available at a discount price of $70 for buyers of new Macintosh computers, the regularly priced $100 per-annum service is gradually gaining new subscribers while providing an increasing number of products and services. Watch for more exclusive .Mac items as we enter the month of September and tens of thousands of subscribers evaluate renewing their subscriptions for another year.

Buy Low, Sell High

It’s the well-known strategy for investment success. Lesser known to most investors is when to buy and when to sell a particular stock. Investors who purchased shares of Apple a year ago must be doing the happy dance as AAPL hits new multi-year highs. On September 2, 2003 AAPL closed at $22.85 per share. In late August 2004 AAPL was trading close to $35.00 per share.

Thanks to the change in Apple’s product mix (namely the success of the Apple iPod), many analysts are changing their valuation model for AAPL. Even at today’s recent highs investors may see AAPL’s current price as a buying opportunity.

Microsoft Versus Apple: The Music Edition?

In September, Microsoft will unveil a music store to rival Apple’s iTunes Music Store. Media reports suggest Apple has rebuffed Microsoft’s requests to make the iPod compatible with the Microsoft music service. Is this Microsoft versus Apple: The Music Edition? Once again the two companies are going head-to-head in a nascent market popularized by Apple.

The Apple iPod From Apple

This title appears to contain a redundancy, doesn’t it? But read on…

The Apple iPod From HP

In late August, the folks at HP introduced the “Apple iPod from HP.” That’s right, the Apple iPod is now available for sale as an HP product. The Apple iPod from HP comes in white (just like the Apple iPod from Apple). The Apple iPod from HP comes in 20 GB and 40 GB versions (just like the Apple iPod from Apple). The retail costs of the Apple iPod from HP are $299 and $399 respectively (just like the Apple iPod from Apple). The Apple iPod from HP is manufactured by Apple (just like the Apple iPod from Apple).

That title wasn’t the only thing to contain an apparent redundancy, was it? But read on…

Apple iPod Accessories for the Apple iPod From HP

The HP Web site contains a litany of Apple iPod add-ons for the Apple iPod from HP. In fact, many of the third-party iPod accessories are identical to the items offered at the Apple online store.

So where do the apparent redundancies end? The Apple iPod is the undisputed leader in the digital music player market. The Apple iPod from HP will extend Apple’s leadership in this emerging market, while the increase in sales volume from HP will help Apple reach greater economies of scale. Apple brings the iPod to HP, and HP brings thousands of new retail points of sale to Apple.

Make no mistake: the Apple iPod from HP is all Apple and all iPod. The only thing redundant is the success both companies may find in extending the iPod’s popularity.

Meanwhile, incoming freshman at prestigious Duke University will receive an iPod upon arrival on campus.

34,224 Problems, 1 Solution

It’s estimated that more than two-thirds of e-mail traffic is spam. Many of us encounter a deluge of unsolicited e-mail on a daily basis. In this writer’s case, I had an e-mail account so full of spam messages it caused my well-known e-mail client to unexpectedly quit whenever I attempted to access the account. I stopped using the e-mail address.

Enter Michael Tsai’s SpamSieve solution. After the easy installation and a few user actions outlined in the instructions, this handy anti-spam utility churned through 34,224 pieces of accumulated junk mail messages while freeing the server of a huge e-mail mess and restoring my once-abandoned e-mail account to service. I recommend SpamSieve for Mac users who need a powerful anti-spam solution.

The Candy Apple: Integration Is Kind of Sneaky

It’s time to make The Change to OS X.

Desktop Muse: This Song Belongs to You and Me

“Happy Birthday to You, Shut Up or We’ll Sue!”

Machine Language: Almost Just As I Predicted, Sort Of

“Had I actually turned this column in on deadline, you would be reading my confident prediction for a ‘son of the Cube’ iMac.”

About This Particular Web Site

Firewalls, hamsters, Japanese translations, duck hunting, and unwritten books.

Cartoon: Cortland

Chad is not happy about the return of Cortland, and Todd attempts to woo Cortland over to the command line.

Cartoon: iTrolls

The iTrolls reveal the five stages of hard drive grief, send a get-well card to Steve, theorize about the origin of Mac rumors, and listen in on Schiller’s Paris Expo keynote rehearsal.

Desktop Pictures: Renderings

3D renderings submitted by reader Mark Feemster.

Review: DEVONnote 1.0b

Eric Blair takes DEVONnote out for a spin to find out if it’s up to the task of managing his mess.

Review: Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty (book)

A how-to for wannabe hardware hackers.

Review: iRac

College professor, plus coat hanger, plus spare time, equals a unique and useful Mac accessory.

Review: MicFlex

MacMice takes Snaggy’s advice and applies it to a microphone.

Review: The Spam Letters (book)

This book reverses spam and gives us a lot of laughs.

Review: Tactile Pro

“Apple will obsess over synchronized sleep indicator lights and how the bottom of the iMac looks, but it doesn’t seem to take keyboards seriously.”