Apple violates antitrust laws

The ongoing battle between Psystar and Apple doesn’t seem to be headed towards a closure anytime soon. Psystar, a company operating out of Florida, was sued by Apple for copyright infringement. Psystar sells off-the-shelf Intel microprocessor based computers running Apple’s Mac OS operating system.

Apple’s EULA for Mac OS prohibits running the operating system on any hardware other than Apple-branded ones. Psystar claims this to be a violation of antitrust laws.  According to Psystar, Apple employs stealthware to stop OS X from running on hardware other than Apple approved ones.  Furthermore, Psystar claims that Apple’s Mac OS X is perfectly capable of running on  hardware that is less expensive than what is included in Apple’s machines.  This control over hardware that Apple enforces, is, according to Psystar, out of the scope of the copyright. (Psystar’s complaints are very similar to the ones about Apple bricking iPhones running unapproved applications)

Psystar was an unknown vendor before it stirred up this controversy. It is not clear how they are sustaining this legal wrangle with Apple by employing high profile law firms given that they were a little known shop till recently. Maybe there is someone else who is backing Psystar. Ever since the Microsoft Windows Vista fiasco, the major PC manufacturers have been unhappy with Microsoft. Maybe one of them is betting on being able to release the Mac OS X on its own PC platform. That would be a real slap in the face of Microsoft which has been arm twisting vendors and by extension consumers for a really long time. Apple’s Mac OS X on the PC would be a great alternative to Windows bloatware. Sounds like wishful thinking? Could very well be true if Psystar wins.

Mac OS is better than Ubuntu Linux: A myth

My post on switching to Ubuntu and not Mac OS generated a lot of interest both amongst Linux and Mac OS users. There were many comments on the post and some valid points were raised. Also there were a lot of myths that were put across. Here I try to dispel some of those:

The myths

• Ubuntu does not have a good UI : This is absolutely rubbish, checkout the new KDE that comes with Ubuntu.
• To install software a user has to use a command line on Ubuntu : Another false claim. The Synaptic package manager is brilliant and does not require interaction with the command line. There are some software that do need command line usage. Then again those won’t be ones an average user is going to use.
• You have to build software from source code on Ubuntu. This is not something an average user would be able to do : The software that come in source code form are definitely not intended for the average user. The ones that are meant for the average user come in binary formats that are easy to install.
• There are hardly any games on Ubuntu : For that matter how many games are there on Mac OS compared to Windows? So if it is ok for Mac OS users to run Windows through Parallels and play games on it then the same can be done on Ubuntu.
• Mac OS is great and thats the reason we have Hackintosh systems : Well Ubuntu comes free and can be installed on virtually any hardware. So the need for hacked systems does not arise.
• Multimedia playback support is not good in Ubuntu : Excuse me but could you define what is exactly meant by multimedia support? If its the capability to playback different file formats then I guess Ubuntu, for that matter Linux in general, has the most plug-ins. The reason they are not supported out-of-the-box is because of licensing problems. Yes Mac OS supports that, but then again you pay to get it. If you pay and get a commercial desktop Linux version you would get all the support you need.
• Mac OS “just works” and Ubuntu does not : What do you mean by that? What is this “just works” thing?
• Hardware support is limited on Ubuntu : The number of hardware components supported by Linux today is probably the second only to Windows. Check the HCL for Ubuntu.
• There are no Ubuntu based laptops available from the large PC vendors : Dell has a line of Ubuntu based laptops. Check them out. The fact that others do not sell them has no reflections on Ubuntu but on Microsoft’s licensing agreements with them. Dell is the only company who has the balls to take Microsoft on.
• I suffer from Apple envy : On the contrary actually. I love the Mac Book Pro and wanted to buy the new 15″  one. But then again I did not see a point in investing in something in which I would be locked in. Yes lock-in is a problem. Face it. The number of apps on Windows far outnumbers those on the Mac OS and that is one of the reasons why many people cannot switch to other operating systems from Windows.

Some truths

• Adobe CS3 and other Adobe multimedia applications are not available on Ubuntu : Quite true. But then whose fault is it? Ubuntu’s or Adobe’s? My take is that Adobe is being extremely short sighted in ignoring Linux. If they continue to do so they would pay dearly.
• Ubuntu does not have iTunes : True, but that affects people who are locked into Apple. Also Apple does not offer that on Ubuntu. And who is responsible for iTunes? Is that enough to not switch to Ubuntu? Someone wanting to use Google Chrome exclusively should then not consider Mac OS at all. Yeah we know that a Mac OS version is in the pipeline, but lets talk when it releases.

There is one thing that I have realized and that is Apple users are extremely loyal to Apple. Kudos to Apple to have achieved that. Windows does not have that. My previous article attracted comments from a lot of Apple loyalists. I was surprised that not an equal number of Linux supporters voiced their views. The only reason for this is the different Linux distros that are out there. Its probably time that they realized that even though it might be Fedora or OpenSuSE or Ubuntu or any other Linux variant, at the core they are all the same.

New Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro laptops suck

Today was the big day. Apple fanboys the world over had been waiting for the latest from the stables of the Cupertino based company. And today they got to see it – the dream laptops from the company that is often considered to be the final word in innovation. Sadly enough Apple’s laptops disappointed. 

There was hardly anything revolutionary about them. Some different price points, loads of aluminum, a more powerful graphics subsystem, solid state hard drives and some gimmickry in the name of touch gestures and glass trackpads. These kinds of features and specs were being offered in laptops from other manufacturers for quite some time now. I not quite sure how much does the glass trackpad and enhanced gestures add to the value of the laptops. So what is there in these laptops that would make them a compelling proposition for a new buyer? The short and sweet answer is nothing.

In their presentation Apple admitted that the recent growth in sales of their laptops had been fuelled by the disgraceful failure of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. Accepted that Apple’s operating system is probably one of the best in the business but still how does one justify the cost of these machines? The hardware that is being used in them is the same as the ones in other laptops. So why the premium? Just for the OS? Is it justified?

Spec wise the new laptops spring no surprises. The standard Intel Core 2 Duo processors feature in all in speeds ranging from 2.0GHz to 2.8GHz. There is even an odd speed of 2.53GHz. Also the 2.8GHz speed processors come only in the 15″ MacBook Pro models and not the 17″ ones. Very odd indeed. The max RAM is limited to 4GB. Apple still does not offer a 64-bit version of the Mac OS on the laptops though both Microsoft and the various Linux distros do so. The MacBook and the MacBook Air also featured similar changes.

So what’s so different about these laptops? Practically nothing. In fact the new ones look bad. The serious coolness that used to be the USP of Apple’s laptops is missing in total in the new ones. A two-tone laptop from Apple? Come on. Was the design team on drugs when they approved this design?

In fact during the presentation Apple seemed to be more excited about the manufacturing process of the laptops rather than the laptops themselves. This, my friends, is really a huge disappointment. 

Apple has failed to live up to its own high standards of design with these new laptops. The specs have improved from the previous lineup but not to the extent to really turn heads. Sorry to say the new laptops from Apple suck.

$800 Apple MacBook soon: Hogwash

With the release date of Apple’s new laptops growing nearer, the web is live with speculations and rumours. A newer one is that Apple is going to launch a MacBook for $800. Apparently retail stores have already received price lists for the new laptops and they range from $800 to $3100.

And here’s why I feel that a $800 laptop from Apple is really a lot of hogwash. This statement is based on how Apple wants to be perceived. Ever since its shift to Intel based motherboards, Apple has gained more momentum with its laptops and desktop systems. In spite of this Apple has always maintained a very high markup on its hardware though the components it uses are pretty much the same when compared to Windows laptops. So why would Apple do so? Simple Apple wants to be perceived as an exotic entity. They want their customers to feel exclusive. What better way to achieve this than to markup their prices to the extent of putting their products beyond most people?

The only thing that would probably justify Apple’s pricing is their operating system. The Mac OS is right now the most user friendly system on the planet and Apple has every right to ask a premium for it. But when you add this premium to the already high markup that Apple keeps for commodity hardware, the final price just goes beyond most people. 

So the $800 MacBook is probably nothing but a lot of hogwash. What might be available at $800 from Apple maybe a netbook. What would Apple call it? The Mac NetBook?

Nvidia site shows the new Apple Macbook Pro laptop ?

Ok, so there is some speculation in the market that the new Apple laptops would be packing a mean graphics punch to them with new Nvidia chipsets. Apparently Apple wants the new laptops to appeal to gamers. That’s an uphill task considering the fact that till now the majority of the games available is for the Windows platform.

With the deadline for Apple’s laptop refresh looming there are lot of rumors doing the rounds alongwith some very interesting photographs of the purpoted new laptops. The reports about Nvidia playing an important part in the new Apple laptops have also sparked a new speculation – the laptop shown on Nvidia’s home page is actually the new Apple Macbook Pro. Take a look:

There have been reports that Nvidia has been showing off the graphics capabilities on the new Macbook Pros running on Nvidia chipsets to its employees. So there might be some credence to these rumours.

The design shown in the photo is more inline with Apple’s design philosophies as demonstrated in its previous models. But is this the one? Well we just have to wait to know the answer to that one.

Apple ‘Brick’ revealed

There is a huge amount of speculation going on about what Apple’s next line of laptops would be. There have been purpotedly leaked images; some of those looked really ugly too. Amidst all this the name of a gadget called the ‘Brick’ surfaced time and again. Some said it was a code name for Apple’s tablet laptop with advanced touch technology while others stated it was the next version of the Mini. Even some photos surfaced that showed what the ‘Brick’ would look like. Well unfortunately everybody was wrong. Here’s what it is.

The ‘Brick’ is a new manufacturing process designed by Apple to carve out laptop casings from a single block or brick of aluminum. Using lasers and water jets Apple intends to carve out a single piece laptop casing from a block of aluminum thus making the casing more robust. This new manufacturing technology would enable Apple to launch laptop designs that do not use any screws. 

That’s pretty much it. By the way there is some news that Apple’s next gen laptops are going to pack a mean graphics punch making those laptops more suitable as gaming rigs. The thing is games are still a bastion of Windows. So does Apple hope to lure Windows users on to its hardware? If they do it might make sense to offer a Apple laptop without the Mac OS leading to a more affordable machine.

New Apple MacBook photos

A few more of supposedly leaked images of Apple’s new line of laptops surfaced today. Take a look for yourself:

They look very un-Apple like in design. A two tone color scheme does not appear to be something that Apple would go for. Moreover the laptops have a bit of Alienware-like feel to them. I wouldn’t say they are positively ugly, but they sure don’t seem to be inline with Apple’s designs.

Touch screen Apple Mac on its way?

Apple has been granted a U.S. patent for technology that could very well be used for developing a touch screen based Apple computer or tablet.

Tablet PCs, though existent, have failed to take off in the past partly because the supporting software was not advanced enough. Apple might just overcome those hurdles and maybe we would get a tablet that would define the future course for tablets. Even though Microsoft’s Surface computer provides a very good touch-technology, its intended use is for very specific and tailored applications and not for a general purpose operating system running a variety of applications.

AppleInsider carried a few photos that show what Apple is working on for the tablet.

The following photo shows how windows can be managed using a touch screen:

The following photo shows how the scrolling function can be performed:

The virutal keyboard that would respond to multiple keypresses:

A virtual scroll wheel:

Hopefully we would not have to wait long before Apple reveals this device.

The new Lenovo X301: An alternative to the MacBook Air

As if in answer to my post on the Lenovo X300, Lenovo announced today the ThinkPad X301 notebook PC that expands its current lineup of ultrapotable laptops. The new X301 addresses a lot of drawbacks of the previous X300 series laptops.

Lenovo has spruced up the tech specs of the X301 to make it more like a traditional laptop rather than an ultraportable. The latest Intel Core 2 Duo ultra low volt processor finds its way into the heart of the X301. On the storage side, Lenovo now offers an option of choosing a 128 GB solid state device over the standard 64 GB one. This was one area where the previous X300s were found wanting.

On the performance front, Lenovo says that the X301 shows a 20% performance hike due to the use of DDR3 RAM modules and the latest Intel processor.

Detailed tech specs are still not available.

With these upgrades, the Lenovo X301 surely looks to be a very viable alternative to the Apple MacBook Air. The only thing that goes against it is the Microsoft Windows Vista that comes bundled. With superior connectivity and good options, the X301 shows Lenovo’s seriousness in competing with the likes of Apple in the ultraportable arena.

The X301 is expected to hit the stores on August 26 with a rather steep starting price of $2,599. Even then, for people who are agnostic to OS preferences, this seems to be a much better offering than the MacBook Air in terms of tech specs and options.

Lenovo X300 or MacBook Air

Lenovo just released the X300 ultraportable notebook computer that is supposed to be a competitor to the Apple MacBook Air laptop. The X300 looks pretty good as evident from the following photographs:

However it surely is not as appealing as the MacBook Air when it comes to looks and design.

In terms of slimness, X300 is slim enough. Now for the differences.

Firstly the X300 ships with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system whereas the Air comes with Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. That is a major difference. Vista really has not set the community ablaze with its greatness whereas the Mac OS has definitely earned some rave reviews. Well we really cannot blame Lenovo for this since they do not control Microsoft’s OS business.

The Air has a standard 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with the option of upgrading to a 1.8GHz one. The X300 disappoints in this regard as it offers only a 1.2 GHz version of the Core 2 Duo from Intel. Though this difference in speed would hardly be discernable to most users, the Air might have an edge when it comes to running CPU intensive jobs.

2GB DDR2 SDRAM is standard on the MacBook Air whereas the X300 comes equipped with only 1GB of the same. This is another disappointment. Windows Vista hardly performs with 1GB of RAM. Lenovo should definitely take a look at shipping with 2GB as standard on its machines.

On the wireless front, the Lenovo has built-in support for 802.11 a/b/g/n whereas the Air supports only 802.11 a/b/g. Again this hardly makes much of a difference on most of the wireless networks available today. Then again the Lenovo does have the latest.

The biggest disappointment with the Lenovo lies in the hard drive. The X300 ships with a 64 GB solid state device and does not offer any option of using a traditional drive at all. The Air on the other hand provides more space with the standard 80GB parallel ATA hard drive. Of course you can also opt for a 64 GB solid state device on the Mac at an additional cost.

In the display the Lenovo does offer a better highest resolution. The X300 supports 1440×900 whereas the Air stops at 1280×800.

Where the Mac deparately falls short is in the peripheral connectivity and optical drive systems. The Mac offers a single Micro DVI, 1 USB 2.0 and an audio out port and no DVD drive. That is just not enough. The Lenovo does much better in this regards. It offers 3 USB ports, one headphone port, a line-out port, a microphone/line-in port, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an external display port. Thats a lot when it comes to its small package.

The Lenovo also offers a few WAN choices including one that has GPS funtionality. Wow! That would be a good one to have for the people on the go. The Air does not offer anything like that.

The Lenovo X300 can weigh between 2.93 lb to 3.51 lb with the different options whereas the Mac Air wieghts around 3 lb. Well the Lenovo does offer more options.

So which one to choose? The answer is very clear if you have a preference for a certain operating system. If not then a more careful consideration would be needed. Performance wise both should be performing near to each other. If you need more connectivity the Lenovo X300 seems to be the one. If you need more storage space and can live without all the USB ports and a DVD drive then the Mac Air will suffice. And if you need just the coolness then both would do though personally I find the Air better in this matter.