Apple: The next Microsoft…only more dominant

With the iPhone and iPod, Apple has already found its way into the pockets of the consumer and chances are pretty high that it would remain there for quite some time. The success of the iPod and iPhone has spurred the sales of Apple’s laptop and desktop systems. Today, Apple appears to be the sole beacon of light in the otherwise dark global economic situation.

So what’s next for Apple? Where is the company headed? Difficult questions to answer. And even if we could it would be more of an educated guess. From a computer making company Apple has evolved to a consumer electronic powerhouse, thanks to the genius of Steve Jobs. But there is only that much that you can do with a mobile phone or a portable music player. The more interesting question would be which segment would Apple target next?

There are quite a few of them that could be considered. GPS navigation systems would be one where Apple can make an impact. Imagine a GPS system with the grace and elegance of an iPod or iPhone. Apple already has the pieces, its just a question of putting them all together in an appealing package. Handheld gaming consoles can be another area for them to explore. They can even take on Sony and Microsoft on the gaming console business.

There is another space where Apple could play a potentially game-changing role. That space is nothing else but the flat panel television arena. Dominated by companies like Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and LG, the flat panel television business has almost hit a saturation level with respect to innovation. If you go to buy a flat panel TV today, most of the models offer similar features. It’s really left to the consumer to decide based on their budgets and their impressions of the TVs in the showroom (maybe some online reviews can influence that decision a bit). But imagine an Apple television (no not the Apple TV but a an actual plasma/LCD TV). Apple has the required competence to produce a world class television that would probably knock the wind out of the sails of the established players. With Apple’s expertise in software and hardware the product could actually become as pervasive as the iPod. And Apple can gain a very firm foothold in the digital living rooms world over. Once they are there, there is virtually no stopping Apple. The next in line would be a music server, stereo system, A/V receiver, specialized speakers, surround sound systems, and the list goes on. With one single stroke Apple can conquer this last bastion that has been eluding even the best of the best.

Even though Apple strongly denies any such inclination, chances are high that they are already eyeing it. Such a move has the potential of establishing Apple as the dominant player in the digital living room space – a position that the company can then consolidate upon to mount a serious threat to Microsoft’s dominance on the desktop. After all an Apple eco-system for the living room that harmoniously co-exists with iMacs and Mac Books offering unparalleled interoperability and legendary user friendliness, is something that would be very very hard to ignore.

Would all this be good for the end-user? That’s a totally different question. I for one believe that monopolies are seldom beneficial towards the consumers.

Switch to Linux: Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) in Apple Mac OS X

Apple seems to be going the way of Microsoft and the rest of the crowd of pedestrian software vendors. First their iPhone 3G failed to deliver the goods. Then there were security issues galore. Then the Mobile Me fiasco. And now the last bastion has also developed chinks in its hitherto impregnable armour. The famed and fabled Apple Mac OS X has been greeting its users with the Blue Screen of Death that has always been associated to Microsoft Windows. Windows, a victim of vicious derision from the Mac fan boys, probably had the last laugh.

With the OS X 10.5.6 update Apple has left many of its loyal customers with unusable machines. Some complain that the only thing they are able to see after start up is a blue screen like the one with which Microsoft Windows users are all too familiar. Many others have complained about an infinite reboot loop, while others have seen their spanking new and expensive systems freeze up. One business customer actually had the misfortune of suffering from seven of his Apple computers freezing up with the update. When he contacted the customer service he was told that the reason for the freeze up may have been due to the number of third party applications that have been installed. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This comes from a customer service that is supposedly the best in the business? So does Apple expect us to only install applications that it has “approved” ? Are we going to see an App Store concept for the computers soon? Imagine Microsoft selling its Office suite for the Mac OS X through Apple’s App Store. That would be a day to remember. )

This is yet another blow to the bloated up egos of the Apple fan boys ? Is Apple’s bubble about to burst? I sure hope so.

To all the people who have been blind loyalists to Apple, WAKE UP!!! Embrace the power of open source. Switch to  Linux.

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.

Apple Mac OS soon on the PC (x86)

Maybe if Psystar has its way. Psystar is the company that was selling the Open Computer which is basically an X86 hacked to run Apple’s Mac OS operating system. Regarded as one of the best in the market, Apple’s Mac OS license has prohibited running of the operating system on any non-Apple branded hardware. Though in the enthusiast community the concept of a Hackintosh or a PC running Apple Mac OS is not new, Psystar is the first company to have taken the concept public. In the process it has drawn the wrath of Apple.

In yet another David vs Goliath battle, Apple launched a copyright violation lawsuit against Psystar. Many thought it would be an open-and-shut case for Apple. But Psystar did not back down but retaliated with counter lawsuits calling Apple’s business a monopoly and allegeing it to be anti-competitive.

Till now the lawsuit proceedings did not spring any surprises. The twist came in a recent report that said that Apple and Psystar have decided to resolve the dispute outside the court. Interesting! Apparently Apple was sure its case was watertight and most “experts” said that Psystar will not stand a chance in court. But the facts do not seem to be so.

So what’s the deal? Is Apple going to open up Mac OS? Or is Psystar going to capitulate to Apple in return of Apple not suing the pants of it? 

I sincerely hope it would be the former. With Mac OS open it is very likely that the majority of PC vendors would offer computers with Mac OS running. This would offer consumers a lot more choice and would surely end Microsoft’s hegemony. For Apple its an all win situation. Acceptance of the Mac OS will see an exponential rise potentially posing the most serious threat to the Microsoft empire ever.

Before all the Apple fans start abusing me, let me state that I am not on drugs. If Apple wanted to destroy Psystar it could have done so in court. In fact such an event would have deterred any and all potential Mac clone makers. But instead it opted for an out of court settlement. Is Apple’s case not ironclad? Does Apple want to become the next Microsoft (with Vista’s failure its potent timing) ? Does Apple want to have another shot at licensing its platform to third-parties?

Its getting more and more tantalizing.

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.

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.

The new Apple MacBook Pro

Speculations are rife about what the next Apple notebooks are going to be like. The prognosis is that Apple is going to announce the launch of a new line of its MacBook and MacBook Pro line of laptops next month. Till now there have been quite a few leaked images about the new lineup but nothing confirmed. Here’s another one:

This is what the new MacBook Pro is supposed to look like. Well the major difference is the black colored sides on the display. The photo of the person taking the photograph shows him/her wearing a black T-shirt with the Apple logo on it. It could be intended to mislead people believe that this was in fact the next device; maybe the person thought that the Apple logo on his/her T-shirt would lend more credibility to this photo. On the flip side, it could be original. Instead of giving it away, the T-shirt might have been intended as a message that this is authentic. We would not know till device is actually announced.

Here’s another more interesting image about what is called the “Brick”:

Well more likely it seems to be an artist’s rendition. Whatever it is, it looks pretty cool and dandy. Little is known about this Brick. Some say that its a netbook, some say its just a new Mac Mini and there are others who say its just a tablet PC version of the MacBook. The tablet version has some meaning since Apple already possesses marvellous haptic technology to make the tablet experience more worthwhile.

Let’s just wait and watch. 

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.