The Apple Core

February 9th, 2010

The latest head-to-head comparison between Windows virtualization solutions for the Mac

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 12:34 pm

Categories: Virtualization, Windows, Windows 7

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Performance, Microsoft Windows, Performance Management, Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Storage Management, Utility Computing, Human Capital Management, Hardware

In its latest Head-to-Head: Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion article, MacTech said it performed more than 3500 tests on both single- and multiprocessor desktop and mobile Mac models. The study looked at the two main virtualization solutions on the market, as well as both 32-bit and 64-bit performance of Windows XP and Windows 7 in the virtual machines.

The authors were quick to point out that this is a performance anaysis, not a review:

To be clear, this article is not a product review; it’s a benchmarking analysis (although we were morally obligated to comment on some of the 3D graphics and games ). The article’s purpose is to assess performance (including issues we found if something didn’t work right), and not product features, user interface, etc… You should use feature and support information in conjunction with the below benchmarking results to make your product choice.

In addition, performance isn’t everything to your workflow. Each of the virtualization solutions brings a different perspective to moving between Mac and Windows environments, and VMware with its set of virtualized applications may fit in better to some organizations.

However, in some benchmarks, for the moment (until the next rounds of updates), Parallels is beating Fusion on a number of speed tests, especially for file and network I/O and game performance. It appears at the moment that Parallels is taking better advantage of hardware acceleration when it’s available.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 9th, 2010

Is a shake-up coming to the Mac CAD market?

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 9:08 am

Categories: AAPL, Acquisition, Software, Windows

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Autodesk Inc., AutoCAD, Graebert, Windows Version, CAD, Desktops, Software, Hardware, David Morgenstern

A longtime German CAD developer on Tuesday introduced a new cross-platform, AutoCAD-compatible program built with a fresh codebase. Could this be the knock on the door (or head) to spur Autodesk to really committing to the Mac?

The ARES CAD platform will be offered in native versions for Mac, Windows and Linux, according to Graebert, the maker of PowerCAD. The company said the new product supports AutoCAD-compatible command line and scripts as well as a wide range of programming I/O.

From the company’s release:

ARES development has focused on a number of core benchmarks, with performance being a leading criterion: ARES is typically 3-5X faster in operations such as open and save than other CAD packages on any platform. With more than a year of intensive beta testing by more than 100 major corporations and leading CAD users, ARES is the end-result of more than 250 man-years of development (5 calendar years) from Graebert, one of the pioneers in CAD software development since 1983.

Graebert is well known internationally for leading mobile CAD solutions such as SiteMasterâ„¢ as well as having more than 500,000 estimated users of PowerCADâ„¢, its previous-generation CAD product. The company has more than 50 active VARs and OEMs on six continents, and is working with these and new partners to distribute ARES worldwide.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 9th, 2010

The only flight app you need: FlightTrack Pro

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 3:00 am

Categories: App, App Store, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Itinerary, FlightTrack Pro, TripIt, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

We got a metric ton of snow here in the northeast in the past 48 hours and it has snarled traffic and made transportation nightmarishly difficult. And if the Blizzard wasn’t enough we’re scheduled to receive another 12-18 inches on Tuesday.

The impending Blizzard 2.0 forced me to move my flight up a day so that I can make the session I’m giving on netbooks at Macworld on Thursday. Traveling to San Francisco is particularly dicey right now and I’ve been spending a lot of time nervously tracking my flight.

FlightTrack Pro (App Store, $9.99) is the best in its class because it has a super clean interface and provides real-time flight itinerary updates at a glance. FlightTrack Pro’s combination of usability and features is unmatched in the App Store.

You can enter your flight info directly into FlightTrack Pro, but I recommend that you set up a free account at TripIt.com instead. Then just forward your flight confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and all your flight information automatically appears on your iPhone in FlightTrack. TripIt saves a ton of time you’d otherwise spend manually entering flight information into your iPhone. Which alone is worth the price of admission.

TripIt also gives you all the tracking features you’d expect, including up to date data on flight cancellations, delays and gate changes. Tapping on any segment displays your full TripIt itinerary in Safari. FlightTrack Pro will even alert you to flight status updates via push notifications even when the app isn’t open and your iPhone is in your pocket.

FlightTrack Pro is also available on Android — with a cool home screen widget!

I’ve used a bunch of flight apps for both the iPhone and Android and the hands-down winner is FlightTrack Pro (App Store, $9.99). It’s definitely a home screen app this week and any time I travel by air.

February 8th, 2010

App Store craziness: banning the word 'Android'

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:16 am

Categories: Android, App, App Store, Apple, Ban

Tags: Android, Apple Inc., Jason D. O'Grady

Ok this is crazy. PC World’s JR Raphael reports that Apple has apparently forbidden a developer from using the word “Android” in his app’s description.

ZDNet native son Garett Rogers notes that the developer of Flash of Genius (App Store, $0.99), an SAT prep app that was named as one of the finalists in the Android Developer Challenge, was denied the ability to mention the award in the app’s description on the App Store because it contained the word “Android.”

And to be clear, Apple isn’t banning ported Android apps or Android code or anything, it’s banning the word.

Let’s disregard for a minute the questions this raises about Apple’s insane App Store approval processes. The move would mean that Apple is facing more pressure that it’s willing to admit from Android and that it feels genuinely threatened by the Android Market. But, I thought that Apple had an “A+” iPhone update in the pipeline that Android won’t be able to catch up to?

If so, why is Apple so worried about a developer mentioning an award that his app won? Wouldn’t Apple want it’s devs having better app descriptions so that they can sell more apps? No. Apple is willing to forgo some additional sales in an attempt to hide the fact that Flash of Genius is also available on a competing app store. Amazing.

It’s a foolish move for Apple to even acknowledge Android in the first place. When you’re the market leader you shouldn’t give publicity to the guy in second or third place. Apple’s policy of banning the word Android in app descriptions is going to have the unintended consequence of giving tons of publicity to the Android Market which will draw more of the inevitable comparisons between the Nexus One/Droid/etc. and the iPhone.

Ironically the word Android is allowed in almost every other context in the App Store. As of this writing there are 26 apps that use the word “Android” in their title or description, but zero that use the phrase “Android Market” or “Android Developer.”

Apple should allows its developers to tout their app’s awards in the Android Developer Challenge and not give it a second thought.

February 5th, 2010

Speaking at Macworld 2010

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:44 am

Categories: Conference, Macworld Expo, Netbook, iPad

Tags: Benefit, Netbook, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

If you’re going to be at Macworld 2010 in San Francisco next week I encourage you to attend my conference session on netbooks and how they stack up to the iPad.

iPad, iShpad - Netbooks Still Have a Place in the World - and You Need to Know Why (US911) is on Thursday February 11, 2010 from 1:00 to 2:15pm.

Here’s the conference description:

Yeah we’ve all seen the iPad, yawn.

What are you going to do when you want to video conference? Or run OS X programs like Flash and Office? Or play your favorite Internet radio stream while you read email? And let’s not forget that there’s no replacement for a real keyboard either.

No matter how many iPads sell, there are simply more benefits to owning a netbook, not the least of which is price. In this session we’re going to break-down the benefits of owning a netbook and analyze where these sub-three pound, sub-10-inch phenoms fit into the mobile technology landscape. We’ll also drill down into netbooks benefits and advantages over skimpy “smartphones” and trendy tablet designs. And you know who you are.

This session will cover how to run the world’s most advanced operating systems on a Netbook and the pros and cons of doing so. In addition, you’ll learn about the state of the Netbook and discover creative ways to squeeze every last bit of horsepower out of their processors. Stretch the limits of the small screen with practical tips for working in a more (ahem) cramped environment. Learn to put your data on a diet, a benefit to fans of the small SSDs that are popular in Netbooks. I’ll also do a cost-benefit analysis of SSDs compared to a traditional hard drives with an eye to what’s ahead in the miniature/flash storage space.

Whether you’re a current netbook owner or just curious and like to tinker, there’s something in this session for you.

I’m looking forward to seeing you next Thursday.

February 5th, 2010

Hachette Book Group migrating to agency model (updated)

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:18 am

Categories: Book, iPad, iTunes, iTunes Store

Tags: Agency, Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Gizmodo, Hachette, Advertising & Promotion, Marketing, Jason D. O'Grady

Update: Larry Dignan has posted all of the background information on the situation over at ZDNet’s Between the Lines.

Apple’s agency model and its iBookstore have upset the applecart at Amazon, who sells books via a more traditional “wholesale model” where the it sets the price and gives the publisher a commission. In a previous post I described the benefits of the “agency model” that Apple uses with App developers. In essence, the developer sets the price and Apple collects a flat 30 percent off the top

In the days following the iPad announcement, print publishers have begun bailing from Amazon in droves. Hachette’s Book Group is now the third major publisher, following MacMillan and HarperCollins, to push for the agency model.

Gizmodo reports that the move could mean the end of the $9.99 book. The conventional wisdom is that publishers will set the ebook prices first proposed by Apple—from $12.99 to $14.99. I suspect that Penguin and Simon & Schuster will follow suit and that Amazon will be forced to migrate to the agency model and match Apple pricing.

Apple’s iPad has already begun shifting the dynamics of print publishing, putting price control back into the hands of publishers—and its not shipping for two months.

Tip and photo: Gizmodo

February 4th, 2010

Browser previews come to App Store

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:34 am

Categories: App, App Store, Apple, iTunes, iTunes Store

Tags: Web Browser, Apple iTunes, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

You know those annoying redirect Web pages you arrive at when you click on an App Store link in a Web browser? Well they must have annoyed someone at Apple too, because they’re gone.

Before today, when you clicked on an App Store link (like this one for GoodReader) you were whisked off to a Web page (pictured above) that re-directed you iTunes. While fine for Mac users (who have iTunes installed by default), the links were inconvenient when using a computer that didn’t have iTunes installed. Resulting in the ugly, red “unable to find iTunes” error pictured above.

As of today, said App Store link now links to a much nicer “iTunes Preview” page for apps that displays the app logo, price, description, screenshots, rating, reviews and more in a new window or tab.

Apple’s stuck its toe in the water with iTunes Preview for music in November 2009. However you were unable to listen to the songs without launching iTunes. That changed on January 7, 2010 when Apple began offering 30 second Web-based song previews using Quicktime. Tracks are encoded at 44.1 AAC 300+ kbits/second. If you like a track you can click a button to then be re-directed to iTunes where you can purchase it.

There’s still no video previews for apps, nor are there iTunes preview pages for video content or podcasts (ahem!) but I can’t imaging that they’re far behind.

These baby steps iTunes is making on the Web appear to foreshadow Apple’s imminent roll-out of iTunes.com with full-track audio streaming as the company leverages its Lala acquisition in December 2009.

Tip: TechCrunch

February 4th, 2010

Episode 124: PowerPage Podcast

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:58 am

Categories: Podcast

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Macintosh, Smart Phones, Desktops, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

Episode 124 of the PowerPage Podcast has been posted. Is the iPad really all that? 27″ iMac problems, smartphone smackdown: iPhone v. Nexus One v. Zune Phone and we play “What’s on your Mac.”

Here’s what’s on our Macs this week:

• Crumpler 8 Million Dollar Home ($170) - Awesome dSLR camera bag (Jason)
• MotionX GPS Drive 3.0 for iPhone ($0.99) - The best iPhone GPS goin’ (Rob)
• GoodReader ($0.99) - Document file viewer, focused on PDFs (Tom)
• Chromium - Dev build of Google Chrome which has extension support (Tom)
• TechCrunch’s Chromium Updater (Tom)

Featuring: Jason O’Grady, Rob Parker & Tom Hesser. You can subscribe to the PowerPage Podcast in iTunes.

February 3rd, 2010

Google fires back at Apple with Nexus One update

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:21 am

Categories: Android, Apple, Google, Nexus One, Steve Jobs, iPhone

Tags: Google Inc., Multi-touch, Apple Inc., Jason D. O'Grady

Not 24 hours after Steve Jobs told his minions that Google’s Don’t Be Evil mantra was “B.S.” (or “crap” depending on who you listen to) Google answers by pushing out an Android update to Nexus One users that includes multi-touch (and other Android goodness).

Google, up until yesterday, left multi-touch off its U.S. Android phones, presumably in deference to Apple’s multi-touch patent.

It was also rumored that Apple asked Google not to release multitouch in the U.S. to avoid the IP aggression we’ve seen it take against Palm for including multi-touch in the Pre.

I’m not saying that Google released the Nexus One multi-touch update because of Jobs’ comments, but it may have been pushed out a little sooner because of them.

More evidence of how the relationship between Apple and Google has chilled lately.

The N1 update takes the Android/iPhone battle to a new level and frankly, the ball’s in Apple’s court. Jobs promised that the next iPhone would be A+ and that Android won’t be able to keep up with it.

Them’s fighting words, Steve!

If Apple doesn’t address a majority of the items on my iPhone wishlist (background apps, voice search, improved home/lock screens, widgets, etc.) with its “A+” release we’ll know that Jobs was just trash-talking and that Android has clearly taken the lead in the smartphone wars.

Note: Impatient Nexus One owners can force the firmware update by following this technique. It preserves your data and apps and doesn’t require root access.

February 2nd, 2010

iTunes 9.0.3 out; safe for JB devices

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:24 pm

Categories: Software Update, iPod, iTunes

Tags: Apple iTunes, Changelog, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

Apple has just released iTunes 9.0.3 via Software Update. The changelog mentions several bug fixes, including:

• iTunes no longer ignores your “Remember password for purchases” setting.
• Addresses problems with syncing some Smart Playlists and Podcasts with iPod.
• Resolves a problem recognizing when iPod is connected.
• Addresses issues that affect stability and performance.

It appears that today’s 90+MB iTunes update is related to the iPhone 3.1.3 release earlier today. I wouldn’t be surprised if both contained iPad-related code.

It is also worth noting that iTunes 9.0.3 is safe to use with jailbroken devices according to a Modmyi forum poster.