October 27th, 2009

ZFS on Snow Leopard? Forget about it!

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 10:41 am

Categories: 10.5, 10.6, Storage

Tags: Apple Inc., ZFS, Apple Mac OS, Apple Mac OS X, Operating Systems, Desktops, Software, Hardware, David Morgenstern

Expected to arrive several years ago in Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard,” Sun’s ZFS file system was early in the year announced for release in Snow Leopard Server. However, Apple this week pulled the plug on the port.

According to reports, the primary cause was failure to reach licensing terms with Sun, which is now owned by Oracle. The Mac OS SourceForge page says that the project has been discontinued and that its listserv and code repository will be taken down shortly.

Here’s a bit of the Ars Technica post on the project’s end:

Apple then launched an open source project to port ZFS, and it was expected that Apple would include full support in Snow Leopard. Once details of the operating system were announced, though, it was revealed that only Snow Leopard Server would have ZFS support. But all mention of ZFS support was wiped from the Snow Leopard server pages on Apple’s website shortly before Mac OS X 10.6 launched, and the feature was pulled from the final shipping version.

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October 27th, 2009

Apple pitching media companies on tablet?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:49 am

Categories: Rumor, Tablet

Tags: Media Company, Apple Inc., Fairfax Media, Tablets, Notebooks, Advertising & Promotion, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Marketing, Jason D. O'Grady

If you read between the lines in yesterday’s post, one could conclude that Apple is talking to the New York Times about it’s upcoming tablet product in an effort to get buy in from the media giant on what’s presumed to be a completely new form-factor for distributing editorial content.

A new piece in the Sydney Morning Herald indicates that Apple’s also shopping the device to other media companies, including some in Australia:

Apple has sent specifications of the device to Australian media companies in an effort to sound out whether they would be interested in delivering their content to the tablet.

Fairfax Media’s Robert Whitehead hinted that he was aware of an Apple tablet in August.

We’re continuously examining all options for extending the reach of our mastheads and we’ll be very interested to see what Apple comes up with.

While the new Apple device isn’t strictly an ebook-reader it appears that Cupertino is setting the stage for a completely new platform for deliverings, books, newspapers and magazines.

Should the Amazon’s and the Sony’s of the world be worried at the impending ebook threat from Apple?

October 26th, 2009

Times exec hints at Apple tablet

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:06 am

Categories: Rumor, Tablet

Tags: Apple Inc., Bill Keller, Tablets, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Jason D. O'Grady

Gawker reports that Bill Keller, executive editor at the New York Times, may have outed the mythical Apple tablet. At a supposedly off-the-record meeting (which someone graciously preserved on Vimeo) with the entirety of Times’ Web staff Keller gave us this tantalizing nugget:

I’m hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that.

While it looks more like hyberbole, the Apple community is hanging on any shred of tablet rumor or conjecture that comes down the pike these days. Keller’s comments are far from a confirmation that an Apple tablet is imminent, but when you add his voice to the chorus of theories and rumors that abound about the tablet – a case can certainly be made.

Another interesting tablet tidbit that surfaced over the weekend (via Engadget) is this picture (below) of a SIM tray allegedly from Foxconn (the rumored Apple tablet manufacturer). According to the report the updated tray will be available for $14.05 starting October 23rd. Its chunkier appearance has set the rumor mill aflutter that it would be suitable for a larger GSM device – whatever that could be.

I think that the SIM tray thing is a bit of a stretch, but as part of a larger body of work, it implies (if only subtly) that something is definitely brewing on the tablet front in Cupertino.

Are the Keller comments and new chunky SIM tray just wishful thinking by the Apple faithful, or are they the proverbial smoke that precedes a fire?

October 22nd, 2009

More Apple teardowns: Fall 2009 iMac & Magic Mouse

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:47 am

Categories: Mouse, Teardown, iMac

Tags: Mouse, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Desktops, Mice, Hardware, Peripherals, Jason D. O'Grady

The crack engineers at iFixIt are at it again. Yesterday I posted their teardown of the new “unibody” (a.k.a. poly) MacBook which revealed a relocated Bluetooth antenna and a larger 60 watt-hour battery.

Today’s installment includes teardowns of the new Fall 2009 iMac and the mysterious Magic Mouse.

Some highlights from the new iMac:

• The power supply puts out 25.8 amps at 12 volts, for a total output of 310 watts (365W input, 85% efficiency). That’s the biggest power supply we’ve seen in an iMac.
• The GPU and CPU are quite far apart, and they have separate heat sinks leading to opposite sides of the computer. This rather complex feat of thermal engineering allowed Apple to upgrade the iMac to use Intel’s desktop line of processors.
• The lack of Blu-ray support in this iMac is a bag of hurt. Fortunately, this is a drop-in replacement: http://bit.ly/1sBgRu (Of course, until Apple releases software support, you’ll still have to boot into Windows to play movies.)
• There is a Wi-Fi antenna leading into the Apple logo on the rear of the iMac. Aside from the ports, this is the only spot on the rear of the machine that isn’t solid aluminum. It’s quite a clever design, and while it’s an obvious place to put it, we’ve never seen Apple do this before.
• This thing is BIG. The desktop processor / GPU need three large fans and two huge heatsinks to dissipate heat.
• The new iMac’s edge-to-edge glass can slide around. After upgrading the RAM in our iMac, we noticed the glass was slightly out of alignment on one side. You can push it back into place by hand.
• There’s no direct line from the external Mini DisplayPort connector to the LCD. The signal will need to go through the logic board, so you’ll need to have your iMac powered on if you want to display from an external video source.
• The 3.06 GHz E7600 Core 2 Duo processor is a LGA 775 Socket T CPU. There are some Core 2 Quad chips that use the same socket, but we don’t know if they would work. The i5 and i7 quad-cores included in the high-end 27″ iMac use a different socket, LGA 1156 Socket H.

Update: Not to be outdone, Mitsunobu (a.k.a. KODAWARISAN) also disassembled the new iMac.

Highlights from the Magic Mouse teardown after the jump…

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October 21st, 2009

iFixit: Disassembling the new MacBook unibody

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 2:09 pm

Categories: MacBook, Teardown

Tags: Apple MacBook, Battery, Apple Inc., Bluetooth Antenna, Notebooks, Engineering, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Jason D. O'Grady

Almost immediately after being announced, iFixIt.com did a teardown (YouTube video) the new “unibody” polycarbonate MacBook.

As has been previously noted Apple has added a LED display, upgraded processor, added curves, increased battery life. Apple has also quietly removed the FireWire port, IR port, and the useful external battery indicator. iFixit notes that Apple has made the new MacBook harder to disassemble by using a combination of Phillips, tri-wing, and Torx screws.

Points of interest:

• Apple’s certainly giving us quite the screw variety on this machine. We’ve found tri-wing, Phillips #00, T6, T7, and T8 Torx screws.
• The Bluetooth antenna has been relocated to the display assembly. This is likely an attempt to improve the MacBook’s notoriously dismal Bluetooth range. On previous MacBooks the Bluetooth antenna was located above the optical drive.
• The battery is 60 watt-hours, the same capacity as the 13″ MacBook Pro. The previous plastic MacBooks featured a 55 watt-hour battery and claimed a 5-hour run time. With this machine, Apple has added 5 watt-hours of battery capacity and two hours of claimed run time.
• The new MacBook’s battery boasts a power-to-weight ratio that’s 23.5% better than its predecessor.
• Some disassembly is required to replace the battery, which is readily accessible by ordinary users with the right tools.
• Apple removed the IR port for a remote control. As far as we know, that makes this MacBook the only currently-shipping Apple laptop that doesn’t support a remote.
• FireWire is gone! If you need FireWire, only a MacBook Pro will do.

October 21st, 2009

Avoiding version confusion with Snow Leopard Server's diagnostic toolset

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 11:43 am

Categories: 10.6, Leopard, Server, Snow Leopard, Xserve

Tags: Apple Xserve, Apple Macintosh, Mac OS X Server, Tool, Apple Mac OS X, Apple Mac OS, Productivity, Operating Systems, Software, David Morgenstern

An Apple support note says that its Xserve Diagnostics Mac OS X Tools Version 3X104 are not supported with Snow Leopard Server.

If you have upgraded your Xserve to Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Server, you should not use Apple Xserve Diagnostics Mac OS X Tools version 3X104.  You should use Apple Xserve Diagnostics EFI Tools version 3X104 instead.

Xserve Diagnostics Mac OS X Tools let managers run down issues in the Boot ROM, Ethernet controller, fans, hard drives, power supply, processor, RAM, sensors, USB ports and video controller board. But where is the EFI Tools?

There’s no need for confusion here. Remember back on Xserve Apple Xserve Diagnostics User Guide for Version 3X104 Chapter 1, Page 5.

You can run AXD in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is referred to as AXD EFI tools, or in Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server, which is referred to as AXD Mac OS X tools.

By running AXD EFI tools, you can diagnose hardware issues that prevent Mac OS X Server from successfully starting up. You can also run tests without interference from Mac OS X Server and test more than 2.5 gigabytes (GB) of memory. However, AXD Mac OS X tools provides an enhanced interface and has more extensive sensor, hard drive, and video controller tests. For a detailed comparison and description of all available tests, see “AXD Tools Test Reference” on page 35.

So it’s the same tests but a different interface. And the support note put caps on the Tools.

October 21st, 2009

Apple's bumper crop of fall hardware, reviewed

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:19 am

Categories: Hardware, Mac mini, MacBook, Mouse, iMac

Tags: Apple iMac, Apple Inc., FireWire, Desktops, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

Apple yesterday released a cornucopia of new consumer hardware and the reviews are starting to roll in. No firm benchmarks have been conducted but several outlets have posted preliminary reviews of Apple’s Fall 2009 hardware.

Macworld likes the LED-backlit displays in the new iMac.

Apple says that the iMac screens are LED-backlit widescreen TFT active-matrix LCDs with in-plane switching technology, and can display millions of colors at all resolutions. In the past, Apple has used 6-bit displays on its 20-inch iMacs and 8-bit displays on its larger-sized iMacs.

CNet’s Dan Ackerman reviewed the Fall 2009 polycarbonate MacBook and takes issue with Apple’s nomenclature:

Unibody, Apple’s preferred term, is a bit of a misnomer, as the bottom panel is separate, as are the multiple parts that make up the lid and display.

Ackerman also notes that Apple unceremoniously removed FireWire from the new MacBook – and didn’t add an SD card slot:

FireWire fans should note that port has finally left the building. We would have thought this would be a good opportunity to add the same SD card slot found on the Pro 13-inch, but it was not to be. While we’re not regular FireWire users, this does leave Apple open to accusations of removing functionality from the system.

Macworld notes that the new Mac mini is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing:

a quick glance at the back of the new Mac mini makes it clear this is an updated machine. Instead of the FireWire 400 and four USB ports of the 2007 mini, the new model sports five USB 2.0 ports and replaces the FireWire 400 port with a faster FireWire 800 connection…

Also gone is the previous model’s DVI video port, replaced by two video ports: a mini-DVI port and a Mini DisplayPort connector like those found on the current MacBooks.

Finally, Gizmodo calls the Magic Mouse “the best mouse Apple’s made in years”

It has both right and left clicks, like the Mighty Mouse, but differentiates itself from other mice with its touch-sensitive scrolling and two-fingered gestures.

What’s your early review of the new crop of Apple hardware?

October 20th, 2009

Apple shuffles consumer lineup; iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, mouse updated

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 3:30 pm

Categories: Announcement, Apple, Hardware, Mac mini, MacBook, Mouse, Multi-Touch, iMac

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Mouse, Apple MacBook, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Mice, Desktops, Hardware, Peripherals

Hot on the heels of its most profitable quarter ever, Apple today announced a completely revamped consumer hardware lineup, including:

• An all new iMac line featuring LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless aluminum enclosure. (Press release)
• The low-cost MacBook was revved with an updated polycarbonate unibody design, LED-backlit display, fixed 7-hour battery and Multi-Touch trackpad. (Press release)
• A new Mac mini got an upgraded processor, more storage and double the standard memory, starting at $599. Apple is also offering a new $999 Mac mini configuration that comes with Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. Curiously, no press release for the Mac mini.
• The Magic Mouse replaces the Mighty Mouse and is the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Read more about it in David Morgenstern’s earlier post.

So far the Magic Mouse is probably the most interesting announcement of the lot. Apple has a tough time conforming the traditional mouse designs used by all other computer OEMs and has always bucked the trend with mice – for better or for worse.

What are your thoughts on the new announcements? What are you ordering?

October 20th, 2009

Apple releases new wireless "magic" multitouch mouse

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 11:08 am

Categories: Accessory, Multi-Touch

Tags: Mouse, Apple Inc., Wireless, Mice, Hardware, Peripherals, David Morgenstern

Apple on Tuesday released its Magic Mouse, a new mouse that features gesture control. The $69 accessory uses BlueTooth wireless to connect to the host computer.

The new multitouch mouse supports a range of gestures for clicking, multiple buttons, 360-degree scrolling, screen zooming and page “swiping.” Apple said the mouse is designed for righties and lefties.

The Multi-Touch area covers the top surface of Magic Mouse, and the mouse itself is the button. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it.

According to Apple, the Magic Mouse uses a laser tracking engine under its surface. I couldn’t find the resolution specs yet for the device.

Magic Mouse uses powerful laser tracking that’s far more sensitive and responsive on more surfaces than traditional optical tracking. That means it tracks with precision on nearly every surface — whether it’s a table at your favorite cafe or the desk in your home office — without the need for a mousepad.

October 20th, 2009

Will Apple find El Dorado in Beijing?

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 9:24 am

Categories: AAPL, Apple, Apple Retail Store, China

Tags: China, Apple Macintosh, Apple Inc., El Dorado, Apple Mac OS, Desktops, Sales Strategy, Operating Systems, Software, Hardware

El Dorado is the fabled place of gold, once thought to exist in the American hemisphere. However, for technology companies, China has long been an El Dorado, the untapped market that will bring black ink flowing into the quarterly financial reports. At the end of the month, Apple will make it real in China with the launch of the iPhone 3GS with partner China Unicom.

At the company’s conference call on Monday, Tim Cook, chief operating officer, said Apple was “thrilled.”

We’re thrilled to be launching there on October 30th with China Unicom and we’re going to start with about 1,000 points of sale and then expand further over the next several months thereafter. They’ve announced the plans and prices that they’ll have for the device and for the service. There’s a very wide range here on the post-paid side from $18 a month all the way up to $85, $100 a month. At the higher price point an individual is able to actually get the device for free and it goes up as you go down the ARPU, as it would in most countries.

As you know, as we’ve shipped the 3G and the 2G phone prior to that, we discovered that there were quite a few phones going in to China so it would seem to us to indicate that there’s a good opportunity and we’re really excited to get started. We’re not making any projections on the volume, but it is a huge market — the largest market in the world in terms of total phones. And I think it’s very important that we get started to make it as large as possible on smartphones.

Apple in July opened its first China retail store in Beijing and is reported to open another in Shanghai this fall.

I am interested in whether the iPhone’s halo effect will be felt in this new market. What will be Macintosh sales? And before anyone remarks on how totally price-conscious the China market is and how it’s foolish to expect any sales there, may I point out that these are the same arguments that have been made for every other market segment worldwide and keep getting knocked down.

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