Oliver's Profile

Have you ever tried a launching utility like LaunchBar (or QS). To open Safari I can just type command-space, s, [enter]. Terminal: command-space, t, [enter] TextEdit: command-space, te, [enter] Applications folder: command-space, a, [enter] And I don't have to switch to the Finder first, which save even more time and clicks.

Well, the fact that Microsoft doesn't make the hardware and DELL/HP don't make the software didn't really stop them in the past now did it? If people have a choice between 20 different media centre PCs with different capabilities and prices, which are all compatible with one another and have the familiar M$ logo, or just 1 product from apple that is incompatible with the rest and costs more, I wonder (in the long run) which one they will choose. iPods are different, because it's was vastly superior from the beginning and is a gadget that has gained 'cool' status. Boxes to put under your TV are rarely regarded as cool, and as nice as an iMac with front row is, it's not vastly superior to the alternatives. Apple's only hope is to try and leverage the installed base of iPod users. Give us a box to sit under the TV which runs Front Row and pulls content wirelessly from ours macs, and which has a dock/slot built in to connect an iPod.

You could have mentioned the fact the Firewire syncing is now completely gone from the iPod line-up! I am very disappointed with apple regarding this issue. I usually don't mind when older technologies get chucked out (i was glad to see the back of floppy drives and more recently have been wondering how much longer we'll be seeing 56k modems as standard), but this time I mind. Apple came very late to the USB 2 game. When my not-so-old powerbook was released USB 2 was already pretty standard on PCs, but that didn't matter because after all we had Firewire. But now all apple sees is the extra $$ they can make off all the PC users buying iPods, and they drop firewire. Apple should either stick by their (FW) guns a bit longer, or get with the (USB2) program a bit sooner.

Sony has had laptops with camera's built-in for ages... of course, when apple does it Mac users everywhere will shout about how innovative Apple is. The quality of a built-in camera must also be pretty weak when compared to an iSight. unless the lid is 10cm thick.

I think it's a lovely looking device, but i am bitterly disappointed about the lack of Firewire support. It will charge over firewire, but not sync. My rev.A 12" powerbook is still a great machine and not too old, but i can't use it with this iPod b/c it only has USB1.1. Apple was really late to the game with USB 2, so there are lots more mac users like me who don't have it, but do have firewire. Bad call imho.

um, what's wrong with VersionTracker? Or alternatively, what's so great about MacUptdate?

I really don't think that the iPod has lost it's cool factor - at least not in Europe. For 2-3 years I used my iPod and showed off it's greatness to friends and family, but no-one was buying. They all thought it was a great device, but were worried because it came from Apple (they are all Windows users). In the last few months, however, quite a few of them have bought iPods. Some have bought photos, some have bought shuffles, but they had to have an iPod.

I thought dead fish float upwards... so Apple's market share will go up now?