What's New - Jan 16, 2002

Introduction

What's new for the Mac in the previous month:

• General issues, workarounds and fixes
• New Software and hardware
• Software and hardware updates/patches

New Software

Apple CarbonLib 1.5 is out, either as a standalone installer or via Software Update. We have yet to receive much feedback from users on this version. Previous experience has demonstrated that installing any update to CarbonLib is a significant change to the OS that can affect many different applications.

Apple iPod Updater 1.0.4 adds support for iPod names of up to 255 characters; additional languages including Brazilian/Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish; addresses compatibility and performance issues which users may have experienced with version 1.0.3.

After Effects 5.5 and Live Motion 2.0 for Mac OS X available.

BBEdit 6.5.1 is a high-performance HTML and text editor for the Macintosh. It is designed and crafted for the editing, searching, transformation, and manipulation of text. Click here for a complete list of what's new. Runs in OS 9 and OS X.

CD-RW Drive Firmware Update 1.1 for Power Mac G4 systems.

Conflict Catcher 9 is a nearly essential tool for diagnosing extension conflicts in OS 9. New features follow. Has faster, easier and simpler Conflict testing. Logs intermittent problems. Has enhanced USB and FireWire reporting. Includes MS Office and AOL group links. Displays quick hot links to all your startup files and more Reference Library file definitions.

DVD Studio Pro 1.2

File Buddy 6.1.7 is an extensive desktop and file/folder editing and task tool. This update fixes a problem where searching by content would return files not containing the desired strings in some searches.

GoLive 6.0 for Mac OS X available.

iListen 1.2 is speech recognition software. This update increases stability and performance and adds several new features.

InterMapper 3.6b5 provides a graphical view of a network and tests the routers, servers, workstations, and other equipment attached to that network using pings, SNMP, and various server probes. It sports an extensive list of changes (which appears on VersionTracker). InterMapper X is the OS X version.

MacGhostView 2.5.3 is a general purpose PostScript and PDF file preview utility. In addition to a few minor bug fixes it has a Menu item for converting Postscript files to PDF. Printing Postscript documents is no longer supported in MacGhostView.

MacSFTP 1.0b3 is an SFTP client. This release resets the trial beta expiration date, it fixes problems with the cancel button and displaying icons, and it adds options to double-click to edit a file, a progress bar for external editor transfers, an option to maintain permissions under OS X, a recent directories popup, and more.

Opera 5.0 "is a powerful browser - rich in enhancements and features. Speed is an issue we keep in mind at all times while coding, resulting in a faster browsing experience for the user." The update introduces 30 day banner free period, cookie editor and several bug fixes. Opera X 5.0b3 is the OS X version.

Palm Desktop 4.0b77 is a preview version of the new Palm synchronization software. The major new feature is that it adds Mac OS X support via a separate OS X version. Instant Palm Desktop is integrated as Mac OS X Dock Menu Item. There are also several new features shared by the Classic and OS X versions, including: "Private records now retain their private designation when you synchronize." Palm Desktop X 4.0b77 is the OS X version.

PowerBook Firmware Update 4.2.9 for 550MHz or 667MHz PowerBook G4 computers running Mac OS 9.1 or later. It includes improvements to FireWire target disk mode when running Mac OS X, and improves starting up on systems with 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM and enables NetBooting over gigabit Ethernet.

PrefsOverload 3.5 is a tool for managing the Preferences folder. This update adds support for running under either OS X or earlier systems. Other changes include a new Aqua interface, the ability to open XML preference files, and it can exclude .plist files from the unnecessary items list.

REALbasic 4.0 adds hundreds of enhancements and improvements, including: an all-new ListBox, a new EditField, external project item support, easier find and replace, and much more.

Tri-BACKUP 3.0.5b3 is the latest release of this automatic backup and file synchronization utility. No word on what is new in this release. This is a later version that we noted on yesterday's home page.

WhatRoute 1.8 is an advanced tool for traceroute, ping, DNS, finger, whois, etc. It's been Carbonized to run in OS X.

Windows Media Player 7.1.2 is now available.

Software Notes

Mac OS X default boot on new Macs now. Mac OS 9 will still be available via Classic and directly with a restart.

Internet Explorer and Outlook crashes. See www.macfixit.com for details.

Thursby Software will not support MacSOHO with Windows XP. Solution is to upgrade to DAVE or install NetBEUI on XP. http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWSXP/pro/using/itpro/networking/netbeui.asp

Hardware News

The new iMac

$1,199.00 700MHz PowerPC G4 256K L2 cache @ 700 MHz 128MB SDRAM 40GB Ultra ATA drive 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem AirPort ready Discounted from $1,299 retail price Shipping in March

$1,399.00 700MHz PowerPC G4 256K L2 cache @ 700 MHz 256MB SDRAM 40GB Ultra ATA drive 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem Airport ready Apple Pro Speakers Discounted from $1,499 retail price Shipping in February

$1,699.00 800MHz PowerPC G4 256K L2 cache @ 800 MHz 256MB SDRAM 60GB Ultra ATA drive 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 56K internal modem Airport ready Apple Pro Speakers Discounted from $1,799 retail price Shipping in January

Other notes:

15-inch viewable flat panel at a max of 1024x768 resolution.

Apple says to carry it by the neck. Read more.

Security: Kensington slot, special screw kit for the bottom (to prevent theft of extra RAM or Airport card). Read more.

Images:

Notice a resemblance? View the animation

Old iMac education prices
$699 500MHz G3 w/ CD-ROM
$899 600MHz G3 w/ CD-RW


New iBook and configurations:

$1,099 12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 System bus @ 66MHz 256K L2 cache @ 500MHz 128MB SDRAM memory 15GB Ultra ATA drive Airport Ready Up to 5 hr. battery life Only 4.9 pounds Discounted from $1,199 retail price	$1,191 12.1-inch TFT XGA display 500MHz PowerPC G3 System bus @ 66MHz 256K L2 cache @ 500MHz 128MB SDRAM memory 15GB Ultra ATA drive Airport Ready Up to 5 hr. battery life Only 4.9 pounds Discounted from $1,299 retail price
$1,399 12.1-inch TFT XGA display 600MHz PowerPC G3 System bus @ 100MHz 256K L2 cache @ 600MHz 128MB SDRAM memory 20GB Ultra ATA drive Airport Ready Up to 5 hr. battery life Only 4.9 pounds Discounted from $1,499 retail price	$1,699 14.1-inch TFT XGA display 600MHz PowerPC G3 System bus @ 100MHz 256K L2 cache @ 600MHz 256MB SDRAM memory 20GB Ultra ATA drive Airport Ready Up to 6 hr. battery life Only 5.9 pounds Discounted from $1,799 retail price

G4 slowdown with the following configuration:

• 1.5 GB RAM
• File Sharing enabled
• ATM and/or ATM Deluxe 4.6+ installed.

Search www.macfixit.com for details.

Post office irradiation and Flash cards. Read more

Record companies breaking the law with copy-proof CD's? Read more.

Jobs earns $1.00 for the year of 2001, receives $90-million gift from Apple: a jet.
Apple stores face loss (9-11 big player). Only the iBook saw sales rise. Read more - Read more - Read more

Maine signs $37.2 million contract for 4 years to supply iBooks to all 7th and 8th grade students and teachers. Read more

Issues

Xerox "wins" patent infringement suit against 3Com and Palm: license or else... Palm is appealing. If they lose, Palm may suffer seriously especially because their sales are very low. Read more

IBM Deskstar 75GXP hard disks fail, shipped with some G4 towers. They fail slowly, so check your G4!

Cool Stuff

Dr. Guy (Bud) Tribble, one of the original members of the Macintosh team, is returning to Apple. Dr. Tribble will report directly to Avie Tevanian and hold the title vice president of Software Technology. He has worked on the UI's of NeXT and Linux-based Nautilus and was chief technology officer for Sun Microsystems. Read more

www.apple.com/myths/ "It can't be denied that Microsoft has made a good business out of copying the innovative Mac OS."

Humor

Joy of Tech:

• Windows XP secure?...
• MacWorld 1 (what could have been...)
• MacWorld 2
• MacWorld 3
• The new iMac 1
• The new iMac 2
• Was lost but now found

Next Month?

Olympics are February 8-24. The third Wednesday is the 20th. Do we want to meet?