What's New - Jan 15, 2003
By: Mikio Moriyasu - Revised: 2006-07-28 richardDownload Slides
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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
What's New
New Apple Software
Apple iCal 1.0.2 fixing several bugs previously noted on MacFixIt. Among the standouts a problem where time zones west of California displayed incorrect appointment times has been resolved, The new release has also allows the current date in the dock after closing the application.Apple iSync 1.0 offers the following improvements -- palm synching now much faster, improved Palm configuration, menu bar icon to sync anytime, automatic syncing to .Mac, Sync with .Mac Address Book, and enhanced performance/stability
Apple Keynote 1.0 makes it a snap to create compelling presentations with professional-caliber themes, razor-sharp text and beautiful charts and tables.
Apple Mac OS X 10.2.3 delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for the following applications, utilities, and technologies: AppleScript, Classic compatibility, Disk Copy, Disk Utility, Image Capture, Mail, OpenGL, Print Center, and Rendezvous. The update also provides updated security services and includes the latest Security Updates.
- Combo Update
- Stand-alone Update
- Server Combo Update
- Server Stand-alone Update
Apple QuickTime 6.1 features the following enhancements: MPEG-4 video provides more accurate rate control and improved visual quality, AAC includes new encoder controls and new bit rate options, DV includes significant encode and decode performance improvements. Released via Software Update.
New Third Party Software
(Updates are assumed to be for Mac OS X, not much is being updated for Mac OS 9 nowadays...)Carbon Copy Cloner 2.1.2 is a comprehensive bootable backup solution. The new version fixes a bug that would cause a scheduled backup to consume part of the startup disk if the configured target disk was not available (please read this document for full details).
CalcPlus X 2.0.4 is a scientific calculator and integrated metric/currency converter. The new version fixes an intermittent bug that sometimes caused a crash when saving edited conversion factors to disk.
ChimerIcon 0.6.3 is a visual theme editor for Chimera browser user interface. The new release includes 10 full icon themes, and 16 additional splash screens.
Chimera German Language Kit 0.2 adds German localization. The new release fixes some translation errors.
ChimeraKnight 1.9.2 is an automatic download tool for Chimera nightly builds. The new version fixes a bug that would restart a download when auto-start is enabled, and now deletes the Chimera.dmg file instead of moving it to the Trash.
Dantz Retrospect 5.0 Driver Update 3.3 this driver update is a plug-in extension for Retrospect 5.0 or Retrospect Express 5.0. It updates Retrospect or Retrospect Express to support new drives, fix bugs, and work around problems.
Emailchemy 1.4.2 is a universal email import/export utility. The new release no longer filters valid characters out of MIME-encoded email addresses.
Export-Import Entourage X 1.2.3 transfers data between PIMs. The new release fixes a bug in Calendar Export from X introduced along with the recurring event exporting in v1.2.
File Buddy 7.2.6 is an extensive desktop and file/folder editing and task tool. The new release fixes some reliability issues with some of the pop-up menus in Mac OS 9.
Folder Icon X 1.4 makes customized folder icons. The new release adds a "Trim Unused Border" command to the Edit menu to eliminate the unused transparent border.
FTP Suite for REALbasic 1.1.1 adds FTP capability to REALbasic apps. The new version fixes a bug introduced in 1.1 that prevented Put Directory from working.
Grammarian Pro X v1.0.2 is an interactive grammar checking, spelling checking, dictionary, autocorrect, and autotype tool. The new release addresses performance, and reliability issues and many minor bugs. The list includes typing slowdown fixes and enhanced interactive checking functionality.
iCab X 2.9 is a lean, popular alternative Web browser. In the new release it is now possible to define key shortcuts for all search engines which are configured in the "iCab preferences > Searches > Internet Sites".
Intego NetBarrier X 10.1 is a software firewall for net security. The new release has the ability to switch to the brushed metal appearance in the user interface, and fixes the issue occurring when no name was set for the computer.
Intego Personal Backup X 10.1.0 is a backup, sync, and cloning tool. The new release corrects an incompatibility with Mac OS X 10.1.x.
Kick-off! 1.5.2 is an automatic solution for restarting crashed USB Macs. In its newest release, the logging system now provides more information.
MacAnalysis X 2.2.7 is a network security auditing tool. The new release fixes a major bug, and adds a Connection-watcher tool.
MacInstallerBuilder 2.2.1 builds software installers for distribution. The new release is now Mac OS X native, and multiselect now supported.0
Macaroni 1.3.1 is an automated Mac OS X system maintenance tool. The new release fixes a bug that prevented repair privileges to automatically run for some users.
Micromat Drive 10 1.1.3 is a disk repair and maintenance tool.
netTunes 1.19 is an iTunes remote control solution for networks. The new release has direct control improvements - (Next/Previous Track commands allowed during pause), and a track tooltip fix.
PHP 4.3.0 is a popular Web scripting language. The new release includes a host of enhancements and bug fixes.
Phone Dialler 1.7 dials Address Book phone numbers through the modem. The new release fixes a crashing bug, and in the search results pane, only contacts with phone numbers are shown.
PowerKey Pro 4.1.2 us a programmable power strip; crash recovery and scheduling. The new release has minor bug fixes in event list views.
Proteus 2.2a16 is an instant messaging app for most major IM services.
Prosoft NetWare Client - IP Edition 1.1.2 delivers Novell network connectivity
PStill 2.5 converts EPS/PS & other PostScript to PDF. The new version uses the new PStill engine 1.605.
RBrowser 3.1.0 is a graphical FTP/SFTP/SSH client. The new version has speedup of the Local Viewer, avoiding accidental triggering of webdav aliases, and a progress bar in the Dock icon for easy monitoring.
Safari Enhancer 1.0.1 activates Safari hidden features. The new release now scans the Safari preference file at launch, so it should now never forget settings across starts.
Synchronize! Pro X 2.0.2 makes bootable system backups and syncs files. The new release fixes a crash which occurred when displaying very long paths in the Log.
TelnetLauncher 2.1.1 is a launcher for Mac OS X's built-in Telnet and SSH clients. The new version fixes a bug where a warning about unregistered plugins would accasionally appear.
Thursby DAVE X 4.0.2 is a Mac to PC file and print sharing tool. The new release has better support for Mac OS 9 applications that are HFS+ aware, and enhanced browsing for networks with large numbers.
WebCalX 4 allows HTML export from Apple iCal. The new release has several bug fixes.
Software Notes
CNET looks at the competitive synchronization offerings from Apple and Microsoft, analyzing the potential outcome of a conflict between the two systems. Read more.Alsoft's DiskWarrior 3.0 for Mac OS X is scheduled for release in February. It is much faster checking a drive with 600,000 files in about 8 minutes. Read more.
Micromat's TechTool Pro 4 for Mac OS X is scheduled for release in April. The new version combines Drive 10 (Micromat's existing OS X drive-checking utility) with a new OS X version of TechTool. Read more.
SPSS Base 11.0 for Mac OS X was officially released at MacWorld. It now features graph displays, including interactive graphs, and runs native in OS X.
Prosoft Data Backup X, released at the MacWorld, is purported to be a revamped version of FWB's Backup ToolKit. It has a wide range of options from complete backups (full or incremental, including bootable volumes) as well as synchronization and copy capabilities. Read more.
Prosoft Data Recycler X is a yet-to-be-released unerase utility that works reliably and fast. Deleted files are saved in a protected area of your drive. Read more.
Mireth Technology's ToTheTrash offers an alternative to "undeleting" as a way to prevent the accidental loss of trashed files. Users can set a time for the automatic deletion of files in the Trash and have have a 2 day buffer to recover files mistakenly deleted. Read more.
Microsoft has released Office v.x 10.1.3, which addresses several issues with the Italian Spelling Tool and the French Proofing Tools for Microsoft Office v. X.
The release of Keynote and MacBU's reduced presence at MacWorld do not foreshadow the end of MS Office for Macintosh. Microsoft recently told MacFixIt that "We're already working on the next version of Office, including PowerPoint."
Hardware News
InfoWorld reports that Apple's latest 1 GHz Titanium PowerBook G4s is so good that "After spending quality time with (it), we don't care if we ever touch another $3,500-plus top-end PC notebook." Read more.In a review of Apple's 17" flat-panel iMac for Sound and Vision magazine, Al Griffin writes "With its widescreen display, powerful video processing, excellent suite of bundled applications, and impressive OS 10.2 operating system, the newest iMac is a multimedia wonder." Read more.
Eric Wilson at Initio told MacFixIt that they will be delivering FireWire 800 PCI cards soon.
In February, Dr. Bott will release two new range extenders for AirPort Extreme Base Station (Read more):
- ExtendAIR Omni ($99.95) extends the range in all directions to a 250 foot radius.
- ExtendAIR Direct ($149.95)extends the range in a single direction to 500 feet.
Retail News
USA Today reports that holiday shoppers snapped up expensive and cheap computers this year — but left the midrange products on the shelves. Read more.In its annual review of Apple's performance in 2002, CNET's editors state "Ever bold and innovative, Apple Computer started the year with the introduction of the iMac, an all-in-one computer with a flat-panel screen". Read more.
A Reuters report takes a look at the market for antique Macs and PCs, reporting that some users are paying premium prices for vintage machines. For example, the Apple 1 sold as a kit in 1976 for $666.66 fetched $25,000 at an auction in 2000. Read more.
The San Francisco Chronicle notes "To judge by the attendance at Macworld Expo, you'd never guess that Mac fans remain a tiny minority in a sea of PC users." Read more.
Issues
Apple Computer laid off 180 employees in its fourth fiscal quarter and said that it's facing increasing pressure in the education market. Read more.Drive 10 1.1.3 on all versions of Mac OS X and on a broad range of both new and old Macs that have "unusual configurations of the volume structures." may indicate a "volume reads zero bytes" content size when attempting to repair the volume. Do not attempt to repair your drive if you are presented with this message in Drive 10. Doing so can result in data loss, and other serious problems.
IBM's Travelstar and Deskstar hard drives are the subject of numerous failure reports. Most users state that the drives fail with a "clicking" noise, generally when applying an incremental update to Mac OS X (including the recent 10.2.3 release). Apparently, some TravelStar/DeskStar drives are not getting enough power through the Mac they are connected to, stop spinning, and stick.
ATI's latest firmware for its 7000 series of graphics cards is causing some users serious problems, including display failure. Users should apply the update with caution, or avoid the release until ATI releases a fixed version.
Some users are reporting difficulties in using Mac OS X 10.2.3 with PowerBook G3 Wall Street models that have been upgraded with PowerLogix's BlueChip processor card. Having 256 MB of RAM or less installed, however, seems to alleviate the problems for some users.
eMac display problems my not be as widespread as once thought but those experiencing problems have had a long a frustrating time getting them fixed.
Intuit TurboTax 2002 for Mac lacks the functionality of the PC version. The latest PC version, however, does not work with Connectix Virtual PC 6.0. Connectix is working on a fix.
Mac OS X in Brief
For those with subscriptions, MacFixit Has started to compile lists of issues that users have encountered while using the latest software updates from Apple including: Mac OS X 10.2.3, iSync 1.0, iCal 1.0.1, Safari 1.0 Beta, Keynote 1.0, and QuickTime 6.1.Ted Landau has released an updated version of his book, Mac OS X Disaster Relief. Owners of the previous edition can download the Jaguar Supplement. Read more.
QuarkXpress will not allow non-administrator, multiple-user access in under the Classic environment in Mac OS X. Quark's Glen Turpin suggests the administrator simply do a "Get Info" on the QuarkXPress folder and change the access for others to "Read/Write".
InfoWorld notes Steve Wozniak's comment at a Macworld Expo discussion panel - debating the merits of Mac OS X - that he still uses Mac OS 9. Read more.
General News
The New York Times reports that it is increasingly possible to amass Big Brother-like surveillance powers through Little Brother meansCNET reports that a U.S. district court judge has ordered Microsoft to include Sun Microsystems' version of Java with the Windows operating system, citing the software giant's history of undermining the platform-neutral programming language. Read more.
The New York Times takes a look at the growing number of cell phones with ever-growing organizer capabilities.
News.com talks about the emergence and legitimization of the "desknote," portable computers that are powerful enough to effectively compete with their desktop counterparts. Read more.
IBM and AMD will work in tandem to develop future chip technologies in "an alliance that will better insulate AMD from the growing risks of making processors" according to a ZDNN report. Read more.
News.com reports that Apple has objected to a tentative antitrust settlement between California and Microsoft, saying the agreement will actually benefit the software giant. Read more.
Wired News reports on the odd exhibition of a glass window sales company at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Read more.
Cool Stuff
Sharp plans to sell notebooks and flat-screen LCD monitors that display high-resolution 3D images or run 3D programs without using special glasses or additional software. Read more.News.com reports on a new device that was "low-key demontrated" at the Macworld dubbed the "HomePod." The $200 device can wirelessly access music files stored on a Mac in another room. Read more.
iGo is the name of a new stand for the flat panel iMac that is inspired by the design of the iMac itself. You can see it here: Read more.
Sony has released a new camcoder models in its Handycam line that records movies directly to DVD discs. The cameras use smaller DVD-R and DVD-RW discs that measure 3 inches.All three will be available this summer, with the entry-level model starting at less than $1,000. Read more.
The Associated Press reports that a British school has introduced retina scanning as a means of charging children for their lunches. Read more.
Events
Video's Third Revolution: The Next Wave in Video Editing Productivity- Dr. Rawstock, 6150 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 900384
- Date Jan 17, 2003
- Time: 10:00AM to 12:00PM (PST)
- Fee: Click here for fee and registration information.
- Description: Click here for a description of this seminar
- CompUSA - Las Vegas, 3535 W. Sahara Ave.Las Vegas, NV 89102
- Date Jan 18, 2003
- Time: 1:00PM to 3:00PM (PST)
- Fee: Click here for fee and registration information.
- Description: Click here for a description of this seminar
- Micro Center, Mercado Center, 3255 Mission College Blvd.Santa Clara, CA 95054
- Date: Jan 19, 2003
- Time: 1:00PM to 4:00PM (PST)
- Fee: Click here for fee and registration information.
- Description: Click here for a description of this seminar
- Promax Systems-Hollywood, 931 Cole Ave 2nd Floor,Hollywood, CA 90038
- Date: Jan 21, 2003
- Time:
- 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (PST)
- 7:00PM to 9:30PM (PST)
- Fee: Click here for fee and registration information.
- Description: Click here for a description of this seminar
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