Considering the Netbook

I am typing on arguably the one of the best Netbooks ever manufactured by Apple prior to the release of the MacBook Air. Yes, Apple once did manufacture a Netbook.

It runs Mac OS 10.5, has 1 gigabyte of ram and a 160 gigabyte hard drive. It is a 12-inch PowerBook G4 circa 2003. Read more about it here. Like

many Apple products, it was before its time and definitely before the Netbook idea of recent years.

It has a CD-DVD burner that current Netbooks don't have, but it lacks a dedicated webcam that many Netbooks have. For most Internet tasks its 867 MHz processor does just fine. However,

it chokes on streaming Internet media files. It plays DVDs and other media just fine, making it an excellent device for watching a movie in bed or on a plane.

Here is a photo comparing an PowerBook 12-inch, a Netbook and a 15-inch MacBook Pro:

Obviously, the footprint of the Netbook is much smaller compared to either machine. A big plus of the PowerBook 12-inch is a full-size keyboard which Netbooks do not have.

Overall, I am happy using the PowerBook as a Netbook, but I am exploring the possibility of purchasing a version of Dell's Mini 9 and installing the Mac OS.

By zxmacman
zxmac8384@yahoo.com

May 2, 2009

Apple Starts Up - April 1, 1976

The company that revolutionized the computing world started today - 33 years ago!

Here's a Time article on the subject.

Mac "Netbook" Rumors Abound

Well, it looks like a "netbook" like product may well be on the way from Apple. However, I agree with most observers Apple's netbook will be radically different from the current fare of low cost -- and admittedly cheaply made -- netbooks.

The device I'm looking for from Apple will have a touch screen, and therefore a "virtual" keyboard like the iPhone, only larger. I suspect unlike the iPhone there will be an option for an external keyboard.We possibly could get a preview of the product then Apple holds its iPhone 3.0 software preview next week. Let's hope.

Here are what others are speculating about Apple's netbook:

Apple May Enlarge IPod Touch Screen to Broaden Appeal (Bloomberg) article link

Apple Netbook Will Fill Newspaper Void (Seeking Alpha) article link

Tricky choices face Apple engineers working on netbook/touch device (Baltimore Sun) article link

Steve Wozinak Dances!

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, made this his first — and probably his last — foray into competitive ballroom dancing, doing a cha-cha to “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet” with a wide showman’s grin and pink feathered boa, on the Dancing with the Stars TV show. Check it out below:

Steve Jobs' Health Discussed

Steve Wozinak discusses the health of Steve Jobs and how it impacts Apple on Bay Area News TV. It was announced yesterday that Jobs still expects to return from his medical leave at the end of June, according to an Apple director who responded to an investor at the company's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday.

25 Years of the Macintosh!

The Mac is still in many ways as revolutionary as it was went introduced in 1984. Here's a look back at the Mac from www.ReadWriteWeb.com. Also includes a video of Steve Jobs introducing the Macintosh.

State of the Computer in 1984

What did the computer market look like when the Apple Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Here's a great look at the year that ushered in a revolution in computing by Low End Mac. Enjoy! Read article.

Steve Jobs Statement to Apple Community

Chief Executive Steve Jobs revealed Monday that a hormone imbalance is at the root of weight loss that has prompted rumors about his health. Following is the full text of his statement:

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I'm getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I've decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause -- a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I've already begun treatment. But, just like I didn't lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple's CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continueto fulfill my duties as Apple's CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I've said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

Steve Jobs Health in Question

Unfortunately, it appears reports that Steve Jobs' health is declining could very well be true. Check out this post from ValleyWag.

Here's another report with photos from 2007 and 2008 for comparison. He certainly doesn't look well.

We certainly hope they are wrong.

Insights Into Apple

This is an insightful article into some of the internal workings at Apple. Here's a sample:

What's it like working inside Apple when the MacWorld announcements are made? The man who set up many of its email systems and worked there 17 years explains the inside story of the preparation, the unveiling – and why it's sometimes best to avoid Steve Jobs.

Read more.

Apple App Store Controversy Continues

A slew of opinions have hit the web over the past few days directly surrounding the methods behind Apple’s App Store. Primarily focused around pricing, distribution and marketing, the debates have grown heated, and Apple has remained silent.

This article has some fascinating insights into a developer's application on the app store and how promotion impacts its success (or failure). Read More.

Computer Ads of Yesteryear

Check out these ads from days gone by. How many did you own? I actually owned the TRS-100 portable at right.

Click Interview with Woz

Check out this fascinating interview with Steve Wozinak, co-founder of Apple Computer, which he did recently for UK's Click.

Lawyers Turning to Macs?

For some time the legal profession has been known for its closet use of Macintosh computers. Attorneys have always had a tendency for the upscale, which explains part of the phenomenon over the years, but there has always been a more practical side, and that is reliability and security.

Here is a link (direct link below) to an article titled, "Why Macs and Why Now?" from Law Practice Today.

http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mac11081.shtml

Word for Mac has Many Issues for this User

Since I am a corporate Mac user, I must use Microsoft Word every day. I admit the latest version of the software seems to be somewhat unstable. Here's a post from a user who is absolutely fed up with what he calls a "pathetic, totally unreliable piece of crap" software.

Read his comments here.

Apple Flush with Cash. Acquisitions Anyone?

With Apple now cash rich and a very stable technology company, it seems logical it might be looking to make some strategic acquisitions as struggling companies become bargains.

This post on the Wired blog, Epicenter, is interesting speculation if nothing else. How much is $25 billion in cash. What is means is Apple could buy companies like Dell, General Motors, Adobe, Sun Microsystems, Nintendo, Nvidia, Netflix or the country of Iceland.

Obviously, not all - if any - of these acquisitions would be smart for Apple, but it does give the company a strong strategic advantage in troubled times.

Read the post here.

MacBook Key to Apple's Future

Today's highly anticipated event in Cupertino seems to be good timing for Apple, which continues to be on a roll as it slowly build market share in the laptop market.

Here's a good summary and some observations from Fortune magazine.

Powerbook - MacBook Design Retrospective

Next Tuesday's MacBook event will usher in another design direction in the Powerbook/MacBook legacy.

Here's a great article about (with video) about past directions.

Old School Meets Mac!

This photo is too cool! Check out the guy with pen and paper compared to all of the mainly Mac computers in the room. Click on photo to enlarge.

Bloomberg Gaffe - Steve Jobs' Obit

We all know publications write "pre-death" versions of obituaries for famous people. Well, Bloomberg let theirs about Steve Jobs get out. Here it is via Gawker and an article about it in eFlux Media.