Concerns about Napster’s subscription service and Sony’s flash memory-based portable music players eating into Apple’s iTunes Music Store and iPod sales is overdone, according to a Wall Street analyst. In a research note obtained by The Mac Observer, JP Morgan’s Bill Shope raised his estimates for the March quarter to earnings per-share (EPS) of US$0.24…
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
Doom 3 for Mac Ships
< A href="http://www.aspyr.com/">Aspyr Media announced Monday the long-awaited released of Doom 3 for the Mac. A continuation of the original Doom series, Doom 3 is a first person shooter (FPS) that was built on an entirely new 3D engine developed by id Software. "DOOM 3 has instantly become a must have title for any game…
Linux Creator Switches to Mac, Sort Of
D onit call it a Mac, because it runs Linux exclusively, but Linus Torvalds has switched to Apple hardware for his main desktop computer. The creator of the Linux operating system said in a Linux mailing list that he was no longer using an x86 (Intel processor) machine, and ZDNetis Australian branch took the opportunity…
Reuters Examines Subscriptions vs. iTunes
T he effect of subscription music services being a threat to Appleis iTunes dominance in the music download business is the subject of an article by Reuters. The article postulates that iTunes is facing pressure from subscription services, which it says "may be on the verge of explosive growth." The article comes on the heels…
Library Offers Audio Books on iPod shuffle to Patrons
T he South Huntington Public Library on Long Island, New York is one the first libraries in the country to loan out audio books on iPod shuffles, according to Wired News. Members of the library can currently check out one of 11 books in audio format that the library obtained through the iTunes Music, each…
Playlist Offers First Look at Second Generation iPod mini
C hris Breen has posted a First Look at Appleis new iPod mini for Playlist magazine. Apple introduced new 6 gigabyte iPod minis on Wednesday, and lowered the price of the original 4GB units. The Playlist First Look examines the new features Apple added to the product line. "Seriously, there are some important differences between…
Class-Action Lawsuit Accuses Dell of Bait-and-Switch Tactics
W intel computer giant Dell has been slapped with a class-action law suit accusing the company of bait-and-switch tactics, false advertising, and fraud. The lawsuit was filed in Francisco County Superior Court on February 14th, though Dell itself is based in Round Rock, TX. CNet News reported Wednesday that the suit accuses the company of…
ZDNet Asks if Mac mini Could Lead to Mini PCs
Z DNetis John Spooner has asked if Appleis new Mac mini could lead to a wave of similarly tiny computers in the Wintel world. Mr. Spooner addressed the question from the standpoint of such issues as people looking for smaller units as second or third computers in the household, and products that came along before…
A Linux User Writes About Embracing the Mac
E xtremeTech has published the aptly named "A Linux Geek Embraces Mac OS X," a 13 page article by a Linux and Windows useris first dive into the Mac world. The Switcher in question, Jim Lynch, dove in head first with a dual 1.85GHz Power Mac G5, and the story he tells offers a nice…
Apple Developer Connection Posts "Using the .Mac SDK"
T he Apple Developer Connection has published a how-to article for developers to tap into the .Mac SDK. The .Mac SDK is a set of programming hooks that allow third-party developers to integrate their applications with .Mac, and the article serves as an introduction to actually applying the SDK. “Weill cover the components of the…
Apple Hot Deals Update For Publishing Perfection, MacZone
A pple has updated the Hot Deals page for Publishing Perfection and MacZone at the Macintosh Product Guide. The Mac Product Guide is a list of Mac compatible hardware and software products on the market. The Hot Deals section of the Product Guide features several Mac retailers and special offers that one can only get,…
Analyst: Without iPod, Apple Would Be Irrelevant
I n an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told reporter Steve Alexander, "Without the iPod, Apple would be irrelevant," and that the "iPod has given Apple a second life." Mr. Munster is the most bullish analyst covering Apple, and the comments come in a report about how the iPod…
Chicago Sun Times: iPod Shuffle Works, Period
I n his regular column for the Chicago Sun-Times, TMO columnist Andy Ihnatko said that the thing that makes the iPod shuffle so good is that it simply works. Mr. Ihnatko added his own voice to the mainstream chorus of reviewers who have gushed over Appleis newest iPod family member. Mr. Ihnatko went over the…
Detroit Free Press: iWork Needs Some Work
M ike Wendland, a columnist for the Detroit Free Press who often writes positive pieces about Apple and the Mac platform, said Tuesday he thinks Appleis new software package, iWork, needs some work. Mr. Wendland wrote that Pages isnit a full-featured word processing program, and that Keynote "seems a bit klutzy" compared to Microsoftis PowerPoint."…
Washington Post Calls iPod Shuffle "Surprising New Mini-Player"
A ppleis triumphant tour through the mainstream press continues today with a review of the iPod shuffle by Rob Pegoraro. Mr. Pegoraro called the US$99 flash-based iPod "a surprising new mini-player in the music game." Mr. Pegoraro said that the price of the unit fills in the price gap in Appleis portable digital media player…
Writer, Analyst: Microsoft's Janus Will Level Online Music Battlefield
I n more coverage Tuesday on Apple, Technology Review published an article by Eric Hellweg that said that the battlefield for online music downloads is about to change considerably. That change is Microsoftis Janus technology that allows users to take subscription (rented) music on their digital media devices, something heretofore impossible. Mr. Hellweg believes that…
Robert X. Cringely Speculates on Apple Movie Download Business
P BSis Robert X. Cringely has penned a bit of speculation on the idea that Apple is planning on getting into the video download business. Following a similar track as our own Devilis Advocate, Mr. Cringely puts the pieces together based on Steve Jobsi keynote from Macworld Expo, but also looks at a technology in…
PC World Recommends Mac mini as Starter System
P C World is recommending Appleis new Mac mini as starter system for new computer users. In a first look at the newest Mac, Rebecca Freed put the Mac mini through consumer-oriented tasks, focusing on how the Mac mini performed. Ms. Freed tested the unit by opening up a half dozen programs at one time,…
iPod Controller Maker Reports Record Profits
< A href="http://www.synaptics.com/">Synaptics, the maker of the click wheel selector on Appleis iPods, announced Thursday record profits for its second fiscal quarter ended December 31st, 2004. The company reported profits of US$9.7 million on revenue of V.5 million. The company cited "robust growth" in demand for portable media players as a driving force for its…
Merrill Lynch: Strong Demand for iPod shuffle, Could Outstrip Supply
< A href="http://www.ml.com">Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich believes there will be strong demand for Appleis new iPod shuffle, and that just like the iPod mini, demand will outstrip supply, a chronic issue for Apple. In a research note for clients obtained by The Mac Observer, Mr. Milunovich said that new-to-iPod users are attracted to both…
Analyst: Mac mini + Apple Stores = "Match Made in Heaven"
< A href="http://www.needhamco.com/">Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf issued a research note to his clients Wednesday that called the Mac mini and Appleis retail stores a "match made in heaven." Noting that the lack of a low-cost entry-level Mac was a "major barrier to iPod-toting Windows users whoive contemplated switching to a Mac," he said…
New York Times Probes Idea of "Mac TV"
T he New York Times has published an article by long-time Apple reporter John Markoff that asks if Apple is considering a "Mac TV," a device Apple would position as a set top media management box. Centered around a wrap up of Appleis announcement last week at Macworld Expo, Mr. Markoff speculates on Appleis possible…
Apple Hot Deals Update For Publishing Perfection
A pple has updated the Hot Deals page for Publishing Perfection at the Macintosh Product Guide. The Mac Product Guide is a list of Mac compatible hardware and software products on the market. The Hot Deals section of the Product Guide features several Mac retailers and special offers that one can only get, at least…
BBC Offers Shootout Between Mac mini & Four PCs
T he BBC has published a shootout between Appleis new Mac mini and similarly priced Windows PCs from competitors. The piece, published for a UK audience, focuses on British pricing and products, and includes PCs from Dell, Jal Constance (a UK manufacturer), and a generic, home-built PC. The article, written by Darren Waters and Mark…