Apple moves back into the spotlight...
Melanie McDonald
Thanks to Steve Jobs, a collection of innovative programmers and designers, and a public in the mood to explore the computing and music and software emerging from Apple, the company has enjoyed a significant upsurge on both Wall Street and in the homes of the American public.
According to a recent (April 2005) article in Business 2.0, “For the first time in more than a decade, Apple has a chance to become a commercially powerful company—not just a cool place with a superstar CEO and brilliant designers, but a leader in new markets that are exponentially bigger than the very computer industry it pioneered.”
At least some of this surge is the result of Apple’s foray into the portable music market with its online iTunes downloads and landmark iPod, putting 5000 songs at one’s finger.
The iPod Mini: is smaller than many cell phones with a 1.67-inch (diagonal) backlit screen that displays full song and album titles, artists’ names and more.
For those on a budget or wanting fewer songs at hand, the new iPod Shuffle is the size of a pack of gum and weighs less than a car key. Just plug iPod Shuffle directly into a USB port, or use an optional Dock (from $99). Exercise buffs will like the fact that the Shuffle comes ready to hang around the neck or with an optional arm holder.
And there is the IPod Photo that lets music and art lovers choose from 30GB or 60GB models starting at just $349 and carry an entire library of music — up to 15,000 songs and full-color album cover art — or as many as 25,000 photos in your pocket.
Another landmark from Apple come sin the form of the new MacMini, a $499 computer that needs only a monitor and keyboard/mouse to be plug and play. has a G4 processor, room for up to 1GB PC2700 main memory, a Radeon 9200 graphics chip, and a large enough hard drive — up to 80GB — to store today’s digital media. Just 6.5 inches square, 2 inches tall, the Mini works with both Mac and PC-compatible peripherals, so it’s easy to upgrade from an older Mac or PC system. Simply connect your USB mouse and keyboard, hook up your DVI or VGA display, and say hello to Mac OS X,
And, of course, Apple continues to develop its line of notebook computers—the iBook and the PowerBook—from $999 for the least expensive iBook to the more expensive Powerbooks.
These plus the eMacs from $799. iMacs from $1299, and PowerMacs from $1499 make up the Apple computer line. You can check them out online by going to apple.com. While you are there, take a tour of the upcoming Tiger operating system or purchase the current Panther OS.
In addition to the innovative hardware described above, Apple has come out with two libraries of software that make document design, presentations, photo organization, composing, and movie making fun and simple.
The iWork suite includes Pages, a document design program, and Keynote, a slide design program. Pages is a powerful word processor that makes it possible to produce elegant documents, from a simple letter or invitation to a 3-panel brochure. Users can begin quickly by selecting one of 40 Apple-designed page templates and adding text and photos or one can design his or her own templates.
Keynote 2, a presentation program, provides all that one needs to create cinematic presentations, interactive slideshows, storyboards and more using Apple-designed themes. A more streamlined toolbar provides access to advanced features, including a host of new animation effects, advanced builds, and transitions. Even adding iLife media and live web content is a snap.
A second suite of programs, iLife ’05, features the latest versions of iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand. Make a movie instantly — just plug in your camcorder and let iMovie do the rest. Download songs and albums from the iTunes Music Store and make a custom mix CD. Design a coffee-table book using your own photos, or email your favorites to the family. Record a song, then burn it to a CD. iLife ‘05 does all that and more.
Truly, apple has come a long way from the days of its almost prohibitively expensive desktop computers and elementary software.
McDonald, president and CEO of MacTutor & Services in Southern Pines, is an apple authorized service provider whose business includes technical and networking services as well as system and software tutoring and design consulting. She can be reached at 910.246.2150 or mobbs@pinehurst.net.
