MyMac.com Podcast 36


You can download this episode in MP3 format from THIS LINK. You can also find and subscribe to this podcast via Apple’s iTunes Music Store Podcast section at this link.

This podcast is sponsored by Small Dog Electronics, and RamJet.com.

This week, Tim and Chad look at the main news items in the Macintosh and iPod world, thanks to MacMinute.com. The focus segment this week: Mac mini Assesories. Thinking of buying a Mac mini? Here are some items that can take the mini to new heights!


Contest Time! Thanks to MacSales.com, we are giving away a 80GB miniStack from Newer Technology. Listen to this weeks podcast, and send your entries to contest@mymac.com. Be sure to follow the instructions in the podcast for your chance to win.

Also this week: The Dashboard Minute by Guy Serle and Not Mac News by Chris Seibold.

Links from this weeks show:

Dashboard Minute Links
Amnesty program
Jared
WorldView

Burned iBook G4 (with pictures)

Focus Segment Links
Apple BlueTooth Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Mini Tower from PlasticSmith
NuShelf mini and NuBlue mini
NewerTech mini Stack
SkinIt.com Mac Mini Skin
EyeTV
Belkins USB 2.0 and firewire hub
iSight
IOGear mini Micro USB KVM Switch
1GB RAM from Ramjet

Contact us at mymacpodcast@gmail.com. MP3 feedback welcome.

Assorted Griffin Technology Gear
Company: Griffin Technology
http://www.griffintechnology.com

Some products deserve a full review, a few pages of observations, exploration, explanations, and the like. For other products, not so much. So here is a quick review of a few products from Griffin Technology that they sent our way for review.

AirBase
Price: $24.99

Do you have an Airport Express? If so, don’t you just hate how the power plug is actually attached to the Airport Express itself? Say you want to plug it into the same power strip that your home stereo receiver is on. It may fit, but you’ll have to leave the plugs on either side empty. For me, I wanted to plug it into the amplifier itself where there are two switched power outlets so when the unit is turned on, it also powers up any device plugged in to these plugs as well. However, with the Airport Express plugged in there, gravity wanted to pull it back out, and it also stuck out the side of the amplifier. A yucky situation any way you look at it.

So what does the AirBase do? First, you pull off the power plug from your Airport Express, and slide-plug it into the AirBase. The airbase has a regular (and long) power cable that you can then plug in as you would any other electronic device.

The AirBase is also both sturdy and heavy, meaning it will very easily support the Airport Express.

The AirBase is what should have been included with the Airport Express, and Griffin corrects this obvious problem with this device. Well worth the twenty-five bucks!

MyMac.com Rating: 5 out of 5

Dock400
Price: $14.99

A simple cable, yes. The Dock400 is an iPod Dock connector on one end, and a FireWire 400 plug on the other. It works great.

MyMac.com Rating: 5 out of 5

Dock800
Price: $19.99

Another cable, this one with an iPod dock connector on one end and a FireWire 800 plug on the other. The advantage? Many, many more devices use the FireWire 400 port, meaning you are constantly swapping out cables. With the Dock800, you simply plug your iPod into your Mac via the seldom-used FireWire 800 port. I didn’t appreciate this until I started using this cable and the FireWire 800 port more often. Less time swapping FireWire device plugs behind the Mac.

MyMac.com Rating: 5 out of 5

Griffin iBeams
Price: $19.99

The iBeams is actually two products in one package; a small flashlight and laser pointer for your third generation and later iPod. Okay, what’s the real purpose of this? Actually, there is none, other than the cool factor. Or the geek factor, whichever the case may be.

The flashlight works, but it doesn’t illuminate very much. Could be useful if you dropped your keys at night. The newer iPod screen gives off almost as much light in total blackness.

The Laser pointer is just that, a little red laser that you can use to irritate your cat or dog with. It’s powerful, though, and is advertised as being able to be seen from a quarter mile away. My wife just rolled her eyes when I asked her to walk a quarter mile down the street to test this, and walked the opposite direction shaking her head. Oh well.

Both the flashlight and laser pointer plug into the top of your iPod (including iPod Mini) and come with a protective cap when not in use. The cap also has a slot for a keychain, as you never know when an iPod with a laser beam will come in handy.

Both products work as advertised, although they both have practically zero real world use. But really, are they meant to? These are toys, nothing more or less. If you have an iPod, and an extra twenty bucks burning a hole in your wallet or purse (But come on, be honest, only guys would even think of buying this) take a look at the iBeams. They’re neat.

MyMac.com Rating: 4 out of 5. (Only because the flashlight is really not bright enough for practical usage)

So far, I am very impressed with both the creativity and quality of products I have seen from Griffin. They seem to be doing everything right, which I’m sure competing companies don’t like to see. I’m a little stingy handing out really high ratings in product reviews, but so far, Griffin has left me no other choice.

I have a few more Griffin Technologies reviews coming, including the Radio Shark and the AirClick, but both deserve stand-alone reviews. Check back in a week or so. And don’t forget to listen to our weekly Podcast, where Chad and I will look at a few Griffin products including their Lapel Mic and their iTalk.

A needy family member requested help obtaining an inexpensive Macintosh computer. Barbara decided to give him her aging workhorse G3 “Pismo” PowerBook during our current summer vacation, and worry later about replacing it.

Research led me to the new 14” G4 iBooks, with no special need for a Super Drive. The $1300 full retail price was higher than we wanted to spend, so David Weeks offered to help us look for a bargain iBook after vacation time.

David usually purchases refurbished or reconditioned or similar new-but-not-super-expensive computers, and that thought lingered as my research concluded. With ten minutes of free time in the Corte Madera Apple Store a few days ago, I had the following conversation with J. R., a pleasant sales associate:

NEMO: Do you have a strong recommendation between 14” iBook and 15” PowerBook? I don’t think I need a SuperDrive.

J. R.: What will you use the computer for, most of the time?

NEMO: Typical stuff, like Internet and email, with a lot of Photoshop too.

J. R.: PowerBooks are better for Photoshop, with a superior graphics card, so that’s what you should look at first.

NEMO: Okay. What’s the price difference? (Pause and gasp.) Whew! There’s a $700 premium for buying a PowerBook. I could get a lot of RAM and an Apple Care warranty for that, plus a year each of .Mac and Pro Care membership, with a little change left over.

J. R.: You’re right. Maybe you should get an iBook, because if you’re not a graphics professional, it should work fine for digital photography and Photoshop, I think.

NEMO: Which computer do you own?

J. R.: I have a PowerBook, the 12” model, and I love it.

NEMO: Yes, but your eyes are roughly twenty years younger then mine. (She smiles.) Do you ever sell any refurbs, or reconditioned iBooks?

J. R.: Check back near the end of any month. That’s the best time.

NEMO: I’m here on vacation, and we have an Apple Store back in Tucson. When does the end of the month start? It’s the 20th today. Am I too soon for the July clearance, for example?

J. R.: I’ll look. Just a moment. (She thumbs through a thick black binder.) It says here we have three 14” iBooks in our inventory, but this list is a month old. Want to me to confirm that with my manager?

NEMO: Sure. Any idea how much they’ll cost?

J. R.: I’ll ask her that too. (J. R. and the manager converse quietly, and then check their inventory). We have one of the 14” iBooks with Combo Drive, but it’s a floor demo model, not a refurb.

NEMO: Is that better or worse?

J. R.: You know, it was used here on the store, to demonstrate, just like those ones over there.

NEMO: And how much for this particular iBook, J. R.?

J. R.: It’s $949. (Pause, for effect.)

NEMO: You mean $350 off list price?

J. R.: Yes, correct.

NEMO: Okay if I look at this floor model, to see if it’s all scratched up and actually works?

J. R.: I’ll check with the manager again. (Goes away for a minute.) That’s fine. I’ll go get it in our storeroom and be right back.

NEMO: I have to meet my wife and go across the street to the farmer’s market, so I’ll be back in an hour. Okay?

J. R.: Sure. See you then.

One hour later.

J. R.: Here it is, John. I’m not sure it will work without AC power.

NEMO: Let’s find out.

I start up the iBook without plugging it in, and Tiger’s fresh launch screen begins singing and dancing, just like on a “real” new computer. We decide to quit while we’re ahead.

NEMO: Are you sure, J. R., this is the latest product model, with 1.33 GHz processor and built-in AirPort Express card?

J. R.: Yes, but let’s look on the box to make sure. (We do, and it is.)

NEMO: Barbara thinks I’m crazy, but when I said this new iBook is her replacement computer, she was very pleased.

J. R.: It’s a nice present.

NEMO: Yes, because we had a serious problem with the G5 iMac I got her earlier this year, and you can read about that saga at MyMac.com/nemo, J. R.

(Editor’s note — See both http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?do=something&id=1053 and http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?do=something&id=1057 for the long version of that situation.)

J. R.: You’re getting quite a good laptop, John, at only $949.

NEMO: For that price, I’ll buy the computer right now and purchase Apple Care too, because if the iBook is defective, I have a little while to return it, right?

J. R.: Fourteen days.

NEMO: Here’s my credit card, and thanks! I’ll install additional memory, but not from the Apple Store. Yours is too expensive.

J. R.: No comment.

From here forward, the narrative is concerned with the initial run of a new G4/133 iBook/Combo.

I connected the Apple keyboard and mouse I was using with my ancient travel companion G3 iBook/400 FireWire, pressed the power key on Barbara’s new shrinkwrap-free G4 iBook, and soon was asked if I wanted to transfer older data “from another partition” or computer. I connected a WiebeTech FireWire external portable drive containing the Carbon Copy Cloned contents of Barbara’s Pismo, that I had made before leaving Tucson, and seven minutes later had transferred all 1.4 GB from her Home folder plus 771 MB from her Applications folder onto her new white wonder.

I proceeded through Account Setup, but was unable to register because the iBook couldn’t locate the network just then. That could wait (See: Home / Send Registration) until later, I was advised. Typing in Barbie’s original Panther OS X 10.3.9 password, within seconds her new iBook was giddy with joy as it entered Tiger Territory, OS 10.4.

After inserting the Ethernet cable and restarting, I typed in the password for the active Earthlink DSL account, then agreed to update her Safari Keychain. Suddenly we were on the Web. Wowzer. Total elapsed time = 25 minutes, without rushing or making any unintentional detours.

Barbara and I took a one-hour walk during the download and installation of ten major Software Updates, all of which happened without incident. I ran a Disk Utility Repair Permissions, transferred some missing email archives, and by 5:00 on the Day I Never Guessed I Would Purchase A New iBook While On A Visit To The Farmers Market, Barbara has and will definitely enjoy using a very impressive new Apple laptop.

OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS:

• Let’s keep the retail Apple stores in business. One way is to help them clear inventory, so always ask if a refurb or floor demo is collecting dust, priced for a quick sale.
Please post below your favorite websites for closeouts, refurbs, or similar discounted new Apple hardware.

• I calibrated the iBook battery, as advised in the printed iBook G4 User’s Guide. This step is essential, all you new Mac laptop owners.

• The computer is v-e-r-y quiet during normal hard drive usage, which is a genuine bonus.

• Tiger screams in the latest 10.4.2 update, and I’m becoming more familiar with it every day. It’s by far the best Mac operating system ever.

• iWork, including Keynote and Pages, came pre-installed, so I have no excuses for not working with these apps, right?

• Built-in RAM of 256MB is insufficient for heavy-duty powerhouse work, but the iBook is splendidly speedy during limited demands on its memory. I told Barbara to close all unnecessary applications until I add 1GB of RAM. Photoshop works better than I expected.

• Screen graphics and sharp text are superior. I’ve worked with every model of iBook, and this one has tiptop engineering inside and out, from initial impressions. (Haven’t used built-in keyboard or mouse much yet, because I prefer external USB peripherals when they are available. If you have user reports on iBook’s own keys/mouse, please add them below.)

IN CONCLUSION

Barbara is happy. Her exact words, “Is this thing fast, John!” and “I love this new computer” are better music than if Bobby McFerrin gave us a personal serenade.

Ask for a special offers or discounts when purchasing Mac computers, friends. Competition is fierce, and all Main Street or mall or web sellers need to move as many machines as they can. This iBook may turn out to be the best impulse purchase I ever made, and I’m normally very deliberate and patient when buying anything of substance.

One more thing: don’t wait unnecessarily long between computer purchases. David Weeks is correct in trading up frequently. It’s GREAT to have new computers, one each for Barbara and me, both obtained under incentive pricing.

This weekend, we look back eight years to an article from Barbara Bell. She had just purchased a new Mac, the PowerMac 6100. And was up and running on Mac OS 7.5.5, finally! Go back in this, give the July 1997 Starting Line a read.

MyMac.com Podcast 35
Download the MP3 file from here.
Our iTunes Music Store Podcast listing is here.

This episode is sponsored by
SmallDog.com
RamJet.com

Links from this show
The iPod Shuffle Raid, link thanks to Jared

News from MacMinute.com

Contact Chris Seibold with your Not Mac News here.

Dashboard Minute Links
Pac-Man
Air Traffic Control
Contact the Dashboard Minute at dbminute@gmail.com

Mac website links from the Focus section

FolkLore.Org
Crazy Apple Rumors Site
MacsimumNews.com
iDevGames

Send all feedback as email or MP3 files to mymacpodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Archive can be found here

Mora Black’s reliable, mission-critical Windows laptop crashed, and she lost all her data. She is self-employed, so she was devastated, not having backed up her drive.

Local tech support in Albuquerque (not the end of the world) took several hundred dollars of her hard-earned cash, with no positive results whatsoever. Mora mentioned this in passing, as part of an email message asking for a copy of a contract I had downloaded months ago from her web site.

I directed her to DriveSavers, the premier data recovery service. You can learn about this California company here and in a recent New York Times feature. Make sure you read the conclusion of this article, where DriveSavers’ founder admits to never backing up his own computers. No comment.

Then Mora continued her saga, via email:

* * * * *

Bought new computer. Spent HOURS and HOURS installing all of my programs. Went to bed at about 11:30pm and clicked "shut down."

Got up in the morning to computer at blue screen saying "preparing to shut down."

Had to turn it off with OFF button.

Spent day trying to get "standby" and/or "shutdown" to work. Gave up. Went online to Digital Lifeline and was told the computer was bad, but it was past the return date. I called the sales person and was told I could exchange it anyway.

I spent a day uninstalling all programs, favorites, etc.

Returned the computer and took home a new one.

It performed "shutdown" and "standby" perfectly.

I spent the day installing all of my programs.

Clicked "shutdown," and it wouldn’t do it!!!!!!!###%%%%!!!!@@@@****

I uninstalled one program at a time and tried to perform "shutdown" after it was off the machine.

I spent all day and 1/2 the night doing this to determine which program was causing the problem.

(Mind, it took this long, because this computer was sooooooooooooooo slow in doing anything once a program was installed.)

When the last program was off, it then performed both tasks perfectly!

I looked at the front of the machine asking WHY!!!!????? And noticed it say 256MB!!!!####@@@@%%%%****!!!

I had no idea they still made computers so slow and never looked at this when I bought it.

I bought some high-powered 512MB memory, installed it, loaded all programs, and it works GREAT!!!!!

STOP LAUGHING, JOHN! I was almost driven to drink!

* * * * *

What conclusions can we derive from Mora Black’s black hole of disaster and frustration?

Macintosh computers are sold with insufficient built-in memory, but at least they perform without catastrophic results, although often too slowly. Apple retail and online memory purchases are overpriced, but of high quality. Naive buyers are not aware that extra memory is affordable and essential for optimum usage, and that information is readily available. Are Windozers so “lucky?”

Why does anybody choose a Windows computer when a Mac is available? People need compatibility at work, school, home, and with existing software; they stick with what they know; they think they are saving money; plus a dozen other valid reasons.

I am not a Winbasher. Working with clients back and forth on Mac and Windows day after day, I respect both platforms for their strengths, and learn to live with their weaknesses. Routine digital photography, Internet, iTunes, email, and quite a bit more is essentially identical from one OS to the other. Windows has a couple of features that I consider to be superior to their Mac counterparts, and Macintosh has dozens that I know to be champs. The world is round, life is short, and we all need more friends than enemies.

Why people don’t archive or backup their precious data is a fact I wrestle with frequently, and I take no prisoners on this subject. You either set up and maintain a consistent backup/archive procedure or you don’t retain the services of “John Nemo — Computer Tutor.”

I fault both Microsoft and Apple for making backing up large quantities of data way too cumbersome, but at least Apple gets you to first base with their .Mac subscription service Backup utility. I don’t have enough experience using Windows to comment, except for the third-party option, which does the trick nicely. This is what I advised Mora Black to investigate and implement.

Once your hard drive is hosed, proprietary Mac utilities can retrieve your data, most of the time. I have no similar confidence with Windows, but again my familiarity is limited.

For a small number of hundreds of dollars, every computer user should:

• buy and install enough RAM to run their most demanding applications all at once

• get religious about archiving and/or backing up their personal data, at the very least

• make contact with a professional tutor, troubleshooter, or user group for training, plus support when needed.

I’m away from home, on vacation in California. I keep local external FireWire drive archives of my active iBook files, as they are created. Back in Tucson, I have multiple redundant clones of all three computers, and I brought a full set with me to San Francisco.

During the past ten years, I lost one primary computer drive and one crucial Zip drive — the former (which was restored by a certified Apple technician) due to a hardware malfunction and the latter (which was lost forever) due to my stupidity. Life goes on, and I’m wiser for those bumps in the road.

If you’re still using Windows without any strong rationality for continuing to do so, consider switching to Macintosh. If you need a bunch of rock-solid reasons, post your questions below or send me a personal email message.

You Macpersons and Windozers who have insufficient RAM in your computers and/or don’t archive or backup your data, please remedy the situation immediately, so you don’t have a meltdown like Mora Black did.

MyMac Podcast 34


Download the show in MP3 format here.

Our show on iTMS link.

Small Dog Electronics and RamJet.com sponsor this podcast. Please be sure to visit both sites before downloading and listening to this podcast.

This week, Chad and Tim introduce our new, all original intro music. Created by the multi-talented Kevin Reeves. It is hard to put into words just how much we here at MyMac appreciate his time and effort to create for us this music. It is everything we could ever hope to have, and more than we deserve. Check out Kevin’s website at www.KevinReeves.net.

Guy Serle joins the podcast with his new regular The Dashboard Minute feature. This week:
Scenario Poker
Wikipedea Widget

Also this week, Chris Seibold’s Not Mac News.

Did you know Macworld Expo Boston is going on right now? It’s true!

Links of interest:
Our Mac news site: MacMinute.com

Podcast worth checking out:

Otaku Generation Podcast

The Mr. Nice Guy Show

Products talked about this week
The Mini Stack. Very cool!
AlchemyTV DVR

Send all email to mymacpodcast@gmail.com

RocketFM
Griffin Technologies
Price: $39.99
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/rocketfm/techspecs.php

The ability to play my iTunes music on my home entertainment system was the main reason I purchased an Apple Airport Express base station. Much of my music is now located on my Macintosh and iPod, but that doesn’t mean I only want to listen to it on those devices every time. My home sound system has great speakers, so of course I want to play music on them. But the drawback to the Airport Express is that it only plays music from my iTunes music library. What if I wanted to send the audio from another application to my home audio system, or perhaps even a radio in the kitchen? No can do.

Enter the RocketFM, a tiny USB device that will do just that. Once you install the software, you go into your System Preferences panel and select RocketFM. You can then change the FM frequency so that any sound, ANY SOUND, from your Mac will play on the FM channel of your choice on any FM radio.

The software is simple to use as it lets you change frequency and select either Stereo or Mono. However, you must also go into your sound control panel and change the output to RocketFM. This makes it simple and easy to send your audio to the FM frequency or back to, say, your computer speakers.

Audio quality is as good as most FM stations. Range varies from ten to thirty feet, which should cover most of the area you may want to send your Mac’s audio to. Every house and setting will be different, of course, but I found I could easily pick up the RocketFM signal in my kitchen, but the signal did not quite make it through the walls of my house to reach outside. Connecting the RocketFM to my laptop, however, and taking it outside, I found that my car radio would actually pick up the signal from a longer distance than the thirty feet Griffin boasts. Perhaps the antenna on my car is just really good? I also found that if I connect the RocketFM to my laptop, and set both near the wall at the back of my house, it would push the signal through the wall.


By no means do I want to overlook the cool factor of the RocketFM. This is a small, cool, rocket shaped device. It is less than four and a half inches long, and in the center is a neon light that radiates a soft blue color when it is attached via the USB cable. Blue seems to be all the rage in electronic gear this year, and the blue from the RocketFM matches the blue from both the Radio Shark and the PowerMate, both also made by Griffin Technologies.

In the winter months here in Michigan, I enjoy spending time in the hot tub. I like to listen to music on the rear deck where the hot tub is located. Now that all my music is basically on my computer and iPod, how can my wife and I enjoy the tunes outside in the hot tub in the freezing January snowstorms? (That is the best time to be in a hot tub, by the way!) I don’t want to take my iPod outside, and I don’t have any outdoor speakers. This is where the RocketFM will really come in handy for me. I simply take the iPal speaker outside, and have my Mac play iTunes via RocketFM.

Want another scenario I used? I was working in the basement, but was also expecting an important email. Rather than running upstairs every five minutes, I just tuned the stereo downstairs to the RocketFM frequency so that I could hear my Mac beep every time a new email came in.

The RocketFM comes with a clear acrylic stand. Both the stand and the unit itself are very lightweight, and have a very small footprint. The white of the RocketFM matches Apple’s own iPod, iMac, and Mac mini white, so it will look good next to each.

The RocketFM is a cool, tiny device that will take up almost no room on your desktop, and one that you will find multiple reasons to use. The price is much cheaper than you would expect from such a handy, “why didn’t anyone else think of this sooner” hardware solution to get the sound out of your Mac and into any handy radio. A delightful cool looking devise!

MyMac Rating: 5 out of 5

Taming the Tiger – A tale of four books…

“Any volunteers?”, and of its own volition, my digital hand shot up and hit send (in the form of an affirmative email) before I knew what was happening. Soon boxes of books started arriving on my doorstep. I’d volunteered to do book reviews. That’s OK, I like books and reading.

A lot of people review a book, without any point of reference to others. You can learn something from almost any book, but the bigger question for potential readers, is which is the right book for them. Of course that depends on the reader and their goals. So by doing many book reviews at once, I figured I could help readers compare which is the right book for them. The downside is that they have a lot more of my wordy prose to slog through. Well, that’s a price that I’m willing to pay.

My first stack of books includes the following:

- Getting Started with Your Mac and Mac OS X Tiger by Scott Kelby

- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger by Robin Williams

- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger by Maria Langer

- Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks by Brian Jepson and Ernest E. Rothman

I put these in their nerd-factor order, from newbie to four pocket-protector level; with Kelby’s book being more for the neophytes, and the Jepson/Rothman book being more targeted for the geek elite.

They are also ordered a bit by heft, with the Kelby book coming in at a light 155 pages or so, with lots of pretty pictures. Williams book coming in at 415 pages, and while having lots of pictures, isn’t quite as light a read as the Kelby book. Langer’s book is a good 700+ pages, with lots of smaller pictures. And lastly the O’Reilly Jepson/Rothman book being about 400 pages, with more code and less pictures.

I’m not a hard reviewer in that books have to be really pretty bad; poorly written, overly complex and not well structures, before I’m likely to give them a big slam. There are few books that I can’t learn something from, so it is easy for me to feel I’ve recouped the cost. Plus, as someone who’s been a writer and technical editor, in fact for Peachpit press (the publisher of three of the books), I tend to empathize and adapt to the writers point of view pretty well. None of these books came close to the level of flame-worthy. And each offered some value to a selected audience at a different level of expertise. So let’s dive into each, and see which book would fit your needs better.


Getting Started with Your Mac and Mac OS X Tiger
by Scott Kelby
Peachpit Press
Price: $19.99 U.S.
IBSN: 0321330528

Peachpit has different genres of books, so that users can get familiar with series or style of book, and then jump comfortably between books in that series. The “Getting Started” series is just that; it feels like the “Welcome to Macintosh” book that came with the first Macs; very light, lots of big pretty pictures, and just enough to get you through the basics.

This is not a meat and potatoes kind of book, or reference book, by any means. It is a high level skim of a few things that people might want to use their computer for, specifically with OS X 10.4 Tiger.

It is a well laid out book with 11 lessons, incorrectly numbered by starting with Lesson 0, and ending with Lesson 10. The topics cover; Getting Started, Address Book, Calendar, Music (and iPod), Photos, eMail and Internet, Dashboard, Chat, Searching, Saving your work (file structure), and working with a portable.

I really liked the graphic design of the book itself; I liked the uncrowded text, clean font and lots of pictures. The pages are filled with lessons; step 1, step 2, step 3, and so on — each with pictures and associated text to explain exactly what to do. This kind of follow along format is great for newbies — but it eats up pages pretty quick. The ample whitespace and large pictures, and “lesson” structure format means it is actually a lot lighter than the 155 pages. If someone couldn’t go through this book in a couple of afternoons, they weren’t really trying.

There really isn’t anything in the book that you couldn’t find in Apple’s help, or by exploring, or reading on-line. But that’s not the books purpose; it is for newbies who are uncomfortable with reading help, and not Google sophisticates. I’d buy this book in a heartbeat for my Grandma, or a technophobe that is scared of the computer. If they went through each of the lessons in the book, they’d have a basic understanding (very basic), of just a few of the many things their computer could do for them. But don’t discount that too much; just these lessons alone could easily justify the cost of a computer for most people, and alleviating the fear of technologies for newbies. So it is certainly worth the price of an inexpensive book.

The book dedicates a little more attention to iChat and photos than everything else; I think I could tell Scott’s favorite topics, or at least what he felt might take the most explanation. I probably would have spent more time on email and web — but I think the assumption is people get that already. I feel bad for Scott, as Apple rushed 10.4 to market too quickly, so they have to rework Dashboard a bit. That’s not going to make his excellent intro to dashboard a bit obsolete once 10.4.2 comes out.

In the end, I’d recommend or buy the book for only the freshest of newbies. But for them, just the intro, sections on saving files, or PowerBook settings could be worth the price of admission; meaning saving me from doing the walk-through with them. Not everyone has access to a nerd of their own that can teach them each of these subjects, and nerds aren’t known for the communication, easy pace, or psychological “do it yourself” empowerment possibilities that this book gives. So if you’re looking for a gift to give with a new computer that happens to be a Mac with Tiger installed, or maybe for a non-technical Windows switcher, this is not a bad starter book.

MyMac rating: 3.5 out of 5


Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
by Robin Williams

Peachpit Press
Price: $29.99 U.S.
ISBN: 0321330226

No this isn’t written by the actor formerly known as Mork. Robin is an accomplished Mac writer that’s been around a long time, and is probably tired of T.V. and Movie Star jokes about her name. I’ve read many of her books, and like her casual but informative style of writing, and this book is no exception.

This is a heftier book that I think would have broad appeal. It too is a lesson-structured book, but it has 17 lessons, they tend to go a little deeper, and have more prose. It too has nice typography and graphic design, but has a lot more information than Scott’s “Getting Started” book, which you can tell from the 400+ pages, as well as more information on each page. Thus this book feels like a better value, at 50% more cost, but probably 3 or 4 times the actual information.

It covers topics such as (paraphrased); Upgrade Your Mac to Tiger, Transferring Your Files, Intro to OS X, Apps, working with multiple apps, Personalization, Printing & Faxing, “Special Gems’, Sharing, Getting Connected, Syncing, Searching, Dashboard, iChat, RSS/News Feeds, Automator, and Universal Access functions (for people with Disabilities).

There are a few people that would want to start with Scott’s book, and then migrate to Robin’s. But in general, I found this book to have enough basics for most users that aren’t the complete technophobes, while being able to take them much further along. This book also covers many more of the Mac specific things like target disk mode, or some startup key sequences that Windows switchers would get a lot of value out of as well; even the more power users. The information and pictures are much tighter, with sometimes multiple labels on a single picture, and it goes into many more options for different views or tools, so it could be more bookmarked and used as a light reference for some people. It even covered a few troubleshooting issues, how to use help, and features that users of Macs (or computers) should have a basic understanding. And it wraps each chapter up with a bulleted review of “What you’ve learned”.

My favorite chapters were printing and faxing; something that generates way too many questions by itself. As well as Special Gems; with lots of power features that most people don’t know or use, but should. Sharing issues, Network Connections, heck, I’m making my wife read this thing cover to cover to just cut down on my domestic support! When you call support people and they try to diplomatically say, “RTFM” for Read The Fu…Fine Manual, this is probably the manual they would be talking about.

So while I liked Scott’s book for a few of the most entry level people, I really liked this book a lot more, and for many more people. I’d hand these out like candy at Halloween, and every IT department should stuff one in the stocking of every PC switcher or person that is becoming a frequent caller — it will empower the users greatly, and save the sanity of overworked IT types. Assuming you can get users to actually take the time to read a book. Seriously, this book is excellent at what it is for, and I give it my highest recommendation.

MyMac rating: 5 out of 5

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger : Visual QuickStart Guide
by Maria Langer

Peachpit Press
Price: $24.99 U.S.
ISBN: 0321305264

We’re going up in page count and this 700-page tome is the biggest of the bunch. And I’ve always liked the Visual QuickStart Series for its information density. It is generally two columns, with pictures in one, and more information in the other.

If you’re looking for value of information, this book is the bargain of the bunch. It is cheaper than Robin’s book, larger, and has higher information density. However, that being said, it is printed on less bright paper, has smaller font and smaller pictures, and is heavier and bigger, thus is more intimidating to more people. Thus if you’re looking to give a book to someone to read, they’re more likely to look at this, and then you, and come back with at least a mental quip like, “Do I look like I’m made of free time?” And by it’s very size, you’re more likely to use this book as a reference book, skipping around and trying a few things here and there, then using it as a real tutorial.

It is also a nice progression from Robin’s book, as this one has the basic information, but goes into a lot more. However, this book may cross the boundary of what a user needs to know, into more all the stuff they could know but may not quite need to. We’re looking at 23 chapters, each with more stages and pages, thus depth than the other books so far. A quick paraphrased list includes; Intro, Setting up, Finder Basics, File Management, Advanced Finder, Search, Customizing, Application Basics, Using Apps, Using Text Edit, Dashboard, Font, Printing & Faxing, Connecting to Internet, .Mac, Sherlock, Networking, Security, Classic, Unix Basics, Automator, System Prefs, Utilities, and Help. Whew.

Its information density is higher, but the structure and readability isn’t as newbie friendly as Robin’s book. It has a much more engineering, “fact, fact, fact”, sort of tone — with lots of bullet items. As a technical person, this would be the kind of book I love. More reference feel, lots of little tips — but at parts, if I didn’t get the lingo, or know what they meant by what they were saying, it might be a bit more confusing. So if you have a heavy reader, someone that isn’t intimidated by the yellow pages, a budding Power User that’s comfortable with technology and documentation, then this is the better book for them.

All the chapters were loaded with useful stuff. The best parts for me was Advanced Finder Techniques going into issues like Aliases, Expose, Get Info, Fonts, Color Sync, Partitioning Drives, and other information than Robin’s book couldn’t really afford to.

However, if this book was to have any drawbacks, it is that it tries to broaden itself so much, that it might be too generalized and unfocused. It could take a technical user from not knowing Macs to Power User, but the Power Users will probably be a little bored with how simple many chapters/sections start, and many average users might be go into information overload in any one chapter and become a bit intimidated. If I was dictating this book to my wife, she would smack me upside the head and say, “Dave! Stop talking and give me the short version, I’m trying to get something done here”. So it isn’t a book for the faint of heart, and it is a book that comes with a lot of commitment. Still budding nerds would love the book for it’s format, style, heft, value and full coverage, and the average user could use it as a reference, and get lots out of it for the life of Tiger. And it has more information at a better price than any of the other books, and will keep you busy for weeks, if not months.

MyMac rating: 4.5 out of 5

Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks
by Brian Jepson & Earnest E. Rothman

O’Reilly Press
Price: $34.95 U.S.
ISBN: 0596009127

The name doesn’t mince any words, and neither does this book! 19 Chapters, and 400 pages, belies the depth compared to the other books. This isn’t a picture laden tutorial style book, it has fewer pictures, and a lot more code.

This book is broken into sections.

- The “getting around” sections is filled with such easy to read chapters as; Inside the terminal, Searching and metadata, OSX FileSystem, Startup, Directory Services, Printing, X Windows, Multimedia, Third Party tools & Apps, Dual Boot and beyond.

- The “Building Applications” section has; Compiling Code as well as Libraries, Headers and Frameworks.

- “Working with Packages” section has chapters on Fink, Darwin Ports, and Packages- two ways that Unix nerds would install Apps, and the slightly more Mac way.

- The fourth section is on “Serving and Systems Management”, and has chapters on Using OS X as a server, System Management, Free Databases, Perl and Python.

- The fifth and final section has a GUI Primer, and Unix Development Tools.

If this set of chapters sounds nerdy to you, that’s because it is. Note that while some of the names of chapters may sound familiar, like “Printing”, “Startup”, and so on, this is usually coming completely from the other side of things, like how to setup a printer using CUPS or GNOME or KDE, or how launchd sorta works, which you aren’t going to find in the other books, that’s for sure.

The title should probably be, “all the stuff you shouldn’t have to know to be a Mac nerd, but do anyways…” Unixes flaws aside; Millions of techno-geeks have put in huge investments in learning how computers shouldn’t work, but do; i.e. Unix. Once they know it, they are damn well not going to throw away that hard gotten knowledge and expertise by learning anything else. And like it or not, if you want to become one of the nerd elite, you’re going to have to learn it too. With OS X, they don’t have to give up that knowledge, they just need to learn a few funky differences where NeXTies (programmers and advocates of the NeXT way of thinking) deviated from standard Unix or Linux dogma. Some deviation was for the better, some for the worse, the gross majority was just a wash but still requires a book like this to explain the differences. So for the Unix literati, this book is the shortest path back into their ivory tower, were they can reign supreme over their flock of ignorant users — those peons so incredibly ignorant that they don’t actually care about the really important things, like the differences between vi and eMacs. And for the rest, it is a way to climb to those lofty heights so they can look down, smugly, and lord your knowledge of bad acronyms/abbreviations/spelling over the rest.

O’Reilly books are a well tuned formula for pumping out books that double as nerd aphrodisiacs; delivering the right information in the right structure and a comfortable format. This book does not disappoint. It has the right format, right publisher, and some very well informed writers. I’m not the biggest nerd around, but I’m comfortable in nerdville (and have been programming for 25 years, and using Macs since 1984) — still I was learning things by page 9. Chapter 2 had spotlight from the command line (something that had taken me a bit of research to find on my own, before this book), and taught Unix nerds about something many of them aren’t very good at; metadata. Chapter 3 had details of the semi-invisible directory structure that all geeks should know. Chapter 4 had lots of detailed startup stuff. The book was long sold by then. And the learning didn’t stop. I program and use Mac OS X, mostly in web serving — but despite compiling and doing plenty of nerdy things; having a book that went into the areas of the OS that I didn’t know as well as I thought I did, or took me behind the curtain, is always appreciated.

The book was not without disappointments; the lame, 4 page, Chapter 19, “Perl and Python” looked like a writers outline of what they were going to add later, but ran out of time and shipped now instead. In fact, the book kept getting thinner as it went on, like the writers got bored or pressured to just “ship it”. Still, there was plenty of good information to make it worth the modest price (for a technical book).

This is not a book for grandma. It has two audiences; the Unix nerds that want to learn Macs (without really having to learn Mac) — and the Mac nerds that want to learn Unix (or at least the Mac version of it). If you’re one of the two targets, this book is great. If you’re not, then it isn’t heavy enough to be a really good bug smasher or paperweight; but just having it on your shelf should impress your friends or terrorize the minions. The information it does have is great, and there aren’t many books in this segment (making it more valuable). There are some holes or weak spots in this 1.0 version, so I can’t give it my highest rating; but let’s hope by some 1.1 release that they fill in some of the potholes. Either way, this was the book for me, the one that I’d be happiest to fork out my $35.00 for.

MyMac rating: 4 out of 5

Conclusion

Each of the books had its place. None of them were bad books, and I’ll keep a place on my shelf for them all. But if I had to sum up which book for which group, it would go something like this:

If you’re a complete neophyte, that doesn’t know computers, and is scared of big books and just wants to get the least amount to get by, for the least money, then Getting Started with Your Mac and Mac OS X Tiger by Scott Kelby is the book for you. Easy to follow, quick and light.

If you’re a an old MacOS or Windows Power-User, or a mid-level Mac OS X user, and you want to take it to the next level; then Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger by Maria Langer is probably the book you want. Lots of pages of information, more reference information, and something for lots of people. (All over the board).

If you’re a Unix or Linux hack, or Mac programmer or OS X PowerUser that wants to get deeper into Tiger than a veterinarian would dare go, then the aptly named, Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks by Brian Jepson and Ernest E. Rothman is definitely going to make you rub some synapses together and start an intellectual fire.

If you’re anyone else, then I think the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger by Robin Williams is the perfect balance of short enough to not bore, while still covering enough for most users to get serious value out of. Focused enough on not quite newbies, but not quite PowerUsers or Unix Geeks.

Tiger is cool, and these books are either the whip and a chair, or tranquilizer gun that you’ll need to tame the savage beast. So buy, read, and enjoy — for tomorrow (next year) comes Leopard, and we’ll start the whole thing all over again.

John: What is a software license, Guy?

Guy: A license of this type is somewhat unique in the world of commerce. According to the fine print (that only lawyers could possibly understand), you don’t actually OWN the product itself. Yes, after installation it resides on the hard drive ready, willing, and able to perform whatever task or entertainment value you purchased it for, but the manufacturer has the right at any given time to demand that you cease and desist using the software, remove it from your hard drive, return all materials to the place of origin, and deny that
you have ever heard of the software, the company that made it, the computer on which it never resided, any programmers you have ever met, and your first-born son. Well, only Microsoft insists on that last part. Keep in mind that they can do this most likely without reimbursing you what you paid for the item in the first place. While I can’t think offhand of a single instance when this right was actually invoked, the point is that while you may have physical possession of a CD or DVD containing the software, in the strictest sense of the word, you don’t own that medium.

John: So what do I actually get when I buy software?

Guy: What you receive when you buy software in most cases (remember that each company has its own unique licensing agreement policy) is the right to use the software for the intent on which it was created. Usually, but not always, you are also allowed to make one hard backup of the medium on which it was created in case of catastrophic failure or unintentional destruction of the medium itself. You are entitled to install the software on one machine for the use of one person. If the software is to be installed on more than one machine or if more than one person is expected to use the software on a single machine, most agreements stipulate that you must have a multi-user/machine license, usually at additional cost.

John: Does that mean that anything I create using the software is the property of the software maker?

Guy: Typically no. If I create a movie using iMovie or a song using GarageBand, the creation is mine and I can do whatever I want with the end result as long as no portion of it contains other copyright material. Let’s say I make an iMovie of my kid’s birthday party. During the movie, I drag and drop “Helter Skelter” by the Beatles during the gift opening sequence (those parents with young children can probably relate). After that, say I have shots of them sitting around the table, singing “Happy Birthday,” and devouring cake and ice cream like the little suger-vores that they are. If I decide to sell this video, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) will come down on me faster than ticket sales for a Jimmy Buffett concert. Why? Because of the Beatles song. I don’t own that tune and the owner of said copyright is within his rights to sue me. Remember what happened when Apple had the commercial with that kid singing some rapper’s song? OK, so to keep from being sued, I remove Charles Manson’s lullaby. I’m good to go now, right? Nope, I’m still in trouble. Why? Because my kids sang “Happy Birthday.” This song (believe it or not) is still under copyright and cannot be used for profit without the express consent of the owner.

John: Why can’t I buy software, like everything else in the world?

Guy: The problem is that items of this nature can be reproduced and reused in a form that can be utilized by other people without additional payment or compensation to the maker or holder of the intellectual property copyright. Other items don’t lend themselves to this. Take cars for example. When you buy a car, you’re most likely not going to create a copy of it to sell or giveaway yourself. When you dispose of the car, by selling it, giving it away for charity, or smashing it into a bridge support at 50 MPH (don’t ask), you will no longer have possession or use of the vehicle in question. Software can’t be looked at in the same way because of the easily reproducible nature of the item itself. You could sell the floppy/CD/DVD that contained the software and still have it on your computer.

John: Are we talking about the U.S.A. only here?

Guy: Not necessarily. In theory, everyone in the world is subject to copyright and intellectual property laws. Of course not every country has the same copyright laws and enforcement of said laws is somewhat sketchy depending on what part of the world you happen to be in. If you’re a struggling manufacturer of gizmos in, let’s say India, and you can’t afford to spend ten of thousands of Rupees in licensing fees, you probably aren’t going to be too concerned about some software company in the U.S. Heck, even the ones NOT struggling aren’t going to be too concerned for that matter. The governments of many of these countries are going to turn a blind eye toward enforcement of intellectual property laws if you’re paying a tidy sum in taxes or baksheesh (bribes).

John: Yes, but what about books or CDs or DVDs? Do I buy or license them?

Guy: Prerecorded CDs and DVDs fall into the same category as computer software with some notable exceptions. One exception is that even the RIAA (which has become the enforcement arm of most music) or the MPAA (ditto for the movie business) cannot reasonably expect that you and ONLY you will listen to music or watch movies that you’ve purchased in your home or in your car at any given time. What they do expect is that you won’t charge others for the privilege. You can certainly invite the neighbors over to watch your DVD of “High School Break Dancing 4: The Return of the Chiropractors,” but you can’t charge them an entry fee. The same kinds of rules apply to cable Pay Per View events. Invite a bunch of buddies over to see a Pay Per View boxing match (Tyson vs. really cheesed off Girl Scouts) is fine as long as you, the purchaser of the event in your own home, do not charge admission or receive compensation from anyone else viewing it. The moment one of your friends hands you a beer that you did not purchase yourself, you’re technically in violation of copyright. Unless it’s really crappy beer.

John: What about music?

Guy: Prerecorded music works the same way. As many people as you want can sit and listen to your soundtrack CD from the Barney movie. You just can’t charge them for it. On the up side, they can’t sue you for putting that “I Love You, You Love Me” song deep in their heads along with “It’s a Small World After All.” The same kinds of rules apply for making a backup copy of your music CD as your software, as long as the copy is not being sold. The RIAA would love to take that right away, but they currently can’t. The FAIRUSE agreement covers making backups. Same thing with compilation CDs. You can certainly make music compilations for your own use AS LONG AS you legally own every song and no other copies of those songs from the same CD/cassette/vinyl record/8-track are in use at the same time.

John: How about books then?

Guy: Books and the print media are covered by many of the same laws as the music and movie industries. Reading a book yourself or to your kids is no problem, but stand in front of a paying audience and read the screen play to “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” and you will get in trouble. Not just for your questionable taste either.

John: And how does that relate to Apple’s iTunes Music Store?

Guy: There lies a slippery slope. The music industry has shown itself to be very shortsighted when it comes to new media. They were fat and happy as long as you could only buy music on vinyl records because for a long time, there was no way to copy them off to something else. The real die-hards could copy them to reel-to-reel tapes, but it was too much of a hassle (not to mention expensive) for most people. Enter cassette tapes. Cheap recordings could be made either off the radio or your own records. The music industry of course went nuts. A compromise was eventually reached in that a certain portion of the sales of blank cassettes are earmarked for the music industry no matter what the intent of the end purchaser was in buying cassettes.

John: Ancient history Guy.

Guy: You would think so, but I’m constantly amazed at how little people learn from the past. Hi-ho, time marches on and digital recordings to CDs or DVDs of near perfect quality come along. Again, the entertainment industry goes bananas. The same type of compromise is reached in that a portion of the sales of blank media is given to the movie and music industries. Of course they are completely off the point of music piracy. It isn’t Danny Disccopy that they need to worry about. Or even Peter Peertopeer that is really costing them. It’s the big pirates protected by countries that turn a blind eye to copyright infringement that they should concern themselves with. Charge less or make it easy to get a product than you did before and most people will buy it legally.

John: I asked about iTunes, remember?

Guy: Is that what we were talking about? OK, back on topic. As hard as it is to believe, Apple was not the first to offer legal music downloads. They ended up creating the easiest method for doing so and with the iPod the most elegant overall solution. The music industry completely missed the boat and probably thought that legal music downloads would never go anywhere. They saw Apple (and by extension iTunes) as a cash cow that didn’t really cost them anything. They gave Apple very comfortable terms and off we go. Only now are they finally seeing that legal music downloads are most likely the future of music distribution and they’re desperately trying to redo the deal they did with Apple.

John: What is it that you think they would change?

Guy: To begin with, they want to start charging more for the same product than they did before, but can’t, based on the deal they made. Ironically, they’re doing this just as legal music downloads are beginning to make a dent in music piracy. Apple so far is refusing to knuckle under. So what can the recording companies do? They’ve tried to set up their own digital downloading system, but have done it so clumsily, that it really hasn’t made a dent in the overall market share of iTunes. I frankly suck at predictions (see my Intel on the Mac MyMac blogs for proof of that), but if the music industry ever manages to take down iTunes, you will see a sharp rise in the prices for legal music downloads. Why? Because the music industry doesn’t get it.

John: And how about downloaded songs from Apple’s iTunes Music Store? Can I do what I want with them without getting into trouble?

Guy: Within reason. Apple sells their music downloads with built-in Digital Rights Management (DRM). You and Owen did a series of articles on DRM which readers can check out by clinking this link HERE (helpful PSG link). They come as AAC files, which means that no other player other than the iPod can play them legally. Within the structure of iTunes, you can put them on a playlist (or multiple playlists) and burn them to a CD that will work in any player supported by that particular CD technology if you don’t have an iPod. Apple lets you burn as many as 7 CDs from a playlist before you can burn no more. There are of course ways around their DRM, but most people with legitimate needs don’t have to worry about it. It would probably be easier to say what you CAN’T do with your legally downloaded music:
1. Sell them to someone
2. Give them to someone
3. Use them in a for-profit scenario, unrelated to your listening pleasure

John: Let’s get back to software Guy. Why does Apple insist I only install Tiger on one personal computer when I buy the standard version of OS X 10.4?

Guy: When you buy the regular version of OS X 10.4 (Tiger), it comes with a one-user license. Apple’s terms are fairly standard as compared to most others in that this gives you the right to install one copy of Tiger on one computer. Since you can have multiple users on the same computer, it might be fairer to say it is a one-computer license as compared to a one-user license.

John: Will something bad happen if I install it on both my computers plus my wife’s PowerBook?

Guy: Not a ding-dang thing bad will happen. Apple relies on the honesty (giggle) and integrity (snort) of its users. Software isn’t cheap, but Apple doesn’t charge a lot for its OS as compared to some other large maker of operating systems that rhymes with sicromoth. Look up how much they charge for a non-OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) copy of their latest operating system and compare it to Apple. Add in their piracy protection scheme (manually entering a 15 digit or more license number and a hardware detection system that will shut you down when you make what is in their opinion too many changes to your computer) and Apple doesn’t look too bad.

John: Is that why you bought the Tiger family pack, or whatever it’s called?

Guy: Once I started getting multiple computers in the house, I decided to go ahead and get the family pack. Considering Apple gives you a five-user license at about $20 bucks a crack after the first one, it just seemed more than fair. Plus I had a $50 rebate from Amazon to help cushion the blow.

John: Do you get five physical installer DVDs with that family package?

Guy: Other than a piece of paper with additional serial numbers, there wasn’t any difference between the single and five-user package that I’m aware of.

John: Then what if you install it on your sixth computer too?

Guy: A black hole will open in my front yard, engulfing everything and everyone I know. I will be sucked down to the 12th level of hell and forced to take Dell telephone support calls for eternity. Or something like that. Actually, nothing will happen at all other than tweaking my conscience for not being a good legal user of software.

John: Are serial numbers on the horizon, to help Apple keep all these matters under control?

Guy: Man I really hope not. I hate keeping track of those things. They’re a royal pain in the keister. Oddly enough, if Apple grows significantly on the Intel platform, they may be forced to do so to keep track of who are legal customers and who is not. Not as much as a money standpoint, but from a software support position. If Macs gain major market share (hey, it could happen), do they want to have to support illegal copies of their software? Software support isn’t cheap, even if it’s off-loaded to Indonesia.

John: Is it fair that some products require registration and serial numbers and others don’t?

Guy: What is fair? Is it fair that I have to work so very hard when I am obviously extremely smart and good-looking? Wait, my wife might read this and then I’m in big trouble for lying. I guess it really depends on the philosophy of the company in question. The problem is that software is not cheap to develop and the makers are entitled to compensation for their efforts. Unfortunately there are those people out there that refuse to pay for software that they use every day. The game industry has it the worst. Many of these people think of themselves as pirates, but all they really are is thieves. They attempt to justify it by boo-hooing about the high cost or limited use (I just need it for this one thing), or darn near any other reason to not pony up the cash for something they find useful.

John: How is the consumer supposed to know, or keep track of all these serial numbers and registration codes?

Guy: As best they can. I usually either write them down in a notebook, or if the serial numbers are on stickers, I’ll put them on the CD or DVD (obviously not on the data side of the disk) that contains the application program.

John: How much theft actually occurs from bootlegged or stolen or "shared" software installers?

Guy: Some sources have pirated software percentages at 35% per computer. That’s a significant number no matter how much is lost in retail. How much is actually lost is harder to quantify since it would depend on what the retail value of lost sales per computer would be.

John: Is that in the United States, or worldwide?

Guy: According to a British website called “The Register” (www.theregister.co.uk), the U.S. actually has one of the lower percentages of software piracy per machine at 21%. Think about that. According to this, 1 out of every 5 programs on most people’s computers in the U.S. is pirated.

John: Should we here in the US really care about what we hear about software piracy in the rest of the world, such as China and Russia, for example?

Guy: While we should care, I fail to see what we can do about it. It’s not like Microsoft can invade Moscow for illegitimate copies of MS Office. Or ID Software can bomb Pakistan for illegal copies of Doom 3.

John: Is this a crime without a victim, since software often is expensive and the companies sure appear to be financially healthy?

Guy: The cost of the item is irrelevant to the intent of those doing the pirating. Since a good percentage of illegal software is games, lets use that as an example.

John: Alright, I’m READY!

Guy: Thanks for that SpongeJohn Nemopants. Company X makes the latest version of their “Bodacious Babes” series of first person shooters (Bodacious Babes 3: The Return of Les Bien). When released, it retails for $49.99. Since it is the must have game of the week, the price remains stable for the first three months. After that, it’s competing with “Death Derby 4: Pedestrians AHOY!” The price begins to come down. After 6 months or so, it’s in the bargain bin at $19.99 where it remains forever more. Company X makes most of its money during the first three months or so of the game’s release. Software thieves will claim that the game is just too expensive at its original release price, so they feel justified in pirating it to “Teach Company X a lesson for charging too much.” After all, a blank DVD only costs 50 cents and the game packaging is less than a buck. So Company X is making $47.49 profit for each game sold. They can afford it. Except that Company X has spent a large amount of money in developing the game. The retail outlets take their cut. Programmers expect to be paid, artists expect compensation, rent must be paid for the offices, a support staff, cleaning crew, advertising, utilities, computers, IT staff, and on and on. Also keep in mind that not every game sells millions of copies. One bad review in a major gaming magazine could probably cut those sales in half or more.

John: I’m more interested in music than games.

Guy: So let’s switch to the music biz. The same kinds of rules apply. Just because the latest CD from the boy band “Half-shaven Beach Bums” sells a gazillion copies, doesn’t mean the record company is awash in cash. They too have studios to support as well as making up for all those unsold “Rap Country Kings” CDs. Yes, these companies make money. Why shouldn’t they? What other reason do they have for existing?

John: Software, round three. What would you do, Guy, if you were in charge of intellectual property rights for Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, and other similar corporations?

Guy: Implement a company-wide policy of thrashings and beheadings for policy violations. I guess I would have to do something about software piracy too. I’m a big fan of what has been called crippleware. What this means is releasing a fully functioning version with critical features disabled (Printing, saving, and the like). This allows users to try a product before they buy it to see if it meets their needs. For the gaming industry I would do something different. A two or three level demo of the game lets people get a feel for the game. I would put at the end of the demo an unbeatable boss to entice people to get the full version just so they can kill that SOB.

John: How much would that cost to implement, and who would benefit?

Guy: The medium is cheap enough. How much for a DVD or CD these days? Especially in bulk. Release it as well to bit-torrent and other download sites for next to nothing. Everyone benefits since you don’t buy the software that doesn’t meet your particular needs.

John: What about us ordinary consumers, as opposed to corporations?

Guy: There has been a trend over the last few years for companies to come up with limited versions of industry favorites. I like this very much. Take Adobe for example. The full version of Photoshop retails for about $650. That’s a lot of cash for your average user. Photoshop Elements sells for about $90. Elements gives you about of the functionality of the full-blown version at much less than 1/5 of the price. That is a bargain and I use it all the time. Apple’s Final Cut video editing software is another prime example. Final Cut Pro is around $1000. Final Cut Express is $300. Both offer a similar interface and for the casual user that has grown beyond iMovie, Final Cut Express is very affordable. I’ll even give Microsoft credit for releasing a Student/ Teacher version of MS Office for 1/3 the price.

John: Any closing words for our readers on this fascinating topic?

Guy: Do a bit of soul searching and check your computer for software that you haven’t paid for. If you don’t need it or use it, delete and get back some hard drive space. If you do use it, go a get a legal copy. Be fair and support those companies that support the Macintosh platform. The best way to get companies to make software for the Mac is to show that they can make a profit in doing so.

John: Thanks, Guy.

Our previous PSGs can be found at the following links:
PSG 1: Computer Frustration
PSG 2: Monitors and Displays
PSG 3: iPod and iTunes
PSG 4: When Disaster STRIKES!

PodFM
Company: MacAlly
Price: $50 US
http://www.macally.com/spec/ipod/podfmtf.html

While Captain David Weeks was testing his MacAlly BlueWave wireless stereo headphones in the cabin of an Airbus at 37,000 feet, the Nemo family was evaluating MacAlly’s PodFM in a lime green Volkswagen Beetle at an elevation below sea level on California’s Interstate 8 expressway. I don’t know what FCC frequency David’s jet was using, but Barbara and I were grooving at 88.5 on the FM dial, thanks to the versatile PodFM.

This strange-looking and slightly-bizarro (at first) device sends the audio signal from your iPod to your car’s FM radio, similarly to Belkin’s TuneBase reviewed by Guy Serle. I urge you to read Guy’s explanation of how FM transmission works, to help you understand the limitations we experienced.

Prior to using PodFM, I was satisfied with the audio quality of my iPod when tethered to either of my cars’ cassette players via a $20 Sony generic audio adapter. (MacAlly also sells such an adapter.) If PodFM could produce iPod audio that is as listenable as from a cassette adapter, minus any obnoxious or distracting wires, $50 US would be a small price to pay for a frequent Podder such as Nemo.

PodFM was designed by a committee, because none of its several components appears to be compatible with any of the others, at first glance. After observing each piece from every direction, I wished us luck as we headed from Arizona to California for our summer vacation. With 1,104 miles of successful PodFM usage (give or take a metropolis or two), I’m pleased with the results, and Barbara is overjoyed (she’s more particular about cables than I am).

Here’s how it works. Make sure PodFM’s transmitter is plugged fully into its adjustable cradle, and then firmly insert this combo unit into a convenient cigarette lighter holder in your vehicle. On our New Beetle, this location is under the tiltable armrest dividing front passenger seats, handy for both driver and passenger. Press PodFM’s power button, switch on your car radio, navigate both radio and PodFM (via triangular up or down buttons) to a vacant radio frequency, connect iPod (or other portable music player) to PodFM via a clever retractable headphone jack cable, start your iPod playing, set your iPod and radio volume controls, and listen to the latest MyMac.com podcast without a care in the world at 70 miles per hour (preferably on the expressway).

Reading the above makes the procedure appear to be complicated, but it’s not. FM station compatibility is the only unpredictable factor, and when you’re in a desert environment with hundreds of miles between cities, as we were much of our trip, most of the FM band was empty (and I won’t be making any wisecracks about the religious and Spanish language/music stations that appear much more often than do broadcasts of Britain’s National Theatre or NPR’s Daniel Schorr, not to mention Miles Davis, Little Richard, or Joni Mitchell — for them you’ll need to subscribe to a commercial satellite radio network and have a fashionable black blob affixed to the top rear of your car’s roof).

IMPORTANT: If you live or drive most of the time in a heavily populated (both with people and radio stations) area, PodFM works best when one or more FM frequencies is vacant of regular radio stations. Otherwise, interference can be annoying, and at times infuriating.

MORE IMPORTANT: When driving alone, perform all tuning adjustments when at a full stop. MyMac.com and MacAlly will not pay your hospital or car repair bills!

If your car has a built-in cassette player and you don’t mind a cable that’s always in the wrong place, PodFM’s benefits won’t attract you. But if either of the above is not the case, MacAlly may have you as a customer sooner or later. Because when locked into an empty frequency, PodFM+iPod produce darn good sound that will vary from radio to radio and from song to song, but is always acceptable to everyone except the most serious audiophile for an irreverent description).

P.S. Learn to use your iPod’s built-in equalizer, and send me a thank you note.

But wait, there’s more! PodFM ships with an adapter than can power and charge your iPod whether or not it’s playing at that moment. I experienced some white noise or static when my iPod was active with the charger attached, and your experience may be different, but the charger is a handy addition to the package and it does work as advertised. And, yes more again, you can extract PodFM’s transmitter from its cradle, plug an included AC-to-USB (a first in my experience) adapter into the transmitter, locate an available frequency on your home stereo FM receiver or tuner, and listen to your iPod vid PodFM in your house, wirelessly. I’m doing just that now, and audio quality is fine, given the “MP3—192” compression on my songs.

MyMac.com’s Tim Robertson spoke at length about audio quality using this technology in recent Podcasts, and I agree with Tim’s conclusion: nothing compares to uncompressed music from a CD for finest quality, but iPod-to-house-FM can be convenient for casual listening.

Go to PodFM’s specs page for photos and descriptions, and consider whether this innovative device is suitable for your use. For Barbara and me, PodFM solved many more problems than it caused by occasional interference in urban areas, and for Podders without cassette adapters who like their tunes plentiful and mobile, MyMac.com gives the MacAlly 4 out of 5 for PodFM.

MyMac.com podcast 33


The latest show is now online. You can directly download the show in MP3 format from this link. You can also subscribe to the podcast via our RSS feed here, or do a search for us in the iTunes Music Store Podcast section.

Links of interest for this show:
SmallDog.com. Small Dog renewed their support of our podcast through the end of 2005! Thank you, Small Dog Electronics!
RamJet.com
MacMinute.com
Griffin Technology
Madtown Aces Productions

What is our opening music? We have a few this week, so please take a listen and give us your opinion on what opening we should use. And hey, if you want to give it a shot, let us know.

Yes, we are in the iTMS now!
We talked about the MyMacGuys podcast, which you can find at this link.

A new Not Mac News with Chris Seibold. What is Project 1989? You have to hear it to find out.

We announce the Griffin Technology contest winners from last week. Click here to find out what was up for grabs!

Check out the video from the news story here.

Be sure to send us any email to mymacpodcast@gmail.com

MacAlly BlueWave Bluetooth headphones
Company: MacAlly
Price: $169.99
http://macally.com/spec/ipod/bluewave.html

MacAlly has recently released their new BlueWave headphones, which incorporate Bluetooth (see http.www.bluetooth.com) wireless technology to eliminate the annoying wires that tether headphone users to their iPods or computers. The Weeks Division of MyMac.com Labs spent some time using the BlueWave, and found it to be a fine product.

If you don’t know what (or who) Bluetooth is, you’re probably not alone. True blue nerds know Bluetooth technology is named after everyone’s favorite Danish king, Harald Bluetooth, who ruled Denmark from 940 to 985 AD. For more than you ever wanted to know about Harald, surf to http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dasgupta/bluetooth/history.htm

Bluetooth technology is a short-range (up to 30 feet) wireless protocol that allows wireless devices to communicate with each other. It’s especially suited for gadgets that don’t need to move large amounts of data. Mice, keyboards, and now headphones, are prime candidates to use Bluetooth to banish connecting wires. Bluetooth makes it easy to get your devices to talk with each other, using a simple process called "pairing." Once paired, you’re on your way.

MacAlly’s BlueWave package comes with everything you need to get started, including batteries. Who doesn’t hate buying a new gadget, then finding out it needs batteries to run? Naturally, the batteries will be the kind you don’t have at home. MacAlly supplies 4 AAA batteries, two for the headphones, and two for the Bluetooth transmitter itself.

Aside from the headphones, batteries and RCA patch cable to connect the ‘phones to your stereo, your $169.99 will get you a Bluetooth transmitter/dongle, which lets you use the BlueWave with audio devices not equipped with built-in Bluetooth. It’s a rather small box that plugs into the headphone jack, and sends the audio output to the headphones themselves. Obviously, sending audio from an iPod is one thing MacAlly has in mind. But you can also use the Bluetooth transmitter with computers that don’t have built-in Bluetooth, so you can wirelessly stream music from any audio source to the headphones. Even Windows PCs can use the BlueWave, with either the dongle or built-in Bluetooth.

It gets even better, as the headphones have an RCA line-out jack that allows you to output audio from the headphones, connecting them with a patch cable (included, naturally) to your stereo! This allows you to wirelessly stream music from either your iPod or your Mac to your stereo, using the headphone unit as a pass-through. Suddenly, the rather high list price of $169.99 is not looking so expensive after all.

Setting up the BlueWave with iPods.

Once you’ve installed batteries into both the headphones and the transmitter dongle, plug in the dongle to the headphone jack of the iPod, and turn it on. Flip the power switch on the headphones, and Bluetooth technology will automatically pair the dongle to the ‘phones in a few seconds. That’s all it takes. Kudos to MacAlly for a simple and foolproof setup process. Plop the headphones onto your skull, and enjoy!

Headphones must fit properly to be enjoyed. During medieval times, ill-fitting headphones were used as torture devices. If you can’t wear them for long periods of time, there’s not much point in owning them. The BlueWave fits my head and ears wonderfully. The ear cushions are leather pads, providing comfortable listening for over two hours at a stretch. The headband tension is good, with no "head caught in a vise" feeling. Users of David Clark aviation headsets will know what I mean. The ear muffs fold inside the headband for easier transportation, making the headphones easy to carry.

MacAlly says the batteries will last for up to 48 hours. My tests have accumulated over 24 hours of usage, and the batteries are still good. Be sure to turn off both the dongle and the headphones when not in use. Both the dongle and the headphones have a power-on light, but they are small and easy to overlook. Unlike wired headphones, the BlueWave will not work without batteries, so packing a spare quartet of fresh AAA’s is a good idea.

The BlueWave has good audio quality. I used to call myself an audiophile, but too much time around jet airplanes has reduced some of my high-end hearing acuity. Even so, I found the BlueWave provides enough high-end response to provide full sound, and bass output was more than adequate. You’re not buying high end Sennheiser electrostatic headphones, but Sennheisers are overkill for the compressed audio files most users listen to.

After I’d finished flogging the BlueWave with my iPod, I turned to my 15" G4 PowerBook, which has built-in Bluetooth. Since I own no Bluetooth gadgets, I had the ‘Book’s Bluetooth turned off. With built-in Bluetooth off, you can treat the laptop just like an iPod; plug the dongle into the headphone jack, power up the dongle and headphones, and start playing music. No muss, no fuss, no pairing needed, and good sound.

But if you’ve spent good money on a Bluetooth-equipped Mac, why not use the built-in Bluetooth, and skip the dongle? You’ll have one less gadget to lose, and one less set of AAA batteries to run down.

MacAlly’s printed instructions were not totally clear on how to set up the BlueWave for built-in Bluetooth. However, MacAlly has a new FAQ on their website describing how to pair the headphones with Bluetooth-equipped Mac.

The process is easy using Apple’s Bluetooth Setup Assistant, with the pairing working right the first time. There’s one catch; remember to change the sound output device in the Sound preference pane to use the BlueWave. Forget this step and the headphones will be working, but not getting any sound from the Mac. I preferred to skip the dongle, and use the built-in Bluetooth when listening to iTunes on the ‘Book. The audio quality was the same, and it’s much more convenient, once you’ve used the Bluetooth Setup Assistant to do the pairing.

MacAlly advertises a 30 foot range for the BlueWave, and I found their claims to be no more exaggerated than other manufacturers. I could get good reception with no intervening obstacles up to 20 feet away from the iPod or the PowerBook. The sound rapidly becomes static-laden when you move further away from the transmitter, and the signal vanished more than 25 feet away. When walls separated the headphones from the transmitter, range was reduced. For consistently good sound, stay within 15′ of the transmitter.

I did not test the line-out feature of the BlueWave, as the AUX-in jacks on my pre-amplifier are both occupied and difficult to reach.

After a week of testing, I have only a few quibbles about the BlueWave. The power LED light is too small, making it difficult to know if the headphones are on or off. Since dead batteries leave you dead in the water, misreading the power LED light can make the ‘phones useless.

The volume knob could be a bit larger, and less sensitive. I found a small movement of the volume knob could increase the volume more than I expected, with startling results.

Conclusion.

MacAlly has engineered great wireless headphones for both iPods and computers. The BlueWave is very comfortable, provides good sound, and is easy to set up. If your computer has built-in Bluetooth, you can use Apple’s Bluetooth Setup Assistant to pair the BlueWave, and leave the dongle at home. The BlueWave is a bit pricey, but you get a great product for your money.

MyMac rating 4.5 out of 5

MUSAK Laptop Bag for iPod
Company: Techwiz
http://www.mymusak.com
Price: $99 US
Sold by Dr. Bott

In a perfect world, every day is sunny and clear, and you stroll down the avenue with your favorite music downloads from the iTunes Music Store playing out loud on the carrying case that contains your supercharged PowerBook. This laptop bag would fit you and your iPod perfectly, with effortless audio component connection and playback.

Is such a scenario possible? Techwiz thinks they have a solution, in their MUSAK Laptop Bag for iPod. In our perfect world, this product would either cost a lot less $$$, or be much easier to use for iPod playback (preferably the latter). MUSAK is a brilliant concept, with flaws in quality of construction.

You place your iPod (any model, specified when you order), inside a soft holder below one upper corner of the case, insert four AA batteries into a power module, make sure two short cables are connected, switch on the power unit, adjust the volume, and listen to your iPod while strolling, commuting, biking, and anywhere you won’t get kicked out for vagrancy.

Problems occur from the start, because MUSAK’s form-fitting iPod holder is poorly manufactured. It needs to be either a different material or more precisely sewn, because I was worried I was going to tear it each time I had to insert or remove my third generation iPod from the holder. Once in place, the fit is uneven and imprecise.

Access to the power module is tricky, and need not be. Message to company: switching from zipper to Velcro, and changing the pouch concept into a folding flap, will allow users to have immediate entry for battery replacement, power on/off, and volume settings. The current lone zipper is a loser.

After wrestling with the aforementioned annoyances, once your iPod is playing and your MUSAK case is loaded, the experience is more positive. Design and construction of the physical computer case components are fine, and will serve you well for years. Compartments and pockets are ample and numerous. The detachable shoulder strap is comfortably fit and padded, and the case is contoured for a snug fit on your flank.

MUSAK is a novelty item, in its current production model and rather high price. If the cost was under $70, I wouldn’t complain so much about the faults, but for $99 we should expect better awareness of using and gaining access to the audio/power components.

Audio quality is decent, meaning neither sensational nor awful, and perfectly adequate for casual listening to music or the MyMac.com Podcast.

Our rating for MUSAK places emphasis on its primary reason for existence: convenient iPod connection and playback. When you consider the criteria for our MyMac.com rating system, the audio components and access are:

MyMac Rating: 2 = Poor. Needs much more work and improvement.

and the physical case would be closer to:

MyMac Rating: 3 = Shows promise! Could be better, but a product worth watching

but since its price is high and the critical components are not well-manufactured, we’ll stick with a MyMac.com rating of 2 out of 5.

Please go back to the drawing board, Techwiz and Dr. Bott, and we’ll be open-minded in our evaluation of MUSAK v.2.