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Well, I asked and you delivered. MacCast listeners were all over the grand opening of the new Apple Store Fifth Avenue in NYC and they are sending in the pictures to prove it. Thank you to everyone who send these in and for those of us who couldn’t be there in person check out the gallery and you can live vicariously through others. Enjoy.
Many (including myself) have reported that side by side the iBook G4 had a better reception and range of wireless networks than the PowerBook G4. This was reported to be the case due to the construction material of the machines. I have not read any reports about the MacBook Pro but it’s being reported that the MacBook has the best range of all tested Apple notebooks, even the iBook G4.
Apple have redesigned the wireless antennas on the MacBook which they have placed horizontally on the left and vertically on the right, specifically for that model. The reception and range is reported to be such an improvement that some users are picking up networks they didn’t even know existed using other models in the same area.
Officially Apple say the MacBook only supports the wireless standards of 802.11b and 802.11g, however it appears to be connecting flawlessly with 802.11a also.
Microsoft has released the required system specifications for running Windows Vista. Does this really effect Mac users you may ask? Well yes, possibly. Since the introduction of BootCamp there has been a lot of talk about compatibility with Vista on a Mac and finally we are getting somewhere in the discussion.
There will be two different levels, according to Microsoft, of Vista compatibility; “Vista Capable PCs†and “Vista Premium Ready PCs.†Most modern Macs fall into the latter category barring the x86 processor and of course we now have that covered with all the new Intel Macs.
The specs are complex however and some believe Macs may not be “Premium Ready” due to the integrated graphics and RAM modules used. To be Vista Premium Ready Microsoft lists the basic specs as being:
More information can be found here.
Still the question remains; would Microsoft want to sabotage Windows on Mac? Also would Apple want to sabotage Vista on Mac. I really don’t think either company can see a benefit in that and think Vista will run on all compatible machines as soon as Microsoft can ship it.
Listen to today’s show here! 
MC20060519.mp3 [13.4mb 00:29:28 64kbps]
A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 139. New Yahoo! site currently lacks Safari support. Apples XTel kernel is not Open Source. FinalCut Express 3.5 released, adds Intel support. Indie Music publishers sue Apple and others. Apple sues Creative. Apple firmware update cools MacBook Pro. Clarification of “lost space” on hard drives. New MacBook decision is not black and white. collaboZOT! Clue
New music, Middle Earth Bragging Song by Marc Gunn
You can search far and wide. You can drink the whole town dry. But you’ll never find a beer so brown as the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ales. You can drink them by the flagon. But the only brew for the brave and tru-u-u-ue comes from the Green Dragon! — Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
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Today Apple have released a native to Intel version of their professional video editing software Final Cut Express HD, version 3.5. Kirk Paulsen, Apple’s Senior Director Pro Applications Marketing, told Macworld:
It’s is actually much more than just a port, this is a significant update to Final Cut Express
The update includes multiple other updates aside from being Intel native including Dynamic RT support, Soundtrack 1.5 improved multitrack audio editing and single and multiple take recording, LiveType 2.1’s new animated graphics, including 70 new animated objects, 15 new textures and 60 new customizable preset effect and vector technology that allows animated text styles to be scaled to any resolution including HD.
The software costs US$299.00 or is available as an upgrade for US$99.00. System requirements are as follows and more information can be found here.
System Requirements:
G4/500MHz or faster including Intel Core Duo, 512MB RAM
1024 x 768 resolution
Quartz Extreme-compatible graphics
Mac OS X v10.4.6 or later
QuickTime 7.0.4 or later
HDV editing requires additional system resources
ifoAppleStore has posted pictures of the new Steve Jobs designed glass cube that sits above Apples new flagship store in Manhattan. Workers began pealing away the black plastic covering the massive 32-foot-by-32-foot structure at 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday evening. After the unveiling it was revealed that this cube has a large white Apple logo suspended in the upper-middle of the cube. I am sure it will look even more amazing once the cube is lit. The Apple Store, Fifth Avenue is located at 767 Fifth Avenue at 59th Street and will have it’s grand opening tomorrow night (5/19/2006) at 6:00 PM. Steve Jobs is expected make an appearance. The store is also believed to be a test bed for new Apple Retail store innovations, as such, it will be the first location to be open 24-hours a day and may also be open 365 days a year.
Update: MacWorld posted these amazing pics from inside the store. The glass spiral staircase is unbelievable.
Inventive is looking for beta testers for the upcoming iClip 4. This new version is a major upgrade and features an all-new, stylish UI and much better performance.
Anyone interested in beta testing iClip 4 can sign-up at http://inventive.us/iClip4/
iClip is a popular, award-winning multiple clipboard and scrapbook application with over 15,000 registered users worldwide. iClip enables users to quickly store, organize, and access snippets of information without having to save them as entire documents.
iClip 4 will be $29 and will run on OS X 10.3 or later. The upgrade will be free to all registered users.
Well I am glad there are people out there who are willing to risk destroying a state of the art Mac laptop just so geeks like me can drool over their technologically advanced guts. I just hope for this MacBook there is life after death.
MacWorlds Jason Snell has posted a video that shows how easily you can get in and upgrade the RAM and SATA hard drive in your new MacBook. It’s amazing. After removing just 3 screws you have access to everything. Just slide the drive out and your ready to upgrade. Finally we have a Mac laptop with a hard drive that is as easy to replace as the ones in the PowerMac G5. Check it out in his article: Macworld: Mac Word: Beneath the MacBook battery bay
Listen to today’s show here!
MC20060517.mp3 [17.7mb 00:38:30 64kbps]
A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 138. The MacBook is here and it’s awesome. Creative hits Apple with the “Zen” lawsuit. Security researcher claims some flaws still exist after latest OS X security update. Now there is no iPhone. iLife ’06 applications updated. New Intel Mac firmware. Why a GB is not a GB? The mystery of disk storage sizes. Select your BootCamp startup volume with your Apple remote. What to do if your keyboard is not responsive in XP under Bootcamp. The 64-bit question, has Apple moved backward? What applications have VoiceOver support? My Interview on Mac Tips Daily
Correction: Looks like I didn’t read the MacBook specs closely enough. I incorrectly said the SuperDrive in the new MacBook was dual-layer. The dual-layer support is for reading only and not writes. Sorry for the confusion.
New music, Daytime Soaps and Shattered Hopes by Sweet Diss and the Comebacks
You want to see the lambada? I’ll SHOW you the lambada! –– Lambada (1990)
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