Media consumer, tech enthusiast, and gamer
So in case you missed it, Apple responded to Microsoft’s new “I’m a PC” ad campaign. You can watch the ads on Youtube via Gizmodo and TechCrunch (or a whole bunch of other places). I was discussing this with a friend / coworker last night and thought I’d share my thoughts here:
Read More “My $.02 on Apple’s Response to Microsoft’s Response” »
So Microsoft conducted an experiment where it put 120 regular computer users (but Windows Vista avoiders) in front of a Vista-based computer and told them that it was a hands-on, sneak peak at the next Microsoft operating system, codenamed “Mojave.” As it turns out, 94 percent rated Vista much higher after seeing it. On a scale from 1-10, the participants’ average rating for Vista before was 4.4, and the average rating after seeing Vista (but not knowing it was Vista) was 8.5.
Today’s big announcement comes from Rhapsody, the online music service previously known for its subscription-based streaming music for a monthly fee. Well, turns out people are more interested in owning their music rather than renting. So now we have another major competitor for iTunes and Amazon MP3.
Read More “Rhapsody’s New DRM-Free MP3 Store with Full Song Previews” »
Market research firm NPD Group issued a report today explaining that Amazon MP3 is growing but not taking away customers from Apple’s iTunes. It seems that only 10% of Amazon MP3 shoppers in February were iTunes shoppers previously.
Read More “Amazon MP3 Customers Don’t Come from iTunes, But I Did” »
Ars Technica has the scoop on a “new” study which shows how Apple’s iTunes is “widening its lead in the digital music market at the expense of other top brands.” The name of the article, in fact, is Competition unable to take a big bite out of Apple’s iTunes. The article could be interesting, what with its data, charts, and supposed analysis. But it has one major problem that invalidates most everything said:
Read More “New Study on Digital Music is Outdated Before Released” »
ITaP (short for Information Technology at Purdue) is offering advice for potential buyers of the iPhone: Wait. According to Frank Wolf, Mac specialist and systems administrator for ITaP:
“The iPhone is still being considered by many to be a revision-one product when thinking about it in an enterprise. I recommend to the people we support that they hold off on getting an iPhone until the next revision is released.”
Here’s more of his reasoning as to why you should wait:
Read More “Purdue University IT: iPhones Are Cool But Don’t Buy One Yet” »
Apple has issued a press release about becoming the number two (behind Wal-Mart) music retailer in the U.S. Best Buy used to have that spot, but music downloads seem to be catching on. Well, that and CD sales are declining rapidly.
Apple claims that 50 million customers have bought over 4 billion songs with 20 million sold on Christmas day alone. That’s impressive even if digital music purchases have yet to offset the decline in CD sales.
Read More “Apple’s iTunes Now Number Two Music Retailer in the US” »
While it’s nothing new for organized crime to focus on phishing and identity theft, Windows-based computers have traditionally taken the brunt of most attacks. So much so, in fact, that plenty of my Apple friends claimed it as yet another reason to switch to the below-the-radar Mac. Too bad, then, that a report out last week shows that the end of 2007 was the beginning of “financially-motivated” organized crime targeting Apple computers.
Is this good news or bad? After all, it could be taken as a sign of Apple’s success. Macs finally appear to be popular enough that cybercriminals care. However you frame it, check out this call to arms of sorts from Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos (the firm responsible for this report):
Read More “Organized Crime Targeting Apple Computers for the First Time” »