Hot Mac News

[Panag]

The new iMac dazzles with its brilliant 17-inch widescreen flat-panel display that adjusts its height or angle with just a touch. But what’s more amazing is its compact base now packs powerful new features like a speedy 1GHz G4 processor, more extreme NVIDIA graphics, a faster DVD-burning SuperDrive — and new advanced wireless options.

New on the inside
Inside the new 17-inch iMac, you get the 1GHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 256MB of PC2100 (266MHz) Double Data Rate (DDR) main memory (expandable to 1GB), GeForce4 MX graphics with 64MB of DDR graphics memory and an Ultra-ATA/100 80GB hard disk spinning at 7200 rpm. You also get AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless capability, and the best-of-breed digital lifestyle applications that have convinced so many PC users to switch to the Mac platform.

iLife. Suddenly, it all connects.
The iLife software applications that come on your new iMac include iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD (SuperDrive-equipped model only). They let you do fun, creative things with your pictures, music and movies — and share them with family and friends — in ways that PC users can only dream about. And whether you’re creating your own music CDs, publishing your digital pictures online, editing digital video, or authoring DVDs, you can do all these things and more quite nicely without thumbing through a manual. It’s all part of the iLife experience.

The legendary SuperDrive burns faster
The iMac with SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) lets you burn your own movies and photos on a DVD disc that plays in almost any standard DVD player. Even better, the SuperDrive now burns DVDs at 4x speed, twice as fast as before. And of course you can pop in your DVD movies and watch them in widescreen letterbox format on the brilliant LCD display of your 17-inch iMac.


54 Mbps AirPort Extreme — up to 5 times faster
Say goodbye to having to set up your computer near a phone. Pop the new AirPort Extreme Card into your 17-inch iMac, and you’re ready for wireless networking from anywhere in your home or dorm — up to 150 feet from an AirPort Extreme Base Station. The 15-inch iMac has a built-in slot for the 11 Mbps AirPort Card. And by the way, adding an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card is a snap, even for first-time computer users. Beneath the iMac’s base is an access cover held in place by four screws. Images printed under the access cover show you how memory and the AirPort Extreme Card (17-inch model) or AirPort Card (15-inch model) fit in the base when properly installed. It’s that simple.

Sync with Bluetooth
The 17-inch iMac can be custom-configured with an internal Bluetooth module to connect your digital devices wirelessly (15-inch iMacs can use an external USB Bluetooth adapter). Operating within a 30-foot radius, it enables wireless data transfers between a rapidly growing list of Bluetooth-enabled products. Using iSync, for instance, you can use Bluetooth to synchronize your personal information between your iMac, your mobile phone and your Palm OS-based handheld. Interested in getting Bluetooth capability for your 17-inch iMac? The easiest way is to have the Bluetooth module built in at the time you order your system. If you decide after purchase that you want Bluetooth capability, you can easily plug in an external USB Bluetooth adapter.

More extreme graphics
The 17-inch iMac has an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics processor with 64MB of DDR RAM. The 15-inch iMac ships with the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX graphics processor with 32MB of graphics memory. These sizzling graphics processors kick Quartz Extreme and 3D games and graphics into high gear with hardware transform and lighting (T&L), per-pixel shading and drop-dead gorgeous effects at high resolutions. The NVIDIA GeForce4 MX, for instance, delivers 1.1 billion textured pixels per second. And since the graphics processors feature dedicated RAM — unlike some PC graphics cards that share main memory — they take over the transform and lighting calculation functions from the iMac’s central processing unit (CPU), freeing the PowerPC G4 to perform essential system tasks faster than ever before.

Nifty space-saving design
Thanks to what’s inside its ultra-compact 10.6-inch base, the new iMac is several leaps ahead of any other consumer desktop system out there — just like its revolutionary predecessor. So how did we pack so much power and functionality into such a small space? Credit a rigorous design approach that optimized every available bit of space and resulted in no wasted corners. Starting with a custom-designed circular logic board that fills the entire diameter of the base, we engineered enough space to fit in a full-height optical drive such as the SuperDrive. On top of the optical drive are a high-capacity 3.5-inch hard disk drive and even the power supply — a split design that tucks neatly into the top of the base.

Speakers of the house
Both iMac models come with Apple Pro Speakers that handle 18 watts of undistorted digital sound. And since the iMac also provides power to the speakers, you don’t need an additional power brick. The result? Reduced cable clutter. Both models feature an internal speaker, internal tripath digital amplifier, Apple Pro Speaker jack and headphone jack (the 17-inch model additionally has an audio line-in jack that lets you use it as a sound editing studio). The bottom line is that you get to enjoy an incredible aural experience.

Two beautiful models
Starting from just $1299, the new iMac comes in your a choice of two models: the new 1GHz iMac with a 17-inch widescreen display, 80GB hard disk and 4x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW), or the 800MHz iMac with a 15-inch display, 60GB hard disk and 32x Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW).

hi ,

great

and look at those prices , ....

have a nice day

[Gatekeeper]

Well, now. This newest iMac certainly is tempting. Any idea on its price? I bet at least $2,200 to $2,400 minimum. The previous latest version of the iMac was going for nearly $2,000 at MacZone.

Gatekeeper

[Panag]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Well, now. This newest iMac certainly is tempting. Any idea on its price? I bet at least $2,200 to $2,400 minimum. The previous latest version of the iMac was going for nearly $2,000 at MacZone.

Gatekeeper

hi ,

read the last lines of the special I-MAC post , ......

or better yet , visit www.apple.com and check out the store section

those I-mac's are at a bargain compared to other similar comps from other brands , ......

have a nice I-MAC day

[Gatekeeper]

Yeah, I saw the part about "starting at $1,299," which means the iMac priced at that level is the original "lampshade" from a year or two ago. The newest models, I'm sure, are closer $2,200-$2,400.

I'll check it out more closely when buying time nears.

Gatekeeper

[Panag]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Yeah, I saw the part about "starting at $1,299," which means the iMac priced at that level is the original "lampshade" from a year or two ago. The newest models, I'm sure, are closer $2,200-$2,400.

I'll check it out more closely when buying time nears.

Gatekeeper

hi ,

those are the new prices , .......


15" combo drive - 1299 USD

17" superdrive - 1799 USD

17" superdrive with a huge load of ram and a bluetooth module - 2348 USD

so only one model gets in the price range of 2200 - 2400 usd , ....

you can always ask here what the best value versus MAC is , .....

have a nice I-MAC day

[Gatekeeper]

**begins drooling** Must ... resist ... must wait ... until ... PtW is ... ported ...

[Panag]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
**begins drooling** Must ... resist ... must wait ... until ... PtW is ... ported ...

hi ,

why should you wait , .......

PTW shall be there in a couple months , fully patched around X-mas , ......


have a nice MAC day

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I might get the 15th inch powerbook in a coupla months for college. Do you guys have any suggestions for what sort of hardware I should get with it?

[Panag]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
I might get the 15th inch powerbook in a coupla months for college. Do you guys have any suggestions for what sort of hardware I should get with it?

hi ,

, state of the art ; get the 15 inch with superdrive , bluetooth kit , and one G of ram , that should do it , .....

but why not get the 17 inch for a fistfull of dollars more , .......

and dont forget to ask the dealer to trow in a copy of CIV III , ......

have a nice day

[Panag]

Apple’s breakthrough rack-optimized 1U server now delivers improved performance, more storage — and tremendous value.

With your choice of single or dual-processor 1.33GHz PowerPC G4s, up to 2GB of 333MHz DDR SDRAM, two 64-bit 66MHz PCI slots (plus a third combination PCI/AGP slot), dual Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, USB and four independent ATA/133 drive bays that hold up to 720GB of data, Apple’s best-in-class 1U server outshines not just its 1U competitors, but even many 2U systems. And if you want to add even more storage capacity, Apple’s new Xserve RAID solution holds up to 14 hot-swappable Apple Drive Modules — a phenomenal 2.52 terabytes of data — in a rack-optimized storage enclosure.

Designed to deliver the UNIX-based strengths — and cutting-edge capabilities — of Mac OS X Server, this rack-optimized server offers phenomenal processing power, massively expanded storage capacity, and remote management tools that make them a snap to deploy and maintain. This time around, the objective was to take everything that IT professionals love about Xserve and make it even better.

Faster Xserve
The new Xserve features faster processors, a faster system bus and faster memory, as well as faster storage throughput, and more of it — up to 720GB. You get more build-to-order options and quieter operation, but you won’t get a higher sticker price. Xserve is more affordable than ever.

Serious metal
Xserve’s industrial strength, purpose-built server hardware harnesses the tremendous IT-friendly potential of Mac OS X Server software. Xserve features prodigiously powerful PowerPC G4 processors, superior system architecture, jaw-dropping storage capacity, hot-pluggable drives, RAID solutions, remote management tools, and the ability to boot up and run without a monitor.

Up to 84 PowerPC G4 processors
At just just 1.75 inches thick, the Xserve 1U form factor enables you to deploy a formidable array of up to 84 PowerPC G4 processors in a 42U industry-standard rack that makes the best possible use of the floor space in your server room or data center (the server units have been designed to fit industry-standard four-post and telco racks, and come complete with all the required mounting hardware).

798 gigaflops
Do the math: The dual 1.33GHz PowerPC G4 processors provide 19 gigaflops of computational power per 1U. That means 42 Xserve units in a 42U rack can deliver up to an astonishing 798 gigaflops of processing power.

The outer limits just got closer
Today’s bleeding edge demands vast amounts of space for storing everything from high-definition video to large scientific data sets. Accordingly, Xserve features four drive bays that hold up to 720GB of data per machine — and more than 30 terabytes per 42U rack.

High-bandwidth I/O
The new Xserve turns on the spigots with two FireWire 800 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45) interfaces — one on the logic board and one on a card installed in the PCI/AGP slot — and a faster-than-ever system bus. You can also use the optional dual-port 2Gb Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card for high-bandwidth connecitivity to your Xserve RAID systems.

Next-generation monitoring and management tools let you keep your finger on the pulse of your network at all times — remotely, if you like. You can install software using the nifty slot-loading optical drive, or select an optional Combo drive to read DVDs and back up to CD-ROM.

Mac OS X Server, the industrial-strength server operating system
Xserve comes with Mac OS X Server, the UNIX-based server operating system that gives you a complete suite of standards-based network services, and supports up-to-the-minute security and networking protocols.

Out-of-the-box support for Mac, Windows, UNIX and Linux clients
Mac OS X Server is perfect for mixed computing environments, which is to say most computing environments. It doesn’t matter whether you have Mac, Windows, UNIX or Linux clients — or a combination thereof — on your network. Mac OS X Server provides cross-platform support for native file sharing, as well as Apache web server and WebDAV server, POP and IMAP mail, ftp, QuickTime Streaming Server, DNS and DHCP — right out of the box. Windows, UNIX and Linux are not treated any differently, and will enjoy benefits that Mac users take for granted.*

No per-user “taxes”
The new Xserve continues to offer welcome relief from the punitive practices of the software industry by letting you eliminate the most galling expense in your department’s budget: the per-user “tax” you’ve been obliged to pay for using server software. Since Xserve gives you an unlimited-client license for Mac OS X Server, you can serve thousands of additional users — without spending thousands of additional dollars in licensing fees.

hi ,

, whoah , ......

have a nice X-serve day

[Panag]

The elegantly-engineered companion to Apple’s highly-regarded Xserve line of server hardware, this cutting-edge, self-contained storage solution holds up to 14 hot-swappable Apple Drive Modules — a phenomenal 2.52 terabytes of data — in a rack-optimized storage enclosure.

Xserve RAID features a breakthrough Apple-designed architecture that combines affordable, high-capacity ATA/100 drive technology with an innovative Fibre Channel interface for reliable — and incredibly fast — data access.

Using an unbeatable combination of ATA/100 drives and 2Gb Fibre Channel host connectivity, Xserve RAID is hands-down the best value in external RAID storage for the Macintosh platform. Do the math: the gigabyte-per-dollar ratio of Xserve RAID is the best in the world for Fibre Channel storage, and trumps most SCSI storage solutions as well.

How Xserve RAID works, in a nutshell
Each 7200 rpm hard drive connects to a dedicated ATA/100 drive channel to eliminate bottlenecks and maximize the 400MBps Fibre Channel host connection. This in turn means that as you add drives, Xserve RAID scales in both capacity and performance. And with an industry-standard 42U rack holding 35 terabytes of storage, you can keep adding drives for virtually unlimited storage.

Failure is not an option
Digital video footage, large databases, media-rich documents, hi-res images, uncompressed audio and scientific data sets have one thing in common: terabyte sized storage needs. And while trying to keep up with the demand for more and more storage space is a job in itself, you can’t lose sight of the need to protect your digital content against all contingencies — and still make that combination available to users round the clock.


High yield, low cost of entry
Xserve RAID offers up to 2.52TB of high-performance redundant storage at just over $4 per gigabyte — a fraction of the cost of storage from Dell, HP, Sun or EMC. (as compared to pricing on their websites in February, 2003) The days of seemingly unlimited IT budgets are long gone — no more blank checks for digital asset management — so as an IT professional, you need to cut costs, without cutting corners. For that reason alone, we think you’ll appreciate our pragmatic approach to help you save huge amounts of data — as well as a nice chunk of change.

Fast access to your digital assets
Instead of following the ruinously expensive — and easily avoidable — industry practice of relying on Fibre Channel hard drives, Apple did something truly innovative: We designed and developed a high-performance ATA-to-Fiber Channel systems architecture that delivers superior performance and reliability at a much lower cost.

Xserve RAID is designed for nonstop operation, with uninterrupted access to your critical data. Redundant hot-swappable drives and cooling modules enable the system to keep running even if one module were to fail. All active components are modular and designed to be switched in and out of place in seconds — without tools, and without interruption of service.

You control the controllers
Each Xserve RAID controller uses an environment management coprocessor to monitor and manage the RAID set and enclosure conditions. Naturally, you control the controllers, instead of the other way around (this is Apple technology, remember). The RAID Admin utility uses the environment management coprocessor to build multiple RAID sets on the fly, enabling you to bring storage online instantly — with no waiting for initialization. And since the RAID Admin utility is written entirely in Java, you can monitor and manage your RAID storage from anywhere on the Internet.

Practice management by walking around
Onsite management is even easier. Fact is, if you’re the kind of IT professional who likes to keep tabs on what’s going on in your domain by actually walking around and checking things out for yourself, you’ll love the way Xserve RAID provides continuous visual feedback on system status. Indicator lights on the front panel display status at a glance for power cooling, RAID controllers and enclosure lock, while LEDs on each Apple Drive Module signal drive activity. With 48 blue LEDs down the middle displaying activity levels for each host channel, and Fibre Channel indicators showing link status, you can verify a system’s health — what a concept — just by looking at it.


hi ,

2.52 TB , .......

one of those babies in you place and you can take over the world , ...... no wonder there are regulations for this thing by the state department and you cant get this thing everywhere , ......

2.52 2.52 2.52 TB

have a nice TB day

[Panag]

RAID support
Xserve RAID supports RAID levels 0, 1, 0+1, 3 and 5 using the hardware RAID processor, and supports levels 10, 30 and 50 combining hardware RAID capabilities with software RAID in Mac OS X.

Data storage that rocks around the clock
Everything in Xserve RAID has been designed for nonstop operation. With redundant and hot swappable components — like drives, power supplies and cooling modules — Xserve RAID gives you protection and availability round the clock. Xserve RAID is prepared for every contingency.


Get 24/7 support
The AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan offers expert email and telephone support with a 30-minute response time — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The AppleCare hardware repair coverage ensures 4-hour onsite response during business hours, and next-day onsite response after business hours. And you can rest assured that Apple-authorized technicians perform repairs using genuine Apple parts.

SMART data
Xserve RAID hardware and remote management software work together to provide industry-leading remote monitoring and alerting capabilities. The RAID controller automatically reads Self-Monitoring, Analysis, Reporting Technology (SMART) data from each hard drive. SMART data lets you take preemptive measures. It allows the drive to report its health, and enables the operating system to warn you of a pre-failure condition — and gives you an opportunity to replace the hard drive before a failure occurs. The goal? Uptime, all the time.

Hot stuff
Xserve RAID drives feature true hot-swapping capabilities that allow a failed drive to be removed and replaced without a loss of data or interruption of service, thanks to the hardware RAID controller and the Apple-designed drive carrier. With Xserve RAID, the system continues to operate while the contents of the failed drive are rebuilt on a replacement drive, using redundant or parity information.

Long-distance connectivity
Xserve RAID connects to a 2GB Fibre Channel PCI card in the host computer via a thin fiber optic (or flexible copper) cable. The Fiber Channel interface provides support for much longer distances between the storage and host systems than is possible with SCSI cables. In fact, the Apple Fiber Channel PCI Card accepts an optical transceiver that allows it to use fiber optic cables extending over 500 meters .

hi ,

that stuff looks great to host MAC CIV III MP games , ......

have a nice day

picture ; indexcable

[Panag]

$5,999.00

4x180GB Apple Drive Modules
2x128MB RAID Controller Cache
Redundant power & cooling
Dual RAID controllers
Remote management &
monitoring






$7,499.00

7x180GB Apple Drive Modules
2x128MB RAID Controller Cache
Redundant power & cooling
Dual RAID controllers
Remote management &
monitoring






$10,999.00

14x180GB Apple Drive Modules
2x128MB RAID Controller Cache
Redundant power & cooling
Dual RAID controllers
Remote management &
monitoring






Massive storage capacity. Fourteen drive bays hold up to 2.52TB of storage. Independent ATA drive channels eliminate interdrive dependencies to maximize bandwidth and availability.

High-speed throughput. The dual independent 2Gb Fibre Channel host interface transfers terabytes of data at up to 400MB/s fast enough for demanding HD video editing applications.

Superior data protection. A high-availability architecture and dual independent RAID controllers support RAID levels 0, 1, 3, 5, and 0+1.

Maximum uptime. Xserve RAID keeps running with redundant load-sharing power supplies and cooling modules. These field- replaceable modules enable service without tools or downtime.

Remote management and monitoring. The included RAID Admin application makes it easy to set up, manage, and monitor Xserve RAID systems.

Server-class support products. Resolve problems quickly with the AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan and AppleCare Service Parts Kits.



RAID 0: Striping. Lays down data in stripes across an array of drives for exceptional I/O performance, but with no data protection.

RAID 1: Mirroring. Writes identical copies of data on a pair of disks for total redundancy, but with limited performance and inefficient use of drives.

RAID 3: Striping with parity. Stripes data across two or more drives and stores parity data on a dedicated drive, providing data redundancy and performance that’ faster than that of a single drive.

RAID 5: Striping with distributed parity. Distributes data and parity information across an array for high throughput, good redundancy, and efficient use of drives.

RAID 0+1: Striping over mirroring. Stripes data across pairs of mirrored drives for a mix of performance and redundancy.

RAID 10, 30, and 50: Striping over RAID 1, 3, and 5. Uses hardware RAID to create two or more sets in RAID level 1, 3, or 5, and software RAID to stripe across the sets. This creates a single data volume with the best balance of performance and data protection.



AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan. Covers hardware repairs with four-hour onsite response during business hours and next-day onsite response after business hours (terms apply). Up-and- running support and basic troubleshooting are also available by phone or email 24 hours a day.

AppleCare Service Parts Kit. Provides crucial Xserve RAID parts—RAID controller, power supply, cooling module, and 180GB Apple Drive Module—for rapid onsite replacement and resolution of the most common hardware failures.

Mac OS X Server Software Support. Provides consultative phone and email support for advanced Mac OS X Server integration and migration issues.

Apple Professional Services. Offers comprehensive consulting for enterprise-oriented deployments. Services include installation and integration, planning and migration, application development, and project consulting. See www.apple.com/services or call 800-848-6398.


hi ,

, loads cheaper then dell , hp , sun or any other server , smaller also and way cheaper on the electricity bill , ..... (!)

so want to play on a huge 1000 X 1000 map , just buy one of those , .....

and then to say most firms or people who need this pay at least half more money for half less hardware , .....

pssst , wait for the summer clearance sale , they normally drop in price then , .....

have a nice day

[Panag]

Microsoft Delivers on Promise to Provide Exchange Solution for Mac OS X

Leading Macintosh Software Developer Continues Commitment to Entourage X, Giving Users of Mac OS X Native Exchange Functionality for the First Time

REDMOND, Wash. -- Feb. 11, 2003 -- The Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) at Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to offer enhanced functionality between Entourage (TM) X for Mac -- a comprehensive e-mail and personal information manager (PIM) designed specifically for the Mac OS X platform -- and Microsoft® Exchange Server, an enterprise server designed to meet the messaging and collaboration needs of small organizations and larger enterprises.

Microsoft's initial Exchange solution for Mac OS X will offer users of Entourage X a powerful set of tools to better communicate with others, manage personal information and keep track of busy schedules in a mixed PC and Mac work environment. Specifically, the Exchange support will meet the greatest demand of the enterprise customer, shared calendaring, which allows users to view other Exchange users' free and busy times for greater convenience when trying to schedule meetings or events. Additional updates include a directory service lookup feature allowing searching of global address lists, the ability to synchronize the Entourage X calendar and address book with the Exchange server for offline use, and improved text rendering in mail received from users of Outlook® for Windows®.

The most popular PIM on the Mac OS X platform, Entourage X seamlessly combines e-mail, calendar, address book and task capabilities into one program and will now offer a more robust Exchange client for corporate users. The solution will be available in English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish and Swedish in summer 2003 and will be compatible with versions of Exchange 2000 and higher. Outlook 2001 for Mac will continue to be the Exchange solution for users of Mac OS 9.

"The single most popular request we've heard since launching Office v. X is that our customers need an Exchange solution for Mac OS X, and we're ecstatic to begin satisfying that need through the most popular PIM on the Mac platform," said Tim McDonough, director of marketing and business development for the MacBU at Microsoft. "We recognize that many of our customers use Exchange for their server-side communications and need a solution that's made specifically for Mac OS X. By building the Exchange solution into Entourage X, we're giving users of Mac core Exchange functionality and cross-platform compatibility in an e-mail client designed to meet their needs."

The availability of Exchange functionality in Entourage X is one in a number of recent announcements made by the MacBU regarding its leading productivity suite, Office v. X. At the beginning of January, the MacBU announced the Entourage X stand-alone availability, Office Romance promotion and the Office v. X Test Drive preinstallation. The Entourage X stand-alone product is currently available in the United States for $99* (U.S.) and in Japan for 9,800* (JPY). The PIM is also available as part of the Microsoft Office v. X for Mac productivity suite.

About Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit

The Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft is a leading developer of software and online products for the Macintosh platform. With the largest Mac-focused development team outside Apple Computer, the MacBU comprises approximately 150 full-time Mac product experts. Committed to the Macintosh platform since 1997, the MacBU delivers award-winning products developed to meet the unique needs of Mac users. Current products include Microsoft Office v. X for Mac, a productivity suite that includes the e-mail application and personal information manager Entourage X, Word X, Excel X and PowerPoint® X; Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac; and MSN® Messenger Service 3.0 for Mac. More information about the MacBU and Microsoft Macintosh products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.

* Estimated retail price. Reseller prices may vary.

Microsoft, Entourage, Outlook, Windows, PowerPoint and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp.



hi ,

, .......

lets wait and see first , ....

have a nice day

[Panag]

Now available with SuperDrive, the eMac, Apple’s most affordable PowerPC G4-based system, comes complete with a 17-inch flat CRT display and a space-saving, all-in-one design that fits right in your home. Plus award-winning digital lifestyle applications and Mac OS X Jaguar, Apple’s innovative, rock-solid operating system.


Take it for a spin: see a QuickTime VR.


A drive to meet your ambitions
Pop in a DVD movie — made on your eMac — sit back and be entertained. The eMac now comes with your choice of the revolutionary SuperDrive or Combo DVD/CD-RW drive. Burn your iMovie and iPhoto projects to a DVD that plays in almost any consumer DVD player. Optical discs are also ideal for backup, because they offer enormous capacity in a small package that’s easy to store and that lasts a long time. DVDs — the kind you can burn on your new SuperDrive-equipped eMac — can store a mind-boggling 4.7GB of data — the equivalent of 3200 floppy disks or 7 CD-R disks. Plus, iTunes lets you burn mix CDs with either drive you choose.

Affordable G4 processing power
Among the reasons why the eMac is so popular is because it features a blazingly fast PowerPC G4 processor, and it’s Apple’s most affordable G4-based system.

The PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine is so fearsomely fast that its performance is measured in gigaflops, or billions of floating-point operations per second. The Velocity Engine uses the same 128-bit vector processing technology featured in scientific supercomputers — just what you need to accelerate intensive multimedia calculations, import audio files and create video transitions in iMovie. The bottom line is that the eMac G4 processor makes digital media creation faster — which in turn means that you can spend more time playing and creating and less time waiting.

17-inch flat CRT display
Not only will you do more (and faster) with the eMac, you’ll see more, too. The eMac sports a 17-inch (16-inch viewable) flat CRT display. The display offers nearly 40% more viewing area than a 15-inch CRT, so you’ll have almost 40% more workspace — perfect for viewing large images and multiple web pages and documents. Since the screen is flat (with less image distortion than curved CRTs), there’s less glare, making it easier on the eyes.

The eMac comes with five crisp screen resolutions. Setting the screen to a higher resolution means there’s more workspace for viewing large documents, two-page spreads and websites without having to waste time scrolling to see the rest of the document. Less scrolling means more time for working and playing.

All-in-one design
The eMac all-in-one design has some tremendous advantages. For instance, there aren’t a lot of extra cords, so setup is simple — and desktop clutter is kept to a minimum. And in addition to the stunning 17-inch display, the AirPort-ready eMac comes with a built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for high-speed Internet access, FireWire, USB and amazing stereo speakers — all in one compact computer that’s smaller than most stand-alone PC displays. The eMac design is about the same size as the 15-inch-CRT-based iMac — 8mm shorter, actually. And its body is made of polycarbonate plastic, the same material used to manufacture bulletproof glass.

Fastest way to the Internet
See how fast the eMac gets you on the Internet. It’s so easy to set up and use, you’ll be online and surfing the web in minutes, using the 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for broadband (including DSL and cable modems) or the built-in 56K modem, or an optional AirPort* Card (802.11b) for working with the web wirelessly. The Setup Assistant appears the first time your eMac is powered on, and automatically configures your system for your Internet service provider (ISP). All you need is an ethernet connection or phone line — the eMac comes complete with everything else.

*Wireless Internet access requires AirPort Base Station, AirPort Card and Internet access (fees may apply). Some Internet Service providers are not currently compatible with AirPort. Range may vary with site conditions.

hi ,

well at that price , you just cant let it go



have a nice day

[dojoboy]

Jaguar update (10.2.4) now available; under "Other Enhancements" is a notation referring to quartz rendering now being compatible w/ Sid Meier's Civ3.

[Panag]

Join developers from around the world to explore first-hand the next generation of technology innovations from Apple at Worldwide Developers Conference 2003, May 19-23 in San Jose, CA.
Whether you're a longtime Mac programmer or recent platform Switcher, an IT manager or commercial developer, content creator, Open Source coder, web manager, systems administrator or in-house developer, WWDC 2003 offers an expanded agenda that will help you make the most out of Apple's innovative technologies and the robust and flexible Mac OS X platform.

WWDC is your opportunity to meet fellow developers and benefit from the rapidly growing Mac OS X community, to network and learn the things you can only learn talking face-to-face with your peers and Apple's technical architects and engineers.






Conference Features
Come to WWDC 2003 and benefit from:

150+ hours of the latest information
Strategic overviews, in-depth technical sessions, hands-on labs, and feedback forums.


Comprehensive technology tracks
Apple Developer Tools, Application Frameworks, Core OS, Graphics and Imaging, Hardware, and added for 2003 are two NEW tracks: Enterprise IT and QuickTime — Develop, Produce, Deliver.


Interaction with peers and Apple staff
Apple Campus Bash, Internet Cafe, Birds of a Feather Lunch Groups, and Early Bird Sessions.


WWDC Exhibitor Fair
Expanded for 2003 to include tools for QuickTime developers


Apple Design Awards
Recognizing "best of breed" Mac OS X products


WWDC session videos
Access to all sessions after the conference, both online through ADC TV and on DVD ROM
WWDC 2003 Registration & Pricing
The early registration price is only US$ 1295! For pricing information, visit WWDC 2003 Registration & Pricing.

New to Mac OS X? Our Getting Started Bundle gets you everything you need — hardware, software, and training — all for the great price of US$ 1695!





Never attended a WWDC?
Check out what you've been missing by viewing sessions from from last year's conference. Log on to Apple Developer Connection Member Site and select any of the "WWDC 2002 Sampler" sessions from the "View ADC TV" menu.

Not an ADC member? Join as a free member to view the sessions today.

hi ,

more info at http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/

its about time we start to expand the MAC CIV lobby group , ......

have a nice day

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by dojoboy
Jaguar update (10.2.4) now available; under "Other Enhancements" is a notation referring to quartz rendering now being compatible w/ Sid Meier's Civ3.

Hmm ... so when will computers start shipping with 10.2.4 pre-installed instead of 10.2.3? And how will active Quartz rendering make Civ III better?

Gatekeeper

[Panag]

TITLE
Mac OS X: About the Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 107362
1/6/03
2/14/03


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOPIC
This software updates Mac OS X 10.2.3 to version 10.2.4.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSION
This information is available in:
Français | Deutsch | Español | Italiano | Nederlands | Svensk




Important: Read Before Installing


1. You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. This precautionary statement does not apply to the normal installation of application software.

2. To install Mac OS X 10.2.4, you must enter the password for an Admin account. The password cannot contain a space or special characters typed by pressing the Option key

If you need to change an Admin account password, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then choose View > Accounts. Select the account name and click Edit User. Type the current password and press Return, then type the new password in both text boxes. Click OK when you are done.

3. The installation process should not be interrupted. Monitor progress by clicking the Detailed Progress disclosure triangle. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Featured Software to install.


Installation

There are two ways to update to Mac OS X 10.2.4.

Automatic Software Update Installation

You may have been referred to this document by Automatic Software Update. For more information on this feature, see technical document 106704, "Mac OS X: How to Update Your Software".

Because some updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to use Software Update more than once to get all desired updates.

Standalone Installers

An installer is also available from Apple Featured Software (http://www.apple.com/swupdates/).

There are two versions of the update installer available:

Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update updates Mac OS X 10.2.3 to the new version. This document describes how to use this installer.

Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update (Combo) updates Mac OS X 10.2, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, or 10.2.3 to version 10.2.4. If you need to use the Combo installer, see technical document 107363, "Mac OS X: About the Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update (Combo)".


Enhancements

Enhancements delivered with this update include:

Digital Hub and Audio Enhancements

Further improves an enhancement introduced with Mac OS X 10.2.3, in which files and folders specific to Mac OS file systems are no longer copied to the disc when burning a CD.
Improves audio quality for FireWire audio devices.
Enhances support for mLAN devices.
Adds support for LaCie d2 48x12x48x disc burners.
Improves the way voice-activated applications work in Classic.
Addresses an issue in which audio may not be sampled when using some Mac OS 9 audio applications in the Classic environment.

Printing Enhancements

The Paper Size pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog now has submenus if the selected printer has several margin settings for a paper size.
Includes software for Brother printers that work with Rendezvous.
Addresses a potential security issues with the CUPS printing software; for more information see technical document 61798 "Apple Security Updates."
The Shared Printers list now appears by default in the "Format for:" pop-up menu in Page Setup dialog boxes.


Networking, Modem, and Internet-Related Enhancements

You may turn on or off the ability to log into AFP servers using an Admin account password.
Allows for use of a hardware Ethernet address with the ifconfig command in Terminal.
Improves results when copying large files (4 GB or larger) to a Windows file sharing (SMB) server.
Addresses an issue in which connecting to an AFP or other server could cause a Finder window to open displaying the contents of the Volumes directory, instead of the target volume.
Addresses an issue in which the Web browser selection could unexpectedly change to a different browser after updating your default browser.
Addresses a potential kernel panic situation when receiving a phone call on the same line that connects a DSL modem to the Internet.
Includes sendmail version 8.12.6; for more information see technical document 61798 "Apple Security Updates."
Dialing with the modem sound turned on produces sound on a portable computer.
Rendezvous-enabled computers that have personal web sharing turned on appear in the Safari Rendezvous bookmark collection.


Address Book and Mail Enhancements

Addresses a situation in which an application making use of Address Book could unexpectedly quit when certain text is deleted from the Show People search box.
For German-localizations: addresses an issue in which sent messages in Mail may be deleted even if the "Delete sent mail when" preference setting is Never, except for sent messages transferred to a different mailbox.
Address Book remains open after closing all of its windows.
Address Book edit mode now includes an Undo feature.
Resolves an issue that could occur when quitting Address Book after creating a new group.
Improves Address Book formatting for Irish and Japanese addresses.


Finder Enhancements

Addresses an issue that could occur when dropping items near the far left or top of the desktop in which existing item icons are "pushed away" from the dropped items.
Resolves a situation in which the Finder could become temporarily unresponsive after closing a Get Info window.
Improves behavior when pasting a custom icon over an existing custom icon.
Dragging an alias from the preview column to the Trash no longer deletes the original item.
Improves wording in the progress indicator window when copying a large file to an iDisk or WebDAV volume ("5 seconds remaining" could previously for much longer than five seconds).

Other Enhancements

The Traditional Chinese Input Method now includes Hanin; using Hanin with either Zhuyinfuhao or Pinyin results in significantly more accurate typing.
Reduces issues that could be caused by a damaged font within the Fonts folder of the System Folder used by the Classic environment, even if Classic is not running.
Sherlock allows for typed selection of search results.
Addresses an issue that could lead to a kernel panic when logging out.
Addresses some situations in which Apple System Profiler 3.0 may unexpectedly quit.
Addresses an issue in which the computer may not sleep when idle after disconnecting a FireWire or USB device.
Selecting several items in a dialog list by Shift-clicking now works better in some Mac OS X (Carbon) applications.
Turning on Folder Actions no longer results in increasing amounts of disk space being used.
The Classic environment no longer draws the Mac OS 9 desktop picture on both monitors if you are using Display preferences to arrange your displays while Classic is starting.
Addresses an issue in which the Classic environment could unexpectedly stop on a portable computer while the computer is in sleep mode and certain USB devices are attached.
Resolves an issue in which System Preferences could unexpectedly quit if the Speech preference pane was open, Speakable Items was on, and sound was detected by the microphone.
Improves compatibility with Firaxis Civilization III when the application's "Quartz text rendering" option is selected.
The computer sleeps as expected if certain Ethernet cards are installed but the network port configuration is turned off in Network preferences.
Addresses an issue with Disk Utility (10.3 v88.11), that could result in some disk repair utilities inaccurately finding issues with the "HFS wrapper" of a newly-formatted disk; the issue would not cause data loss.
For Swedish-localizations, addresses an issue in which some advanced calculator conversions could result in zero.


hi ,

front civ 3 page ; with a link to http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107362

version "four" seems to do it rather perfect

have a nice day

[Panag]

TITLE
Mac OS X: How to Update Your Software Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 106704
1/31/02
2/20/02


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOPIC
This document explains how to use the Software Update pane of System Preferences to update your software.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSION
Periodically, Apple releases updates to your computer's software. Using the Software Update feature of System Preferences, you can get updates immediately or schedule when Mac OS X checks for updates. Because some updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to use Software Update more than once to get all desired updates.

Update now

To get updates immediately, follow these steps:


1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple Menu.
2. Choose Software Update from the View menu.
3. Click Update Now.
4. In the Software Update window, select the items you want to install, then click Install.
5. Enter an Admin user name and password.
6. After the update is complete, restart the computer if necessary.
7. Repeat these steps to see if more updates are revealed. Because some software updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to repeat these steps several times to complete the software update sequence, which is described in technical document 106713: "Mac OS X: Chart of Available Software Updates"
8. Optional: Make software you do not need "inactive." You will most likely encounter some updates that you do not need, such as support for languages that you do not speak. When you choose not to install an update, you will still see it each time you use Software Update. If you want to hide those, see technical document 106705: "Mac OS X: Making a Software Update Item Inactive or Active"

Schedule an update

Software Update opens and looks for updates immediately after you log in to your computer on the scheduled day, assuming that you are connected to the Internet. You can set this to happen daily, weekly, monthly, or not at all. Follow these steps to set a schedule:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple Menu.
2. Choose Software Update from the View menu.
3. Click the radio button for Automatically.
Note: If you do not want scheduled updates, click the radio button for Manually, then skip to Step 5.
4. Choose the interval you prefer (daily, weekly, or monthly) from the Check for Updates pop-up menu.
5. Close the System Preferences window.

[Panag]

Nederlands | Deutsch | français | Italiano | Español | Svensk




Title/Languages Available Posted Download (EN-NA)
Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update
Z 2003-02-13 40.6 MB
Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update (Combo)
Z 2003-02-13 76 MB
Final Cut Express 1.0.1 for Mac OS X
EN-NA 2003-02-12 12.2 MB
iPhoto 2.0 for Mac OS X
Z 2003-01-31 32.1 MB
iMovie 3.0.1 for Mac OS X
Z 2003-01-31 81.8 MB
Safari Public Beta
Z 2003-02-12 2.9 MB
iCal 1.0.2 for Mac OS X
Z 2003-01-05 11 MB
iSync 1.0 for Mac OS X
Z 2003-01-02 5 MB
Admin Tool Update 10.2.3 for Mac OS X
EN-Z, FR, DE, JA 2003-01-06 6.2 MB
Mac OS X Server Update 10.2.3 (Combo)
EN, FR, DE, JA 2002-12-19 78.7 MB
Final Cut Pro 3.0.4 for Mac OS X
EN 2002-12-05 35 MB
Mac OS X Server Update 10.2.3
EN, FR, DE, JA 2002-12-19 59.4 MB
DVD Studio Pro 1.5.2 for Mac OS X
EN 2002-12-05 5 MB
Power Mac G4 Firmware Update 4.4.8
EN 2002-11-26 1.2 MB
PowerMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS X
Z 2002-11-8 2.7 MB
iMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS X
Z 2002-10-23 1.2 MB
PowerMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS 9
EN-Z 2002-12-05 2.5 MB
iMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS 9
EN-Z 2002-11-26 1.5 MB
iPod Software 1.2.1 Updater for Mac OS X
Z 2002-10-02 5.1 MB
AirPort 2.1.1 for Mac OS X 10.2
Z 2002-10-02 [ 3.6 MB ]
AirPort 2.0.5 for Mac OS X 10.1.5
Z 2002-10-07 [ 3.6 MB ]
AirPort 4.0.7 Firmware for Mac OS X
Z 2002-10-08 [ 728 KB ]
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Recent Downloads
See a list of the most recently posted updates (approximately five weeks) available for downloading.
Language Codes Explained
See a list of Language Codes used on this page and in other software download documents.

Automatic Software Update
Most of the updates available for downloading are also available through the Mac OS Software Update feature.

Older Software Downloads
Software updates for earlier versions of Mac OS and Apple hardware are available by browsing the Downloads Web site. You can look at the Older Software Downloads page for a list of all software released prior to 1998-01-01.

Software Download Help
Help on issues related to downloading software from this site is available in the technical document titled "Common Error Messages When Downloading Files".

Help with the Knowledge Base itself is available in the Knowledge Base Help.


hi ,

www.info.apple.com/support/downloads.html

dont forget to update now , .....

have a nice updated day

[Gatekeeper]

Zones out half-way through ...

[Panag]

a review from PC magazine ;



Product: Apple PowerBook G4 12-Inch
List price: $2,098
Specs: 867-MHz Power PC, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, DVD-R/CD-RW drive, 12.1-inch display (1,024 by 768 pixels), GeForce4 420 Go graphics, 802.11g (draft spec) wireless, Bluetooth, wired Ethernet
Company Info: Apple Computer Inc., 408-996-1010, www.apple.com



Road warriors whose needs center on images, music, and video should pay close attention to the $2,098 (list) Apple PowerBook G4 12-Inch, the smallest PowerBook yet. This PowerBook has no significant drawbacks despite its small size, and its multimedia capabilities are just about the best you can expect from a small notebook.

Inside the 1.2-by-10.9-by-8.6-inch (HWD) anodized aluminum case, Apple has fitted a slot-loading DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive, a full-size keyboard, a 12.1-inch, 1,024-by-768 display, an 867-MHz PowerPC processor, an nVidia GeForce4 420 Go graphics processor, and a 40GB hard drive. All this comes in a 4.6-pound package (5.1 pounds road weight with transformer).

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard, and our test unit came with optional 54-Mbps wireless Ethernet that is aimed at compliance with the upcoming 802.11g specification. All I/O jacks are along the left side: modem, Ethernet, one FireWire, two USB, proprietary video-out, headphone, and microphone.


You don't get a PC Card slot or a dedicated SD card slot (both handy for off-loading photos or filling up your MP3 player), or USB 2.0 (Apple users prefer FireWire, the company says). To drive an external display, you must attach either a monitor dongle or a TV (composite and S-Video) dongle. That's an annoying drawback if you plan to use the system as a presentation machine.

The system has three integrated speakers. In a rare burst of honesty for a notebook maker, Apple says the third speaker boosts the midrange; other makers flirt with the laws of acoustics and claim their tiny third speakers are subwoofers.

Fit and finish are first-rate. Apple's design delights the senses. Most appealing is the nearly seamless case and clean underside, unmarred by the serial number-voltage/world approvals and Windows-inside stickers that afflict PC notebooks. Some design elements bump up the cost, though.

One cost-adder is the cute yet too-clever-by-half 0.5-pound transformer that comes with pop-out hooks for coiling the 6-foot cord (useful); a power tip that glows yellow when charging, then green (intuitive and unlikely to be confused with other lights on your notebook); and a complex, proprietary 6-foot extender cord that requires you to remove, then carefully set aside the transformer's wall-plug prongs when you connect the extension. This is clearly overkill, since a $3 extension cord would work just as well, but it wouldn't have Apple's beautiful glossy white coloration. If you're proud to own an Apple, you'll love the backlit logo on the back of the lid; some will note you just paid two grand and change to do free advertising.

In use, the PowerBook delivers the goods. The keyboard feels great. The included, mostly well-integrated iLife multimedia applications continue to be a step ahead of their PC competitors. Sure, Windows XP downloads and views photos automatically, but only iPhoto variably resizes your thumbnails. iMovie has a new feature colloquially called the Ken Burns effect, named after the PBS documentarist who created "movies" by panning around and zooming in on still images of the Civil War.


iDVD creates DVDs easily. (The middling video score on our multimedia ratings reflects the system's 40GB drive and 12-inch display rather than any shortcoming with iMovie.) Microsoft Office is included, but only a trial version. As expected, the PowerBook reads data effortlessly from USB memory keys and PC-created CDs.

Speed comparisons are difficult with Macs because they don't run our usual suite of benchmark tests, but we believe you'll find performance to be more than adequate. On Photoshop tests, the PowerBook outran a desktop 733-MHz Power Mac G4 (which includes Apple's L3 cache, a feature that is not in the portable). Running informal battery tests with the system at nearly full power, we got 2 hours 55 minutes from the 0.7-pound lithium ion battery pack.

If your life is all play—movies, music, videos—or if your work involves the things others only play at, the Apple G4 12-Inch is as good as it gets in less than 5 pounds. And for mainstream e-mail, Web browsing, or word processing, you'll find the G4 as capable as any Windows notebook.

hi ,

and this baby rocks

have a nice day

[FlameFlash]

any word on when MOO3 launches for Mac?

[Panag]

Originally posted by FlameFlash
any word on when MOO3 launches for Mac?

hi ,

the best place to find anything for mac games ; www.apple.com/games/


have fun

have a nice MAC day

[Panag]

hi ,

more MAC and MOO3 info at the following ;

www.insidemacgames.com and www.moo3quicksilver.com

have a nice day

[Panag]

MIKE WENDLAND: At 12 inches, new Apple laptop goes a long way

February 18, 2003

BY MIKE WENDLAND
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

My new 12-inch Apple PowerBook G4 is one hot laptop -- literally.

Blame it on the slick, slim anodized aluminum case, which noticeably warms up when the machine has been in use for a half-hour or so. One of the posters on my Mac blog (www.mac-mike.com) said he measured the heat from a 12-inch PowerBook that had been on for seven hours in a retail display and recorded 84 degrees.

Another reason for the warmth: The 12-inch PowerBook doesn't have a built-in fan. But, I think the resulting silence that provides more than makes up for the heat issue.

Declaring 2003 the Year of the Laptop, Apple's Steve Jobs introduced the 12-inch model -- Apple's smallest -- last month, along with a 17-inch version, the largest. Both computers are less than an inch thick.

Starting at $3,299, the 17-incher is expected to appear in Apple stores later this month. The 12-inch machine is already shipping.

Overall, the 12-inch PowerBook G4 is the finest laptop I've ever used. I like it so much that I bought it.

The price starts at $1,799. For that, you get an 867 megahertz processor; 256 megabytes of memory; a 40-gigabyte hard drive; a slot-loading combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW); built-in wireless Bluetooth capabilities to connect to mobile phones, handhelds and printers, and a claimed five-hour battery life.

I get more like three hours from the battery. But I also use Apple's new Airport Extreme wireless networking that connects me to the Internet and the other computers -- Macs and PCs -- in my home network system. The always-on radio transmitter and receiver that maintains the Wi-Fi connection is the reason my battery drains faster.

The new PowerBooks use the faster 802.11g wireless protocol, which moves data at up to 54 megabits per second, compared with the 11 mbps speeds of the older 802.11b Wi-Fi standard.

For business and power users -- who move a lot of files around on the Wi-Fi network -- Airport Extreme's capabilities will be very welcome.

I chose to have my PowerBook installed with Apple's SuperDrive, instead of the standard combo. For $200 more, the SuperDrive records and plays back CDs and DVDs, something unheard of in a super lightweight laptop. There's also a built-in 56k telephone modem and an ethernet connection for hard-wired networks.

What won me over is the size. I want something easy to carry and full-featured but I don't need another desktop. That's what the 17-incher seems to be, a desktop replacement. The 12-incher measures 10.9 inches wide, 8.6 inches deep, 1.18 inches thin. Even the square, one-piece AC power adapter is small.

While the 12-inch unit is near perfect for my needs, there are some things Apple could do to improve it. It can't take more than 640MB of memory and there's no L3 memory cache, a more efficient memory feature standard on many laptops. There's no PC card slot, either. But those are not, in my view, major shortcomings.

About the only thing I'm disappointed with is that the 12-incher doesn't have the lighted keyboard feature. That would be as cool as the 12-incher is hot.


Contact MIKE WENDLAND at 313-222-8861 or mwendland@freepress.com.


hi ,

, some comments on the article , .... the heat , well if you leave in the middle of the winter ( or summer ) behind glass when the sun is out and doing its job a piece of black plastic its normal that after a couple hours its going to be hot , ..... the same in those display cases with xenon lamps , .....

a 17 inch was left running for 6 hours and the temp ; 19 degrees celsius , .....

so what did they do with that comp , ......


the woman really love the 12 inch , its small and handy on top of that it fits in a large handbag , .....

have a nice MAC day

[Panag]

By Bija Gutoff
The Video Art Works studio is lodged in a picturesque converted 1880 water-powered mill in Sandy Hook, CT (population: 700). But there’s nothing old fashioned about the productions of owners Bill and Marleen Cafarelli. They use DVD Studio Pro and other software and hardware to craft DVDs that keep them booked for 40 weddings a year.

Clients are lining up because of their DVD artistry and because, as Bill puts it, “VHS is dead. Two years ago, we had three clients who asked about DVD. This year, it was every single person who came in the door — and we’re including it in all our packages.”

“For a television show like Dateline,” adds Bill, “it may take 40 people two months to make a 15-minute piece. Marleen and I can make a 1 3/4-hour DVD movie that we shoot and edit and author all by ourselves. DVD Studio Pro has leapfrogged us way ahead of our competition. It’s a very powerful application that lets us produce work as good as what you can rent at Blockbuster. That’s why people come to us.”



They come to Bill and Marleen for award-winning wedding DVDs that do more than preserve the memorable day of bride and groom. These seasoned pros create elegant movies that their clients treasure as family time capsules — and that their industry recognizes as harbingers of what the medium, with the right tools in the right hands, can accomplish.

In Love With Video
Bill and Marleen have stayed in the front of the field for 15 years. But they slipped in, you could say, through the back door. As a commercial pilot, Bill was comfortable with technology. But it was Marleen, a flight attendant, who discovered video. “I had a huge interest in photography,” she says. “I traveled all over the world taking pictures and did all my own developing.” After a single two-hour class in videography, “it was an instant love.” Soon she was videotaping houses for realtors. And when her sister’s request for a wedding video led to a rush of new jobs, Bill grabbed a camera and began shooting, too.

A Video Art Works DVD usually opens with a one-minute trailer edited to fast music. It then covers the day itself, from the chaos of preparations to the ceremony, photo sessions, reception and dancing. To these signal moments, Bill and Marleen add photo montages, music and other video segments.
Photos by Gille Rousseau

Mixing Stills, Video & Motion Menus
“What makes DVD Studio Pro such a cool program,” says Bill, “is that it lets us combine multiple still images, video and menus that incorporate motion in one very easy-to-compose system.” When they do a two-camera event, they edit to achieve a true movie effect that intercuts actions and reactions. “We’ll have bride and groom dancing to the first song,” says Bill, “then cut to people crying as they watch.”

You could, of course, just play their richly layered DVD movie straight through. But, as Bill says, “with DVD Studio Pro, we can do so much more. I import all the video and still frames and music, then I build a menu structure that’s unique to each wedding. The program lets us create chapters, so you can jump to the bride getting ready or the vows.”

Each chapter has normal, mouse-over and activated states, so you see when its status changes. Bill likes to match chapter titles to the color of the bride’s flowers. And he’ll insert action — like a 10-second movie of the groom placing the ring on the bride’s finger — to show that a chapter is launched.

Wearing Lots of Hats
These features take Video Art Works productions to a sophisticated level. “You know, we’re just the local videographers in this little Connecticut town,” says Marleen. “In a small business, you wear a lot of hats. Of course we shoot and edit and author the DVDs — but we also write and design brochures, answer the mail and take out the garbage.”

Adds Bill, “If these Apple tools like DVD Studio Pro and Final Cut Pro were not so easy to use and so well integrated, it would be almost impossible for two normal people out here in videoland to do all these things. That’s the biggest reason we use the products: we don’t need a staff or expensive technical support… we can do it all ourselves.”

Next page: A roomful of hardware ;

Four Power Mac G4s
The quaint Video Art Works studio packs a load of computer hardware. Bill and Marleen use four dual-processor Power Mac G4s, each fully loaded with 1.5 GB of RAM, four 120 GB hard drives and built-in DVD burners. There’s a PowerBook G4 and some older Mac models. Two machines are running Mac OS X. Three external FireWire 120 GB hard drives back up and move projects from one machine to the next. They also have Epson 2450 and 1200 scanners, Hewlett-Packard laserjet and deskjet printers, and, for photos, a Canon S800 deskjet printer.

Equally well-stocked on the software side, they use Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express for editing, compositing and complicated multi-layer imaging. DVD Studio Pro is the tool of choice for authoring menus and assembling the finished product. They use Adobe Photoshop for titling and photo montages, and Adobe Premiere for non-linear editing and third-party special effect plug-ins like snow and rain.



To keep their fingers flying, Bill turns to his Wacom drawing tablet while Marleen has modified her Power Mac G4 keyboard with Final Cut keycaps. They have a host of video equipment, including Sony DSR 300L and DSR 250 high-end three-chip DV-camcorders, four Sony DSR-30 decks wired into the Power Mac G4s with FireWire for camera-to-computer input and output, and various lights, tripods and wireless microphones.

Artistic DVDs
As the availability of advanced tools like DVD Studio Pro pushes the boundaries of what people like Bill and Marleen can do, event videography is earning new stature. “It has taken a while,” reflects Bill, “but people are beginning to view our DVD work with the respect they show professional photographers and musicians, who are considered artists.”

Bill is a vocal advocate for DVD at shows and conferences. “The most important thing people in our industry can do,” he says, “is learn to author and produce DVDs and keep up with the trends of the electronics industry, so they can deliver what consumers want.” In his view, the superiority of the medium is self-evident. “With DVD, you’re not limited to the length of a CD or the small hard drive in a laptop. You can throw a 4.7GB disc in your machine and play two hours of gorgeous video with audio, charts, graphs, photos and menus that jump. It’s a blast.” As the self-confessed nerd of the pair, Bill is always ready to try new features. “DVD Studio Pro is so powerful, there are whole areas I haven’t even explored yet,” he admits. But he likes its simplicity as much as its power. “DVD Studio Pro is a marvelous program to use because it’s so easy. When I first opened the box, I learned it in 45 minutes. The display makes sense, and it’s elegant and fast. But when I realized its possibilities — to make chapters and jump between cool menus and video segments — I was dumbfounded.”

He especially appreciates the menu system. “The way you can import a single Photoshop document with all the pieces you need for the menus you’re going to create in DVD Studio Pro, that’s just phenomenal.”


hi ,

with the price of an empty DVD from HP now below 2 USD or EURO , you just cant say "no" , ......

but still there is one drawback , ...... most companies sell single sided DVD's and single sided burners and readers , ...... so the space on the back is lost , .....
however that is to be changing at a very slow rate , ....

have a nice day



Rivaling Hollywood
Marleen sums it up this way: “DVD Studio Pro gives us the ability to create a most incredible wedding DVD that rivals anything Hollywood can do.” “One year ago,” adds Bill, “you couldn’t get the features to do this on any program a normal person could buy or use — only hard-core Hollywood programmers had access to them. Now, Apple has made this product available to people like us… and our clients’ mouths are dropping when they see what we can do.”

People are dazzled by the cherished keepsakes born from this marriage of artistry and technology. One client called his daughter’s wedding DVD the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. “He saw it as a time capsule,” Bill explains, “of all the people who are so important to them, with their expressions and voices and gestures, for years and generations to come.”

[Panag]

While weddings take place in a single day, Bill and Marleen spend months creating their DVD of the event. After the event, couples send in supplemental materials like printed invitations, favorite songs and family photos and videos. “When it’s all collected, we spend about two days just looking at everything,” says Marleen.

“Then we begin to develop the story we’re going to tell, using a spreadsheet with edit decisions, time codes, scene descriptions,” adds Bill. “We use Final Cut Pro to capture everything in the computer, label and organize it, build the story, and edit to a final length. I insert chapter marks for all the menus I’m going to build in DVD Studio Pro.

When I’m happy with it, I click to make a standalone QuickTime movie, then I convert the file to the MPEG2 format. Next, I import all the media and menu content into DVD Studio Pro. To put together the menus, I start with a template and then I customize it.”

Bill does all authoring — creating buttons, assembling images and video segments, and so on — in DVD Studio Pro, and says this part of the work goes very fast.

[Panag]

By Stephanie Jorgl
NEW YORK CITY — Harvestworks brings together audio, video and interactive artists, providing technological access and education to creative minds. The non-profit organization plays host to 15 Artists in Residence and gives production services to an additional 360. The total number of artists who use its facilities — including for classes — is 600.

Harvestworks offers classes in synth-building, MAX/MSP, Jitter, Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, and grants studio time to artists who have a vision they want to make into reality. And one of the most popular of newer classes is the one teaching DVD Studio Pro.

DVD Studio Pro Installations
“Artists are doing DVDs with DVD Studio Pro to facilitate their art installations,” says director Carol Parkinson. “They aren’t necessarily even authoring very dense projects with it, but they’re looping, they’re adding, they’re enhancing their own work. And what’s of interest to them is the durability and the ease of use in the gallery’s installation settings.

“It’s really changed the installation artists’ equipment needs. And the gallery can handle it too, it’s very easy, so it’s very popular,” she adds.

“At Harvestworks, we keep on top of the technology, and make sure the artists know about it and have access to it. We are very interested in becoming a point place to explore interactive technology,” says Parkinson. “We even do a Max night school. It’s an investigation — we want to see some results in this area.

“The surround thing is exciting and DVD is exciting,” says Parkinson. “Our job is to make that exciting technology accessible to the artists and to get them in here to use it and do things with it. And there are more people wanting to learn DVD surround now because of DVD Studio Pro.”

Harvestworks has been around for 25 years. Throughout its history, the artistic hub has stayed on the cutting edge of technology, teaching sound synthesis, interactive programming and instrument building, and exposing artists to new technologies.

Harvestworks has relied on Macs since its inception, and currently its five core staff and 20 freelance instructors and editors use 15 Power Macs to inspire artists to push the limits of technology.


The Studio at Harvestworks. Artists and students get access to everything from Macs to ProTools HD.

Moog Approved
“They’ve gone from being a place where you could borrow a modular synthesizer, to being a place where you can use the latest digital stuff. It’s evolved. It’s not a big organization, but what they do is very useful,” explains the genius inventor of the Moog synthesizer, Bob Moog, who has been on the advisory board for Harvestworks since its inception.

“They have classes and they support artists who couldn’t expect to get support from the commercial side of things. I think that’s part of what makes New York a really great city — that we have things like Harvestworks.


Tech & Arts Director. Carol Parkinson encourages others to push the creative envelope forward with technology.

“In New York, with organizations like Harvestworks, there’s a great support network for experimental musicians doing something for which there is a small audience,” he adds. “But that small audience is the kind of audience that then incubates ideas that become more important culturally.

“Thirty years ago, you had to have a Synthi 100, and there were limited numbers of them. Today it isn’t like that,” he says. “It’s very democratic today. Talent has always been the scarce commodity. The talent and the tradition of Harvestworks is what’s important.”



Teaching Interface Design
“Being here in New York and in the downtown arts community, I think the public-access synthesizer studio was also very open to anyone coming through the door, if they were interested in the technology,” says Parkinson. “You could rent a Buchla for $5 per hour. We held classes where you could build synthesizers. Since 1996, we’ve taught interface design using Max.”

Parkinson, an engineer at heart, has dedicated herself to teaching others to reach for the newest, most cutting-edge tools to expand and develop their projects. As technology evolved, Parkinson has done everything at Harvestworks, from bookkeeping and teaching to soldering circuit boards and building her own instruments.

Possibilities for Performance
“We usually offer things before the community says they need it, because we know it’s good,” says Parkinson. “We really know that surround sound and DVD will enhance electronic music. If you look at the PowerBook concerts phenomenon, you realize that sonically, surround sound will take that electronic music and blow the audience away. Then with interactivity, you have a whole new interest in performance because now you can really develop an interactive system.

“I have a trombonist who is developing a little circuit board with sensors so she can get out of her chair, get rid of the stomp boxes in front of her, and start moving around and relating to the audience really quickly,” she says. “She doesn’t want the technology to get in the way of her response and her ability to communicate with the audience. So, there’s a lot of room for experimenting and for instrument modification — a lot of help for the concert stage.”


Next page: The Harvestworks web site ;


Classes in Sensor Building
This is the second year that Harvestworks has offered a class in sensor building. The students get a kit, they breadboard, test, program and download their program to the circuit board.

“They actually develop a working interface, but they still may need help,” says Parkinson. “In the residency program, we have a funder who is interested in research and development of music performance systems. And we’ve been working with them for the past four years.

“So, that’s created a base of composers with knowledge of where they want to go. Now it’s time to get those artists and composers to do the programming,” she says. “So, we hope we can widen the base of the people who are doing this kind of thing.”

Harvestworks Online Gallery
Harvestworks maintains a database of musical works, Composer Contact. Musicians represented come primarily from its artists-in-residence program. The site features more than 100 works from 60 artists in genres including new music, jazz, classical, popular and ambient.

“These are professional composers who are working in the field,” says Parkinson. “They may be working on the edge, they may be using extended vocals or extending their instrument. But some of them are not so experimental. By reading the information on the website, you can get an idea of who you’re going to be working with, you can listen to their music and you can contact them directly.

“For visual artists, we have a section of the site called ‘Visual Contact.’ Those artists are mostly video and installation artists, and their works are viewable in the form of QuickTime samples, that are streamed from a Mac server running Mac OS X, ” she says. The Creative Contact Internet database was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and the New York State Council on the Arts.


Tellus Tools. Showing off the talent of Harvestworks artists.

The TELLUS Collection
The organization also publishes TELLUS, an audio media magazine and CD compilation that profiles and provides samples of Harvestworks artist work. “Our most recent release is TELLUS Tools, a double 12-inch vinyl record in a special edition of 500 sets," says Parkinson. "Twenty five copies of the edition are sold with an original print by conceptual sound artist Christian Marclay.”

The TELLUSTools LP is packaged in a gatefold cover designed by Marclay. The vinyl compilation contains sound art works by Nicolas Collins, Kiki Smith, Catherine Jauniaux & Ikue Mori, Joe Jones, Alison Knowles, Louise Lawler, Kohondo Style, Ken Montgomery, Christian Marclay, Isaac Jackson and the Bonus Break Artists.

All of these works were previously published on TELLUS, the Audio Cassette Magazine, which documented the development of audio art from 1983-1996. Excerpts from the sound works are available online.

“Even though money is hard to come by these days, now is an exciting time, especially with the interactive stuff,” says Parkinson. “The more we can get artists programming their own technology, it makes it more personal, and it makes them develop it for themselves. It’s an exciting time to be doing this.”




Artists Have Their Say
“Harvestworks is the BEST,” says Andrea Polli, visual/audio/interactive artists and associate professor for film and media at Hunter College. “They are consistently five steps ahead in terms of technology for sound and new media art. They have to be, to provide resources to artists on the cutting edge of the field.

“My first experience with Harvestworks was in a production residency where I worked with sound engineer Leslie Lavalanet,” says Polli. “We were trying to mix the very organic sounds of experimental vocalist Carol Genetti with very digital sounds coming from my PowerBook. Somehow Leslie worked some magic in ProTools and created an incredible mix of our two very diverse voices.

“Without Harvestworks, I would never have been able to produce the professional-quality recordings of my work that have been played all over the world,” she adds.

Polli had the opportunity to work with sound and new media artist Taketo Shimada on the creation of a web interface presenting video of some of her live performances for the Harvestworks Creative Contact site. “The Creative Contact site is a fantastic resource for artists to show their work and also to find out about the other work out there,” says Polli. “Taketo is a genius with Flash and in half a day had put together the perfect interface to showcase my work.”

Recreating a Storm
Polli is currently working on “Atmospherics/Weather Works” with meteorological scientist Dr. Glenn Van Knowe. He and his firm MESO have recreated several storms that occurred in the New York area using a realistic atmospheric modeling system.

“I’m taking that data and re-creating the storms in sound using my PowerBook, ProTools and Cycling ’74’s Max/MSP,” explains Polli. “I’m really excited because the premiere presentation of this work will be in 3D, in a space in New York designed for spatialized sound, Engine 27.”

Visitors to the exhibit will be able to experience the movement and flow of the storms all around them through a 16-channel sound system.

Harvestworks Nutured
“I’ve been using Harvestworks as my recording studio for almost 20 years,” says Ellen Zweig, filmmaker, composer and performance artist. “When I first went there in the 1980s, it was entirely run by women and the engineers were all women. I worked with Connie Kieltyka and Brenda Hutchinson. This whole thing was mind-blowing for me.

“I had a lot of experience, as a performance artist, working with engineers who thought that they knew how to do the live mix better than the artist,” she says. “They screwed up quite a few of my performances. So I was thrilled to work with these competent and creative women who respected me. And wow did they have ears!

The Film Fest Circuit
Zweig is now working on a series of short videotapes, “HEAP,” experimental portraits of Westerners who have some relationship to China, including a piece she just showed at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, called “(tongue tongue stone) G. W. Leibnitz.”

“Right now I’m working on another film about Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat who was also a scholar — best known for his mystery books about Judge Dee, a magistrate in ancient China,” says Zweig.

The tape will have footage from China, the Netherlands and a scene shot in the Staten Island Chinese Scholar’s Garden with an American learning to perform a Peking opera character.

From Adobe to Final Cut Pro
“I started out working with Adobe Premiere, which was a good program in its way, but I prefer Final Cut Pro,” says Zweig. “It works in an intelligent way to give you a video-editing system that recreates — in a way — the system we used to use with analog. So, it’s comfortable to use, mostly logical and fairly quick to learn.

“I’ve always used Macs — I’m one of those loyal Mac people. I started using a Mac for writing and email, but having a whole video studio on the desktop has changed my life,” says Zweig. “I was making large-scale, expensive installations. When the funding dried up, I just sat down at my computer. First, I wrote a novel. Then, I started making video.”

She uses a Power Mac with a 17-inch display, running Final Cut Pro. “For the sound on my videos, I’ve been working with Ron MacLeod who is incredible,” says Zweig.


hi ,

soon we shall be able to make games like CIV and PTW ourselves , ........ soon

have a nice day