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Mac Facts you Might Not Know

Here are some interesting MacFacts from MacTech Magazine

More Enterprise Macs
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74% of enterprises with Macs plan to add more, according to Enterprise Desktop Alliance survey (3/10/09). Less than 2% expect to reduce the number of Macs. The survey also shows that productivity gains and employee preference are the primary drivers of enterprises adopting Macs. Complete findings can be found at: http://enterprisedesktopalliance.com/survey_results.html.

Smart Phones
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The Apple share of the smart phone market doubled from 5.2% in 2007 to 10.7% by the end of 2008. This equates to 4.1 millions iPhones sold last year. Most of this gain was at the expense of Nokia, who lost 10% market share.

Mobile Browsers
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Apple's iPhone, which only accounts for .5% of all cell phones, holds 66.6% of the smart phone browser market share according to Net Applications research. Also, the iPhone generates 51% of all current US mobile Internet browsing traffic.

Magazine Births Growing, Drastically Outpacing Closures
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In 2008, 715 new magazines were launched in the US (frequency of 4x or more). This compares to 713 in 2007. And, contrary to what some think, this 2008 number of births outnumbered magazine closures 20:1.

Advertising Medium
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In a wide-ranging survey of more than 2,000 Americans aged 14 to 75, consulting firm Deloitte found that TV is still king in the ad world, followed by magazines and the Internet, which tied for second. Among those people who look at magazines, 50% more (60% overall) pay greater attention to ads in the publications than on the Web. (InformationWeek, 12/31/08)

New Web Banners
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The Online Publishers Assn. announced on Feb 10, 2009 released several new in-your-face advertising formats designed to be more obtrusive and interactive. The three new types of ads are the "fixed panel" which looks like part of the page but scrolls up and down as a user does; the "XXL box," in which users can turn pages within the ad; and the "pushdown," which opens to display a larger ad. "Studies show we ignore banner ads," said Jose Castillo, a new media consultant. "Making them bigger and more intrusive won't work. We will tune those out a well." (LA Times, 3/11/09)

Marketing in a Recession
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It's well known that marketing in a recession is a proven way to gain share at the expense of rivals. And now it appears that IBM will adopt that strategy. This is from CEO Sam Palmisano's letter to shareholders:

    Many companies are reacting to the current global downturn
    by drastically curtailing spending and investment, even in
    areas that are important to their future. We are taking a
    different approach. Of course, we must continue to improve
    our competitiveness. But while we maintain discipline and
    prudence in the near term, we also maintain the discipline
    to plan for the future. We're not looking back, we're
    looking ahead. We're continuing to invest in R&D, in
    strategic acquisitions, in growth initiatives--and most
    importantly, during these difficult times, in our people. In
    other words, we will not simply ride out the storm. Rather,
    we will take a long-term view, and go on offense.

This is in line with past research on marketing during a recession.  Those that maintain or increase advertising during a recession see long term benefits as you would expect, but also see shorter term benefits.

.Mac becomes Mobileme

MobileMe is a new Internet service from Apple that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from a secure Internet server, or "cloud," to all the devices you use: your iPhone, iPod touch, as well as Mac and PC computers. This data is accessible anywhere and automatically ensures that you get identical email, contacts, and calendars, no matter which device you use.
MobileMe also provides a suite of ad-free web applications that deliver a desktop-like experience through any modern browser. MobileMe applications at me.com include Mail, Contacts, and Calendar, as well as Gallery for viewing and sharing photos, 20GB of storage, and iDisk for storing and sharing documents online.

Building on the best of .Mac
MobileMe takes the best of .Mac and adds a host of new features. .Mac customers will enjoy new web applications; push email, push contacts, push calendar; and 20GB of online storage. Also, .Mac customers will continue to experience Mac integration they know and love, such as Back to My Mac; access to their iDisk in the Finder; Mac-to-Mac syncing of Dashboard widgets, Dock items, preferences and more; iWeb website publishing; and photo and movie sharing directly from iPhoto '08 and iMovie '08.

.Mac Transition
MobileMe will start service in July. Mac customers can use .Mac now and be automatically upgraded to MobileMe in July 2008. Subscribers purchasing .Mac get a .mac email address and have the option of using a me.com address when MobileMe becomes available.

To help .Mac members better understand how this transition will take place, Apple has published a ".Mac to MobileMe Transition FAQ" at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1932

Where do .Mac / MobileMe customers get Support?Live Chat Support - US only (8am-8pm CST)

If a .Mac member asks any .Mac / MobileMe Support question, have them enter one of the following URLs:

•http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac/account#form  or
•http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac/mail#form  or
•http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac/sync#form

They will be able to chat in real-time with a live Support specialist.   This is the best way to get immediate resolution to any basic .Mac / MobileMe Support issue.

Email Support - World Wide (24/7)

If live chat support is not available, walk the .Mac / MobileMe member to a demo machine and visit: http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac

From there they can click any one of the nine bricks so customers can read the FAQs and/or submit an email using the web form on the bottom.

Gadget Recycling Programs: Turn Your e-waste to $$$

Constantly buying new gadgets is both hard on your wallet and the planet. Here at dealnews, we typically try to help with the former, but in honor of Earth Week, we've decided to start helping with the latter as well. So rather than toss your e-waste to the side, we've gathered a variety of earth-friendly services that can rid you of yesteryear's tech.

These services will recycle your old tech for free.  Read more at dealnews.
Thanks to Roz Moulton for the tip.

Looking for Mac Prices?

Here is a great website if you are looking for a Mac.  You can look at prices for new and used machines all on this website.  This is a great one stop shop for prices and deals.

Thanks to appleJAC member Rosalind Moulton for the tip.

Watch out for New Mac Trojan Horse

From PCWorld UK on-line.......

Security consultant Sophos is warning of the appearance of money-grabbing Trojan Horse malware aimed at Macs.

Imunizator Trojan makes false claims that Macs have privacy problems as part of its attempt to install itself.

The Trojan tries to scare Mac users into purchasing unnecessary software by claiming that privacy issues have been discovered on the computer.

Windows users are no stranger to scareware like this, but it is rarer on the Mac.

This new Trojan horse is closely related to another piece of Mac scareware, MacSweeper, which was being deployed in an attack last month.

Apple's Switch 101 Web Site

Here's a tip from appleJAC officer Curtis VanWye.

I heard recently about an addition to the Apple website called Switch 101, a series of tutorials for people switching from Windows. http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

Whether you want to learn how to get around and access everything on your Mac; find out how to move your old PC files to the Mac OS environment; figure out how to connect your printer, iPod, digital camera, or other device; learn how to do those tasks you did on a PC on a Mac; learn how to use the software that came with your Mac; or even find out what to do when things don't go as planned; we have the answers.

Apples new Tutorials: Find Out How

Apple has updated their online tutorials in a new service called "Find Out How".  This new site has many video presentations on using apple products.  Try it out yourself here.

In all, over 30 short tutorial videos are presented along with many additional text tutorials. The videos present an addition to Apple's guided tours of Mac OS X Leopard and iLife 08. Similarly, Apple posted a guided tour for the iPhone even before its launch, which in turn helped early adopters become experts with the device.

PCWorld Mag announces the Fastest Windows Laptop of 2007

What do you think.... a Dell....  a Gateway.... a HP......   Oh no!  a Apple MacBook Pro!

PC Week Says:

The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year is a Mac. Try that again: The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year--or for that matter, ever--is a Mac. Not a Dell, not a Toshiba, not even an Alienware. The $2419 (plus the price of a copy of Windows Vista, of course) MacBook Pro's PC WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88 beats Gateway's E-265M by a single point, but the MacBook's score is far more impressive simply because Apple couldn't care less whether you run Windows.

Who would have thunk it?

BlackFriday Specials from Apple

How .Mac filters spam messages

This is nuts.....  Can you believe they actually just delete mail that it thinks is Spam....  No wonder people loose mail on a .Mac Mail account....

.Mac automatic spam filtering

To minimize the impact of spam on .Mac members, .Mac employs several methods of detecting spam before it ever reaches your inbox. Spam prevention requires filtering mechanisms that include dynamic lists, trend analysis and content filtering.

No single strategy is completely effective when it comes to managing Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE), also known as "spam". People who are intent on sending spam are ingenious at coming up with ways around filtration schemes. Some spam may not be filtered.

Some email may be misinterpreted as spam

Due to the large number of variables that cause software to decide that something is spam, some legitimate mail from friendly sources may occasionally be blocked from ever reaching your mailbox. This scenario is commonly called a false-positive. Some false-positives will immediately be removed from the message systems, other false-positives may be delayed from delivery for up to 72 hours. If you feel that a friendly message was inadvertently deleted, you may want to ask your friend for a follow up email before you contact support, if you notice that multiple messages are being delayed, bounced, or not delivered, you should contact .Mac support directly via this form: (http://www.apple.com/support/dotmac/mail/) .

Daylight saving time update released for Mac OS X 10.4.x, 10.3.9

Ok folks, this one is important!!

Apple has released a daylight saving time update for Mac OS X that will bring systems up-to-date with new standards going into effect this year. Apple's description reads:

"The Daylight Saving Time Update for Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server addresses recent changes in the way Daylight Saving Time will be observed in the U.S. and Canada beginning in March 2007 and includes the latest time zone information for the rest of the world."

Download links are as follows:
Daylight Savings Time Update (Tiger) [8.6 MB]
Daylight Savings Time Update (Panther) [4.3 MB]

If your operating system is older than 10.3, you are out of luck.....

The Best and Worst "Get a Mac" Parodies

I have talked before about the great apple Get a Mac commercials.  In fact, Apple has a few new ones out for Christmas.  But Wired has rounded up a sampling of "Get a Mac" parodies.  Some of these could be classics...

Check this site to see some great ones and som not so great ones.....

You can make your own personal Gifts

As you are considering that gift for the hard to buy for relative, don't forget that ou can make some real awesome gifts using your Mac.  IPhoto give as tremendous number of possibilities.

With iPhoto, you can easily create cards, photo books,  but the real gift of the year is a personal calander.  Using iPhoto06, you can create a beautiful calendar with your pictures on it.  You can even add events to the calender from iCal. 

Imagine a calendar with family photos aon it and all the family birthdays identified.  What a wonderful gift for Grandma or aunt Martha.

Give it a try.  It provides a truly wonderful one of a kind gift.

BlackFriday.info

BlackFriday.info is the official site for all of the 2006 Black Friday ads as they are reported to us during this holiday shopping season.  Check these out to find out what they might be missing.

Apple Announces “Black Friday” Sale

Similar to last year, Apple has announced that it will launch its “Black Friday” sale next week and their annual holiday gift guide.

The one day event effects both the online retail store and brick and mortar stores in the United States.

Last year Apple offered $101 savings on iMacs, iBooks, as well as $30 discounts on iPod speakers.

It is not known what discounts Apple will introduce this year.

.Mac Renewal Discount

If you’re like me, your .Mac account is coming up for renewal, and Apple just sent you a handy reminder that they’re going to auto-renew you for $99.95 + tax (in my case, $106.75). Forget that!

Instead, go over to Amazon, and buy the .Mac retail box for $79.99, with no tax or shipping fees. When that arrives, simply put the serial number from the box into the space for it on Apple’s auto-renewal page, and you’re set. Personally, I have better places to spend that $27.46.

Should I purchase Applecare for my Mac?

Many people ask me if I think they should purchase Applecare with their new computer.  First off, what is AppleCare?

The AppleCare Protection Plan is a uniquely integrated service and support solution that extends the complimentary coverage on your Mac to three years from the computer’s purchase date. This comprehensive plan includes expert telephone assistance, global repair coverage, onsite repairs for desktop computers, web-based support resources, and powerful diagnostic tools — all for one economical price. We recommend that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple system to take maximum advantage of the coverage the plan provides.

Three years of security

Every Mac comes with 90 days of telephone support and one year of service coverage at an Apple-authorized repair center. By purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan with your Mac, you can extend your coverage to three years from the computer’s purchase date.

Comprehensive coverage

The AppleCare Protection Plan covers your Mac, as well as an AirPort Extreme Card, an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme Base Station, and Apple RAM used with your Mac. Mac mini, Mac Pro, Power Mac, MacBook Pro, and PowerBook customers may also register one Apple display for coverage, provided that the Mac and the display are purchased together.

One number to call for help

Get direct telephone access to Apple’s own technical support group, the people who know your system best. Because Apple creates the computer, the operating system, and many built-in applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. Just one phone call can help resolve most issues with your Mac because AppleCare representatives can help troubleshoot Apple hardware, the Mac operating system, and many Apple consumer applications, including iLife, iWork, iChat AV, Mail, Safari, iCal, iSync, AppleWorks, and QuickTime.

Convenient repair options

The AppleCare Protection Plan ensures that Apple-authorized technicians will perform repairs using genuine Apple parts. With this plan, parts and labor will be covered for three years from your computer's purchase date. The plan includes onsite service for desktop computers and global repair coverage, which can be very important if you travel abroad.

So is it worth the cost?  Depends on your needs.  First off if you want someone to call and ask questions, this is a good way to get that.  Also if you want to be protected in the event of a hardware problem, it is a good deal.  My recommendation is as follows:

For laptop products, purchase Applecare.  These machine are carried around and bounced in and out of cases.  Also they are built of parts that are expensive to replace.

For desktops, I think it is still a good buy but this is a choice for you to make for yourself.

Fixit Guide Series

Do-It-Yourself Laptop Repair

Broke your computer, but can't afford $100/hr to have someone fix it? Want to upgrade your RAM or hard drive, but don't feel comfortable diving in without any experience? The Fixit Guide Series is your solution. Each Fixit Guide has detailed disassembly instructions that walk you through the process of easily accessing and replacing components in your PowerBook or iBook.

These are great information if you want to do the repair yourself.

An Apple Retailing Experience

The Apple Retail Store is one of the best place to learn everything there is to know about the Mac or iPod. Apple has staffes these stores with Mac Specialists to answer all your questions. You can visit the Genius Bar for one-on-one support and advice but be prepared for a wait.  Often times the specialists are booked hours in advance. Apple also offers free workshops — for beginners and pros — on apple related software and hardware.

I have to tell you, I love to visit these store just to walk around and look at all the products.  In fact, I have had some very nice conservations with other patrons while just browsing the store.

I have visited nearly 20 different Apple stores.  Guess you could sorta call me a collector.  When I am in an area and have an extra hour or so, I often look for the Apple store to add another knotch to my powerbook. 

In Missouri, we are fortunate enough to have 3 stores.  Two in St Louis, and one in Kansas City.

Here are the links to those retail locations.

Country Club Plaza - Kansas City
St Louis Gallerea
St Louis West County
 
If you are in the area, drop by and see what the excitement is all about.