mac

Why Apple should keep its prices high during the recession

An analyst named Ezra Gottheil from Technology Business Research said late last week that Apple needs to consider bringing the prices of its computers down to fall in line behind other PC vendors that are lowering their own PC prices to compensate for less consumer spending.

"It is too much to ask consumers to pay more than twice as much for a PC in these times," Gottheil said in a statement.

The analyst went on to explain that she believes the market is moving away from high-priced computers, thanks to the rise in popularity of Netbooks, and with a recession haunting consumers and businesses alike, Gottheil believes Apple's current strategy of upgrading device specs without modifying price could prove damning in this economic environment.

For years, Apple has contended that it's providing more value for more money and it has always been loath to drop the price of its machines to compete on price with competitors. And so far, Apple hasn't made any statement regarding its desire to change that strategy.

But that's a good thing. Apple shouldn't lower the price of its Macs to compete on price with Hewlett-Packard and Dell. It's a premium vendor with a premium product that thrives off its higher price point. Why should it fiddle with a strategy that has worked for years just because the competition is trying to find a way to increase its own PC sales as Apple gains market share with each passing month?… Read more

Does your Mac need a special mouse?

To be totally honest, mice are generally platform-agnostic devices. Pretty much any USB, wireless, or Bluetooth mouse will work on both PCs and Macs. That, of course, doesn't stop savvy marketers from designing products with an Apple-inspired look and feel. These are some of the MacBook-themed mice we've checked out this year.

Targus, known as a top-notch accessory maker of mice, bags, and other computer add-ons, released a whole line of Mac-themed mice shortly after the new MacBook revisions hit (even though the latest MacBooks are all aluminum, white is still the universal Mac color in many minds). … Read more

Full-screen control

Air Mouse for iPhone and iPod Touch gives you several reasons you would want to turn your iPhone into a remote control over your keyboard and mouse: ease, convenience, and a broad range of control. The gesture mode of navigation takes advantage of the iPhone's accelerometer to move your mouse across the screen. The touch-pad mode keeps your arm stationary while you trace the mouse trajectory on the iPhone face with your finger.

Add to those a full virtual keyboard with extra buttons, such as Control and Alt, that are compatible with your PC or Mac, a second keyboard … Read more

Which keyboard will emerge victorious in our Logitech civil war?

Back in September, we introduced you to Logitech's newest diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks. CNET's Rich Brown expressed confusion as to why we actually need a "for Notebooks" model, and after doing a full-length review, I must agree. There's absolutely nothing about the diNovo for Notebooks that makes it strictly for laptops. Well, there is one tiny little key: the eject button. Although, that can still be used for desktops, so I guess that designator means nothing- it's all marketing.

That's not to say that we didn't like the keyboard itself, though. It … Read more

Take note, Intel: New silicon to redefine Netbooks

Move aside, Intel. New chips from Advanced Micro Devices, Freescale Semiconductor, and Qualcomm may redefine the Netbook and ultraportable market next year.

To date, Intel has pretty much defined Netbook performance and features with the popular Atom processor. "We're very comfortable with our product leadership but we don't take anything for granted. And we expect competition in this space. Stay tuned," said Bill Calder, an Intel representative.

Stay tuned indeed. As the Netbook market grows, other chip heavyweights want a piece of the pie. Netbooks--which typically weigh less than 3 pounds and have screens under 11 … Read more

Google Earth browser plug-in arrives for Mac

Google has released a Mac OS X version of a plug-in that lets people use its Google Earth software as a browser plug-in.

The move means a smaller but significant crowd can rely on Web pages that employ the sophisticated aerial viewing options the software provides. But Mac fans should brace themselves for a 47MB download from the Google Earth API page.

The size is large because Google provided a universal binary file that runs on both PowerPC-based and Intel-based Macs, a Google representative said in a forum posting about the availability of the Mac version. "There are also … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 864: Crabs in a bucket

In today's show, Molly gets a new favorite metaphor, Apple deletes the very thought that you should run antivirus on a Mac, .Tel gets our wallets at the ready, and poor widdle Windows' market share drops below 90 percent. The horror! Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 864

Apple deletes Mac antivirus suggestion http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10111958-83.html

Twitter CEO: The revenue’s coming soon, but I won’t tell you how http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10112037-2.html

.Tel them where to find you http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/tel-them-where-to-find-you/

Vista SP2: What's … Read more

Apple looking for Psystar's backers

Apple has amended its lawsuit against Psystar to allow for the possibility that other parties are backing the company.

When companies file lawsuits, they'll often tack something like "John Does 1-50" onto the list of defendants, in order to allow for the possibility that other parties to the case who have yet to be discovered could be added at a later date. Apple did not do that the first time it filed suit against Mac clone maker Psystar, but has tacked such a paragraph onto an amended copy of its lawsuit against the company, as noted by Groklaw.… Read more

Apple deletes Mac antivirus suggestion

Updated 7:45 p.m. PST with expert comment, at 7:20 p.m. PST with context on previous coverage, and at 7:08 p.m. PST with background.

Apple removed an old item from its support site late Tuesday that urged Mac customers to use multiple antivirus utilities and now says the Mac is safe "out of the box."

"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," Apple spokesperson Bill Evans said.

"The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out … Read more

The 404 238: Where our post-Thanksgiving contest totally backfired

No matter how organized, some plans just don't work out the way they're supposed to. And sometimes, they just plain blow up in your face. On today's show, we learn that lesson to its fullest extent. What was supposed to be a funny story-telling contest turned out to be so depressing that we almost can't go on...but we do. We persevere and get through it, but before you listen to today's show be sure to prepare yourself! Get a box of tissues and stay away from sharp objects, we're going to get through this together.

The first half of today's show is hilarious, perverted, and interesting all at the same time. We play a clip from The Simpsons and discuss the show's current state, explore Australia's newest Silver Surfer initiative, segue into how to show your carnal love to a kiosk, and reveal details on the new Nokia N97 smartphone. But after the break, it all plummets downhill, because we reveal some responses to ongoing contest to see who had the most depressing Thanksgiving. Surprise surprise, some of the most humbling stories we've ever heard, and it makes us that much more thankful for the beautiful things we have. Wilson actually tears up a bit, and Jeff can't help but singing a verse from "Kumbaya." I do neither of those things, and instead choose to go to the opposite route and take the show back to its standard level of insensitivity and inappropo. After that, we wrap it up with an even more upsetting story about how Tina Fey wound up with the scar on her face, and we must reiterate that it doesn't make her any less hilarious, talented, or gorgeous. Tee-bear, if you're reading this, hit me up, girl!

Episode 238 Download today's podcast … Read more