Info Manager for July 22, 2002

[*]  MacWorld Expo;   [*]  RIP: iTools;   [*]  MS Office v.X for Mac Triple Header;   [*]  Pogue Warns MS "Subscription" software;   [*]  TiVo for Mac?;   [*]  Mariner relaunches company;   [*]  Royalties on MPEG-4 reduced;   [*]  Mac Users are Smarter and Spend More!;   [*]  SuperCard has new parent;   [*]  Aladdin announces "Ten For X" bundle;   [*]  Russian MUG;   [*]  Quicken 2003;   [*]  Digital Divide -- Gone?;   [*]  Move2Mac for Windows to Mac users;   [*]  The Next OS for "Wintel" machines;   [*]  User Group Connection folks surface;   [*]  Security Update;   [*]  Want Dual Monitor Capability on your iBook?;   [*]  Mug Web Site of the Week: VMUG;   [*]  Quotes: Ward, Lorimer, Twain;   [*]  User Group Tip;  
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MacWorld Expo

By now, you probably have heard about the new Apple products at Expo. However I will list them just to be sure:
* iTunes 3.0 & iPod, now with Audible.com available
      This version of iTunes is OSX only. While the iPod now comes in 3 flavors, plus a Windows version. (5, 10 & 20 Gigabyte hard drives -- the two large sizes with remote and carrying case.
* Flat panel iMac now has 17 inch screen as many "rumor sites" were predicting. The 15 inch version now returned to its original $1,799 price with the new machine selling for $1,999.
* .mac -- Of course, I have already mentioned .mac some. However, there is more. It now includes iSync fo synchronizing data with cell phones, PDAs and the iPod. Also there is iCal, an online calendar. Of course, they require OS X 10.2 to install. Also you must sign up for .mac (previously iTools) to get those programs.
* Jaguar is now officially OS X 10.2 and will give us Sherlock 3, Rendezvous and iChat. I am sure you have read about those elsewhere, they sure make me wish I had a new Mac instead of my 9500. The new OS will be available on August 24th but will require a full purchase price of $129 unless you are a new owner of OSX 1.1. There's lots and lots of news at: http://www.apple.com/

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RIP: iTools

Well, the big announcement at MacWorld from Apple appears to be that iTools will be replace with a fee based service called .mac. While I may not state it as strongly as Michael Flaminio of Insanely Great Mac, I do agree that it smells a little like a bait and switch scheme. Apple has been caught before making promises and then changing their mind. I wonder who will file the first law suit on this one.
      We will be able to continue using iTools and our @mac.com email addresses until September for free. After that, we can continue for $49.95 the first year and $99.95 a year after that. That fee will include Virex and a backup utility as well as a 100 megabytes of iDisk storage space. The only free item still available after the September switch will be iCards.
      You can read an FAQ at: http://mac.com/1/mac_faq.html or get more details from our friends at Insanely Great Mac: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=668

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MS Office v.X for Mac Triple Header

After sounding off about how Apple isn't doing enough to encourage adoption of OSX, they announce in a press release a new product, that make it sound like they took Phil Shiller's advice and made Office more attractive. First way is a utility for synchronizing Entourage(TM) with your Palm. Then they offered up to a $100 off the purchase price of Office when purchased with a ne Mac. The last, they offer a new Remote Desktop Conncetion (RDC) client that allows remote connection and access to a Microsoft Windows® based computer from virtually any network connected Macintosh.
      So, Microsoft is once again saying that they are committed to the Mac. More details at: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=667

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Pogue Warns MS "Subscription" software

Interesting side note:
      David Pogue alerted during his appearance at the User Group University, warning of Microsoft's impending change to "subscription based" software. Pogue explained that you will pay as much as $300 for a 3-year 'subscription' to Office and other updates -- whether or not any are actually delivered. Those who do not opt to subscribe, Pogue predicts, will be forced to pay the full retail price for the software.
     While Pogue stressed this was a 'prediction,' he phrased it as "when" rather than "if." Read about Pogue's appearance at: http://www.apple.com/usergroups/

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TiVo for Mac?

A number of places on the Internet including the two listed below have mentioned this new product. Some people even thought it would be the product of the show at Expo. It turns your OSX Mac into a TiVo-like device for recording and watching TV shows. Called EyeTV Digital Video Recorder, it saves files in MPEG 1 format to save space. That makes it possible to burn an hour video on to a CD that is readable by a DVD player. Full details see the: ZD Net article, or the Insanely Great Mac article EyeTV can be seen at: http://www.elgato.com/

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Mariner relaunches company

Mariner who has long sold a spreadsheet under that name and a word processor as Mariner Write has "relaunched" their company. It sounds like a marketing ploy to me, but it should show that Mariner Write and Calc are alternatives to MS Word and Excel at a fraction of the cost. Microsoft currently is complaining that they are not selling enough Office vX. Apple has said that it is because Office is over priced. Maybe this will help lower Microsoft's price or at least provide us with a reasonable alternative. Mariner has marketed via word of mouth and user groups in the past. This move might also signal that they are going to be doing more advertising. Read the full IGM story at: Insanely Great Mac Full details at Mariner Software dot com: http://www.marinersoftware.com/

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Royalties on MPEG-4 reduced

According to a story on CNet's News.com, MPEG LA has reduced its licensing fees to a much more reasonable level. The most interesting reduction is that Internet sites with fewer than 50,000 subscribers will not pay any royalties. After that it will be $.25 per subscriber or $.02 per hour per subscriber with a $1 million cap each year. To avoid the bookkeeping headaches, a web site can also just pay the $1 mil and not have to keep track. Of course, this still doesn't solve the copy write issues. Or how much money the music and video industry are wanting, but it does seem to be a step in the right direction. Full story at: http://news.com.com/2100-1023-944051.html

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Mac Users are Smarter and Spend More!

Don't know how those two go together but according to a survey made by Nielsen/NetRatings those facts are true. Mac users on average have a higher education level, more experience on the Internet and make more purchases on the net than the average user. I first saw this on MSN.com (URL below), but I got it today direct from the Nielsen/NetRatings newsletter -- at: Nielsen subscribe. And read the story at: http://msn.com.com/2100-1103-943557.html

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SuperCard has new parent

According to Ron Carlson at Insanely Great Mac, Solutions Etcetera, who has been doing the development of SuperCard 4.0 for OSX, has acquired it from IncWell. Anyone that has used Hypercard, knows the basics for SuperCard. But it has color and will do drop down menus easily. This is a terrific program. Full story at: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=643

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Aladdin announces "Ten For X" bundle

Last Wednesday after Steve completed his talk,  Aladdin Systems announced Ten for X, a collection of utilities designed to "enhance the Mac OS X platform." The Utilities are: Alarm Clock S.E. 2.4, FruitMenu 2.0, iClean 5.0, ideaSpiral X 1.0.3, LaunchBar 3.2.2, Limewire Pro 2.4.6, piPop 2.0, Pseudo 1.2, PrintMagic X 1.1, WindowShade X 2.0, and a bonus application, Xounds 1.2. Ten for X is priced at US$49.99, but will be $29.99 at Macworld Expo and on their web site this week. (Thanks to MacMinute.com) More info at: http://www.aladdinsys.com/tenforx/

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Russian MUG

According to Peter Cohen at MacCentral, Apple has a second user group registered in Russia. This one is damug and it already has a web site (in Russian) at: http://www.deepapple.com/ The MacCentral story is at: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0207/12.damug.php

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Quicken 2003

Meanwhile, Intuit announced their latest version of Quicken for Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X. There is a new "Scheduled Updates" feature. It will be available August 21 for US $59.95. See the details at: http://www.intuit.com/

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Digital Divide -- Gone?

The Boston Globe ran an article about how the Federal Government is planning on cutting support for computer labs around the country because we are now "A Nation Online". It really makes the assumptions made by the administration appear to be short sighted. Read the article and then write your Congressman. Article at: http://nl12.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0F4D5DFE9890B628&p_docnum=1

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Move2Mac for Windows to Mac users

Detto Technologies' Move2Mac enables PC users to quickly move their personal information from their Windows PC to their new Mac with Mac OS X. It even moves application specific preferences. Full story at: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=682

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The Next OS for "Wintel" machines

This article in London's Inquirer, talks about the new operating system that Microsoft is planning for Intel machines. It is code named Longhorn and will not be backward compatible with much current hardware and software. Part of this is to force upgrades and part is to insure the digital rights of copyright holders. But according to the article it is more of an attempt by Microsoft to skirt the court ruling on the Windows monopoly by killing the monopoly. Personally, I think it would be the best thing that could happen for Apple. Read the full story at: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=4503

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User Group Connection folks surface

Old times will remember the folks at User Group Connection. And newer people will know Carmela Robertson (CZ) from her handling of the user group breakfasts at MacWorld. Well Carmela and Michel Free have joined with Jill Avery Zuleeg to start up a company called "AllByMyself". ABM is producing videos for training youngsters on how to do things. The first video is about getting dressed "All By Myself". The second will be about taking care of pets. Sounds like a great tool for helping kids under 6 learn just a little faster with an improved self image.
      ABM is helped to sponsor UGU last week and so many of you have already seen samples of their work. The rest of you can see a sample at http://wwww.allbymyself.com/

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Security Update

Apple posted a security update for OSX users. This update is to protect people from getting hit by an imposter of the update service. If you are on X, you should upgrade. For more details, see: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=648

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Want Dual Monitor Capability on your iBook?

IGM reported that Jason O'Grady's PowerPage has been pointing to instructions on how to achieve what Apple says can't be done. You can even get different resolutions. See the IGM story at: http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=687 Or go direct to the instructions at: http://macparts.de/ibook/

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Mug Web Site of the Week: VMUG

Valley Macintosh Users Group (VMUG) of McAllen, TX
      I recently saw someone say they had a small group of 200 members. Folks, that puts you in the large group category. There are a few "super" groups, but 200 is nothing to sneeze at.
      This group has about 50 members and put of the basics of contact and meting information. But then proceeded to include a number of good links to local and Mac related sites. I just didn't appreciate the QT sound file that played each time I returned to the page. McAllen is in the southern most area of Texas and supports all Mac computer users. Their meetings feature hands-on instruction. Web site is at: http://www.hiline.net/vmug/ http://www.hiline.net/vmug/

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Quotes: Ward, Lorimer, Twain

"Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate."
      - William Arthur Ward
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."
      - George Horace Lorimer
      "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can somehow become great.
      -- Mark Twain

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User Group Tip

AACUG (Association of Apple Computer User Groups) is rolling foward. They had a successful presentation at MacWorld and now would like to add you and your group as a member. The AACUG web site is temporarily off-line, however interested groups and users with no MUG in their area can contact them by sending email to afashwkr@aol.com
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* To to receive John Cambra's Apple Advocate Newsletter (as mentioned above,) send a email to cambra@apple.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

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News and Info you can use...

The Info Manager invites user groups to use his column in full or in pieces in their newsletter. He would appreciate word that you are doing so however and if you can, please send a pdf version of the newsletter for his perusal. Or just provide him with the link. Use this address: Infomanager@user-groups.net or... our online Information form

The Info Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. Currently working with the Apple Corp of Dallas, the Dallas Mac Pack, Cowtown MUG of Ft. Worth and TUMS (the Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society) doing newsletter articles and the monthly CD-ROM Update. Post a lead Info Manager should follow up on.

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