UGN Info Manager UGN Info Manager
ThinkFree Inc., last Tuesday announced the beta release of ThinkFree Office 3 Show, iPod Edition. The software enables iPod users (and users of other compatible music players) to create, edit and transport PowerPoint presentations, even if they don't use Microsoft Office. I would suspect that Keynote will save in PowerPoint files as well. Of course, you could use ThinkFree Office to produce the PP files too. Read what Peter Cohen has to say at: playlistmag.com
I don't know how many of you use Yahoo Groups. I know that some MUGS use it as a way to get its message out to its members. News groups on Usenet was my first introduction to DARPA net. The value of those groups live on in it original form, but for groups with less spam and adult graphics, Yahoo and Google groups support similar groups of people. I have been listed with Yahoo for some time, so haven't experienced the relative new comer of Google. Recently I used these groups to get an answer to a problem in Microsoft Excel, that reinforced my image as an Excel guru to my boss. But I also used a group on couponing specific to the DFW area to save lots of dollars each trip to the grocery store. Of course you can use the granddaddy of them all with a news group reader. You should check them out at: http://groups.yahoo.com groups-beta.google.com
I have mentioned this web site frequently in the past, but not so much recently as I have been concentrating more on news stories. However, it is still as great as ever and I still get its newsletter each week. Now however the entire archive of back issues is on line. So you can search for the odd ball site that you remember seeing once upon a time. Look at it again at: tourbus.com
For a truly retro look, go to this web site. Don't think you will find it at RadioShack. Here's a picture, visit the site at: www.thinkgeek.com
Mac OS 10.4.2 has now been released. Once again, Apple shows how easy it is to do online updating. (If you have broadband.) I still think it is to bad that Apple no longer lets user groups do System updates. But if you have broadband you certainly should do an update. (For your portable, use Starbucks or Panera Bread to do the update if you can't do it at home. However, beware: because of Pharming and Spoofing, many Starbucks now require that you set up an account even if it's just for the short time you'll be there. Panera requires them here in both the Charlottesville VA and Washington D.C. areas.)
By now, you have probably heard that Apple's third quarter was the best in the company's history and total sales for the year is likely to be as well. Without a doubt it will be the highest sales since Jobs returned and cut all the products but the Mac. (Newton, printers, scanners, cameras, etc.)
But the details of the financial statement are truly impressive including such things as:
* 1.182 million Macintosh units shipped - (687,000 desktops and 495,000 portable Macs)
* 2 milion copies of Tiger sold
* 16 per cent increase in education sales
* $320m profit
* Perhaps most importantly, Apple CEO Steve Jobs stated: "We have more amazing new products in the pipeline." Listen to the report
Ok, most of us didn't get to go to Boston this summer. I really enjoyed my trip last year, but have no vacation available since I changed positions. But what I really want to know is what is cool.
Dan Frakes of MacWorld magazine has an article that talks about a number of new products including Harman Kardon's Drive+Play iPod for your car seems to have been the biggest star of the show. On the Mac side, the Razor Pro mouse was a hit. It has a 1600 DPI resolution and has SEVEN buttons.
Read Dan's article at: www.macworld.com
As a way to publicize their site, Turbo Photo is giving away some of their photos. Download the free ones and check out the ones you can purchase at: www.turbophoto.com
For an exhausive list of free photos on the web check out our cheat sheet at UGN Resources
This announcement is running on Apple.com: "Turn your own pictures into real US postage with PhotoStamps for Mac! PhotoStamps for Mac works seamlessly with iPhoto to give Mac users the power to create PhotoStamps using images found anywhere on their computer. ..." I didn't know that the USPS was still allowing consumers to publish their own stamps. But it is cool that we can do it. See details with links at: guide.apple.com
Be sure to pass the word on to your college student members. Through September 24, when they buy a Mac, they get a free iPod mini. This is in addition to the everyday student discount. College students can choose to apply a $179 (US) savings toward the purchase of a higher priced iPod instead. ... see the full story...
We don't very often get "IMHO" pieces from readers, but this seemed totally appropriate to pass it along...
A reader writes:
Just read your THIS OLD MOUSE, and am very impresssed. I ran across that website while I was searching for possible user groups in my N.VA area. I think I am out of luck on that one. There are three groups listed in VA - one in Hampton and two in VA Beach. I'm up in Woodbridge, North of Quantico.
Seriously now though, my biggest annoyance with Apple is that their service is practically nonexistant. In my opinion, they betrayed their loyal users when they awarded exclusive sales and service of Apple products to CompUSA.
The service technician who covers about a hundred square mile area here in northern VA has never fixed the problem that induced me to take my computer to him in the first place, but on that visit and two successive ones, he has managed to make such a mess of my system that I would like to take my computer and crown him with it.
I have had to resort to writing snail mail letters to him because I cannot phone him or email him and cannot afford to take my computer back to the store and wait for him to show up and "work" on it again. I only have access to one computer and I need it daily. There is not a single repair person listed in my Woodbridge phone book who works on Macs or knows of one, other than the one at CompUSA.
Someone suggested that I locate a user group and now I see that those are few and far between, too. Almost enough to force me to trash my Mac and cross over to the PC (after having used only Apple/Mac since I bought my first computer over fifteen years ago).
thank you
A lesson to be learned
This type of email is neither unusual nor infrequent. Since 1994 the UGN has maintained the "Find A Group" and fields lots of mail like this -- but the UGN database has been getting smaller and smaller. We help all those we can, but there are huge gaps in MUG coverage across the country.
This condition points to Apple and User Group community's lack of identity marketing. Obviously Apple, Washington Apple Pi, nor Virginia Mug messages reach the Woodbridge area -- a scant 45 minutes from the Beltway. For whatever reason the reader didn't know about groups in the area nor the opening of Apple stores in northern Virginia.
The reader did find Apple's UG database, but it wasn't able to locate the right group. Since UGN links were removed from the Apple/MUG web pages during the rise of the Chuck Joiner regime, the reader didn't find our database either. Dead end. Luckily our column turned up in another search and we got this reader hooked up with a user group and an Apple store "Expert Desk" close by. It's just too bad we can't help all of the readers who write in from all around the country.
Apple and their user groups need better identity marketing. Apple seems to have become tunnel-vision focused on hip-hop, iPod bling and self-gratifying iTunes marketing -- almost exclusively to 20 to 30-something expendable-income "Dinks" -- slowly losing touch with their deep-pocket user base now turning gray. Have you seen or heard a "normal user" identity message from Steve Jobs since he entered mid-life crisis? Neither have I.
At some point it will become important to remind people that Apple makes computers -- even if it is just a side-line. And if Apple computer users can't get the products, service and help they need, I'll bet there's an HP or Dell out there looking better and better every day.
Fred
Apple's "Widget Watch" is reporting you can now get the latest business buzz directly from BusinessWeek, just by downloading and installing BusinessWeek Desktop Headlines, one of the newest widgets available for the Dashboard on your Mac.
Once installed, you can easily configure the BusinessWeek widget to get precisely the type of information you want: the day's top news, financial analysis, career information, and BW's latest blogs. Not only can you search the BusinessWeek site from the widget, but you can also preview and subscribe to BusinessWeek's new podcasts. And once you find a story you'd like to read, a single click will display it in your browser.
Download: BWRSSWidget.wdgt.zip
Here's one more convenience. If you're a newshound, Dashboard offers you a treasure trove of news widgets from a wide variety of sources. (From Apple's Dashboard News) Take a look. Read more...
This week we feature some swell shareware and freeware apps for living the iLife... Apimac Slide Show 6.4; Boom Recorder 64-channel recording; Health Tracker; HistoryHound Web Indexing; iTMS Estimator tracks iTunes countdowns; iTunes Library Manager; LilyPond music notation; LiveDictionary Safari extension; Media Rage tools; Movie Montage quick access to movies; piStabilize steadies iMovies and streaming content via iChat. Lots of fun here. Why don't you suggest your favorites for next week's Shareware Manager
The Women's Ecommerce Association, International - WECAI.org (pronounced wee-k) with members all over the world will hold their Inaugural World Congress for "women who do business on the WEB" on September 19-21, 2005. The beautiful island of S'o Miguel in the Azores (3 hours from New York) is hosting the Congress. This year's theme is "Women and ECommerce - Connecting, Inspiring, and Thriving Beyond 2005" ... ... see the full story...
"The men who try to do something and fail are
infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed."
- Lloyd Jones
"My dad always used to say, "If you're falling off a cliff,
you may as well try to fly. You have nothing to lose."
- Captain John Sheridan, Babylon 5 (Guess I should have watched more of that show.)
"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the
Optimist expects it to change and the
REALIST adjusts his sails."
- (author unknown)
Have a great week... (See last week)
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