WWDC: Leopard Thoughts

I remember after I saw the new features in Tiger I was pretty excited. Spotlight, Dashboard and Automator seemed like great features. However, after using Tiger, I found Spotlight to be slow, Dashboard marginally helpful and Automator something I just didn't need. I have very high expectations for Apple OS releases as do others and sometimes what looks good in a keynote doesn't work well, for me, at home.

So with this year's Leopard preview I was anxious as always, but cautiously optimistic. At first glance, the Leopard standouts are Finder, Quick Look and Spaces. With the 300 or so enhancements to the OS, with many features yet to be announced, it's hard to say what other features will be of value. You may have noticed I didn't mention Time Machine. While I think Time Machine is revolutionary for a desktop OS product (and free), I don't know quite yet how it will fit in my backup strategy. I'm glad to see that Spotlight will see a performance boost (badly needed). The features in Leopard are more practical in nature. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product list.

Pending death of the Mac Mini

I was very disappointed to read the information at AppleInsider that the Mac Mini will be discontinued. The Mini has become an important part of my computer environment where I share a Dell monitor with my Mini and a Lenovo ThinkPad. I planned to buy a new Intel based Mac Mini this year when Leopard comes out, but I don't know if I'll have that option. I like having the option of having my own monitor. Sure, I could purchase a Power Mac, but its way more than what I want to spend and the thing is huge! The future isn't written is stone yet! So let's see what happens over the next few months regarding the Mac Mini shelf life. If the Mini does retire I suppose I could consider a Power Mac. Send me any opinions or thoughts.

Dot Mac Buh Buy

After two years of Dot Mac service I decided to give it up. What's interesting is that I don't miss it. Dot Mac failed to keep me due to very simple things it lacked. One sore spot is the amount of disk space provided. This item has been on Dot Mac user minds for months and Apple's strategy towards disk space doesn't make sense relative to other offerings from Yahoo, Google, etc. I also became frustrated with how limited Dot Mac's web site was. On Yahoo using Windows, I can enter calendar events and then sync them to Outlook. Why can I not create calendar events on Dot Mac and have them sent to iCal? And what is with the slow speeds from the web sites posted on my Dot Mac site. Ultimately, too many frustrations to deal with when other alternatives in the market place exist. Perhaps Leopard will bring some new Dot Mac enhancements and it seems that Steve Jobs has alluded to that. If I come back, I'll need a reason. And for heavens sakes....stop wasting time on features like Group sites. My arm can be twisted with the right enhancements and performance fixes.

Dot Mac Clock Ticking

My Dot Mac subscription is up for renewal in the next 30 days. Like so many others I'm not sure if I want to subscribe again. It's incredible frustrating to me that I can't update my calendar on the dot mac site - something that can be done with the free Yahoo. The only areas of value are: posting .mac slide shows for my father and ibackup. Dot Mac's time might be expiring.

My Mac future in limbo

After two years of owning my Mac Mini I'm ready for my next Apple device. I'm anxious to get my hands on a new Intel Mac for the speed improvements as well as the ability to run Windows natively. I would consider purchasing a mac mini or imac today, but with Leopard coming out and a new ilife suite on the horizon that would be foolish. The decision will be between the mac mini and the imac. I currently share a PC and Mac on the same monitor, but going forward I won't be. So part of my decision will be what type of monitor do I want. I'm a bit frustrated with the mac mini's small internal drive (it is what it is), but the price point is great. I hope to hear of talk at the next Mac conference in June of a new, rumored imac.

Apple TV Misses The Mark

Since the original announcement of Apple TV I recall my lack of enthusiasm about the device. My expectations are high for Apple and the Apple TV doesn't meet up. One of the biggest limitations is the ability to purchase music and video content from the device. Apple must be aware of how important this feature is in the long term. To release the Apple TV without the ability to purchase through it is a shortcoming I would not have expected from Apple. One missing feature you don't hear much about is the ability to stream online radio stations. I consider that an important feature that can be found on Windows Media and Yahoo! Go for TV. If Apple TV could offer a video rental solution I would buy one in a second. During my trip to the downtown Chicago last week absolutely no one was looking at the Apple TVs while the rest of the store was busy. The Apple TV will suffer from a customer base that will find the device interesting, but will not be sure if it's worth the investment.