Category: Apple

Happy Birthday, Macintosh II

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Benj Edwards, Macworld.com:

Twenty-five years ago, Apple released the Macintosh II, a powerful, expandable desktop computer that represented a profound ideological design shift in the Macintosh line. Through its open architecture and color display capability, it echoed the experimental philosophy of Apple’s earliest machines and ignited a new wave of enthusiasm for the Macintosh platform.

It may have echoed the ‘experimental philosophy’ of Apple’s earliest machines, but it did so by being a complete reversal of the original Macintosh.

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On Reporting Rumors

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With Apple’s WWDC keynote less than a week away, most of the Internet has lit its hair on fire and is running in circles, moving from one rumor site to another, trying to glean information on what Tim Cook and company might announce.

While a look at Mountain Lion and iOS 6 seem inevitable, rumors now say the entire Mac line might get updated. They’ll have Retina displays, or at least USB 3. Google Maps is getting kicked the curb (perhaps), on Apple’s fancy-ass, big-and-tall iPhone 5. (Or iPhone 6. OMG WHAT DO WE CALL IT?)

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On iOS and Google Maps

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According to MacRumors, Apple will be dumping Google Maps on iOS for its own in-house solution.

Of course, as I broke back in March, iPhoto for iOS doesn’t use Google Maps currently. Many have seen this as a dry run for a much bigger change.

If Apple moves away from Google Maps, many will view it as a sign of the growing rift between the two companies. While I do think Apple and Google are more competitive with each other than ever before, I think Apple’s primary reason for such a change is that the company thinks its own solution can offer users a better experience.

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On iOS 6 Mockups

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MacStories linked to this post over in The Verge’s forums, in which “gizmosachin” mocked up what (s)he thinks iOS 6 might look like.

All in all, I like the look. I agree with Marco that the blue default look within iOS and apps is dated. It’s time for a change, and I think the silver look used in the WWDC 2012 app is a great candidate for something new.

While I initially thought that June would be too early for an iOS 6 preview, if something as basic as UIKit is going to be updated, I expect Scott Forstall to be on stage at some point during the company’s keynote.

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On TwelveSouth

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Darren Murph at Engadget wrote a great feature on TwelveSouth, the maker of many popular accessories for the Mac, iPad and iPhone.

The thing that struck me the most about this article is how careful the guys at TwelveSouth are about becoming too big:

The next question must have felt obvious: “Well, what if you had the opportunity to branch out… to make accessories for companies other than Apple?”

“We’re not interested in that,” [TwelveSouth co-founder Andrew Green] said. In fact, he has been approached by the non-Apple world; designers looking for a design house, companies with earnings in the billions and even one particular CEO of one particularly important consumer electronics company. Green remains humble, but I’m aghast.

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Dr. Drang, on Siri Ads

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I laughed several times, but this is my favorite part:

“Wait,” you say, “Samuel L. Jackson isn’t lonely. He’s making a romantic dinner for date night.” Really? I’m not buying it. My guess is that he gives Siri the night off so she never learns that he spent the night sitting in his kitchen, silently crying into his risotto.

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