512 Pixels

Apple has announced the beta of Safari 4 with lots of new features. Including one that seems to be borrowed from Google’s Chrome browser:

Thanks to Top Sites, you can enjoy a stunning, at-a-glance preview of your favorite websites without lifting a finger. Safari 4 Beta tracks the sites you browse and ranks your favorites, presenting up to 24 thumbnails on a single page. You can even customize the display by pinning a favorite site to a specific location in the grid. That locks it into position, so you know just where to find it every time you open Top Sites.

If you’re a beta software type, go check it out.

After leaving MobileMe, I learned about Foxmarks, which touted itself as a great way to sync Safari bookmarks across Macs, but I found it less than stable, especially on my work machine. So after some head scratching, I am now using my Dropbox account to sync Safari’s history and bookmarks across my Macs.

The process is actually very simple - just make sure Safari is closed before you start. Here’s how to do it:

1. On the machine that will serve as the basis for future bookmarks and history information, move the ~/Library/Safari folder to your Dropbox.

2. Open Terminal and run the command below. Point the first part of the command to where your Dropbox lives - mine is on my Desktop, and I wanted the data inside a folder named “Safari.”

ln -s ~/Desktop/Dropbox/Safari/ ~/Library/Safari

1. On your other Macs, delete the ~/Library/Safari folder and run the command in Terminal.

The process basically creates a shortcut in your library where the Safari folder normally is, and points it to Dropbox. Dropbox then does its thing, syncing any changes up to the cloud and back to any Macs attached to the Dropbox - keeping history and bookmarks synced across machines.

In the world of podcasts, there are many choices, especially when it comes to shows centered around technology (and even more so centered on Apple technology), but very few of these podcasts would ever talk about the Macintosh Quadra 660AV, the Apple Lisa, or the Performa 5200.

That’s just one reason the RetroMacCast ( iTunes Link) stands out. Each week, James and John sit down and discuss Apple news, unique eBay auctions (like a pallet of Color Classics and PowerBook Duos), and the “Retro Mac of the Week.”

That last bit is what brings me back, week after week. James and John take a particular model (last week it was the Macintosh SE) and talk about it’s specifications, available upgrades, common problems, and any personal experience they have with the model - and since between the two of them, they own somewhere around 200 Macs, they’ve touched almost every single machine Apple has ever produced.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when James and John agreed to an interview. Here it is:

ForkBombr: Lots of people love technology, but few people like old tech. What drives you to spend time with computers that are (at best) difficult to use in a world of cloud computing, iPhones, and high-speed Internet connections? James: For me it is nostalgia first and foremost.  My dad collected and loved cars because he grew up during great years in automotive history.  For me, I grew up during the birth of the computer industry.  While I had some experience with many different makes of computer from an early age, my fascination truly took root when my dad purchased an Apple //e for the family.  While I  only owned a handful of Apple computers over the years, I was always aware of the different models and the capabilities each had.  Since most people quickly move to the latest and greatest, the obsolete get discarded, and collectors like myself get to own and play with computers which had been previously out of reach. John: The main thing about using my old systems is the sense of nostalgia they invoke. Using my Apple IIe or gs takes me back to my early experiences with computers. Even though by today’s standards these systems seem laughable, I still remember the awe I felt the first time I wrote a program in basic or used a mouse. It’s no different than people who like old cars. Sure the newer cars are faster, and flashier, but there’s still something about the old ones that draws people to them. FB: Do you think that Apple Computer and Apple, Inc. are different companies? If they are different, how so? Is one better than the other? James: No, I don’t think they are different.  Most important to me is the spirit of innovation and the goal to make technology for the rest of us. Computers have and will continue to evolve.  From kits, to desktops, to computers you can carry in your pocket, computing will continue to take different forms.  As long as Apple continues to harness the latest and greatest technology and bring it to me in a fun and accessible way, they will still be Apple with or without “computer” in their name.

John: I never really stopped to think about it. Back when it was Apple Computer it was still a company trying to figure out what it was doing. I guess Apple, Inc is the grown up version of Apple. The price they paid for this maturity is that they’ve lost some of the fun.

FB: As the Mac has become more mainstream in the last 5–10 years (with the advent of OS X, especially), do you think that being a Mac owner has changed? James: Yes, it has changed.  For quite a few years, Mac owners were a dwindling population. Finally, it is cool to be a Mac user (again). I had given up singing the praises of the Mac many years ago, but now, I find myself talking to potential Mac users all the time.  I enjoy my Macs because they make me enjoy computing, and I’m happy to help others enjoy computing for the first time.

John: Even though there are a lot more of us, I still think that there is a great sense of community between Mac owners.

FB: If you had to pick one Mac that stands out above the rest in importance what would it be (and why)? What about in design? James: That is a tough question because there have been many standout Macs over the years. Since the last question brought up Apple’s turnaround, I’ll give much of that credit to the iMac, a Mac that stands out.  The iMac actually recaptured much of the spirit of the original Macintosh with its all-in-one design and emphasis on simplicity.  For the original Mac, it was simplicity of use.  For the iMac, it was simplicity of Internet access. The iMac design not only changed the way computers were designed, but it influenced all of industrial design.  The iMac helped save Apple and continues to set the standard for the family computer. John: Oooooh, tough one. I’m going to say the iMac. It’s what started the revitalization of Apple, jarring it out of beleaguered status. The design of the iMac was a wonderful update to the simplicity of the all-in-one computer that was the original Mac FB: What does the future of the podcast hold? James: The future holds more of the past!  We shall continue to explore the products, people, and stories that contributed to the rich history of the Macintosh and Apple.  I hope to have more interviews and how-to segments.  When we started two years ago, I would have never guessed we would produce over 100 episodes.  All I have to do is walk around my personal Mac museum, and I can come up with 100 more. John: More retro fun!

Macworld’s Jason Snell recently test-drove a MSI Wind running OS X. In his two pages of ponderings on the little notebook, Snell does something that I found surprising: comparing the Wind to Apple’s MacBook Air:

While the Wind is not a terrible laptop, it most definitely feels cheap. Apple’s Aluminum-clad laptops all feel solid, and even the white plastic MacBook feels sturdy. The Wind’s plastic skin feels thinner and more flexible, especially on the bottom—it feels more like what you’d find in a clock radio or other cheap consumer appliance.

Snell is right that netbooks are secondary machines (albeit I missed that observation in my first reading of his piece), but comparing the build quality between something like an MSI Wind or an Asus EeePC and a MacBook is like comparing your dad’s old Dodge Dart to a new Porsche. The answer may be so obvious that the question didn’t need to be asked.

Using a Wind will make anyone miss the Air, but that doesn’t mean the Wind is a bad machine - just not one that Snell (and many others) would use as their primary computer. Indeed, no one in their right mind buys a netbook like the Wind to edit videos, but for surfing, email, writing and some light photo work any netbook is a great machine - most people don’t need the oodles of power that full-sized notebooks offer anyways. For example, as great as my HP Mini 1000 is, it’s not a replacement for my MacBook Pro or my iMac - I use different systems for different things. I wouldn’t even think about running iMovie on my HP Mini, even though it’s running OS X now (more on that later this week).

Not to mention the Wind is around $450 at most retail outlets - a far cry from the $1799 Apple wants for the Air.

More from Snell:

…Apple has, thus far, refused to make any Mac that isn’t a complete computer that can be plausibly used with the full range of Mac software, including iLife and iWork. If Apple made a netbook like the Wind, that philosophy would have to be hauled to the trash can. I just can’t see it happening.

I agree with that. If/when Apple releases something between the Air and the iPhone, it will be capable, but the MSI Wind is capable, as long as the user keeps their expectations in line with the fact they spent less than $500 on a notebook.

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Update: After receiving an email from Macworld’s Jason Snell, I’ve altered this post a bit. Thanks for the input, Jason. - SH

Macworld:

U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Representative Lamar Smith, both Republicans from Texas, held a press conference Thursday to announce separate bills in the Senate and House of Representatives, both called the Internet Safety Act. Along with sections stipulating stiffer penalties for activities related to accessing child pornography on the Internet, the law would require Internet and e-mail service providers to retain “all records or other information” about anyone using a network address temporarily assigned by the service. The provision about retention would apply to any provider of “an electronic communication service or remote computing service,” as well as someone who receives the content and recipient list of e-mail messages that it “transmits, receives, or stores,” according to the text of the Senate bill.

[…]

The Internet Safety Act would amount to service providers storing personal information about their customers just in case they are later accused of a crime, said Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Terrifying.

I love retro computing, and I like well-done mods. RetroMacCast forum member option8 loves both, it seems. The hardware hacker has put a Mac mini inside a Apple Disk II case. Check out that link for photos.

Apple announced today that the 20-inch Cinema Display has been discontinued. Apple killed off the 23-inch display when the 24-inch LED Cinema Display (the shiny, Mini DisplayPort-bearing one) hit stores, so now the only other display Apple ships is the beastly 30-inch.

Time will tell what this means. New Macs are imminent, and Apple has announced that Mini DisplayPort is the new standard for the Macintosh family, so maybe the 20-inch was just due to be buried.

Dan Knight, of Low End Mac:

Income per page doubled in 2003 and kept moving upward, peaking in 2005/06, then slipping just a wee bit in 2007. Then came 2008. Through June, income was close to the 2006 level, but July fell well short of the previous year’s level. Through October, income seemed to hold steady, and then came the crash.

November income was less than half what it had been in 2007, and December was even worse. We’d hoped to see things turn in January, but instead it was lower still. We don’t know what February holds (checks usually arrive the last week of the month), but we’re looking at our options.

I wish them the best of luck. Low End Mac is the site when it comes to info about older Macintosh computers, and it would be sad to see it go.

From The Gadgeteer’s interview with Marisa Giancarla, who is developing an e-book reader for the Newton OS:

I have not seen the iPhone SDK so I don’t know how it compares development-wise to the Newton, but the lack of pen and ink support and handwriting recognition still haven’t been reached on the iPhone. There is a natural draw to try and compare the two, both being handheld computing devices from the same company, but they are still quite different. I would love to see a tablet device from Apple, then at least the hardware features would be comparable.

I find it awesome someone is still writing new code for a platform that has been dead for a decade. This really shows how awesome the Newton was.

Gizmodo:

On this first touch, the keyboard felt cramped, probably a result of the screen size, which is smaller than the iPhone’s—which is the obvious soft keyboard reference, since it was the first one to implement a finger-touch software keyboard.

It’s going to be hard to beat the virtual keyboard on the iPhone.

CNN:

Thousands of indignant members either canceled their accounts or created online petitions. Among them were more than 64,000 who joined a group called “The People Against the new Terms of Service.”

On Monday, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg tried to quell the controversy by saying the company’s philosophy is that “people own their information and control who they share it with.”

But members were not appeased because the site did not fix its Terms of Use. The company, in its post Wednesday, said it was returning to its previous Terms of Use because of the “feedback” it had received.

“As Mark expressed in his blog post on Monday, it was never our intention to confuse people or make them uneasy about sharing on Facebook,” company spokesman Barry Schnitt said in a blog post. “I also want to be very clear that Facebook does not, nor have we ever, claimed ownership over people’s content. Your content belongs to you.”

Good news for Facebook users. Hopefully this mess is over.

Alex Payne:

The problem with desktop email clients is that they’ve gone nowhere, and appear to be going nowhere fast. While Google has delivered solutions that make email less excruciating, Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, and now Postbox are twiddling their thumbs and staring at the ceiling. The primary recommendation for a desktop email client is that you end up with a copy of your messages on your hard drive, and even that argument is moot.

I agree. Having recently switched from MobileMe+OS X apps to all online, Google-based services, I like doing mail online.