The Fastest Windows Vista Laptop...

...is a Mac. The MacBook Pro to be exact. Faster than all the others.

Leopard Goodies in NY Times

The New York Times reviews Leopard:

So Apple’s mission in Leopard was to make us aware of needs we never knew we had — something Apple is usually good at.

They Actually Listened

Apple just sometimes doesn't seem to listen to their customers. Sure, they quietly acknowledge whatever it is someone's bitching about and fix it in the next version of the software or hardware. But on occasion the bitching is so loud that they have to do something fast. It's happened throughout Apple's history. Most recently with the iPhone pricing. But now Apple has heard the cries to open up the iPhone to third-party developers. Why they didn't do this from the start I don't really know. What could make a kick-ass phone like the iPhone even more desirable? Killer applications. Apple announced today that they'll deliver an iPhone SDK (software development kit) by February of next year. It will also enable developers to develop for the iPod touch as well. Sweet. About damn time too.

Getting Ready for Leopard

In case you forgot or need to catch up on what all the Leopard hubbub is all about, here's a top ten list for you. Or if you're having trouble sleeping, here's the top 300 list.

Mine is on order of course and due to arrive next Friday. I'll miss out on the free t-shirt that Apple is giving away that day, but thanks to my corporate discount and $100 iPhone credit, it's costing me a whopping $24.

Amazon has a great deal - Leopard for $109.00. If you purchase it along with Parallels you'll get another $20 off. Not a bad deal. Of course if you're purchasing Parallels that means you're running Winblows which sucks for you. Wait, I'm also running Parallels. Bastard! Always one step ahead.

High Quality DRM Free Now Cheaper

Apple officially announced today that they're reducing the price of iTunes Plus to 99 cents from $1.29. Hmmm....I wonder why they did that?

Leopard Pounces on October 26

Pre-order your copy today. Leopard has some kickass features - TimeMachine, Spaces and so much more. And unlike that other operating system, Mac OS X usually improves performance of older Macs instead of making them obsolete.

Menu Bar Items

Here's a great collection of menu bar applications.

Why *Wouldn't* You Want To Buy It?

Zune Zune Zune

MSFT has unveiled the new Zune. Nothing too exciting: 4, 8, and 80gb models all similarly priced to the iPod line. A few things to note, though:

• Wireless syncing on your home wi-fi network is a nice touch. As a family with two different generations of iPod, it's annoying to plug in to the wrong cable.
• Zune Social is an intriguing idea along the lines of iLike. It's a nice way to find new music from sources you trust.
• DRM-free marketplace. I know iTunes has some as well, but this coupled with Amazon's new marketplace makes it pretty clear to me that this is where it's moving - and iTunes needs to maintain solid relationships with the record industry so they can also move in that direction without falling too far behind.

The Zune will never be an iPod killer. I think the only way the iPod will ever die will be from self-inflicted wounds. Nevertheless, I'm glad a competitor is pushing Apple a bit on some features that are lacking in the iPod line.