wednesday 28 february 2007

Dear All -

As always, a warm welcome to new readers of this newsletter, going out to around 400 people now
around the globe - most of you are clients - thank you.

I have been waiting to send this february newsletter out in case of any further announcements
from Apple about new computers or software, announcements which have been rumoured since the
january show (which concentrated on non-computer products from Apple).

But no. Steve Jobs has been quiet! Perhaps this newsletter will jog him into action!


So here's the news I do have:

Apple Remote Desktop

It is with some relief that I can announce that I have finally cracked through Apple Macintosh
computer's security, and have been able to get through multiple ISPs, routers and firewalls
(note the plurals) to another Apple computer running remotely from my office, using Apple Remote
Desktop. This has involved me in about a year of off-on research, a visit to Coventry to spend
an hour or so at the foot of a networking expert, and finally today, after a couple of
false-starts, and a physical trip up the road to the client, success!!! Thanks, Peter.

Much of this difficulty is due to the excellent security of OS X based Macintosh computers
resisting all incoming calls, and the routers I use are similarly well equiped to resist
attack. There are a lot of settings and a lot of passwords to line up.

The particular setup I have got through to is a machine running OS X using a 3Com router.
System 9 is not supported, and those of you with Netgear and other routers, and the so-
called "modems", will have to be tried on a case-by-case basis. You must have a broadband
connection.

However, at long last, the remote management side of the business is open! The basis of
charging for this service is a set-up fee, with an annual top-up (to cover some of my
costs in set-up, and the Apple Remote Desktop software package), plus fees to cover my
time actually supporting you. On the other hand I'll provide my own cup of tea, and I'll
save the travel costs.

Call/email if interested in being registered for this service - I know that a handful of you
have expressed an interest in this service over the last couple of years.


Cheaper Apple purchases for you

A month or so ago Apple called me and said "We notice that you've bought a lot of equipment from
us, would your clients like a discount on standard Apple prices?" I assume you would, so I've
signed up for an Apple Affiliate Consultant programme.

When you are ready to buy, call Liz Stafford at Apple, and she will arrange for discounts of
between 4-10% (depending on what you are buying). Full instructions from the website -
http://www.themacdoc.co.uk/applestore.html


Simple websites

A reminder that I create and maintain a number of simple websites. Simple - because I'm no
designer (many of you are); simple - because that's all that's needed sometimes; simple -
because it's (comparatively) easy for me to take your ideas, pictures and files, and to ensure
that your website is kept uptodate.


MacBook Pro for sale

I have available a recent (may 2006) MacBook Pro (15" screen, 80 GByte hard drive, DVD-
re-writer, 512 MBytes RAM, OS X 10.4.x) for sale. This machine was bought by me for a
client who used it a little before passing on earlier this year. The estate have asked
me to find a new home for it. If interested let me know.


Important update

Skype 2.5 has been released which allows us Macintosh users to video conference with them
PC users. This works - I have chatted with my brother in Sheffield, and have watched delighted
as a client chatted with her grandchildren. Much of my delight ws watching out of the window
behind the children at the beach and sea of the Bermudas!


Six programs of interest

One:	SwiftPublisher - MacFormat magazine has reviewed an application called Swift Publisher
(version 1.3.1) which is a shareware page layout program. If you can't justify the price of
QuarkXpress or Adobe's InDesign, and can't get on with Apple's Pages, but need more than AppleWorks
or Word can do, then Swift Publisher may be worth a look. Find more information at
http://www.belightsoft.com/products/swiftpublisher/overview.php

Two:	ImageWell (from their website): "ImageWell is a small, but powerful, image editing
application that lets you quickly resize, crop, watermark, edit your images and then upload them
to the web, save to your computer or email them to a friend. ImageWell also lets you annotate
your images with text, shapes, arrows and lines, quickly and easily. And it doesn't stop there -
add a drop shadow, a shaped border, flip or rotate your image, take screen grabs, plus so much more."

Three:	FolderSplitter will be useful to those of you who back-up to CDs, but have a problem because
they have more data than will fit on a single CD. FolderSplitter automates the process of sorting
large folders into little ones that fit onto the target medium. Find it at
http://www.qtsync.com/e/foldersplitter_about.php

Four:	HairerSoft has released Amadeus Pro 1.0.1, its multitrack audio editor for Mac OS X. Key
features of Amadeus Pro 1.0 include a simple Mac OS X user interface, multitrack editing/recording,
batch processing as well as conversion, and sound de-noising and repairing. The application supports
a variety of sound formats which include AIFF, Multichannel Wave, MP3, MP4, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC,
SoundDesigner II, QuickTime, and Apple CAF. The latest release also includes a 'favorite actions'
palette alongside various audio analysis tools. Amadeus Pro 1.0 is priced at $40, with upgrades
for existing Amadeus II users available for $25. The software requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Five:	Writers amongst you might like to take a look at Scrivener which is a collection of tools
used by writers in one package. The tools include text processing, a virtual "corkboard" for ideas,
an outliner, research note management and more. Click over to
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html and have a look.

Six:	For the Graph Theorists amongst you – a bit more specialist this, but one of you uses it –
Maplesoft (http://www.maplesoft.com/) announced that it is now shipping Maple 11, a major update of
its widely-used analytical computation software. Highlights include Smart Documents with self-documenting
context menus that perform calculations and give a description of the steps, enhanced plotting,
point-and-click task assistants (Backsolver, Special Functions, Scientific Constants), the ability
to turn documents into instant slideshows, annotations, and a preview version of developing technology
for understanding handwritten mathematics. It also includes new specialty packages for Graph Theory,
Physics and Differential Geometry, improvements to Differential Equation and Differential Algebraic
Equation solvers, multi-core processor support, Excel import/export integrated with interactive
tools, and more. Maple 11 is $1,895 ($995 academic) for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and up (Intel and PowerPC).


The BBC and the Macintosh petition

The BBC is proposing making more material, especially video material available over the internet,
much like it's sound-only Listen again service. There is some concern that the BBC might adopt a
Microsoft-only approach to a media player for this service. This would, of course, be a very bad
idea. Via the following web-link

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/macuser/news/105634/mac-users-petition-government-and-bbc.html

you can click over to the BBC and let them know what you think.

There's also a simple petition (along the lines of the road-pricing-no-thank-you petition) referenced
on that site.


The Beatles

Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer Inc.) and Apple Corps Ltd. (the Beatles' company) have settled
their long series of trademark disputes with a new agreement under secret terms, according to a press
release recently:

	Apple Inc. and The Beatles' company Apple Corps Ltd. are pleased to announce the parties have entered
into a new agreement concerning the use of the name "Apple" and apple logos which replaces their 1991
Agreement. Under this new agreement, Apple Inc. will own all of the trademarks related to "Apple" and
will license certain of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for their continued use. In addition, the
ongoing trademark lawsuit between the companies will end, with each party bearing its own legal costs,
and Apple Inc. will continue using its name and logos on iTunes. The terms of settlement are confidential.
 	Commenting on the settlement, Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO said, "We love the Beatles, and it has been
painful being at odds with them over these trademarks. It feels great to resolve this in a positive
manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future."
	Commenting on the settlement on behalf of the shareholders of Apple Corps, Neil Aspinall, manager
of Apple Corps said, "It is great to put this dispute behind us and move on. The years ahead are going
to be very exciting times for us. We wish Apple Inc. every success and look forward to many years of
peaceful co-operation with them."


The iPhone

Apple and Cisco have also agreed to share the use of the moniker "iPhone" for their respective devices.


Marion's latest poem card

Lastly - my wife, Marion Wells, has produced her fourth poem card - which many of you who live in
Aldeburgh and Woodbridge will have seen offered gratis in local shops. If you'd like a copy of her
latest poem card, send a note of your physical address to: marion.wells@ukonline.co.uk


Next month - a look at the several web-page browsers available for the Apple Macintosh.

Best wishes to you all, and thanks for being Mac users

hugh