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Well having set up one of my new LaCie Poulton 1TB Firewire drives I am installing OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 onto it.
The external drive needed to be formatted for the OS X operating system and the partition map set up to allow me to install the OS onto it. All relatively simple with Disk Utility.
Then I set it to install, said it would take 47 minutes, wonder if those are real minutes or Apple minutes?
I ordered my copy of Snow Leopard earlier this week and was pleased to receive it on day of release at about 7.3oam this morning!
I am intending to install it on a different external drive to the one I currently run Leopard 10.5 on as a fresh install and then install my applications as and when required.
I prefer to do it this way as I don’t have to worry about crowding the drive with unused applications or filling the memory with “helper” applications for apps I don’t run.
Of course the main downside is that none of my preferences are there, so I have to “add” them all back in again.
I was going to order a new iMac this summer. A 24″ model with 4GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD and a good graphics card. It would be an improvement over my current 20″ iMac which I bought in 2006.
However….
Though I knew that new models were coming out in October, I decided I needed it now and wasn’t going to wait.
However….
I then read MacRumors.
AppleInsider reports that the next-generation iMac will see the inclusion of two “compelling” new features, although sources refuse to provide anything more than suggestions as to what those features might be.
One of those features is said to have long been on the wish-lists of many Mac users while the other is expected to cater to the semi-professional audio/video crowd. This is according to cryptic tips from people often familiar with the Mac maker’s future product initiatives, but who declined to elaborate because they were not authorized to discuss the matter in detail.
My guess (based on what I have read) is Blu-Ray and an SD card slot. Though reading both articles indicate it could be anything or nothing.
However…
I really would like an iMac with Blu-Ray capability, I do watch a fair few movies on my Mac and I would like to watch them in HD.
Of course I could be completely wrong, who knows with Apple.
Back in June 2008 when Apple put movies into the UK iTunes Store I had a go and didn’t have a huge success.
So my first proper attempt to get films off the iTunes Store was not a great success, ah well maybe next time.
So now over a year later, what’s the situation?
Well I am downloading a fair few movies from the iTunes Store now, buying and renting.
I do like how quick and easy it is, and sometimes how much cheaper it is too (and annoyed by how expensive it can be too).
I usually watch the movies via an iPod through the TV, as I still haven’t got round to buying an Apple TV, but then I still don’t have that HD TV to watch them on (and I am pretty sure I can’t easily connect an Apple TV to my current TV).
I will probably get an Apple TV if I get an HD TV as I would prefer to watch HD movies on an HD screen.
I was impressed with HD on the TV Shows and downloaded Lost in HD and the newest Doctor Who special in HD too.
So is everything working?
Well not really.
My ADSL is still way too slow, which means it takes hours to download a movie. Also I have a monthly bandwidth limit which means I usually plan my iTunes downloads overnight as Plusnet my ISP gives me a “free” download time between midnight and eight in the morning.
Also now and again iTunes fails to download the movie “properly”, so it downloads it again! As a result I have two versions in my iTunes library.
However despite a few minor issues I am pleased with movies and TV on the iTunes store and use it on a regular basis.
Amazon now have Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Amazon do say
Please note, that only Apple OS X Leopard users are eligible for the Snow Leopard upgrade. Tiger & earlier OS users will need to purchase either versions of the upgraded Mac Box Set
. Also, Snow Leopard will only run on intel-based Mac computers.
Oh, if you want to pre-order Snow Leopard Server
Apple has revealed as part of its quarterly earnings statement that it cannot produce the new iPhone 3GS fast enough.
Luckily for me I was able to order an iPhone 3GS, though only the 32GB model was available, which is the model I wanted, though I thought 16GB would be enough, 16GB can never be enough, so I went down my usual maxim which is work out what I need and double it…
So far all I have done it activated it, sync’d it and charged it. Nothing else yet…
Noticed a couple of news items on BBC News which make for interesting reading if you are interested in mobile applications. The first item I saw was on the market for mobile apps.
The market for mobile applications, or apps, will become “as big as the internet”, peaking at 10 million apps in 2020, a leading online store says.
But it is not all good news…
However, GetJar say, the developer community will decline drastically as each developer makes less money.
This is certainly apparent in the iTunes App Store where expensive useful apps, are virtually immediately undercut by similar low cost or even free apps.
But it doesn’t seem to be putting people off with the following news:
Symbian, the operating system on nearly half the world’s smartphones, is to become involved in the development of mobile applications, or apps.
So who’s creating these mobile apps and what are they creating?
Saw the new 13” MacBook Pro complete with SD card slot in the Apple Store.
I was well impressed and am starting to really like this laptop, certainly bigger than a netbook, but more powerful as well (and a lot more expensive too).
Seriously thinking about getting one as a computer for travelling with. The lack of removable battery seems less of an issue these days, what with power sockets on trains and more conference organisers adding power sockets too.
It has Firewire which means moving files (large video files that is) will be easier.
Not too heavy, well heavier than a netbook, but lighter than a 15” MacBook Pro.
Big issue is the price, what with 4GB of RAM and a large HDD, we’re looking at over £1,100…
Thinking about it!
Apple have released details of the new firmware for the iPhone.
In-App Purchasing: Allows developers to sell additional content from within applications. Highlighted uses include magazine subscriptions, eBooks, additional levels and items for games.
Peer-to-Peer Connectivity: Find other devices running the app via Bonjour over Wi-Fi of Bluetooth. Good for gaming, but also other applications for sharing data.
Third-Party Accessory Apps: Allowing accessory manufacturers to create applications to interface with their hardware accessories.
Push Notification: Rather than using background processes that hamper battery life, utilize third-party server to push badge, text, and audio alerts from applications.
Turn by Turn: Apple will allow developers to use CoreLocation for turn-by-turn GPS directions.
Cut, Copy and Paste: Available across all apps. Shake to undo or redo.
Landscape keyboard: Available in all key applications, including Mail.
MMS: Picture messaging now available.
Voice Memos: Record notes, lectures, interviews, etc.
Spotlight Search: Available across all applications. Systemwide search available from main home screen by flicking to the left.
A2DP Bluetooth: Support for stereo bluetooth headsets.
In the Q&A Apple did say if the carriers supported it they would support tethering as a modem.
I do go into System Preferences now and again, but not often. I accidently started it this evening and saw this at the bottom.
Hmmm…
I am pretty sure I didn’t install it. Now I know I haven’t downloaded anything recently, but this seemed weird. The name didn’t seem to give any clues.
I opened the preference pane to have a look.
MacFUSE allows you to extend Mac OS X’s native file handling capabilities via 3rd-party file systems. Visit the MacFUSE website for more information.
Well I was none the wiser!
Did you think I was going to click the link, no I think not!
Did a Google search and got this.
Made me feel a little better, as it would appear that it wasn’t some kind of malicious code.
Looked further down and it said in one of the other searches something about NTFS…
Now it was all starting to make sense.
Parallels must have installed it when I installed Parallels the other day.
Must stay on top of these kind of things.