TidBITS#919/17-Mar-08
=====================
Issue link: <http://db.tidbits.com/issue/919>
You've seen the commercials and read the early reviews, but how does
the MacBook Air perform in real-world usage? And by "real-world,"
contributor Angus Wong means, how well does it work from bed on a
lazy weekend morning (among other places and times)? On that note,
Joe Kissell reconsiders sleep - the sleep feature of his laptop,
that is - with the utility SmartSleep. Jeff Carlson meets a new
sultry text-to-speech voice being used by Apple, and Glenn takes a
quick look at Apple's new 802.11n-savvy AirPort Express Base
Station. This week also includes plenty of update news, as we look
at important updates for Microsoft Office 2008 and Office 2004, a
standalone AirPort Utility update, a new AppleScript solution for
pasting plain text into Word 2008, and a new version of the ebook
"Take Control of Switching to the Mac," plus a quick list of other
notable updates. Lastly, we note an unlimited AT&T voice plan for
iPhone owners, give away several copies of the IPNetMonitorX network
utility, and peek at email messages expressing dissatisfaction with
Windows Vista system requirements, as written by Microsoft execs.
Articles
Apple Releases 802.11n AirPort Express
AT&T Offers Unlimited Voice Use iPhone Plan
Apple Releases Updated AirPort Utility for Tiger, Leopard, Windows
DealBITS Drawing: Win a Copy of IPNetMonitorX
Updated Paste Plain Text AppleScript for Word 2008
SmartSleep Solves Safe Sleep Situation
Automating Text-to-Speech Video Narration
Vista Woes Aired in Internal Microsoft Email
Take Control News: Updated Help for Switching to the Mac
Important Updates Released for Office 2008 and 2004
Bedding Down with a MacBook Air
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 17-Mar-08
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/17-Mar-08
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Apple Releases 802.11n AirPort Express
--------------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9506>
The venerable AirPort Express now sports 802.11n, the fastest flavor
of Wi-Fi, while weighing in at a light-on-the-pockets $99 in the
United States. Apple released its revised compact base station
today. The AirPort Express can also stream music from iTunes over a
network through a built-in combo analog and digital optical audio
port using AirTunes, a protocol that Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil extends
to allow any streaming audio output from a Mac or Windows system
(see "Airfoil Plays Home Audio Wirelessly," 2008-03-10).
<http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/>
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-03/airportexpress2.jpg>
<http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/mac/>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9492>
The AirPort Express was introduced in 2004 as a cheaper alternative
- at $129 - to the then-pricey AirPort Extreme Base Station
(introduced the previous year at $299), while adding the audio
streaming option. When the 802.11n AirPort Extreme was released in
February 2007 at the current $179, the AirPort Express remained in
the catalog with no changes, except a drop in price to $99.
The 802.11n draft standard, currently certified by industry trade
group The Wi-Fi Alliance, has reached enough equilibrium that you
should be able to mix and match so-called "Draft N" devices with the
certified label from different manufacturers. Increased range is a
key advantage of 802.11n: multiple internal antennas can extend the
distance by which you can get a useful signal by a factor of two to
four (Apple is claiming just "up to...twice the range").
The AirPort Express is among the cheapest devices to handle both the
2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands. The 5 GHz band is notably useful
because of the relatively low usage by consumers; the 2.4 GHz band
is in heavy use by Wi-Fi networks, shares its space with other
purposes, and has less spectrum allotted to it than the 5 GHz band.
The new version of the AirPort Express still has the same
limitations as the old: the built-in USB port handles just a single
printer that you can share over a network. This 802.11n model can't
share hard drives or multiple printers; for that, you still need the
$179 AirPort Extreme or a $299 (500 GB) or $499 (1 TB) Time Capsule.
Apple promises that up to 10 users can access the base station at
the same time; 50 can ostensibly simultaneously use an AirPort
Extreme or Time Capsule.
The AirPort Express also includes just 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, which
will shave off the top possible speeds available with 802.11n. In my
testing of the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule with gigabit
Ethernet, I found that using 100 Mbps Ethernet could shave as much
as 50 percent off the the top rate and impose other internal speed
limitations among Ethernet and Wi-Fi devices.
AT&T Offers Unlimited Voice Use iPhone Plan
-------------------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9498>
Ars Technica helped clear up some confusion related to the new
unlimited voice calling plans offered by the four major cellular
carriers in the United States (see "Three Cell Carriers Offer
Unlimited Minutes for $100 per Month," 2008-02-19, and "Sprint
Nextel Adds $90 and $100 Unlimited Monthly Plans," 2008-02-28).
Initially, it seemed as if iPhone purchasers wouldn't be eligible
for the $100-per-month rate AT&T was offering (exclusive of data and
text messaging).
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9467>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9478>
David Chartier at Ars Technica heard from AT&T that there was a
delay of more than two weeks between the general AT&T offer and its
appearance on the Apple pricing page for the iPhone. A new $120 per
month plan includes unlimited voice minutes, unlimited EDGE data,
and a paltry 200 text messages. Another $20 per month gets you
unlimited text messages. Chartier reports that customers with
current AT&T plans or those that signed up during that period can
call the carrier for a no-charge switch to the unlimited voice plan.
Additional lines cost another $120 per month in a family plan.
(Alaskans, sadly, can't get unlimited voice service from AT&T.)
<http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/03/10/att-shows-iphone-some-unlimited-calling-love>
<http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html#individual>
Apple Releases Updated AirPort Utility for Tiger, Leopard, Windows
------------------------------------------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9494>
AirPort Utility 5.3.1 is now available for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Mac
OS X 10.5 Leopard, and Windows XP and Vista. This is the first time
that Tiger and Windows users can simply download the utility and
install it. Up to now, you had to use an installer CD from supported
hardware to obtain AirPort Utility, or install Leopard. AirPort
Utility can configure any AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort
Express Base Station, or Time Capsule. (The update was unavailable
for several hours after it was initially posted, reappearing by
Wednesday morning.)
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutility531fortiger.html>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutility531forleopard.html>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutility531forwindows.html>
The software first appeared with the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base
Station model released in February 2007, and the AirPort Express
retail packaging was updated by mid-2007 to include it as well.
AirPort Utility shipped as part of Leopard and comes with Time
Capsule as well. The software is more neatly designed than its
predecessor, AirPort Admin Utility, and reveals more configuration
options even on older models.
AirPort Utility can optionally install a software agent that runs in
the background and monitors the network for the addition of USB
drives connected to an AirPort Extreme Base Station or Time Capsule
and for problems with base stations on the local network. It can
also check automatically for updates to itself and firmware updates.
AirPort Utility makes it much simpler to roll back to earlier
versions of base station firmware when you encounter troubles.
The most notable change starting with AirPort Utility 5.3 is the
ability to set the Bonjour name of a base station separately from
its descriptive name: choose the AirPort pane and in the Base
Station or Time Capsule tab click Edit beneath the Name field.
Formerly, you could set just one name that was used for both
purposes. The descriptive name is used to identify the base station
within AirPort Utility, but also to name its attached volumes.
The Bonjour name is used to advertise the base station across the
network and could be changed to something short and sweet or long
and more technical. Wide-area Bonjour configuration is now found in
the same place that you modify the device's Bonjour name. Wide-area
Bonjour is ironically not yet widely supported; it's a way of
publishing local networking information to a DNS server.
I discuss AirPort Utility, wide-area Bonjour, and other
AirPort-related subjects fairly extensively in my book, Take Control
of Your 802.11n AirPort Extreme Network.
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/airport-n.html>
DealBITS Drawing: Win a Copy of IPNetMonitorX
---------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9507>
Networking is one of those topics that generates a vast number of
questions. How fast is my Internet connection? What IP addresses are
in use on my network? How can I improve the performance of my
wireless network by adjusting the position and orientation of my
AirPort base station? Is my ISP on a DNS blacklist that's preventing
my mail from getting through? Are there any services running on my
Mac (and creating a security vulnerability) that I didn't realize
were active? Is my server crashing regularly in the middle of the
night?
There are a variety of tools that can answer some of these
questions, particularly if you're extremely comfortable at the Unix
command line, but if you're a Mac user who prefers a graphical
interface, a better option is Sustainable Softworks' IPNetMonitorX.
Run by networking guru Peter Sichel, Sustainable Softworks has built
up a reputation for creating networking tools that look deep into
the guts of the Mac OS to answer all the above questions and many
more.
<http://www.sustworks.com/site/prod_ipmx_overview.html>
In this week's DealBITS drawing, you can enter to win one of two
copies of IPNetMonitorX. Entrants who aren't among our lucky winners
will receive a discount on IPNetMonitorX, so be sure to enter at the
DealBITS page. All information gathered is covered by our
comprehensive privacy policy. Remember too, that if someone you
refer to this drawing wins, you'll receive the same prize as a
reward for spreading the word.
<http://www.tidbits.com/dealbits/ipnetmonitorx/>
<http://www.tidbits.com/about/privacy.html>
Updated Paste Plain Text AppleScript for Word 2008
--------------------------------------------------
by Joe Kissell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9503>
In "Word 2008 and the Paste Plain Text Dance" (2008-01-19), I
described a tiny AppleScript I use in Word 2008 to paste text
without style information, so that the pasted text adopts the style
of whatever is around it. From the feedback I've received, the lack
of a built-in command to do this with one click had irritated quite
a few people. Since then, I've found that very occasionally - I
can't quite discern a pattern to why or when - text pasted with my
script takes on the default font of Word's Normal template
(Cambria), rather than the actual font of the surrounding text.
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9408>
So I experimented further, and I've come up with a revised script
that not only solves this problem but takes an entirely different
approach that results in a shorter and more elegant solution. Thus
far I haven't seen any occasions in which the new script fails. As
before, you can either paste this into Script Editor or download the
completed script, unzip it, and put it in ~/Documents/Microsoft User
Data/Word Script Menu Items. Here's the script:
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-03/PastePlainTextII.zip>
tell application "Microsoft Word"
tell selection
try
set theClip to Unicode text of (the clipboard as record)
type text text theClip
end try
end tell
end tell
Now, instead of counting the number of characters on the clipboard
and moving the insertion point, the script uses the "type text"
command to simulate typing, which automatically puts the insertion
point in the right place.
SmartSleep Solves Safe Sleep Situation
--------------------------------------
by Joe Kissell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9502>
Several months ago I complained in "Stewing Over Safe Sleep"
(2007-07-30) that my laptop took far too long to go to sleep, thanks
to Apple's default Safe Sleep settings; I also shared a shell script
that I used to disable Safe Sleep and return my computer to a more
sane state. After quite a bit of reader feedback, I followed that up
a month later with "Safe Sleep Revisited" (2007-08-20), in which I
presented a more sophisticated script that turns Safe Sleep on or
off dynamically based on your current battery level. But I still
felt it was a shame that it required command-line fiddling to
achieve the sort of behavior I wanted.
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9090>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9115>
Now, thanks to a free preference pane by Patrick Stein called
SmartSleep, those of us with Mac laptops that sleep in what we
regard as the "wrong" way can tailor sleep settings to our liking
with just a couple of clicks. SmartSleep lets you choose exactly
what happens when you put your computer to sleep. The default
behavior ("sleep & hibernate") is to save your computer's RAM to
disk before sleeping - that's what I dislike because it takes too
long, though it lets your Mac recover almost instantly from a
complete loss of power. You can also choose "sleep" (the default on
earlier Mac laptops) which sleeps immediately without copying RAM to
disk; "hibernate," which saves the RAM and then powers down
completely when the computer sleeps; and my favorite, "smart sleep,"
which dynamically turns "hibernate and sleep" mode on or off
depending on your battery's current charge (the threshold is
adjustable with a slider), and goes straight to "hibernate" only
when your battery's charge is less than 5 percent. In other words,
the "smart sleep" setting goes a step further than my script did,
and with a lot less effort. There's even a button to delete your
sleepimage file, if any.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2008-03/SmartSleep.png>
<http://www.jinx.de/SmartSleep.html>
One tip: if you double-click the preference pane file to install it,
Mac OS X asks whether you want to install it for all users, or just
the current user. You _must_ select Install for All Users of This
Computer, which puts the file in /Library/PreferencePanes - the only
location in which it works properly.
Automating Text-to-Speech Video Narration
-----------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9497>
In last week's article about the Aperture 2.0.1 update and its
improved AppleScript support, I mentioned in passing that the
narration used in some accompanying demonstration videos was
artificial - the product of Mac OS X text-to-speech technology
instead of a human voiceover (see "Aperture 2.0.1 Update Enhanced by
AppleScript," 2007-09-07).
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9491>
However, I made one mistake, for which I must apologize to the women
living inside my computer: the voice used in the video is not
Victoria. I made a guess based on listening to the ladies in the
Speech preference pane, but Sal Soghoian, product manager for
automation technologies at Apple, set me straight. She's Lucy, the
female British English voice from Acapela (and available in
AssistiveWare's Infovox iVox; see "Macs Speak Clearly with Infovox
iVox," 2007-09-07).
<http://www.acapela-group.com/english-uk-35-text-to-voice.html>
<http://www.assistiveware.com/infovox_ivox.php>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/9155>
Soghoian noted that his training podcasts all employ non-human
voices. To learn how he's making it work, check out the "Rendered
Narrations" video at Automator.us.
<http://automator.us/leopard/video/>
Vista Woes Aired in Internal Microsoft Email
--------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9495>
Early in my mother's email career at Cornell University, someone
accidentally sent a rather embarrassing personal reply to a mailing
list she was on. She was quite taken with the situation, and since
then, whenever a story of misdirected email is told, she comes out
with one of her favorite sayings: "Never put anything into email
that you wouldn't want to appear on the front page of the New York
Times."
It turns out that you don't even have to make an addressing mistake
for this to be true, as is amusingly related in Randall Stross's New
York Times article "They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know."
Stross relates quotes from users unhappy because their new PCs,
advertised as being "Windows Vista Capable" via Microsoft stickers,
can't actually run all versions of Vista and have numerous other
problems with the latest version of Windows. But the catch is, these
complaints aren't random Internet users moaning into the ether of a
public discussion forum. Instead, they're written by Microsoft
executives and are internal email discussions that have been
subpoenaed as part of a class-action lawsuit complaining that those
"Windows Vista Capable" stickers were misleading.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09digi.html>
At least one of the Microsoft executives had an opportunity to learn
from my mother's favorite saying. Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's
senior vice president responsible for Windows, was a student at
Cornell in the 1980s. And how do I know this? He was Tonya's dorm
resident adviser during her freshman year. Yes, it's a small world.
Ironically, my mother is now Cornell University Archivist, and I
expect that contributions to the Cornell Archives will increasingly
include email and other digital communications, just as they have
for many years included personal letters. So consider the
implications of what you write in email not only ending up in the
New York Times, but also being preserved for posterity if the
recipient donates his or her email to a digital archive.
Take Control News: Updated Help for Switching to the Mac
--------------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9501>
Author Scott Knaster and editor Caroline Rose, who have collectively
written and edited for Apple, NeXT, Microsoft, and Google, have been
hard at work on a major update to "Take Control of Switching to a
Mac," and the fruits of their labors are now available for us all to
enjoy.
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/switching.html?14@@!pt=TB919>
What's to enjoy about switching if you already use a Mac? If you've
switched only recently, you may still be having withdrawal symptoms
that Scott and Caroline can assuage. Or, if you're anything like us,
you periodically hear from far-flung friends and relatives who are
considering switching and who would like to pick your brain on the
best way to go about it. Instead of spending hours going over the
basics, simply point them to this ebook, which is packed with advice
that will take them every step of the way. Like all Take Control
ebooks, it works fine on either a PC or a Mac, and it's easy to tote
it around on a laptop, unlike the print tomes on the topic. The
ebook covers what's cool (and what's not - we're not whitewashing
anything here) about the Mac, setting up a new Mac, moving Windows
files to the Mac, learning Mac basics from the perspective of
someone who is already knows Windows, using networks and printers,
five key Mac features no one should live without, and five
especially useful tips. There's also a glossary of Macintosh terms
that should help any switcher feel more comfortable with unfamiliar
jargon.
"Take Control of Switching to the Mac" 1.5 now covers switching from
Windows XP or Vista to Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or 10.5 Leopard. The
differences in the various operating systems were sufficiently minor
that Scott was able to wrap them all into one book without turning
it into a cumbersome reading experience.
Important Updates Released for Office 2008 and 2004
---------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9496>
Two months after the initial release of Microsoft Office 2008 for
Mac, Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit has pushed out the first
update to the software suite, fixing a wide variety of bugs.
Refreshingly, Microsoft described the changes in an entirely
reasonable amount of detail. The Microsoft Office 2008 12.0.1 Update
requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, and you can get it from the
Microsoft AutoUpdate utility or download it from Microsoft's Web
site as a 114.1 MB download.
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948057>
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8FE8C32A-6D7A-482B-97C6-42562F089EE4>
(Microsoft updated the Office 2008 Microsoft AutoUpdate utility
itself to version 2.1.1 back in February 2008, and you must have
that version to be able to download future updates, according to the
Entourage Help Blog. The Office 2008 version of Microsoft AutoUpdate
is located in /Library/Application Support/MAU2.0, and can either
update itself, or can be updated if you choose Check for Updates in
the Help menu of any Office application. Keep in mind that the
Office 2004 version of Microsoft AutoUpdate, which you must keep if
you want it to continue to update Office 2004 applications
automatically, is located in the /Applications folder.)
<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/02/office_2008_autoupdate_mau_updated_to_211.html>
For Word 2008, Microsoft squashed the crash on first launch bug
triggered when Word 2008 tried to import settings from previous
versions of the program. Blank pages are no longer printed to
certain printers, documents with Word 2007 for Windows equations
open properly, citation deletion has been improved, and font
substitution has been improved for people running on PowerPC-based
Macs who are importing Word for Windows documents. And, in the
"Mamma mia!" bug, Word 2008 no longer crashes when you try to check
spelling and grammar when using an Italian keyboard.
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948489/>
Excel 2008 sees overall stability improvements, better support for a
second monitor positioned above the primary display, improved
handling of ledger sheets, proper formatting of rotated text after
deleting columns, a fix for the bug that caused the formatting of
empty cells to change unexpectedly in .xls files, and increased
reliability when copying and pasting linked data and charts. But
most important for working stiffs who rely on Excel, the WORKDAY
function now calculates correctly when used on a sheet that uses the
Mac's default 1904 date system.
With PowerPoint 2008, Microsoft improved the launch time and fixed a
bug that caused some characters to be spaced too close together.
More critically, the update eliminates a problem that caused
possible data loss under Mac OS X 10.5 when saving a PowerPoint file
to a network volume using the SMB protocol. Competing for importance
is another fix for a bug that could cause a .ppt PowerPoint file
containing a link to a sound file such as an MP3 to become corrupted
and unreadable.
Entourage 2008 features several enterprise-level improvements,
including a fix for a problem that prevented Entourage from
connecting to IBM Lotus Domino servers via IMAP, and improvements
when synchronizing calendar events and contacts with Microsoft
Exchange Server. All Entourage users will appreciate sounds working
properly in Leopard, better import of rules and identities from
Entourage 2004 (especially if you're Swedish!), improved stability
when syncing via Sync Services, and better reliability in the
Database Utility when rebuilding a large database.
On the security side, Office 12.0.1 includes fixes for security
vulnerabilities that could have allowed remote code execution if the
user opened a specially crafted Excel file. This problem affects
Windows versions of Excel as well, and for those using Excel 2000
SP3 on Windows, Microsoft considers it of critical severity.
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-014.mspx>
Lastly, the update fixes a problem in the Office Installer that
caused Office 2008 program files to be improperly installed using
User ID 502. Since the first user on a Mac is generally UID 501,
this could have given the second user unwarranted permissions. Dan
Frakes covered this issue well over at Macworld. Although
Microsoft's otherwise-excellent release notes don't state this
explicitly, the update does go through and change all the Office
program files so they are owned by UID 0 rather than UID 502. (If
this doesn't make much sense to you, either don't worry about it or
read Brian Tanaka's "Take Control of Permissions in Leopard," which
is what I did to figure out how to verify the change.)
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948488/>
<http://www.macworld.com/article/131822/2008/01/office2008issues.html>
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-permissions.html>
The Microsoft Office 2004 11.4.1 Update fixes the Excel
vulnerability along with another security vulnerability that could
enable remote code execution if the user opened a malformed file. It
too can be retrieved from Microsoft either via Microsoft AutoUpdate
or as a 13.2 MB standalone download. Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later is
required, as is a completely up-to-date version of Office 11.4.0,
which is most easily acquired by running Microsoft AutoUpdate and
installing updates repeatedly until you have the latest version.
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-016.mspx>
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=95DCEB37-B35F-46DB-B280-DB0F3B298AA9>
Bedding Down with a MacBook Air
-------------------------------
by Angus Wong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9499>
I know, there must be a special place in hell for people who use an
ultra-portable laptop in bed, but I don't care: it's like having Mac
OS X served to you on a tray. The MacBook Air has a great feel to
it, and its instant power on and sleep makes it easy to use in
places where a longer startup or power down would be tedious. The
MagSafe power adapter ingeniously mitigates dangers from a wayward
blanket or pillow.
The real bonus? The Air could also be useful on the road, not just
in bed.
I ordered my MacBook Air almost immediately after watching the
Macworld Expo keynote in January. I'd been waiting ages for a
lightweight computer that would lighten my backpack. I wasn't happy
with any of the super-portable alternatives I'd toyed with before -
including trying to work on business documents using only a Treo and
a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard.
I also hated the non-Macintosh sub-notebooks. These computers always
seemed to waste cycles carrying out mysterious Windows tasks
precisely when battery power was lowest and I most urgently needed
to finish my work. And although I could run Linux on those tiny PCs,
the operating system remains too rough around the edges for me to
depend on. So, on the road, I'd been making do with a 12-inch iBook
G4, my last PowerPC-based Mac before I bought my current main
computer, a 17-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is a fine machine,
but I find it just too unwieldy to haul around town or work with in
the compressed space of an airplane seat.
When I saw Steve Jobs demo the MacBook Air, my gut told me it would
be in heavy demand. So after some furious scrambling to justify the
purchase to my soon-to-be-wife (with the main rationale being, it's
mostly for her!), I quickly placed an order on Apple's Web site,
figuring that would be the fastest way to get in line.
It seemingly took ages for the MacBook Air to be delivered, almost
as long as for the iPhone. While my fiancee was eager to embrace the
sleek aesthetics, I was just as anxious for her to be rid of the
previously sleek Sony Vaio so that I could break free of my role as
in-house Windows technical support.
While waiting, I signed on to write a review for TidBITS, figuring I
could give my early-adopter perspective and hopefully help others
figure out if it's the right machine for them. Eventually the Air
came, and after we'd become familiar with it for a few weeks, I
found myself faced with another challenge: the glut of reviews
already out. I didn't want to produce yet another MacBook Air review
because it would be neither fun to write nor of service to readers
who had already pored over the other reviews.
So, instead of trying to replicate what other reviewers have
written, I'd suggest that if you're considering a MacBook Air, it's
worthwhile not only to read the other reviews but also to consider
the type of user you are, and whether a particular review addresses
the points most salient to your use cases. The coverage I'd most
recommend you start with is Gizmodo's Review Matrix, which
summarizes the opinions of Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal,
Steven Levy of Newsweek, Ed Baig of USA Today, and David Pogue of
the New York Times. For more detail, you can read Gizmodo's own
review, as well as Jason Snell's analysis for Macworld.
<http://gizmodo.com/348361/our-macbook-air-review-matrix>
<http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20080124/apples-macbook-air-is-beautiful-and-thin-but-omits-features/>
<http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2008-01-23-macbook-air-review_N.htm>
<http://www.newsweek.com/id/101113>
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/technology/personaltech/17pogue.html?pagewanted=all>
<http://gizmodo.com/348753/macbook-air-review>
<http://www.macworld.com/article/131864/2008/01/macbookair.html>
Having said that, allow me to present my take on the MacBook Air
from the perspective of an owner with several weeks of real-world
experience.
**Primarily a Secondary** -- I don't think the MacBook Air should be
your sole Macintosh. If you already have another Mac, especially an
Intel-based Mac, the Air can be a good second, a highly portable
addition to your computing arsenal. But thanks to its relatively
underpowered specifications, the MacBook Air may not deliver a
satisfactory Macintosh experience, and even in comparison to Apple's
other laptops, it suffers. The MacBook Pro balances portability and
power perfectly, while the MacBook reduces cost and size
considerably by giving up some power-user features.
Trying to compose music in GarageBand or edit in iMovie on the
MacBook Air could be quite frustrating due to the sluggish CPU
speed. Large iPhoto and iTunes libraries will also be problematic,
with the largest available internal storage maxing out at 80 GB.
External storage options are constrained because of the absence of
FireWire. No matter what the marketing folks say about USB 2.0, it
is just not as fast as FireWire, and this is especially noticeable
when the CPU is under heavy load.
Remote Disc, Apple's wireless virtual optical disc access
technology, is sweet but does not fully replicate the functionality
of a true optical drive, making the physical SuperDrive a necessity
if the MacBook Air is to be your only Macintosh. Only the SuperDrive
can rip CDs and play DVDs on an Air.
If you're vacillating between a MacBook Air and a non-Apple laptop,
however, the MacBook Air is a better choice, even though it will be
a constrained Macintosh experience. In terms of productivity, Mac OS
X 10.5 Leopard is light-years ahead of any other operating system on
the market - so much so that I can get more work done on my aging 1
GHz iBook G4 than on any top-of-the-line Windows or Linux PC. (Of
course, that's just me.) [Editor's note: Several TidBITS staffers
use laptops of similar vintage without complaint, too!]
But if you already have a Mac, even a PowerPC-based one, the MacBook
Air could be an ideal second Mac. In my case, my primary work (and
play) happens on my MacBook Pro. My fiancee uses the MacBook Air
most of the time, largely for her email and a small iPhoto library.
We store our main photographic repository on a 500 GB FireWire drive
shared via my MacBook Pro, which is our main home Mac. The MacBook
Air views the larger collection via Wi-Fi using iPhoto sharing, and
we also centralize our music, videos, and work documents on that
computer. This reduces the need for local storage on the MacBook
Air. The Air's speedy 802.11n Wi-Fi combined with Mac OS X's file
sharing makes remote file access a cinch.
Leopard's Screen Sharing also acts as a powerful enabler for the
MacBook Air. Case in point: I am in bed, with the MacBook Air on the
bedside table. It being a lazy Sunday, my fiancee and I want to
watch a movie without getting up. The movie file is on my MacBook
Pro in the other room, and although it's turned on, iTunes isn't
running. I flip open the MacBook Air. The LED backlit display
instantly comes up, and AirPort connects in about three seconds. I
open a new Finder window and locate the MacBook Pro. Clicking its
icon gives me the option either to share its screen or browse its
file structure. I choose Screen Sharing and, after authenticating,
see my MacBook Pro interface virtualized on the MacBook Air. I
launch iTunes on the MacBook Pro, make sure it's sharing media over
the network, launch iTunes on the MacBook Air, and start watching
the movie. All without leaving bed! Screen sharing on a MacBook Air
brings new meaning to the term "thin client."
More and more, I find myself using the MacBook Air as a remote
control panel to my MacBook Pro to manage tasks like ripping DVDs
and downloading new podcasts that are processor-intensive, lengthy,
or require significant amounts of disk space. And when I'm not using
the MacBook Air, it is the perfect computer for my fiancee, who does
not need to run Final Cut Studio.
Of course, any portable Mac could act as this sort of remote control
(and you can share screens using free VNC tools if you don't have
Leopard), but the MacBook Air is super portable and great-looking,
and those are in fact the primary reasons I would recommend one. The
portability factor goes beyond just the 3.0 pound (1.36 kg) weight,
encompassing the incredibly thin and sleek profile and, for those
who order it, a 64 GB solid state drive. Although the solid state
drive adds $999 to the price for a drive that is 16 GB smaller than
the standard 80 GB drive, it offers at least somewhat better
performance, possibly slightly lower power consumption, and most
importantly, less susceptibility to knocks that could crash a hard
drive head against the disc platter. (No, I didn't spring for the
solid state drive; it may be a sign of the future, but it's just not
worth an extra grand.)
As for the MacBook Air's appearance, spec-driven gear aficionados
might scoff at such seemingly superficial factors, but many people
are happy with any computer able to run standard applications and
don't mind paying more (or getting less) in exchange for a more
aesthetically pleasing design. I'd go further - the MacBook Air's
design is a key aspect of the machine's ergonomics, which you
experience every moment you use it. It's lightweight, making it easy
to pick up and put down. It fits nicely on top of a stack of books,
or inside a backpack, the way a small stack of paper does, and it's
easily stowed or relocated (so much so that Newsweek writer Steven
Levy believes his lost MacBook Air may have been recycled with the
Sunday New York Times). The MagSafe connector makes recharging as
easy as or even easier than recharging a cell phone or iPod. In
fact, that's exactly how we use the MacBook Air at home. We recharge
it when we need to but otherwise bring it around wherever we happen
to be so we can check email or read news in the living room,
kitchen, or bathroom, on the dining table, or in bed.
<http://www.newsweek.com/id/120052>
Outside of the home, the story's a tad less positive from me. The
MacBook Air is still a highly portable device, but I am unhappy with
the battery life, especially because it's impossible to swap in
another battery when one runs low. On average, I get about 3.5 hours
of use between recharges, which is somewhat better than some
reviewers have reported, but well less than the 5 hours Apple
claims. With Wi-Fi off, I can watch two feature-length movies on the
Air. With Wi-Fi on, I can rely on about 2 to 3 hours of computing
time for important business tasks before I need to start thinking
about rationing power consumption and recharging. As a result, I use
the MacBook Air on the road as I did any other previous laptop.
Consider the MacBook Air a transportable computer that you can take
between home, office, and hotel, with a couple of hours of usability
between electrical outlets at the airport or on an airplane (unless
you buy the MagSafe airline adapter and happen to get a seat with
power). Plus, if you can't fit all the files you need on the
internal hard disk while traveling, you'll need to bring a couple of
flash drives or an external hard disk (or enable disk use on your
iPod). Of course, there's always just rolling the dice and betting
you'll be able to get remote broadband access to your files.
Here are a few other nits:
* I miss not having an Enter key on the right side of the Air's
spacebar.
* I have been told, but cannot confirm, that the built-in iSight is
less than 1.3 megapixel. However, I've found it more than adequate
for video conferencing.
* Physical access to the USB port is hit-and-miss. Some plugs might
not fit into the tiny gap between the computer frame and the lip of
the flip-out cover. You can solve this with a USB extension cord or
a portable USB hub, but then you have to remember to carry it with
you at all times.
* I strongly recommend that you get the wired Ethernet dongle for
hotel use, in case Wi-Fi is not offered or badly received in your
room. Plus, if you're using the Remote Disc software, you'll want
the best network speeds possible.
One feature I've not yet talked about is the wonderful multi-touch
trackpad. The Air has the biggest and best trackpad I've yet had the
pleasure to use. While the multi-touch functions are cool, on a
pragmatic level the only gestures I find myself using constantly are
the two-fingered scrolling and two-fingered right-clicking. The
three-fingered back/forward swipes seem to work only with Safari (I
usually use Firefox because I need certain add-ons, such as those
for Google Notebook and del.icio.us) and the pinch zooming is, for
me, a bit hard to get hold of. I use the two-fingered rotate
function occasionally, but our digital cameras seem to do well at
advising iPhoto of the proper orientation for photos. But I don't
mean to detract from the Air's trackpad. It is absolutely a delight
to use and the two-fingered scrolling feels even easier and smoother
than on my pre-multi-touch MacBook Pro. I hope Apple makes this
trackpad standard on the MacBook models going forward as well.
To wrap up, the MacBook Air is, like this review of it, not for
everyone. If what I've written strikes a chord with you, and you can
see yourself using the MacBook Air in similar ways, it may be the
ideal machine for you. If my domestic antics with the new Mac seem
frivolous, or if you're not sold on paying extra for less storage,
less processing power, and less connectivity, then you should stick
with a MacBook or MacBook Pro, either of which offer more bang for
the buck. In other words, the MacBook Air is a bit like a finely
tailored suit - elegant, perfectly form-fitting, and even exotic,
but by no means a cost-effective way to dress for all seasons or all
eventualities.
As for my fiancee, she likes the new Mac. She enjoys using it and
told me she hasn't found it any different from her old Sony Vaio.
Being free of Windows headaches has never looked so good.
[Angus Wong is a long-time Apple user and technology business
professional. To read more of his offbeat industry ramblings, please
drop by his blog.]
<http://www.anguswong.net/>
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 17-Mar-08
---------------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9508>
We're overwhelmed with great software that we'd like to cover right
away, but we're simply running out of time in any given week. Rather
than let these excellent programs go unnoticed or make you wait
until we get around to more thorough coverage, we're going to
experiment with telling you about it in an article that we'll update
throughout the week, and then close and publish in the next week's
TidBITS issue. These articles won't attempt to be comprehensive, but
will instead focus on just those applications we think you'll find
most interesting. This week we'd like to present:
* Things 0.9 from Cultured Code adds recurring to-dos and projects to
the task management utility, along with the capability to create and
switch among multiple Things libraries.
<http://culturedcode.com/things/>
* SubEthaEdit 3.1 from TheCodingMonkeys adds more collaborative
features to the text editor, including automatic port forwarding (so
you don't need a static IP address to share a document), integration
with iChat for collaboration invitations, and "friendcasting" that
lets you connect with the friends of your friends.
<http://www.subethaedit.de/>
* PopChar 3.4 from Ergonis Software offers an enhanced search feature
for finding special characters by name, Unicode number, or example.
Also, a new contextual menu simplifies copying characters to the
clipboard in various formats, automatic update checking has been
added, and compatibility with Leopard and various applications has
been improved.
<http://www.ergonis.com/products/popcharx/>
* WireTap Studio 1.0.5 from Ambrosia Software improves tagging
support, supports up to 4 GB WAVE and AIFF files, and adds more bit
rates to AIFF and AIFC.
<http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/wiretap/>
* ScreenFlow 1.0.2 from Vara Software is a new program that looks to
provide an excellent set of tools for recording, editing, and
exporting screencasts, something that's been difficult in the past.
<http://www.varasoftware.com/products/screenflow/>
* Enclose 1.0.1 from Gracion Software lets you give files to anyone by
simplifying the task of uploading files to your Web server or .Mac
iDisk and sending a download link to one or more recipients via
email.
<http://www.gracion.com/enclose/>
* Parallels Server Beta 2 from Parallels adds a full bare-metal
hypervisor to run multiple virtual machines without relying on the
host operating system, support for four-way symmetric
multiprocessing, and experimental support for Intel VT-d for better
hardware acceleration of virtual machines.
<http://www.parallels.com/en/products/server/beta/>
* The Missing Sync for Palm OS 6.0.3 from Mark/Space improves Palm
synchronization with Bare Bones Software's Yojimbo 1.5, enhances
handling of recurring tasks, and offers better support for custom
field synchronization with Entourage, along with deletion of
individual or selected calls and text messages from the archive on
your Mac.
<http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_palmos.php>
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/17-Mar-08
------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9505>
**Victoria voice for text to speech** -- A reader correctly points out
that the voice of an Apple video mentioned in a recent article is
not Victoria. That leads to pointers to other text-to-speech voices
available for the Mac. (4 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1896>
**Grooming a Jobs replacement?** During the recent Apple event to
unveil the iPhone development roadmap, Steve Jobs shared the stage
with other Apple employees. Does this signal an effort to find
someone to step into the CEO's shoes at some point? (And really, is
Jobs actually a good presenter?) (11 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1897>
**Cox.net Will Not Send from iPhone** -- Sending email from a reader's
iPhone abruptly stopped working. Does the problem lie with his
provider, or a technical glitch? (23 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1898>
**Forcing wireless to connect on 802.11a** -- The AirPort Extreme base
station supports the 802.11a variation of wireless networking, but
how do you actually take advantage of it? (2 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1899>
**Anyone has experience with Cisco VPN?** A reader asks for help in
configuring a Cisco virtual private network, and of course the
TidBITS Talk community is able to provide suggestions. (7 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1900>
**iPod Touch as Palm Replacement** -- Not so long ago the idea of
replacing a Palm organizer with an iPod would have been ridiculous.
Now, the iPod touch may be a viable stand-in. (8 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1901>
**My "loaded" Mac Pro Intel Tower overheats** -- How hot is too hot? A
Mac Pro with all of its expansion ports occupied starts to behave
erratically, leading a reader to ask about cooling options. (1
message)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1902>
**Can't verify disk from boot volume** -- Early versions of Mac OS X
10.4 did not allow Disk Utility to perform a Verify Disk operation
on the boot volume, but versions 10.4.5 and later do. (4 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1904>
$$
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