I would like a headless iMac. In cube form.

1. I like the idea of a headless iMac.

2. There, I said it. I seem to be among a very small group of people that do like the idea (including, unfortunately, some Wall Street analysts, who are usually the most clueless of them all), everyone else seems to be vehemently against it.

3. Most of the naysayers whine about how Apple will never release a headless iMac (I agree), to do so would be stupid (well…), it would be more expensive to buy a headless iMac and then buy a monitor (yep, agree there as well), and that anyone who wants one just wants a PowerMac and doesn’t want to pony up the cash.

4. Exactly.

5. I would love to get a PowerMac, except when prices start at $3599(Au) it’s way out of my price range. I’d also love to get an iMac, except I can’t justify forking out $2299(Au) for a computer that has to be totally replaced when upgrading. I can’t even stick it in the corner to serve as an MP3/Video server because screen gets in the way. I loathe to put a working computer into storage if I can find a use for it (and I can), but I don’t have the deskspace to put it if I’m not using it.

6. What to do?

7. A headless Macintosh, priced at around $1500(Au) for the entry level machine would be just the ticket. Maybe a 1.6 G5, 60Gb hard drive, with the usual bits and pieces. Next step up could be a 1.8 G5, and top of the line could be a 2.0 G5. For those who prefer an all-in-one, you could choose from a 15inch or 17inch Cinema Display, or any of the current Cinema Displays that Apple has on sale now. The 15/17 in Cinema Displays would priced so that if one were to by a 15in LCD with a bottom of the line computer, they would pay about the same as what you’d pay now. That way customers can mix and match hardware specs and monitors, and not pay too much of a price penalty. Sure, buying individual components will still be more expensive, but the current iMacs aren’t cheap — you really do pay a premium for the gorgeous design.

8. Oh Apple, I’ll take that in a cube shape, thanks.

9. Alas, it won’t happen. It won’t happen because there isn’t any Cinema Displays under 20inches. If there were to be any Cinema Displays in the 15 and 17 region Apple would’ve released them already. It’s highly unlikely that Apple would go with an external CRT for the iMac, and it makes no sense to match a consumer computer with a really expensive 20in LCD, let alone the 30inch. And here’s another reason why it won’t happen — despite revenue being up, Apple’s profits have actually gone down in the last couple of years, meaning they have less room to move when it comes to prices.

10. Still, I expect that sometime down the track Apple will expand it’s low end and mid end desktop market. While Apple is moving more and more into the music business, I don’t think they’ll be abandoning the computer business just yet. Apple is unique in that they have managed to bridge the gap between computing and entertainment, and I can’t think of a company better suited to producing the Media PC — one that acts as a music and video server, DVD/ CD player and personal video recorder all at once. I’d love to see a mid range Macintosh (a headless iMac? A new Macintosh brand perhaps?) that would look great next to a TV, with a special version of MacOS X (a la Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004) that runs the show. With iTunes and iPhoto, plus a new iApp that handle the video recording and a new interface to that is better suited to remote control navigation, Apple could produce the next Digital Hub. Sure, there’s no real demand for this right now, but who would’ve thought a small White-and Silver gadget would be so damn successful?

How surprising, Apple’s pissed at Real

1. According to Macworld UK, Apple released a statement on Real’s Harmony software, which is supposed to provide compatibility between Real’s Rhapsody service and the iPod. Needless to say, Apple is none too pleased, threatening legal action. Considering Apple has a history of protecting their investments in the courts, this comes as no surprise. Question becomes whether Real has done their homework or not. Still, as Apple says:

We strongly caution Real and their customers that when we update our iPod software from time-to-time it is highly likely that Real’s Harmony technology will cease to work with current and future iPods.

2. Well who would’ve thought, eh?

Is this hot or what?

Nintendo DS

“No self-respecting small business man with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age.”

1. What?

2. Let’s hear that again:

No self-respecting small business man with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age.

3. You could be forgiven if you thought that quote came from the dark ages, but it actually came this week from the mouth of UK Independence Party member, Godfrey Bloom, who believe it or not has been nominated by his party to the EU Parliament’s Women’s Rights Committee. He was on the fringes of a press conference held by fellow party member Robert Kilroy-Silk, ranting at whoever will listen. This dimwit not only said this, but to quote a story from The Independent:

Speaking on the fringes of a press conference Mr Bloom joked that women “don’t clean behind the fridge enough” adding: “I would represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when you come home.”

As the episode reached a surreal climax he turned to a television camera to declare: “The more rights you have [for women] it is actually a bar on their employment. No self-respecting small business man with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age. That isn’t politically correct is it? But it is a fact of life; I know because I’m a businessman.”

4. And we thought John Howard was bad. This idiot just doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up. The Guardian reports:

Mr Bloom … then briefly disappeared under a pile of furious responses from other MEPs, particularly from women.

He was denounced as “Neanderthal and absolutely terrifying” by Glenys Kinnock. Mary Honeyball, a Labour colleague on the women’s rights committee, suggested an investigation of his business practices by a discrimination tribunal.

But Mr Bloom, 54, who took the last of Yorkshire’s six seats in June, soon bobbed back up again with more on the same theme.

5. Fucking unbelievable. Really, truly unbelievable.

Doom 3 System Requirements

1. Finally announced!

2. Highlights: * P4 1.5Ghz or Athlon 1500+ * 384Mb RAM * 2Gb of hard drive space. * GeForce 3 / Radeon 8500 or better

3. Right, time to go shopping….

Star Trek: Apartment

On the bridge, err, loungeroom...

1. Bugger me.

4G iPods

Steve Jobs with the new iPod

1. Yet another example of Apple being less secretive about their product releases (thank God), Newsweek’s cover this week features Steve Jobs with the new iPod. The accompanying article mentions nothing of release dates and whatnot, but is an interesting article on the impact the iPod have had on the industry and music listening in general. Worth reading.

UPDATE, 19.7.04: Newsweek posted the article introducing the new 4G iPod today, with details on new features and pricing.

Glideshoe

1. Inspired by the WTC disaster, a Danish inventor developed the Glideshoe, a system similar to abseiling where people can escape from buildings using a harness and attachment that fits on thin metal rail mounted on the outside of a building. It’s interesting, and kudos to the inventor, but having watched the demonstration I’m not convinced it’ll actually work for real life evacuations — all it takes is two people to pass out and unable to operate the device and the whole rail is out of commission. With no easy way for rescuers to help out. It’d be like peak hour traffic, except you’re hanging out the outside of a burning building with no way to get back up again. Eek!

Doom 3 – Gold!

1. Sweet! Doom 3 has been released for manufacturing, with a US release date of August 5th, and international release date of August 17th. Now to hunt down system requirements….

Tungsten C / Avantgo Issue

1. For the last 10 days or so I’ve been having an annoying problem when synchronising my Tungsten C with my Powerbook. Every so often my Powerbook would force restore all my files and contacts and calendar info, with no warning, wiping out any changes I’ve made on the Tungsten. After reading everything I could find on various forums and whatnot, after repeated emails to the Palm Support people, I found my answer from Mark/Space, a 3rd Party software developer who has no ties to Palm or the program at fault, and they posted a fix!

2. The problem was the Avantgo client (if their service wasn’t so damn good/popular, I’d wish them a painful death in the deepest pit of Hell), or rather a major bug with it’s Modem Sync feature. The next time you perform a HotSync after using the Avantgo Modem Sync the bug forces a restore from last backup, erasing any changes you may have made. This comes up in the iSync log as “… was reset since last sync”. Mark/Space has kindly written a fix and has posted it on their website here.

3. Mark/Space has my vote from now on — any company that looks after their users (or in my case potential user) this well deserves my money.