 Cult of MacRead Leander Kahney's latest commentary about Apple and Mac News in Wired.com's Cult of Mac Blog, including Mac, Mac Pro, MacBook, iMac, iBook, Mac mini, iPod video, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iTunes, iPhoto, iPhone, Apple TV, OSX, Steve Jobs, and Macworld. http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/ другие подписчики этой ленты также читают >> |
- Wilkes University: Explaining the Switch to Mac
Wilkes University in Philadelphia is about to become one of the first colleges to make a complete switch from Windows PCs to new Intel Macs. Over the next three years, Wilkes will become an all-Mac campus -- a $1.4 million...
Wilkes University in Philadelphia is about to become one of the first colleges to make a complete switch from Windows PCs to new Intel Macs. Over the next three years, Wilkes will become an all-Mac campus -- a $1.4 million switch involving 1,700 computers. The reason? To save money. The college will buy fewer machines and expects to spend less on support.
Scott Byers, vice president for finance and general counsel at Wilkes, answered a few questions by email, explaining the reason for the switch and the reaction from students and staff.
"Students seem to like the change and recognize Apple as an innovator in technology," he said. "This generation of students has a great affinity for the Apple brand."
Whose idea was it to switch to Macs?
The idea was generated as we solicited bids for our annual technology refresh program. Every three years we replenish all 1,700 computers on campus. Apple introduced us to their Intel-based Macs and we saw it as an opportunity to provide Apple and Windows operating systems in one machine for the campus community. The benefits to the end user were obvious. Students and faculty could choose the platform they needed and wanted based on their individual computing needs. We also saw an opportunity to reduce the number of machines on campus and therefore create more efficient use of computer labs. We soon realized the question wasn't 'why make the switch,' but 'why not?'Was there any resistance?
We are an institution whose mission is to establish personal relationships so we worked closely with our faculty and staff to make sure we had a general consensus in moving forward with Apple.Your stated reason was to save money. Were there any other advantages or disadvantages?
Being more efficient was a desire but we felt it had many other advantages;
1) Allowed the user to choose the desired operating system
2) offered the potential to enhance teaching and learning using Apple's iLife software
3) created a standard base that our IT department could work with consistently rather than Dells, Gateways, HP and Apples
4) reduced the number of units necessary for campus and the number of units requiring potential service and replacement.What was the reaction to the news like from staff and students?
Students seem to like the change and recognize Apple as an innovator in technology. This generation of students has a great affinity for the Apple brand. Staff have embraced the change as well. We anticipate additional support from the campus community by providing training on the educational benefits of Apple software.A couple of years ago, universities and schools were switching away from Macs. Do you think we'll see more switch back?
I think so. Apple has made inroads in the personal computer market with an operating system that one could argue is superior to Windows. The switcher approach allows campuses to access both platforms from one unit. Again, I would pose the question why wouldn't a campus make the switch? The visual, user-friendly nature of Apple-based programs, along with iTunes and other lifestyle programs, has aligned well with the current and incoming generation of college students.Any additional comments?
I'd like to add that Wilkes has long been a leading provider of graduate education for teachers. We offer master's degree and certificate programs in classroom technology and instructional technology. At the core of those programs is an emphasis on computer skills and also leadership skills so teachers can implement crucial technology upgrades in their respective schools. Our partnership with Apple will be a vital part of providing cutting-edge, quality education in the way of instructional technology for today's teachers.
lkahney - Download TV Shows Automatically Via BitTorrent
TVShows is a free, open source application that triggers automatic downloading of TV shows via BitTorrent. Working in conjunction with a BitTorrent client, the application manages show subscriptions. Favorite shows are automatically downloaded in the background whenever they become available...
TVShows is a free, open source application that triggers automatic downloading of TV shows via BitTorrent.
Working in conjunction with a BitTorrent client, the application manages show subscriptions. Favorite shows are automatically downloaded in the background whenever they become available online.
Most BitTorrent video is encoded in DivX or .AVI formats, and will play fine in a media player like VLC, but if you want to stream it to an AppleTV, you will need to convert the shows -- or hack the AppleTV to support DivX and other formats.
Another way to get TV shows automatically is to set up Azureus with the RSS Feed Scanner plugin. Full instructions here.
lkahney - Apple Corps. Gave Apple Inc. the Entire Apple Cart
AppleInsider: Filings discovered today by AppleInsider and noted on April 5th at the US Patent and Trademark Office show that Apple Corps has given up more of the trademarks associated with The Beatles' own company than was expected as part...Filings discovered today by AppleInsider and noted on April 5th at the US Patent and Trademark Office show that Apple Corps has given up more of the trademarks associated with The Beatles' own company than was expected as part of the landmark settlement in February... (Steve Jobs' Apple Inc.) received the rights to use imagery virtually inseparable from Apple Corps' music business, including the centerpiece green apple and two variants with the fruit cut in half.
lkahney - News Burrito
FT.com -- Music labels ask Apple to adopt subscription: The world's biggest music companies are expected to ask Apple to introduce a music subscription service to its iTunes digital media store as part of negotiations to renew their agreements with...FT.com -- Music labels ask Apple to adopt subscription:
The world's biggest music companies are expected to ask Apple to introduce a music subscription service to its iTunes digital media store as part of negotiations to renew their agreements with the computer company.
Ars Technica -- Why Apple can't sell movies:
There are at least five problems the Apple TV alone cannot solve for the iTunes Store:
3. Access: At present, there is no option to rent movies on the iTunes Store, and, unlike music purchases versus subscription services, renting movies is a preferred method of consuming content. Further, purchasing movies through the iTunes Store still requires a computer, rather than direct shopping using the touted Apple TV.Webomatica -- Apple iTunes: Music Subscription No, Movie Subscription Yes:
If Apple is even remotely thinking about offering iTunes Store subscriptions for its music, I really hope they don't - and instead apply the subscription model to iTunes Movies instead.
lkahney - Perfect Pocket Camera: Lumix FX07
Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing thinks the Lumix FX07 is the perfect pocket camera: I love these cameras (I've bought three more since January as gifts, with great results). They shoot stunning pictures (here's Flickr's collection of FX07 shots) and have...
Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing thinks the Lumix FX07 is the perfect pocket camera:
I love these cameras (I've bought three more since January as gifts, with great results). They shoot stunning pictures (here's Flickr's collection of FX07 shots) and have totally kick-ass image stabilization that works great in low-light, getting me incredible shots without using a tripod or leaning the camera against a table. They also shoot wicked-fast, making it easy to shoot a continuous stream of photos of something exciting as it's happening. The presets are also really smart -- the aerial photography setting got great shots when I was in a helicopter last month over the Grand Canyon. The camera also shoots crisp, 640x480 Quicktime video.
lkahney
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