News for Wednesday, 30 June 2004

Thanks to Fred for this info originating fromhttp://www.heise.de.

it is mentioned that Mozilla Foundation, Opera, Apple, Sun and Macromedia have agreed to developed a common interface for plug-ins (an extension of the NPAPI: Netscape Plug-in Application Program Interface). This agreement should allow a better interaction between Flash, Shockwave, QuickTime and Java. This API should offer scripting capacities, and should be released as an OpenSource project, a warranty for high security for users.

On the following web site http://home.nc.rr.com/, you can see a screenshot of Tiger installer.

It is clearly stated that the Mac must have built-in FireWire. So after Panther which was not supporting all G3 Beige, Tiger will not support all G3-based iMac , except the DV models, and all the first iBook models.
It also seems that a DVD player will be necessary, probably because the OS will probably be available only as a DVD.

Definitely, Apple is attacked from all directions today!! Dell is trying to attract iPod owners by proposing them to buy their iPod 100$US if they buy a Dell MP3 player 15GB, which will then only cost 99$US...
Dell is aggressively arguing that its MP3 player has a longer battery halflife than the iPod (that's probably the only advantage...)
Anyway, it will motivate Apple to release an iPod 4G, cheaper and sporting an improved battery.

One of our contact hgas told us that SONY should release in a near future a MP3-like player to celebrate the 25 years anniversary of the Walkman. We could only get few information regarding this new product: it will be a 20GB HD-based player, and will have a baterry-halflife much more superior than the one from the iPod. It will only play Atrac3 format audio file.
Sony is preparing its weapons to fight against Apple and its iPod.

The first hostilities were initiated by VirginMega. They ask the French "conseil de la concurrence" [an institution that states judgements on trade issues] to charge Apple's for abuse of proeminent situation.
It's the world upside down, as they claim Apple locks the market by forgiving iPod owners to dowload music legally from other sites than the iTMS.
It's been long since we last gave a bold opinion. Yet this is absolute bullshit!
The VirginMega site isn't even Mac compatible! Moreover Microsoft never showed they had any intention to make the FRM of their WMP format Mac compatible !
It is to fear for Virgin they are the ones who'll lose their shirt in this blind attack. Perhaps it is already the case if they let Apple do they're currently doing...

As you already know, the FNAC (biggest electronic, audio, video, etc... distributor channel in France) is really upset against apple and its iTMS in Europe. (probably because the FNAC was also setting up its own online Music store which did not find its public or consumers...)
As some of you have realized in the last issue of FNAC magazine (Contact, N°396 July-august 2004), the first reaction might actually affect the iPod:
On page 22, one can read the following title:
Take your favorite artists with you
till July 10th, come to discover the new MP3 player in our shops, demo will be organized: Aiwa on June 30th, Thomson on July 2nd and 3rd, and Sony on July 9th and 10th...
As you can read it...Apple is not mentioned and is not part of this special Demo Day...whereas the FNAC was selling quite some big numbers of iPod...
Is it the first reaction from the FNAC against Apple and its iTMS Europe??

2004 is a special year for the Mac, it is its birthday!! The mac is 20 years-old!! As everybody, we were expecting a special model for that occasion, or a revolutionary product as only Apple knows to design or invent...but nothing happened on that date...and many people seems to have forgotten it...till the WWDC and Steve Jobs keynote!! During his presentation, Steve Jobs has (intentionally or not!?) given quite strong indications: while he was demoing Spotlight technology, 3 keywords have been used: iMac, Paris and birthday... So we might postulate that there will be a special iMac for the Mac's 20 years Anniversary, potentially introduced at the AppleExpo in Paris in September; and this is not a rumor, but simply deduction from indications given by Steve Jobs himself!! (it is probably quite hard to get a more reliable source than Steve Jobs himself...)
Now, the question is: why Steve Jobs has so openly given such indications?! Because, it is not Apple's politic to announce in advance what are going to be the future models. Is it the sign of a new politic from Apple regarding , roadmap for computers and products?? Or simply a game, invented by Steve Jobs, to look at the reactions of Mac rumors sites following such indications??
While waiting for the AppleExpo, you can post your hypothesis (even the most crazy ones) on our forum, in the following topic.

Apple has released to ADC members a Developper Preview of Java 1.5. The interesting part here is that this beta can only run on the Tiger preview given at the WWDC.
In other news, Apple just started its beta test campaign for 10.3.5.
Yet we won't say more about it.

01.net, a french technology magazine has published an interesting interview of Noël Reinhardt, director of the Virgin Store, one of the 2 contenders of the iTMS in France. He comments about the drawback in CD sales and its possible causes, the eventual reduction of VAT on music in France and music sales online. One sentence is directly aimed at Apple:

For some, music is only a mean to sell hardware. This is a perverted model. These actors can accept to reduce their margin on music sales, as they can get it back on tehcnology products sales.

Who would've thought only 18 months ago that Apple could become the leader on this market. Well established companies on the music industry like Virgin sure do look jealous.