News for Monday, 17 October 2005

As usual when Apple releases a new hardware update, we have analyzed the new product, and provide our first comments on the new iMacG5.
First let's talk about the new features/functions/gadgets:
- An integrated iSight is a good idea, especially because it does not increase the price of the computer. But one will have to test the quality of this integrated camera before concluding on its real capabilities. Its volume is much smaller than the original iSight, so the quality/performance must be different and it is reasonable to assume that it will not be as good as a true external iSight. In its TechNotes, Apple does not comment on the autofocus capability of the integrated iSight.
- Apple Remote Control and FrontRow will turn the new iMacG5 into a media Center, and will please all users buying an iMacG5 for this purpose. But it might also show what could be in the future a true Apple Media Center that could be plugged to a TV or a Video projector.
Then let's have a look at the hardware evolution.
Apple had obviously in reserve a new generation chipset able to manage both DDR2 and PCI Express.
- According to many reports and tests, a DDR2-533 RAM module is an only marginally better performer than a DDR400 module. We will have additional information when looking at the latency value of the integrated RAM module of the new iMacG5. If one can notice an increased performance it will rather be the result of a higher clocked CPU. In addition, Apple is now back on the bad habits of providing a computer with a 512MB RAM module already soldered to the mother board. It means that one would not be able to install more than 2.5GB of RAM (at really high cost due to the amazing price of the 2GB DDR2 module), but it will also prevent users to use the iMacG5 with a 128bits bus.
- concerning the graphic card, Apple by adopting the PCI express gives mac users access to the last generation GPU. Of course the overall performance will not be dramatically changed since the X600 is not the best of the ATI Radeon Xx00 series, it is not much better than the ATI 9600 that it replaces, but it comes with 128MB of VRAM. This is probably the most important update regarding hardware components of the new iMacG5.
- The iMacG5 includes 3 independent fans: one for the GPU, one for the optical drive and the last one for the HD. It seems that Apple has learned the lesson from the first iMacG5 revision (especially for the high heat released by the OD and the HD).
- Forget the "Do it Yourself", Apple has dramatically changed the architecture of the computer, and it does not really accommodate the DIY program. The inside compartment of the new iMacG5 resembles more the one of a PowerBook; the number of individual piece/components has been strongly reduced, as well as the number of screws required to assemble the computer. This model is probably much less expensive to produce than the previous revision.
- the new motherboard is dramatically different, much more compact than the previous one, and featuring much less outputs or connectors.
In summary, while keeping a rather unchanged design the new iMacG5 is based on a totally new architecture correcting most of the previous revisions defects.
PS: we have received photo of the new iMacG5 featuring the motherboard and interior parts of the computer, but we will not publish them to avoid Apple's fire. For information, the expansion RAM module is located in the lower part of the iMacG5.

In order to acquire some visibility on a saturated market, Plextor launch the PX760. This burner is the first to reach 18x speed as well with DVD-R than with DVD+R.
This speed can only be reached though on certain 16x medias made Taiyo Yuden and MKM.
And the gain of a few seconds comes at a price. The burner will cost 130 Euros VAT included, when 16x burners are to be found commonly for 50 euros.
An interesting point is that this burner will be able to improve the burning quality after each attempt, as the result of mistakes and failed burnings will be recorded in a non volatile memory.

Thomson and Fraunhofer own a patent on the mp3 format. If this format use has been made free, you probably know that this patent will nevertheless draw a nice amount of money, coming from the encoders.
The Sisvel company decided to contest this patent and have it cancelled.
To reach this goal, Sisvel argue that the MP3 is based upon the MPEG Audio norm, thus merely copying an ISO norm.
Owning a patent would thus not be possible.
Of course, the two patent owners are expected to defend it fiercely, as the financial issues at stake are so important.

The new iPod, often abusively named iPod video, is simply called iPod by Apple. Why Steve did not present it as a real mobile video device? Probably because Apple could not or did not want to release a real iPod video. One should rather consider the new iPod as an evolution of the well known mobile audio device now featuring some video capabilities.
The video available on iTMS are clearly confirming such classification : music video, TV shows or short Pixar's movies. Not a single full-length movie.
In addition, the resolution is at he maximum 480x480 in MPEG-4 and 320x240 in H.264. So, what it the point of plugging this iPod to a TV to watch the last StarWars episode with such a low resolution?
So the question is : is this iPod video released too early? Would not be better for apple to wait a little bit longer to allow video majors to be ready with DRM-enabled movies and/or the availability of CPU allowing native h.264 decoding function for higher display resolution?
Today, the new iPod is simply giving us an example of what could be a true online VideoStore with the possibility to buy SD(DVD) or HD(MPEG4 or h.264) video and to play or move them with a dedicated device... let's hope that competitors will not be faster than Apple to move along that direction.

iTrafik proposes a step by step procedure to create video that can be played on an iPod video.
The procedure describes how to do it from a DVD or a DivX video source.
There is nothing new, or funky, it is simple (normal it is a Mac ;) ), and you do not need to search anywhere else, everything is described how it should be.