Mac Information Newshttp://www.macinformation.com/index.phpMac Information Newsenwebsite@macinformation.comCopyright 2012 Simon Spence2012-02-01T09:00:00+00:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:30:21 +0000Sony vs Applewebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneiPod2012-02-01T09:00:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/4a2b896165a61c62c25a10c0c88f90a8-212.php#unique-entry-id-212http://www.macinformation.com/files/4a2b896165a61c62c25a10c0c88f90a8-212.php#unique-entry-id-212Daring Fireball, has summed up all that is wrong in the technology industry, and just how right Apple have been in their positioning and timing.

When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, they knew this would hit sales of the iPod. In fact during the 2007 keynote, Jobs stated that the iPhone was three devices in one: an iPod, a phone and an internet device. Many CEOs would have worried about cannibalising their own products, but as Gruber points out, “Apple is skating to where the puck is heading; Sony is skating to where the puck is at the moment.”

iPhone-4s-camera

Sony are looking to a drop in camera sales, probably directly dented by the great camera in the new iPhone 4S. How many iPhone users still buy a separate point and shoot camera, now that the 4S comes with an 8 megapixel camera? Sony still focusses on separate devices, instead of going where the market is aiming for. They are chasing the model of the past, and not moving to where people will be in five years time.]]>John Browett appointed Apple Senior VP of Retailwebsite@macinformation.comRetail2012-01-31T13:25:34+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/john-browett.php#unique-entry-id-211http://www.macinformation.com/files/john-browett.php#unique-entry-id-211
Browett was head of tesco.com and his most recent post was as CEO of Dixons, the European electrical retailer. Indeed, Browett seems happy to step down as the head of Dixons to become a VP at Apple, and report to Tim Cook. Such is the size and status of Apple.

browett

Here is hoping that Browett has the skills and has the feel for the Apple brand. Our instinct tells us to beware of any executive who has worked at Dixons, a company which also owns PC World. Our experience of PC World and their handling of Apple products is abysmal. Browett will have to move from a nuts and bolts tech retail store, with some of the poorest retail experiences for customers, through to one of the biggest brands and best customer experiences in retail.]]>Presswatch: Guardian's take on paywebsite@macinformation.comTim CookFinancial Results2012-01-11T18:00:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/tim-cooks-pay.php#unique-entry-id-210http://www.macinformation.com/files/tim-cooks-pay.php#unique-entry-id-210Guardian ran a story this week on pay compensation for Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. We would be the last people to endorse huge salaries, but the tone and accuracy of this article needs attention.

From the outset, Juliette Garside’s piece is incorrect:

Apple's late founder Steve Jobs created the world's most valuable company and was paid just $5 in the last years of his life – but his successor Tim Cook, unknown outside
Silicon Valley until his elevation to the top job last summer, has been awarded a $378m (£244m) pay jackpot.


A few problems here. Firstly, Steve Jobs did not work for $5. Jobs received a jet from Apple and generous stock options, which had mixed values. Some proved almost worthless due to a fall in the company’s stock value in the mid ‘00s and some made him a lot of money. As for the comment about Tim Cook being unknown outside Silicon Valley, this seems very simplistic. Cook was Apple CEO twice before August 2011, as he stood in for Jobs when he took sick leave. He was well know to any market watchers, and indeed it was Cooks’ reputation on Wall Street which is one of the reasons that Apple now has such a good financial reputation.

cook_jobs

However the line that …”Cook's 2011 rewards, disclosed yesterday, put him in pole position to become the year's highest boardroom earner” is simply untrue. The conditions on the stock options, as stated later in the article, only come to fruition in 2016 and 2021. In fact Garside directly contract’s the earlier point, and states that the (UK) FTSE’s average salary for a CEO is now £5.1m sterling, substantially more that Cook’s USD$1m in 2011, even after you add on his bonuses of $0.9m.

The article seems to use Cook as an example, but misses the point. Cook’s stock options, substantial and huge as they are, do not kick in until 2016, when 50% are released, and 2021, when the final 50% are handed over. At that point, who knows what value they will have. Apple is now above Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company in the US, and it can be argued that this is an investment in Apple and Cook. If he stays with Apple, he will become extremely wealthy. If however he leaves, or he fails and the stock price falls, he may find that his options are worth far less than expected. This is what happened to Jobs in 2003 [see here].

Presumably the reason why this substantial stock option was handed to Cook was to tie him to Apple for years to come. This is a good move. We can all argue about the size of this award, but its true value will only be know in 2016 and 2021.

So for the record, for now Cooks compensation stands at under $2m for 2011, split between salary and bonuses.]]>Christmas Guide 2011website@macinformation.comHome2011-12-06T16:32:09+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/christmas-guide.php#unique-entry-id-209http://www.macinformation.com/files/christmas-guide.php#unique-entry-id-209
ipad2-christmas-2011 iPad-case-christmas

We include some of our favourites, such as Apple TV and the iPad smart cover.

]]>Our reflection on Steve Jobswebsite@macinformation.comAppleSteve Jobs2011-10-06T19:51:14+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs-2011.php#unique-entry-id-208http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs-2011.php#unique-entry-id-208


Just our own piece of video, from July 2001, taken at Macworld New York. This was from after the keynote and Jobs stayed around for about 45 mins, talking to the press, Apple managers and various well-wishers. As he approached one person, she shook his hand enthusiastically as the press continued to take pictures, and said “you guys are like rock stars!” This was before the iPod was launched, before the iPad.

]]>Apple's leadership in 2011website@macinformation.comSteve JobsAppleTim Cook2011-08-26T12:37:32+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/tim-cook-ceo.php#unique-entry-id-207http://www.macinformation.com/files/tim-cook-ceo.php#unique-entry-id-207



The announcement this week that Steve Jobs was resigning as Apple CEO formalised what was already in place. Jobs took medical leave from Apple in January 2011, and Tim Cook was acting-CEO since then. The decision by Jobs to resign as CEO and move to Chairman of the board simply crystallised an existing situation in the leadership at Apple.

jobs

]]>Apple Dominates Tablet Computingwebsite@macinformation.comiPad2011-08-23T10:32:44+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-dominates-tablets.php#unique-entry-id-206http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-dominates-tablets.php#unique-entry-id-206



If you need any indication of just how much Apple dominates the tablet market, you just need to glance at this chart:

ipad-traffic-by-country-comscore
© Business Insider

The developments at HP in the last week just further strengthen this position. HP announced that it had decided to stop manufacturing its webOS devices, and held a fire-sale of all HP TouchPad tablets. The TouchPad was the number two tablet on the market, even if this was far behind the figures for the iPad.

]]>Views of Mac OS X Lionwebsite@macinformation.comMacLion2011-07-26T21:16:30+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/views-of-lion.php#unique-entry-id-205http://www.macinformation.com/files/views-of-lion.php#unique-entry-id-205



Since the launch of Mac OS X Lion, there has been a long catalogue of articles and reviews. We have gathered a list of the best of the web, and set out our reading list. We hope this is useful to find out about the new aspects of 10.7:

10-7-lion

]]>Mac OS X Lion: Preparation Guidewebsite@macinformation.comMacLion2011-07-11T11:57:30+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/os-x-lion-guide.php#unique-entry-id-204http://www.macinformation.com/files/os-x-lion-guide.php#unique-entry-id-204



Apple are due to launch their new operating system, Mac OS 10 X Lion 10.7, before the end of July. But the question is–are you ready?

10-7-lion

Mac OS X Lion will run on any new Mac, bought within the last few years. Here is how to check to see if your Mac is compatible with Lion:
1/ go to your Apple menu and choose “About this Mac”
2/ check to see that your processor is an Intel Core 2 Duo or above
3/ check that your memory is above 1 GB
4/ look for the version number and make sure you are running Mac OS X Snow Leopard: 10.6.8

]]>iPhone 5- coming soon, maybe or not...website@macinformation.comiPhoneiOS2011-06-23T16:38:21+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-5-coming.php#unique-entry-id-203http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-5-coming.php#unique-entry-id-203



We have read a number of news articles in recent days, such as the article from Bloomberg, about the arrival of an iPhone 5 in September. It might be a good time to look at what happens in the Apple calendar and how these things work out.

Firstly, Apple have always held an autumn event which focussed on the launch of new music devices. The Christmas market is huge for Apple, and for the past few years they have launched new iPod nanos, touch and shuffle in the autumn, just in time for this peak buying season. This is as predictable as the seasons- September is Apple music device month, and sometimes a new Apple TV may be thrown in for good measure.

]]>Find My iPhone- essential kit for all iOS deviceswebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneiPad2011-06-16T14:41:23+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/find-my-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-202http://www.macinformation.com/files/find-my-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-202



If there is one feature you enable on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, make sure it is the “Find My iPhone” feature from Apple.

Find My iPhone


]]>One year on, iPad apps we still use...website@macinformation.comiPad2011-04-20T17:20:01+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-2-apps.php#unique-entry-id-201http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-2-apps.php#unique-entry-id-201



Having used an iPad for over a year now, and having recently upgraded to an iPad 2, here is a list of the apps we still use. We have also listed some apps which dropped out of favour.

Apps used daily:

1/ Twitter: the official app from Twitter. We slowly moved across to this instead of Twitterific, and we aren’t entirely sure why! The sliding panes of Twitter app may not be to everyone’s liking, and Twitterific does have a classier design. However you can only add one account to the free version of Twitterific, and in the end we weren’t drawn to Twitterific enough to buy a copy of the pro version. The Twitter app works fine for us.

]]>iPad 2 goes on sale in Ireland & UK this Fridaywebsite@macinformation.comiPad2011-03-23T21:12:39+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-2-on-sale-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-200http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-2-on-sale-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-200
iPad 2 goes on sale in Ireland

The prices of the new iPad 2 models in Ireland are:

iPad 2 with WiFi
€479.00 inc VAT (€395.87 ex VAT) for the 16GB model
€579.00 inc VAT (€478.51 ex VAT) for the 32GB model
€679.00 inc VAT (€561.16 ex VAT) for the 64GB model

]]>Vodafone retail- closed for business?website@macinformation.comVodafone2011-03-14T14:17:43+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-retail.php#unique-entry-id-199http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-retail.php#unique-entry-id-199
Vodafone Sure Signal

However the major block to this device is Vodafone itself. The product is only available at Vodafone retail stores. This may be fine if you live next to a store, but as we do not, we decided to phone the stores to ask about availability, and whether these SureSignal devices were in stock. We are about 30-45 minute drive away, and so were unwilling to make this journey until we knew the trip was worthwhile.

Here are the results of our calls:

]]>iPad 2 arrives- what is new?website@macinformation.comiPadiOS2011-03-02T20:48:55+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-ipad-2.php#unique-entry-id-198http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-ipad-2.php#unique-entry-id-198


The main differences between iPad 1 and iPad 2 are:
1/ weight- 79 grams lighter
2/ thickness- the new iPad 2 is 33% thinner

]]>Opinion: The Fall of Nokiawebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneApple2011-02-09T13:27:42+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/fall-of-nokia.php#unique-entry-id-197http://www.macinformation.com/files/fall-of-nokia.php#unique-entry-id-197
Nokia N95- 2007 iPhone 4


]]>Apple announce record results: $6 billion profitwebsite@macinformation.comFinancial ResultsApple2011-01-19T17:20:41+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/6-billion.php#unique-entry-id-196http://www.macinformation.com/files/6-billion.php#unique-entry-id-196
Mac sales exceeded 4 million units for the very first time, with strong sales in laptops. Over 16 million iPhones were sold in the quarter, and the iPad also had its best quarter so far, with 7.33 million units.

iPad sales for Q1 2011
iPad sales


]]>Broadband in Kilmacanogue...finally?website@macinformation.comISP2010-12-17T20:22:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-2011.php#unique-entry-id-195http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-2011.php#unique-entry-id-195


Delays had occurred since we started to follow this story in 2008. At that time eircom stated that broadband would be installed in the area by the start of 2009. This then changed to June 2009, later revised to September and then November 2009. The November date was later confirmed to us by eircom, only for this to be dropped as this deadline approached.

]]>The Mac Information Christmas Guidewebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneiPadiPodMac2010-12-04T13:48:49+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/christmas-2010.php#unique-entry-id-194http://www.macinformation.com/files/christmas-2010.php#unique-entry-id-1942010 Christmas Gift Guide, with a look at what we believe to be the best Apple products. We have chosen our favourite Mac, iPods, iPhone and iPad models, which may help you choose the best gadget!

Christmas 2010 iMac Christmas 2010 MacBook Pro Christmas 2010 iPad

Click here for details]]>Watch out for Black Fridaywebsite@macinformation.comMaciPhoneiPodiPad2010-11-17T16:27:37+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/black-friday-2010.php#unique-entry-id-193http://www.macinformation.com/files/black-friday-2010.php#unique-entry-id-193
If you are in the market for a new Mac or accessory, and you can wait until November 26th, then you may get a discount.


]]>Guide: Password protection for your MobileMe gallerieswebsite@macinformation.comGuideiPhotoMobileMe2010-09-17T13:24:45+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/mobileme-galleries-passwords.php#unique-entry-id-191http://www.macinformation.com/files/mobileme-galleries-passwords.php#unique-entry-id-191
However many people do not use the password feature, and publish their personal family photos. This makes the pictures available on the web, and gives anyone access to them. When publishing family pictures, most people would prefer to keep them private, as would your guests and friends! One of the many curses of Facebook is the fact that people publish photos of their friends without their permission.

Here is how to be smart and protect your photos with a name and password...

]]>What we love and hate about the iPadwebsite@macinformation.comiPadAppleiOS2010-09-14T20:48:15+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/love-hate-ipad.php#unique-entry-id-190http://www.macinformation.com/files/love-hate-ipad.php#unique-entry-id-190
The first point is that we use the iPad for consuming and not producing; in other words we find ourselves reading emails, browsing webpages, and reading Twitter messages on the iPad. We have not moved to producing material, such as using Pages, Keynote or Numbers. We do tend to reply to emails, and will type out short messages but not any long messages or notes. ]]>iPhone 4 launches in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneAppleiOS2010-07-30T13:59:11+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone4-launch.php#unique-entry-id-189http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone4-launch.php#unique-entry-id-189


]]>iPad arrives in Ireland on July 23rdwebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-07-19T16:03:53+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-188http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-188


Here are the prices and specs:

]]>Our favourite iPad appswebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-07-14T13:01:56+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-apps.php#unique-entry-id-187http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-apps.php#unique-entry-id-187
IPad apps for Ireland and the UK

Some of the best free apps:
- iBooks- to download books from the Apple store- lots of classic book are free
- Kindle- Amazon’s version of iBooks but access to the Amazon book store. This let’s you sync your books between your Mac and your iPad or iPhone using their Whisper Sync.
- Epicuruous- iPad version of recipes app
- Twitterific- best app for using with Twitter
- Pocket Pond- fun app- just try it!
- Planets- beautiful graphics showing the planets and stars
- Adobe Ideas- a drawing app

]]>Apple launch their annual Back to School offerwebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshiPodEducationRetail2010-07-02T13:30:25+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/back-to-school-2010.php#unique-entry-id-186http://www.macinformation.com/files/back-to-school-2010.php#unique-entry-id-186Apple Back to School Offer 2010
The price of an iPod touch on the education store is 189 euro, so the effect of the rebate is that you can get the 8GB model for 29 euro.

]]>What we love & hate about iOS 4website@macinformation.comiOSiPhone2010-06-24T12:34:15+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ios4.php#unique-entry-id-185http://www.macinformation.com/files/ios4.php#unique-entry-id-185


What we love...

1/ Folders- life is much simpler now, with only 2 screens worth of icons. We like to leave the front screen for the most part as Apple intended, and we now have all of screen two containing folders. Just so much more convenient to find things and organise icons.
2/ Camera zoom- ok so it is digital zoom and not true zoom, but it is great for framing a shot and having some way to focus on our subject
3/ Text character count- now we know how long our text messages are- and we like to know this
4/ Combined inbox- we love this and hated all of the old switching back and forth. We also like the threaded messages where they are grouped together when from the same conversation. Nice touch.]]>Apple announce new Mac mini rangewebsite@macinformation.comMacintosh2010-06-15T10:49:14+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-mac-minis.php#unique-entry-id-184http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-mac-minis.php#unique-entry-id-184Mac mini
The new Mac mini has two flavours- one for normal Mac use, and one to act as a server. The standard mini comes with 320GB of storage, up form the previous 160GB, and now has a 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo processor.

Continue...

]]>How Compu b got it rightwebsite@macinformation.comRetailMacintosh2010-05-19T20:29:11+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-in-dublin.php#unique-entry-id-183http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-in-dublin.php#unique-entry-id-183
Compu b store in Dublin Ireland

As long time Mac watchers, we remember the “Apple” store on Kildare Street, and even the old Compu b store on the Long Mile road in the early 90s. In recent times we have seen the O2 Experience store on Grafton Street, the 3G stores and most recently, Spectra Photo which was located near the new Compub store. Each of the recent examples took steps to make Apple products available to a wider audience, and yet they held back on stocking a good range of accessories, or having staff who were well versed in the Mac products and repairs.

Continue...

]]>Films arrive on iTunes store for Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiTunesApple2010-05-03T00:35:46+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/films-on-itunes.php#unique-entry-id-182http://www.macinformation.com/files/films-on-itunes.php#unique-entry-id-182iTunes films for Ireland
We took a look at the figures, and here is what we found:

UK Ireland % of UK
Action & Adventure 1124 789 70.20%
Anime 15 7 46.67%
Classics 213 108 50.70%
Comedy 1568 952 60.71%
Concert Films 16 6 37.50%
Documentary 180 57 31.67%
Drama 1889 1132 59.93%
Foreign 59 45 76.27%
Holiday 35 22 62.86%
Horror 462 310 67.10%
Independent 143 46 32.17%
Kids & Family 400 292 73.00%
Made for TV 13 3 23.08%
Music Documentaries 39 20 51.28%
Music Feature Films 48 35 72.92%
Musicals 142 79 55.63%
Romance 527 281 53.32%
Sci-Fi & Fantasy 400 286 71.50%
Short Films 275 181 65.82%
Special Interest 18 10 55.56%
Sports 133 86 64.66%
Thriller 857 598 69.78%
Urban 66 57 86.36%
Western 171 88 51.46%
Total Films in iTunes: 8793 5490 62.44%

Continue...

]]>Compu b Dublin store openingwebsite@macinformation.comRetail2010-04-14T12:10:21+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-dublin-opening.php#unique-entry-id-181http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-dublin-opening.php#unique-entry-id-181Compu b store Dublin
In the last year Dublin has seen the disappearance of many of the Mac outlets, such as the 3G stores and Spectra Photo. The opening of the new Compu b store is welcome news for Mac shoppers who like to see the product and don’t want to rely on online purchases.

Continue...

]]>Apple launch new MacBook Pro rangewebsite@macinformation.comMacintosh2010-04-13T23:41:03+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-macbook-pros.php#unique-entry-id-180http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-macbook-pros.php#unique-entry-id-180MacBook Pro
The 13” models continue to use the Core 2 Duo processors, but see improvements in the graphics card. Further details can bee seen on the Apple website here.

Check out our Buy a Mac page here.

Continue...

]]>Article: Pre-ordering the iPad: It's All about the Brandwebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-03-30T11:29:48+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-about-brand.php#unique-entry-id-179http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-about-brand.php#unique-entry-id-179http://db.tidbits.com/article/11121
For more information about TidBITS please visit the site here]
TidBITS


A number of recent commentators, including one in an article reprinted by Macworld, questioned why anyone would bother to order an iPad before they had a chance to see one in a store or to read the reviews. The answer is "the brand." The strength of the Apple brand explains why people are willing to risk their hard-earned cash on something they haven't personally seen or experienced.

Strong product branding encompasses many variables, such as specifications, pricing, packaging, features, and overall utility. However, those are all part of the rational, logical reasons we buy something. Also significant, and, I would argue, even more important, are the unconscious reasons we buy a product such as an iPod or iPhone. If you talk to someone about why they bought an iPhone, they will list reasons such as the App Store, ease of synchronisation, or other functional aspects of using the phone. The closest we normally get to an emotional reason is the "cool factor," which is an acceptable way of describing your emotions towards the product without appearing goofy! However, these deep emotional keys motivate us to spend money on a product which has not yet been tried and tested.

Continue...]]>No word on iPad for Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-03-10T12:20:09+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-ireland-date.php#unique-entry-id-178http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-ireland-date.php#unique-entry-id-178iPad in Ireland
This essentially follows the lines for Apple retail stores. Countries with retail stores will get the iPad first, presumably because shoppers will expect the device to be available in an official Apple store first. However countries without Apple stores, such as Ireland, do not yet have a launch date.


Continue...

]]>Vodafone introduce tethering...at a pricewebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2010-03-04T21:43:50+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-tethering.php#unique-entry-id-176http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-tethering.php#unique-entry-id-176
1GB will cost an expensive €9.99, but 10GB will cost €19.90. This second option seems like far better value and matches Vodafone's prices for mobile broadband USB sticks.
Tethering with Vodafone Ireland
However this compares to O2 rates, where the top plan includes 15GB for €19.99.
Here the current O2 tethering rates:
1GB - €12.50 monthly
7.5GB - €16.99 monthly
15GB - €19.99 monthly

What makes the O2 plan so cynical is that the iPHone comes with an unlimited data plan. It is just that when you use the iPHone to provide internet to your Mac or PC, they charge the tethering rates above.

Continue...

]]>Vodafone announce release of iPhone on March 25thwebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2010-03-04T11:51:12+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-iphone-launch-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-175http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-iphone-launch-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-175
Some of the prices have changed since the pre-release which began in December. Here are the full details:

Continue...

]]>Ways to escape Eircomwebsite@macinformation.comISPInternet2010-02-24T15:14:26+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/escape-eircom.php#unique-entry-id-173http://www.macinformation.com/files/escape-eircom.php#unique-entry-id-173
Our own business has been damaged by them over the last few years with a rogue salesman who tried to sell us a broadband package which did not exist, and with slow speed broadband being available on our lines. So what do you do to escape these guys?

We recommend two levels of change. Firstly, you could consider a new provider for your phone line and internet. Vodafone strike us as having a slightly weak service, but we currently use them for phone and internet. Their customer service is generally good, although they are still tied to Eircom. Any faults and repairs need to be handled by Eircom engineers, and if you get a man/woman who is working by the book, they may not help you as they will not work on anything inside your house. However we have been happy with Vodafone's service, even if the speed of our internet depends on Eircom's network.

Continue...

]]>Listening to radio on the iPhone or iPod touchwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneiPod2010-02-24T14:48:02+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/radio-on-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-172http://www.macinformation.com/files/radio-on-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-172
One such example which we like is FStream. It is a free app, and you will need to know the address for the radio stations you wish to listen to:
http://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/fstream/id289892007?mt=8
FStream for iPhone and iPod touch radio
However we have gathered a few examples:

Continue...

]]>Internet tethering problems in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneO2Vodafone2010-02-12T13:24:36+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-tethering.php#unique-entry-id-171http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-tethering.php#unique-entry-id-171iPhone tethering in Ireland
Apple explain the steps required to set up internet tethering on this page, and troubleshooting tips here.

However the situation in Ireland is quite different when you go to use this feature. O2, still the only official provider of iPhones in Ireland, charge an extra fee for using tethering. Here are their current prices:
1GB O2 Advance Internet Tethering - €12.50 monthly - 1 GB usage allowance
7.5GB O2 Advance Internet Tethering - €16.99 monthly - 7.5 GB usage allowance
15GB O2 Advance Internet Tethering - €19.99 monthly - 15 GB usage allowance


Continue...

]]>RTÉ embrace the iPhone and iPod touchwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneiPod2010-02-10T15:19:26+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/rte-apps.php#unique-entry-id-170http://www.macinformation.com/files/rte-apps.php#unique-entry-id-170RTE News app
The RTÉ news app is quite a simple application with two main functions: the first is top stories section which reflects the news stories on the RTÉ website. It has four sections covering news, sport, business and entertainment. The second feature is the "watch live" section, which has a video feed of RTÉ News headlines and weather. There are two other buttons at the bottom of the screen, one called "share" and one called "RTÉ Mobile". However these are just links for sharing details of the app with a friend and a link to other mobile features and applications. So on first impressions it looks as if this application has more to it, but in fact it is just a combination of the RTÉ website news, and the news video feed. Overall it is useful, if rather uninspiring. [Click here- iTunes link].

Continue...

]]>Find your Apple on Campus storewebsite@macinformation.comAppleEducationRetail2010-02-09T09:56:16+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-on-campus.php#unique-entry-id-169http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-on-campus.php#unique-entry-id-169Click here.

Apple on Campus stores

Apple lists the Apple on Campus stores for Ireland, including those for UCC, DIT, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art , TCD and UCD. These stores allow studens and staff to buy Apple equuipment at reduced prices, normally a few percent lower than the normal education store.

The site also includes information on Apple products and how they can be used in education, for both teaching and studying.

Continue...]]>iPad in Educationwebsite@macinformation.comiPadApple2010-02-05T16:53:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-education.php#unique-entry-id-168http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-education.php#unique-entry-id-168
In those days I had two main tools to hand- my Apple PowerBook G3 laptop, and my trusty Apple eMate. Many people may have forgotten or may not even be aware of the eMate 300. It was launched in 1997, and was a small, light, green plastic mini device, a cross between a PDA and a laptop- a netbook without the net!

Apple eMate 300

This light PDA/laptop hybrid meant it was easy to carry around libraries, and was ideal for notes. The keys were smaller than on a standard PowerBook keyboard, but it was still comfortable to work on. It also had a stylus pen, which worked on the touch screen. There was no mouse input, and so you controlled windows and dialogue boxes using the pen on the greyscale screen.

Continue...]]>Apps we would like to see on the iPadwebsite@macinformation.comiPadApple2010-02-02T10:34:52+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apps-for-ipad.php#unique-entry-id-167http://www.macinformation.com/files/apps-for-ipad.php#unique-entry-id-167
The combination of keyboard and larger screen offers new opportunities for existing developers. So what apps might make it to the iPad, and lure us away from our laptop. Could the iPad replace a MacBook (Pro/Air) on the road?

1/ FileMaker- we liked FileMaker's sortie into the world of iPod/iPhone apps, but would love to see a more powerful iPad database app, which allows full FileMaker editing. This could be great for client databases for sales people on the road, or for researchers in universities.
http://www.filemaker.com/
FileMaker Pro for iPad

Continue...]]>Top 5 groups who will want an iPadwebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-01-28T00:37:41+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-groups.php#unique-entry-id-166http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-groups.php#unique-entry-id-166
Top 5 iPad uses

1/ Presenters: the iPad is a great way to make presentations. With iWork available for the iPad, users can run Keynote. This means that sales people on the move could receive a presentation by email, edit it and then present it using the VGA adapter which will connect an iPad to a standard projector.

Continue...]]>Apple iPad arrives- plenty of surpriseswebsite@macinformation.comiPad2010-01-27T21:24:13+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-launched.php#unique-entry-id-165http://www.macinformation.com/files/ipad-launched.php#unique-entry-id-165
Apple's new iPad for UK and Ireland

The iPad is a new type of device, primarily for viewing data, such as webpages, email, photos and books. It has access to three stores- the App Store, the iTunes Store, and the new iBook store, where users can download books from major publishers.

A few initial thoughts:


Continue...]]>Vodafone Ireland iPhone settingswebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2010-01-05T16:17:50+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-settings.php#unique-entry-id-164http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-settings.php#unique-entry-id-164Vodafone Ireland iPhone
To enter these, go to Settings -> General -> Network-> Cellular Data Network

Cellular Data
APN: isp.vodafone.ie
Username: vodafone
Password: vodafone

MMS
APN: mms.vodafone.net
Username: dublin
Password: dublin
MMSC: http://www.vodafone.ie/mms
MMS proxy: 10.24.59.200:80
MMS Max Message Size: 307200
MMS UA Prof URL: ]]>Eircom fail to meet their own deadline for broadbandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2010-01-05T13:54:30+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/eircom-fail-deadline.php#unique-entry-id-163http://www.macinformation.com/files/eircom-fail-deadline.php#unique-entry-id-163website, Eircom had promised the installation of broadband in the region by the end of 2009. This was on top of an original promise that broadband would be in place by the end of October 2009 (first reported here).
Eircom Broadband
We have tried to contact Eircom PR on a number of occasions but they have not responded. All of this does little to help individuals and small businesses in the area who need broadband to carry on their businesses or residents who wish to have broadband for home use.

We will continue to try to get information from Eircom and keep you updated.]]>Why no Visual Voicemail in Ireland?website@macinformation.comiPhone2009-12-21T13:04:18+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/no-visual-voicemail.php#unique-entry-id-162http://www.macinformation.com/files/no-visual-voicemail.php#unique-entry-id-162
Visual Voicemail for iPhone in Ireland

Visual Voicemail was one of the key features of the iPhone when announced by Apple in January 2007. When O2 introduced the iPhone in the UK, Visual Voicemail was available, but the subsequent launch in Ireland excluded this feature. We speculated at that time that Apple were more concerned about launching on a network in Ireland than on insisting on this feature with the carrier.

We will be interested to see what happens when the iPhone is officially launched on Vodafone in 2010. Will this be the first chance for customers to use Visual Voicemail, and will O2 finally introduce this feature?]]>New Apple Premium Reseller for Corkwebsite@macinformation.comRetail2009-12-18T13:26:44+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-cork.php#unique-entry-id-161http://www.macinformation.com/files/compub-cork.php#unique-entry-id-161
The new store is at 17 Opera Lane, Patrick Street, Cork. Tel 021 6011301. Opening hours can be found here.



]]>First Impressions: iPhone on Vodafone Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2009-12-11T13:56:46+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/using-iphone-on-vodafone.php#unique-entry-id-160http://www.macinformation.com/files/using-iphone-on-vodafone.php#unique-entry-id-160Vodafone Ireland iPhone this week, and have begun to use it on the network. Our first impressions are that there have been no problems or glitches, and that the registration process was seamless.

Registration:
This is done through iTunes and involves the user entering their Apple ID and password. This worked perfectly, and the phone simply stated that it was now unlocked and registered.

iPhone 3GS on Vodafone Ireland

Data:
This is the one bit which is rather unfriendly. The iPhones which are being distributed are not set up for Vodafone, and so the user needs to type in the settings manually. IOS, the distributor, have included a two page document with the iPhone pack, which shows you the steps. The details need to be entered in the Cellular Data Network section of the Settings, under Network. Without these settings, the user can't send or receive MMS messages, or use the 3G network.
One item not included on the list is that you should restart the iPhone after you enter these settings. The MMS part will not function until you do this.

Calls, messaging and 3G quality:
We haven't noticed any difference in call quality on the Vodafone network to using any other Vodafone phone. We have not tested the 3G signal for data yet, but have been receiving emails on the move. Texting has worked flawlessly.

Overall:
We have found the experience very simple and easy, although it is a bit like being a "shadow" customer of Vodafone. Their call centre will not be able to help with any queries (as stated in the letter) as their staff have not yet been trained, and when we log in to our Vodafone.ie account, there is no evidence of us using an iPhone. It all feels a bit covert right now, although it does not effect our day-to-day use of the phone, it feels a bit odd. The only issue might come if a user has a problem and needs to phone for support. IOS will only claim to be the distributor, and Vodafone won't have the answers. However as this is all part of a preliminary release, we appreciate that this goes with the territory.

If you are in a similar situation with an early iPhone on Vodafone, let us know your experiences.

]]>Exclusive: iPhone arriving on Vodafone Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2009-11-26T19:44:18+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-vodafone-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-159http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-vodafone-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-159
iPhone on Vodafone Ireland

Vodafone are working with IOS, a company which will distribute the iPhone on their behalf. This is in advance of the official launch, happening in early 2010. This offer is being made to some of the Vodafone customers who registered online when they announced their intention to adopt the iPhone at the end of September . If the customer agrees to go ahead, IOS will arrange delivery of an iPhone to the Vodafone customer.

The tariffs also reveal that Vodafone are to offer a 2GB data package, twice the level offered by O2. Here are the details:

Basics: 0 minutes and 0 texts
Data allowance per month: 2GB
Free Vodafone to Vodafone calls
Contract length: 18 months
Cost of 16GB iPhone 3GS: €199
Monthly tariff: €34.99 per month

Basics: 150 minutes and 150 texts
Data allowance per month: 2GB
Free Vodafone to Vodafone calls
Contract length: 18 months
Cost of 16GB iPhone 3GS: €199
Monthly tariff: €49.99 per month

Basics: 300 minutes and 300 texts
Data allowance per month: 2GB
Free Vodafone to Vodafone calls
Contract length: 18 months
Cost of 16GB iPhone 3GS: €99
Monthly tariff: €64.99 per month

Basics: 500 minutes and 500 texts
Data allowance per month: 2GB
Free Vodafone to Vodafone calls
Contract length: 18 months
Cost of 16GB iPhone 3GS: €49
Monthly tariff: €84.99 per month

Basics: 700 minutes and 700 texts
Data allowance per month: 2GB
Free Vodafone to Vodafone calls
Contract length: 18 months
Cost of 16GB iPhone 3GS: Free
Monthly tariff: €99.99 per month

Vodafone have stated that they have a limited supply of these iPhones, and the 16GB 3GS model is the only one available. This is a limited release to those who registered early, and the full launch of the phone on Vodafone Ireland's network will around February 2010.

To compare the tariffs to those offered by O2, click here.]]>Check out the Apple Sale this Fridaywebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshiPodHardwareRetailSoftware2009-11-26T00:35:03+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/black-friday.php#unique-entry-id-158http://www.macinformation.com/files/black-friday.php#unique-entry-id-158Ireland or the UK this Friday. Traditionally in the US, there is a Black Friday sale after the Thanksgiving festival, and this is an opportunity to pick up a Mac or iPod at a special discount.

Apple are not known for their sale prices, but this is the one exception in the year, when the special shopping event is adopted by many US retailers. However to be fair to all customers, Apple offer the similar discounts to all of its international online and retail stores. The following teaser has been placed on the Apple online store for Ireland:



Click here for details.

Be sure to check out the site on Friday to see what offers are available.
]]>Tesco UK to sell iPhoneswebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2009-11-25T12:45:32+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/tesco-mobile.php#unique-entry-id-157http://www.macinformation.com/files/tesco-mobile.php#unique-entry-id-157


Tesco’s website has further details.

]]>Securing a Jailbroken iPhonewebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneHardware2009-11-24T22:09:04+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-password.php#unique-entry-id-156http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-password.php#unique-entry-id-156

For example, any iPhone with an application called Cydia or Icy installed has been jailbroken, and this can open your iPhone up to hackers. This is because access to your iPhone may be set to use a standard password, and one which is widely known and being exploited by the hackers.

However iPhone Central have provided a clear and easy way to change the “root” password for your device, and we would strongly recommend that any users with a jailbroken phone follow these steps.]]>Tips for Windows Switcherswebsite@macinformation.comSoftwareMacintosh2009-11-23T16:34:41+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/windows-switchers.php#unique-entry-id-155http://www.macinformation.com/files/windows-switchers.php#unique-entry-id-155

1/ Gather your usernames and passwords- especially your internet logins, such as email settings. You will need to type your usernames and passwords into your new email application, such as Mail or Entourage

2/ To transfer contacts, use the “forward as vCard” feature on your PC to email these from your PC to Mac. This is a simple and easy method to attach contact vCards to an email and then send them to your new Mac. Then drag and drop these vCards into your Apple Address Book (or into Entourage). Microsoft have a few steps on this page. However, only send about 30 at one time as trying to email too many does not work, and some cards will go missing.

3/ For calendars, export your PC calendar as a “vCal” file, which can then be opened in iCal.

4/ If you use a USB stick to transfer .doc files from your PC to your new Mac, these will open in TextEdit in Mac OS X. You can also download and buy iWork ’09 or Office 2008 to open and edit these files, but TextEdit is a free and simple way to open, view and edit Word files.

5/ Check out Mac 101 and Switch 101 on Apple’s website.]]>Special Report: AppleCare in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHardwareRetailApple2009-11-17T09:00:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/applecare-2009.php#unique-entry-id-154http://www.macinformation.com/files/applecare-2009.php#unique-entry-id-154past we have reported on AppleCare in Ireland, and our concerns over the availability of the service options to all Apple owners. We covered this in 2006, and 2007, and have been following the policy for customers in the Republic on an ongoing basis, for ourselves and for our clients.
AppleCare in Ireland

]]>Eircom broadband in Kilmacanogue- updatewebsite@macinformation.comHome2009-11-16T13:21:43+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-november.php#unique-entry-id-153http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-november.php#unique-entry-id-153

]]>ClubMac- Irish Mac User Groupwebsite@macinformation.comHome2009-11-10T14:09:32+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/17beb5b07c5c08aa58d6f8441102c5d2-152.php#unique-entry-id-152http://www.macinformation.com/files/17beb5b07c5c08aa58d6f8441102c5d2-152.php#unique-entry-id-152website and discussion forum.

ClubMac logo- Mac User Group Dublin, Ireland

]]>Apple Ireland meets PC Worldwebsite@macinformation.comRetailAppleHardware2009-11-11T21:08:12+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-pc-world.php#unique-entry-id-151http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-pc-world.php#unique-entry-id-151
Apple Store in Ireland's PC World

]]>Mac Information Christmas Gift Guidewebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshiPodRetailiPhone2009-11-11T13:24:27+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/mac-info-christmas-2009.php#unique-entry-id-148http://www.macinformation.com/files/mac-info-christmas-2009.php#unique-entry-id-148Christmas iPod 2009 in IrelandChristmas iTunes 2009 in Ireland
These ideas are based on products we have bought in 2009 and those we have set up with our clients.

Click here to see the 2009 Christmas Gift Guide.

]]>Vodafone to sell iPhone in Ireland and the UKwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneHardware2009-09-29T16:45:48+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-147http://www.macinformation.com/files/vodafone-iphone.php#unique-entry-id-147iPhone at Vodafone Ireland and the UK
We have had a number of clients who have been reluctant to switch to get their hands on an iPhone, and in our own case, the O2 network reception is very poor at our office. So the idea of staying with Vodafone and finally being able to upgrade to an iPhone is good news.
]]>Broadband in Kilmacanogue- updatewebsite@macinformation.comHome2009-09-24T15:23:49+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-broadband-update.php#unique-entry-id-146http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-broadband-update.php#unique-entry-id-146original story on the rollout of broadband to Kilmacanogue in Co. Wicklow, eircom have confirmed that this is still on schedule for October 2009. ]]>Lack of Apple stores in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comRetailAppleHardware2009-09-24T14:45:33+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/retail-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-145http://www.macinformation.com/files/retail-in-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-145NIB confirm Mac supportwebsite@macinformation.comSoftware2009-09-24T14:32:37+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/NIB-snow-leopard.php#unique-entry-id-144http://www.macinformation.com/files/NIB-snow-leopard.php#unique-entry-id-144Apple revamps iPod lineupwebsite@macinformation.comiPodHardware2009-09-10T10:47:55+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/rock-and-roll-ipods.php#unique-entry-id-142http://www.macinformation.com/files/rock-and-roll-ipods.php#unique-entry-id-142Back to School or University- what you need to know...website@macinformation.comHardwareSoftwareEducationiPod2009-08-17T13:52:11+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-education-pricing.php#unique-entry-id-141http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-education-pricing.php#unique-entry-id-141
Firstly, anyone connected to education should purchase through Apple's Education Store (Ireland or UK). This is not open to the general public, but is instead a way for students and teachers to buy Apple products at a discounted price.

Apple Education Ireland and UK]]>Apple Results: The Headlineswebsite@macinformation.comFinancial ResultsApple2009-07-22T14:21:29+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-q3-2009.php#unique-entry-id-140http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-q3-2009.php#unique-entry-id-140]]>Caveat Emptor: the BT tale...website@macinformation.comHome2009-07-08T12:48:40+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/caveat-emptor-bt.php#unique-entry-id-139http://www.macinformation.com/files/caveat-emptor-bt.php#unique-entry-id-139Caveat Emptor: the Eircom tale...website@macinformation.comHome2009-07-08T12:30:22+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/caveat-emptor-eircom.php#unique-entry-id-138http://www.macinformation.com/files/caveat-emptor-eircom.php#unique-entry-id-138]]>Broadband in Kilmacanoguewebsite@macinformation.comHome2009-07-09T12:14:27+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-broadband.php#unique-entry-id-137http://www.macinformation.com/files/kilmacanogue-broadband.php#unique-entry-id-137What now for Eric Schmidt?website@macinformation.comAppleFinancial Results2009-07-09T11:47:23+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/eric-schmidt.php#unique-entry-id-136http://www.macinformation.com/files/eric-schmidt.php#unique-entry-id-136
Schmidt has been a board member at Apple since August 2006. However Apple have said that Schmidt leaves the room during Apple's board meetings when the iPhone is being discussed. Google's own mobile OS, Android, means that Schmidt has excused himself from these discussions to prevent being accused of a conflict of interest. The question now is, will he also have to be outside the room during discussions about the Mac OS, a rival to Chrome OS?
Google Chrome OS]]>Apple's Back to School Offerwebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshiPod2009-06-21T11:14:22+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/back-to-school-09.php#unique-entry-id-135http://www.macinformation.com/files/back-to-school-09.php#unique-entry-id-135
The offer is available for teachers, lecturers and all students in higher education institutions. If they buy a qualifying Mac before September 8th 2009, they can get a €185 rebate on an iPod touch. ]]>O2 announce iPhone 3G S prices for Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2009-06-18T21:45:12+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-134http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-134iPhone 3G S in Ireland]]>Dates for iPhone 3G S launch, inc. Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comiPhone2009-06-09T15:51:59+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s-launch-dates.php#unique-entry-id-133http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s-launch-dates.php#unique-entry-id-133New MacBooks Pros and laptop realignmentwebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshHardware2009-06-09T15:17:53+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-macbook-pro.php#unique-entry-id-132http://www.macinformation.com/files/new-macbook-pro.php#unique-entry-id-132
MacBook Pro]]>Apple launch new iPhone 3G S & 3.0website@macinformation.comiPhone2009-06-09T15:07:48+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s.php#unique-entry-id-131http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3g-s.php#unique-entry-id-131
iPhone 3G S Ireland]]>Dealing with broadband providers in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comTips2009-05-29T15:32:00+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/eircom-broadband.php#unique-entry-id-130http://www.macinformation.com/files/eircom-broadband.php#unique-entry-id-130]]>Review: Quickoffice Fileswebsite@macinformation.comSoftwareiPhoneiPodTips2009-05-07T15:34:46+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/quickoffice-files.php#unique-entry-id-129http://www.macinformation.com/files/quickoffice-files.php#unique-entry-id-129

One App Store application we really like is Quickoffice Files, which allows you to download or place files on your iDisk, and email them to colleagues. You can also connect your Mac to the iPhone to drop files between the devices.]]>Mac Information Guide: File Sharing Using MobileMewebsite@macinformation.comGuideTipsMacintosh2009-05-06T16:16:28+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/mobileme-file-sharing.php#unique-entry-id-128http://www.macinformation.com/files/mobileme-file-sharing.php#unique-entry-id-128PriceWatch: Amazon vs Apple for new Macswebsite@macinformation.comHardware2009-05-01T15:43:59+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/amazon-vs-apple-prices.php#unique-entry-id-126http://www.macinformation.com/files/amazon-vs-apple-prices.php#unique-entry-id-126
Amazon vs Apple prices for Ireland]]>Amazon returns to delivering to Ireland...at lastwebsite@macinformation.comHardwareSoftwareRetail2009-04-30T12:36:33+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/amazon-deliver-to-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-125http://www.macinformation.com/files/amazon-deliver-to-ireland.php#unique-entry-id-125Amazon ship to Ireland

Amazon have started to ship electronic goods to Ireland again after an absence of about 3 years. Amazon had stopped shipments to Ireland when the WEEE recycling fee was introduced, but have now returned to selling goods with new shipping rates.]]>Mac Information Guide: Using an iPhone Abroadwebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneGuideTips2009-04-20T14:50:49+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/using-iphone-abroad.php#unique-entry-id-124http://www.macinformation.com/files/using-iphone-abroad.php#unique-entry-id-124All you need to know from the iPhone event...website@macinformation.comiPhoneSoftwareEvent2009-03-19T12:59:48+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3-0-stats.php#unique-entry-id-123http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3-0-stats.php#unique-entry-id-123
  • Here is a run-down of the announcements from the iPhone 3.0 event this week:
    • iPhone OS 3.0 event summary
    • iPhone now on sale in 80 countries, with China being probably the biggest gap right now.
    • 13.7m iPhones sold in 2008
    • 17m iPhones sold to end of 2008
    • iPhone and iPod touch run iPhone OS- so 30m devices now run this OS
    • 800,000 downloads of iPhone SDK
    • 50,000 iPhone developers now signed up to Apple Developer program
    • 60% did not develop for Apple before this
    ]]>    iPhone update plugs many gapswebsite@macinformation.comiPhoneSoftwareEvent2009-03-19T12:42:31+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3-os-event.php#unique-entry-id-122http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphone-3-os-event.php#unique-entry-id-122
    iPhone OS 3.0]]>    Apple announce new iPod shufflewebsite@macinformation.comiPodHardware2009-03-11T17:59:08+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-new-ipod-shuffles.php#unique-entry-id-121http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-new-ipod-shuffles.php#unique-entry-id-121
    ]]>    TIP: Screen Sharing with MobileMewebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshTipsMobileMe2009-03-09T18:12:04+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-screen-sharing-tip.php#unique-entry-id-120http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-screen-sharing-tip.php#unique-entry-id-120
    However over the years, the internet services from Apple have evolved. Three of the best examples are the iDisk (which we use all of the time to host previews for clients' websites), Galleries for photos (called "homepage" in the .Mac days), and MobileMe screen sharing. This last item is a gem. We have used it to retrieve files, start processing tasks before we return to the office and generally it keeps us in touch with our office Mac.
    ]]>    Guest access for new Airportswebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshAirport2009-03-05T17:33:55+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-airport-guest-access.php#unique-entry-id-119http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-airport-guest-access.php#unique-entry-id-119Apple revamp desktop lineupwebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshHardware2009-03-03T14:32:17+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-new-macs.php#unique-entry-id-118http://www.macinformation.com/files/march-new-macs.php#unique-entry-id-118New Mac Pros, Mac minis and iMacs

    Apple today announced revisions to its entire desktop range, with speed bumps and new chips for its Macs. The Mac Pro, Apple's professional desktop range, gets its first speed bump in over a year, with a new chip, the Nehalem version of Intel's Xeon processors.
    New Mac Pros available]]>    Nothing to display: the absence of Apple screenswebsite@macinformation.comHardware2009-02-20T11:28:01+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-displays.php#unique-entry-id-117http://www.macinformation.com/files/apple-displays.php#unique-entry-id-11720” display vanishes

    Yesterday Apple dropped the 20” Cinema display from its line up on the online store. This reduces the choice of screens to two, the new 24” display which was introduced to work with the MacBook and MacBook Pros, and the traditional 30” HD display, which works with a Mac Pro desktop. This reduces the choice for the consumer to one screen for a Mac model- the 24” for new Apple laptops and the 30” for new desktops.
    ]]>    Backups, backups, backupswebsite@macinformation.comSoftwareTips2009-02-07T14:53:24+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/backups-backups.php#unique-entry-id-115http://www.macinformation.com/files/backups-backups.php#unique-entry-id-115iPhoto '09- a few impressions of Faceswebsite@macinformation.comSoftwareiPhoto2009-01-29T20:00:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphoto-tagging.php#unique-entry-id-114http://www.macinformation.com/files/iphoto-tagging.php#unique-entry-id-114Face recognition or new tagging



    After one day playing with Apple’s iLife ’09 package, one thing has become clear to us- the new iPhoto face recognition feature should be called “face tagging”.]]>    Apple reports record quarter- some notes...website@macinformation.comAppleFinancial Results2009-01-22T14:00:00+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ad3ebce5089f8ce7f6bcdc4f0881fddd-113.php#unique-entry-id-113http://www.macinformation.com/files/ad3ebce5089f8ce7f6bcdc4f0881fddd-113.php#unique-entry-id-113
    Here are a few points we noted from the financial conference call...]]>    Presswatch: what we liked...website@macinformation.comMacintoshAppleSteve Jobs2009-01-16T02:01:39+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/presswatch-mossberg.php#unique-entry-id-112http://www.macinformation.com/files/presswatch-mossberg.php#unique-entry-id-112Presswatch: Bloomberg way off the mark...website@macinformation.comMacintoshAppleFinancial ResultsSteve Jobs2009-01-15T22:49:18+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs-coverage.php#unique-entry-id-111http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs-coverage.php#unique-entry-id-111Bloomberg, entitled, “Steve Jobs May Have Pancreas Removed After Cancer”. The article is based on the premise that Jobs may have his pancreas removed after the a return of the cancer he suffered from in 2004.



    I found the article distasteful on a number of levels. Firstly it is based on pure speculation; there is currently no evidence to suggest a return of Jobs’ pancreatic cancer, and suggesting this is pure guesswork. ]]>    Steve Jobs issues statement about his healthwebsite@macinformation.comMacintoshAppleFinancial ResultsSteve Jobs2009-01-05T16:37:55+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs.php#unique-entry-id-109http://www.macinformation.com/files/steve-jobs.php#unique-entry-id-109Apple CEO suffering from hormone imbalance

    Today Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, issued an open letter to the Apple community, giving details of his ill-health. It sought to reassure the Apple, and wider business community, of his health position. Jobs has admitted that he is suffering from weight loss brought on by a hormone imbalance, but has aimed to dismiss rumours of a return of his cancer.]]>    Apple holds shopping event todaywebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-11-28T08:49:49+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/95abdb69fb46d17a80cf3e0c4174bd24-108.php#unique-entry-id-108http://www.macinformation.com/files/95abdb69fb46d17a80cf3e0c4174bd24-108.php#unique-entry-id-108Discounts for all shoppers with Apple online- 28th November

    If you are pondering an Apple purchase for Christmas, you would be well advised to check out the Apple online store today. Each year Apple holds a “Black Friday” event, to tie in with the US Thanksgiving, and offer discounts on many products.    ]]>    Adobe CS4 Tour comes to Dublinwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-11-12T12:34:49+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/96678ed4e433e37b387b42d8f581e79f-107.php#unique-entry-id-107http://www.macinformation.com/files/96678ed4e433e37b387b42d8f581e79f-107.php#unique-entry-id-107New Suite demonstrated at end of November

    The new Adobe CS 4 Suite is to be demonstrated in Dublin on November 24th. There re four events, with web and production events being run side by side in the morning, and premium and master events held in the afternoon.     ]]>    Apple figures show success of iPhonewebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-10-24T23:31:09+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/27f752cdb23576687cafc9bac434eec0-106.php#unique-entry-id-106http://www.macinformation.com/files/27f752cdb23576687cafc9bac434eec0-106.php#unique-entry-id-106Apple Pass 10 million iPhone mark

    Looking at the figures from last quarter’s financial results, there is little doubt as to the success of the iPhone. Apple have now passed the 10 million mark, something they stated they would do by the end of 2008. Reaching this point over two months early shows the strength of the iPhone 3G and the boost it hs given to the iPhone figures since its launch this summer. What makes this more unusual is the revenue stream this generates. Apple will continue to profit from these sales as it has agreed a slice of the monthly mobile fees paid to the carriers, such as O2 and AT&T.    ]]>    Apple revise laptop line-upwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-10-14T21:18:12+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/9730afa5b3329aa910cda4cee4773bfc-105.php#unique-entry-id-105http://www.macinformation.com/files/9730afa5b3329aa910cda4cee4773bfc-105.php#unique-entry-id-105Apple launch new MacBook and MacBook Pros

    Apple today launched new MacBook and new MacBook Pros along with a revised MacBook Air range. The main news came in the graphics cards, with new NVIDIA cards in the MacBook and MacBook Pros, offering better video and gaming speeds.

    The new laptops come with LED-backlit displays and new larger multi-touch trackpads. These trackpads support gestures, something iPhone and iPod touch users will be familiar with.

    The changes to the MacBook air were more minor, with bumps to hard drive space.

    The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros come with an aluminium case, which is stronger due to its construction; made from one solid piece.

    Further details are available from the     Apple Store for Ireland and the Apple Store for the UK.]]>    Apple launch "Back to School" offerswebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-09-25T19:21:32+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ed9ec72eafe3d09f7086cc18975a8b25-104.php#unique-entry-id-104http://www.macinformation.com/files/ed9ec72eafe3d09f7086cc18975a8b25-104.php#unique-entry-id-104iPod nano for 14 euro when bought with a new Mac

    Apple have launched their “Back to School” promotion which offers students and teachers a rebate when they buy a Mac and iPod together.]]>    Who will be hit by Android?website@macinformation.comHome2008-09-24T20:30:32+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/8c90672c4ec975c28c9d2d38e9c01c89-103.php#unique-entry-id-103http://www.macinformation.com/files/8c90672c4ec975c28c9d2d38e9c01c89-103.php#unique-entry-id-103Will Google’s new mobile OS effect the iPhone?

    Our initial impression of Android is that it is a solid bit of software, but not a threat to the iPhone right now. There are a number of key features of the software which does not offer the same level of usability as the iPhone.

    The first part which is missing is the multi-touch interface of the iPhone. Android doe not offer this feature, and for anyone who has browsed web pages and photos with two fingers on an iPhone, zooming in and out with a finger and thumb, going back would be hard to do. Using arrow keys is soo yesterday!! Secondly you can’t play video on an Android driven phone right now. This will surely change, but it does show the rough edges which are there right now.

    However, the bigger drawback is hardware. Until a company produces something better than the G1, HTC’s plastic block of a phone, it will not attract the same market as the iPhone. The G1 is plain ugly, with a plethora of plastic buttons. We know some people who would prefer if there were physical keys on the iPhone, but the idea of the old plastic keys makes us queasy. We like the way the iPhone touch-screen keyboard layouts change depending on the application, and the idea of plastic hardware keyboards takes us back to the days of our Palm Treo.

    For now the Android OS looks set to cause a few headaches at Microsoft. Why would a company license Microsoft’s Windows Mobile when there is an open source OS available from a company as large as Google? Windows Mobile has a small percentage of the market, and the introduction of Android must surely begin to seal this position?

    As for the HTC handset, the G1, it looks to us like a Nokia type of phone, attracting the Nokia buyer. It lacks in the OS finesse which Apple brought to the market, and given that Google can never control the hardware and software integration, Android phones may never have the same cool factor as the iPhone. So we think this new venture by Google will impact the market share of the traditional phone market. For now the iPhone keeps its own space, but Android 2 may yet be a threat.]]>    Using your iPhone abroadwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-09-15T15:35:37+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/54257dd2b8d50fa9f0f6f72894b0bcbd-102.php#unique-entry-id-102http://www.macinformation.com/files/54257dd2b8d50fa9f0f6f72894b0bcbd-102.php#unique-entry-id-102How to avoid huge bills on your return

    As a reminder to readers, it is worth noting the steps you can take if you are planning to use your iPhone abroad. The iPhone can be used when away and, with a few simple steps, it does not have to mean you return to a huge bill.

    First a few basic rules:]]>    iPhone 3G to launch on July 11thwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-06-22T16:40:36+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f23dd43ebb404c67272e697d745b9b4d-101.php#unique-entry-id-101http://www.macinformation.com/files/f23dd43ebb404c67272e697d745b9b4d-101.php#unique-entry-id-101
    Apple have announced the release of the second generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G. It's due to arrive in Ireland, and 21 other countries, on July 11th. The announcement was made at the WWDC conference in San Francisco, where Apple also demonstrated its new iPhone OS X. This will be a free upgrade for current iPhone owners, and a paid download for iPod touch users.]]>    iPhone visual voicemail in Ireland- unlikelywebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-06-20T16:39:30+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/3a5a99cff15a1cee97e1403f7ebed09e-100.php#unique-entry-id-100http://www.macinformation.com/files/3a5a99cff15a1cee97e1403f7ebed09e-100.php#unique-entry-id-100
    We contacted O2 Ireland this week to see when visual voicemail would be introduced on their network. However we received the following statement:
    "Unfortunately the visual voicemail is not supported by the network here as yet. We will be looking closely at developing it if its something our customers tell us they want."]]>    Report: iPhone 3G price gap between Ireland and the UKwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-06-08T16:38:10+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/135555d361610726eeffe2ad10925b84-99.php#unique-entry-id-99http://www.macinformation.com/files/135555d361610726eeffe2ad10925b84-99.php#unique-entry-id-99
    The details of the tariffs for the new iPhone 3G are now out and they make unpleasant reading for Irish customers. Looking at the figures, most of the costs are significantly higher for Ireland than for our UK neighbours. First, the good news:
    1/ many of the details for Ireland have remained the same in the switch to the iPhone 3G- same tariffs plans, same monthly charge, same texts and inclusive minutes, and same charges for addition voice and text calls. No increased data costs in the move to 3G.]]>    O2 Ireland announce prices for iPhone 3Gwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-06-17T16:36:13+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/9f2af4705ebca2229729327b50a2ba77-98.php#unique-entry-id-98http://www.macinformation.com/files/9f2af4705ebca2229729327b50a2ba77-98.php#unique-entry-id-98
    The iPhone 3G will be available in Ireland on July 11 and can be purchased through O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores. There are two models: 8GB and 16GB. According to O2 Ireland, the iPhone 3G price will be subsidised, and priced according to which of the existing three iPhone tariffs a customer chooses:
    8GB iPhone plans:]]>    Speed-bumped iMacs launchedwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-04-10T16:35:16+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/847eef0a1d21b81392acec55d94f1f1f-97.php#unique-entry-id-97http://www.macinformation.com/files/847eef0a1d21b81392acec55d94f1f1f-97.php#unique-entry-id-97
    Apple have refreshed its range of iMacs, the top selling desktop Mac. The new range comes with faster Intel Core 2 Duo chips, and three of the four models have 2GB of RAM built in.]]>    Update: Using the iPhone in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-02-21T16:33:51+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/9f9ad86e14ce0bfe42274c1dcabf3265-96.php#unique-entry-id-96http://www.macinformation.com/files/9f9ad86e14ce0bfe42274c1dcabf3265-96.php#unique-entry-id-96
    Readers of Mac Information will know that we looked at using an iPhone in Ireland in 2007 before O2 launched the Apple smartphone in March 2008.
    We had reservations at the time, but still see the O2 route as the best method for those people who would like to have their warranty honoured and have the help of Apple support if anything goes wrong. However, if you are like us, you may enjoy jailbreaking the iPhone, which is the method which allows you to customise and install third party apps on the phone.
    We have been using a iPhone for 6 months now, and the one problem we had was the inability to upgrade to the latest iPhone software. We were unwilling to risk our perfectly working phone by removing software version 1.1.1 and installing 1.1.4. The risk ranged between ending up with a phone which would not recognise our SIM card to a completely unusable unit! Our reason to upgrade was motivated by one small problem- the iPhone under 1.0.2 and 1.1.1 did not send us an SMS message if there was a voicemail message waiting for us, and this was an irritation.]]>    The Pros and Cons of the iPhone with O2 Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-02-18T16:31:58+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e191529b3365128c0accc4f5672605f9-95.php#unique-entry-id-95http://www.macinformation.com/files/e191529b3365128c0accc4f5672605f9-95.php#unique-entry-id-95
    O2 have announced that the iPhone is to be available in Ireland from March 14th 2008. This is welcome news, and somewhat surprising that Ireland has received the iPhone ahead of larger European countries, such as Italy and Spain.
    Looking at the tariffs and the offering for Irish customers, we are surprised by some of the specifics:]]>    New MacBook and MacBook Pros introducedwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-02-10T16:31:11+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/3811a8432970fd1090335d0cc2e9226c-94.php#unique-entry-id-94http://www.macinformation.com/files/3811a8432970fd1090335d0cc2e9226c-94.php#unique-entry-id-94
    Apple have updated the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines by adding in the new Multi-touch trackpad, first introduced with the MacBook Air in January. The Multi-touch trackpad allows for gestures, such as zooming in and out of an image using two fingers. To make a change, the user "gestures" on the trackpad and this changes the zoom or rotation of the document. This technology is also used in the iPhone and the iPod touch, where users are familiar with the pinching and scrolling techniques.
    ]]>    More nonsense from the Sunday Business Postwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-01-30T16:25:13+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/8f7c492c69e61148a391dda573255f77-92.php#unique-entry-id-92http://www.macinformation.com/files/8f7c492c69e61148a391dda573255f77-92.php#unique-entry-id-92
    As reported on many occasions by Mac Information, tech news accuracy isn't the SBP's strong point. Their reporting on Apple related stories is normally at best misrepresented, and at worst, hopelessly inaccrate. This weekend is no exception:
    "Apple's iPhone may not launch in Ireland until April 'at the earliest' Apple sources [sic] have told Computers in Business."
    Now for a start, if anyone in Apple had told the SBP that the iPhone now won't be sold in Ireland until April, the said employee will be on the way out the door the various pieces of their shredded employment contract. If there is one thing we know bout Apple's launch dates, they are not a fact until they are officially announced, and any rumour, speculation, and imaginative theory from the SBP is entirely without substance.
    The statement that the iPhone "will not now launch" until April is entirely fabricated to match the SBP's inaccurate speculation during 2007, that it would launch at the start of 2008. Having created a false piece of "fact" in previous articles, the SBP can now announce that this date has changed. ]]>    New Mac Pros introducedwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-01-15T16:23:11+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/cb582d4ed1d150fa0aed89ae14b8f0eb-91.php#unique-entry-id-91http://www.macinformation.com/files/cb582d4ed1d150fa0aed89ae14b8f0eb-91.php#unique-entry-id-91
    In a somewhat unusual move, Apple revamped its pro desktop line today, introducing new Mac Pros, with a new "Harpertown" Intel processors. With Macworld just around the corner (January 15th), most would have guessed that new desktops would be part of Steve Jobs' keynote presentation. However this may indicate that the keynote contains other laptop news, bumping the Mac Pros to their own press release a week in advance.
    The new models come with the following standard spec, but can be customised to suit the user:]]>    The Pros and Cons of the MacBook Airwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-01-14T16:04:27+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/72f1c8f4976d32d916f6d364b0d499a6-90.php#unique-entry-id-90http://www.macinformation.com/files/72f1c8f4976d32d916f6d364b0d499a6-90.php#unique-entry-id-90
    Apple's new ultra portable laptop has some great advantages and some drawbacks. Here is an outline of what we feel are the pros and cons:

    The advantages of the MacBook Air:
    • size- the laptop is only 0.76 inches at its thickest point and weighs 3 pounds (1.36kg).
      • compromise doesn't mean tiny screen- 13.3" display, the same as a standard MacBook.
      • strong metal casing- essential given its thickness to protect the internal parts.
      • the included micro-DVI socket means you can connect to an Apple 20" or 23" display.
    ]]>    Software gemswebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-12-30T15:58:41+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/af21d38f22762b86e6d8815851de09db-89.php#unique-entry-id-89http://www.macinformation.com/files/af21d38f22762b86e6d8815851de09db-89.php#unique-entry-id-89
    We are regularly asked about small items, such as how can you combine two PDFs, or is there a quick way to update a website? People want small apps which will do a particular task, and do it without waiting ages to launch programs (Adobe are you listening?), or offering too many over complex options.
    Here are a few of the gems we use again and again, and which we feel are essential to the way we work:
    1/ Combine PDF: This app allows you to take multiple PDFs, combine them (as the name suggests!), but also to lets you merge, remove pages, change their order, and generally manipulate the PDF document's order. And its free.]]>    Mac Info Highlights of 2007website@macinformation.comHome2007-12-29T15:57:44+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/0913235f9bebc5dcb948a1bd4c09e717-88.php#unique-entry-id-88http://www.macinformation.com/files/0913235f9bebc5dcb948a1bd4c09e717-88.php#unique-entry-id-88
    5/ AppleTV: it hasn't been the headline act of 2007, but the Apple TV is just a good, useful machine. We have our music streaming across the network using Airport wireless, and like watching the photos, TV shows and movies from any of our networked Macs. Apple TV brings our Macs together and in a usable and fun way. The interface is great, and watching a streamed movieworks flawlessly. Now if only we could download a great selection of movies directly from the iTunes Store...]]>    Leopard: Dublin training session announcedwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-11-01T15:56:02+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/89c69537042dc5f9e4093ab3bbad6a7e-87.php#unique-entry-id-87http://www.macinformation.com/files/89c69537042dc5f9e4093ab3bbad6a7e-87.php#unique-entry-id-87
    Training provider Cryptic Peach is offering a free session in Dublin on November 30th 2007, covering the new Mac O X Leopard. Leopard is Apple's latest OS version, including new features such as Time Machine (automated backups), improved Spotlight searches and new versions of Apple applications such as Safari, Mail and iCal.]]>    Special Report: What we like about the iPhonewebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-10-23T15:53:39+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/2323c1ca8031df9d4facbc0750978b87-86.php#unique-entry-id-86http://www.macinformation.com/files/2323c1ca8031df9d4facbc0750978b87-86.php#unique-entry-id-86
    There are many things we like and dislike about the iPhone after our first few weeks of use. Here is a selection:

    What we love about the iPhone:
    1/ the screen- we love the clear, crisp display. But above all this, it has no scratches. Whatever Apple have done with the design, it is robust and scratch-free so far, and the materials used are just what are needed.
    2/ Safari- this has transformed our use of a mobile phone or PDA. We struggled to use a Treo 650 before the iPhone, and the internet experience on the iPhone is miles ahead of any other handheld device.
    3/ The unlock procedure- to wake the iPhone you press the home button and then slide your finger across the screen to push open the slider bar. This is just intuitive and pure genius. There is no chance of the phone accidentally turning itself one, unlike other mobiles.]]>    Vodafone: watch those data chargeswebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-10-15T15:52:55+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/28e827370133096656a2c1748f944aa4-85.php#unique-entry-id-85http://www.macinformation.com/files/28e827370133096656a2c1748f944aa4-85.php#unique-entry-id-85
    We discovered one important lesson this week in relation to data charges and conflicting plans. Vodafone have introduced a new data plan recently, which gives 500MB per month for around 10 euro. However this is for Vodafne Live services only.]]>    Apple report $904 million profit for Q4 2007website@macinformation.comHome2007-10-10T15:51:31+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d7118e9a53848c7957f357fca22c2c90-84.php#unique-entry-id-84http://www.macinformation.com/files/d7118e9a53848c7957f357fca22c2c90-84.php#unique-entry-id-84
    Apple reported some astonishing results for the fourth quarter of 2007. Profits hit $904 million, with $6.22 billion in sales for the past three months. One of the most notable figures was for Macintosh sales, hitting a record of around 2.2 million units for the quarter. ]]>    Leopard launch in Dublin and in the UKwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-10-05T15:38:54+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/8ee7440c3d930d485ea5cbaa05cce1ba-83.php#unique-entry-id-83http://www.macinformation.com/files/8ee7440c3d930d485ea5cbaa05cce1ba-83.php#unique-entry-id-83
    Spectra Photo on Grafton Street, Dublin, are to start selling the new version of Mac OS X, Leopard, at 6pm on the day of its launch. This matches events being held in the UK and in the US, when Leopard goes on sale on October 26th.]]>    Special Report: Using an iPhone in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-09-30T15:38:04+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d217e8864fadbe04d561718cb11d22f2-82.php#unique-entry-id-82http://www.macinformation.com/files/d217e8864fadbe04d561718cb11d22f2-82.php#unique-entry-id-82
    [For updated information on the launch of the iPhone in Ireland- see this page]
    We have been using an iPhone in Ireland for the last three weeks and so thought we would share our experiences in setting up the iPhone and using it with our Vodafone account.
    Firstly, the background. We bought an iPhone in the US in September, having read stories of users being able to hack the phone and use a SIM card from a carrier other than AT&T, Apple's US cellphone partner. However we were unsure if this would work successfully. We just decided that it was worth the risk. We were going to be asked about it by our clients and it was worth investigating the options.]]>    Apple announces new iMacs plus iLife, .Mac and iWork updates... website@macinformation.comHome2007-08-30T15:36:09+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/4618e33e2e17c83d89e6d1d3d56bca6f-81.php#unique-entry-id-81http://www.macinformation.com/files/4618e33e2e17c83d89e6d1d3d56bca6f-81.php#unique-entry-id-81
    At a special news event held in Cupertino, Apple announced new iMacs, alongside a slew of software product updates.
    The new iMacs have been designed with glass and aluminium, making them thinner and lighter. They now come in two sizes, with 20 and 24 inch models.
    The keyboard has been completely redesigned, and is much thinner than its predecessor. The iMac also comes with a wireless Mighty Mouse as standard. Both the keyboard and the Mighty Mouse work using Bluetooth technology. Prices start at €1199 or £799]]>    Apple Expo Paris: the keynote we hope forwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-08-15T15:34:48+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/71558d959a7f3a7cca35f9c8cfebca21-80.php#unique-entry-id-80http://www.macinformation.com/files/71558d959a7f3a7cca35f9c8cfebca21-80.php#unique-entry-id-80
    We still don't know if there will be a keynote at the Apple European Expo in Paris, but here is our wish list for the event. There are a number of expectation from the event, and this is our eternally optimistic favourites...]]>    Apple Expo Paris: will there be a keynotewebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-08-06T15:21:27+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f487417ef1335e18b93948ffcbda9b18-79.php#unique-entry-id-79http://www.macinformation.com/files/f487417ef1335e18b93948ffcbda9b18-79.php#unique-entry-id-79
    The Apple Expo in Paris is to be held in just under one month's time, starting on September 25th 2007. However, there is still no word on whether there will be a keynote address by Apple. The last keynote by Apple CEO Steve Jobs was in 2003, with Phil Shiller stepping in in 2004 when Jobs was recovering from a cancer operation.]]>    Mac OS X training available in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-28T15:20:28+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d343deba0cc904bd4b81d1b38ecff4e1-78.php#unique-entry-id-78http://www.macinformation.com/files/d343deba0cc904bd4b81d1b38ecff4e1-78.php#unique-entry-id-78
    Amsys, an Apple training specialist, is now offering courses in Ireland, covering OS X and OS X server. The 10.4 Support Essentials course runs over three days and is an intense course on an introduction to the OS and troubleshooting Mac OS X 10.4 issues. The Server Essentials course runs for four days and covers setup and implementation of an OS X Server.]]>    Special report: repairing your Mac in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-22T15:19:45+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/32f35da38b8e4ac82ada3ce340f086fa-77.php#unique-entry-id-77http://www.macinformation.com/files/32f35da38b8e4ac82ada3ce340f086fa-77.php#unique-entry-id-77
    At Mac Information we are often asked for advice as to where customers can get their Macs or iPods repaired when calamity strikes. We have found that the options are quite limited and easily accessible only to those who live in or near the major cities.
    We have written before about the ambiguity in the AppleCare provision for Irish customers. Those who have purchased AppleCare have, in theory, a number of options should they need repair for a piece of Apple hardware; they can arrange for Apple to pick up the computer/iPod that needs fixing, they can have repairs carried out on-site, or they can use a third party for the repairs and the costs are covered through the AppleCare warranty. Currently in Ireland, the third party option seems to be the only one available, and we are still seeking clarification from Apple on this.]]>    Recycling your old Macwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-19T15:19:08+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/5dfde02455e930691ccbb3da446a835b-76.php#unique-entry-id-76http://www.macinformation.com/files/5dfde02455e930691ccbb3da446a835b-76.php#unique-entry-id-76
    Apple Ireland currently run a free scheme to allow for the recycling of old equipment for customers who have purchased a new Apple product.
    The service is available only to those customers who have bought something from the Apple online store in Ireland, or using the telesales service. The scheme is also based on a 'like for like' exchange, so that buying a laptop doesn't become an opportunity to clear several generations of desk-top computers out of your attic!
    What it does mean, however, is that if you buy a piece of Apple equipment from Apple Ireland, they will take charge of recycling your old Apple equipment (no Dells or Hewlett Packards please!). The customer contacts Apple and makes a request for the equipment that is ready for recycling to be picked up. Apple send a confirmation email detailing the time and date for the pick-up.]]>    The iPhone in Ireland and the UKwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-17T15:15:31+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/14568d26f23d4c1e7755d0fd135dccf4-75.php#unique-entry-id-75http://www.macinformation.com/files/14568d26f23d4c1e7755d0fd135dccf4-75.php#unique-entry-id-75
    When will the iPhone be released in Europe?: Apple have always said it will be towards the end of 2007, followed by early 2008 in Asia. There is currently no indication that this date will change.

    Will the iPhone be available in Ireland and the UK?: This depends almost entirely on the final choice of operator. If Apple choose to go with O2 and Vodafone, then this would point to both countries being included in the release. However if they go with T-Mobile or another operator, Ireland may be left out. Apple are likely to aim to include France, Germany and the UK at the outset.]]>    Bad reporting strikes againwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-05T15:14:31+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/eaa6c0bf91bd16e0c14640f1d8e9d57f-74.php#unique-entry-id-74http://www.macinformation.com/files/eaa6c0bf91bd16e0c14640f1d8e9d57f-74.php#unique-entry-id-74]]>Another record quarter for Applewebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-07-01T15:12:24+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/3e1f37f72efe7a4fd03e103db9a511ed-73.php#unique-entry-id-73http://www.macinformation.com/files/3e1f37f72efe7a4fd03e103db9a511ed-73.php#unique-entry-id-73
    Apple's third quarter results have shown a profit of $818 million. Revenue was $5.41 billion with 40% of revenue coming from international sales.§]]>    MacBook Pro update: speed bumpswebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-06-03T15:11:19+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/c1247ce0361ee5610432452e93470d10-72.php#unique-entry-id-72http://www.macinformation.com/files/c1247ce0361ee5610432452e93470d10-72.php#unique-entry-id-72
    On June 6th 2007, Apple updated the MacBook Pro range, moving the entry model's Core Duo chip from 2.16 to 2.2Ghz. The middle (15") and top of range (17") move from 2.33 to 2.4Ghz. The increases seem to be small, but these are new Core Duo chips, offering better speed increases than may be first apparent.]]>    The state of Apple retail in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-05-17T15:10:35+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/7192ec13720278f4ad5030ff5426721d-71.php#unique-entry-id-71http://www.macinformation.com/files/7192ec13720278f4ad5030ff5426721d-71.php#unique-entry-id-71In the last few years there have been many changes in the presence of Apple products in the Irish marketplace. The first major change has been within mainstream stores in Irish retail spaces, with Apple products now available in 02 Experience stores, 3G and Spectra Photo. This is certainly a change in the market, as for years Apple products had been dogged by poor positioning in relatively few outlets. We certainly welcome the development in this direction. Apple hardware and software can be viewed, tried and enquired about in high street locations for the first time in many years.
    In fact the arrival of the new crop of sellers came after the demise of PC retailer Compustore, and just in time to prevent the complete absence of Apple products in the centre of Dublin. The Compustore shop on Kildare Street was for many years the only prominent Apple outlet the heart of Dublin city. The collapse of Compustore left an impression in the consumer's mind that the "Apple store" had gone out of business (curiously this store used the Apple logo and the name "Apple Store" on its signage). The arrival of the 02 Experience store on Grafton Street re-established a presence for Apple and meant that the consumer could have a hands-on experience of the product before purchasing.
    Around the time that the Compustore shop was open, the United States saw the first of the new Apple retail stores which was Apple's first venture into owning the whole customer experience. In 2001, Apple began to build and run their own retail outlets, and since then this has become the benchmark against which all retail experience of their products is judged. This is now carried through to other countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and Italy. Anyone who has visited an Apple retail store, such as the one on Regent Street in London, will know about the unique experience of entering a genuine Apple shop, and will have seen the way in which Apple products are presented to the consumer, a far cry from many consumer experiences of the past.
    -
    The Apple retail experience is one of detail, knowledge and presentation to would-be potential purchasers. The Genius bar, where Mac users can ask questions about their product such as support questions and technical queries, values the purchaser and builds the feeling of community for anyone moving into the Macintosh market. The Apple retail outlet is a sanctuary for the Macintosh user. In contrast, if you have visited the average PC store, such as PC World, you will very quickly feel and experience the difference between the technical jargon-based PC purchasing experience and the open friendly and supportive nature of the Apple retail store.
    However, therein lies the problem for Dublin. Any Mac user who has visited London and the Regent Street store will be painfully aware of the absence of such a consumer experience in Ireland. Whilst the 02 store has moved the availability and presence of Apple products many steps forward, there is still no comparison to a genuine Apple run store. Consumers who have struggled for years to receive good customer service as a Mac user in Ireland will long for Apple's move into this country.
    So how likely is it that Apple will launch a new retail store in Dublin or any part of Ireland? Given that Apple now have a number of stores throughout the United Kingdom, such as in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Kent and Southampton, it seems likely that extending these retail outlets into the only other English-speaking country in Europe would be a logical step. Apple have also entered the euro-zone by opening a store in Rome, and so there seems no barrier stopping Apple launching in Dublin, except maybe the issue of mass. They may consider that Dublin is too small to warrant a full Apple retail outlet, and indeed it's possible that Apple Ireland's view is that the Mac community is better served by partnerships with third-party companies, such as 02 and 3G.
    There are two tiers in the experiences of a Macintosh customer. Firstly there is the purchase experience. As mentioned, this has improved dramatically in recent years, but the potential Macintosh purchaser still faces issues when walking into a store. The current crop of outlets normally stock a very selective range of hardware and software products. It is extremely difficult to find any store stocking a wide range of software titles and so the option of 'browsing', or dropping into a store to pick up an accessory, really doesn't exist in the Irish marketplace.
    The second tier is that of support and service. In our own personal experience this has been one of the most difficult aspects of being a Macintosh user in Ireland. Up until about two years ago AppleCare warranty normally offered a level of support and security as, in the event of a hardware failure, Apple would collect the Mac via courier, repair and return it. Although AppleCare isn't cheap, we felt it was a price worth paying to provide a full service from end to end. However in 2006 Apple appeared to withdraw the direct courier service, leaving consumers dependent on third-party repair agents. Our direct experience, and the experience of our clients, is that we have found these third-party agents to be in many cases below the standard we would expect from Apple. We have encountered problems with delays in repair, lack of good quality customer service, and issues around delivery and collection. Quite why Apple withdrew the full AppleCare service in Ireland is unclear. We have contacted Apple on three separate occasions looking for answers, but have yet to receive a full response.
    We strongly believe that the introduction of Apple retail stores in Ireland is simply a matter of time and we would strongly welcome any such move. The services currently being offered pale in comparison to a genuine Apple retail store, and we hope that the experience which is now available in the UK and other countries will soon come to these shores.
    Simon Spence/2007]]>    The problem for Apple and the iPhone in Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-14T15:09:27+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d36810d7358d21f35b3f029ef534f8f6-70.php#unique-entry-id-70http://www.macinformation.com/files/d36810d7358d21f35b3f029ef534f8f6-70.php#unique-entry-id-70
    One of the most important decisions Apple will have to make will be to choose a network when they launch the iPhone in Europe towards the end of this year. There have been a number of recent rumours about their choice of network provider, and this is all the more relevant in the Irish market.
    To date, O2 have embraced Apple products in Ireland, including them in their 02 Experience stores. The 02 Experience store on Grafton St in Dublin stocks a number of Apple laptops and desktop machines, along with a selection of accessories and software. It is unclear what would happen if Vodafone won the iPhone contract. The Irish mobile market could see a very unusual set of circumstances, with O2 stocking Macs and Vodafone stocking the iPhone.
    ]]>    Apple report profit of $770 million for Q2website@macinformation.comHome2007-04-03T15:08:37+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d063e7904da7e6fbc274450a004d4700-69.php#unique-entry-id-69http://www.macinformation.com/files/d063e7904da7e6fbc274450a004d4700-69.php#unique-entry-id-69
    Apple have reported a $770 million profit for the second quarter of 2007, with $5.26 billion in revenue. This compares to $4.36 billion and profit of $410 million in the same quarter in 2006. Operating expenses rose by almost $100 million to $863 million.]]>    New Mac Pros bring quad-core powerwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-27T15:07:47+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e39685e9792e0adb28e1ae0c9ccd9ad0-68.php#unique-entry-id-68http://www.macinformation.com/files/e39685e9792e0adb28e1ae0c9ccd9ad0-68.php#unique-entry-id-68
    Apple have introduced new Mac Pros, with new chips inside. The new Mac Pros come with two “Clovertown” Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5300 series processors. They comes with 1GB of RAM, but there are eight FB-DIMM slots on two memory riser cards (four slots per card) supporting up to 16GB of main memory. The price of Mac Pros remain unchanged.]]>    Adobe announce CS3 products and pricingwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-23T15:06:57+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/c54415d4b21f9de6ab97813dc6314a17-67.php#unique-entry-id-67http://www.macinformation.com/files/c54415d4b21f9de6ab97813dc6314a17-67.php#unique-entry-id-67
    Adobe have announced the price and range of new their CS3 products. New versions of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash and Contribute will be available from April 2007. There are also four main bundles: Design Standard, Design Premium, Web Standard and Web Premium.]]>    AppleTV: Pros and Conswebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-21T15:06:07+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/0efdf340e53c5ed9e9f5957c66385668-66.php#unique-entry-id-66http://www.macinformation.com/files/0efdf340e53c5ed9e9f5957c66385668-66.php#unique-entry-id-66
    We have spent our first few days with AppleTV and so far we like its simplicity and ease of use. We also see its potential, and how Apple may add more features in the future.
    Here are some of the pros and cons of the product, based on our initial experiences]]>    Apple TV and iTunes video content coming to Ireland and UK?website@macinformation.comHome2007-03-14T15:03:03+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/dece0bc156ddd08a4ca840139608b866-65.php#unique-entry-id-65http://www.macinformation.com/files/dece0bc156ddd08a4ca840139608b866-65.php#unique-entry-id-65
    With the release of the new iTunes this week (version 7.1), one change has caught our eye. The "Parental" section of the iTunes preferences shows a new option to choose ratings for Ireland and also for the UK. Given that there are almost no video downloads for the Irish and UK iTunes Stores, this seems to point to a future introduction of this type of content.]]>    Apple adverts: when global beats localwebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-07T14:59:56+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/c194c6351beddc4f0e4b2981749121c4-64.php#unique-entry-id-64http://www.macinformation.com/files/c194c6351beddc4f0e4b2981749121c4-64.php#unique-entry-id-64Apple US adverts succeed where the UK variants fail...

    Over the last year, Apple have been running a series of adverts in the US which attempt to personify the Mac vs PC debate. Fans of digital channel More 4 will know one of the actors, John Hodgman, from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Justin Long, who plays the role of Mac, starred in films such as Jeepers Creepers and Dodgeball.]]>    Reaction to the DRM debatewebsite@macinformation.comHome2007-03-01T14:58:56+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/492e6f1f5e9fa114a7b38aee0a052979-63.php#unique-entry-id-63http://www.macinformation.com/files/492e6f1f5e9fa114a7b38aee0a052979-63.php#unique-entry-id-63
    If you have been following the recent debate on DRM, you will see the way in which the various parties have begun to set out their stalls. The debate was started by Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. CEO, when his open letter was posted on Apple's website. "Thoughts on Music" suggested that DRM free music was the future for selling tunes on the internet. ]]>    Apple TV delayed to late March 07website@macinformation.comHome2007-02-07T14:57:08+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d3815d063a74c1ce6c1108fb2b38aaf4-62.php#unique-entry-id-62http://www.macinformation.com/files/d3815d063a74c1ce6c1108fb2b38aaf4-62.php#unique-entry-id-62
    Apple have sent e-mails to customers informing them of a delay in shipping the new Apple TV units. Originally, the online Apple Store for Ireland and the UK listed the shipment date as the end of February. This has now been changed to shipments being made on 20th March, with an estimated delivery date of 30th March.]]>    PressWatch: How to miss the point of the iPhone entirely...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-31T22:55:57+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/dc8b759bd817e8ed633a8366d26aee0e-61.php#unique-entry-id-61http://www.macinformation.com/files/dc8b759bd817e8ed633a8366d26aee0e-61.php#unique-entry-id-61
  • Weckler ignores the keynote and most of the facts about the iPhone...

  • Following our earlier article on press coverage of the new iPhone, it was down to Adrian Weckler's Sunday Business Post column to miss the point of the new iPhone entirely. We are also sure that Weckler didn't sit down and watch the keynote, despite the fact that it is available on the internet and in iTunes.
    Jobs clearly stated that a 3G version of the phone is on the cards. At present Apple have just announced the iPhone, and what we saw on Tuesday was a prototype. It was not the iPhone which will ship in the US in June. Given that Cingular in the US uses EDGE for data, Apple has announced it will ship a EDGE enabled iPhone in June in the US. Logical. He also stated that as 3G became more popular, Apple would look at the situation and may introduce a 3G version. Given that a date for the launch of the iPhone in Europe has not been finalised, it is highly likely that a 3G enabled iPhone will be the one that ships here at the end of 2007..
    Other reporters, such as David Pogue of the New York Times, managed to include this fact in their reporting (Pogue mentions it twice in his iPhone FAQs- Part 1 and Part 2), so Weckler seems to to be unaware of what Jobs said, or deliberately left this out to create a more "controversial" story.
    • ]]>    PressWatch: Truth and Imagination in iPhone articles...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-30T22:54:58+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f15ad05b0ee572e0a3db6e6760af0ef0-60.php#unique-entry-id-60http://www.macinformation.com/files/f15ad05b0ee572e0a3db6e6760af0ef0-60.php#unique-entry-id-60
  • Checking facts is only an optional extra...

  • OK we're picky. We hate when detail is over-looked, or very obvious mistakes are made. Does no one read this material you would hear us cry. This was the type of noise coming from Mac Information this week. We read article after article which would let detail slip and hyperbole flourish.
    Let's begin on a positive note. David Pogue's column in the New York Times is by far the best source for Mac news and IT in general. We like Pogue. We like his writing style, we like the videos, but most of all, we like his attention to detail. You see anyone can voice an opinion, but Pogue knows what he is talking about and has a real feel for technology. On the surface, Pogue has a whacky and irreverent style, but he knows his facts. We can't think of an article which had the wrong details or rattled off a few almost-correct technical details.
    Which leads us to the rant. You see, we get a little tired of articles which do one or more of the following: repeat old stereotypes, rattle off technical facts as if they are optional extras, or make ludicrous connections between unrelated events.
    • ]]>    Apple launches new colourful line of iPod shuffles...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-28T22:52:06+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/5e46d45ebb32b19ec1809e133c78c7e6-59.php#unique-entry-id-59http://www.macinformation.com/files/5e46d45ebb32b19ec1809e133c78c7e6-59.php#unique-entry-id-59
  • Four colours added to range...

  • Apple launched a new range of iPod shuffles, adding four new colours to the original metallic version. The new shuffles are still 89 euros, and come with 1GB of flash memory. Battery life is estimated at 12 hours.
  • The shuffles hold approximately 240 songs and come with a set of earbuds, a small docking station and a USB cable to sync/recharge using your Mac or PC.
    • ]]>    Opinion: the Pros and Cons of the Apple iPhone...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-26T22:48:56+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/64e44a94e77d8cd5515862a25a6bc9cc-58.php#unique-entry-id-58http://www.macinformation.com/files/64e44a94e77d8cd5515862a25a6bc9cc-58.php#unique-entry-id-58
  • Will the iPhone be launched in Ireland...
  • The screen is superb, and the high resolution is a real change for the mobile market. We always hated the way mobile phones had such poor quality screens, especially when operators would tinker with the icons for impose their own low-res designs.
    • It's good to see Apple highlight the phone aspect of the device. This might sound obvious, but the quality of voice calls on some mobiles is poor.
    • Runs a cut down version of OS X. Could third party applications be developed for the iPhone? This isn't possible right now, but maybe in the future... Imagine a mobile version of Skype on this phone, given its wi-fi capability.
    • The user interface is beautiful. In fact the widget-like interface seems more at home than in Mac OS X on a Mac. The widgets lend themselves to the iPhone in a way that doesn't work as well on a Mac screen.
    • The ability to switch between landscape and portrait views by turning the phone on its side is exceptional.
    • Thank goodness for good syncing. Having battled with syncing contacts ad calendars for the last few years (esp. with Blackberry phones), having a top class mobile with smooth syncing would be welcome.
    • ]]>    The State of Broadband Services in Ireland...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-22T22:45:57+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d44856fde62c4254b49047484d2b9769-57.php#unique-entry-id-57http://www.macinformation.com/files/d44856fde62c4254b49047484d2b9769-57.php#unique-entry-id-57
  • The lack of Customer care with Eircom and BT...

  • Recently we contacted Eircom and BT Ireland about their broadband services. We had to call on behalf of clients and on behalf of ourselves, inquiring about changes to accounts, upgrading services, and to order new services. What has shocked us has been the level of service given by both these suppliers. We knew in advance about the level of the technical service. For instance, glancing at BT in the UK shows you that their broadband offers speeds up to 8Mbps. The best you can get in Dublin as an average home user is 3mbps We knew this in advance, and accepted that this was the best out there and there is nothing we could say to change this.
    • ]]>    Apple launches AppleTV...website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-20T22:44:19+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e8c8a1521e9d5e293a19056ed8c425bf-56.php#unique-entry-id-56http://www.macinformation.com/files/e8c8a1521e9d5e293a19056ed8c425bf-56.php#unique-entry-id-56
  • Available in Ireland in February...

  • With all the talk this week about the Apple iPhone, its easy to forget that the AppleTV device was also launched. AppleTV (called iTV during its development) allows for content to be streamed from a Mac or PC to your television.
    • ]]>    The ups and downs of 2006... website@macinformation.comHome2007-01-07T22:36:22+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/fd912009f1b2da6a483fd76c160f7dd9-55.php#unique-entry-id-55http://www.macinformation.com/files/fd912009f1b2da6a483fd76c160f7dd9-55.php#unique-entry-id-55
    Its not scientific, its not even widely canvassed, but below is our view on the 2006, and the highs and lows for Macs users from a customer service perspective. These are the things we loved and the so-called providers that got under our skin! Enjoy.
    Best product of 2006:
    1. The new iPod shuffle: impossibly small, superb design around the clip function, and only 90 euro. This for us is the kind of device we want to buy just because it is out there. We already have full video iPods, but have the urge to buy a new shuffle anyway! Top marks Apple.
      2 The new MacBook: we love the new Intel based MacBook. Cheap, robust, and features such as the iSight camera and a Magsafe adapter.
      3 The wireless Mighty Mouse: what did we do before the track-pea was invented? Damn you Windows oriented USB mice- we don't want a clunky track wheel- the wireless Mighty Mouse just works perfectly for us. The wireless version appeared in July and is just what we were waiting for.
      4 Parallels Desktop- we run our accounts package on Windows, simply due to a request by our accountant. This is fine as we only use it for about 2 days a month. Parallels have developed one of the nicest Windows experiences for a Mac user (sounds like an oxymoron!). Plus the fact that the Intel chip now runs Windows apps at a good speed, this makes Parallels one of those break-through products that comes along every now and again. Makes Boot camp look so yesterday!
      5 Canon HV-10. We liked this HD video camera so much we jumped in and purchased one! Small, compact, light and superb picture quality. Alright, it costs over 1000 euro, but this is what we paid for our original DV camera five years ago at the start of the DV camera boom. Its form and shape means we can now bring this out without feeling like we are a film crew lugging around our equipment. A real gem.
    ]]>    Apple drop AppleCare direct service...website@macinformation.comHome2006-12-05T00:34:18+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f5d3212e62925a20ab3d06dc43b7818c-54.php#unique-entry-id-54http://www.macinformation.com/files/f5d3212e62925a20ab3d06dc43b7818c-54.php#unique-entry-id-54
    Recently a number of issues around Apple support have arisen for our clients. Over the past few years we have recommended AppleCare to all clients, especially those who had bought Apple laptops. However since the middle of 2006, Apple support to Irish customers has changed, with courier or the mail-in repairs service being withdrawn, and only one option remaining for AppleCare customers.]]>    Apple to exhibit at Music Ireland '06...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-20T00:32:59+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/7bed4e5885d8f0fc145201ddd1d901b6-53.php#unique-entry-id-53http://www.macinformation.com/files/7bed4e5885d8f0fc145201ddd1d901b6-53.php#unique-entry-id-53
    Apple are to exhibit at Music Ireland, held at the RDS on 25 & 26th November 2006. The Exhibitor Info page for the event shows an Apple stand. However there are no details on their participation, with no details on what they will exhibit or demonstrate.]]>    Microsoft Ireland looking a bit out of date...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-23T00:29:51+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/a186120ffd306cba84d6b8ffeef3832c-52.php#unique-entry-id-52http://www.macinformation.com/files/a186120ffd306cba84d6b8ffeef3832c-52.php#unique-entry-id-52
    Just browsing through Microsoft's site for Ireland, it appears that their Virtual PC 7 for Mac OS X is still "coming soon". This misses the fact that Virtual PC launched in October 2004! It looks like their Irish pages haven't been updated in quite some time. Internet Explorer is listed on the left hand side of the page, despite the fact that Microsoft announced in June 2003 that it was dropping development of IE.
    The site itself consists of only two pages the home page and one about Office 2004, with the rest of the links connecting back to the main Microsoft site, or to the US based Mactopia pages.
    Makes you wonder why they even bothered creating pages for Microsoft Ireland if there is no attempt to update them.]]>    Apple update the MacBook...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-15T00:29:05+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/de7a4f71dbc7332b4ae8f90511eaa8cf-51.php#unique-entry-id-51http://www.macinformation.com/files/de7a4f71dbc7332b4ae8f90511eaa8cf-51.php#unique-entry-id-51
    Apple have updated the MacBook to include the Core 2 Duo processor. Previously, the Core 2 Duo was available in the MacBook Pro range. The update brings a speed bump to the MacBook, but prices have remained the same. This move makes the MacBook an attractive product as Apple heads into the Christmas buying season.
    Other changes include larger hard drives, with the middle of the three MacBook models receiving a boost from 60 to 80GB. The top of the range black MacBook now has 120GB of space, up from 80GB.]]>    PressWatch: News vs Rumour in Apple stories...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-10T00:28:04+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d29d63f990341c10693410c7055c63d8-50.php#unique-entry-id-50http://www.macinformation.com/files/d29d63f990341c10693410c7055c63d8-50.php#unique-entry-id-50
    If there is one thing which really annoys us, its when news sites swallow rumours whole, assuming them to be fact, and reporting them as truth. However, what is suprising is when this comes from sources we generally trust as relaible and well researched.]]>    Irish Rail website problems...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-07T00:27:29+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/dc40c0ee254e18504ebbc5dc7f941ade-49.php#unique-entry-id-49http://www.macinformation.com/files/dc40c0ee254e18504ebbc5dc7f941ade-49.php#unique-entry-id-49
    A number of our clients have complained about the Irish Rail online bookings site. If you go to www.irishrail.ie and try to book a ticket using Safari, you get stuck on the seat allocation page.
    You can select a seat, but when you try to click on "Continue" to move to the next stage of your booking, it fails and you can proceed with the booking.]]>    iLife 06 roadshow comes to Dublin...website@macinformation.comHome2006-11-05T00:25:33+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/a883e87ab13949876f63dbfd79ea533f-48.php#unique-entry-id-48http://www.macinformation.com/files/a883e87ab13949876f63dbfd79ea533f-48.php#unique-entry-id-48
    Apple's iLife 06 Roadshow has one stop in Dublin.]]>    Apple adds Core 2 Duo chips to MacBook Pros...website@macinformation.comHome2006-10-12T00:24:09+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/172bd79fdf64bfb40e87bac81a73d9a5-47.php#unique-entry-id-47http://www.macinformation.com/files/172bd79fdf64bfb40e87bac81a73d9a5-47.php#unique-entry-id-47
    Apple have added the faster Core 2 Duo chip to its pro line of laptops, the MacBook Pro. The Core 2 Duo is the same chip used in Apple's iMac line.]]>    Photovision Roadshow comes to Dublin...website@macinformation.comHome2006-09-01T00:22:40+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/9d66ba7f0d86ac945ae4e3140b071bff-46.php#unique-entry-id-46http://www.macinformation.com/files/9d66ba7f0d86ac945ae4e3140b071bff-46.php#unique-entry-id-46
    The Photovision Seminar series is coming to Dublin on 7th September 2006. The day of events includes a Photoshop tips and tricks session, plus a demo of Apple's Aperture program.]]>    Apple launches Mac Pro desktop...website@macinformation.comHome2006-08-15T00:21:46+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/03c431edb3f398a14eddb5a005cbbc07-45.php#unique-entry-id-45http://www.macinformation.com/files/03c431edb3f398a14eddb5a005cbbc07-45.php#unique-entry-id-45
    Apple have completed their transition from Power PC to Intel processors with the introduction of the new Mac Pro desktop. This model replaces the Power PC based Power Mac G5, and is aimed at design and video professionals looking for the fastest Mac available.]]>    Apple begins back to school program in Ireland and UK...website@macinformation.comHome2006-07-31T00:20:19+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/547f1da34de2325f6f4eece1f4e90d63-44.php#unique-entry-id-44http://www.macinformation.com/files/547f1da34de2325f6f4eece1f4e90d63-44.php#unique-entry-id-44
    Apple have extended their US promotion to the UK and Ireland, where you can claim up to 160 euro in a rebate when buying a Mac and an iPod. The offer runs until October 7th 2006.]]>    Apple replaces iBook range with new MacBooks...website@macinformation.comHome2006-06-01T00:19:29+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/abf1184e197ad08f480a27355b252d1b-43.php#unique-entry-id-43http://www.macinformation.com/files/abf1184e197ad08f480a27355b252d1b-43.php#unique-entry-id-43
    On Tuesday 16th May 2006 Apple released the MacBook, a new consumer-level portable Mac. At MacWorld in January 2006 Apple launched the MacBook Pro, and today's laptops mean that every Apple portable is now powered by Intel chips. Like its older brother, the MacBook is powered by Intel Due Core processors.]]>    Amazon suspends delivery of goods to Ireland...website@macinformation.comHome2006-05-01T00:16:17+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/1844d5b69c5832022e871f9ae37cef60-41.php#unique-entry-id-41http://www.macinformation.com/files/1844d5b69c5832022e871f9ae37cef60-41.php#unique-entry-id-41
    In the last few weeks Amazon.co.uk have changed their delivery terms and conditions, and have stopped shipping goods to customers in the Republic of Ireland. Orders for books and music can still be dispatched, but items in the Electronics & Photo, PC & Video Games and other sections of the store are now listed as available for delivery in the UK only.]]>    MacBook Pro 17" launched...website@macinformation.comHome2006-04-09T00:13:07+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/bec856ad3282f61acf16a73ceb4951f9-40.php#unique-entry-id-40http://www.macinformation.com/files/bec856ad3282f61acf16a73ceb4951f9-40.php#unique-entry-id-40
    Apple have launched a 17" version of the Mac Book Pro, and this comes with the welcome return of a FireWire 800 port. When Apple launched the 15" MacBook Pro in January it lacked the FireWire 800 port, something its predecessor had (the PowerBook 15" laptop).]]>    Details for Apple Expo Paris 2006 announced...website@macinformation.comHome2006-04-03T00:12:26+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/0a7263c82405a5b8f6d4e006152a1ad9-39.php#unique-entry-id-39http://www.macinformation.com/files/0a7263c82405a5b8f6d4e006152a1ad9-39.php#unique-entry-id-39
    Details for Apple Expo 2006 in Paris have been announced. The show is the largest Macintosh trade show in Europe, and is the only show outside the US which is attended by some Apple executives, including CEO Steve Jobs. Since the demise of MacWorld Tokyo, Apple have focused three shows: MacWorld San Francisco (January), the WWDC (summer) and Apple Expo (September). They also attend a selection of smaller shows such one in London (Sept/Oct) or various specialist trade shows such as NAB (National Association of Broadcasters).]]>    New iPod Hi-Fi released by Apple...website@macinformation.comHome2006-03-25T00:10:45+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/173a65d05f7dec8ddaab3b6cb0a9f7d2-38.php#unique-entry-id-38http://www.macinformation.com/files/173a65d05f7dec8ddaab3b6cb0a9f7d2-38.php#unique-entry-id-38
    Apple have released an iPod speaker system called the iPod Hi-Fi. It allows you to integrate your iPod into your home audio system.]]>    Film in schools program to rolls out...website@macinformation.comHome2006-03-23T00:09:20+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f52e48ccf54129684657e651df37f458-37.php#unique-entry-id-37http://www.macinformation.com/files/f52e48ccf54129684657e651df37f458-37.php#unique-entry-id-37
    Apple are currently providing the technology at the heart of the FÍS initiative, to provide film skills in the classroom of Irish primary schools. ]]>    Filmbase offering courses in FCP & pro apps...website@macinformation.comHome2006-03-07T00:07:56+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e631c589ffa1c4d8e041119f234ca180-36.php#unique-entry-id-36http://www.macinformation.com/files/e631c589ffa1c4d8e041119f234ca180-36.php#unique-entry-id-36
    Filmbase are offering a series of training courses in Apple pro applications during 2006. Filmbase is an authorised Apple training centre and so their courses are Apple certified. Participants can also sit an Apple examination at the end of the training period to qualify in their course.]]>    RTE move slowly towards podcasting...website@macinformation.comHome2006-02-17T00:06:53+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e222c7e7167c682ba511faf88cfb89d8-35.php#unique-entry-id-35http://www.macinformation.com/files/e222c7e7167c682ba511faf88cfb89d8-35.php#unique-entry-id-35
    RTE have begun to offer some of its Radio 1 and 2FM shows as podcasts. There is now a webpage on the RTE site offering a list of the current selection. These include 'Documentary on One', 'The Business' and 'The Weekly Ryan'.
    However the selection at present is poor. Using iTunes, we subscribed to a few of the shows, such as 'The Saturday Show' and 'The Business'. The former only included a 'Best of 2005' broadcast, and the latter downloaded a show dated 1st February 2006, a few weeks out of date.]]>    Apple discontinue the PowerBook G4 15"...website@macinformation.comHome2006-02-15T00:06:14+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/9bc1f30da40127417a6767bd5563dde9-34.php#unique-entry-id-34http://www.macinformation.com/files/9bc1f30da40127417a6767bd5563dde9-34.php#unique-entry-id-34
    Apple have discontinued the PowerBook G4 15 inch model. In January they introduced the new MacBook Pro, and this Intel-based laptop is seen as the successor to the PowerBook range.]]>    Apple launch smaller version of the iPod nano...website@macinformation.comHome2006-02-10T00:05:40+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/420b58af59e82e1059b7fc13b4e1f663-33.php#unique-entry-id-33http://www.macinformation.com/files/420b58af59e82e1059b7fc13b4e1f663-33.php#unique-entry-id-33
    Apple have added another version of the iPod nano, offering a 1 GB model which currently costs 158.99 euro from the AppleStore. The new nano holds approximately 240 songs and is the cheapest colour screen iPod available.
    Previously, the iPod shuffle filled this price slot. However since the introduction of the new nano, the iPod shuffles has been reduced in price. The 512MB shuffle is now 79 euro (down from 99 euro) and the 1GB shuffle is now 109 euro (down from 139 euro).]]>    Apple boost MacBook Pro speeds...website@macinformation.comHome2006-02-04T00:04:33+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/0b7a83cc6a74bee247e82d972e28ffe6-32.php#unique-entry-id-32http://www.macinformation.com/files/0b7a83cc6a74bee247e82d972e28ffe6-32.php#unique-entry-id-32
    Apple surprised consumers who had ordered a new MacBook Pro this week when they shipped the new laptop with a speed bump. The MacBook Pro was advertised to ship with an Intel Core Duo 1.67 or 1.83 Ghz chip. However, when the new range started to ship this week, Apple had changed the speeds to 1.83 and 2.0 Ghz. Despite the change, the prices remain the same.
    Apple have also offered a build-to-order option, where a consumer can spend approx. 300 euro extra and boost the chip speed up to 2.16Ghz.
    The Apple Store for Ireland are currently quoting 3-4 week shipping time for orders on the MacBook Pro.]]>    'Guitarists and the Mac' seminar coming to Dublin...website@macinformation.comHome2006-02-01T00:03:48+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/cb3757ead0f95ec28f84b69bda941fb9-31.php#unique-entry-id-31http://www.macinformation.com/files/cb3757ead0f95ec28f84b69bda941fb9-31.php#unique-entry-id-31
    Apple are bringing their 'Guitarists and the Mac' seminar to Dublin on 27th February 2006. The event is free and is aimed at showing how the Mac is the best OS for creating and editing guitar music.]]>    MacWorld Expo: all heads turn to San Francisco...website@macinformation.comHome2006-01-04T00:02:50+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/896f54e83f813689757e45c6b50d5920-30.php#unique-entry-id-30http://www.macinformation.com/files/896f54e83f813689757e45c6b50d5920-30.php#unique-entry-id-30
    Apple are preparing for this year's largest Mac exhibition, held in San Francisco from Jan. 9th to 13th. The event highlight is the keynote speech by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. This takes place on Tues. 10th (9am local time; 5pm in Ireland), and is likely to include a number of new hardware and software announcements.]]>    Apple launch the first Mac-Intel computers...website@macinformation.comHome2006-01-15T00:01:56+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/a2de0767ffba688d2ee75fd0977e0f57-29.php#unique-entry-id-29http://www.macinformation.com/files/a2de0767ffba688d2ee75fd0977e0f57-29.php#unique-entry-id-29
    Apple surprised many yesterday by launching the first Macintosh computers powered by Intel processors. The new iMac and the MacBook Pro come with Intel Core Duo, a dual processor chip.]]>    Microsoft and the Entourage iSync update...website@macinformation.comHome2006-01-09T00:00:48+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/a4ecc73052a05a70a570f1f230a6270d-28.php#unique-entry-id-28http://www.macinformation.com/files/a4ecc73052a05a70a570f1f230a6270d-28.php#unique-entry-id-28
    Mac Information is particularly interested to see if Microsoft makes any announcement about Entourage 2004 at the MacWorld Expo this month. At last year's Expo, Microsoft announced that they would integrate Entourage 2004 into Apple's iSync technology. They also promised to allow Entourage's database to be indexed by Apple's Spotlight technology. ]]>    Apple iPods in Ireland for Christmas...website@macinformation.comHome2005-12-12T23:59:32+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/4a7bdf256d30be9f827face3d2d9f31f-27.php#unique-entry-id-27http://www.macinformation.com/files/4a7bdf256d30be9f827face3d2d9f31f-27.php#unique-entry-id-27
    Apple iPods are one of this year's most popular Christmas gifts, and stocks are expected to be limited as we get closer to Christmas.]]>    Aperture begins to ship...website@macinformation.comHome2005-12-10T23:58:34+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/cc632211fca3ca6904235d13d5d9b432-26.php#unique-entry-id-26http://www.macinformation.com/files/cc632211fca3ca6904235d13d5d9b432-26.php#unique-entry-id-26
    Apple have begun to ship Aperture, a new software package aimed at professional digital photographers. Aperture costs 499 euro (inc. VAT) and is a non destructive image processing application. It allows photographers to download their images in native RAW format, and to organise and edit their images.]]>    Keyboard & language bug for Microsoft Word users...website@macinformation.comHome2005-11-16T23:57:44+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/799b5d02bb3a0897cc29715ad27f8764-25.php#unique-entry-id-25http://www.macinformation.com/files/799b5d02bb3a0897cc29715ad27f8764-25.php#unique-entry-id-25
    We recently reported on a bug in Final Cut Express, where the application would unexpectedly quit if you had your keyboard layout set up as "Irish" instead of "British". ]]>    Mac OS X Tiger widget, now with DART included...website@macinformation.comHome2005-11-11T23:57:09+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/3433bea654b888e806b5dc249f737b8a-24.php#unique-entry-id-24http://www.macinformation.com/files/3433bea654b888e806b5dc249f737b8a-24.php#unique-entry-id-24
    Many of the widgets for Mac OS X Tiger are aimed at North American users, so it was refreshing when we found a new train timetable widget which includes Dublin DART trains.]]>    Toys 4 Big Boys Expo starts November 11th 2005...website@macinformation.comHome2005-11-01T23:56:18+00:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/31a8428728016bf4104c95f8b700c56a-23.php#unique-entry-id-23http://www.macinformation.com/files/31a8428728016bf4104c95f8b700c56a-23.php#unique-entry-id-23
    The annual Toys 4 Big Boys exhibition starts at the RDS on Friday November 11th and runs until Sunday 13th.
    Amongst the mix of gadgets, stereos, sports equipment and cars will be Apple retailer, CompuB. They will showing off the new iPod with video, the iPod nano and other Apple products.]]>    Apple report record fourth quarter results...website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-11T23:52:27+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/f440de3bdf21da322bf9221dc3cace12-22.php#unique-entry-id-22http://www.macinformation.com/files/f440de3bdf21da322bf9221dc3cace12-22.php#unique-entry-id-22
    Apple reported the highest revenue and earnings in the company's history this evening (October 11th 2005). Here is a breakdown of the main figures from the results]]>    Sunday Business Post slips up once again...website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-10T23:51:28+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/7074e51d4798447e6ab86a3bb6e73a1e-21.php#unique-entry-id-21http://www.macinformation.com/files/7074e51d4798447e6ab86a3bb6e73a1e-21.php#unique-entry-id-21
    In the past, this site has been critical of Adrian Weckler's poor knowledge about Apple products. Weckler's inaccuracy in reporting products was seen again on Sunday (9th Oct. 2005).]]>    Apple Expo comes to London...website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-17T23:50:43+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/d3ef0adaff427d303927057907f45eac-20.php#unique-entry-id-20http://www.macinformation.com/files/d3ef0adaff427d303927057907f45eac-20.php#unique-entry-id-20
    Apple will be attending the Mac Expo, held in Olympia's National Hall, London from 27th-29th. This is the only other significant European show, following on from the Apple Expo, Paris, in September. It is also probably the easiest show for Irish Mac enthusiasts to attend.]]>    Apple launch the video iPod and iTunes 6...website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-15T23:49:54+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/4ed7440a765b13d9a7e9541aa09035ba-19.php#unique-entry-id-19http://www.macinformation.com/files/4ed7440a765b13d9a7e9541aa09035ba-19.php#unique-entry-id-19
    Apple have launched the new iPod which can play video on its new wider TFT screen. The new iPod is thinner than its predecessor, but has a larger screen and better battery life.
    The video iPod comes in two colours- the traditional white, and a new black model. There are also two sizes available: the entry level 20GB, and the 60GB top of the range model.]]>    New iMac G5 is announced...website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-13T23:49:11+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/30d0a1a5ec77b7c92b618aea55cfe254-18.php#unique-entry-id-18http://www.macinformation.com/files/30d0a1a5ec77b7c92b618aea55cfe254-18.php#unique-entry-id-18
    Apple announced the new iMac yesterday (12th October 2005). The new model comes with some ground breaking features, such as a built-in iSight camera for video conferencing (using iChat AV). It also comes with a new Apple remote control, which works with the included Front Row media software. Front Row is an interface which allows you to turn your iMac into an entertainment system, to play your music and watch movies.]]>    Apple to announce financial results on Oct. 11th 2005website@macinformation.comHome2005-10-07T23:48:22+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/aa20ecb8b1d2104a8b537dce8d096c73-17.php#unique-entry-id-17http://www.macinformation.com/files/aa20ecb8b1d2104a8b537dce8d096c73-17.php#unique-entry-id-17
    Apple are due to announce their financial results at 10pm (Irish time) on October 11th. There will be a webcast of the conference call with analysts. During the webcast, Apple executives will be questioned by members of the financial media about Apple's results and their views on future prospects for the company.]]>    Apple launches iPod nano and iTunes phonewebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-09-26T23:47:34+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/64b9140ff809a44432fdc11a9dc77ce0-16.php#unique-entry-id-16http://www.macinformation.com/files/64b9140ff809a44432fdc11a9dc77ce0-16.php#unique-entry-id-16
    Apple have replaced the iPod mini with the new iPod nano. The iPod nano comes in two storage sizes, 2GB (500 songs) and 4GB (1000 songs), and both of these models are available in two colours, the traditional iPod white, and black.]]>    Apple cancels Paris keynotewebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-09-22T23:46:59+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/e860de99306416f65194afe73ad2a3d6-15.php#unique-entry-id-15http://www.macinformation.com/files/e860de99306416f65194afe73ad2a3d6-15.php#unique-entry-id-15
    The keynote address in Paris, the highlight of any MacWorld or Apple Expo, has been cancelled. Over the past few months, the show's organisers had allowed visitors to apply for tickets for the Paris keynote, although the details of the event were yet to be announced. Last week Mac Information received their tickets for the event, including the keynote pass and a map showing how to reach the keynote venue. However on Monday 5th Sept., the event was pulled from the Apple Expo website.]]>    Retail update: Stores on Grafton Street, Dublinwebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-09-15T23:45:52+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/86a640e06457c5904a76df05b25ab175-14.php#unique-entry-id-14http://www.macinformation.com/files/86a640e06457c5904a76df05b25ab175-14.php#unique-entry-id-14
    The availability of Mac products at city centre locations in Ireland has long been a problem for Apple. In recent years Compustore opened (and then closed) an "Apple Store" on Kildare Street in Dublin, when the company folded.
    However over the last two years, O2 and Spectra have moved into stocking Apple products and both now have a strong retail presence in Grafton Street, Dublin.
    O2 have an Apple Store above its mobile phone "experience" outlet in the middle of Grafton Street. They sell iPods, PowerBooks, iBooks, Mac minis and a limited number of accessories and software titles for the Mac.]]>    Entourage's iSync compatibility pushed to 2006website@macinformation.comHome2005-09-07T23:45:02+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/ad9294205b432e457573d55dcb64654b-13.php#unique-entry-id-13http://www.macinformation.com/files/ad9294205b432e457573d55dcb64654b-13.php#unique-entry-id-13
    Mac Information contacted Microsoft this week to find out when they expected to ship their update to Entourage 2004. Since Tiger was released on April 29th 2005, we had expected that an update would be released for Office 2004 users. ]]>    MacWorld posts interview with head of Applewebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-08-15T23:43:33+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/54fa4acece8fa185445c16a003ed44fd-12.php#unique-entry-id-12http://www.macinformation.com/files/54fa4acece8fa185445c16a003ed44fd-12.php#unique-entry-id-12
    MacWorld UK has posted an interview with Mark Rogers, head of Apple UK and Ireland. Rogers talks about Apple's presence in education, including their relationship with the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland. The RCSI, based on St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, have had a long term relationship with Apple, with students using iBooks in their course work.]]>    Filmbase offer Apple pro apps training...website@macinformation.comHome2005-08-08T23:42:46+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/55a58d071f4549cb481b750fa7ede92c-11.php#unique-entry-id-11http://www.macinformation.com/files/55a58d071f4549cb481b750fa7ede92c-11.php#unique-entry-id-11
    Filmbase, the Dublin organisation supporting independent filmmakers in Ireland, is offering training courses in a number of Apple's professional software applications.
    To take part in a training course you need to be a Filmbase member (cost: 55 euro) and courses include Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro. Course fees start at about 400 euro.]]>    Irish keyboard bug in Final Cut Expresswebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-08-03T23:41:55+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/b8028244708b7653029244526ec8e973-10.php#unique-entry-id-10http://www.macinformation.com/files/b8028244708b7653029244526ec8e973-10.php#unique-entry-id-10
    Just thought it was worth running this one by readers, in case anyone is experiencing the same issues:
    PROBLEM:
    Final Cut Express (FCE) 2.0.2 & 2.0.3 on Mac OS 10.4.2 unexpectedly quits if you try to use any keyboard shortcut. This is an issue which effects Irish keyboard layout users (but not British or US layouts).]]>    Apple announces updated iBooks and Mac miniswebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-07-25T23:41:00+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/0a266982c9a7297aae76087976229f4e-9.php#unique-entry-id-9http://www.macinformation.com/files/0a266982c9a7297aae76087976229f4e-9.php#unique-entry-id-9
    Apple have updated their iBooks and Mac minis, with the laptop line now coming with built-in Bluetooth. The range has now been reduced to just two products.
    The 12" iBook starts at €1059 and comes with a combo drive (burns/plays CDs, plays DVDs), comes with a 1.33 Ghz chip, 512MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive.
    The larger 14" iBook costs €1368.99, comes with a SuperDrive (burns/plays CDs, burns/plays DVDs), comes with a faster 1.42 Ghz processor, 512MB of RAM and a larger 60GB hard drive.]]>    Apple Expo in Paris loomswebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-07-23T23:38:57+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/fb64012d4ec1cf30b5418ab83e18aef5-8.php#unique-entry-id-8http://www.macinformation.com/files/fb64012d4ec1cf30b5418ab83e18aef5-8.php#unique-entry-id-8
    The annual Apple European Expo is to be held in Paris from 20th-24th September 2005. This is Apple premier European event. Apple now only hold three major conferences per year, with MacWorld San Francisco (January), the WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference, held in May) and the Apple Expo in Paris. Each of these are normally attended by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who delivers the keynote address. His attendance has not yet been confirmed for 2005, but this would be expected.]]>    Deals from Irish AppleStorewebsite@macinformation.comHome2005-07-22T23:37:06+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/b50396a828b5ecabc811700879674a7a-7.php#unique-entry-id-7http://www.macinformation.com/files/b50396a828b5ecabc811700879674a7a-7.php#unique-entry-id-7Although not heavily publicised, Apple offer deals through their Irish online store (www.apple.com/irelandstore/). The Special Deals section on the front page points buyers to discounted products which have been refurbished by Apple. These still come with the standard one year limited-warranty, but because they are refurbished goods they come at a lower price tag.]]>Revolver shoots itself in the foot: iPods, U2 and free speech. website@macinformation.comHome2005-06-22T23:34:54+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/8663b037a4c317158a0f2e7901f83b06-6.php#unique-entry-id-6http://www.macinformation.com/files/8663b037a4c317158a0f2e7901f83b06-6.php#unique-entry-id-6The first section looked at the case of Hwang who, according to Boyd, loaded songs onto his U2 iPod, modified the case of the iPod, and tried to sell it on eBay as an "extra special edition." There is a certain rebellious element in this story which makes us smile, but Boyd seems to miss the point, that loading an iPod and then flogging the songs to another user is illegal. After all, is Boyd suggesting that we can all load our music onto iPods before selling them? Or maybe loading ours PCs with software before putting them on the open market?]]>iPhone visual voicemail in Ireland- unlikelywebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-07-01T21:55:52+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/1af49db9c0aa8f263cb4e8c1aa99a54f-5.php#unique-entry-id-5http://www.macinformation.com/files/1af49db9c0aa8f263cb4e8c1aa99a54f-5.php#unique-entry-id-5
    We contacted O2 Ireland this week to see when visual voicemail would be introduced on their network. However we received the following statement:
    "Unfortunately the visual voicemail is not supported by the network here as yet. We will be looking closely at developing it if its something our customers tell us they want."]]>    Preparing for the iPhone 3Gwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-07-05T21:46:15+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/6de9696c1947d56192902c34f15bd3f9-4.php#unique-entry-id-4http://www.macinformation.com/files/6de9696c1947d56192902c34f15bd3f9-4.php#unique-entry-id-4
    O2 will begin to sell the new iPhone 3G on July 11th, and we have prepared some steps for people intending to buy a new phone. Here is a list of suggestions on how to get your information and settings ready:]]>    Rogers vs O2 Irelandwebsite@macinformation.comHome2008-07-07T21:39:04+01:00http://www.macinformation.com/files/789adeb66c2483b93375cebe1d26e7a9-3.php#unique-entry-id-3http://www.macinformation.com/files/789adeb66c2483b93375cebe1d26e7a9-3.php#unique-entry-id-3
    Given the recent controversy in Canada over the iPhone 3G charges, we decided to compare O2 Ireland's rates to the Canadian carrier, Rogers Communications. What we found was that in many cases, O2 Ireland are even worse. The Rogers call charges are far more generous, with free unlimited weekend and evening calls, compared to the anytime minutes given by O2. Rogers offer a better number of inclusive text messages and free visual voicemail [not available in Ireland]. However O2 offers much cheaper data charges when the user exceeds their monthly limit. The Rogers contract however runs for a ridiculous 3 years

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