With Apple’s switch to Intel processors, there came a big change: Apple’s naming conventions in respect to the Mac product line. So far, they’ve turned the PowerBook into the MacBook Pro, and trademarked the term “Mac Pro”. Both of these names are Love-it-or-hate-it ideas. So far there seems to be a lot more hate.

Now before I proceed with my prediction, I’d like to point out that what I say is just that: a prediction. This is just a guess. I didn’t say whether or not I like it (I really don’t care; I’m a Windows user), I’m just putting out what I think.

I think that the new naming convention was actually set in motion, not with the introduction of the MacBook Pro, but with the introduction of the Mac Mini. Apple’s recent trademarking on the “Mac Pro” moniker, support my suspicions that by the end of the transition, the Mac product line will look like this:

• Professional Desktop: Mac Pro (used to be PowerMac)
• Professional Laptop: MacBook Pro (used to be PowerBook)
• Consumer Desktop: Mac (used to be iMac)
• Consumer Laptop: MacBook (used to be iBook)
• Budget Desktop: Mac Mini
• Budget Notebook: MacBook Mini (New)

Now the most likely thing that I would be wrong about is that they drop the “i” moniker, as the “i” associates them with the iPod.

I could see them moving up the iBook on the specs ladder (maybe Dual Core), and adding Core Solo laptops that would act as budget machines (a sub…
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If you (like me) are critical of the name “MacBook Pro” and steadfastly still call it a PowerBook, Apple has given you another reason to groan and question their marketing department. Our bretheren at AppleInsider have discovered a trademark filing made by Apple in New Zealand for the name “Mac Pro.” The filing was made under the following description:

computers; computer hardware; computer software; computer peripherals; notebook computers; laptop computers; tablet computers; computer servers; handheld computers; mobile computers; hard drives; audio speakers; speakers for computers; radios; cameras; video cameras; telephones; mobile telephones; personal digital assistants; electronic organizers; electronic notepads; magnetic data carriers; telephones; mobile phones; computer gaming machines; microprocessors; memories boards; monitors; displays; keyboards; computer input devices; computer cables; modems; printers; parts and accessories for all the aforesaid goods.

All guesses are pointing to “Mac Pro” replacing the venerable “PowerMac” name, because somehow “Mac Pro” would seem to be a strange name for a radio, printer, or modem, unless Apple’s marketing people have really lost their minds.

This is the sixth, and mecifully, the last in a series of articles reviewing Apple’s iLife 06 software suite. Applications were reviewed in this order: iPhoto, GarageBand, iWeb, iMovie, and iDVD. (Not iTunes, because iTunes 6 has been out for a while, and it’s ubiquitous. Besides, a seven-part review is one part more than I feel like writing.) The score below applies to the suite is a whole.

Well, we finally made it to the end of this review, and while it pales in comparison to John Siracusa’s complete deconstructions of OS X (read his Mac OS X Tiger review), six parts still equates to rougly one term paper.

Let’s take a quick look at iLife 06’s box. It’s tiny. Apple must have taken the smaller-is-better concept of the iPod nano to heart. Here is a photo of iLife 06’s box compared to iLife 05’s:

...a CD jewel case:

...a Jason Kendall bobblehead:

I think I’ll start a new feature for Deep Thought: “iLife 06 box vs. random household objects.” Or not.

The iLife suite itself is very good overall. Each application has received a substantial upgrade. iLife has been fleshed out with tighter integration between applications and the addition of iWeb. The whole thing screams “Apple”: easy to use, polished, flat-out cool. The biggest drawback to iLife 06 is the absurd disk space requirements: a full installation of iLife 06 will eat over 7 GB of disk space. I feel bad for those out there stuck with iBook G4s with…
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I’ve been thinking about a number of new topics since returning to college this semester ranging from existenialism to the benefits of being twenty-one but for now I want to understand just one---what is sociology?  How can we study the society, when the term is at first glance without clear bounds? 

Where do you think the boundary between psychology (the individual) and sociology (the group) doesn’t interfere with anthropology which tackles the culture.  I’m in two sociology courses, one an introduction I like, and an anthro. course about the technology of over eight societies that predate Rome.  I can’t do this in the dark any more.

Please tell me what you think of in plain terms when you hear about the study of society.  Then let’s apply it to looking inside the groups of geeks also known as fraggles. 

This is the fifth in a series of articles reviewing Apple’s iLife 06 software suite. Applications will be reviewed in this order: iPhoto, GarageBand, iWeb, iMovie, iDVD, and iLife summary. I will not be reviewing iTunes because iTunes 6 has been out for a while, and it’s ubiquitous. Let’s boogie!

DVD players are like the fastest-growing consumer electronics segment ever, or something like that. And while initially almost all DVDs were products of Hollywood studios, the ability to create DVDs eventually made it into personal computers. Apple’s solution is iDVD. Now in its sixth revision, iDVD has received a significant upgrade. The result is quite possibly the best iLife application ever created.

iDVD’s UI is the most overhauled of any iLife app. The interface has undergone a substantial makeover, and the changes are more than skin-deep. First, the drawer is gone (yay!). Having the drawer made little sense, since the tools located in it are commonly used. They belong in the main window itself. Secondly, the interface itself is more streamlined. There are also fewer buttons, as some items have been consolidated under a drop-down menu. The overall feel is a more svelte, less bulky user interface. It’s a nice change.

The interface as a whole is more responsive as well. For example, previewing DVD playback would result in some beachballing and lagging under iDVD 5. Entering and exiting preview mode is instant in iDVD 6. Resizing is a little sluggish on my iBook, but is a non-issue (I think we…
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