Shift-Reload for the latest copy. Last updated 3:51 AM,Sat, Oct 16, 1999
16th October 1999
This Week's Soap Opera: "As the Apple Turns".
Apple HK announces prices for the new iMac:
- iMac "low-cost" HK$8,500
- iMac DV HK$10,850
- iMac DV Special Edition HK$12,550
They will be available in late October.
Not enough iMac for Japan. Retailers will only get a handful of them....
Gateway will release their ugly-in-one computer - the Astro. I believe they want it to look like a cow.
I am certain MacOS 9 will break every records for application compatibility...
15th October 1999
I wish to announce the availability of a beta version of the traditional chinese Array input method. If you are an array input method user, please help to test and give me some feedback. The file is available in the goodies page.
Konka of China had made an iMac like TV! It looks sooooooo ugly.....
According to numerous report, Apple canceled and un-cancelled orders of G4 at the Apple Store. The G4 pages at Apple Hong Kong was teared down immediately after the "re-configuration" announcement.
Hong Kong MacOS 8.5/8.6 owners are eligible for an HKD$160 rebate if you buy MacOS 9.
14th October 1999
G4 will speed dump by 50mhz but keep the same price. Reportedly, the DRAM price doubled.
Members of HKMUG tonight pay a visit to Apple's office to see the new iMac. Only three of the new iMacs were shown: Low cost Blueberry, Lime iMac DV and Graphite iMac DV Special Edition.
The new iMac is definitely great, although without a fan, it not really hot, I think it's a bit cooler than my 17" monitor. They are still not sure if iMovie will support PAL, probably do... The DVD player is still beta and it subjects to the region code required by all DVD player venders. (Which mean you can only change it for 5 times.)
Those iMac will fly away to Singapore tomorrow and actually they only stayed here for 2 days.
One tidbits is the Apple Store Asia will open soon, and it will probably launch together with G4, iBook and the iMac in late October or early November. The iMac DV SE will only be available in Apple Store.
I have shot some photos by the way.
13th October 1999
More bad news for Apple:
Finally, I saw the iBook at tonight HKMUG's meeting. It's very very nice. So unfortunate that I forgot to bring my digital camera.... ;-(
From factory to shop in only 3 days! Retailer's computer in Japan are linked directly to Apple's.
Epson has a new USB laser printer. But it seems the Lexmark's E310 is a better buy.
11th October 1999
Steve Jobs on cover of Times Magazine. MUST READ!! What seems truely funny is, there's a Bill Gate on every single page down at the bottom-right corner.
Asia Apple Store opens on 26th October? We have waited for so long.... but would they sell in the PRC?
Apple got a patent for the iMac case's "ornamental design".
HKMUG will have a MacOS 9 demos tomorrow night (12th October).
Why the G4/400 is HKD$500 more in than iBook ? They are priced the same in the US. (=$USD1599)
10th October 1999
Apple Hong Kong had finally updated their web page, and pricing information for G4 and iBook had released:
- PowerMac G4/400:HKD$13,600
- PowerMac G4/450:HKD$21,300
- PowerMac G4/500:HKD$29,300
- iBook: HKD$13,100
9th October 1999
Even more new iMac photos from MacWire Japan, this time they even have QuickTime video of the sleeping iMac! Photos for the iMac DV Box.
You still have time for this year's US Visa Lottery. (Hey, this is not a scam!)
Nokia has a new phone - Nokia 8210. Size is similar to Nokia 8850, no information on pricing.
Akamai, which specialized in network delivery, had expanded their service and now have a local server in Hong Kong. The Apple Special Event finally became viewable, even at LAN speed. If it doesn't work, try to click the "Watchnow" button a few more.
8th October 1999
Apple's photos of the Special Event.
Gerry's ICQ is now updated to d34, I am waiting for the Japanese and Chinese version to make a new patch...
Another set of the new iMac photos from Japan.
Close up new iMac photos (text in Japanese) from the Flint Center.
Here's another set of photos from Japan. They have officially announced the new iMac and went on sale as early as 16 October. Pricing is ¥118000, ¥148000 and ¥178000 for iMac, iMac DV and iMac DV/SE respectively.
AMD will release their own version of color PC. Oops!
Apple is turning into a consumer electronic company - like SONY and Matsushita. Now, if the new iMac have a TV tuner....
FrostyPlace have the logic board photo of the new iMac.
CASLIS had detail procedure on how to install a new harddisk on your iBook.
Jesse Berst of AnchorDesk may switch to the Mac. If that's true, then the sun might raise from the west tomorrow.
7th October 1999
People are making a lot of comments on the new iMac. It seems the only problem is how many could Apple made??
The Orange Micro had released a FireWire/USB PCI card.
Commentary for stock price of SJ's other company - Pixar. BTW, every iMac DV will bundle A Bug's Life!
The new iMac, iBook and PowerMac G4 all contain a graphical startup device manager - you no longer have to remember which button to press for cd/netboot...etc.
The "Software Airport Station" will use a version of IPNetRouters for routing net traffic.
6th October 1999
I couldn't catch the "Special Event" because of traffic congestion! Damn. The QT-TV have a lot to go.
Anyway, as everyone expected, the new iMac was announced today. You can now see the spec and the pricing. The cheapest iMac start from USD$999 way up to $1599. The leaked images turn out to be real as well.
Also announced is MacOS 9 - your internet co-pilot. Macfixit had already create a MacOS 9 Troubleshooting page. Lots of stuff are going to break including ATM, graphic power also held a page talking about the fonts problem.
Compaq unveils colorful PC.
5th October 1999
Bubbles under the iBook - that's a deliberate design!
Akio Morita, Key to Japan's Rise as Co-Founder of Sony, Dies at 78. [Requires free registration] Morita did not believe in market research. "Our plan is to lead the public with new products rather than ask them what kind of products they want," ....."The public does not know what is possible, but we do."
No doubt why Steve Jobs said he want Apple to be the Sony of personal computer. Sony did seems to be interested in buying up Apple in 1989 (in Japanese).
If MYAPPLE is Apple's internet strategy, then MAMMALS must be Apple's animal strategy.
Intel's new chip Merced is now known as Itanium.
4th October 1999
Starcraft To Gundam, but where can I buy Mac Broodwar... (Attribution AppleTalk)
Iconfactory's web site got a redesign. This is THE place for Macintosh icon now got even better and have a search engine.
A lot of people are not happy with Apple when they was threaten with lawsuit because of posting the new iMac images. While it's always nice to see something new, would you imagine what if the original iMac's design was leaked before it's launch? What if SOTEC pick it up and sell their eOne before Apple?
SUN open up Solaris. But people (Like Eric Raymond) are not impressed. Eric Raymond did endorsed Apple's Darwin project.
2nd October 1999
We have a new domain name: http://fredlo.tripod.com, please update your bookmarks.
Why the Macs's user interface is better? The New Zealand press plans you give you an overview.
The SOTEC people will patent their design of eOne.
By the way, I saw Designer Group selling the iMac/333 at $7999. The offers will last for 2 days more so act quick if you are interested, but most people believe that the new iMac will be available in just a few days later.
1st October 1999
iMac set to launch at 5th October on an Apple Special Event.
Uranium leak at Japan.
Salon: A worm in the Apple? "I've been using Macs for over a decade, but the QT4 "play" button has become a continual source of bafflement for me. Traditionally in the Mac OS, buttons have three states, all with distinct visual features: normal, pressed (highlighted) and disabled (grayed out). The buttons in the QT4 player hew so strongly to the high-tech color scheme that all the buttons appear disabled. Open the player without a file loaded, and the "play" button looks the same as when a movie is ready to go. What's more, if you press "play," it highlights (as a Mac user would expect), but then stays highlighted, and thus looks enabled. I can't count the times I clicked away uselessly before sussing this out."
I feel exactly the same, and the behaviour always feel very un-mac-like. As much as I like the new Apple, they should not trash the beauty of the MacOS.
Is the new "Kihei" Mac photo fake? MacFuture had a report that it was Steve Jobs's masterplay to find out the leaker.
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