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What do you think the next generation iphone will have? (not the iphone 3g the next one)
iPods are on a September schedule, maybe it makes sense for Apple to continue on a June schedule for iPhones.
I've read that you have one.
Do you think it is fair for Apple to try to recall those machines that were sold, even if they knew installation of the OS was a violation of their EULA ?
When you file a lawsuit, you just try to get as much as you can get in the first filing. Recalling all the Open Computers would be quite a hassle, I think Apple would be satisfied to just cut off further sales.
Well XP is over now, and I'm getting my first laptop sometime soon. I was wondering. Oh crap. Now this is it. Its vista or mac. What do you think? honestly? will vista get better in the next few months or shouldI just go mac and hope for the best? I understand XP is for mac, but... it cost a lot...
You should think about what you want, and how much money you have. I use both Macs and PCs and they have their advantages and disadvantages. I know that's not really the answer you were looking for, but it's a personal decision that's hard for me to make for you without knowing what you need.
Are there any other smart phones out there sync compatible with the mac power book?
I know Palm makes software for syncing a Palm with a Mac, and others (except Windows Mobile) might do so as well.
Is the iPhone able to roam onto another networks signal here in the US? My current AT&T fails to make calls on a tower with a roaming agreement, defaulting to "Emergency Calls Only." My Sprint Blackberry has no problem doing this, and will often roam onto a Verizon signal.
That's a question for AT&T, I haven't come across that. Roaming is expensive.
Do you think taht apple's iphone will succeed in the game industry. I mean will we see really good games come out for the iphone is 6 months to year. I mean real good games like Gears of War of Metal Soldier????
I think they'll focus on more casual games at first, there's a bigger overall market for those.
They said they couldn't include it in time. Is that a cop-out?
I think copy-and-paste might be tricker than it sounds. What finger gesture would you use that hasn't already been taken?
I go to college where only EGDE is available. I was planning on getting the iPhone, but I'm not paying for something I can't even use. I don't see my town as one of the cities where ATT plans to upgrade to 3G this year, so is it possible that they sell the iPhone 3G but with a cheaper plan that allows you to access the internet at EDGE speeds, even where 3G access is available? Is this something we can see once the iPhone 3G hype starts to go down?
I think you're just going to have to hold out until 3G comes to your town, but AT&T is spending a lot of money trying to make that happen sooner rather than later.
do you think apple will make there 10 million goal for iphone?
Which should I get? Is Apple TV worth or over priced?
Right now, Apple TV is only worth it if you watch a lot of iTunes content or YouTube videos. With the rental service, that's somewhat compelling, but if you've already got a DVD player why change?
The iphone comes preinstalled with the mobile browser Safari. Is it posible to install other browsers like Opera mobile ???
I havent' actually come across that question before, I'll look into that, but I don't think so.
When will they lower the price of the ipod touch?
Usually apple brings new updates and products close to christmas time. Do you think that the body of the new iphone will change in any way? or it will just be new software?
I hate to have bought the new one and less than 6 month they change the body.
I don't think there will be any iPhone hardware changes this year, unless Apple has an iPhone Nano or something like that planned for the holiday season. That would be a totally different product, however, if that happened.
Many website reviews have mentioned the lack of simple feaures on the iPhone. Is this Apple's innovative way of replacing those features with newer ones (like the lack of the cd on the Air) or just to keep a bag of features ready for next generation iPhones to have something new to introduce, and sell more?
I think Apple just got to the point where it had to ship the iPhone 3G to make its deadlines, and had to leave a few things out. MMS and cut-and-paste will make it in there someday.
I will being getting a Macbook soon. Is there anything I should know about or pointer you can give a first time owner?
There's a learning curve with Macs if you're a longtime Windows user that will take some getting used to. Just keep at it, and ask people for help. There are tons of little tips and tricks out there.
Everything I'veread says that the PPC are sluggish with 10.5 soI didn't upgrade. Will 10.6 be as nice as Tiger on my 'old' machine?
The rumors still are swirling about 10.6 and support for PPC, so you might have to upgrade your hardware at that point if you want 10.6.
With the release of OS X Snow Leopard just around the corner and Vista being disliked by many people (compatibility issues, system resources, etc.), do you think one day Macs will outsell PCs and take up the majority of the computer market?
It's just a numbers game. If Apple doesn't license Mac OS X, even if they triple their market share in the next couple of years, they'll still only have less than 10 percent of the worldwide market. I don't think they can grow fast enough to ship 120M Macs a year anytime soon, right now they ship like 10M Macs a year.
i am not sure why they removed the reverse feature, nobody can awnser that, i also dont think that the engineer who steve fail to tell the name of was not apple, imovie does not abide to all the interface guidlines by apple, ie.when you hold down the shift key and switch the timetable with the clip section it speeds up when you let go, which isnt apple? what do you think?
I hadn't realized that about the UI guidelines in iMovie, I'll check that out.
hi
do u thing iphone will have flash or javascript for safari and it yes when?
It might take a while, but eventually the performance of the phone will improve and subsequent improvements to flash and javascript will allow Apple to support that technology.
Now that Netfilx subscribers can use either the Roku Box or a XBox 360 to access their Netflix accounts online, will apple move to a monthly subcription plan option in their iTunes movie rentals?
As I said earlier, I think Apple is watching subscription demand closely to see what they want to do. Right now, there's no reason for them to change, but if people starting demanding subscription services in big numbers, Apple will get the message.
I'm going to answer everything that's been asked prior to OmarDuenas' question, but I can't take any new ones, sorry. If you want to ask me a question and you missed the deadline, email tom.krazit@cnet.com
I had gotten my IPhone late April early May, after being reassured that the upgrade was software only, not phone- or else I would have waited to purchase the new phone. With all the subsidising and upgrades etc. for the phone, I'm confused. Where do I stand? And, do I have a limited time frame to upgrade/get free one.
If you bought an iPhone before July 11th, you'll pay either $199 or $299 for the iPhone 3G, depending on which configuration you want. If you live in the U.S., there's no limited time frame, other countries are offering cheaper upgrade paths that might have limited time frames attached, check with your local carrier.
How come on some of Apple's webpages they no longer have the search box which brings up results instantly? Is this an indication of a redesign?
I'm getting instant results, not sure what you mean.
You can download iMovie 6 from Apple here if you have iLife 08.
After all the grumblings from the get go with iPhone owners and the lack of MMS, why did Apple not include this function in the 2.0 software, or for the 3g iPhone? I consider it to be a core function of any phone with a camera.
An Apple executive gave an interview last week where he basically said they had a wish list of functions, and they added what they could. My cynical interpretation is that Apple would rather have you sharing photos and videos through its software over the Internet, not the SMS system, but that's just my opinion.
why do the apps keep crashing is it the servers or or the 2.0 update and i heared that there is 2.0.1 softwear update coming out do you know when it is coming out?
It doesn't seem like Apple was fully prepared to launch the App Store and the 2.0 software at the same time people were activating iPhone 3Gs.
I'm sure 2.0.1 will be out soon, but I have no info as to specifically when.
Ihave accessories from the iphone and myipod 80gb including a car adapter is there a way to find out if they will work with the 3g i phone?
Or ask at your local store. I believe the dock connector is the same for both the iPhone and the iPhone 3G, but you should verify that.
Do you think the next MacBook update will have LED backlighting?
That's one of the rumors I've heard, but I can't say for sure.
With id's new tech5 engine and Rage being set to release simultaneously on Mac and PC, do you think the gaming industry is finally going to give Mac users the attention they deserve?
It's a two-way street. The gaming companies don't focus as much on the Mac because of the market share differences, but Apple doesn't go out of its way to help the gaming industry develop for Macs. That could change as the market share changes, but I think the main gaming platform inside Apple right now is the iPhone, not the Mac.
Which do you think is better for the average user? I love the design and feel of both but I haven't been able to fully play with either.
My Sprint Contract is almst up and I don't know if I should extend my contract and get the Samsung or if I should sign a contract with at&t.
I really like both companys' products and I support both, so I'm kind of torn.
You might want to check CNET Reviews' smartphone section for a more detailed comparison.
When do you think apple will updated the macbook pro
Montevina is ready, so I'd expect a speed bump (at least) sometime in the next six weeks.
Do you think that in the future apple will evolve like other cell phone companies. And rather than just having a cell phone ( the iphone ) they would eventuallly have different ones.
Like the ipods???
would that be a wise move as a company???
I believe Steve Jobs has said several times that Apple plans to make the iPhone the third leg of the company's business, and that Apple plans to have a family of phones. I think it is a wise move, because some people might want sleek phones, others might want a hardware keyboard, and others might want something else entirely. Apple needs to make sure the one iPhone is on solid ground before branching out, however, expanding too quickly gets companies in trouble.
do you think that apple will make ilife and iwork cross platform? i know many people who would like to have them on their pcs, also do you think that they will ever allow someone to virtualize mac os x in windows?
I think Apple wants to get people onto Mac OS X, and if they gave people a reason to stay on Windows by moving iLife to Windows or virtualizing Mac OS, they'd be hurting their sales. Also, in order to virtualize Mac OS Apple would have to sell boxed copies of the entire OS, not the upgrade copies they sell now. That would give the Psystars of the world a totally legal way to make Mac clones.
If a jailbreak for the iPhone 3G is released do you think it is worth the hassle and trouble to jailbreak it considering that Apple has its own store where you can install third party applications?
Apple is approving every iPhone application that gets sold through the App Store, so if Apple doesn't offer something you want, you might consider jailbreaking. I think that most people will be satisfied with the App Store, but others who want to do things that don't necessarily meet with Apple's approval will probably continue to jailbreak.
Did I read somewhere that my old iPhone can still access a wifi network (like a Touch)? I want to use it to do email while on vacation in Europe and this would be a very good wy to avoid the unconscienable phone charges.
Thanks
Both Apple and AT&T have information on their Web sites as to how you can make that happen.
Do you curently own the iphone? is yes , what made u pick it from other cell phones? If no? why would you get one ??
What was your previous phone???
I didn't buy the original iPhone because I was in year one of a two-year contract with Sprint and because I didn't want to go from a 3G phone (treo 700p) to an Edge phone. I've used the iPhone a lot, however, and while I'm still using the Treom on a day to day basis, I plan to buy the iPhone 3G.
Just out of curiousity... Apple has obviously made its intentions know with regard to Psystar's activities (by trying to sue them into oblivion), but has done little-to-nothing towards the hobbyist community's activities in putting OSX on non-Apple hardware (e.g. the website osxx86.info ), which has been around for far, far longer. Is this a sign that apple has no problems with the hobbyist community at large, or ...?
Apple's much more likely to go after a company making profits on their software rather than hobbyists who are just doing it for their personal use. Also, look how much people hate the RIAA for suing its customers; I don't think Apple wants to go down that road.
is there any way i can get the music off of my computer on to another house computer so other members of my family can sync their ipods, software for pc is prefered
iTunes should let you authorize up to five computers for your music to move between computers, so you should be all set. You can get a cable and transfer software to do the actual work, check out download.com or CNET Reviews for suggestions on transfer software.
I read Erica Ogg's piece, but I'm still somewhat confused on current estimates. If I placed a direct fulfillment order on launch day, when should I expect my iPhone?
Bear with me, I'm just getting back to civilization after spending four days out of cell coverage on California's north coast. That's the period they quoting before I left, however.
You still don't really need passive security software for the Mac, but you can still get Trojan horses if you install the wrong things. Just practice safe surfing: only visit reputable sites, and don't download anything unless you know what it is and where it's coming from.
I've been looking at dedicated ebook readers. Kindel, Sony, CyBook and BeBook are nice but have heard Apple is in a protype. Is this true? I know iTunes could work for the ebook library site. I would hope so. Other Apple products are great, and if they did, it would break the ground in ebooks- and go in line with Apple's GoGreen philosophy.
Apple has said they don't want to do an e-reader, but they've said that before about a lot of things (phones, video iPods, etc.) I think they'll want and see if people actually want to buy them in mass quantities before releasing one, I think it's more likely that they build some type of e-reader into the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Only been a Mac owner for two years, after working in that other OS forever. Never going back, either. My only disappointment has been the rollout of MobileMe - which still isn;t working on my system. Will Apple ever push this type of nonsense on us again?
Apple had a lot of launch problems this past weekend, so I'd hesitate to judge something like MobileMe based on just a few days of use. If it still bugs you in a month or so, let me know.
I read some news stories last week about fatal flaws in nVidia's entire line of G84 and G86 video cards which could lead to overheating failure. Do you think we'll start seeing these problems occur in the MBP lines? If so, how do you think Apple will go about dealing with customer service and repairs?
It sounded like those problems were mostly confined to HP and other vendors, but it's worth watching. It's hard to predict what they'll do until we know there's a problem, because Nvidia has already said they are going to pay for a lot of the mess.
Do you think Apple will ever let us use the Safari browser on the iPhone or iPod Touch to browes the web while it is conencted wirelessly or through the AV Dock connector to the TV. That would be awesome if I could surf the web on my HD LCD TV and never have to use my laptop or desktop.
I want them to do that with Apple TV, put a Safari browser in there, but they aren't going to do that anytime soon because they want people using Apple TV to get their video content from iTunes. That would be a good idea for an HDTV, but I think it might be challenging to adapt a browser designed for a handheld to display content on a 42-inch screen.
do you have an iphone, if so have you jailbroken it, i have read stuff about it but i was wondering if it is a good or bad thing to do?
I was waiting for the 3G version, which I plan to buy once I have some time, once the demand dies down, and once I iron out an issue I have with Sprint. Jailbreaking is less interesting now that there are tons of free applications for the iPhone, I think, but it's not going to go away. Only jailbreak your iPhone if you know how to restore it if something goes wrong, or if you're not worried about voiding your warranty.
I've notice that Amazon has lower prices on song and albums. Will iTunes lower prices to keep up with other online music sites or are we stuck at 99cents? Also, will there ever be unlimited downloads for a flat rate?
I think iTunes will have to lower its prices at some point, but it might take a while. They are still the largest source for music by far. As far as subscriptions go, I think Apple is watching that market very closely to see how people respond to other subscription offerings. If lots of people show they are interested, I think Apple will do that eventually just like they did movie rentals eventually, but the time is not now.
Are Cinema Displays a priority for Apple now? Do you think they may be discontinued?
Everytime I've done one of these forums someone has asked about Cinema Displays. I think Apple would like to update them at some point, but they've got a lot on their plate these days and are pouring more resources into software design than monitors, i think.
Do you think the new updated version of the ipod touch due in september will have the same curved body of the iphone 3g. I really the design that it has now.
If you like the design, I'd expect to see it come out in September. It would be easier for Apple if they could share costs across both the iPhone and iPod Touch, although there were subtle differences between the two the first time around. I'd say expect the curve, but expect the Touch to be slightly different.
in imovie 08, is there any way to make a clip run in reverse, it is apparent that they hide or removed the feature?
Can anybody answer that question? Otherwise, try Apple's discussion forums on apple.com, or the forums here.
I just bought the iphone 3g. What would happen is i pull out the sim card and change it for another simcard from ATT. Will the phone continue to work? and have the new number???
I believe the iPhone's SIM card is supposed to be unique to that phone to prevent unlocking, but I haven't tried that. has anyone else?
The iMac and mac Mini are nice, but I would like to see Apple make a Mac with regular desktop parts that would be a bit cheaper but still run well. Another upside is that it would be modular, like the Mac Pro but without the Pro's huge costs. They are missing a huge part of the desktop market's lower end that should rightfully be their by ignoring this segment.
Apple has never really seemed interested in that market. I agree they'd probably do just as well in that market as they do in the other ones they do participate in, but it's a low-margin business that can be tricky. Dell and HP have gotten themselves into trouble trying to compete in that business by cutting costs and selling below cost in years past, and Apple might have just said, "why bother?"
Do I have to have a iPhone $45 corporate plan to access e-mail on an Exchange server?
You can download the 2.0 software to get the exchange functionality on a personal account, I don't believe you are required to have a business account to set up the Exchange compatibility. At least, several people at CNET seem to be getting their exchange mail with personal accounts, although I haven't tried that yet personally.
do you think that a macbook air would be able to upgrade to 10.6 and still run fast?
The processor in the MacBook Air isn't the fastest one Intel has to offer, but you can still upgrade to Leopard using older PPC chips, and that runs pretty well. 10.6 might actually be less-resource intensive than 10.5, according to some early data, so it should run fine on your MacBook Air.
I've hear there will be a new version of QuickTime, QuickTime X, for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. What updates are expected on the Windows side?
Sorry, you stumped me on that one. I would bet, however, that security updates for QuickTime on Windows are at the top of the list.
Hi,
I was thinking about buying a Macbook Air but wondering if Apple was going to update model anytime soon.
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
Macrumors Buyers Guide doesnt have any historical data since the Air is new but the previous Macbook updates have been around ~190 days.
Are there any Macbook Air update rumors? Is it worth buying now or should I wait?
Thanks!
The MacBook Air uses much of the same Montevina technology just released by Intel, but not all of it. It's hard to predict how Apple will evolve that category, but it's more attractive these days with the recent price cut to the high-end model.
Do you see iPhone eventually becoming the dominant smart phone platform in terms of market-share?
I think the smartphone industry is going to play out very differently than the PC industry did. I don't think anybody is going to dominate this industry as quickly as MS did the PC industry because phones are much more personal devices at this stage in the history of computing and people (and carriers) want different things.
I think the U.S. is looking at an iPhone/BlackBerry future at the high-end of the market for the time-being, but Windows Mobile isn't going anywhere yet, Symbian is doing some interesting things, and Android will have some sort of impact.
do you think that apple will ever go full open sorce? or even have a mac os XI?
The smartphone industry is doing some interesting things around open source right now, but I'd expect Apple to be the last of the smartphone OS companies to go down that route. And on the Mac side, no way they release anything beyond what they already do.
Will apple release a native iChat app for the iPhone that runs in the background?
This limitation on the current iPhone is big, even with the push notification service its a problem due to the fact that you cannot stay online as available when you quit the app without a tricky workaround.
This is a serious issue if Apple wants to catch up with Blackberry and their Blackberry Messenger service.
I think Apple will wade cautiously into the world of background applications, they don't want everybody to do it at first until they know exactly how the iPhone is going to behave, but I also think they don't trust anyone other than themselves to do it properly, rightly or wrongly.
Based on what happened with the previous iPhone (rebate after of couple of months), you think is a good idea to wait a couple of months before to get the iPhone G3?
Check out Erica Ogg's piece on CNET News this morning for the latest on the supply issue. Bottom line, you may have to wait a few months for the initial demand to die down. I would not expect the same kind of price cut this year, however, since the price is now subsidized.
Following up on the earlier iPod touch question. If they include a microphone in the new version, do you think they'll try to see the iPod touch as a VoIP device?
There are already VOIP applications out there for the iPhone, there's no reason (I can think of right now, at least) why you wouldn't be able to run those on an iPod Touch with a mic.
Are the Macbooks sufficient for HD video editing or would it make more sense to use the macbook pro or iMac desktop?
Either the MacBook Pro or the Mac Pro. HD video editing is very processor-intensive, you'd want to make sure you get the most powerful chip you can get. The MacBook Pro is probably fine unless you work for a professional studio.
Will Apple up-date their Macbook and Macbook pro laptops with the new Intel chip that is coming out in Aug. or will they wait and do a complete upgrade of the inside and outside of the Macbook and Macbook Pro?
Back-to-school is a very important period for Apple, and I don't think they'd want to let that pass without new notebooks. Intel held them back a bit with a delay on the chip that was just released earlier this week.
Also, I have a Macbook Pro, do you know if there is going to be anything new for that particular laptop?
I expect Apple to have new notebooks sometime next month. I think the MacBook will get the largest overhaul, but the MacBook Pro will get Intel's latest Montevina chipset.
Do you think Apple will keep up the 6 month cycle for the iMac, bringing out a new one for the holiday season?
But I would expect the next iMac update to come with intel's Nehalem release, which I don't believe will come until next year for desktops and notebooks. Still, would be hard to resist updating the iMac for the holidays, they could maybe just do a speed bump or something like that, rather than a full redesign.
Call me crazy...with all this buzz about the iPhone, I'm still curious if Apple will be evolving the Mac Mini and/or the AppleTV.
I'd held out hope that we'd see an HDMI-equipped Mac Mini that really aimed at the living room by now. I know that many would love to see Apple do a proper HTPC, and the Mini form factor definitely is the bee's knees for such an application.
Any thoughts/observations/insights?
I've been meaning to look into this more now that the iPhone 3G is launched and out the door. It's not at all clear that Apple TV 2.0 is any more successful than the first generation, I'll have to do some research to be sure. I just think that people (most people) still aren't ready for computers as their TV consoles just yet, and the problem is that the cable/satellite companies have a lock on what goes into the home. I think it will be much easier for the cable/satellite companies to make their boxes smarter than for apple or another company to break into the living room, Tivo has been the exception, not the rule.
my friend has an ipod touch that he did not update to 1.1.3, can he get all of the features of 1.1.3 when he upgrades to 2.0? 1.1.3 was taken offline at WWDC.
I don't have the feature set listing of 2.0 in front of me, but that should contain all previous updates, just like Mac OS X updates do if you skip an update generation.
Do you think the iPod touch will get a hardware update this year?
Camera?
Speaker?
Microphone?
Lower pricing?
I wouldn't be surprised to see all of the iPhone 3G hardware improvements (speaker, microphone, curved exterior) incorporated into the iPod Touch around September. As for pricing, Apple will definitely have to lower the price if it wants to continue to sell iPod Touches against iPhones, but how much? I'm not sure.
Why are Apple products overpriced, when compared to other similar products?
Pound for pound, that's not always true. You could have argued the iPhone was overpriced compared to other smartphones a year ago, but that's not true these days. As for Macs, it depends: the MacBook Pro is expensive, but MacBooks are in line with the competition, when comparing like configurations.
Hey, just wondering, do you know what is going to be new with the new MAC OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard? Thanks
It sounds like Apple wants to focus on the underpinnings of Mac OS X with Snow Leopard. Since we're all using multicore chips now, and that trend's not going anywhere, apple wants to improve performance on multicore chips. They also want to make Snow Leopard able to take advantage of graphics processors for general processing, which is another trend in computing. I'd also expect some of the Snow Leopard tweaks to make their way down into the iPhone's OS.
Good Afternoon.
I am a previous owner of a Windows mobile machine, and a Blackberry. When I got the IPhone 3G I was under the impression that when Steve Jobs said that they would have completed full exchange support, that they didn’t leave anything out. Unfortunately, what I found out afterwards is that the IPhone does not currently support important features of Exchange including Folder management/Task syncing/Setting an "out-of-office" auto reply message/Creating Meeting Invitations. Is Apple planning on adding these very important features anytime soon? I would hope that this would be fixed on the first update to this new software.
My second question which I believe is tied in with my first question is, I have rules set up on my exchange account to move messages based on Sender’s to certain folders. What I have realized is that if I am using the iPhone, I would never be notified of when a new email comes into those folders, unless I actually go into those folders in the iPhone and then it will update. Any workaround?
My third and final question is, My IPhone’s battery barely lasts a half a day with with exchange email on it. I am not a heavy talker on the phone, but I would think the battery has to last longer than this.
I'm not sure when Apple plans to add those functions you described, but the first update seems to be a likely candidate, after they make sure all the basic functions work the first time around. would have been nice to hve meeting invitations, though.
I'm not sure of a workaround, you might want to try other iPhone forums.
And as for the battery, if you're talking about the iPhone 3G (not the original iPhone) the battery life seems to be about in line with other 3G phones. You're right, it needs to be better, but that will take time.
Hi folks,
It's been a while since we've done an Apple-related one of these, but with the iPhone 3G launch last week and Apple's earnings coming up next week, there's lots to talk about.
Please keep your questions focused on Apple and its products, but this isn't the best place to be if you're looking for tech support. I'll answer as many as I can before noon PT, when I have to shut it down.
Thanks!
Tom