Aidan MalleyA simple reference in the beta of Apple's latest firmware could hint at a significant remake of the iPod touch. Also, Microsoft has posted the controversial "blind taste test" videos that promote an improved Vista, and a Wyoming county's schools will receive 3,000 MacBooks.
Although the mention is short, a text string in the iPhone 2.1 beta firmware could have a significant impact on the iPod touch, according to a discovery made by iPhone Atlas.
While Apple has used "iPod 1,1" to describe the current iPod touch as the first OS X-based iPod and the only minor revision, multiple files now contain references to "iPod 2,1" — a number change which, for past Macs, has referenced a major revision instead of a minor tweak..
For contrast, the iPhone 3G is simply listed as "iPhone 1,2" despite its new features and indicates that the design underneath is largely identical.
The company has in recent years reserved either August or September to start updating its iPods and this year launched a back-to-school promotion that gave away free iPod touch players to students buying a Mac at the same time, triggering a shortage that has helped Apple keep its touchscreen iPod supply in check.
Microsoft kicks off Vista first-hand experience videos
Microsoft's promised campaign to restore Windows Vista's reputation has begun in earnest through a special promo website.
Now nicknamed the "Mojave Experiment," the promo campaign hosts videos of Windows XP owners who Microsoft says had a very negative perception of Vista but were shown the current version of the operating system under the fake "Mojave" name to gauge their reactions without media- and friend-made preconceptions in the way.
According to Microsoft, over 90 percent of these users came out with a complete changed, positive outlook on the operating system now that its initial kinks have purportedly been resolved a year and a half after its debut.
The company doesn't, however, say what customers were allowed to try during the test. While performance has been improved with recent patches, other complaints have centered around backwards compatibility with hardware and software.
Wyoming school district to get 3,000 MacBooks
One of Apple's larger, more recent educational deals for Macs will roll out in the least populated state in the US, says a local report by the Casper Star-Tribune.
Over 3,000 MacBooks are being distributed to K-12 schools in Natrona County. Casper's Kelly Walsh High School gets the lion's share with 1,400 of the notebooks, while the remaining number will be divided largely equally between older students at CY Middle School and Dean Morgan Junior High as well as younger ones at Ft. Caspar Academy, Manor Heights Elementary and Park. Teachers also receive their own units.
The schools plan to launch a one-to-one program where each of the older students has access to a personal system that will help them learn, including through Internet materials.
Natrona County's deal also gives the teachers some education: each of those at Kelly Walsh has gone through a one-week learning process to help those who might still be unfamiliar with how to use online information in a classroom, including keeping students honest with online assignments.
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85 Comments
I like how Microsoft uses Flash instead of SilverLight for the Mojave website. Though that may be to make it playable on as much omputers out there as possible...
I'm pretty confident that Vista would grow on me if I had to use it. However, since I've not once regretted switching to Mac in my first year as a Mac user (well, in 2 or 3 weeks it'll be a year) I don't see why I should. That being said, Dell, Sony, IBM and others are putting out some SEXY hardware for more than decent prices lately... don't let the competion pass you, Apple!
Flash instead of SilverLight? Big deal. Look at the bloody name.
Mojave Experiment
...cause it just rolls off the tongue.
Seriously, what kind of idiots are they?
So after viewing these ads...what's good about Vista again?
Marketing is not rocket science: All I remember about those ads is the negative things people pointed out - speed, compatibility, etc. They don't really mention anything positive, they just show people looking shocked and saying, "I was amazed," or "It has cool features." (I might have heard speed as a specific positive, actually)
But the point is, how is it good advertising when the only features ever mentioned are negative and the testimonials themselves don't actually say anything? To me, that says they do have something to hide, and if I'm an ad agency I'm thinking, "All we're doing by trying to combat these stereotypes about Vista is bringing them up again and keeping the problems in the media and in people's minds. Why are we doing this?" Does Microsoft really think this is going to work?
"Mojave Experiment"? Lol.. I like how to Microsoft, every new product or release is an experiment. I knew someone who was a senior designer there who would say with pride, "Oh no, this is just the 1.0 product. The 2.0 will be the real deal" when talking about various things they've made over the years.
Last year when he installed Vista on his home machine it corrupted all of his personal data. He finally quit MS shortly after.
poor, poor microsoft... I'm speechless.. how they even did the play/pause button wrong! It's just sooo typical microsoft, lol.