Mac News Feeds

The last test version of Windows 7 has reached a wide audience and is now believed on track for a late October release, putting Microsoft's last cards on the table as it prepares to square off against Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch

Last month Amazon released the free Kindle application for the iPhone in the US [App Store link], shortly after the Kindle 2 hit the market. If you haven't used it yet, it works quite well. Users can buy books (but not subscriptions) from the Kindle Store via Mobile Safari for reading on their iPhones, although the purchasing process is easier from a desktop browser. Unlike the Kindle, the iPhone app is able to display color images, but it lacks text-to-speech as well as a direct connection to the Kindle Store. Whispersync, which synchronizes ebooks between the iPhone app and Kindle, works as advertised.

A few weeks ago, we posted a comparison of ebook readers featuring, among others, the iPhone app Stanza [App Store link]. As Steve mentioned, Stanza works with nearly every ebook format, even Project Gutenberg etexts. I only used Stanza briefly to check it out and I can say that the UI was very nice. Additionally, the folks who created Stanza have an existing relationship with ebook seller Fictionwise. In fact, Fictionwise created an ebook store just for Stanza users.

This week, we've learned that Amazon has acquired the company behind Stanza. We can only assume that aspects of Stanza will make it into a future release of Kindle for the iPhone.

TUAWAmazon has acquired Stanza originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Odds and ends, Surveys and Polls, iPhone

Given all the other good publicity the iPhone has been getting, it won't come as any great surprise that the J.D. Power survey released today says:

Apple ranks highest among smartphone manufacturers with a score of 791, performing particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features and physical design. LG (772) and Samsung (759) follow Apple in the rankings.

Other interesting findings are that smartphone users send an average of 17 emails a day, and 82 percent report that they use things like address books and to-do lists to stay better organized.

The survey included 2,648 smartphone users who owned their phone for less than 2 years. In general, smartphone users are increasingly satisfied with their purchase, compared to prior surveys. Users queried listed these attributes they wanted in a smartphone, in order of desirability: ease of operation, operating system, features, physical design and battery function.

TUAWJ.D. Power says iPhone tops smartphone ratings originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MCV reports that Richard Teversham, Microsoft's senior director of business, insights and strategy for Xbox, is departing the company to take a position at Apple. Teversham reportedly will take on an "education-related" role in Apple's European offi...

MCV reports that Richard Teversham, Microsoft's senior director of business, insights and strategy for Xbox, is departing the company to take a position at Apple. Teversham reportedly will take on an "education-related" role in Apple's European offi...

A director of Microsoft's Xbox team is on his way to Apple. Meanwhile, the Mac maker appears to be taking its time to assure that Mac OS X 10.5.7 Update is rock solid before it's released to the public. And one of our sponsors is clearing out early model MacBook Airs for $999 and has dropped word that existing MacBook coupons won't run in May.

AppleInsider reports that Apple is preparing to introduce cheaper Macs as soon as this spring. The move reportedly comes in response to consumer buying patterns shifting toward cheaper computers, including those in the netbook category.

Previous Entries