FIRST LOOK: New Mac system not a dramatic upgrade

While Microsoft Corp. prepares to release the next incarnation of Windows on Oct. 22, Apple Inc. is cutting ahead, launching a new version of its operating system for Mac computers on Friday.

Apple's new Snow Leopard software isn't as big of a step forward from its predecessor as Windows 7 will be from Windows Vista. The most important changes in the Apple operating system are under the hood, allowing software developers to rewrite their programs to run much faster.

Snow Leopard is a relatively cheap upgrade, costing $29 for an individual user who has Leopard, the previous operating system. A "family pack" for five users costs $49.

For Mac owners using the older Tiger operating system, switching to Snow Leopard costs $169, or $229 for a family pack. That "box set" includes the latest iLife and iWork software for such tasks as movie editing, photo organizing and word processing. Buying the DVD is the only upgrade option for consumers — you can't download the software.

What's the catch? Well, part of the reason Snow Leopard can promise faster, better applications is that it's designed for Macs with Intel chips, which Apple started using in early 2006. It won't run on older Macs with the previous PowerPC family of chips. The launch of the new operating system is a hint to get a new computer.

In an Apple's demonstration of the software to The Associated Press, these were some of the most obvious changes that stood out in Snow Leopard:

• The built-in e-mail, calendar and address book applications will support Microsoft Exchange servers, the kind used by most companies. That means it will be easier to get company e-mail without using dedicated programs like Entourage or Outlook, which Microsoft is releasing for Macs late next year. However, Snow Leopard supports only the most recent release of Exchange.
• Moving the mouse cursor over a program icon in the "dock" at the bottom of the screen reveals all the windows open in that program, tiled side by side. This is an extension of the "expose" feature, which shows all windows in all programs side by side.
• Right-clicking in a window should bring up more relevant choices, bringing this function closer to its Windows equivalent.
• The new standard version of the QuickTime video-playing software will now convert clips for playing on iPhones or iPods, or upload them to YouTube. You will also be able to trim clips. Previously, you had to buy QuickTime Pro to convert videos or fire up the more time-consuming iMovie.
• You can make the file thumbnails even bigger, giving you a better idea of the contents of your hard drive at glance.
• The operating system is more compact, freeing about 7 gigabytes of hard drive space previously claimed by Leopard.
• Ejecting disks should be easier. Sometimes, Macs won't let you eject a disk or disconnect a drive because the operating system believes it's reading or writing to it. Apple says Snow Leopard will be better about freeing up the disk, or if it can't, it will give a reason.
• Web browsing and image and document previews should be noticeably faster. This is because more of the software now processes data in 64-bit chunks, twice as big as before. Other applications should benefit from this change as well, once developers start writing them in 64-bit versions.
• Developers will also be helped by a new system called Grand Central Dispatch, which makes it easier to take advantage of the multiple "cores" in today's processors, boosting the speed of heavy-duty applications like video editing. It will also be easier to take advantage of more system memory.

Lastly, Apple is making it easier to tap into what can be the most powerful computing engine in a desktop PC: the graphics chip. While the central processing unit does most of the heavy lifting, the graphics chip is mostly called upon to generate screen images. Developers will now be able to expand the uses of the graphics chip, which could make for smarter enemies in video games and more realistic simulations of real-life objects.

So how does Snow Leopard compare to Windows 7? Snow Leopard's benefits will be most apparent down the road, while Windows 7 promises more of an immediate payoff.

Windows 7 combines a bigger revamping of the user interface of Microsoft's last effort, Vista, with a series of smaller under-the-hood changes. It even can work on many older PCs — in fact, Windows 7 is supposed to run better on modest hardware than Vista did.

Apple's share of the US personal-computer market nearly tripled from 2004 to 2008 but hasn't gone up significantly since then, and now stands at around 8.5 percent, according to IDC. So Apple could use a fresh reason for buyers to get excited about Macs.

Snow Leopard is unlikely to provide that. People already have a high opinion of Apple's software. What holds them back from switching from Windows is still the relatively high price and limited selection of Macs and third-party software. Coming in as the underdog in the public-perception contest, Microsoft has more to gain from these software revamps.

For most Mac users, Snow Leopard will likely be a no-brainer upgrade, given the low price. But early upgraders often face minor bugs and installation problems, so unless you're dying for one of the new features, waiting a month or so is a safer course.

Apple store opens at Ateneo

iCampus, a store selling Apple products, was formally opened at the Ateneo de Manila University recently, aiming to provide access to students, faculty and alumni of the university on the latest gadgets and technologies from Apple.

The iCampus, a partnership between Senco Link Technologies Inc., an authorized reseller of Apple products, and Ateneo, is located at the LS Bookstore of the Manny V. Pangilinan Leadership Center at the ADMU’s Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

The store, a partnership between Senco Link Technologies Inc., an authorized reseller of Apple products, and Ateneo, is located at the LS Bookstore of the Manny V. Pangilinan Leadership Center at the Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

Patrick Yeung, managing director of Senco Link Technologies Inc., said the store aims to deliver the latest Apple technologies that are ideal for teaching and learning.

“The partnership will benefit the growing number of students and faculty who have long appreciated Apple technologies in the field of education. With the opening of this store, Ateneans will have more access to these technologies,” Yeung said.

iCampus-Ateneo is Senco Link Technologies’ first campus store in the country.

The store, which occupies but a small corner of the bookstore, sells the latest Macintosh laptops, iPods and iPod Touch and, Apple-related accessories and also has on-site technical staff to provide support to students and faculty.

William Mallari, director of the Loyola School Bookstore and coordinator for student entrepreneurial initiative of Ateneo, said what makes the mini store different from other Apple stores outside is that students, faculty and alumni can purchase the products at discounted prices.

A lot of students, he said, supported the initiative as evidenced by strong sales in the last three months since it started operations.

To qualify for a discount, one has to present a student or faculty ID or an alumni card. Discounts vary for different products but are generally in the range of 10 to 20 percent.

“Our products are now more available to the Ateneo community, especially to the budget-conscious,” said Yeung in a statement. “The savings they will get from buying at iCampus can now be reallocated to other needs.”

The Apple on Campus program has been successfully implement worldwide and select universities in many countries have joined forces with the company to provide the academic community a chance to purchase Apple products at the best prices. All campus stores also offer the entire range of software, hardware and even third-party peripherals and accessories.

Jean Yew, solutions sales manager for Indonesia and the Philippines of Apple Inc., graced the opening of iCampus-Ateneo. Rodolfo Ang, dean of the John Gokongwei School of Management of Ateneo de Manila, officially welcomed the Apple store to the university.

Ang shared the story of an Ateneo alumnus who used an old Macintosh he owned as a student to make and distribute maps at the Subic Bay Freeport in the early 90s, a business venture that eventually became one of the direct marketing companies in the country.

“What can computers do for us nowadays?” asked Jeric Soriano, another Ateneo alumnus and a certified Mac enthusiast. “They are actually digital storytelling machines. They help tell a story. I’m sure everyone has a story to tell. In fact the computer allows you to tell that story. Adding the multimedia elements such as sound, pictures and moving videos allows you to tell that story even better.”

Soriano, a producer and director of television commercials and corporate videos, added that the computer is not just a tool; it is his portable studio.

“Digital storytelling help students develop creativity and innovation skills needed to solve important problems in imaginative ways. The digital revolution in a sentence is this: Finally we can all tell our old stories in our own way... Here is the tool for you to be able to tell that story,” he said, adding that learning communities are storytelling communities but technology doesn’t make teachers obsolete.

“Now more than ever students need the guidance and wisdom of teachers to guide them on how to choose technology with care and how to use it to tell stories with clarity and humanity,” he said.