Category: Technology

I passed by Mac & More today in Galleria 2000. The place was closed but the storefront is all glass so I could see what was inside. A couple of things grabbed my attention. First, the store has a large sign-age outside saying “Apple Center”. Then on the far right of that sign in small it says “Mac & More”. So ummm.. if the store is called Mac & More shouldn’t that be the largest and highlighted? Secondly the place does not match the official Apple Stores design. Thirdly they are using a red colored apple logo..?! Finally the place is tiny! Like ultra small. My pakistani barbershop is bigger.. and i am not being sarcastic here! I looked inside I could see 1 G5 powermac with an Apple display, 2 imacs, and a bunch of ipods on the shelves. I wasn’t able to see any powerbooks or ibooks nor any shuffles and mac mini’s. They seemed to have some accessories like the itrips and some skinz, but other then that nothing special. I was expecting “more” and didn’t get to see that. I am not a businessman or anything, but I personally think the store is gonna fail. It isn’t offering anything that the other retailers aren’t. If the store opened last year maybe it would have been better, but now that Apple products are being sold at Eureka and Virgin.. I don’t see how this store is gonna do any good. I have some pictures below which I quickly took from outside without the security catching me.

Mac & More 1
Mac & More 2
Mac & More 3

Rami (Tivo Guy) got his Mac Mini yesterday. He ordered it the day they got released but since he customized his, he had to wait a lot longer to get it. He promised me he will take pictures of his Mac Mini to share with us all. As soon as he puts them up I will link to them.

I will be out of the office all day today I think. At 11AM I have an appointment with a photographer. He is supposed to shoot 46 KDD icecream buckets I need to be there when he does that. 46 buckets and 4 angles for each shot.. its gonna take forever!

Update: Here are his pictures of the Mac Mini!!

According to some rumor sites, tomorrow new iPods will be released. So far the rumors point to the following:

iPod mini
– color screen
– new 6GB model
– six new colors
– 4GB model for $199
– 6GB model for $249

iPod (regular)
– two new iPods
– both priced at $349 and $449

Microsoft’s Bill Gates discussed iPods at Microsoft with news anchor Peter Jennings of ABC News.

From the transcript:

JENNINGS: On the subject of music, I read somewhere that about 80 percent of Microsoft employees who have a music playing instrument or a music playing device use an iPod.

GATES: Well, I doubt that’s the case. Certainly, the iPod’s a great success.

JENNINGS: Do you have one?

GATES: No, I’m not an iPod user. I use the Creative Zen which is a fantastic product. That’s another space where, even what we have today, whether it’s iPod or the other things are only the start of what we’re gonna have in a few years. People are gonna want choices. These things are going to be smaller or better, cheaper. So, music has changed. The age of the CD is really coming to an end.

JENNINGS: The public likes this tension between you and the others as I’m sure you know. So people want to know do you have an iPod. You say you don’t have. Did iPod beat you in this issue?

GATES: Oh the iPod did a great job, but what Apple’s done there is typically what they do. It’s their, only their one music store, only their device. What we’re doing is providing choices. So it’s like the Apple computer versus the PC. With the PC you can buy from many companies so you get cheaper prices, you get more variety and here with music devices we’re coming in with the same. But they’re a strong leader in the space and I think as we gain share, people will be surprised.

Taken from Cult of Mac

I have been checking Amazon.com daily for the Sony PSP so I can preorder one for me. Today I just checked and their now is a listing for the Sony PSP on Amazon but you can’t preorder! I dont know if this will change or not, at the moment I have the Amazon PSP page as my browsers startup page so I will know once they start accepting preorders.

For those interested, this is the link.

Just got word that an Apple store opened at Galleria 2000 called Mac and More. The store belongs to IOC, the same guys who put the Apple stuff at Eureka and Virgin. They are supposingly getting the Mac Mini next week. Tivo Guy who now has a blog gets it tomorrow. I am sure he will take many pictures for us fans 🙂

Update: The store it seems does NOT belong to IOC. Check this

OK I hope this is not true because I would be really jealous if it happened!

ThinkSecret is reporting that the next update to the iPod mini will include a 5 or 6GB hard drive and full-color screens. The price will remain the same, at $250. Expect an announcement within the next two weeks, they say.

Urgh! Just when I was starting to get comfortable with my blue ipod mini they will be releasing new ones with colored screens! SUCKS!

Ok, a lot of posts today but just because I need to fill this blog up a bit. Just read todays Joy of Tech cartoon, its making fun out of Windows.. really funny check it out.. The Joy of Tech!