Year: 2001

Dr. Bott has begun shipping a 3-meter ADC extension cable for Apple’s displays. The cable is compatible with Apple’s flat-panel ADC displays (the older, 17-inch CRT display is not compatible) and carries a US$59.95 price tag. Dr. Bott has also begun shipping its 3-meter DVI extension cable ($49.95) and DVI Extractor ($34.95), which allows DVI displays to be connected to an ADC Power Mac.

C|net has published an article that takes a look at Apple’s attempts to lure Windows users—especially those who were former Mac users—to the Mac. “There are lots of Windows users who used to own a Mac. We’re starting to see a combination of things getting those customers interested in our platform again,” Apple VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said. Apple is banking on Mac OS X, its digital hub concept, proprietary and Mac-first solutions, and stylish hardware to bring new customers to the platform.

A Knight Ridder News Service article discusses the value that Apple packs into its recently refreshed iBook line, as well as other perks that Mac users enjoy. “If someone on your gift list isn’t wedded to PCs and wants a stylish, dependable, easy-to-use computer, a mainstream Mac just might be the ticket,” begins the article.

A patent granted to Apple in 1995 is causing a commotion among developers of the open-source PNG graphics format, reports The Register. At dispute is a patent that covers ‘alpha blending’, a frequently used technique for blending two images together that the PNG format supports. Developers participating in the PNG project are asking Apple to freely license the technology, a request that Apple has yet to respond to.

Macromedia today issued a press release plugging its Macromedia Exchange developer community for Dreamweaver. Developers are “streamlining nearly every aspect of authoring Web content and applications using Dreamweaver,” Macromedia said. Dozens of Dreamweaver Extensions are available from the Macromedia Exchange site, with more than 7.3 million downloads since the site was started.