Year: 2001

Apple has released PowerBook Firmware Update 4.2.9 for 550MHz and 667MHz PowerBook G4s running Mac OS 9.1 or later (users of Mac OS X must start up from a Mac OS 9.1 or later partition or drive). The new version adds improvements to FireWire target disk mode when running Mac OS X, improves starting up on systems with 1GB RAM and enables netbooting over Gigabit Ethernet.

Although two online music subscription services backed by the record labels, MusicNet and Pressplay, are now available for use, music fans who have taken advantage of peer-to-peer services such as Napster and now Audiogalaxy, Gnutella, Kazaa and others are continuing to do so, according to c|net, and are raising a critical eye to the new services.

The Washington Times has selected Apple’s PowerBook G4 as its top notebook computer of the holiday season, praising its wireless network capabilities, widescreen LCD and its ability to run Mac OS X 10.1 with exceptional speed. The newspaper’s top desktop selection is Hewlett-Packard’s Pavilion series.

MacSoft has released a 94MB demo of Myth III: The Wolf Age for Mac OS 8.6 and later and Mac OS X, which is due for release at Macworld Expo San Francisco. Servers are extremely busy, however. The folks at MacUpdate will be mirroring the file shortly.

A recent article at Law.com, as noted by MacSurfer, chronicles the efforts of Apple’s legal department to protect the company’s intellectual property and maintain strict control over it. Apple’s law department monitors over 30 trade and fan sites, and frequently uses cease-and-desist letters to warn Webmasters when Apple feels they have crossed the line.