Year: 2002

Following Tuesday’s earnings report from Apple, Credit Suisse First Boston analyst SG Cowen has written to clients of his concern over Apple’s bloated inventory of products, which now stands at 6.5 weeks. “Apple has clearly run into a wall of consumer intransigence,” he writes. “Apple may have to move beyond geometry as its key differentiator – unless the company can fashion an iMac trapezoid.” Apple tries to maintain four to five weeks of inventory.

PowerLogix today announced two new processor upgrades at Macworld Expo in NYC. Available in August, the 700 MHz version of the PowerForce G4 Series 100 for PowerMac G4s and Cubes and a 733 MHz version of the PowerForce G4 Series 133 will range in price from US$449 to $799. PowerLogix also announced the PowerForce Trade-Up Program, which allows customers to trade up later to a faster processor.

XtremeMac today announced Xrack, an enclosure designed for Apple’s new Xserve. The Xrack provides 12U (21.0″) of rack space in a desk- height enclosure, and features acoustic engineering for noise reduction, a forced air circulation system, built-in power strip, cable management system, and clear glass door. Xrack comes in black or platinum finishes, and is available now for US$1,695.

Apple has released AppleScript Collection for iDVD 2.1, a collection of AppleScripts for streamlining and automating the creation of DVDs. “Scriptable iDVD is a break-through product, offering our customers the ability to automate the process of creating DVDs,” Sal Soghoian, AppleScript Product Manager for Apple said.

Apple today will announce that a new .Mac membership service will replace iTools, the company’s free Web, FTP and email service. Slashdot notes an FAQ page (presently down) on Apple’s site that details what changes are coming. In a nutshell, the new “membership includes brand new features, like Backup and Virex anti-virus software, and improved versions of the iTools services, like additional email and iDisk storage.