In a report today in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Todd Bishop discusses Microsoft’s plans to take on Apple in both the downloadable and portable music markets (iTunes Music Store and iPod). Last November Microsoft said that it will be launching an MSN online music service sometime this year, and Bishop says that the company is planning to release a new line of portable devices.
Read More– The weather in San Francisco is relatively warm (high 40s) with enough of a breeze in the air to make a jacket well recommended. However, it’s the time of year when Mac users feel the fever of anticipation as another Steve Jobs’ keynote looms. The level of excitement is, as always when the reality distortion field begins to coalesce, very high.
Read MoreChronopath today announced the release of Library 2, the company’s library cataloging application, and Chronoscan 2, a barcode scanner for Mac OS X. Library 2 features a new, faster core database, as well as support for games, music, and movies to accompany the existing books-only support. Chronoscan 2 now works in all applications, offers a visual indicator improved to two-color, and support for additional symbologies. Library 2 and Chronoscan 2 are priced at US$15 and $149, respectively.
Read MoreAdobe on Monday announced InDesign CS PageMaker Edition, an InDesign CS extension to help PageMaker users make “a quick and successful” transition to the layout and design package. The new product includes a full version of Adobe InDesign CS plus a PageMaker Plug-in Pack, templates, and training materials. Adobe InDesign CS PageMaker Edition for Mac OS X will be available in the first quarter of 2004. The estimated street price will be US$349 to registered users who own any version of Adobe PageMaker.
Read MoreLater this week YazSoft will release a major update to Speed Download 2, the company’s popular download manager. The new release is completely optimized for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and will offer a slew of new features, including an update “Watch Lists” for your favorite applications, about a 15% performance increase, the ability to download content from Web sites (jpgs, gifs, etc.), and more.
Read More