Making a concerted effort to start posting on a regular basis…

Well, it’s been four months since I made the move from Blogger to WordPress, and I have yet to make good on posting regularly to this blog. Mac 9 To 5 is my idea to publish decidedly business-oriented news and reviews about the Macintosh and MacOS X. Due to work and family obligations, I haven’t made it a priority. Hopefully, this is going to change. I will do my best to publish on as regular a basis as possible new articles and content directed at people who use Macs and MacOS X in their daily businesses. Any speculation that I make about Apple software and hardware is my own and IS NOT based on any insider knowledge. I hope that I can present fresh and relevant content and make your visit worth the time and effort. Thanks for visiting.

Well, I’m back…

After a long hiatus, Mac 9 To 5 is back…and with its return comes a change of blog provider from Blogger to WordPress. Several of my colleagues have been using WordPress for a while and this fact, along with my frustration in not being able to post entries using the Blogging Bundle built in to TextMate, I decided it was time for a switch.

For those of you why yet another Macintosh web blog has sprung up, my goal with Mac 9 To 5 is to try to report news and opinion to people who use Macs in a Home/Small/Medium size business setting who are not getting what they need from other popular Mac news sites. As MacOS X and Apple gain more marketshare from its competitors, the more business owners will take a look at what MacOS X has to offer them. More to come…

Where have I been?

For the 2 or 3 of you who might actually read this site. Between an early season flu and my PowerBook G4 need to have it’s logic board replaced I have been out of commission. I am all well now and my PowerBook G4 is flying right. I will update the site later today and I hope to make more frequent updates going forward.

MacBook and MacBookPro updates coming soon?

According to AppleInsider both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro could be updated to the Intel Core2 Duo processor at any time.

Okay, so what is the Mac 9 To 5 take on this?

Based on Apple’s typical 6 to 9 month refresh cycle, it is not unreasonable to think that Apple’s premium laptops are ready for an update. But don’t expect upgrades beyond the addition of Core2 Duo’s to the MacBook Pro. Expect 2.0 and 2.16GHz clock speeds for the 15″ and 2.16 or 2.33GHz for the 17″. Like the new iMac that came out a few weeks ago, it is possible that Apple might introduce a larger version of the MacBook Pro. Imagine a 19″ MacBook Pro with a resolution of 1920X1200 and maybe an upgraded video card with 256 or 512MB of video ram. Think nVidia GeForce Go 7600GT. Oh, an maybe a slight price reduction. Expect the updated MacBook Pro’s at the September 25th Apple event.

The bottom line is that if you use your PowerBook as your day in and day out machine and your thinking about upgrading, then you should wait at least until Apple releases updated MacBook Pros. I use a PowerBook G4 17″@1.33GHz as my everyday machine and while I have my eye on an upgrade, I won’t pull the trigger until Apple releases exactly what I need. The general rule of thumb that I have been living by is to upgrade when I can double my clock speed or the effective speed of my applications by 2X. Case in point, my first PowerBook was a Titanium G4@667MHz and I waited (and waited) for Apple to release a 1.33GHz machine. Next stop is 2.66GHz, which probably won’t be until after Leopard is released next year.

As for the MacBook, I would expect no updates until right before the holiday buying season. My guess would be November 21st. Again, updates will be modest. Expect a Core2 Duo running at 1.83 and 2.0GHz and maybe a boost to the onboard graphics in the form of the Intel GMA 3000. All in all, it should be a solid upgrade for a very nice price.

That’s a really big screen…

I wouldn’t have believed it a few weeks ago. Today Apple released a 24″ iMac. Twenty-four inches. If you thought the 20″ iMac was big, then hurry on down to your local Apple Store to see this one in the flesh (uhm, I mean plastic). Good grief.

Okay, so what’s the Mac 9 To 5 take on this.

Well, I am impressed by the engineering, but I think this may be overkill for the average SOHO/Small Business user. The iMac is a great machine for the everyday business user, but I wish Apple had spent it’s engineering time creating a standalone desktop/tower to slot between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro instead of merely taking the iMac and supersizing it. My suggestion to Apple would be to create a new system based on the Intel Core 2 Duo desktop CPU (Conroe) in a sleek box with a starting price of $1299.00 sans monitor, a mid-range version at $1499.00 and a top-end with all the trimming at $1699.00. Let us add our own display from Apple or someone else and we’ll be good to go. Here are some specs for what I have in mind. Let’s just call it the “Mac” for right now:

• Desktop or small tower form factor
• Intel Core2 Duo @ 2.13Ghz with a step up to 2.4 or 2.66GHz
• Up to 4GB or 8GB DDR2 RAM
• PCIe x16 graphics with a 7300GT as the standard card
• Supports dual monitors
• One or two extra PCIe x4 slots for expansion
• The usual ports and connections (USB2, FW400, FW800, GigE, BT and APE)

Okay, enough tech specs. I guess what is the most important thing to me is that Apple needs to branch out and become a little more adventurous than it has been in a long time. I’m not talking Dell adventurous by any means, but it’s time to break out of its self-imposed restraints and provide SOHO/Small Business owners with a good solid workhorse machine. I hope Apple remembers us.

Welcome to Mac 9 to 5!!!

Welcome to Mac 9 to 5. The purpose of this blog is to publish news, tips and techniques for the average home/small/medium business owner who is using MacOS X in their daily lives. My focus will be decidely non-design related. I don’t intend to waste time on Photoshop tips and tricks or speculate when the next version of Maya 3D will be out. There are plenty of sites that concentrate on Apple’s typical core markets. However, there is a growing list of great software applications that do the less glamorous job of getting things done.

My overriding goal is to help business owners who use MacOS X in their daily lives be more productive and minimize any perceived disadvantages with Windows users. I will try to present practical solutions for typical business problems to help make the workday easier and more fun. Yes, fun. There, I said it.

Thanks for visiting. Have a great Labor Day.