My first poll

This social experiment enters a new phase, as I invite everyone to start speculating with me. I have created a poll to learn why you think Mac sales have reached a new record despite the delay in the release of Mac OS X Leopard (I expect Mac sales to jump again in October).

I wonder if the increase is due to the release of pent up demand triggered by the release of Adobe Creative Suite 3 for MacIntel, and other universalized software? Maybe the release of Microsoft Vista knocked fence sitters off their perches into the switcher camp. Conversely, maybe Vista made Boot Camp and Parallels look much more attractive.

What do you think? Please vote.

Some REAL good reasons not to buy an iPhone tomorrow.

Reading Confessions of a Mac Convert by Rich Duprey @ The Motley Fool triggered the following thoughts. Purely Speculational of course. Rich explains that he bought an iMac for one daughter who will be going to college soon, and that her sister wants a Mac laptop. He ends the article wondering whether he can get volume discounts.

I wrote him to tell him not to ignore Apple's EDUCATIONAL discounts, and also mentioned that several states offer several tax free shopping days for back to school buyers (Here, it's called Tax Free PC week, and is not limited to PCs). I speculated that the combination of discount + no taxes could result in savings of 15% or more depending on what state he lives in.

Now I'm thinking that by August the iPhone might appear in the Apple Store for Education. In addition, buying an iPhone for a student might qualify for back to school tax rebates if your state offers them.

Rather than waiting for some nebulous time when iPhone prices "come down", just wait for Apple to announce that the iPhone is being offered on the Apple Store for Education. Then go to your states website to find out when the back to school tax free shopping days will be.

Note: Teachers, students, and parents qualify for discounts at the Apple Store for Education. These discounts are available at school stores, too.

If you can hold your horses until mid-August, you might save big. Purely Speculational. Too bad that Leopard won't be available then.

Partnering with a vengeance!

Today's news, reported by Gregg Keiser, Computerworld, is that Sun Microsystems ZFS file system will replace Apple's HFS+ file system in Mac OS X Leopard. Is that the sound of the other shoe dropping? Last month's news was that Sun Microsystems dedicated two software engineers to work full time porting OpenOffice to the Mac. Together, that's like an Ali Shuffle followed by a one-two combination. It can't be coincidence. Purely Speculational.

The Mac's survival has always been dependent on Microsoft Office, and Apple has always been dependent on Microsoft. I speculate that Apple has never openly contributed to the OpenOffice project so as not to antagonize Microsoft. Now it appears that Apple has licensed ZFS from Sun, and in return Sun is openly contributing to an Aqua native port (carbon) of Open Office. Can you say Rope-A-Dope? Jobs and Company have moved from Partnering 101 to the Honors Course.

Sun CEO spills Apple Leopard secret
Sun Microsystems joins porting effort for OpenOffice.org for Mac

Will iPod Development enter a new phase?

The following is (almost) purely speculational.

Considering all the hype spinning around the new Apple iPhone, I find it interesting that no one is discussing it's most spectacular feature combo. It's not news that the iPhone's foundation is the Mac OS; neither is it news that the iPhone is an iPod. Question: Could this mean that future iPods will be based on the Mac OS?

It's probably true that most iPod users don't know, and don't care, about the OS inside their iPod. "It just works!", is probably enough for them. On the other hand, for those of you wondering what's next for the iPod, an iPod running the Mac OS should boggle the mind. Today's Apple rumor is that an iPhone Development Kit (SDK) will be previewed or released at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in two weeks. If next generation iPods are based on the Mac OS, then the iPhone SDK could also be an iPod SDK!

While Apple is (rightly?) concerned that third party applications could compromise the security of an iPhone, they probably have fewer concerns about the iPod. A Chinese iPod manufacturer has already demonstrated that an iPod can be used to spread Windows based viruses; Apple will need to use some caution, but not much. It's not as if the iPod has the Zune-like capability to transmit viruses wirelessly to every other iPod it meets on the street. Truth: I don't know if the Zune can do that either; that's purely speculational! Actually, my understanding is that MicroSoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) won't let your Zune upload files received "socially" onto your PC. Kudo for that, Microsoft.

I imagine that the first fruits of an iPod SDK will be games. I also imagine that an iPod SDK could create an industry comparable to the rest of the iPod accessory market.

Release the hounds!

Secret Leopard Features.

Blogging about the Secret Features to appear in Mac OS Leopard seems to be the rage these days, as less than two weeks remain before all will be revealed at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC). Right. Some blogs claim inside sources; most read like wishful thinking.

I can do that.

1. Facial Recognition logon security. A new Macintosh Computer (Mac) comes equipped with an iSight camera and Photo Booth software. Mac OS X Leopard invites a user to use the camera to take a self portrait for the picture attached to the user Account. With Facial Recognition software, Leopard could compare the face of the person logging into the computer against the Account Picture if configured to do so. This optional security step would be in addition to a strong password. Leopard could also be configured to make this comparison whenever a password is required.
2. iPod Development Kit. The consensus of the iPhone rumormongers is that an iPhone Development Kit will be introduced at Apple's WWDC. Imagine if this SDK could also be used to develop for the iPod.
   

Look for more speculations to come in days ahead.