Boy, there have been a lot of these introductions going around, eh? You’d think there was a hiring surge or something. My name is Mark, and I’m the latest in the continuing series.

I got my freelance start writing about Massively Multiplayer Time Sinks for PC Gamer Magazine. Admittedly the only crossover between writing for them and TheAppleBlog is, “suck it up, Princess; people are going to edit your work.” I also wrote the MMOS X column over at Massively.com. After the proverbial break to “spend more time with my family” (even though my wife would claim differently) I answered the Call to Duty when Josh sounded the bugles.

I’ve had a lengthy history with the Macintosh. I bought one of the first units (I splurged on the 512k unit). I was a volunteer for the Boston Computer Society in their Resource Center. That was a great way to get my hands on a lot of great gear I could never afford. From there, I entered the printing industry working for service bureaus and commercial print shops. Dear Lord, it just hit me I used Photoshop and PageMaker versions 1. After a break from the Macintosh, I came back when I got my hands on a Pismo. Since then, my production computer has been a Mac. My current Mac kit is fairly modest. I’m using a 1st Gen Whitebook (with an upgraded 500g drive), and a 1st Gen iPhone.

I have a sarcastic and irreverent writing style and I’m looking forward to subjecting, err, sharing it with y’all.

Given the runaway success of the App Store (if you haven’t heard, just pick up any newspaper, provided you can find one still being printed), I’ve begun to give some thought to the feasibility of a Mac App Store. Does it make sense? Could Apple pull it off? What would it mean for developers and for users?

The introduction of the iTunes Music Store (now simply called the iTunes Store) brought about an entirely new paradigm for providing digital content. There was new ground for Apple to break, and to test the waters, it began with music, before eventually adding support for audiobooks, podcasts, television shows, movies, and movie rentals.

Initially aimed at giving users more choice by allowing them to pay for the specific content they desired (a song vs. the entire CD, or a TV episode instead of an entire season), many more benefits to this new model quickly became apparent — for example, user reviews to highlight the best content, trends to see what others are buying, environmental benefits by reducing physical distribution, and simplicity for producers to get their content quickly before the public. Now with the App Store, developers are once again doing the same thing for the iPhone and iPod touch.

But would this same concept work for big-name applications like Creative Suite 4 or Microsoft Office? In short, yes.

While Apple’s profit margin for app developers might be a little high for companies like Adobe or Microsoft, it hasn’t stopped such companies from exploring their own methods of digital distribution. Creative Suite 4 is available from Adobe’s web site as a trial (which a user can then buy the license and upgrade) or as a full version that can be downloaded once purchased from its online store. Microsoft offers the same solution for Office 2008 on its web site as well.

Objections & Rebuttals

The biggest argument against digital distribution of any kind (software, movies, music) is the lack of physical media. In some cases, I support this, but the App Store has shown us that not dealing with physical media is a lot more convenient. (Just how easy is it to try a new app on your iPhone and delete it if you don’t want it?)

Another common objection you hear is that with physical media, you always have a nice backup copy in case you need it. (One could argue the flip side that by only having physical media, you really have no backup copy if your original disc becomes scratched or damaged.) Apple has once again snuck a hidden gem in the App Store with its ability to re-download content at any time after your initial purchase. Bearing this in mind, now how simple is it to install an application onto multiple Macs, assuming you have the appropriate license? Simply login to iTunes and re-download the application again.

Others like to cite bandwidth as a reason against this distribution method. Granted, broadband is not common in all parts of the world, but this is certainly not an “all or none” argument — simply a direction we’re progressing towards. Furthermore, the size of the average application is usually far smaller than a music album, HD TV show, or feature film.

Yet another aspect to consider is that Apple has already provided one online destination for applications and that is its Downloads section of Apple.com. Unfortunately, this option has many setbacks, including lack of powerful searching options, lack of user reviews, and inability to track purchases to name a few. Almost two years ago, however, Apple also utilized this approach to showcase its collection of web apps for the iPhone, before giving way to a full-fledged App Store inside of iTunes. The web apps are still browsable via Apple’s web site, but with the introduction of native apps, web apps just don’t get the love they once did. With its seamless integration with your iTunes account for billing, reviews, and user recommendations, iTunes would be a more ideal solution for delivering applications and updates instead of a web site.

Additional Benefits

There are many additional benefits for developers and consumers in a potential Mac App Store. With the introduction of a Mac App Store, smaller developers will have the potential to reach greater audiences. One of the best things about using a Mac are all of those neat little applications you always see popping up on the net. With a Mac App Store, now these developers can share the same space as big-name guys like Adobe and Microsoft, without needing an advertising budget as big as theirs.

Looking at how intelligently iTunes can view my past purchases and offer “deals” to complete albums or upgrade to iTunes Plus, and even how the App Store delivers app updates to consumers, Apple could finally allow developers to take advantage of its Software Update app built into OS X. (There are already some popular third-party apps that do this, and one thing Apple loves to do best is to take what’s “popular” and make it its own).

Though Apple has faced a lot of criticism for its policies of approving and rejecting apps from the App Store, such a system would also likely be in place for a Mac specific version. However, as this would not be the only method of distributing applications for the Mac, Apple’s approval policies shouldn’t be seen as a detriment to this idea, especially as Apple continues to refine and improve its approval process.

Essentially, the technology is already in place. Apple has a distribution method (App Store & iTunes), and most developers are already offering downloads via their own sites. If, and when, Apple introduces a Mac App Store, developers will be able to reach entirely new audiences and easier distribution than they currently enjoy.

We’d like to say thanks to this month’s sponsor of TheAppleBlog:

• HD Meetings – From Fuze Meeting: Wunder Radio provides access to thousands of streaming Internet radio stations and on your iPhone or Windows Mobile Phone.
• Mozy: Back up your photos, music, and files with Mozy for as low as $4.34 per month.

Evolution of the Apple logo

If you’ve ever been called an Apple Fanboy, you’ve no doubt tried to defend yourself by claiming you simply like things that work, blah, blah, blah. So here are 10 ways to test your Mac geekiness to see if you really are a Fanboy.

1. You know that Apple was founded by the two Steves, and a third partner named Ronald Wayne, who was responsible for the creation of the original Apple logo.
2. You not only have an Apple sticker on your car window, but you’ve placed one in the corner of every window in your house, effectively notifying would-be thieves that you have something worthy of breaking in for.
3. The only three fonts you use in your documents are Motter Tektura, Garamond and Myriad.
4. You download updates to Apple software that you don’t even own.
5. You’ve taken the day off from work during every Macworld Expo to listen to the keynote speech.
6. You have milk crates for furniture, yet you manage to scrape up enough money to pay AT&T’s obscenely high fees for the privilege of owning an iPhone.
7. You take a screenshot of your desktop and upload it to Flickr…every day!
8. You have three fart, two flashlight, and three Twitter apps on your iPhone.
9. You have no less than seven black turtleneck shirts.
10. You have signed, framed and hung on the wall “unboxing” photos of every Apple product you’ve ever purchased…including AppleCare.

Starting at 8AM PST, TheAppleBlog will be providing live coverage of the WWDC 2009 keynote!

Our live coverage service will allow you to make comments, view photos, in addition to the constant stream of new info! Be sure to drop your email address in the form at live.theappleblog.com to be reminded of when our coverage will go live!

We will also be providing up-to-the-minute coverage via our Twitter account.

I’ve spent most of my career working in IT Operations, a good part of which I’ve spent thinking, “Really, what’s the worst that could happen?” A year or so ago, I asked myself, “What’s the worst that could happen if my MacBook died?” It was a pretty sobering question.

I work full time. I also freelance, go to school, and write fiction part time. The best case would be the failure was during a rare moment of idleness, and I could suffer the loss of a computer without breaking a sweat. But what’s the fun in that? Data disasters don’t strike in moments like this; instead, like a formulaic movie plot, they happen when you’re not only on deadline, but one you’re really late on. Planning for a system failure I pray never happens has led to what’s admittedly an overly cautious backup strategy. Most people think they’re being very cautious if they’ve got a secondary backup method; I’ve got a tertiary backup.

My primary backup is Time Machine, and it has served me well through the usual accidental data deletions. While the interface drives me a little batty, Time Machine is an excellent backup method. Hourly, I’ll hear my drives spin up and can smile knowing the drivel I’m writing is safely backed up. Every now and then I’ll get the dreaded Time Machine backup error, but either forcing the backup or just waiting for the next cycle works fine.

Time Machine, though, only works when I’m attached to my USB devices at home. I use my laptop at work and at school, so if I need to do a restore when I’m not at home, Time Machine is useless. Not only that, if my house burns down, I’m out of luck. As a secondary backup, I use Mozy. Now, the first backup is extremely long; depending on how many gigs you’re backing up, you could be looking at a week’s worth of time uploading data. Once that’s done, subsequent backups are very speedy. It only backs up changed files, so you’re not uploading hundreds of gigs of files every day. It’s easy to configure your backup sets — you can either tell it to grab your Documents, Pictures, Music folders, etc., or you can go deeper and tell it to backup (or exclude) specific folders. Mozy also runs in the background when your Mac is in an idle period.

My secondary computer is a PC. Each of these backup schemes work as long as my Mac is intact or I have another Mac to restore to. Time Machine obviously is Mac-only, but while Mozy works on Macs and PCs, the file that’s restored is a .dmg file. While I could find a way to break into the .dmg file, part of my worst-case plan is, “OK, my Mac is dead and the only way I can make this deadline is to keep working on my PC, STAT!” There are three folders (School, Freelance, Writing) that I have deemed Crucial National Assets. Without immediate access to those folders during a State of Emergency, I am completely and totally hosed.

To solve that worse-case scenario, I use Dropbox. Dropbox simply uploads what I want to a web page, where I can grab files from any other computer, Mac or PC. The one drawback is it likes its files to reside in a Dropbox folder on my Mac, but I got around that by creating symbolic links to those three folders I really care about. Dropbox grabs their contents and uploads them.

An important part of any backup routine is testing data validity. Periodically, I’ll do test restores from Time Machine and Mozy, and verify from my PC that I can access the data on Dropbox. While you’re likely to only need them in case of emergency, it’s important to know if you have to break the glass and use the tools they’ve been doing their jobs all along.

What is your backup strategy?

Palm’s been working hard to mastermind the Pre launch this Saturday, but I think they’re getting it all wrong. Now Sprint has joined in. It’s reached the point where they look like a couple of companies seriously in need of some business acumen.

Early reviews of the Pre are promising, yet I wonder if the bumbling, stumbling, Three Stooges approach Palm and its partners have used from the Pre’s introduction to its launch aren’t enough to ruin it anyway. Looking back, it’s hard to think of anything Palm did right with the launch after its introduction demo at CES in January.

Here’s a brief recap of everything that seems to have gone wrong.

• You had Palm investor Roger McNamee shooting his mouth off so badly that Palm actually had to issue a retraction of his statements. Way to control the message, guys.
• You had rumors about there being a constrained supply of Pres. This was followed by an outright admission. It doesn’t bother me if Palm feels the need for supply manipulation, but I disagree with it.
• There was a big deal about Best Buy selling the Pre with an instant $100 rebate instead of the mail-in rebate at Sprint stores. But then we found out they’re hardly letting Best Buy have any phones.
• The rebate itself is only good for five weeks (until 7/11), at which time the Pre will be $300. With the constrained supplies it makes you wonder how many people will actually save $100.
• Meanwhile, you’ve got developers who can’t get the SDK, and…
• Verizon blabbing that they’ll have the Pre in six months, potentially killing early sales.

And now, as the straw that broke this camel’s back, you have the sideshow from Palm and Sprint about how it’s actually good if there’s no lines or crowds for the Pre.

A Palm spokeswoman, Lynn Fox, said that people who equate success with packed stores may be disappointed, because the company will take time to generate buzz with the new phone. “We’re not like Apple,” she said.

Yes, equating a packed store with success is a mistake. They’re probably just their to return your merchandise or ask about a competitor. Well, Lynn, I can vouch for the fact that Palm is definitely not like Apple. They like their stores packed. Silly Apple.

And Mark Elliott, a spokesman for Sprint, said the company not only didn’t expect long lines for the Pre at its 1,100 stores — it didn’t want them.

BWAHAHAHA! Well of course they didn’t want lines. In fact, Sprint plans to shoo people away if even the merest hint of a line forms. Shoo! Go away, people! Nothing to see here.

“We’re actually trying to manage the exact opposite,” Mr. Elliott said.

Well, your strategy so far is right on track for that. I do have one question though: Are you insane?

“What we’re trying to do is not have people backed up waiting so customers feel rushed,” Mr. Elliott said. “We want each customer to get the experience.”

Which experience is that? The one of being lonely in the store because you don’t want any crowds, or the one of deciding to buy a Pre only to be turned away because of the constrained supply?

Success “is not about having a line out the door,” he said. “It’s about being able to treat each customer and make sure they’re happy with their decision.”

A certain company I know of believes that success is both. They can have packed stores and lines and an incredibly happy and satisfied customer base all at the same time. That sounds a lot more like success than what you’re trying to manage.

“Not like Apple,” indeed.

TheMacDweeb - discussing the number of times he's enjoyed using PC's.

Since it’s not common for a comedian to join the ranks of a tech blog, I’m very excited to introduce myself as the newest blogger here at TheAppleBlog. Hopefully, you can count on me to make you laugh a wee bit while reading.

And since it’s certainly not common for a comedian to also be a Mac expert, I’m also excited to introduce myself as the SysAdmin of a 250-Mac network at a sweet (but undisclosed) location in the heart of Los Angeles. Hopefully, you can count on me to teach you a thing or two about your Macs.

I’ve been studying, practicing, ripping apart, fixing, tinkering, and mastering Apple computers since my folks bought me an Apple II+ back in the early Mesozoic era of computing. (Yes, there were dinosaurs roaming the planet when I first learned BASIC.) But what started at age eleven as a hobby has become an obsession now that I manage hundreds of Macs. And don’t even get me started about my iPod or iPhone collection. In fact, I’ll probably write about that in another post…

I’ve also been studying, practicing, ripping apart, fixing, tinkering, and mastering comedy since my folks took me to an Andy Kaufman concert. I’ve performed stand-up comedy at The Laugh Factory & The Improv; I’ve acted on TV shows such as “The West Wing” and “Sesame Street”; and I produce and direct a comedy troupe in Los Angeles called “Fake Radio.” For nine years, we’ve re-created actual radio shows from the 1940’s and 1950’s with incredible guest stars.

For any of my Mac-tastic work, you can follow me here as well as on Twitter or over at The Mac Dweeb blog. I look forward to reading your comments on my articles…and sharing the occasional knock-knock joke.

A patent application published today for a “mutli-dimensional scroll wheel” suggests Apple may be evolving the venerable iPod click wheel, rather than replacing it with a pure multitouch interface, like the iPhone.

Originally filed on September 5, 2008, the patent application describes a “plurality of circumferentially arranged sensor elements” ordered around “the mechanical push button.” Such a device would allow for “gestures that traverse the center of the scroll wheel,” as well as multitouch input. Rather than swiping across the display surface, one would swipe across the scroll wheel for, as an example, Coverflow.

Zooming in and out on a photograph might be accomplished by “one finger touching an inner region of the scroll and another finger rotating in the outer region.” The familiar pinch-and-zoom method is also described, though, and it’s likely that any gesture done on the display of an iPhone or an iPod touch could be replicated on the hybrid scroll wheel surface.

A new control scheme isn’t the only possibility for the next iPod nano, either. Last month, iLounge reported rumors of the iPod nano getting a slightly larger display and a camera. While rumors and patent applications are not much to base expectations on, new iPods are traditionally introduced in early September. If you need/want an iPod nano now, the current promotion is a good deal, but even the possibility of multitouch and a camera seems worth the wait.