Apple Announces MacX 2.0

PR Newswire

August 5, 1997

               Upgrade Incorporates Support for Open Transport 

MACWORLD EXPO, BOSTON, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Apple Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) today announced shipment of MacX(R) 2.0, an enhanced version of the Company's easy-to-use software for high-performance X Window System computing on Mac(R) OS computers. Designed to help increase the productivity of Mac OS users in UNIX/VMS environments, MacX enables users to seamlessly run both network-based X applications and Mac OS applications on one Mac OS computer.
New in MacX 2.0 is support for the X Window System standard Version 11, Release 6.1 (X11R6.1). Compatibility with this widely adopted standard enables them to run the latest X client applications on their Mac OS computers. To enhance customer productivity further, Apple optimized MacX for use with Open Transport, which further optimizes server performance, particularly on PowerPC systems.
According to Apple's MacX product manager Richard Ford, MacX 2.0 demonstrates Apple's continued commitment to its MacX customers. "MacX 2.0 is the result of Apple's continuing engineering efforts to enhance our networking products so they take maximum advantage of Open Transport and PowerPC Processors. In addition, it demonstrates our efforts to keep our products up-to-date with evolving network standards," said Ford.
MacX 2.0 continues to provide the ease of use associated with Apple products. The product provides one-button installation and full support for Mac OS user-interface features. MacX 2.0 seamlessly integrates the Mac OS and X environments, allowing customers to customize the software so that they can launch frequently used X applications simply by choosing commands from pull-down menus. Customers can also cut and paste text and color graphics between the Mac OS and X environments. And, customers view X applications in familiar Mac OS windows for easy moving and resizing.
Additional MacX 2.0 features include:
-- Support for multiple network protocols, permitting full use of TCP/IP,

        DECnet, and AppleTalk 

-- Support for the X Display Management Control Protocol (xdm), allowing a

        network administrator to manage X terminals and workstations from a 

        single host 

-- Support for both the rexec and rsh UNIX connection methods
System Requirements
MacX 2.0 runs on any Mac OS computer with a 68030 processor or higher, or any PowerPC-based computer running System 7.1 or higher (7.5.3 or later is recommended). MacX 2.0 requires 16MB of RAM, a hard drive and local or network access to a CD-ROM drive. Access to a UNIX or VMS host via one of the following connections -- Direct Ethernet or Token Ring; LocalTalk bridged to Ethernet; or for Remote Access via PPP, SLIP, or ARA -- is also required.
Product Availability and Pricing
MacX 2.0 is available immediately in the U.S. and Canada. The estimated retail price of MacX 2.0 in the U.S. is $150. Current MacX 1.5 customers can upgrade to the new version for $90 in the US, by calling 800-293-6617, and providing proof of ownership. This release is also available in the United States through the Volume License Program, a cost-effective way for customers to acquire software licenses, support and maintenance in volume for selected Apple products. For more information, in the U.S. call 800-293-6617; in Canada, call 800-361-6075 for additional information.
Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, handheld computers and Internet content. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Apple develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions, products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer, entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in more than 140 countries.
Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/
Apple, the Apple logo, Mac OS, MacX and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.
SOURCE Apple Computer Inc. 

Apple gets intense about its hobby.(INTERNET VIDEO COMES TO THE TV)

The Online Reporter

November 6, 2009

- New Features Now, New Service Soon?

- Bridging Music and Video

Apple has released the Apple TV 3.0 software, giving its set-top box a much needed upgrade and extra features that move it out of the "hobby" category and into the sellable one. Beyond the software updates, a few recent developments on the iTunes end makes us think there's a lot more there than meets the eye.

The big redesign seems aimed at all of Apple TV. The main menu has been cleaned up and allows users to search for content a bit faster. YouTube seems to work well so far, with only a few content restrictions. The box now works with iTunes Extras movie content and the iTunes LP albums, in full screen and full-featured. Apple is sending out updates to users who have already purchased these. It seems for LPs that only part of the file is being replaced with the download.

Apple has also tossed in Genius Mixes to the Apple TV basket, and that with new access to Internet radio makes the box a single-unit home theater. Apple TV can now access almost everything that iTunes can--apps being the big difference, but we expect them to come soon.

Now that it's so well integrated, why not give users a big screen to play games, use apps or even surf the Web on through integration of the iPhone and iPod line as remotes or content sources?

For photos, Apple TV supports HD images through iPhoto Events and iPhoto Faces, which gives access to photos organized by people identified in tagged pictures.

Through iTunes, the service give access to around 8,000 SD films, 2,000 in HD, 11 million songs, 10,000 music videos and 50,000 TV show episodes. The Apple TV with 160GB capacity will set you back $229.

Apple TV and the Cable Subscription

A report from MediaMemo and others that's been getting a lot of attention is the possibility that Apple is shopping for a $30 per-month subscription plan for TV content delivered via iTunes.

Those 100 million iTunes users might be a pretty tempting selling point for the US networks, especially if the report is true and the service wants to launch early next year.

This could also explain why Apple and AT&T were so unfriendly toward Sling Media's Sling Player.

If this is truly being considered, Disney is the most likely to jump on board, with ABC and ABC Family content. Disney has a strong tie to Apple with both Jobs and its past successes--Disney sold around $4 million worth of content in the first two months of its presence on iTunes back in 2005-and it has been the most forefront putting ABC content out on the Web and on platforms other than its own.

The report says the industry is giving it mixed reviews, and while not likely tied specifically to a device, the new Apple TV updates will likely help.

CBS will be a network to watch because it has perhaps the most to gain from a subscription service. The reason is because CBS offers a TV.com app for the iPhone, as well as the TV.com Web site for PC users, and it already streams a lot of its new show episodes for free. For the iPhone, these are broken up into segments that are good for watching on the go.

If the subscription service works the same way as movie rentals do, files that exist and work for only a small window of time, say a fortnight, perhaps--for this kind of service--CBS could get a better presence on mediums it is already comfortable with and also better revenues.

There are countless reports that Hulu is going to develop a for-pay premium model, but this is where Apple could once again walk into a new market and put out a more desirable service for the user.

Netflix and iTunes have shown that movies and older TV episodes work streamed, rented and downloaded on the Web. The proof is in the sheer number of services that have followed and devices that cater to these services.

How Apple Got Its Groove Back

It wouldn't be Apple without a little music news, so part of the company's new push on iTunes is a Music Movies section--and this ain't your grandma's show tunes.

Apple will launch a new marketing effort designed to drive music buyers to music-themed movies in its video store.

Apple has added a "Music" genre to its Movies section and landing page, which will feature music films like concerts, movies about bands, documentaries and music-focused feature films. 

One of the first exclusives is "It Might Get Loud," a documentary about guitar legends Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White, which iTunes will offer December 8-22, before it goes on sale on DVD.

So far, the service has picked up a slate of older music related films, including pieces on U2, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.

Apple is looking to create a bridge between its biggest sales volume, music, and perhaps a bigger revenue-generator, movies.

The studios and the recording industry have to be happy about the focus. Estimates put the DVD sales of music-themed content down around 25% to 30% compared with this time last year (according to Digital Entertainment Group, total DVD sales are down around 14%), while digital movie sales and rentals have climbed roughly 20% so far this year.

Apple is pushing a lot of content to its platforms. Making Apple TV a central focus in all of these coming sales will help bring the set-top box into its own right. 

Apple unveils iPhone 4 to fend off Google.

Financial Mirror (Cyprus)

June 8, 2010

Apple Inc unveiled a new iPhone on Monday that goes on sale in scores of countries this year, preparing its fastest-ever global roll-out to try and stay a step ahead of rivals like Google Inc in a red-hot smartphone market.
CEO Steve Jobs showed off a redesigned $199 "iPhone 4" that is a quarter slimmer than the current handset. The device boasts a higher quality screen and better battery life, video chat via Wi-Fi, and a gyroscope sensor for improved gaming.
A slim but energetic Jobs told a media and industry audience at Apple's annual developers' conference in San Francisco that the latest phone will be available June 24 in five countries, expanding to 18 by July and 88 by September in the quickest-ever international roll-out for an iPhone.
That signaled how serious Apple is about gaining traction abroad, where iPhone penetration is still relatively small.
Despite the iPad's success in its first two months on the market -- more than 2 million sold in 60 days -- the iPhone remains Apple's main growth line, and the international market is key. Some analysts estimate more than two-thirds of iPhone sales are now coming from overseas.
"It's really just a huge market unit opportunity abroad for the iPhone," Broadpoint Amtech analyst Brian Marshall said.
But many of the innovations on the iPhone 4 had been expected, and industry watchers say it is becoming more difficult to stand out in a crowded field.
Google's Android operating system -- used by many brands from Motorola Inc and HTC Corp to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Dell Inc -- poses the biggest threat, analysts say.
The iPhone's global share surged to more than 15 percent in the first quarter, making it No. 3 in smartphones. Phones based on Android ranked No. 4 with close to 10 percent of the market, a huge increase from the previous year and gaining, Gartner data shows.
"There was nothing earth-shattering about what we saw or heard today," said CCS insight analyst John Jackson. "All of that said, you can't think it will be anything other than a phenomenal success."
Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst called the new device "more evolutionary than revolutionary."
"It doesn't completely change the paradigm for the iPhone," he said.
GOLD STANDARD
Still, Jobs argued the fourth-generation iPhone -- which for the first time sports the same A4 processor that powers the iPad -- marks the biggest technological leap since the first model debuted and set the standard.
"This is beyond a doubt the most precise thing and one of the most beautiful things we've ever made," Jobs said.
Apple's CEO displayed all of his famed skills as a pitchman, mixing wry wit with an obvious passion for Apple's products. He even joked about the iPhone prototype that fell into the hands of Gizmodo, which spilled many of its secrets.
Although the iPhone remains Apple's main growth driver, the iPad has stolen some of its thunder. With the early success of the tablet computer, Apple's stock has gained around 20 percent this year, overtaking Microsoft Corp to become the world's most valuable technology company.
Apple's shares fell 2 percent to close at $250.94 on the Nasdaq. Google shares fell 2.7 percent, while Research in Motion Ltd dropped 5.2 percent.
Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar noted that investors are likely waiting for Apple to expand its iPhone distribution to U.S. carriers beyond AT&T before getting excited.
"The next big event is going to be Verizon. It's a guessing game whether it will be late 2010 or early 2011," he said.
For now, the new device should be more profitable, given price and hardware specifications, Marshall said.
"I feel like we're going to see gross margins expand here on the iPhone," he said.
The iPhone -- introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen, on-demand application template now adopted by its rivals -- remains the gold standard in the fast-growing smartphone market.
Apple sold a record 8.75 million iPhones in its latest quarter, accounting for 40 percent of its revenue. With margins estimated at 60 percent, it is Apple's prime growth driver, helping margins climb to a record 41.7 percent in the most recent quarter from 34 percent in fiscal 2007.
Only last year, Research in Motion Ltd was seen as Apple's top rival. While the company's BlackBerry remains the smartphone of choice for many corporations that need fast email, Apple has made strides in that market.
Analysts said the latest iPhone incorporates new security features obviously targeted at business customers.
Apple's prime target remains the consumer. But there, new competitors are designing high-powered handsets based on Google's Android software, offering fast, web-surfing and video-enabled phones with access to thousands of apps.
Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg said that the newest iPhone will manage to exert pressure on Google and rival handset-makers. 

Apple Begins Shipping Xserve G5 to Customers.

PR Newswire

March 23, 2004

Apple(R) today announced it has begun shipping its Xserve(R) G5, the most powerful Xserve yet, to customers. With unparalleled performance and manageability, Xserve G5 delivers over 30 gigaflops of processing power per system-about 60 percent more than the PowerPC G4-based Xserve-in a 1U rack-mount enclosure.

"Xserve G5 is a big hit with customers who want a powerful 1U rack-mount server for thousands of dollars less than alternatives from Dell, IBM and Sun," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With dual G5 processing power, massive storage, incredible I/O performance and Apple's Mac OS X Server software included, Xserve G5 is affordable, easy to manage and easy to cluster."

"We chose a 64-node Xserve G5 cluster over an AMD-based cluster running Linux," said Jonathan Cohen, director of the Center for the Study of Brain, Mind and Behavior at Princeton University. "Apple is known not only for the ease of use, support and innovative engineering of its products, but also for the creative spirit that it is now bringing directly to bear on the needs of high-end scientific computing. The combination of Apple's flair for innovation and standards-based open source software make Xserve G5 an easy and exciting choice."

Apple has also introduced the Apple Workgroup Cluster for Bioinformatics, a turnkey, high-performance computing cluster that allows any scientist to configure, operate and maintain the system. The workgroup cluster solution offers outstanding price-performance with unrivaled ease of setup and includes iNquiry, a 3rd-party bioinformatics package from The BioTeam that provides 200 ready-to-use bioinformatics applications optimized for Apple's industry-leading Xserve G5. Installation and maintenance have also been greatly simplified so little or no IT support is required.

Apple offers a choice of world-class services and support programs for Xserve including 4-hour on-site response, 24x7 technical support, AppleCare Service Parts Kits and the AppleCare Professional SupportLine and Tools program.

Pricing & Availability

Single processor 2.0 GHz Xserve G5 servers are available immediately through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com/) and Apple Authorized Resellers. The dual processor 2.0 GHz and cluster-optimized dual 2.0 GHz Xserve G5 servers will be available in April through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com/) and Apple Authorized Resellers. Xserve G5 comes in three standard configurations or can be fully customized to meet specific customer requirements. The three standard Xserve G5 configurations include:

-- a single 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processor with 512MB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module with expandability for up to 750GB, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire(R) 800 and USB 2.0, and an unlimited client license of Mac(R) OS X Server for a suggested retail price of $2,999 (US);

-- dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors with 1GB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module with expandability for up to 750GB, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0, and an unlimited client license of Mac OS X Server for a suggested retail price of $3,999 (US); and

-- cluster-optimized dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors with 512MB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0, and a 10-client license of Mac OS X Server for a suggested retail price that starts at $2,999 (US) per cluster node.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. 

Apple Announces a Faster, More Affordable eMac; Complete DVD Burning Solution Now Just $999.

PR Newswire

April 13, 2004

Apple(R) today announced a faster, more affordable line of eMac(TM) desktop computers for home and schools, including faster PowerPC G4 processors running at up to 1.25 GHz, 333 MHz DDR memory, faster ATI Radeon graphics and USB 2.0 connectivity to peripherals. Offering even more power and performance, Apple's most affordable SuperDrive(TM)-equipped system is now available starting at just $999 (US).

"The new eMac is the most affordable SuperDrive-equipped Mac ever," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Hardware Product Marketing. "Offering incredible value right out of the box, eMac provides everything you need for today's digital lifestyle including iLife '04, Apple's award-winning suite of applications for creating and managing digital photos, music and movies."

Housed in a remarkably compact all-in-one design, eMac has a crisp 17-inch flat CRT display (16-inch viewable) supporting screen resolutions of up to 1280-by-960 pixels in 24-bit color. Offering fast 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, eMac comes with either a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive for watching DVD movies and burning CDs or Apple's revolutionary 8x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) for the ability to burn professional-quality DVDs at double the DVD-burning speed as before. eMac comes with hard drives up to 80GB and high-performance ATI Radeon 9200 graphics with dedicated video memory for outstanding graphics performance and realistic game play.

Providing the latest in wireless communications, eMac now also offers an optional internal Bluetooth module, in addition to including a built-in antenna and card slot to support an optional AirPort(R) Extreme Card for 54 Mbps 802.11g fast wireless networking*. With a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire(R) ports, eMac desktops offer easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals such as iPod(TM), digital video camcorders, and digital still cameras and printers. eMac also includes built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and a 56K V.92 modem.

Every new eMac includes iLife(R) '04, Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications including iTunes(R) for managing digital music, iPhoto(TM) for organizing and sharing digital photos, iMovie(R) for digital movie-making, iDVD(TM) for creating and burning Hollywood-style DVDs and GarageBand(TM), a revolutionary new music application that turns a Mac(R) into a professional-quality musical instrument and recording studio.

The eMac comes with Apple's latest operating system pre-installed. Mac OS(R) X version 10.3 "Panther" delivers more than 150 breakthrough features including iChat AV, an easy to use desktop video conferencing solution; FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is kept secure; ExposA[c](TM), a revolutionary new way to instantly view all open windows; Instant On, which wakes the eMac from sleep in just one second; and Automatic Networking, which automatically switches the network connections between Ethernet, 802.11 and modem. With enhanced Windows compatibility, files, printers and network services can easily be shared with Windows users. eMac also comes with a collection of productivity and entertainment titles including AppleWorks, Quicken 2004 for Mac, WorldBook Encyclopedia 2004 Edition and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

Pricing & Availability

The eMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com/), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in two standard configurations.

The 17-inch flat CRT eMac, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US) includes:

  -- 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor; 

  -- 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM; 

  -- a 32x Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive; 

  -- five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two Firewire 400; 

  -- ATI Radeon 9200 with 32MB video memory; and 

  -- a 40GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive. 

The 17-inch flat CRT eMac, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) includes:

  -- 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor; 

  -- 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM; 

  -- an 8x SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) optical drive; 

  -- five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two Firewire 400; 

  -- ATI Radeon 9200 with 32MB video memory; and 

  -- an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive. 

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 1GB of RAM, 80GB and 160GB hard drives, AirPort Extreme Card and AirPort Base Station, internal Bluetooth module, Tilt/Swivel Stand and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

eMac computers, including a new configuration without an optical drive, are also available to education customers in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education at http://www.apple.com/education/store or by calling an Apple education sales representative at 800-800-APPL.

*Actual speed will vary based on range from the base station, environmental conditions and other factors.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. 

School for apples: ; Throw away that Red Delicious and enjoy a real apple or two

The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV)

November 12, 2000 | Bob Schwarz

bobschwarz@wvgazette.com

IT'S September and you bite into a gigantic shiny red apple you just bought at the supermarket. It's sweet, but it's mushy. You take another bite, spit out the mush, and toss the apple out. You have just rejected an 11-month-old Red Delicious apple.

It happens a lot.

Where have all the great apples of yesteryear gone?

Some of the great ones have just about vanished, grown only by hobbyists in scattered back yards. Some of the fabled apples of yore weren't so great to begin with.

Not so fast with the tears, says Barbara Scott of Summit Point Raceway Orchards, one of two West Virginia specialty growers who grow apples with superior crispness and taste.

Take the crisp, juicy, somewhat tart Nittany, one of nine apples Scott and husband William grow on their easy-to-manage dwarf trees, located in the prime apple-growing country of the Shenandoah Valley.

The Scotts keep their apples in atmospherically controlled storage, and sell their apples through gift packs - call (800) 927- 7531 or visit online www.summitpointorchards.com - and through supermarkets in and around Washington, D.C. Last year, Nittany and Mountaineer apples - the Mountaineer is a cousin of the York - came to some area Kroger stores and they have recently arrived again.

At Capitol Market in Charleston, Produce Junction's John Craddock says the Nittany, York, Stayman and Golden Delicious sell best among the 24 varieties he has, all from Morgan Orchard, which grows 50 varieties of apples on 100 Monroe County acres. Red Delicious is the worst seller, ahead of only the Jonathan.

Of the best sellers, only the tallish Golden is a pretty apple, though ones grown in rainy climates develop dark dots called freckles, and wavy lines called russetting. Stayman has that traditional round apple shape, but splashed with green and prone to cracking. The Nittany is a tall red apple splashed yellow, and so lopsided it can't stand up. The York is a squat, wobbly red apple with thin yellow striping.

(Strangely enough, the Red Delicious had a very unappealing, unappley look until Washington promoters decided round was no longer right and stripes were no longer in for apples.)

There are two theories on the Red Delicious. Maybe it was never good. Maybe the goodness was lost as growers kept looking for better- looking genetic variations.

"Nobody should feel sorry for us - we did this to ourselves," Washington State apple grower Doyle Fleming, who has been gradually switching his trees from Red Delicious to new varieties like Cameo, told The New York Times in a recent article.

"For almost 50 years, we've been cramming down the consumer's throat a red apple with ever-thicker skin, sometimes mushy, sometimes very good if done right, but a product that was bred for color and size and not for taste."

Classic apples

Apple lovers should mourn the winter of 1933-34, when a late- winter freeze sent temperatures to minus 40 in the orchards of central New York state, where the Baldwin apple reigned supreme. The sap had already risen in the trees, and the Baldwin trees froze and burst.

Baldwins never recovered as a commercial apple, though they lingered in the market into the 1950s, said Tom Burford, who, until he retired, raised 400 varieties of apples at his nursery in Monroe, Va.

The freeze put a scare into growers, who switched to McIntosh, another fine apple when grown in the North.

Burford grows the Baldwin, one of 50 varieties he shipped on demand from his nursery to backyard growers. (The others had to be ordered far in advance.) At a taste test Burford ran a few years back at the Virginia State Arboretum near Winchester, the Baldwin placed No. 1. When Burford guided people through his nursery, he had to always watch the Baldwin trees so visitors didn't eat them clean.

"It's an American classic," said Burford, now a consultant to apple and peach growers. "People will always grow it."

McIntosh now has become a niche apple, threatened by the Fuji, Braeburn and Gala, the trio which broke the monoculture of Washington-grown Red Delicious, Burford said.

Consumers were at first skeptical of the new varieties, he said. "They would take them home and say, 'This is not too bad.'" Then they'd go back to the supermarket and say, "These are pretty good, but what else have you got?"

And so the apple market has opened back up and consumers are again wanting some tartness and taste in their apples. Strong new entrants include the Nittany, once considered a processing apple because of its bicolor appearance.

"Ah, yes, the Nittany. It's too bad the commonwealth of Pennsylvania doesn't get busy and really promote it," Burford said. "The Nittany is one of those varieties that no one really doesn't like. It's sort of like the person who everyone in town likes."

Losing ground

At 65, Burford has trimmed his workday from 18 hours to 12 hours, but still freezes 100 quarts of that West Virginia native, Grimes Golden, a great cooking apple which holds its shape in cooking and has, he says, the perfect combination of sugar, acid and tannin. "I just take them out and cook them up in a fry pan with nothing on them. Urbanite friends come, eat them up, and say, 'Could you fix another pan?'"

Some of the older apples will continue to lose ground. The Stayman, once considered the ultimate apple in the mid-Atlantic states, occupies an ever-smaller place in the marketplace. It yields grudgingly, and the fruit often cracks. It is at its best only from mid-October to Dec. 1. Worst of all, a red Winesap, bland and mealy, has displaced the tart and crisp Stayman in supermarkets, confusing the issue.

So toss away the Red Delicious, a heavily promoted apple that will out-yield all others, and you can find just as good eating as your great-grandparents. Maybe a whole lot better, given improvements in storage technology.

Still, apple lovers disregard the calendar at their own peril. The season of good eating begins in mid-August, peaks in October and slowly goes downhill from there. "Every apple has its perfect moment," Burford says.

In old-fashioned cold storage, the Golden Delicious wrinkles, but retains its flavor into March, when the flesh gets softer, but not mushy. In atmospherically controlled storage, Goldens go in green and come out green, which means they have to ripen at room temperature to develop aroma and sweetness.

Atmospherically controlled storage prolongs the season of good eating, but Nittanies and Yorks struggle to stay at their best by March, when Nittany starts to break down and Yorks become overly sweet. Pink Ladies, a new crisp and juicy keeper, last longer.

Two steps forward, one back

Pity the poor Red Delicious, trying to stretch the season from harvest to harvest.

Addie Morgan, who with husband Marshall Ritter runs Morgan Orchard, likes the Empire, a Red Delicious-McIntosh cross, the new Sundowner, and the Honeycrisp, a Minnesota apple that she is just getting started with.

In the trade publications, the financially troubled Washington growers beat their chests and say they have done it to themselves by going overboard on making the Red Delicious as pretty as possible.

APPLE'S A SULTRY MIX OF NAIVETE, TOUGHNESS

The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)

October 29, 1997 | ANTHONY VIOLANTI - News Critic

She seems like a woman/child lost in the promised land of pop stardom. On stage, Fiona Apple, 19, plays the role of sultry waif -- blessed and burdened with talent and torment.

Apple, fashionably thin, with deep blue eyes, thick red lips and a vulnerable psyche, seemed right at home Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of about 1,600 in the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

She is part Peggy Lee, part Tori Amos and all original. Apple has been able to make the jazzy, torch singer persona relevant to the '90s. She proved that to the packed crowd during a performance of "Shadowboxer." Apple sat at a piano and let loose a cool, sexy vocal, reminiscent of Julie London in all her '50s cocktail lounge prime. Apple, however, flaunts a contemporary, spunky kind of liberated female ideology. On "Criminal," Apple purred her way through a nasty number with the following lyrics: "I've been a bad, bad girl/I've been careless with a delicate man/And it's a sad world/When a girl will break a boy/Just because she can." Apple expressed another side of relationships on "Sleep to Dream." This is a tale of a strained relationship, and Apple stakes the right to her own life with these words: "This mind, this body, and this voice, cannot be stifled by your deviant ways/So don't forget what I told you, don't come around, I got my own hell to raise." The irony of the evening was not lost on Apple, who noted those who came missed a chance to see her on the taped telecast of the VH1 fashion awards. A few weeks earlier, Apple made an embarrassing and apparently self-serving speech at the MTV Awards. "Everyone gave me a lot of s--- for what I said on MTV, but the hell with them," Apple said as she stood near center stage, wearing a cut-off blouse, a tight black skirt, with black slacks underneath. "But I got to tell you about the VH1 fashion awards. I won an award for most stylish video." The crowd of mostly college students roared with approval. "Oh, by the way, my shoes fell apart," Apple said. Then she kicked up her heel to reveal an old pair of worn shoes. "I'll show my sandals; see they're falling apart." "That's OK, Fiona, I love you," a young male shouted out. Apple smiled and continued talking. "So you came to see the fashionable Fiona Apple. Well, you know something, I wore a rag to the VH1 fashion awards -- and I won. CNN and Vogue thought I was the best dressed. Shows you what they know; so ---- them." That tirade was typical Fiona: adolescent, scatter-shot and cool. Apple's music is more complex and revealing. At times, she seems like a younger version of Alanis Morissette but what sets Apple apart is here mature, jazz-influenced sound, which tempers her sometimes immature attitude. She presents a radiant figure in performance and exudes stylish sex appeal. During the songs, Apple would stand in front of her band, and do a kind of robotic belly dance, stiff but sensual. She would move, at times, like a go-go dancer from the '60s as she tossed her long mane of curly auburn hair into the air while shaking her head along with the beat. Apple paid respect to her musical influences during the show, covering numbers by Jimmy Cliff and Jimi Hendrix. Her own music, however, was the most poignant of the evening. Apple may be young, but she speaks and sings from heart based on experience. She has said she was raped at age 11. Her life is an open book; this woman has grown up fast and hard. Despite all those problems, there is something wonderfully adolescent and naive about Apple's performance. She's still new to this game of rock concerts and lacks the polish and stage demeanor of a seasoned performer. Apple gets giddy and giggly as she chats to an audience during a show. "Feel free to laugh at me," a nervous and fast-talking Apple blurted out at one point of the concert. Apple's music makes up for her uneasy attitude at live shows. Her understated power radiates from the stage and in her songs. Such numbers as "Sullen Girl," "The First Taste" and "Slow Like Honey," were delivered with a clenched-fist force that grabbed the audience and wouldn't let go. It was enough to make you forget, at least momentarily, that this young performer has a lot of growing up to do.

Apple Merges iPod & iPod Photo Lines.

PR Newswire

June 28, 2005

CUPERTINO, Calif., June 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today announced that the iPod(R) and iPod photo lines are merging, creating a single line of white iPods that all feature color displays with the ability to view album artwork, photos and play slideshows in stunning color. The simplified iPod lineup features a 20GB model, holding up to 5,000 songs priced at just $299 and a 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs priced at $399. Also starting today, iPods will offer an easy to use Podcast menu, including bookmarking within a Podcast and the ability to display Podcast artwork in color.

"iPod customers love to enhance their listening experience with color," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod Product Marketing. "By simplifying our iPod lineup to include 20GB and 60GB models with color screens and the new Podcast menu, iPod and iTunes provide the world's easiest and appealing way to discover, subscribe, manage and listen to Podcasts."

iPod's color display provides a crisp, clear full color experience for users to take their entire photo library with them or for viewing album artwork, calendars, contacts and games. The 60GB iPod holds up to 25,000 digital photos, and the 20GB iPod holds up to 20,000 digital photos. Both models feature the ability to import photos from a digital camera with the optional iPod Camera Connector and let users combine their favorite music and photos to create slideshows for viewing right on their iPod or for sharing with family and friends on a big screen TV.

The new version of iTunes(R) (also announced today) enables anyone to quickly and easily find and subscribe to their favorite Podcasts so that every time there's a new episode, it's automatically downloaded to their Mac(R) or PC and Auto-Synced to their iPod. iTunes also makes it easy to manage multiple Podcast subscriptions with simple organization and display by episode and date.

iPod and iTunes are leading the digital music revolution. With over 15 million iPods sold as of March 31, the iPod is the world's most popular digital music player, and the iTunes Music Store is the number one online music store with over 430 million songs purchased and downloaded worldwide.

Pricing & Availability

The 20GB and 60GB iPods for Mac or Windows are available immediately worldwide for a suggested retail price of $299 (US) and $399 (US) respectively. The new iPod U2 Special Edition also includes a color screen and is now more affordable at just $329, and the 1GB iPod shuffle is now just $129. The new Podcast menu is available starting today via a free iPod software update for all Click Wheel iPods and iPod minis from http://www.apple.com/ipod. All iPods are available through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com/), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Each iPod with color display includes earbud headphones, a USB 2.0 cable, a USB power adapter and iTunes for Mac and Windows computers. iPod shuffle includes earbud headphones, lanyard and iTunes for Mac and Windows computers. Optional accessories with the following suggested retail prices include the iPod dock kit for $39 (US), in-ear headphones for $39 (US), the iPod Camera Connector for $29 (US) and FireWire(R) cable for $19 (US). Laser engraving is available for iPod for free from the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com/) and can include two lines of text with up to 27 characters per line.

iPod requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port or FireWire*, Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or 10.3.4 or later and iPhoto(R) 4.0.3 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port or USB 2.0 or FireWire card and Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later, and Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 or Elements 3.0 or later.

Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings.

See http://www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.

*Firewire options require an optional cable, sold separately.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPod, iTunes, Apple Store, FireWire and iPhoto are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.