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Original Mac versus latest iMac.
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The gray market conundrum
There’s a common misconception in other parts of the world that Dubai is a place where you can find cheap electronics and other products. For us who live here that’s nothing more than a illusive pipe dream. There may be some brands here that are not common elsewhere and I’m sure there are certain types of goods that can be found for an affordable price here but it’s not in electronics, I’m sure. So what can you do to save some money on the next purchase of a Mac, iPod or other Apple hardware?
One way is to buy from the gray market. Gray market basically means goods that are distributed outside the authorized channels. In the Middle East there’s only one authorized distributor of Apple products and that is ABM (Arab Business Machines). Apple’s iPhone is the only exception, which is distributed by telecom operators around the region.
If you’re lusting after an iPhone 4 you will be able to get one from both du and Etisalat soon as they have said that they’ll start selling Apple’s latest smartphone in September. Until then, you’re limited to getting a gray market iPhone, whether it’s from a seller in the UAE or directly from abroad.
Paul Castle, who did some reporting on this for Shufflegazine last year, talked to representatives of other electronics brands, lawyers and government officials and concluded that selling gray market items is not illegal in UAE, other than in very specific circumstances, which don’t apply in the case of Apple it seems.
The authorized sellers here in the UAE, including iStyle, Protech, Virgin etc. all do a good job of selling Apple products but there can be no doubt that you can find Apple products, especially Macs, cheaper on the gray market.
So the obvious choice then, you say, is to buy gray market? Not so fast.
For one thing there’s the issue of warranty. With iPhone and iPad the case is clear: if you buy a gray market item there is no warranty coverage for you in UAE. That means if something happens and you’d like your unit to be replaced or serviced you have to take it back to the country where it was bought.
With Macs and iPods the situation is different because Apple offers a worldwide warranty on those products. That means even if you buy a gray market Mac in UAE or buy one yourself from another country and bring it here, as long as it’s still under warranty it should be services and dealt with by the service centers here.
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that if you want Arabic on your Apple product, whether it’s a manual, a keyboard or something else, you should consider buying only through official channels as ABM are the ones doing the localization. If you buy gray market don’t complain later that there’s no Arabic support.
Whether to buy gray market or not is not a simple choice that’s just about money. In the end it’s up to you to make the choice but educate yourself so it’s an informed choice you’re making.
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times. -
The missing apple in your car
Apple Inc. has conquered many areas of our personal and professional lives. Indeed, our homes are increasingly full of Macs: we use iPods for listening to music, iPhones for making phone calls and of course the iPad is making itself known in areas we couldn’t even imagine just a short while ago.
But there is one area where Apple is still conspicuous with its absence and that is the car. I guess we could venture to speculate that Steve Jobs just isn’t that interested in cars and is thinking that Apple shouldn’t be bothered. Perhaps that’s true but we regularly see photos of his fancy Mercedes captured in various places in Silicon Valley.
There can be no doubt that the automotive industry is huge business with around 60 million cars sold worldwide in 2009. Increasingly, electronics is playing a part of that to the point of being a critical part of the purchasing decision. I recently talked to a manager at AGMC, the BMW agency in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and he said that customers are looking at what digital and electronic gear is on offer when deciding what to buy. It’s safe to assume that will only keep growing in importance.
Fact remains that Apple is really nowhere to be seen in terms of the electronics that’s built-in to cars. There are plenty of options for connecting an iPhone or iPod to a car’s system but Apple offers nothing that car manufacturers can put in from the factory. In contrast, Microsoft is very active with their Automotive platform, which goes into Ford’s Sync. Sync you can get in select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. Recently I had the pleasure of test driving a Ford Taurus with Sync and although it was a good experience I can’t help but feeling that Apple could do better.
However, I doubt that Apple will venture into car-electronics even though they could do amazing things in this space. A friend of mine put a Mac mini in his Mini Cooper some years ago. With a small touch sensitive LCD screen in the dashboard, he could control most of the car’s system from the Mac. For sure, it was a great way to start a discussion at parties but it was also surprisingly functional and useful. More recently people have mounted iPads in cars, which may not be as useful but pretty cool nonetheless.
Arguably the automotive industry is one of the few remaining areas that Apple Inc. has left to conquer. Whether they will or not, only some minds in their Cupertino campus knows. I will just say, “watch this space” as there may be some interesting developments ahead.
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times.
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Mobile phones top of household gadget waste
Our lives are increasingly full of electronics. From computers to mobile phones and gaming devices, we’re depending on these items to carry out work, study, entertain ourselves and just simply make things a bit easier.
A recent survey in the UK found that almost half of all households in that country had unused mobile phones laying around and a third of households had unused cameras, personal audio and TVs. Computers came lower on the list with only a fifth of households keeping them after they really stopped using them.
What the numbers are for the UAE I don’t know but since it seems like everyone has at least two phones here I guess they’d be higher.
If you’ve already upgraded to iPhone 4 or if you plan to do so soon, what will happen to your existing smartphone? Will it end up in the trash to add to the landfill, will you give it away, will you sell it or will it just live the remainder of its days gathering dust in a drawer?
Whichever is the case, Apple fans are known for hanging on to their old gear and not sell it or give it away. I still have my first generation iPhone as well as iPhone 3G and I bet you that when I get iPhone 4 I will keep the 3GS as well.
Along with all electronics companies, Apple has in recent years made a big deal of how environmentally friendly their products are. Included with their products is now an “environmental status report”, which for iPhone 4 includes mentions of how PVC, mercury, arsenic and other substances are not used in the product. That’s quite a change from just a few years ago when Greenpeace labeled Apple as “iPoison + iWaste.” Earlier this year Greenpeace instead said that “Apple is leading” and the other companies are trying to catch up.
But even though Apple’s products may be less damaging to the environment than they used to be you still need to take care. If you are willing to give your old gear up considering recycling it. Increasingly you can find boxes in stores into which you can slip your old phone and it goes to recycling. If they don’t have such a facility ask them- it’s really only by us consumers putting pressure on the sellers and distributors that things are going to change.
That’s something we should all be much more careful with, how our gadgets are disposed of. We need to make sure that when we’re done with our gadgets we let them go in a responsible manner. Our gadgets should not end up making more damage to our fragile planet Earth than we’re already doing in other ways. Keep that in mind when you buy your next one.
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times. -
Travel safely with your Apple gear
Summer is here, that’s for sure. You can tell by the heat and humidity as well as the talk in the office of annual leave. If you’re leaving for an extended period of time you also need to think about taking care of your Apple gear, what you’re taking with you as well as what you’re leaving behind.
The items that stay in your home you should make sure are unplugged from power and covered up. For any Mac that stays behind, back it up and make sure you can access the backup while on the road, whether it’s with you on an external hard drive or online. Also cover the Mac up with a sheet or something to keep as much dust away from it as possible. Even consider unplugging items like your broadband modem/router and other networking equipment as it is not needed while you’re away.
With what you’re leaving behind taken care of you can then turn your attention to what you’re taking with you.
First, of course, you should consider your bag. It should be sturdy enough to offer good protection to your equipment while at the same time be small and light enough to transport around. For me, at least on longer trips, that’s a backpack with enough room for my Mac portable, camera and all the accessories. I can even fit a few toiletries in there if I have to.
Then, what accessories do you need to take with you? Charger and plug converter for your portable Mac is a start. You may need cables and plugs for all your accessories to charge cameras and other equipment. An external hard drive is a good idea for extra storage and backup. Extra batteries, memory cards and card readers may also be suitable, depending on your needs.
One thing you should not overlook, especially if you’ll travel to different parts of the world, is a portable UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Basically it’s a thing that sits between your gear and a power socket, which protects from surges and spikes in power. It’s a cheap way to keep your valuable equipment safe. A good choice would be Belkin’s Mini Surge Protector.
If you’re traveling with a portable Mac and you will use it in public places, leave it in hotel rooms and similar situations it may be wise to invest in a lock. In a hotel room you can usually put in in the safe but it may not always fit. A cable lock with either a combination or key lock will do the trick and you can secure your Mac even in a coffee shop.
Finally, make sure you’ve checked your insurance. For what you leave behind and possibly also what you take with you, your home insurance may cover it. If not, check your travel insurance and make sure it includes your gadgets too. It may cost a bit but do you really want to risk loosing or damaging your valuable Apple gear without being able to at least recover some of the cost if something happens?
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times. -
I’m a Mac but I’m also a PC
A common misconception about Mac computers is that there is no software available for them, at least not software that is used in business. I admit that to some extent that is true. Compared to all the software available for Windows, what you can get on Mac OS X is a small percentage. Keep in mind however that most of the main productivity applications, like Microsoft Office and Adobe’s Creative Suite, are available for both platforms.
The reality is that most Mac users will have the need to run Windows applications at some point and the fact is it’s really easy to do so. Since Apple started using Intel processors in all their computers in 2006 the situation with compatibility is very different than it was before. Apple actually use the same Intel processors in their computers that you find in most PCs available today. This means that there are several solutions for running Windows on a Mac, including one from Apple, so there’s no excuse anymore for Mac users.
I’m not advocating running Windows on a Mac unless you really have to but especially if you work in a corporate environment chances are that you have to use various applications and systems that are only available for Windows.
Apple’s free solution is called Boot Camp and it involves putting aside a part of the Mac’s hard drive for Windows. Then you install Windows to this part with the Boot Camp Assistant, which is a part of Mac OS X. To run Windows you need to reboot the Mac and select Windows. Reboot again and you can get back to Mac OS X. If you’re into gaming this is the best option as Windows has complete control over the Mac, therefore games and other software should run faster than with the other options.
If you don’t want to reboot your Mac to run Windows there are several virtualization solutions. They all have in common that you run Windows within a window in Mac OS X. So Windows basically becomes like any other application on your Mac. Parallels Desktop for Mac, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox are examples of this approach. The downside with this alternative is that Windows shares resources like processor and memory with Mac OS X, which means performance may suffer. It’s generally not a good option for gaming, for example.
The one solution that stands out a bit is CodeWeaver’s CrossOver. It’s the only solution that doesn’t require a valid copy of Windows because it basically emulates Windows. The downside is that it only supports certain applications so it may not work with what you need to run. If the software you want to run is supported, CrossOver may be the solution for you.
So now you now what the options are for running Windows on your Mac. Next time someone says it can’t be done, you’ll set them straight, okay?
Options for running Windows on a Mac
Boot Camp: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
CrossOver: www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac
Parallels: www.parallels.com/products/desktop
VirtualBox: www.virtualbox.org
VMware Fusion: www.vmware.com/products/fusion
This article was originally published in Khaleej Times.
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The myth of the invulnerable Mac
Do you think that your Mac is invulnerable from malware such as viruses and trojans? Think again. It may be true that a computer running Mac OS X is less likely to attract malware than Windows but it’s also true that we should not be complacent just because we think we use a more secure platform.
Let’s establish this first: there is no such thing as an invulnerable computer platform. Whether it’s Mac, Windows, Linux or whatever else, they are all vulnerable to viruses, worms, trojans, hacks and anything else that a talented and tenacious person could come up with.
Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X (pronounced “ten”, not “x”) has an interesting history. When Steve Jobs, co-founder and current CEO of Apple, was kicked out of the company in 1985 he founded another computer company called NeXT. They built a series of computers that ran an operating system called NeXTSTEP. Apple acquired NeXT in 1997 and in the process got NeXTSTEP, which is the foundation of Mac OS X. Steve Jobs also returned as CEO in 1997.
What you may not know is that in the pre-Mac OS X days Apple did actually have a significant malware problem. Mac OS versions up to 9 had problems with virus and other types of malware and running anti-malware software was common place, even a must. Perhaps some of you remember Disinfectant, which was a widely used, free virus-scanning and removal tool that existed for Mac operating systems before X was born. Mac OS X’s arrival in 2001 changed all of that and even today, almost 10 years after the introduction, there are still no wide-spread malware problems on Apple computers.
Today, Microsoft Windows obviously dominates in terms of market share and even I readily admit that they’ve done a good job with Windows 7, introduced about a year ago now. After having talked to representatives of many of the main makers of security software for computers, like Symantec and Trend Micro, it’s clear to me that they agree that Microsoft did a good job with improving the security in Windows 7.
They also seem to agree that Mac OS X is not inherently more secure than Windows even though that view seems widely spread in the Mac community. I think there’s no doubt that Windows is attracting more attention from makers of malware because of the larger installed base. Simply, there’s more money to be made out of malware targeting Windows, and that’s what they’re after today, making money. They do this by stealing personal information, like credit card numbers, as well as use your computer to attack other computers.
As Apple sells more Macintosh computers it’s safe to assume that the bad guys will focus more on the Mac OS X platform. The message is clear: you have to stay alert and adjust your behavior, even as Mac users. Because no matter how safe your computer and your software is, it doesn’t matter if you are also not behaving in a secure manner.
The day when I recommend that all Mac users should install anti-malware software is not here yet but it’s approaching fast, I think. For now, if you act in a responsible way, especially when it comes to the Internet, you minimize the risk of something happening to you and your Mac. But please don’t think you’re invulnerable just because you use a Mac. The sooner we accept that and adjust our behavior accordingly, the better off we all are.
This column was originally published in Khaleej Times on 2010-06-26
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The new Mac mini makes Apple TV less attractive
When Apple introduced a new Mac mini my first thought was that now I don’t need an Apple TV anymore. Clearly inspired by the design of Apple’s iPad, the new Mac mini offers faster processor, much improved graphics, HDMI port and more in a smaller enclosure. Since the Mac mini is a fully functional computer and the Apple TV is, well, not, why would you even consider an Apple TV?
Apple TV was launched in early 2007 and many of us had high hopes for what Apple would do with the new platform. Reality has turned out very differently though as frankly it’s not changed a whole lot since 2007. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO has referred to Apple TV as a “hobby” and even though they’ve updated the software and increased the hard drive space, it’s essentially the same box as three years ago, and that’s a shame.
Apple TV is basically a streamlined Mac on which you can only run something looking like Front Row on Macs, a simple graphical user interface controlled by a wireless remote control. It comes in only one model with 160GB hard disk and connects to your HD TV via HDMI and to Wi-Fi for Internet access.
You can buy and rent movies directly from your Apple TV using only the remote control. Unfortunately there are no movies, TV and music in the UAE iTunes store so you need an account in a supported country, such as US or UK. But you can also get media on to an Apple TV using iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC. You can synchronize from one iTunes library or stream from up to five. This means Apple TV connected to your large screen TV is a great way to enjoy the photos and video you’ll no doubt take this summer.
To be honest, by adding an HDMI port to the new Mac mini, Apple made choosing between Apple TV and Mac mini even harder than it already was a few weeks ago. Now the Mac mini connects just as easily to your large screen HD TV and it also supports the faster 802.11n wireless networking that the Apple TV has had for a while.
But let’s stop going through all the details and instead just say it comes down to convenience versus flexibility. An Apple TV is very easy to set up and use and the simplicity in the interface means you can’t really do anything wrong. At the same time that means you won’t get to do all the things you do with the Mac mini, which is a computer. Yes, running Front Row or other media center interface, like Plex, Boxee or XBMC on the Mac mini will give you some of the same simplicity but it still doesn’t rival Apple TV in that respect.
Unfortunately, as attractive as the Apple TV is in many respects, unless Apple will drastically revamp it and do it soon, I don’t see the hobby continue for much longer. The launch of the new Mac mini has certainly made the Apple TV less attractive for many potential customers.
This column was originally published in Khaleej Times.
