Macworld April 2013

Some tech pundits ask, on occasion: Is Apple doomed? The answer right now is most certainly not. In fact, the better question to ask is: Can Apple ever really be doomed again? What Is Doomed? First, the history: What do writers mean when they suggest Apple is doomed? In June 1997, when Wired magazine’s cover showed the Apple logo with the tagline “Pray,” there was at least a reasonable argument to be made about Apple’s long-term viability: It was struggling with a messy product line, numerous ill-fated products, seemingly unstoppable competition from Microsoft, and more. Recall that 1997 was the year Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple’s growth—money Apple seriously needed. That situation—needing a relatively small influx of cash from a serious competitor to stay afloat—does sort of have “doomed”…

Tips, Tricks, and Thingamabobs It’s time for more tips every Mac user should know, and although our editors have suggestions later on in the magazine, here in Feedback we wanted to hear from you. Readers also wrote to us about Christopher Breen’s February editorial on disruption, and about Office on iOS. APPLE’S FUTURE DISRUPTIONS Breen has it right that we need to look to more-human human interfaces. And iPads and iPods are doing it, with Macs coming along nicely. Nevertheless, I think that the Apple folks need to be sure that they do not cripple our ability to organize stuff. File structure is not necessary if I have stuff in the tens, and use one app to access that stuff. Get much more stuff than that, or need to access…

Apple has updated its largest all-in-one desktop computer, the 27-inch iMac, with many under-the-hood changes, but the first thing people notice is how thin it is. Does the new iMac’s impressive 5mm edge justify losses in functionality? Apple offers its new 27-inch iMacs in two standard configurations, both using Intel’s quad-core Ivy Bridge processors. The high-end $1999 model sports a 3.2GHz Core i5 processor, while the low-end $1799 model uses a 2.9GHz Core i5. In our tests the 3.2GHz model was between 5 and 7 percent faster than the 2.9GHz model at handling processor-intensive tasks. Both CPUs can use Turbo Boost to run at speeds of 3.6GHz for brief periods of time. For $200 more, you can order a 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU that supports Turbo Boost up to…

Both iOS devices and Macs seem to be impervious to the discount game. In fact it’s so rare to find a significant price variance between retailers that such events usually attract press coverage. House Advantage To pull off this unusual feat, Apple uses a strategy called price maintenance. Most products move from manufacturers to retailers through a network of distributors. Each product has a “manufacturer suggested retail price” (MSRP), but each retailer is free to set its own sale price. Thus, a laptop with an MSRP of $500 might cost the retailer $250 to buy, and might carry a sticker price of $350, with a “30% Off!” announced discount. The price variability is possible because of the difference (often from 30 to 55 percent) between the wholesale price that the…

Apple’s MacBook Air is thin, light, and great for traveling—but when you get to your desk, the ritual of plugging in a keyboard, an external monitor, speakers, and an external hard drive can feel anything but convenient. For ethernet users, the absence of an ethernet port in the Mac-Book Air (and the Retina MacBook Pro) can pose a problem if you don’t have Apple’s Thunderbolt Display or Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. The DS1 from Matrox can help. This $249 docking station has a single Thunderbolt connector, and when you link it to your Mac with a Thunderbolt cable, the DS1 provides connectivity for audio, gigabit ethernet, USB 3.0 (one port), and USB 2.0 (two ports). It does not have FireWire ports. Matrox sells two different models of the DS1:…

Creative cable organizers can help you organize your wires, cords, and cables, before you end up with an actual fire. Cable IDs These flexible, helix-shaped cable labels ($8, The Container Store) wrap around cables and accept ballpoint pen or marker labeling. Sumo Cable Box The paperweight-like Sumo cable box ($2, BlueLounge) has two grooves for cables to run through, and micro-suction pads so that the box won’t slip off of your desk. It comes in black and white versions. Your Magnet Available in red, scarlet, chocolate, gray, and lime green, this suction cup magnet ($7, Lufdesign) attaches to mobile devices and keeps multiple cables organized. It’s useful if, say, you have several USB devices plugged into a laptop.…