Apple Loosening It's Grip On iTunes App Approval Process

MacRumors is reporting that Apple is letting previously banned apps into the iTunes app store and loosening it's grip on the approval process. According to an app developer quoted in the MacRumors article, "[Apple] told me that they are going to start approving a whole new "genre" of apps, and that Pull My Finger will be the first to be accepted in this genre. As of now Pull My Finger is available in the app store.

The very kind Apple Team Member told me that they didn't want to reject it originally, but that they were sorting out how this "genre" of apps were going to be handled. She told me they'd be lifting the restriction on them, and more apps will follow that may have been previously not allowed."

This is great new to anyone needing that all important iPhone/iPod Touch farting app.

MacJournals Digs Into Safari's New Anti-Phishing Feature

MacWorld.com is running an excerpted version of MWJ's examination of Safari's new anti-phishing feature. The excerpt is at times a little deep but not so much that the average reader can't follow along. If you're discerning enough to be reading AYAAW then you're way above average so the article shouldn't pose a problem for you. Anyway, the excerpt is very interesting and highlights a problem with our favorite fruit branded company: transparency. It also goes into depth on Google's Safe Browsing technology and how Safari uses it in it's new anti-phishing feature.

MWJ has a problem with Apple's reluctance to tell it's users what it's doing with data transmitted from Safari to Google. In the conclusion they state:

This is not how companies like Apple are expected to behave towards their customers, even if Firefox already had the same feature. Mozilla is very clear about how Firefox does this. Apple refuses to say anything about how Safari does this, and for no other reason than that the company simply thinks so little of its customers that it doesn’t feel the need to keep them informed about data Safari transmits on their behalf. For a Web browser to do things like this without explicit documentation is inexcusable.

We’re not so sure we agree with the statement “the company simply thinks so little of its customers” but it would be nice if Apple were a little more forthcoming about issues dealing with user privacy. Don't take our word for it, though, read the article and come to your own conclusions. Then, if you have anything "above average" to say about it, post a comment.

Apple Offering "iPhone Your Life" Website

Apple debuted a new website Friday designed to help new iPhone owners get the most out of their phones. The "iPhone Your Life" site offers up app recommendations for:

• Around Town
• World Travel
• At Home
• Getting Things Done
• Fun and Games

There are also links to an iPhone Tips and Tricks section, App of the Week and Top Apps.

If you've owned your iPhone for awhile you probably won't find anything new and startling here but it seems like a pretty nice place for new owners.

iPhone Number One "Handset Purchased By Adults" In The Third Quarter

Whew! I was worried about that: the iPhone being the leading handset purchased by adults in the third quarter that is. Really, I was losing sleep. Ok, in all seriousness, the iPhone overtaking Motorola's Razr is pretty big stuff and a testament to what a great piece of technology the iPhone really is. We already knew that the iPhone was crushing the Blackberry in satisfaction among the business crowd. Add this latest Razr tidbit to the mix and you've got definitive proof that the iPhone is already the technology and smart phone of tomorrow, and we lucky Apple iPhone users clutch it in our sweaty little palms today.

This news won't come as a surprise to anyone who actually use an iPhone everyday. After Apple fixed all the problems associated with the 2.0 debacle the iPhone, at least mine, has been nothing short of stellar. I've not experiences a single Silver Apple of Death screen since and I've not had to do even one restore and reset. Woo hoo!

If you look beyond the 8,000 Tip apps, 200 million Sudoku apps and the 225 "I have to take this call and oh by the way I need to leave" emergency bad date call apps the iPhone and the iTunes apps store have been an astonishing success. There is only one company that could've pulled this off and it's Apple. Don't argue Windoz fan boys you know it's true. Just as Microsoft brought affordable computing to billions (okay, the Windows experience can hardly be called computing) Apple has brought an amazing smart phone and application infrastructure to the masses. So go suck eggs Balmer!

The iPhone platform based on Leopard is truly a revolution. All hail the revolution (gratuitous Blue Oyster Cult link)!

Joe Henry

Steve Jobs Successor?

CNN's Fortune Magazine is speculating on who will be Steve Jobs successor. This is always a hot topic and one which analysts and industry observers tend to get excited about. You can't blame them, though. Thinking of an Apple post Jobs sends shivers down our collective AYAAW spine. It will happen someday, however, and speculation is always good fodder for pundits, Wall Street and Apple observers alike.

The big question is, of course, would Apple continue to thrive as the industry leader in design and innovation with Jobs gone? Who at Apple would be able to take the company reins without negatively affecting continued product innovation, financial growth and the stellar profits Apple has been posting quarter after quarter? We sure as heck don't know but after every MacWorld keynote, Developers Conference and/or product introduction where Jobs shares the stage, potential CEO successor names get thrown about. At this point in time, Furtune's Adam Lashinsky seems to have fingered the logical choice in Tim Cook. It's not the first time his name his name has come up in this discussion and it certainly won't be the last.

One surprising omission in the article is Phil Shiller, Apples Senior VP of WorldWide Product Marketing. Seems logical that a marketing guy should be included in any Apple successor discussion but Lashinsky must not think so.

Anyway, the article is a good read and we highly recommend it. It offers up some good insight on an Apple exec you don't often hear a lot about and why he may or may not be Jobs' successor.

MacWorld Reporting No New Products For The Holiday Season

MacWorld's Jim Dalrymple is reporting that Apple has no plans for any hardware updates during the holiday season despite rumors stating the opposite. Dalrymple quotes Apple spokesman Bill Evans: "our holiday lineup is set". A number of Apple related rumor sites were reporting that Apple would release new iMacs and update Mac Minis. Also rumored were Mac Pros set to debut at MacWorld Expo in January.

So kiddies, looks like there won't be any updated or new Apple goodies under your Christmas tree this year. Don't let that stop Santa from leaving a new iPhone, iPod, or Mac in your stocking, however. Better get to writing that letter to Santa ASAP.

Snow Leopard and Cocoa

If you're at all interested in Cocoa, Snow Leopard, 64-bit apps, Carbon and that type of goobly-gook, AppleInsider is once again running some nice articles that even the tech-jargon deprived, yours truly, can sort of understand. It's good stuff actually and well worth the read.

One thing I didn't know (ok there are a lot of things I don't know) is that the iPhone is fully Cocoaized. Actually, I'd never thought of it's OS as being Carbon, Cocoa, Vista, whatever. It just is unless it's acting up and then it's a &#$%@!

Apple to sweeten Snow Leopard with more Cocoa (AppleInsider)
Road to Mac OS X Snow Leopard: 64-bit to the Kernel (AppleInsider)

AppleInsider is one of my favorite rumor sites and they also do a bang up job explaining the more technical stuff. Now go do your homework, er... reading for the evening. There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Joseph Henry

Apple had a pretty good quarter

In case you haven't heard, Apple reported $7.9 billion in revenue last quarter and generated $1.14 billion in profits. That's a lot of doughnuts.

"Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone -- we sold more phones than RIM," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We don't yet know how this economic downturn will affect Apple. But we're armed with the strongest product line in our history, the most talented employees and the best customers in our industry. And $25 billion of cash safely in the bank with zero debt."

MacRumors has the complete lowdown and breakdown of Apple's fourth quarter results.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame has posted an interesting piece on how the iPhone fits into all this.

The entire iPhone platform is only 15 months old. The cheapest model still costs $199. The room for growth in this market is unlike anything Apple has ever seen. So the question is: Despite continuing strong iPod sales and record-breaking Mac sales, how long until the iPhone is undeniably the primary product and platform made by Apple?

It's an interesting piece and well worth a read.

Apple revamps laptop line

Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks you know that Apple was planning to refresh its laptop line and today they did just that. All new MacBook 13" configurations feature new case designs (unibody aluminum "brick"), glossy glass displays, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor and a new multi-touch glass trackpad/mouse.

New MacBook Pro's come with the new unibody case design, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor. glossy displays and the new multi-touch glass trackpad/mouse. They also come with an extra graphics processor, the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, which can be turned on by the user to increase performance.

Apple also updated the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro 17", mostly just with better specs.

Apple also stated that they'll continue to sell an updated version of the white MacBook, that includes an 8X Superdrive, for $999.

New MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air specs:

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
128GB solid state drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options and accessories for the MacBook Air include the MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 2.5GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 glossy display;
2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
800 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 512MB with GDDR3 video memory;
320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
DVI output port for video output (VGA adapter included);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
three USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, anti-glare display, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Apple releases Security Update 2008-007

Apple today released Security Update 2008-007 :

Security Update 2008-007 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update.

Click for more info.

Apple Issues iPhone 3G Power Adapter

Apple today issued a recall for certain iPhone 3g Power Adapters. The adapters came with new iPhones and could be purchased separately as an accessory. The recall includes iPhone 3G's that were purchased in the US, Mexico, Canada, Japan and several Latin American countries. Here is the text of the recall notice:

CUPERTINO, California—September 19, 2008—Apple® today announced that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter’s metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating the risk of electric shock.

Apple has received reports of detached prongs involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported.

Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority so it has voluntarily decided to exchange every ultracompact power adapter for a new redesigned adapter, free of charge. For more details on the exchange program please visit www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram.

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 computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

iPhone 3G users can get replacements by filling out this web-based Exchange Program form or by requesting one at an Apple store starting October 10th.. You'll need your iPhone serial number which can be found on your iPhone under Settings>General or by plugging the phone into your Mac and opening iTunes to your iPhone screen. Apple states:

Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter.

In the meantime, they should charge their iPhone 3G by connecting it to their computer with the USB cable that came with their iPhone or by using a standard-sized Apple USB Power Adapter (with fold up prongs) or with a third party adapter designed to work with the iPhone, such as a car charger.

For more information see this Apple support article.

Apple Announces New Nanos, iTunes 8, Earbuds and More

Kevin Rose was spot on with his predictions as Apple announced immediate availability of new Nanos and iTunes 8.

The new Nano is as Rose described and actually looks like a pretty decent upgrade. The screen is larger and they come in a lot more colors. The new iPod is also sporting an enhanced user interface and includes an accelerometer (like the iPhone and iPod Touch) that detects tilt. Shake the new Nano and your music gets shuffled. The 8GB model will set you back $149 and is available today at the Apple store. The 16GB model will list at $199 and should be available next week.

The iPod Touch also saw a refresh today and according to Jobs and Apple is "the funnest iPod ever". It sports external volume controls, Nike support, a built in speaker and the same curved back as the

iPhone 3G. Battery life for the new touch is said to be 36 hours for music, 6 hours for video. The new Touch will set you back $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 16GB and $399 for the 32GB model.

iTunes (press release, download) is also pretty much as Rose described and includes the new grid view for browsing your music collection. You can view the grid by album, artist, genres or composer. iTunes 8 also includes the rumored "Genius" playlist. If you want to watch your TV shows in HD iTunes 8 has you covered there as well. HD TV shows will cost $2.99. The download weighs in at 55.9 MB's and requires Quicktime 7.5.5 which is available via Software Update.

Jobs also announced iPhone Firmware 2.1 but alas it won't be available until Friday sometime. Apple says the new firmware will significantly increase battery life, address dropped calls, make backups faster (Yeah!) and supposedly fix app crashes. Other bug fixes are included as well.

Lastly, Apple announced new in-ear headphones that sport a remote in the cord as well as a mic. The new earbuds list for $79 and are supposed to offer superior sound.

So there you have it kiddies. iTunes has uploaded my music info to Apple and I now have a Genius pane opened on the right side of iTunes. I'll post back with thoughts on this latter.

Joe Henry

Apple "Let's Rock" Special Event

Apple sent out invitations to media outlets for a special event to be held on September 9th. at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. The event, titled “Let’s Rock” is being held at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

I’m willing to bet that a new iPod and iTunes 8 will be revealed. Yeah I know, neither one are a big stretch but I’m not much of a gambler.

Alas, AYAAW wasn’t invited so we’ll just have to watch the other Apple media outlets on the day of the event. Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.

Joe Henry
AYAAW

Business Week Talks Apple's iPhone Rollout

Peter Burrows, writing for Business Week, reports on Apple’s rollout of the iPhone to more and more countries. Prior to today, the iPhone was offered in 22 countries which, according to this MacDailyNews article, put it in front of 320 million potential subscribers. Today, Apple expanded that number by 21 more countries and another 290 million potential subscribers.

According to Burrows’ article a person familiar with Apple’s production plans has stated that Apple is planning on manufacturing 40-45 million iPhones through August of 2009. This represents a 52% increase over the estimates of Gene Munster, analyst for Piper Jaffray. Given that Munster’s predictions are significantly more optimistic than most analysts, Apple is indeed planning an ambitious rollout.

Burrows’ goes on to say that Apple’s success with its ambitious expansion plans hinges on :

1 Apple’s and AT&T’s ability to speed up in-store activations.
2 Apple’s ability to address usability problems, the most significant of which is the problems some users are experiencing with the 3G network.
3 Apple’s ability to address component supply issues.

There are signs that all of these constraints are being addressed and Burrows concludes that even if Apple can’t meet its own lofty goals, it is likely to meet the average of most estimates.

The article is a good read and you can read it in its entirety here.

Joe Henry

Analyst Says Apple Shipping "Massive" quantities of Macs

AppleInsider's Sam Oliver is reporting that Royal Bank of Canada analyst Mike Abramsky is predicting a record smashing quarter for Apple and for Mac shipments to be well above predictions. The record setting pace would put Apple inline to show a 44% year-over-year growth and 3.04 million Macs shipped in the quarter ending in September.

Specifically, Abramsky pointed to "unprecedented intentions" on the part of consumers during what has historically been only Apple's second strongest Mac quarter. His firm's study found that 34 percent of respondents intend to purchase a Mac notebook in the next 90 days, while another 30 percent plan to buy a Mac desktop."We forecast Apple's global PC share to rise to 4.2 percent [in 2009], from 2.9 percent [in 2007]," he said, adding that every 25 basis points of market share gain will equate to $1 billion in incremental revenue and $0.15 in per share earnings

The report sites two probable causes for the growth: Apples back to school promotion that offers a $299 rebate for a free iPod Touch to qualified educational customers purchasing qualified Mac system, and the so called "iPhone Halo Effect".

Oliver reports that of the analysts AppleInsider tracks, Abramsky is one of the most accurate. For more details read the full AppleInsider article.

Joe Henry

Retail Channels Getting Ready For September iPod Refresh

If you're considering the purchase of a swanky new iPod Touch or Nano you might want to wait a month. AppleInsider has information from some of its retail sources that current iPod Touch and Nano's are going from an in-stock inventory status to discontinued. AI's sources also claim to be in possession of iPod point-of-sale merchandising materials hinting at price cuts and possibly a redesign of the Nano.

Check out the original AppleInsider story for more details.

Hey, you can wait a month can't you?

Joe Henry

Apple "Surges" In Customer Satisfaction

In a new report authored by ASCI and the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business (report opens as a pdf once you click on the link in the right hand column of the page), Apple is surging ahead of all competitors in customer satisfaction. The report states:

The personal computer industry suffers a second consecutive drop in satisfaction, falling 1% to 74 and losing all gains made since 2005. Apple defies the industry by moving in the opposite direction and posting its largest gain ever to 85, a new all-time high for the industry. The 8% leap puts 10 points between Apple and its nearest rival, one of the largest gaps between first and second in any industry measured by ACSI. As Apple’s satisfaction improves, so too have its sales, market share, net income, and stock price. “It’s hard not to be impressed with Apple,” said Prof. Fornell. “This is product extension at its best where the new products, iPod and iPhone, are helping bring new customers to existing computer products. The fact that Apple is not dependent on the Windows Vista operating system hasn’t hurt either.” The industry aggregate decline is largely for Windows-based machines –Hewlett-Packard (73), Gateway (72), and Compaq (70) each sink 4%. The exception is Dell – up 1% to 75.

This shouldn't be news to anyone but with Windows users switching in droves it is worth taking note. I do love the last par there about how the industry aggregate decline is due to Windows. That makes me smile.

:) :)

Joe Henry