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Apple 'Pal'?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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TopTechTips posts a story about "a new piece of Apple software/hardware called 'Pal'". TopTechTips was sent screenshots as well as a box shot, which remains on the site.

Update: It is looking more and more like this piece of software or hardware from Apple will basically take your desktop/files and put it on to "Pal" (Assuming it is a Firewire drive or more likely an internet service) and you will be able to access your desktop and all of your preferences from any Panther Mac that has "Pal" installed.
Click to expand...

ed. note: Still trying to gather details... it seems some are speculating it may be hardware, or simply a .Mac service.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2003/06/03/apple-pal/
FP.

sort of like roaming profiles for windows?

log into any computer and your prefs/users folder is accessed over the net. that would rock.


(typo)
 
Gadzooks!! What the hell is this?

It would be weird to package a portable firewire drive like this. But it must be more than just a syncing solution (especially since it says "no more syncing").
 
???

i cant get into toptechtips... some sort of server error. did anyone grab the image before the page went wacky??
 
Anyone remember the rumors of a mouse/phone/hard drive? Those were pretty funny!

Still, I could see carrying your stuff with you on a USB flash storage dongle....or something. It'd be pretty neat to carry it with you and just plug it into someone else's Mac and "login" to that account. I wonder how account permissions would work in that case (maybe have a default for "guest" accounts from other machines)???

ps. This is all speculation as I can't get the darn site to come up.
 
I saw the box pictures before the site went down. (Did not see the screen shots.) If they were fakes, they were awfully good ones. A big green, aqua-style lightbulb, and some sloganeering on the box that said something like "Forget syncing ... forget [something else] ... Illuminate the Internet."
 
mirror of text

We got sent in a few screenshots (including a box shot) earlier in the day showing off a new piece of Apple software/hardware called 'Pal'. It is being classed as an Internet service software that is basically the "Mac Desktop" for the Internet. Not like .Mac has been for a storing files, but something completly new. Coining the terms:"Illuminate the Internet.""See the Light" "Green Light to the Internet". The box also mentions it will only work on Mac OS X 10.3 and above.

It turns out this is likley to be a Bootable Firewire drive from Apple that also comes with software that fixes problems and lets you boot up from it incase you run into any.

The box shot reads:


"Green Light...
the Internet...

Forget discs. Forget synching...

Pal takes your desktop and puts...
your fingertips using Mac OS X 10.3...
can take your life on the road...
use your computer and Pal to fix...
problems. So what are you waiting...
see the light."


The box had an 'aqua' look lightbulb logo on it in green. We will try to get some more screenshots and post them up later, various other websites have been sent them but Apple's Legal team has asked for them to be removed (Which means they are likely to be real).

Update: It is looking more and more like this piece of software/hardware from Apple will basically take your desktop/files and put it on to "Pal" (Assuming it is a Firewire drive like assumed) and you will be able to access your desktop and all of your preferences from any Panther Mac that has "Pal" installed. Nifty, assuming it doesn't turn out to be fake that is.

Yet another update: We've been e-mailed in by a friend close to Apple who has stated that this is going to be a bootable firewire drive by Apple that lets you transfer files to and from Mac's using OS X 10.3, and also contains software that helps fix problems with your Mac by booting from the Firewire drive. This doesn't quite add up to the Box shots we were sent in earlier but we'll wait and see.

Another updated - Thanks to Mr Anon for sending this one in
Click to expand...
 
pics

one

two

three

four

(edit: the pics are posted again on the original site. no need to burn through my bandwidth with the rumor hungery masses)
 
site's back up... they took the photos down.

arn
 
PAL, .mac service?

Hello,

I would think that PAL is what is referred to here (from Apple's .mac webpage marked coming soon):
.Mac Presents:
Anywhere Access
Discover the convenience of accessing your data from any Internet connected computer.
 
Another piece of the digital hub?

From the looks of the Pal box, saying "connect over the air", I believe that this is a portable storage solution that connects via airport via rondevoux (however you spell it). I don't think it can be hard drive based, due to the fact that 802.11b/g is a bit too slow for the access times for the hard drive....now I could be wrong. I bet its a flash system of some sort, but that could mean high prices........

WWDC is going to be very interesting indeed.
 
the description makes it sound like an Internet service.

arn
 
Re: PAL, .mac service?

Originally posted by ldjessee
Hello,

I would think that PAL is what is referred to here (from Apple's .mac webpage marked coming soon):
.Mac Presents:
Anywhere Access
Discover the convenience of accessing your data from any Internet connected computer.
Click to expand...

sounds like the most reasonable guess to what it could be. but then again...why would it need 10.3?
 
Good use for an iPod

I'd love to use an iPod that way!

Preferably with excellent security, and automatic mirroring to the internal Mac HD to remove fear of data loss.

The box looks like software to me--Apple likes bigger boxes for hardware! And it looks very Apple. And being its own box suggests that it is NOT tied to .mac. But the slogan "Connect Over the Air" is mysterious for software...

And if this it NOT a fake (several sites say the images are removed due to Apple Legal) then the mention of 10.3 on the box suggests that Panther MAY be much further along than a WWDC "preview" would suggest.
 
Pics back up

I just checked and the pics are back up.

<edit>
Well, they were, but then I just went back and the site is down due to heavy traffic.
</edit>
 
devil's advocate here:

Still could be "fake". While this site claims that other sites have been ordered by Apple Legal to take down similar photos... I don't know which sites they are talking about.

arn
 
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