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Apple 'Pal'?
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I don't like the idea of my home directory being on a server. I've used this kind of thing in the Windows environment at several places, sometimes with the home directory being on a central server, sometimes with copy-on-login; and in every case it's slow and buggy.
We all know the pain of iPhoto's creating thumbnails on the fly. It's directory is in the user home directory. How long will it take to open iPhoto if the home directory is on a server? Answer: You'll be able to time it with a wall calendar.
We all know the pain of iPhoto's creating thumbnails on the fly. It's directory is in the user home directory. How long will it take to open iPhoto if the home directory is on a server? Answer: You'll be able to time it with a wall calendar.
This is a very interesting situation. The pics are very convincing, but it all seem very fishy. I'm leaning a bit towards fake, too, but mostly because the description makes almost no sense (too vague for my tastes).
Here's a thought, can you think of another Apple product with a green lightbulb for a logo? Sure this isn't the same logo that the Newton used, but the similarity is there. But that doesn't add support to or take away support from the possible legitimacy of this rumor.
If it is fake, it could just be a new site trying to get traffic, a lot of it.
Here's a thought, can you think of another Apple product with a green lightbulb for a logo? Sure this isn't the same logo that the Newton used, but the similarity is there. But that doesn't add support to or take away support from the possible legitimacy of this rumor.
If it is fake, it could just be a new site trying to get traffic, a lot of it.
im leaning towards fake only because of that copyright symbol that keeps re/disappearing on the pics... but it does sound like the coming soon screen on the .mac learning site... i guess well have to wait and see... either way, it doesnt seem like anything hardware based so if its just another add on to .mac then im glad they are giving me more for my money...
There wouldn't be synching if your desktop was physically located on the "PAL" device.
On the other hand ... is that revolutionary? Not incredibly so, just a firewire HD and the internal plumbing to automagically set the /Users/loginname/ folder to mount on the firewire drive instead of the local HD ...
From the descriptions here (i can't see the pics, sorry
) I'd say this sounds like a FW HD device (or perhaps software update for your iPod?) plus sofware to automount and auto-login a new user based on the profile on the device (which might require 10.3 plumbing, especially multiple graphical logins ...)Re: Re: 10.3 is the important bit...
I STRONGLY agree.
Hopes of 10.3 shipping at WWDC are just plain silly.
Granted, history proves that silly things do from time to time happen, but ...
I STRONGLY agree.
Hopes of 10.3 shipping at WWDC are just plain silly.
Granted, history proves that silly things do from time to time happen, but ...
Well I have no clue what it might be but....
We can see the whole front of the box (mostly) and it appears there are two pictures that could be on the back of the box. One with the "connect over the air" and the other one that has a bunch more text. Both of those wouldn't fit on the back together comfortably so it looks like if it is a real box shot that the front might open up "book style". I only say this because the one that says "Green light the internet" is really thin thus making it not part of the box as a whole. Not that it really matters at all.
We can see the whole front of the box (mostly) and it appears there are two pictures that could be on the back of the box. One with the "connect over the air" and the other one that has a bunch more text. Both of those wouldn't fit on the back together comfortably so it looks like if it is a real box shot that the front might open up "book style". I only say this because the one that says "Green light the internet" is really thin thus making it not part of the box as a whole. Not that it really matters at all.
Also could be just another website using a fake "Apple" product to launch their site.
For example:
SpyMac. Used the iWalk on a couple of occassions to get people visiting their website.
Apple-X.net and their two "screenshots" of piles in action, which looked basically like icons rotated.
And more info for the fire....toptechtips.net was just registered on Feb 5 of this year.
Also, that photograph of the description "card" why would the text be cut off that way, I mean, what's up with these rumor leakers who can't even take a photo right. Not that the part we can see really says anything of importance.
theFly
For example:
SpyMac. Used the iWalk on a couple of occassions to get people visiting their website.
Apple-X.net and their two "screenshots" of piles in action, which looked basically like icons rotated.
And more info for the fire....toptechtips.net was just registered on Feb 5 of this year.
Also, that photograph of the description "card" why would the text be cut off that way, I mean, what's up with these rumor leakers who can't even take a photo right. Not that the part we can see really says anything of importance.
theFly
If this turns out to be true and they keep this kind of pace going I'm going to have to defiantly get .Mac now. This is so much more than just a web hosting service. I seriously doubt anyone else could arrange such services and have them work as seamless as they have been. The extra incentive is is that you know that your information and data is relatively safe and your user details won't be sold to the highest bidder and spammed to death a few days later.
Regarding the possibility that this is a hoax intended to increase traffic to the site: Whoever wrote the copy on the pictures is not the person who writes the text on the site. The copy on the "box shots" is very professional-sounding (e.g., the slogan "Illuminate the Internet" is worthy of a master's in marketing). The text on the site is ... well, not worthy of a master's in much.
Thats fair enough to those who don't know us, but I've ran the largest Windows news site for 6 years and started this site the other month and had exclusives such as the 10.2.6 info etc which gained more hits than this has so far, if it turns out to be fake then fair enough, I'll look the ass...but we haven't aimed to get a load of hits from it as a launch as we launched a month ago, and surely we would have done it then.
There are far more obvious differences which indicate that none of the four green lights came from the same picture on the box (remember that most boxes have six sides
and that especially on the back and sides of the box one might find several green globby lights ...)
I agree with you on the point about the different writing styles.
I was going to ask, if it's a way to maintain your data across the internet, I don't understand what the phrase "Illuminate the Internet" means in that sense.
Okay, I don't get the name "Pal" either.
I hope it's a real product, I hope it's a GoToMyPC type service, which I think would be a great addition for .Mac. Why .Mac? Well, if your system is on a broadband connection, the software on your PC keeps .Mac notified of it's current IP address (we'll remember THOSE rumors a while back, won't we?).
Oh well, time will tell, I guess.
theFly
Wierd
Two problems if this is a service to allow users to access their home directories from anywere.
P1) My home directory wouldn't fit on a the largest iPod.
P2) If it wouldn't fit on an iPod, why would anyone want to connect via internet connection speeds to access it. Along those lines, why would anyone want to take the risk of hosting such large profiles?
I load all my apps and music and movies and everything else I can possibly think of that doesn't have problems operating from the home location so I can sync my home directory to another hard drive in case of a HD failure on the boot side.
It this is what it is all about, then it won't work for me...
Two problems if this is a service to allow users to access their home directories from anywere.
P1) My home directory wouldn't fit on a the largest iPod.
P2) If it wouldn't fit on an iPod, why would anyone want to connect via internet connection speeds to access it. Along those lines, why would anyone want to take the risk of hosting such large profiles?
I load all my apps and music and movies and everything else I can possibly think of that doesn't have problems operating from the home location so I can sync my home directory to another hard drive in case of a HD failure on the boot side.
It this is what it is all about, then it won't work for me...
I don't see why this isn't possible.
Computing has been moving to web based applications for several years, in which applications are basically run off of a server. And being that Os X has apache, sendmail, and webdav built right in, it's entirely possible to access and run everything on your computer remotely.
But it wouldn't work from a remote windows machine (I wouldn't think). It would only operate as a file server or webDAV server. And what are the chances of you being able to track down a mac using panther while you're out of town....slim to none.
Computing has been moving to web based applications for several years, in which applications are basically run off of a server. And being that Os X has apache, sendmail, and webdav built right in, it's entirely possible to access and run everything on your computer remotely.
But it wouldn't work from a remote windows machine (I wouldn't think). It would only operate as a file server or webDAV server. And what are the chances of you being able to track down a mac using panther while you're out of town....slim to none.
Pal... to help you find... puts your desktop at your fingers... green light... It kind of looks like a portable search device... like remote file search/ sherlock / on the go... maybe you can pull info from your Safari cache / history... now that would be nice... unless of course you were browsing incriminating internet pages, and Pal fell into the wrong hands!
Fake or not... for Apple themselves to roll out something like this, it would have to be really good. Seamless access to your junk from any Mac. Services like that exist already in one form or another for PCs, so to work it would have to be something never seen before - or done better than ever before. They'd be taking a big risk by releasing something that could be too easily passed off as a copy of GoToMyPC but for the Mac...
In addition, the box design is different from apple's current box design (the text is much too large and is in the wrong place). Also, why would this be a boxed product?
Re: Definitely Fake
You're assuming that this is a box for software. I'm not so sure. In fact, I'm confused as hell. If there ARE real (and I'm kind of doubting it), I can't figure out what kind of product they're for. The reference to "air" makes me think bluetooth/802.11, which indicates a hardware product. However, it also sounds like an online service. If it is, I'm not sure why it'd need a box at all. Most online services don't require any software, and those that do would usually be downloaded, not purchased in a box. The box, though, does LOOK like a software box.
If this hardware, software, or Internet-ware? I'm not sure. Because it's so obscure, I'm leaning towards fake. But who knows.
You're assuming that this is a box for software. I'm not so sure. In fact, I'm confused as hell. If there ARE real (and I'm kind of doubting it), I can't figure out what kind of product they're for. The reference to "air" makes me think bluetooth/802.11, which indicates a hardware product. However, it also sounds like an online service. If it is, I'm not sure why it'd need a box at all. Most online services don't require any software, and those that do would usually be downloaded, not purchased in a box. The box, though, does LOOK like a software box.
If this hardware, software, or Internet-ware? I'm not sure. Because it's so obscure, I'm leaning towards fake. But who knows.
That is a very good question.
Why would Apple seperately box a .Mac feature?
And how does Airport fit into all of this?
Find out next week on...General Macrumors.
One issue I just thought of ... The text on the box specifically refers to "OS X 10.3." Is that consistent with Apple conventions for references to the operating system? On their own site (http://www.apple.com/macosx/), Apple says "OS X v10.2." Minor point, I know, but aren't they all?
Also, I would think the box would just refer to "OS X", and then there would a little note somewhere that says one of the system requirements is 10.3. Having not seen an Apple software box in a while, I dunno.
Also, I would think the box would just refer to "OS X", and then there would a little note somewhere that says one of the system requirements is 10.3. Having not seen an Apple software box in a while, I dunno.