ByMike Moffit

Happy Tuesday,

While I’m saddened there won’t be another Macworld keynote address, I’m thrilled that this last one was so exciting. The Places feature in iPhoto ’09 is both endlessly cool and useful; iMovie’s long list of improvements, particularly the image stabilization feature, brings the product into true prosumer territory; the 8GB of RAM option, green features, and huge advances in battery technology in the new 17” MacBook Pro further demonstrate Apple’s commitment to environmental stewardship; and the iTunes store will pull even further into the lead as it eliminates DRM from every track offered by the big four record companies.

Phil Schiller was eloquent and focused in his delivery, and I look forward to seeing him on stage at other events in the future. Ed put it well: “Steve is like your crusty old austere grandfather, while Phil is the uncle you sneak beers with behind the barn.” This said, crusty old Steve did invent the reality distortion field and Phil couldn’t quite get it up and running.

Macworld is really just starting now. Don, Geoff, Art, and I are solidly booked all week with vendors, various Apple boards, industry colleagues, and, of course, lots of parties. Keep an eye on Barkings as we share our experiences throughout the week!

As always, thanks for reading and keep in touch.

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  • iWork '09: Numbers

    Noted features:

    * Easily create formulas, using *visual placeholders with plain language text.*
    * Perform calculations using *over 250 functions.*
    * Organize your data instantly using *Table Categories.*
    * Check your calculations at a glance with *Formula List view.*
    * Create two-axis charts and combine line, column, and area series in a single mixed chart.
    * Choose from *twelve new Apple-designed templates* (30 total).
    * *Open, save, and email Microsoft Excel files* from within Numbers.

  • Changes in the iTunes Store

    Millions of cheers were heard ’round the world when Phil Schiller announced some of the changes coming to the iTunes Store in April. The main one: all DRM-free music, meaning that songs can be played and burned without restriction. The four major record companies (Sony, Universal, Warner and EMI) are all now on board with the change, which was crucial to feature songs without the “DRM”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management encoding.

    Beginning today, over 8 million songs in the iTunes Store feature:

    * No DRM restrictions
    * Higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually unchanged from the original
    * Same price for song downloads onto iPhone 3G over their 3G network

    The remaining 2 million songs in the 10 million+ iTunes library will be available without the DRM restrictions by the end of March. According to Apple, they will offer a “simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their entire library of previously purchased songs to the higher quality DRM-free iTunes Plus format” for 30 cents per song or 30 percent of the album price. Sounds intriguing, but it could get expensive… I say choose your favorites wisely!

    In April, songs will be available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29. This will be dictated by what the music labels charge Apple for the above licensing.

    “Read Apple’s entire press release here.”:http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06itunes.html

  • iWork '09: Keynote

    Featured updates:

    * Easily create sophisticated animations with *Magic Move.*
    * Add dramatic object and text transitions using *new visual effects.*
    * Visualize your data with *new styles and animations* for 3D charts.
    * Dramatically *reduce file size* without compromising quality.
    * Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using *connection lines.*
    * Choose from *eight new Apple-designed themes* (44 total).
    * *Open, save, and email Microsoft PowerPoint files* from within Keynote.

  • FEATURED SPECIAL | 01/06/09 – 01/13/09

    This week we are reviving a very popular special offer on previous generation 15-inch MacBook Pros. This special offer includes a MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, SuperDrive, a free Isis sleeve, and free shipping. “Click here to see this.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag18719/

    Before the introduction of the unibody MacBook Pros in late 2008, these were the top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pros. We sold out of them a couple of weeks ago, but fortunately were able to find a few more at one of our distributors. It’s a great price on a fully loaded portable Mac.

    “Note that this bundle is also available with AppleCare for $2199.99.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag18718/