Update: Caution, iTunes 10 Extremely Buggy

Yesterday I troubleshooted iTunes v10.0.1 for my client. The issues my client was having was iTunes 10 would not literally play anything in the music library regardless of the file format. Another thing I ran into was that iTunes 10 interferes with the System sound. The System sound will not come back on until you quit iTunes 10.

There is a possible fix for certain issues in iTunes 10 involving re-installing iTunes 10 with this installation procedure at http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20017359-263.html.

Right now I'm concerned about how well iTunes 10 will work with the new Apple TV. As soon as I get my hands on a new Apple TV, I will do thorough testing and shake-down of the new Apple TV and iTunes 10 streaming system along with testing everything else in iTunes 10.

I will bring my testing results here at the Blog and on my JohnAtMacMobile twitter also. Stay Tuned.

New Apple TV Service Coming Soon!

Apple has announced the 2nd generation of the Apple TV set top box. The biggest features are that it's about 3 quarters smaller than the first Apple TV. It runs cooler and no syncing to the New Apple TV. The reason for this, is Apple decided to remove the internal hard drive. Apple figured that users found syncing to be confusing. Without the internal hard drive, Apple TV is now steaming only. The benefits are: 1. Simpler to use. 2. Smaller and cooler hardware. 3. Less expensive to own. Pricing history for the Apple TV when it first came out in 2007 was $299. Then a year or two later the price dropped to $229.00 and that's where its been until now. The price for the new black Apple TV is now just $99.00. You can Pre-order now at the Apple Store online. The New Apple TV should be out at the end of September or the first part of October. The other nice features that it will have is; you can access your Netflix account if you have one or this could be a good excuse to signup with Netflix now. You can watch YouTube and Podcast videos in High Definition for FREE! I believe in November, Apple will be releasing the next update for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touches that will include a feature called AirPlay. AirPlay will allow you to stream video from your iDevice right to your Apple TV. That's what I like about Apple, you buy the hardware and you can rent or purchase the content or just watch content from the web right through to Apple TV with no monthly subscription fees. That's it! One thing I wish Apple would do is keep the previous Apple TV available for users that like to have the internal storage option and make the new Apple TV software available to the previous Apple TVs also. I've heard that the previous Apple TVs are still around for this month for $149.00. I guess Apple is trying to sell off the rest of their inventory. I just wish Apple would continue making both versions.

I'm adding a new service to my list of services. I'm going to offer an Apple TV setup service that not only includes the initial setup of Apple TV but I'll convert your DVDs for viewing on Apple TV, setup and/or sign up Netflix, YouTube, MobileMe and Flickr accounts for you as needed and show you all the things you can do with Apple TV. I would also like, in the near future, to put together an Apple TV package for educational use. More on that later.

I purchased the first Apple TV when it came out in 2007 and it's still going strong. I love my Apple TV and by adding this new service, I hope a lot more people will benefit from it and boost Apple TV sales too. With the lower price, I think it's a great system and I want Apple to continue to innovate it.

Opinion: The iPhone 4 Case Design

My take on the whole iPhone 4 reception problem is this; It's simply a bad design that Apple didn't test either enough or not at all. The Antenna band should have been placed at the top-side of the phone where people don't place their fingers on the phone. Apple sometimes does these Overlooked Design Flaws. There's just no rhym or reason to it.

Hidden Valley Clearlake

MacMobile Services is looking for a new location and would like to know if the residents and businesses of Hidden Valley and Clearlake in Lake County California need Apple Macintosh computer and Apple product support. MacMobile Services can also help PC users switch over to a Macintosh. Today's Macintosh computers, both Desktop and Laptop models now have the Intel processors, which means that the Macintosh can run like two computers in one. It can now run Windows just like a PC and just as fast as any stand alone PC. The Macintosh can even run Windows and the Mac OS at the same time so that you can move files between both Operating Systems if you like.

Please let me know your opinion, suggestion, or even if you would like to make an appointment. Please send John an email at: mserv@sbcglobal.net. You can also leave your opinion or suggestion by clicking on the Comments link at the end of this paragraph. Thank you for your feedback.

The iPad Launch Today

Today I went to my local Best Buy store to see if they had the iPad. As I was walking toward the front doors, I noticed that there were no signs of advertising for the iPad. Seeing no signs around the front door and none inside the front of the store, I was thinking that this Best Buy store was one of the few that wasn't assigned any out of this initial launch shipment because of a lower than hoped production. Still, I continued in and went to the Apple section and low and behold there's the iPad. To the right of the display table where the iMacs and MacBook demos sit, was a tall cage-like box with several iPad boxes inside it. On the display table next to it was four iPads to try. This Best Buy store was ready for the iPad launch, with surprisingly little fanfare.

I picked up an iPad off the table and held it in my hand. The first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. The body of the iPad is made from a solid piece of machined aluminum. I was holding it like if I were going to read a book on it. I think if you were going to read a book, I would suggest holding the iPad with both hands. When I was holding it with one hand, because of the weight of it, my hand was starting to get fatigued. The display is beautiful and very good size. It had the Apple iWork suite on it. I launched the Pages word processor App and started typing on it. The on-screen keyboard rises up from the bottom of the screen and is very functional. It's very capable when your on the go.

If your in the market for a book reader and you've been waiting to see what the iPad is like before you decide, I think you get a lot more for your money with the iPad then you will with a standalone book reader. Since they are just one-trick ponies and at half the cost of an iPad at that! The iPad is definitely a bargain by comparison because the functionality of the iPad is practically limitless by its design. (If there is no retail store that carries an iPad near you, here's a link to Apple's online store.)

That being said, I think this first iPad is a good start. My overall impression; It's an incredibly built device with very basic features. The biggest feature it lacks is a camera. For me, this is a big deal breaker. I can imagine doing video conferencing using iChat on it. The iPad, I think, would be a perfect device for that. The iPad has enormous potential. It's only going to get better as the next generations follow. Personally, I'm going to pass on getting this first iPad until Apple adds a built-in camera with iChat. Until then, my iPhone 3GS is all I need right now.

Going to MacWorld Expo San Francisco 2010

I was excited about going to the newly revamped MacWorld Expo in San Francisco this February. I say "was" because here in the Bay Area there are going to be more rate hikes. Bay Area bridges are going to raise tolls again and now BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is now going to have a whole bunch of increases and reduce service at the same time.

This is what BART is planning to do;

• Charge a 25 cent "Transbay Tube surcharge"

• 2% increase to fares across the board

• More Expensive parking fees, no more free parking for anyone, those days are gone

• Reduced train service, running less trains.

For the Bay Area bridges, here is an example of the toll hikes for the Bay Bridge; During Commute Hours the toll goes from $4.00 to $6.00, Non-Commute will stay at $4.00, Weekends $5.00, and for the first time Carpoolers will have to pay to go over Bay Area Bridges of $2.50 per bridge.

Combined with this lousy economy and these fare and toll hikes, I'm finding it difficult seeing myself attending this upcoming MacWorld Expo. BART if your listening, you're not helping increase your ridership by doing this. It's pretty simple common sense. Now, I'm not even sure I can afford to go at all! I'm seriously considering finding alternative transportation and it might take some creativity to find transportation that won't cost me an arm and a leg. I suggest you doing the same, even boycotting BART and all Bay Area Bridges if you can. Consider taking one of the different Ferries around the bay. You remember the Ferry don't you? Or take a Transbay transit bus if your going to San Francisco from the East Bay. I think taking a transit bus is cheaper than taking BART or the bridge combined with paying for parking in the city.

These agencies/authorities need a wake up call. They need to understand that the public doesn't have bottomless pockets, especially during this lousy, rotten economy.