Here Kitty-kitty-kitty…

10.4 Tiger

The day has finally arrived. I’m on my way out the door to go to the Apple Store and get Tiger. I’ve spent part of my day cleaning up my system in preperation. Hopefully I won’t have any trouble with the upgrade. I won’t be able to try it until late tonight. I’m going straight from the Apple Store to a birthday party..

Sluggish iWork Sales

I just read a discouraging article on AppleInsider thats says “…iWork sales have become so sluggish that Apple is literally inventing ways to pull sales of the product out of the doldrums….” That is such a bummer. I’m a little surprised, iWork has received a lot of great reviews. I actually bought it a few weeks ago. Pages, the Apple word processor, is a nice little app. Its ease of use blows away Microsoft Word. The same holds true for Keynote, the equivalent to Microsoft Powerpoint. I hope sales pick up. I would hate to see the suite go away.

Fontifier: Create a font from your own handwriting

Fontifier: Create your own font

Have you ever wished you had a font that was exactly like your own handwriting? No? Me neither. But if you did, you could easily do it with Fontifier.

Fontifier is an online service that will convert your handwriting into a font for a mere $9.00. You write your characters in a template, scan it, upload it, and there you go. The designers out there could use it to easily create any script or symbol font they desire. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks pretty cool.

[ www.fontifier.com ]

Outsourced my first job

I (paul burd design) outsourced a job for the first time today. I wasn’t sure I would ever reach this point. I have a fair amount on my plate right now, and I have a new job starting soon for a logo and website design. I decided to go ahead and outsource the logo design to get the ball rolling on this project, while I keep working on my other projects. I also did it because logo design isn’t really my favorite thing to do. I hope it works out OK. I’ve always been a little scared of outsourcing my work… I guess it’s the only way to grow.

Apple sued over “Tiger,” injunction sought

Apple sued over “Tiger,” injunction sought:
“Apple Computer has been slapped with a lawsuit by Tiger Direct Inc. for allegedly infringing its trademark with the new Mac OS X “Tiger” operating system scheduled for release on Friday.

Tiger Direct, which sells computers and related products on the Internet, said Appke’s Tiger OS threatens to dilute its trademarked name, according to Bloomberg, which has obtained a copy of the lawsuit.

The online retailer also accused Apple of deceptive and unfair trade practices in the lawsuit, filed today in federal court in Miami, Florida, Bloomberg said.

“Apple Computer has created and launched a nationwide media blitz led by Steven Jobs, overwhelming the computer world with a sea of Tiger references,” Tiger Direct’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.

If the court grants Tiger Direct’s request for an injunction, Apple’s rollout of Tiger could be stopped.

Tiger Direct, which is based in Miami, Florida, has used its family of Tiger trademarks to sell computers and computer related products since 1987, the lawsuit said. The company owns trademarks on the names Tiger, TigerDirect and TigerSoftware.

The retailer said Apple’s use of the name “is causing confusion, mistake and deception among the general purchasing public.”

At the root of the issue appears to internet search results. Tiger Direct contends that Apple’s use of the name has adversely affected its ranking amongst the Internet’s largest search engines, Google and Yahoo, bumping the company from its usual spot in the first three results.

Tiger Direct has asked the federal court to block Apple from using the name, according to Bloomberg.

The online retailer is also seeking damages and legal fees.”

[ Via AppleInsider ]

Mac OS X 10.4.1 on track for May release

Mac OS X 10.4.1 on track for May release:
“Apple has yet to officially unleash Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger,” but already insiders are abuzz about the first update to the next-generation operating system, code-named “Atlanta.”

Scheduled for release sometime next month, the Mac OS X 10.4.1 Update will reportedly tie several loose ends vacated when the Mac maker, on deadline, declared build 8A428 of Mac OS X 10.4 gold master on March 31st.

Almost immediately thereafter, the Mac OS X Update team at Apple began work on Atlanta, which will also include optimizations and deliver support for DVD Studio Pro 4, part of Apple’s new $1299 Final Cut Studio video production suite.

Based on recent mumblings, it appears that Apple hopes to ship Final Cut Studio in mid-May, around the 17th. Due to the production suite’s dependence on the Tiger update, it’s assumed that Mac OS X 10.4.1 will be released around the same time.

Sources close to Apple believe the company will begin distributing pre-release copies of Mac OS X 10.4.1 Update to developers within the next week.

Meanwhile, at 6:00 p.m. this Friday, all 105 Apple retail stores and participating Apple Authorized Resellers will host “Tiger World Premiere” events to officially usher in Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger.” The events are scheduled to run till midnight. “

[ Via AppleInsider ]