After days of speculation about Apple’s new non-Mac device, the mystery was resolved as the iPod, a beautifully small MP3 audio player that sets a new standard in its field. Jeff Carlson contributes a hands-on review, and looks at the one thing that may prevent the iPod from being the hit it deserves to be. Also in this issue, Dan Kohn looks at why encryption won’t protect online revenue streams, and we note the release of Windows XP and IPNetSentry 1.3.
Microsoft Releases Windows XP -- Microsoft last week released Windows XP, the first version of the Windows operating system that melds the industrial-strength underpinnings of the Windows NT/2000 line with the more consumer friendly features and interface of the Windows 95/98/Me line
IPNetSentry 1.3 Goes Beyond Personal Use -- Sustainable Softworks has released IPNetSentry 1.3, the latest version of their personal firewall and intrusion detection software (see "Macworld SF 2001 Trend: Personal Firewalls" in TidBITS-564 for more information on personal firewalls)
In the promotional video Apple created for its new audio player, Apple Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive says, "Our goal was to design the very very best MP3 player we could." Looking at the iPod, it's obvious that they've succeeded - but at $400 a pop, the big question is whether the iPod will turn into a success story like the iMac or a painful lesson like the G4 Cube.
Open the iPod Bay Doors, HAL -- The iPod is a stainless steel, 6.5 ounce portable music player
"Doveriai no proveriai." (Trust but verify.)
- Russian proverb, as quoted by Ronald Reagan
Even as content becomes a public good, content creators (or at least the publishing and recording industries that claim to represent them) have been led to believe that encryption can protect their revenue streams