From the category archives:

Apple

Solving Windows 7 RC Install Issues on Bootcamp

March 8, 2010

In a prior post I discussed my problems trying to replace Windows 7 Release Candidate on a MacBook Pro under Bootcamp. This weekend I took another shot at it, having found some posts that suggested my issues might be related to disk fragmentation.
You may have to defrag your disk first
Thanks to these posts, I was [...]

Read the full article →

Windows 7 RC on a Mac? Beware!

March 2, 2010

If you’ve been running Windows 7 RC on a MacBook Pro in a Bootcamp partition, beware. The path to reinstalling Windows 7 is fraught with problems, hassles, risks and time wasters.
Quick summary, if you don’t want to read the rest of this post. After several hours of effort each day, over several days, I am [...]

Read the full article →

Apple Mini Server: Some IT Expertise Required

February 4, 2010

Just before the holidays I invested in Apple’s new server offering for small firms and workgroups, the Mac Mini Snow Leopard Server. It’s a sweet package.

For $999 you get a whisper-quiet, energy-efficient server not much larger than a paperback book. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and a terabyte of built-in storage, plus an unlimited client license to Apple’s powerful server software (10.6.x Snow Leopard).

Apple claims this combination of hardware and software can handle up to 25 concurrent users. To handle more users would require more powerful hardware. I’ve been using it to serve a handful of concurrent users, and it’s plenty fast. But it’s not perfect, and here’s why…

Read the full article →

A Marketer’s Nightmare

October 14, 2009

This must be a painful time to be a marketer at Dell Computer. Dell has just introduced a svelte, feature-packed premium laptop aimed at execs, status seekers and “impression makers.” Thanks to their PR team (or influencer relations), Dell secured a high visibility blog posting at the NY Times discussing the product and its aspirational positioning. Unfortunately, it backfired.

Read the full article →

Apple vs. Toyota: Post-sale Experience

August 13, 2009

Apple’s “welcome to your iPhone” email today reminded me that this company is a brilliant marketing engine, not just a ground-breaking advertiser or developer of cool products. They do the marketing basics really, really well.

By contrast our new relationship with Toyota, as Prius owners, reveals to us Toyota’s lack of attention to experience design when it comes to brand marketing.

This post discusses the differences in post-purchase experience design between Apple and Toyota.

Read the full article →

Is Your Company an “Apple Wannabe?”

July 7, 2009

These days it seems everyone wants to imitate Apple, but few really know what it takes. This post examines some of the key factors that set Apple apart, from the perspective of a person who has worked with or for Apple since 1983. From design to product strategy to brand and employee values, it’s a hard act to follow.

Read the full article →