The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/FileMaker announces version 10 of flagship database apphttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/05/filemaker-announces-version-10-of-flagship-database-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/05/filemaker-announces-version-10-of-flagship-database-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/05/filemaker-announces-version-10-of-flagship-database-app/#commentsFiled under: , ,

FileMaker, Inc. has released FileMaker Pro 10, the latest in its long line of database applications for Mac OS X, featuring a new interface and design.

FileMaker Pro 10 introduces the Status Toolbar, which it says is similar to most browser toolbars, that takes commonly used options out of the menus and presents them as tool buttons. This is the first major improvement to FileMaker's interface in years, and the company says it's aiming to make key features more 'discoverable' to novice Filemaker users. The UI requires a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768, however, which excludes older Macs and smaller netbooks.

Also new in this version are Script Triggers, which are time-based or user-based rules that launch scripts automatically. Bento 2 integration, support for the Microsoft Excel XLSX file format, direct database creation from Excel files (you already could start a DB by dragging and dropping a spreadsheet onto the FileMaker icon, but now the feature is explicit) better ability to set tab order, and better file recovery are included, too.

FileMaker Server 10 is also available, and includes a simplified tool for record import and export, and the ability to send mail directly from FileMaker without the need for an email client. Among other improvements, FileMaker Server 10 Advanced now allows up to 999 simultaneous connections.

FileMaker Pro is available in a variety of flavors:

  • FileMaker Pro 10: $299 ($179 upgrade)
  • FileMaker Pro 10 Advanced: $499 ($299 upgrade)
  • FileMaker Server 10: $999 ($599 upgrade)
  • FileMaker Server 10 Advanced: $2,999 ($1,799 upgrade)

All versions are available now. You can visit FileMaker this week at Macworld at the FileMaker Booth (#1225) and FileMaker Pavilion (#1125). We'll be diving into the new FileMaker features with a more detailed review soon, but this new version looks like it has plenty to please users both old and new.

FileMaker announces version 10 of flagship database app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)FileMaker announces version 10 of flagship database app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsdatabasefilemakerfilemaker proFilemakerProRobert PalmerMon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:00 ESTFound Footage: Instaviz, graph sketching app for iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/09/found-footage-instaviz-graph-sketching-app-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/09/found-footage-instaviz-graph-sketching-app-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/09/found-footage-instaviz-graph-sketching-app-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

I spend a lot of my time with a dry erase marker and whiteboard sketching diagrams for clients. I draw use case diagrams, flow charts, mind maps, you name it. On my Macs, I use the shape tools in Pages to draw my diagrams, but I often wish for a tool that would let me sketch charts on my iPhone.

Instaviz (click opens iTunes), from Pixelglow Software, is exactly what the doctor ordered. You can sketch out a rough shape (circle, rectangle, square, diamond, or triangle) with your finger, and Instaviz "cleans up" your sketch by turning it into a clean, symmetrical shape. Links between shapes are done by just dragging a finger between the shapes, and Instaviz automatically enters a straight or curved line to connect the shapes.

You can choose colors for the different shapes and lines through a color picker, zoom in or out using the familiar iPhone two-finger pinch/reverse-pinch gestures, add or edit labels, and scroll around your diagram. To erase objects, you tap on them and then shake the iPhone "Etch-A-Sketch" style.

The US$9.99 app can export graphs to a MobileMe iDisk or any WebDAV server in DOT/GV or PDF format. Here's a video showing the app in action:

Found Footage: Instaviz, graph sketching app for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Found Footage: Instaviz, graph sketching app for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStoredrawinggraphingiphoneipod touchIpodTouchSteven SandeTue, 09 Dec 2008 16:00:00 ESTApple Xserve Field Guidehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/24/apple-xserve-field-guide/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/24/apple-xserve-field-guide/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/24/apple-xserve-field-guide/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Attention Xserve administrators: Apple has created an Xserve Field Guide web app that can you can use to jog your memory when you're standing in front of a server and can't remember how to perform some manual task.

The web app is designed to be viewed on a Mac, iPhone, or iPod touch, and requires Safari as the browser. If you need to identify what model of XServe you're working on, want to know how to install spare parts, would like to decode what blinking lights on the Xserve mean, or even determine how to choose a startup drive using the system identifier button, it's all in this web app.

You can visit the web app from your favorite browser here:

http://help.apple.com/server/guide/desktop.html

or from your iPhone at this URL:

http://help.apple.com/server/guide/main.html

Thanks to TwitterMail tipster mvcoile!

Apple Xserve Field Guide originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple Xserve Field Guide originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>diagnosticiphoneipod touchIpodTouchweb appsWebAppsxserveSteven SandeMon, 24 Nov 2008 13:09:00 ESTTUAW Review: HanDBase for iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/21/tuaw-review-handbase-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/21/tuaw-review-handbase-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/21/tuaw-review-handbase-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Last month TUAW pointed you to a video of a relational database application for iPhone and iPod touch: HanDBase. DDH Software, developers of HandDBase, announced immediate availability of the program in the iTunes App Store.

At US$9.99, HanDBase (click opens iTunes) isn't cheap, but when you consider that it can be used to create custom iPhone database applications to track just about anything in your life, it begins to look like a bargain. HanDBase has been a popular product in the mobile computing space for years, and HanDBase aficionados have uploaded over 2,000 applets (database templates) to the HanDBase applet gallery for free download by other users.

Over the past three weeks, I've been test driving HanDBase for iPhone / iPod touch.

Read on for a full review of the app.

Continue reading TUAW Review: HanDBase for iPhone

TUAW Review: HanDBase for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)TUAW Review: HanDBase for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>databaseiphoneipod touchIpodTouchsoftwareSteven SandeFri, 21 Nov 2008 19:00:00 ESTFarewell to a friend: NetRestore goes EOLhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/17/farewell-to-a-friend-netrestore-goes-eol/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/17/farewell-to-a-friend-netrestore-goes-eol/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/17/farewell-to-a-friend-netrestore-goes-eol/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Go on, I dare you -- name an individual who has done more to improve the lot of Mac OS X system administrators than Mr. Mike Bombich. Over the course of the past six years, while working both at educational institutions and as an Apple SE, Mike has given of his time and energy in an effort to deliver some deeply useful tools: Carbon Copy Cloner, BootPicker, NetRestore and more. CCC was one of the first effective & free drive cloning tools for Mac OS X; NetRestore set the standard for deployment frameworks and led the way in Boot Camp compatibility for restoring Windows partitions on the Mac.

CCC continues on, but we have to say goodbye to the other half of the dynamic duo: Mike announced that he has end-of-life'd the NetRestore utility, citing a lack of time for the necessary work to bring it forward to current standards and future functionality. It's true that the basic capabilities of NetRestore have been replicated elsewhere (particularly Winclone for Boot Camp partitions, and Apple's NetBoot services in Leopard Server for machine imaging over the LAN), but many have built very capable and complex deployment strategies on top of NetRestore's PHP and database support. It's a shame to see it go.

If you're shedding a tear at the departure of NetRestore, you might take Mike's advice and give DeployStudio a look -- many of the deployment approaches he had planned for "NetRestore 4" can be found in that free and actively-developed system. DeployStudio will allow you to image machines from a local boot drive or from a NetBoot repository; you can even create an image server for your Windows machines and wipe them remotely. Another option, and one that permits very rapid customization of your image config, is the InstaDMG project.

For the latest help and tips on deployment strategies, be sure to visit afp548.com and macenterprise.org.

Thanks to Josh Z for the tip.

Farewell to a friend: NetRestore goes EOL originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Farewell to a friend: NetRestore goes EOL originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bombichdeploymententerprisenetrestoreMichael RoseMon, 17 Nov 2008 15:28:00 ESTBeta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/07/beta-beat-ibm-lotus-symphony-1-2-now-available-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/07/beta-beat-ibm-lotus-symphony-1-2-now-available-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/07/beta-beat-ibm-lotus-symphony-1-2-now-available-for-mac/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For those of you who don't want to use Microsoft Office on your Macs, there's now another free solution available -- IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 Mac Beta.

Lotus Symphony is nothing new; in fact, back in 1985 there was a version of this suite that ran on the Mac -- I believe it came on seven 800K diskettes -- and was the first all-in-one Mac office application. (Correction -- it was Lotus Jazz; Symphony was the DOS suite. Thanks to Scott F for the memory jog) Back in those days, Lotus was still the powerhouse in office applications and the flagship Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet ruled the roost.

Things have changed. Lotus is now part of IBM and Microsoft Office has owned the office productivity suite world for years. Free office suites such as OpenOffice (which Symphony is based on) and NeoOffice, and cloud applications like Google Docs are quickly making inroads in some organizations. IBM made Lotus Symphony a free product because they see licensing costs for Microsoft Office as a budget-killer for enterprises who could be spending their money on IBM products and services.

Lotus Symphony consists of three modules with self-explanatory names -- Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. The application supports Microsoft Office and ODF file formats for compatibility with other office suites.

Have any TUAW readers tried Lotus Symphony Mac Beta? Leave us your comments.

Beta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Beta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>betaibm-lotus-symphonyoffice suiteOfficeSuiteSteven SandeFri, 07 Nov 2008 12:45:00 ESTMicrosoft Mac BU gets a new GMhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/01/microsoft-mac-bu-gets-a-new-gm/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/01/microsoft-mac-bu-gets-a-new-gm/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/01/microsoft-mac-bu-gets-a-new-gm/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Macintosh Business Unit of Microsoft, that company we love to hate, has announced that a new General Manager has taken over the group. Craig Eisler, the former Mac BU big cheese, has moved onwards and upwards into the bowels of the Redmond-based software giant in a position with the Entertainment & Devices division.

His new replacement is Eric Wilfrid, a 14-year veteran of the company who has been with the Mac BU since it was organized in 1997. Wilfred started with Microsoft in 1994, working on the Mac version of PowerPoint. He was also involved in all five releases of Office for Mac, the Mac versions of Internet Explorer and MSN, and Virtual PC.

Wilfred announced the change in a post to the Mac BU blog today. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping that Wilfred takes the Macintosh development team in a new direction -- preferably away from Steve Ballmer's recent comments about Mac users not getting "the full version" of Office.

If you had one thing to tell Mr. Wilfred as he takes over the helm of the Mac BU, what would it be? Leave us a comment!

Microsoft Mac BU gets a new GM originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Microsoft Mac BU gets a new GM originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>mac buMacBumanagementmicrosoftSteven SandeSat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 ESTLANrev 5.0 adds power management to workstation admin toolshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/lanrev-5-0-adds-power-management-to-workstation-admin-tools/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/lanrev-5-0-adds-power-management-to-workstation-admin-tools/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/lanrev-5-0-adds-power-management-to-workstation-admin-tools/#commentsFiled under: ,


Managing the power consumption of your Macs just got a little easier with the latest version of the LANrev cross-platform client management tool. In the new 5.0 build, the headline feature is bright green: you can assign power saving preferences to machines, including toggles based on whether a user is logged in and new reporting fields to monitor energy savings. For government users, the new FDCC SCAP component helps Windows clients meet Federal Desktop Core Configuration standards for 300-odd security settings on XP and Vista (yee-ikes).

LANrev's sometimes-confusing UI has been simplified, bringing many of the server-oriented functions (software distribution, license monitoring, etc.) under a single window; machines can now be categorized for ease of searching and organization. Software deployment has been jazzed up with new metapackage/multi-payload options and Adobe Creative Suite CS3 direct deployment for installers and updaters (no word yet on CS4 support). LANrev still offers one-click Mac reimaging without setting up a Netboot server, which is a big plus in large deployments.

Pricing for LANrev starts at about $50 per seat for corporate buyers ($40 for education markets) with tiered discounts for larger installations.



LANrev 5.0 adds power management to workstation admin tools originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)LANrev 5.0 adds power management to workstation admin tools originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>administrationdeployenergyenergy saverEnergySaverenterpriselanrevmanagementpowerMichael RoseWed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:00 ESTLogMeIn Ignition promises remote screen sharing from iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/logmein-ignition-promises-remote-screen-sharing-from-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/logmein-ignition-promises-remote-screen-sharing-from-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/29/logmein-ignition-promises-remote-screen-sharing-from-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you've got a far-flung assortment of computers to manage, there are some great zero-config paid and install-a-client-first free options out there -- including the cross-platform hosted approach of LogMeIn. The LogMeIn Free client runs fine on Mac OS X, and the web-based control UI is capable; but how delightful would it be to take that same capability and stick it in your pocket? Very delightful.

LogMeIn has begun accepting applications for the private beta of LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone/iPod touch, the mobile client version of the remote control platform. With a final release planned for the end of the year, the client will allow full remote control of any computer in your list, including screen blanking and zoom/pan options.

While there are great IT admin tools for other mobile platforms (and some promising but never-completed iPhone tools), the iPhone admin explosion hasn't quite arrived yet. LogMeIn is definitely an industrial-strength player and the presence of the client will help to legitimize the iPhone and iPod touch as an enterprise device.

Thanks Shannon

[via MacTech]

LogMeIn Ignition promises remote screen sharing from iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)LogMeIn Ignition promises remote screen sharing from iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>betaiphonelogmeinremote controlRemoteControlMichael RoseWed, 29 Oct 2008 15:30:00 ESTYour congressman wants an iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/22/your-congressman-wants-an-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/22/your-congressman-wants-an-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/22/your-congressman-wants-an-iphone/#commentsFiled under: ,

TheHill.com is reporting that members of the U.S. House of Representatives could be getting iPhones when they return to Washington, D.C. after the elections.

The Chief Administrative Office (CAO) oversees all communications systems for the House and has been testing a small number of iPhones to see how they meet the needs of congressmen and their staffs.

House members and their staffs currently use RIM BlackBerry devices, with nearly 8,200 installed. The CAO delivers all emails to the BlackBerrys using a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. A new server would be required for the iPhones, so the CAO wants to test the devices and email delivery prior to making a decision to approve use of iPhones.

The CAO is testing iPhones simply because a number of people had requested them as an option. If the CAO does approve the iPhone and lawmakers decide to switch, they'll pay for the devices out of their Member's Representational Allowance (i.e., taxpayers will be paying for them).

Adoption of the iPhone by the U.S. Congress could be another blow to RIM, which is now behind Apple in terms of sales and revenues. Apple CEO Steve Jobs gleefully reported that "Apple beat RIM" during yesterday's Q4 Earnings Call.

Thanks to Kyle for the tip!

Update: Jordan Golson points out TheHill.com got this story all wrong.

Your congressman wants an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Your congressman wants an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blackberrycongressiphoneSteven SandeWed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:00 ESTThe admin's freeware friend: DeployStudiohttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/17/the-admins-freeware-friend-deploystudio/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/17/the-admins-freeware-friend-deploystudio/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/17/the-admins-freeware-friend-deploystudio/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

DeployStudioFor individual Mac users or small businesses, it's usually not a problem deploying new Macs with a standard image -- as a Mac support specialist, you might just load each machine manually. But imagine if you need to deploy hundreds or thousands of Macs, PCs, or XServes. You'd need a small army of techs or a way to do the job automatically.

That's where DeployStudio comes in handy. This freeware tool can be used to create deployment files using Netboot, external USB or FireWire drives, or any AFP, SMB, or NFS sharepoint on the network.

DeployStudio works with Mac OS X 10.4.11 to 10.5.3 at this point, and is updated regularly to include new OS versions. The package consists of DeployStudio Server, DeployStudio Assistant, DeployStudio Admin, and diffPackageMaker.

DeployStudio Server creates a network based deployment server containing the images. Assistant is used to configure the server and to create the NetInstall sets, while Admin is used to monitor deployments, manage disk images and scripts, enter configurations, and more. diffPackageMaker can look at the difference between two file system snapshots and create installation packages based on what has been changed or added.

Detailed documentation PDFs and screencasts are available on the DeployStudio site.

The admin's freeware friend: DeployStudio originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)The admin's freeware friend: DeployStudio originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>deploymententerprisefreewaremacserverSteven SandeFri, 17 Oct 2008 17:00:00 ESTiPhone in the Enterprise: Lotus iNotes Ultralitehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/iphone-in-the-enterprise-lotus-inotes-ultralite/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/iphone-in-the-enterprise-lotus-inotes-ultralite/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/iphone-in-the-enterprise-lotus-inotes-ultralite/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Lotus iNotes UltraliteBack in January, we reported that IBM had plans to bring the Lotus Notes groupware application to the iPhone platform. Well, it's happened!

Big Blue is announcing the availability of iNotes Ultralite, an iPhone portal to Lotus Notes that is available for free for anyone with a Lotus Notes license. In case you're wondering, there are currently about 140 million people worldwide who use Notes for their email, calendaring, and contacts.

IBM is always concerned about data security for its customers, and as such they decided to make iNotes Ultralite a web app rather than a native iPhone application. IBM felt it was important to customers to insure that all communications between the iPhone and Lotus Domino server be encrypted, and that no data remain on the device in case it was lost or stolen.

iNotes Ulitralite provides yet another foothold in the enterprise market for Apple.

[Via New York Times Technology blog]

iPhone in the Enterprise: Lotus iNotes Ultralite originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPhone in the Enterprise: Lotus iNotes Ultralite originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>enterprenterpriseiphonelotus notesLotusNotesweb appsWebAppsSteven SandeTue, 30 Sep 2008 13:00:00 ESTLeopard Tips and Tricks for client management will improve your admin lifehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/leopard-tips-and-tricks-for-client-management-will-improve-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/leopard-tips-and-tricks-for-client-management-will-improve-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/30/leopard-tips-and-tricks-for-client-management-will-improve-your/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Keeping up with the Leopard-centric changes to managed preferences and mobile accounts is crucial if you're responsible for a labful or campus-ful of Macs, and you want to gracefully control what permissions or resources your wanton users have when they log in. One great resource for Mac admins diving into MCX (managed clients for OS X) for the first (or hundredth) time is Apple engineer John DeTroye's Tips & Tricks documentation.

We mentioned John's Tiger edition of the T&T docs last year, and now that he's updated the handbook for Mac OS X 10.5 and Server 10.5, you'll want to bring your library up to date. Gone is most of the material specific to machine imaging techniques (I strongly recommend NetInstall [PDF], which is working better under Leopard than it ever did before), making room for more discussion of MCX settings and portable home directories. Download your free copy of the T&T file today and it'll make your life easier tomorrow.

Leopard Tips and Tricks for client management will improve your admin life originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Leopard Tips and Tricks for client management will improve your admin life originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>enterprisefeaturesleopardmanagementmcxservertips and tricksTipsAndTrickswgmworkgroup managerWorkgroupManagerMichael RoseTue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 ESTApple releases Remote Desktop 3.2.2http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/apple-releases-remote-desktop-3-2-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/apple-releases-remote-desktop-3-2-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/apple-releases-remote-desktop-3-2-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

Apple just released two updates for its Remote Desktop product. The client update and the admin update promise the following fixes:
  • Improved reliability with the Copy Items command.
  • Upgrade Client Software command now uses unicast packets for improved reliability on some networks.
  • Fixes to the Force Quit All Applications and Copy Items to Computer Automator actions.
The update is available to Mac OS X systems running 10.3.9 (or later) and ARD 3.x. You can download the updates by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by visiting Apple's downloads website and downloading the installer packages.


Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Apple releases Remote Desktop 3.2.2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple releases Remote Desktop 3.2.2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adminapplecliententerpriseremote desktopRemoteDesktopCory BohonTue, 16 Sep 2008 17:15:00 ESTVMWare Fusion 2.0 is releasedhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/vmware-fusion-2-0-is-released/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/vmware-fusion-2-0-is-released/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/16/vmware-fusion-2-0-is-released/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Great news for any virtualization junkies out there (I know I'm not the only one). VMWare Fusion 2.0 has just been will be released Tuesday! Fusion 2.0 is a free upgrade for all existing 1.x customers, and it adds more than 100 new features and enhancements.

[Note: VMware's product manager told us an official announcement time of 12:01am Tuesday morning, EDT; however the final version of Fusion 2.0 has not appeared on VMware's website yet as of 12:45am, as pointed out by Jonathan 'Wolf' Rentzsch. -Ed. Update: as of 1 am EDT, the Fusion page has been revised to include the 2.0 upgrade information. -Ed.]

I've been using Fusion 2.0 since it first entered beta during the summer and have been very impressed with its performance and feature set. In addition to TUAW, I also write for Download Squad, where we've been a little bit Chrome-Crazy for the last couple of weeks. Although I have access to a few Windows machines, because all my tools for writing and screenshots and graphics are on my Mac, I've been using the beta and release candidate versions of VMWare Fusion 2.0 for all of my testing.

Fusion 2.0 features lots of improvements and new features, but the most significant feature, from a technology-pushing perspective, is probably the ability to run Leopard Server as a virtual machine. When Apple made the decision to allow for server virtualization right after Leopard's release, both VMWare and Parallels announced plans to integrate that feature into their respective products. Parallels released Parallels Server back in June, targeting the higher-end enterprise market. VMWare decided to include the feature in Fusion 2.0 to give consumers a taste of the good life.

Although my year-old MacBook isn't really the ideal platform to run a virtual instance of Leopard Server, I did give it a go with one of the RC releases and was pleasantly surprised to find I could run a stable local MAMP server off it, and it withstood a pounding from my boyfriend's MacBook and the other media computers we have scattered around our apartment. On a loaded iMac or Mac Pro, I could see Fusion being very handy for testing or replicating a production environment.

Another new feature to Fusion 2.0, which first appeared in one of the release candidates, is a 1-year subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus. Although I personally prefer NOD32 for Windows anti-virus protection, having anti-virus software already built into the virtual machine is a great step, especially for users who might be new to virtualization and/or the Mac. There is no longer an excuse to not have some sort of protection on your Windows installs.

VMWare Fusion 2.0 is $79.99 for new users, and free for existing customers. VMWare offers a 30-day free trial, if you want to try it out before buying. You need an Intel Mac running OS X 10.4 or higher. Like all virtualization products, the more RAM you have in your machine, the easier things will go.

VMWare Fusion 2.0 is released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)VMWare Fusion 2.0 is released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>fusionfusion-2virtualizationvmwarevmware-fusionvmware-fusion-2Christina WarrenTue, 16 Sep 2008 00:01:00 ESTApple updates Mac OS X server to 10.5.5, and more server goodnesshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/15/apple-updates-mac-os-x-server-to-10-5-5-and-more-server-goodnes/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/15/apple-updates-mac-os-x-server-to-10-5-5-and-more-server-goodnes/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/15/apple-updates-mac-os-x-server-to-10-5-5-and-more-server-goodnes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With Mac OS X 10.5.5 on the update list for the day, Apple has also decided to release a number of shiny, happy updates for the Mac OS X Server geeks among us. At the top are two versions of Mac OS X 10.5.5:
If you don't wish to update to 10.5 yet, don't worry about it, you can still apply the Security Update 2008-006 that is included in the OS X 10.5.5 server update. This update, available for PPC & Intel Servers running Mac OS X 10.4, weighs in at 118 MBs.

Once you are done with those wonderful happy not so fun system updates and reboots, why not give the "WebObjects Update 5.4.3 for Mac OS X 10.5 " update a whirl?

And there you have it, all the Enterprise updates from Apple today! We know what all the IT people around the country will be doing tomorrow. Rebooting at least once.


Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Apple updates Mac OS X server to 10.5.5, and more server goodness originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple updates Mac OS X server to 10.5.5, and more server goodness originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleenterpriseMacserversoftware updateSoftwareUpdateupdatesCory BohonMon, 15 Sep 2008 19:30:00 ESTMicrosoft and FrontLine Release Solver for Excel 2008http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/31/microsoft-and-frontline-release-solver-for-excel-2008/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/31/microsoft-and-frontline-release-solver-for-excel-2008/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/31/microsoft-and-frontline-release-solver-for-excel-2008/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you've been miffed with Microsoft since Excel 2008 hit the stores due to the removal of Solver from the popular spreadsheet application, it may be time to lighten up. You can now download Solver for Excel 2008 for free from the FrontLine Systems Web site. FrontLine developed the original Solver for Excel 2004, and developed the Excel 2008 version at the request of the Microsoft Mac Business Unit (Mac BU).

Solver is a linear programming / analysis tool for Excel that was included with Excel 2004 as an add-in, but dropped from Excel 2008 since it required Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The Mac BU has noted that VBA is going to return in the next version of Office. In the meantime, Mac Excel users who rely on Solver's powerful analysis capabilities are now able to use the free download to perform their linear programming tasks.

[via MacRumors]

Microsoft and FrontLine Release Solver for Excel 2008 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Microsoft and FrontLine Release Solver for Excel 2008 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>excelmacoffice 2008office 2008 for macOffice2008Steven SandeSun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 ESTForrester: Apple nearly quadruples enterprise sharehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/forrester-apple-nearly-quadruples-enterprise-share/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/forrester-apple-nearly-quadruples-enterprise-share/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/forrester-apple-nearly-quadruples-enterprise-share/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ben Gray, analyst at Forrester Research, says that Mac OS X accounts for 4.5 percent of the business operating system market, 3¾ times their share in January 2007.

Computerworld notes that all this has happened with one thing notably absent: an enterprise strategy. "I haven't seen anything from Apple that seems to show it's attack[ing] the enterprise market," Gray said.

He says the gains in market share are due to two trends: client virtualization (using software like Parallels or VMWare) and the idea that corporate IT departments are more willing to support a broader range of hardware and software.

"In the end, [IT departments] want their employees to be as productive as humanly possible, so they'll approve tools that people are more comfortable with," said Gray.

In related news, Windows' overall share of the corporate market dipped slightly from 95.6 to 94.9 percent for the same time period.

[Via Macworld.]

Forrester: Apple nearly quadruples enterprise share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Forrester: Apple nearly quadruples enterprise share originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>enterpriseforrestermarket shareMarketShareparallelsstatisticsvmwareRobert PalmerTue, 26 Aug 2008 19:00:00 ESTMacs being installed in cruise ships, hotelshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/macs-being-installed-in-cruise-ships-hotels/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/macs-being-installed-in-cruise-ships-hotels/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/20/macs-being-installed-in-cruise-ships-hotels/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Oasis of the SeasYesterday we posted a tip about using your iPhone on a cruise ship, but what about if you want to use a Mac on a ship or in a hotel and you don't have a MacBook to take along with you?

AppleInsider's Prince McLean is reporting that installations of Macs in hotels and on cruise ships are going strong, with thousands of Apple machines being sold for installation in those locations by Apple's Enterprise Sales Group. Back in June we mentioned the Fontainebleau's plans in Vegas -- they're also installing another 1,400 24" iMacs in rooms at the flagship resort in Miami Beach.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has Mac minis installed on its Freedom Class (3,600 passenger) ships, and is working with Apple on IT infrastructure for its upcoming Oasis Class (5,400 passenger) liners. The deployments planned will have up to 16,150 Ethernet drops per ship, racks full of Xserves, and thousands of client Macs.

Whether it's an in-room email and information kiosk, a public information center, or an intelligent set-top box, the Mac is definitely making inroads into the hospitality and travel industry.

[via AppleInsider]

Macs being installed in cruise ships, hotels originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Macs being installed in cruise ships, hotels originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cruiseenterprisehotelsmacSteven SandeWed, 20 Aug 2008 08:00:00 ESTHow many iPhones would fill the Albert Hall? HSBC may find outhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/13/how-many-iphones-does-it-take-to-fill-the-albert-hall-hsbc-to-f/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/13/how-many-iphones-does-it-take-to-fill-the-albert-hall-hsbc-to-f/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/13/how-many-iphones-does-it-take-to-fill-the-albert-hall-hsbc-to-f/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're the CIO for the ANZAC division of a big bank -- I mean, a really big, global bank -- and you happen to let slip to a ZDnet reporter that your company is considering the iPhone as a possible BlackBerry replacement across the board... well, 200,000 iPhones is enough to get everyone's attention, even though this is about as far from an actual commitment to purchase as I am from New Zealand right now (17 time zones or so).

ZDnet.com.au is reporting that Brenton Hush, the chief information officer for HSBC in Australia and New Zealand, confirms that the bank is "reviewing iPhones from a HSBC group perspective.... I mean, globally." Even if a decision whether to move off the BlackBerry platform and onto the iPhone for mobile users is months or years away, the fact that the conversation is taking place on a more than cursory level is very good news for Apple's efforts to woo the enterprise with Exchange integration on the phone. Now, about that MobileMe situation...

[via Techmeme]

How many iPhones would fill the Albert Hall? HSBC may find out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)How many iPhones would fill the Albert Hall? HSBC may find out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hsbciphoneMichael RoseWed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST