MacRumors

Apple is continuing its expansion of its retail presence with the May 19th grand opening of its 5th Avenue flagship store. The store is planned to be gargantuan, with Apple having secured 20,000 square feet of underground retail space with a stylish metal and glass "cube" above ground. Appleinsider has previously reported that Steve Jobs was mulling making a trip to New York for the opening.

Of note, May 19th has recently been casually speculated by users as a possible new release date for the MacBook (Thinksecret believes it will be next tuesday). If this speculation pans out, the grand opening could also serve as a launching point for the much anticipated Macbook.

On the international front, ifoAppleStore.com reports that France may receive an Apple store by the end of 2006 and another in 2007.

Macworld.co.uk reports that the French Senate has passed a modified version of its controversial copyright bill.

The original law, which was later gutted in committee required that Apple and other online music stores to have their songs be interoperable with all portable media players in France. The version passed today provides a loophole for Apple to keep their songs protected, but still retained some of its principle interoperability language.

Senators weakened the bill's blanket requirement that vendors give details of their DRM technology to those wishing to develop interoperable systems. Instead, they voted to create a new regulatory authority responsible for mediating requests for such details.

The authority will have the power to order companies to share details of their DRM, but companies will be able to refuse as long as their DRM systems only limit usage of digital music or movies in a way approved by the author or copyright holder.

Apple originally called the law "state-sponsored piracy." Apple has not yet officially responded to the latest text of the law.

Walt Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal about the different approaches that Microsoft and Apple have taken with computers and digital devices.

According to Mossberg, Microsoft follows a "component model" in which many companies made hardware and software to run on a standard platform. This is true for PC's in general as well as Microsoft's Windows CE platform and the recently released Origami platform. This model produces "inexpensive commodity devices that don't always work perfectly together, but get the job done".

Apple's model has been one of "end-to-end", in which one company designs both the hardware and software "which work smoothly together, but the products cost more and limit choice."

Much of Apple's success with the iPod has been due to this end-to-end model. Some critics believe that over time, the component model will overtake the iPod as it has in the PC market, but Mossberg disagrees:

I think the end-to-end model can prevail this time, both for Apple and other companies. Consumers want choice and low prices. But they also crave the kind of simplicity and integration that the end-to-end model delivers best.

Meanwhile, almost as a sidenote, Mossberg claims that Apple "is working on other projects built on the same end-to-end model as the iPod: a media-playing cellphone and a home-media hub."

There have been ongoing rumors that Apple is working on a cellphone, so these comments may reflect those rumors. Rumors of a "home-media hub", however, have been less prevalent.

Apple customers started getting word of their 17" MacBook Pros finally shipping late last week. The first shipments are arriving.

This photo set shows unpacking of the 17" MacBook Pro as well as side-by-side comparisons with the 17" PowerBook. Another set with unpacking and comparison shots.

The first recipients have been posting their impressions of the 17" MacBook Pro on Apple's Discussion board. Meanwhile, MacRumors users have also posted their initial impressions on our forums:

- 17" MBP in hand
- Quick 17" MBP review
- 17" MBP First Impressions (DOA Screen Issue)

While a 17" screen on a laptop may still seem luxurious, Maccentral reports from E3 that 19" laptops are a growing trend.

According to Australian magazine Smarthouse, Apple has changed its iPod royalty model to a flat USD $4.00 price per unit sold to interface with Apple's dock connector.

Originally, Apple charged 1.5% of the wholesale price but when the iPod took off and Apple began making their own accessories, third party manufacturers saw the royalty escalate to 10%.

Apple has refused to comment on the fee. The move is set to favor the manufacturers of high end iPod accessories such as Bose, Jamo, Altec Lansing and Hi Fi manufacturers who are selling iPod connector or docking stations. It's also set to please who late last year were angry with Apple over the move to increase license fees.

The move is expected to not only help third party manufacturers, but also simplify Apple's management of the program.

After high expectations of an iBook revision today, ThinkSecret claims that the MacBook release was postponed due to low inventory of the unreleased MacBook. The next date being targeted is May 16th, 2006. (aka "Next Tuesday").

Many readers may be disappointed in the lack of release, but Appleinsider also reiterates an imminent release within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the "MacBook" slip-up on Apple's site also feeds speculation that the MacBook will be arriving shortly. Apple's last web mishap (iWeb) predated the iWeb announcement by 5 days.

Touting Fox as the number one network for young adults and teens, Apple has added the Fox shows 24, Prison Break, Unan1mous, and Stacked to the iTunes Store, as well as first seasons of so-called "classic" shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Lost in Space.

Apple negotiations with Fox were reported last December.

Episodes are available for $1.99 each.

Appleinsider claims that Apple's MacBook update may not actually arrive tomorrow as previously rumored.

Instead, the rumor site claims that while Apple has started ramping up production of the new consumer laptop, "the Mac maker is unlikely to unveil the computers until the following week at the earliest." The MacBook update is instead expected to be released alongside new iPods.

The specs for the new iPods are not currently available.

Meanwhile, the most recent updates to the MacBook rumor claims it will come in Black and White configurations, a slightly higher price point and a thinner form factor than current iBooks.

According to our Buyer's Guide, the iBook has had the longest time between updates at 286 days.

The BBC reports that the Apple Corps have lost their lawsuit against Apple Computer. Mr Justice Edward Mann, the presiding judge on the case, ruled that Apple Computer used its Apple logo in association with its store and not the music itself, and was therefore not in breach of trademark agreements made in previous decades.

Mr Justice Mann ruled iTunes was "a form of electronic shop" and not involved in creating music.

"I conclude that the use of the apple logo ... does not suggest a relevant connection with the creative work," he wrote in his judgment.

According to the BBC, Apple Corps is planning to appeal the case.

News.com reports on the new name for the next generation of Core Duo processors, now known as the Core 2 Duo.

The Core 2 Duo will be the new name for the upcoming Merom (mobile) and Conroe (desktop) processors which are now expected as early as July/August. Meanwhile, "Core 2 Extreme" will be Intel's name for the high end desktop processor.

Merom and Conroe processors are distinguished by their model numbers - 4000 and 6000 series for Conroe and 5000 and 7000 series for Merom.

Conveniently, the Conroe numbers match up well with the model numbers used by Advanced Micro Devices on its current generation of dual-core Athlon 64 X2 desktop processors

Macsimum News reports on more recent patent applications made by Apple which provide hints that they have been working on wireless iPod/iPhone technologies.

The most recent application reveals methods to use a portable wireless device to purchase digital media items over a phone interface over cellular networks or wireless data networks.

Also described is the use of a browser to interface and select songs, and also discusses the sale of RingTones as well. Apple had previously been rumored to be looking into introducing RingTone sales into the iTunes Music Store but this feature was reportedly cancelled.

Another recent patent application describes an audio interface for the iPod and other portable devices, giving users text-to-speech feedback.

The audio prompts provide audio indicators that allow a user to focus his or her visual attention upon other tasks such as driving an automobile, exercising, or crossing a street, yet still enable the user to interact with the user interface.

An unverified anonymous source claims that Apple stores are receiving materials for a new window display that's labeled "do not open until Tuesday, May 9th." The source also claims that Apple has directed its stores to push iBook sales this weekend, presumably to clear out inventory.

Recent rumors have pointed to the Macbook being released in May, but no specific date had been given.

Update: (Moved to Page 1) In addition to receiving further confirmation of more Apple Stores receiving materials for a Tuesday product release, http://www.apple.com/ipod/ looks like it is spilling the beans with a reference to the as-yet unreleased Macbook. In case the site is corrected, a screenshot is mirrored here (emphasis added in image).
Update 3: Other reports claim the MacBooks will come in Black and White configurations.

Apple today released Aperture 1.1.1, a minor release to its professional photo editing and workflow application. According to Macworld, issues addressed in the update include a white balance bug and a fix for a false "incompatible display" warning.

Perhaps more significantly, Apple also responded to a recent report by Think Secret of Apple's Aperture team getting broken up.

"The reports of Apple reducing their commitment to Aperture are totally false," Kirk Paulsen, Apple's Senior Director Pro Applications Marketing, told Macworld. "In fact, we've got more people working on Aperture right now than ever before."

Think Secret's report has come under scrutiny, with many pointing to an Apple programmer's blog stating that he has been recently been transfered to the Aperture team. Apple's statements today seem to support the notion that Apple is maintaining strong development support of Aperture, although they do not necessarily refute the notion that the original team may have been disbanded.

Christopher Price from PCSInfo.com reports that Apple is replacing early Macbook Pro batteries (serial numbers up to W8608) that are experiencing multiple failures.

Symptoms of battery failure include battery cutting off power to the system at very early stages, sporadic ampere hour reporting (coconutBattery), and the battery failing to respond when pressing the charging status button (after being charged and only slightly drained).

Early Macbook Pros have been plagued with numerous issues (flickering, whining, heat). Recently, users at SomethingAwful.com posted a link to an Apple Service Manual that showed that Apple was instructing its service technicians to incorrectly apply thermal grease on heatsinks. Indeed, the user reported that opening up the Macbook and re-applying the proper amount of thermal grease resulted in a dramatic drop in operating temperature. Webmasters at the site were subsequently met with a cease and desist order for linking to the service manual.

Some users fed up with their whining Macbook Pro's are massing to all call Apple's support numbers on Saturday, May 20th.

In related news, summer 2004 1.25 Ghz eMac's also seem to be having significant hardware issues.