The Keeper of the iBookiBook and the InternetBy Mark Newhouse, <ibook_keeper@mac.com> The iMac started it all, creating the iEverything craze. Sure there were others before the iMac, but, just like the translucent color revolution Apple started, iHold them responsible for the creating the iPrefix. Of course, like the "i" in iCEO, the "i" in iMac stands for Internet, and the iMac was the first computer positioned as an internet computer. There are others now, but Apple was the first. So, when Apple created the next iComputer in the iBook, they upped the ante. If the iBook was to be at truly portable iComputer, then it required something extra, wireless networking. I have already discussed the merits of the AirPort, so I won't get into that here. I want to discuss what to do once you get on the internet. iStuffApple has realized that they have a lot of brand new customers with iMacs and iBooks flying off the shelves (when you calculate the number of computers being sold as one every six seconds, it isn't an exaggeration to say that they are flying off the shelves). So Apple is positioning itself as an Internet company, creating a portal of sorts out of the Apple site by introducing iTools. Actually, what Apple has done with iTools is not really that revolutionary. There are review sites out there that do a much better job than iReview, if only because they update their reviews regularly. There are many other eCard sites, although Apple's iCards are pretty slick. KidSafe is a pretty innovative approach to the whole internet filtering idea, but it is going to take some time before it is really useful as there are too many sites that haven't been reviewed yet, and are therefore not accessible via the KidSafe filter. The two iTools that I like the most are the free e-mail (yes, that has been done before, too, but which e-mail address do you prefer, @mac.com or @hotmail.com?) and the iDisk. The free e-mail turned out to be the catalyst for getting my wife online. I signed up an e-mail address for her, and now she is taking advantage of the ease of communication it affords. The best thing about signing up for free e-mail is that it gives you 20 MB of free disk space in an iDisk. This is once again something that has been done before, but the interface to the disk is just like mounting a server on your desktop. The integration is seamless. And, for now at least, there are no ads or annoying pop-ups on the web pages that you post on your iDisk. I have taken advantage of this free space at two sites now. You are soaking in one; the other is my iBlog. iBook CommunitySo what is out there, beyond the Apple.com domain? Despite the picture you might get from looking at iReview, quite a bit. Although most of the sites are dedicated to all things Macintosh, there are a few sites that are dedicated to just the iBook, this being one of them. I'll give a brief description of the other sites below.
iBook-User
iBookZone
iBookPlanet
Everything iBook What else is out there?
Discussion Boards and Lists
The iBook list
MacDebate iBook discussion board
The iBook Nook at MacAddict I try to visit each one a couple of times a week. You may even find me posting here and there, as keeper. There are more sites and opportunities for you to get involved, but this sampling should be more than enough to get you started. So, what are you waiting for? Join the Community! Mark Newhouse is the Web Designer for the public outreach arm of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories in Tucson, AZ, where the weather allows him to surf naked nearly year 'round!. The iBook image is courtesy Apple Computer, Inc. The iBook icon is courtesy the Iconfactory. |
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Keeper of the iBook Copyright © 2000, Mark Newhouse, all rights reserved
