'Pal', Internet Service Software for 10.3 (with Pictures)

[Defiant]

http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32638&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32654&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32655&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32656&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32653&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

Someone save them fast.

Pal. It's an Internet service software that is basically the "Mac Desktop" for the Internet. Not a .Mac-like thing. Completely new thing. Coining the terms:"Illuminate the Internet.""See the Light" "Green Light to the Internet" Should be able to be used on Windows. Should be a "switching" tool to get Windows users on a Mac-based subscription.

8)

[Barto]

It could all be a cruel hoax... Damn you Adobe for creating Photoshop!!! ;)

It certainly looks genuine. The question is... what does it do?

Barto

[Defiant]

http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32653&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

This Picture tells a little bit..

[Barto]

Green Light...
the Internet...

Forget discs. Forget synching...

Pal takes your desktop and puts...
your fingertips using Mac OS X 10.3...
can take your life on the road...
use your computer and Pal to fix...
problems. So what are you waiting...
see the light.

It's all very cryptic.

[New]

Originally posted by Barto
Green Light...
the Internet...

Forget discs. Forget synching...

Pal takes your desktop and puts...
your fingertips using Mac OS X 10.3...
can take your life on the road...
use your computer and Pal to fix...
problems. So what are you waiting...
see the light.

It's all very cryptic.

No, its not. Sounds like online User profiles. Sort of like under NT. only available through internet. Would be real cool. If its true.

[othello]

this is the link which gets my juices running:

http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32656&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

over the air syncing...

oh please be true!

[iBrowse]

It's very vague, but the look very authentic.

[othello]

if these are pack shots (thats a big 'if'), then the product must be pretty ready to roll. for 'it' to work it needs:

-- 10.3 (announced WWDC but shipping when?)
-- new isync

plus a *big* RDF special launch event...

:)

[iBrowse]

Everybody on spymac that's commenting on those pictures is suddenly pointing out 'rendering artifacts' claiming that they are rendered in some 3D app. What they are pointing out look to compression artifacts to me, the ones from saving jpg's. I don't really believe 100% that they are real, but I haven't seen great reasons why not yet.

Edit: Actually I have some issues with the corners and shadows on this (http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32638&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500) one in particular. Whatever, we'll see, eventually.

Edit 2: Forget it, I don't believe the most of it. But I still don't know where a 'render artifact' would be seen. Now I'm tired and confused.

[Barto]

The fact is, the pictures are not obviously fake. Anything which could be a rendering artifacts could also be from the camera or the compression.

[othello]

the text mentions things which Harald and others have talked about in numerous threads; over the air syncing etc. not proof, but makes me think it might have a ring of truth to it

[naderby]

To me it all just looks too... well, clean.

[NETROMac]

FAKE?
REAL?

:rolleyes: Doens't sound like something new and groundbraking to me. Maybe just another name for iSync. Big deal. ;)

Looks kinda fake. Is that supposed to be a picture of the box itself or a picture of a banner with the box on. To me the corners seems too sharp. On real boxes they are rounder than that.

[Defiant]

The two last ones are already removed.

That means Apple sent some lawyers to Spymac...no?

[othello]

they are all gone...

[Hobbes]

Originally posted by othello
they are all gone...

That was fast. Looks like the leaks have finally begun.

I am silently thanking the heavens if will be labeled "Pal" instead of "iPal". ;)

Can anyone describe what the pictures contained?

[piwozniak]

...and for the love of god, next time CAN SOMEONE SAVE THEM?

i just missed all the fun :(

;)

[dviant]

What was in the pics that were pulled?

[othello]

a front pack shot of a box (or maybe manual) for something called 'Pal'. it had an 'aqua' look lightbulb logo on it in green

a similar shot with little orange blobs under the lightbulb and 'sync over the air' written underneath

a half obscured advert/manual cover/advert listing the features. requires 10.3 and syncs your user/home profile/directory type thing between computers.

[DaveGee]

Originally posted by NETROMac
FAKE?
REAL?

:rolleyes: Doens't sound like something new and groundbraking to me. Maybe just another name for iSync. Big deal. ;)

Looks kinda fake. Is that supposed to be a picture of the box itself or a picture of a banner with the box on. To me the corners seems too sharp. On real boxes they are rounder than that.

From what I've heard from friends (and I'm not saying these pics are real - since I've never heard the word 'Pal' thrown around before) this could be much bigger than iSync. Think more along the lines of 'your home directory anywhere you have a net connection'.

Documents, preferences, the whole nine yards...

Seems like a lofty goal and would have quite a number of roadblocks (internet speed etc) but something like this would be really cool.

Dave

[sCreeD]

Windows roaming profiles that actually work?!

Sign me up!!

Screed

[othello]

using .mac i expect

[Brad]

Remembre, folks, that I can post images for hosting on AI's server. If you happened to save them to disk and are willing to share, Private Message me and I'll give you an e-mail address to which you can send them. All messages will be kept confidential.

http://forums.appleinsider.com/images/sendpm.gif (http://forums.appleinsider.com/private.php?s=&action=newmessage&userid=60)

[Chucker]

Originally posted by sCreeD
Windows roaming profiles that actually work?!

Sign me up!!

Screed

ActiveDirectory-based roaming profiles work perfectly fine for me.

[Paul]

someone please send brad the pics because I would like to see them ;)

[thegelding]

Remembre, folks,

is brad going french on us??


how was the birthday weekend son??

and has anyone sent you the photos yet??

g

[Defiant]

It looks like nobody didn't. I didn't because I was at work, and because I couldn't host them anyways.

I know Brad, that has changed now… Thank You

[Brad]

Originally posted by thegelding
is brad going french on us??
how was the birthday weekend son??
and has anyone sent you the photos yet?? Ohh la la. Ze weekend was very goood. :)

*upload!*

[BaxterG4]

That pic that Brad posted looks to me more like a pamphlet or something showing off a new feature of Mac OS X 10.3 named "Pal", rather than some new product named "Pal". Or perhaps an advertisement for .Mac or a new .Mac/.Mac-like service or something.

But its hard to tell.

[MacUsers]

this is the only one still on spymac does anyone have the ones that were taken off by apple legal

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by BaxterG4
That pic that Brad posted looks to me more like a pamphlet or something showing off a new feature of Mac OS X 10.3 named "Pal", rather than some new product named "Pal". Or perhaps an advertisement for .Mac or a new .Mac/.Mac-like service or something.

But its hard to tell.

The other images clearly showed a box.

[BaxterG4]

The other images clearly showed a box.
Ah. Well then. Ignore me.

/me wants to see the other pics... :grumble:

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by BaxterG4
Ah. Well then. Ignore me.

/me wants to see the other pics... :grumble:

I have all of them, I'm waiting for Brad to get my PM and respond.

There's a small, not too informative article here. (http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457)

[deepthunder]

My only question to this is why would Apple say forget synching? They seem to be pouring a lot of time & effort into iSync and .mac. To all of a sudden put "forget synching" on your new product doesn't make sense. I know they are working on more portable home directories for Panther but these line seems to be counter active.

Think about it!

[Anders the White]

Originally posted by iBrowse
I have all of them, I'm waiting for Brad to get my PM and respond.


Did you know I have an email adress that brings luck to everybody who feeds it with pictures? his name is ajk@mac.com .

[Defiant]

Originally posted by deepthunder
My only question to this is why would Apple say forget synching? Because your data is everywhere you go.

[Anders the White]

Originally posted by deepthunder
My only question to this is why would Apple say forget synching? They seem to be pouring a lot of time & effort into iSync and .mac. To all of a sudden put "forget synching" on your new product doesn't make sense. I know they are working on more portable home directories for Panther but these line seems to be counter active.

Think about it!

There is a lot of things wrong. Too much text. Not tight enough. Too narrow text and it looks like they didn´t get the font type quite right. So I give this 5-10% but thats HUGE compared to most rumors.

[piwozniak]

This is probably dumb, but here it goes anyway....

Looks like this light bulb logo is registered.
Is there any way to look it up?

At least it would rule out the 'fake' factor

....or would it :smokey:

[Defiant]

Yet another update: We've been e-mailed in by a friend close to Apple who has stated that this is going to be a bootable firewire drive by Apple that lets you transfer files to and from Mac's using OS X 10.3, and also contains software that helps fix problems with your Mac by booting from the Firewire drive. This doesn't quite add up to the Box shots we were sent in earlier but we'll wait and see. from http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457

[Defiant]

Originally posted by piwozniak
Looks like this light bulb logo is registered.
Is there any way to look it up? registered from Apple --> Newton & such...

[Brad]

Christmas-in-June presents for all! :)

*upload 1 of 3*

[Brad]

*upload 2 of 3*

[Brad]

*upload 3 of 3*

Enjoy. ;)

[thegelding]

yeah brad....da man


g

still don't know what the beans pal is, but the green is pretty

[piwozniak]

Originally posted by Defiant
from http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457

huh?

How many of you would buy it?

1. I have an iPod, (which i agree sometimes is not enough)
2. my pocketdrive with CCC serves this purpose great.
3. Why would i wan't.... naaaah that doesn't make too muche sense

:)

[iBrowse]

The thing about it being a portable FireWire drive to boot off of, or whatever that said, is that the phrase "Connect over the air" doesn't really seem to fit. Whatever it is, it certainly seems like it'd be more of a feature than a seperate application, which makes the box confuse me. There's something about that box that makes me suspicious, maybe it's the corner, maybe the shadow in front, maybe the fact that the glare from the camera's flash looks like it's too high and to the right for the angle the picture is at, maybe I'm over analyzing it...

And if I were to be nitpicky, (I can't believe I even noticed this, I need to leave this thread), Apple is usually fairly good with kerning their text nicely, and the word 'air' has bucktooth gaps in it.

[MacUsers]

in the second picture, doesnt the "Pal" on the side of the box look a little too bold

[piwozniak]

Some of u guys would make a career in forensic science....

[Proud iBook Owner 2k2]

Originally posted by Defiant
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32638&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32654&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32655&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32656&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32653&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

Someone save them fast.

Pal. It's an Internet service software that is basically the "Mac Desktop" for the Internet. Not a .Mac-like thing. Completely new thing. Coining the terms:"Illuminate the Internet.""See the Light" "Green Light to the Internet" Should be able to be used on Windows. Should be a "switching" tool to get Windows users on a Mac-based subscription.

8)

WTF they're not there anymore...

[piwozniak]

:rolleyes:

[superkarate monkeydeathcar]

you notice that the light bulb has no screw cap or electrical contact, it's like a bottle a one end. significant?

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by Proud iBook Owner 2k2
WTF they're not there anymore...

Hence the two pages of discussion about who saved them, and then Brad posting them after people sent them to him... ;)

[Spart]

Originally posted by Proud iBook Owner 2k2
WTF they're not there anymore...

Yeah, that's been mentioned.

Remember when SpyMac faked the iWalk cease and desist courtesy of Apple Legal? Heh...

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by MacUsers
in the second picture, doesnt the "Pal" on the side of the box look a little too bold

Yeah I saw that, the 'a' looks like it was horribly scaled, and the words 'Illuminate the internet' appear to be skewed 'down' when the box goes 'up' as it goes back. I actually made a list of 6 or 7 things about it to see if I still thought it was real, decided 'maybe', and now I'm trying not to waste anymore time picking it apart. I'm sure somebody will have diagrams and charts showing the angle of the lights and shadows soon. I still don't fully understand what on earth it would be.

[Anders the White]

Originally posted by superkarate monkeydeathcar
you notice that the light bulb has no screw cap or electrical contact, it's like a bottle a one end. significant?

Hmm. Not before you mentioned it I saw it as a ligh bulb. For me it looks like this:

http://www.westwindcos.com/balloon/images/spirate2.gif

Airborne internet service via bluetooth or 802.11?

[Nitzer]

Either the rebirth of the Newton... or a complete hoax.

I'm leaning hoax.

[iBrowse]

RosettaStoned started a thread about this in Software posting this link; http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/. At the Bottom. I believe it a bit more now.

[Spytap]

What are the possibilities of PAL being a new newton-esque handheld? Not a palm, or normal PDA that simply mirrors some types of information (contacts, schedules, etc.), but a wi-fi and bluetooth interface that is a separate and portable link to your desktop at home? Sort of a PDA on meth...or a PDA done right.

[Anders the White]

Originally posted by piwozniak
Some of u guys would make a career in forensic science....

Pffhh. Thats nothing.

Look here:http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=493&highlight=iWalk .

We would be able to find WoMDs in Iraq even if there aren´t any.

[AaronS]

Originally posted by iBrowse
RosettaStoned started a thread about this in Software posting this link; http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/. At the Bottom. I believe it a bit more now.

I think you've got it. Sounds a little more believeable to me now as well...

as

[Nitzer]

Originally posted by iBrowse
RosettaStoned started a thread about this in Software posting this link; http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/. At the Bottom. I believe it a bit more now.

I see NO connection to Anywhere Access with this Pal thing. Anywhere Access will be part of .Mac, that appears to be fact. Why would there be a retail box for one aspect of .Mac, which is a service to begin with?

Newton or hoax. I'm still leaning hoax. :smokey:

[Anders the White]

Originally posted by Nitzer
I see NO connection to Anywhere Access with this Pal thing. Anywhere Access will be part of .Mac, that appears to be fact. Why would there be a retail box for one aspect of .Mac, which is a service to begin with?

Newton or hoax. I'm still leaning hoax. :smokey:

Anywhere access IS part of .mac. Thats just the name they have given their presentation.

[Anders the White]

They would never call a new Newton "pal".

Situation: Your just getting to work, happily tapping on your new Apple PDA. You meet Joe from the cubic next to yours. You show him the PDA you say: "Hi, Joe. Look here its my new Pal".

Nerd. Not Geek.

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by Nitzer
I see NO connection to Anywhere Access with this Pal thing. Anywhere Access will be part of .Mac, that appears to be fact. Why would there be a retail box for one aspect of .Mac, which is a service to begin with?

Newton or hoax. I'm still leaning hoax. :smokey:

I don't know, that's why I have been saying that this Pal thing sounds more like a 'feature' of 10.3 and I don't understand the box. But I do however see a connection between "...can take your life on the road..." and "Discover the convenience of accessing your data from any Internet connected computer." You don't see anything similar about these two ideas?

[Nitzer]

Originally posted by Anders the White
Anywhere access IS part of .mac. Thats just the name they have given their presentation.

At first I was going to write "IS", but then I noticed that they have separate iDisk and iSync presentations. Meaning (to me at least) that Anywhere Access does note equate to iDisk + iSync.

That or there are parts of my .Mac account I haven't discovered. :)

[Bill M]

Originally posted by iBrowse
RosettaStoned started a thread about this in Software posting this link; http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/. At the Bottom. I believe it a bit more now.

Very interesting. From .Mac:
".Mac Presents:
Anywhere Access
Discover the convenience of accessing your data from any Internet connected computer."

They key there is *any internet connected computer*. Sounds like a universal Mac/Windows for .Mac users.

[heaven or las vegas]

Didn't NeXT have some graphical remote login feature? How would Pal compare with Apple's Remote Desktop software?

[Nitzer]

Originally posted by iBrowse
I don't know, that's why I have been saying that this Pal thing sounds more like a 'feature' of 10.3 and I don't understand the box. But I do however see a connection between "...can take your life on the road..." and "Discover the convenience of accessing your data from any Internet connected computer." You don't see anything similar about these two ideas?

Sure they seem like similar ideas. That's the problem. I don't see it as a separate product or service. I see it as either part of .Mac or Panther.

A box means a separate product or service. Something substantial like a cool new rebirth of the Newton.

For you conspiracy theorists, is it a coincidence that Pal's logo is a light bulb and the Newton's logo was a light bulb? I think not!!!

Hoax. :smokey:

[cinder]

Fake.

#1 - Apple uses photos of actual object on their box covers. If it's a harddrive - there'd be a pic of it. If it was software there would be a camera, video camera, etc etc.

#2 text is too dark on the side shot
(http://forums.appleinsider.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=370427)
It looks exactly like skewed text with thick antialiasing in photoshop. Photoshop tends to make text icky if you skew it a lot.

#3 the text on the side of the box is in the wrong perspective.
it should be in a parallelagram shape like the side of a box is.

#4 Type is all wrong. The only thing that has type anything similar to this is .mac. all of the rest of apple's products have a smaller title and subtitle in the top right.

[Nitzer]

Originally posted by heaven or las vegas
Didn't NeXT have some graphical remote login feature? How would Pal compare with Apple's Remote Desktop software?

NeXT had a couple things. The server hosted user directories, which we have availble in 10.2 server, and NXHost which let you run applications on one computer but have the GUI for the app displayed on another (like X11 windows). Remote Desktop displays the entire screen from one computer onto another. A decidedly different capability.

[cinder]

#5 front object is not repeated on the side like all other boxes

#6 the description doesn't actually tell you ANYTHING about what's inside.


Generally, closely cropped shots are fakes.
The real shots have always been full shots from different angles.

Why didn't they show the back?

Because it would require too much copy writing and fake screenshots.

Why didn't they show a full shot?
Because it would be harder to fake and easier to compare to the others - easy to call out bad photoshop skills.

come on kids - iSynch/.Mac already pretty much does this stuff.

[Defiant]

kid, it's not about syncing.

lets just wait for 10.3, we'll see it then.

[frank_t]

Hey cinder how much do you get an hour? You sure do work hard trying to find what is fake about it all....but if this does come out as the real Apple product i guess you won't have much of a job anymore ;)

Relax all....remember the MDD PowerMac's? alot said they where fake because of this and that....who knows these may be real....they do look good...and while they do have things that would make one believe they could be fake as well, we will all have to wait ether way to find out :)

In the end it's not your word against my...it's Apple's Photoshop work against a outsider with too much time on there hands :lol:

Frank_t

[JLL]

Remember this? (http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1036533,00.asp)

They said User at the Center features will make it simpler for individual users to personalize their computing experience and to move seamlessly among Macs and other devices

[frawgz]

Don't forget ThinkSecret's article about over the air syncing.

[cinder]

JLL - yes, everyone knows - including whoever faked this box.

Except they have no more information about it either, so they wrote terrible non-spcific vague copy.


and my normal salary is none of your business.
:)
But my cynic salary is generally between $yeahsurecinder - $you'reprobablyrightcinder a post.
I did the same thing for the iWalk and similar 'fiascos'
I had no comments about the PowerMac shots. Industrial design and cases are not my area of expertise.

I'm seriously telling you that the box IS fake.
It's not an interpretation. The text is geometrically wrong. You know why? Because you can't easily do it in Photoshop. You'd need Illustrator or Freehand to skew it properly to make a better fake.
The design breaks Apple's standards. Period.

This doesn't mean the 'user at the center' software will not come out - but it's very obvious to me and probably you and everyone else that it will be PART of Panther - not an add-on app.
There's no point to making it an add-on app if you're trying to sell new features.

Not to mention - why are they printing boxes for something that obviously requires Panther?
Panther isn't even in beta yet.

I am not questioning the existance of the software - I am just saying that the box, logo, and name are fake.

[cinder]

Plus

the typeface is also wrong.
the weight is too heavy - which means it was another version of Lucida made by a different foundry or the wrong 'boldness' of that typeface.

Using a non-specified font is a HUGE no-no.

http://www.apple.com/pr/photos/dotmac/dotmac.html
Look at this to compare.

I could go on and on and on and on if you'd like . . .
:p

[Brad]

Originally posted by cinder
the weight is too heavy - which means it was another version of Lucida made by a different foundry or the wrong 'boldness' of that typeface. Apple doesn't use Lucida for product images. It uses Adobe Myriad.

[dviant]

#3 the text on the side of the box is in the wrong perspective.
it should be in a parallelagram shape like the side of a box is.
Yeah that does look a little screwy.

Note the position of the "Ill" after pal as a reference for perspective and then the "t" at the end. Its all wrong. The top of the "t" should be pointing down not up to be in proper perspective with the way the box is depicted. Guess why the top of the box is cut off folks ;)

#4 Type is all wrong. The only thing that has type anything similar to this is .mac. all of the rest of apple's products have a smaller title and subtitle in the top right.
The kerning on the grey "Pal" is poor. No attention to kerning in a product name... suuuure.

Of course this *could* just be some sort of mock up for a real box but coming from Spymac i doubt it. Nice aqua light bulb exclamation point though...

:smokey:

[Paul]

well, by counting the links it seems we should have 2 more pics coming to us...:err: :devil:

[JLL]

Originally posted by cinder
#5 front object is not repeated on the side like all other boxes

*cough*.mac*cough*

[othello]

wasn't there a rumour ages ago about a piece of apple software (junkyad, scrapyard or something) which would aid in rescuing/fixing your mac?

or did that turn out to be the journal feature?

[BuonRotto]

To me, it's the same idea as the Remote Desktop Connection (or whatever it's called) software from Windows but probably doing it more in the way *nix windowing systems can serve up remote displays. I would just assume it does more than this, or somehow allows more features and eases the setup of such things. How it compares and contrasts with Remote Desktop from Apple now I do not know. FWIW, the lightbulb icon looks a bit silly.

[Mac Man 020581]

http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457

What suppose to be on that page, I can't open it up?

[Quick]

No one would create such a perfect illustration of a lightbulb just to mess with the type afterwards. So, you guys may believe it's a fake, but not because of the way it is graphically designed.

[rok]

what can i say, looks legit to me, BUT i was also the ones who thought the leaked cube photos were 100% fake...

[cinder]

Brad: Right. My mistake. I got those names confused.

JLL: Yes, I noticed that afterwards.

As for the lightbulb - yeah it's decent.
But there are about 50 billion tutorials out there on how to make Aqua effects - and the lightbulb/blob illustration is nothing spectacular.

The thing is - it Doesnt look like ANYTHING Apple has put out yet.


Not to mention - why isn't the text black on the front?

it's in shadows and dark.

Mock up boxes are not generally full-size, cut, folded final printed boxes.
At least not in my experience.


Still, no one has been able to explain to me why Apple would bundle this feature seperately and prepare it ahead of time before Panther is even in beta.
It's 2-3 months away.

This alone should make it obvious.

[Quick]

Originally posted by cinder
Mock up boxes are not generally full-size, cut, folded final printed boxes.
At least not in my experience.

In fact, they are. You need to know how it looks like. And clients want to experience the real thing before they give you a final OK for print.
Believe me, I have designed hundreds of dummy-boxes in my career so far.

[BuonRotto]

Originally posted by Mac Man 020581
http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457

What suppose to be on that page, I can't open it up?

It looks like a good fake if it is one. I thought the Cube pictures were real, this looks pretty real to me too. Anyway, the post on that site made me cast some doubt on the story they were told for one reason:

"Pal is a small wireless device with a touch sensitive screen, which can remotely login to your desktop Mac. It is suitable for surfing the web on the move."

I don't think Jobs nor anyone else at Apple would think that a small screen (how small?) would be suitable for web browsing, not to mention a vis-a-vis recreation of your desktop. So I don't think that report of what Pal supposedly is could be accurate.

oh, here's the whole entry:

Final update & possible idea of what "Pal" is: - This was just sent in to us: Pal is a small wireless device with a touch sensitive screen, which can remotely login to your desktop Mac. It is suitable for surfing the web on the move. When your Mac is out of range, Pal logs in to your .Mac account, to provide limited functionality - hence "forget syncing". It has a pen based input method, using Inkwell, but it is not positioned as a Tablet PC since it does not have an internal hard drive. It's not a Mac replacement, it's a Mac companion. It's not a personal organiser, it's a handy means of accessing your desktop and the Internet wherever you are. It puts our desktop at your fingertips literally because you can see you desktop form a handy hand-held device. The reason they called it Pal rather than iPal is because it's a whole new product category (think Newton, Pipin etc) which is designed to work with both the consumer and pro range. This also explains why the logo and type size are a little different. This is not a box, and this is not the Pal packaging - it's in store POS Don't ask me how I know all this - I just know

This final update goes with what Mac Whispers were talking about last month.

We got sent in a few screenshots (including a box shot) earlier in the day showing off a new piece of Apple software/hardware called 'Pal'. It is being classed as an Internet service software that is basically the "Mac Desktop" for the Internet. Not like .Mac has been for a storing files, but something completely new. Coining the terms:"Illuminate the Internet.""See the Light" "Green Light to the Internet".

Another update: The .Mac website seems to clearly state a "Coming Soon" program that will allow "Anywhere Access" - http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/

The box shot reads:

"Green Light... the Internet... Forget discs. Forget synching... Pal takes your desktop and puts... your fingertips using Mac OS X 10.3... can take your life on the road... use your computer and Pal to fix... problems. So what are you waiting... see the light."

The box had an 'aqua' look lightbulb logo on it in green. We will try to get some more screenshots and post them up later, various other websites have been sent them but Apple's Legal team has asked for them to be removed (Which means they are likely to be real). Update: It is looking more and more like this piece of software or hardware from Apple will basically take your desktop/files and put it on to "Pal" (Assuming it is a Firewire drive or more likely an internet service) and you will be able to access your desktop and all of your preferences from any Panther Mac that has "Pal" installed. Nifty, assuming it doesn't turn out to be fake that is.

[cinder]

Quick: I will yield to your expertise on that one.

Now, see - they totally blew it with that supposed new description.
No way is Apple selling this imaginary 'Pal' without a picture of the thing on the box - in a software box that is modeled after the .Mac box.
How convienient. Fits in with their original story that they keep changing. Apparently Apple doesn't really know what it does either?

Plus - that text is terribly written.

MacRumors also moved this one to page2
aka: yup. it's BS.

[Quick]

Originally posted by cinder
Now, see - they totally blew it with that supposed new description.
Full Ack!
The box design looks more or less OK to me. But the rest... NO way!

[drewprops]

3GPP & the new Quicktime

Could it have to do with that?

[rok]

y'know, i hate to bring up ghosts of old, forgotten rumors... ah hell, no i don't! :)

from a search of the federal goverment's applications for trademarks, our old friend...

GIGAWIRE

Goods and Services
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Telecommunication services, namely, local and long distance transmission of voice, data, and graphics by means of computer, telephone, telegraphic, cable, and satellite transmission; telecommunication services, namely telecommunications gateway services, ISDN services; cellular telephone communication services; electronic transmission of data and documents via computer terminals, communication by telephone, facsimile transmission; electronic mail (E-MAIL) services; electronic transmission of messages, data and images; electronic communication between computer peripherals and devices; providing electronic information about in the field of telecommunications via the Internet

IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: electrical and electronic equipment comprising adapter cards, cables, semiconductors and parts therefor; computer hardware; computers; computer firmware for the transmission of digital data; computer peripheral devices comprising adapter cards, cables, semiconductors, scanners, smart monitors, modems, printers, disk drives, namely fixed, floppy, cartridge and tape drives, CD-ROM drives, CD-Recordable (CD-R) drives, CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) drives; DVD-ROM (Read only DVD) drives, and Rewritable DVD (DVD-RAM) drives; handheld computers; telephones, mobile telephones, telecommunications equipment and devices comprising computer hardware, telephones, personal digital assistant devices, and mobile and handheld digital devices; wireless information devices comprising computer hardware, telephones, personal digital assistant devices, and mobile and handheld digital devices; computer software programs for the transmission of digital data; computer operating programs, computer utility programs; computer utility programs for use with computers, telecommunications equipment and devices and computer peripheral devices...

Owner
(APPLICANT) Apple Computer, Inc. CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 1 Intinite Loop Cupertino CALIFORNIA 95014

if Pal does exist, it seems Gigawire may be the way to get there. ;)

[Gabid]

"Pal is a small wireless device with a touch sensitive screen, which can remotely login to your desktop Mac. It is suitable for surfing the web on the move."


Hmm. I wonder if they're playing off the rumor from right before the January MacWorld about some sort of handheld device that a reputable source reported on (Cnet? Eweek? I forget, but it talked about a 7 inch screen if I remember).

I'd love for this to be true, but I'm going to remain healthily sceptical since it would be great for me (assuming this thing would actually be able to run Office off your desktop remotely). Mind you, if this thing did work I wonder how it would factor out in my DSL upload/download limit?

[Brad]

Originally posted by Paul
well, by counting the links it seems we should have 2 more pics coming to us...:err: :devil: Nope. One is on page 1 of this thread. Three are on page 2 of this thread. That's four. There's a fifth, but it's a dup of one of the others with just a different name.

[iBrowse]

About there should be two more images coming, there were five. They were titled manual, newbox, palboxcloseup, palretailbox, and scanned. But I'm not sure what the scanned one was supposed to be really, because it is different artwork then on the 'box' and 'manual'. I don't think Brad bothered to put up the fifth because the newbox and palretailbox images seemed to be the exact same thing.
[Edit, as Brad said while I was typing.]

The 'a' on the side is completely horrible, let alone the entire word 'Pal' is the wrong color. The rest of the text on the side, as I have said, is skewed incorrectly compared to the rest of the box. The glare from the flash is too high and to the right if you look at where the camera is positioned for such a straight on shot. If you look at the bottom left corner, the edges have a white border. Product boxes have a description on them, not an advertising slogan. I have problems believing pictures of 'future' Apple products where the photos are taken poorly, too close, and off centered. In the case of either the Quicksilvers or the windtunnel G4's (can't remember which, maybe both) pictures that were leaked I was more flexible with the poor quality of the images because I figiured that if they were real they had obviously been taken in a hurry incase they were caught. But this is different, one of the is supposedly scanned, why not just take the time to get a decent shot? And, if you look at my highly technical diagram below, it appears that the flash lightened the logo. But not really washed out like a camera flash wold do, but it almost turns the green to a yellowish color.

http://idisk.mac.com/weasesoldier/Public/gabe/appleinsider/logopal.png

This is weird because it looks as if the flash actually affected the aqua in the logo, which wouldn't happen if it were just printed on a box. While I have noticed all of these things, I am allowing for about half of them to just be myself looking for something wrong with it, and I don't 100% doubt it, I'm just really skeptical.

[Paul]

Originally posted by Brad
Nope. One is on page 1 of this thread. Three are on page 2 of this thread. That's four. There's a fifth, but it's a dup of one of the others with just a different name.
oh, too bad. I thought d linked to 5 different images and then a 6th in his 2nd post...
thats what i get for not checking the links, stupid vB formatting...:grumble: ;)

[iBrowse]

I guess somebody over at MacNN clicked on the iSync link this morning, and on the iSync page discovered this image;
http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/51/0afe123bee1d50/www.apple.com/es/isync/images/indexbookmarks_060203.gif
It has since been replaced with an image of Safari, but it's still on that page on the site for Apple Spain (http://www.apple.com/es/isync/). If those stop working I have a screen shot. It's not anything that you can really tell what it is, but it appears to be logged into somebody's .mac mail and have all their Safari bookmarks.

[rok]

by the way, as those of you who frequent adobe photoshop and also do a lot of marketing materials can attest, hardly any images of "product boxes" are legit. often, they are mocked up with such tools as the skew tools in photoshop, just to get a quick comp. that might be what we are seeing here -- pieces of those comps.

but honestly, if i were leaking these photos, why crop out parts of text???

damn, why does wwdc have to STILL be three weeks away?!?!? i don't think i'll last that long...

[rok]

Originally posted by iBrowse
It's not anything that you can really tell what it is, but it appears to be logged into somebody's .mac mail and have all their Safari bookmarks.

it kinda looks like a gussied-up iChat.

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by rok
it kinda looks like a gussied-up iChat.

Those features would be a very nice addition to iChat, when was that updated last..? ...

[Dog Almighty]

Okay, only 20 days left 'til WWDC… if it had to be put off for this long, and had to have been kept so secretive (on the QT, and very hush-hush), they had better have the biggests unvailing of the most impressive, latest and greatest fantasticon stuff I ever seen. I hope they're not setting us up for a let down. We'll just have to wait and see.

[iBrowse]

Didn't the article on TopTechTips.net claim to have a screen shot of the software also? Has anybody seen/heard about this?

[Voxapps]

I've seen materials like these photos in several situations:

1. "Sanitized" packages are often used for packaged goods advertising photography. For examples (at least if you're in the USA), look in the Sunday coupon ad inserts in your local newspaper. Virtually all processed food and cosmetic packages in ads have elements missing such as package weight, bar codes, and product numbers. A sanitized package is much more attractive.

2. Product concepts: an ad agency will often create mock-ups of potential features or products. Sometimes it is done just to give the marketing and marcom people alternative package designs from which to select a final package. Other times it's done for market research: you can describe product concepts to a focus group and show them some prototype packages to help generate feedback. I know that Apple recently has not used focus groups for hardware, but they might still be doing consumer software research.

If this is a concept for remote access to user profiles, it hardly seems to justify unique product packaging. And if it's a combination of hardware and software, I hope the final product has a better name than "Pal".

[inkhead]

Pal is the name. It's a play of of Hal from 2001. Basically because it was Dave's constant companion.

[Hobbes]

Some of this skepticism is going way overboard. This isn't the iWalk, it's a box. These elaborate deconstructions are a little silly -- they look to me like hastily taken photographs, with a heavy flash.

Besides, isn't it more telling that how the above product fits into Panther's rumored "User at the Center" direction? And how it connects to the .Mac page "coming soon" graphic promising the same thing? Plus the fact that Apple sent out Cease & Desists right away?

Don't get why it would be in its own packaged box, though, if it's included with 10.3... (Unless it's just a mock-up as suggested above -- but somehow I don't think so.) Perhaps there'll be a seperately packaged version for Windows that costs extra? Perhaps Pal will replace (or eclipse) the marketing for .Mac...?

[Steve]

Originally posted by iBrowse
I guess somebody over at MacNN clicked on the iSync link this morning, and on the iSync page discovered this image;
http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/51/0afe123bee1d50/www.apple.com/es/isync/images/indexbookmarks_060203.gif
It has since been replaced with an image of Safari, but it's still on that page on the site for Apple Spain (http://www.apple.com/es/isync/). If those stop working I have a screen shot. It's not anything that you can really tell what it is, but it appears to be logged into somebody's .mac mail and have all their Safari bookmarks.

HA! http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25486

[Spart]

Since Brad closed the other thread (http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25500), which was posted in Future Hardware as a discussion about what a possible Pal device might be, but quickly strayed off-topic, I'm going to reply to a post by 709 here:

Originally Posted by 709:
OK. If I get what you're saying, I should compare a 128x128 pixel image to a full blown print graphic? Sorry, been in the biz to long to even consider that. And, by the image you've posted you've illustrated my beef entirely. Even if the iChat icon is meant to be tiny, this new Pal thingy just doesn't have the finesse that the iChat icon has.....even at TINY sizes. You have to see that.

Oh, you are so very Pro! Sorry, I'm not buying it anonymous internet dude. I did not illustrate your beef at all, what you said before referenced the "harsh edges" of the logo. So I brought to the plate a very common icon, also pictured in high resolution in several Apple ads in various magazines and available as a high resolution graphic via Apple's PR site (http://www.apple.com/pr/) if you download the Jaguar screen shot graphic. The two logos have very similar edges on the reflections and such. Yes, I expect you to compare them since the Pal logo is not very complicated, thus it looks much the same at small resolutions as it does at very high ones. Apple does the very same thing with the .Mac logo you mention. The image they use in print, albeit scaled down, is pasted all over their website and used at low resolutions in the software and operating system. Get over yourself.

Originally Posted by 709:
I only referenced the latest on Apple's pr site, which is usually current give or take a few days.

Those .Mac PR photos are from MWNY 02. Jaguar was released after MWNY 02. And as I pointed out before, the .Mac graphic is a very old, unmodified graphic that dates back to the days of iTools. iTools was released back in the OS 9 days. I think you know better than to say that the .Mac graphic/logo is "current."

Originally Posted by 709:
You've lost me here. You did what? And where?

Christ, I explained it. Reading comprehension! To elaborate further, I copied the "photo" from Preview. I then launched Photoshop, created a new document, and pasted the photo. Then, I used the lasso tool to erase most of the junk around the logo itself, leaving a sort of grayish border with a bit of a gradient to it - not all that pretty. So once again, I used the lasso tool to select the logo itself, only much more precisely this time. I then used the Select menu to select inverse on the image, and then proceeded to set the brightness to 100% in order to reduce the gray. Finally, I used auto color to get back some of the depth the "flash" destroyed.

That good enough for you?

BTW, here is the image I posted comparing the iChat icon/logo and the Pal logo.

http://www.grm.net/~spartian/stuff/ai/ichatandpalfake.jpg

[Eugene]

Let's take a look at various Apple software icons:

Safari = A detailed compass (slightly angled)
iChat = A chat bubble (slightly angled) and AIM dude
Mail = A postage stamp (slightly angled)
iTunes = A CD and musical notes (the basic design of the icon predates the release of OS X 10.0)
iPhoto = A photo (slightly angled) and camera
iMovie = A film slate with an image in it (slightly angled)
iDVD = A film slate with a DVD in it
iCal = A calendar (slightly angled)
Calculator = A calculator
et cetera

This "Pal" icon doesn't tell you anything about the software's job or capabilities.

[Barto]

It's a "green light for the internet". In contrast, Safari's icon doesn't make any sense whatsoever. A compass? WTF? It's not a seach engine, what's a compass supposed to be?

.Mac isn't that descriptive. Neither is the finder icon. Or QuickTime. Or X11. All of those icons are the logos for that product, not descriptive. What's the difference between that and "Pal"?

Barto

[JLL]

Originally posted by Barto
It's a "green light for the internet". In contrast, Safari's icon doesn't make any sense whatsoever. A compass? WTF? It's not a seach engine, what's a compass supposed to be?

You're not using a compass to search for something, but to navigate.

[Eugene]

Originally posted by Barto
It's a "green light for the internet". In contrast, Safari's icon doesn't make any sense whatsoever. A compass? WTF? It's not a seach engine, what's a compass supposed to be?

.Mac isn't that descriptive. Neither is the finder icon. Or QuickTime. Or X11. All of those icons are the logos for that product, not descriptive. What's the difference between that and "Pal"?

Barto

.Mac is a collection of net based services, so the orb with the hub/web icon is as close as you can get to that description.

The Finder isn't something you load yourself. It's ever present. It's the basically face of Mac OS. (The pun was unintentional...I swear.)

QuickTime's icon is a "Q" for "QuickTime" as well as a countdown timer like the ones you see at the beginning of a film.

X11 is not a finished product, but it uses the standard XFree icon inside a window. X11 is more commonly known as X-Windows.

[Barto]

Originally posted by Eugene
.Mac is a collection of net based services, so the orb with the hub/web icon is as close as you can get to that description.

The Finder isn't something you load yourself. It's ever present. It's the basically face of Mac OS. (The pun was unintentional...I swear.)

QuickTime's icon is a "Q" for "QuickTime" as well as a countdown timer like the ones you see at the beginning of a film.

X11 is not a finished product, but it uses the standard XFree icon inside a window. X11 is more commonly known as X-Windows.

You are right on every count. The fact remains, ALL those icons are very vauge. They are partially descriptive, but much less so than other icons. Similary, if Pal is real, then it's icon is descriptive, but only vaugely (Green Light for the Internet).

Barto

[othello]

Originally posted by iBrowse
I guess somebody over at MacNN clicked on the iSync link this morning, and on the iSync page discovered this image;
http://a772.g.akamai.net/7/772/51/0afe123bee1d50/www.apple.com/es/isync/images/indexbookmarks_060203.gif
It has since been replaced with an image of Safari, but it's still on that page on the site for Apple Spain (http://www.apple.com/es/isync/). If those stop working I have a screen shot. It's not anything that you can really tell what it is, but it appears to be logged into somebody's .mac mail and have all their Safari bookmarks.

maybe thats the app that runs on this small screen 'companion' device?

who knows...

[Chucker]

Originally posted by iBrowse
Product boxes have a description on them, not an advertising slogan.

You're saying "The world's most advanced operating system." (bottom text of pre-Jaguar Mac OS X box) is a description? Sounds more like marketing to me.

[Nebagakid]

one the second one, why are the balls old stlye aqua, but the light build is new stlye aqua with curvvy shadding>?

[JLL]

Originally posted by othello
maybe thats the app that runs on this small screen 'companion' device?

who knows...

No, it's the webinterface for your bookmarks (.Mac is not yet updated, but it will be soon).

[Brad]

Originally posted by Nebagakid
one the second one, why are the balls old stlye aqua, but the light build is new stlye aqua with curvvy shadding>? Because it's a hoax, maybe? :lol:

[Spart]

Apple hasn't realy shown us much of a "new style" ball (sphere!) yet. For example, we still have the titlebar widgets and .Mac logo, both of which are in the sort of old, plastic-style aqua. I think these balls come closer to the new style aqua than those I mentioned before (mostly because of the "harsh" edge on the reflection.)

[bunge]

Originally posted by Eugene
Let's take a look at various Apple software icons:

iTunes = A CD and musical notes (the basic design of the icon predates the release of OS X 10.0)

This disc in the icon is (slightly angled).

[Mekhanes]

hmmm...

Does anyone remember the Logo for the Newton?

Wasn't it a light-bulb?

[Brad]

Yes, but it was very different. It was "sketched" in the style of the Picasso Mac.

http://www.drissman.com/avi/newton/AvisBackdrop/gallery/NewtLogoBW.gif

[rok]

Originally posted by Mekhanes
hmmm...

Does anyone remember the Logo for the Newton?

Wasn't it a light-bulb?

oh crap, why did someone have to bring that up..? now my wheels are REALLY turning!

but steve has said apple cannot add value to the pda realm until he's been blue in the face (well, more like a purplish rage). steve has hinted at things, but has he ever flat-out denied something, then turned around and went ta-daa!

[Eugene]

Originally posted by bunge
This disc in the icon is (slightly angled).
Aye, but it's not the same exact angle.

[Defiant]

Aqua Human Interface Guidelines: Icons (http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Essentials/AquaHIGuidelines/AHIGIcons/index.html)

[jobes]

at first i thought that somebody has made a mockup. probably just using photoshop for designing the icon and settting the text on the front cover. it could even have been done as a cheap chop in one of those shareware aquafier apps or plugins.

anyway, the copy is set badly ... crap kerning etc. points to it being done either by somebody who isn't using quark/illustrator/indesign ... or doesnt know their typographic rules as they should. then they did a few variants of the layout and printed out a copy on an A3 inkjet, and stuck it to an empty box. We do it all the time for product mockups at work... cheaper than a wet proof and looks like the real thing for product shots and point of sale design.

some quick digital photos later, and we have shots of kosher packaging. the unusual flaring of the flash burnout made me think the paper might be inkjet stock, which is shiny and has a wider specular highlight than the kind of boxboard or display card used for such products. it being an inkjet run-out might also suggest why some people have commented on there being no halftone patterns on the alledgedly scanned a/w. unless apple uses some mad straight to plate stocastic litho solution or something :D

then i thought they'd seen an apple product box and realised that there is more than just an apple logo on the spine ... there should also be the product name. so i think the culprit then PS'd that copy on the side. hence the really bad text antialiasing on the bold, and the dispro'd lighter copy. PS is crap at handling transformed antialiased text sometimes, as has been pointed out before.

anyway, all those theories are interesting, but after staring at the pics more i am thinking that it looks more likely to have been photoshopped from scratch. i am intrigued by the logo itself though, and wonder if the following from toptechtips (http://www.toptechtips.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=457) could shed light (no pun intended) .. This also explains why the logo and type size are a little different. This is not a box, and this is not the Pal packaging - it's in store POS Don't ask me how I know all this - I just know

so NOW i'm wondering if there is a wee bit of truth to this ... mebbe some eager beaver (a junior designer or intern) somewhere has seen a single point of sale item and has managed to take a photo of it. possibly just the logo. after, even if chiat day or apple do all this kind of design in-house they would probably outsource at some point in the chain ... for digital mockups or similar. still might explain the lack of halftoning etc. then this eager beaver has decided to perk up the rumours with some homemade packaging and promotional material. their lack of copy-writing and extreme photoshopping skills leaves flaws that countless eagle eyed readers here have found.

Oh i dunno, mebbe i need to sleep on this, and then rinse them through photoshop tomorrow at work. i'd be interested to see what the same copy looks like set in adobe myriad pro and non-pro, in photoshop. and i'd be interested in looking at those burn out shots more, and the suspiciously regular gradients on the front of the box. anyone run those through PS yet and looked at the images hi-res to see relative colour values in different channels?

ah, too much rabid speculation. i'm off to bed :)

[iBrowse]

Originally posted by rok
oh crap, why did someone have to bring that up..? now my wheels are REALLY turning!

Wasn't that brought up like the first or second page? That's one of the first things I thought of, which makes me further think it's a hoax, because Apple knows the recognition of the Newton logo being a lightbulb. Why would they use another lightbulb?

[serrano]

Pal as a thin client sounds unlikely, but cool. It's something I would purchase, especially if it allowed me to select among my macs.

[Dog Almighty]

I still don't know what it does. O_o

[MacUsers]

Originally posted by iBrowse
Wasn't that brought up like the first or second page? That's one of the first things I thought of, which makes me further think it's a hoax, because Apple knows the recognition of the Newton logo being a lightbulb. Why would they use another lightbulb?

ya but the newton is not a product anymore that was like 10 years ago, so they could use it, and it is a little different anyway

[iBrowse]

I realize how long ago it was and that it is different and all, but Apple knows how Mac-nuts are. It just seems that they'd be hesitant to use a light bulb.

[MacUsers]

We will never know if this is real or not unless it comes out, we will just have to wait till after panther comes out

[Nonsuch]

Originally posted by Eugene
This "Pal" icon doesn't tell you anything about the software's job or capabilities.

You can say the exact same thing about the image on the .Mac box. Funny how Apple allowed that to slip through ...

[Chucker]

Originally posted by Nonsuch
You can say the exact same thing about the image on the .Mac box. Funny how Apple allowed that to slip through ...

Actually, the .mac item symbolizes a hub with connections, like the internet is.

[Quick]

Originally posted by Chucker
Actually, the .mac item symbolizes a hub with connections, like the internet is.
Oh, I thought it was a fortune tellers cristal ball.
Well, not very telling anyway IMHO.

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Strange angle photo's + Pictures now been pulled yet = Obviously fake.

[WebFlits]

My first post :)

Lets assume that this "Pal" thing is for real.


I think that "Pal" is a thinclient device especially for OSX.
That would also explain the 10.3 requirements since you would need multiple simultaneous logins (new 10.3 feature?) to make it practical.
This device probably has Quartz build-in, the host computer only has to route the Quartz drawing commands to the "Pal" device so it wil be fast even on slow network connections.
Airport Extreme (and Ethernet?) build-in, touchscreen/pen based interface.

Think of the possibilities of such a device!

Full access (Forget Disks, Forget Syncing) to your computer(s) from any WiFi (Connect over the air) hotspot.

Another advantage, such device does not need a harddisk or huge amounts of memory, it 'll be a lot cheaper than a tablet PC.

[Jared]

Welcome WebFlits.

I like what you have to say but I am not sure if todays bandwith could really handle that.

[Quick]

Originally posted by WebFlits
I think that "Pal" is a thinclient device especially for OSX. ...
This device probably has Quartz build-in, the host computer only has to route the Quartz drawing commands to the "Pal" device so it wil be fast even on slow network connections. Airport Extreme (and Ethernet?) build-in, touchscreen/pen based interface.

Welcome to AI, WebFlits.

What a wonderful thingie this would be. But unfortunately too good to be true.

[WebFlits]

Originally posted by Jared
Welcome WebFlits.

I like what you have to say but I am not sure if todays bandwith could really handle that.

Why not?
You can use VNC on a 64Kb ISDN connection and THAT uses compressed bitmaps. WiFi hotspots have a lot more bandwith.
When the host sends Quartz commands to the "Pal" device there's no need to send huge bitmaps!

[MacGregor]

Originally posted by Mac Man 020581
http://www.toptechtips.net/modules....article&sid=457
The reason they called it Pal rather than iPal is because it's a whole new product category (think Newton, Pipin etc) which is designed to work with both the consumer and pro range. This also explains why the logo and type size are a little different.

I think this makes no sense as the iPod isn't particularly a consumer-only device and it was as "new" a product category for Apple as anything else.

[Stephane]

Taken from an interview transcript (http://bgbg.blogspot.com/2003_05_25_bgbg_archive.html#200366681) with Steve Jobs :

I get a lot of pressure to do a PDA. What people really seem to want to do with these is get the data out. We believe cell phones are going to carry this information. We didn't think we'd do well in the cell phone business.

It could confirm a "Pal" device : I read that as if next Apple device will be able to get the information out of a computer which is the main feature of a PDA, as cell phones will do also. But Apple won't do a cell phone and prefer a field they already master. So no digital assistant per se but maybe a carriable extension of your Mac...

[bauman]

I think that "Pal" is a thinclient device especially for OSX.
That would also explain the 10.3 requirements since you would need multiple simultaneous logins (new 10.3 feature?) to make it practical.
This device probably has Quartz build-in, the host computer only has to route the Quartz drawing commands to the "Pal" device so it wil be fast even on slow network connections.
Airport Extreme (and Ethernet?) build-in, touchscreen/pen based interface.

Think of the possibilities of such a device!

Full access (Forget Disks, Forget Syncing) to your computer(s) from any WiFi (Connect over the air) hotspot.

Another advantage, such device does not need a harddisk or huge amounts of memory, it 'll be a lot cheaper than a tablet PC.
:drool: I would buy that in a heartbeat... wait - what's the price? ;)

Seriously, though, as a student, I think it would be a really great companion to a desktop computer... just imagine taking it to the library for research without needing to worry about leaving any info behind. mmmm.

I sure do hope you are right, WebFlits :)

[Paul]

Originally posted by Dog Almighty
I still don't know what it does. O_o

it creates ridiculous amounts of discussion on the internet... that is all... ;)

[MacGregor]

Originally posted by Brad
Yes, but it was very different. It was "sketched" in the style of the Picasso Mac.

http://www.drissman.com/avi/newton/AvisBackdrop/gallery/NewtLogoBW.gif

That screenshot still looks cool.

[cinder]

It's fake.

If it was a real software box, it would be a better shot, show the back, and have the proper design scheme already set by Apple/whomever designed Apple's boxes.
And it's not a data synching app - that's gonna be part of Panther. Seperate the new features from Panther and no one has a reason to upgrade.

Not to mention this 'leak' would have to come from the design shop, not apple. and if said design shop leaked a photo - they'd be instantly fired, lose all of their work from apple and possibly be blacklisted if anyone else heard about it. Bam.


If it was a device - it would SHOW the device. Not a logo.
iPods don't have logos, nor powermacs, nor airport stations, nor airport cards, nor any other device or hardware that apple makes.
And devices certainly don't come in software boxes.

[AirSluf]

[undotwa]

Have a look at this page on Apple's web site:

http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/

Go to the bottom 'Anywhere Access' 'coming soon'

[New]

Originally posted by undotwa
Have a look at this page on Apple's web site:

http://www.mac.com/1/learningcenter/

Go to the bottom 'Anywhere Access' 'coming soon'
it is probably training instructions for accessing .mac from other computers. nothing new.