What us Mac users really need...

owaters

owaters

Registered
I have decided to start a topic aimed to discover what us Mac users really want to see available for our computers, both hardware and software.

This topic was inspired after going on the hunt for a cheaper alternative to the Apple iSight. £109 is just too much for a webcam, especially for my simple but fun needs. I have been looking for a good firewire webcam compatible with iChat and cheap!

My search came across the D-Link DRF-350C which I am told was only available in Europe for a short amount of time. I came across one store in the UK which appeared to be selling it (http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=1040) or not as they are actually out of stock, and after a phone call to head office, they are not getting any more stock in. Apparently the product is now discontinued. That store was selling it for just a measly £11!!!
This webcam was apparently very close to the quality of the iSight and even had more features. It got rave reviews from many users. It may not have been as nice looking but it certainly beats it in the 'value for money' category. This camera, once discovered by Mac users to work with iChat was snapped up as fast as lightening.

I wonder why D-Link discontinued it?? They must be crazy. If this was re-released, especially if they released in the US aswell, they would be certain to clear stock!

So to sum up, I would like to see a cheap, good quality, firewire webcam.

Please feel free to leave your comments as well as any contributions which you would also like to see available for the Mac :)
 
Trying to be realistic, I would like to see:
1. an ADSL Modem built in as an alternative to a standard modem
2. Bluetooth tehnology in the iPod (for contact, calendar & playlist sync)
3. Bluetooth 2 button & scrollwheel mouse
 
1. lightswitch with bluetooth and compatible macosx driver to remotely dim the light
2. 'bluetooth ir-remote' to remotely control the remote-control which is directed to the hifi and another one to the tv :D
3. electricity plugs with bluetooth support to turn on/off certain devices.
4. working wake-on-lan signal for PC and Macs
5. easy video streaming from tv-cards to any kind of os (win/macosx/linux)
6. (not really apple related) a door lock that unlocks when the bluetooth phone is in the range :D
you see, I am a very lazy person ;)
 
diablojota said:
An Apple Remote that works with Airport Express.
Click to expand...
what for? To change songs or rate them? You can already do this. Use your bluetooth phone and salling clicker to remotely control itunes. Et voila!
 
Zammy-Sam said:
what for? To change songs or rate them? You can already do this. Use your bluetooth phone and salling clicker to remotely control itunes. Et voila!
Click to expand...

Agreed. I've seen a decent amount of criticism for Apple not releasing a remote for AX, but Salling fills in this void very nicely. Then again, not everyone has Bluetooth phones, or even cell phones at all.

I wonder what amount of overall Mac OS X users who buy cell phones purchase Bluetooth enabled phones? Then, how that number compares to overall Bluetooth phone sales. That'd be an interesting statistic or two.
 
There _are_ people without cell phones? You must live in... dunno. ;) Around here, everybody's using Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. Not so many people have a bluetooth enabled Mac, of course, and even less have bought a Salling Clicker license.

Other than that, I think Apple's iPhone would fit in nicely. They could bundle it with Salling Clicker or, as they do, build this functionality into iPhone directly to kill the shareware maker. :p
 
Zammy-Sam said:
what for? To change songs or rate them? You can already do this. Use your bluetooth phone and salling clicker to remotely control itunes. Et voila!
Click to expand...

Hey Zammy, I have neither a bluetooth phone, nor blue tooth in my iBook. I also would prefer to have a WiFi remote that I can be anywhere in the house, and change the tunes/playlists/etc. I have no interest in getting a new phone, or buying the bluetooth dongle. I would, however, go out the extra money for a remote, especially if I could also consolidate my current remotes into it, and if I could perhaps control DVDs on the iBook with it as well (when connected to TV).
 
Would like to program my cars route through mapquest, download the info to my ipod and slip it into the ipod slot in the dash. After hitting cruise control the car takes over and I can sit back and watch the scenery go by. Cruise Control should be renamed Auto-Gas.

Would like and ewallet software program that would be integrated into ipod. All my credit cards, driver license info, insurance info and what not would be available in encrypted form. Never again would I show a 14 year old at the supermarket or food court my credit card or drivers license. Would just plug into the cradle and would download the required info from my ipod and accept. If I also downloaded coupouns or other things into the ipod it would also take those into account and deduct it as well. When Officer Goodstrum pulls me over I don't need to hunt for my license and insurance it will be available on my ipod and presto, he sees my 55 outstanding warrants and shoots me with a taser in the balls and we all live hapily ever after.
 
mi5moav said:
Would like and ewallet software program that would be integrated into ipod. All my credit cards, driver license info, insurance info and what not would be available in encrypted form. Never again would I show a 14 year old at the supermarket or food court my credit card or drivers license. Would just plug into the cradle and would download the required info from my ipod and accept. If I also downloaded coupouns or other things into the ipod it would also take those into account and deduct it as well. When Officer Goodstrum pulls me over I don't need to hunt for my license and insurance it will be available on my ipod and presto, he sees my 55 outstanding warrants and shoots me with a taser in the balls and we all live hapily ever after.
Click to expand...

That is a great idea. Now mix that with the Newton I mentioned earlier and we got a winner. Just don't lose it or you'll be F'd. So lets add a fingerprint authenticating grip.
 
Right now, I'm very satisfied with my Mac. Just recently buying my first power/pro computer (Dual 1.8GHz G5), I have all the speed and power one could ask for.

All the software I need/want I have available, all the hardware I want is here. If there's an app I want, but can't really find, I'll make it myself.

Ok there is one thing...I want a little keyboard/thumbpad for my iPod so that I can take notes in class, or type up something on the go. Maybe I'll have to wait until the Linux on iPod project is more advanced... Tetris anyone? :D
 
Zammy-Sam said:
2. 'bluetooth ir-remote' to remotely control the remote-control which is directed to the hifi and another one to the tv :D
Click to expand...

Surely you actuall just want the TV and Hi-fi to be bluetooth enabled so they can be controlled using any bluetooth device?


Though actually, all you people wanting all this bluetooth enabled stuff - what??!! Surely WiFi is the way to go for most of these things.

WiFi enabled iPod.

WiFi enabled TV, video and Hi-Fi - with built in webservers that you can browse to on any networked device and change chanel, set up your video, etc through a web-page; stream music and video between these devices and you mac using WiFi. Surely this is what we want, this is the future, not BlueTooth.
 
I want a Dual 28GHz G10 XServe that is the size of an oreo surgically
implanted (like they do with pacemakers) and hooked into my nervous
system to wirelessly communicate with a special monocle that mimics
a 1024x768 monitor.
 
Backlight in desktop keyboards (like what is in the new Powerbooks). Also, more than enough room in the desktop PowerMac G5s to add a second optical drive!
 
Ah, the subnotebook, yep. 10" widescreen, please... very low-power chip for long battery life... I'd love it...
 
g/re/p said:
I want a Dual 28GHz G10 XServe that is the size of an oreo surgically implanted (like they do with pacemakers) and hooked into my nervous system to wirelessly communicate with a special monocle that mimics
a 1024x768 monitor.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you want to go to a higher resolution than that? Like 3600 x 2200?
:p
 
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