The offcial journal of the Wellington Society Inc Volume 37.08 – August 2020

Come to one of Lose yourself in 60 million our meetings songs. Online Monday 31 August 7:00 pm for 7:30 pm Apple announced on the 18th August Subject: Using iOS and 2020 that two new live global radio iPadOS offerings on Apple Music, now Kapiti Group available to music fans in 165 To be confirmed by countries. email. Beats 1, the flagship global radio Subject: Tips for iPhones, and station, will be renamed Apple Music Macs 1, and two additional radio stations will launch: Apple Music Hits, iPad Group celebrating everyone’s favourite songs TBA from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, Help Desk a n d A p p l e M u s i c C o u n t r y , TBA spotlighting country music. More info can be found at https:// www.apple.com/nz/apple-music/

Where to find us Due to COVID-19, Wellington meetings are usually being run online via Zoom, with special arrangements for limited physical attendance in some months. Kapiti meetings are being decided on a month-by-month basis, and are cancelled if no physical meeting is being held. Meeting invitations will be sent to members via email. If non-members or former members would like to attend a meeting on a trial basis, please email [email protected].

Wellington Macintosh Society INSIDE The President Writes p2 David’s Tech Guide p3 Continued p6 Tidbits p5 Committee Contact Details p8

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 1 The president writes ...

form of members being able to access one another without the necessity of having to attend a physical meeting may turn out to be a bit of a godsend for some. This is an area that the committee has been discussing and will continue to do so as we grapple with the changing scene in respect to our falling membership and the Covid related issues. Graeme Moffatt This months meeting will be taking a deeper [email protected] look into using iOS and iPadOS as these operating Hi folks systems have no doubt become much wider used This months issue is a bit smaller however there systems than the MacOS that we have concentrated are a good number of links that will keep you on over the past number of years. interested for a number of hours. This kind of takes us back to our early days Once again and almost predictably, we are back when in the year that the group was formed in into a Covid-19 disruption as despite the 1984, the Macintosh came into existence and governments aim to eliminate this scourge, it was reasonably quickly overtook the Apple II as the and never is, likely to succeed as it is so prolific main computer being used by overseas. members. Given this we have again had to alter our plans Whilst Shane has been running iOS special and although certain groups of individuals are interest meetings on a regular basis prior to Covid, being advised not to congregate in groups, some of there is obviously a need for a much greater effort our members are still able to and the plan is to hold to be provided for the classes of devices using this a reduced size meeting at Shane’s as we did last system. month. It would be fair to assume that a great number of This will be broadcast over the Zoom our members own and utilise either an iPhone or application as we have been doing recently with iPad and many are coming to use these devices as the added benefit that a much wider group will be their primary means of computing. able to participate including our members from the This months meeting will be the forerunner of far flung regions of the country. more to come in this regard and next months issue These meeting formats are also intended to be of Capital Apple will delve further into the part of a bit of an experimental learning curve as a introduction and growth of this operating system means of investigating how our group can and the devices that utilise it. continue into the foreseeable future. The first iPhone was introduced only thirteen Bearing in mind that we have been through a years ago by Steve Jobs to an enthusiastic audience similar experience previously, albeit without a at a MacWorld Conference in San Francisco and for pandemic to contend with as well. anyone interested, here is a link to story about the However in saying this, maybe the pandemic development of the iPhone and its introduction. has been a bit of an added bonus in that it has The Struggle of the Original iPhone - The Untold given us an opportunity to investigate alternative Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch? means of running our regular meetings. v=24O00Jz8R04 With there still no doubt being many individuals Remember that the link to our Facebook group around the wider country who would like to be is https://www.facebook.com/WelMacNZ and it part of a group such as ours, we now have the would be good to see more of you there. opportunity to investigate this option. That’s all, folks! Graeme Moffatt Although some of our members are uneasy with To contact me, email [email protected], or you can the use of social media, especially Facebook, this ring me at home (027 660-3094)

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 2 The presidentDavid’s Tech Guide writes ... by David Empson

[email protected] Apple offers custom options for more memory 04 976 9755 and storage. These require a custom order and aren’t available off the shelf from retailers. The entry level ($1849) model can be ordered with a 1 TB Fusion drive for the same price. This gives you more storage but will have a performance hit, because the Fusion drive is a combination of a New iMac models small SSD and a hard drive. The SSD holds the Apple has released updated . They have operating system and is used as a cache, while most the same external design as the 2019 models, applications and data live on the hard drive. similar to all iMacs back to Late 2012. The middle and high models can be ordered with The nature of these updates differ markedly a 1 TB Fusion drive or a higher capacity SSD: 512 between the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. GB for an extra $350 or 1 TB for an extra $700. 21.5-inch iMac All models can also be ordered with 16 GB of memory rather than 8 GB for an extra $350. The For the 21.5-inch iMac, the only change is the middle and top models have a 32 GB memory storage. All models now come standard with a 256 option which adds $1050 to the base price. GB solid state drive, rather than a 1 TB hard drive The middle and top models also offer custom or Fusion drive. Base prices are the same: $1849 for options for faster CPUs, and faster graphics in the the entry level model (dual-core processor and top model only. These are expensive and typically non-retina display); $2199 for the middle model only worth it for professional uses where maximum (quad-core processor, 4K retina display and better performance is required. graphics); $2549 for the top model (six-core processor, 4K retina display and even better 27-inch iMac graphics). The 27-inch iMac has had a more substantial The 256 GB SSD was previously a $350 custom upgrade: new generation (faster) processors, better option ($175 for the top model), so this is graphics hardware, internal storage is now all solid effectively a discount to get an iMac with an SSD. state, T2 security chip, True Tone for the display All other components are exactly the same. This (automatic colour balancing for ambient light), means the 2020 21.5-inch iMac models with 4K 1080p camera (up from 720p) and higher quality retina display are effectively still the 2019 model, built-in microphones. and the entry level model with non-retina display Because this is an architecture change, these 27- is effectively still the 2017 model. inch iMac models require Catalina (or later) and Because this is only a storage change, these 21.5- cannot boot Mojave. inch iMac models should be able to boot Mojave. Base prices have increased by $200 compared to They come with Catalina, and downgrading to an last year: $3199 for the entry level model (3.1 GHz earlier macOS version is slightly tricky. six-core processor and 256 GB SSD); $3549 for the Before buying one of these models, carefully middle model (3.3 GHz six-core processor and 512 consider storage and memory requirements. GB SSD); $4049 for the top model (3.8 GHz eight- Upgrading memory after purchase can be done by core processor, 512 GB SSD and better graphics). a qualified technician, but it is not an easy task. Standard memory is still 8 GB, and the 27-inch If you are used to an iMac with a 1 TB hard drive iMac has an access hatch so memory can be or Fusion drive, the drop to a 256 GB SSD might upgraded after purchase. This is a lot cheaper than mean you can’t fit all your existing data on the new buying memory from Apple as a custom option. iMac. A potential workaround is moving some data For storage, the entry level model has no to an external drive, but for ease of use, it would be upgrades: the 256 GB SSD is the only option. The better to get an iMac with more internal storage. middle and top models can be custom ordered with

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 3 a larger SSD: 1 TB for an extra $350, 2 TB adds systems on Macs with . This would $1050 to the base price. The top model also has even require emulation of an Intel processor. I’m hopeful more expensive 4 TB and 8 TB options. that a solution will eventually appear, but to be Some custom options are aimed at professional certain, if you need a new Mac and want to be able users: CPU on the middle and top models, and to run other operating systems on it, you should graphics on the top model. All models had two new buy an Intel Mac while you still can. options: 10 gigabit Ethernet (hardware to support If you are concerned about future support, this is still horribly expensive), and a nano-texture remember that Apple have said they will support display (engraved display glass which cuts down Intel Macs for “many years”. I’m expecting they on reflections but requires a special cleaning cloth to will continue the current pattern and support all avoid damage). Macs in new macOS versions for six to seven years after the model was introduced, plus two years of Final Intel models? security updates. Apart from the iMac Pro, Apple has released updates for every Mac family between late 2019 New Apple releases coming soon-ish and mid 2020. September is looming and that usually means an For the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Apple media event, release of new iPhone models Mini and 21.5-inch iMac, the current models are and other products, and release of the next major almost certainly the last ones with Intel processors. I OS versions. expect the next models in these families will have Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is Apple Silicon, and they will start to be launched expected to be somewhat different. from late 2020. Apple can't run a media event with an audience, Some of the current Intel models might remain so expect some kind of virtual/online event, similar available beyond that point, for people who have a to the WWDC keynote. specific need for an Intel processor. If this happens I Apple have said that iPhone models are going to expect it will be a limited selection of models, and be released a few weeks later than usual, which they may only be available by special order rather means the first new models are likely to be than being stocked by retailers. available in October, and some models might be Apple may use the Apple Silicon transition as a delayed until November. convenient point to do design changes. The iMac in The product announcements could still happen particular is overdue for a design refresh. as soon as September 9 (NZ time), but we might see The remaining models are the ones with more Apple release some products in early/mid powerful dedicated graphics processors: 16-inch September, then run a media event in late MacBook Pro, 27-inch iMac, iMac Pro and . September, prior to the iPhone release. These are likely to take longer to transition to Apple The new OS versions may also be later than Silicon, because Apple may need more time or usual. WWDC was a couple of weeks late, so to technology advances to produce sufficiently maintain a similar beta test period, the public powerful graphics hardware. We might see further release should also be later, perhaps early October updates of these models with Intel processors. for iOS and iPadOS, with macOS Big Sur Apple said the transition to Apple Silicon would potentially a week or two after that. be complete by the end of 2022, which suggests the Hopefully we know more by mid September, so most powerful models like the Mac Pro could WelMac can plan our September and October remain Intel-only until an Apple Silicon meetings. replacement is released in 2022. Intel processors matter for anyone who wants to Catalina gets a Supplemental Update run other operating systems on their Mac, e.g. Three weeks after macOS 10.15.6, Apple released Windows via Boot Camp, or a virtual machine with a supplemental update to fix more bugs. Windows, older macOS versions, or an Intel Linux. It turns out that macOS 10.15.6 introduced a There have not yet been any announcements serious bug, which only caused obvious problems about possible ways to run other Intel operating for people running certain applications, including

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 4 the VMware Fusion and VirtualBox software for might decide to break pattern and do a special bug creating virtual machines. fix update for Mail in Catalina. If not, Catalina will If you were running an affected application, the always have this bug. kernel at the heart of macOS had a “memory leak”: Precautions to protect important messages are not the longer the application was running, the more pretty. If you need to run Catalina, the easiest option memory macOS used, and it could not be freed. If is to avoid the Mail application, e.g. by relying on running long enough, the computer crashed with a webmail, or switching to a third party email client. kernel panic, which can result in loss of any work This puts many of us in a difficult position. Most in progress, and potentially cause major loss of new 2020 Macs will be vulnerable to this bug data due to corrupting file systems on disk. because they come with Catalina and can’t boot Prior to the supplemental update, the only older macOS versions (the and 21.5-inch workarounds were to restart your computer iMac are exceptions, because they are older models several times a day (before it crashed), avoid which only had storage upgrades). running the affected applications, downgrade your Those with older models can avoid the Mail bug operating system to macOS 10.15.5 (only possible if for now by continuing to run Mojave, which is you could get hold of an older Catalina installer), expected to get security updates until about July or downgrade to Mojave (difficult in many cases). 2021. I hope that Apple finds and fixes this bug in This type of bug appearing in a late update of Big Sur before then, and preferably fixes it in Catalina is concerning: it is hard to trust Apple Catalina so those with 2012 and some 2013 Macs are software updates if a supposedly final minor able to upgrade to Catalina with confidence and get update introduces a serious bug. Catalina maximum lifetime out of their computers. continues to be a disaster for software quality. What about Mail? There are still reports of Mail in macOS 10.15.6 losing messages when they are moved between mailboxes. The supplemental update did not update the Mail application so the bug is still there. We are now at the point where Catalina is only expected to get security updates, not further bug fixes. If Apple is able to fix this bug in Big Sur, they

Tidbits Apple stock hits record high above $500 Apple Expands AppleCare Deadline ahead of split deadline Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that in the Apple Inc. shares surged to a record high on US, Apple is extending the time after product Monday as investors raced to beat the eligibility purchase during which you can add AppleCare+, deadline for the company’s upcoming stock split. the company’s extended warranty program that The early gain propelled shares to a record also covers damage. Previously, you had to buy $515.14 and pushed the company’s market AppleCare+ at the time of purchase or very capitalization further above the $2 trillion level shortly afterward in an Apple Store. Apple later ahead of two key events. set the signup interval to 60 days, with no store Apple has added $482 million of market visit required. Now, due to slowing sales of capitalization since the split announcement, on its AppleCare+ in the wake of COVID-19, Apple is way to becoming the first U.S. company with a $2 extending the signup deadline to a full year after trillion valuation. State-owned Saudi Arabian oil purchase. We don’t know if NZ will get this. giant Saudi Aramco briefly eclipsed the mark Free or Inexpensive Macintosh Software shortly after its December initial public offering. http://www.macattorney.com/ free.html#WHYFREE

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 5 Wellington Macintosh Society Continued by Graeme Moffatt

Last month I gave a bit of an insight into WelMac Its debut was signified by "1984", a $1.5 million when I first became president in 2000, however we television advertisement directed by Ridley Scott need to consider the earlier years and why the that aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl group was started. XVIII on January 22, 1984. This is now hailed as a This is in great part owing to two young watershed event for Apple's success and was called Californian computer enthusiasts who decided a "masterpiece" by CNN and one of the greatest TV between themselves that they could start a company advertisements of all time by TV Guide. selling computer kitsets of a basic computer Macintosh sales were initially good, but began to designed by one of them. taper off dramatically after the first three months This computer obviously was the due to its high price, slow speed, and limited range designed by Steve Wozniak and his friend Steve of available software. In early 1985, this sales slump Jobs, although not into designing computers, triggered a power struggle between Steve Jobs and certainly saw the potential of selling them to other CEO John Sculley, who had been hired two years enthusiasts. earlier by Jobs using the famous line, "Do you want He quickly took this one step further and visited to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come an electronics hobby store not far from where he with me and change the world?” Sculley decided to lived and was given an order for 100 units however remove Jobs as the general manager of the the store owner wanted them assembled and not as Macintosh division, and gained unanimous support a bunch of bits as originally intended. from the Apple board of directors. This set of a major change of direction and given The board of directors instructed Sculley to that neither of them had any money, they both sold contain Jobs and his ability to launch expensive their most valuable possessions and raised the $1300 forays into untested products. Rather than submit to needed to get a circuit board designed, the most Sculley's direction, Jobs attempted to oust him from essential piece of the puzzle. his leadership role at Apple. Informed by Jean-Louis Steve Jobs was able to convince the necessary Gassée, Sculley found out that Jobs had been suppliers to give them credit to purchase the parts attempting to organize a coup and called an they required and with a complete set of 200 emergency executive meeting at which Apple's components received, they started construction in a executive staff sided with Sculley and stripped Jobs building in what is now Sunnyvale, just south of of all operational duties. Jobs resigned from Apple in San Francisco. September 1985 and took a number of Apple They tested them in Steve Jobs parent’s garage employees with him to found NeXT Inc. and so began the roller coaster ride of Apple Steve Wozniak had also quit his active Computer with the first 100 delivered and paid for employment at Apple earlier in 1985 to pursue other by the due date and another 100 computers to be ventures, expressing his frustration with Apple's sold elsewhere. treatment of the Apple II division and stating that I detailed the birth of Apple in our April issue of the company had "been going in the wrong direction Capital Apple so will not do so again, however in for the last five years”.Despite Wozniak's grievances, researching the birth of Apple, that eventually rose he left the company amicably and both Jobs and to be the largest company in the world, I came Wozniak remained Apple shareholders. across many interviews by Steve Wozniak and will The outlook on Macintosh improved with the link to these at the end of this article. introduction of the LaserWriter, the first reasonably The April Article covered only the early years up priced PostScript laser printer, and PageMaker, an until 1984 when the Macintosh was released and the early desktop publishing application released in July once run advert in the Super-bowl event that has 1985. become legendary as detailed in Wikipedia. It has been suggested that the combination of Macintosh, LaserWriter, and PageMaker was

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 6 responsible for the creation of the desktop When I first purchased my Apple II+ with a publishing market. whole 48Kb of RAM in 1985 for a mere $5,500 I was The following commentary about the Macintosh told by my friends that I was insane for even was reported by ThoughtCo on their website and considering doing so. details the introduction of the Macintosh. The simple fact was that within the first twelve “In 1984, Apple introduced its most successful months of owning this computer, I was able to turn product yet — the Macintosh, a my business around and the profit I generated as a that came with a built-in screen and mouse. direct consequence of buying the computer was far The machine featured a GUI, an operating more than its purchase cost. system known as (the earliest version of Five years later in 1989, I eventually purchased a Mac OS), and a number of software programs, Macintosh Plus that had 1 Mb of ram and a 9 inch including the word processor MacWrite and the monochrome screen with the main objective of graphics editor MacPaint. The New York Times doing computer graphics for my screen printing said that the Macintosh was the beginning of a business. "revolution in personal computing." As I had previously purchased a four colour Over the course of the 1980s, the Macintosh rotary screen printing carousel and a large conveyer underwent many changes. In 1990, the company dryer costing me a fortune, I needed to be able to introduced three new models — the Macintosh economically produce artwork for the textile items I Classic, Macintosh LC, and Macintosh IIsi — all of was printing on. which were smaller and cheaper than the original computer. A year later Apple released the PowerBook, the earliest version of the company's laptop computer.” This whole story has been covered in print and in video interviews many times and at the beginning from 1977, both of the two young entrepreneurs started travelling and talking about their exploits. Included in this exercise was a trip to Wellington by Steve Wozniak in the early years of this organisations founding and he then returned some time later for a second visit. I was not involved with the group at this time even though I had by then bought my first Apple II computer but living in Nelson at the time had no The computer however was unable to adequately knowledge of a computer group in Wellington. convey the use of colour so for a mere $3000 I also David Empson was a part of the group at that got a colour printer so that I could see what I had time and has commented previously on these created. times and may be able to dig up an early Capital Along with a greyscale scanner for another $3000 Apple that described these events. and a 20Mb external hard drive around another What is very pertinent in the whole history of $3000, my $16,000 overall purchase launched me Apple is that it has been very much a roller coaster into my my life as a Macintosh enthusiast that ride especially from the perspective of Steve Jobs. eventually guided me to the Wellington Apple Users It rose very quickly given that it designed and Group in 1993. marketed in the Apple II one of the very first Getting back to the history of Apple, clearly it has computers that was available for the average home seen highs and lows during its forty plus years of user rather than as a business computer only large existence and much the same has been the case with company’s could afford. our group.

CAPITAL APPLE – AUGUST 2020 PAGE 7 We grew very quickly at the beginning and then As soon as we can get back to physical meetings with the introduction of the internet, we fell just as we will but quite likely with a slightly different quickly. emphasis compared to how it was done previously. We managed to stabilise our membership for These will be discussed over the coming months many years under the capable leadership of David as the committee grapples with how best to continue Empson and now the time has come for some more with the added issues created with the Covid-19 changes. pandemic. The decision to continue holding out meetings on Now for some links to videos by Steve Wozniak a virtual basis by way of the Zoom application has and others on the early beginnings of Apple been both an irritation and a blessing, probably in Computer Incorporated and its different culture. equal measure. Our group was founded on the basis of • Rare video of Steve Wozniak from 1984 talking individuals being able to share their experiences and about computing, joining Apple - https:// assisting one another with problems and doing this www.youtube.com/watch? is a physical space was a great benefit. v=a5F5BwF1q4w&t=44s Given that our membership base has significantly • Apple Co-Founder Steve Woz Wozniak Talks changed over the years in that the average age of About the Early Days Before Apple - https:// members has increased substantially, along with the www.youtube.com/watch? birth of new online technologies, the time has come v=iDOYnq2qa50&t=40s to reassess our operation to see how we can combine • Best Interview with Apple Co-Founder Steve both of these attributes for the benefit of our Wozniak by Patrick Betdavid - https:// membership. www.youtube.com/watch? Macintosh user groups were once a common part v=nPlDoW0d4a4&t=18s of the computing scene in most western countries • Steve Jobs_ How a Dreamer Changed the World - however that has now changed with many simply https://www.youtube.com/watch? closing down. v=5fI3zz2cp3k&t=59s The committee of our group, being one of the last • The Real Story Behind Apple's Famous '1984' survivors has decided to take a different path and is Super Bowl Ad - https://www.youtube.com/ again looking at ways we can continue into the watch?v=PsjMmAqmblQ foreseeable future. • Apple - Think Different - https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMBhDv4sik

The Wellington Macintosh Society Incorporated is a non-profit editor or the Wellington Macintosh Society Inc. Copyright of trade- organisation formed in April 1984 with the following objectives: marks and trade names used remains with the owners at all times. • To exchange and disseminate information among the members Advertising rates: $35 full page, $20 half-page (members); $50 full concerning the computer arts and sciences. page, $35 half-page (non-members). For details, contact the editor. • To publish books, newsletters, magazines and periodicals for the benefit and education of members and the public. Home phone • To conduct and sponsor seminars, lectures and courses relating Patron Steve Wozniak to the computer arts and sciences. President Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 • To provide technical assistance to members of the group. Vice President Shane Gordine N/A • To seek privileges and discounts for members. Secretary Andrew McPherson 971 1914 Subscriptions: $30 a year from date of joining. Treasurer Peter Kirby 478 5386 Website: http://www.welmac.org.nz Journal editor Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 Email: [email protected] (email addresses for committee Membership Secretary Shane Gordine N/A members are available on the website) Committee David Empson 976 9755 Joseph Booth 526 5141 Please contact the information officer for all enquiries regarding Martin McKendrick N/A meetings and other activities. Membership enquiries should be (Tony Phillips) N/A directed to the membership secretary. Information Officer Dennis Hamblin 478 9466 The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the

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