Apple 2004 Annual Report Download - page 15

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 15 of the 2004 Apple annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 132

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132

.Mac ™
The Company's .Mac offering is a suite of Internet services that for an annual fee provides Macintosh users with powerful Internet tools. .Mac
features email service with IMAP, POP or web-
based access and 125MB of storage, iDisk Internet storage capacity of an additional 125MB, and
hosting for personalized homepages and shared digital photo albums. Also included with .Mac is McAfee's Virex anti-virus software and
Backup, a personal back-up solution allowing users to archive data to their Internet storage, CD, or DVD.
Wireless Connectivity and Networking
AirPort Extreme
®
AirPort Extreme, introduced in January 2003, is the Company's next generation of Wi-Fi wireless networking technology. AirPort Extreme is
based on the 802.11g standard, which supports speeds up to 54 Mbps, and is fully compatible with most Wi-Fi devices which use the 802.11b
standard. AirPort Extreme Base Stations can serve up to 50 Macintosh and Windows users simultaneously, provide wireless bridging to extend
the range beyond just one base station, and support USB printer sharing to allow multiple users to wirelessly share USB printers connected
directly to the base station.
AirPort
® Express
In June 2004, the Company introduced AirPort® Express, the first 802.11g mobile base station that can be plugged directly into the wall for
wireless Internet connections and USB printing. Airport Express also features analog and digital audio outputs that can be connected to a stereo
and AirTunes™ music networking software which works with iTunes, giving users a way to wirelessly stream iTunes music from their
Macintosh or Windows-based computer to any room in the house. AirPort Express features a single piece design weighing 6.7 ounces.
Other Connectivity and Networking Solutions
Mac OS X includes capabilities for Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth is an industry standard for wirelessly connecting computers and peripherals
that supports transmission of data at up to 1 Mbps within a range of approximately 30 feet. The Company's Bluetooth technology for Mac OS X
lets customers wirelessly share files between Macintosh systems, synchronize and share contact information with Palm-OS based PDAs, and
access the Internet through Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. A Bluetooth USB adaptor can Bluetooth-enable any USB-based Macintosh computer
running in Mac OS X version 10.1.4 or higher.
The Company's zero configuration networking technology is based on open Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Standard Protocols such as
IP, ARP and DNS and is built into Mac OS X. This technology uses industry standard networking protocols and zero configuration technology
to automatically discover and connect devices over any IP network, including Ethernet or 802.11-based wireless networks like the Company's
AirPort products. The source code for this technology also includes software to support UNIX, Linux, and Windows-based systems and devices.
Major developers such as Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Philips, Sybase, World Book and Xerox have announced support for this
zero configuration networking technology in a broad range of products including network printers, consumer electronics, enterprise database
management and educational applications. The Company has made the source code for this technology freely available to developers for use in
their network-enabled devices or software applications.
The Company developed FireWire ® technology, also referred to as IEEE 1394, which is a high-speed serial I/O technology for connecting
digital devices such as digital camcorders and cameras to desktop and portable computers. With its high data-transfer speed and "hot plug-and-
play" capability, FireWire has become an established cross-platform industry standard for both consumers and professionals and is the data
interface of choice for today's digital video and audio devices, as well as external hard drives and
12