Customers at Apple say thanks for the memory

Net Results: Apple introduced updated versions of its G4 PowerBook line of notebook computers this week. Many observers focused on what was missing - the G5 processor now in Apple's tower computers as well as the little Mac Mini - but Apple says there are heat-generation issues with the more powerful processor that haven't been resolved for the slimline shape of the PowerBooks.

However, I found the boost in standard RAM, from 256 megabytes to 516 megs to be of more interest.

Of course one can argue that more is always better and an increase was inevitable. But I think there were some other relationships at stake.

Gamers always want more RAM, for example, and Apple is eager to present its machines as games-friendly. But more particularly, I had thought it curious (and hugely problematical for users) that when Microsoft released its latest edition last year of VirtualPC - a program that lets a Mac run an emulated Windows XP environment - it had upped the basic requirements to, yes, 516 megs of RAM.

This left anyone with a standard issue PowerBook (or iMac) in the lurch, unable to upgrade or run a program that Apple gives a thumbs up to and sells on its Apple Store website. While Mac lovers may insist the program isn't necessary, an awful lot of people like having VirtualPC as a security blanket. It guarantees they can still run any needed Windows programs on their Macs.

I'd see VirtualPC as a needed if downplayed and unspoken offering in Apple's "switch" campaign to get people to move from Windows to the Mac, and I'd bet that upping the RAM to match VirtualPC's requirements was part of the consideration behind the souped-up PowerBooks.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Apple got another nice little boost this week with the news that the company now has the world's most influential brand, according to a 2004 survey of 2,000 so-called "branding professionals" (which apparently have nothing to do with men in cowboy hats who can quickly tie up calves, but includes advertising executives, brand managers and academics).

Heading downwards in second place was search engine Google, which was the leader in 2003. In third place comes Swedish housewares manufacturer and perhaps soon-to-be Irish resident Ikea.

Next comes designer coffee chain Starbucks, and then in fifth place - in a choice that surprised many - Arab news station al-Jazeera.

In the survey by an online magazine called Brandchannel - you can check out the survey at www.brandchannel.com - respondents cast votes for brands they felt most influenced people's lives.

Apple got votes for its overall visibility and performance (which translated into ubiquity - its ads and the iPod seemed to be everywhere, with everyone talking about the company and its good fortunes).

Apple was also first in 2001, then second (to Google) in both 2002 and 2003 - proof that this is indeed a vote by "brand professionals" into the whole branding process (which Apple excels at).

There were some interesting differences in the regional votes. European and African voters said these five were the top brands, in order of rank: Ikea, Virgin, H&M, Nokia and Al-Jazeera.

That puts three Scandinavian companies in the European top five.

In North America, these came out tops: Apple, Google, discount retailer Target, Starbucks, and, oddly, Apple chief executive Steve Job's computer animation studio Pixar (which was responsible for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc etc).

Pixar was in 31st place in 2002 - that's some rise for the company, reflecting perhaps its heightened visibility following a partnership with Disney.

What about Coca Cola, you ask? The brand everyone recognises as one of the first ever global brands has slipped right out of the top global 10, I'm afraid, even though it was number four in 2003, number three in 2002, but only number 10 in 2001.

Overall, technology, online and electronics companies feature well in all four surveys. In the US, two online companies, Amazon.com and eBay, placed sixth and ninth respectively in this new survey, while in the global results, ninth place goes to eBay and 10th to Nokia.

That means tech companies hold the first two and last two places in global brands - impressive.

* * * * *

Finally (and speaking of Google), take a look at Doogle, the self proclaimed "Fecking Search Engine of Ireland", at http://doogle.dsg.cs.tcd.ie/. Very clever. The bit I like best is that if you click on Arse (excuse the language), you are taken to a PDF of the EU proposal on "the patentability of computer-implemented inventions".

weblog: http://weblog. techno-culture.com