New and Noteworthy: Analysts predict Apple market-share gains; BusinessWeek: Why wait for Intel-based Macs?

Analysts predict Apple market-share gains Macworld UK reports that Bear Sterns analyst Andrew Neff has raised his target price on Apple stock, citing robust demand. 'He rates the stock as an 'outperform' and has raised his target price for the company's shares to $58 from $50. In a note to clients he describes 'robust demand' for the iPod nano and for iBooks. He expects Apple's Mac sales to rise, and states that Apple is gaining market share in the PC market." More.

BusinessWeek: Why wait for Intel-based Macs? A BusinessWeek review of the iMac G5 concludes that users would do well to consider a Mac purchase before the Intel transition. "When Apple earlier this year announced it would begin using Intel chips in its 2006 Macs, dumping the IBM PowerPC architecture, I wondered whether it might be a case of cutting off its nose off to spite its face. It seemed likely to me that sales of its current iMac line would fall off a cliff as people waited for new x86 systems. [...] That is, until I got the chance to test a $1,799 iMac with a 20-inch display and the Tiger operating system under the hood. Simply put, the latest iMac and its accompanying software put fun back into computing. Everything from videoconferencing to downloading podcasts was so easy that it made me want to weep for joy. And the 2-inch-thick, all-white chassis and brushed aluminum stand looks more like a work of art than your typical PC. " More.

Previously on MacFixIt

• Security Update 2005-008 (#2): Update recommendations; Problems with standalone download .dmg; more
• iTunes 5.0.1 (#3): Older drives not playing/importing CDs; iPod not recognized -- try resetting; more
• Apple releases iPod Updater 2005-09-23 -- software update for iPod Shuffle

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