Subject: iMac, Rhapsody, and music

I was thinking that the iMac loaded with Rhapsody and attached to MIDI gear would be the perfect on-stage computer.

The iMac looks cool (an important consideration) and is very fast.

Rhapsody would bring the level of dependability that one demands on stage. Right now, many musicians have an extra Mac Plus with only one program loaded -- a MIDI kill program that can send out the MIDI stop all notes command to every MIDI instrument on stage (much better to have all the keyboards drop out than to have them all stuck on whatever was their last note).

The combination of Rhapsody on the iMac would be amazing. Fast processor (meaning more sophisticated control of dozens of MIDI instruments), cool look (which would also be identifiable to the large audience of teens and young adults considering their next computer purchase), and rugged dependability (music software keeps on running and the MIDI kill program can safely be on the main control computer).

Unfortunately, Apple is saying that Rhapsody may not support the G3 PowerBooks, and the iMac shares the G3 PowerBook mother and daughter boards.

It would seem to me that Apple would want to defend its turf among musicians (where currently more than 60% of professional musicians use the Macintosh, down from more than 95% just two years ago).

--Milo (CatGuy@lamg.com)