Hands-On Report 1--Apple Expo 2007 Paris: Apple means Business (w/Photos)

Note: The following report with photos is the first in a series of two reports provided exclusively to Macs Only! by Thierry Lorthioir of Sparemac. Thierry is attending Apple Expo 2007 in Paris, one of our most favorite cities.

No glamorous announcements from Apple at Apple Expo 2007 in Paris but a well-structured show greeted Mac fans who came early and lined up in front of the exhibition hall. Nearly half of the floor is taken up by Apple with distinct sections that include: Music , Education, Games, Graphics, Developers and Business.

At the center of the show is a large demo theater lined on each side with counters showcasing Apple products. Another theater is near the developer/business area and a third is in the education section. While past shows often favored only certain areas, the message is clear this time that regardless our your area of interest there is an Apple solution.

The developer and business areas exemplify this best as you will find solutions for independent medical practices, full-fledged clinics, dentists, X-ray techs, booking agents and hotels. A record amount of business management software including client management and point of sale applications are being displayed.

Bose introduced a new set of computer speakers with built in volume adjustment and impressive sound.

Bose also showed a new speaker dock station with lithium ion battery and a base that rotates out of sight when not in use. It's available in black or white.

Three car manufacturers participated. Audi was most visible with its famous R8 in the VIP lounge, the A5 coupe and the new A3 4 door sportback. Along with the iPod Ready feature came some Audi branded iPod accessories such as this soft leather case.

Microsoft provided an exact date for its release of Office for Mac 2008--January 15, 2008, as we noted previously in detail on Tuesday.

Wacom showcased its Bamboo line of tablets starting at 49 Euros and a new extra-large Intuos 3 Special Edition to celebrate its 25th year.

Ovolab released Geophoto, software that associates photos with their geographical locations and an updated version of their phone management software (Phlink v.3.4) which "provides better integration with iChat, by adding a buddy availability column to the call log, and improves voicemail retrieval over the phone."

Miglia introduced 2 new TV tuner/decoders and their own software which allows a lower price point. TVMini Express DV3 (HD for US) provides a simple solution to get digital TV on your Mac via a USB port and now starts at 79 euros.

elgato showed EyeTV Diversity, a USB tuner supporting two input sources at the the the same time, one digital (TNT or HD) and one analog.

Griffin introduced " iTrip Auto with SmartScan" an iPod FM transmitter that automatically finds the best three FM channels on your radio. The Nashville outfit also showcased its complete line of products including new iPhone cases and accessories.

Belkin presented new iPod "Powerdocks," iPhones cases; a mouse that can be hand-washed under tap water; TuneStudio (above), a personal Four-channel digital mixer for iPod;

and three new USB Hubs including the Flex Hub (2-way flex connector; rotates 180 degrees), Clip-On Hub (Grips to the edge of a surface or a bundle of cables), 2-in-1 Hub (above) with four ports that detach from the base to act as a travel hub while the 3-port base/tray stays on your desk.

Belkin also introduced a number of new cases for the new line of iPods. Among them we note the Sport armband for iPod nano and the Remix acrylic case for iPod touch. Also on display are a new series of sleeves and bags for the full range of portable Macs as well as a mouse sleeve "the Mouse Trap." Of note is a new set of laptop cushions, Belkin CushTop and PocketTop, that make it more comfortable to use your laptop anywhere in your home" .

New SQL-based communication software for small/medium business, BillJobs, emphasizes stability and versatility. Supporting both Windows and Mac, currently only in French with the possible release of an English version in 2008.

Seefile from Boston picked Apple Expo Paris to introduce is media software that can transform any Mac into a media server.

Also of note is a new version of EasyDraw. This versatile OS X drawing tool also imports and edit Claris Draw, Mac Draw II and Mac Draw Pro drawing files.

Back to hardware, Iomega announced a new line of Mac hard drives as we previously noted in detail on Tuesday.

Stay tuned for our final report directly from Apple Expo 2007 in Paris. [Thierry Lorthioir]