ComputerWorld posts that ChangeWave Research has studied satisfaction levels for corporate users of Leopard and Windows Vista. As you might expect, the Leopard users are altogether more satisfied than Vista users -- up to 5 times more likely to report that they're "very satisfied" with their operating system -- but you might not have known the following:

• Leopard reinforces tooth enamel and ensures brighter, happier smiles.
• Leopard users are more likely to find attractive mates.
• Vista users are subject to early hair loss.
• Leopard helps eliminate embarrassing halitosis.
• Vista users are five times likelier to be audited by the IRS.
• Leopard washes your windows and leaves lemon-scented stacks of pre-folded laundry around your house.

Okay, well maybe not. Consult the ComputerWorld article for the (far less amusing) statistical results. One worthwhile number to note: while 7% of respondents said they'd be buying Apple laptops in the next 90 days, a hold-steady from the previous survey, the likelihood of most other laptop purchases went down since the last time they asked. A MacBook Air effect?

As AAPL continues to fly, Apple is apparently eating up all the real estate they can find. AppleInsider reports that Apple is going to expand their Austin, TX campus by building an 80,000 square foot building (at 12565 Riata Vista Circle). Apple's not saying what they're using it for, but the Austin Statesman reports that there have been ads floating around for iPhone tech support jobs.

And speaking of Jobs, the man himself apparently showed up in a Cupertino, CA City Council meeting recently, saying that they bought up "every little scrap of building we could find in Cupertino," which makes Apple Cupertino's "largest taxpayer," according to Jobs himself. Jobs shouldn't worry though-- the money is going to a great cause. All this real estate purchasing is funding none other than the self-proclaimed "ranked #1 library in the US: the Santa Clara County Cupertino Library.

The TUAW podcast is back in effect ladies and gents, though this week we're a tad late due to some technical difficulties. Nevertheless, expect a steady new stream of podcasts and screencasts from here on out, starting with today's entry: TUAW Podcast #23: There and Back Again with the iPhone. Fellow TUAW blogger Michael Rose and I explore the iPhone's past, including how far back speculation about one of Apple's most anticipated devices actually reaches, as well as when Apple first gave away any hints that it was even considering such a device (hint: it's older than the 4.5 years Jobs mentioned at Macworld 07).

We then take a look at the state of the iPhone now, less than a month from its expected release, why the corporate and enterprise worlds are taking an unexpected interest in it, what happened with the 'iPhone/Leopard delay' email hoax Engadget experienced on Wednesday and how powerful that kind of news can really be. Heck, even a tech-savvy dolphin makes it into the show - where else are you going to hear that?

Michael wanted to clear up one specific piece of data we spoke about, however: we were discussing some differences between the iPod and iPhone, and Michael indicated the MP3 player retail market hit $600m in March. Turns out he was a tad high, as these numbers from Bloomberg put the number for MP3 players sold at retail at just under $225m. Just wanted to make sure we're keepin' it real.

You can snag a copy of this 36 minute, 17 MB AAC (m4a) podcast from our iTunes Store Podcast directory, this direct link or our own podcast rss feed. Enjoy!

Update: It took a couple of days for iTunes to catch up with our podcast feed, but as of Monday the show is appearing on the iTunes store. Sorry for the delay.


Show Notes

Links mentioned in the podcast:

- Engadget official response to Apple delay memo issue: http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/17/regarding-yesterdays-apple-news/
- MacRumors iPhone speculation from 2002: http://www.macrumors.com/2002/08/18/apple-iphone-rumors-speculation/
- Jason O'Grady isn't buying (still?): http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/index.php?p=335
- Fierce Wireless timeline of iPhone speculation: http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/timeline-apple-iphone-rumors-1999-present
- The Onion's Flappy the Dolphin on the iPhone: http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/test_driving_the_new

The AP reports that the European Commission has launched an antitrust probe into iTunes. According to the article a single track costs $1.56 in the UK, $1.44 in Denmark and $1.32 in Germany and Belgium, while at the same time users are restricted to the iTunes store of their country of origin. "Consumers are thus restricted in their choice of where to buy music and consequently what music is available, and at what price," the commission said in its statement. Apple's spokesman said it was prevented from creating a single European store by its contracts with music labels and publishers and the rights they negotiated with them.

This investigation is apparently separate from the whole ongoing Apple/DRM foofaraw.

In May of 2001, the first Apple Store descended upon Tysons Corner Center of McLean, Virginia. Six years later, there are now 174 Apple Stores spread across the globe, with the Fifth Avenue location in New York City attracting 50,000 customers per week. Sales average $4,032 per square foot (while shops like Tiffany & Co. stand at a measly $2,666), and in 2004, Apple reached $1 billion in annual sales faster than any US retailer, while sales hit $1 billion per quarter last year.

In short: Apple has become one of the most successful retailers in America. It's not sheer chance or luck that has driven the success of Apple's retail venture, however: Apple has reinvented the design and operation of the retail store from the ground up, as is noted in this excellent and enlightening Fortune Magazine article. Check it out for a fascinating look behind the scenes of the development of the Apple Store, and how Steve Jobs and co. have landed a spot in Fortune's top 10 Most Admired Companies.