Category: Apple

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Apple New Products

The Apple Refresh of Q4 2009

2009 Apple iMac

It would be a surprise if you haven’t heard about the news on Apple’s updates to its consumer computing line, so I’ll just give some brief details on them. The new Apple iMac now comes in 21.5 and 27 inch widescreen versions, with resolutions more than enough for typical users. The cheaper model sports full HD 1920×1080, while the more expensive one has 2560×1440. Wow.

2009 Apple MacBook

The new white MacBook is now almost the same as the MacBook Pro with the same LED–backlit screen, multitouch glass trackpad, and 7–hour battery life. With a 250GB hard disk, it has more storage than the cheapest MacBook Pro, making it seem like a better a value.

Apple Magic Mouse

To cap it all, the new Magic Mouse is one of the coolest pointing devices ever made, being a mouse and a touch surface in one package. The joke’s that it also magically makes your 70 USD disappear.

And while we’re talking about Apple new products, there’s still a few more updated products that aren’t getting enough attention right now.

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Apple

Updated Apple MacBook Pro line announced

apple-macbook-pro-13

Finally, the WWDC excitement is over. Just a few hours after the annual event, everyone is still quite surprised with Apple’s changes to the MacBook Pro line which consequently affects the mainstream MacBook line too.

First of all, the MacBook Pro is now available with a 13.3–inch screen. It inherits the unibody MacBook’s form factor while reportedly using the better screen from the MacBook Air. Though some would say the changes are not exactly “revolutionary,” from a unibody MacBook user’s point of view, they certainly still are worth having. Most important of all is the update on prices: the 13–incher MacBook Pro can be had for just 1,199 USD, which is much cheaper than what we paid for the MacBook last year. Here’s the summary of changes as TAB reports:

  • Processor speed bumps. From 2.0 to 2.26 on the entry model, 2.4GHz to 2.53 on the high-end.
  • FireWire 800. There you go! Probably the single biggest complaint about the MacBook just got silenced.
  • SD Card Slot. I’ve wanted one of these for a while. Easier to use on the road; no cable needed.
  • Improved battery. A whopping 7 hours battery life; and the battery itself should last nearly five years. When they did this for the 17” MacBook Pro I mentioned that I’d love them to bring this technology to the rest of their line, I’m glad they did so.
  • Better screen. It’s hard to quantify this, but I believe it’s the same screen they use in the MacBook Air, which is a visibly better screen than the first unibody 13” MacBooks.
  • Base Memory on the entry remains 2GB, but increases to 4GB on the high-end (maximum memory for both increases from 4GB to 8GB).
  • Hard Drive configurable maximum is now 500GB.
  • Backlit keyboard for all models (previously just at the high-end).

It’s quite interesting because the MacBook line is now basically just the old polycarbonate white model. It retails at 999 USD, still the since the past months, but this makes it positioned to take on mainstream laptops offered today. With the cheapest MacBook Pro coming in at just 1,199 USD, it won’t be a surprise if people start going for them instead—they’re priced to make it appear to be a better value. With a better screen and all the niceties of the MacBook Pro, Apple will likely sell a lot of these pro models soon.

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Apple Netbooks New Products Rumors Site News Ultraportables

HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition

HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition

Yes, that’s the fashionably chic version of the HP Mini 1000. Noted designer Vivienne Tam comes up with a provocatively red Mini 1000 that you can easily mistakenly identify as a fashion accessory instead of a netbook.

Looks great! With a USD $699 price tag though, it will get buyers thinking twice. After all, you can get a much more usable Dell Inspiron Mini 12 for that money with some change to spare.

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Apple Laptop Reviews New Products

New Apple MacBook reviewed

Apple MacBook

If the announcement of the new aluminum MacBooks got you all excited, aren’t you wondering how they would fare in real world use? NotebookReview now has a user review of the new MacBook and if that’s not enough, a guest editorial breaks down the position of Apple’s new product. Very interesting is the comparison putting the MacBook against similar offerings available in the market, which suggests that the so–called “Apple tax” is much more than we used to get, and questions if it’s worth paying now.

Nice read if you’re considering the new MacBook just like me, making you think twice if it’s worth all the money. But then again, buying a Mac was never only about the money.

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Apple New Products

Updated MacBooks

Apple MacBook

Yes, the new MacBooks are here!

But they’re not exactly new. It’s the same Intel–based MacBook that we’ve had for some time now, updated to “Santa Rosa” specs, though not exactly Santa Rosa since Apple chooses to use its own wireless card instead of Intel’s.

Listed below is the current specs for Apple’s mainstream notebook:

  • 13.3-inch glossy display
  • 2.0GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
  • Up to 4GB memory
  • Up to 250GB hard drive
  • Apple Remote with Front Row
  • Built-in iSight camera
  • Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
  • Slot-loading optical drive
  • Built-in AirPort Extreme
  • FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Now with 800MHz front side bus, a better though still built–in graphics card GMA X3100, a new maximum RAM of 4GB DDR2, the new updates are very much welcome and should be good enough for those holding out on getting a MacBook, like me. The keyboard layout has also been updated to reflect the changes in the recently released thin aluminum wireless keyboards, and can be seen in this page. Additionally, rear vent fins are spaced farther, detailed in this list of differences in the new MacBook compared to the previous ones.

One problem though is price. At the same price levels, there are several win–tel offerings that pack more punch, or you could get a similarly functional machine with less of the bells–and–whistles for much less cash. The Apple MacBook might still be competitive enough, but I doubt it will catch a good chunk of the pie, especially not this coming holiday season.

Unless Apple has another surprise up its sleeves.

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Apple Rumors

The New MacBooks

… are almost here?

Can’t wait to get my hands on them.