Amongst the updates iMacs and Mac Pros today, Apple also announced a refresh to the Mac Mini. I know there is a lot more beside just the upgraded 9400M graphics, but where the heck did the cheap Mac Mini go. Now the base model is £499, but the next one up is £649 for a larger hard drive and 2GB of RAM (as opposed to 1GB). Before the update we had prices of £391 and £488, so a price hike of over £100 for the base model and £161 for the top end model. C'mon Apple, there is a recession going on.
Apple Store down - new iMacs and Mac Minis
The Apple Store has gone down, likely for the rumored updates to the iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro lines. This is very exciting for me, as a new purchase was imminent in the form of a MacBook or Mac Mini, so I will be watching with interest. Details will be posted as soon as they happen, but for now the rumors are below.
Rumored iMacs
MB417LL/A - IMAC 20" 2.66/2GB/320GB/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB418LL/A - IMAC 24" 2.66/4GB/640/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB419LL/A - IMAC 24" 2.93/4GB/640/256/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB420LL/A - IMAC 24" 3.06/4GB/1TB/512/SD/MSE/KB-USA
Rumored Mac Minis
MB463LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/1X1G/120/SD/AP/BT-USA
MB464LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/2X1G/320/SD/AP/BT-USA
Rumored Mac Pros
MAC PRO 2.26_8CX/6X1G/640/GT120/SD-USA
MAC PRO 2.66QCX/3X1GB/640/GT120/SD-USA
My thoughts on Macworld 2009 - Apple goodies
Yesterday's keynote was for me a mix of missing Steve and really wanting that 'One More Thing' to be a Mac Mini Tower. Everyone comes away from Macworld or from watching the keynote with some sort of complaint, but on reflection it was pretty sound.
Steve Jobs not being there was a big shame. All I really want to say on the matter is that my thoughts go out to you Steve. I hope you are fighting fit real soon and carry on as CEO at Apple for a long time to come.
iLife 09 was really nice to see. Expected, yes, but the content was very good. Face recognition and Places in iPhoto is worth the upgrade alone. Add to this the added functionality in iMovie, where we get better editing modes for more accurate clips, plus lots of nice candy thrown in too. The new version of iMovie keeps it simplicity and adds back some of the timeline features that we missed in iMovie HD without Apple admitting they were wrong making such radical changes to the app last year.
iWork 09 is another nice upgrade. I like the idea of Keynote being controllable with such style from the iPhone. The iWork.com announcement is also very very cool. When it comes out as a full version I hope that Apple add the ability to give editing writes to certain people. Yes, I know they could download the Pages document (for example), make changes and then re-upload a new version. But making online edits or local edits, with true version tracking would be a really powerful combination. Although not of great interest to me personally, the new Numbers and Keynote features are also very good too.
The new 17-inc MacBook Pro had some things to like and others to question. The questionable inclusion is the lack of user replaceable battery or hard drive. Yes, the reasons were explained and eight hours battery life is awesome. Power users will no doubt complain that they need to carry a spare battery with them. Much more positive is the anti-glare screen option. It seems like Apple listened that not everyone likes gloss. Whilst I don't expect this to filter down to the MacBook, I would be very surprised if we did not see this as a CTO option on the 15.4-inch pro version pretty soon. Apple would sell a lot more if they added this to the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro sooner rather than later.
The final iTunes announcements were a nice round-off to the whole event. At last DRM has been kicked into touch and we can now enjoy moving our music downloads around as and where we wish. Well done Apple.
In closing, it really saddens me that there will be no Apple next year at Macworld. No Apple Expo Paris and certainly no appearance by the company at MacLiveExpo London. I just hope that they more than make up for this by holding at least one special event for new products every year... on their own schedule of course.
Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs - Re Macworld keynote
Today, Apple released a letter from Steve Jobs detailing exactly why he will not be giving his usual keynote speech at Macworld 2009. This is very nice to hear and reassuring that Steve is going to be OK. It reads as follows...
Dear Apple Community,
For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.
Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.
I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.
As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.
Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.
I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.
So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.
Steve
Apple's Board of Director's added;
It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world. As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue to fulfill his duties as Apple’s CEO, you will know it. Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its Board.
I am sure you will all join me in wishing Steve well and hoping to see him gain that healthy weight back during 2009.
Engadget posts video of MacBook Pro Multi-touch Trackpad
The title says it all really, with this early dieo posted by Engadget showing the MacBook Pro's new trackpad. Wow, that baby is large.
New Apple Cinema Display announced - October 14th 2008
Apple held a press event today, October 14th 2008. They announced a stack of new products, including a new 24-inch Cinema Display... it looks just like an iMac with the gubbins inside!
I like the look of this new model, finally it gives me a chance to extend my iMac display in style. It also compliments the complete range of Apple offerings, through to the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The only Macs that do not match are the 17-inch MacBook Pro and the Air. However, these new displays WILL be a great success... maybe not in the studio environment, but everywhere else. Maybe graphic design studios will give them a try and strategically place them so that they do not suffer from glare.
- 24-inch size LED backlit display
- Display port cable
- USB2 port cable
- Powered 3-port USB2 hub
- MagSafe cable for powering your laptop
- 1920x1200 resolution
- Screen type: TFT active-matrix LCD
- Colors: 16.7 million
- Viewing angle: 178° horizontal; 178° vertical
- Brightness: 330 cd/m2
- Contrast ratio: 1000:1
- iSight built in
- Built-in 2.1 speaker system
- Height: 18.84 inches (47.84 cm)
- Width: 22.57 inches (57.32 cm)
- Depth: 7.76 inches (19.71 cm)
- Weight: 21 pounds (9.5 kg)
- £649
- Available November
Official Apple Press Release
Apple® today unveiled the LED Cinema Display featuring a stunning 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Designed for the new MacBook® family, the LED Cinema Display includes an integrated MagSafe® charger, three USB 2.0 ports and the new Mini DisplayPort, making it easy for MacBook users to quickly connect and power their notebooks as well as use their favorite peripherals.
“The new LED Cinema Display is the most advanced display that Apple has ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “It is a perfect fit for our sleek new line of aluminum MacBooks with its 24-inch LED-backlit screen, aluminum and glass enclosure, integrated camera, mic and speakers, MagSafe charger, three USB ports and Mini DisplayPort.”
The 24-inch glossy, widescreen display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution uses LED-backlit technology to provide instant full-screen brightness and great power efficiency. Suspended by an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge that makes tilting the display almost effortless, the new display includes a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers, making it ideal for video conferencing with iChat®,* listening to music or watching movies. The new display also includes three self-powered USB 2.0 ports so users can simply leave their printer, camera, iPhone™ 3G or iPod® dock connected when they take their MacBook with them. The sleek, thin display also includes a built-in universal MagSafe charger so users can conveniently leave their notebook’s MagSafe power adapter in their travel bag.
The new LED Cinema Display is the greenest Apple display ever, made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass and highly recyclable materials. The LED Cinema Display meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.** The new display contains no brominated flame retardants, all internal cables and components are PVC-free and its foam packaging has been reduced by 44 percent.
Part of the next-generation DisplayPort industry standard, the new Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, perfect for the sleek design of the new MacBook family. Adapters are available for using the MacBook’s Mini DisplayPort with older generation VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays.
New Apple MacBook Air announced - October 14th 2008
Apple held a press event today, October 14th 2008. They introduced new MacBook Pros, MacBooks and detailed below a revision to the MacBook Air. There was no actual design changes to this thin wonder, rather revised specification. This was a shame, but if you think about it, the Air already had multi-touch and was ultra thin. So some welcome changes, especially on the graphics front, with beefier NVidia graphics.
- Intel 9400M graphics
- 13.3-inch display (no change here)
- 120GB hard drive
- 128GB SSD option
- Mini Display port (for external monitor)
- 1.6GHz Core2Duo
- 2GB RAM
- £1,299 (for the HD version)
- £1,799 (for the 128GB SD version, which also gets you a 1.86GHz Core2Duo)
- Both new models ship early November
I will bring you more news and images as they become available.
New Apple MacBook Pros announced - October 14th 2008
Apple held a press event today, October 14th 2008. Steve Jobs took to the stage and announced some superb new products, including a newly designed MacBook Pro. As the actual specification is awaiting update on their website, this is the gist of what we will be treated to. Of note the top of the MacBook Pro is made of one rigid piece of Aluminum, so is ultra-tough and light.
- New NVidia 9400M graphics card
- NVidia 9600M GT 512MB GPU option
- 5 hours battery (9400M) or 4 hours (9600M GT)
- Multitouch glass trackpad (39% more tracking space than current MacBook Pro)
- Button is built right into the trackpad (no physical clicky button)
- Multi-button via software
- New four-finger gestures
- Glass display with black bezel (like the current iMac)
- All the ports down one side
- Black keyboard, backlit, same key shape as current MacBook & Air
- Magnetic Latch (yes!)
- LED backlit display
- Stereo speakers
- Magnetic latch
- Sudden motion sensor
- Built-in iSight & Mic (no change there)
- Ports; Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 800, two USB ports, MagSafe, Mini Display Port, ExpressCard 34 slot, Audio In/Out (analog and digital)
- 0.95-inches thin
- Battery & hard drive accessible by the user (yippee)
- £1,399 gets you a 15-inch, 2.4GHz Core2Duo, 2GB RAM, 250GB HD, NVidia 9400M + 9600M GT 256MB
- £1,749 gets you a 15-inch, 2.53GHz Core2Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, 9400M + 9600M GT 512MB
- Sounds like from the above you are getting two graphics cards, which you are, the MacBook Pro features both the NVIDIA 9400M integrated graphics processor and a high-performance NVIDIA 9600M GT discrete graphics processor
- £1,949 gets you a 17-inch, old design case, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, NVidia 8600M GT 512MB
- All models come with SuperDrive
Both of these models will be shipping today and 'in stores tomorrow'. Wowza!
New Apple MacBooks announced - October 14th 2008
Apple held a press event today, October 14th 2008. Amongst other things they announced a new iteration of their MacBook. This new version looks super sleek, super exciting, and has some super new features (wow that is 3xsuper, must be good). It basically looks like a mini iMac with a keyboard attached.
- Entry level £719 model (old white plastic design)
- 13.3-inch LED backlit display
- Magnetic latch (no change there)
- Glass multi-touch trackpad
- Mini Display Port connector
- NVidia 9400M graphics
- 5 hours of battery life (this will be my next blogging tool)
- £949 for 2GHz Core2Duo, NVidia 9400M, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, SuperDrive
- £1,149 for 2.4GHz Core2Duo, NVidia 9400M, 250GB HD, SuperDrive, Backlit keyboard
- Upgrades avalable to 320GB HD, 128GB SSD, DVI, Dual DVI and VGA adapters
- Ships today (well actually 7 days for the UK), in stores tomorrow (fantastic news, where is my credit card!)
I will bring you more news and images as they become available.
New MacBooks - Apple Event October 14th
Wow, this is exciting news. Engadget is reporting to have received an invitation to a Notebook event at Apple, 10am, San Francisco. With their copy of the invitation here, this could well be the event where MacBooks leave behind their plastic and go for a full metal jacket. The Apple Pro website (here) has also posted what is claimed to be the new casings of this wonderful machine. Expect full updates on Geekanoids as we learn more.
Belkin line up new cases for new Nano, touch & classic
Belkin are readying a whole host of new cases for the just announced refreshed iPod range. Most of the new cases are expected to be available mid-September, they have cases for the iPod Nano 4G, touch 2G and classic 2G. Too many to mention here, but here are my favourite picks, which I hope to bring you video reviews of when they are available.
Sport Armband Plus with Fast Fit for iPod nano 4G (F8Z376eaNBY); iPod touch 2G (F8Z363eaNBY); iPod classic 2G (F8Z388eaNBY) – £24.99
- Removable sleeve with low-profile belt clip and key pouch
- Lightweight water-wicking materials
- Includes Cable Capsule for added headphone-cord management
- Fast Fit system for easy one-handed fastening
- Compatible with Nike+
- Clear screen protector allows for easy navigation
- Hand-washable
Clear Acrylic Case for iPod nano 4G (F8Z381eaCLR) – £19.99; iPod touch 2G (F8Z368eaCLR); iPod classic 2G (F8Z393eaCLR) – £24.99
- Available from November
- iPod style and form shows through
- Click wheel protection
- Sleek, form-fitting design minimises bulk
Remix Metal for iPod nano 4G (F8Z381ea) – £19.99; iPod classic 2G (F8Z393ea) – £24.99
- Metal faceplate
- Slim design minimises bulk
- Click wheel protection
- Available in red, silver, pink, and black
Sonic Wave Two-Tone Silicone Sleeve for iPod nano 4G (F8Z379eaBKI); iPod touch 2G (F8Z364eaBKI); iPod classic 2G (F8Z391eaBKI) – £14.99
- Two-tone laser-etched design
- Form-fitting construction allows charging while in sleeve
- Available in the following two-tone colors: black/infrared, cool grey/grapefruit, pink/translucent white, black/blue, black/green, black/white, blue/orange
Sonic Wave Silicone Sleeve, 2-pack for iPod nano 4G (F8Z380eaBKW-2); iPod touch 2G (F8Z367eaBKW-2); iPod classic 2G (F8Z392eaBKW-2) – £12.99
- Textured exterior provides better grip
- Packs available in black/white, pink/purple, blue/orange
Loving the new iPod Nano Advert
The more I look at the new 4th generation iPod Nano, the more I love it. Those guys and gals at Apple are pure genius (more so than the new iTunes feature). The colours are funky and I cannot decide my favourite, so may have to just buy more than one. Loving the new advert too.