October 21st, 2009

Apple's bumper crop of fall hardware, reviewed

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:19 am

Categories: Hardware, Mac mini, MacBook, Mouse, iMac

Tags: Apple iMac, Apple Inc., FireWire, Desktops, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

Apple yesterday released a cornucopia of new consumer hardware and the reviews are starting to roll in. No firm benchmarks have been conducted but several outlets have posted preliminary reviews of Apple’s Fall 2009 hardware.

Macworld likes the LED-backlit displays in the new iMac.

Apple says that the iMac screens are LED-backlit widescreen TFT active-matrix LCDs with in-plane switching technology, and can display millions of colors at all resolutions. In the past, Apple has used 6-bit displays on its 20-inch iMacs and 8-bit displays on its larger-sized iMacs.

CNet’s Dan Ackerman reviewed the Fall 2009 polycarbonate MacBook and takes issue with Apple’s nomenclature:

Unibody, Apple’s preferred term, is a bit of a misnomer, as the bottom panel is separate, as are the multiple parts that make up the lid and display.

Ackerman also notes that Apple unceremoniously removed FireWire from the new MacBook – and didn’t add an SD card slot:

FireWire fans should note that port has finally left the building. We would have thought this would be a good opportunity to add the same SD card slot found on the Pro 13-inch, but it was not to be. While we’re not regular FireWire users, this does leave Apple open to accusations of removing functionality from the system.

Macworld notes that the new Mac mini is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing:

a quick glance at the back of the new Mac mini makes it clear this is an updated machine. Instead of the FireWire 400 and four USB ports of the 2007 mini, the new model sports five USB 2.0 ports and replaces the FireWire 400 port with a faster FireWire 800 connection…

Also gone is the previous model’s DVI video port, replaced by two video ports: a mini-DVI port and a Mini DisplayPort connector like those found on the current MacBooks.

Finally, Gizmodo calls the Magic Mouse “the best mouse Apple’s made in years”

It has both right and left clicks, like the Mighty Mouse, but differentiates itself from other mice with its touch-sensitive scrolling and two-fingered gestures.

What’s your early review of the new crop of Apple hardware?

October 20th, 2009

Apple shuffles consumer lineup; iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, mouse updated

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 3:30 pm

Categories: Announcement, Apple, Hardware, Mac mini, MacBook, Mouse, Multi-Touch, iMac

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Mouse, Apple MacBook, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Mice, Desktops, Hardware, Peripherals

Hot on the heels of its most profitable quarter ever, Apple today announced a completely revamped consumer hardware lineup, including:

• An all new iMac line featuring LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless aluminum enclosure. (Press release)
• The low-cost MacBook was revved with an updated polycarbonate unibody design, LED-backlit display, fixed 7-hour battery and Multi-Touch trackpad. (Press release)
• A new Mac mini got an upgraded processor, more storage and double the standard memory, starting at $599. Apple is also offering a new $999 Mac mini configuration that comes with Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. Curiously, no press release for the Mac mini.
• The Magic Mouse replaces the Mighty Mouse and is the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Read more about it in David Morgenstern’s earlier post.

So far the Magic Mouse is probably the most interesting announcement of the lot. Apple has a tough time conforming the traditional mouse designs used by all other computer OEMs and has always bucked the trend with mice – for better or for worse.

What are your thoughts on the new announcements? What are you ordering?

March 16th, 2009

Up and downs of the new Mac mini, long live the new Mac Pro

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 12:49 pm

Categories: Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Apple Mac Pro, Joel, Desktops, Hardware, David Morgenstern

According to readers, the Mac mini appears to be their new Mac best friend. Despite the upbeat words, there are better choices in Apple’s revised Mac lineup.

In a recent post, I suggested that the Mac mini held more attraction to geeks rather than to the mainstream of Mac customers.

That’s not to say that it isn’t an interesting combination of low cost (for a Mac) and features (FireWire 800 and the new Mini DVI port). Some companies are using the Mac mini as a turnkey black box for server products, such as SeeFile’s digital asset management software, which is delivered to customers on a Mac mini. This announcement was made at Macworld Expo.

A number of readers pointed out that they use the Mac mini as a consumer media server. ZDjowul suggested that custom top plates for the mini would be an interesting third party opportunity.

However, I was bewildered by several TalkBack posts that suggested that the Mac mini was an okay box for “graphics people” since the mini now supports better monitors and comes with a faster processor.

Read the rest of this entry »

March 3rd, 2009

Who buys a Mac mini?

Posted by David Morgenstern @ 12:17 pm

Categories: Mac mini, Virtualization

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Desktops, Hardware, David Morgenstern

Apple on Tuesday updated its $599 Mac mini and said that the box is faster and greener than before — a no brainer since its been ages since the line was refreshed (a year and a half) and this update was something that Mac watchers have fretted over. But what kind of customer buys a Mac mini? I say: Mac and Linux geeks.

The common wisdom says that the Mac mini appeals to switchers from Windows. In this model, the customer is totally interested in the entry price of the  box.

Certainly, with the current economic distress, this price-point consideration must be growing.

Still, since its introduction in 2005, I’ve met very, very few switchers who have bought a Mac mini. They mostly purchase iMacs and MacBooks.

When Steve Jobs introduced the Mac mini in 2005 in his keynote address for the San Francisco Macworld Expo, he said that the Mac mini was first a “Mac that costs less.” Next, it was quiet. And  that it was a “robust computer, but it’s very very tiny.”

“We want to price this so that peope who are thinking of switching will have no excuse. [For] people that want a second Mac in their house — or a third or a fourth — it’s really going to be easy,” he continued.

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March 3rd, 2009

Apple announces new Mac desktop hardware

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 5:48 am

Categories: Announcement, Apple, Hardware, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Graphics, Details, Desktops, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

The Apple U.S. Store is back online with new desktop Mac hardware, as expected.

Apple today announced updates to its iMac and Mac mini desktop lines, including a 24-inch iMac that is priced more affordably than ever before and a Mac mini with powerful new integrated graphics. For the same $1,499 price as the previous generation 20-inch iMac, the new 24-inch iMac delivers a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage.

Delivering up to five times better graphics performance, the updated Mac mini now features the same groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics introduced with the aluminum unibody MacBook family.* The Mac mini is the world’s most energy efficient desktop, drawing less than 13 watts of power when idle.** All iMac and Mac mini systems come with Mac OS X Leopard , the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife ’09, Apple’s unparalleled suite of consumer applications for managing and organizing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.

Apple today introduced the new Mac Pro using Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture to deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system.* The new Mac Pro starts at $2,499 and features the latest graphics technology and an updated interior that makes expansion even easier than before.

Details are in the following press releases:

• Apple Updates Consumer Desktop Line
• Apple Introduces New Mac Pro

March 3rd, 2009

Apple Store down, new hardware imminent

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 5:28 am

Categories: Hardware, Mac Pro, Mac mini, Rumor, iMac

Tags: Apple Intel Mac Mini, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Apple Online Store, Desktops, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

The Apple Online Store is currently down this morning as Apple is believed to be preparing to launch new desktop hardware. In addition to new Mac minis, iMacs and Mac Pros, Apple may launch new wireless Airport and Time Capsule hardware according to MacRumors. A post on the MacRumors forums lists the following new part numbers:

• 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
• MB463LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/1X1G/120/SD/AP/BT-USA
• MB464LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/2X1G/320/SD/AP/BT-USA
• MAC PRO 2.26_8CX/6X1G/640/GT120/SD-USA
• MAC PRO 2.66QCX/3X1GB/640/GT120/SD-USA

March 2nd, 2009

New Mac mini may arrive as soon as tomorrow

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 3:53 pm

Categories: Hardware, Mac mini, Rumor, Spy shot

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Chipsets, FireWire, Desktops, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

It wasn’t more than a couple hours ago I was hitting the Publish button on a story about a rumored Apple “special event” on 24 March. The event seemed like a logical time to unleash a round of new, and overdue desktop hardware.

Then about an hour ago Ars Technica posted a rumor that the new Mac mini could ship as early as tomorrow. The story also includes what appears to be a leaked shot of the mini retail box which shows the backplane of the mini in all its glory.

The new spy shot corroborates previous rumors that the new mini would include Mini-DVI, Mini-DisplayPort, FireWire 800, five USB ports and an NVIDIA 9400M chipset.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and loves announcing new hardware on Tuesday, so keep an eye on the Apple store tomorrow morning.

February 20th, 2009

Spy video of the new Mac mini?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 7:02 pm

Categories: Mac mini, Rumor

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Video, MacRumors Forum Member, Corporate Communications, Desktops, Marketing, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

The same MacRumors forum member has now posted a video of the purported new Mac mini.

If you were to buy an Apple tablet, which model would you choose?

• 10.6-inch TFT, ~$1000
• 9.7-inch OLED, ~$2000

View Results

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February 20th, 2009

Spy shot: Is this the new Mac mini?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:23 am

Categories: Hardware, Mac mini, Rumor, Spy shot

Tags: Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Intel Core 2 Duo, Serial ATA, Desktops, FireWire, Processors, Storage, Hardware, Consumer Electronics

A MacRumors forum member posted the above picture of the purported new Mac mini with the following specs:

• Intel Core 2 Duo
• 2GHz
• 3MB L2 cache
• 2GB RAM DDR III, 1066MHz
• Super Drive is SATA

The picture agrees with previous rumors that the new Mini would ship with 5 USB ports, FireWire 800, and two Display ports (Mini DisplayPort and Mini DVI).

As with every pre-release Apple hardware photo come the claims that it’s a fake. A 9-to-5 Mac reader has mostly debunked the image as fake, based on the dispersion of artifacts, macroblock type changes and the fact that the Mini DisplayPort and Mini DVI aren’t lined up with the motherboard.

Granted, Apple could have moved the motherboard to accomodate the new ports but the evidence for it being a creative Photoshop job is pretty convincing.

Update: In light of the controversy around the photo, the contributor now offers a video labeled ”Mac Mini 2009 Edition”

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January 4th, 2009

Oh crystal ball, what will Macworld Expo 2009 bring?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 11:51 pm

Categories: 10.6, Hardware, Mac OS, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Macworld Expo, Rumor, Software, iMac, iPhone, iPod touch, iWork

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Macintosh, Apple Intel Mac Mini, Apple MacBook, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., AppleInsider, Desktops, Notebooks, Hardware

San Francisco – Ah, Macworld Expo. Don’t you just love this time of year? Thousands of Mac faithful descend upon the fair city by the bay for a week of excitement, nostalgia and imbibing.

The buzz in San Francisco’s downtown is palpable, especially in the bars, restaurants and hotel rooms within walking distance of Moscone. People are yammering about this Mac or that and what Tuesday might hold. But it’s not like it used to be.

Perhaps it’s because I’m here a day early (I usually don’t arrive until Monday) or because I’m still on east coast time, but there isn’t quite the buzz I usually see in San Francisco this year, at least not yet. Don’t fret though, things are bound to ramp up as we get closer to the StevePhilnote on Tuesday.

After getting chided for calling this the “last Macworld Expo” I’m determined to be more positive about the show and to make the most of it. I’m actually quite excited to see how Phil Schiller performs during the keynote address under the hot glare of 6,000 calculating, judging eyeballs. This is Phil’s job interview for the CEO position, isn’t it?

That being said, here’s a rundown of what Apple is likely to announce here on Tuesday…

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