New Apple iPod touch Advert
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Apple have have released a new iPod touch advert, which is rather snazzy, featured here. It seems like Apple have been a bit lax on the ad front at the moment, but this was worth the wait. Also, check out this one that was uploaded to YouTube below.
Labels: Apple iPod, Apple News, iPod Touch
Todays new Apple MacBook Pro - Wowza!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
I love my MacBook Pro, so when todays new offerings were announced I was both happy, but also green with envy. The new models offer all the usual things we would expect, with speed bumps across the range, bigger hard drives, but offer a whole lot more besides.Having always favoured the Pro, due to its dedicated GPU, the new version now allows you to have up to 512MB of GDDR3 RAM on the NVidia 8600M GT graphics card, that is awesome. Although this is not reflected in the Apple Store correctly yet, their specification pages state that you get 256MB of GDDR3 on the 2.4GHz version, and 512MB on the 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz versions, it remains to be seen if this is a no cost option. You also get 6MB of shared Level 2 cache, which will help with performance even further. With processor speeds now configurable up to a 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, these babies will really fly.
The big addition to this revision is the multi-touch trackpad. You can now pinch, swipe and rotate your way around (like on the MacBook Air). This is something I really liked the look of and was hoping they would include this in both the MacBook and MacBook Pro, but for now, only the Pro version gets it. For now I will have to be happy with my current machine, which really is not that old, but I know that pretty soon the credit card will be beckoning me to play with it.
UPDATE: You now have to pay £15 for the Apple Remote... shame that such a small cost item is now a chargeable option.
Labels: Apple News, Opinion
So let's look at todays new Apple MacBook
Well, the new Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro has just been announced, so here I want to take a look at what you get in the new MacBook (I will cover the Pro later).First off the speed bumps, you get 2.1GHz from the base model, and 2.4GHz in the mid-range white and top-range black models. In the black model, you also get a 250GB hard drive, which is a BTO option in the other two. You can also spec up to 4GB of RAM, but this is often a lot cheaper to do after the event from a third party manufacturer (like Crucial). Everything else reads the same, even the graphic card is not a beefier offering. The only other performance enhancing addition, is 3MB of Level 2 cache.
So the good bits are the extra speed and the massive 250GB hard drive option (unless you have a black version). The bad bits, which will be talked about a lot more, is the lack of multi-touch. Apple have this technology and it would be so much nicer if they offered it too the whole range, but I guess that would hurt MacBook Air sales too much, so they will probably wait until a further revision before the MacBook gets this.
Labels: Apple News, Opinion
Apple Official Details on the new MacBook & MacBook Pro
Multi-Touch Trackpad Comes to MacBook ProCUPERTINO, California—February 26, 2008—Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® and MacBook Pro notebook lines with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, larger hard drives and 2GB of memory standard in most models. In addition, MacBook Pro includes the latest NVIDIA graphics processors, now with up to 512MB of video memory, and Apple’s innovative Multi-Touch™ trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air™. All Mac® notebooks include a built-in iSight® video camera for video conferencing on-the-go*, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain and built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.**
The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory. Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto® or Aperture™ 2 or browse web pages in Safari™; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.
Featuring a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, and with prices still starting at just £699, the new MacBook lineup comes in three models and includes faster processors and larger hard drives across the line; sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, previously only available as an option. The 2.4 GHz MacBook models ship with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.
Every MacBook and MacBook Pro includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go; Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord and safely disconnects when under strain; the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g; built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking; Bluetooth; analogue and digital audio inputs and outputs; USB 2.0; FireWire® and a built-in SuperDrive®.
Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife® ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing***. Every Mac also includes Leopard®, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system which introduces Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while out on the road.
Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook and MacBook Pro models are now shipping and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers.
The 2.1 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of £699 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling trackpad; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of £829 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling trackpad; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of £949 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling trackpad; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to up to 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.
The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,299 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 200GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
• 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.5 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,599 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
• 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
• 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.5 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of £1,799 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 17-inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 LCD display;
• 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
• 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to up to 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 200GB (7200 rpm), 250GB (5400 rpm) or a 300GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple USB Modem, glossy widescreen display, 17-inch LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 high-resolution display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Labels: Apple News
Apple launch new MacBook and MacBook Pro
Happy MacBook Tuesday everyone... it seems I cannot type fast enough with the excitement. Apple have just put new MacBook and MacBook Pros onto their online stores. New speeds; 2.1 and 2.4GHz for the MacBook, 2.4 and 2.5GHz for the Pros... and yes, Multi-touch on the trackpad of the MacBook Pro, BUT NOT THE MACBOOK, yikes! I can hear the complaints already. More level 2 cache to improve speed, up to 250GB hard drives, wow the list goes on and just gets better. More details when I can contain my excitement.Labels: Apple News
Asus EeePC RM MiniBook Review
If you need something nice and compact for your children (or yourself) without spending too much cash, then take a look at our review of the Asus EeePC (also know as the RM MiniBook). This tiny wonder is so cheap and very well made, it certainly impressed me with what you get for your money. There are a few of these popping up nowadays, but the Asus version feels like a proper laptop, with excellent build quality and a nice crisp clear screen.Product: Asus EeePC - RM MiniBook
Price: £169 (from)
Supplied by: RM
Contact via online form
Labels: PC Hardware, Review
EazyDraw up to version 2.5.2 - AppleWorks Love
Friday, February 15, 2008
EazyDraw version 2.5.2 is now available. This is a long term favourite drawing application of mine and alternative to the likes of Illustrator. This version provides improved reliability on Leopard and Tiger. The French language user interface has numerous improvements and additions. This version provides full import of AppleWorks drawing files. A new Attributes bar and improved customizable toolbar provides better integration with the iWork '08 productivty suite.To obtain the download and learn more please click here.
Labels: Mac Software
Mac Classifieds UK - New website - sell your unwanted Mac Kit
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Remember the days when you could flick to the back of Mac User and see the latest classified ads? Those days are long gone now and we are stuck with the likes of eBay. The auction scene is all well and good, but it often costs a lot to list an item and then again when the item sells. Well, check out our new website Mac-Classifieds. It allows sellers to list an item and sell it, for just one low listing fee, no hidden charges. Buyers get to communicate with the seller until they are happy with going ahead with a purchase. Listing fees are just £1.95 or £3.95 (depending on the value of the item) and the advert stays online for a whole month. Check out the full details here.Labels: Apple News, General News
Contour Design ShowCase for iPhone
There are a lot of iPhone cases about, but this one from Contour Design offers that little bit extra... check out the review below. In fact, after using the case for a good few weeks now, we like the ShowCase so much, we have given it our Silver Award.Product: Contour Design ShowCase for iPhone
Price: £19.95
Supplied by: Contour Design
Contact: +44-20-8731-1410
Labels: Apple iPhone, Review
Apple Leopard 10.5.2 Experience
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I welcomed the news that Apple's Leopard OS had received an update in the form of 10.5.2. For a long time now I have been swearing at Leopard on my MacBook Pro, with the nuisance of airport connection dropouts and the like. So this new version was just urging me to install.
The I read about the problems; updates freezing, Macs not starting up after the update, user accounts disappearing and the like... so I thought long and hard before going for it. I took the safe option though, as my MBPro is my main computer, I opted to upgrade my Mac Mini first. Starting with a backup of all my user files, followed by a bootable clone of the internal drive. I downloaded the standalone combo updater (rather than going through Software Update), then I was ready to go.
It is early days yet, but around 20 minutes in total saw the Mac Mini restart just once. It booted up first go and (touch wood) all seems fine. The only application that seemed to stop working is MailSteward, but apart from that, all I have tried has worked fine. Things seem snappier to, with responses to application launching a lot quicker. Next week will see my MacBook Pro upgrade, I will let you know how it goes.
Labels: Opinion
Gelaskins - Protect your kit!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
If you need to spice up that old laptop or protect your new gadget from scuffs and scratches, you need to take a look at our video review. Gelaskins are a vinyl type covering that can be printed with a natty design. Check it out.
Product: Gelaskins for 12-inch iBook or PowerBook
Price: $29.95
Supplied by: Gelaskins
Contact: 1.416.519.1360
Labels: Mac Accessories, PC Accessories, Review
Matias USB 2.0 Keyboard Review
Sunday, February 10, 2008
When you are in the market for a new keyboard, or perhaps one for that Mac Mini (an essential additional purchase), there is certainly a lot to choose from. The natural direction to look is at the skinny Apple keyboards. However, if you have used a Mac for a long time, you will yearn for that Classic keyboard look and more importantly something that gives you proper tactile feedback. The USB 2.0 Keyboard we look at here from Matias, could be just the ticket.This offering from Matias has some superb advantages and features, all of which can be had for a little over £25 in the UK and around $35 in the US. For this sort of price you certainly do get a lot for your money.
First of all you get what I would term as a proper keyboard. The keys are raised in such a way that it resembles that old Apple classic. The spacing is just right and the tactile feedback you get from each key is just right. There is also a full numeric keypad (which you would expect on a full size keyboard), but Matias go one step further... How often have you found yourself searching for that Euro symbol (€)? Well, I don't mind admitting that on more than one occasion that illusive symbol has escaped me. The Matias USB 2.0 keyboard has extra symbols printed on the keys. You get things like the @ € and ™ signs actually printed onto the number 2 key. This is repeated over the whole keyboard, with the relevant symbols printed on each key. Thanks Matias, this is a great time saver and worth the asking price for this alone.
You also get a full whammy USB 2.0 hub on the back of the keyboard. Older offerings from Apple let the side down here, with only USB 1.0 ports on their keyboards. Matias give us two USB 2.0 ports on the back and an extra one on the top of the keyboard, which is handy for USB keys, iPod syncing and the like... if you have an older generation iPod Shuffle you will find this brilliant. Over my test period this was really handy as I use USB flash memory keys quite a lot, so I did not have to stumble around looking for a spare port.
I like the USB 2.0 Keyboard from Matias a lot. It feels lovely to type on, compliments my Mac perfectly and puts those invaluable extra symbols at my fingertips. If you need a keyboard for your Mac, make sure this is on your shopping list.Product: Matias USB 2.0 Keyboard (Mac)
Price: £25 (typical UK)
Supplied by: Matias Corporation
Contact: 1-905-265-8844 or info@matias.ca
Labels: Mac Peripherals, Review
Iomega Storcenter Review - 1TB of Network Goodness
Saturday, February 09, 2008
With more and more people opting for laptops nowadays, it is of ever increasing importance to have a flexible way of storing files without the hassles of being tethered to a desktop external hard drive. Yes, we all know that laptops can now accommodate quite large hard drives, but what about backing up, or storing files in a central location so other users can access them. This is where Network Attached Storage (NAS) comes into play. I had some experience to this medium of storage before, and came away a little disappointed, so when Iomega sent me their lastest Storcenter device I was a little concerned over what I may find.Opening the box gave me my first (positive) surprise. The unit felt really robust and looked very professional too. In an understated gunmetal colour, this robust little box housed 1TB, yes one terrabyte of storage. On the back of the unit is a kensington lock port for securing this baby to a desk, the all important Gigabit ethernet port, and two USB ports. The USB ports can be used for adding more storage by way of external USB drives, or connecting a printer for sharing over the network. There is a tiny power button (and I mean TINY), so I connected the unit into my gigabit ethernet switch and fired it up.
Other NAS devices I have tested have been pretty noisy, but I am happy to say that the Storcenter is pretty darn quiet. Just the slight whisper of the hard drives spinning and a very quiet fan is all that you can hear. Back at the computer end it is just a matter of popping in the supplied CD and installing the 'Discovery Software'. I was doing this test with both a MacBook Pro and a Mac Mini running the latest version of Leopard (10.5.1) and both systems found the drive first time. This allows you to mount a public share folder, or to carry out extra configuration, such as adding users and extra folders to the drive. Everything worked flawlessly, and once you have 'discovered' the drive, you can then access and connect to it via the Finder.
There is a lot more you can do to the Storcenter in the configuration options, such as scheduling backups to another share, or to a connected USB drive, and once set up the device can be left to perform the task unattended. I tried this with a 250GB external USB drive and it performed admirably. The drive also supports JBOD, RAID 1 and RAID 0, which gives great flexibility in how you can put it to good use. The important part of any drive is performance, so copying across a series of 4GB files, I found that it was achieving just under 6MB/second, peaking at around 8MB/s. Changing the connection over to a 100Mbs ethernet switch did not effect performance a great deal, giving an average of 4.2MB/s. This is more than acceptable in my opinion, not groundbreaking, but it is very easy to work with these speeds.
Where the Storcenter wins is on two counts. The stunning rock solid build quality, and the price. It starts at 320GB for under £100, 500GB starting at £120, right up to the model reviewed here which is only £269. There is also a wireless version, but with most users having wireless routers, you could just plug into a spare ethernet port (like I did) and negate the need to spend any more money. For those that don't have this option, the 1TB Wireless Version costs just under £400. Back to the 1TB version reviewed, for £269 you get a stonking piece of kit, it comes highly recommended.
Product: Iomega Storcenter 1TB
Price: £269
Supplied by: Iomega Europe
Contact form here
Labels: Mac Peripherals, PC Peripherals, Review
Brenthaven ProLite II Review - SPACIOUS BAGIOUS!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
If you look back at my preferences in bags, perhaps two or three years ago, I would never have considered a Brenthaven offering. I won't name and shame here my bag of choice, but I must hasten to say that it was sold off the back as being designed for the Mac Crowd and a lot more expensive to boot.The ProLite II from Brenthaven is a big surprise to me on lots of counts. It looks very understated, so does not scream "Laptop" to passers-by. It fits laptops up to 15.4-inch widescreen, so was perfect for my MacBook Pro. The main compartment does not have a removable sleeve, instead it padded strips to the bottom and sides. I was happy to slip my MBPro in there without any other case, but if you are the type that wants to stops any type of scratch this is not a problem. With my 15.4-incher inside a slip case, or a corduroy padded case, or second skin, it still fitted nicely inside the ProLite II.
The good things don't end there... on the front of the bag there are three zipped compartments. One is lined in a nice soft material and would accommodate the likes of an iPod, slimline compact camera etc. The second zip down opens right up to reveal some pen pockets, mesh pockets, credit card holder and key holder. The final full length zip toward the bottom of the bag is ideal to put some cables in and perhaps a charger or two.
Round the back there is a further two compartments, large enough to fit loads of paperwork, a mousepad, and yet more mesh pockets. There is also a strap across the back, this allows you to attach the ProLite II to wheeled baggage, freeing up your hands.
Carrying this around is also pretty comfortable. The obligatory shoulder strap is nicely padded, as are the two shorter carrying handles on the top of the bag. Where the ProLite II really scores for me is in three main areas. Firstly, the build quality is really nice. Everything feels as though it will last for a very long time. Secondly, the looks... yes I know a lot of you will say it is just a plain old black bag, but I think in connection to the build quality and the stitching, it just looks really nice. The final winning point is the price... and again, I can hear you say that you could buy cheaper, but I would argue that for just under £70 you get a really useful, well designed bag that is guaranteed for life. Well done Brenthaven, you get my vote!
Product: ProLite II
Price: £69.95
Supplied by: Brenthaven
Contact: +44 (0)20 8400 1275
Labels: Mac Accessories, PC Accessories, Review
Apple Adds New iPhone & iPod touch Models
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
CUPERTINO, California—February 5, 2008—Apple® today added new models of the iPhone™ and iPod® touch which have double the memory, doubling the amount of music, photos and videos that customers can carry with them wherever they go. The revolutionary iPhone now comes in a new 16GB model for £329 (inc VAT), joining the 8GB model for £269 (inc VAT). iPod touch now comes in a 32GB model for £329 (inc VAT), joining the 16GB model for £269 (inc VAT) and the 8GB model for £199 (inc VAT).“For some users, there’s never enough memory,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing. “Now people can enjoy even more of their music, photos and videos on the most revolutionary mobile phone and best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world.”
Both iPhone and iPod touch feature Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface and pioneering software that allows users to find and enjoy all their music, videos, photos and more with just a touch of their finger. All iPhone and iPod touch models include the latest software enhancements announced last month including the ability to automatically find your location using the new Maps application*; create Web Clips for your favourite websites; customise your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes® Movie Rentals. Both iPhone and iPod touch feature the world’s most advanced mobile web browser in the world with Safari™ and great mobile applications including Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes.
Pricing & Availability
The new 16GB iPhone is available immediately for a suggested retail price of £329 (inc VAT) through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), Apple’s retail stores and O2 and Carphone Warehouse's retail and online stores. The 32GB iPod touch is available worldwide immediately for a suggested retail price of £329 (inc VAT) through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/ukstore), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only. iPhone and iPod touch require a Mac® with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X 10.4.10 or later and iTunes 7.6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.6.
Labels: Apple News
MacBook Air - All puff & no grunt?
Sunday, February 03, 2008
When his Steveness announced the MacBook Air I did my usual excited scurry for the wallet. Yes, the credit card is always at the ready around Macworld Expo time, and this year was no different (sad I know). Then I took a step back and studied the offering...
The MacBook Air in my opinion really does look the business. Its sleek lines and gorgeous thinness jump out at you, in an understated way of course. This is what Apple does best, and the design of the Air really is superb. This really is laptop for users who travel a lot and want to travel light. It is not for the masses, we have the standard MacBook to fill this need, nor is it for the professional who goes out and about once in a while to visit a client, the MacBook Pro jumps in here. So why did my credit card go back into my wallet untouched?
Well, the Air lacks a few things that it really should offer the mobile pro, especially when Steve compares it to the likes of a Sony ultra-portable. Don't get me wrong, I am a fanboy, but a Vaio of some description comes with an optical drive and a damn site more USB ports, and that is just for starters. For the Air to come out and about with me on every single trip it needs at least two USB ports, a card slot, an optical drive, security slot... oh, and a 12-inch matte screen. The MacBook Air is just too close to the regular MacBook, which is a lot cheaper by miles. So my money would go in that direction. I already have a MacBook Pro, so the Air just did not tempt me. Why would I take a speed drop, feature drop all for the gain of thinness and a lighter weight. I think that the MacBook Air is the first Apple product that hasn't swayed me... it is all puff and no grunt if you ask me!
Labels: Opinion
The Authors
Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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This site covers all the latest Macintosh, technology & gadget related news. We also bring our readers thorough, unbiased reviews of computer software, hardware & peripherals, with some alternative products thrown into the mix.
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You can email us with news, tips, or comments to geekanoids@gmail.com. This blog is published and maintained by Wiki Design.
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