Forthcoming - Apple iPad Review
Friday, February 05, 2010
A little snippet of news, to keep you all updated. The Apple iPad is causing a lot of buzz in the tech world at the moment and rightly so. It has had a mixed reception so far, but how can anyone really pass judgement until they review it first hand. Well, I wanted to let you know that I will be bringing you a review in March of one of the first batch of iPad Wi-Fi versions to hit the UK. Keep an eye on the Geekanoids website and of course the Geekanoids YouTube Channel for a really in-depth series of videos. I will be testing it with a Mi-Fi wireless dongle too and then some comparisons with the 3G version late April too. In the meantime check out my hands-off impressions.Labels: Apple News
My Mac is a Drug - new Book available for pre-order
Friday, September 18, 2009
Get your reading cap on guys and gals, a new book has been added to the Geekanoids Shop. "My Mac is a Drug" is Paul Camelovi's recollection of how technology, gadgets and mainly Mac computers have taken over his life. The title makes the content obvious with many comparisons to addiction to drugs, through to a look at Apple's design process. Even quality control is covered to some degree. It is also worth noting that if you get your order in early, you can save £2 off RRP. Orders are accepted worldwide. Click the link for a shortcut to the pre-order page.Labels: Apple News, Books, Opinion
Apple's It's only Rock & Roll Event - Expectations
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Today at 10am Pacific Time, 6pm GMT, Apple will be holding an event to launch a slew of new products. The 'It's only rock and roll' event takes place at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco, where they have adorned the front with a striking music banner.
Every September we see new iPods. So, it is a forgone conclusion that we will see a new iPod Nano and touch. There have been many pictures doing the rounds of new cases. The most likely being the Hama cases that featured on Engadget. It seems an obvious step for Apple to introduce a camera to the iPod touch, bringing video capabilities and simple editing akin to the iPhone 3GS. The Nano will more than likely only be able to take photos. There has also been rumours that Apple experienced problems with the initial batch of camera units. If this is true, we might see a slight shipping delay after launch.
We might also hear two bits of sad news too. The iPod classic is likely to be retired. When it was announced as the 120GB version available today, the company said it would be the last version of this model. The second wipeout news, is that of the AppleTV. The 40GB version has been showing as 1-2 weeks shipping for a while in the Apple online store. This may well indicate that stock is being run down on this model. It would be nice to think that Apple does keep on developing the AppleTV, maybe even showing us a new version later today.
A new iTunes (version 9) is also likely. With social networking additions for Facebook and Twitter. It seems as though the application is getting a little cluttered now and is certainly trying to do too much. Keep it simple Apple, or people will lose interest! Also rumoured is The Beatles coming to the iTunes Store. This is not a big deal for me, plus I don't think it'll happen today anyway.
The most anticipated product that people want to see is the Apple Tablet. If Steve Jobs takes to the stage, he may well surprise us. I personally don't think it is that likely, but I really would love to see it. A 10-inch touch screen device, with HDMI output would be superb. Surely acting as the coolest media type server on the planet. Of course, it would do a lot more besides just serving up content. Apple will do the touch interface just right and you will see a lot of people opting for these over a laptop. Keep checking back on Geekanoids later today and tomorrow for full coverage of what Apple has up its sleeve(s).
Labels: Apple News, Apple Rumour, Opinion
Apple Snow Leopard to land August 28th
Monday, August 24, 2009
My order is in, is yours? Apple have delivered on their promise. Their next operating system, in the form of the greatly optimised Snow Leopard is now available to pre-order. They said September and whilst everyone was expecting the last day of the month, they pulled it out fo the bag. You can pre-order now for £25, shipping on August 28th, it may well be in your hands prior to the beginning of September.
Labels: Apple News, Mac Software
Apple Store is Down - New iPod touch?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Apple Store is not taking orders at the moment. This normally means that they are either making some small changes to their store, or even better, adding a new product or two. My guess is that a new iPod touch will appear today, we will probably know what is happening by 13:00 GMT. Check back here soon.
Labels: Apple News
Apple Redefine MacBook Pro - Opinion
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Yesterday, June 9 2009, Apple launched an array of new products. The first to receive the Phil Schiller treatment was the MacBook Pro lineup. This was a surprise to me, as I really thought that the WWDC would concentrate on Snow Leopard, iPhone OS 3.0 and the new iPhone model... more on that later.A thread over on Mac Rumors, which I have posted to, posed a very good question. By launching the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, or should I say re-labeling the existing unibody MacBook, were Apple admitting they were originally wrong to release the unibody MacBook in the first place?
My opinion on this is NO. I do not think they were wrong with the launch of the 13-inch unibody MacBook. It was and still is a terrific machine. However, they need to always innovate and bring out new machines, with new features. By adding Firewire 800 (they listened to their users on this one), plus introducing the SD card slot and improving the battery life, the model had too many pro-level features. Had they kept it as just a MacBook, potential customers would not even look at the Pro models, as the 13-inch version offers just too much. Had they gone the other way and dumbed down the 13-inch model by perhaps keeping the old screen and battery configuration, customers would have complained. So, I think they did the right thing. They gave us new innovative battery technology, more colourful screens and that SD card slot is really handy.
In doing this repositioning of the 13-inch unibody model, they also left just one white MacBook. This model is a good specification, but it sits there all alone. I think they did this on purpose. It really does leave the door open to phase out the MacBook altogether. The obvious next step is a 10-inch or 11-inch NetBook or perhaps the much touted Mac Tablet with touch screen. It also allows them to introduce more than one NetBook model, with pricing starting at around £500 for the base model, up to the current MacBook pricing of £700 without confusing its customers. This was a good move on Apple's part. It really does mean we WILL see a new device, sooner rather than later.
Labels: Apple News, Opinion
Apple WWDC 2009 Keynote Coverage - part 4
Monday, June 08, 2009
Apple delivered some excellent announcements today, check out my coverage of the iPhone 3GS. This new model is available soon, with new features. Improved camera, better battery life and so much more.
Labels: Apple News
Apple announce new iPhone 3GS
Apple's biggest announcement today for me was their new iPhone 3GS. With so many mobile phones to choose from, they had to make this update really count. This time around we get better battery life (big improvement here), improved camera, video recording, voice control and much much more. Keep checking back on Geekanoids over the next few days for more details and video coverage. In the meantime, Apples official word on the iPhone 3GS can be found below.Apple today introduced the new iPhone™ 3G S, the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including improved speed and performance—up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G—with longer battery life, a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera, easy to use video recording and hands free voice control. iPhone 3G S includes the new iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 100 new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS*, Spotlight Search, landscape keyboard and more. iPhone 3G S customers get access to more than 50,000 applications from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, the largest application store in the world where customers have already downloaded over one billion apps. iPhone 3G S offers twice the capacity for the same price with a 16GB model for just $199 and a new 32GB model for just $299.** And beginning today, iPhone 3G is available at the breakthrough price of just $99 for the 8GB model—a huge milestone for the high end smartphone market.
“iPhone 3G S is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet and we think people will love the incredible new features including autofocus camera, video recording and the freedom of voice control,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of WorldWide Product Marketing. “And with a breakthrough price of $99, we are thrilled to get iPhone 3G into the hands of even more users who want them.”
iPhone 3G S offers incredible speed and performance, on average up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G, so you can render web pages quicker and launch applications faster. iPhone 3G S takes advantage of the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for stunning high-quality 3D graphics, making mobile gaming and other graphic intense applications better than ever. iPhone 3G S is not only faster, but with longer battery life you can watch more videos, listen to more music, browse the Internet or keep using your favorite apps even longer. The new iPhone 3G S also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds.***
iPhone 3G S features a new 3 megapixel autofocus camera that takes amazing pictures and video, making it easier than ever to capture, edit and share those moments instantly with family and friends. The new autofocus camera adjusts focus, exposure, color and contrast for the best possible image and includes an automatic macro focus for extra close up shots. With the new “tap to focus” feature, you simply touch the display to select an object or area of interest and the camera automatically re-adjusts focus and exposure. You can record incredible high-quality video clips and edit them right on your iPhone 3G S by simply trimming the start and stop points. With iPhone 3G S you can send photos and video by email or MMS and post them to MobileMe™ or YouTube with just one tap.
The voice control feature in iPhone 3G S offers hands free operation for both iPhone and iPod® functions. Simply speak the appropriate commands into the built-in microphone or headset microphone to dial by name or number. With voice control you can play your favorite music by artist, album or playlist and activate the Genius feature by saying “play more songs like this.” You can also tell iPhone to pause the music, play the next track, turn on shuffle or ask, “What’s playing right now?”
iPhone 3G S features a new built-in digital compass for instant navigation.**** The Compass app shows you which way you are headed and rotates as you change direction. You can orient yourself to true north or magnetic north, and iPhone’s built-in GPS automatically displays the coordinates of your current location. The new built-in digital compass is also integrated within Maps, so it automatically orients any map to the direction you are facing.
iPhone 3G S provides new accessibility features including VoiceOver, a screen reader that speaks what appears on the iPhone 3G S display, enabling visually impaired users to make calls, read email, browse web pages, play music and run applications. The new universal Zoom function magnifies the entire screen, and the White on Black feature reverses the colors on screen to provide higher contrast for people with low vision. iPhone 3G S also supports Mono Audio which combines left and right audio channels so that they can be heard in both earbuds for those with hearing loss in one ear.
iPhone 3G S includes the new iPhone OS 3.0 software with more than 100 new features including: Cut, Copy and Paste; MMS; Spotlight Search to search across iPhone or within Mail, Contacts, Calendar and iPod; landscape keyboard for Mail, Messages, Notes and Safari®; expanded parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store; and the ability to capture and send audio recordings on the go with the new Voice Memo app. iPhone 3.0 software also includes a new Find My iPhone feature that works together with MobileMe so you can locate your lost iPhone on a map, send a message that will appear on the screen or play a sound to help you find it even if your phone is set to silent. If you cannot find your iPhone, you can erase all data and content on your iPhone with the new Remote Wipe feature. New iTunes® features available with iPhone 3.0 software include wirelessly downloading movies, TV and audio programs as well as iTunes U so students can download learning materials on the go.
iPhone 3G S gives users access to the revolutionary App Store, the largest application store in the world with more than 50,000 applications. The App Store allows developers to reach tens of millions of iPhone and iPod touch® users around the world. To date, customers have downloaded more than one billion apps from the App Store. And with more than 1,000 new APIs available with the iPhone SDK, developers can create even more innovative applications using In-App Purchases, a new Maps API and Push Notifications.
iPhone 3G S also features built-in Nike + iPod support making it an incredible workout companion. Users simply place the optional Nike + iPod sensor ($19) in their Nike + shoe to seamlessly connect with iPhone 3G S to track miles run or sync with the latest generation gym equipment.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 3G S will be available in the US on June 19 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and just $299 (US) for the new 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores. iPhone 3G S requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers. iPhone OS 3.0 software will be available on June 17 as a free software update via iTunes 8.2 or later for all iPhone customers. iPod touch customers will be able to purchase a software update for $9.95 (US). Beginning June 8, iPhone 3G will be available for just $99 (US) for the 8GB model. New MobileMe features for iPhone require iPhone OS 3.0. MobileMe is available for an annual subscription price of $99 (US).
Labels: Apple News
Apple Revamp MacBook Pros with new features
Keep checking back on Geekanoids over the next few hours tonight for more video coverage. In the meantime, here is the official word from Apple on the new MacBook Pros. Highlights for me, better screens, SD card slot, great battery life.Apple today updated the aluminum unibody MacBook® Pro line to include 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models featuring Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to 40 percent longer battery life. Each MacBook Pro includes an LED-backlit display with greater color intensity, the innovative glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad, an illuminated keyboard, an SD card or ExpressCard slot, a FireWire® 800 port and state of the art NVIDIA graphics. Starting at just $1,199, the MacBook Pro line is more affordable than ever, with some models up to $300 less than the previous generation. The industry’s greenest notebook lineup, every Mac® notebook achieves EPEAT* Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.
“Across the line, all of our new MacBook Pro models now include Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life, while staying just as thin and light as before,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Starting at just $1,199, the aluminum unibody MacBook Pro is more affordable than ever and sets a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.”
The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models include Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge without adding thickness, weight or cost. Using Adaptive Charging and advanced chemistry first introduced with the 17-inch MacBook Pro earlier this year, the built-in battery delivers up to 1,000 recharges before it reaches 80 percent of its original capacity—nearly three times the lifespan of conventional batteries.** The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is a significant upgrade at a lower price than the original aluminum MacBook it replaces. With the same sleek and durable design popular with consumers, students and professionals, all 13-inch MacBook Pro models now include a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, a FireWire 800 port, an illuminated keyboard and an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut. Featuring the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two models: one with a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive priced at £899 ($1,199), and another with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive priced at £1,149 ($1,499).
The perfect balance of performance and portability, the 15-inch MacBook Pro now features a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut and 4GB of RAM across the line at an entry price $300 less than before. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in three models: a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics for a new entry price of £1,299 ($1,699); a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 320GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for £1,499 ($1,999); and a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 500GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for £1,699 ($2,299).
The 17-inch MacBook Pro, which includes an eight hour built-in battery, an ExpressCard slot, a brilliant LED-backlit display, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, has been updated to include a faster 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a larger 500GB hard drive for £1,849 ($2,499).
All MacBook Pro systems feature Apple’s revolutionary aluminum unibody design and for the first time can be upgraded with up to 8GB of RAM, and up to a 500GB hard drive or up to a 256GB solid state drive. The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models can also be upgraded to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. All MacBook Pro systems include a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display.
Every Mac notebook achieves EPEAT Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design. Each unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. All MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models contain no brominated flame retardants and use internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The built-in battery design results in less waste and depleted batteries can be replaced for $129 or $179, which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.
Every MacBook Pro comes with Apple’s innovative iLife® ’09 featuring iPhoto® for managing photos, iMovie® for making movies and GarageBand® for creating and learning to play music. Every Mac also runs Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, featuring Time Machine®, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; Spaces®, an intuitive feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; Mail with easy setup and elegant, personalized stationery; and iChat®, the most advanced video chat.
Pricing & AvailabilityThe new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro, 17-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are now available through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Mac OS® X Snow Leopard™ will be shipping in September 2009, and any new Mac system purchased without Snow Leopard from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller between June 8, 2009 and the end of the program on December 26, 2009, is eligible for the Mac OS X Snow Leopard Up-To-Date upgrade package available for a product plus shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US). Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 90 days of purchase or by December 26, 2009, or whichever comes first. For more information please visit www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate
Labels: Apple News
Apple WWDC 2009 Keynote Coverage - part 3
In part three of my WWDC coverage, I bring you the details and availability dates for the new iPhone OS 3.0 software.
Labels: Apple News
Apple WWDC 2009 Keynote Coverage - part 2
In my continuing coverage of Apple's WWDC Keynote address for 2009, please check out the details of their new OS Snow Leopard announcement. Surprise pricing in this one.
Labels: Apple News
Apple WWDC 2009 Keynote Coverage - part 1
This is part one of my Apple WWDC Coverage, with a surprise in the form of a new MacBook Pro lineup... more to follow.
Labels: Apple News
Apples Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 Preview
Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. A team of Apple executives, led by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the keynote. WWDC will offer in-depth sessions on both iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and Mac OS® X Snow Leopard, an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s best desktop operating system and the foundation for future Mac innovation.All of my readers are spread throughout the world, but being based in the UK, 6pm GMT will be the focus of my coverage. Normally Steve Jobs would take to the stage at Moscone West, San Francisco. This year will be Phil Schiller again, as Steve is not due to return to his active role at Apple until the end of the month. As things unfold at the Keynote, I will be putting together a video of the announcements, which should be online by around 7:30pm. This will also be followed by a series of videos looking in-depth at what Apple has delivered.
Expectations
We will see a massive concentration on giving us the full details of iPhone OS 3.0. This will deliver a raft of new features that we already know about, including MMS and that all important copy and paste. We should also see the introduction of background processes, so running more than one application at a time will be possible.
Snow Leopard will also be detailed, with a shipping date. This new streamlined version of the OS for Mac desktops and laptops will not offer many new features, but will certainly take up less system storage and resources to get the same job done.
I personally also expect to see a revamp of the iPhone range. The much rumored iPhone Video should make an appearance. With four models in the line-up, ranging from 4GB to 32GB in capacity. This should also include a front facing camera, so iChat video conferencing is bought to the handset. The rear facing camera will be boosted to somewhere in the region of 3.2 to 5 megapixels, with that all important video recording functionality. From the various rumors and photos floating around, the fingerprint magnet should be gone and a nice rubberised matte black finish will be applied to the back of the device. The silver trim around the front bezel will also disappear, in favour of a black powder coated bezel. Sizing and the overall form factor will remain exactly the same.
One more thing...
Will we get that 'one more thing'. Well, we all know that Apple is working on some sort of touch enabled netbook or tablet device. I doubt that this will be announced today. Steve Jobs is going to return at the end of the month of June. I think it is more likely we will see a hardware announcement to coincide with his return. Again, this may be too early for the netbook/tablet launch, so we may have to wait until January 2010 for this new eagerly anticipated device.
Labels: Apple News, Apple Rumour
Apple launch new iPod Shuffle
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
How small can Apple get these little wonders, with the newly launched iPod Shuffle is tiny in comparison to the previous generation. In the photo here you can see the new Shuffle in the back of the image to your left, then older version (front) is massive in comparison. So, just how did they do it. Well, they moved the controls onto the earphone cable, with cool touchy feely buttons that perform different functions if your single click, double click, or click and hold. You get voice feedback, with track details and the ability to change playlists at the voice prompts. Curiously, Mac owners get a male voice, whilst our PC counterparts get a female voice.Labels: Apple iPod, Apple News
New Mac Pros from Apple
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Wow, those guys (and gals) at Apple HQ have been busy today, with new Mac Pros launched, offering very very fast speeds indeed. I won't rattle on about my thoughts, but check out the detals below (don't miss the 18x superdrive... interesting).
The new quad-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of £1,899, includes:
- one 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor with 8MB of L3 cache;
- 3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 8GB;
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
- 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
- four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
- five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports;
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
- ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.
The new 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of £2,499 (US), includes:
- two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache;
- 6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
- 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
- four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
- five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
- ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse
Labels: Apple News
Apple refresh their iMac line
Today, Apple refreshed their iMac line with new graphics card offerings and a host of performance improvements. Ranging from a 20-inch 2.66GHz model for £949 through to a top-of-the-range 24-inch 3.06GHz model for £1,799.
The base model gets 2GB of RAM, whilst all the other offerings get 4GB as standard. You can upgrade that memory too, with 4GB to 8GB upgrades weighing in at a hefty £800... what on earth are they thinking? On the graphics front, the two lowest price models get NVidia 9400M, whilst the 24-inch 2.93GHz and 3.06GHz models gain NVidia GT120 and GT130 cards respectively. Those tops models can even be upgraded to an ATI Radeon HD 4850 card should you wish.
The same aluminum frame, but with a thinner pedestal stand. The stand can also be removed and the iMac has a standard vesa mount, so you can hang it on your wall. This is a nice design change... well done Apple.
I like the upgrades, especially the improved graphics performance. What I don't like is the prices and the ridiculous costs involved with 'custom build' options. As a sidenote (and correct me if I am wrong) the AppleCare pricing seems to have dropped. The keyboard has also lost its numerical keypad (like the previous wireless version), but you can opt for the full-size keyboard at no extra cost.
Labels: Apple News
Apple announces new Mac Minis
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.
Labels: Apple News
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
Labels: Apple News
My thoughts on Macworld 2009 - Apple goodies
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
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.
Labels: Apple News, Opinion
Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs - Re Macworld keynote
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
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.
Labels: Apple News
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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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