General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in Mac News Review. iPad, iPod, iPhone, and
Apple TV news is covered in iOS News
Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Products & Services
News & Opinion
Firmware Update Enables 6 Gbps SATA in All 2011
MacBooks
Referencing an Other World Computing
blog, ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady reports that nearly seven months
after the latest MacBook Pro refresh arrived, users can finally
reliably harness the blistering 6 Gbps speeds hidden under their
aluminum hoods. Oh, and 2011 MacBook Airs have it too.
O'Grady suggests that Apple didn't mention the SATA 6 Gbps fix in
the MacBook Pro EFI firmware update released last week (see below) because its policy is not to promote the fact that
2011 MacBook Pros and Airs support SATA 6 Gbps because the
interface isn't officially supported, in his estimation because Apple
can't source sufficient quantities of SATA 6 Gbps SSD modules and
thus doesn't want to promote its SATA 6 Gbps support until it's
certain it can ship every unit with a 6 Gbps SSD.
Link:
Firmware Update Quietly Enables SATA 6 Gbps in MacBooks
11" i7 MacBook Air Outperforms 13" 2.4 GHz Core 2
Duo MacBook Pro
Macs Only's Bill Fox says a little over a year ago he switched from
using an original 13" 1.6 GHz
Early 2008 MacBook Air with a 128 GB SSD upgrade to a 13" 2.4 GHz Mid 2010
MacBook Pro, also upgraded with a 240 GB OWC Extreme Pro SSD when
it appeared to him that Apple had given up on the MacBook Air.
2008 and 2011 MacBook Air vs. 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro
However, he notes that while the 13" MacBook Pro is a fabulous
notebook and a terrific value, more is not better - for him, and he
found himself using his older MacBook Air more frequently than the
newer, more powerful, and more versatile MacBook Pro.
With the latest MacBook Airs (Mid 2011) arriving - once again with
backlit keyboards - and sporting the option for an Intel Core i7
processor along with two USB ports, a Thunderbolt port, 4 GB of
RAM, and SSDs, Fox decided to switch from the 13" MacBook Pro to the
new Air, and decided to this time go with the 11" (actually 11.6")
model after many long visits to his local Apple Store to convince
himself that his eyesight is still adequate for it.
Fox's new 11" MacBook
Air with an optional 1.8 GHz Core i7 CPU and standard 128 GB SSD
and 4 GB of RAM arrived a couple of weeks ago, and the burning
question was, "How fast is it?"
Fox ran several of his standard speed tests on the original and new
MacBook Air models, as well as the 13" 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro (Mid 2010)
for comparison, and reports that he's pretty happy with how his new Mid
2011 11" MacBook Air performed.
Link: Hands-On Review: 11" MacBook Air
(Mid-2011) - How Fast Is It?
Apple Updates
EFI Firmware Update 2.2 for Thunderbolt MacBook
Pros
The MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.2 enables Lion Internet
Recovery which starts Lion Recovery directly from Apple servers over a
broadband Internet connection if the built-in recovery is unavailable.
It also includes fixes that resolve issues with Apple Thunderbolt
Display compatibility and Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode performance on
MacBook Pro (early 2011) models.
For more information about Lion Recovery, visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/
The MacBook Pro EFI Update will update the EFI firmware on your
notebook computer. Your computer's power cord must be connected and
plugged into a working power source. When your MacBook Pro restarts, a
gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of
the update. It will take several minutes for the update to complete. Do
not disturb or shut off the power on your MacBook Pro during this
update.
Boot ROM or SMC Version Information: After this update has
successfully completed, your Boot ROM Version will be:
MBP81.0047.B1E
File Size: 4.17 MB
System Requirements: OS X Lion 10.7 and later
Publisher's note: This replaces EFI Firmware Update 2.1 released a
week earlier.
Link: MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update
2.2
Thunderbolt Software Update for Thunderbolt
MacBooks with OS X 10.7.1
The latest Thunderbolt Software Update provides support for the
Apple Thunderbolt Display and bug fixes for Thunderbolt device
compatibility.
File Size: 60.30 MB
System Requirements: OS X Lion 10.7.1 or later
Link: Thunderbolt Software
Update
Products & Services
Compact Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone,
Tablet Charger
PR: Kensington Computer Products Group has
announced the AbsolutePower™ Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger, the
first compact charger of its kind with simultaneous triple charging
ability. The industrial strength charger offers 100W of power and is
compatible with top selling Windows-based laptops, smartphones like the
iPhone, BlackBerry Torch, Sony Experia, and more, as well as iPad and
iPad 2, BlackBerry PlayBook and Samsung Galaxy tablets. Mobile
professionals can leave multiple chargers behind and no longer need to
worry about making room for additional bulky batteries with
AbsolutePower. It intelligently charges up to three devices at the same
time and its light weight and small size make it easy to carry. Sitting
on a desk, AbsolutePower only takes up 12% more space than an iPhone
that it charges.
Designed for convenience and nearly all mobile
power needs, the product features a compact form factor with a scratch
resistant exterior and aids in thermal cooling. AbsolutePower is
claimed to be not only a superior power supply; but environmentally
friendly as well. As the premium offering in the award-winning
Kensington Smart Power family of laptop adapters, it is physically
packaged in recycled materials and built to help reduce a users carbon
footprint by providing energy efficiently. In addition, AbsolutePower
is competitively priced, similar in cost to less capable mobile power
adapters on the market today.
Mobile professionals are relying on multiple computing devices for
work and play more than ever. Global forecasts from Gartner indicate
that year over year tablet growth for 2010 through 2011 is as much as
309%. An estimated 387 million laptop and 64 million tablet sales are
expected in the year 2011 alone. AbsolutePower meets the rapidly
increasing demand for superior accessories that are as easy to use and
effective in performance as the laptops, smartphones, and tablets it
works to empower.
"AbsolutePower is a truly unique product that offers mobile
professionals a huge convenience. Its powerful enough to charge three
of the most often used mobile platforms today, all at the same time,"
says Peter Zan, Senior Global Product Manager at Kensington. "And
because its compact and light enough to easily fit in a briefcase or
purse, its the ideal companion to today's laptops, smartphones and
tablets, so they always operate at peak performance. AbsolutePower's
affordability and green design just add to its ingenuity."
The Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger provides
100 watts of power to charge your laptop and two USB devices
simultaneously - triple charging guaranteed. A perfect secondary or
replacement charger is the smallest, lightest, most powerful charger in
its class compared with similar in-class power adapters. It is
compatible with top-selling laptops and the two built-in USB ports
offer 2.1 Amp capability for charging tablets and smartphones.
Additional Features and Benefits
- Smart power technology senses and delivers the amount of power
needed to charge your laptop - no more, no less.
- Smart tips are compatible with laptops from HP, Compaq, Dell, Acer,
Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Gateway and ASUS
- Two built-in USB power ports offer the capability for charging iPad
1 or 2, BlackBerry PlayBook, and Samsung Galaxy tablets and iPhone, HTC
Nexus One or HD2, Samsung Wave, Nokia N8, Sony Experia, Motorola
Milestone 2, LG Quantum or eXpo, and Blackberry Torch phones
- Scratch resistant finish looks great under heavy use
- Detachable cord saves space and makes it convenient for travel
Notes: Adapter can power a 100-watt laptop or a 90-watt laptop and
10-watt mobile device. Guaranteed charging or your money back within 90
days of purchase. Visit warranty.kensington.com for more
details. Includes micro USB to USB adapter
The Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger sells for
$119.99.
The Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger will be
available in October at Amazon.com, Kensington.com, and other
retailers.
Link: Kensington
AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger (order from Amazon.com
for $109.99 shipped)
OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G: First 6 Gb/s SSDs
for 2011 MacBook Air
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) has announced the industry's
first 6G SSD upgrade for the 2011 Apple MacBook Air models.
The new OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSDs combine
award-winning SandForce technologies and Tier 1/Grade A Toggle
Synchronous NAND to deliver data rates that are more than 3x faster and
capacities that are up to 4x greater than factory available SSD
options. Currently available in two sizes - 120 GB and 240 GB - the new
6 Gb/s SATA 3.0 Revision models continue OWC's position as the only
alternative to factory SSD options for the 2010-2011 MacBook Air. 3G
speed models from OWC are also available in capacities of up to 480
GB.
The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G offers 2011 MacBook Air owners a
cost-effective SSD upgrade path that delivers higher performance,
functionality, and reliability over the factory installed SSD. Because
the Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD is SATA Revision 3.0 (6 Gb/s)
compatible, it can take advantage of the 2011 MacBook Air's built-in 6
Gb/s SATA data bus to deliver peak, sustained data rates over 500 MB/s,
versus the factory installed SSDs, which are limited by SATA Revision
2.0 (3 Gb/s) capability.
No Slowdown with Repeated Use
While ordinary SSDs initially offer fast read/write performance;
they experience significant write speed degradation over repeated
usage. Independent simulation tests conducted by leading drive
performance experts like MacPerformanceGuide confirm OWC Mercury SSD's
ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling technologies are
able to eliminate virtually any reduction in data transfer speeds over
heavy, long-term usage without dependency on less-than-effective OS
TRIM management.
Up to 100x Greater Data Protection
Utilizing SandForce DuraClass™ technology, the OWC Mercury
Aura Pro Express 6G provides an increase of up to 100x in data
protection, compared to ordinary SSDs and leading enterprise-class hard
disk drives. By combining the highest level of Error Correction Code
(ECC) and SandForce RAISE™ (Redundant Array of Independent
Silicon Elements) technology, along with 7% over provisioning, the
Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G provides RAID-like data protection and
reliability without loss of transfer speed due to parity.
"As the first and only SSD alternative to factory installed options
in Apple's 2010 and 2011 MacBook Air models, the Mercury Aura Pro
Express 6G sets the bar high. We're extremely excited to offer this
model which completely eclipses any factory installed SSD and gives
MacBook Air users the leading performance our Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G
SSDs have been delivering to MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, and PC
owners," says Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing.
"Our new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G models enable 2011 MacBook Air
owners to unleash substantially higher performance capabilities that
are otherwise unrealized and limited by the factory drive."
OWC's new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G leverages the proven success
of its previously released 3G model. 2010-2011 MacBook Air owners
seeking maximum storage/backup capacity can replace their factory
installed SSD with up to 8x greater capacity offered by the OWC Mercury
Aura Pro Express 3G SSD. Available in capacities up to 480 GB, the 3G
model SSD also delivers up to 68% faster performance in real world
use.
Compatible with 11.6" and 13.3" 2011 MacBook Air models, the OWC
Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G is available now from Other World Computing
as well as through select retailers. Both models include 7% over
provisioning, Toggle Synchronous NAND and a three-year warranty. The
120 GB version has an MSRP of $349.99 and the 240 GB version has an
MSRP of $599.99.
The new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G model joins OWC's existing line
of '3G' (3 Gb/s) and '6G' (6 Gb/s) Mercury SSDs available for
nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade in capacities
from 40 GB to 480 GB starting from $87.99.
Link: OWC Mercury
Aura Pro Express 6G SSD
Bargain 'Books
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
