Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2007.08.24
This Week's Apple and Desktop Mac News
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is
covered in The 'Book Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Products
iPod News
News & Opinion
Macs Roar to #3 in US Computer Market
FORTUNE Magazine's Brent Schlender reports:
"Last January, when Steve Jobs rechristened his company by
ostentatiously excising the word 'Computer' and leaving it as
simply 'Apple Inc.,' he did so during the very same public event
when he first showed off the iPhone.
"It also came right about the time that combined sales of iPod
music players and iTunes music downloads eclipsed revenues from
Apple's mainstay Macintosh personal computers.
"The new name seemed to concede the obvious: The company's PC
business, which for well over a decade couldn't garner even 5
percent of the U.S. market (nor more than 3 percent worldwide),
would no longer be front and center. After all, the stripling iPod
and iTunes Music Store were holding almost Microsoftian sway in
their realms, and the iPhone already was the most ballyhooed new
gadget since the transistor radio.
...its Macintosh business is the hottest line
of all.
"But a funny thing has happened over the past couple of
quarters. While Apple has been firing on all cylinders, and the
iPhone is selling hundreds of thousands of units a month, its
Macintosh business is the hottest line of all. It roared back in
the quarter that ended in June to reclaim its status as the
company's largest revenue source and, at long last, break that 5
percent share barrier, according to IDC.
"Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of
the rest of the PC industry since last fall, propelling it into
third place in the U.S., behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard."
Link:
Apple's Surprise Weapon: Computers
Apple No Longer Forbidden Fruit for PC
Users
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'Overall This Is One Amazing iMac'
MacFormat 's Graham Barlow reports:
"Apple's new iMac (the 20-inch version) arrived in the office
today, and as soon as we'd unpacked it and set it up our MacFormat
reviews desk was immediately swamped by a gaggle of excited art
editors, technology journalists and pretty much anybody else who
happened to be passing through the office. It's a testament to the
look of the new iMac that pretty much everybody was desperate to
have a play with it.
"Here are the initial impressions of the MacFormat editors, and
benchmark scores are mentioned in James' comments. Look out for the
full review in the issue 187 of MacFormat magazine, on sale
19/09/07.
"'It's a much more serious looking Mac than its predecessor.
It's darker, slimmer, sexier and has a more professional feel. The
display looks fantastic when playing video (who needs a TV in the
house when you've got the new iMac?) The glossy screen however does
present some problems and makes the iMac appear like a black mirror
when not in use. If you're using it with a window behind you then
you can really see the blue sky reflecting in darker areas of the
screen - this is especially prevalent in apps like Front Row, where
large sections of the screen are black.'"
Link:
New iMac: First UK Review
Gumdrop iMac Morphs into Jet
The Seattle Times' Jeff Carlson says:
"I have an iMac sitting at
home, a wonderful little blue gumdrop that needs a new hard drive.
It has newfangled USB ports, no FireWire ports, some puny amount of
memory and, yes, a matching round 'hockey puck' mouse.
"There's a new iMac at my office, too, and if they didn't share
the same name you probably wouldn't believe they're related.
"After nearly a year, Apple updated its flagship consumer Mac
last week, making it the very model of a modern Macintosh. The iMac
also comes with the new iLife '08 suite of applications and a
tryout version of the new iWork '08 bundle (which gains a new
spreadsheet application, Numbers, and officially replaces the
venerable AppleWorks, which was retired last week).
"With the original Bondi Blue
iMac, Apple hit on the revolutionary idea that computers didn't
need to be beige boxes. The iMac was curved, colored, and
translucent (sparking a design fad that continues to linger).
Recent Macs - as well as the visual appearance of Mac OS X -
have capitalized on the simple premise that people are drawn to
shiny, glossy things."
Link:
Gumdrop Morphs into iMac Jet
2007 iMac: 'Details Make All the
Difference'
biosmagazine.co.uk reports:
"Apple's latest all-in-one desktop computer is gorgeous.
Seriously, you don't even need to turn the machine on to appreciate
the engineering genius that has gone into producing a widescreen
display (either 20- or 24-inch) encased in an elegant aluminium (or
glass) enclosure. And the anodised aluminium keyboard. Yikes!
Perhaps not the most ergonomic for long periods of typing, but its
slim design (just 0.33 inches thin at its front edge) and
low-profile keys are an absolute pleasure to behold. As you can
see, we were pretty impressed even before we turned it on....
With the iMac, details make all the
difference.
"Redefining Apple's signature all-in-one design, the new iMac
integrates the entire computer system into a sleek enclosure for a
striking, clutter-free desktop. An elegant glass cover joins
precisely to the aluminium enclosure creating a virtually seamless
front surface. With the iMac, details make all the difference. For
example, because it's made from a single sheet of anodised
aluminium, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single
compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory
slots. The built-in iSight camera, microphone and stereo speakers
are even integrated so neatly you'll barely notice they're there -
until you need them for a video chat."
Link: Apple iMac (4th Gen)
Review
New Apple Keyboard 'Packed with
Improvements'
CrunchGear's Vince Veneziani reports:
"When Apple revealed the new
iMac at its Town Hall meeting, I was less than impressed. Sure,
the design was cooler and the speeds were increased, but it still
looks an awful lot like my iMac G5 with iSight. However, with the
new iMacs came new Apple keyboards. Slim as hell and packed with
improvements, it takes on the style of keys that the MacBook uses.
Of course you don't need to buy a new iMac to have the new
keyboard, so let's look over this baby with a magnifying glass.
"The first thing you'll notice is that compared to the old Apple
keyboard, there's no place for crumbs to go. The keyboard is
flatter than Michelle Tanner and any mess you might make can easily
be remedied by turning the keyboard upside-down. Problem
solved.
"Next thing you'll notice is the new style of keys. As I
mentioned earlier, Apple decided to stick with the MacBook-style of
keys and typing on them is fantastic. You can type quickly and
precisely due to the fact that there's not a big chunk of plastic
to press on. ::Tap tap tap:: you'll hear for hours on end. It's a
pleasant break from keyboards of the past."
Link:
The New Apple Keyboard Review
Aluminum Keyboard Media Keys Serve Many
Roles
MacOSXHints' contributor Superboy says:
"I bought a new aluminum Apple Keyboard a few days ago, and
found the media keys (F7, F8 and F9) very useful for controlling
iTunes. Then I discovered after putting a DVD into my Mac Pro that
the media keys stop controlling iTunes and control DVD Player
instead...."
Link: Apple
Aluminum Keyboard Media Keys Serve Many Roles
Products
OWC First to Offer 3 GB of Memory for Mac
mini
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) has announced that it is
the first major supplier to offer up to 3 GB of expansion
memory for Apple's latest Mac mini Core 2 Duo models - 50% more
memory than the 2 GB maximum factory-installed option. Mac
mini users will appreciate the real performance gains possible when
taking their memory to this new max.
OWC Premium Memory Solutions Cost Less than Factory
Installed
In addition to being the first to offer this memory, OWC memory
also costs less compared to the factory 2 GB memory option and
is easily user-installable with a free online video
installation guide and a Lifetime Advance Replacement
Warranty (vs. competitor's limited 1 year warranty). Consumers can
also get Trade-in Rebates of $20 ($10 per module) for the standard
1 GB (512 MB x 2) base factory memory.
Pricing for OWC Memory for the Latest Apple Mac mini Models with
Core 2 Duo Intel Processors:
- $134.99 for 2 GB Module
- $179.99 for 3 GB Kit (1 GB+2 GB Set)
Pricing for OWC Memory for Apple Mac mini (including all Core
Solo, Core Duo, & Core 2 Duo models):
- $24.99 for 512 MB module
- $49.00 for 1 GB module
- $97.99 for 2 GB KIT (1 GB+1 GB Set)
OWC Memory, with over half a million modules sold since 1988 and
thousands of new Macs upgraded each month, is built to the highest
standards and is fully backed by a Lifetime Advance Replacement
Warranty and 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. OWC Memory options are a
significant value compared to factory-installed, providing
customers with an up to 67% savings and a lifetime warranty vs.
competitor's limited 1 year warranty.
Link: Mac mini
Memory Upgrades
AirPort Extreme Base Station Upgraded with
QuickerTek Antenna Array
PR: QuickerTek has already developed an upgrade for
the Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11n Base Station. The new N Base
Station is already fast and has huge range, but the new QuickerTek
N Antenna Upgrade offers even better wireless performance. The new
Antenna Array Upgrade can be purchased three different ways: a
customer-installed upgrade is available for $129.95; QuickerTek can
install it on the customer's Base Station for $179.95 and finally
an already-upgraded Base Station is available for $349.95 for plug-
and-play use.
The QuickerTek N Antenna Array brings the antenna outside the
Base Station case, which enables better signal gathering
capabilities. The "array" is a set of matched antennas to extend
the 802.11n specification requiring multi-input, multi-output
(MIMO) to deliver the high speed "n" wireless networking
experience.
Using the included 4' coax cable, customers can position the
AirPort Extreme N Base Station for best wireless performance in
their own office or home. Often placing the Base Station up and out
of the way of common office clutter at desktop level, provides the
highest possible performance.
Once an AirPort Extreme Base Station is upgraded, it retains
backward compatibility with previous wireless standards. It works
with all IEEE 802.11 b/g/n networks and performs to it's full speed
(near 300 Mbps) potential with 802.11n rated hardware.
To have QuickerTek upgrade a customer's Base Station, the
customer simply ships it to QuickerTek, we perform the upgrade and
then return ship it back to the customer using the customer's
shipping preference the same day it was received.
The Upgrade kit includes the antenna array, 4 foot coax cable
and detailed instruction manual. The upgrade is rather detailed and
it should not be attempted by someone without any prior upgrade
experience.
Like most QuickerTek products, the Antenna Array is backed with
a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
Link: Extreme
Base Station Plus
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