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- New Mac mini Runs OS X Server for $999
Calling it a “new, mightier mini,” Apple (s aapl0 updated its smallest desktop with special attention to the optical drive. No, Blu-ray wasn’t added, rather Apple now offers a model with no optical drive at all.
However, contrary to rumors and wish-fulfillment on my part, Apple did not lower the price of the entry-level mini to $499.
On the low end, the $599 Mac mini has a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, up from 2.0GHz, and 2GB of RAM, up from a measly 1GB, and a 160GB hard drive, up from 120GB. You still get five USB ports and one FireWire, as well as NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a SuperDrive. The $799 model now has a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. So, same price, a little faster, more memory, a bit more storage on the low-end. It’s not much of an update to talk about, if not for the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server.
For $999, you lose the optical drive, but do get two 500GB hard drives (5400 RPM) on a Mac mini running OS X Server. The other specs match the $799 model. Essentially, for another $200 you are getting an additional 500GB of storage and OS X Server (upgrading the $799 model to one 500GB drive balances out against buying an external SuperDrive for the $999 model). But why?
Apple advertises this curious machine as a “simple” server “perfect for any small business or group,” but how many of those types of customers are going to drop a thousand dollars on a server? It seems like Apple missed an opportunity here, no doubt on purpose, to offer a media and backup server, an iServer for the rest of us. Of course, that would have been competing with the beleaguered “hobby” that is the Apple TV, so instead Apple has extended its overpricing of the Mac mini into the sever market.
In Q3, NewNet focus turns to business models and search. Read the, "NewNet Q3 Wrap-up."
Переслать - Apple Unveils the Magic Mouse
Today Apple revealed the Magic Mouse — the world's first multi-touch mouse. Inspired by the multi touch technology in the iPhone and trackpad on modern MacBooks, Magic Mouse is the zero-button, gesture-sensing, wireless pointing-device of your dreams.
Its design is quintessentially Apple. The sleek, minimal lines of Magic Mouse definitely look like something straight out of Jonathan Ive's workshop. Apple describe it as an "entirely new kind of mouse" that's "Intuitive, smart [and] dynamic."
But unlike its distant (and ill-received) ancestor the Mighty Mouse, this new pointing device really does do things no other mouse has ever done before. Apple says "We've built a better mouse" and, if you hated the Mighty Mouse, you'll be hoping Apple isn’t exaggerating, but have got things right this time!
The top shell of Magic Mouse is one huge seamless multi-touch sensor that does away entirely with buttons and scroll-nubs. (Great news for those frustrated Mighty Mouse users with gunky nubs. You know what I mean.)
Magic Mouse tracks and clicks like a regular mouse, but since the entire shell is touch-sensitive, it's possible to click practically anywhere along its upper surface. That said, Secondary-click (right click) functionality is achieved, as you'd expect, by clicking in the top-right area of the device.
Click Anywhere
Scrolling is achieved by sliding, or swiping, a finger along the surface, rather like you would on an iPhone or iPod touch. Magic Mouse even senses the speed at which you 'scroll' — Apple calls this "momentum scrolling." Scrolling is also supported horizontally and also through 360 degrees.
360° scrolling
Just like an iPhone or a MacBook's trackpad, Magic Mouse detects and tracks the number of fingers you are using at any given time. So, two finger swipes allows a user to move between albums in iTunes, web pages in Safari, pictures in iPhoto…you get the idea.
Two finger gestures
My immediate concern was room for misinterpretation; a dumb, regular two-button mouse can't get all clever and start deciding it knows what I want to do. Those clunky buttons have to be pressed. That's the only option. It might be dumb, but it's predictable. However, Apple assures us Magic Mouse is smart enough not to be too clever.
Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won't confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you're just resting your hand on it.
If, for some unfathomable reason, you don't like your fancy new multi-touch mouse offering multi-touch functionality, you can choose to disable some, or all, of those features.
Magic Mouse supports all the old mousey tricks you've come to expect on the Mac; for example, holding Control and "scrolling" vertically will zoom in and out just as it always has with a wheel or nub-wielding mouse. Like the wireless Mighty Mouse before it, this one connects to your Mac via Bluetooth, enjoying a 33 foot radius. Unlike the Mighty Mouse, this one uses laser tracking technology which is far superior to the old optical tracking method. This provides far higher tracking resolution, which means far higher tracking accuracy across almost any surface.
Bluetooth wireless, laser tracking, and multi-touch goodness sucks down a lot of juice. Apple says Magic Mouse makes the most of its two standard AA batteries by employing power management features, making it more energy efficient. But Apple also doesn’t say how much life you can expect from your batteries. I’m not sure yet whether that ought to be cause for concern, but in any case, no one really takes Apple’s battery-life claims seriously, particularly on a first-generation device.
Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. Starting today it comes as standard with the new iMac, or for $69 is now available to order on its own via Apple's online Store. Get all the juicy details, and watch a video demonstration here on Apple’s Mighty Mouse website.
In Q3, Uncle Sam was the green IT king maker. Read the, "Green IT Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать - New Apple Remote Sports More Current Look, Better Usability
If you’re like me, you have so many white plastic Apple Remotes scattered around your living space that visitors ask if they’re part of the decor. And they were quite stylish, once upon a time. But Macs started being less about plastic and more about aluminum long ago, and the Remote has languished at the back of Jonny Ive’s design studio, disregarded. Until today, that is.Along with new iMacs, Mac minis, mice and MacBooks, Apple also quietly unveiled a made-over Remote. It still does the same thing it always has, which is control you Mac or dock-connected iPod remotely, but now it does it with a different aesthetic and improved usability.
The new remote, as you can see from the picture accompanying this post, has an aluminum enclosure and black plastic buttons, borrowing a cue from the design of recent iMacs and MacBook Pros. Note also the button layout change. The Play/Pause button now resides beneath the directional/volume/skip radial button, a new neighbor for the Menu button. The positioning should be better for folks who use Front Row, in which they activate back/forward functions, but I think I prefer the old layout myself, being strictly a VLC guy.
I am happy about the change in the battery door location. You can now use a coin to swivel out the battery cover, sort of like you do on an Apple wireless keyboard. Much better than old bottom-loading batter drawer on the plastic model, which was prone to popping open and just felt generally unstable.
I’m surprised by Apple, which has demonstrated a clear distaste for buttons recently with the iPod shuffle and the new Magic Mouse. It’s only be a matter of time before the Remote gets redesigned as a touch-sensitive slap of nondescript solid aluminum, mark my words.
What was the big news that happened in your sector in Q3? Catch up with GigaOM Pro's, "Quarterly Wrap-ups."Переслать - New iMacs Feature 21.5 and 27-inch Displays and Available Quad-Core Processors
Well, the Apple Store went down, and we waited with bated breath. And most of what people expected to see came true. One of those expectations was new iMacs, and Apple’s all-in-one desktops did indeed get a nice upgrade and redesign. That means you’re old hat, iMac which I’m typing this up on right now.
The new iMacs feature LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays, with a new edge-to-edge glass and seamless aluminum case design. It’s quite the sexy little get up, and it’s sure to turn a few heads. Also sure to turn heads is the introduction of quad-core processors to the iMac line, though the entry level model still sports an Intel Core 2 Duo processor by default.
In the official Apple press release detailing the new hardware, Phil Schiller focused on the LED-backlighting and the inclusion of the new Magic Mouse when talking up the new all-in-ones:
The iMac is widely praised as the best desktop computer in the world and today we are making it even better. With brilliant LED displays and the revolutionary Magic Mouse, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience that we think customers will love.
The new displays feature 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution for the 21.5-inch, and 2560 x 1440 for the 27-inch, which mathematically inclined readers will note makes the aspect ratio for the screens 16:9. That’s good news for HD movie and TV show watchers, but the changed ratio might not excite web and print professionals quite as much. Still, as Apple points out, the display on the new 27-inch screen does provide 60 percent more working area, which is never a bad thing.
Graphics computing power also gets a boost in the new line. The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated card is still around, but the ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete card is an option on the 21.5- and 27-inch model, while the ATI Radeon HD 4850 is reserved as an option exclusively available for the bigger computer. The new iMacs now have 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM standard, and the potential to increase that to up to 16GB.
As for storage space, you’ll get 500GB in the base 21.5-inch model, or 1TB in the mid-range 21.5-inch or top-of-the-line 27-inch versions. All drives operate at 7200 rpm. Of the four available models, only the most expensive 27-inch 2.66 GHz version offers a Core i5 chip, with an option to upgrade to the Core i7. All three of the other models offer the Intel Core 2 Duo processor operating at 3.06GHz. Four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800, and a brand new SD card slot are also standard on all models.
New iMac owners get a nice bonus when it comes to input devices, as wireless keyboards and the new Magic Mouse, which only comes in a wireless (Bluetooth) variety, are now standard with every machine. Apple is clearly doing its best to de-clutter your workspace, or at least to add to the perceived value of its machines, since the price points of the new models have not changed as some had suspected. The base models are priced at $1,199, $1,499, $1,699 and $1,999 respectively.
So long as you aren’t in the market for the $2,000 quad-core beast, you can order now from the Apple Store and your computer should ship in 1-3 business days. The Core i5 model isn’t shipping until “November,” according to Apple’s website, which is maddeningly vague. Attempting to upgrade to the Core i7 does nothing to remedy the situation, which doesn’t come as a surprise.
Finally, I spotted a new Apple Remote as an add-on option on the ordering screen. Not an iMac exclusive, but the little guy does get an aluminum makeover, with black buttons, and looks much fancier. Is it worth an additional $19 now? Not sure, but at least it matches the machine it works with.
Growing mobile data use turned up heat on carriers in Q3. Read the, "Mobile Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать - MacBook Gets New Display, Trackpad, and Built-in Battery for Old Price
Today Apple announced the release of an updated MacBook, and Senior VP Phil Schiller says it best in a press release for the new Macbook:
"The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery.”
The new MacBook remains priced at $999, which will disappoint some hoping Apple would compete more aggressively with netbooks. However, the new MacBook does not disappoint on specifications or build quality. Featuring a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure with magnetic latch, the new MacBook weighs in at 4.7 pounds, down from 5 pounds, and is 1.08-inches thick. The LED-backlit display is the same as used on the MacBook Pros. Apple is claiming the built-in battery will last up to seven hours.
As for specifications, the new MacBook has a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and integrated graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M. The two DIMM slots support up to 4GB RAM, available for another $100 from Apple. A 320GB or 500GB hard drive is optional, $50 and $150 extra, respectively.
About the only thing missing, besides a price drop, would be the SD card slot and FireWire port included across the MacBook Pro lineup. Nonetheless, even at twice the price of the best netbook, the new MacBook is easily more than twice as fast with double the battery life, and is many times more aesthetically pleasing.
In Q3, NewNet focus turns to business models and search. Read the, "NewNet Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать - EyeTV Returns to the App Store, Minus 3G Streaming
As we reported just yesterday, Apple didn’t take too kindly to El Gato’s “accidental” inclusion of a workaround to enable 3G streaming of live TV on the iPhone using its EyeTV app. The app, combined with an EyeTV USB Mac TV tuner, allows users to stream that content from their computer. I say allows, not allowed, because it’s now back in the App Store for $4.99.For those who missed the reason why the app was pulled in the first place, El Gato had “accidentally left in” a feature whereby if you click the warning window that tells you Wi-Fi is required for live TV playback, instead of the “OK” button in the window, the dialog would close and streaming would occur over 3G anyway.
El Gato revealed that it had already resubmitted a fixed version when the problem was discovered, and that version has today been approved by Apple and is available for download. This time around, clicking the dialog box has no effect.
Whether it was an Easter egg, meant to pass undetected through Apple’s censors (which seems unlikely, given how easy it was to activate), or whether it was just an accident, the incident reveals that despite AT&T’s recent announcement that voice calls would now be allowed over 3G, that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all with all types of content.
I still think this needs looking into by a regulatory body. Data is data, and if wireless customers are paying not-insignificant fees in order to be able to use data on their cell phones, they should have the right to choose the nature of that traffic. My plan covers 6GB per month. Who’s to say I don’t want to use five of that on streaming video? I can see cutting me off once I exceed my limit, since I might then be causing undue strain on your network, but if you’ve assigned me 6GB, let me use that however I see fit.
At least Apple is being relatively understanding about the whole thing. It could easily have barred EyeTV from the app store for an extended period, or altogether, in order to punish what could easily be seen an a purposeful attempt to side-step App Store requirements. Instead, it acted quickly when a fix was issued and reintroduced in the app with very little delay following its removal. I think this especially points to the fact that AT&T is really still the one to blame in cases like this.
As Q4 begins, online video is now mainstream. Read the, "Connected Consumer Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать - Rumor Has It: Verizon and Apple Testing iPhone LTE
3G may be the current standard in network data communication, but 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks are just around the corner. Verizon is working on building its own LTE network as we speak, and the latest rumors suggest that Apple is working together with Big Red to develop the next generation of iPhone.LTE means more data carried at higher speeds, which could theoretically work out a lot of the problems AT&T has been having with running the data-hungry iPhone on its 3G network. Video streaming, tethering, etc. should all be tiny drops in the bucket on a properly functioning 4G network.
The sources of the rumor, who aren’t revealed by the Mashable article that started the whisperings, cite bi-monthly trips to Google’s headquarters, which resulted in an announcement of Verizon getting Android devices. They suggest the proximity to the Apple campus (8.5 miles) lends some anecdotal evidence to the possibility that Verizon could be in talks with Apple, too.
While that may not sound like very solid ground for a rumor of this magnitude, the possibility of an iPhone going to Verizon is not at all far-fetched. Big Red does look like it will be the first out the door with a fully functioning 4G LTE network, and it is the biggest wireless company in the U.S. Both of those must appeal to Apple’s sense of business and showmanship, since what could help its market share more than a showy launch of a cutting-edge device to an all-new subscriber base?
Exclusivity deals are falling in Apple’s major markets like leaves in the fall. First, the UK opened things up with Orange and Vodafone announcing their iPhone deals; then Bell and Telus in Canada spoiled the Rogers private party. AT&T is still hanging in there, but everyone besides it, including the Department of Justice, wants to see that relationship come to an end, too. It doesn’t bode well for AT&T’s primary revenue stream.
Here’s what we won’t see: A 4G iPhone in time for the June/July refresh that’s become standard practice for Apple’s mobile hardware release schedule. The tech is too new, and at this stage of testing, there’s little to no chance of seeing it mature enough in eight months’ time to allow a full-fledged launch of one or more devices for the consumer market. We’ll see a new iPhone, but it won’t be a 4G device, and it remains to be seen whether or not Verizon will somehow be involved.
Growing mobile data use turned up heat on carriers in Q3. Read the, "Mobile Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать - Apple Stores Go Down; Rumors of New Hardware Abound
As I write, online Apple Stores around the world are going down. That yellow post-it is popping up, assuring eager shoppers, "We'll be back soon."
Why so eager? For weeks, rumors have leaked through the intertubes like lemonade spilled on a MacBook keyboard — in short, they got everywhere. There isn't a tech news site that failed to report the imminent arrival of refreshed (and entirely new) product lines. With so much noisy consensus, could they all be wrong?
John Gruber sums up what he believes we'll be getting;
Redesigned Plastic MacBooks, Redesigned ('Impressive') iMacs, Updated Minis (Including One That Ships With Mac OS X Server), the Multi-Touch Magic Mouse, and, as the Wildcard I'm-Not-Sure-I-Really-Believe-It-Myself Out-There Rumor, Maybe Even Some Sort of Mentioned-Nowhere-Else-But-in-This-Very-Headline Multi-Touch Trackpad Gadget for Desktop Macs That Apple Is Set to Release Tomorrow Morning.
Fake Steve Jobs, on the other hand, insists Gruber hasn't a clue.
The Apple Store sometimes goes down for nothing more than simple maintenance. In fact, it was down for precisely that reason only four days ago. Only time will tell. Watch this space — we'll keep you posted.
As Q4 begins, online video is now mainstream. Read the, "Connected Consumer Q3 Wrap-up."Переслать
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