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Apple

New MacBook Pro in my future

by Philip Sellers October 14, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

Apple has just announced redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros at an event held in Cupertino. This is the first resdesign in almost 5 years for the MacBook Pros. The Pros have kept essentially the same design as its Powerbook predecessor and there have only been incremental improvements (such as adding integrated iSight cameras). The new hardware also uses the same manufacturing process as the MacBook Air. Apple went into great detail showcasing this process during the event. Jonathan Ive was brought to the stage to talk about the new process. Apple also showcased its environmental report card with the new laptops.

So what are we getting in the new hardware? For starts, out with the integrated Intel graphics and in with new NVidia 9400M chipsets. For the Pros, you get two GPU’s to choose from – one for economy (battery life) and one for performance.

I had been waiting patiently for the redesign before buying a new MacBook Pro. I have had the same sad Powerbook for over 4 years now and its about time to get something newer…

Note: I started this draft in October and it never got published… since that time, I have ordered my MacBook Pro and it has arrived… I’m loving that too!

October 14, 2008 0 comments

Apple

Apple notebook event booked for Tuesday

by Philip Sellers October 10, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

Apple has announced an event scheduled for Tuesday aptly titled “The spotlight shifts to notebooks”. I’m very eager to see what they have in store for us. Its about time to retire the ole Powerbook and upgrade to something nicer. I’m hoping a redesign to the MacBook Pros is in the works for us all.

There is a lot of speculation on what will be unveiled – here are some links:

$800 for a new MacBook – TUAW
13″ Aluminum MacBooks Pictured on Invitation – MacRumors
Notes of Interest on Recent MacBook Leaks – AppleInsider
Piper Jaffery says new MacBooks could be priced at $899 – AppleInsider
Apple schedules laptop event for Oct. 14; leaked photos abound – TUAW

October 10, 2008 0 comments

Apple

MacBook redesigns around the corner?

by Philip Sellers September 25, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

File this under “its about time.” AppleInsider is reporting from “reliable” sources that redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros will be surfacing middle of October. I’m ready to upgrade my trusty Powerbook for a nice shiny MacBook Pro. I have been holding out for a redesign. The design has largely stayed the same through the Intel transition and even after the introduction of Leopard. For Pro users, the redesign is way overdue.

Engadget is showcasing a supposed redesign photo of the new hardware, which sports curves like the 3G iPhone, iMac and MacBook Air. It also shows a suspect glass trackpad with the dock integrated. I’m not sure how likely that will happen, but the overall look of this example would be a nice update – with the curved sides and the black glass outline around the LCD.

September 25, 2008 0 comments

Apple

Wired takes Jobs email analysis a little too far

by Philip Sellers September 7, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

In the past couple years, the internet has become ripe with Apple bloggers, watchers and analysis. Everyone hangs on Steve Jobs every word and watches closely for Apple’s next move. Sites like MacRumors and AppleInsider, but firstly Think Secret, have all become immensely popular as the pass-time has grown. But today I came across a piece of “analysis” on Wired that just seemed to push a little farther than the others.

The Wired piece actually employed linguistics experts along with their copy editing staff to analyze emails that purportedly were sent by The Steve Jobs… They compared the emails to those that had been corroborated to be “real” emails and analyzed the grammatical nuances of the emails to determine if they are real. (see for yourself: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/steve-jobs-e-ma.html)

Now, I’ll admit, I read it. I read it top to bottom, every word. But I was left with the strange sense that maybe the fanatical behavior has gone a little too far. I’m just like every other Apple fanboy, waiting for the next hat to drop, but this article just hit me wrong. Who is to say that the Apple PR staff didn’t draft the three corroborated emails and that the emails being analyzed aren’t Steve’s own habitual grammar errors. But more importantly, what does it matter? Ultimately, until a product announcement is made at an Apple event and until a product is launched or software update is issued, its meaningless. We won’t have it to hold and use and love and… you get the drift.

The company is readily able to innovate and create the next IT product and its hugely successful. So, I say let them do that, but quit analyzing Sir Steve’s emails…. please…. Only the writer and receiver will ever know whether they are real – and track record shows, he’s not talking (except maybe through email — sorry, I had to).

September 7, 2008 0 comments

Apple Home Tech

9/9/08 – two very different events, what will we get?

by Philip Sellers September 5, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

Both Microsoft and Apple have press events scheduled for 9/9/08. Apple’s event, titled “Let’s Rock”, should usher in a new refresh of the iPod/iTunes franchise. For a few quarters now, the iPods sales numbers have been down as I think the market has reached maturity for portable music players. Fortunately, Apple released the iPhone at the exact right time to offset the lack of growth. So, what can we expect to see from Apple?

iPod Nano – Leaks seem to point to a new size for the Nano – back towards the original candy-bar style and away from the short, squatty version we know today. Of course, that is based on accessory vendor leaks which show the dimensions of the 4th-generation accessories.
iPod Touch – While the iPhone has gotten a nice 3G refresh, the iPod Touches have sat largely the same as when first introduced. I think we’ll see a slightly more beveled, maybe slimmer Touch with this next refresh. I think it’d be surprising to find any new hardware inside, though I think adding the GPS would be a great idea. Unfortunately, the GPS in the iPhone is only an assisted GPS, which I believe requires an internet connection, so, probably won’t happen.
iTunes 8 – Everyone is suggesting a new version of iTunes. Kevin Rose is reporting a grouping technology which will build playlists automatically by matching songs that go together. It be surprising if HD video didn’t make it into iTunes also, since its currently restricted only to the Apple TV
Apple TV – And speaking of Apple TV, let me go out on a limb and say that the lovely little TV box will see some sort of refresh too. I, personally, love the Apple TV. I really think its the litchpin to Apple’s video market from iTunes. No one else in the market seems to be focusing much energy or garnering much success from it, but Apple’s ecosystem works well for me. Still, a better compression algorithm could go big lengths to improving download times for TV shows and especially movies. Maybe we’ll even see a true Apple “TV” – with the technology integrated into a widescreen television. I think it would be a mis-step for Apple to enter the crowded TV set market, so lets hope they don’t go the way of Gateway, HP and Dell’s failed TV’s.
New MacBooks? – With an event called “Let’s Rock”, I think its unlikely we’ll see new Mac hardware from this event. I think we’ll be waiting to January’s MacWorld to see new hardware, but the last few year’s MacWorld hasn’t ushered in much new hardware either… so we’ll see….

Microsoft’s event is a bigger unknown. Some are saying new Zunes (whoopidy dooo). So we’ll just wait. Gates and company will need to dig deep (much deeper than the new ads) to really get a buzz going. So, we wait for 9/9/08.

September 5, 2008 1 comment

Apple

MobileMe followup

by Philip Sellers August 20, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

In my original post, I completely neglected the Back To My Mac feature introduced with OS X Leopard’s release. It was another big feature of .Mac and now MobileMe that I really like to make use of. BTTM worked as somewhat of a mystery to me, until yesterday. AppleInsider has a great post about how this service works.

August 20, 2008 0 comments

Apple

I can now buy a Mac in Myrtle!

by Philip Sellers August 20, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

Well, its taken years, but it’s finally happened. I can actually walk into a store and buy a Mac in MYRTLE BEACH! I knew Best Buy was expanding their Apple mini-store program… It took me by surprise because I had no idea that a lower level market like Myrtle would be getting this so soon…

So, the story… Yesterday, I took the afternoon off. I ran down to the beach for a few errands and swung by Best Buy. Just inside the door, I was greeted by the most wonderful of signs. “Now Open” and the beautiful Apple logo!

I made a v-line for the back of the store and there it was – mecca – a mini-Apple Store in the Myrtle Beach Best Buy. Ok, so yeah, I’m a little carried away, but you have to realize that for years on years, the only way to get a Mac in Myrtle Beach was to order it online. Yes, there was THAT one Apple shop, but the word Shady doesn’t even begin to describe them. Last year, I stumbled upon a store in Garden City – “The Mac Guy”. He’s more of a business consultant Apple partner and specializes in music – Logic Pro and the like.

I’m thinking that I just might have to go and buy a shiny new one soon. I’m holding out for the inevitable refresh to come later this year. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for a redesign of the MacBook Pro line, but how can you improve perfection?

August 20, 2008 2 comments

Apple Datacenter Storage

My impressions of MobileMe

by Philip Sellers August 17, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

Its been a little while since MobileMe has been released and the dust has started the settle. There was a lot of attention to the botched launch and even the Steve has weighed in on it with an internal email circulated through Apple. And while the launch had major issues, the service is really impressive.

I should start with a disclaimer – I’m a rather light user at this point. However, that said, the service is working fantastic for me. The web applications rival that of Google, in my opinion. The calendaring application is particularly slick. It mimics the workings of iCal very well within a web browser.

August 17, 2008 0 comments

Apple

What I’m passionate about: Apple’s products

by Philip Sellers August 7, 2008

written by Philip Sellers

There is just something about this little company in Cupertino that gets everyone going, myself included. Their products are unlike anything else in the market and it is a company that really “gets” user experience.

Our first meeting
My first experience with an Apple was back in elementary school and it was an Apple ][. I can’t say then that I knew or was as nearly impressed with the company or their products. Fast-forward to high school journalism class. A row of baby-Mac’s and a couple Performa’s and I have to say, I was hooked. Even during my high-school years, Windows 3.11 was the cutting edge thing. But these Mac’s were very different.

A year later, I headed to college and ended up in the newspaper office. I ended up spending a good bit of time there, and it ultimately changed my life’s path, but it also let me spend a lot of time getting to know the good and bad of a Mac. And there was bad. Mac OS 8 and 9 were ok, but prone to crashes and data corruption. But, this was around the time Steve Jobs was returning and settling into iCEO position. And Apple was churning out some very interesting hardware at this time. We upgraded from the beige boxes to candy colored iMacs and translucent G4’s.

August 7, 2008 1 comment