Apple today announced a brand new 24″ LED Cinema Display to be used specifically with the latest Apple notebooks with Mini DisplayPorts.

Apple says the new display will be available in November for $899.

The new cinema display adds a built-in iSight video camera, Mic and Speakers.  The display also includes:

• One cable with three connectors: Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe, USB 2.0
• Three self-powered USB 2.0 ports
• Native resolution of 1920×1200
• LED backlighting

The new screen requires a new MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with the Mini DisplayPort connector.

You can see all the new features and specs at:
http://www.apple.com/displays/

Apple slightly updated the MacBook Air today, adding the new Mini Display Port and the new Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics while increasing the hard drive sizes.

You can see all the new features and specs at:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

$1799 Model

• 13.3″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 6 MB L2
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• 120GB SATA HD

$2499 Model

• 13.3″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 6 MB L2
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• 128GB solid state drive

Today Apple announced a refresh to their MacBook Pro notebook lineup.  Similar to the MacBook announcement, Apple is choosing to keep one of the models essentially the same.

The 17″ inch MacBook Pro model will not get the new design, however it will get a larger hard drive and come standard with the high resolution display.

The new models get a new unibody aluminum design, as well as the new glass multi-touch trackpad with no physical button.

You can see all the new features and specs at:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

New MacBook Pro Models

$1999 Model

• 15.4″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 3 MB L2
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT / 256 MB
• 250GB HD
• Slot loading SuperDrive

$2499 Model

• 15.4″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 6 MB L2
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT / 512 MB
• 320GB HD
• Slot loading SuperDrive

Today Apple announced a refresh to their MacBook notebook lineup.  They are keeping the low end model the same, white plastic and specs while introducing two new aluminum models.

The original white model drops from $1099 to $999, overall no changes to this model.

The MacBook now gets the same unibody Aluminum shell as the MacBook Pros have as well as the new glass multi-touch trackpad with no physical button.

One port that was removed from the MacBooks was the Firewire 400 port.

You can see all the new features and specs at:
http://www.apple.com/macbook/

New MacBook Models

$1299 Model

• 13.3″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 3 MB L2
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• 160GB HD
• Slot loading SuperDrive

$1599 Model

• 13.3″ LED-backlit glossy display
• 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 3 MB L2
• 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M
• 250GB HD
• Slot loading SuperDrive
• Backlit Keyboard

Well looks like the rumors of an Apple event on October 14th are true.  Engadget and Gizmodo have both posted that they have been notified of an invitation only event in Cupertino at Apple’s headquarters on October 14th.

If you are planning on buying a new Apple notebook, you should hold off until next week.

The Apple notebook line is long overdue for an update, not just internal updates, but also design changes.  It will be interesting to see what new designs and models will be released and at what price points.

• Will everything go aluminum?
• Will Apple have a sub $1,000 model?
• Will there be a new model in addition to the MacBook, MacBook Pros and MacBook Air?

We’ll have to wait and see.

A quick look at any piece of Apple hardware, whether it be a computer such as the iMac or MacBook, the iPhone, the iPod, or even the Apple TV, and you’ll realize that Apple and it’s designers take the look and feel of their products seriously.  Dedicated Apple users take this look and feel seriously too.

Apple from the beginning has designed and manufactured it’s own hardware, and continues to design and build computer hardware today, even though in 2007 it dropped “Computer” from it’s corporate name (it is now known as Apple, Inc). The driving force behind the beauty of Apple Hardware is Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Jonathan Ive, who is widely accepted as the main designer behind such products as the iMac, iPods and iPhone.

Typically desktop PC hardware has been designed in the style of the black or grey corporate boxy cases, meant to be shoved under a desk to collect dust until it decides it no longer wants to work, or the over-the-top PC gaming machine decked out in neon glowing fans and brightly colored water cooling.  A quick look at the major PC manufacturers such as Dell or HP and you’ll be hard pressed to find a computer that “looks” like a piece of art, a computer that you would be proud to display on your desk, a computer that draws attention to design and style and leads people to ooh and awe…this is the Apple Computer.

Apple currently makes six styles of consumer based computers, three desktop computers, and three portable computers:

• Mac Mini
  The Mac Mini is the least expensive Apple computer to purchase, however, due to it’s limitations in hardware specifications, many believe that the “value” of the mini compared to it’s price is rather low.  The Mini is also getting a bit dated, as Apple hasn’t updated the Mini since August 2007.
• iMac
  The iMac is the mainstream desktop from Apple.  It is an thin all-in-one system that incorporates a built in display to the computer itself.  Currently it comes in 20″ inch and 24″ inch models.  This system is an excellent option for anyone getting into Macs as it comes as an all-in-one package.
• MacBook
  The MacBook is Apple’s mainstream laptop.  It’s has the power of the MacBook Pro, minus the screen size and dedicated video card.
• MacBook Pro
  The MacBook Pro has larger screen sizes of 15″ and 17″ inches.  The MacBook Pro also includes a dedicated video graphics card to increase video performance for those using applications such as Final Cut or Motion.
• MacBook Air
  The MacBook Air is Apple’s ultra-thin ultra-portable laptop.  Great for the road warrior or a second machine.
• Mac Pro
  The Mac Pro is Apple’s only tower machine and the workhorse of many high end video production and editing shops.  The Mac Pro is more of a workstation than a desktop computer, having up to 8 cores on 4 CPUs and supporting up to 32GB of RAM.

For most users that don’t require any portability, the iMac remains the best choice of all the Apple computers.  It’s small footprint and high end performance make it a great choice as an everyday computer.  The real value of the iMac is that you get either a 20″ or 24″ inch screen built right into the computer.  You can literally take the machine home, unbox it, plug it in and be up and running in no time.

Below is a great picture that Apple would use to compare it’s iMac system to a typical PC such as the Dell XPS 410.  While it is a bit over the top (when is Marketing not over the top?), it does show just how sleek and beautiful the Apple iMac is.

Personally I’ve been reluctant to consider a system with a built in display, however with support options such as AppleCare and the ability to take the machine into a local Apple Store, I’m starting to change my mind.

I think Apple makes great hardware.  To me Apple hardware is not only beautiful, by functional as well.  If you get a chance, visit a local Apple Store to take a look for yourself and see, I think you’ll agree with me.

If you missed it, be sure to read My switch from Windows to the Mac, and stay tuned for the next in the series: Apple Hardware… meet Apple Software – OS X, iLife, Pro Apps.

Gartner reports on Worldwide and U.S. PC sales markets and the reports show that Apple continues to increase it’s market share in the U.S.  For the second quarter of 2008, Apple has moved into 3rd place for U.S. shipments ahead of the Taiwanese Acer with an 8.5% Market Share.

Table 2
Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 2Q08 (Thousands of Units)

Note: Data includes desk-based PCs, mobile PCs and X86 servers. Acer data includes Gateway’s consumer shipments and Packard Bell shipments.
Source: Gartner (July 2008)

IDC reports similar numbers placing Apple in 4th place just behind Acer in a virtual tie with a market share of 7.8%.

Top 5 Vendors, United States PC Shipments*, Second Quarter 2008 (Preliminary) (Units Shipments are in thousands)

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, July 16, 2008

Apple continues to lag behind in the Worldwide markets, not breaking into the top 5 from either reporting agency.  U.S. growth for Apple continues to surge with growth rates  of 38% and 31% for the second quarter of 2008.

This continues to be good news for Apple in the U.S. market and with new models expected for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines in the 3rd quarter, I expect this number to continue increase.

I purchased my first Mac, the Mac Pro in March 2007, however this was not the first time I had given serious thought to switching to Macs. I first became serious about switching back in 2005 when Apple released the Mac Mini.  It is the most affordable computer to get into the Mac OS X experience, however I decided at the time to pass and wait.  While it was the lowest priced Mac, it was still expensive for a system that may or may not get used on a daily basis, depending on whether or not I liked OS X.

Fast forward to 2007, and I really started to get the Mac bug after talking extensively with a good friend on the benefits of Macs, as well as reading and getting involved in online communities centered around Macs and Apple in general.  It seems that with the bad press Microsoft Vista was continuing to receive, Apple was taking full advantage of this and going after PC users like myself with their advertising campaigns.  The final straw for me was the fact that after installing and running the Vista Upgrade Advisor, suddenly my fully capable Windows XP machine that was only a few years old was not able to upgrade to Windows Vista because of the lack of motherboard chipset drivers.  The gave me the push to again look into Macs.

So I again revisited the Mac Mini, however I found that for it’s specifications and upgrade options it lacked the power that I needed in my everyday life.  I looked into the iMac however I didn’t like the thought on an all-in-one type system with an integrated display.  This led me to the Mac Pro and it’s expensive price tag, however, I knew by looking at the specs and reading forum posts that this was the computer that I wanted and one that would serve me well.  A quick trip to my local Apple store, and I was walking out with a new Mac Pro… well, not really walking as it comes in a huge box and is quite heavy to lug through a mall all by yourself.

Read the rest of this entry »

Never before has Mac market share been so high.  What is the reason for the increase?  Is it the Mac Hardware?  OS X and Apple software?  Is it because of Windows Vista and the problems Microsoft has had with it’s launch, driver compatibility issues and bad press?

Welcome to my series Switching to Mac. In this set of articles, I want to document my experiences on switching from using a PC running Windows XP to using a Mac Pro running OS X Tiger, then later upgrading to OS X Leopard. I’m going to be exploring some of the differences between using a Mac and a Windows PC both on the hardware side, as well as the software side.  I’ll explore the pros and cons of using each from my point of view being a web developer who uses both systems on a day to day basis for my work, as well as an avid computer user in my personal life using it for everything from surfing the internet to creating movies, editing photos, and more.  The topics I will cover and discuss will include:

• My Switch to the Mac
• A look at Apple Hardware
• Apple Hardware… meet Apple Software – OS X, iLife, Pro Apps
• Updates, Patches, and Point Releases
• AppleCare Support Services
• Applications for the Mac
• Running Windows on your Mac
• Online resources for recent switchers

I hope you’ll enjoy this series and be able to use some of my experiences in helping you make the decision as to whether switching to the Mac is best for you.  I will be updating this post adding direct links to the articles as I post them.  Of course subscribing to the RSS feed will also ensure you get the articles as they are posted.  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Information Week has posted an interesting story about Microsoft admitting to Windows Vista mistakes, and about a new ad campaign to target a “pretty noisy competitor”.  In case you’ve been living under a rock (or have the 30 second skip enabled on your TiVo) that competitor would be Apple.

The details come from Brad Brooks, VP of Windows Vista consumer marketing, and he had quite a bit to say at a recent Microsoft Partner Conference.  In his statements, he admits to Microsoft breaking a lot of things, and causing a lot of pain.  He goes on to say that Microsoft will be starting a huge advertising campaign in the coming weeks to months.  The best part was the following quote from Brad Brooks,

“We’ve got a pretty noisy competitor out there,” Brooks said of Apple whose “I’m a Mac… and I’m a PC,” commercials criticize Windows Vista. “You know it. I know it. It’s caused some impact. We’re going to start countering it. They tell us it’s the iWay or the highway. We think that’s a sad message. Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life.”

So Mr. Brooks, you interpret “it’s the iWay or the highway” as what Apple is doing with it’s iLife applications as a bad thing?  What part of creating user friendly, intuitive applications that work and are seamlessly integrated into the entire Mac experience is a bad thing for consumers?  Has Microsoft been able to accomplish this yet with the likes of Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Movie Maker…I think not.

As for those Mac vs. PC ads, many of us within the die-hard Mac community are hoping that Apple changes gears and focus with the ads.  While we do continue to enjoy the Mac vs. PC commercials, we would like to have Apple start to change the tone of the commercials away from just bashing Vista, and instead to touting the superior features of OS X Leopard.  We have seen Apple take this approach with some of these type ads such as the Time Machine ad (link opens to a Quicktime movie), showing off the new automatic backup feature built directly into Leopard, and the Apple Genius Bar ad (link opens to a Quicktime movie), showing the benefits of the tech support you receive at your local Apple retail store.

Apple is clearly riding this ad campaign and the Vista bashing as long as possible, and why not, so far it seems to be working as the overall Mac market share continues to rise.  I’m actually hoping that Microsoft can come out with some interesting ads, to keep Apple on their toes so that they have to create new innovative ads to counter what Microsoft might show (however let’s hope it’s not the same marketing team that came up with the classic Microsoft internal Vista music video….yeah, sure it was a spoof, but man was it bad.)

Truth be told, in a lot of cases, Vista isn’t as bad as most ads and tech talk make it out to be.  I know people who are happily using Vista today with little problem (not many people, but a few).  However, from a pure user experience, after dealing with and using both Vista and Leopard, there is no doubt in my mind that Apple comes out ahead, far ahead.  And with Apple turning it’s focus to Snow Leopard, I think they have a head start on Microsoft and the Windows 7 team.  If both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 are to be fine tuned versions of their predecessors, Apple has a much better product in Leopard to start with than what Microsoft has in Vista.

Good luck Microsoft, I think they’ll need it, both in their operating systems and their marketing campaigns.