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Tag: Macbook

  • Mac Upgrades Confirmed By Leaked Inventory List

    A leaked inventory list may provide proof that Apple is preparing to launch sweeping updates to nearly the entire Mac lineup. There have been rumors for weeks that this was coming. Initial reports pointed to a retina display upgrade for the MacBook Pro, followed by a similar report for the MacBook Air and iMac. A report from this morning said that the Mac Pro was also on the upgrade list.

    Now, AppleInsider and 9to5Mac have separately published a leaked list showing part numbers for a large number of new Macs. If this information is accurate, it proves that the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac Pro are all getting upgrades and will be released around the same time (presumably sometime after Monday’s WWDC 2012 Apple keynote). You can check out the parts lists for yourself below. First is the one published by 9to5Mac. They claim to have been sitting on this one for awhile, because it includes information that could put their source’s job at risk. They only published it because AppleInsider did so first:

    New Mac Parts List

    The first image from AppleInsider appears to be a photocopy of the actual inventory list. The second is AI’s own table showing the likely hardware associated with each model number.

    New Mac Parts List

    New Mac Parts List

    If this information is reliable, as seems likely, then it looks like Apple really is gearing up for a major overhaul of the Mac product line. Now all that’s really left to wonder about is what features these new Macs will have.

  • Apple To Release $799 MacBook Air Next Quarter?

    Apple’s MacBook Air computer will be getting an update and a big price reduction in the third quarter to compete with the next generation of ultrabooks, according to a recent report.

    Citing “sources in the upstream supply chain,” DigiTimes is reporting this morning that Apple will be releaseing a $799 MacBook Air sometime in the third quarter. The new model would be aimed to compete with the newest wave of ultrabooks. Produced by companies like Asus and priced around $700, these thin, lightweight notebooks have often been characterized as the PC market’s answer to the MacBook Air.

    The MacBook Air currently comes in two basic models – 11-inch and 13-inch. The cheapest model – the 11-inch with 64GB of storage – starts at $999. From there the price ranges all the way up to $1,599 for the 13-inch 256GB model. A $799 MacBook Air would represent a price cut of $200. DigiTimes’s gives no information about the technical specifications of the new MacBook Air, only the price.

    Of course, this is all still just rumor at this point. Given the lack of hard evidence and DigiTimes’s less-than-stellar record for rumors of this kind, it could well be the case that we will not, in fact, see an updated MacBook Air next quarter, or that if we do, it won’t be getting the $200 price cut. In other words, stick this one in your “wait and see” file.

    What do you think? Would you be interested in a MacBook Air if Apple cuts the price? Let us know in the comments.

  • iMac Touch Gets The Concept Video Treatment

    We tend to take the touchscreen technology in the iPhone (and other iOS devices) for granted these days. When the original iPhone launched in 2007, though, it was a pretty big deal. What’s more, it sparked all manner of speculation concerning what device might get a multitouch display next – a MacBook? An iMac?

    While Steve Jobs dismissed the idea of touchscreen laptops and desktops over concerns that they would cause users’ arms to get too tired, that hasn’t stopped people from wondering what they would look like. Nor, in fact, did it stop Apple from filing a patent for a touchscreen iMac.

    Last month we brought you a concept video of an interesting – if impractical – MacBook Touch. Now it’s the iMac’s turn. Joakim Ulseth, a motion graphics and 3D-animation student, put together this video – based on Apple’s patent application – that shows what an iMac Touch would look like. And I’ve got to say, notwithstanding Steve Jobs’s objections, it looks pretty cool. Check out the video below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

  • Apple May Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro

    Apple May Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro

    This morning we brought you news that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that Apple would be moving to in-cell touchscreen technology for the iPhone 5. That, combined with a thinner battery and metal rear panel would mean that Apple’s next iPhone will be trimmed down by about a millimeter and a half.

    According to Kuo’s assessment, though, it seems that the iPhone isn’t the only Apple product that’s getting trimmed down a bit. It seems that Apple may be preparing to discontinue the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Kuo says that shipments of the model have been falling, and that in order to to “maintain a lean product line strategy” Apple will stop making it when the MacBook Pro line refreshes later this year.

    While Kuo’s claims haven’t been confirmed – a request for comment from Apple has not yet received a response – they do make sense. The rumor mill recently has been abuzz with reports of a refresh to the MacBook Pro line, but the 17-inch model has been conspicuously absent in those rumors. The latest timeline, published last month, predicted that an updated 15-inch model would be coming in April, followed by a revamped 13-inch model in June. Until now, the absence of reference to the 17-inch model has been puzzling. If Kuo is right, though, then the absence makes sense: there haven’t been rumors about a revamped 17-inch MacBook Pro because there won’t be a revamped 17-inch MacBook Pro.

    If that’s the case, then those of you who have been eyeing the larger model but holding off on buying one might want to think about going ahead and striking while you can.

    What do you think? Should Apple ditch the 17-inch MacBook Pro? Is 17 inches too big for a “portable” computer? Or do you like having the larger option? Let us know in the comments.

  • New Fragrance Makes You Smell Like a New Macbook Pro

    There are certain things that smell unique, and can only be described by the product they represent: The new car smell, the smell of a new book or a new video game. These things smell great because of the happy feelings we associate with them. Everyone loves getting new things. Doesn’t mean that we personally want to smell like that.

    The smell of a new Apple product is no exception. Smells great; I don’t want to smell like Apple products.

    But you could if you want to. An art exhibit in Melbourne, Australia will feature a perfume that smells exactly like a new Macbook Pro. The scent was created by artists Gavin Bell, Jarrah de Kuijer and Simon McGlinn, who go under the name Greatist Hits, with fragrance maker Air Aroma.

    It was completed by importing sample scents like glue, plastic, rubber and paper from the South France company Air Aroma. They then opened a new Macbook and attempted to recreate the smell using the ingredients at hand.

    If you believe the Air Aroma blog, they succeeded, “Apple fans will certainly recognize this smell. The scent created for Greatest Hits encompasses the smell of the plastic wrap covering the box, printed ink on the cardboard, the smell of paper and plastic components within the box and of course the aluminum laptop which has come straight from the factory where it was assembled in China.”

    Unfortunately, most of us won’t be able to test it ourselves. The product is being used exclusively at the West Space Art Exhibit in Melbourne.

    If you do happen to live in Australia go to Level 1, 225 Bourke Street from April 20 to May12 to see it for yourself.

  • MacBook Touch Concept Video Shows What A Touchscreen Laptop Would Look Like

    MacBook Touch Concept Video Shows What A Touchscreen Laptop Would Look Like

    In a world where multitouch displays are just about everywhere, it’s easy to forget that when Apple introduced the technology on the original iPhone in 2007 it was seen as a major advance. Much like the retina display that would come along a few years later, multitouch sparked rumors about just what Apple would do with this remarkable new technology next. Before long, there were rumors of touchscreen iMacs and MacBooks.

    Of course, Apple did eventually release a multitouch device with a larger screen than the iPhone: the iPad. For better or worse, though, the iPad did not put rumors of an iMac Touch or MacBook Touch to rest. Eventually Steve Jobs addressed the rumors (almost) directly. At the event where he introduced OS X Lion in October 2010, he said that Apple had looked into touchscreen laptops and desktops, and found the technology impractical. “Touch screens” he famously said, “don’t want to be vertical.”

    So much for touchscreen iMacs and MacBooks, right? Well, not exactly. Jobs’s pronouncement that such devices were “ergonomically terrible” hasn’t stopped people from speculating on what they might look like if Apple did ever decide to make them. The concept video below shows off what a MacBook Touch might look like. Check it out, then let us know what you think in the comments.

  • Revamped 15-Inch MacBook Pro To Begin Production In April [RUMOR]

    Apple’s MacBook Pro line may be about to get a refresh, according to recent reports. Rumors suggest that revamped 15-inch MacBook Pro will go into production in April, followed by the 13-inch model in June.

    According to a report today from DigiTimes, Apple is planning to produce 100,000-150,000 units of the 15-inch Macbook Pro when mass production starts in April. The 13-inch model is expected to go into mass production in June. DigiTimes’s sources also say that Apple is placing considerably more orders for the 13-inch model. There is apparently no information about when a refreshed 17-inch MacBook will be going into production.

    Apple’s lineup of MacBook Pro notebooks is coming due for significant update. There were two minor updates to the line last year, but there has not been a major refresh to the line since 2009 when the MacBook Pro got an aluminum unibody frame and the 13-inch model was added to the lineup. At the same time the 13-inch MacBook (not Pro) got a white plastic unibody frame as well, though that model was discontinued last year.

  • MacBook Pro Getting An Update In April?

    With all the rumors and excitement zipping around about Apple’s newest iOS devices, one can almost forget sometimes that they actually make computers, too. Part of this, of course, is Apple’s fault. When was the last time you saw them sending out invitations to a major press event to unveil the latest model of iMac?

    And yet, while everyone is drooling over the latest iPad, Apple keeps right on making computers. Now it looks like their MacBook Pro line of laptops might be next in line for an update. A recent report today from DigiTimes, Apple is preparing to launch updates to the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros, with an update to the 17-inch model to come later. The new laptops are said to be thinner and lighter than their predecessors, but not quite in the range of the MacBook Air.

    According to the report, Apple is planning to launch the updates in April. Initial shipments of the two models together are expected to be around 900,000 units.

  • MacBook Air Turns Four Years Old Today

    The MacBook Air turns 4-years-old today. It’s old enough to eat solid food and is hopefully already potty trained.

    All joking aside, four years ago today, Steve Jobs unleased the MacBook Air onto the world at Macworld.

    The first MacBook Air was very innovative for its time. The innards fitting into the size of the Air was impressive and still is today, even with Ultrabooks gunning for its market. It featured an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, a compact motherboard with a 1.6 GHz Intel Cord 2 Duo processor and GMA X3100 graphics processor. It also featured a 13.3 -inch LED-backlit glossy display, 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, full backlit keyboard, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB port and Micro-DVI port. I’m not an Apple fan, but even I’m impressed that they fit all that tech inside of a laptop that was only 19mm thick.

    The first model was somewhat controversial though as it lacked an onboard DVD drive. Jobs explained it away by saying that the world was moving to wireless and things like DVD drives were a thing of the past. The company did offer an external DVD-drive for those who wanted it though.

    The hardware wasn’t without its problems though as the early versions were plagued with overheating issues and wireless connectivity problems. The price was a little steep for a lot of consumers too as it launched at $1,799.

    Apple has come a long way since then when they introduced the current model of the MacBook Air in 2011. It featured either a Core i5 or i7 processor, solid-state drive storage and an Intel HD 3000 processor. The pricing had gone down significantly too with the 11.6-inch model being priced at $999 and the 13.3-inch starting at $1,299.

    For those who want to relive the magic of four years ago, you can watch the unveiling of the first MacBook Air by Steve Jobs below.

  • Hidden App Helps Man Retrieve Stolen MacBook

    The folks over at Hidden must be pretty excited right about now.

    The Watford, England based company has become the focal point of a story out of Oakland, California about a guy who successfully retrieved his stolen MacBook by using their tracking software.

    On March 21st, Joshua Kaufman’s MacBook was stolen from his apartment. He reported the crime to the police, but wasn’t given much initial support due to lack of resources. I guess computer theft is pretty low down on the priority list for a busy law enforcement staff. So Kaufman activated his account he had with Hidden, an OS X app that spies on and tracks down computer thieves.

    After collecting the necessary information, Kaufman presented the evidence to the Oakland Police Department. For nearly a month, he didn’t get any response from the PD. Last Friday he set up a blog titled “This Guy Has My MacBook,” and within a few days it had gone viral. On Tuesday, the Oakland PD set up a meet with the purported thief (he’s a cab driver) and arrested him. Kaufman tweeted this last night:

    @jmk
    Joshua Kaufman    I Got My MacBook Back http://flic.kr/p/9PuAZj 14 hours ago via Flickr · powered by @socialditto

    So what exactly does this Hidden application do? Once downloaded, users set up a username and password. Once installed, it runs in the background on your Mac device. During this time, it doesn’t collect any information from your computer.

    When that horrible day comes when someone is able to make off with your computer, you activate Hidden by logging in on their site and clicking “Stolen.” This alerts the program to begin doing its job.

    Hidden suggests that users create a guest account on their computers. Having an account that isn’t password protected will encourage the thief to actually use the computer instead of just selling it quickly. And the thief needs to use the computer for Hidden to work properly.

    Once you activate the tracking feature, Hidden is able to find your stolen computer in locations around the globe. To do this, Hidden employs location positioning company Skyhook. They have built a location database of over 250 million wi-fi and cell access points by driving around, gathering information in thousands of cities worldwide.

    The location tracking is definitely the core function of retrieving your lost computer, but the other two features provide for a lot more lulz. Hidden uses the built in camera on your Mac to covertly snap photos of the thief as he uses your computer. In the case of Kaufman’s stolen MacBook, Hidden took pictures of the thief all over the place – shirtless in bed, in his car and asleep on the couch:

    The Hidden app also takes screencaps of the thief using your computer, to track exactly what he’s doing. In Kaufman’s case, he caught the thief trying to delete his account and logging in to Facebook.

    Hidden will run you $15 a year for your personal computer, and have plans to protect up to 100 computers for $395 a year. It’s awesome for a company when free, real-life, newsworthy advertising falls into their lap. But hey, when your app does its job, you deserve it.

    [All Images Courtesy of This Guy Has My MacBook Blog and Kaufman’s Flickr]