So… what’s happened?

Well, we all know MacWorld was a mega failure. iLife ‘09, iWork ‘09 and the new MacBook Pro were all announced. However, the iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro failed to see any update at that time.

Later on and very recently, the all three got an update along with the 20″ Cinema Display being dropped from the store. The updates to the three featured no changes in design however specs were bumped as needed and are significantly better than before. The Mac Mini is now a better computer for what you pay and I am actually considering buying one in the near future. The iMacs are amazing, although the lower model received the 9400M, an integrated chip that is absolutely useless for gaming in my opinion. The Mac Pro, many much needed updates, but we are yet to see wireless standard, something that should have been long coming.

Related to this, all that is currently due for an update is the iPhone and the 30″ Apple Cinema display.

Snow Leopard, the next version of OS X, is probably going to fail to meet its set quarter one release date. Way to go Apple, you really blew us away there…

Anyway, that’s 4 months of Apple news and rumors for you, enjoy!

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MacWorld, Here We Come!

MacWorld is coming in nearly 30 days, and is expected to give a complete and total facelift to the desktop line across the board. What  can we expect exactly? Well, I posted a few opinions in the post below this, but I figure I’ll elaborate a little further here.

iMac

Apple’s been going so green lately, why not continue doing it on their desktops? LED screens as seen on the MacBook last month will most likely pop up here as well, along with a new complete aluminum enclosure. The back will probably not look much different, just have the black plastic replaced by aluminum. Firewire, 400 will probably be dropped considering both MacBooks did leave it behind. Other than that, expect minor graphics card updates as well the $1199 model coming with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB HDD. Solid Slate drives will probably become a BTO option here as well.  

Mac Mini

The Mac Mini is a pathetic excuse for an Apple Computer, it is completely outdated and doesn’t contain a keyboard and mouse. Apple is the ONLY computer company in the world that could sell a desktop computer for $599 (which is the cost of a PC and a monitor) that has worse specs than most computers on the market without a keyboard and mouse. The new mini should be resigned completely to be bigger if need be and to be able to look decent standing either upright or on the side. Spec wise, a DEDICATED video card or the 9400, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drives, and yes, a keyboard and mouse included!! Maybe a solid slate drive BTO option as well. 

Displays

Expect DisplayPort on all models, hopefully a mini/micro-DVI to displayport adapter as well. 20″ and 30″ LED monitors should pop up as well, taking on the styles of the new 24″ one. 

Mac Pro

Stuff, and lots of it. Blu-Ray, new processors, better graphics cards, SSDs, display port, a redesign perhaps (I have no idea what Apple is going to do here) as it has been very long due for one. While the current looks do look great, it’s too old and has been around for the past 5 years with nearly no changes but what’s on the inside. While the inside is all that matters for some, but they can’t hold on to the same style forever. 

Well, add in the 17″ MBP, Snow Leopard stuff, and some iPhone, we got ourselves a show.

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Bugs, Bugs, and MacWorld 2009

Recently, the new MacBooks have been released, and are currently at just about a 10% defect rate. That meaning, if you purchase a new MacBook (the unibody model only), you should check for these before even leaving the parking lot: 

• Slanted keys: the very top row of keys may be slanted slightly (if you lean down parallel to the MacBook, the keys will appear that one side is higher than the other
• Dead pixels: turn on the computer and change the desktop background to white, see if you see any colored dots on the screen (black, red, green, purple, blue, etc). 
• Lose battery cover: some got a machine that’s battery cover doesn’t fit securely on the base. 
• Scratches: if the computer has any marks on them, they are probably from poor manufacturing. You shouldn’t accept the computer in this case. 

If you have ANY of these defects, visit your local Apple Store’s Genius Bar for a replacement if the machine was bought within 14 days, or a repair if after. These issues may cause greater problems along the road and can change retail value.

That aside,

The Desktops

Apple has stated that we will not see any updates to their desktop lines of computers until after December and the updates are expected to be released at MacWorld as well as some talk about how Snow Leopard is coming along. Anyway, here’s a few things we can expect:

iMac: New mini-display port, starting at 2GB of RAM, last two models should have 4GB, slight graphics card updates. Drop of firewire 400, replaced by an extra USB port. 

Mac Mini: It’s been neglected for too long, but I do see some hope for it in the future. I do believe that it will most likely turn into a MacBook inside a small micro tower with it’s graphics card and configuration. This includes firewire being dropped here as well, but with an extra USB port instead.

Cinema Displays: A new 20″ and 30″ LED Backlit display using DisplayPort. Nothing too special. 

Mac Pro: Nehalem will most likely be coming to it soon enough which would be a huge update, but not noticeable by most users. I doubt to see it, but Blu-ray would be awesome. 

Snow Leopard – talking about current features, some new stuff to get consumers to go after it. 

Time Capsule – Hard drives may be upgraded to 750GB and 1GB and prices may be lowered to start at $250. Maybe an audio port for music streaming? First AppleCare for TC may be released as well.

Mouse/Keyboard – Keyboard, most likely nothing new. Backlighting is a possibility however. The mouse will most likely get a design change and see a change in the currently defective scroll ball (I have one, it works great for the first month or so, then clogs and needs cleaned.)

On a side note, Nehalem is expected to be coming to the notebooks (first with the MacBook Pro) in mid-2009 with Snow Leopard. Toward 2010, it should finally reach Apple’s consumer notebook, the MacBook.

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MacBooks Released

On 10/14, brand new notebooks were released. Pics can be be found at Apple.com.

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October 14th Event: Confirmed

Today, October 14th, invites have been sent out. The invite came with little text aside from “The spotlight turns to the notebooks” which leaves us to believe that the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro will all receive several rather major updates.

Updates are rumored to include a lower more competitive price point (we estimate the starting prices for all three lines will be 899, 1499, and 1799), a new casing design, and the processor and hard drive bumps as always. Most hype for this event has come from the MacBook, Apple’s mainstream consumer laptop, with hopes of new redesigned aluminum casing, completely eliminating the use of PVC from their laptops. 

MacBook Pros are rumored to see a new case that takes some features from the MacBook Airs. Due to how new the MacBook Air is, not much more can be expected than minor speed bumps and hopefully a price drop. 

This leaves the Mac Mini, which has gone nearly a year without any updates. We expect for it either to be discontinued or receive or major updates as well as changing the case, to completely eliminate the use of PVC in Apple Products as part of their environmental process. 

Do keep in mind that events for notebooks are rather rare, and we expect to see major changes.

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New MacBooks: What to Trust

Before I begin, I want to make this note about creditability of the information provided on this site. These are not even rumors, they are educated guesses based on products information, patents, and new innovations to see what Apple will include in their products, and that’s what just about any rumor site does. 

Anyway, Glass Trackpads look they are out, not that I ever believed they would make it from the start. What’s the point of one anyway? They add to the weight, could be prone to cracking if the machine is dropped, and if they display an image, who looks at their trackpad instead of the screen when using it? 

Seriously, if you want to make a MacBook DS, just come out with a touch screen, not to mention the source that provided this information was wrong about the release date.

Aluminum, something I could never imagine happing, my opinion hasn’t changed. It’s always hoped for before every update, and users are simply let down. If there is a major change, it is going to be out in January at MacWorld. Okay, it will happen sooner or later, but just not now.

Something that I really hope Apple will finally do is stop crippling the poor MacBooks! Make ONE, yes, one. series of computers, and 4 different models, a 12″, 15″, 15″, and 17″ model, costing $999, $1299, $1499, $2000 each. All with dedicated graphics, RAM starting at 2GB with 120 GB hard drives, a superdrive (please ditch the combo – not even $400 PC’s use it!) and at least 256MB of VRAM, dedicated. All the same, newly designed aluminum casing, and the 17″ would still the “Pro” choice. They would fly off the shelves, or rather the back room and Apple would have the market in no time, literally. 

Mac Mini needs an update as well, and we can’t let it get taken over by the MacBook Market, as high as the demand is. Update it, and actually get some half decent stuff in it. Let’s start with 2.4 GHz C2D’s, 160GB Hard Drives, and 2 GB of RAM at the very least. Give it some aluminum casing, and if the new hopefully just one MacBook series follows, the entire series would have made the transition. 

Anyway, I’ll keep dreaming, come on Apple, we have faith in you!

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