Macs

'Twas the Month Before Lion and All Through the Lair, Not a Mac Was Stirring, Not Even an Air
June 22, 2011

Apple's been relatively quiet in terms of product releases ever since its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month. Though it's refreshed some peripheral hardware products like its Time Capsule and given a boost to Final Cut Pro, the real anticipation centers on the company's next round of Macs.

Lions and Updates and Airs, Oh My!
June 15, 2011

There's been quite a bit of good news for Apple investors over the past week, with two possible exceptions: the announcement Tuesday that Ron Johnson, the company's head of retail, is leaving for JC Penney; and survey results from ABI Research that suggest roughly half of all consumers don't find tablet computers to be much of a turn-on.

Intel Envisions the Rise of the Ultrabook
May 31, 2011

Intel has unveiled details of its plans for the breed of super-thin, rapid-on, tablet-like laptops which it calls "Ultrabooks" at China's Computex Taipei 2011. The computer chip giant expects Ultrabooks to take over 40 percent of the laptop market within six to nine months. The new super-thin laptops run on Intel's Sandy Bridge processor.

Facebook's Sly-Dog Aspirations
May 14, 2011

One of these days we may see a real public clash between Facebook and Google - a huge bidding war, or maybe the launch of a real Google social network that will have the other one fighting for its life. For now, though, we get a silly little PR disaster that's left Facebook looking like it's lost its Machiavellian mojo.

Will MacBooks Take Up ARMs?
May 06, 2011

Whispers are circulating out in Web Rumor Land that Apple may be planning to switch processors in its MacBook line of laptops from Intel-made silicon to ARM chips. ARM chips dominate the mobile world, having left Intel's Atom processors behind in the dust. Certain recent Cupertino moves may have given rise to this rumor.

How Tablets Could Save the Desktop
May 05, 2011

The new iMacs have suddenly become deliciously compelling, and not because they now sport quad-core i5 processors that make them up to 70 percent faster than previous versions, graphics that are up to three times faster than before, or the new lightning-fast Thunderbolt ports. No, the new iMacs are much more tantalizing than ever before simply because I own an iPad 2.

Can Apple Make Nice With the Media Moguls?
May 04, 2011

Apple appears to be softening its stance toward the publishing industry with a move that might help stave off the burgeoning competition. Separately, the company introduced new products in its all-in-one iMac desktop computer family Tuesday, possibly in anticipation of strong sales due to an improving overall economy.

Apple Injects New iMacs With Thunder and Lightning
May 03, 2011

Apple on Tuesday released new editions of its all-in-one iMac desktop computers. These all have quad-core Intel Core i-5 processors, the recently announced Thunderbolt port technology, integrated memory controllers, new media engines, AMD Radeon HD graphics processors and a FaceTime HD cameras. The new iMacs come in two sizes: 21.5-inch or 27-inch screens.

PC, or Not PC, That Is the Question for Linux Users
May 02, 2011

It may be true that "the clothes make the man," as the old saying goes, but can anything similar be said of a user's computing preference? Indeed it can, at least if a recent Hunch survey is anything to go by. Mac users are generally a much more interesting bunch, according to Hunch's "Profile of a self-described Mac person vs. PC person," which was published recently as an infographic. I

Apple Sticks It to the DIY Repairman
March 04, 2011

People have always had an interest in repair. Haynes Manuals helped pave the road for today's do-it-yourself industry more than 50 years ago, providing people with written instructions on how to take apart their cars. Repairs can be taxing and frustrating, especially when the manufacturing company focuses on style and assembly, and not disassembly.

Apple's March Madness: In Like a Lion
February 26, 2011

If you nauseate easily at the prospect of non-stop Apple announcements, right now might be a good time to take a long hike in the woods, weather permitting. Apple's given developers a brand-new preview of OS X Lion; next week we'll see an announcement that's almost certainly going to be all about iPad 2; and there are rumors that iOS 4.3 is just around the corner.

Roll of Distant Thunder Ushers In New MacBook Pros
February 24, 2011

Apple on Thursday announced four new MacBook Pros with next-generation processors and graphics; high-speed Thunderbolt input/output technology; and new FaceTime HD cameras. These run on the latest dual- and quad-core Intel Core processors and are claimed to be up to twice as fast as their predecessors. Thunderbolt is a technology Apple codeveloped with Intel, which calls it "Light Peak."

The Next MacBook Makeover: High Hopes, Low Expectations
February 24, 2011

Rumors are flying fast and furious regarding the long-awaited next generation of Apple MacBook Pros. The last major update to the line came in April last year, but we might finally get a redesign as soon as Thursday. Of course, it's also possible that Apple will fold a MacBook Pro announcement into its March 2 media event next week, where Apple is widely expected to reveal it's second-generation iPad 2.

What 2011 Holds for Apple: Long Shots, Sure Shots and Even Money
December 28, 2010

While Google seems to be rethinking its whole Google TV approach and IBM is now predicting that we'll have holographic 3D phone calls by 2015, I'm looking forward to another bang-up year for Apple. I've got a handful of easy predictions, some likely predictions, and a couple wishful-thinking hopes for magical new products from the geniuses locked away on the Apple campus in Cupertino.

Adobe Huffing and Puffing to Push Out Flash for Macbook Air
November 19, 2010

Adobe is in the process of optimizing Flash for the Mac, and the project has already reached the beta stage, CEO Shantanu Narayen announced at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco earlier this week. He indicated that Apple's problems with Flash were Cupertino's fault, saying that Adobe didn't get early access to hardware acceleration.

Apple Decides the Desktop Shall Be App-ified
October 21, 2010

Apple announced Wednesday it will debut the Mac App Store, an online store through which users can purchase, download and install Mac OS X applications, within 90 days. Looking ahead further, the vendor said it will incorporate the Mac App Store in Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of its operating system for computers, which is scheduled to ship next summer.

Apple Hints at a Lion, Delivers Fresh Air
October 20, 2010

What would happen if a MacBook and iPad hooked up? Apple's answer is the new MacBook Air. "It's one of the most amazing things we've ever created," Apple CEO Steve Jobs declared Wednesday at a company event held at its headquarters. "We think it is the future of notebooks." What does the future look like? It comes in two models -- one with an 11.6-inch display and the other with a 13.3-inch screen.

The Missing MacBook Link
October 19, 2010

On Wednesday, Apple will hold a "Back to the Mac" announcement for the media. As with most Apple announcements from CEO and pitchman Steve Jobs, I find myself eagerly anticipating the day and big reveal. Along the way, I try to sort out my own hopes and needs against what Apple might actually deliver to the world at large.

Mac Lion: The King of the OS X Jungle?
October 16, 2010

Apple has this way of making its more devoted fans feel as though the company is giving them some sort of gift whenever it rolls out a new product. It plans a party, makes special invitations, and trots out the new inventions like it's paying tribute to a visiting dignitary. Nobody's giving anyone anything, of course; it's total salesmanship. Not a bad way to go about it, though.

Mac May Have a Hard Time Following iPad's Act
October 14, 2010

Apple has invited media and analysts to an Oct. 20 event focusing on its upcoming plans for the Mac platform. The invitation mentions a "sneak peek" at the next version of the Mac OS, but offers no other information about what will be revealed. Because Apple is following its usual pattern of keeping a lid on the details of any possible new product releases, the rumor mill has been abuzz with possibilities.