We just got our first 2.66GHz Quad-Core 27″ iMac i5 machine within the last hour and I really wanted to share our excitement with you. So we took photos of our unboxing of this unit.
The box itself is sturdy and strong with a comfortable enough handle to lug this baby with it’s monster screen wherever you need:
Sometimes even the best educated guesses can be thrown for a loop when an unforeseen “X-Factor” comes into play. Such is the case with the Late 2009 iMacs.
As we were getting information together for the new iMac instructional videos, we came across a little tidbit that, apparently, hasn’t been covered anywhere else: Apple has switched the iMac’s method of hard drive temperature sensing. They’ve gone from an external sensor that attached to the outside surface of the drive to a connector that seems to use the drive’s internal sensors. more…
Back in August ,when Apple updated their MacBook Pro line of laptops, the ExpressCard slot was replaced with an SD cardslot. Here in October, Apple again has added this feature to the entire iMac lineup. It’s located just beneath the optical drive on each machine.
This would be a good time to revisit my prior article: What good is the MacBook Pro SD card slot anyway? to learn how to make the most out of this added feature. It goes into detail on making a boot drive out of an SD card as well as an emergency startup disk.
Additionally, the widescreen form factor of the new iMac lends to using the machines for multimedia displays. An SD card makes a great medium for transferring your multimedia data between computers. A DVD quality movie takes up about 2GB per hour of playtime. With SD cards ranging from 2GB to 32GB currently, one could store up to 16 hours of footage on a single card. More exciting is the introduction of the SDXC format which as early as 2010 could have us storing from 64GB up to 2.0TB on a single card.
I for one wouldn’t be surprised to see movies, TV shows and other media being distributed on SD cards just the same as we see CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs currently. Time will tell on that one.
I really couldn’t wait on this… this news is just too juicy to bottle up for the whole weekend.
While we’re not completely finished with our compatibility testing, early signs are pointing to 8GB of memory supported in not only the new October 2009 Mac mini models, but prior generation mini models as well. We believe we found the “secret ingredient” that makes exceeding Apple’s recommended 4GB maximum in these machines possible.
Previous testing revealed prior generations of the Mac mini were able to boot with 8GB of memory, but sadly either did not utilize the extra memory installed or – even worse – made the entire machine slower when accessing more than 4GB of memory at a time. In Late August, Apple released Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.2 and this allowed these generations to boot without kernel panic. However, we still found that most systems slowed to a crawl when exceeding 4GB of memory in the system.
So far, here’s what we recently found though: our OWC 8GB Upgrade Kit works in the latest Mac mini 2.26 and 2.53 machines and are consistently and completely utilized by the machines. We then tested these same modules on the prior generation Mac mini (early 2009)… and found them to work consistently as well! All units tested were running Snow Leopard.
We do have more testing to do using the same memory modules with prior Mac mini generation models running OS X 10.5. We also need to do performance tests to make sure that the additional memory actually gives a solid performance boost when more than 4GB is installed. But at this point, we’re feeling pretty confident that our “secret ingredient”…namely the quality of OWC brand memory… delivers the reliability you desire.
Be sure to check back Monday as we’re hoping to complete our testing at that time and be able to confirm that we will support over 4GB of memory in the Mac mini, or if my excitement got the better of me.
With Apple’s new machine releases, we’re hard at work in the OWC Test Labs seeing just how fast we can make the machines go.
Our first machine that we’re looking at is the October 2009 2.26GHz MacBook. This machine is pretty tight on the inside – meaning there isn’t much extra unnecessary space inside. Like the iPod and iPhone, conservation of space seems to be a high-priority of Apple’s design teams. So even though the machine is lighter and sleeker, it does pose some drawbacks in upgrading. This Macbook has no problem running either a 5400rpm, 7200rpm or SSD drive for the fastest speeds, however; the physical height of the drive is limited to the 9.5mm form factor. The 12.5mm drives are too tall to fit in the space provided.
I should reiterate that point. The drive doesn’t officially fit. Sure, we were able to cram it in, and screw the cover closed (with a little bowing of the bottom) but we don’t suggest or will support actually running the drive this way. Too much physical pressure on a drive can certainly contribute to early drive failure – it’s just not worth risking your data or the expense of a warranty compromised drive.
We’re pleased to announce our findings that our OWC brand memory certainly takes the cake in these machines! While Apple lists 4GB as the maximum amount of installable memory, our 8GB memory kit OWC8566DDR3S8GP is now tested and fully certified for the full 8GB utilization – a real performance benefit for memory intensive application loads. While we were at it, we also tested another brand 8GB memory kit and found it consistently caused kernel panics and non-boot issues. Even though both are the same spec of DDR3 1066MHZ SO-DIMM, sometimes quality does have its result.
Thus, when we talk about how OWC brand memory meets or exceeds all Apple requirements for memory, it’s not just idle chatter or marketing-speak. Our on-premise testing lab enables us to physically confirm this fact for every machine listed in our compatibility charts. Then, we back our quality assurance with a lifetime warranty. How can you go wrong?
In case you missed it in our other posts, there’s an important change in the new 13.3″ 2.26GHz MacBook White that Apple announced earlier this week: FireWire compatibility has been removed completely.
This is an important thing to note, as this means that if you have any older FireWire-only devices, you’re not going to be able to use them with the new MacBook.
This is not an entirely surprising development, though; we’ve been given glimpses of this direction for quite a while. Apple has reduced FireWire’s presence to a single FireWire 800 port on most models (though the Mac Pro has four) and has completely eliminated FireWire 400. Given this reduction, removing FireWire entirely on the “consumer” models seems to be the next logical step.
In fact, we were given a preview of this step this time last year, when the aluminum Unibody portables were first introduced. The 13″ model was labeled as a “MacBook” and had no FireWire ports, just USB. Does that sound slightly familiar? Sure, the 13″ aluminum ‘Book eventually did get FireWire back, in the form of a single FW800 port, but it is also important to note that when it did, it was also reclassified as a “MacBook Pro”.
So, really, Apple removing FireWire from the $999 13.3″ 2.26GHz MacBook White is nothing to be all that shocked about. We’ve ridden that ride and purchased the souvenir t-shirt.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m not happy about this development at all. I liked FireWire and still find it superior to USB 2.0 for most data transfer purposes. Unfortunately, though, its popularity seems to be on the wane, and we – as Mac users – should probably get used to it.
Fortunately, most of the newer storage solutions and consumer electronics have USB 2.0 functionality built in, so you still have options for external storage and data capture.
It just won’t be quite as fast.
When it comes to redesigns, the new MacBooks have the most external changes. The case is now a Unibody design, only made of a polycarbonate material, rather than the aluminum of the MacBook Pros. As part of that change, the battery is now non-removable, keeping it in line with the rest of Apple’s portable line, and, as an added touch, the bottom is now rubberized, to prevent it from sliding around while in use.
Of course, as with many Apple updates, we wind up losing something, too. This time around, was the final death knell for FireWire on the MacBook. This isn’t much of a surprise, however. About this time last year, when Apple announced the original aluminum Unibody portables, the MacBook model had no FireWire, either. That was an interface found only on the MacBook Pro models, and the older-design MacBooks. When they finally did add FireWire to the 13″ aluminum MacBook, Apple also tacked on “Pro” to the end of the name. In light of all this, losing FireWire on the new MacBooks really isn’t all that surprising. Disappointing? Yes, but not surprising.
Despite the outward appearances, though, when it comes to upgrading, there’s not a whole lot of difference in options between the older MacBooks and this new one. Your main upgrades will be the memory and the hard drive.
After last month’s rather disappointing iTunes event, it’s good to see an Apple product announcement with some substance behind it.
This time around, the improvements were made to products that traditionally catered to the “consumer” end: the iMac, the Mac mini, and the MacBook. There were also a couple of tweaks to the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule, though nothing really worth noting. Rounding out the bunch was the introduction of a new multi-touch mouse.
As we get these new models in for testing (and, of course, videos showing you how to upgrade them) we’ll be going over them in a little more detail. For now, though, let’s reflect on what’s been announced and what potential they hold.
If you remember the old Kojack TV show…the phrase “who loves ya” baby came to mind thinking about some features on and upgrades for the new iMacs released today.
A feature long requested for iMacs – the ability to use your desktop computer as a secondary display for your laptop – is finally a reality!
From the iMac Features section on the Apple website:
Mini DisplayPort.
The Mini DisplayPort lets you connect an external display, including the Apple LED Cinema Display, to your iMac. On the 27-inch iMac, the same port offers input, too. So you can connect any external source that has DisplayPort output — including a MacBook or MacBook Pro — and use your iMac as a display.
This means if you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro for mobile computing, you don’t need to invest in/provide the room for a secondary display…just connect to your iMac when you get back to the desktop.
Now that you know what really got our motors revving here on these new “smoking machines” as OWC Jamie called them, I can tell you how to really make them scream with these OWC upgrades.
MEMORY
According to Apple’s Tech Specs page, all the new iMac models come with 4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM and can support up to 16GB via four memory slots.
If you want to bump that to 8GB (4 x 2GB) via Apple, that will set you back $200.00. The OWC 4GB Upgrade Kit (2 x 2GB) can be added to the factory stock 4GB for a total of 8GB…but at a substantial lower cost of $87.99.
We’ve got more options too…the OWC 8GB Upgrade Kit (2 x 4GB) adds 8GB to the factory stock 4GB for 12GB total memory for $475.99.
That same 8GB (2 x 4GB) upgrade for the 27 inch models from the factory is $600…
While the factory doesn’t offer the ultimate memory configuration of 16GB for the 21 inch iMac models, we do (who loves ‘ya baby?) and at savings over what’s offered for the 27 inch models. You can put two of the OWC 8GB Upgrade Kits into any of the iMacs for 16GB total at a cost of $952 versus $1,400 for the same 16GB offered by the factory for the 27 inch models only.
And like all our memory upgrades, we give you up to $45 cash back for your iMac’s factory memory modules!
STORAGE
The base 21.5 inch model comes with a 500GB hard drive while the other 21.5 and both 27 inch models come with a 1TB hard drive. The only option offered by the factory is a 2TB for $250.00. Taking a quick look at our current iMac upgrade page, one can find a 1.5TB drive for $129.99 and a 2TB for $239.99.
With all the options and savings we offer for the new iMacs, I’m thinking we should do a commercial with as equally a memorable ending as these Chicago area favorites.
While I share OWC Larry’s disappointment in the mini not getting a built in memory expansion boost, there still is a silver lining here. I’ll be taking a closer look at the new Mac models and showing you where you can upgrade and/or get more for your technology budget with comparable high performance upgrades/accessories from OWC.
I’ll start off with the $599.00 2.26GHz mini because I’m a value hound. It comes stock with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB 5400 RPM hard drive. OWC offers the following money saving upgrades to get the max from your mini:
4GB OWC Memory Upgrade Kit (2 x 2GB) is $87.99 versus Apple at $100.00.
You can store more for less too! A 320GB 5400 RPM hard drive starts at $65.99 versus Apple at $100 while a 500GB 5400RPM hard drive starts at $92.99 versus Apple at $200. Man, other than the faster processor, you could match the memory and HD specs of the $799.00 2.53GHz model and save $46.02.
One more thing caught my eye on the Configure your Mac mini page…the Mini DisplayPort Adapters. And once again, OWC has the options you need.
Our Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter is priced at $19.99 versus Apple’s at $29.99 while our MiniDisplay Port to VGA Adapter is $24.99 versus Apple at $29.00.
And if you’re digging the new dual 500GB hard drive Mac mini Server model, but are looking for more options to the factory external storage and SuperDrive offerings, we got ‘em!
While the External MacBook Air SuperDrive is USB bus powered, it is $99 and burns rather slowly: up to 8X DVD, 4X DVD Dual Layer, and 24X CD-R.
It’s almost not fair to compare that to the OWC “Value Line” USB2.0/1.1 SuperDrive with up to 22X DVD, 12X DVD Dual Layer, and 40X CD-R burn speeds at just $64.99
And last but not least…that SmartStor 4 x 1TB FW800/FW400/USB external storage solution for $799 doesn’t seem like quite the smart buy when you could have the 4TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 for $699 and get a “Quad Interface” of FW800/FW400/USB and eSATA!
So there you have it…a pretty thorough examination of how you can max your mini with OWC. Revisit the blog to see my takes on the iMac and white MacBook models and how you can get the most from them too.
Typo in ‘new’ Mac mini page or just marketing play on words?
As our team goes full bore on the new iMac and Mac minis that just popped on the Apple site, I’m sitting back a little disappointed with the ‘new’ Mac minis.
Apple is touting with ‘up to twice as much memory’, but it still only supports up to 4GB. That’s the same as the previous Mac mini line up….
Apparently it counts that they are with up to twice as much memory as before they came with 1GB or 2GB standard, 4GB optional. Because Apple now has a configuration which comes with 4GB standard, that’s twice as much memory Standard as had been before.
The Mac mini would be an incredible powerhouse with 8GB, that’s what twice the memory should have meant. We were excited, at first, thinking Apple taken off the Mac mini’s memory ‘restrictor plate’, but alas – just a marketing play on words.
- OWC Larry
See All of OWC’s Mac mini Upgrades and Enhancements in our dedicated Mac mini section
The Apple Store should be back up and running soon! As alluded to in the Apple Financial Results Conference call yesterday, some of the “exciting new products in the pipeline” are here already!
Newly Available from Apple:
Apple today unveiled an all new iMac line featuring brilliant LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line, starting at $1,199, is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance. Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new wireless Magic Mouse, the world’s first mouse with Multi-Touch technology.
Today Apple also introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Pioneered on iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69.
If that wasn’t enough, Apple also updated its popular MacBook with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users, and is available for $999.
Apple has also given what seems to be a small facelift to the ever-popular Mac mini. Now with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor, every Mac mini gives you outstanding graphics performance. In addition, The latest 802.11n wireless technology is built into every Mac mini. However, we see that the memory and processor options went unchanged since the last release.
As you would expect, OWC does carry the upgrades for these new additions as well. Give us a short while here to make the updates to our website and we’ll be back with further details…
Every autumn, Apple has an iTunes event. We’re used to it by now – more iPod-y goodness for “back to school” and/or holiday shopping. This time around, though, there was a lot more speculation than usual.
Unfortunately, most of the speculation (and excitement) was over items that wound up not showing. Camera-toting iPod Touches? The Beatles in the iTMS? We only wish. The perennial favorite rumor, the Tablet Mac? Not even close.
First of all, we got a new iTunes release. This mostly consists of support for the updates to the iTunes Music Store. Sharing sharing purchases among multiple computers at home was a highly-touted feature, as were updates to their Genius function, which supposedly creates “better” mixes. Also entering into the mix (no pun intended) is the iTunes LP, which apparently allows for movies, notes, artwork and other nuggets presented in a manner reminiscent of the “extras” you’d get in a vinyl LP. Improvements in iPod management and tweaks to the interface round out the major changes.
Unfortunately, this update seemed to be more about buying/renting from the iTMS rather than actual new features. Even more disappointing was that this application still remains 32-bit. While some may argue that iTunes really doesn’t need to be 64-bit, as the software that controls Apple’s best-selling peripherals (iPods/iPhones), keeping it up-to-speed (so to speak) with the current-version of OS X might be higher-priority with them.
The iPod Touch changed very little, getting a boost in size (up to 64GB) and an overall drop in price. Oh… and iPhone OS 3.1.1 is out, too, allowing you take advantage of the new features in iTunes.
The iPod Classic had even less in the “upgrades” department, with only a bump in capacity to 160GB. Fortunately, though, the price is sticking at the same $249 its been at, so it remains a viable option for those with insane amounts of music they want to take with them.
The iPod Shuffle got a little more of an improvement. While the capacity still tops out at 4GB, they’re now available in multiple colors. There’s also an “Apple Store Exclusive” model that features a “polished stainless steel” finish. On the accessories front, more headphone models compatible with the Shuffle will soon be made available.
The biggest winner of the day, though, was the iPod nano. In one revision, Apple managed to increase the display size, and add a pedometer, a microphone, a video camera, and an FM tuner. Though the capacity still sits at 16GB, the changes are a substantial upgrade.
Like every Apple event, there were a pile of rumors surrounding what’s to be announced. This time around, we had some big ones – often with some pretty compelling evidence behind them. Let’s take a quick look at some of them, and see how they fit.
Camera in the iPod Touch - This was a surprise. There’s a camera already in the iPhone which could fit into the Touch. Several case manufacturers leaked prototypes for the 3rd Gen. Touch with a hole in the back for a camera. Even post-show, it seems logical that the Touch should have been upgraded with a camera; after all, they added it to the nano.
So what happened? Personally, I’m going with a “supplier side” problem, requiring a retooling of the back side of the Touch and the generally lukewarm upgrade announced yesterday.
The Mac Tablet - The lack of this item was a little less shocking. Though the rumors abounded that a tablet using the multi-touch capabilities of the iPhone/iPod Touch would be making an appearance, no such thing would rear its head this time around.
Why not? My best guess – this is not going to be a part of the iPod family; it will either make it in as a portable Mac or become its own family. As a smaller computer, it will need a little more OS horsepower than iPhone OS offers. There’s already several tablet-supporting features hidden away in Snow Leopard, so this may be an indicator of where/when to look for it. As Apple won’t be at Macworld, my guess is that we will see it at CES, though the WWDC – while further out – may also be an option. Of course, if you can’t wait that long, there are always other alternatives.
Blu-ray movie support in iTunes - I really didn’t think this was going to show, but I heard enough about it that it made this list. Aside from the “rock and roll” headline implying that this event would be about music-related hardware/software, putting Blu-ray support into iTunes would not make much logical sense. The more likely place to see this support – if it ever comes – is in an upgrade to the DVD Player application in OS X. Judging by Apple’s past statements and the history of these kinds of features showing up, I’d be surprised if it shows up before OS X 10.7.
The Beatles finally come to the iTMS - This was an outside chance, but there were a couple of fairly good signs pointing to this. First, rather than holding their event on a Tuesday like they usually do, they held it on a Wednesday, which coincidentally happened to be the big Release Day for both the Beatles remasters and the Beatles Rock Band game. The second sign came on Tuesday Evening from what most would consider a fairly reliable source. Yoko Ono made a statement to Sky News in the UK – saying the entire Beatles catalog would be available on iTunes. Adding fuel to the fire, this story was pulled almost immediately. No retractions. No backtracking. Just gone. That set off many people’s hopes – after all, why hush it up unless it were true? Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when no mention of the Fab Four appeared at the event.
Will Apple, Inc. and Apple Corps. ever see eye to eye and make the Beatles catalog available on the iTMS? Judging by Yoko’s statements, it seems that it is just a matter of time. Perhaps we need to wait for the (more lucrative) sales of the remastered CDs to slow down before we see them in the iTMS. Maybe it’ll take longer than that – it’s hard to say.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard came out on Friday, and there’s been quite a big hullabaloo about the fact that – by default – Apple’s new OS boots into 32-bit mode on almost all Macs, with the only exceptions being the 2008 and 2009 XServe.
Before we gather our pitchforks and torches to go surround One Infinite Loop, let’s take a step back and take a look at a few points that people seem to keep missing.
Until the point we have nothing but 64-bit compatible KEXTs, though, a 32-bit kernel with the capability of running 64-bit applications seems to be a reasonable compromise. Since the Finder and many of the other Applications we run are 64-bit, we will see a speed boost from that, even though the kernel is 32-bit. Once everything else is updated to 64-bit, I would not be surprised if an official option to more permanently enable the 64-bit kernel emerges.
While, personally, the potential compatibility headaches are enough to keep me with the default 32-bit kernel on my MacBook Pro, I realize there are still many out there that want to try and wring every last bit of performance out of their machines (I know, I’m usually one of them) who will insist on booting their systems to the 64-bit kernel. So, in case you haven’t already found out how to do it, I’ll give you a couple of options.
For a long time, there’s been an interesting discrepancy between the capacity listed on a hard drive’s label and the capacity reported by the computer. For example, attaching a 250GB hard drive would show up in the system as having 232.74GB available. Many would chalk it up to “formatting.” While the formatting information takes up some information, 17GB is a little excessive for formatting information. So where did this other space go?
The real culprit here is the discrepancy between base-10 mathematics (how most of us count) and binary (aka “base-2″) counting. To drive manufacturers, a kilobyte was 1000 bytes, a megabyte was 1000 kilobytes and a gigabyte was 1000 megabytes.
However, computers don’t natively use base-10; they use a base-2 system. To them, a kilobyte is defined as 1024 (which is 210) bytes, a megabyte is 1024 kilobytes, and a gigabyte is 1024 megabytes.
This methodology worked fine for many years; after all, 1024 isn’t TOO far off from 1000. As drive capacities increased, however, this became more and more pronounced. Drive manufacturers were defining “gigabyte” as 1,000,000,000 bytes (1000 x 1000 x 1000), while computers recognized a gigabyte as 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024 x 1024 x 1024). Every gigabyte added to a drive exacerbated the problem, adding 73,741,824 bytes to the discrepancy.
Snow Leopard, though, changes this. Instead of simply reporting the base-2 number for a unit of drive space, it converts it to an easier-to-understand base-10 number – the same way it is measured by drive manufacturers. In easier terms: a 500GB drive shows up as 500GB in the Finder, rather than 463.13GB.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you magically get more drive space. You still have the same number of bytes (the base unit) to deal with. The number of bytes that make up larger increments has just changed. Of course, this change in measurement is applied across the board in the finder. All your files will seem “larger,” even though they all have the same number of bytes in them. For example, here’s a pair of screen shots of a folder in my music library.
These shots are of the same files, in the same folder, on the same drive. In 10.6, though, they’re reported as being “larger.” But are they? The main folder shows up as having 308,937,619 bytes in both systems. The only difference is the 10.5 uses base-2 for its measurement, and 10.6 uses base-10. In 10.5, a megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes. In 10.6, it’s an even 1,000,000. Divide 308,937,619 by both of those, and you can see how the Finder in each OS arrived at its figure.
This may be a bit confusing for a while – after all, we’ve kind of gotten used to things the way they were. There is a bright point, though: now you don’t have to ask where all that space went when you install or attach your new hard drive.
For more information, you can check out this Apple KnowledgeBase article.
Well, Snow Leopard is on its way, set for arrival in just two days’ time, and is now likely available for order at your favorite retailer. Before the big cat lands, however, you may want to take a look at the software you run every day. As it turns out, some of our favorite apps may need to be updated before it will work with Apple’s latest.
This really isn’t a new thing; each version of OS X has had its share of applications that wound up M.I.A. on release. Though it eventually works out (via update or replacement), it is generally nice to know what kind of hurdles we’ll be facing ahead of time.
So far, the most comprehensive list of applications compatible with 10.6 can be found at http://snowleopard.wikidot.com. Not surprisingly, its depth has made it extremely popular. Unfortunately, this popularity means a lot of hits and, apparently, an overloaded server. As of this posting, getting through to the site is extremely spotty (and, no, that’s not a “Leopard” pun).
Adobe Drops support of CS3
One of the biggest announcements regarding an application’s status with Snow Leopard came from Adobe. The producer of the popular Photoshop application (among many others) announced today that Adobe Creative Suite CS3 would not be supported under Snow Leopard. Not surprisingly, the outcry from the Mac community was considerable.
It should be noted that they did not say that CS3 wouldn’t function under 10.6; they said it would not be supported. This is a key difference. Preliminary reports from many Mac-centric sites show that CS3 seems to be working okay under Snow Leopard (we’ll assume they have the Developer’s Preview) or have only minor errors. However, you’re on your own for troubleshooting.
If you need Adobe support, though, then you may need to either leave your OS where it is, or upgrade Creative Suite to CS4. In the meantime, we all get to look forward to CS5, which is reported to include 64-bit compatibility.
That syncing feeling…
This one hits me a little close to home. It turns out that while Apple was getting rid of old code, it got rid of something else: iSync support for Palm devices.
If you used iSync to synchronize your Palm device with iCal and Address Book, you’ve got to find another solution, as the old iSync conduit no longer works. At the moment, there are no third-party solutions that function flawlessly, though there are reports that basic syncing is possible.
Is it too soon to Snow?
The answer, really, can only be answered by you. Are all your day-to-day applications Snow Leopard compatible? If not, can you live without them until they’re updated?
If your apps are all up-to-date and compatible, then go right ahead and update to Snow Leopard; its pretty spiffy (or so I hear).
If, however, you have a “must run” app that isn’t compatible yet, then you’ll obviously want to hold off until it is. Just do what I do: keep a close eye on MacUpdate. When an app is updated, it’s usually listed there first.
We’re to the third and final installment of our MacBook Pro lab findings…
Installment Three – MacBook Pro 13″
That’s right, Apple added the “Pro” designation to the 13″ MacBook Unibody model and certainly added Pro features to do so. As the entry level Pro model with 2.26GHz and 2.53GHz processor speed offerings, the raw speed and computing power is understandably lower than its 3.06, 2.8, and 2.66GHz 17″ & 15″ brothers. But it definitely takes a performance leap above the comparable non-pro 13″ models – especially once more memory is introduced to the system.
Speaking of memory, the 13″ MacBook Pro model can use up to 8GB of memory versus the 4GB limit Apple supported on the prior, non-Pro generation. It also comes standard with a 160GB 5400RPM hard drive. Both components are fully upgradeable through OWC.
Rather than a removable battery, the 13″ MacBook Pro now boasts a 7 hour internal battery. Not too shabby when compared to the 4.5 to 6 hour batteries of prior generations.
As with the 15″ MacBook Pro model discussed yesterday, the 13″ model also includes the SD card slot which introduces the possibility of massive amounts of storage down the road. If you missed my last installment, read more about that here.
In short, this is a solid entry-level machine to the MacBook Pro line. The graphics are equal to the rest of the MacBook Pro family with an impressive field of vision for the screen size. It is an ideal machine for those users looking for the Pro power and features, but don’t want to lug around a larger form factor machine.
Upgrades, Upgrades Upgrades…
Ok, now that you’ve decided that this is the machine for you, what can you do to make it better?
The most economical upgrade has always been memory – and OWC has always had you covered there. The 13″ MacBook Pro can support up to 8GB of memory. Ordering the 8GB stock from Apple will cost up to an additional $1,100 – or- you can get this same memory upgrade separately from OWC for considerably less. We’ll even show you how to install it in our Installation Video Series.
Our benchmarking on these models is complete and you can see for yourself here just how much faster and more efficient these systems run when given enough memory. Once Snow Leopard is released, were predicting these numbers will really take off between the true 64-bit processing and Grand Central Dispatch.
Additional speed can be gained by upgrading the hard drive to either a 7200RPM model or going to speed and security of a Solid State Drive. The installation instruction video is currently in post-prodution and will be available within the next few days in our Installation Video Series.
As far as the optical drive goes, there isn’t an internal option available that is faster or includes Blu-ray (which we’re still waiting on Apple to support natively) than the 8x slot loading SuperDrive already installed. As technologies advance down the line, you can be sure we’ll be on the cutting edge and will be ready with the units themselves and the video instructions to match.
Well, the WWDC Keynote has now come and gone. While His Steveness wasn’t in attendance (at least not on camera), Uncle Phil managed to deliver a plate full of Apple goodness to us, no matter what you’re into.
Time for an update across the MacBook & MacBook Pro families. Let’s start out with the one that caught my attention.
MacBook Pro 15″
Well, they got rid of the removable battery and have changed over to the same setup that’s in the 17″. This isn’t really all that surprising, as it keeps specs in line with the 17″ version. More surprising is the change in slots – we lose an Express Slot but gain an SD slot. This is great if you have a camera that uses SD cards, but it’s pretty darn crummy if you want to hook up drives via eSATA.
It seems they’ve improved the display a little bit and, as expected, there’s a little bit of a speed bump up to 3.06 GHz, but what’s that? A price drop!?!?! Starting at $1699… wow! Now I only have to sell one kidney to afford one.
MacBook Pro 17″
Less excitement here; No new features, but at least you get to keep your Express slot. Price drop here, too – looks like those recent Microsoft ads are having more effect than people would have you believe…
Unibody 13″
The biggest changes seem to have come for the 13″ Unibody MacBook. It’s got the same battery upgrade as the 15″, but it also gained the SD slot, where nothing existed before. The big news, however is that it gained back the one thing it was missing before – FireWire!!!
Yes, it seems Apple has heard our pleas and has added a FireWire 800 port. Though not eSATA speeds, at least FW800 is faster than USB 2.0.
Since the addition of FireWire 800 puts its features on par with the MacBook Pro line, the 13″ Unibody MacBooks have been reclassified – they are now the 13” MacBook Pros. Even with that “promotion” these guys have had a price drop as well, starting at $1199.
MacBook Air
Not much to report here, other than a $700 price drop! Prices now start around $1499. Still a bit much for a machine that has no upgradability, but at least its a huge step in the right direction.
OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard is on its way. Apparently, we’re going to see a lot of speedups in the new version. It appears that they’ve rewritten the Finder from the bottom up, which should give us all sorts of speed boosts, and have also made improvements to the Dock, including integrating it with Exposé.
Those of you who are feeling the squeeze of Leopard’s rather copious install size will be happy to know that a standard installation Snow Leopard will be less than half the size of the standard install of Leopard! That should be a savings of around 6GB!
Snow Leopard, with Grand Central, Open CL, and other system enhancements, will finally be able to harness the full power of your computer’s resources. A fully 64-bit OS will allow you to more effectively utilize larger amounts of memory, and Grand Central will help distribute both memory and processor cycles to all your apps, allowing them to take advantage of all available resources.
The full version of Safari 4 will come installed (it is also available via Apple’s site and/or Software Update), featuring a slew of improvements, including a faster JavaScript engine and HTTP streaming for audio and video.
QuickTime has also gotten a boost, becoming “QuickTime X” (pronounced “Quick Time Ten”). Much of the improvements have been made under the hood, though the interface has also gotten a newer, slicker overhaul as well.
Finally, office workers everywhere that rely on Exchange compatibility for their day-to-day tasks can rejoice. Mail, iCal, and Address Book now have support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
Of course, most of the buzz around WWDC this year was centered around the iPhone.
Unfortunately, not too much more was revealed about iPhone OS 3.0 than has already been discussed.
The big one, of course is Cut/Copy/Paste functionality, which should be available system-wide. Landscape mode will be available for Mail and a couple other apps. Many of the same enhancements in the desktop version of Safari have also filtered down to the iPhone OS version as well.
Google Maps are now easily embeddable into iPhone apps, and have turn-by-turn support.
There are a couple of other things that really caught my attention – one that’s been discussed before and one that’s fairly new.
First, iPhone 3.0 will support tethering! In theory, this means you can use your iPhone’s data connection with your laptop, an invaluable feature if you’re on the road a lot. Unfortunately, support for this feature is not available everywhere.
Another interesting feature that I’m sure will be popular around here is the “Find My iPhone” option. Effectively, it uses triangulation and GPS features to locate the approximate location of your iPhone, and can even override the mute switch to play a tone so you can find. If you still can’t find it, then you can remotely send a “wipe” command, removing all the user data on the phone, so nobody else can make off with your precious data.
This last feature would have been a lifesaver two years ago when I put OWC Larry’s good humor and benevolence to the test by… *ahem*… accidentally losing his iPhone at Macworld. Yes, I was that guy… If we’d had the “Find My iPhone” feature, we might have been able to recover the phone and I would have one less embarrassing event to try and live down around here.
iPhone OS 3.0 will be available on June 17, so it’s a little more than a week before you can take advantage of all the new features… and before Larry lets me within 500 feet of his new iPhone.
If you follow any of the rumor sites, there’s been some buzz about a new iPhone rearing its head around this time. Turns out the rumors were true, and we’ve been given the iPhone 3G S.
This new iPhone seems to be considerably faster than predecessor, with both software enhancements and upgraded network support, allowing up to 7.2 Megabit speeds via HSDPA.
Features also got a boost with the introduction of a three megapixel camera with autofocus and auto white balance support. You can also capture video at 30 frames per second at 640×480 resolutions, and even edit it down via touch. Both video and photos can be shard via MMS, email, and MobileMe.
Another new feature is Voice Control. Its an interesting concept, especially when using the phone or iPod features in the car. Unfortunately, you still have to hold down the button to activate it, so it’s not completely hands-free. It’s a start, though.
Business users also haven’t been left out. By popular request hardware encryption is now available. There’s also a new Compass application. Its integration with Maps opens up many nice options for helping you find your way around when visiting another town, be it for business or pleasure.
Last, but not least, battery life has been improved – up to 5 hours talk or 9 hours of WiFi internet.
When they’re available on June 19, expect to pay $199 for a 16GB or $299 for a 32GB model. If those prices are a little steep, Apple is continuing to sell the iPhone 3G, for only $99.
Clocking in at a little over 2 hours, the WWDC keynote had a lot to offer. We got updated MacBooks, iPhones, and previews of the OS that runs on them. This is just a quick rundown of what was discussed. Keep checking back as we go more in-depth on the new developments (no pun intended).