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| Apple - MacBook Pro - 17-inch display, 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive |
| MacBook Pro |
| product code; part number; part no; model number; model no MA611LL/A |
MacBook Pro ▪ Apple ▪ MA611LL/A ▪ P/885909100177
1 year limited warranty
Updated 3/5/2009 1:10:11 AM UTC (120 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes ago) | |
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Product Release Date: October 24, 2006
Time in Market: 2 years, 8 months
This product is old (available used/aftermarket)
This product is 2nd generation
This product preceded in the market by: (showing 19 of 43)
Apple - MacBook Pro - 17-inch display, 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 120GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - MA092LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.50 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9462LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.67 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9689LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.0 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive - M8793LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.67 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9555LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.33 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9110LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 17-inch display, 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, SuperDrive - M9970LL/A
Apple - MacBook Pro - 15.4-inch display, 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - MA463LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.67 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive - M9676LL/A
Apple - Powerbook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 867 MHz PowerPC, 256 MB RAM, 40GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive - M8858LL/A
Apple - Powerbook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.0 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive - M8859LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.25 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M8981LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.67 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9969LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.0 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, ComboDrive - M8980LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2- inch, 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) - M9421LL/A
Apple - PowerBook G4 - 15.2-inch display, 1.67 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - M9677LL/A
Apple - MacBook Pro - 15.4-inch display, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 512 MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - MA600LL/A
Apple - MacBook Pro - 15.4-inch display, 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - MA601LL/A
Apple - MacBook Pro - 15.4-inch display, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive - MA464LL/A
In product area: Home / Office & Workspace
| MSRP: $2,799.00
Retail:
Units purchased: 5
Prices (Ave/High/Low): $2,799.00 / $2,799.00 / $2,799.00
Prices (Ave/High/Low): $2,799.99 / $2,799.99 / $2,800.00
Used:
n/a
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Apple MacBook Pro user manual
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iPhone 2.0 features
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| Apple MacBook Pro MA611LL/A 17" Notebook PC (2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) |
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| Apple MacBook Pro - This MacBook Pro notebook computer features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which has 2 separate processing cores inside. It delivers higher performance across all computing activities - video encoding, gaming, music editing, and more. You also get a built-in iSight webcam, making it extremely easy to video chat with friends and family; as well as video conferencing with clients and co-workers. Apple's Front Row application lets you navigate your MacBook Pro with an included remote control and custom user interface. A great way to relax and easily access your digital media. These are just a few of the latest innovations Apple has in store. Check below for the full story: ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM 160GB SATA 5400 RPM SuperDrive - (write speeds) 4x DL DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 8x DVD+R, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+RW, 24x CD-R, & 16x CD-RW SuperDrive - (read speeds) 8x DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-R DL, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R and DVD+RW, DVD+R DL, & 24x CD Built-in 54Mbps AirPort Extreme 802.11g Wi-Fi Wireless Network Support Ports - 10/100/1000 Gigabit, 1 FireWire 400, 1 FireWire 800, 2 USB 2.0, Dual-Link DVI, optical digital input/audio line-in, & optical digital output/headphone out ExpressCard/34 Slot Built-in iSight Webcam Full-Size Illuminated Keyboard with Ambient Light Sensor and Scrolling Trackpad Unit Dimensions - 15.4 x 10.4 x 1 Unit Weight - 6.8 lbs. |
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| News, Reviews, Tips & Techniques, and Rumors |  |
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| Batteries in new Mac laptops offer “excellent” results |
| | How do the batteries in the new MacBook Pro laptops measure up? Walt Mossberg (ptech.allthingsd.com) wanted to know, so “using my own harsh battery test,” he assessed the performance of new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. “The results,” he reports, ”were excellent. These two new Apple laptops scored among the highest battery lives between charges of any laptop I have ever tested.”
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| | 7/01/2009 4:25 PM (1d 10h 29m ago) |
| The Pine Tree State orders 64,000 MacBooks, with more to come |
| | Filed under: Hardware, Education, MacBookThe Associated Press released an article today noting that the Maine Department of Education has placed an order for more than 64,000 MacBooks. The MacBooks are being purchased from Apple as a part of Maine's Learning Technology Initiative, which has provided MacBooks to all middle school students in Maine since 2002.The new order expands the program to high school students who did not receive a MacBook in middle school, and also provides the laptops to faculty for grades 7 through 12. Maine is expected to place an additional order for about 7,000 more laptops within a few weeks. The laptops can also be used as an economic development tool for parents as well, providing software that links the computers to the Maine Department of Labor resources, including career centers. Does your state, country, or school district provide laptops to every student? If they do, and they're providing Macs, let us know.TUAWThe Pine Tree State orders 64,000 MacBooks, with more to come originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 7/01/2009 4:18 PM (1d 10h 36m ago) |
| Apple blows past other hardware web sites in May |
| | Filed under: Apple Corporate, Internet, Surveys and PollsWow. It isn't even close. Apple blew by HP, Dell and even MagicJack (!) with the most visits to a website in May. According to the people who compile such statistics at Nielsen, Apple drew 55.7 million unique viewers, more than double what next ranked HP did. Much of that may have been driven by anticipation of the new iPhone. Here's the chart.
Also interesting is that Nielsen computes the average visitor stayed on the Apple site an average of 1 hour and 14 minutes. That's a lot of reading and watching demo videos.Nielsen also took a look at blog mentions of the iPhone in early June, and the numbers are pretty striking there too. You can see the peak as the release date approached, with another peak on release day June 19.
They say if people are talking about you it's a good thing. By that measure things are really great at Apple.
TUAWApple blows past other hardware web sites in May originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 7/01/2009 1:16 AM (2d 1h 38m ago) |
| Apple Confirms: Steve Jobs Back at Work |
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Bloomberg has received confirmation from Apple that Steve Jobs has returned to work at Apple following his liver transplant, currently working part-time at the company's headquarters in Cupertino and part-time from home. Jobs reportedly returned to ...
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| | 6/29/2009 5:55 PM (3d 8h 59m ago) |
| MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update addresses SATA interface speeds |
| | Filed under: Software Update, Apple, Macbook ProWhile most of the focus of WWDC fell on the iPhone 3GS, the MacBook Pro line got some love from Apple last week as well, with several upgraded features on the 15" model and a re-branding of the 13" model from MacBook to MacBook Pro.The Achilles' heel of the new upgrades, as reported last week, was that the MacBook Pro's SATA interface was limited to 1.5 Gbps in the latest models, down from 3.0 Gbps in previous models. Although this wasn't likely to be an issue unless you replaced the hard drive with a high-speed SSD, it still seemed like somewhat of a boneheaded move to downgrade the SATA interface without sufficient cause.Today Apple has released MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.7, which makes the issue moot. The update allows the SATA interface to work at full speed once again.If you have one of the affected models of MacBook Pro, grab this update either via Software Update, or else go here (requires OS X 10.5.7). More info on the firmware update can be found on its support page.Thanks to reader Joachim Bean for sending this in.TUAWMacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update addresses SATA interface speeds originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/24/2009 6:18 PM (8d 8h 36m ago) |
| Methodist University Hospital confirms Steve's liver transplant |
| | Filed under: Steve JobsLate last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Steve Jobs had a liver transplant in April. As of this morning, however, we still hadn't received confirmation from either Apple or any of the hospitals at which the procedure might have been performed. That's changed. Earlier today, Methodist University Hospital in Memphis released a statement confirming the surgery, with Steve's permission: "I am pleased to confirm today, with the patient's permission, that Steve Jobs received a liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in partnership with the University of Tennessee in Memphis ... Our one-year patient and graft survival rates are among the best in the nation and were a dominant reason in Mr. Jobs's choice of transplant centers." James D. Eason, M.D., Program Director at Methodist University Hospital's Transplant Institute, composed the statement and explained that Steve went through the typical transplant eligibility process; in order to receive a donor liver, he had to be the sickest person on the list when the matching organ became available. This statement stands in contrast to the theories considered in today's New York Times piece about Steve's surgery, which noted that past preferential treatment for celebrities and wealthy patients has largely been ended but there are still ways in which someone with Jobs's resources could try to game the system. The Memphis transplant center has one of the shortest waiting periods in the US for liver patients. Let us extend a "Well done" to the medical team and "Speedy recovery" to Steve.TUAWMethodist University Hospital confirms Steve's liver transplant originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/24/2009 6:14 PM (8d 8h 40m ago) |
| WSJ: Jobs had liver transplant, on schedule to return to work in June |
| | Filed under: Apple Corporate, AppleThe Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs had a liver transplant two months ago in Tennessee, but is still expected to return to work by the end of the month. Jobs, who went on a medical leave from Apple in January, has had continuing medical issues related to a bout with pancreatic cancer. The type of pancreatic cancer that Jobs has will often metastasize in other organs, particularly the liver. According to the WSJ article, it is expected that Jobs will work part-time upon his return to the company in order to speed his recovery. The 54 year-old Jobs missed the Apple shareholder meeting in February, and hasn't been flying in his corporate jet (one of the perks he receives along with his US$1 annual compensation) as much as he had in the past. The TUAW staff, along with many of our readers, is looking forward to the return of the Steve Jobs to the company he helped to create.TUAWWSJ: Jobs had liver transplant, on schedule to return to work in June originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/22/2009 8:39 PM (10d 6h 15m ago) |
| Apple moves one million iPhone 3G S units in a weekend -- just in time for Steve's return |
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Worried that Apple might not be doing so well? Concerned the company will have to start breaking open the collective piggy banks to keep the lights on? Well rest easy, friends, as the folks in Cupertino have just issued a compelling piece of PR that will surely put your mind at ease -- one stating it managed to move a million iPhone 3G S units over the weekend. That's right, in a fashion not completely dissimilar to last year's iPhone 3G launch (though with far less hiccups), bucketloads of happy buyers flooded Apple's coffers with sweet, delicious cash money for the new smartphone. The buying frenzy was apparently even exciting enough to rouse recovering CEO Steve Jobs from his convalescent state. The seemingly-now-returned honcho is quoted (for the first time in months) in the press release as saying "Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning." Winning indeed Steve... and welcome back.Filed under: CellphonesApple moves one million iPhone 3G S units in a weekend -- just in time for Steve's return originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/22/2009 8:32 PM (10d 6h 22m ago) |
| iPhone 3G S Launch Day: Photos from 5th Avenue |
| | Filed under: iPhoneGood morning! All day today we'll be updating with reports from iPhone 3G S purchasers around the country, both here and on Twitter. So far the lines seem modest and activation is reportedly going smoothly. Victor notes that AT&T store lines are short where he is and if you are not the primary account holder on your cell plan, you have to go to AT&T anyway to upgrade.
Morning schedules and slow subways kept me from the 7 am store open at 5th Avenue (since Apple moved it earlier from 8 am due to AT&T opening its stores at 7), but by 7:30 the line was still active and purchasers were beginning to emerge. NYPD reports that about half the barricaded area was full at 7 am.
Gallery: iPhone 3G S launch, 5th AveTUAWiPhone 3G S Launch Day: Photos from 5th Avenue originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/19/2009 6:07 PM (13d 8h 47m ago) |
| Apple announces Snow Leopard Up-To-Date program |
| | Filed under: OS, Apple, Snow LeopardIf you purchased a new Mac or Xserve on or after June 8th, Apple just announced that you'll be able to take advantage of the Mac OS X Snow Leopard Up-To-Date Program.
Under the terms of this program, if you purchase a Mac or Xserve on or after the cutoff date, and Snow Leopard is not included in the box, you'll be eligible to receive an upgrade DVD for only US$9.95 (shipping is included in price).
The program web page is currently stating that additional information will be posted tomorrow (June 16th), and we'll be sure to keep you in the loop if any changes or additions to the program are announced.TUAWApple announces Snow Leopard Up-To-Date program originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/17/2009 4:13 PM (15d 10h 41m ago) |
| Java vulnerability in Mac OS X finally patched |
| | Filed under: SecurityIt's been a long wait. Fire up Software Update and you should see Java for Mac OS X 10.5 (or 10.4) update 4. This update closes a vulnerability first discussed in August of last year; it was patched by Sun and most other JVM developers months ago.Apple's sluggishness on fixing this security issue could have allowed attackers to run arbitrary applications or processes on your machine if you visited a webpage hosting a malicious Java applet. The vulnerability was pointed out in graphic fashion by security researcher Landon Fuller. Fuller took the exploit code that was circulating in the wild and built a proof of concept page that would run an innocuous program (the command-line 'say' utility) from a rigged Java applet; after the ensuing publicity, less than a month later, we have a patch.Once you've updated, if you took the precaution of disabling Java in your browser settings, you can feel free to go ahead and turn it back on... although, if you haven't missed it, no need to change anything.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.[via Glenn Fleishman / TidBITS]TUAWJava vulnerability in Mac OS X finally patched originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/17/2009 4:11 PM (15d 10h 43m ago) |
| Snow Leopard offers more Automator "purrfection" |
| | Filed under: AppleScript, Snow Leopard
If you know me, then you know that I love Automator and scripting things on the Mac. I believe that Automator should be something that everyone can take advantage of, not just the select few that already know how to use it well. That's why I've been working on the TUAW Mac Automation and AppleScript series for over a year now (we're going to have more coming soon, so stay tuned). I was watching the WWDC '09 keynote, desperately waiting to see if anything new was announced for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in regards to automation, and specifically Automator.app. Nothing was said at the keynote, but when I looked on the newly updated Snow Leopard page on Apple's site, I was ecstatic. One of the refinements listed was that Mac OS X Services would now be a feature of Automator. Services let you use features of one application while you are inside of another. In the Automator instance, you would be able to use workflows while you are inside of any Mac OS X application that supports the use of Services. In addition to updating Automator for Services, Apple has also added more starting points for workflows. You can now choose between a standard workflow, application, service, folder action, print plugin, iCal alarm, or an image capture plugin. We will have more information about Automator and Services in Snow Leopard when it launches in September.TUAWSnow Leopard offers more Automator "purrfection" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/15/2009 3:13 PM (17d 11h 41m ago) |
| Is the Mac OS X 10.5.7 update causing you grief? |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, OS, Software Update, LeopardAgainst my better judgment, I always download and install Mac OS X updates immediately. That has never caused an issue with any of my Macs until now. Since I installed 10.5.7 literally minutes after hearing about its release, I have been experiencing sporadic issues with USB on my first-generation Intel iMac.
A look through the Apple Support discussion forums showed that this isn't an isolated issue. A number of people have reported losing connectivity to USB hard disks and peripherals. What's rather discouraging to see, however, is that USB issues aren't the only problem that 10.5.7 hath wrought. Other frustrations reported in the forums include:
Loss of connectivity to Bluetooth peripherals including keyboards, mice, and phones
Monitor resolution issues (former resolution settings missing, colors "off", screen redraw oddities)
Mac crashing as it goes to sleep, having problems waking from sleep
No sound, or sound quality is bad
Intermittent problems with WiFi connectivity
Spontaneous shutdowns
Older MacBook Pros overheating
The list goes on and on... Some forum regulars report that the problems go away after downloading and installing the 10.5.7 Combo Updater (available at http://support.apple.com/downloads/), while others are still experiencing frustrating crashes even after attempting this fix.
TUAW wants to hear from readers who have experienced issues of any sort since updating a Mac to 10.5.7. If you have, what kind of problems are you seeing? What, if any, fixes have worked for you?
TUAWIs the Mac OS X 10.5.7 update causing you grief? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/15/2009 3:13 PM (17d 11h 41m ago) |
| iPhoto 8.0.3 updater bug bites many |
| | Filed under: iLife, Software, TroubleshootingYesterday I tried to open up iPhoto '09, and was greeted with a screen telling me that my iPhoto library needed to be updated. This was sort of odd, since I had run the program many times since the software update of June 4th bringing the program to version 8.0.3, but what the heck. I clicked on upgrade and the program crashed displaying one of the wonderfully unclear error screens of hex numbers.After trying all the usual things like rebooting, resetting the PRAM and saying 'Candyman' three times in front of a mirror, I sheepishly gave up and called Apple. It turned out that this has been happening to many people. Up until two days ago, Apple had been capturing reports to find the source. I was told that they stopped capturing reports when they numbered around 3,000. What Apple found was a bug in the 8.0.3 updater, and apparently the bug could bite just about anytime since it didn't necessarily rear its head directly after the update. The bug, in various incarnations with various solutions, is to be cursorily found in the support forums, but here is the authorized Apple fix:Hold down the option key as you boot iPhoto and you'll see a screen like the one displayed here. Just choose your library (there should only be one) and iPhoto will boot normally. Problem solved! As of now the problem hasn't resurfaced for me, and according to Apple tech support, it shouldn't. This bug will be squashed in a future iPhoto update but for now it's easy to get around. TUAWiPhoto 8.0.3 updater bug bites many originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/15/2009 3:08 PM (17d 11h 46m ago) |
| Multi-touch coming to older MacBooks? Not so fast. |
| | Filed under: Hardware, Hacks, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, Snow LeopardMac Life and Gizmodo are both reporting that Snow Leopard will add multi-touch gestures to all older MacBooks and MacBook Pros. This has gotten a lot of people's hopes up that three- and four-finger multi-touch gestures will be back-ported to all Apple portables that previously did not have them.
Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Apples own information on Snow Leopard's enhancements reads, "All Mac notebooks with Multi-Touch trackpads now support three- and four-finger gestures." (emphasis added)
This raises the question, what's the difference between a multi-touch trackpad and a regular one, and which models have it?
The multi-touch trackpad was introduced with the first MacBook Air in early 2008. Not only does it allow two-finger scrolling like older models, it also allows advanced three-finger gestures like swiping to go back in Safari.
One month later, the early 2008 MacBook Pro received the same trackpad, with the same gestures. The multi-touch trackpad gains this new functionality because it has an embedded controller chip, identical to the one in the iPhone and iPod Touch, which allows advanced input from more than two fingers at once.
Later, the unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros debuted with multi-touch trackpads, but also introduced new four-finger gestures, which will not be officially supported in the older MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros until Snow Leopard's release.
The original MacBook Air and early 2008 MacBook Pro are the only machines which will gain additional gestures via Snow Leopard. The only reason these notebook models are able to gain these gestures via software updates, while earlier MacBook Pros and all plastic MacBooks are not, is because they possess the multi-touch controller chip in their trackpads.
Just to break it down, this is a list of the only, and I mean only, notebooks that support multi-touch gestures, either now or after Snow Leopard:
MacBook... |
| | 6/15/2009 3:06 PM (17d 11h 48m ago) |
| Safari 4 Tops 11 Million Downloads in First Three Days |
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Apple today announced that the final version of its Safari 4 browser, officially launched Monday after the company's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address, has been downloaded over 11 million times in the first three days of release. Notab...
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| | 6/12/2009 3:35 PM (20d 11h 19m ago) |
| Apple's new MacBook Pro family unboxing and hands-on! |
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What would you call this? A "fleet" of MacBook Pros? A "catch?" A "murder," perhaps? In any case, Apple just dropped off the entire line -- including the newly-status-bumped 13-inch MacBook Pro -- at Engadget HQ, and while we'll have some in-depth impressions and benchmarks soon, we thought we'd throw up the unboxings and family photos for you right away. We're sort of struck by how amazingly similar these are in person, but we're eager to see how the internals stack up -- and whether that integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M in the 13-inch can handle a professional workload. Anything else you want to know?Update: We just noticed that the 13-inch has lost its dedicated audio input jack, we're guessing because of space constraints with the addition of SD and FireWire 800 -- but we're told the new single jack supports both input and output. We're testing it out, we'll let you know.Gallery: 13-inch MacBook Pro unboxing and hands-onGallery: 15-inch MacBook Pro unboxing and hands-onGallery: MacBook Pro 17-inch unibody unboxing and hands-onGallery: MacBook Pro family photosFiled under: LaptopsApple's new MacBook Pro family unboxing and hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/11/2009 4:00 PM (21d 10h 54m ago) |
| 13-inch MacBook Pro gets torn apart |
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We've only just started playing with our new 13-inch MacBook Pro, but the cats at iFixit have different ideas -- they've already torn one open for your morbid viewing pleasure. Interestingly, battery replacement involves only the removal of a couple tri-wing screws and a sticker, so the situation isn't totally dire, although we'd obviously prefer if Apple had left well enough alone. Other than that and the addition of FireWire and the SD slot, things seem to be about the same as the original unibody MacBook, but don't take our word for it -- hit the read link and feast your eyes.Filed under: Laptops13-inch MacBook Pro gets torn apart originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/11/2009 3:57 PM (21d 10h 57m ago) |
| Expanding Apple's Pro line of 'Books |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Macbook Pro Long ago, before Intel had stolen Apple's heart, there was a time when a certain company's line of "Pro" notebooks consisted of three model lines. These three PowerBooks were differentiated by screen size and, at the time, they were 12-inches, 15-inches, and 17-inches. Fast forward a few years to Monday's WWDC '09 keynote, Apple surprised us all and moved the 13" aluminum MacBooks up a few notches in the product line. As we reported Monday, the 13" aluminum MacBook now has a little "Pro" attached to the end of it. Thus, the differentiating factor between the MacBook and MacBook Pro line is (again) based on building material (plastic or aluminum). With the disappearance of the ExpressCard slot from the majority of the Pro line (except the 17"), even the expandability story becomes similar across the model lines. Some will try to tell you that Apple has muddied the waters and tarnished the "Pro" branding by re-badging the 13" aluminum MacBook as a professional model. I, however, disagree; I believe that up until yesterday, the MacBook waters were muddy and Apple has finally cleared things up. It makes perfect sense that Apple would include the 13" aluminum MacBook in the Pro line -- it fits right in with the Apple "rule of threes" -- given that there were previously three models of professional notebooks. It has been said that one of the differentiating factors between the professional and consumer laptops was the presence of a dedicated graphics card. If you'll recall, however, the 12" PowerBook G4 actually featured an NVIDIA graphics processor with shared virtual memory from the main system. This is extremely similar to the 13" MacBook Pro and the entry-level 15" MacBook Pro. These two models also feature NVIDIA processors with shared virtual memory, although they do lack the dual graphics chip capabilities of the higher-end models. My belief is that Apple was wrong for ever releasing the 13" aluminum 'Book as anything... |
| | 6/11/2009 3:48 PM (21d 11h 6m ago) |
| Apple WWDC 2009: the good, the bad, and the ugly |
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Sure, Apple didn't really shock anyone with the announcement of the iPhone 3G S this morning at WWDC, but there was no shortage of news at the Moscone Center -- we also got new MacBooks, final Snow Leopard details, and a release date for iPhone OS 3.0. On the other hand, it wasn't all good news either: AT&T's iPhone upgrade pricing and service levels leave a lot to be desired, and Apple's unfortunate penchant for sealed-in batteries has finally hit the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Apple's posted its stream of the keynote if you want to relive things in real-time, but here's a quick rewind in case you missed anything:The good
Current iPhone owners will get iPhone OS 3.0 for free, although some features like video recording and voice control are limited to the iPhone 3G S. It's not perfect, but we don't really complain about free.
Snow Leopard upgrades will cost just $29, instead of the usual $129.
The original 8GB iPhone 3G is now only $99 for new AT&T subscribers. That's definitely going to make some waves in the smartphone market.
We'd have loved to see some external design improvements and maybe some more surprising features that weren't rumored, but overall the iPhone 3G S is definitely in the "good" column -- it's a solid set of improvements to an already very good platform.
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (including the new 13-inch Pro) specs have increased while prices have come down, and glory be, FireWire is back on everything but the Air.
The bad
As usual, iPod touch owners are going to get dinged $9.95 for the iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade. Hey Apple -- maybe switch these guys over to subscription accounting as well?
Let's face it, "iPhone 3G S" is a pretty clunky name.
Sure, it's nice that the MacBook Pros now have an SD card slot, but losing ExpressCard hurts. And why not a multicard reader? Pro DSLRs still use CF.
The ugly
Sure, new customers and qualified upgraders are getting some sweet pricing on iPhone... |
| | 6/09/2009 8:45 PM (23d 6h 8m ago) |
| Apple releases Safari 4 |
| | Filed under: WWDC, Internet Tools, Software Update, Apple
One of the early announcements in this morning's keynote was that Safari 4 is now out of beta! You can download Safari 4 for yourself (Mac or Windows) from Apple's site. Apple is touting Safari 4 as the fastest web browser around, besting IE 8, Firefox and Chrome in speed tests.As with the Safari 4 betas, Safari 4 passes Acid 3 tests with a 100/100 -- the first (and only cross-platform) browser to achieve this level of standards compliance.The big news for users of the Safari 4 betas is that the tab orientation has been changed. In the beta, tabs were on the top of the application window, now they are below the URL field, just like in previous versions of Safari. I'm a fan! I also like the snazzy updates to the "loading" notification and the RSS indicator.Safari 4 has way too many features for me to list, so I'll just point you to Apple's page that details everything. The HTML 5 media and offline support, CSS 3 web fonts and CSS animations are some of my favorites. Safari 4 is fast, thanks to the new JavaScript engine. It also integrates with both your Mac or with Windows, and the new Cover Flow History View for viewing your web history, or Top Sites for seeing what sites you visit most are totally, totally slick.Download Safari 4 here and then come back and tell us what you think! Remember, any third-party InputManagers like Saft will need to be updated if you want to use them with Safari 4.
TUAWApple releases Safari 4 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/09/2009 8:43 PM (23d 6h 11m ago) |
| Apple unveils Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, cuts price in half |
| | Filed under: Enterprise, Software, Education, WWDC, Mac OS X Server, Snow Leopard
If you have Mac servers in your business, you weren't left out of the Snow Leopard fun during the keynote earlier today. Apple also announced that Mac OS X Server 10.6, A.K.A. Snow Leopard Server, will be shipping in September. Like Snow Leopard, the server version of the OS provides 64-bit support, and many of the Apple applications have been updated to take advantage of that. For example, SMB file server performance is 2.3x faster than Leopard Server, and AFP file server performance is now 1.3x faster.
New features include:
iCal Server 2 -- This upgrade to Leopard's iCal Server now provides push notification, wireless accessibility to your calendar from any iPhone, a new web-based calendaring interface, and updates to CalDAV that now allow you to invite colleagues to meetings via email.
Podcast Producer 2 -- Podcast Producer, which was added to the server mix in Leopard, is now improved with Podcast Composer. This new feature lets you create your own workflows for automating completion and publishing of podcasts. There's also a new Setup Assistant in Server Admin that can set up Podcast Producer 2 in a manner of minutes, even if you're setting up a cluster of servers.
Wiki Server 2 -- Workgroups wishing to collaborate now have a little bit more to love from Wiki Server. The only real new feature is iPhone support; users can securely log into confidential wikis and content, and even review content and comments from the iPhone.
Mobile Access Server -- The piece that I'm probably the most excited about as an Xserve admin is Mobile Access Server. This new feature is like a custom VPN for Mac and iPhone users. As long as they're set up in the server's directory service, users can get secure, encrypted access to the server and network with very little hassle.
Mail Server -- The engine running Mail Server has been totally redesigned for much faster service, and now provides... |
| | 6/09/2009 8:41 PM (23d 6h 13m ago) |
| Apple updates MacBook Air |
| | Filed under: WWDC, MacBook Air
It's one of the most overlooked product refreshes of the day, but the MacBook Air still deserves some credit. Not only did the Air get a drastic price drop (specifically with the SSD model), but it also gained a few specs. The base MacBook Air now starts at $1499US with a 1.86 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 120GB SATA drive (runs at 4200 rpm), and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card. The second model, which adds a 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo processor and 128GB SSD drive will only run you $1799US. That's a huge difference considering the last SSD model cost $2499 -- a difference of $700!It is also worth noting that the MBAir now comes with a USB Ethernet Adapter in the box. You can also choose a keyboard format in either: English, Western Spanish, French, or Japanese. If you have been wanting a MacBook Air, but let the price hold you back, then there's no reason for you to complain any longer. You can see all of the specs on the new MacBook Air models by visiting either the product page or the Apple online store.TUAWApple updates MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/09/2009 8:41 PM (23d 6h 13m ago) |
| Microsoft releases Office 2008 12.1.9 to patch Word vulnerability |
| | Filed under: Software, SecurityThere's a new patch in town. Microsoft Office 2008 was updated today to protect against two privately-reported vulnerabilities in the handling of Word files; these security risks could have allowed an attacker to execute arbitrary code on your machine. The update also patches Entourage 2008 to prepare for the Web Services edition of the mail and PIM app.
The 154 MB/268 MB (delta or combo) update is available through Microsoft's AutoUpdate tool or via direct download.TUAWMicrosoft releases Office 2008 12.1.9 to patch Word vulnerability originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/09/2009 8:39 PM (23d 6h 15m ago) |
| QuickTime X leaps forward in Snow Leopard |
| | Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Video, Software Update, Snow LeopardSeems like only yesterday that QuickTime was at version 7. Oh wait, that was yesterday. Among the many announcements surrounding Snow Leopard we saw a little more of QuickTime X, Apple's next-generation version of the venerable media player/technology/doohickey. While the interface has been totally overhauled, the changes are more than skin deep.QuickTime X is a significant update. For consumers, there won't be a Pro version. Any version will allow simple editing, video/audio capture, and allow you to "publish your media to MobileMe or YouTube -- without worrying about codec formats or resolutions." We're not sure if you'll be able to save as a QuickTime movie or source file as before, but the removal of some previous limits will make QuickTime the snappy iMovie substitute it could be. Plus, QuickTime X will allow you to use any web server to stream live video over HTTP. Can't wait to see what people do with that.In addition to the visible changes, QuickTime X looks like a fundamental rewrite of the application and its underpinnings. Support for Core Audio, Core Video and Core Animation could mean some really interesting things for the future of media playback (not that we weren't promised as much a few years ago, of course). All of this comes wrapped up in Snow Leopard, and takes full advantage of the speed-tuning tech therein.Continue reading QuickTime X leaps forward in Snow LeopardTUAWQuickTime X leaps forward in Snow Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/08/2009 9:09 PM (24d 5h 45m ago) |
| Snow Leopard is out of the bag |
| | Filed under: OS, Software Update, Apple, Snow Leopard
For the ultra low price of $29 (for existing Leopard users), Apple gave a deeper look into the upcoming Snow Leopard release -- slated for some time in September."We've built on the success of Leopard and created an even better experience for our users from installation to shutdown," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "Apple engineers have made hundreds of improvements so with Snow Leopard your system is going to feel faster, more responsive and even more reliable than before."Here's the highlights of the Snow Leopard releaseContinue reading Snow Leopard is out of the bagTUAWSnow Leopard is out of the bag originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/08/2009 9:08 PM (24d 5h 46m ago) |
| Re-defining "Pro": The 13" MacBook Pro |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Macbook Pro, MacBookOnce again, Gruber called it (aside, I wish I had his sources); the naming distinctions between the unibody 13" MacBook and the 15" MacBook Pro are now gone: say hello to the 13" MacBook Pro. Complete with a lower price (starts at $1199 and goes to $1499 in stock configurations), and more features (SD card slot, FireWire 800, 7-hour battery), the 13" MacBook Pro will likely continue to be Apple's best selling laptop.This is an interesting reversal of branding. When the unibody MacBooks were released last fall, it appeared nearly identical to its the larger, "Pro" labeled companion. The two big differences (aside from screen size) were the video card configurations (integrated for the MacBook, as opposed to integrated and discrete in the MBP) and the lack of a FireWire on the "amateur." edition. Many of us speculated that the removal of FireWire was done primarily to distinguish between the two lines and try to move consumers up to a pricier model. There was a lively debate in the posts about FireWire's exodus from the unibody MacBook about what constitutes a "pro" machine from something that shares the same design but is smaller in size. Without rehashing the whole debate, it pretty much mirrored those "my dad is richer than your dad" fights that always seemed to break out at high school parties in my district. In my experience, when arguments essentially become "you're only a pro if the label says so," the real-world distinction is gone.Continue reading Re-defining "Pro": The 13" MacBook ProTUAWRe-defining "Pro": The 13" MacBook Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/08/2009 9:07 PM (24d 5h 47m ago) |
| File under "This won't last": new white MacBook benchmarks faster than unibody model |
| | Filed under: MacBook
In a thorough review of the new speed-bumped white MacBook, Macworld notes an intriguing fact: the 2.13GHz model of the $999 entry-level laptop actually outperforms the base unibody model. The magazine's benchmarks show a 4 percent advantage for the new white MacBook over the $1299 2GHz aluminum laptop; the white model even outlasts the next-generation machine on battery life by more than 30 minutes.
Unless you absolutely have to have the new industrial design on your laptop and you're willing to pay an extra $300 for the privilege, it does seem that the new white model is the better buy... for now. A performance gap like this is a strong hint that the unibody models are due for a processor bump sometime soon, if only to restore the proper order of things: faster should equal more expensive. Right?TUAWFile under "This won't last": new white MacBook benchmarks faster than unibody model originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/08/2009 3:33 PM (24d 11h 21m ago) |
| Apple delivers Airport Utility Update |
| | Filed under: Airport, Software UpdateIt has been a busy few days for Apple in the software update domain. iWork '09, iTunes, and Quicktime have all been updated, along with GarageBand.Today, Apple is pushing out an Airport Utility software update. With the usual great and patented Apple detail, the update:"..includes general fixes and compatibility updates for the following applications: AirPort Utility and AirPort Base Station Agent. The update also installs AirPort Disk Utility on Macs running Tiger." There is also an update of the Airport Utility for Windows.The new software is 18.9 MB, and does not require a restart. Hooray.Thanks to Mikey for the tip.TUAWApple delivers Airport Utility Update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/05/2009 3:51 PM (27d 11h 3m ago) |
| WSJ: Steve Jobs return is on track for end of June |
| | Filed under: Apple Corporate, Cult of Mac, Steve Jobs, Apple, One More ThingIn its sometime role as a broadsheet hybrid of Us magazine and the New England Journal of Medicine, we have an update tonight from The Wall Street Journal on the condition of everyone's favorite iCEO. Steve Jobs, according to the story (subscription required on the web, free to read on your iPhone), is recovered from his health crisis and on track to return by the end of June. While some speculate that he might choose to surprise the audience at WWDC with a One More Thing moment, two sources for the WSJ story say that the plan is to wait a bit longer.Steve's return is likely to be coordinated with a product launch or other public event later in June, say the sources. That event probably won't be the announcement of the next-gen iPhone, which the paper pinpoints for the keynote address on Monday with availability close to the two-year anniversary date for the original iPhone purchasers (pretty sensible; anyone who bought a first-gen for the premium price is a likely candidate to shell out for a replacement). The WSJ cites someone who has seen the new phone in person, reporting a faster processor and the expected video editing capabilities.Equally importantly, the story points out that the long Steveless months with Tim Cook at the helm have shown investors and customers that the Apple train is still on track. AAPL is up 68% since Steve announced his leave of absence in January, vs. a 24% uptick for the NASDAQ index. Granted, Apple stock took a bit of a hit around the announcement of the leave, dipping to a low of 78.20 on 1/20, but it's up at 143.74 as of today's close.[via Macrumors]TUAWWSJ: Steve Jobs return is on track for end of June originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/05/2009 3:48 PM (27d 11h 6m ago) |
| Google Chrome developer preview (unofficially) released |
| | Filed under: Internet Tools, Beta BeatDigg's Kevin Rose, perennial purveyor of information that just "fell off the back of the truck" shared a link early this morning to Google's new, supercharged, Webkit-based browser -- for Mac.
The new browser, Chrome, is clearly marked as a developer preview, and not meant for general browsing. In fact, as a good Mac citizen, it will refuse to set itself as your default browser.
It scores a 100 on the Acid3 test straight out of the box, but doesn't pass: it fails something called the linktest, which involves interacting A tags and IFRAMEs. A little research suggests that it could be a bug with Webkit. If that's true, then it's a bug that Safari 4 beta has fixed.
Chrome appears to have Flash (and other plugin) support disabled as well. JavaScript support, however, is fully functional. While Chrome performed much better than Firefox on this cursory test, it still didn't beat Safari 4 by a long shot. While only a beta, its performance is respectable and sure to improve.
Again, Google Chrome isn't for everyone, but if you're a web developer who needs to keep up with the bleeding edge of browser development, then this preview should be stable and reliable enough for you to test what you need to.
Read through for the full JavaScript test details.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Continue reading Google Chrome developer preview (unofficially) releasedTUAWGoogle Chrome developer preview (unofficially) released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/05/2009 3:48 PM (27d 11h 6m ago) |
| MobileMe control panel for Windows helps with proxy servers |
| | Filed under: Software Update, MobileMeYesterday, Apple released MobileMe Control Panel for Windows 1.4, recommended for users on corporate networks that use proxy servers.
Some users were reporting errors when trying to sync contacts and calendars, or were unable to log into the MobileMe control panel at all. This update sorts that out.
According to Apple technical note on the subject, supported proxy server types include:
Web proxy servers (HTTP)
Secure Web proxy (HTTPS)
SOCKS proxy servers (see note below)
HTTP/HTTPS proxy servers that require authentication
Proxy bypass lists
Proxy auto-configuration (PAC) files
The update is available on the MobileMe website, and is also included with iTunes 8.2 for Windows. TUAWMobileMe control panel for Windows helps with proxy servers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/03/2009 4:20 PM (29d 10h 34m ago) |
| New York's flagship Apple Store doing great business |
| | Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail, Apple FinancialNew York City's flagship Apple Store, located on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, is doing tremendous business. According to The New York Post, that store raked in $440 million in one year. Of course, the location doesn't hurt. It's right by Central Park and the huge, glass cube is a real tourist draw. The Post also notes that the SoHo store pulled in $100 million, but didn't provide any stats on the West 14th Street store. In the meantime, construction has begun on what's rumored to be a fourth NYC store, expected to open at the corner of 67th and Broadway on Manhattan's Upper West Side later this year. If that store and a rumored Brooklyn store are opened, NYC would boast six stores total (including the Staten Island store).Apple intends to open 25 new stores for fiscal year 2009, half of them outside the United States.[via AppleInsider]TUAWNew York's flagship Apple Store doing great business originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/03/2009 4:20 PM (29d 10h 34m ago) |
| Apple stores roll out revised One to One support & training program |
| | Filed under: Retail, AppleIf you have purchased a Mac from Apple's online or retail stores in recent years, then you probably were offered a membership in an exclusive club known as "ProCare." ProCare's most valuable assets were advanced placement in the in-store repair queue and initial setup for new Macs, as well as free hour-long training sessions. The service, which debuted in 2004, was changed in 2007 when "One to One" was introduced, effectively splitting ProCare's training benefits into a separate service.While ProCare is not changing, One to One is being beefed up to offer some new features as well as some new limitations. ProCare's complete Mac setup & data transfer is now included with One to One. Previously, One to One only included a "simple" setup.Other changes for One to One include exclusive workshops only available to One to One members as well as the new "Personal Projects" session for larger blocks of time. Now members can reserve a session for up to a three hour block of time to create, with an Apple trainer's assistance, "anything ... you can dream up." Similar to workshops, Personal Projects are a group activity in that several members will be present; while a workshop includes members working on the same topic, a project session includes members working on individual and unrelated tasks.One to One is also now only available with the purchase of a new Mac at an Apple store; this is in contrast to the previous One to One and current ProCare services which could be purchased at any time. One to One memberships are also now only renewable two times for a maximum membership duration of three years. Existing memberships (beginning prior to June 2, 2009) in One to One will be renewable only one time.You can purchase a new One to One membership along with a new Mac at any Apple Retail store now. According to Apple this service's availability will expand to Apple's online channel in the near future. The question, One to One members, is this: are you... |
| | 6/03/2009 4:19 PM (29d 10h 35m ago) |
| WaPo: DOJ preparing antitrust probe for Apple, among others |
| | Filed under: Apple Corporate, Bad AppleApple, Google, Yahoo! and Genentech are subjects of a fresh antitrust investigation surrounding hiring and recruiting practices among companies in the tech industry, according to Washington Post staff writer Cecilia Kang.
"By agreeing not to hire away top talent, the companies could be stifling competition and trying to maintain their market power unfairly," antitrust experts said in the article. Hiring and recruiting can sometimes be a touchy affair, as Apple found out late last year when trying to hire Mark Papermaster. The investigation may suggest some kind of written agreement among large tech firms to not hire away each other's top talent.
According to the New York Times, Justice has only requested documents for the ongoing investigation. Neither the Justice Department nor any of the companies mentioned in the story had any comment.
This comes in addition to another Justice investigation into ties between the boards of directors of Apple and Google, and whether or not having Google CEO Eric Schmidt on both (and Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson on all three) constitutes antitrust violations. Some consider Apple and Google to be competitors in certain areas such as phone handsets.
The Obama administration is stepping up efforts to investigate anti-competitive activity among high-tech companies, and is already investigating Google's deal with book authors to republish their work via Google Books.
[Via AppleInsider]TUAWWaPo: DOJ preparing antitrust probe for Apple, among others originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/03/2009 4:19 PM (29d 10h 35m ago) |
| iTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patched |
| | Filed under: iTunes, Software Update, iPhone, iPod touchiTunes 8.2 just became available in Software Update. According to the update notes, "iTunes 8.2 now supports iPhone or iPod touch with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. iTunes 8.2 also includes many accessibility improvements and bug fixes." The update weighs in at 79.3 MB.
QuickTime 7.6.2 and GarageBand Update 5.0.2 also became available at the same time. In keeping with Apple's policy of full disclosure, there's not much information for users about what's in either of the updates, although subscribers to Apple's security notification list got an email with a list of 10 fixed vulnerabilities in the QT update (soon to be posted at Apple's security site and reproduced in the second half of this post). The GarageBand update "addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues [including] Improved purchasing experience for Artist Lessons in the GarageBand Lesson Store [&] Accessing installed Jam Packs in the loop browser." The update is required if you are purchasing lessons from the Lesson Store.The iTunes update is one more clear sign that iPhone 3.0 is just around the corner. Be sure to stay tuned to our coverage of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference next week for all your iPhone news!Continue reading iTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patchedTUAWiTunes 8.2 in Software Update, supports iPhone 3.0; QuickTime & GarageBand also patched originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/02/2009 5:04 PM (30d 9h 50m ago) |
| Apple Releases iTunes 8.2 and QuickTime 7.6.2 |
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Apple today released iTunes 8.2 via Software Update. The update adds support for iPhone OS 3.0, which is expected to be featured at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference next week and be released in the near future.iTunes 8.2 now ...
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| | 6/01/2009 8:44 PM (31d 6h 10m ago) |
| Spot the SPOD: Mac OS X rainbow cursor shows up in Pixar's "Up" |
| | Filed under: Humor, OS, Odds and endsBeing the Disney-Pixar fanatics that we are, my wife and I went to see Up Saturday night (in Disney Digital 3D, of course) at our local theater. Remembering the appearance of the Mac startup sound as Wall-E's waking noise in last year's Pixar epic, and the brief shot of an Apple-themed racer in Cars, I decided to look for Apple-themed Easter eggs in the movie. By the time we were at the end of the film, I was beginning to think that there weren't going to be any love letters to Apple in Up. The credits, featuring Russell's Wilderness Explorer merit badges floating by on a typed page, began to look somewhat promising. Sure enough, I spied a stylized and stationary "Spinning Pizza of Death," the dreaded Mac OS X wait cursor, on a merit badge just about at the end of the credits.
For those of you who are either Windows users or have been lucky enough to have never seen this infamous Mac icon (seen 3 times lifesize above), it's the Mac OS X equivalent of the hourglass in Windows. The SPOD (officially known as the Spinning Wait Cursor, A.K.A. the Beach Ball of Death or the Marble of Doom) appears when an application is not responding to events.
digg_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/31/spot-the-spod-in-up/';
If you go to see the movie (which you should; it's funny, action-filled, and great for absolutely any audience) be patient and sit through the credits. You'll be rewarded by the sight of a SPOD on the big screen (it's after the two nuclear merit badges). If you're an Up-aholic, you can also check out the Mac game or the $4.99US iPhone game (link opens iTunes).Update: Slashfilm has a photo of the SPOD (BBOD, MOD, take your pick...) merit badge in a detailed post about all of the Easter Eggs in Up.TUAWSpot the SPOD: Mac OS X rainbow cursor shows up in Pixar's "Up" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 31 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink ... |
| | 6/01/2009 4:33 PM (31d 10h 21m ago) |
| Some Macbook Pros are updated along with iWork '09 |
| | Filed under: Software Update, Macbook ProApple pushed out a couple of software updates late this afternoon. One is for regulating the fan speed under heavy loads on older MacBook Pro laptops.The other is a more general 42.7 MB update for iWork '09. This is the second software revision for the word processing, spreadsheet and presentation package. The update says it improves reliability when saving some iWork documents. It also fixes some issues when Keynote sessions are played back multiple times.Update: Users of Apple's pro video editing, photo and audio apps will also see the ProKit Update v4.5, which "improves reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express, Aperture, Logic Studio and Logic Express."Your software update option under the Apple menu should get you one or all updates. The MacBook Pro update is a firmware update, and it will start up automatically after a download. If you don't see this update, your laptop doesn't require it.Here are the included update instructions:To update the SMC firmware on your MacBook Pro:Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source.1. Quit all other open applications.2. Click Restart in the MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update window and wait for your computer to restart.The SMC firmware update starts automatically. A status bar indicates the progress of the update. During the update your computer fans will run at full speed, but will return to normal once the update completes.Important: Do not interrupt the update.Your computer restarts automatically when the update is completed and opens the MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update.3. Click OK. The SMC firmware is now up-to-date.If these instructions appear on your screen again, the SMC firmware update was not successful. Repeat steps 2 and 3.Thanks to Matt for the MacBook Pro tip!TUAWSome Macbook Pros are updated along with iWork '09 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple... |
| | 5/29/2009 7:52 PM (34d 7h 2m ago) |
| Businessweek puts Apple at top of Most Innovative list |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Hardware, Odds and endsBusinessweek has posted a list of what they call the top 50 most innovative companies in 2009, and guess who is sitting right at the top of the list. Sure enough, it's our favorite computer maker -- according to the survey, taken by "senior executives around the world," Apple is number one, and the reason listed by 47% of respondents is the products. Not that surprising, no? From the iPhone to the unibody MacBooks right up to the new Shuffles, Apple's products ooze new concepts and features and ideas.
Then again, Microsoft comes in at number four, and Wal-Mart is not far behind at number 10, and I don't know too many non-executives who would call those companies out for being "innovative," necessarily. But then again, both of them are being recognized for their "process," not their actual products. In terms of product, Apple is followed by Nintendo (no arguments there), Blackberry's RIM, and then Nokia.
So maybe Businessweek is just asking the wrong people. At any rate, congrats to Apple for topping the list (for the second year in a row), and we can't wait to see what's new in the next year.TUAWBusinessweek puts Apple at top of Most Innovative list originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/28/2009 4:13 PM (35d 10h 41m ago) |
| Apple quietly updates $999 MacBook, again -- goes back to school with free iPod touch |
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var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Apple_Quietly_Updates_999_Macbook_Again'; Shh, don't tell the press but Apple just bumped the specs on its entry-level white MacBook again. The bump measures in at just 0.13GHz on the processor, 133MHz more oomph from the DDR2 SDRAM, and an extra 40GB of disk space. Still more is more better especially when it's free $999. Apple also took the wraps off its back-to-school deal which nabs a decent discount on Macs (up to $200 off MacBook Pro) and tosses in a 8GB iPod touch (after $229 on-line rebate) to sweeten the deal.[Thanks, Jasper K. and Daniel]Read -- MacBook whiteRead -- back to schoolFiled under: Gaming, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable VideoApple quietly updates $999 MacBook, again -- goes back to school with free iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 May 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/27/2009 4:45 PM (36d 10h 9m ago) |
| Apple building server farm, secret lair in North Carolina |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Odds and ends, Xserve, AppleAs Mike mentioned in the news roundup yesterday, word is going around that the corporate overlords at Apple are planning to build a massive server farm in the state of North Carolina within the next decade or so. How do we know? Because the company is working on getting a few nice tax breaks to go along with the deal, eventually worth about $46 million if Apple fulfills their end of the agreement. Their end of the agreement being a huge investment of a whopping $1 billion (that's over 333,000 Xserves, if that is indeed what they're installing -- and we bet not) into an economy that could probably use it. What exactly will go in there? We aren't sure -- lawmakers say the investment is worth it, and obviously Apple isn't showing their cards.
[Note: the $1B investment figure is not an upfront number, but rather a total investment over the first 9 years of operation. -Ed.]
But the facility, once up and running, will start by employing at least 100 people, so that's a nice start. Google has apparently gone through the same deal with North Carolina recently, though their deal was a little smaller: $600 million investment for a server farm that opened last year.
More backend for Mobile Me? More power for the App Store or a project like it? A giant building full of Cubes running 24 hours a day? Or something we haven't even dreamt of yet?TUAWApple building server farm, secret lair in North Carolina originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/27/2009 3:35 PM (36d 11h 19m ago) |
| White MacBook specs quietly bumped |
| | Filed under: Hardware, MacBookApple released a stealth upgrade of the entry-level MacBook this morning. The white MacBook, still priced at $999USD, now has a 160GB hard drive, a 2.13GHz pr | | | | | | | | | |