Archives for May, 2006

Apple has officially announced the Intel processor based replacement for the iBook, and as expected its called MacBook:

• Intel Core Duo processor (same as in the MacBook Pro)
• 13 inch widescreen display
• 512MB memory
• Built-in iSight camera
• MagSafe power adapter
• Front Row and Apple remote
• iLife 06 and Mac OS X 10.4

There are three models:

• $1099: 1.83 GHz processor, 60GB hard drive, combo drive, WHITE
• $1299: 2.0 GHz processor, 60GB hard drive, SuperDrive, WHITE
• $1499: 2.0 GHz processor, 80GB hard drive, SuperDrive, BLACK

Yes, there is a black MacBook now. Shipping times are given as 1-5 business days for the two lower end models and 3-7 for the high end unit.

If my MacBook Pro experience is any indicator, these machines will be amazingly fast compared to the current PowerPC iBooks.

06-May-23 Update

Not content with simply tearing apart a brand new MacBook these enterprising Japanese Mac users used two of them to create a remixed, checkerboard keyboard:

• http://www.kodawarisan.com/k2006/archives/2006/05/macbookichimat1.html

OK, maybe not exactly the most ergonomic keyboard you’ll ever use but it certainly looks good.

Topic

An Apple Update by Dave Marra

Presenter

Dave Marra

When

Friday May 12th 2006, 7:30pm – 10pm

Where

Room M129, Building M, ACCC Mays Landing Campus

Join Dave Marra, Apple Senior Systems Engineer, for an exciting evening exploring the amazing new hardware and software products recently released from Apple. We will take an in-depth look at the brand new iMac and MacBook Pro, both running with Intel Core Duo processors. For the latest in exciting Apple software, we’ll have fun making podcasts with iLife ‘06–featuring significantly updated versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand and introducing the brand new iWeb! Finally, we will finish up with iWork ‘06, Apple’s updated productivity suite featuring Pages and Keynote, for creating professional-looking documents and simply stunning presentations. Be prepared for an exciting show!

Dave did a great job the last two times he appeared for our group so you definitely don’t want to miss this meeting.

(Presentation topics may change so be sure to verify on the day of the meeting. Got questions you’d like to have answered? Feel free to post them as comments before the meeting so the presenters have a chance to prepare.)

2006-May-15

A few photos from the meeting are available in the photo albums link in the sidebar. A few more will be appearing as soon as I resolve a Flickr issue.

This weekend might not be the best time to buy a shiny new iBook because there are several hints that Apple could be announcing its replacement, the non-pro MacBooks, next Tuesday (May 9th.) Its certainly not official but Apple has said they expect their entire line will be shipping with Intel processors by the end of the year so it has to happen some time.

2006-May-09 Update:

OK, so the rumors sites appear to have been wrong. I should have guessed Apple wouldn’t announce today because this is also the first day of E3, a major entertainment electronics show, and there are huge announcements from Nintendo (Wii), Sony (PS3) and Microsoft (Xbox 360). An Apple announcement would be lost amidst all that.

Tomorrow is another day.

Apple has created a whole new set of TV ads highlighting the differences between Mac and Windows computers:

• Get a Mac - Watch the TV Ads

and they’re really good.

OK, here we go again. Another round of experts and pundits informing us that we, as Mac users, now have just as many security problems as Windows users do. Rather than slog through a rebuttal myself I’ll just point you at John Gruber’s dissection of the latest attempt at Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt:

• Good Journalism

Nobody says we’re immune. Nobody says it can’t/won’t happen in the future. But even after years of dire predictions and over-hyped hysteria I safely run all of my Macs with no anti-virus/spyware/adware while a Windows user would be crazy to do so.

06-May-08 Update

Anti-virus vendor McAfee has joined the fun with the announcement of their new anti-virus support for Intel based Macs. Seems that “McAfee believes that hackers will increasingly point their digital ‘lock picks’ toward Mac OS X.” To which ZDNet UK has responded with this article:

• Reduce OS X security threats - ignore security software

sample quote:

Phew. At last, the world is safe from the thousands of Intel-specific Mac viruses, worms, trojans and other malware that make today’s OS X experience one long struggle against evil. Or it would be, were there any. Which there aren’t. Not one.

Damn that Reality, always ruining perfectly good hysteria.