Hello all I am glad to be the first one giving the answer to the over talked question WTF (Where's The FireWire) in the new MacBook well today I got to meet Jayson from Apple Canada at my work and I did ask him this question. Why is there no FireWire 400 Port in the new MacBook? now his answer was. Well what we found was that a lot of prosumers (Mainly video editiors) were thinking that the MacBook just did not have the same specs but thought it would run Pro software (Final Cut Studio 2, Logic Studio etc...) and they were complaining to Apple that these computers are stupid and then Apple says that you are trying to run software on computers that don't support it so they took out the FireWire port because they find that more and more video cameras are becoming USB based (Which I Think is the opposite) so it says to the Pros you are going to need a MBP to support your pro video cameras. So there you go there is your Answer but what I am still questioning is why they took the FireWire 400 port out of the MBP which they are trying to push the fact to get the MBP because it has FireWire when you have to buy an adapter to get the FireWire 400 port

so there ya go the explanation for the FireWire question

gokarter14

I know some writers are focusing on writing about  the new Apple laptops, or at least changes to the old ones. But, I'm going to talk about an Mp3 player that is in the shadow of the iPod, the Zune. The Zune I'm talking about is not a regular one, but a limited edition Gears of War 2 Zune, with a special look, and special content, like videos, pictures, and music that are already uploaded on the device. I personally have never liked Zunes, just iPods. Perhaps I'm starting to like the Zune because of the new update Microsoft had. Now you can get games on the Zune and buy music wirelessly. I have also started to like this particular Zune because of it's look, so if you are into Gears of War, and you need a new Mp3 player, you should definetly shy away from the traditional ipod and check this out. This item is scheduled to come out November 7th, 2008

Introduction, State of the Mac, NVIDEA Chips, and Glass Trackpads

    Steve Jobs took the stage at Apple’s Headquarters on October 14th, 2008, to introduce what we all knew to be a new line of laptops (from both the rumors and the invites). Overall I’d say the event was a huge success, they definitely released some cool an innovative stuff. That being said, I think there were a few key design flaws in their new lineup.

    First, Steve Jobs introduced Tim Cook, who came on stage to talk about how well the mac was doing, which they called “The State of the Mac” (kinda - like my article, except they only talked about the good stuff). Then Steve came on stage for a brief moment, to introduce Jony Ives. Ives started to talk about how Apple tries to build their products thin, light, and yet at the same time, durable. Jony continued to state how that with the multiple parts that make up the Mac, they couldn’t properly do this, so they had to figure out a better manufacturing process. This, lead into Ives introducing the new manufacturing process, that we’ve come to know as “the brick.” (The rumors were generally correct, except for the fact that these aren’t manufactured in the US.) The brick - carves out the computer from one brick of Aluminum, which makes it, like Ives stated, lighter, more durable, and all around better.

    After that, Steve once again took the stage to talk about the NVIDEA chips that we’ve all been expecting. Apparently NVIDEA came to Apple with the chips (originally as a desktop chip - but Apple wanted a powerful laptop chip) and according to Jobs, they’re 4-6 times more powerful! Amazingly the new NVIDEA GeForce 9400M is featured in all 3 of the Apple notebooks. (These new graphics cards are a very welcome addition to MacBook users.)

    Jobs also talked about the new glass trackpads that they’re introducing (these are the ones have been rumored for the last year or so). First off when you hear “glass,” don’t think it’s going to feel like your iPhone. The folks at Apple have textured the new trackpad so that its a “perfect balance” of how smooth it is and how much friction there is. Now, the glass trackpads, don’t actually have any buttons at all, however you can “click” the trackpad (another words the whole thing is a button). One thing that’s really cool about these trackpads are their ability to be customized, for example, just like on the old trackpads you can tap with two fingers to right click, but you can also set different “zones.” These “zones” will differentiate where the trackpad is clicked, so for example, one part of the trackpad can be left click and the other part right click. According to several reviews, the click feels exactly like the normal button does, and that if you’re not thinking about it, you shouldn’t even notice it. Overall, of course its going to take some getting used to, simply because of how many gestures there are, but just like with everything else Apple does, soon enough it’ll be second-nature. I think the new trackpad will eventually become a new “gold standard” in trackpads (maybe not right away, but it’ll get there).

MacBook Pro

    Finally, Steve introduced the new MacBook Pro, first of all it features the new uni-shell body that’s manufactured with Apple’s new “brick” process it uses 50% less of the parts that it used to, which makes it stronger and thinner (now .95”). (As for the weight it gained 0.1 of a pound - sooo no real difference there.) The new Macbook also features a 15” LED screen that’s covered with a black bordered glass, now the black border has gotten a lot of mixed feelings so far amongst the Apple crowd, along with the new black “tiled” keyboard (as seen on the MacBook Air). One thing that really surprised me was the MacBook Pro’s lack of ports, they dropped Firewire 400 (you can get an adapter that coverts the 800 to a 400), moved all the ports over to the left side, and changed the DVI port to a Mini-DisplayPort. However, besides that you still have your standard ports: MagSafe, Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 800, 2 USB, Audio In/Out, ExpressCard/34. Apple did however move the battery indicator up to the left side, and it now shows battery life in eight levels instead of the old, less accurate, four. One feature, Apple never mentioned was that the audio out jack now supports iPhone headphones, so your Mic and click-remote will work with your MacBook Pro.

    One change MacBook Pro users have been craving for, is better upgradability, especially with the hard drive ( on the old Pro,you literally had to disassemble the computer), and Apple certainly delivered. On the bottom there’s a lever, which releases a plate, here you can pull out the battery and swap out the Hard Drive (which is as simple as turning a screw). However, upgrading the ram, is more of a task than it used to be, but it’s nothing terrible. To upgrade the ram, you now need to undo eight screws, to remove the rest of the bottom casing, and there you can swap it out. One cool feature is when you lock the laptop from the security slot, you can’t access the bottom plate, which prevents Hard Drive theft.

    The MacBook Pro, doesn’t just come with the NVIDEA 94000M, it also comes with the 9600M GT, which is a more powerful card. Apple lets you toggle between the two graphics cards, from the Energy Saver preference pane, however when you do switch between the two, you’ll need to log out and then back in (a slight pain).

    Finally, the MacBook Pro comes in three configurations: 2.4GHz for $1999, 2.53GHz for $2499, both in 15”, and finally a 17” 2.5 GHz model for $2799. The configurations are pretty standard, but I’m not sure why Apple didn’t change the look of the 17” MacBook Pro and yet continued to sell it at a slower speed, for a higher price.

MacBook

    Now, we finally move on to the normal MacBook, which is Apple’s #1 selling Mac ever! (One interesting note, this is the first time Steve Jobs has ever introduced a normal MacBook.) Steve started off by saying that the 2.1GHz White MacBook will stay in production, but now selling for $999 (not as groundbreaking as we hoped, but not bad). However, Jobs also introduced 2 new configurations of the MacBook, which both feature the new uni-body design that was featured in the new MacBook Pro. However, unlike the MacBook Pro, the MacBook has 60% less components thanks to the uni-body design, which has made it a pound lighter at 4.5 pounds, and that same .5” thinner. Side-by-side, the new MacBook and MacBook Pro look identical. So, that means the MacBook features the same glass LED screen (except in 13.3”), the same black “chicklet” styled keyboard, and the same multi-touch trackpad. Also, the MacBook now features all of the same ports as the MacBook Pro, except for the loss of a FireWire port (much to the disappointment of video camera owners). Honestly, the loss of a FireWire 400 port was a bad move for Apple, but Apple customers tend to roll with the punches and get over the losses.

    The new MacBook’s speakers are now housed underneath the keyboard, which may or may not be a good thing, when it comes to quality and volume. The MacBook  also houses the battery, hard disk, and RAM the same way the MacBook Pro does. So, all in all, the MacBook is the same computer as the MacBook Pro (which is a good thing), with the exception of that FW800 port, and the  extra graphics card.

    The MacBook is available in 3 configurations: the 2.0 GHz model for $1299 (slower, yet $300 more than the white model), 2.1GHz plastic white model for $999, and finally the 2.4GHz model for $1599. However, the special thing about the high end 2.4GHz MacBook is that it features the backlit keyboard that Mac fans have been craving for, so if you’re willing to pay for the higher end model, this is definitely an incentive.

MacBook Air & LED Cinema Display

    As a few other side notes, the MacBook Air got an upgrade to its graphics card and hard drive, and like the MacBook and MacBook Pro, it got the new Mini-Display connector. Jobs, also announced a new LED Cinema Display, which is 24” for $899. However, it does come with a built in iSight, Speakers, 3 USB ports, and a Mag Safe so that you can power your laptop off it. (So, overall the display is nice, but kind of a rip off considering you can get a display with the same quality, size, and features for around three to four-hundred dollars less.) 

Also, feel free to check out my website - here - where you can find some of my older content - and my Twitter transcript of the Keynote.

Q: Are you Interested in the brand new Macbook? 

If your answer was "YES" then watch this video to learn a bit more about apple's stunning new laptop.

Will you be in line to buy the new Macbook or Macbook Pro?

UPDATE! For those of you who know that this post was taken off for 'plagiarism' It was a mistake. Jon thought that I had stolen it from another website, when in fact, that other website, was mine. Lol. I understand that it would be difficult to know that the other site was mine. I apologize, Jon.

Hey guys, it's Giles. I know that you guys have probably all seen what came out of Steve Job's Keynote earlier today, so I'll not be going over all of that. I'll first be comparing the rumors to what actually happened. Then, I will be expressing my opinions on the new apple products.

Rumors vs. Turnout
1. First, we have the rumors of Apple developing an HDTV that supports content streaming with iTunes. This originally came from TUAW, and of course, didn't happen.
2. Then, we have the slot loading Blu-Ray drives in the new Macbook Pros, and possibly in the Macbooks. This came from Kevin Rose, and didn't happen.
3. There was the rumor of Macbook's getting Nvidia chipsets, which actually did happen.
4. We have that of the Macbooks becoming aluminum, and the Macbook Pros getting a redesign. This was pretty much given, so of course it happened.

There were slight rumors of the Larger, Glass Trackpads on both Laptops(Macbook, Macbook Pro). I was following the updates in class, and I got so surprised about these, that my face went all weird, and everyone stared. It was a very awkward moment...


Anyway, those were a few of the rumors, now getting onto the products themselves. I'm going to be moving up the line(lowest price, to highest).

Macbook:
I was quite disappointed at Apple's choice to continue selling the white Macbook. I thought that they would continue with three models(updated designs etc.) but with lower prices. Although, the new Macbooks do look very elegant. I love the aluminum exterior, and the black bezel around the beautiful, new LED display. I have mixed feelings about the black keys on the aluminum case. This happened to me at the unveiling of the Macbook Air, and I still don't like it too much. As I said earlier, I was surprised when I saw the glass trackpads, and I think it will take some getting used to, for a lot of people, for the button being under the trackpad. I'm impressed, and very glad that they chose to include Nvidia chipsets, instead of the integrated graphics. Overall, I would give the brand new aluminum Macbook a 7 out of 10.

Macbook Air:
There weren't a whole lot of changes here, but the major one, was the disk space increases. The baseline configuration starts now with a 120gb SATA drive. The better version, provides a much larger(than before), 128gb Solid State Drive. I've used those before, and boy, do they run fast! I give it a 7 out of 10 because they didn't upgrade the clock speeds, which makes me a bit aggravated.

Macbook Pro:
This is where it gets good. Very, very good. The Macbook Pros are amazing. I love the design which is extremely similar to the Macbook. Again, I'm not happy that they are continuing with the older model as the 17". But what are you going to do, I'm sure it'll be different by the time MacWorld is over! I'm also quite disappointed that the prices for the new Pros haven't decreased. I love that they offer the availability for SSD. The trackpad with new four-finger gestures looks incredible. I would have no problem getting used to the full trackpad button, but I think that some people would, like I mentioned before. I have a magnetic latch on my Toshiba tablet, and I'm proud of Apple for adding it to the Pros. I'm looking forward to seeing how the backlight works on the chicklet-key keyboard(which, by the way is my favorite keyboard yet). I like the option for 2.8ghz for the higher end 15". I'm going to give it a 9 out of 10.

Apple LED Cinema Display:
What were they thinking! I don't know what the folks in Cupertino were thinking when designing the display. Don't get me wrong, I like the design, but why wouldn't they put in regular ports! They are no longer compatible with every Mac unless you buy an adapter! Ths makes me angry. On a more positive note, the black bezel looks amazing. THe display looks just like the 24" iMac, but without the gigantic chin for all of the computer components. I give it a 3.5 out of 10 because of the loss of ports.

All together, the Apple announcements were pleasing, but a few crucial things were left out. These include the absence of Blu-Ray, the cinema display not having  a full set of inputs, the prices of the Macs not dropping too much, and the old Macbook and Macbook Pros not being discontinued. Thank for reading. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me at either: im@gilesvg.com or giles@equaltechnews.com. It doesn't matter which one!

P.S. I will be making a video on the event very shortly, covering a lot of the information mentioned in this post. Keep watching youtube.com/gilesvang!

There is a lot of news spiraling around the web. Wouldn't it be nice if all that information was condensed into one easy to digest place? Wouldn't it even be nicer if there was a video that had all the major information about the event? Well, there is. Bellow is a 10 minute video that covers all the major announcements from the new unibody design to the great new graphics engine to the new pricing information.

So, do you like the new design or would you have preferred a lower pricing structure? Leave your input in the comments.

title says it all, heres the link :)

http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/0810rtdws876/event/index.html

Thanks,

George. 

  

Meet the next generation of notebooks 

 

Hey Everyone, really quick, I know some of you were wondering what sites were posting live-updates and what time the event starts:

Times:

07:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
09:00PM - Moscow
02:00AM - Tokyo (October 15th)

Live Coverage Sites:

Engadget

Ars Technica

Gizmodo

CNET

Macworld

One more thing ;-)

If you kinda want a "Mesh" of all of these sites - I will be updating my Twitter with a live "stream" of what's going on, which you can find here

Wow that is one sweet machine.  Will you be getting one?

UPDATE: There appears to be no mouse button. Weird. 

UPDATE 2: Rumors are swirling that this may be another photoshop job. As always, take with a grain of salt.

Do you think Apple will reveal glass trackpads
Yes No Dont Care I want them but dont think they will be released
	Results