Hasta La Gadget!

Each June, just like clockwork, Apple refreshes its MacBook Air line — sometimes with a new design, and always with brand new processors. Well, today is June 10th, and it’s the start of WWDC, which means it’s time to bring out the 2013 models. The company just unveiled the new 11- and 13-inch Airs, both of which step up to Haswell CPUs and 802.11ac WiFi, and also promise significantly longer battery life. In particular, the 11-inch model claims nine hours of runtime, up from five, while the 13-incher is said to last 12 hours (up from seven). As for processing performance, you get fourth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, along with Intel HD 5000 graphics, which should translate to 40 percent faster graphics, according to Apple.

The one thing we can’t glean from Apple’s brief tease at WWDC is whether these new models boast higher-res screens than the previous-generation models. (We feel like Apple would make that clear if that were the case, no?) On the plus side, both models now come standard with 128GB SSDs (as opposed to 64 gigs on the 11-inch model). They’re available today, with the 11-inch version still priced from $999, and the 13-incher starting at $1,099.

Update: The Apple Store is once again live, which means we’ve had a chance to look at the product page for the new MacBook Air. As we suspected, the screen resolution has not changed.

Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.

Filed under: Apple

Comments

Source: Apple

The glitzy sheen of that Retina Display MacBook Pro or MacBook Air probably tarnished a little when you realized you’d need to sacrifice a USB or Thunderbolt if you wanted Ethernet connectivity. Just in time for Macworld, Kanex is shuttling out DualRole, a three-port USB 3.0 hub and Ethernet adapter that’ll swell your connectivity options while on the road. Bus-powered, you can also add a 5v power adapter to juice your gadgets at the same time. It’ll set you back $69 and is available from right about now.

Filed under: Peripherals, Networking, Apple

Comments

It just wouldn’t be a major Apple launch if there wasn’t a Microsoft executive calling out his old rival, would it? In a chat with AllThingsD, Windows division lead Steven Sinofsky has expressed doubts that Apple’s iPad mini is really a cost-effective pick against the just-launched Windows 8. It’s a $329 “recreational tablet” when there are work-ready Windows 8 laptops that cost $279, he says. He added that there are at least a few touchscreen Ultrabooks that could undercut the non-touch MacBook Air on price, and he ascribed the difference as much to “engineering” as the cost-cutting measures you’d expect.

Sinofsky was naturally just as keen to champion the advantages for work that Windows RT tablets like the Surface have when competing more directly with iPads, alluding to that Office bundle which hopefully keeps us more productive than a copy of Documents To Go. The company President would certainly disagree with Apple chief Tim Cook’s view that Surface is a confused product, calling it a “PC for everyone” that just doesn’t have to be used all the time. He makes valid points on the sheer value for money that you can get from both Windows PCs and tablets, although it would only be fair to mention that he didn’t touch on the currently low Windows RT app selection, or if the OS was exactly what the market wanted — we’d do well to remember that Microsoft alumni have a spotty track record when it comes to predicting Apple’s destiny.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Software, Apple, Microsoft

Microsoft’s Sinofsky says Windows 8 PCs can undercut Apple’s ‘recreational’ iPad mini originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  AllThingsD  | Email this | Comments

Apple gave eco-friendly computer fans a brief jolt this July after it backed out of EPEAT certification, only to restore most devices just days later. While we can’t say we’re completely shocked at the follow-up, EPEAT has confirmed that at least one “ultra-thin” laptop from Apple has just cleared the verification process. The as yet unnamed system is more likely to be a Mac that had already earned the recycling-friendly rating in the past, such as the MacBook Air, rather than a sudden turnaround for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The look wasn’t exclusively devoted to the Mac side, though — EPEAT cleared Apple’s computer as part of a wider test that also greenlit extra-thin portables from Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba. We’ve reached out to get a more definitive list, but the approvals should ease the minds of those worried that ever-slimmer laptops are forcing us to give up our green efforts.

Continue reading Apple, other thin laptop makers pass latest round of EPEAT tests after summer mini-drama

Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo

Apple, other thin laptop makers pass latest round of EPEAT tests after summer mini-drama originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn’t nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today we’re getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops — and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of August we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — you can hit up the hub page right here!

Given their roots — luxury machines like the original MacBook Air ($1,800) and last year’s Samsung Series 9 ($1,649) — you’d be forgiven if you initially dismissed Ultrabooks as being too extravagant for a college-bound student. Thankfully, though, prices have sunk so low that you can now find a thin, fast, ultraportable laptop for as little as $700. The only problem, perhaps, is a paradox of choice: the selection is already crowded with dozens of contenders, and there are 100-some-odd more models in the pipeline, according to Intel. Fortunately for you, dear readers, we’ve had the chance to handle or even review many of them, and were able to whittle down the offerings to a handful of promising contenders. Whether you’re prepared to spend $750 or $1,400, we have something that’ll fit the bill.

Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: ultraportables

Filed under: Laptops

Engadget’s back to school guide 2012: ultraportables originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments