MacBook Pro battery flies off the handle, busts wide open

Here’s the thing: that horrifically swollen, completely destroyed battery you’re peering at above isn’t as rare a sight as it should be. If you’ll recall, we’ve personally covered at least four MacBook Pro battery explosions, and we’ve also seen a similar amount of volatility over on the PC side. The story behind this one is as follows: a 17-inch (non-unibody) MBP owner was using his machine on a desk (thankfully), when suddenly an odd noise began to increase in volume; following that, the entire machine “jumped up” slightly and turned off, and this battery is to blame. Oh, and if this all-too-commonplace occurrence happens to you next, let’s hope you aren’t actually using your laptop on your, um, lap.

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MacBook Pro battery flies off the handle, busts wide open originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro: big cat’s faster, 7 is better for games

CNET have taken the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Snow Leopard for a spin around a 2008 MacBook Pro, and produced a decent first peek at comparative performance. Of course, there are significant provisos to get through first — it’s only one machine, running on Apple’s drivers, testing mostly Apple applications, and the two systems default to different versions of QuickTime — but we can still glean some indication of where the two heavyweights are relative to one another. Snow Leopard appeared consistently quicker in time-based tests, with faster bootups, shutdowns and MP3 encoding, but Windows 7 showed its muscle in producing better frame rates in games and a significant advantage in Cinebench rendering. Battery life was found to be distinctly better under Snow Leopard, but we’d put that down to the underlying hardware being optimized for OS X. Hit the read link for the full testing procedures and more of those old school bar charts — it should get you well prepped for the forthcoming flood of similar head-to-heads once WIndows 7 officially ships next week.

[Via Apple Insider]

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Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro: big cat’s faster, 7 is better for games originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Envy Hands On: MacBook Pro Clone Better Than the Real Thing?

It looks like a MacBook Pro. It feels like a MacBook Pro—aluminum body, chiclet keys, even a buttonless trackpad. But the Envy’s got an HP logo etched onto its lid. And it might just be better.

Don’t act surprised that the Envy 13 and 15 have chiclet keyboards and buttonless multitouch trackpads because HP certainly isn’t hiding the fact that they absolutely stole their look and ergonomics from the Macbook Pros. The $1,700 13-inch Envy isn’t as powerful as the $1,800 Envy 15‘s mobile Core i7 processor, but it’s more like a MacBook Air at just over 3 pounds, and its beautiful screen has been in my dreams. Neither are as strong as the MacBook Pro’s unibody though—they’re a bit more flexy, but if unibodies rated a 9, these would be a 7 or 8.

Envy 13
The Envy 13 is almost more Air than Pro, at .8-inches thin and 3.74 pounds. (The Air is .76 inches thick and weighs 3 pounds.) Its screen, framed by the same style glossy black bezel as the unibody MacBook family, is absolutely stunning. Dubbed HP Radiance, the 410-nit display is apparently two times as bright as other LED displays and it looks it. Apple doesn’t list the MacBook Pro’s display brightness in nits, but the Envy’s display definitely looked brighter and clearer.

It pulls the dual processor trick the 13-inch Pros don’t, with switchable ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics and an Intel ultra low voltage Core 2 Duo processor inside. Its removeable battery promises 7 hours of battery life, however its add-on extra battery is sweet: It magnetically clips to the bottom of the notebook to make it look like it is part of the actual build. HP promises 18 hours of juice with that thing clipped on. Did I mention it has Dr. Dre’s fingers all over it with Beats Audio integration?

Envy 15
Where the Envy 13 leaves off in performance the Envy 15 picks up. The 15.6-inch version looks pretty similar to the 13, but is laser etched all around (on the palmrest and the lid) and lacks the flush glass display with the high-quality Radiance technology. But it’ll outperform pretty much any other laptop out there so far, since it’ll have Intel’s next generation mobileCore i7 processors, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics and support for up to 16GB of RAM. The beast will also have two hard drive bays, which you can fill with SSDs. But it’s still only an inch thick and 5.18 pounds, making it that much more impressive.

Both will be available on October 15, though it’s probably worth waiting the extra week for Windows 7.

HP Redefines the Premium Notebook PC with ENVY
Precision-crafted, high-performance notebooks are bright, thin,deliver superb experience

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2009 – HP today redefines the premium notebook PC experience with the introduction of the HP ENVY sub-brand, which offers customers precision-crafted, high-performance models featuring HP Metal Etching and concierge service and support.

The new HP ENVY 13 boasts the brightest display in its class, and the HP ENVY 15 is the company’s fastest consumer notebook PC ever. “HP ENVY includes the latest in materials and technology inside and out and pushes the technological and performance boundaries of what can be done in sleek, powerful and lightweight notebook PCs,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Discerning consumers will get a premium experience and performance.”

With HP ENVY, the focus is on designing an entire premium experience to satisfy the most demanding customers – from the products to the packaging to the service and support.

Breakthrough HP Metal Etching on the lid and palmrest of the ENVY 15, and on the palmrest of the ENVY 13, subtly signals luxury. The combination of materials provides exceptional mobility and a compelling metal look and feel, while
using energy-responsible manufacturing methods.

The HP ENVY line – building upon the Voodoo ENVY legacy – includes leadingedge components optimized to yield power and performance. HP partnered with Beats by Dr. Dre to develop a unique, high-performance subsystem tuned
for today’s music and available exclusively on the HP Envy: Beats Audio. Envy users will feel the music – not just listen – and enjoy music the way the artist intended.

The lightweight heavyweight: ENVY 13
The ENVY 13 balances style and substance. Carefully crafted details inside and out will satisfy the cravings of demanding mobile customers.

The HP Radiance display is twice as bright as other notebook displays in its class – 410 nit (a measurement of display brightness) – and provides an exceptional movie and photo experience, even in high ambient light conditions. With 82
percent color gamut (versus standard 45-60 percent), photos appear richer with amazing color depth. Additionally, with fast 8-millisecond response time, customers can view movies with TV-like performance.

The ENVY 13’s strong performance is delivered in a small frame – less than an inch thin and weighing 3.74 pounds.(1) The exterior’s aluminum and magnesium construction provides durability in a sleek design. An etched-metal palmrest
further sets the PC apart from others, and a VGA webcam(3) optimized for low light also is included.

HP placed the same focus on design into its optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery. Taking the form of a “slice,” it preserves the sleek look of the ENVY 13 while giving users up to 18 hours of battery life with the extended-life battery.(2) The standard battery is user-replaceable. ATI Switchable Graphics technology dynamically switches between ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4330 discrete graphics and the Intel® integrated graphics processor for either high-powered graphics processing or low power consumption for long battery life without booting the notebook. The Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor provides the power of dual processor cores while delivering extended battery life when the notebook is unplugged.

Designed with the most demanding mobile user in mind, the ENVY 13 notebook’s premium AC adapter is small and light. It draws minimal power, has built-in surge protection and includes a rubberized strap that keeps the cables
organized and the adapter from slipping off a slick surface. An optional HP USB Ethernet Adapter also is available.

The performance powerhouse: ENVY 15
This lean, mean, dream machine is HP’s fastest consumer notebook. The full metal case features a sleek, subtly crafted, laser-etched metal design on the lid that is repeated on the palmrest. The magnesium alloy casing provides
lightweight durability in a 1-inch thin, 5.18-pound package. (1)Customers have maximum speed and mobility with the future Intel Core i7 processor(4) and up to 16 gigabytes (GB) of DDR3 1,066-MHz system memory in four SODIMM memory slots. Versatile storage options include the ability to add two solid-state drives in a RAID-0 configuration to improve the overall speed of the ENVY 15 while providing excellent disk performance. Creative users will appreciate the ENVY 15 notebook’s performance and full versions of Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo X2 and Corel VideoStudio® Pro X2 for creating photo and video content.

Power users and gamers can take advantage of premium graphics performance via ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics with 1 GB of dedicated video memory for visually intense applications, DirectX® 10.1 games and highdefinition video playback.

A choice of two 15.6-inch HP Brightview high-resolution LED backlit displays, including the Full High Definition LED HP Ultra BrightView Widescreen Display with up to 300-nits brightness, provides a superb display experience for a
notebook in this class. A Nightvision VGA webcam that is optimized for low-light or zero-light conditions is standard on the HP ENVY 15, incorporating an infrared LED that assists the webcam(3) by providing the necessary illumination in dark environments.

The ENVY 15 has an optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery, giving users up to seven hours of battery life.(2)

Designing the ENVY experience
The HP ENVY line includes a 360-degree approach to product design – from the products to the packaging:
• Building upon HP’s success with instant-on technology, HP QuickWeb allows customers to access key applications without booting the PC. In less than 30 seconds, users can access the Internet, music, videos and photos, and
email.(3)
• HP Clickpad integrates the buttons into the touchpad and allows for fluid movements, while also allowing users to disable the clickpad if desired.
• The keyboard’s direct-action keys (versus typical function keys) allow users to quickly access often-used commands such as print and volume adjustment.
• Minimal desktop clutter and trial software adds to notebooks’ simplicity.
• An optional external optical drive complements the ENVY design and gives users the flexibility to carry the extra weight only when necessary. Two USB ports also transform the drive into a dock for additional capability.
• The ENVY 13 and 15 are presented in streamlined paper carton boxes using minimal ink. Included in the packaging is a simplified setup poster and documentation contained within an SD card.

Concierge service and support
The ENVY experience extends to premium service and support via the awardwinning HP Total Care program. This includes expert agents dedicated to addressing ENVY customers’ questions via phone, online chat and email as well
as next-day shipping for hardware customer service.

Pricing and availability
The HP ENVY 13 and ENVY 15 are expected to be available in the United States on Oct. 18 with a starting price of $1,699 and $1,799, respectively.(5) Register for availability notification at www.hpdirect.com/go/newfromhp.
Additional information about HP ENVY is available at www.hp.com/go/ENVY.

[HP]

Video: crooks clean out New Jersey Apple store in 31 impressive seconds

And you thought making off with 39 iPods in 15 seconds was something to behold. After studying said crooks in Utah, a trained team of larcenists headed over to Apple’s Sagemore location in Marlton, New Jersey in order to one-up the duo by snagging even more goods in under a minute. As the surveillance shows, a single blunt object decimated the iconic glass doorway and enabled five hyped-up thieves to enter, snag 23 MacBook Pros, 14 iPhones and 9 iPod touches, and head for the hills — all in just 31 seconds. Look, we aren’t trying to glamorize crime or anything, but this is the stuff GTA heists are made of. Head on past the break for a look at the video, and please, don’t try to replicate this at your nearest Apple store (without wearing a head-mounted camcorder and hooking us up with the footage, of course).

[Via TUAW, thanks Mike]

Continue reading Video: crooks clean out New Jersey Apple store in 31 impressive seconds

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Video: crooks clean out New Jersey Apple store in 31 impressive seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Posts MacBook Pro Hard Drive Fix

apple logo.jpgApple has posted Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0, which will apparently solve the odd “infrequent” noises that some users had experienced with the June 2009 release of the MacBook Pro, according to Apple. The drive noises were only experienced with the 7,200-RPM version of the hard drives.

The noises were described as short beeps, according to reports.

“To complete the firmware update process, please follow the instructions
in the updater application (/Applications/Utilities/Hard Drive
Update.app),” Apple says.

The new hard drive firmware is listed as “0007APM2”.

Apple Adds Antiglare Screen Option to MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro Antiglare Option

Apple has quietly reintroduced matte displays on its line of 15-inch MacBook Pros, available as a $50 addition at checkout you’re when ordering directly from Apple’s Web site. The new antiglare display with matte finish is ideal for photographers and other print-based art professionals, as calibrating a glossy display for accurate color is not always possible, making it difficult to match the on-screen colors to printed results.

Over the past two years, Apple has reintroduced its entire line of products with glossy displays, with the unibody MacBook Pros and latest Apple Cinema Display dropping their matte finishes. Glossy displays may look better when you’re browsing the Web or watching a movie, but many professionals prefer the accuracy of a matte display over the boosted color and contrast of a glossy display. The new antiglare display will include a silver bezel, such as those found on previous-generation aluminum MacBook Pros, while the glossy displays will retain their shiny black border.

Apple reinstates matte display option on 15-inch MacBook Pro, charges $50 for it

We’d heard just under a month ago that Apple was mulling the possibility of adding matte display options to more than just its flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro, and lo and behold, it seems the anti-glare revolution has begun. Starting now (like, right now), those in the market for a new unibody 15-inch MacBook Pro can order one directly from Apple with an anti-glare widescreen display, packing 1,440 x 900 pixels and a LED backlight. Sadly, the privilege will run you an extra $50 over the traditional mirrored glossy panel, and it will replace that svelte borderless look present on glossy MBPs with a silver frame bezel (check here to see just what we mean). A brief look around Apple‘s international sites also shows it available elsewhere in the world for similar amounts, though we’re still curious as to what machine will be next in line for the upgrade, er, “option.”

[Thanks, Pascal and Khattab]

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Apple reinstates matte display option on 15-inch MacBook Pro, charges $50 for it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Owners, iSkin Has You Covered

iSkinProTouch.jpg

Liquids and electronics don’t mix. Some of us have learned that the hard way. If you’ve got an Apple MacBook, look to iSkin’s new lines of ProTouch keyboard protectors to keep liquid, crumbs, and germs out of your circuitry.

All three lines fit MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and MacBook Airs. They’re made of silicone and include bacteria-killing Microban protection. The lowest cost model, the ProTouch Classic, has a clear frosted look and sells for $24.99.

The next level up is the ProTouch FX, which lets your keyboard’s backlighting show through. Also, the keys are outlined with a glow-in-the-dark pigment so they’ll glow blue in the dark. The ProTouch FX sells for $29.99 and comes in three colors.

The top model is the ProTouch Vibes. This cover has keyboard shortcuts printed on the keys and has a larger font for easy viewing. Vibes comes in four colorful designs, each featuring big polka dots, and sells for $34.99.

All ProTouch models are sold only through the iSkin online store.

Apple considering matte option on more Macs?

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple might be moving toward providing anti-glare options on more of its Macs, a move that would undoubtedly bring joy to anyone opposed to unbearable glare when using their machine in anything more illuminated than an underground cavern. The company moved to glossy displays on its iMac offerings, and then added them to both its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros back in October at its Spotlight turns to Notebooks event, leaving only the 17-inch MacBook Pro with an anti-glare option. AppleInsider quotes people “familiar” with the company, who say that Apple is considering the option in response to its core business customers, and that the most likely candidates for the anti-glare treatment would be the 13- and 15-inch laptops. Do it, Apple — do it for love, do it for ocular relief.

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Apple considering matte option on more Macs? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colorware offers up $6,000 Stealth MacBook Pro: it’s really dark

Colorware‘s well known for offering up all sorts of consumer electronics in all sorts of hues, but the outfit has definitely stepped up its game with the Stealth MacBook Pro. This limited edition piece is an all-black 15-inch MacBook Pro with a matte display, 3.06GHz CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 256GB SSD, an 8x SuperDrive, zero gloss finish and a SofTouch coating that’ll make it downright impossible for your fingers to stop stroking it. Reportedly, these will be limited to just ten units, and each one will cost a not-at-all affordable $5,999. See Apple, this is what you get when you voluntarily axe the BlackBook. Opportunity, lost.

[Via Engadget Polska]

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Colorware offers up $6,000 Stealth MacBook Pro: it’s really dark originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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