Oct 04

Google AdSense leaks Apple’s refreshed iMac, Mac mini, Macbook?

Posted in: Apple, imac, Mac, macbook, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili
This one is for all you online tea leaf readers and Apple SKU / crystal ball aficionados: Further confirming our suspicion that something more affordable may be on the horizon, Google AdSense this weekend started serving users in the Netherlands with ads for new iMacs, MacBooks, and Mac minis. Pointing to a dead link at the country’s Apple Store, the ads read (via Google Translate): “Apple’s Newest MacBook. Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today,” “The Brand new iMac. Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only €1099 (roughly $1,603). Apple Store,” and “Apple’s New Mac mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499 ($723). Order immediately.” (For a little perspective, that’s €100 ($145) less than the cheapest Mac mini currently on the Netherlands online store.) Granted, whenever peeping purported translations from foreign tipsters we’re always half-afraid that we’re actually reading Celine Dion lyrics or dialogue from Caddyshack, but this one seems to be the real deal — for whatever that’s worth.

Update: Apple’s “New Mighty Mouse” advertised as well.

[Thanks, Ronald V.]

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Google AdSense leaks Apple’s refreshed iMac, Mac mini, Macbook? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 27

Apple about to unveil refreshed plastic MacBooks?

Posted in: Apple, laptop, Mac, macbook, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili

The white plastic MacBook has been looking pretty lonely at the bottom of Apple’s lineup ever since all the unibodies went Pro, but we’d been hearing Apple had some grand plans for the low-end — and now AppleInsider says revised MacBooks in a thinner, sleeker shell have hit manufacturing and could launch “in the coming weeks” alongside that rumored iMac refresh. AI also says there are hints at a new-school integrated battery and a white plastic case, but we’ll see what happens — anyone think Apple might cut prices below $999?

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Apple about to unveil refreshed plastic MacBooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 22

20 Years Ago: Apple Hatches the Macintosh Portable

Posted in: Apple, macbook, Notebooks, Today's Chili

3406558429_f89a3832caStep aside, Bilbo Baggins and Frodo: Here at Gadget Lab we don’t care that today’s your birthday. We’re more psyched about the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh Portable, the first portable Macintosh.

That’s right: The ancestor of those slick MacBooks we see today was a bulky, clamshell device sporting a 10-inch monochrome screen. Apple released the Macintosh Portable on Sept. 20, 1989, and it wasn’t a hot seller: It cost $6,500 at the time ($11,313 in today’s dollars), and it weighed 16 pounds. Apple, and the entire tech industry, sure has come a long way.

The tech community this week has been celebrating this important gadget’s anniversary. Technologizer has posted a teardown looking at the insides of the Macintosh Portable, and both Ars Technica and Macworld reminisce on the most significant Mac laptops in history.

So, Mac users: What’s your favorite Mac laptop? The 12-inch PowerBook G4 perhaps? The current unibody MacBook Pro? My favorite was the 12-inch iBook G3 (500MHz): As a student at the time, this machine was the perfect size and weight for me to tote around everywhere. I was quite fond of this notebook before the logicboard crapped out completely.

Photo: Vokabre/Flickr


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Sep 16

Analyst: Apple Releasing New Macs to Compete With Windows 7

Posted in: Apple, imac, macbook, Today's Chili

Is Apple on the defensive with the impending release of Windows 7? Research firm Wedge Partners claims that the company is getting ready to release new iMac and Macbook models in “the next several weeks.”

There doesn’t appear to be a ton of information to back up such claims. The firm asserts that the Macbook redesign “is likely to be limited” and the new iMac will feature a “thinner, organic design, likely with smoothed or rounded edges,” according to Barrons.

In all, Apple seems unlikely to hold another huge event this close to the recent iPod announcement.

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Sep 15

HP’s New Notebooks Target Hipsters, Fashionistas

Posted in: HP, macbook, Notebooks, portable, Today's Chili

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HP has combined sleek, brushed metal and colorful, fluttering butterflies into a new collection of designer notebooks that will hit stores later this year.

With a new 13-inch and 15-inch laptop that pack in some powerful specs in a slim body, the company took a shot at the ultra-thin notebooks category. The new slim laptops will carry the the ‘Envy’ brand and are targeted at road warriors and executives who want a full-sized notebook without the heft.

Separately , HP also showed a new netbook design from Vivienne Tam on the catwalks at the New York Fashion Week. HP has a long-standing partnership with Tam who designed an earlier version of the HP Mini netbook.

Over the last year, the ultra-thin notebooks category has caught on among PC makers.  Apple created a stir with the MacBook Air, a laptop introduced in January 2008 and cleverly presented as slim enough to fit inside a manila envelope.  Earlier this year, Dell released the Adamo, a notebook with a 13.4-inch display, 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2-GB memory and 128-GB solid state drive for prices starting at $2000.

Envy 13 has HP hopes to beat those specs. The  $1700 Envy 13 has a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 3GB RAM and 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU. It will come with a 250GB hard drive and and an external DVD-RW drive

At 3.74 pounds, the Envy 13 is heavier than the MacBook Air’s 3 pounds but lighter than Adamo’s 4 pounds. Still for an ultra-thin that little extra weight on the Envy comes as a surprise and can be annoying.

Though HP has dropped the ‘Voodoo’ brand from these laptops, the PCs carry the Voodoo legacy forward in looks and design. The brushed metal look, subtle etchings around the keypad and the square edges are very reminiscent of the HP 13.3-inch Voodoo Envy laptop released last year.  But that also means a sense of deja vu–there’s nothing in here to surprise potential buyers.

What is new is the optional Slim Fit extended life battery, a neat slab of power that snaps on to the bottom of the Envy 13 and doubles the standard seven-hour battery life.

The $1800 Envy 15 is heavier at 5.18 lbs and come with Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB memory and a 15.6 inch display.

The two laptops are expected to be available starting October 18.

Separately, the company showed off a ‘digital clutch’ at Vivienne Tam’s fashion show at Bryant Park in New York. The HP Vivienne Tam digital clutch is expected to be available in spring 2010.

Check out more photos the Vivienne Tam digital clutch

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Top Photo: HP Envy 13/HP


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Sep 03

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

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, iphone 3g, Iphone3g, ipod, ipod touch, IpodTouch, legal, macbook, macbook pro, MacbookPro, Today's Chili

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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Aug 26

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

Posted in: Apple, kirf, laptop, macbook, macbook air, MacbookAir, netbook, Today's Chili, ultraportable
If we’ve learned one thing ’round here, it’s that the KIRFsters love taking on Apple. And you know, at first glance this KIRFacious take on the MacBook Air doesn’t seem half bad. Of course, check it out in profile and it looks a lot more like your average netbook than it does Cupertino’s ultraportable — but at least the shanzai manufacturer in question as thrown in a few things that were neglected in the original, including: two USB ports, a removable battery, and a PCIe slot for a 3G module. That said, they also went with an 11.1-inch display (as opposed to the Air’s 13-incher), which could be a good thing or not, depending on your POV. Of course, with a 1.6GH Atom processor and 1GB RAM, this thing isn’t exactly a workhorse, though it’s safe to assume that the price point will fall far below that of the “real deal.” But don’t take our word for it — check out a couple more views of the thing after the break.

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

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Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 26

Rumor: Plastic Macbooks Getting Refresh

Posted in: Apple, macbook, Today's Chili

When Apple began selling the unibody version of its Macbook, common wisdom held that the company was in the process of phasing out the older plastic version of the computer, selling remaining models for a discounted price. Word on the street, however, is that Apple is bringing back the plastic Macbook in a big way.

This is another one of those “anonymous sources” stories–but heck, that’s pretty much all Apple stories these days, right? There’s not a lot of details from said anonymous sources at this point, but the new plastic version are expected to retain aw low sticker price, using older components.

Tablet rumors aside, this may be the closest we get to Apple netbooks. The rumors actually make a bit of sense, all things considered. After all, in spite of the current economic climate, Apple has shifted its entire Macbook line (save for the aforementioned older plastic version and the also expensive Air) into the Pro line.

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Aug 25

Polycarbonate MacBook to live on, be redesigned?

Posted in: Apple, macbook, refresh, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili

It might seem like Apple’s been ignoring its non-Pro MacBook line lately — even doing hardware updates on the sly — but consumers haven’t, and they’ve been lapping up that solitary SKU with unabated enthusiasm. No surprise then that Cupertino would have bigger plans on the horizon, and AppleInsider claims Apple’s engineers are already hard at work on an “industrial design overhaul” for the humble 13-incher, with some configurations expected to come in under the current $999 price point. Great news if you’re lusting after a Mac, but still want to be able to buy groceries — right, Giampaulo?

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Polycarbonate MacBook to live on, be redesigned? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 25

Rumor: Apple Preparing Design Refresh for MacBook

Posted in: Apple, macbook, Notebooks, rumors, Today's Chili

macbook
That lone, white MacBook remaining in Apple’s notebook family will soon undergo a design overhaul and be joined by additional models, according to a blog citing anonymous sources.

People familiar with Apple’s plans say the 13-inch MacBook will be redesigned with a slimmer, lighter enclosure and new internal architecture, reports AppleInsider. If the rumor is true, this would mark the first refresh for the MacBook form factor in three years.

At May’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple rebranded its 13-inch unibody MacBooks, instead calling them MacBook Pros, positioning them in the higher-end notebook category. The only device remaining with the name MacBook is a polycarbonate, white model priced at $1,000, which has become Apple’s entry-level notebook.

We wondered what would happen with the MacBook after the rebrand: The MacBook is Apple’s best-selling notebook, so we felt it was unlikely the company would sell only one device to float the name. A refresh for the polycarbonate model MacBook, which introduces multiple model options, would make sense.

AppleInsider’s sources say to expect the new MacBooks in the coming months.

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Photo: new-york-city/Flickr


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