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News & Opinion
Apple Reinvents Notebooks with Thinnest, Lightest
MacBook Air
PR: Cupertino, California - October 20, 2010 - Apple
today unveiled an all new MacBook Air, the first of a next generation
of notebooks which will replace mechanical hard disks and optical
drives with Internet services and solid state flash storage. These next
generation notebooks are:
- Faster - solid state flash storage is up to twice as fast as hard
drive storage
- More reliable - hard drive crashes are eliminated
- Lighter and smaller - solid state flash storage is up to 90%
smaller and lighter than hard drives
Available in 11" and 13" models and weighing as little as 2.3
pounds, the new MacBook Air is Apple's lightest and most portable
notebook ever. MacBook Air uses the same solid state storage technology
as iPad to deliver instant-on
responsiveness, up to seven hours of battery life, and up to 30 days of
standby time.1 Starting at $999, the affordable MacBook Air
defines the next generation of MacBooks.
"MacBook Air is the first of a new
generation of notebooks that leaves behind mechanical rotating storage
in favor of solid state flash storage," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.
"We've taken what we have learned with the iPad - solid state storage,
instant-on, amazing battery standby time, miniaturization, and
lightweight construction - to create the new MacBook Air. With its
amazing responsiveness and mobility, it will change the way we think
about notebooks."
With
its precision aluminum unibody enclosure, the new MacBook Air measures
an incredibly thin 0.11" at its thinnest point and 0.68" at its
thickest, and weighs just 2.3 pounds for the 11" model and 2.9 pounds
for the 13" model.
Like iPad, MacBook Air was designed from the ground up to use flash
storage exclusively. Apple's custom-designed flash storage is 90%
smaller and lighter than a conventional notebook hard drive,
contributing to MacBook Air's mobile, featherweight design. MacBook
Air's flash storage also provides faster data access and is more
reliable than notebook hard drives due to its solid state design.
MacBook Air features a full-sized keyboard for typing comfort and
productivity, as well as the highly acclaimed glass Multi-Touch
trackpad found on Apple's MacBook Pro, so you can scroll through
websites, flip through photos, and resize or rotate images all from the
trackpad. The built-in FaceTime camera, mic, and stereo speakers are
perfect for video calls with iPhone 4, iPod touch2, and
other Macs.
Flash storage combined with power-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo
processors and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics delivers an ideal balance
of mobility, battery life, and performance. MacBook Air features an
11.6" or 13.3" high-resolution LED-backlit display and Mini DisplayPort
to connect your 27" Apple LED Cinema Display, projector, or HD TV.
Ultrafast 802.11n WiFi networking allows you to download music and
movies from iTunes, back up data to Time Capsule, and store or share
files with MobileMe™ and iDisk. MacBook Air includes Bluetooth
2.1+EDR for wireless peripherals and two USB ports, making it easy to
sync and charge an iPad, iPhone, or iPod while using another device.
The 13" MacBook Air also includes an SD Card slot.
Apple claims to make the industry's greenest notebooks, and the
MacBook Air is the latest Mac notebook to achieve EPEAT Gold status and
meet Energy Star 5.0 requirements.3 Each unibody enclosure
is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy
efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with
arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame
retardants, are PVC-free, and are constructed of recyclable
materials.
Apple uses advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology to
create a MacBook Air battery that delivers up to seven hours of
wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000
recharges.4 The built-in battery design results in less
waste, and depleted MacBook Air batteries can be replaced for $129,
which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an
environmentally responsible manner.
Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife, Apple's
innovative suite of applications for creating and sharing great photos,
movies, and music. Snow Leopard builds on more than a decade of
innovation and includes multiple features for portable computing such
as Multi-Touch navigation, advanced wireless networking, easy file
sharing, automated data backup, and intelligent power management. The
new iLife '11 features iPhoto with full screen views for browsing,
editing, and sharing photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use tools to
transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand with
new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.
The 11" and 13" MacBook Air are immediately available through the
Apple Store, Apple's retail stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The 1.4 GHz 11" MacBook Air with 2 GB of memory and 64 GB of flash
storage starts at a suggested retail price of $999 with a 128 GB model
for $1,199.
The 1.86 GHz 13" MacBook Air with 2 GB of memory and 128 GB of flash
storage starts at a suggested retail price of $1,299 with a 256 GB
model for $1,599. Configure-to-order options and accessories include
faster processors, 4 GB of memory, MacBook Air SuperDrive, and a
USB Ethernet Adapter.
New MacBook Air Features USB Software Reinstall
Drive
Buying the optional external SuperDrive isn't quite the must-have
that it was with the original MacBook Air, because new machines ship
with an 8 GB solid-state USB Software Reinstall Drive from which
you can reinstall of the operating system and bundled iLife software
and run essential applications and utilities without the necessity of
resorting to an external optical drive or DVD Sharing. If you elect to
preinstall iWork at the time purchase, iWork is also included on the
MacBook Air Software Reinstall Drive.
Apple notes, "If you try to use the MacBook Air
Software Reinstall Drive on a computer other than a MacBook Air (Late
2010), you will be offered two options: 'Restore from a Time Machine
backup' or 'Restart the computer'. All menu selections are
disabled."
However, on the supported 2010 MacBook Airs, you can start up the
computer from the MacBook Air Software Reinstall Drive to select a
Startup Disk, restore your system from a Time Machine backup drive or
Time Capsule, reinstall Mac OS X, reset your administrative
password, enable a firmware password, and run Disk Utility, among other
tasks.
This is an excellent idea, but I still want the freestanding optical
drive as well. There's still too much software that demands disc
installation to try living without it. However, you can still use
another Macintosh running Mac OS X v10.5.3 or later to share its
optical drive with the new MacBook Air.
You can install a limited selection of print drivers using the
MacBook Air Software Reinstall Drive. Apple adds support for additional
printer models frequently.
HyperMac Drops MagSafe Products
Thinq's Gareth Halfacree reports:
"It's well known that Apple likes to exert rather more control over
its corner of the industry than most manufacturers, and third-party
accessory specialist HyperMac looks to have crossed the line - to its
cost."
"Wanting to produce an external battery accessory for MacBook owners
who needed a bit more life between charges . . . HyperMac
started buying old or broken MagSafe chargers, stripping the patented
MagSafe Connector from the end, and wiring it in to their third-party
batteries. They're not making the MagSafe Connector, so they're not
falling foul of the patent, right?
"Sadly, Apple felt differently...."
Link: HyperMac
Drops MagSafe Products
Tech Trends
Netbook Numbers and Pricing Still Beat iPad
Cnet's Brooke Crothers says that a new
report from ABI Research estimates that over 11 million tablets,
mostly iPads, will ship this year - but also argues for a reality check
on the iPad's popularity in the context of netbook shipments, which the
report says should reach 43 million worldwide this year. ABI Research
principal analyst Jeff Orr in a note says, "early adoption of media
tablets is not outpacing Netbooks. The iPad average selling price above
$650 isn't driving mass adoption. Competition, especially on price, is
needed."
Link: Analyst: Netbook
Numbers, Price Still Beat iPad
$598 Acer Aspire Timeline Challenger to MacBook Air
Claims 8 Hour Battery Life
PR: Acer America has announced US availability of its Aspire
Timeline Series of "all day computing" notebooks, which it says average
more than 8 hours of battery life* - and could prove a formidable
challenger to Apple's 13.3" MacBook Air.
The Aspire Timeline is a thin and light mainstream notebook offered
at an iPad price. Acer says the secret to its extended battery life
lies in the design that combines Intel's ultra low-voltage processors,
advanced power management, high-capacity batteries, and LED backlit
displays, all resulting in a thinner, lighter, more energy-efficient,
and longer-lasting notebook PC, claiming that on a single charge,
consumers can remain productive or entertained during an entire
coast-to-coast flight or work remotely from 9 to 5 without ever
stopping to plug in and recharge.
With prices starting as low as $598, the Timeline delivers high-end
styling and excellent performance in a thin and light design, making
the ultraportable class of notebooks favored by many high-paid
corporate business executives more affordable to general consumers.
Acer says it combined numerous low power components with a standard
high-capacity 6-cell battery, allowing it to keep the design as small
as possible. In addition, a PowerSmart button conveniently located
above the keyboard allows users to easily extend battery life. A simple
press of the button activates the laptop's advanced power savings
settings, traditionally a tedious procedure accessed through numerous
software-based steps. This one-button approach simplifies the process.
Lastly, an Acer PowerSmart adapter senses when the notebook is
unplugged and stops sending needless energy. It also stops pulling
power from the wall outlet when the battery is full.
Using Bapco's MobileMark 2007 Productivity benchmark test, an
industry standard created to measure PC battery life and performance,
Principled Technologies, the
industry leader in technology assessment services, found Acer's Aspire
Timeline notebook PCs averaged more than eight hours of battery life.
The AS3810T achieved 9 hours and 7 minutes of battery life, while the
AS3810TZ logged in 9 hours and 48 minutes, outpacing the PC industry
norm and significantly outlasting competitive systems.
The Acer Aspire Timeline proves that thin and lightweight doesn't
have to come at a cost premium. With prices ranging from $598 to $899
and three lines to chose from, most students, small businesses, and
families trying to economize should still find the Timeline is easily
within their reach.
Road warriors demanding the smallest and lightest notebook possible
may also find the 3.5 pound AS3810 with a 13.3" display an ideal,
inexpensive traveling companion. For those who need a slightly larger
display and an integrated optical drive, the 4.2 pound AS4810 with a
14" display is available, while the AS5810 model includes a large 15.6"
display, integrated optical drive, and dedicated numeric keyboard.
At their slimmest point, all models are less than one-inch thick -
and just over one-inch at their thickest. Weighing between 3.5 and 5.3
pounds, they are lighter and easier to carry than some comparable
systems.
The Aspire Timelines present an elegant, attractive and stylish
brushed aluminium finish on the display and are lead- and mercury-free,
making them easier to recycle.
In addition, Acer has incorporated Intel's Laminar Wall Jet
technology for the first time, directing air flow in parallel layers,
to keep the notebook significantly cooler.
Offering Intel Pentium, Intel Core Solo, or Intel Core 2 Duo ultra
low voltage processors and 3 GB or 4 GB of memory, the
Timeline Series packs enough power to easily handle daily productivity
tasks.
The Acer Aspire Timeline features high-definition CineCrystal LED
backlit widescreen displays (16:9 ratio), which Acer says offer 33%
more energy savings than traditional notebook screens, bringing
significant power savings to mobile computing.
Internet access is provided through Gigabit Ethernet or WiFi
802.11b/g/n, making it easy to browse websites, check email, make VoIP
calls, and enjoy online entertainment, including the latest social
networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
An integrated Acer Crystal Eye™ webcam delivers smooth video
streaming and high quality images for online chats and business video
conferences, even in low-light situations. The built-in digital
microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise
levels low and minimizing echoes. Users can also enjoy music and video
sound with the Dolby Headphones and two built-in stereo speakers.
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows users to pinch, flick and swirl
their fingers across the touchpad to scroll, zoom in and out and flip
through web pages, photos, and spreadsheets for more natural photo and
video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The TouchPad
can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental
cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.
The Timeline family of notebooks also includes a backup button that
lets consumers select and protect their digital files through regular
scheduled backups or on an as-needed basis. Data can be backed up to an
external hard drive, flash card, thumb drive or to a secure hidden
partition on their PC.
All models come with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty,
which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage
service.
Link: Acer
Timeline
Products & Services
Two Custom Cases for New MacBook Air from Waterfield
Designs
PR: San Francisco-based Waterfield Designs introduces its
first two custom-fitting cases made specifically for Apple's new
MacBook Air 11.6" and 13.3" notebooks: the SleeveCase and Suede Jacket
Sleeve.
They're compact, they stow easily, and they're highly protective.
Manufactured locally in San Francisco, these stylish, custom-fitted and
protective MacBook Air cases will begin shipping by October 29th.
The form-fitted SleeveCase combines a nearly indestructible
ballistic nylon shell with a high-grade neoprene interior to absorb
shock and cushion the MacBook Air against bumps and bruises. Users can
customize the SleeveCase to suit their individual needs - choosing
either a horizontal or vertical orientation with an optional padded
front flap, shoulder strap, and/or Piggyback accessories pouch.
Trim options include a new distressed brown
leather option or the classic eye-catching grey-checkered Indium. Toss
the SleeveCase into another bag or sling it over your shoulder to
travel light.
Those interested in an ultra-lightweight yet protective case can opt
for a Suede Jacket Sleeve, now available in snug, custom-fitted sizes
for each of the new MacBook Air models.
The
Suede Jacket Sleeve, made from 100% scratch-free Ultrasuede, can double
as a screen cleaner for this and other electronic devices. Two loops on
either side plus a loop at the bottom aid in the insertion and removal
of the MacBook Air. Neoprene padding lines the bottom of the Sleeve
thus protecting the most exposed area of the device. It's a classy
tuxedo for the MacBook Air.
"Our new custom-fitted cases help accentuate the portability of the
MacBook Air," says Gary Waterfield, Chief Designer. "They're compact,
they stow easily, and they're highly protective. And, the distressed
leather trim option is just gorgeous."
Pricing:
- SleeveCase size 11-1 for the 11.6" MacBook Air: $37
- SleeveCase size 13-5 for the 13.3" MacBook Air: $39
Black Ballistic Nylon with Choice of Grey Indium or Leather ( $10)
trim. Options include: Front Flap ($15), Simple Shoulder Strap &
D-rings ($12), Suspension Shoulder Strap and D-rings ($22.00), the
Piggyback ($25). Suede Jacket Sleeve for the MacBook Air 11.6": $25.
For 13.3": $29. Color: Black.
Link: MacBook Air
SleeveCases
Link: MacBook
Air Suede Jackets
Tom Bihn Introduces Cache Sleeve for 11" MacBook
Air
PR: Tom Bihn, a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of
laptop and travel bags has introduced for preorder the Size Air11
Horizontal Cache sleeve, sized specifically for the new Apple 11"
MacBook Air.
The
Cache is designed to protect the Apple MacBook Air against scrapes and
scratches from all sides. Its 1/4" (6mm) thick foam padding laminated
with an exterior of four-ply Taslan and an interior of brushed tricot
cradles the MacBook Air. With no noisy Velcro™ or zipper, the
Cache closes by simply tucking a generous flap into the top opening.
The Cache protects your laptop with little bulk added and is ideal for
those who don't want their laptop case to make their loads heavier or
take up a lot of space.
The Cache sleeve can be used on its own or slipped inside of the Tom
Bihn Co-Pilot travel bag, Large Cafe Bag, Imago messenger bag, or any
other larger Tom Bihn messenger bags, briefcases, or backpacks. One may
also use the Cache inside of their current messenger bag, briefcase, or
backpack.
The Cache is available for preorder in black and ships by early
November. $30. Made in Seattle. Lifetime Guarantee.
The Cache is also available in Size Air13 for the 13" Apple MacBook
Air. Size Air13 fits all models of 13" Apple MacBook Air and ships
within one business day. The Cache is available exclusively through the
Tom Bihn website or Seattle Factory Showroom.
Link: Tom Bihn Cache
Sleeve
MacBook & iPad Sleeves Made from Irish
Tweed
PR: foof now has available 100% wool Irish tweed
protective foofbag sleeves for the Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro, and
iPad, as well as small foofpod pouches for the iPhone/iPod touch. Two
new long awaited designs are available; a classic blue herringbone
called "BlueBone" and a retro orange hocksack called "Oraiste". The
Irish tweed is woven in Ireland from 100% lambswool. The soft case
sleeves are hand made ethically in Australia.
The
foofbag design is a simple sleeve with an opening at one end for easy
removal of your MacBook or iPad, without having to deal with zippers,
Velcro, snap-on latches or straps. The inner lining is made of a snug
high quality "sherpa fleece" fabric that does not scratch or pill and
keeps your device protected from dust and scratches and minor bumps
when inside a backpack or luggage case. Great for air and rail travel,
cafes, university, at home, or beside the bed.
Pricing:
- Aus$38 for MacBook Sleeves
- Aus$28 for iPad Sleeves
- Aus$18 for iPhone/iPod touch
foof also have available a selection of other fabric designs for
those who may be allergic to wool. Styles include a beautiful range of
Japanese cottons including tsunami wave, floral and koi fish motifs, as
well as some classic widewale corduroys in vibrant red, green or black.
Visit their website for more information.
Based in Thirroul, Australia, foof makes handmade protective fabric
sleeves for the MacBook, iBook, PowerBook, iPod, Palm Treo, selected
Canon IXUS/PowerShot and Nintendo DS Lite. foof PO Box 418 Thirroul NSW
2515 Australia.
Link: foofshop
Bargain 'Books
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
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iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
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