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News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Products
News & Opinion
Apple Introduces More Powerful Mac Pro
PR: Apple has introduced
the new Mac Pro with eight
processor cores and a new system architecture that delivers up to
twice the performance of its predecessor*. The new Mac Pro combines two
of Intel's new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon processors running up to 3.2
GHz, powerful new graphics, and up to 4 TB of internal storage to
offer the ideal system for creative professionals, 3D digital content
creators, and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration starts at
just $2,799.
"The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we've ever made," said Philip
Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"With 3.2 GHz 8-core Xeon processing, a 1600 MHz front side bus and 800
MHz memory, the new Mac Pro uses the fastest Intel Xeon architecture on
the market."
The new Mac Pro
features the latest Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors based
on state-of-the-art 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture running up to 3.2
GHz, each with 12 MB of L2 cache per processor for breakthrough
performance and power efficiency. With a new high-bandwidth hardware
architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32
GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory, the new Mac Pro achieves a 61
percent increase in memory throughput**.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics
card with 256 MB of video memory. The Mac Pro includes a new PCI
Express 2.0 graphics slot that delivers up to double the bandwidth
compared to the previous generation, and supports the latest generation
of graphics cards from Nvidia, such as the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT with
512 MB of video memory, or Nvidia Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5 GB of video
memory and a 3-D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications. With
support for up to four graphics cards, the new Mac Pro can drive up to
eight 30-inch displays at once for advanced visualization and large
display walls.
The Mac Pro is the most expandable Mac ever, featuring four internal
hard drive bays with direct-attach, cable-free installation of four
1 TB Serial ATA hard drives, totaling 4 TB of internal
storage and support for two SuperDrives. With optional 15000 rpm SAS
drives that can deliver up to 250 MB/s of RAID 5 disk I/O performance,
the Mac Pro is ideal for film and video editors. Combined with SATA or
SAS drives, using an optional Mac Pro RAID card offers the ultimate
data protection and disk I/O performance on the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is
easily and conveniently accessible in front and back so users can
connect external devices with five USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, two
FireWire 800, optical and analog audio in and out, dual Gigabit
Ethernet ports and a headphone jack.
Every Mac Pro includes Leopard, the sixth major release of the
world's most advanced operating system. Leopard is packed with more
than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a
new way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that
lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick
Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application;
Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications
and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine, an effortless way
to automatically back up everything on a Mac. Featuring an improved
scheduler and other multicore technology, Leopard is a perfect
companion to the Mac Pro, making applications faster and helping
application developers take advantage of multicore systems.
The new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard now ships with every Mac
Pro and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 makes it easy to reduce cable clutter
with the optional Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.
Pricing & Availability
The new Mac Pro is shipping today and will be available through the
Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized
Resellers.
The standard 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,799
(US), includes:
- two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent
1600 MHz front side buses;
- 2 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory,
expandable up to 32 GB;
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256 MB of GDDR3 memory;
- 320 GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R
DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;
- Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; and
- ships with Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers
numerous build-to-order options including: one 2.8 GHz, two 3.0 GHz, or
two 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 32 GB of 800 MHz
DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 1 TB Serial ATA hard
drives running at 7200 rpm or up to four 300 GB SAS drives running at
15000 rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 16x SuperDrives with
double-layer support; Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or Nvidia Quadro FX 5600
graphics cards; AirPort Extreme 802.11n; Apple USB Modem; Apple
wireless Aluminum Keyboard; Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; and Mac OS X
Server Leopard. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are
available at www.apple.com/macpro .
*Based on estimated results comparing a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core
Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro running professional
applications like Maya, modo and Logic Pro.
**Testing conducted by Apple in December 2007 using a preproduction
2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz quad-core Mac Pro. All systems
were configured with 4 GB of RAM. Results are based on the STREAM
v. 5.6 benchmark ( www.cs.virginia.edu/stream/ref.html ) using OMP
support for multiprocessor-compiled builds. All systems were configured
with 8 GB of RAM. Performance tests are conducted using specific
computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac
Pro.
About New Graphic Cards Available with the New Mac
Pro
Hardmac's
Lionel reports:
"Most of our readers did not follow the recent released in the GPU
world. So we decided to bring some information about the 3 new graphic
cards available with the new Mac Pro:
- The Radeon HD 2600 XT....
- The GeForce 8800 GT....
- The Quadro FX 5600...."
Link: About
New Graphic Cards Available with the New Mac Pro
New Mac Pro, Same Old Design
BusinessWeek's
Arik Hesseldahl says:
"Perhaps hinting that it has more products in its pipeline that can
comfortably fit into a single Steve Jobs keynote - now a week away -
Apple bowed an updated version of its Mac Pro desktop machine, this one
bearing two Intel Quad Core Xeon Processors, making eight cores
standard. It's a powerful machine to be sure, and is aimed mostly at
Apple's creative pro user segment who really needs that power for
multimedia production."
Link:
New Machine, Old Design
8-core Xserve Puts Apple Back in the Majors
InfoWorld's
Tom Yager says:
"Apple rarely lets any product sit still for long, so when something
in Apple's lineup goes untouched for a while, it prompts speculation
about Apple's commitment to it. Consider Xserve. I do, and sometimes I feel like
I'm the only one who does. Apple's Xserve went Intel with the rest of
the Mac line, but instead of keeping pace with x86 rack server
competitors and keeping up with Intel's latest silicon like its Mac
client kin, Xserve hung back. It's been a two socket, four-core server
in an eight-core world. Ever since the Intel transition, Apple's been
quiet on the marketing front for Xserve, too. It looked like Apple
might have relegated its server to the back burner, but that didn't
jibe with the proud noise that Apple has made over OS X Server Leopard,
its first true UNIX server OS. A shiny new OS on server hardware that
had lost pace with the market? Perhaps Apple was quietly thinking what
I've been quietly advising curious buyers to do: Use Mac Pro as a
server instead. An eight-core Mac Pro makes a nice home for OS X
Leopard Server."
Link:
Eight-core Xserve Puts Apple Back in the Majors
Inside Intel's 'Harpertown' Processor
ZD Net's Jason D. O'Grady
says:
"Apple yesterday announced significant updates to their Mac Pro and
Xserve lines featuring Intel's 'Harpertown' processor - but what's in a
name?
"Intel's quad-core Xeon 5400-series 'Harpertown' processors run at
up to 3.2 GHz and are based on the new 45-nm Intel Core
microarchitecture. The new chips are known for high performance and
energy efficiency."
Link: Inside Intel's
Harpertown Processor
Running the Classic Mac OS on Intel Macs
MacOS User's
Andrew Youll reports:
"When Steve Jobs announced Apples transition to Intel's X86
processor line, a huge stir occurred among some Mac OS X users who
depend on 'Classic' the OS 9 environment in Mac OS X for their day
to day Mac usage, as Mac OS X on Intel means no more 'Classic' and they
were right.
"Rosetta allows PowerPC applications to run on X86 through JIT (Just
In Time) architecture emulation, but its translation is not on a low
enough level within OS X to allow 'Classic' to work on X86 and as such
those among us who use OS 9 applications have been left out in the
cold.
"Until now that is; a project called 'Sheep Shaver' was created to
allow BeOS on PowerPC emulate the PowerPC architecture to run another
PowerPC Operating System on top of BeOS, this application was ported to
Mac OS X with the demise of Be Inc. and has since been ported to Mac OS
X on Intel processors."
Link: Classic on
Intel
Dishwashers Are Great for Cleaning Keyboards
Cult of Mac's
Leander Kahney says:
"Last month, after a couple of eggnogs at the office, I drenched my
keyboard in a cup of coffee. Kind readers suggested running it through
the dishwasher. Of course, putting keyboards in dishwashers is the kind
of thing you read on the internet all the time, but never believe it
actually works.
"So, skeptical that it would work, I tried it myself. I'm happy to
report that running a filthy, coffee-stained keyboard through the
dishwasher works great. The keyboard is spotless, and it works
perfectly."
Link: It's Official:
Dishwashers Are Great for Cleaning Keyboards
Mac Enjoys 27% Market Share Among Tech
Reporters
Fortune's
Philip Elmer-DeWitt says:
"With 1.83 million square feet of floor space to cover, it's not
easy to gather in one place the 600 media representatives who have
flocked to Las Vegas for the orgy of marketing excess that is the 2008
International Consumer Electronics Show. But in the press lounge on
Sunday, Valleywag's Jordon Golson found 129 reporters and bloggers
(they wear different badges this year), and he used the opportunity to
take a survey of what machines they were using."
Link:
Apple Mac Enjoys 27% Market Share - Among Tech Reporters
Apple's OLED Keyboard Patent: Optimus Maximus,
Watch Out!
Ars Technica's
Justin Berka reports:
"Art Lebedev's Optimus keyboard (now the Optimus
Maximus) has been around in various incarnations for a few years
now, with the full-size version having been released on March 15 of
last year (2007, in case you're still getting used to the 2008 thing).
But just two days before its official (re-) release, Apple filed a
patent application for a dynamically controlled keyboard, the contents
of which were published yesterday."
Link:
Apple's OLED Keyboard Patent; Optimus Maximus Watch Out!
Why Does AppleCare Cost More in Canada?
The
Consumerist says:
"We all know that Canadians have to pay more for books, but why do
they have to pay more for AppleCare?"
"Since we're not Canadian, we don't actually know why Apple charges
more. Perhaps it's because Canada is an entirely different country with
completely different laws than the United States and that subtle
distinction affects the price of goods and services."
Editor's note: You can't rule out the fluctuating exchange rate.
Five years ago, $1 Canadian was worth 65¢ US; four years ago,
77¢; three years ago, 82¢; two years ago, 87¢; one year
ago 85¢; and six months ago, 95¢. The Canadian dollar peaked
at $1.07 US two months ago and is currently near par. dk
Link:
Canadians Wonder Why They Have to Pay More for AppleCare
Apple Updates
Mac Pro & Mac mini Fast Start: The New
User's Guide to the Mac
An updated Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"Got a new Mac Pro or
Mac mini? This handy Fast
Start guide will help you set up your computer and get you on your way
to working and playing in no time."
Link: Mac Pro &
Mac mini Fast Start: The New User's Guide to the Mac
Products
IceRage Launches Two Magnificent Mice
PR: IceRage debuts its line of fashion mobile input devices
with two mice options for the style-conscious user.
After heralding in the age of Fashioneering, IceRage will premiere
its chic line of fashionable peripherals at CES starting with the
Pocket Mouse and the Ultimate Pocket Mouse. Come by their booth at the
Korean Pavilion, Sands Convention Center, booth number 70954 at CES Las
Vegas 2008 for a demonstration.
The Pocket
Mouse
Designer mouse available in either USB wired or Bluetooth
enabled.
MSRP $59.99 (USB), $69.99 (Bluetooth)
The Pocket Mouse is best used with notebooks. Its ideal use is in
small places; college lecture halls, school classrooms, corporate
offices and in the board room. Take your fashion statement
everywhere.
Features & Benefits
- Sleek, stylish design allows you to personalize your tech
wardrobe.
- Instant Plug and Play for quick productivity
- Ultra-Sensitivity Touch Pad for increased control and
usability
- Ambidextrous Design for optimized comfort and hand orientation
- Enhanced Scrolling Capability for precision navigation
- USB Cable for streamline connectivity
- 800 dpi Tracking Resolution
- Auto retractor eliminates cable clutter
- Cable Storage houses wires for easy storage
- PC compatibility: Vista, Windows XP Home/Professional, Windows
2000, Windows Me, Windows 98
- Mac compatibility: Mac OS X
- Dimensions: 3.5"(l) x 1.375"(w) x .375"(d)
Available colors: blue, pink, green, silver, white, black
The Ultimate Pocket Mouse
A desktop and hand mouse, laser pointer, and media controller, with
a built-in cursor control and alpha numeric key pad for imbedding
letters and numbers on the fly. MSRP $109.99
The Ultimate Mouse is best used as a regular mouse with superb
accuracy, use in the classroom, corporate meetings, for presentations,
and for controlling your notebook from a distance.
Make your point with the laser beam and imbed text on the fly.
Features & Benefits
- Magneto-optical Functionality for maintenance-free optimized
tracking
- Bluetooth 2.0 with Pocket Adapter for enhanced speed, security, and
reliability
- 60' Range Remote Control for ultimate mobility and flexible
presenting
- Fully Functional Integrated Mouse for presenting, navigating, and
inputting
- Streamline Compact Feature-weight Design for enhanced
portability
- LED Display Lighting for use in dark spaces
- Class II Laser Pointer protects human eyes and precision
pointing
- Mini USB Charger for enhanced productivity on the go
- Mac compatibility: Mac OS X
- PC compatibility: Vista, Windows XP Home/Professional, Windows
2000, Windows Me, Windows 98
- Dimensions: 3.375"(l) x 1.625"(w) x .5"(d)
Available colors: white, black, silver
"IceRage is a part manufacturer, part design house. We recognize
that the devices used to connect to our digital universe have become
elements of our wardrobe. Using the highest quality materials and sleek
sexy designs in a vivid array of colors, IceRage has ushered in the
Fashioneering era with state-of-the-art products designed to meet the
market need for fashionable technology accessories," says Joseph
Alberici, President, Virtuu USA, LLC.
The Pocket Mouse and Ultimate Pocket Mouse will be widely available
at all major retail and online resellers in January 2008.
The Pocket Mouse-MSRP $59.99 for the USB version and $69.99 for the
Bluetooth. The Ultimate Mouse-MSRP $109.99. Each product will come with
an introductory retail promotion.
The Pocket Mouse and The Ultimate Pocket Mouse are both backed by a
one-year warranty from Virtuu USA LLC.
Link: IceRage
OWC Announces Memory Upgrades for Latest Mac
Pro
PR: Other World Computing has announced availability of OWC
Memory Upgrade Kits for the latest Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon models (new Mac
Pro models announced Tuesday). Priced as low as $48.75 per GB, OWC is
offering upgrades at a savings of well over 70% as compared to
factory-installed and other competitors. The OWC (FB-DIMM) 800 MHz DDR2
72-Bit ECC fully-buffered Memory Upgrade Modules are available in
matched sets of 1.0 GB, 2.0 GB, and 4.0 GB modules for up to 32.0 GB of
total memory (see full pricing info below).
OWC has been providing memory to upgrade Apple computers for nearly
20 years. In August of 2006, OWC was the first to provide true
Apple-Qualified memory for the first Apple Mac Pro Quad Xeon computers
at independent prices and now without delay, has the new 800 MHz memory
available for these most recent Apple Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon models. OWC
Memory Upgrade Kits provide premium quality, fully-tested modules that
completely meet and/or exceed all Apple specifications. Utilizing
superior components, including true Apple-Qualified heat spreaders, the
modules provide a lifetime of high-performance, reliable operation
backed by OWC's Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty.
Cash Back Trade-in Rebate
A cash-back rebate of up to $55 per set is also available from OWC
for the trade-in of Apple factory memory. Available for immediate
order, the OWC Memory Upgrade Kits consist of matched pairs of FB-DIMM
modules manufactured to Apple's stringent Mac Pro specifications, far
exceeding JEDEC (the leading developer of solid-state industry
standards) specifications.
For additional information on OWC's Mac Pro 8-Way Quad Xeon Memory
Modules, see: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Mac-Pro-Memory or
call toll free (800) 275-4576.
OWC Memory Module New Pricing:
- 2.0 GB Matched Sets (1.0 GB Module x 2) for as low as
$60.00/GB
- 4.0 GB Matched Sets (2.0 GB Module x 2) for as low as
$48.75/GB
- 8.0 GB Matched Sets (4.0 GB Module x 2) for as low as
$85.94/GB
OWC also offers a full line of memory for upgrading nearly every
Apple model made from the last twenty years, including MacBook, MacBook
Pro, iMac, PowerMac, and PowerBook computers.
The full OWC Memory line, as well as a compatibility guide which
directs customers to the correct upgrades for each specific Apple
model, can be found online.
Link: Mac Pro
Memory
Verbatim's New 2.5" SmartDisk Portable Hard
Drives Debut at CES
PR: Leveraging the resources gained with the purchase of
SmartDisk Corporation's external hard drive (HD) assets in July 2007,
Verbatim Americas, LLC launched today a whole new line of SmartDisk
2.5" Portable Hard Drives (HDs). With the new elegantly designed HDs,
consumers and businesses can immediately add 120, 160, 250, or 320 GB
of removable capacity without having to open their computer. The
palm-sized external drives will be available for both Windows and Mac
users later this month with retail prices starting at $99.
The need
for a fast, easy way to store, backup, share and transport data and
multimedia files is fueling explosive growth in the worldwide removable
storage industry. A growing number of consumers are using external hard
drives to gain the additional storage they need for their photo, music
and video files. Office workers are using the compact drives to
transport work to their home systems and branch offices. As a result,
IDC predicts more than 6 million external hard drives will be shipped
in 2008, up 58 percent from the 3.8 million units shipped in 2006.
"Part of Verbatim's corporate strategy is to capitalize on this
trend with an expanded line of external HD products that meet the
diverse storage needs of consumers and businesses around the globe,"
said Charles Klinker, Verbatim Director of Marketing for SmartDisk
products. "SmartDisk's advanced technologies are ideal complements to
the inherent reliability, optimized performance and competitive pricing
that resellers and consumers have come to expect from Verbatim brand
products."
Verbatim has enhanced the versatility of its 2.5" SmartDisk HDs by
offering them with choice of a USB interface or a Combo USB/FireWire
interface. With the Combo USB/FireWire interface, the device also
becomes interoperable and files can be transferred between a Mac and a
PC. The bus-powered, 5400 RPM drives deliver transfer speeds of up to
480 MB per second (MB/sec.) when connected with USB 2.0 and up to 400
MB/sec. for FireWire connections without requiring an AC power
adapter.
Once the SmartDisk portable HD is connected to a computer, it can be
accessed and used like a computer hard drive. Users can drag files to
the portable HD's icon to copy them, navigate to their HD in Open or
Save dialog boxes, or delete files stored on the HD.
Verbatim 2.5" SmartDisk Portable HDs support the "Time Machine"
backup feature in Mac OS X Leopard. Included in the USB-only models is
CMS' award-winning BounceBack Express backup software, an easy-to-use
backup utility that incorporates scheduling, backup sets, automatic
launch options and a quick restore feature.
Verbatim 120, 160, 250 and 320 GB 2.5" SmartDisk Portable HDs will
be available in January 2008 through retailers as well as leading
etailers with suggested retail pricing beginning at $99 for the 120 GB
USB version.
Link: Verbatim
Desktop Mac
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