APPLE MACBOOK 13-INCH (ALUMINIUM)

High Design Doesn't Come Cheap

This MacBook is made with a completely new manufacturing technique that begins with a thick slab of aluminum and ends with a lusciously thin and gorgeous product. Design alone could undoubtedly attract both Mac fanatics and Windows converts. However, features are still a little weak. And the price? Well, it's not the $800 MacBook that we were all hoping for.

It is easy to mistake the new silver MacBook for the MacBook Air, since their dimensions are nearly identical: The MacBook Air is just slightly thinner. The aluminum enclosure. which is a huge departure from the long-standing tradition of Apple's white polished laptops. is a testament to brilliant design engineering. In many ways this MacBook is a cheaper and more feature-rich version of the MacBook Air. Here you get the edge-to-edge glass screen as well as superior typing and navigation (including gesture capability). But unfortunately, the feature set is the most underwhelming part,
hampered by such factors as the lack of a media card reader and no upgrades to the ports on this system (except for the new mini-DisplayPort).



Performance scores were what I expected from a system with the energy-efficient Intel Penryn P8600 processor. though the video-encoding and Photoshop CS3 scores seemed a little low for this processor and memory configurat ion. Battery performance took a slight hit because of the nVidia graphics card,lasting 3 hours 10 minutes on our tests. Again. Apple scores big points for design. But like the 15-inch Mac-Book Pro, this system offers a little less for the money than equivalent Windows-based systems.—CC

PC Magazine January 2009

Read More ..

APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15-INCH (DUAL GRAPHICS)

MacBook Pro Offers Speed and Endurance

Rarely does Apple update an entire line of laptops in one fell swoop. While the new aluminum MacBooks didn't come as a surprise, a new MacBook Pro seemed like a long shot. The latest crop of MacBook Pros benefit from a new manufacturing process and host of performance tweaks that keep them among the best notebooks on the market. The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics) is an amazing piece of design engineering, with a glass screen, a lighter and thinner aluminum chassis, a multipurpose touchpad, and dual nVidia graphics cards.

At 55 pounds, this MacBook is slightly heavier than the previous MacBook Pro (5.3 pounds), but it's the only 15-inch mainstream laptop that is less than one inch thick. Though not the first to have a glass screen, the 15.4-inch widescreen is still a sight to behold. Typing on the MacBook's keyboard is an absolute pleasure, and the illuminated keys are a great asset in darkly lit areas. This system also comes with gesture capabilities, such as pinching, rotating, and enlarging with two fingers. And don't forget about the dual graphics: The nVidia GeForce
9400M GT preserves battery life, while the nVidia GeForce 9600M GT boosts 3D performance. One feature I missed was a flash memory card reader.


Because of a lower clocked processor, the MacBook Pro trailed our comparison system. the HP HDX16t, on most of our benchmark tests, including the video-encoding tests. CineBench R10, and SYSmark 2007 Overall. However, this system did perform well on 3D benchmark tests. If you are a Mac loyalist, you will love this laptop. But comparing
features head-to-head, the HP system offers a little more for your money.—Cisco Cheng

www.apple.com

PC Magazine January 2009

Read More ..

Apple iPod Touch (Second Generation)

Welcome features make this second act even better as a digital player


APPLE CALLS ITS SECOND-GENERATION iPod Touch "the funnest iPod ever," and with a growing list of games, best-in-class media management and navigation, Wi-Fi, and a host of other plusses, there's no arguing that this is the best the iPod has ever been. But the new features, which include a too-quiet internal speaker, volume buttons, and a slightly slimmer design, are hardly worth an upgrade from last year's model.

Still essentially an iPhone without the phone, the Touch's entire interface is smooth and—for the most pan—flawless. We did notice a slight delay when album art loaded in Cover Flow navigation, but this minor glitch stands
out only because everything else works so well. The touch screen is very responsive, and it supports multitouch gestures.

On the othet hand, the new internal speaker is really useful only for gaming, as its sound quality is somewhat worse than one would expect from an average cell-phone speaker. Worse still, it's so quiet that gaming in public—say, on a bus or a train—is still going to require wearing the earbud headphones. The hardware volume buttons, on the left side of the device, are a more successful addition.

Besides the volume, sleep/wake, and home buttons, the lack of any other hardware buttons is a big hurdle to gaming on the Touch. The processor is certainly capable,
as evidenced by games like Spore, which look gorgeous on the 3.5-inch screen (480x320-pixel). But precise controls aren't very easy with a touch screen; while its great for board games and sim flat slow-moving apps, fans of racing, fighting, and other button-mashing genres will be disappointed.
In Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, for instance, you tilt the screen to steer, but have to tap the screen to jump or use items. Poking the screen tends to affect steering, which caused us to frequently crash into walls.

Still, the Touch can be a fun gaming device in a pinch, and along with everything else it can do, it's really more of a Mac in your pocket than just a media player. As for
staying powet. Apple rates the battery life at up to 36 hours for audio and 6 hours for video, which is fairly impressive. With all the Touch can do, of course, the battety never seems to last long enough, particularly if you're using its Wi-Fi.

The Touch weighs 4.1 ounces and measures 4.3x2.4x0.3 inches (HWD). Apple lists a capacity of up to 1,750 songs in the
AAC format for the 8GB model (up to 3,500 for the 16GB and up to 7,000 for the 32GB versions).The Wi-Fi supports 802.11b/g networks. For Nike+iPod users, support: for the fitness device is now built right into the Touch, so you no longer need to attach
an external dongle.



If all you want is music playback, go with the excellent Nano, which is smaller, cheaper, and generally a more polished
device. But if you expect more than music from your pocket-friendly player, the Touch delivers features that are leaps and bounds ahead of any other single device. —Matt Safford

www.apple.com

Computer Shopper January 2009

Read More ..

APPLE iTUNES 8

iTunes 8 Gets with the Times




Whenever Apple upgrades iTunes, people take notice. The new version, iTunes 8, brings some noteworthy additions-some of which are cosmetic and others that bring it more in line with how people are using digital music these days. The new window dressing in iTunes 8 consists of a tiled album-cover view and Visualizer update.

The big news, however, is Genius, a feature that in one click creates playlists from songs in your library that go together. It's somewhat similar to Pandora's seeded, automated playlist building, but it works locally, with pre-existing music as opposed to streaming Internet radio. Although Genius brings iTunes closer to Rhapsody, Pandora, and Slacker, two shortcomings still exist. First, Genius pulls from your existing library instead of exposing you to some new and perhaps undiscovered music. also, if you get new recommendations from the iTunes Store, you have to pay to download them, instead of checking them out for free the way you can with Pandora and Slacker.

Other upgrades in iTunes are harder to fault, such as its reconciliation with NBC, offering Battlestar Galactica, 20 Rock, Monk, and The Office in HD. Finally, new accessibility features are a nice inclusion, such as VoiceOver (for Leopard users) and Window-Eyes (for XP and Vista users), and a screen reader for downloading content.-Jamie Lendino

PC Magazine November 2008

Read More ..

IPOD NANO (4TH GENERATION)

A New Nano to Envy




Apple's fourth-generation (4G) iPod nano melds the best of nanos old and new. Specifically, this version combines the older, more popular tall-and-slim design with the newer, larger screen from the third-generation player. It is also impressively priced given its additions, including on-the-go Genius playlists and adds a gimmicky but fun "shake to shuffle" feature. It's one of the best looking and most successfully executed flash players ever created, and like any good gadget, it's fun to use, despite its sophisticated user interface.

At 3.6 by 1.5 by 0.24 inches (HWD), the nano 4G comes in a rainbow of nine colors; some of those are seriously flashy, but there are also the basic silver and black. This nano is much thinner than its predecessor and weighs in at 1.3 ounces. The two-inch, 320-by-240-pixel LED screen is the same size as on the previous nano, but it has a curved glass surface. Although the nano 4G has voice recording, there is no built-in mic.

One big additionis the Genius feature, which works both within iTunes 8 and on the nano. (For more on how it works, read the iTunes 8 review below.) One of the more frivolous delights of the nano 4G is the new shake-to-shuffle feature: The player will switch to Shuffle mode when physically shaken-provided you're in the Now Playing screen.

The nano 4G represents a clear improvement in both form and function. The scroll wheel and subtly tweaked user interface are as intuitive as ever, and the screen-shifting option is a nice touch. Continual minor tweaks like these are what keep Apple's stronghold on the portable media player market intact and the reason the nano 4G easily earns our Editors' Choice. It's also why the new iPod touch (2nd generation) earns our Editors'Choice: for more on that, check out go.pcmag.com/touch2g.-Tim Gideon

PC Magazine November 2008

Read More ..

Apple iPhone 3G

Apple iPhone 3G
Improved cell phone features faster Web browsing, built-in GPS

THE FIRST APPLE IPHONE revolutionized the cell phone industry when it was released lsat year, forcing manufacturers to design handsets that imitate its look and, more importantly, its feel (including its touch-screen interface).
With its follow-up, Apple has reduced the price of the phone (ghough its exclusive carried AT&T has raised its rates for the device) as well as addressed the iPhone's biggest limitation:its use of AT&T slow EDGE wireless network. As its name suggests, the iPhone 3G has rectified this problem, letting users surf the Internet with AT&T's much fsater 3G network.
Apple has also addressed a few other compaints about the first-generation iPhone, including poor call quality. It may still not be the loudest phone on the market, but the 3G is now certainly usable for everyday calling. The new phone also supports built-in GPS, which lets the included Google Maps app show you real time traffic conditions and allow you to track your progress when you're following directions. One feature you won't currently find, however, is turn-by-turn voice directions.
The 3G now supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSynch, which allows the phone to securely send and receive Microsoft Outlook mail, create calendar entries in Outlook, and add contacts to your Outlook address book, automatically syncing with your desktop version of Outlook. In order to use these features, you'll need to have an enterprise rate plan, and your company's IT department will also need to support the iPhone 3G.
Another great new feature is the iTunes App Store, where you can download third-party programs (some free, some not) to extend your iPhone's functionality. Owners of the original iPhone and iPod Touch can also use these programs. At press time, these apps could not run in the background, though Apple has promised to rectify this probels with an upgrade in September.
For all the new and improved features the iPhone 3G offers, the device still has some niggling oversights. The camera remains a crippled 2-megapixel unit without zoom or video-recording capabilities. The phone still can't send Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) messages, and Adobe's Flash is still not supported while you're browsing the Web.
WIth its lower price, 3G suport, and other improvements, however, the iPhone 3G should thrill most users with that it offers-and what it can provide down the line as developers roll out more apps that tap into its full potentials-Sean Portney
source: Computer Shopper September 2008

www.apple.com

Read More ..