One day after posting $9.87 billion in revenue for its fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, Apple unveiled a slew of updates to its desktop and mobile computer lineup. Most notable of the upgrades were the sleeker, faster iMac, the multi-touch Magic Mouse, and the new unibody polycarbonate MacBook.
Apple's New iMac: Thinner, Faster and Now in HD
The new iMacs come in two sizes: one with a 21.5-inch widescreen HD display and one with a 27-inch widescreen HD display. While the outsides might not have changed all that much for the iMacs, the insides definitely did. Intel’s Core i-series processors (dubbed “Nehalem”) are used to power the devices, making them 2.4x faster than the previous generation of iMacs as stated on Apple’s website.
In addition to the speed-boost, Apple also puts the latest ATI graphics cards inside the iMac to bolster graphical renderings in video games and other multimedia. According to the specs on Apple’s website, a 21.5-inch iMac with the ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics card installed runs Doom 3 4.4x faster than the same model iMac using the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card - a substantial upgrade from last year’s model.
As an added bonus, all next-generation iMacs come with Apple’s slim wireless keyboard and the newly introduced Magic Mouse.
Apple Reinvents the Mouse with the Multi-Touch Magic Mouse
The Magic Mouse differs from other mice in that the entire top surface of the device uses Multi-Touch to affect changes on the desktop. This is the same Multi-Touch technology available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and later-generation Macbook Pro laptops and conforms to Apple’s “less is more” mentality when it comes to buttons.
There isn't a tiny track-ball like in Apple’s Mighty Mouse, nor is there is a scroll wheel. To scroll through a web page or document, the user simply flicks their finger up and down the center of the Magic Mouse. To access the “right-click” submenu of any application, the user clicks the top-right corner of the mouse as if the button was still there.
Apple's obsession with Multi-Touch now permeates the majority of its products, including the lowest member of Apple’s laptop totem pole - the $999 white Macbook.
The $999 Unibody White MacBook - Same Great Price, Now with Longer Battery Life
The 13-inch white polycarbonate MacBook had gone mostly unchanged since its release in 2006, except for a few performance boosts throughout the last two years. The new version of the device boasts a rounded unibody design and Multi-Touch trackpad, just like its bigger, faster siblings. The unibody enclosure also means that the removable battery found on previous MacBooks is no more.
By doing away with the components that keep the removable battery in place, Apple can build in a lithium-polymer battery that achieves up to seven hours of life on a single charge. Theoretically, one could use the MacBook at work for 90% of the day without having to plug it in. The other upgrades, like a faster processor and better screen are also there, but aren’t as substantial as the battery and body changes.
Will the New Magic Mouse, iMac and MacBook Be Enough?
It’s no coincidence that Apple is releasing these products only a few days before Microsoft unleashes Windows 7 on the world. Early reviews of Microsoft’s newest operating system have stated that it is comparable, if not better than Apple’s Snow Leopard and while the results of those claims are yet to be seen, it’s clear that Apple will always be ready with something new and shiny to hang right in front of Microsoft’s window.
Harry Marks - Harry Marks is a writer, teacher, and web developer from New Jersey. When he's not screaming at his computer because of ASP errors or ...
