The Apple product line has expanded to such a degree this year that consumers considering a purchase may be overwhelmed by the options. Even when it comes to the iPod, how do you decide which one is right for you? Use MacTribe's awesome product guide to get the skinny on the whole lineup and make the best choice for you.
2010 has already been eventful with the release of Apple's long-awaited iPad. This tablet computer is poised to take the world by storm, incorporating the best of your MacBook and iPhone into one "third device" that surfs the web and lets you enjoy media content better than anything else out there. We're also turning our sights to the Summer iPhone line refresh.
iPad
The iPad is, as one might expect, quite a stylish device. The display, framed with black aluminum and glass, is 9.7", LED backlit, IPS and Multi-touch. While we're betting you all know what LED and Multi-Touch are, IPS has generally been reserved for extraordinarily pricey monitors for graphic artists. In-plane Switching is the full name, and it gives you wide viewing angles and great color reproduction (which will come in handy with Brushes, right?) by making the crystal molecules move parallel to the plane of the screen instead of perpendicular. So basically, the good looking screen makes the stuff on the screen more good looking.
Also, the iPad weighs in at one and a half pounds and measures only half an inch thick...and you thought your MacBook Air was easy to carry.
What's inside counts more than outer beauty, and the iPad has inner beauty in spades. Two wireless options (Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi plus AT&T 3G), a brand spanking new Apple A4 chip, a battery that'll last you ten hours per charge and three levels of flash storage are enough to make your head spin...and that's before we've even gotten into applications.
Other interior features include the standard Apple 30-pin connector, built-in speaker and microphone as well as a headphone jack for private listening. Accessories to us are sometimes like icing on the cake when you just want the cake itself, but Apple's incredibly designed Keyboard Dock means you can type for hours without wearing yourself out on the soft keyboard on the device itself, and iPad's case not only folds around the screen to protect it but folds up into a viewing stand.
You can run almost every app from the App Store straight out of the box in one of two ways: in a pretty little iPhone frame at their original size and resolution, or put them in full screen mode, doubling the pixels. There's an accelerometer built in, of course, so all your shooters and drivers will still work like a charm, and when you're done playing you can open up iWork and get down to business.
Keynote, Pages and Numbers have all been specifically retooled for iPad, and at $9.99 each they're a great investment in your productivity. As in, if you see them on the home screen, maybe you'll stop fooling around with iPad long enough to use them.
Other than iWork, you've got the new iBookstore for e-book reading, iTunes for music, a camera connector kit available to sync photos to iPad and an HD screen to view it all on. Not only that, but the new Software Developers Kit (SDK) is available already so we can all set our sights on a get rich quick application for this "magical and revolutionary device."
- iPad 64 GB: $699 (Wi-Fi), $829 (+3GS)
- iPad 32 GB: $599 (Wi-Fi), $729 (+3GS)
- iPad 16 GB: $499 (Wi-Fi), $629 (+3GS)
iPhone 4
The latest and greatest in Apple's legendary iPhone lineup is, in their words, "the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone."
First up, of course, is the new look; encased front and back in aluminosilicate glass with the now-standard oleophobic coating, your iPhone is covered with stuff over twenty times stiffer and thirty times harder than plastic. In addition, the new body is bordered by a band of engineered steel five times tougher than the normal stainless variety. Not only does it hold everything together, its rigidity means a slimmer, sleeker iPhone in your pocket. It also functions as both antennas.
The second most visible change on the iPhone...the display. The human eye can only see 300 pixels per inch (stop us if you've heard this) but Apple wanted some extra insurance. In the event of extreme Lasik surgery or cyborg eyes, iPhone 4 has a resolution of 326 pixels per inch, and the pixels themselves are so small human eyes can't distinguish them. So color, contrast and crispness are better than ever and images look truly stunning.
We knew the brand new A4 chip would show up somewhere else, but the speed and power this mobile computing powerhouse brings to the party is unreal. Finally, iPhone users can stream Pandora while we check our email, and according to the Gospel of Steve these new powers were unavailable until now because battery life would have been severely compromised. But the new chip is smaller and more energy efficient than its predecessor and made room for a bigger battery and smarter ways of using it.
A 5 megapixel sensor , LED flash and backside illumination sensor make the most of the light you've got and contribute to iPhone's newest role as both capable camera and HD video shooting machine. Video is recorded in 720p from the back camera but uses VGA quality on the front and an iMovie app is coming soon.
Video calls using FaceTime will be strictly iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi connections for now, but Apple plans on making the software open so more platforms and handsets can use it. Equally cool is the brand new gyroscope: it's a full three axis sensor to make your gaming more sensitive, responsive and realistic than anything we've ever seen.
- iPhone 4 32GB: $299
- iPhone 4 16GB: $199
- iPhone 3GS 8GB: $99
Apple TV
With the 40 GB model recently eliminated, Mac fans now have one choice and one choice only for their Apple home entertainment. Apple TV is not a substitute for a computer but is a great accessory; it syncs to your computer's iTunes library of videos, TV shows and music over a wireless network. Watch YouTube on your big screen TV or rent some HD movies with a few clicks of your remote. Apple's Front Row interface allows you to control your media with a remote control right on your TV screen. Watch HD movies, HD TV shows and HD podcasts all in your living room. There's even an app for controlling your Apple TV from your iPhone or iPod touch. The only hitch is that it connects solely to widescreen enhanced-definition or high-definition TVs, so if you don't have one of those, you'll have to update your television before indulging yourself in Apple TV. There's good news, though: with the recent price cut, you effectively have a hundred dollar credit toward that new 52" screen!
- 160GB: $229
iPod
From its first incarnation in 2001, the iPod has taken the music world by storm. With four distinct models to choose from, consumers have it easier than ever--all you have to do is think about how you want the device to function: fancy some gaming? Go for the iPod touch. Rather have your life on YouTube? The new nano is for you.
iPod touch
Touted by Apple reviewers as the iPhone without the phone, the iPod Touch is the first-ever Wi-Fi iPod. The iPod touch features the same innovative interface as the iPhone and boasts newly upgraded 3.1 software. Now you can use cut, copy and paste and peer-to-peer gaming right out of the box, and a large 3.5-inch display with its multi-touch interface lets you control everything using only your fingers. Browse the web with Safari and watch YouTube videos, check email, view Google Maps, stocks, and weather, or watch a movie while you travel. The new 32GB and 64GB models feature OpenGL ES Version 2.0: with it, games launch faster, and your gaming experience becomes more lifelike than ever. If you want the future of all media players and communication devices in one, this is it. Depending on the model, the iPod touch holds up to 14,000 songs and up to 80 hours of video, and the new additions to the games at the app store--like Madden NFL 2010--make the iPod touch the go to device for mobile gaming.
- 8GB: $199
- 32GB: $299
- 64GB: $399
iPod classic
Unlike the first generation iPod, this one is full color and holds photos and videos as well as music on its hard drive. You can set up slideshows with background music just like you would in iPhoto and buy a special USB adapter to transfer pictures directly from your camera to your iPod. With a 2.5 inch color screen, it's not widescreen yet but the rectangular display on the video iPod is surprisingly bright and clear. And let's face it, kids: if you're buying the classic, it's for ease of storage more than media options. They're not really lacking though, especially with the Genius feature, which creates a playlist of tracks in your library that play off each other stylistically. The new Classic models ship with a USB 2.0 cable, which will charge your iPod when connected to your computer. A dock adaptor for Apple's Universal Dock (sold separately) is also provided. The newly updated behemoth holds about 40,000 songs and 200 hours of video.
- 160GB: $249
iPod nano
The first generation of the iPod nano came in black or white, was the size of a business card, and could fit into a wallet. Today’s new nano has a bright 2.2 inch diagonal color display, video capture with fifteen real-time effects, FM radio with a tagging feature, and a pedometer. The video camera--no still photos, mind you--caused the biggest splash, and here's why: ease of access through a quick scroll down menu opens the camera app and allows you to record video in portrait or landscape at a size perfect for email or YouTube uploading. A built-in mic lets you capture audio, too, and the video playback lets you hear the recorded audio with it because of the brand new internal speaker. While you record you can add one of the fifteen effects offered, but beware! Once you add them there's no going back. The new nano received a Voiceover make over, too. iPod nano comes in nine new vibrant colors but keeps its sleek aluminum and glass design. Since it's sturdy, cute and reasonably priced, this is the best iPod for the kids. You can carry 2,000 songs and eight hours of video or 4,000 songs and sixteen hours of video depending on the model.
- 8GB: $149
- 16GB: $179
iPod shuffle
The latest addition to the iPod family is the new iPod Shuffle. It looks like a piece of chewing gum at only 1.8 x 0.7 x 0.3" but holds up to 1,000 songs with its 4GB flash drive. The media player now comes with Apple earphones with a built in remote, which allows users to easily access menus while also enabling the best new feature, VoiceOver. With a simple touch of the button on the earphone remote, VoiceOver will announce the title and artist of the song you're listening to in its correct language (it knows fourteen), and the technology is revolutionary--for the first time, visually impaired users can navigate through their collection seamlessly. It will also tell you the name of each playlist as well as letting you know when your battery needs to be charged, although with the new battery life of up to 10 hours, you shouldn't hear this one too often. The design of the Shuffle is sleek and smooth aluminum, and it now comes in five bright colors. The front is completely flat with the only controls being on the top in three switches: shuffle, straight through and off. The clip, on the back of the device, is made from stainless steel.
- 2GB: $59
- 4GB: $79
Computers
Since Apple switched from the PowerPC to Intel Processors, the Mac is now truly superior to other computers. The switch not only allows them to run faster, it also enables users to boot the computer in OSX or, with Parallels, as a Windows machine. Today's Macs are faster and more versatile than ever thanks to the partnership with Intel, and they come in various forms and sizes to suit every user's needs.
MacBook Air
Yes, all the Thinnovation hype about Apple's latest laptop is true. At three pounds, the MacBook Air will just about fit into a manila envelope, and it's thin enough to conceivably slip beneath your office door. Yet it still has a fine 13.3 backlit LED display and full size keyboard and a multi-touch trackpad. A truly innovative design, the MacBook Air comes with a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack and a mini-DVI port that supports DVI, VGA, composite and S-video output. It's base configuration is a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor with a 120GB Serial ATA hard drive, 2GB of memory and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics. Painfully missing are a firewire port and CD/DVD combo drives, but Apple compensates on these points by providing a truly remarkable design that is ultraportable and relies heavily on its built in Wi-Fi capabilities. If the trade-offs make sense, and you're willing to use external drives for CD/DVD burning, then the MacBook Air is off and running toward wild success (sales so far indicate it is). Many upgrade options.
- 1.86GHz: $1,499
- 2.13GHz: $1,799
MacBook
The new MacBook is the perfect computer for a first time switcher or an entry level user; all of the best parts of Apple come in this 13" package and for $999 the price can't be beat. As one solid piece of aluminum it's both thin and light, and with the newest update to its processor and graphics it's closer than ever to catching up with the other laptops in the line. The new unibody 13" MacBook joins its grown up siblings with a faster processor and better graphics: the Mac now sports a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and uses the NVIDIA GeForce 320M for graphics. Aside from the "new and improved" MagSafe connector (which now points toward the back of the laptop instead of hanging out on the side) and the impressive 10 hour built in battery the feature list remains the same, and includes an LED-backlit display, 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM, 250GB 5400 RMP hard drive, 1280x800 widescreen display and 8x, dual-layer SuperDrive. Know what else hasn't changed?
The price.
- 2.4GHz: $999
MacBook Pro
Given a brand new refresh, the MacBook Pro looks better than ever. The glass and aluminum body remains as sleek and ecologically friendly as ever: it's the insides that have really gotten an overhaul. The new 13" MacBook Pro has been upgraded with Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 4GB RAM, a 10-hour built-in battery and the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor, which is the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market and perfect for graphics intensive applications or high performance games. The 15" and 17" have gotten an even bigger update: the laptops feature Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Apple's new automatic graphics switching technology that toggles seamlessly between powerful NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M and energy efficient Intel HD Graphics processors. The technology identifies the program you're using and determines which card is better suited to maximize both performance and battery life, while hyper-threading technology improves data throughput by creating virtual processing cores. Turbo Boost optimizes performance between the two processor cores, accelerating the system from 2.66 GHz to 3.06 GHz for intensive dual core tasks, and up to 3.33 GHz for single core tasks. Apple's Multi-Touch trackpad now supports inertial scrolling, and the 17" includes a high resolution 1920 x 1200 display while the 15" is now available with an optional high resolution 1680 x 1050 display. Customers can also upgrade their MacBook Pro with new 128GB, 256GB and 512GB solid state drives. All models ship with Snow Leopard and iLife.
- 13 Inch 2.4 GHz/250GB: $1,199, 2.66 GHz/320GB: $1,499
- 15 Inch 2.4 GHz/320GB: $1,799, 2.53 GHz/500GB: $1,999, 2.66 GHz/500GB: $2,199
- 17 Inch 2.53 GHz/500GB: $2,299
Mac mini
Still as energy efficient and eco-friendy as ever, the brand new Mac mini has a beautiful new aluminum enclosure and a lot to be excited about on the inside. A new GeForce NVIDIA 320M graphics processor is the latest upgrade and promises twice the speed and fun of the last mini...other interior changes include the ability to upgrade to 8GB of RAM, 500GB of hard drive space, a brand new HDMI port and an SD Card slot. Best new feature? The twist panel memory access makes installing upgrades incredibly simple and painless. The new mini truly plays well with others and the built in 802.11n technology means you can get up and running wirelessly in no time flat.
- 2.4 Ghz : 320GB: $699
- 2.66Ghz : Dual 500GB: $999
iMac
Recent upgrades make the iMac more powerful with the added bonus of being more affordable than ever. An Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with up to 3.06 GHz doubles the memory (up to 4GB) and storage (up to 1TB) of the previous version. The new iMacs give users high-definition precision with up to six times faster graphics performance than before thanks to NVIDIA. It also features a flat-panel LCD screen with 1680-by-1050 resolution in the 20-inch version or 1920-by-1200 resolution for the 24-inch. The Intel iMac has an amazingly thin anodized aluminum frame whose storage, power and style make it an excellent component on the work desk of any creative professional. Print designers or video editors, however, may need something with a bit more oomph, and that's where the Mac Pro comes in. The iMac comes with the amazing new iLife and the full selection of software that comes with Mac OS x v10.5. The iMac ships with a keyboard, the much-debated Mighty Mouse, and the Apple remote. Keep in mind that one advantage of the iMac in terms of pricing is that it ships as a complete system: With the display built-in, there's no need to for single-display users to purchase a separate monitor. Video chat is a breeze with a built-in iSight camera and mic, and the sum of all these parts is a truly phenomenal in an all-in-one desktop.
- 20 Inch 2.66GHz: $1,199
- 24 Inch 2.66GHZ: $1,499
Mac Pro
Professional users, meet the new Mac Pro. It's what's on the inside that counts, right? Well, the redesigned interior of this mega-machine is where all of the magic happens. The inner beauty lies in the Quad-Core Intel Xeon Nehalem 5500 series processor (2.26GHz, 2.66GHz, or 2.93GHz), giving users two times the performance. Expanding is easy with simplified access to memory (up to 32GB), storage (up to 4TB) and expansion cards. The Mac Pro employs the latest in graphics technology with high performance graphics cards by AMD and NVIDIA, and Apple claims this model is the fastest Mac ever. Operating on MAC OS X Leopard, this system means business for serious creative professionals in film, photography, music, animation or design. This computer is not a toy; it's a powerhouse system with good stock graphics capabilities (upgradeable to something truly awesome) and the ability to connect up to two displays.
- 2.26GHz: $2,499
Mac Product Images used courtesy of Apple.
More Apple
iPad Costs
That's some profit! No wonder Apple execs have said they'd stay nimble on pricing! With demand for the iPad under scrutiny and this week's news that the "Take Picture" hint was removed from the Address Book app in the iPad simulator even we are starting to wonder if it's not worth waiting for the 2nd generation.
Trust us, it's painful to say.
Google Challenges the Internet
This is huge news, and we hope our city is on the receiving end of the new interwebs...here's the official Google Blog if you want to read it all in detail or submit your community.
Dogs on Twitter
Seriously, the app is set to sell for $5 and will post your pet's barks to Twitter. Silly? Yes. Fun? Probably!!
Will you let your dog speak his mind? Tell us here.
More News
iSuppli Corp., which generally waits until it can actually get the new Apple product to estimate its production cost, has decided to forgo hands on examination in the case of the iPad. They have--from just looking at it, it's amazing--decided the base model only costs $219.35 for Apple to produce. According to AppleInsider the base model won't make Apple anywhere near as much profit as the 32 GB model with 3G wireless priced at $729...that one reportedly costs only $287.15 to produce.
"Think Big" indeed. This time, Google is setting its sights on the very way we transmit information and asking people from around the country to nominate their city or state to be included in an ultra-high speed open internet network of Google's building. Set to include anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000 people, this network will boast 1GB per second fiber optic connections that Google reps are hoping will bolster developer creativity, test new ways to build the infrastructure and challenge internet service providers to band together to create a better internet instead of shunning change to maintain their bottom lines.
From the country that's given us karate and karaoke comes the newest iPhone app: that's right, Japan's Index Corp. has announced the release of "Bowlingual," the dog emotion translator. Latest in a long line of technological advances, this app (to be released this summer) analyzes Fido's bark and puts it into one of six categories, like "needy." Or "happy." Then it adds a caption based on the emotion and allows you to snap a photo of your pooch in its current mood; as if that weren't enough it can modify that photo to enlarge your pet's eyes...oh...so cute.
