Apple released new MacBook Pro and MacBook models last week, boasting innovative industrial design, much improved graphics capabilities – and a bit of controversy. We cover the releases, including the new 24-inch LED Cinema Display and an updated MacBook Air, as well as the issue of switching to all-glossy screens and omitting FireWire from the MacBook. Adam also looks at the numbers provided at last week’s event that indicate broader acceptance of all things Macintosh. In other news, Glenn Fleishman spends some hands-on time with T-Mobile’s Google-backed G1 phone, Adam notes how Apple’s latest “Get a Mac” ads take direct aim at Microsoft’s advertising, and we cover the releases of Microsoft Office 2008 12.1.3 and Office 2004 11.5.2, along with the availability of Adobe Creative Suite 4. In the TidBITS Watchlist, we spy Apple’s Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update, Typinator 3.2, Mac HelpMate 2.6, Undercover 2.5, OpenOffice 3.0, Flash Player 10, Live Interior 3D 2.0, and Bento 2.0.
Microsoft continues to release updates to Office 2008 and 2004, this time blocking a notable security hole, improving stability within Leopard, and addressing a number of bugs.
Following its announcement late last month, the CS4 revision of Adobe's suite of creative tools is now shipping.
Apple's "Get a Mac" ad campaign has taken direct aim at Microsoft, finally causing the industry giant to strike back with a $300 million ad campaign. Now Apple is returning fire.
In which we announce the winners of copies of PDFpen in last week's DealBITS drawing.
The T-Mobile G1 with Google isn't as impressive today as it will likely be in several months. The first Android-based smartphone release shows potential because its lack of constraints, but it's not all there yet.
Apple revamps the 15-inch MacBook Pro with a fresh look, improved graphics, glass trackpad, magnetic latch, and more, although you won't find FireWire 400 or a matte screen option.
The long-awaited redesigned MacBook arrives with a metal enclosure, faster graphics, and a backlit LED screen. It can also drive larger monitors than ever before, but on the downside, it lacks FireWire.
The new MacBook Air gets a taste of some of the new technologies brought to the other MacBook models.
Apple's new 24-inch Cinema Display offers LED backlighting, an iSight camera, microphone, speakers, and, most notably, a cable with three connectors that provide USB, audio/video, and power connectivity to the new models in the MacBook family.
Apple loves to share positive numbers at the beginning of keynotes, and the special event to introduce new laptops was no exception. Read on to see just how high Apple's market share has risen, how many visitors the Apple Stores are receiving each day, how many Macs have been sold so far in 2008, and much more.
Apple's removal of FireWire from the redesigned MacBook and elimination of the matte screen option generates a firestorm of complaints from Mac users. We don't like it, but we'll probably have to lump it.
Notable software releases so far this week include Apple's Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update, Typinator 3.2, Mac HelpMate 2.6, Undercover 2.5, OpenOffice 3.0, Flash Player 10, Live Interior 3D 2.0, and Bento 2.0.
Readers this week discuss specific recent articles, including Adam's experience filing bug reports with two companies, the steps we take to keep the TidBITS servers running following a crash, Rich Mogull's fascinating look at how mobile phones work, and changes in the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models. Also, the migration from Eudora continues, with advice for moving to Windows email clients; setting up a blog in iWeb; and dealing with Apple repairs in the company's retail stores.