Tech This Out: Apple releases ooodles of new gear

This release of new Apple gadgets was heavily rumored two days before the event and now after the dust has cleared, Apple is offering a brand new Macbook, new line of iMacs and Mac Minis and the world’s first multi-touch mouse. What has Apple got in store with their new products? Well let’s take a look!

Macbook

The Macbook shares similar unibody design to its Macbook Pro line, expect the Macbook is outfitted with a shiny white plastic enclosure. The polycarbonate unibody design comes with a non-removable 7-hour-on-a-single-charge battery and a stunning 13” LED display. Aside from improvements, Apple has completely killed all the Firewire 400 ports across its entire Mac lineup and also included a combined single port for line in and out for audio instead of two separate dedicated ports.

The Verdict

The new Macbook is stunning machine, especially with its curved body and shiny new white coating plastic which prevents the collection of dirt and grime like the previous white/black Macbook did. Its got the looks and it has 2.26 Ghz Duo core of power. Overall this is a very capable entry-level Mac notebook. Most first-year students probably already brought their laptops and are set for the next few years, but if you’re one of those that has to deal with a second hand notebook or waiting for Boxing day, starting at $1099, this is your chance.

Mac Mini + Server

If you like ice cream with choice, the Mac Mini now comes in two flavors! The Mac Mini is known for its small form while being a fully featured Mac. One of the Minis comes with a slot loading an optical drive, the other loses the optical drive and instead gains a second hard drive for additional storage for sever hosting.

The non-server based mini is now offer up to a 2.66 Ghz duo core processor and a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card starting at $649.

The new mini on the block is the server-based duo hard drive Mac Mini. It features a 2.53 duo core processor and up to one terabyte of storage space. An additional external USB-based optical drive is available, the same one offered for the Macbook Air to install applications etc.. The Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Sever is offered at $1099.

The Verdict

The new line up of Mac Mini is a great low cost entry solution to the world of Macs. The new kid on the block is the server-based Mini, a great small server solution for anybody that needs a simple solution to host and share files, sync address books/mail/calendar and instant message.
Did I mention it doesn’t take up a full cabinet and is smaller than the take out boxes you get from the dining hall? It is truly a new kind of server. The simple kind.

iMac + Magic Mouse

The iMac has always been the standard for all-in-one desktop solutions, and with its latest installment it just got even better. Out with the 20” and 24” models and in with 21.5” and a whopping 27” models with 16:9 aspect ratio and screen resolution (pixel density) of 1920 x 1080 for the 21.5” model which supports full 1080p (highest high definition content resolution) and a massive 2560 x 1440 resolution for the 27” model which takes it well beyond full HD 1080p.

The new iMac also now supports 3.06 Ghz Quad-Core Intel chips, which makes the iMacs a true powerhouse workstation but priced for the average consumer starting at $1299 for the 21.5” model.

The new iMac comes with a completely redesigned mouse called the “Magic Mouse”. The world’s first multi-touch mouse. How does it work? The entire top surface of the mouse is a simple glossy white touch sensitive surface with an aluminum bottom. Gone are the days of the unreliable trackball of the original Mighty Mouse. The Magic Mouse still allows for left and right clicks, scrolling and even two finger gestures! However the new Magic Mouse does not have the same “squeeze” side buttons to activate the expose function as the previous Mighty Mouse did.

The Verdict

The new iMac is a fantastic machine with enough processing power for the average consumer and professionals alike with its new Quad-core processor. The support for up to 16GB of RAM and two terabytes of hard drive space options are definitely welcoming to the iMac line.

The $1299 starting price point is unheard of for the amount of power you get with the iMac line. Furthermore, the Jay Leno chin on the new iMac got smaller compared to the previous model to more of a Brad Pitt sized chin, making it even more attractive.