Apple's double lotto
Hardware Apple has hit the jackpot with the new MacBook.
Hardware Apple has hit the jackpot with the new MacBook. By announcing its strategy last summer to switch its hardware to Intel processors within this year, Apple has signaled its openness to new ideas. This step indicates that the company wants to grow more strongly in its traditional computer segment. Apple CEO Steve Jobs also confirmed this in a recent interview when he said that growth of a further five percent would be "very exciting" for Apple. Apple's announcement at the beginning of April to open up its hardware to Windows XP operating systems (see article below) could prove to be an important move to increase its market share in desktops and laptops. Whether this step was a voluntary one or was taken because hackers managed to make it possible to boot Windows anyway within a relatively short space of time remains a matter of speculation.The little black book is backOne very important product in Apple's portfolio to date has been iBooks. With the successor model, the new MacBook laptops, Apple has once again achieved a great success. Apart from a few minor details, Apple's portable entry-level drug is extremely potent and addictive. The new laptops are compact, have no edges, the surface is smooth and the exterior looks elegant and high-quality.
In addition to the recently introduced MacBook Pro, Apple is offering another option within this consumer series: In addition to two white models with marginal differences in features, buyers can for the first time also opt for a black notebook with even slightly better features.
With the MacBooks, Apple is introducing a new, significantly brighter 13-inch widescreen display. The screen has a glossy, smooth surface, which is now also available as an option for the Pro models. Conversely, innovations introduced with the Pro computers have found their way into the MacBooks. For safety, for example, the Sudden Motion Sensor (moves the heads of the hard disk into a parking position in a fraction of a second if the computer is dropped, for example) or the MagSafe power connection (prevents the laptop from being pulled off the table when charging thanks to a magnetic connection of the power cable). The MacBooks are also equipped with the iSight cameras, which are only around 3 ¥ 3 mm in size and enable video conferences or the recording of film sequences.
Apple is also generous with the interfaces. A digital DVI output enables the connection of additional displays up to 23 inches in size, making the computers ideal as desktop machines. Gigabit Ethernet and Firewire outputs enable fast data traffic in networks or connected devices; Bluetooth and WLAN are standard. The entry-level laptops are also equipped with FrontRow technology, which, together with the remote control supplied, makes it much easier to play multimedia content (music, video, photos, DVD).
Where there is light ... Anyone who exposes the MacBook to changing light conditions or sunlight will get to know the dark side of the bright display. The reflections are significantly stronger than on the predecessor model. The polarizing filter used by Apple may help, but it does not solve the problem completely.
What is an advantage for watching DVD movies is unfortunately a problem if you want to edit documents in portrait format: the 13-inch screen in 16:9 format makes this much more difficult. Unfortunately, the new model does not really allow for other resolutions; there is no real alternative to the excellent 1200 ¥ 800 resolution. The screen diagonal and the limited resolutions are ultimately the most obvious reason to opt for a higher-end MacBook Pro.
The final disadvantage is the lack of a fully-fledged graphics processor. However, this fact is not really noticeable in practice. Photoshop users may be somewhat disappointed here. However, it should be noted that the MacBook Pro line is available for them and that the Adobe applications have not yet been adapted in a native version, i.e. one that is compatible with Intel processors.
The bottom line is that Apple has made a compromise with my favorite, the black MacBook: In any case, I would have liked a black remote control as well as a black power supply unit. Apart from that, the little black one is an ideal and very well-equipped travel companion. The included software also offers real added value. The MacBooks should therefore sell like hot cakes.
Jürgen Franck
In addition to the recently introduced MacBook Pro, Apple is offering another option within this consumer series: In addition to two white models with marginal differences in features, buyers can for the first time also opt for a black notebook with even slightly better features.
With the MacBooks, Apple is introducing a new, significantly brighter 13-inch widescreen display. The screen has a glossy, smooth surface, which is now also available as an option for the Pro models. Conversely, innovations introduced with the Pro computers have found their way into the MacBooks. For safety, for example, the Sudden Motion Sensor (moves the heads of the hard disk into a parking position in a fraction of a second if the computer is dropped, for example) or the MagSafe power connection (prevents the laptop from being pulled off the table when charging thanks to a magnetic connection of the power cable). The MacBooks are also equipped with the iSight cameras, which are only around 3 ¥ 3 mm in size and enable video conferences or the recording of film sequences.
Apple is also generous with the interfaces. A digital DVI output enables the connection of additional displays up to 23 inches in size, making the computers ideal as desktop machines. Gigabit Ethernet and Firewire outputs enable fast data traffic in networks or connected devices; Bluetooth and WLAN are standard. The entry-level laptops are also equipped with FrontRow technology, which, together with the remote control supplied, makes it much easier to play multimedia content (music, video, photos, DVD).
Where there is light ... Anyone who exposes the MacBook to changing light conditions or sunlight will get to know the dark side of the bright display. The reflections are significantly stronger than on the predecessor model. The polarizing filter used by Apple may help, but it does not solve the problem completely.
What is an advantage for watching DVD movies is unfortunately a problem if you want to edit documents in portrait format: the 13-inch screen in 16:9 format makes this much more difficult. Unfortunately, the new model does not really allow for other resolutions; there is no real alternative to the excellent 1200 ¥ 800 resolution. The screen diagonal and the limited resolutions are ultimately the most obvious reason to opt for a higher-end MacBook Pro.
The final disadvantage is the lack of a fully-fledged graphics processor. However, this fact is not really noticeable in practice. Photoshop users may be somewhat disappointed here. However, it should be noted that the MacBook Pro line is available for them and that the Adobe applications have not yet been adapted in a native version, i.e. one that is compatible with Intel processors.
The bottom line is that Apple has made a compromise with my favorite, the black MacBook: In any case, I would have liked a black remote control as well as a black power supply unit. Apart from that, the little black one is an ideal and very well-equipped travel companion. The included software also offers real added value. The MacBooks should therefore sell like hot cakes.
Jürgen Franck
