mac

Wither Mac Mini?

After relegating it to the hinterlands of its Mac lineup for years, Apple might be finally ready to put the Mac Mini to sleep.

That's what Gizmodo thinks, having talked to two European retailers who say they can no longer order the $599 box from Apple. It's possible Apple could be getting ready to simply update the internal hardware in the Mac Mini, which has languished for quite a while with outdated chips, but Gizmodo reports that the retailers have been told that this is the end of the line.

The Mac Mini was an experiment in affordability and minimalism … Read more

Apple's report card less important than crystal ball

Apple's fourth quarter should have survived the economic chaos currently rounding the globe, but what Wall Street will care about Tuesday afternoon is its outlook on the future.

Despite a few more product glitches than usual, it's been business as usual at Apple during the past three months: strong Mac growth and steady iPod sales, with the added bonus of soaring iPhone sales this time around. But the company finds itself in a much different economic environment than last time Apple held an earnings conference call in July.

Will consumers who just watched the value of their retirement … Read more

New Apple ads tweak Microsoft marketers

Apple has fired back in the latest round of the Mac versus PC ad wars with two commercials tweaking Microsoft's marketing strategies.

One nice thing about having a sick girlfriend is a guilt-free weekend in front of a dozen or so college and pro football games. Apple released two new Mac vs. PC ads for that sedentary audience to ponder in between kickoffs this weekend, though both ads seemed to be tailored more for the tech industry than NFL fans.

Both commercials poke fun at Microsoft's recent massive ad campaign to "redefine" itself in the face … Read more

Digital City: Episode 3

This week on the Digital City, it's an (almost) all-Apple special, as we talk about the new MacBooks. A quick note: Even if you listen to or download the show from this site, be a mench and click on the " Subscribe to this podcast using iTunes" button on the right side of the screen. Thanks in advance ;) Listen now: Download today's podcast Digital City rundown Episode 3

New MacBooks! Went down to the Apple store in Soho the next day -- no lines, no MacBooks, biz as usual. In fact, the entire store was filled with … Read more

Apple's new 13-inch MacBook impresses

In case you missed it after checking out our rumor mill posts, live coverage of the Apple press conference, and even our collection of "unboxing" pictures of the actual hardware, you can now read CNET's full reviewof Apple's new 13-inch MacBook.

The redesigned MacBook is a solid improvement on an already well-loved system. The new aluminum frame essentially makes it a smaller version of the MacBook Pro, and even the new Nvidia chipset and integrated graphics are impressive, offering playable frame rates in games such as Quake IV and Call of Duty 4 (as long as … Read more

New MacBook Air's newness lies within

The latest MacBook Air masks a lot of new electronics under an old skin.

To me, the new MacBook Air (MBA) is truly a second-generation product despite its unchanged appearance. But before I explain why, let me clarify where I am coming from.

I have been using an MBA for the last eight months. Why the over-priced Air? I am a minimalist when it comes to computers (though not necessarily when it comes to spending money on computers). The more spartan the laptop is, the better. In a well-executed design this translates to more portability, which, for me, takes priority … Read more

Report: New Apple iMacs due in next couple weeks

Never a dull moment, or even a lull, when it comes to Apple upgrade news. On the heels of last week's announcements about the company's new MacBook lineup, there's now buzz about new iMacs that could be out in time for the holidays.

Apple Insider kicked off the latest round of speculation with a report Friday that Apple is expected to refresh its 20- and 24-inch iMacs "in the coming weeks," entering the shopping season with "one of its strongest product portfolios ever."

As for details, there aren't many. Apple Insider and others … Read more

New models from Apple, Samsung, Toshiba, and Fujitsu: The week in laptops

What a week for laptops! We'll start with the big news, which drew many a visitor to Crave: at a press event in Cupertino, Calif., Steve Jobs announced a number of updates to Apple's MacBook line. Get a sense of the changes with our "new vs. old" analysis of the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, or just have a look at which new MacBook is right for you.

You can also read our review of the new MacBook; stay tuned for the MacBook Pro review. (Also follow those links to see video of the new … Read more

Apple moving Finder to Cocoa

Apple has finally rewritten one of the most important applications in Mac OS X in its preferred programming environment, according to a report.

AppleInsider reports that Finder, the ubiquitous file management application in Mac OS X, has been rewritten using Apple's Cocoa development environment in advance of the release of Mac OS X 10.6, otherwise known as Snow Leopard. Finder remained a stubborn holdout tied to the Carbon programming environment as Apple encouraged internal and external developers to switch to Cocoa over the last several years.

Apple hasn't released a ton of formal information about Snow Leopard, … Read more

Apple, Psystar agree to dispute resolution process

Apple and Psystar have agreed to pursue a mediated settlement to their legal dispute over Psystar's Open Computers.

The Mac Observer turned up a court filing from earlier this month in the Apple-Psystar case noting that the two parties have agreed to participate in the Alternative Dispute Resolution process. As you may recall, Apple sued Psystar earlier this year for copyright infringement after Psystar began selling low-cost Open Computers with Mac OS X preinstalled. Psystar then countersued Apple on antitrust grounds.

ADR, as it is known, is a way to bypass the costly legal process as well as keep … Read more