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First up: MacBooks
Unibody (natch), just like the latest and greatest other McBooks. Built-in battery (in other words, non-user replaceable just like the 17" model). Just like the 17" model, Apple claims that lack of user-replaceability means they can use more (wasted) space in the body, meaning up to 7 hours of battery life. 2 hours longer than before. Also, just like they advertised with the 17" model, while most batteries get 300 recharge cycles, this new lithium polymer battery will get over 1,000 recharge cycles. Apple estimates "typical users" will get about 5 years of life.
The new 15" model will be their fastest ever made, with up to a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 6MB L2 cache, up to 8GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. Storage: up to a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive or a 256GB SSD. It also adds a new 60% greater color gamut display, and replaces the ExpressCard slot with an SD card slot (for all those digital cameras, natch).
In this recession (my words, not theirs), another goodie: base price is $1699, $300 less than previously. The baseline model includes a 2.53GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, 250GB HD, 9400M NVIDIA integrated graphics, SD Card slot for said $1699. At $1999, the CPU jumps to 2.66Ghz, you get a 320GB hard drive, both 9400M AND 9600M GT graphics, while at the high end there's a standard configuration of 2.8GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD, at $2299 ($200 less than before).
The 17" model gets a price cut as well -- $2499 for 2.8GHz CPU, 4GB RAM, both 9400M AND 9600M GT graphics.
And that completes the MacBook Pro family. Most affordable lineup ever.
Let's not forget the 13" unibody design. Updated, as well, now with the same non-replaceable battery, but also the same 7 hours of life, and all the "greenness" that Apple states in terms of overall battery longevity. It has the new 60% greater color gamut display, and the SD card slot as well. Sounds like it fits in the Pro line, and that's what's been done, the 13" model is now a MacBook Pro. Oof, more aggressive pricing, with it starting at just $1199, less than the 13" aluminum MacBook it replaces.
Standard configurations: $1199 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM, 9400M graphics, 160GB hard drive, SD card slot; $1499, 2.53GHz CPU, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive.
The white MacBook was recently updated, so nothing there, but the MacBook Air? Apple is dropping the price to $1499, with the the SSD configuration starting at $1799. A deep cut,. $700 than previous pricing. It makes you wonder how much of this is lowering margin and how much is efficiency improvements.
Next Up: Mac OS "Snow Leopard"
Frankly, I'm not going into detail on this. Most users just care that it runs. WWDC is really for developers (or it's supposed to be), and tech details will be exposed in sessions throughout the week. One thing: they did dig at Windows Vista, and Windows 7, in fact calling Windows 7 just another version of Vista (which in reality, it is).
A few highlights though: they called it Snow Leopard because Leopard was their best received OS ever. They wanted to build on that. In this part of the presentation, they emphasized multi-core support, better Exchange Support, OpenCL, and more.
But here we are with a "finally": the iPhone, what we all came for. Well, many of us, anyway.
After a mild amount of (deserved) slapping themselves on the back about the number of applications in the App Store, Apple focused on the new iPhone OS 3.0, which adds features and enhances the ability of developers to monetize their creations. And typically, a buncha demos.
Tethering! This allows you to use your iPhone as a modem. "It is a seamless experience. There's no need to run any software once it's turned on. This requires carrier support. We have 22 partners in 44 countries." Yah, except I don't see AT&T in the list. Wha? Just last year AT&T said tethering was coming.
Remote Wipe for anyone in iPhone OS 3.0. That matches up with Palm Web OS's functionality in that area. Not sure that was announced previously.
More stuff that was definitely announced previously: copy and paste, push notifications, ability for apps to work with third-party hardware, Google Maps integration, on and on. Typical of Apple presentations, there is demo, after demo, after demo.
Developers will get the GM seed today. For the public, you'll have to wait until June 19th. Free for iPhone users, $9.95 for iPod touch (as expected) users.
And here we go: the new iPhone is called the iPhone 3GS, not iPhone Video as some thought. The iPhone 3GS moniker was rumored really late. S means "speed." Launching the messages application is twice as fast, loading a game is 2.4x faster. Viewing attachments, 3.6x faster. 7.2 Mbps HSDPA.
3 megapixel camera. Video on the iPhone 3GS, 30fps VGA with audio.
Voice Control (once again expected). In any application, you hold down the Home button and the Voice Control UI pops up. Commands scroll by in the UI. You can even use Genius by saying "play songs like this."
And when's this all available? June 19th in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and U.K., with six more a week later, and on and on.
For those who want a $99 iPhone, you'll get it. They will continue to sell the 8GB iPhone 3G at $99.
And here's the best part: you can pre-order it online and receive it on June 19th. Assuming, of course, you can get the website to cooperate (currently inundated with requests).
Posted June 8th, 2009 by Michael Santo
