Now is the best time of the year for gadget nuts: We have the Consumer Electronics Show madness, and that’s closely followed by MacWorld, at which Steve Jobs and crew get up and try to outshine CES and gather all of the buzz in the world of gadgets. This year was no different – after everyone was focused on Las Vegas and new televisions, digital cameras, and other buzz-worthy gadgets, there was Mr. Jobs up on stage, giving us the new MacBook Air ultra-portable, a wicked thin wireless notebook, and new iPhone and iPod Touch software upgrades, an upgrade (finally) to its Apple TV device and movie rental deals, through iTunes, that may spur some more movie-watching on small screens. I was impressed at all of the announcements, however it was a bit less exciting as last year’s iPhone unveiling.
The new Time Capsule device shines the spotlight on backup and storage in ways that other vendors have failed to do. A wireless router with a storage drive ($500 for 1TB should get some heads turning) and automatic backup software for Macs with the Time Machine software on it, the Time Capsule appliance makes it easier than ever to have all of your important data from all of your home computers backed up!
Even the Apple TV upgrade is significant. The previous device required the unit to be connected (wired or wirelessly) to a PC or Mac running iTunes. While the new version still relies on a user’s PC or Mac for content synchronization, Apple TV users can now rent movies from the iTunes Store and have the content appear on their Apple TV box without having to go through the computer. It’s a small achievement, but one that could eventually mean products that don’t require a PC connection at all.
And last but not least, there’s the Macbook Air. Sporting a silvery finish, the MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display that has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. The backlighting saves power and provides “instant on” response from the moment you turn it on, according to Jobs. The device has a slightly wedge-shaped profile. It weighs about 3 pounds, and sports a thickness of 0.16-0.76 inches. It’s 12.8 inches wide and 8.95 inches deep. The MacBook Air also features a built-in iSight webcam and a full sized MacBook-style black keyboard. The keyboard is backlit, similar to MacBook Pros, and has an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness. The trackpad is also capable of recognizing multi-touch gestures, similar to using an iPhone or iPod touch. As a result, the MacBook Air’s trackpad is disproportionately large, compared to the size of trackpads found on the MacBook or MacBook Pro. Apple’s frequently been in the crosshairs of environmental group Greenpeace in recent years. Jobs offered information about the environmental goals behind the MacBook Air — it has a fully recyclable aluminum case, and is “the first” to have a mercury-free display with arsenic-free glass. All the circuit boards are BFR-free and PVC-free, and the retail packaging uses 56 percent less material than the MacBook packaging.
So while it’s true that Apple didn’t cause the world to change instantly, the products it did announce could change the industry, or at least our thinking of how things should work, over the next few years.
To see all of the new products and find out more about them, we invite you to come by Mactalk and visit with us, we can tell you how a Mac can change the way you think about technology!
For more information, please call 661-803-9661.