MacbookPro
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Spy on friends and family with your iSight-enabled Mac
This post could also have been titled: "how to lose family and friends quickly with your iSight-enabled Mac." A poster over at macosxhints discovered that you can start a new video recording session in QuickTime Pro on an iSight-enabled Mac (for that low-profile surveillance look), and invoke Fast User Switching while the QT Pro session keeps on recording. For more stealth surveillance, you can set your display to shut off and, aside from the green light, most people will be none the wiser.Ethics and exclamations of 'how dare you?!' aside, I wonder if this 'built-in webcam' feature is going to inspire a new niche of unique video recording software.
Apple introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro
At least the Apple Store wasn't down this time for too long: today, Apple introduced the 17" MacBook Pro with an Intel Core Duo processor. It's lost .1 lb, now weighing a mere 6.8 lb, and also features a built-in iSight, Front Row and MagSafe - just like its 15" little brother. The new 17" MacBook Pro comes with a 2.16 Intel Core Duo processor, a 667 MHz front-side bus, a 36% brighter display, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 120 GB 5400-rpm SATA drive (standard), a 256 MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 card and - get this: an 8x double-layer SuperDrive, one FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, and three USB 2.0 ports. I guess they had some extra room to work with in the 17" to fit in those extra features that the 15" MacBook Pro lost. The 17" MacBook Pro sells for $2799 and will begin shipping next week.
On the MacBook Pro and GPU overclocking
Oh those enterprising hackers, whatever are we going to do with them? First they're blazing their own trail by getting Windows XP on a Mac, and now they're overclocking their GPUs. Hardmac.com posted about one forum member's discovery (in French) that, when compared to similar PC notebook hardware specs, his MacBook Pro's GPU seemed to be a bit underclocked - by over 100 MHz. However, these specs are on paper, and I haven't seen reports as to whether this is a practice exhibited by other manufacturers. So what's a hacker to do? Why, use ATI's tools to get some overclocking action on! ATI offers a set of video card tools that unfortunately are Windows only, but if you come to the same results and just gotta have some more MHz, using Boot Camp to run these tools under Windows XP ought to do the trick for you. Just don't blame us if your MacBook Pro suddenly morphs into liquid metal form.[via Engadget]
24 hour shipping for MacBook Pros in UK
Good news, UK. It seems that Apple has worked out the supply-and-demand issues that were hindering the shipment of MacBook Pros. According to Macworkd UK, the online Apple Store now promises that MacBook Pros will be ready for shipment within 24 hours of your placing an order. Huzzah! Enjoy your swanky new laptops!
Overclock your MacBook Pro's GPU -- if you dare
We're not suggesting you try this at home (though we're also not suggesting that doing so will melt your MacBook Pro), but according to reports trickling out on the internets, the graphics processor in Apple's MacBook Pro is woefully underclocked. One user who tested his unit found that the MBP's Radeon X1600 came in at just 310MHz, compared to 470MHz on similarly equipped laptops from other brands (we almost said "similarly equipped Windows-based laptops," but, hey, we can't do that anymore, can we?). So, what's a gamer to do? Why, overclock it -- or reclock it, if you believe the unit is underclocked in the first place. Just boot your MBP into Windows (you do know how to do that, right?), run ATI Tools 0.2.5 and kiss your sluggish graphics (and probably your warranty) goodbye. Oh, and just in case you really don't know how to run Windows on your MBP, it turns out that at least one retailer is now selling models with XP pre-installed. Get one now, before Apple shuts them down.Read - GPURead - XP pre-installed on MBP
Apple said to be planning 17-in MacBook Pro for NAB launch
If you've been hankering for one of Apple's $2,500, 17-inch G4 PowerBooks, you may just want to put your wallet away for a little while. According to AppleInsider, the company is due to roll out a 17-inch version of the Core Duo-powered MacBook Pro at the National Association of Broadcasters conference next week. According to the report, the 17-inch MBP would include a faster processor than the 2.16GHz version currently available in the 15-incher's top configuration. That could put pricing for the model well above $3,000, given the $2,800 price for the 2.16GHz version -- which may explain why Apple's choosing to show it off for TV pros, who may be willing to splurge for a high-end box, especially if they can run an Intel-native version of Apple's Final Cut Studio on it for a mere $1,300 more. Hmm, maybe that G4 isn't such a bad deal after all.[Thanks, Adam]
Buy a MacBook Pro with pre-loaded Windows XP
I am writing this at midnight, dear readers, and I can only pray that what I'm looking at is a fever-induced hallucination and I'm trapped in some sort of cruel nightmare triggered by Microsoft's secret Terror Ray XP Premium Edition (originally designed to torment Mossberg and Pogue every time they write a pro-Apple article, and also used to bend Dvorak, Thurrott, and Enderle to the company's uncompromising will).It seems a company called ExperCom is selling standard-specced MacBook Pros...pre-loaded with Windows XP. This is for those folks who want the beautiful Apple hardware and the ubiquitous Windows software without having to deal with Boot Camp themselves, I guess.We all knew this was inevitable, and fighting it is pointless. Still...just looking at that page sends shivers up my spine. At least they're happy to note, "We don't support Windows XP - and neither does Apple. We'll install it for you, but, hey, we're Mac people, so we can't help answer Windows questions."[Thanks, Dan K. Kinda.]
Apple posts firmware update
Earlier today, Apple posted a new firmware update for Intel-equipped Macs. According to Apple, this update will bring your Intel Mac to firmware version 1.0.1. You can find the update for the Mac mini here, the iMac here and the MacBook Pro here. Apple didn't provide a whole lot of detail about these updates, so let us know what your experiences are.
Boot Camp users: We're stuck in Windows
Talk about a nightmare. Several Boot Camp users have logged on to Apple's discussion boards to share their horror story: The can't boot back into Mac OS X. Forum user TChi wrote:"It all worked fine until I wanted to start up OS X. Then the startup screen never progressed. I actually left and came back an hour later and it was still just the gear thing spinning around."There are at least ten other posts there that describe the same issue involving XP on a MacBook Pro via Boot Camp. A number of fixes have been posted, but (as of my typing this) a one-size-fits-all solution is yet to be offered. The lessons to be learned here? A.) Boot Camp is beta software B.) Carbon Copy Cloner is your friend and C.) Being stuck with Windows is your punishment for installing Windows (that last one was a joke)!Seriously, if you've had a similar experience and have found a fix, feel free to post it here (or at Apple's discussion board). Your fellow Mac users will thank you.[Via PC World]
Someone finally tests Adobe apps on Rosetta vs. PPC
Bare Feats has been busy with their Mac OS X vs XP tests earlier today and now this. From what I can tell, they are probably the first site to post some benchmarks of non-Intel native Adobe apps, specifically Photoshop CS2 and After Effects 7.0. Check out the machines they used, and note the equality of RAM: MacBook Pro CD/2.0 -- Apple Intel MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Core Duo and 2GB of memory PowerMac G5/2.0 -- Apple Dual Single-Core G5/2.0GHz Power Mac with 2GB of memory PowerBook G4/1.67 -- Apple PowerBook G4/1.67GHz with 2GB of memory Not surprisingly, the PowerMac swept the floor with the MacBook Pro, but to my delight: the PowerBook didn't perform that much better. In fact, in the After Effects render test, the MacBook actually beat out the PowerBook.The SP (Single Processor) Actions test is where you can really see the performance void of Rosetta apps on the MacBook Pro, as the PowerMac and PowerBook clearly are going home with the prom queen.Still, I'm glad to see that the MacBook Pro will perform more or less like my PowerBook G4 when running these pro apps, especially since I'm living in After Effects these days. Unfortunately, I now must curse Bare Feats for ever performing these tests, as they got my 'hmm, maybe I could upgrade' gears grinding again. Thanks guys.
Litany of MacBook Pro woes
Daniel Jalkut has been writing about the noise issues with his MacBook Pro for awhile now, and he has had enough. The small problems he is having with his MacBook Pro (ordered very soon after they were announced) have become too much for him, and he hopes to convince Apple to send him a replacement unit.He lists 10 things that are wrong with his MacBook Pro, anyone else seeing similar things with MacBook Pros purchased more recently?
iAlertU MacBook alarm software available in beta
We've been seeing posts and vids (and getting tips) on a program called iAlertU all week, but were a little skeptical of software that claims to use the tilt sensors and camera in your MacBook Pro for triggering an alarm if someone tries to snatch your lappie. Skeptical, that is, until a beta version of the application was released today,. While feedback so far indicates that the code is still pretty buggy, the program seems to actually work, with users generally pleased about the overall operation (for the five minute usage limitation of the beta, anyway). Developer Slapping Turtle says that once all the kinks are worked out, a non-time limited version will be available for $10, which seems like a good deal once key features are implemented -- most importantly, headphone jack and other overrides, because even the most dim-witted thief may somehow stumble upon the "force restart" key combo in mid-heist.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Novatel EV-DO ExpressCard next month?
We've still yet to hear of any solid 3G ExpressCard device releases as yet (we were kind of hoping CTIA would have yielded at least one or two), but Om seems to have the scoop on a Novatel EV-DO ExpressCard 34 launch for May -- whose most obvious application right now is, of course in Apple MacBook Pros. Granted, we wouldn't be in this predicament if Apple had just followed through with internal integrated 3G like so many other laptop manufacturers, but hey, you've got what we've got, and we'll takes what we can gets. There's no way of knowing, however, when the cards will hit the market with Sprint or Verizon even if Novatel launches their card in May, so stay tuned. [Via TUAW, image via EVDOinfo]
Vista on a MacBook Pro
Marc Orchant got the Vista install disk working with a MacBook Pro and Boot Camp. What was his secret? Well, he just inserted a Vista disk instead of a Windows XP disk. There are also reports that Boot Camp supports various distros of Linux.Update: Well, it looks like the Vista install process works, but Vista itself? Not so much. So, you can install Vista on an Intel Mac but you just can't run it.. much like a PC. I kid, I kid.
Kensington brings that portable keyboard feel to your desktop
I need to come clean: I thoroughly enjoy working on my PowerBook far more than my iMac G5. Why? Other than the obvious portability factor: it's the keyboard. Aside from an ergonomic (where'd those go, anyway?), the PowerBook's keyboard is about the best darn keyboard I've ever laid hands on. Every standard desktop keyboard just feels big and clunky, and the keys have a lot more travel to them. I can type much faster on my PowerBook's keyboard, and nowadays it's gotten so bad that I stumble and trip up on regular desktop keyboards. When you blog for a company like Weblogs, Inc. who revokes one day's lunch privileges for every typo they find, this can become a serious problem (just kidding about the lunch thing, but let's just say I'm missing a toe or two).If you're nodding your head in agreement to any of my keyboard obsessiveness, I think Kensington has a good solution for all of us. I found their SlimType Keyboard for Mac at a CompUSA last weekend, and wow did it feel like my PowerBook. Its layout is slightly different from both a PowerBook and standard Apple desktop keyboard, as the Home/End and Page Up/Down keys are lined vertically on the right of the Delete/Return side of the keyboard, but its keys have the same low rate of travel and a very similar, solid feel. I haven't grabbed one yet, but they retail for $40, and some of the online retailers that Kensington's product site link are selling it for as low as $30.If you pick one up or already own one, feel free to sound off with your thoughts.
Video of a MacBook Pro stomping a PowerMac G5 compiling Java
What's a big news day without a little bit of a hardware smack down? Call me crazy, but I just found this Gear Live site through diggdot.us, and these guys posted a video podcast in a variety of formats of a MacBook Pro with a (comparatively) measly 1 GB RAM making mince meat out of a Dual 2.0 GHz PowerMac G5 with 4 GB RAM in a Java compile test.While it isn't a comprehensive rundown of a variety of tasks and apps these two systems can run, it's still pretty impressive to see how well this next generation hardware can perform.
Mossberg goes to Boot Camp and survives unscathed
While some early message-board reviews of Apple's new Boot Camp software -- which was announced earlier today -- seem to show that there are at least some hazards to running Windows on a Mac (see the pic at right, which is apparently one of the first Boot Camp-assisted Mac BSODs), The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg has given the new boot manager a thumbs up. According to Mossberg (who was able to sneak a copy out of Cupertino a few days ago), after installing Boot Camp and Windows on an Intel iMac, Windows ran "blazingly fast," and all of the apps he tested ran "flawlessly." Mossberg put the install time -- including both installing Boot Camp itself and running the usual Windows installer -- at 57 minutes, 40 of which were claimed by the Windows setup program. Despite being generally pleased, Mossberg did find a few glitches, including having to reset the clock every time Windows is booted (apparently the system clock used by the iMac isn't recognized by Windows) and not being able to use Apple's iSight camera. All in all, however, Mossberg summed things up with what may soon become Apple's new tagline: "Whether you want to run Mac or Windows programs, an Apple computer may be the only computer you'll need."Read (sub reqd)
Apple releases firmware updates
Hot on the heels of the release of Boot Camp, Apple has issued a few firmware updates for Intel Macs. Specifically, an updater is available for the iMac, Macbook Pro and mini. Also available is Firmware Restoration CD v 1.0, which will restore your Intel-based Mac's firmware to factory settings, just in case things to haywire.[Via MacMinute]
Apple has 13.3-inch MacBooks on the way?
It's always hard to judge these leaks from Apple suppliers, but according to AFX news, Taiwan's Asustek Computer has supposedly just won a bid for an initial run of around 1.2 million "iBook" computers with Intel processors and 13.3-inch LCDs. We've been operating under the assumption that Apple will call their new consumer line of laptops MacBook, as opposed to the pro line of MacBook Pro. Maybe we just spend too much time thinking about Apple's naming schemes, and this probably doesn't change anything. We should hopefully know for sure before long, though, since it is claimed that Apple will start selling these new laptops in June. (Image by William W from our WWJD 3 contest.)
Apple quietly fixing MacBookPro bugs
We don't expect to hear anything official about this from Apple, but according to DailyTech, the company has quietly begun repairing some of the more annoying bugs reported by MacBookPro owners, and has also been replacing the computers of customers who complain loudly enough. According to DailyTech, Apple's "revision D" models, which have serial numbers starting with W8611 or 12, no longer have certain issues, including becoming unbearably hot and LCD problems. The company also told DailyTech that anyone whose MacBook becomes too hot to handle should bring it in to be replaced. While we're not suggesting that every MacBookPro user immediately storm the nearest Apple store, if your serial number starts with W8610 or lower, you may want to be sure everything works okay -- especially if you actually want to put the thing on your lap without getting burned.
