A Bevy of New Macs: More For Less, But No Major Surprises

By  |  Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 10:12 am

As expected, Apple has rounded out its computer line with a bunch of new models which follow the traditional Apple pattern: They have better specs, upscale features, and the same prices as the models they replace–and they’re missing some rumored features, too. (Blu-Ray in this case, which is apparently still a bag of hurt.)

The new entry-level MacBook is mostly much what you might guess it would be: A white-plastic model that brings a bunch of features from Apple’s higher-end models, including an LED backlit screen, a multi-touch touchpad with a built-in button, and a Mini DisplayPort connector. It loses the FireWire connector–oh no, not again!–but, strangely, doesn’t seem to gain an SD slot. It’s also got Apple’s sealed “unibody” design (in a curvier-looking form than the old MacBook case) with a built-in battery which Apple says is good for up to seven hours. And it’s 4.7 pounds, down from 5 pounds for its predecessor.

The MacBook didn’t get a price cut: It still starts at $999, which gets you a 2.26GB Core 2 Duo CPU, Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. The mythical $899 Mac portable remains mythical for now.

Apple MacBook

The iMac line also got an upgrade, with new 21.5″ and 27″ models (starting at $1199 and $1699), both of which have 16-by-9 widescreen displays with LED lighting, SD slots, and the ability to connect external video sources such as a game console or Blu-Ray player via an adapter. (Some models of HP’s latest TouchSmart have a similar feature.) Processors now go up to a quad-core Intel Core i7.

The new iMacs come with a new wireless mouse called the Magic Mouse (sorry, Little Roquefort) with a multi-touch surface that lets you perform iPhone-like gestures such as swiping and pinching. It’s also available separately for $69.

iMacs

Apple also beefed up the specs on the Mac Mini, and introduced an intriguing server version with Snow Leopard Server preinstalled, two hard drives, and no optical drive. It’s not a home server like HP’s MediaSmart, but maybe Apple is tippy-toeing in that direction.

 
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3 Comments For This Post

  1. NanoGeek Says:

    It also appears that Apple has redesigned their remote.
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC377LL/A

  2. Relyt Says:

    That new remote looks really messed up and ugly simultaneously.

  3. NanoGeek Says:

    I think that it is just like the old remote except that the play/pause button isn’t in the center of the circle.