As you can see the “new” 17″ iMac that was talked about yesterday is actually the old 17″ iMac. You see, Apple has been offering this iMac ever since it was released but since it was discontinued to the general public it has only been available to educational institutions buying in bulk.
Unfortunately I, along with many other websites that cover Apple news misreported the information from the newsletter as a leak. Obviously it wasn’t a leak and in the future I will do my best to recheck reports from other websites.
In Apple’s March email focused on education users Apple has (possibly inadvertently) announced plans to offer a 17″ iMac starting at $899.
It is possible that this was a typo but it seems unlikely. It is much more likely that Apple had finally heard enough complaining from education customers regarding the pricing of the low end iMac.
The new 17″ iMac will probably be much like the eMac in which it will be available in larger quantities to education customers but most likely not to regular consumers, unless purchased through a reseller.
This new 17″ model has only been mentioned on the email newsletter and isn’t referenced at all on Apple’s website or any other reseller websites.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is planning to launch a netbook computer with a touch screen monitor as early as the second half of this year, two people close to the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.
The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches, one person, who declined to be named, said.
Another person said other specifications and functions are still under evaluation.
I wonder if Apple finally figured out how to make a $500 computer that wasn’t a piece of junk?
Here’s a quick run down of what Apple released yesterday:
Apple Keyboard Compact design of the Apple wireless keyboard without the need for battery switching and with the benefit of two USB 2.0 ports
AirPort Extreme Base Station Simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi broadcasts on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands so you have maximum range and full compatibility with all Wi-Fi devices. Guest networking broadcasts a second Wi-Fi network for guests to use the internet without having access to all of your network devices.
Time Capsule Gained the same features as the AirPort Extreme.
MacBook Pro Added 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz Core 2 Duo options.
Mac Pro The entry level is now $300 cheaper, at $2,499. It also received brand new Nehalem processors, and obviously Mini DisplayPort.
Mac Mini 5 USB ports, Mini DisplayPort (exactly as the leaked picture suggested, take that doubters), Geforce 9400M graphics.
iMac Entry level now has a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, 320GB hard drive, Geforce 9400M graphics, for the same price of $1,199. 24″ iMac now starts at $1,499.
World of Apple and My Apple Guide have both heard from sources that Apple is planning to hold a special event on March 24 to release new desktop hardware.
Only My Apple Guide claims to have any specifics as to what Apple will announce, they are expecting a new Mac Mini, iMacs with Nvidia chipsets, Mac Pros, and a pleasant “surprise.” Neither one of these websites are known for leaking news but if it is true I would expect to see all of the above along with at least a mention of Snow Leopard (although the appearance of Mac Pros seems a little sketchy to me).
If I was to tell you what I want (not what I’m expecting) it would be a cheaper Mac Mini. When the Mac Mini was initially released it was priced at $499 and stayed at that price until the transition to Intel processors, I really hope Apple decides to move back to that price point.
Dell announced the interesting Adamo notebook. The notebook doesn’t look too bad but I don’t understand the design decision behind the hinge for the display being about an inch from the back of the notebook.
Sony has officially announced what everyone was expecting, the Vaio P notebook. It is the worlds lightest 8-inch notebook at just 1.4 pounds (and because of its small size I will now call it a netbook, even though Sony doesn’t want me to). The netbook features Windows Vista, a 1600×768 resolution LED backlit LCD display, 802.11n, 3G connectivity, Bluetooth, 4-8 hours of battery life (depending on whether or not you get the high capacity battery), and GPS.
Sony has also decided to include an “instant on” OS that boots into Sony’s “Xross Media Bar” interface. The device will start shipping in early February for $900 and will come in garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white, and classic black.
I do have some more opinions on the hardware itself, The Sony Vaio P is more attractive closed than open. The keyboard seems more cluttered than the Palm Centro’s, and that is a device significantly smaller than the Vaio P.
I like the idea behind using a wider display to make more room for a decent sized keyboard but the display is just too darn small. in my opinion I’d rather have a slightly taller screen and a little bit more of a lip below the keyboard, this will of course make the netbook itself larger but the increased screen real estate would be well worth it.
I have no problem with their choice of mousing device, too many netbooks have trackpads that are just too darn small, the little nub in the center of the keyboard was a much better choice than a tiny trackpad. But, the mouse buttons are just too close to the edge of the device, although I haven’t played around with the netbook at all it appears that using one hand to mouse around and a second hand to click with (as I do often on my MacBook) would be uncomfortable.
The pixel density on the screen appears to be too high, which undoubtedly will leave many squinting while trying to read text on the screen.
Sony is just doing what it usually does, build a very decent notebook that seems to focus more on form than function. I had high hopes for this device but Sony really missed the mark.
This netbook will replace the Mini-Note 2133 and abandons the Via processor in favor of an Intel Atom CPU. The processor change will not only increase battery life but also make the netbook run a lot cooler.
HP has also managed to fit a 10-inch screen in the same size chassis as the 2133 which only had a 8.9-inch screen. The new model will be shipping later this month and should be available for $499.
I guess I didn’t realize that OQO was even still in business. I can’t comprehend where their devices are supposed to fit in the marketplace.
UMPC maker OQO will soon release the successor to its Model 02 portable PC, which is expected to be as much as twice as fast. The Model 2+ is reported to sport an uncommon 1.86GHz Intel Atom CPU along with 2GB of RAM.
As you can see the “new” 17″ iMac that was talked about yesterday is actually the old 17″ iMac. You see, Apple has been offering this iMac ever since it was released but since it was discontinued to the general public it has only been available to educational institutions buying in bulk.
