Need help with your Mac, iPod or iPhone? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
New generation of Core 2 Duo chips bolsters performance in Apple’s latest laptops
Just as the hubbub over the MacBook Air has begun to quiet down, Apple has turned the spotlight on the rest of its laptop lineup. Last week the company introduced new MacBook and MacBook Pro models, replacing the Core 2 Duo processors with a new generation of faster chips and increasing the hard drive capacity.
We’ve put the new MacBook Pros through their paces and found that the changes add up to noticeable performance gains over the last-generation of Apple’s high-end laptop. More significant, the revamped MacBook Pro lineup is decidedly faster than the Core Duo-powered models that debuted two years ago.
The new MacBook Pros come with either a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor (in the 15-inch model) or 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo chip (in the 15- and 17-inch configurations. The processors are part of Intel’s next-generation Core 2 Duo chip, code-named Penryn. Unveiled by Intel in January, Penryn chips use a 45-nanometer microprocessor architecture, which improves energy efficiency. The processors can also pack on up to 6MB of shared L2 cache.
Indeed, that’s exactly the amount of L2 cache you’ll find in the new 2.5GHz MacBook Pros—a 50-percent increase over the 4MB found in the previous generation. However, the new 2.4GHz MacBook Pro comes equipped with 3MB—1MB less L2 cache than those models.
The new MacBook Pros still use the same Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics, but now come configured with twice the video RAM, with the new 2.5GHz models outfitted with 512MB and the 2.4GHz shipping with 256MB. All of the MacBook Pros ship with 2GB of DDR2 memory (upgradeable to 4GB). All configuration also get roomier hard drives, with 250GB drives replacing the 160GB hard drives in the previous 17-inch and higher-end 15-inch models, and a 200GB drive taking the place of the 120GB drive found in the last entry-level MacBook Pro.
So how do these internal improvements affect performance? Our Speedmark 5 benchmark suite shows some notable gains over the last generation of MacBook Pros. Aside from screen size, the two 2.5GHz MacBook Pros sport identical internal specifications. Yet, the 15-inch performed a bit faster overall than the 17-inch model, though not by much and not all the time.
Speedmark 5 scores are relative to those of a 1.5GHz Core Solo Mac mini, which is assigned a score of 100. Adobe Photoshop, Cinema 4D XL, iMovie, iTunes, and Finder scores are in minutes:seconds. All systems were running Mac OS X 10.5.2 with 2GB of RAM. The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50MB file. Photoshop’s memory was set to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum. We recorded how long it took to render a scene in Cinema 4D XL. We used Compressor to encode a 6minute:26second DV file using the DVD: Fastest Encode 120 minutes - 4:3 setting. In iMovie, we applied the Aged Film effect from the Video FX menu to a one-minute movie. We converted 45 minutes of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes’ High Quality setting. We used Unreal Tournament 2004’s Antalus Botmatch average-frames-per-second score; we tested at a resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels at the Maximum setting with both audio and graphics enabled.. We created a Zip archive in the Finder from a 2GB folder. For the Professional Application Multitasking suite, we recorded how long it took Photoshop to run our standard test suite while a longer Cinema4D task and our Compressor encode test ran in the background.—MACWORLD LAB TESTING BY JAMES GALBRAITH, JERRY JUNG, AND BRIAN CHEN
The new entry-level 2.4Ghz model bested the last entry-level system—a 2.2GHz MacBook Pro—by 10 percent in our Speedmark tests. In certain tests, like Photoshop, the improvement was even more dramatic, with the new 2.4GHz model finishing our Photoshop suite 23 percent faster than the older 2.2GHz system.
Even with less L2 cache, the new low-end MacBook Pro was able to compete head-to-head with last falls’s more expensive build-to-order MacBook Pro, posting a Speedmark score just one point less than the older system powered by as 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo chip.
The new 15-inch 2.5GHz MacBook Pro was quite a bit faster across the board than that build-to-order 2.6GHz system—more than 8 percent faster, in fact, in Speedmark, and 23 percent faster in Photoshop. Doubling the video memory also helped the new 2.5GHz MacBook Pro best the older build-to-order machine in our Unreal Tournament test by a whopping 34 percent.
While it’s certainly interesting to compare new models to the most recent releases to gauge the progression of Apple’s offerings, most people who bought a new MacBook Pro just last year are probably not looking to upgrade. Rather, it’s owners of even older laptops who have a stake in seeing just how much performance has improved with this latest release.
To provide a point of comparison, we also ran Speedmark tests on a 2GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo, a two-year-old machine that was among the first to ship with an Intel-built processor. The new 15-inch, 2.5GHz MacBook Pro scored around a 50-percent improvement over that older laptop in both Speedmark 5 and our Compressor tests. We also found the newer model to be 36 percent faster than the 2GHz MacBook Pro in both our Photoshop suite and Cinema 4D tests.
Users still holding on to their PowerPC-based PowerBooks have even more impetus to upgrade. Even the low-end 2.4GHz MacBook Pro had a Speedmark score twice as fast as the PowerBook G4. In other tests the 2.4GHz MacBook Pro finished tests in about a third of the time.
We’ll have a full review of the MacBook Pro shortly. Macworld Lab will now turn its attention to testing the new MacBooks that Apple released last week.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Apple Releases Aperture 2
Need help with your Mac, iPod or iPhone? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Major Upgrade Features Improved Interface, Faster Browsing & Enhanced Image Processing
CUPERTINO, California—February 12, 2008—Apple® today introduced Aperture™ 2, the next major release of its groundbreaking photo editing and management software with over 100 new features that make it faster, easier to use and more powerful. With a streamlined user interface and entirely new image processing engine, Aperture 2 also introduces new imaging tools for highlight recovery, color vibrancy, local contrast definition, soft-edged retouching, vignetting and RAW fine-tuning, and lets users directly post their portfolios on the .Mac Web Gallery* for viewing on the web, iPhone™, iPod® touch and Apple TV®. At a new low price of $199, anyone can easily organize, edit and publish photos like a pro.
“Many of the most respected photographers on assignment all over the world trust Aperture to organize, edit and deliver their images,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “With its simpler interface and lower price, anyone can take full advantage of Aperture’s power.”
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of the image,” said Sports Illustrated contributing photographer David Bergman. “Even before I begin making adjustments, Aperture’s new RAW processing gives me better images with more visible detail and better color rendering than any other program I’ve tested.”
“I used to have so much stress about post-production on a shoot, having to juggle multiple applications to make sure they all worked,” said Bob Davis, PDN Top Knots Wedding Photographer 2007. “With Aperture that’s no longer a factor. I can do everything all in one application.”
Featuring a new, easier user interface designed to be more intuitive and accessible, Aperture 2 now lets users navigate between Viewer and Browser modes with a single key command. Screen real estate is maximized for images with an all-in-one heads up display that allows users to toggle between library, metadata and adjustment controls in a single tabbed inspector. The All Projects view, modeled after iPhoto’s Events view, provides a poster photo for every project and the ability to quickly skim through the photos inside, and the integrated iPhoto® Browser offers direct access to all the events and images in the iPhoto library.
Performance has been enhanced in Aperture 2 so it’s faster to import, browse and search large volumes of images. Embedded previews let photographers caption, keyword and rate images as they are being imported, and with the ability to export images in the background, photographers can continue working while images are processed to JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD file formats. Quick Preview allows users to browse RAW images in rapid succession without having to wait for files to load, and the Aperture library database has been re-architected to provide fast project switching and near instantaneous search results, even when working with extremely large libraries of 500,000 images or more.
Aperture 2 delivers powerful new imaging tools for getting the most out of each photograph. Apple’s next-generation RAW image processing is at the core of Aperture 2 offering uncompromising image quality and precision controls that let users fine-tune the image profile for each of their cameras. New tools for improving and enhancing images include Recovery for pulling back “blown” highlights, Vibrancy for selectively boosting saturation without adversely affecting skin tones, Definition, which offers local contrast for adding clarity to images, Vignette & Devignette filters for providing professional visual effects and a true soft-edged Repair and Retouch brush for quickly and easily removing blemishes, cleaning up sensor dust and cloning away problem areas.
Aperture 2 works seamlessly with Mac OS® X, iLife®, iWork™, .Mac and Apple print products, so any image in the Aperture library can be accessed directly from within other applications, such as iMovie®, Keynote® and Pages®, and even from within Leopard™ Mail. Now with .Mac Web Gallery support, Aperture users can publish their photos once to view them on the web, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV. Books in Aperture 2 feature new theme designs, layout tools, customized dust jackets (including full-bleed) and foil stamped covers.
Pricing & Availability
Aperture 2 is available immediately for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Owners of previous versions of Aperture can upgrade to Aperture 2 for just $99 (US). Full system requirements and more information on Aperture 2 can be found at www.apple.com/aperture.
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Major Upgrade Features Improved Interface, Faster Browsing & Enhanced Image Processing
CUPERTINO, California—February 12, 2008—Apple® today introduced Aperture™ 2, the next major release of its groundbreaking photo editing and management software with over 100 new features that make it faster, easier to use and more powerful. With a streamlined user interface and entirely new image processing engine, Aperture 2 also introduces new imaging tools for highlight recovery, color vibrancy, local contrast definition, soft-edged retouching, vignetting and RAW fine-tuning, and lets users directly post their portfolios on the .Mac Web Gallery* for viewing on the web, iPhone™, iPod® touch and Apple TV®. At a new low price of $199, anyone can easily organize, edit and publish photos like a pro.
“Many of the most respected photographers on assignment all over the world trust Aperture to organize, edit and deliver their images,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “With its simpler interface and lower price, anyone can take full advantage of Aperture’s power.”
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of the image,” said Sports Illustrated contributing photographer David Bergman. “Even before I begin making adjustments, Aperture’s new RAW processing gives me better images with more visible detail and better color rendering than any other program I’ve tested.”
“I used to have so much stress about post-production on a shoot, having to juggle multiple applications to make sure they all worked,” said Bob Davis, PDN Top Knots Wedding Photographer 2007. “With Aperture that’s no longer a factor. I can do everything all in one application.”
Featuring a new, easier user interface designed to be more intuitive and accessible, Aperture 2 now lets users navigate between Viewer and Browser modes with a single key command. Screen real estate is maximized for images with an all-in-one heads up display that allows users to toggle between library, metadata and adjustment controls in a single tabbed inspector. The All Projects view, modeled after iPhoto’s Events view, provides a poster photo for every project and the ability to quickly skim through the photos inside, and the integrated iPhoto® Browser offers direct access to all the events and images in the iPhoto library.
Performance has been enhanced in Aperture 2 so it’s faster to import, browse and search large volumes of images. Embedded previews let photographers caption, keyword and rate images as they are being imported, and with the ability to export images in the background, photographers can continue working while images are processed to JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD file formats. Quick Preview allows users to browse RAW images in rapid succession without having to wait for files to load, and the Aperture library database has been re-architected to provide fast project switching and near instantaneous search results, even when working with extremely large libraries of 500,000 images or more.
Aperture 2 delivers powerful new imaging tools for getting the most out of each photograph. Apple’s next-generation RAW image processing is at the core of Aperture 2 offering uncompromising image quality and precision controls that let users fine-tune the image profile for each of their cameras. New tools for improving and enhancing images include Recovery for pulling back “blown” highlights, Vibrancy for selectively boosting saturation without adversely affecting skin tones, Definition, which offers local contrast for adding clarity to images, Vignette & Devignette filters for providing professional visual effects and a true soft-edged Repair and Retouch brush for quickly and easily removing blemishes, cleaning up sensor dust and cloning away problem areas.
Aperture 2 works seamlessly with Mac OS® X, iLife®, iWork™, .Mac and Apple print products, so any image in the Aperture library can be accessed directly from within other applications, such as iMovie®, Keynote® and Pages®, and even from within Leopard™ Mail. Now with .Mac Web Gallery support, Aperture users can publish their photos once to view them on the web, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV. Books in Aperture 2 feature new theme designs, layout tools, customized dust jackets (including full-bleed) and foil stamped covers.
Pricing & Availability
Aperture 2 is available immediately for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Owners of previous versions of Aperture can upgrade to Aperture 2 for just $99 (US). Full system requirements and more information on Aperture 2 can be found at www.apple.com/aperture.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update
Need help with your Mac, iPod or iPhone? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Apple on Monday afternoon released Mac OS X 10.5.2, the second maintenance and security update to its relatively new Leopard operating system that delivers a plethora of improvements for both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs.
As of press time, the update was available solely via the Mac OS X Software Update mechanism accessible from under the Apple menu. Once the 10.5.2 Update is applied, Software Update will then offer to download an install a separate graphics driver updated labeled "Leopard Graphics Update."A list of bug fixes and enhancements delivered with the 10.5.2 update are as follows:
Active Directory
Addresses issues which could hinder or prevent binding Mac OS X 10.5.x clients to Active Directory domains.
AirPort
Improves connection reliability and stability.
Includes 802.1X improvements.
Resolves certain kernel panics.
Back to my Mac
Adds support for more third-party routers, as detailed in this article.
Dashboard
Improves performance of certain Apple Dashboard widgets (such as Dictionary)
Addresses an issue in which Dashboard widgets may no longer be accessible after switching to or from an account that has Parental Controls enabled.
Dock
Updates Stacks with a List view option, a Folder view option, and an updated background for Grid view.
Desktop
Addresses legibility issues with the menu bar with an option to turn off transparency in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
Adjusts menus to be slightly-less translucent overall.
iCal
Improves iCal so that it accurately reflects responses to recurring meetings.
Addresses an issue in which a meeting may remain on the calendar after being canceled
Addresses stability issues related to .Mac syncing of iCal calendars.
Resolves an intermittent issue in which editing an event with attendees would cause the event to shrink and not register that the event was updated.
iChat
Addresses an issue with simultaneously-logged in accounts in which iChat sounds generated from one account might be heard in another account.
Fixes an issue in which iChat idle time is affected by Time Machine backups.
Improves connectivity when running iChat behind a router that doesn’t preserve ports
Enables logged chats from previous versions of iChat to open faster and more reliably
Addresses an issue with text chats in which users may be unable to receive messages from the sender.
Addresses an issue that may prevent rejoining an AIM chat room without reopening iChat
Addresses video chat compatibility issues with AIM 6 and third-party routers.
Fixes an issue with case-sensitivity of AIM handles.
iSync
Adds support for Samsung D600E and D900i phones.
Finder
Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when displaying folder contents in Column view.
Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when accessing Users and Groups in a Get Info pane.
Resolves an issue that prevented setting permissions on a folder alias.
Resolves an issue in which the Eject command could write to a disc in the optical drive.
Fixes an issue in which the scroll bar might disappear when deleting a file within a folder that includes files that are out of view.
Fixes an issue in the Sharing & Permissions section of Get Info windows, in which the gear icon appears to be gray/disabled after authentication.
Addresses an issue in which the Show Icon Preview preference might not be not saved when turning it off.
Fixes an issue that could occur when trying to print an image from the Finder.
Mail
Addresses an issue with Message menu's Mark > As Read choice.
Fixes an issue in which duplicate On My Mac folders may appear in the sidebar after upgrading to Leopard.
Improves the accuracy of the Data Detectors feature.
Resolves an issue with scrolling through a Note that is displayed using the split view in the message window.
Fixes an issue with deleting messages located in the Drafts folder.
Fixes an issue in which dragging the icon in the Safari URL field into a Mail message creates an attachment instead of a link.
Addresses an issue found when opening a item in the Notes folder that is not a Note
Fixes an issue that may prevent RSS feeds from being delivered in Mail.
Resolves an issue in which a selected message could "flash" from blue to gray when in Organize by Thread mode.
Fixes an issue with scrolling between multiple To Dos in an email message.
Fixes an issue in which the body of email messages with certain MIME structures may not be displayed.
Improves performance with America Online (AOL) account-based messages in Mail.
Addresses issues with some ISPs during automatic set-up in Mail.
Addresses an issue in which Mail might not send mail on some networks to some SMTP servers.
Mail now automatically disables the (unsupported) third-party plugin GrowlMail version 1.1.2 or earlier to avoid issues.
Adds an option to view large icons in the Mailbox list.
Networking
Addresses a hanging issue that may occur when connecting to an AFP network volume.
Parental Controls
Improves stability when opening the Parental Controls System Preferences pane.
Fixes an issue that may prevent changes to the email address for permission requests.
Addresses an issue with printer administration for a guest account enabled with Parental Controls.
Addresses an issue with setting printer administration privileges from another Mac on the local network.
Fixes an issue that could prevent certain applications from being allowed.
Addresses accuracy issues with the web content filter.
Preview
Improves stability when scrolling through a PDF document.
Fixes an issue that prevents tabbing within a PDF document after clicking on the PDF.
Improves the Mail Document feature so that email attachments are more reliably created from Print Preview.
Printing
Addresses an issue in which remote printers may be deleted when the computer is put to sleep.
Improves printing performance when using some Microsoft Office applications.
Resolves an issue with some printing options, such as landscape orientation, number of copies, two-sided printing, and so forth that may not have functioned with some printers shared by Microsoft Windows.
Adds support for certain printers connected to the USB port of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express base station.
Resolves a stalling issue that could occur when installing certain Canon printing software from a disc.
RAW Image
Adds RAW image support for several cameras, as detailed in this article.
Safari
Addresses issues with Safari reliably resolving certain domains.
Login and Setup Assistant
Addresses an issue in which Setup Assistant could unexpectedly appear each time Mac OS X 10.5 starts up.
Improves stability and performance during log in.
System
Improves the accuracy of the grammar checker.
The computer will now shut down if an automatic disk repair does not succeed during startup.
Time Machine
Adds a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine features (the menu extra can be enabled in Time Machine preferences).
Improves backup reliability when computer name contains slash or non-ASCII characters.
Fixes an issue in which the backup disk displayed in the Finder may be out of sync with the disk chosen for Time Machine.
Addresses issues in which some external drives are not recognized by Time Machine.
The status menu now appears by default.
Other
Improves general stability when running third-party applications.
Addresses an issue in which the incorrect search results may be displayed for certain Automator Find/Filter actions.
Addresses an issue with the Latvian and Russian keyboard layouts.
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Apple on Monday afternoon released Mac OS X 10.5.2, the second maintenance and security update to its relatively new Leopard operating system that delivers a plethora of improvements for both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs.
As of press time, the update was available solely via the Mac OS X Software Update mechanism accessible from under the Apple menu. Once the 10.5.2 Update is applied, Software Update will then offer to download an install a separate graphics driver updated labeled "Leopard Graphics Update."A list of bug fixes and enhancements delivered with the 10.5.2 update are as follows:
Active Directory
Addresses issues which could hinder or prevent binding Mac OS X 10.5.x clients to Active Directory domains.
AirPort
Improves connection reliability and stability.
Includes 802.1X improvements.
Resolves certain kernel panics.
Back to my Mac
Adds support for more third-party routers, as detailed in this article.
Dashboard
Improves performance of certain Apple Dashboard widgets (such as Dictionary)
Addresses an issue in which Dashboard widgets may no longer be accessible after switching to or from an account that has Parental Controls enabled.
Dock
Updates Stacks with a List view option, a Folder view option, and an updated background for Grid view.
Desktop
Addresses legibility issues with the menu bar with an option to turn off transparency in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
Adjusts menus to be slightly-less translucent overall.
iCal
Improves iCal so that it accurately reflects responses to recurring meetings.
Addresses an issue in which a meeting may remain on the calendar after being canceled
Addresses stability issues related to .Mac syncing of iCal calendars.
Resolves an intermittent issue in which editing an event with attendees would cause the event to shrink and not register that the event was updated.
iChat
Addresses an issue with simultaneously-logged in accounts in which iChat sounds generated from one account might be heard in another account.
Fixes an issue in which iChat idle time is affected by Time Machine backups.
Improves connectivity when running iChat behind a router that doesn’t preserve ports
Enables logged chats from previous versions of iChat to open faster and more reliably
Addresses an issue with text chats in which users may be unable to receive messages from the sender.
Addresses an issue that may prevent rejoining an AIM chat room without reopening iChat
Addresses video chat compatibility issues with AIM 6 and third-party routers.
Fixes an issue with case-sensitivity of AIM handles.
iSync
Adds support for Samsung D600E and D900i phones.
Finder
Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when displaying folder contents in Column view.
Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when accessing Users and Groups in a Get Info pane.
Resolves an issue that prevented setting permissions on a folder alias.
Resolves an issue in which the Eject command could write to a disc in the optical drive.
Fixes an issue in which the scroll bar might disappear when deleting a file within a folder that includes files that are out of view.
Fixes an issue in the Sharing & Permissions section of Get Info windows, in which the gear icon appears to be gray/disabled after authentication.
Addresses an issue in which the Show Icon Preview preference might not be not saved when turning it off.
Fixes an issue that could occur when trying to print an image from the Finder.
Addresses an issue with Message menu's Mark > As Read choice.
Fixes an issue in which duplicate On My Mac folders may appear in the sidebar after upgrading to Leopard.
Improves the accuracy of the Data Detectors feature.
Resolves an issue with scrolling through a Note that is displayed using the split view in the message window.
Fixes an issue with deleting messages located in the Drafts folder.
Fixes an issue in which dragging the icon in the Safari URL field into a Mail message creates an attachment instead of a link.
Addresses an issue found when opening a item in the Notes folder that is not a Note
Fixes an issue that may prevent RSS feeds from being delivered in Mail.
Resolves an issue in which a selected message could "flash" from blue to gray when in Organize by Thread mode.
Fixes an issue with scrolling between multiple To Dos in an email message.
Fixes an issue in which the body of email messages with certain MIME structures may not be displayed.
Improves performance with America Online (AOL) account-based messages in Mail.
Addresses issues with some ISPs during automatic set-up in Mail.
Addresses an issue in which Mail might not send mail on some networks to some SMTP servers.
Mail now automatically disables the (unsupported) third-party plugin GrowlMail version 1.1.2 or earlier to avoid issues.
Adds an option to view large icons in the Mailbox list.
Networking
Addresses a hanging issue that may occur when connecting to an AFP network volume.
Parental Controls
Improves stability when opening the Parental Controls System Preferences pane.
Fixes an issue that may prevent changes to the email address for permission requests.
Addresses an issue with printer administration for a guest account enabled with Parental Controls.
Addresses an issue with setting printer administration privileges from another Mac on the local network.
Fixes an issue that could prevent certain applications from being allowed.
Addresses accuracy issues with the web content filter.
Preview
Improves stability when scrolling through a PDF document.
Fixes an issue that prevents tabbing within a PDF document after clicking on the PDF.
Improves the Mail Document feature so that email attachments are more reliably created from Print Preview.
Printing
Addresses an issue in which remote printers may be deleted when the computer is put to sleep.
Improves printing performance when using some Microsoft Office applications.
Resolves an issue with some printing options, such as landscape orientation, number of copies, two-sided printing, and so forth that may not have functioned with some printers shared by Microsoft Windows.
Adds support for certain printers connected to the USB port of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express base station.
Resolves a stalling issue that could occur when installing certain Canon printing software from a disc.
RAW Image
Adds RAW image support for several cameras, as detailed in this article.
Safari
Addresses issues with Safari reliably resolving certain domains.
Login and Setup Assistant
Addresses an issue in which Setup Assistant could unexpectedly appear each time Mac OS X 10.5 starts up.
Improves stability and performance during log in.
System
Improves the accuracy of the grammar checker.
The computer will now shut down if an automatic disk repair does not succeed during startup.
Time Machine
Adds a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine features (the menu extra can be enabled in Time Machine preferences).
Improves backup reliability when computer name contains slash or non-ASCII characters.
Fixes an issue in which the backup disk displayed in the Finder may be out of sync with the disk chosen for Time Machine.
Addresses issues in which some external drives are not recognized by Time Machine.
The status menu now appears by default.
Other
Improves general stability when running third-party applications.
Addresses an issue in which the incorrect search results may be displayed for certain Automator Find/Filter actions.
Addresses an issue with the Latvian and Russian keyboard layouts.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Apple launches 16GB iPhone, 32GB iPod touch
Need help with your Mac, iPod or iPhone? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Apple today doubled the capacity of its touchscreen media devices, releasing both a 16GB iPhone as well as a 32GB variant of the iPod touch. The new capacities allow fewer sacrifices for owners who want to carry as much media as possible. "For some users, there's never enough memory," Apple Worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing VP Greg Joswiak says. On the iPod touch, the new storage level allows as many as 7,000 songs or 40 hours of nonstop video; the iPhone now holds half as much in exchange for its cellular functions, which remain unchanged from the original 8GB model.
Both capacities act as supersets of the existing capacities, which remain available; both the 16GB iPhone and the 32GB iPod touch sell for $499 and are ready to order immediately from the online Apple Store.
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Apple today doubled the capacity of its touchscreen media devices, releasing both a 16GB iPhone as well as a 32GB variant of the iPod touch. The new capacities allow fewer sacrifices for owners who want to carry as much media as possible. "For some users, there's never enough memory," Apple Worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing VP Greg Joswiak says. On the iPod touch, the new storage level allows as many as 7,000 songs or 40 hours of nonstop video; the iPhone now holds half as much in exchange for its cellular functions, which remain unchanged from the original 8GB model.
Both capacities act as supersets of the existing capacities, which remain available; both the 16GB iPhone and the 32GB iPod touch sell for $499 and are ready to order immediately from the online Apple Store.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Wired claims last-minute "MacBook Air" details
Need help with your Mac? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
An alleged insider at a third-party vendor is said by Wired to have fresh details on the rumored 'MacBook Air' sub-notebook just hours before its unveiling at Macworld San Francisco.
In its description, the magazine's Gadget Lab blog describes the lightweight notebook as teardrop-shaped when shut, thickening towards the hinge of the system but thinning near the edges -- and remaining "unbelievably" thin overall, according to the source.
The system, according to the source, shares the same aluminum and glass construction of the iMac with black accents on a silver frame.
The tip also suggests that the MacBook Air name refers not just to the computer's slender design but also an apparent dependence on wireless: it may drop Ethernet altogether in favor of Wi-Fi or "other wireless technology," the purported source said, though it's unknown whether this would involve AT&T's 3G (third-generation) service, Sprint's Intel-derived WiMAX network, or any service at all.
In recent days, AppleInsider has received similar descriptions, though it has been unable to confirm the authenticity of those reports.
According to one submission, the notebook sports "very thin edges" with a slightly thicker body that "curves to the sides at the edges," producing a slimming effect akin to the rear design of the new aluminum iMacs.
The submission went on to say that the front of the notebook appears to be no more than 3/16th of an inch thick when closed and that the right side of the unit is void of any ports with the exception of an unknown slot.
Both the keyboard and trackpad are said to closely mirror those of Apple's existing MacBook, and the "Air" in the bezel logo is said to use a lighter font than the preceding "MacBook."
Again, AppleInsider has so far been unable to authenticate these latest claims, though numerous details -- such as first word of the subnotebook format's return, its use of a 13-inch display, and its Macworld Expo debut -- have all been published in a series of reports dating as far back as February of last year.
Multi-touch is also suggested for the display, though this too remains a mystery.
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
An alleged insider at a third-party vendor is said by Wired to have fresh details on the rumored 'MacBook Air' sub-notebook just hours before its unveiling at Macworld San Francisco.
In its description, the magazine's Gadget Lab blog describes the lightweight notebook as teardrop-shaped when shut, thickening towards the hinge of the system but thinning near the edges -- and remaining "unbelievably" thin overall, according to the source.
The system, according to the source, shares the same aluminum and glass construction of the iMac with black accents on a silver frame.
The tip also suggests that the MacBook Air name refers not just to the computer's slender design but also an apparent dependence on wireless: it may drop Ethernet altogether in favor of Wi-Fi or "other wireless technology," the purported source said, though it's unknown whether this would involve AT&T's 3G (third-generation) service, Sprint's Intel-derived WiMAX network, or any service at all.
In recent days, AppleInsider has received similar descriptions, though it has been unable to confirm the authenticity of those reports.
According to one submission, the notebook sports "very thin edges" with a slightly thicker body that "curves to the sides at the edges," producing a slimming effect akin to the rear design of the new aluminum iMacs.
The submission went on to say that the front of the notebook appears to be no more than 3/16th of an inch thick when closed and that the right side of the unit is void of any ports with the exception of an unknown slot.
Both the keyboard and trackpad are said to closely mirror those of Apple's existing MacBook, and the "Air" in the bezel logo is said to use a lighter font than the preceding "MacBook."
Again, AppleInsider has so far been unable to authenticate these latest claims, though numerous details -- such as first word of the subnotebook format's return, its use of a 13-inch display, and its Macworld Expo debut -- have all been published in a series of reports dating as far back as February of last year.
Multi-touch is also suggested for the display, though this too remains a mystery.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Untold Story: How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry
Need help with your Mac? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
It was a late morning in the fall of 2006. Almost a year earlier, Steve Jobs had tasked about 200 of Apple's top engineers with creating the iPhone. Yet here, in Apple's boardroom, it was clear that the prototype was still a disaster. It wasn't just buggy, it flat-out didn't work. The phone dropped calls constantly, the battery stopped charging before it was full, data and applications routinely became corrupted and unusable. The list of problems seemed endless. At the end of the demo, Jobs fixed the dozen or so people in the room with a level stare and said, "We don't have a product yet."
The effect was even more terrifying than one of Jobs' trademark tantrums. When the Apple chief screamed at his staff, it was scary but familiar. This time, his relative calm was unnerving. "It was one of the few times at Apple when I got a chill," says someone who was in the meeting.
The ramifications were serious. The iPhone was to be the centerpiece of Apple's annual Macworld convention, set to take place in just a few months. Since his return to Apple in 1997, Jobs had used the event as a showcase to launch his biggest products, and Apple-watchers were expecting another dramatic announcement. Jobs had already admitted that Leopard — the new version of Apple's operating system — would be delayed. If the iPhone wasn't ready in time, Macworld would be a dud, Jobs' critics would pounce, and Apple's stock price could suffer.
Click the link for the entire story.....
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
It was a late morning in the fall of 2006. Almost a year earlier, Steve Jobs had tasked about 200 of Apple's top engineers with creating the iPhone. Yet here, in Apple's boardroom, it was clear that the prototype was still a disaster. It wasn't just buggy, it flat-out didn't work. The phone dropped calls constantly, the battery stopped charging before it was full, data and applications routinely became corrupted and unusable. The list of problems seemed endless. At the end of the demo, Jobs fixed the dozen or so people in the room with a level stare and said, "We don't have a product yet."
The effect was even more terrifying than one of Jobs' trademark tantrums. When the Apple chief screamed at his staff, it was scary but familiar. This time, his relative calm was unnerving. "It was one of the few times at Apple when I got a chill," says someone who was in the meeting.
The ramifications were serious. The iPhone was to be the centerpiece of Apple's annual Macworld convention, set to take place in just a few months. Since his return to Apple in 1997, Jobs had used the event as a showcase to launch his biggest products, and Apple-watchers were expecting another dramatic announcement. Jobs had already admitted that Leopard — the new version of Apple's operating system — would be delayed. If the iPhone wasn't ready in time, Macworld would be a dud, Jobs' critics would pounce, and Apple's stock price could suffer.
Click the link for the entire story.....
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Apple Introduces New Mac Pro
Need help with your Mac? Contact Victor Orly!
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Fastest Mac Ever—Eight Processor Cores Standard
CUPERTINO, California—January 8, 2008—Apple® today introduced the new Mac® Pro with eight processor cores and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of its predecessor*. The new Mac Pro combines two of Intel’s new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon processors running up to 3.2 GHz, powerful new graphics and up to 4TB of internal storage to offer the ideal system for creative professionals, 3D digital content creators and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration starts at just $2,799.
“The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we’ve ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With 3.2 GHz 8-core Xeon processing, a 1600 MHz front side bus and 800 MHz memory, the new Mac Pro uses the fastest Intel Xeon architecture on the market.”
The new Mac Pro features the latest Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors based on state-of-the-art 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture running up to 3.2 GHz, each with 12MB of L2 cache per processor for breakthrough performance and power efficiency. With a new high-bandwidth hardware architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory, the new Mac Pro achieves a 61 percent increase in memory throughput**.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB of video memory. The Mac Pro includes a new PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot that delivers up to double the bandwidth compared to the previous generation, and supports the latest generation of graphics cards from NVIDIA, such as the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of video memory, or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5GB of video memory and a 3-D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications. With support for up to four graphics cards, the new Mac Pro can drive up to eight 30-inch displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.
The Mac Pro is the most expandable Mac ever, featuring four internal hard drive bays with direct-attach, cable-free installation of four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives, totaling 4TB of internal storage and support for two SuperDrives. With optional 15000 rpm SAS drives that can deliver up to 250MB/s of RAID 5 disk I/O performance, the Mac Pro is ideal for film and video editors. Combined with SATA or SAS drives, using an optional Mac Pro RAID card offers the ultimate data protection and disk I/O performance on the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is easily and conveniently accessible in front and back so users can connect external devices with five USB 2.0, two FireWire® 400, two FireWire 800, optical and analog audio in and out, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and a headphone jack.
Every Mac Pro includes Leopard™, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Leopard is packed with more than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac. Featuring an improved scheduler and other multi-core technology, Leopard is a perfect companion to the Mac Pro, making applications faster and helping application developers take advantage of multi-core systems.
The new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard now ships with every Mac Pro and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 makes it easy to reduce cable clutter with the optional Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.
Pricing & Availability
The new Mac Pro is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The standard 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:
* two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses;
* 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
* ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory;
* 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* 16x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
* two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;
* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; and
* ships with Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers numerous build-to-order options including: one 2.8 GHz, two 3.0 GHz, or two 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm or up to four 300GB SAS drives running at 15000 rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics cards; AirPort Extreme 802.11n; Apple USB Modem; Apple wireless Aluminum Keyboard; Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; and Mac OS X Server Leopard. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are available at www.apple.com/macpro.
*Based on estimated results comparing a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro running professional applications like Maya, modo and Logic® Pro.
**Testing conducted by Apple in December 2007 using a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz quad-core Mac Pro. All systems were configured with 4GB of RAM. Results are based on the STREAM v. 5.6 benchmark (www.cs.virginia.edu/stream/ref.html) using OMP support for multiprocessor-compiled builds. All systems were configured with 8GB of RAM. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac Pro.
(310) 891-6820 x101 or email vicblog@orly.com
Fastest Mac Ever—Eight Processor Cores Standard
CUPERTINO, California—January 8, 2008—Apple® today introduced the new Mac® Pro with eight processor cores and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of its predecessor*. The new Mac Pro combines two of Intel’s new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon processors running up to 3.2 GHz, powerful new graphics and up to 4TB of internal storage to offer the ideal system for creative professionals, 3D digital content creators and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration starts at just $2,799.
“The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we’ve ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With 3.2 GHz 8-core Xeon processing, a 1600 MHz front side bus and 800 MHz memory, the new Mac Pro uses the fastest Intel Xeon architecture on the market.”
The new Mac Pro features the latest Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors based on state-of-the-art 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture running up to 3.2 GHz, each with 12MB of L2 cache per processor for breakthrough performance and power efficiency. With a new high-bandwidth hardware architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory, the new Mac Pro achieves a 61 percent increase in memory throughput**.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB of video memory. The Mac Pro includes a new PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot that delivers up to double the bandwidth compared to the previous generation, and supports the latest generation of graphics cards from NVIDIA, such as the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of video memory, or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5GB of video memory and a 3-D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications. With support for up to four graphics cards, the new Mac Pro can drive up to eight 30-inch displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.
The Mac Pro is the most expandable Mac ever, featuring four internal hard drive bays with direct-attach, cable-free installation of four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives, totaling 4TB of internal storage and support for two SuperDrives. With optional 15000 rpm SAS drives that can deliver up to 250MB/s of RAID 5 disk I/O performance, the Mac Pro is ideal for film and video editors. Combined with SATA or SAS drives, using an optional Mac Pro RAID card offers the ultimate data protection and disk I/O performance on the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is easily and conveniently accessible in front and back so users can connect external devices with five USB 2.0, two FireWire® 400, two FireWire 800, optical and analog audio in and out, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and a headphone jack.
Every Mac Pro includes Leopard™, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Leopard is packed with more than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac. Featuring an improved scheduler and other multi-core technology, Leopard is a perfect companion to the Mac Pro, making applications faster and helping application developers take advantage of multi-core systems.
The new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard now ships with every Mac Pro and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 makes it easy to reduce cable clutter with the optional Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.
Pricing & Availability
The new Mac Pro is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The standard 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:
* two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses;
* 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
* ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory;
* 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* 16x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
* two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;
* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; and
* ships with Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers numerous build-to-order options including: one 2.8 GHz, two 3.0 GHz, or two 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 32GB of 800 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm or up to four 300GB SAS drives running at 15000 rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics cards; AirPort Extreme 802.11n; Apple USB Modem; Apple wireless Aluminum Keyboard; Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; and Mac OS X Server Leopard. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are available at www.apple.com/macpro.
*Based on estimated results comparing a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro running professional applications like Maya, modo and Logic® Pro.
**Testing conducted by Apple in December 2007 using a preproduction 2.8 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with a 2.66 GHz quad-core Mac Pro. All systems were configured with 4GB of RAM. Results are based on the STREAM v. 5.6 benchmark (www.cs.virginia.edu/stream/ref.html) using OMP support for multiprocessor-compiled builds. All systems were configured with 8GB of RAM. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac Pro.
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