Apple release stunning new iMacs, iLife '08, iWork '08

At an event in Cupertino today Steve Jobs announced brand spanking new iMacs as well as significant updates to their iLife and iWork software suites.

The new iMacs have been completely redesigned and are available in 2o or 24-inch glossy screened varieties. They are now clad in brushed aluminium and glass, with a black trim. Not a dissimilar look to the iPhone and Pro Macs.



The new iMacs include the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors configurable up to 2.8 GHz with 4MB of shared L2 cache and up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory.

The top of the line 24-inch version features ATI's next generation Radeon HD 2600 PRO graphics card with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and the 20-inch version features the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory.

They can also be configured with up to 1TB of hard drive storage and are compliant with the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

Not content with redesigning the iMac, Apple have also introduced a super-thin new keyboard to match. Drawing heavily on the design of the MacBook, the new aluminium clad keyboard features low profile keys for a "crisp, responsive feel". It also has dedicated function keys for features like dashboard, expose and media controls.



Both the keyboard and the iMac are incredibly slim and look stunning on the desktop.

They come preloaded with the new iLife '08 software suite which includes major reworks of iPhoto and iMovie as well as updates to iWeb, GarageBand and iDVD.

Of note, iPhoto now supports online web galleries and automatically organises your library by events. iMovie has had a major overhaul and now, importantly for me, supports the popular new HD camcorder format, AVCHD.

iWork also saw a significant update with new versions of Pages and Keynote as well as the introduction of an innovative new spreadsheet app "Numbers".

Click on these links for more on the iMac, iLife '08 and iWork '08.

Is the Panasonic 42PZ700 the ultimate plasma?

For quite some time now I have been holding out buying an HDTV until I could get a full 1920 x 1080 resolution 42" plasma. There are loads of 40"+ LCDs that have that high resolution but I am not a great fan of LCD, I much prefer the picture on a plasma. So I have been waiting.

Getting the 1920 x 1080 resolution into a 42" screen is a challenge for plasma technology but Panasonic have managed to achieve it with the TH-42PZ700 - and it's pretty special.



So is it the holy grail of plasma TVs? It has all the benefits of native 1080 resolution and the ability to display every detail of a 1080i or 1080p picture without having to scale it to fit. And if you connect a PC up to it you're going to be able to use a much higher resolution.

Certainly, from the reviews I've read so far, people seem to think it's a great TV. This is from HDTV.org's review:

Combine Panasonic's latest 10th generation screens with Vreal processing and Full HD however and in the TH42PZ700 you have what is possibly the best High Definition (HD) performance available today from a 42in screen. The level of sharpness and detail is absolutely stunning, showing every possible nuance of detail imaginable.

So it's good then. Deep blacks, high levels of detail. Cool. But do you really need 1080 resolution?

After all this time waiting for it, I'm now questioning whether, in the real world, it's necessary. You see, for my eyes to even be able to perceive the increased resolution, I have to be sitting about 5 feet away from the screen.

In my lounge I would be sitting about 7 feet away from it when sitting on my sofa. So will I see the extra resolution? Well probably not. But that's hardly the point is it? Gadget freaks need the best and I think I would always regret it if I didn't buy the full resolution set.

Anyway, I can just about justify it for gaming when I will be sitting about 4 or 5 feet away and for the extra resolution when connecting a PC :-)

But for most people who just want an HDTV in their lounge, I really don't think the extra £1000 or so over a Panasonic PX70 is probably worth it.

Panasonic only made the PZ700 for gadget freaks who insist on the best, normal people need not apply.

iPhone on sale, reviews and videos

The queues are growing and the reviews are flooding in but the wait for the iPhone is finally over today as it goes on sale in the US.

If you want to see it in action, Apple has posted up a whole load of really cool videos that show off all the features. Highlights include the full 20 minute guided tour and the keyboard demo.

So now we just have to wait for the European release later this year. 3G anyone?

Jobs unveils new Leopard features and Safari for Windows

Steve Jobs let us in on the so-called 'secret' features of Mac OS X Leopard today in a slightly lacklustre keynote without the big surprise announcements that we've come to expect from an Apple keynote.

There were really only 3 new features unveiled in Leopard today; a new desktop, finder and Quick Look. The rest was more or less a rehash of what he demoed last time around.

New Leopard features

The new desktop features a semi-transparent menu bar and reflective dock. The idea is that it better compliments the high resolution photos that people put on their desktops these days.

The dock also gained a new 'stacks' feature that allows you to keep groups of files easily organised on the dock, rather than cluttering up your desktop. When you click on the stack of files, they fan out so you can easily see all the files contained within.

The finder has had a fairly significant overhaul, clearly heavily influenced by iTunes. It now features a redesigned sidebar with iTunes-like collapsible folders, other computers that appear automatically on the sidebar for easy file sharing, Cover Flow browsing (like flicking through album covers but with documents and files) and an upgraded Spotlight that allows you to search shared computers and network drives.

.Mac members will also now be able to easily access their home or work files from another machine, including searching for files remotely.

The last of the major new features is Quick Look which enables you to preview a file within finder without actually launching its native application. It allows you to see live previews of the content of the file including video and flicking through pages of a document. It also works in combination with Cover Flow allowing you to flick through files, previewing them as you go.

Other features including Time Machine, Spaces and iChat seemed to be largely unchanged since they were first announced.

Also worth a mention was the confirmation, as widely expected, that the UI will be changed to a new unified look, with brushed metal being dispensed of completely.

In keeping with the new UI theme, apple.com has also been updated with a new, heavily redesigned look.

Safari for Windows

Perhaps the one true surprise of the keynote was the announcement that Safari 3, Apple's excellent web browser, will be made available to Windows users. The Beta is available to download immediately from Apple's site.

I'm a big fan of Safari and would suggest any Windows users reading this download it and have a play. The Beta download is naturally available for Mac users as well.

More games for the Mac

Jobs also announced a significant increase in support for the Mac as a gaming platform from EA and id software. EA will be releasing some of their biggest titles this summer such as Command and Conquer 3, Battlefield 2142, Need for Speed Carbon and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

This additional gaming support can only be a good thing as it's one of the weak points of the Mac platform and more developers supporting the Mac are always welcome.

No new hardware

So, that was pretty much it, no hardware announcements (to be fair the MacBooks have all recently been updated) and no massive revelations. By Jobs's standards, a pretty average affair.

Having said that, Leopard looks to be shaping up to be a superb operating system and I am looking forward to getting my hands on it in October.

Wi-Fi enabled SD cards coming to a camera near you

While digital cameras with Wi-Fi built in haven't exactly taken off, it makes sense in this ever-more wireless world that Wi-Fi will become a standard means of connecting a digital camera, eventually. However, Eye-Fi have come up with a solution which might be a bit nearer off and save you the trouble of updating your camera yet again. They plan to incorporate a Wi-Fi chip directly onto the standard SD card format, so you would get storage and connectivity in one. However in addition to easily sending photos to your personal computer you'll also be able to share photos instantly with online photo and social networking sites.

New MacBook Pros with LED displays

Apple today updated the MacBook Pro line with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 2GB standard RAM, bigger hard drives, faster graphics cards, LED-backlit displays on the 15" version and an optional ultra high-resolution screen on the 17" version.

The new processors are based on the latest Intel Santa Rosa chipset that offers a faster 800Mhz front side bus and 2.2 or 2.4Ghz processors. Apple claim they are up to 50% faster than the original Intel MacBook Pro using the Core Duo chip.



The new laptops also feature the 8x SuperDrive that we saw introduced with the MacBooks recently and they now support up to 4GB RAM (up from 3GB). They are also 802.11n wi-fi enabled out of the box.

Perhaps the most significant changes are in the displays though, with both 15" models now using LED-backlighting, offering anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes extra battery life. The brightness levels and viewing angles remain the same.

The 17" version still uses the CCFL backlit displays (not the new LED ones) but it does have an optional upgrade to an ultra high-resolution 1920 x 1200 display.

Overall, a pretty decent upgrade and worth it for the better battery life on the 15" LED versions alone, not to mention more standard RAM and hard drive capacity.

Prices range from £1,299 to £1,799 for the standard models. Check out the Apple store for more details.

The iPhone cometh

If you live in the US, June 29th is the day you'll be able to get your hands on an iPhone, the most anticipated gadget of the year, if not ever. Apple announced the date in some new ads that aired yesterday on US TV.

The hype machine is in overdrive and some rumours suggest that even Apple themselves are worried the device won't be able to live up to the massive buzz that has been generated since Steve Jobs announced the breakthrough device at Macworld in January.

Having watched the ads, I still think the iPhone looks pretty amazing and I can't wait to see the first reviews from people that get their hands on one. But will the touch screen be as good as it looks, will the battery life be decent enough, will it even work well as a phone?

Don't forget this is Apple's first attempt at a mobile phone and they don't always get things right first go. Look at the first few generations of iPod for example and their battery problems and more recently with the iPod nano screen scratching debacle.

But they've had a pretty long lead time with the iPhone and haven't had to keep it secret since January, so they should have been able to iron things like that out by now.

Nevertheless, I expect there will be some kind of backlash/disappointment but it won't stop it from selling shed loads and I still can't wait to get my hands on one.

Roll on the European release later in the year.

Jobs and Gates fascinating interview

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates did a rare joint interview at D: All Things Digital yesterday. It's a really fascinating and interesting video and the Wall Street Journal has the whole thing for you to watch.

You should definitely check out the Prologue and the Highlight reel, they have some great nostalgic moments with both Steve and Bill reminiscing about the early pioneering days of the PC and software industry.



It's amazing to think how much shared history there is between Apple and Microsoft which people often forget. When you watch the video you'll see that actually the two men have great respect for each other, their companies and achievements.

Check out all the videos here or you can get the transcript here.

Halo 3 coming to UK on September 26th

Microsoft took the opportunity of the Halo 3 public Beta launch today to finally announce the date fans have been waiting for so they can get their hands on the final release of the game.

It will be 25th September in the US and the next day for Europe. As a big fan of Halo 2, I'm definitely looking forward to this one and it will finally give me an excuse to buy a 360.

Check out some videos of the multi-player Beta here and here.

Macbump

The MacBooks got a speed bump, bigger hard drives, faster SuperDrives and 1GB memory across the range yesterday. Nothing special, just a minor update really.

Funny thing is, they're pretty much up there with the lower end of the Macbook Pros now, they even have faster SuperDrives! So that must mean that the Pros will be getting an update soon too.

The middle of the range white MacBook is now really great value at only £829 for a 2.16Ghz Core 2 Duo, 1GB memory and a 120GB hard drive. Go get one.