As with all rumours, these about the new Macbook will mostly turn out to be false. Nevertheless, ComputerWorld seems to think that in addition to becoming thinner and more rounded like the Macbook Air, the next generation of Macbooks will have:

• Glass trackpads that allow multi-touch gestures
• A body made out of one piece of aluminum (which would be eco-friendly and more sturdy)
• Intel Centrino 2 processors
• Slightly bigger screens (14″ and 15.6″)

ComputerWorld estimates that the new Macbooks will be released in the last weeks of September. We’ll see if their predictions are correct, then…

So you’ve probably already heard about Apple’s latest Macbook, the Macbook Air. The Macbook Air is currently the world’s thinnest notebook at 0.76 inches in width and 3 pounds in weight. The Macbook Air sports a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, 80GB PATA hard disk drive, a 13.3-inch glossy widescreen display, keyboard with backlighting, spiffy multi-touch trackpad, Bluetooth 2.1+, and five hours of battery life. Unfortunately, the Macbook Air completely lacks an optical drive (you’ll have to purchase an external SuperDrive for $99), cannot be user-updated (battery replacements and the like must be done by Apple for a mandatory price, of course), and has a ridiculous price of $1,799. Oh, and if you want the 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the 64 GB solid-state hard drive, then you’ll have to cough up $3,098. Yikes! So, while the Macbook Air is an aesthetic winner, its high price and lack of an optical drive may make would-be consumers wary.

The good folks over at Computer Choppers have finished their custom made 24 kt Gold Macbook with Diamond Accents. It’s quite the looker. For the low price of $7,000-$8,000, you can custom order your own Gold Macbook (the price includes the computer, 24 kt plating, and 3 kt diamonds). Why not this one? Well, because it’s already been sold to an Apple fanboy. If you’re running a bit short, you can always choose just to have the gold plating for $1,500. Surprisingly, the procedure adds almost no weight to the Macbook. Click here to visit Computer Choppers, and view more of the masterpiece.

Today, Apple updated the very popular current Macbook. These updates include faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1 GB of memory, and bigger hard drives.

“Apple® today updated its MacBook® consumer notebooks with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1GB of memory and larger hard drives in every model. The MacBook is just one-inch thin and features built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.* Every MacBook also includes a built-in iSight® video camera for on-the-go video conferencing, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and iLife® ‘06, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099 (US), includes:

• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire® 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.16 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.16 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

• 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
• 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 667 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
• 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
• Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• Scrolling TrackPad;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 120GB or 160GB (5400 rpm) or a 200GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork ‘06, Logic Express 7, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 and Aperture 1.5.”

This MacTablet Concept Design by Yann Le Coroller shows us Mac Lovers what the future could bring! This Concept MacTablet has an incredibly small keyboard that doubles as a protective cover during transportation. On the back of the MacTab, a hinge allows the computer to be propped up and used in almost any position.

The modded Macbook Tablet PC costs $2,279, with no word on the exact features/specifications (although the Macbook Tablet probably has features similar to a Macbook, but with an added touchscreen for the cool factor).

Rumours are that the newest Macbooks will be thinner, more portable, and hotter than before. The new specifications, according to Mac OS Rumours, for the new versions of the macbooks are as follows:

• 12-inch widescreen display(1280×800 resolution)
• 2.16 or 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors
• 1GB of DDR2-667 memory standard. Max. capacity 3GB
• Firewire 400&800, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital/Analog Audio minijack I/O ports
• ExpressCard expansion slot (believed to be /34 type)
• 2.5in SATA HDDs at 120GB & up, ‘Combo’ or ‘Super’ optical drive
• 256MB of ATi Radeon Mobility X1600 or nVIDIA GeForce GO 7600
• Mini-DVI display connector with full second display capabilities
• Built-in iSight, stereo microphone, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Battery life is expected to be “best in class” at about 8 hours is possible
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if this is true. If it is– I sure will be interested!!
]]> http://gadgets.elliottback.com/ultraportable-macbooks-rumour/feed/ 0 http://gadgets.elliottback.com/macbook-battery-problem/ http://gadgets.elliottback.com/macbook-battery-problem/#comments Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:30:48 +0000 Danielle http://gadgets.elliottback.com/2006/10/10/macbook-battery-problem/ Recently, my four month old Macbook has been experiencing battery problems. Basically, whenever my Macbook is not plugged into a power source via the AC/DC connector, my Macbook would not turn on, or if it was already on, it would crash. After trying all the online solutions, including resetting the PRAM and the Power manager, I phoned Applecare.

Time Spent on Phone: 31 minutes.

After being forced to listen to obscure music for about 15 minutes, I was helped by a very nice man named Robert. I explained to him the problem, and how I had already tried everything online. Regardless, he still had me reset the PRAM. When that didn’t work, he authorized a shipment of a brand new battery. I’m pretty happy with Applecare; even though the phone wait was longer than I desired, it was still fairly short for a help-line.

End Result: Awesome New Battery.

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