The smallest of the line, the 13″ MBP gets a speed bump and a bigger hard drivel while oth the 15″ and 15″ models get a cpu upgrade and GPU upgrade. The 13″ is still sadly saddled with just an Intel GPU.

Apple’s new 2011 Macbook Pro configurations are now as follows:

13-inch MacBook Pro 

• 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 500GB 5400-rpm hard disk drive
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

15-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.2 quad-core Intel Core i7
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 500GB 5400-rpm
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics card
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512GB GDDR5 dedicated GPU
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

17-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 750GB 5400-rpm hard disk drive
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics card
• AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 1GB GDDR5 dedicated GPU
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

Pricing for the respective models is still the same as it’s initial release.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The new Mac Mini’s no longer sport an optical disc drive so it may be a downer for people still looking to use it as a media hub for DVDs but the good news is that it’s priced at a much lower bracket with the cheapest configuration clocking in at just $599.

The 2011 Mac mini will be available in 3 configurations, 2 for regular consumers (a low-end and high-end configuration) and one for servers. The matrix of options and prices are available below:

There are some interesting items from Apple’s new Mac mini inventory so if you’re interested in getting one, take time to read it through.

Only the server configuration of the mini has a quad-core processor.  This maybe tempting but if you’re looking for an HTPC, you may want to check out high-end consumer model as it sports a discrete GPU.  If you’ve been following the Mac mini’s history, this is the very first mini equipped with a discrete GPU.  While it will not perform as fast as the chips inside the new MacBook Pros and iMacs, it still leagues above the Intel HD 3000 GPU.  Of course if you just need a number cruncher ten the server with it’s beefier processor will work fine.

As noted above, there is no more optical drives on the mini.  Apple’s push of it’s Mac App Store for apps and iTunes for media may have steered the company to remove it but at least you still have the option of using external drives.

While the mini’s price is still well above any PC you can build yourself, at $599 for the lowest tier build, it’s a great option for first time Mac users.

Pricing for the Philippines are as follows:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The 2011 Macbook Air line up are split as follows:

Just is the case with the 13″ 2011 MacBook Pro, Apple drops the discrete GPU for the new MacBook Airs (which will saddened the few folks who are interested in gaming with them) in favor of Sandy Bridge’s integrated GPU.  However with the inclusion of a Thunderbolt port, an external GPU for gaming is still a possibility.

All of the 2011 Macbook Air models (except for the low end 11.6″) model sport 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM, are equipped with back-lit keyboard found in MacBook Pros and ships with OSX Lion pre-installed.

If you noticed the price point the $999  11.6″ MacBook Air effectively replaces the now defunct white MacBook.

Pricing for the Philippines are as follows:

source YugaTech, Apple Store

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Lion sports over 250 new features like AirDrop, AutoSave, FileVault 2, Lion Recovery, LaunchPad and many, many more.

Some of the bundled software have been given very welcome overhauls like iCal, Mail and even Finder that make upgrading from Snow Leopard well worth the $29.99 price tag.

More information on Lion can be found on the official Apple site.

For in depth reviews of Lion, you may want to check out the following links:

• John Siracusa’s Lion review at Ars
• AnandTech reviews Lion

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The 2011 iMac line features back-lit LEDs on both 21.5″ and 27″ models, and feature a Firewire 800 port, Thunderbolt 10Gps port, Gigabit LAN port, 4 x USB 2.0 ports, IR receiver, SDXC card slot, mini DisplayPort output (with support for DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI) and slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer burning (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW).

Specs for individual models are listed below:

Each iMac unit ships with a free Apple Magic Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard.

source Apple, YugaTech

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Here’s the performance benchmarks for Apple’s new MacBook Pro’s:

source Primate Labs

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

These new MBPs sport Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors on all models and the option of quad-core CPUs and AMD GPUs on their 15″ and 17″.  Surprised at seeing AMD there instead of Nvidia?  So am I but it does seem that the legal wranglings between Intel and Nvidia have cost the green team their partnership with Apple for it’s Macbook Pro line.  If you remember past MBP updates, Apple was using Nvidia’s GPU (and lately Nvidia’s Optimus graphics switching technology) for it’s higher-end line Macbook Pros.

In addition to using Sandy Bridge processors, the new MacBook Pros will also be shipping with Intel’s Light Peak high-speed interface, codenamed Thunderbolt. Apple’s new notebooks are the first products to ever ship with this new, proprietary optical cable interface boasts of a high 10 Gbit/s bi-directional bandwidth. The Thunderbolt port on the new Macs doubles as a DisplayPort connector and will also work with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays.

For the GPU part, the 2011 Macbook Pro line up sees another first, AMD branded GPUs.  Discrete AMD GPUs are available on 15-inch and 17-inch models with switchable graphics, reminiscent of Nvidia’s Optimus technology. The higher-end models will carry 1GB of dedicated graphics memory, while the baseline 15-inch MacBook Pro will use a more modest AMD 6490M 256MB configuration. Sadly, the 13-inch versions seem to have been stuck with the budget line as Apple has axed it’s plain old macbook and will be stuck with Sandy Bridge’s built-in HD 3000 graphics.

Features of MacBook Pro (MBP) 2011 Refresh:

• Next-generation Intel Sandy Bridge quad-core and dual-core CPU processors.
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with switchable graphics to AMD Radeon graphics processor on the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro.
• Thunderbolt port for plug-and-play performance with up to size Thunderbolt peripherals or devices, as well as with the Apple LED Cinema Display and other Mini DisplayPort peripherals. Adapters are available for HDMI, VGA, DVI, and DisplayPort compatible devices.
• FaceTime HD camera for 720p HD video calls from one new MacBook Pro to another, or to other Intel-based Mac computers,4 iPhone 4, or the new iPod touch.
• Multi-Touch trackpad.
• Longer lasting battery.
• 802.11n wireless and Bluetooth support.
• 8x SuperDrive DVD writer.
• New SDXC card slot on the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models supports up to 64GB cards.
• ExpressCard/34 slot on the 17-inch MacBook Pro for an eSATA adapter or a 3G wireless card.
• Two USB 2.0 ports (three on the 17-inch MacBook Pro) and a FireWire 800 port let you connect your iPad, iPod, iPhone, digital cameras, and external hard drives.

Here’s the base configuration specifications and listed prices for the MacBook Pro 2011 models.

13-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 320GB 5400-rpm or 500GB 5400-rpm hard disk drive
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

15-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 or 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 500GB 5400-rpm or 750GB 5400-rpm hard disk drive
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics card
• AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5 or AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5 dedicated GPU
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

17-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• 4GB 1333MHz RAM
• 750GB 5400-rpm hard disk drive
• Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics card
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5 dedicated GPU
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

The main configurations and pricing for the new MacBook Pros are as follows:

• 17″ 1920×1200 Display. 2.2Ghz Quad i7. 4GB RAM. 750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB — $2499
• 15″ 1440×900 (1680 option) Display. 2.2GHz Quad i7. 750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB — $2199
• 15″ 1440×900 (1680 option) Display. 2.0GHz Quad i7. 4GB RAM. 500GB HD. AMD 6490M 256MB — $1799
• 13″ 1280×800 Display. 2.7GHz Dual i7. 4GB RAM. 500GB HD. Intel HD Graphics — $1499
• 13″ 1280×800 Display. 2.3GHz Dual i5. 4GB RAM. 320GB HD. Intel HD Graphics — $1199

Aside from bumped hardware specs, Apple has also equipped the new macbooks with a new FaceTime HD camera capable of 720p video recording and communication along with a new software that will ease calls between FaceTime-equipped Macs and iOS devices

These new MacBooks are available now.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

So why is the 11″ Macbook Air a viable netbook replacement?  Check out the specifications.

11-inch Macbook Air specifications
11.6″ display @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4GHz
NVidia GeForce 320M
2GB DDR3 RAM
64GB and 128GB SSD storage
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
webcam
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x mini display port
64GB or 128 GB SSD

This slim little notebook runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo CLUV which is even better than most netbook processors (Atom hah!).  Battery-wise, while using SSD for the Air saves up on power consumption, the small confines of the unibody can only allow for a meager battery size.  Apple rates the 11 inch Macbook Air’s battery for 5 hours.

The new 11.6 Macbook Air is available in 64GB and 128 GB SSD configuration.  As for price:

64GB – Php51,990 ($999 in the US) inclusive of 12% VAT
128GB – Php61,990 ($1,199 in the US) inclusive of 12% VAT

The 11.6″ Macbook Air is available now.

photos courtesy of Ars Technica

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

It sports all the cool features of the iPhone 4 like the retina display and dual cameras without the signal attenuation problems

iPod Touch 4th Generation Specifications
3.5-inch multi-touch display @ 960×640 pixel resolution
1GHz A4 chip w/ 512 MB RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (802.11n is 2.4GHz only)
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
Three-axis Gyro
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor
HD 720p camera @ 30fps w/ audio
VGA front-facing camera for Face Time

As noted in the specifications, the iPod Touch 4G can do FaceTime which means you can make a call to other iPod Touch 4G users or iPhone 4 users via WiFi for free.  Kinda makes Steve Jobs’ point when he said that said the iPod touch is “an iPhone without a phone. It’s also an iPhone without a contract.”   By giving the new touch access to free video calls via facetime, then it’s safe to consider the iPod Touch 4G an iPhone without the ongoing cost.

Apple claims the new iPod Touch can do 7 hours of video playback and 40 hours of audio.  The CPU and RAM upgrades will certainly be a welcome addition to anyone looking at the touch as a PSP or DS replacement.  That plus access to Apple’s new Game Center, a part of the iOS 4.1.

Apple iPod Touch 4G official Philippine Price list:

iPod Touch 8GB – Php12,490
iPod Touch 32GB – Php15,990
iPod Touch 64GB – Php21,990

For international orders: 8GB for $229, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399.

The iPod Touch 4G are up for pre-order and will be available next week.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh