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WHAT’S NEW: |
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LION: making a lot of choices for us | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Getting a computer with a new operating system (or upgrading to one) has always included some surprises. Lion adds lots of new ways of using a Mac, but it also makes these new ways the default. Some of these changes (like versioning) are not just options, but the way Apple programs now work. Others can be confusing, but with a little customization, Lion can behave almost like the Macintosh computer you have known and loved. Once you use Lion, it will be clear that the iPad has had a big effect on the Mac. The immersive experience of the iPad is due to the fact that each application takes over the device. Apple wants to offer that on the Mac as well. Navigation from one app (or place) to another includes new options. The bottom line: with Lion you still have a Mac. You may just have to tweak a lot of settings to recognize your old friend. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iPhone 4S | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Although the iPhone 4S seemed like an incremental rather than a major upgrade, it has sold even better than previous models. Apple made smart marketing choices, including retaining the iPhone 4 at a lower price point, and making the iPhone 3GS free with a 2-year contract (ATT only). The addition of Verizon and Sprint (and now some small-market mobile phone companies has continued to make the iPhone wildly popular. I personally switched to the Verizon 4S model and saw a huge improvement in call quality and geographical coverage over ATT in Marin County. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The new iPad adds a 4G, "retina" quality display, better rear camera | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Again, Apple has come out with a product in hight demand while retaining the iPad 2 as a lower-priced model. Play around with the iPad and decide if you can live wifi (like a laptop) or want the option to add a cellular data plan on a month-by-month basis. If you are going to carry around even a modicum of TV shows or movies (while traveling, for example), get at least a 32GB model. You will need to choose between Verizon and AT&T (separate models) if you choose the 4G model. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple updates MacBook Air | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple's success with the last two models of the MacBook Air have rippled through the computer industry. They are now very light, very fast, and affordable. This has caused Apple to cut the MacBook (the white plastic model) out of their product line. The 11" Air (my personal favorite) now comes with a backlit keyboard, and, of course, Lion. A lot of folks are deciding between the iPad and the 11" Air, which are not that different in size and weight. If you need a very small but capable computer, the Air should be your choice. The iPad offers 4G (or 3G), so can get online without a wifi hot spot. Its a great book reader, gaming platform, sketch pad, and fills so many other categories like no other device. If you travel, you will see iPads are the device of choice to take on the plane. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6.8) needed for Lion upgrade, virus updates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lion is not a no-brainer update, but is needed for iClould. Snow Leopard is now a very important upgrade as it offers built-in protection against virus and malware software which are now beginning to focus on Macs. Also, some older programs will no longer work in Lion. Luckily, Intuit has finally updated Quicken 2007 to make it Lion-compatible. |
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| iLife ’11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
iMovie. has been tweaked and enhanced again. iPhoto now has a full screen mode and a bunch of new, but mostly minor added features. Warning: be sure and backup your iPhoto library. This upgrade may not go smoothly. Afterwards, there is an Apple fix for what may go wrong with the install. iPhoto does a lot more, but is missing the ability to make calendars (which was previously available). Garage Band also has new bells and whistles. Meanwhile, iDVD and iWeb have not been updated from iLife '09. iWeb will be discontinues as MobileMe is replaced by iCloud. Without iDVD, folks will have to find another way to turn their movies into real DVDs that play on DVD players hooked up to TVs. |
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| Apple 27" Display Gets Thunderbolt and More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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