The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gif The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com en-us Copyright 2008 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Steve Ballmer uses a Mac for presentationshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/30/steve-ballmer-uses-a-mac-for-presentations/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/30/steve-ballmer-uses-a-mac-for-presentations/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/30/steve-ballmer-uses-a-mac-for-presentations/#commentsFiled under: ,

You may remember Steve Ballmer (CEO of some other company) criticizing the iPod and iPhone on several occasions. Something that he definitely cannot criticize is the Mac, mostly because he was seen using one for with one at the podium while he gave a presentation. MacLife pointed us to this Flickr picture showing what really powers the other Steve's presentation. What's there? You guessed it, a MacBook Pro. We imagine that it is running Windows via BootCamp, proving once again that the best Windows machine money can buy is a Mac.

I guess Microsoft is staring to "Think Different," eh?

Update: As noted by several Flickr commenters, Ballmer didn't actually use the Mac to present; all that was displayed was his title slide, most likely driven by backstage gear, and presumably the MacBook Pro was left at the podium by the conference organizers or a previous presenter. Still a pleasant thought to imagine him slaving away over his PowerPoint (or Keynote!) presentation on the MBP, but it doesn't look like that's how it went.
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]]>CEOMacBook ProMacbookProMicrosoftpresentationSteve BallmerSteveBallmertweet-thisCory Bohon2008-04-30T08:00:00+00:00MBP vs. MBA benchmarking showdownhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Bare Feats continues to pit Macs against each other in a no-holds-barred, up-against-the-wall benchmarking breakdown, and this time around it's the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air in the octagon together. And things go about as planned -- while the solid state drive in the MBA has its advantages, the processor and GPU (what little there is of it) in the MBA don't even really compare to the MBP. Sure, it's a small, super thin, super portable computer, but not only are you paying in cash for the portability, you're paying in performance, too.

This doesn't mean the MBA is a bad computer at all -- for most tasks, it'll work just fine. But complicated 3D graphics (both Halo and Unreal Tournament 2004 were tested) will be almost unplayable in games, and there will be a substantial wait, sometimes up to minutes more, for certain processor intensive tasks. If speed is a high priority (at least higher than portability), the MBA isn't for you.

I would like to see how the MacBook compares, though. It's not surprising that the MBP is a fast machine, but where does the MBA line up compared to the cheaper model?

[Via IMG]
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]]>barefeatsbenchmarkscpugpugraphicsintensivemacbook-airmacbook-proteststimingMike Schramm2008-04-21T16:30:00+00:00Is the Multi-display Mini finally about to debut?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Mac Mini users have been waiting a long time for a true dual-monitor solution. Sure there are a bunch of work-arounds out there that let you run more than one screen at a time but a real multi-screen solution hasn't yet been available as far as I know. (Honestly, I haven't been looking all that hard--so if there's one I missed let me know in the comments.)

Display Link has finally decided to let the mini come to the multi-display party. TUAW reader Nick tipped us off to these new beta drivers for Mac OS X.

The DisplayLink hardware supports up to 4 USB-based monitors. You're limited to Intel Macs but minis and MacBook Airs are supported. The beta does not support OpenGL acceleration so Keynote and iPhoto slide shows will not properly function.

From what I could tell from the site, Display Link seems to be sold with third party branding. The Kensington USB docking station (model 33415) for $140 is apparently the product in question.

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]]>DisplaysDual MonitorsDualMonitorsMultimediaErica Sadun2008-03-31T14:00:00+00:00Apple settles out MacBook class action lawsuithttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/26/apple-settles-out-macbook-class-action-lawsuit/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/26/apple-settles-out-macbook-class-action-lawsuit/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/26/apple-settles-out-macbook-class-action-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Almost a year after those two photogs first tried to bring a class-action suit against Apple for supposedly underperforming colors on MacBook and MacBook Pro LCD screens, our own Mike Rose has been proven right -- Apple has "quietly settled" the suit, and presumably Apple didn't have to pay much: the plaintiffs apparently had trouble finding other people who had purchased the laptops solely for the "millions of colors" claim.

Which makes sense -- why would you need any more than a few hundred thousand colors on a single screen? Of course, the drawback here is that we'll never find out if you really can get millions of colors on a MacBook screen, as the photographers wanted. For all we know, they might actually be technically correct -- widely recognized as the very best kind of correct.

[Via Engadget]
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]]>appleclass-actioncolorsfuturama-referencelawlawsuitmacbookrainbow-britesettlementMike Schramm2008-03-26T23:00:00+00:00Reviewing the new MacBook Prohttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/12/reviewing-the-new-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/12/reviewing-the-new-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/12/reviewing-the-new-macbook-pro/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Blogger Shawn Blanc has written another one of his thorough reviews. This time, it's the new MacBook Pro.

The interesting thing is that he's using it to replace his Mac Pro. Most tech professionals have a primary machine (often a desktop) and a secondary (usually a laptop). After living with this setup for some time, Shawn noticed that the laptop had become his main machine:

"I don't need the Mac Pro. The loss in horsepower is negligible for what I do, and the gain in simplicity cannot be expressed with words. I'm selling the tower and going back to being a one-computer consumer, and connoisseur of fine laptops."

The same thing eventually happened to me. My MacBook Pro is the machine I use most often, and my iMac is the machine I use to sync my iPhone, make iTunes purchases and upload photos. Other than that, it pretty much just sits around.

Shawn goes on to describe setup, migration of his older data and (much, much) more. The whole thing is written in Shawn's comprehensive and readable style. Check it out.
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]]>macbook proMacbookProportablesreviewsDave Caolo2008-03-12T12:00:00+00:00ViDock Gfx brings multiple external monitors to MacBook Prohttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/08/vidock-gfx-brings-multiple-external-monitors-to-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/08/vidock-gfx-brings-multiple-external-monitors-to-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/08/vidock-gfx-brings-multiple-external-monitors-to-macbook-pro/#commentsFiled under: , ,



If you have MacBook Pro your external screen options just got a lot better. The ViDock Gfx from Village Tronic connects via the ExpressCard/34 slot and provides two DVI/VGA ports for driving two external monitors. So you can now hook up three external monitors: one to the built-in DVI port and then two to the ViDock for a display setup that'll rival Al's.

The ViDock Gfx is only available for pre-order though no pricing information had been released (apparently you submit the form and they'll get back to you with pricing).

[via Gizmodo]
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]]>ViDock GfxVidockGfxMat Lu2008-03-08T16:30:00+00:00MagStay PRO keeps your MagSafe stuckhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/magstay-pro-keeps-your-magsafe-stuck/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/magstay-pro-keeps-your-magsafe-stuck/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/magstay-pro-keeps-your-magsafe-stuck/#commentsFiled under: ,


The MagStay Pro is a little plastic clip that holds in your MagSafe power connector on a 15" or 17" MacBook Pro. Basically, it's a retainer that plugs into the USB port next to the MagSafe to keep it from being disconnected. It also allows you to store the little plastic cap that comes with the MagSafe power adapter. Obviously, this completely undermines the point of the MagSafe, but if you find it accidently coming out when using it on your lap, etc., and you're not worried about the cord tripping problem, then it might be worth a look.

The MagStay Pro is $11.99 and is available from thought out.

[via The Gadgeteer]
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]]>MacBook ProMacbookProMagsafeMagStay ProMagstayProMat Lu2008-03-05T18:00:00+00:00Engadget tries to fry an egg on Penryn MacBook Prohttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/29/engadget-tries-to-fry-an-egg-on-penryn-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/29/engadget-tries-to-fry-an-egg-on-penryn-macbook-pro/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/29/engadget-tries-to-fry-an-egg-on-penryn-macbook-pro/#commentsFiled under: ,

engadget penryn macbook pro testOK, they didn't really try to fry an egg. But for those of us using those first searing-heat MBP's, you'll be happy to know the Penryn MacBook Pro's are a little cooler (temperature-wise anyway). On average, about 10° F cooler, and the fans run slower and quieter. Sorry if this kills any MacGuyver-esque plans of using Penryn laptops as emergency griddles.

For a much more detailed analysis of the Penryn advantages, check out the Engadget post, complete with Xbench tests and a flavorful grid with all the analysis.
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]]>engadgetmbppenrynVictor Agreda, Jr.2008-02-29T14:00:00+00:00Put your laptop to sleep with SmartSleephttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/28/put-your-laptop-to-sleep-with-smartsleep/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/28/put-your-laptop-to-sleep-with-smartsleep/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/28/put-your-laptop-to-sleep-with-smartsleep/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

You know the drill. Close your laptop's lid or select "Sleep" from the Apple Menu and it does just that - it goes into low-power mode, or "sleep."

That's just not good enough. Check out SmartSleep, which puts your MacBook or MacBook Pro into either Sleep Mode or Hibernate Mode, depending on several factors.

For example, if your battery is at 20%, SmartSleep puts your Mac to sleep and hibernate. If it's down to 5%, it goes right to hibernate mode, preserving items in memory. Otherwise, it just sleeps as it typically does.

Finally, you can select any of these settings as the default for your machine. SmartSleep is free.

[Via Download Squad]
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]]>betamacbookmacbook proMacbookProsmartsleepsoftwareDave Caolo2008-02-28T18:30:00+00:00The new MacBook (Pros): the fine printhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/27/the-new-macbook-pros-the-fine-print/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/27/the-new-macbook-pros-the-fine-print/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/27/the-new-macbook-pros-the-fine-print/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We finally got the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros we've all been waiting for and now it time to dig into the fine print a little bit. As we noted earlier the new machines are shipping without the $19 Apple remote, but there are also some other subtle changes worth noting:
  • The processors are confirmed to be Intel's Penryn technology.
  • Only the MacBook Pro is getting the multi-touch trackpad functionality of the MacBook Air. Apparently Apple is doing this deliberately to differentiate the higher-end portables from the MacBook line.
  • Only the Pros are getting LED backlights, and that's standard only on the 15". LED backlighting is a $100 BTO option on the 17" and simply not available on the MacBook. This despite Uncle Steve's assurance that the entire Mac line would transition to LED backlighting "when technically and economically feasible." I suppose that Apple would say that it's not yet economically feasible in the MacBook line.
  • The Pros feature a slightly new keyboard layout missing the virtual number pad.
  • The Pros also have 3 USB ports now, instead of 2. Update: Oops, lots of people have pointed out that only the 17 incher has the 3rd USB port, and it has had that forever. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
  • Perhaps most disturbing is that the official battery life estimates have dropped noticeably. MacNN notes that "Apple's revised projections falls to a maximum of 4.5 hours versus six [on the MacBook]... from six hours to five [on the 15" MBP and]... from 5.75 hours of use to 4.5" [on the 17" MBP].
Now none of these things is that big of a deal (hence the fine print), but there is some cause for concern, especially with the reduced battery life estimates. We may hope that perhaps Apple is being more realistic in their projections and that accounts for the reductions. It's particularly confusing given that one of the supposed advantages of the Penryn processor is energy efficiency. We won't know for sure until third-party benchmarks are available.

Thanks to everyone who sent in tips!
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]]>LEDMacBookMacBook ProMacbookProPenrynMat Lu2008-02-27T07:00:00+00:00New MacBook Pro tear-downhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-pro-tear-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-pro-tear-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-pro-tear-down/#commentsFiled under:

It's only been about 12 hours since the new MacBook Pro's were released and already someone has posted a tear-down online. AnandTech has a full gallery of pictures showing the tear-down process. Interestingly enough, AnandTech's Anand Lal Shimpi reports that while the MacBook Pro's processor got an upgrade today, it offers "very little performance boost."

[via MacDailyNews]
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]]>MacBook ProMacbookProtear downTearDownCory Bohon2008-02-26T21:30:00+00:00New MacBook and MacBook Pros now availablehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-and-macbook-pros-now-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-and-macbook-pros-now-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/26/new-macbook-and-macbook-pros-now-available/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Well, the rumors were right on target -- new MacBook and MacBook Pros are finally here! Unlike the very minor updates in November, this refresh features across the board speed bumps, bigger hard drives, more stock RAM and for the MacBook Pro, a few new features sure to make every Apple fan's mouth water. Both lines are now featuring the new Penryn Core 2 Duo chipset, with the higher end MacBook Pro models taking advantage of a spectacular 6MB of L2 cache.

MacBook

The price configuration is the same same (starting at $1099 US for the non-Super Drive white base model, $1499 for the BlackBook), but the base features have received a nice upgrade. The significant changes:

  • Processor speeds now start at 2.1 GHz for the base model, 2.4 GHz for the $1299 and $1499 models
  • 120 GB drive is standard for the base level MacBook, 160 GB for the $1299 MacBook and a whopping 250 GB drive for the BlackBook. All drives are 5400 RPM
  • 2 GB RAM standard for all but entry-level MacBooks (that remains at 1 GB)

MacBook Pro
  • Processor speeds now start at 2.4 GHz, and are available up to 2.6 GHz (2.5 GHz is standard for the 17"); the new 2.5 GHz chip has 6 MB of L2 cache
  • The MBP 17" now has an LED backlit screen option
  • 200 GB is the starting HD size (this is up from 120 GB in the last revision), 250 GB standard for the upper 15" and 17" models. A 300 GB drive is available BTO, as is a 7200 rpm 200 GB drive
  • NVidia 8600GT now starts at 256 MB of VRAM -- 512 for the higher end 15" and stock 17"
  • Multi-touch trackpad a la the Air.
All in all, some very nice updates -- particularly for the MacBook. The basic specs for the BlackBook and entry-level MacBook Pro are so similar, I have to think the MacBook is the better deal for anyone who doesn't need the dedicated graphics card.

Update:
As the commenters have pointed out, the Apple Remote is no longer included in the box. That's right, you know have to spend an extra $19, for what I think is one of the most convenient Mac accessories. With $18 billion in cash, you'd think they could throw in something that we all know probably costs $0.30 to make. Oh well.


Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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]]>hardware refreshHardwareRefreshmacbookmacbook proMacbookProtweet thisTweetThisChristina Warren2008-02-26T09:10:00+00:00Macs at Microsoft fail to shockhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/macs-at-microsoft-fail-to-shock/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/macs-at-microsoft-fail-to-shock/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/macs-at-microsoft-fail-to-shock/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Let's all point and laugh: the folks at Microsoft use Macs! Because, you know, they make Windows, and Macs aren't Windows, and Microsoft and Apple are competitors, and isn't it funny and aren't cats and dogs different?

Actually, let's not do this. Let's realize that Microsoft is a company and Apple is a company, and while yes, in some fields they are competitors, let's just put the whole Apple vs. PC idea to bed. Guess what: a Mac actually is a PC. It's a very, very well-made PC (in fact, the best made, in this blog's humble opinion). And why wouldn't the folks at Microsoft want to use the best PC out there to develop and run their programs?

The battle between Mac and PC was cute back during the PowerPC age, when there were major differences between the two platforms. But things have changed: Macs run Windows, dogs and cats are lol-ing together, and the war's just not worth fighting any more. Of course Microsoft employees use Macs -- who wouldn't?

[Via FSJ]
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]]>apple-vs-pcbill-gatesdogs-and-catsmacsmicrosoftpcsMike Schramm2008-02-25T18:30:00+00:00Rumor: New MacBook Pro shows up in Apple, Best Buy inventory systemhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/rumor-new-macbook-pro-shows-up-in-apple-best-buy-inventory-sys/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/rumor-new-macbook-pro-shows-up-in-apple-best-buy-inventory-sys/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/25/rumor-new-macbook-pro-shows-up-in-apple-best-buy-inventory-sys/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

AppleInsider is reporting that they have confirmed the Apple part numbers that were supposedly "leaked" out of Best Buy are in fact the real deal, and could be new MacBook Pros; other rumor sites are chiming in as well.

This comes after some of Apple's retail chain partners have received part numbers and prices that match Apple's usual style; as of late, these numbers have been added to Apple's own inventory management system. One of the inventory systems reports stock on hand by Friday, February 29; our most recent information points us to an availability date of March 2 or earlier for these new machines.

The numbers in question are:
  • MB402LL/A ($1999.00)
  • MB403LL/A ($2499.00)
  • MB404LL/A ($2799.00)
AppleInsider is also speculating that the new MacBook Pros may include the new Intel Penryn processor that clocks at 2.1Ghz for the base model and goes up to 2.6Ghz for the higher-end models. Along with the new processor, they are also speculating that the MacBook Pro might receive the MacBook Air's multi-touch trackpad goodness. If these rumors are true, then why is Apple going up on the price of their Pro notebooks? For the base model, that's a $200 price increase. Whoops, looked at the wrong laptop pricing. These prices, as our loyal commenters have noted, are exactly in line with the existing MacBook Pros. Whew.

[via AppleInsider]

Thanks Mr. X


Update: Engadget just posted what appears to be a printout of the Best Buy database showing the Apple part numbers.
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]]>Best BuyinventoryMacBook ProretailupdateCory Bohon2008-02-25T15:00:00+00:00MacBook and MacBookPro get keyboard updatehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/macbook-mb-pro-keyboard-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/macbook-mb-pro-keyboard-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/macbook-mb-pro-keyboard-update/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today Apple released a keyboard update for both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro notebooks. In regular Apple style, their release notes are not extremely profuse, "This MacBook and MacBook Pro firmware update addresses an issue where the first key press may be ignored if the computer has been sitting idle. It also addresses some other issues."

Please note, this is a firmware upgrade that will install an application in the utilities folder that you will then, in turn, need to open and follow the on-screen instructions. For a list of MacBooks that may need the update, you can look at the Apple support note.

If you computer has been affect by these issues, or if you are just inclined to installing all Apple updates, you can get this update by opening Software Update (Apple Menu > Software Update) or by downloading the installer package from the Apple Support downloads site.


Thanks to everyone that sent this in!
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]]>firmwarekeyboardMacBookMacBook ProupdateCory Bohon2008-02-19T17:15:00+00:00Smart Scroll X updated for Leopardhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/smart-scroll-x-updated-for-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/smart-scroll-x-updated-for-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/19/smart-scroll-x-updated-for-leopard/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The iPhone may definitely have people jealous when it comes to the scrolling and multi-touch gestures -- many people may very well want this feature on a Mac. Well, with Smart Scroll X, you can get one step closer to the iPhone's scrolling feature. The "Super Wheel" gives your Mac's trackpad an iPhone-like scrolling feature. It allows you to control many different trackpad setting with the simple system preferences plug-in. Another cool feature is the "Grab Scroll," which allows you to grab a window and "fling" it across the screen.

Smart Scroll X was rated 4/5 by Macworld's Mac Gems. It was also recently updated to work with Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2. Smart Scroll is avaiable for $19 from the developer's website; a free trial is also available.
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]]>MacnotebookSmart Scroll XCory Bohon2008-02-19T13:00:00+00:00Found Footage: MacBook Pro HDD Replacementhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/04/found-footage-macbook-pro-hdd-replacement/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/04/found-footage-macbook-pro-hdd-replacement/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/02/04/found-footage-macbook-pro-hdd-replacement/#commentsFiled under: ,

I had to replace the hard drive in my MacBook Pro a few months ago. If you've never done it, I can tell you that after over 20 screws, a little prying and pulling and then reassembling with your fingers crossed, there's probably a moment of stomach-turning worry when you hit the power button. But some people have a knack for making things look a little less gut wrenching.

MacBook Pro owner Max Million replaced his hard drive in about 40 minutes. Working from the excellent instructions at ifixit, he put a 320 gig drive into his laptop. And while he was at it, he put together a time-lapse video of the process that's under 3 minutes long but still manages to convey the tenacity required for the undertaking. So, here's to the brave souls who have no regard for the phrase "not user serviceable". Video after the jump...

Continue reading Found Footage: MacBook Pro HDD Replacement

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]]>repairvideoBrett Terpstra2008-02-04T11:00:00+00:00Tips on replacing a MacBook Pro's hard drivehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/13/tips-on-replacing-a-macbook-pros-hard-disk/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/13/tips-on-replacing-a-macbook-pros-hard-disk/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/13/tips-on-replacing-a-macbook-pros-hard-disk/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Friday I found myself doing what anyone who was soon to be flying across the country to cover Macworld would be doing : replacing the hard drive in my MacBook Pro. A smart idea? Well, considering that my old drive was making some not so good noises I thought it better to replace the darned thing before it failed during the Expo.

I headed over to Other World Computing and ordered this drive. OWC is great because they offer up many of the same parts that Apple uses in their machines (in fact the drive I bought turned out to be the exact model drive that was already in my MacBook Pro, though the new one has twice as much space). And no, I am not getting paid by OWC in any way, shape, or form. I just have had several excellent experiences with them.

One thing to keep in mind is that the hard drive isn't classified as 'user replaceable' in the MacBook Pro, unlike the MacBook (replacing a hard drive in a MacBook is very, very easy). That didn't stop me because I've swapped out countless drives. I followed iFixIt's great guide to disassembling my MacBook Pro, but one word of caution: be sure you have a T6 Torx Screwdriver before you start. I have access a large number of computer tools, so I didn't think that would be a problem. However, after sifting through 4 different toolkits with no success (most tool kits have a T8 Torx as the smallest screwdriver), I thought I was in trouble. I finally found one in a very large, very expensive set of tools, but the screwdriver itself isn't pricey. Make sure you know that you have one before starting this process because there are 6 Torx screws that need to be removed (2 holding the keyboard to the base of the machine, and 4 holding the hard disk in place), and it is much much easier with the right tool.

Overall, this is something I would recommend that only people who are comfortable cracking open a laptop should do. There are lots of little screws and wires one has to move out of the way to replace the drive and a certain level of comfort with a computer's innards is required.

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]]>macbook-promacworld08Scott McNulty2008-01-13T21:00:00+00:00Keeping your screen cleanhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/11/keeping-your-screen-clean/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/11/keeping-your-screen-clean/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/11/keeping-your-screen-clean/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Although I can be a bit of a slob, I'm pretty anal retentive when it comes to keeping my electronics clean. That goes triple for my MacBook. Although I was pretty scrupulous with my last laptop, the glossy screen and black casing that shows all have required me to become even more attentive. Even though I don't have people touching my screen all the time, I manage to accumulate build up of fingerprints, smudges and dust marks (most likely from the keyboard) that require giving the screen a full cleaning every week.

The Apple Blog has posted some some great tips/techniques for keeping your screen looking like new, and while they are directed for glossy screen owners, the same basic techniques can be used for any screen, be it iPod/iPhone, matte LCD screen (like on a MacBook Pro or older Apple laptop), iMac, etc.

The key is getting the right type of cleaning solution an the right type of cleaning cloth. The author of the tips article recommends using monitor wipes from some sort of Office supply store, but I've found that unless you get individually sealed one-time use wipes (which can get expensive), the wipes tend to dry out very, very quickly, effectively making them useless. I prefer to use cleaning product like iKlear or a home-made 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol and bottled water. 99% of all electronics cleaners out there are essentially diluted isopropyl alcohol (add blue dye and some fragrance and ammonia and you have Windex -- don't use Windex on your screen).

As for the right kind of cloth, you want to use a lint-free microfiber lens cloth (it will be slightly textured as opposed to a smooth microfiber cloth that you use for polishing/cleaning an iPod or digital camera screen, you can use a smooth microfiber cloth, but I have had much better results with the more textured ultra-suede cloths for laptop screens).

Now for the actual cleaning:

Continue reading Keeping your screen clean

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]]>cleaningglossy lcdGlossyLcdmac cleaningMacCleaningscreenChristina Warren2008-01-11T20:00:00+00:00Apple among InfoWorld's Tech of the Yearhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/09/apple-among-infoworlds-tech-of-the-year/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/09/apple-among-infoworlds-tech-of-the-year/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/09/apple-among-infoworlds-tech-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Infoworld has identified its 2008 Technology of the Year award recipients, and Apple's name shows up twice.

First, the MacBook Pro gets the nod as their Best Notebook Computer, calling its glossy screen a "revelation" (that might be a little extreme) and praising its performance and build quality.

But wait, there's more! Mac OS 10.5 was named Best Operating System. We all knew that, of course, but it's nice to see some recognition outside of the faithful.

Reading this report after watching the videos of old Steve Jobs keynotes makes me marvel at the company's success. Apple was so close to the brink just ten years ago. Here's to a tremendous 2008!
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]]>infoworldleopardmacbookproDave Caolo2008-01-09T16:00:00+00:00