Apple is fairly reliable, but not the most reliable company of all when it comes to notebooks, according to a new study by research firm SquareTrade. The top honor goes to Asus, which surprised me, but I suppose shouldn’t have when I consider the build quality of my fairly inexpensive Eee PC. Toshiba and Sony rank next most reliable, with Apple coming in a close fourth.

I remember a time not too long ago when IBM and Apple would top the list every time, with other manufacturers coming in a fair distance behind them. IBM sold its hardware business to Lenovo, which seems to be having some effect on quality, but is Apple also slipping as it grows? I don’t think there’s enough data to identify a trend, but it is a little worrying.

Still, at least Apple is still under the 20 percent mark for three-year laptop malfunction rates, which is the measure that indicates reliability in the study. Dell is the only company below it, also under 20 percent, with 18.3. After that, things take a significant turn for the worse, with HP coming in ninth place at 25.6 percent. That means Apple is still showing better-than-average performance overall.

Electronista suggests that the reason for the divide between top-tier manufacturers and those that fall below the average is that the companies with greater than 20 percent malfunction rates tend to do much of their business in the budget laptop and notebook categories, which see higher failure rates overall than premium-priced laptops, where Apple exclusively does its business. It’s possible NVIDIA-gate accounted for some of those failures, although SquareTrade doesn’t go into detail about malfunction causes in this report.

A little over ten days ago Apple launched a shiny new Apple and the Environment microsite showcasing the company’s commitment to greener production and business practise. So I thought it would be appropriate to take a leaf (pun intended) from Apple’s book and look at ways to be more energy efficient in my daily computing.

Mac OS X has some great power-saving features for MacBook users, but there are simple things you can do to squeeze those precious extra minutes of useful life out of your battery. And, to prove it to myself, I’m doing all of my writing today on my MacBook Pro in my garden, without the power cord. Oh yes, I’m living life on the edge, people!

Some of these tips are screamingly obvious; others contribute only modest energy savings. In aggregate, though, these tips can help you get significant life out of a single charge. So here they are, presented in no particular order of importance.

1. Dim the screen

Relatively speaking, that LED panel uses a fabulous amount of power, and, most of the time, simply doesn’t need to be so super bright. Turn it down to a comfortable level where you don’t have to squint to see what you’re doing.

2. Dim the Keyboard

The optical fiber backlighting in the keyboard can sometimes be brought to life even when you can see the keys perfectly well. When that happens, you can probably afford to turn it down a bit.

3. Stop Playing DVDs/CDs…

Your optical drive uses a motor. And a laser. They exhaust batteries in no time.

4. …and Stop Playing Video/Music from the HDD

Sorry, I know you stopped using your Optical Drive, but playing music or video is a power-guzzling process irrespective of where the source files happen to be.

5. Spin Down That Disc

Avoid doing anything that requires the hard drive to spin. Be mindful of the applications you run, and avoid those which require lots of read/write activity. Also, pop in to your System Preferences → Energy Saver and select “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep whenever possible.”

6. Go Easy on Your CPU

You can’t put the CPU to sleep, but you can go easy on it. Cycles spent crunching numbers equals battery drain. Quit anything you absolutely do not need. Mail, iCal, iTunes and goodness knows what else, even when hidden, are claiming CPU cycles.

7. Select the Right Video Card

If you own a late 2008 model MacBook Pro or later, you’ll have two graphic chips at your disposal. There’s the NVIDIA 9600, ideal for web browsing and text editing, or the more powerful 9600M, a better choice for gaming and video editing. In your System Preferences, choose Energy Saver and select Graphics: Better Battery Life. This will tell Mac OS X to use the 9600 chipset rather than its power-crazed big brother.

8. Internal Fans

Your MacBook should do a decent job of managing its own internal cooling, but if you’re competent doing this yourself, you might consider using a tool like smcFanControl to spin those things down. Just don’t blame me if you melt your MacBook as a result. (Seriously, if you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t even try this tip!)

9. Switch Off the Radios

Your Wi-Fi and bluetooth radios don’t have to be on all the time, do they? If preserving power matters to you, turn them off.

10. Ditch the Mouse

If your bluetooth radio is turned off, you can pack away that wireless Mighty Mouse. Using a wired Mighty Mouse? You should pack that away, too; that laser is sucking-up the juice.

11. Unplug That iPod!

If you keep your iPod or iPhone connected to your MacBook, remove them. Even if you’re not actively syncing them (and you’re not — if you followed my advice, iTunes is turned off by now) they’re keeping their own batteries topped-up via that good old USB copper. Your MacBook’s battery will thank you for unplugging them.

12. External Drives

If you’re using USB-powered external hard drives for backup/storage, unplug them (but be aware this means your backup routine may be disrupted!) Even if you’re not using your external drive all the time, remember that if you invoke an Open or Save As dialogue, those connected storage devices will spin-up on the off-chance you want to use them. If you don’t, that was power wasted!

13. Close the Lid

If you are going to be inactive for a while, consider putting the machine to sleep (or if you’ll be inactive for a long time, go one better and shut-down completely.)

14. Plan Ahead

If it’s at all practicable, plan what you are going to do before you even power-up your MacBook.

So there you have it. Combine these tips into your daily mobile-compute and you ought to see some serious improvements in productive, working battery life. Also, remember to let your battery fully drain at least once a month.

How well did I do here in the garden today? I squeezed about four hours out of my battery before I had to plug in. Give it a try, you might be surprised at just how much power your little lithium friend can muster.

How do you maximize battery life? Short of actually plugging in to the nearest wall or carrying spare batteries (that’s cheating!), what tips have I missed from this list? Share them in the comments below.

Apple Announces Netbook! That’s the headline you wanted to see, right? That’s the headline that industry analysts and so-called experts believe Apple must have in order to remain relevant in today’s economic climate. That’s also the headline you’re not likely to come across unless it happens to be April 1.

“It’s not a space we’re interested in,” according to Steve Jobs, and a few others at Apple. At least one site run by a reputable Mac journalist claims to have first-hand knowledge that a netbook does indeed exist deep inside Apple’s headquarters, but goes on to back up what we’ve already heard: It’s a prototype, and it’s just not going to ship.

The truth is, Apple already has a netbook on the market, which they’ve been selling for quite a while now. It’s called the MacBook Air. It’s a powerful, good-looking notebook with a full-sized keyboard, spacious 120GB hard drive, and a 13.3-inch, backlit LED screen. It’s capable of running a full version of Mac OS X Leopard, iLife, iWork, and Microsoft Office at full speeds, as well as light-duty graphics work in Adobe Photoshop.

Compare that with most sub-$600 netbooks currently on the market, which run some obscure distribution of Linux, or cripple-ware known as Windows XP Home, and you start to see why netbooks aren’t all that appealing for many people. Not to mention, the standard LCD screens fall in the 10-inch range, the touchpad is practically guaranteed to wear out from excessive scrolling, the keyboards are 80 percent of “normal” size for people with Barbie doll-sized hands, and hard drives are smaller than your standard iPod.

And let’s talk about power. The MacBook Air features a full Core 2 Duo processor, while most netbooks are running an Intel Atom or Celeron processor that barely outperforms my digital watch in modern-day tasks!

Do you really want a netbook?

When I ask around to friends and colleagues about why they bought a netbook, the answer was always the same: “It was small and cheap.” But when I ask them what they thought of it outside those two factors, I didn’t get much in the way of positive comments. Tiny screen, hard to type on, cheap-feeling hardware, and junkware were a few of the descriptions I heard. I thought perhaps this was due to the fact that most of these people weren’t terribly computer-savvy folks, but apparently it’s more widespread than that.

According to this report from The NPD Group, a leading market research firm, only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook said they were satisfied, while 65 percent said they expected the same performance as a regular laptop. Many were so unsatisfied that they returned them. How many? Intel’s Sean Maloney was quoted in this article as saying, “They [netbooks] had very high return rates, and a couple of these guys [retailers] had return rates in the 30 percent range, which is a disaster.” Three out of every 10 get returned? Yikes!

In fact, after a slight dip in sales at Amazon.com, when interest in netbooks was at a fever pitch, Apple is back at the top of the sales chart with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has been the top-selling laptop since the moment it was introduced.

Mac Users Want More

The market is apparently showing what Apple, and Steve Jobs, already knew. People want small and cheap, but they don’t want to give up power. As Mac users, we want more from our hardware, and we’re willing to pay a bit more for it. That demand prohibits Apple from selling a powerful, small, and cheap laptop.

Sure, it would be great to have a $500 MacBook. But do you really want to spend that much for a Mac that has limitations that might include a smaller keyboard, a smaller screen, a stripped-down OS, the inability to edit or even watch videos with smooth playback, or a hard drive only large enough to keep a small sampling of your iPhoto and iTunes collection on in order to save room for other documents. I sure don’t, and I suspect that I’m not alone.

Apple's MacBook Air

The MacBook Air, as I stated earlier, is quite a capable little machine. The lack of numerous ports and a media drive initially struck me as absolute craziness at the highest levels at Apple. But when I look at how I use my current 15-inch MacBook Pro, I was surprised to notice how little I actually used the media drive; the Firewire and USB ports; the card slot and the ethernet port. I do most of my heavy-duty graphics work on a Mac Pro at the office, so the extent of my laptop use is light-duty graphics for the web, office and web apps, with the occasional iMovie or iPhoto work.

I suspect my laptop use is typical of most laptop users, except I paid a premium for some extra processor power that I don’t use, a slightly faster hard drive and slightly larger screen that aren’t worth the extra weight or battery use over a MacBook Air.

In fact, when I look at my usage, I really need a netbook. My next laptop will be something cheaper, smaller, lighter and just a little less powerful, but not crippled. A netbook. Most likely it will be named MacBook Air.

Note: I highly doubt Apple will ever release what most consider a netbook. But I’m fully prepared to eat my words, if I have to. After all, I didn’t expect an OS X upgrade to cost only $29, either. With Apple, you just never know what the next headline will be.

Apple first began shipping notebooks with glossy displays in May 2006 with the release of the first-generation MacBooks, which were only available with glossy, and as a no-cost option on MacBook Pros. In mid-2007, glossy “behind glass” displays were also made standard on the aluminum iMac line with no matte option. With the release of Apple’s unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros last October, Apple ceased shipping any computers with matte screens. The Apple 24″ Cinema Display is also glossy-only, although Cupertino has relented to the extent of offering an anti-glare coating option on the 17″ MacBook Pro’s display for $50 extra.

But not everyone is happy about these developments. In fact, there are even reports that suggest use of glossy screens could increase the risk of health issues down the road.

Some Not Happy With Glossy

Contra-glossy display blogger macmatte demands that Apple restore a matte screen option for iMacs and all MacBook/Pro models, contending that this is an issue that won’t die down with passage of time.

CNET’s Dan Ackerman has the lack of a matte display option leading his list of five remaining MacBook Pro deficiencies following the recent WWDC upgrades.

Eye Strain?

Macmatte argues that glare from glossy screens causes eye strain for many people, and says matte screens solve this eye health issue. He claims that the physiology of the human eye causes some to be more prone to eyestrain when staring for hours at reflective surfaces, although others are not bothered.

He thinks Apple’s rationale for dropping matte displays are flawed, that notwithstanding Steve Jobs assertion that most people prefer glossy, a Google search for “matte glossy polls MacBook” suggests that around 40 percent prefer matte. I’m not sure how accurate the metrics derived from a meta-composite of Google search info would be, but there’s no disputing that a sizable proportion of laptop users do prefer matte displays.

Nearly Everyone Used To Use Glossy

Personally, it’s a non-issue for me. I can be quite happy with either matte, which my first dozen years of Mac laptops all had, or the glossy display on my 13″ unibody MacBook. After four months, I haven’t noticed any eyestrain. I’m also constrained to observe that up until the wholesale switch to LCD/TFT flat-screen monitors began about a decade ago, only laptop users had matte displays and virtually everyone else used glassy, glossy-surfaced CRT monitors that usually had curved screen surfaces to boot. I actually did experience eyestrain from using CRT desktop monitors that I found happily disappeared when I switched to using a laptop in 2006, but I’m not noticing any issues with the glossy MacBook display after four months use. Perhaps it’s the flatness rather than the “matte-ness” (or lack of) that’s key for me.

Macmatte suggests that if Apple finds it unprofitable to offer two types of screens, perhaps they could charge a premium for a matte option (which they already do with the 17″ MacBook Pro’s sort-of “matte” screen option). Indeed, there seems to be little logical reason not to offer a similar choice to 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro and iMac users except that I suspect the stumbling block is not so much cost as increased inventory management and stocking complexity. The workaround for that would be to offer matte as a build-to-order option.

Are Glossy Computer Screens Really A Health Hazard?

Interestingly, macmatte gets some scientific validation for his contentions from academics Down Under. The Queensland University of Technology at Brisbane, Australia, has posted a page on its Health and Safety web site with considerations for Apple Macintosh and other glass or high-gloss monitor screen users, warning that glossy displays could cause operators to adopt “awkward postures” when viewing the screen that may in turn lead to injury.

The university suggests users of high-gloss monitor screens should assess the area where the laptop or monitor will be used to ensure that sources of reflections and glare are eliminated or minimized to reduce potential for injury based on the following points:

• The amount of time that the monitor will be used during a workday. If the screen is only used for short stretches, some of the control options may not be necessary, while if the monitor is being used frequently or continuously, potential for injury increases and should be managed.
• Place the monitor so that the glossy screen is at a 90 degree angle to overhead lighting to minimize glare and reflection; and/or adjust the monitor screen tilt slightly so reflections from both internal and external sources are minimized. It’s also suggested that venetian blinds or shades be closed to reduce glare and reflections from windows.
• Adjusting the screen contrast to a low brightness setting can help increase readability for the user.
• Consider positioning the glossy monitor on another section of the desktop where it won’t be affected by reflections and/or glare.
• Consider consultation with a building lighting engineer to determine if overhead lighting can be modified, such as by removing fluorescent tubes, while still providing adequate light levels.

The university also suggests considering the purchase of other types of computers or monitors that offer matte screens, and has posted further information on recommended use of screen based equipment.

What do you think? Are you bothered by glossy displays, love ‘em, or have no particular preference?

I recently wrote about extending your MacBook’s battery life via a firmware update. Today I am going to outline how to extend your battery life by calibrating it so that it holds its charge properly. After all, running out of juice with when you’re on the go is the worst possible scenario in the electronic world!

As a general rule, you should calibrate your battery every month or two to keep it running in top form.

To calibrate your laptop’s battery:

1. Plug your laptop in and let it charge completely (your battery icon in the menu bar will be completely full and the charger’s connector light turns green).
2. Keep the laptop plugged in for another two hours (after it is fully charged).
3. Disconnect your laptop from power. Use it until it falls asleep from low battery.
4. Turn off the laptop and let it “rest” for about five hours.
5. Plug your laptop back in and let it fully charge.

It is completely fine to use your laptop during all of these steps (except, of course, when the computer is asleep).

Calibrating your laptop battery every few months is a great way to ensure you get the longest life out of it. If you’ve had your laptop for a little while and want to know the current maximum capacity of your battery, you can use the free coconutBattery utility.

coconutBattery isn’t just a tool which shows you only the current charge of your battery – it also shows you the current maximum capacity of it in relation to the original capacity your battery had as it left the factory. You also get information about the battery-loadcycles (how often did you fully load your battery), the current charger (coconutBattery even warns you if you plugged in a wrong charger for your Notebook) and last but not least information about the age of your Mac.

The brushfire popularity of small, inexpensive laptop computers, aka netbooks, shows no sign of losing steam, with a reported growth rate for the category of 80 percent so far in 2009 (vs. a general laptop growth of around 13 percent), putting netbooks on track for sales of around 21 million units this year. Apple consequently faces a daunting challenge, with only two notebook models selling for less than $1,500, and no offering in the expanding netbook market.

Negative Lookout For Netbook-less Apple

This week, ChangeWave’s Jim Woods and Paul Carton report that, according to their April survey of 3,231 consumers, they’ve picked up a jump in planned laptop spending going forward, led by escalating netbook demand. That’s not good news for netbook-less Apple. Nearly a quarter of respondents to the latest survey (23 percent) who plan to buy a laptop in the next three months say it’ll be a netbook, five points higher than in ChangeWave’s February sample.

The good news is that Apple’s premium-priced lineup has helped make it the most profitable company in the personal computer business. The bad news is that the company’s position in notebooks appears to be unsustainable if it wants to maintain or grow its market share and stay a significant player.

Apple Becoming The Bentley Of Personal Computers?

In a recent commentary, BusinessWeek’s Stephen Wildstrom observed that while Apple has long seemed to aspire to be the BMW of the computer business, these days it’s in danger of becoming the Bentley. He has a point.

For instance, while Apple’s Q1 2009 financial results last month recorded the company’s best non-holiday quarter ever, with over $8 billion in total sales and profits of over $1.2 billion, or 14.8 cents of profit for every dollar taken in during the period, MacBook sales actually dropped a whopping 22.1 percent in the quarter. One European study even reported that netbooks accounted for 30 percent of all notebooks sold in Europe during Q3 2008.

Apple Sweeps Consumer Reports Notebook Ratings

On the other hand, the June issue of Consumer Reports gives Apple’s MacBook family of notebooks top ranking in the 13-inch, 14-inch to 16-inch, and 17-inch categories, even though many of their competitors cost less. The 17-inch MacBook Pro got the highest rating of any notebook reviewed by Consumer Reports, scoring 80 points out of 100, and rated “Excellent” or “Very Good” in all tested categories, so Apple has to be doing something right.

So people like the notebooks Apple is currently making, but cost seems to be the primary factor motivating consumers going forward. There is pull in both directions.

Apple Delivers Value

Personally, I’m not feeling at all ripped-off for paying a premium price (by PC standards) for my new unibody MacBook, which is a delight to use. I could have had a Windows laptop with a larger screen and more features for hundreds less than I paid for the MacBook, but I would have got what I paid for: a generic PC. The MacBook isn’t perfect. I remain convinced that dropping FireWire was a serious mistake, and there aren’t enough USB ports, but aside from those points, I have no serious complaints.

The 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook with Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics has ample power for my needs, has so far been reliable (admittedly early days yet), looks and feels great, with a standard of workmanship reminiscent of a fine Swiss watch.

Unfortunately, it’s evidently becoming more difficult to convince cash-strapped and recession-weary consumers who’ve never experienced the joys of Mac ownership that the added value for the extra money really is worth it, which is the nexus of Apple’s laptop pricing dilemma.

Moving Downmarket?

I’ve been an advocate of Apple moving downmarket in order to protect and hopefully grow market share, but I also agree with BusinessWeek’s Wildstrom that Apple is probably right to shun the extremely low-profit bottom end of the laptop category. However, there’s a good case to be made for Apple wading in to the burgeoning sub-$1,000 “thinbook” category that blurs the distinction between netbooks and notebooks — machines I call “crossovers.”

Wildstrom suggests that one netbook/crossover strategy Apple could employ would be a MacBook based on Intel’s soon-to-be released Consumer Ultra-low Voltage (CULV) processors, paired with Nvidia’s 9400M graphics as used in the current MacBooks, to create a 12-inch notebook priced at perhaps $800. I wholeheartedly agree, and can almost see 12-inch PowerBook aficionados dancing in the streets and lining up to buy just such a machine.

Many enterprise IT departments are exercising false economy by extending the service life of notebook computers from the traditionally recommended 3-5 years in an effort to keep a lid on replacement cost, according to a new research report (PDF) released by Northborough, Mass.-based market research firm J.Gold Associates.

The report estimates that squeezing out an additional two years of use would typically cost an average of $1,050 per machine, based on analysis of actual costs associated with business notebook failures, including variations in failure rates over the life cycle as well as costs of repairs both in and out of warranty. The report also calculates that hanging onto outdated hardware typically costs an organization $9600 in diminished end user productivity.

“Failure Tax”

Additional findings of the study include:

• The cost to repair a failed notebook while under warranty is $1,070
• The cost to repair a failed notebook not under warranty is $1,525
• The per-machine “Failure Tax” for each notebook deployed in the organization is $138 in the first year and increases dramatically throughout the life of the machine, but will change based on variations in machine failure rates from different manufacturers and/or models.

Now, presumably J.Gold Associates’ main research focus was WinPC laptops, which begs the question: Would their conclusions similarly apply in the Apple notebook space?

Macs Probably Don’t Fit The Profile

The actual cost and advisability of keeping laptops, WinPC or Mac, in service past the three-year mark would vary widely with different models, individual users’ performance needs, and how well a particular unit was maintained and cared for. Apple laptops, which have historically had longer useful service lives than PC portables, but cost more up front, probably don’t fit the profile especially well. For example, the only current Mac notebook selling for less than the J.Gold Associates study’s $1,050 average repair cost under warranty figure is the entry-level 2.0 GHz white MacBook.

That said, a three-year system replacement interval has long been informally accepted by consensus as a sort of sweet spot benchmark that makes a sensible compromise between economy and keeping reasonably up-to-date. It’s also been my own provisional target for primary workhorse computer replacement over 17 years of Mac usership, usually unrealized and rarely exceeded.

Repair Often Not Economically Prudent

Moreover, my own empirical, deductive, and non-scientific take on repairing broken or damaged computers, especially once the warranty has expired, is that more often than not if it involves serious money, it’s probably not as economically prudent as just replacing the computer. My conviction on this point becoming firmer as laptop prices, including Apple’s, have dropped substantially over the past decade.

Whether you’re a business or an individual user, it makes little sense to spend $500 or $600 or more, not to mention the inconvenience of downtime, to repair a 2- or 3-year-old laptop when you can buy a brand new MacBook for $999 with the latest processors, state-of-the-art graphics, usually more standard RAM and hard drive capacity, the latest OS software, a fresh warranty, and so forth. That axiom would apply even more emphatically in the Windows PC laptop space, where the cost of buying new tends to be even more modest, especially at the lower end of the range. I hope my new aluminum MacBook lasts well past the arbitrary three-year threshold, but I’ll be surprised if I’m not seriously on the hunt for a system upgrade by then, if I indeed haven’t already taken the plunge.

But There Are Exceptions

That said, I’m actually typing this article on a 9-year-old Pismo PowerBook, which, albeit somewhat hotrodded with processor, optical drive, hard drive, RAM and other upgrades, is still providing excellent, dependable service running OS X Tiger for light to medium-duty computing tasks. My wife is still using a similar machine for her “daily driver” computer, so at least with Mac laptops, useful service life can demonstrably extend long beyond three years.

As with most things in life as well as computers, “it depends” on a vast spectrum of variables and rigid theoretical templates rarely apply perfectly to particular sets of circumstances, which need to be assessed on an individual basis. But three years is still the paradigmatic system replacement interval.

The latest Laptop Hunter ad is out, and it went where it had no business going. The first ad featured Lauren, and setting aside that she was cute, the best thing about her was that she was enthusiastic and a non-techie. Her purchase was as much emotional as anything else. While I’d disagree with that kind of computer purchasing logic, there’s a certain truth to it.

Giampaulo: Technically Impaired

The star of the new ad, Giampaulo, claims to be “technically savvy,” and then spends the rest of ad proving he’s not. Apparently, his (and Microsoft’s) definition of “technically savvy” means buying a machine with Windows on it. By that definition, Lauren was “technically savvy” as well.

Near as I can tell, the primary reason Giampaulo got a machine one could argue was “better” than Lauren’s was simply because he had a higher budget, which was something he didn’t even control! And though the guts of the machine are better than Lauren’s, that huge 16 inch screen has less vertical resolution than a 13 inch MacBook. I mentioned in my write up of the Lauren ad that the way PC makers market screen sizes is a joke, and for Giampaulo to swallow it whole totally refutes any claim he had to being “technically savvy.”

The strangest thing about the ad is that Giampaulo’s machine choice (this HP HDX16) could be a nice machine — albeit with compromises — for $1,500 if he was as “picky” or “savvy” as he claimed.

Why didn’t Giampaulo simply go online and configure a machine to the maximum budget amount? Well, partially because he’s not “technically savvy,” but also maybe because Microsoft is getting a few bucks on the side for featuring HP and brick and mortar stores in their ads. This is comical because, for all the chest-beating Microsoft does about PC “choice”, these people just go into a local retailer and walk out with whatever they have on hand. That may have washed with Lauren, but it’s ridiculous when featuring someone who’s supposed to know the drill.

What I’d Get

As for me, I went online and configured an HDX16 as shown below:

• The 2.53 GHz P8700 processor is what shipped on the high-end 15 inch MacBook Pro until a couple months ago. While Apple’s moved on to something better, it’s still nothing to sneeze at.
• It sucks that DDR2 memory is used, but the machine’s designed to a price, and at least there’s 4GB.
• The graphics chip is what ships on the MacBook Pro.
• I’ve turned that 16-inch screen into something other than a portable IMAX. Ultra bright and 1920 x 1080 resolution.
• Got Bluetooth.
• Got a backlit keyboard.

Biggest change from Giampaulo’s is the vastly improved screen. To me, with a sprawling 16-inch display it’s a night and day difference. There’s a better processor (clock speed increase is small, but cache doubles from 3 to 6MB). There’s also a Blu-ray drive. Oh, and I love backlit keyboards, so I consider that a nice improvement as well.

As configured above, this is a very nice machine, though there are some weaknesses.

What I’d Miss

At only $1,500, some things had to get left behind:

• No software. I’ll need to spend money on productivity, AV, and other software.
• No extra or improved battery (see below for more detail on this).
• Not particularly impressive build quality.

It should be noted that PC makers in this economy are racing to the bottom in terms of pricing, since there’s nothing else to differentiate them. Notice that there’s a $200 instant rebate, the 4GB RAM upgrade was free, a 320GB drive upgrade was free, and so was the Blu-ray drive. In a better economy, and if not a “me too” product, this machine would be more expensive than it is right now.

There are other weaknesses. First, while the footprint is about what you’d expect for a 16-inch screen (between most 15 and 17 inch models), it’s really thick. From 1.3 to 1.7 inches. I think PC designers suck at handling a laptop’s heat, and they compensate by making the thing huge. I hate that. That also makes it a relatively heavy 7.37 pounds.

And the biggest weakness is battery life. Put simply, it has none. According to AppleInsider, “HP rates its built-in battery for less than 3 hours, but reviewers gave it less than two.” And that was at the “base” configuration. With the more powerful processor, ultra bright screen, and backlit keyboard, you’d be lucky to pull 1.5 hours on the thing. That’s worthless.

So why not get a better battery? Because the 12-cell battery is $50, and adds to the weight and size of the machine. Further, it would likely not even get three hours, so I’d have to be close to an outlet anyway. (PC makers seem to have problems with battery life; perhaps Vista’s a pig?) You might want to spend $50 on a battery and skip the backlit keyboard, but for me it’s not enough improvement, so I opted for the keyboard.

What It Boils Down To

Weaknesses aside, the machine I configured could be a very nice portable office. Yes, you’d need to be near a power outlet, but if you can live with that (and the size/weight), the machine has big screen resolution and brightness, very good power (both CPU and GPU), plenty of memory, and good hard drive storage.

Yes, I’ve set aside the Mac OS vs. Windows Vista argument so far. This is a Microsoft ad, so that question has already been addressed as far as the ad is concerned. Personally, there’s no way I’d trade my high-end unibody 13-inch MacBook for the HP I configured (let alone Giampaulo’s), and it was only $100 more. The HP has the larger screen and a bit more speed, but it’s huge, heavy, and plastic, with no software or battery life and, of course, runs Windows Vista.

I’m not sure why a “technically savvy” guy like Giampaulo didn’t understand what he could do with HP’s machine. In fact, the only thing he got right in the entire ad was to declare the MacBook “sexy.” I actually feel a little sorry for HP in the ad; it’s not presenting their product in the light I think it deserves. I chastised Lauren for getting a 17-inch screen and only having 1440 x 900 resolution, but she looks like a freakin’ genius compared to Giampaulo’s 16-inch model with 1366 x 768.

Got a MacBook for Christmas? I’ve used laptop computers almost exclusively for a dozen years now, and they’ve been great, but for day in, day out, workhorse duty the standard laptop configuration does have serious ergonomic deficiencies.

If you position the computer high enough for comfortable and ergonomically healthy viewing angle to the screen, your wrists will be cranked down in unhealthy ape-hanger mode, stressing soft connective tissues, including the troublesome carpal tunnel where the brachial nerves pass through your wrists to your hands.

Conversely, if you locate the machine low enough that your wrists stay flat and relaxed, the screen will be where you must tilt your head downward in order to see it. A typical adult human head reportedly weighs as much as a bowling ball, so that creates lots of stress on neck, shoulder and back muscles and connective tissues, and typical laptop user body language also tends to hunch your shoulders, hollow your chest and inhibit healthy abdominal-breathing.

Back when most laptops were used as satellites for desktop workstations on road trips or short duration portable tasks, their crummy ergonomics weren’t a big issue, but more and more people use laptops for their only computer. Apple laptops have been outselling the company’s desktop models since the early-mid ’00s. Apple’s 2008 10-K report showed Mac notebook sales more than doubling from 2006 to 2008, compared to “only” a 70 percent increase in desktop sales. IDC research reported laptop sales of computers in the overall PC market surpassed desktop sales in the U.S. for the first time this fall.

Deteriorating Posture

Most users don’t give computer ergonomics much thought until they begin to suffer pain, fatigue, weakness, headaches, numbness, nerve tingling, or even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms, one or more of which most users will eventually experience if they stay at it long enough. I’ve watched the posture of several people I know deteriorate after they switched to laptop computers — round shoulders, collar-gap at the back of the neck, hollowing chests.

The recommended posture working with computers is to position the keyboard flat at elbow height with elbows angled at +/- 90 degrees and forearms supported by wrist rests. The monitor should be at approximately eye level so you can sit up straight in a chair with back support, all of which are impossible using a laptop hands-on.

The Solution

The solution to laptop ergonomics is to use an external keyboard and mouse in conjunction with a laptop stand, of which there must be dozens on the market, whenever practical to elevate the screen to a proper viewing angle at your home or office workstation. Keyboard support at 24 to 25 inches off the floor is about right for me, and I keep the laptop on a stand elevated to a comfortable, low-stress, viewing angle.

Some sort of keyboard and mousing tray will probably be necessary to lower the ‘board enough at most desks or tables. Attachable, slide-out units can be retrofitted in most instances. I use a custom made (by me) computer desk with the main desktop surface at comfortable keyboarding height, placing the laptop stand and computer on top of that. With this setup I’ve been able to work long hours daily with laptop computers for 12 years without developing computer-related stress or fatigue problems.

Laying Down On The Job

There is a way to use a laptop with its own keyboard and pointing device without undue ergonomic stress, but it involves literally laying down on the job and a laptop stand designed for reclined computing, such as the Laptop Laidback, the LapWorks Wizard, or the Lapdawg X4. The support trays of these can all be adjusted for angle and height to allow for both a comfortable viewing angle as well as positioning your arms with elbows at right angles and supported by the bed or sofa surface with the keyboard and trackpad within relaxed reach and without lifting your arms. I don’t work all day like that, but I can put in several hours with no discomfort.

The Laptop Laidback, which has just been upgraded, sells for $99.95.

The Lapworks Wizard also sells for $99.95 but is on sale for $89.95 until 12/31/08 with free shipping included.

The Lapdawg X4 sells for $130.00, shipping included.

One of the reasons I’m a die-hard laptop aficionado is that I live in a rural area where power blackouts are not uncommon. Late November usually brings at least one with the arrival of the first major winter storm. This year proved no exception, with a major gale roaring in off the Atlantic last Friday evening.

I was prepared, but by the time I went to bed, although the lights had flickered a couple of times, the power was still on, and I was beginning to be a tiny bit optimistic that we would dodge this bullet. No such luck. I woke up around 4 AM, and the wind was screaming. Gusts had been forecast to about 45 MPH, but I would estimate we were getting more like 60 MPH sustained for about half an hour, at which point the lights died. I called the power utility and went back to bed.

Hardly a Break in Routine

Unsurprisingly, the power was still off in the morning, and the utility’s recorded message predicting restoration at 6:00 PM, but deadlines don’t wait, and I had two newspaper columns to write. Happily I had to hardly break my usual Saturday morning routine. I usually do morning work on one of my Pismo PowerBooks, so I grabbed the one with a 4200 RPM hard disk, cranked the display brightness down a few notches, and got to work at about 10:30. By 2:00 I had both articles written, plus had spent about an hour dialed up to the Internet with the computer’s internal modem, answering emails and doing research, and at the session’s end the old G4-upgraded Pismo’s FastMac TruePower 6600 mAh extended-life battery, which provides an advertised 43% more capacity than the original Apple battery, still had 45 percent of its charge left. With two of these units fully-charged you’re good to go for an entire eight-hour work day, and well beyond with a bit of battery conservation strategy employed.

The Laptop Advantage

Laptops have some major advantages over desktop computers in power blackouts. While you can get relatively inexpensive UPS (Uninterrupted Power Source ) devices that will keep your desktop running for five to fifteen minutes, long enough to save your work and shut down in an orderly fashion, you’re not going to be able to do any real work on a desktop during an outage. To pull that off you’d have a gasoline, propane, or diesel fueled power generator, a large power inverter with plenty of battery power and recharge facility to back it up (power inverters are extremely inefficient), or a high-end (and very expensive) UPS.

On the other hand, you can keep a laptop computer going for a couple of days on its internal battery if you ration your use, and indefinitely if you keep a second battery, plus with a cheap power inverter and a car battery, you should be able to ride out even lengthy power interruptions if you have a means of periodically recharging the battery (ie: enough gas in the car).

The Proprietary MagSafe Adapter is a Problem

I also have a Kensington 70 Watt AC/DC Power Adapter (unfortunately discontinued) that works with 12 volt input as well as AC wall current, and which has proven very handy for recharging laptop batteries from a car battery or portable power pack during past outages. Unfortunately this adapter doesn’t support Intel-based Apple notebooks due to the proprietary nature of Apple’s MagSafe adapter, which they have thus far refused to license to third-party manufacturers. Apple does make a Magsafe Airline adapter, but it only works on aircraft and not in cars.

Happily, MCT Inc. offers a couple of solutions that include a genuine MagSafe cable for either Macbook/Macbook Pro or Macbook Air. Now you have no excuse for your battery going dead.

The Wall Street Journal published an article yesterday highlighting how mobile phone technology is beginning to reach the stage where a laptop is no longer necessary.

For years, mobile workers have been ditching their desktop computers for laptops that they can take wherever they go. Now road warriors are starting to realize that they can get even more portability — and lots of computing punch — from smart phones.

It raises some interesting points, which are worth considering in relation to Apple and the iPhone.

The Changing Use of Computers

One point which seems to have a great deal of validity is the idea that travelers are now ditching their desktops in favor of laptops, and using their smartphone to achieve what was previously done on a laptop. While this doesn’t hold true for everyone, it is a trend which seems to be slowly emerging.

With the iPhone, Apple has taken an authoritative position in this new market — a notion backed up with statistics:

In a survey of 460 iPhone users from March by Rubicon Consulting Inc., more than 28% of respondents strongly agreed and 29% mildly agreed when asked whether the iPhone was replacing their use of laptops.

The Importance of Software

As a piece of hardware the iPhone is undoubtedly impressive, but it is in the area of software that it really comes into its own. While general software centered around entertainment and personal organization is prolific, business focused software is also readily available in the App Store (remember those Salesforce demonstrations?). Companies are equally able to write their own application specific to the needs of traveling employees.

When recently asked about what the lasting legacy of the iPhone will be, John Gruber stated:

The iPhone was the first phone that brought what we used to think of as ‘desktop quality’ software to a handheld platform. Software where you just say, ‘Wow, that’s a great user experience’, not merely ‘Wow, that’s a great user experience for a handheld’.

I agree entirely with his point, and think this is the major reason why the notion of the iPhone being a laptop replacement is even possible to consider.

Connectivity

A major drawback of using a laptop for mobile work is the requirement of a wireless access point. While it is possible to use a 3G card to connect a laptop to the mobile network, this option is relatively expensive. A far more straightforward solution is to rely on the existing 3G capabilities of an iPhone for easy mobile connectivity.

Keeping in Sync

Another hurdle to using anything other than a primary work laptop when traveling is the problem of keeping information (emails, calendar, contacts etc) in sync across the two devices. MobileMe has stepped in to alleviate this problem, allowing the iPhone to reliably (well, fairly reliably) manage information and ensure that your data is in sync with your laptop when you return.

So… Can the iPhone be a Laptop Replacement?

In my opinion, it all depends upon what tasks your role when traveling requires. If you’re someone who needs to regularly type notes and articles, manipulate designs/photos, or work on presentations then the iPhone is unlikely to fit the bill. If, however, the main on-the-road tasks you complete center around managing email, checking figures from a work intranet and being entertained while travelling, it could provide a fantastic replacement — with the added bonus of not requiring an extra bag.

There are a few extra pieces of functionality which could make this argument even stronger — a video out option for connecting to a projector or an add-on mobile keyboard could alleviate some of the problems voiced by those interviewed in the article. Whether either of these will be ‘coming soon’ to the iPhone is debatable.

What are your thoughts on the iPhone? Do you think it’s a suitable replacement, or is the extra functionality required to acheive this goal something we’ll be waiting a few years longer for?

For the first time in Apple’s history, the recent incarnation of consumer and professional laptops are starting to show signs of being part of the same family. While the MacBook has seen arguably the most impressive bump in terms of comparison to its original feature set, MacBook Pros have also received great treatment.

This brief review will give an overview of the new features and our experience. Future posts will delve into certain changes in more depth. We have previously posted unboxing photos of the new laptop for your enjoyment.

Exterior & Build

The first MacBook Pro I purchased started to vibrate suspiciously when turned on — to the point where it was audibly annoying. I returned it to the Apple store and was given an immediate replacement. That said, I’m certain that Apple’s claim of a revolutionary manufacturing process is not just hype. To quote Harry McCracken:

I hate car metaphors in computer reviews, but I can’t help myself: The old MacBook Pro was a solidly-built Toyota, and the new one is a Lexus.

While the MacBook Air clearly benefitted from the new process, it still feels slightly ‘delicate’ due to it’s very nature of being so thin. Imagine the robustness and curves of the Air built around the already sturdy MacBook Pro, and you’ll be somewhere close to the mark.

The keyboard takes very similar cues from the keyboard featured on the previous generation of MacBooks. It is a significant step forward from the previous generation of MacBook Pro, and a step that was undoubtedly needed. It’s also great to see that, despite the generously increased trackpad size, the keyboard hasn’t suffered in terms of space.

The final points to make are that the sleep/standby light is far more subtle than on previous versions (no longer lighting up a darkened room), and the positioning of the battery indicator on the side re-enforces the fact that it should have been placed there all along. It is now usable, rather than being a feature many people probably never even notice.

LED Screen

One of the major talking points surrounding the new screen is that the matte option is no longer available — you can choose gloss or nothing! Personally, I haven’t found this to be a problem due to the sheer brightness of the new LED display. It even leaves my Cinema Display feeling decidedly lackluster. The only noticeable sources of reflection are lights, windows (in a dark room) and the sun.

It’s very easy for critics to complain about the gloss screen when they haven’t tried it on a day to day basis — spend some time using it and you do realize that it poses very little inconvenience.

My personal preference goes against the black screen surround — I love the simplicity of aluminum on the Cinema Display for instance — but it seems to be the design direction Apple is taking and it’s difficult to argue with Jonathan Ive’s thinking based on past successes. I’m confident that I’ll grow to like it more with time, as it does certainly helps to remove distractions from your peripheral vision.

Ports

There are two notable changes in the available ports on the new notebook. Firstly is the switch from a DVI display connection to Display Port. This is a far smaller connector, now standard across Apple’s notebook line. It is capable of powering anything from a small VGA display to a 30″ LCD using any of the various adaptors available. It’s a shame that Apple didn’t bundle a DVI adaptor by default, but understandable. I was concerned that the size of the Display Port adaptor would lead to it feeling flimsy, but the fit is very snug and the connector isn’t easily pulled out.

The second change to note is that of removing Firewire 400, leaving only a Firewire 800 port. Personally, I don’t find this to be too much of a problem due to converters being readily available. The problem is greater for users who use both a FW800 and FW400 device, as they are now required to buy a considerably more expensive hub.

Graphics

With the new notebooks, Apple have pulled out all the stops in terms of graphical performance. They include both an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M along with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT. Swapping between the two involves altering a preference in the ‘Energy Saver’ panel and logging out/in. It would have been ideal if this switch-over could be done on-the-fly (when moving between battery and main power for instance), though it is a small price to pay for the huge benefit of two graphics chips.

Game performance is as you would expect — nothing short of exceptional. The popular games I tested were able to run with settings at their most detailed, at full resolution, with no noticeable problems. I expect that it will make a solid hardware platform for several generations of games to come.

Battery & Performance

Apple quotes the battery life for non-intensive tasks as 5 hours. From limited testing, this appears to be a fairly accurate figure — with brightness turned down and wireless on I was able to coax just over 4 1/2 hours. This could easily increase after a few charge cycles as is often the case.

Conclusion

With the latest MacBook Pro, Apple has created something which looks and feels ‘right’. All the new additions come together to create a system which is sturdy, powerful and innovative. That said, in blurring the lines between consumer and professional notebooks lines to such a degree, they have made choosing a MacBook Pro a more difficult choice.

Pros:

• Stunning and robust build quality
• Gorgeous LED Display
• Very simple to swap the battery, hard drive and RAM
• Two ‘cutting edge’ graphics chips
• Trackpad allows for some very useful new gestures

Cons:

• Initial unit was faulty (likely an exception to the norm)
• Lack of a Firewire 400 port
• Display available in gloss only
• Large price margin between MacBook and MacBook Pro for few additional features

Any Questions?

If you have any burning questions about the new MacBook Pro, please let me know in the comments — I’ll be happy to do my best to answer! I’ll be following up with a few more in-depth posts surrounding the trackpad and hardware modifications in the near future.

Notably absent from today’s laptop announcements regarding the new MacBook line was the 17″ MacBook Pro. Well, it wasn’t truly absent, because it was refreshed.

The new configuration is definitely sweeter than before; for the same price as yesterday’s base model ($2,799) you now get: 

• A 320GB drive
• The full 4GB of memory,
• The formerly-optional 1920×1200 resolution.

Those of you that waited until today are getting very nice additions for the same price as yesterday. I believe they were an additional $350 until today.

This model already has a backlit keyboard that is very well thought of, and you can still get a matte or glossy screen (your choice) as well. And, unlike the 15″, it still has both FireWire 400 and 800 ports. In short, this is a great machine at a better price than before. 

Still, the question remains what will become of it, and why wasn’t it updated with the other models. Daring Fireball seems to think it’ll be history: 

I don’t know if the 17-inch revision is simply forthcoming, or whether it’s being phased out. My hunch is that it’s being phased out. 

I disagree. 

Apple is going to go with a 15″ as their maximum laptop screen size? A 15″ will be the flagship of the “pro” series? No way. It seems to me that by offering the 1920×1200 resolution option (and today making it standard), Apple has already acknowledged that there is most definitely a market where resolution is king.

I believe this model will get all the advancements from today in a future update. I suspect the reason it wasn’t part of today’s announcement was simply because it made sense to start with the volume machine (MacBook) and most popular pro model (15″).

I’d be surprised if a large-screen step up from the 15″ pro model disappeared from Apple’s lineup.

I’m not going to dwell on the base MacBook that’s now $999. It was a fine machine yesterday, and for $100 less it still is. The lower price may also appeal especially to schools, etc. that may be buying in bulk.

No, the real action today is in the rest of the MacBooks and of course the new 15″ MacBook Pro as well. When comparing these models, it’s clear that the new MacBook is a huge improvement over the older model, but that the MacBook Pro is not as significant a change. Let’s take a quick look…

MacBook

For the same $1,299 price of the “middle” MacBook, you get:

• No more plastic case, but rather the solid (and with the new manufacturing technique, even more so) construction.
• The same size footprint, and less than one inch thin.
• A full half-pound lighter (this is pretty significant weight-saving, in my opinion).
• A full half-hour more battery life (again, pretty significant).
• Much, much, much better graphics than the previous MacBook line. Apple claims 5x performance, and with the relative “lightweight” performance of the Intel graphics in previous models, this seems likely.
• Aside from video, the system bus bumps from 800 to 1066MHz.
• LED screens with “instant on”.
• Full track pad touch gestures (including new ones added today). Previously the full set of gestures was only available on the Pro and Air models.
• The same glass track pad as the Pro models.

Let’s see, much more solid and professional looking. More durable. Better screens. Pretty much all the Pro features except FireWire. Faster performance (especially in graphics). Thinner. Lighter. Same price.

This is clearly a killer upgrade. For the high end MacBook you spend $100 more than yesterday, but compared to the old machine at that price you get all the above and a backlit keyboard. I think it’s great Apple brought this to the MacBook. Further, both models now have BTO options for a 320GB drive (yesterday they topped out at 250GB).

Apple continues to amaze me. Everyone (myself included) was thinking in terms of a new entry level MacBook at maybe $900 or something. And though the white MacBook at $999 is nice, they didn’t really do that. However, instead of lowering the entry level, what Apple was thinking of was lowering the so-called “pro” level. Think about it. What Apple has done with the MacBook is really make it a MacBook Pro “lite”.

Yes, there is no FireWire, but without that difference one wonders what would distinguish the two lines except for the physical size. I’ve had a FireWire port on every computer I’ve owned the last seven years. However, the flexibility to import video on every computer I’ve had since then never changed the fact that I only had one machine at a time I actually used for that ask (currently, my 24″ iMac). If my current MacBook had no FW port I’d never miss it, nor I believe will the majority of MacBook users. As for the future, any new camcorder I get will either allow for USB importing or I’ll stick with a higher-end machine to edit video anyway.

MacBook Pro

Unfortunately, the MacBook Pro did not quite get the killer upgrades the MacBook. Compared to yesterday’s model:

• New case? Yes, in that it uses the new construction technology. But the MBP was already aluminum, so this is a less-noticeable change at that level.
• Smaller? Um, no. It’s actually a quarter-inch wider and deeper than before (a little thinner, though).
• Lighter? Nope. It actually gained a tenth of a pound.
• Better battery life? Negative. Still the same claimed five hours.
• Better graphics? Yes, but the improvement here is a lot less from the old model’s than what the MacBook experiences.
• System bus is bumped to 1066MHz.
• LED Screen? Yes, but the 15″ model already had that.
• New track pad? Yes, and it will get the new gestures, but the MBP already had all the old gestures. Again, not as big a change as what the MacBook got.
• Same price, thankfully.

Bottom line is the difference between the 15″ MacBook Pro of yesterday and today is just not huge, or stellar, or radical, etc, and you lose one FireWire port and the matte display option (i.e., it’s glossy only). Don’t get me wrong, the MacBook Pro is a great machine, but it already was a great machine. Maybe the key takeaway here is that the new model shows just how “advanced” the MBP already was (or the MacBook was not).

Other “Misses”

By the way, for those bemoaning the use of Display Port instead of DVI or mini-DVI, it seems to me this is the way to go. Adopters can be used for VGA, mini-DVI, etc., and the Display Port still supports up to the 30″ Apple Cinema Display.

Finally, one area I really, really wanted Apple to improve the value was to add an option for a higher resolution on the same screen. They did not do that to either model. However, since they did not move to the 16:9 screen ratio I thought they might, this is a little bit less of an issue. Still, that MacBook 13″ with a 1440×900 resolution would have been mine today!

It wouldn’t be an Apple event day without a final attempt to corral all the crazy rumors floating about in the last few heady hours before Jobs dons his turtleneck and proceeds to amaze (or underwhelm) us.  The sheer number of predictions, leaked images, price points, and technical specifications means it’s unlikely that you’ll find them all below, but you should find the juicier ones.

Macbooks and Macbook Pros are getting aluminum casing, with a frame built from a single piece without plastic trim. Keyboards have black buttons, like the Air, and there will be no more physical latches on any of the casings. Displays feature a black frame like the most recent iMac, which, combined with the new aluminum construction, will bring a heightened design unity to all of Apple’s computer offerings. Port changes include the discontinuation of Firewire 400 (expect videographers to be displeased) and a mini-DVI replacement that supposedly saves even more space while rendering your existing adapters useless.

Trackpads are the latest rumored major change, with Daring Fireball claiming that we’ll see Apple do away with discrete buttons altogether, favoring instead a design that resembles that of the BlackBerry Storm’s screen. The new design would see the trackpad itself mounted on a physical spring, so that pressing the trackpad would act as a button press.  The trackpad is said to be made of glass and offers support for yet more multitouch gestures. While there are no further suggestions of in-trackpad display, optical glass would improve durability and touch sensitivity.

Displays will be LED-backlit, which will greatly improve contrast ratios. In what is sure to be an unpopular move among print designers and photographers, however, matte screen options on Macbook Pros will no longer be available.

Macbooks will continue to be available in a 13-inch form factor, but Macbook Pros will reportedly see the 17-inch option phased out, with existing 17-inch models being offered without updates until existing stock is depleted.

Graphics across the board will be handled by Nvidia GPUs, the 9400M for regular Macbooks and the Air, and a dual SLI set-up in Pros featuring the 9400M and a 9600M GT, making the upscale laptop a true graphics powerhouse, since the 9600M GT is a dedicated card.

Aluminum Macbooks (the 2.1GHz white macbook will stick around unchanged at $999) will be priced at $1,299 and $1,499 respectively.  The $1,299 option will get you a 2.0GHz processor, 2 gigs of RAM and a 160GB disk, while $1,499 will nab you a 2.4GHz with 2 gigs and a 250GB disk.  The Air will get a 120GB disk on the base model, while the pricier version will get a 128GB SSD.

Sadly, no $800-899 laptop appears to be forthcoming, at least according to recent sources.  Instead, a new 24-inch Cinema Display with Display Port at that price point is said to have caused the confusion.

And there you have it. You’ve now had your last-minute rumor appetizer…but I’m sure you still have plenty of room for the main course. Enjoy.

A number of photos of what are supposedly new MacBook and MacBook Pro aluminum cases have begun to surface.

Yesterday, Engadget posted a picture of a MacBook Pro case in keeping with rumors of a new production process.  The photo originated at a Chinese site, which lends credence to the possibility that they are real, since Apple’s manufacturing facilities are currently based in the country. And as of today, AppleInsider is claiming that their sources “confirm” that this image is in fact of the new 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Soon after the first photos appeared, a Taiwanese site posted three pictures of what it claims are the new MacBook casing, which also show an aluminum body case without keyboard or trackpad components. The space for the trackpad is significantly larger than on the current MacBook, and the case appears to be slightly slimmed down.

In addition to pre-production photos, new price sheets have apparently been circulating at Apple retail stores. The document lists 12 price points for the as yet unreleased laptops.  That would mean four more base configurations than are currently offered, although it is not clear how those extra four models will be divided among the laptop categories (i.e., MacBook, Pro, and Air) or if categories will be changed or added.  Sources claim the new price points will range between $800 and $3100, which would mark the first time Apple has offered a laptop for under $1000.  Previous analyst predictions had included a $999 model, but if Apple can profitably produce an $800 dollar laptop, they will be far better positioned to compete with popular Windows laptop manufacturers like Toshiba and HP.  Such aggressive pricing would also make them better able to withstand deepening global financial woes, which has most industry analysts predicting decreased consumer electronic spending.  It will be interesting to see what you get at the top of the range as well, since at $3100 that’s a full $300 more than the current best-spec’d MacBook Pro.

More (low quality) photos of the MacBook casing:

The simplest way to get extended runtime with a laptop computer is to have a second battery charged and ready. For example, with two fully-charged extended life batteries I can get more than 10 hours computing time with my old G4-upgraded Pismo PowerBook running OS X 10.4 Tiger, and that’s without resorting to any elaborate power conservation strategies. I consider that very decent performance, and it’s one of the many reasons I keep happily using these now going-on nine-year-old PowerBooks.

The sticking point is that in order to recharge the discharged batteries you have to insert them successively in the plugged-in computer’s battery bay, which takes a long time, especially if you continue to use the laptop while recharging proceeds. A freestanding battery charger speeds things up and is a very desirable accessory if you have multiple batteries for your laptop. It also frees you from having to keep the laptop tethered to an AC adapter while your spare battery recharges.

FastMac’s new U-Charge battery charger supports most G3 and later Apple laptops including iBooks, MacBooks MacBook Pros & PowerBooks (but not the MacBook Air). With U-Charge you can keep a freshly-charged spare battery at the ready without tying up your computer, since it operates externally and independently of the laptop and connects directly to the battery’s terminals to recharge the battery without the necessity of inserting the battery into a laptop bay.

“U-Charge simplifies the battery charging process for those who have more than 1 battery or more than 1 type of Apple laptop,” comments Michael Lowdermilk, Business Development Manager of Fastmac Performance Upgrades, Inc. “This may very well be the last battery charger you will ever buy.”

U-Charge is a 45W external charger that connects directly to the battery’s terminals to recharge batteries quickly and efficiently, in some cases faster than Apple’s AC adapters. Unlike other external battery chargers that are powered by higher wattage AC adapters, the energy efficient U-Charge supplies exactly the power needed to charge only the battery, bypassing the need to power the laptop. Its main housing features battery indicator charge LEDs that mirror Apple’s own battery charge indicators. At a glance, you can determine charge status & battery level.

FastMac TruePower products are individually tested and include safety features to protect against overcharge, overheating, short circuits and power surges. The U-Charge weighs less than 6 ounces and its external dimensions and appearance closely match those of the Apple AC adapter.

The U-Charge package contains three items – the U-Charge unit module, a battery connector cord and a power cord.

To use the U-Charge, just lay the battery on a flat surface with its connector terminal block facing upward. In the instructions that ship with the unit, FastMac warns ominously not to touch the exposed connectors on the battery and the U-Charge connector tip, but doesn’t say why, which is an example of a frequent bone to pick I have with product instructions. Would the consequences of touching the terminals be something trivial or potentially serious?

Anyway, next step is to hold the U-Charge’s battery connector tip on a horizontal plane and plug it into the battery connector terminal with the other end of the cord plugged into the jack socket on the U-Charge. Seems simple and straightforward enough, but there is another warning — this one explained and definitely serious. Apparently it is all too possible to attach the U-Charge connector cord with the tip in a vertical rather than a flat orientation (ie. intersecting with the battery at a right-angle).

Doing it that way will result in a reverse polarity connection that will permanently damage both the battery and the U-Charge. Given the fact that the design of the battery connector is what it is, I appreciate that there would be difficulty in devising a fail-safe preventer for reverse-polarity connections, and anyone who ruined their battery and U-Charge unit inadvertently because they didn’t bother to read the instructions really has only themselves to blame. But human nature (of tending to ignore product manuals) mixed with Murphy’s law seems to make such incidents more likely. That’s really my only negative criticism of the U-Charge.

The chargers comes in two models and are compatible with most Apple laptop computers.

FastMac’s U-Charge is now available for a special introductory price of $79.95. Each U-Charge carries a 1-year warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Disclosure: FastMac provided a U-Charge unit for this review.

As someone who both works in a high-theft environment (university campus, anyone?) and who owns a piece of portable Apply goodness that contains my entire life, I’m rather concerned about security and theft prevention. I had considered a laptop lock, but considerations of how much I really do move my laptop about and memories of picking one of those Kensington locks with a ballpoint pen (just to see if I could) dissuaded me from that. There’s also the option to get my Mac etched with my name and email address, but that’s pricey, detrimental to resale value, and offers no help in actually recovering my precious if it does get stolen.

If hardware’s not the option, then, how about software? The most well-known product for this, I suspected, was LoJack. They offer a fairly straightforward and tested service at 49.99 a year. Being me,though, that’s never good enough – I like options. A little more poking about brought me to Undercover, a Mac-only utility that purports to do much the same as LoJack. Now, of course, there’s no way to really test either service without getting my laptop stolen – and I think reporting it stolen as a test would be looked upon quite dimly by everyone involved – but Undercover looks like the better option to me.

Both of them work in much the same way: when your computer is stolen, you call or email their tracking center with the unique machine ID that you get when you register. Under normal operations, your machine pings the server to check that it hasn’t been reported stolen; if not, it does nothing. When that changes, however, and the call home reports a theft, the computer begins reporting its IP address and other information (which varies by solution) to the monitor.

Pro’s and Con’s

LoJack is well-known and has a fairly good track record, but I’ve used it before and not been happy with its memory usage. The installer was clumsy and the program felt very much like a windows port. (Yes, things like that do bother me.) It’s also US$49.99 per year, which is steep, especially as a continuing cost. (I don’t think I’ve seen anything that pricey since the days when there really was no good freeware AV for Windows, heh.) When stolen, all the machine does is call home; the LoJack people then use the data it sends – evidently limited to IP address and other network info – to work with police to locate it. If they can’t locate it in 60 days, providing some conditions are met, they will refund the cost of the software.

Undercover is not so well-known, but I do like indie developers. It also, from what I can see, has a fairly good track record. While they don’t have as many recovery stories on their website as LoJack, they do go back a couple of years. The installer is quick and straightforward. It’s US$49 once, which is nice. When stolen, the machine calls home with network statistics, but it also sends screenshots and photos of the user (from the iSight, if your Mac has one.) It also has another trick up its sleeve, one that amuses the part of me that would wish painful things on anyone stealing my computer – if they can’t recover the Mac, Undercover first causes the screen to darken until it’s unusable, and then, when the IP address changes – particularly if it changes to one listed as an Apple shop – the Mac displays a message stating that it has been stolen, and listing contact information and a finder’s fee for return. Particularly snicker-worthy is that the machine will start shouting the text of that message

While I suspect that the difference in features is, in large part, enabled only by the standardization of hardware running OS X – Undercover works only on 10.4 or 10.5 – it’s a difference that I will readily take advantage of. If my Mac were to get stolen, I rather like the idea of it making as much of a nuisance of itself as possible. But that’s me. Audience participation time: what would you recommend? Has anyone out there gotten a laptop back with either of these – or any other -methods? Tell us in the comments.

Spire, makers of fine laptop bags, have just released an update to their line of laptop bags.

The new bags are definitely a bit more stylish and not quite as cold and business looking as the previous line.

Prices start at $80 for the smaller bag and go up to $100 for the largest with three colors: green, blue, and black.

Let’s be honest, sitting in a chair or on a couch with a laptop sitting directly on your legs is just…painful. After extended periods of time the heat from the laptop just gets uncomfortable for everybody involved.

Previously I’ve just ended up sitting at a table or putting a book or something of the sort under the laptop to help with both the heat and the height so my wrists wouldn’t hurt.

After enduring this for a few weeks I decided it was time for a real solution so I picked up an iLap. The iLap helps raise the laptop a good 3-4 inches at the back so the keyboard is it a comfortable angle while it also keeps things off your lap.

It is made of sandblasted aluminum that matches the look of MacBook Pros and PowerBooks and also helps keep the actual laptop a bit cooler. Along with the aluminum are 2 velvet cushions the make sure the weight of your laptop doesn’t get uncomfortable after prolonged us.

In addition to being good for lap use, you can remove the front cushion and use it on your desk to give a better angle for typing and to give more circulation to keep temperatures down.

Prices range from $49.90 for the 12 inch model up to $69.90 for the 17 inch model and can be purchased here.