MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery

Weird, but there it is, the leaked MacBook refresh is now official, on Tuesday, just as we thought. The 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo refresh with NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics and longer 10-hour battery life (up from 7 hours) is sitting up, nice and pretty on Apple’s very own store in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, and a few other sites. It’s still $999 making it a better deal for the moment than the similarly spec’d 13-inch MacBook Pro listing for $1,199. Expect it to go global shortly. A few more screengrabs after the break as Apple gets its house in order.

Thanks, Jose and Peter

Continue reading MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery

MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 04:19:00 EST.

MacBook Air feeling the wind of change?

A tipster who apparently correctly predicted the recent MacBook Pro refresh has alerted Australian Macworld to a new SKU making its way through Apple’s systems down under. According to said “well-placed” source, the MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA code string identifies an incoming batch of all-new MacBook Air laptops. This makes all the sense in the world given the recent hubbub about Intel offering ULV versions of its 32nm Core 2010 processors and the Air’s overdue need for an upgrade, but there is the proviso that this could also be referring to shipments of new 27-inch LCDs, to match the ones found on the latest iMac generation. Either way, we’re looking at some unannounced hardware rapidly making its way to Australia. Hey, doesn’t Apple make a habit of announcing new goodies on Tuesdays?

MacBook Air feeling the wind of change? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 05:43:00 EST.

iPad Spirit jailbreak + Camera Connection Kit = external HDD support

Looks like that iPad Camera Connection Kit isn’t as overpriced as we thought; not only does it have USB headset and keyboard support, but one enterprising user has hooked up an external hard drive using the dongle as well. Max Shay has an exhaustive walkthrough at his personal website, but the gist of the matter is that you’ll need a jailbroken iPad, a split-USB cable to give that drive some extra juice, and a terminal of some sort (Max used his MacBook) to trick the iPad into mounting your external storage, after you use SSH to tunnel through. The result is an unwieldy wired assembly we wouldn’t be caught dead with in public, but perhaps useful in a pinch — or as the latest proof of what the iPad could do if only Apple would let it. Video after the break.

Continue reading iPad Spirit jailbreak + Camera Connection Kit = external HDD support

iPad Spirit jailbreak + Camera Connection Kit = external HDD support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 23:59:00 EST.

MacBook Pros with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics get (unofficial) discrete switching utility

We’ve lamented the way Apple’s latest MacBook Pros switch between their integrated Intel graphics and the NVIDIA-sourced, power-sapping discrete silicon pretty much since day one (we’re sorry, but Tweetie just doesn’t need all the horsepower our systems have to offer). Apple has yet to pony up an official solution, but a neat little utility — Cody Krieger’s gfxCardStatus — has been quietly evolving over the past few weeks into a decent substitute. Originally designed simply to let you know which chipset’s currently in use, the latest version, 1.6.1, now allows you to toggle amongst them by hand. It’s said to still be a little bit on the buggy side, but we’re delighted (and not really surprised) to see that the community came to the rescue in short order when Cupertino didn’t.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in

MacBook Pros with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics get (unofficial) discrete switching utility originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 12:16:00 EST.

MacBook Pro Core i7 review

While the MacBook Pro is just another Intel-based computer with standard internals, slightly inflated price tags, and a familiar (if legendary) design sense, Apple having the absolute corner on the market for building machines that legitimately run OS X can be a little rough on the upgrade obsessed. Waiting 10 months for a new computer, without an industry full of hungry competitors with wild alternatives to quench your thirst, can be difficult, and the January launch of Intel’s new Core i5 and Core i7 chips for laptops further fueled the saliva. Still, Apple would like you to believe these new MacBook Pros with their 2010-ready internals and same-as-last-year good looks have been worth the wait. Find out for yourself in our full review after the break.

Continue reading MacBook Pro Core i7 review

MacBook Pro Core i7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:08:00 EST.

Apple refreshes MacBook Pro family with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors… at long last!

This transition from the last crop of Core 2 Duo chips (which Apple introduced in June of last year) to Intel’s Core 2010 chips has caused quite the unprecedented wait, but at last we’re staring down a fresh crop of MacBook Pros and all is right with the world. The 13-inchers are sticking with Core 2 Duo, but the 15.4-inch and 17-inch models are now Core i5 and Core i7 through and through. The higher end models are nabbing NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 330M graphics with Optimus switching (though Apple just calls it “automatic graphics switching technology”), while the 13-incher get NVIDIA GeForce 320M scraps. Along with the faster 2.4GHz and 2.66GHz chips in the 13-inch, Apple claims to be able to squeeze 10 hours of battery life from the machine, but the real meat is in the Core i5 2.4GHz (520M), Core i5 2.53GHz (540M), and Core i7 2.66GHz (620M) processors in the larger models.

Developing…

Apple refreshes MacBook Pro family with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors… at long last! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:34:00 EST.

MacBook Pro Core i7 unboxing and preview

So we’ve just gotten our cold, live hands on the new MacBook Pro — you know, the one with the Core i7 CPU? We’re obviously going to be taking this puppy for a spin around the block (a 15-inch version with a 2.66GHz CPU), but we wanted to show you what it looks like (exactly the same as always), and mention a few takeaways from our conversation with Apple about the product. As you already know, the 15- and 17-inch models have a new GPU configuration, utilizing Intel’s integrated HD graphics alongside NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 330M. What you might not know is that the new laptops have done away with the previous method of switching from integrated to discrete graphics, that is, forcing you to select one or the other and then logging you out and back in for the switch. This process is hugely streamlined in the new versions, providing switching on the fly from integrated to discrete, and requiring zero input from the user. The switches take place on an app-by-app basis judged on what kind of resources that particular application you’re opening requires — so this should be interesting to see when it comes to third-party titles. Apple is also only providing two options here; keep the automatic GPU switching on, or switch to only discrete graphics. So if you’re planning on running these babies just in integrated mode, you’re out of luck.

Other additions to the laptops include “inertial scrolling” (a la iPhone), which feels like a software change to us, but is apparently related to new trackpads on these models, and new configuration options when buying, such as getting yourself a 1680 x 1050 high res display (yes, please) or opting for a 512GB SSD (clocking in, weirdly, at $1,400 for the 2.4GHz models, but $1,300 for the 2.53GHz and 2.66GHz versions). Speaking of money, you may have noticed that Apple bumped the cost of the base 15-inch MacBook Pro from $1,699 to $1,799 — not a welcome change in today’s bummer of an economy, though they’ve brought down the entry to the 17-inch to $2,299. At any rate, you can check out some snaps of the new system below, and hang tight for a full review coming soon.

MacBook Pro Core i7 unboxing and preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:23:00 EST.

KARVT wooden MacBook skins — because sometimes aluminum just isn’t enough

Is the Apple logo on your MacBook not brash enough for everyone in the coffee shop to see? Is that streamlined aluminum appearance too Pro for you? Time to enter the newly opened KARVT online store, where unabashed Apple fans can finally add the sophistication of “100% real authentic wood” to their beloved machines. Most popular tastes can be accommodated, with different shades of cherry, bamboo, pine, and walnut on offer, and there’s even an artists’ section where some design flair is added to your timberrific purchase. The skins will fit on any recent Apple laptops, and prices are $35 for the wood grain or $50 for the artsy ones, with deliveries starting on May 1. Bargain or what?

KARVT wooden MacBook skins — because sometimes aluminum just isn’t enough originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:00:00 EST.