hardware posts

Shortly after announcing the end of the Xserve, Apple has added Mac Pro server configuration in its place. The new machine features a single 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Xeon 'Nehalem' processor, 8GB (4 x 2GB) of DDR3 ECC SDRAM, a pair of 1TB (7200RPM) hard drives, one 18x SuperDrive and ATI's Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 video memory. The whole kit-and-kaboodle is served up with an unlimited-client license of Mac OS X Server. Pricing starts at US$2,999 and ships in a few weeks.

Despite EOL'ing the Xserve, Apple still has two server machines available; the new Mac Pro and the mini server. Check your wallet and make your choice. Just remember, changing hard drives in the Mac Pro is a heck of a lot easier, if you've got the room to stash it.

[via Engadget]

In a private report to clients, the Gartner research firm is urging CEOs to clear any obstacles preventing IT departments from taking advantage of the iPad.

Stephen Prentice, a VP and Gartner fellow, said in the report: "It is not usually the role of the CEO to get directly involved in specific technology device decisions, but Apple's iPad is an exception. It is more than just the latest consumer gadget. CEOs and business leaders should initiate a dialog with their CIOs about if they have not already done so."

That's quite a turnaround for Apple in big business. Often IT departments shun Apple products. However, when the iPhone launched, CEOs around the world told their technical staffs that they wanted their corporate infrastructure to work with the iPhone. The same thing appears to be happening with the iPad.

Gartner is urging companies to work out a plan for widespread iPad support by mid-2011. Prentice added: "While there are no certainties, the iPad looks set to become a market-disrupting device, like the iPod before it. Even if you think it is just a passing fad, the cost of early action is low, while the price of delay may well be extremely high." Quite a vote of confidence, eh? Is the iPad sneaking into your company, or has it been invited? Share your thoughts and stories below.

[Via MacNN]

An October survey by market research firm ChangeWave spells doom for manufacturers of netbooks. While just a few holiday seasons ago the cheap little PCs were on everyone's Christmas list, now they're only attractive to 14% of people who are considering the purchase of a laptop computer. At their peak, almost a quarter of laptop customers wanted inexpensive netbooks.

Why the big change in such a short amount of time? The iPad, which is attracting the attention of buyers who want a small, portable device for web browsing and email. It doesn't appear that the upcoming flood of iPad competitors is having much of an effect, either. ChangeWave's data (based on a sample size of 3,108 consumers) shows that a whopping 80% of potential tablet buyers are considering the iPad, a figure 10 times that of the next closest competitor -- the still-unreleased RIM Playbook. A tiny 3% of tablet buyers are opting for the Android-based (and also unreleased) Samsung Galaxy Tab (see next page for graphic).

Barron's reports today that manufacturer OmniVision has been tapped to supply image sensors for the next-generation iPad. Citing a note from investment firm Detweiler Fenton & Co., Barron's suggests that the new iPad, due in the first quarter of 2011, will feature two cameras: one 5 MP model and one a VGA. It's also expected that FaceTime will be supported.

It seems quite likely that a future iPad will support FaceTime. Shortly after the current iteration was released, the folks at Mission:Repair confirmed that a slot in the iPad's frame perfectly accommodated an iSight camera pulled from a MacBook Pro. It's only a matter of times, folks. And once this thing hits...bam. Jetsons phone.

As of tomorrow, November 2nd, HyperMac will stop selling MagSafe-Compatible charging cables, in compliance with a lawsuit filed by Apple. Now, the company has announced its intentions to re-brand itself "HyperJuice," though what that will entail other than a name change is unknown.

Daniel Chin, President of Sanho Corporation, told Engadget that the soon-to-be HyperJuice is in "comprehensive licensing negotiations" with Apple over a "wide array of technologies and issues." HyperMac has produced a number of small, portable batteries that can provide power to a variety of Apple portable devices. When connected to a MacBook Pro with their MagSafe-like connector, the "MBP-PRO," the external batteries could be used to charge the computer's internal battery.

Apple objected to sales of the devices, saying they violated patents related to MagSafe cables and other cables using a 30-pin connection.

If you want one, you've got to act fast as sales will end at midnight, 00:00 U.S. Pacific Time. Good luck to the team at Sanho Corporation.

Sonos music systems are showing up in a lot of homes. They put music into any room of your house without hassle or wires. There are other solutions, including a good one from Apple, but the Sonos system is elegant and it "just works."

Now Sonos has added a wireless dock. Plug it into the wall, put your iPhone or iPod on it, and your device charges. You'll then have audio books, music, and podcasts broadcast to every room of your house that has a Sonos equipped entertainment system.

Even better, you can control your iPhone or iPod from your usual Sonos controllers, including the free iPad and iPhone apps.

Installation was easy. Using the Sonos app on my iPad I added a new device. I was instructed to press the little button on the back of the dock; within seconds my iPhone appeared on the source list, and I could play music or assign the audio to one room or any combination of rooms. It's that easy.

I was thinking how great it would be for out of town guests. I have a Sonos system in the guestroom -- all they need to do is plunk down their iPhone or iPod, and all their content is available.

Sonos has always been very Apple friendly, and this new wireless dock makes it even more so. The device sells for US$119, but when it was announced I thought it might cost more. Sonos owners who have iPods, iPhones or iPod touches should take a look at this product.

My iMac is about three years old. I know this because my AppleCare is expiring on November 7th, and it extends the included one-year warranty by two years to give a total of three years of coverage. In short, I'm glad I've had it and wouldn't consider owning a Mac without it.

In the last three years, I have had a hard drive replaced (December 2008), a logic board replaced (March 2010), and am currently scheduled to have a second hard drive replacement (late October 2010).

I'm not particularly hard on my computers. They've all been plugged into UPS units (I've had good success with APC) and treated well and fairly. Perhaps I'm just unlucky. Whatever the reason, choosing AppleCare is a simple matter of numbers: given the number of Macs that Apple sells, if even a fraction of 1% have issues over the course of three years, that's going to be a significant number.

Others will tell you they've owned several Macs, without AppleCare. This is the same lot who never purchase "extended warranties," which they consider "scams." To them I say that AppleCare is an exception, especially since Macs are increasingly difficult or impossible to get into. Still others will say that Apple ought to include 3 years' worth of protection with every Mac they sell. Perhaps, but the world as it exists is often disappointing compared to the world as we wish it existed.

Read on for some suggestions for getting the most out of AppleCare.

The US Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has officially stated that travelers passing through US airport security with the 11.6-inch MacBook Air will not have to remove the little laptop from their bags for inspection. Unfortunately, that's not the case with the 13-inch model.

Size is the differentiating factor. According to the TSA blog, any electronic device considered to be of a "standard laptop" size or larger must go through the x-ray machine solo. Apparently, the cutoff point is at or very near thirteen inches. The iPad, Kindle, Nook and other small devices, including the entry-level MacBook Air, may remain stowed away during screening.

As if travelers needed another reason to lust after the thing.

[Via The Mac Observer]