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LIFESTYLE GADGETS
Mac Marvel [by Charisse Dengler] What do you get when you combine one exceptional Intel chip; one sexy, slim Mac PowerBook; a super-stealth video camera; a teeny-tiny remote control; 15 inches of brilliant display; and a couple feet of magnetic attraction? Every computer geek’s ultimate fantasy.
Apple’s MacBook Pro is the first Mac laptop
In conjunction with the MacBook’s iChat
Its speed, however, is best when running
with Intel’s new Core Duo chip buried deep
program, owners can use the tiny camera
“Universal” programs or programs that
inside, and frankly, it’s got both Mac and PC
to hold four-way Internet conferences with
have been rewritten for Intel compatibility,
people using the L word.
colleagues. Although the MacBook is the
including Mac OS X, iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto,
first laptop with the power to start these
Web browser, email, calendar, address book,
cyber conferences, other laptop users can
and more than 900 other programs from
tag along by linking up afterward and using
different companies. Apple’s professional
external cameras. iChat makes it possible
programs aren’t far behind.
When the decision was first made to switch from IBM and Freescale chips to an Intel chip, many speculated that Apple was preparing to take over the world. And that may be exactly what it did, integrating the groundbreaking Core Duo chip into the iMac and Mac Mini and now the MacBook Pro. Due to Intel’s inventive 65-nanometer
for users to have one-on-one chats with family and friends; one-way chats with those
Other software that comes standard with
poor, unfortunate souls who don’t have
the MacBook includes Front Row, a program
iSight cameras; and audio chats with up to
that allows owners the ability to view and
10 people.
control their digital media with the Apple remote, and iLife ‘06, a suite of programs for
process, which involves reducing the size of the transistors in chips, the new chip is able
The MacBook also comes with a very small,
creating postcards, calendars, websites, and
to attain higher performance levels while
very slim remote control, giving owners full
podcasts. With iLife, video blogs, indie flicks,
conserving power. As such, the MacBook
command of their machines from across
and fun snapshots are only a few clicks away.
Pro boasts some major muscle in a package
the room with only the slightest touch
that’s supermodel skinny (approximately one
of a button, and an innovative magnetic
On the downside—yes, there’s a downside—
inch thick).
“MagSafe” power cord that detaches easily
programs such as Microsoft Office, Adobe,
if it’s, say, tripped over, a feature sure to
and Photoshop still run adequately but
produce sighs of relief among laptop users.
a little slowly and won’t be made Intel
The new and improved machine, weighing
compatible for a while; programs such as
a mere 5.6 pounds and starting out at an affordable $2,000, has already been dubbed
Still, the cord does have its critics, and they
Microsoft Virtual PC and Microsoft Word
“the finest laptop in the world” by Apple
are fairly quick to point out that the new
will require work to get rid of problems; and
itself, probably because it combines standard
connector is no longer interchangeable with
some old-school PowerBook features are
Apple favorites (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
other Mac laptops and features a somewhat
missing completely.
capabilities, stereo speakers, DVD burner,
larger power block in the middle. Characteristics that have gone M.I.A. include
light-up keys, batteries with illuminated gauges, etc.) with five fresh new features and, oddly enough, the potential to run Windows. Included on the fresh list is its 1,440-by-900pixel screen that is dazzling in its brightness and a minuscule, almost hidden, iSight camera located above it, perfect for snapping pics and making videos.
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Rounding out the list of new features is the MacBook’s dynamic speed. Whether you’re catching up on season one of Lost, jamming to the new Strokes album, or surfing the Internet, this laptop runs like a dream. The Intel chip, which is actually two processors in one, allows the MacBook to perform much more efficiently than the PowerBook G4.
the S-video connector, the FireWire 800 connector, and the dial-up modem. The DVD burner is also slower, and current PC expansion cards don’t fit in the new ExpressCard slot. In order to pacify its fans, Apple does offer an external modem for $50, and the S-video jack can be restored by purchasing a $20 accessory cable.
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LIFESTYLE GADGETS
Also, even though the benefits of switching to the new chip are extraordinary, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not easy. The entire process of rewriting programs to be Intel compatible could take a while, considering that it takes weeks or even months to rewrite just one; but most in the Mac community and beyond agree that it’s well worth the wait. Because time always passes faster when you’re thinking about other things, here’s something to ponder during the interval: With the building of a bridge between the Mac and PC worlds, will the rivalry between the two finally be put to rest? And if so, where the heck will we go from here?
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