Apple have announced a range of new products, including updates to the iMac, MacBook and the Mac Mini, and have released a new multi-touch mouse called the Magic Mouse. The new iMacs come with several physical enhancements: firstly they now feature 16:9 ratio screens (TV-shaped widescreen) and come in 21.5- and 27-inch forms. Secondly the rear case is now aluminium, where before it was black plastic. The workings of the all-in-one computer have had an overhaul as well, with the highest spec available being an 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Nehalem processor, and up top 16GB of RAM: serious plug-in power!
The new MacBook meanwhile, is housed in a white polycarbonate ‘unibody’, sporting the same screen as the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It comes in a single configuration, with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive. It also gains the glass-topped multi-touch pad present on the MacBook Pro, and Apple claim the maximum battery life is around seven hours: great for a bit of sequencing on the train!
The MacMini has been updated with two new higher-spec versions, plus a new model that has lost its optical-drive in favour of a second hard drive. Bundled with a copy of Snow Leopard Server, the server Mac Mini contains 1TB of storage (two 500GB drives), which makes it perfect for backing-up projects from multiple control systems in single a studio, or for usage as a shared sample library. Even better, Snow Leopard Server does not require per-user licensing, so each new PC or Mac connected to the network won’t add additional cost.
Rounding-off the new items is the Magic Mouse, which resembles both a ’50s-style flying saucer and a bar of soap. Powered by two AA batteries rather than forces unknown, the Magic Mouse has only a single physical button, yet provides left-click, right-click, 3Dscroll and much more besides via its top surface, which is multi-touch sensitive.
The MagicMouse costs £55, and comes complete with batteries. The new iMacs range from £949 for the lowest spec 21.5-inch model to £1599 for the highest-spec 27-inch standard model. Various customisations and upgrades are available at a cost. The new MacBook costs £799 and the Mac Mini starts at £499, while the server version of the Mac Mini costs £799.
