iMacs are so-called all-in-one computers in a very nice chassis. Everything connects to it without wires, except the power cable which doesn’t have an alternative wireless solution (yet). These computers were also recently refreshed in 2010, they received Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, while graphics cards were also upgraded to AMD’s Radeon 4670, 5670 and 5750, each with its own dedicated memory (256MB, 512MB and 1GB respectively). They all use classic hard drives and come in two forms. One has a 21.5” FullHD screen (1920 x 1080) while the other comes with a 27” screen (1920 x 1200 resolution). They require 241Watts and 365Watts max respectively.

Mac Mini is a small form factor computer. It wasn’t upgraded yet. It still uses a Core 2 Duo processor and nVidia Geforce 320M graphics processor, but packs a lot of features for such a small computer. It has a 2.5” laptop hard drive for internal storage and a slot loading optical drive for removable storage.

It’s capable of decoding any FullHD content and support up to two screens of any size with resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 on the DisplayPort and 1920 x 1200 on the HDMI port.

Mac Pros are the fastest computers from Apple. They have up to two six-core processors, two high-end AMD (ATI) graphics cards, a lot of internal storage and system memory.

The cheapest iPad costs $499, even though its capabilities are very limited. I have to admit that there are a lot of applications available for this large iPhone, but most of them aren’t free and aren’t comparable to Windows applications for complete computers such as netbooks, which make use of the input devices that are still superior: the keyboard and the mouse.

The $500 iPad comes without 3G connectivity, just Wi-Fi for your home wireless network or any public Wi-Fi hotspot. It has a 1GHz ARM processor, custom designed by Apple and called Apple A4. The screen is a 9.7” LED-backlit touch sensitive TFT with 1024 x 768 pixels (132 pixels per inch).

For storage it uses a 16GB internal flash drive, where all kinds of files can be saved from the Internet, but you may also transfer files from your laptop or desktop computer through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It has a 25 Wh battery pack which offers up to 10 hours of wireless productivity, which is quite impressive compared to smartphones and netbooks.

Its physical dimensions are as follows7:47” x 9.56” x 0.5” (maximum thickness).

The processing power is virtually limited to 2D and even when it comes to video playback, its specs don’t look so great. Only 720p videos are supported, with the additional limits to its frame and data rates. From this point of view it’s much slower than a $130 Chinese tablet PC which plays 1080p videos flawlessly on its own screen or on any large screen connected to its HDMI port.

Apple‘s tablet computer is fairly easy to operate, it has only a few buttons and the rest is done by poking around on the screen. In the unlikely scenario when you have a desk at your disposal you can attach an external keyboard to improve the typing speed, but such an accessory is hard to use on the road (assuming that 3G iPads are used mostly while traveling).

For $500 you could buy a netbook which has a much higher performance. A screen with 1366 x 768 resolution, 1.7GHz AMD microprocessor and Radeon 4225 graphics card. This netbook supports FullhD playback and basic 3D gaming too. Its battery life is of only 5 hours and it lacks the touch screen, but otherwise it’s a much better choice for people who want to actually use the product they have bought. An IBM PC has much more features (to date) than an Apple product and the situation is not likely to change.

The new 13” Apple laptop computer (aka. MacBook Air 13”) comes with a 128GB or 256GB SSD internal storage instead of a traditional hard drive. These drives have a very high performance, so a faster processor and faster graphics would come in handy. On the other hand Applemost likely used SSDs instead of mechanical hard drives in order to reduce power consumption and physical size. This is a more logical explanation if we consider the downside of SSDs, which refers to the fact that they slow down after a specific number of reads and writes. By not giving too much CPU and GPU power to the laptop, Apple succeeded in reducing a potentially fatal use of internal storage .

Because it has no optical drive, Apple decided to supply the MAC OS X installer in the form of a USB flash drive which is an absolutely admirable deed. Not having to connect an external DVD drive and to insert a fragile optical disc makes a huge difference for all types of users. Even experienced users benefit from this innovation. Of course Apple isn’t the first to make an USB install drive, many Linux distributions have had this feature for a long time and enthusiasts were also creating Windows 7 installation discs on USB flash drives, however officially Apple is the first large manufacturer to use this solution.

The power adapter of the 13” MacBook Air is basically the same as the one for the 11” model, it can supply up to 45Watts, which is enough for the laptop to work and charge the battery simultaneously.

The slower configuration with the 1.86GHz processor, 2GB memory and 128GB SSD costs $1,299, and it’s already available worldwide.

The biggest step made by Apple in 2010 was the adoption of Core i5 and i7 processors for both laptops and desktops. The only problem is that the smallest laptops – MacBook and MacBook Air – are still built with Core 2 Duo processors and very old Geforce GT 320M graphics processors in times when other manufacturers are already using the newest generation of everything.

With the introduction of the new 11.6” MacBook Air Apple seems to be focusing only on size and design, because 11.6” laptops are already available worldwide (for example the Alienware M11X) with Core i5 processors and Geforce GT 335M (and faster) graphics cards included, so these laptops clearly exceed the performance of any MacBook Air.

Now let’s take a look at the features of the 11.6” MacBook Air.

As we have expected, Apple doesn’t specify the processor model, to make it harder for the users to compare it to other products. One of the processors available for the 11.6” MacBook Air is the Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400. The other possibility is represented by a bit faster processor, SU9600. Both processors present 3MB of L2 cache, two cores (no HyperThreading) and a 800MHz FSB. As I mentioned before, they are very old: the SU9400 was launched in Q3’08 and the SU9600 entered the market in Q1’09, almost two years ago. Obviously Apple used these processors because of their reduced power consumption of only 10Watts at full load, but they also offer a much better performance than Atom processors with similar power requirements. This is exactly why Core i3, i5 and i7 processors are out of the question, they need a lot of power to function and of course they produce a lot of heat as well. The only processor from the new generation that would have been acceptable to use in such small MacBooks is the Core i3-330UM, which presents two cores and features 4 threads, thanks to Intel’s HyperThreading technology. It needs 18Watts to run at 1.2GHz, but that figure also includes Intel’s GMA HD integrated graphics. By using this Core i3, Apple would have been forced to abandon the Geforce GT 320M graphics processor in order to keep the heat and power consumption to a minimum.

The 11.6” MacBook Air presents a 1366 x 768 resolution LED-backlit screen, 2GB or 4GB of DDR3 memory and a stripped down SSD (bare chips on a small circuit board) for internal storage in 64GB or 128GB sizes.

The connectivity features are identical to those presented by previous MacBook Air models. The 11.6” MacBook Air has two USB 2.0 ports (no USB3.0 or eSATA!), a headphone mini jack, Wi-Fi B/G/N and BlueTooth 2.1 + EDR modules, but NO ETHERNET (sold separately in the form of a USB-LAN adapter). The Mini DisplayPort can be connected to a monitor presenting a DP to VGA, DP to DVI or DV to HDMI adapter (sold separately). The no-optical drive policy still stands for all MacBook Air laptops, but Apple made a significant improvement in hat concerns the wayin which the operating system is installed: every MacBook Air comes with a bootable 8GB USB stick called “Software Reinstall Drive” that includes MAC OSX Lion and iLife installation packs.

The battery pack takes up most of the space inside the 11.6” MacBook Air’s chassis, but it’s enough for only 5 hours of “wireless productivity” or 30 days in standby, although there are very few situations in which the standby mode is needed, except for the case in which the user chooses to make use of the clean hibernating mode.

When it comes to size, the 11.6” MacBook Air has no worthy adversary. Measuring only 0.3-1.7cm x 29.95cm x 19.2cm and weighing only 1.06kg it’s extremely portable, it takes up almost half the space of a standard 11.6” netbook. Prices start at $999, but 11.6” MacBook Airs aren’t available worldwide yet.

One of the first products, the GridPad, was marketed in 1990 by the company Grid Systems. Apple also assisted in this first wave in bringing on the market the Newton. Too expensive with recognition for poor handwriting, lack of application software … These products, although revolutionary for their time, have not brought the expected success. Just as the TabletPC launched to great fanfare by Microsoft in 2001. At the time, Bill Gates believes that the PC in its traditional format is close to completion, ready to give make room on shelves for other products.

The TabletPC is then designed as a versatile device capable of being transformed into slate or laptop as needed. All computer manufacturers are continuing with several other generations of products. But the market remains stubborn, always impervious to the concept. According to the research firm IDC, the TabletPC in 2009 represents only 1% of the total amount of products found on the PC market. She is now confined to niche applications for input data while standing on rugged terminals built by specialists such as Intermec and Motion Computing. The deal changes today. The Internet has invaded our lives. Electronic communication to e-commerce, through the consultation of information, the consumption of music, viewing photos or watching videos on demand, digital uses have all become common things. Many people want to access the Internet easily and conveniently at home.

The iPad has something magical: the ergonomics of its interface, making its technology painless. I am convinced of its success. It will ramp up digital domestic uses, like the iPhone did for the mobile Internet, “predicts Xavier Paulik, CEO Tiki’labs, a start-up in Paris working on the ergonomics of tactile interfaces. Moreover, the iPad is presented by Steve Jobs, not as a variation of the micro-computer, but as a simple terminal access to digital services at home. It benefits the entire ecosystem that has made the success of iPods and the iPhone phone. It already provides access to 140,000 online applications available today on Apple Store AppStore.

If all the attention is not paid to the iPad, other products will be discovered on market shelves. The products fall into three families. Built with owners of key technologies, including the processor, which is new for Apple, the iPad has a special place. The retail version on April 3 for 499 to $ 699 depending on memory capacity (from 16 to 64 GB) has only a Wi-Fi connection with 3G version will arrive in late April for $ 130 extra. The second family uses the PC architecture, with an Intel or AMD processor and Windows operating system from Microsoft. The Slate HP unveiled at the last CES, the big electronics show in Las Vegas general public at the beginning of the year, is a good representative. The third family inaugurates the SmartBook format, driven especially by Freescale and Qualcomm.

It relies on an ARM processor architecture and an operating system based on Linux as Andoid. It is illustrated by the Mini5 Dell which has also been introduced at CES. All these products aspire to fill the void between Smartphones and laptops.

Apple also made a decision to cut the power consumption of the graphics cards used in these powerful workstations by offering configurations only with ATI graphics cards that are known to be the most efficient. The ATI Radeon 5770 and 5870 were chosen, both with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and because the Mac Pro was meant to excel in running 3D applications too, three of these cards can be installed into the same system to multiply processing speed but also the number of monitors connected to one Mac Pro with ATI’s Eyefinity technology. One ATI card has three independent digital outputs (two mini DisplayPorts and one Dual-link DVI), so three installed video cards mean up to 9 FullHD+ monitors (resolutions up to 2560 x 1600). Recently ATI has also released video cards with 6 ports, so it’s very possible that Apple will also use such models to increase the number of connectible monitors for exceptional situations.

You may be wondering how a three-channel memory controller can use 4 modules to reach the 16GB capacity. Intel found a simple solution for this problem, although it’s a little barbaric, because this way the biggest part of the memory will be used in dual or triple channel mode, and the rest in single channel mode, Intel explains.

Apple didn’t quite update its website yet, but apparently prices start from $2,499.00 for the single-processor model and $3,299.00 for a dual-processor system. 6-core processors and more memory cost extra of course. Personally I would rather buy a much cheaper no-name Core i7 system with very similar performance, but without the shiny Apple case you might ask yourself what’s the point?

Although it had an exceptional design, Apple decided to make it even better by designing an aluminum unibody case for it.

It has become a more friendly metal box with rounded edges and corners. On top there’s the traditional picture of a fruit and the bottom has a removable part where internal components can be accessed.

Two memory modules, impressive! This means that maximum 8GB of DDR3 can be installed officially, but when 8GB modules will be available I’m sure enthusiasts will succeed in installing 16GB.

The back side of the new Mac Mini computer reveals some changes aswell:

Apple managed to integrate the power supply right into this small box, while HDMI output and an SD card reader have also been added. There’s also a traditional mini DisplayPort that suggests a dual monitor capability. Power consumption (according to Apple) has been reduced by 25%, while performance was increased by 100%.

The $700 version of the Mac Mini comes with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor (3MB cache) and 2GB of memory. Hard drive capacity has been upgraded to 320GB while the optical drive remained the same 8X SuperDrive. The graphics chip is now an nVidia GeForce 320M which gives most of the mentioned performance boost compared to the older model. Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR modules are also included. Apple also bundled a HDMI to DVI adapter, power cord and install/restore discs for MAC OS X Snow Leopard and iLife. For an extra $150 you can get Apple to change the processor to a faster 2.66GHz one. $100 is the price of the memory upgrade to 4GB or $500 to 8GB. To upgrade the hard drive from 320GB to 500GB you’ll spend $100.

The Mac Mini is also available in server version that lacks the optical drive but includes two 500GB 7200 RPM hard drives instead. Interestingly enough, this product has a $999 price tag that is justified by the 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB RAM and one 500GB hard drive (if you look at the cheaper model and how much it costs to upgrade). The optical drive in theory has the same price as the extra 500GB hard drive, so theoretically you save $50 by choosing the server version. For 8GB of installed memory you have to pay an extra $400 and the external optical drive will set you back another $99.

It comes with the same basic accessories: power cord, HDMI to DVI adapter, install / restore discs and printed documentation.

One of the most important facts about Mac computers and all Apple products is that they use a completely different type of operating systems and software that looks good, but does basically the same operations as any other commercial or non-commercial operating system and software.

There’s only one big achievement of Apple’s own software that sets it apart from other IBM-PC compatible stuff, MAC OS X improves Apple laptop battery life. Although all Apple laptop computers released since 2006 are fully IBM-PC compatible and they all run Linux and Microsoft operating systems, only their own operating system, the MAC OS X is able to give up to 10 hours of battery life, while any of the other operating systems drain the Mac laptop computer’s battery in less than 2 hours.

This was done intentionally by Apple in an effort to force it’s customers to use only MAC OS X on their computers, but it might be considered fair, because Apple doesn’t want to enter the operating system competition on computers made by other manufacturers, it simply wants to maintain monopoly on its own products. With the ongoing debate about which is the best computer operating system, users should know one important truth: none of the operating systems are perfect.

Although in every year better and faster hardware components hit the market, even the best programmer efforts result in operating systems that use only about 50% of the hardware’s true potential, so Apple gained some advantage by constantly uderclocking (lowering performance of) computer parts in order to save energy, but balanced things out by providing software that doesn’t point out such disturbing measures, because in most cases MAC software works as well as the others.

To beat Apple at it’s own game, manufacturers would have to come up with better operating systems at lower prices, but with similar results. Recently a few of the biggest computer manufacturers decided to contribute with large funds to the development of alternative operating systems, but we’ll have to wit a while until there will be significant result. It’s also unclear if these companies simply want to help Apple’s competition to make better software , or they want to corrupt competition (mostly Linux based operating systems that are free) by introducing such large funds into the game, trying to make them commercial products.

Whatever the result will be, in the near and further future it’s certain that all computer hardware will have to be compatible with standards set by IBM, so that the software industry may evolve by giving the users the possibility to choose any one of the operating systems, thus eliminating less-efficient solutions from the market.

This is how Apple computers (aka Macs) became almost 100% IBM PC compatible, but unfortunately they use only one manufacturer’s (Intel) processors to date. The future promises big changes, because AMD is now capable of building whole computer systems, or at lest the most important parts. AMD currently makes processors, graphics cards and motherboard chipsets for its own processors, so Intel may be only the second choice for future Macs, because Intel ignored this part of the market (graphics cards and motherboard chipsets with integrated GPU).
AMD’s new 890 series platform represents a very serious competition for the current Intel-Nvidia solution for Apple laptops and desktops. Being able to use on-board and discrete graphics cards in Crossfire mode or PowerXpress mode makes AMD’s products superior. To make a long story short, Mac computers are slowly becoming 100% IBM PC compatible for maximum compatibility.

Mac computer accessories are not yet universal, because Apple did adopt some measures to reject some manufacturers when it comes to accessories. One of the main reasons may be the protection of the Apple brand. Shiny new Apple MacBook laptops with any random cheap plastic accessories is not an image Apple wants to see.

Try to imagine a MacBook Pro near a standard white plastic keyboard:

I think we can all agree that original Apple Mac computer accessories are the way to go:

Although it may be a little expensive ($500), these Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 speakers (recommended by Apple) really offer a great experience:

They look great near the iMac or any Apple screen and computer. Unfortunately an external power supply is needed, that adds to the practically non-existent wires, but the sound quality is really good. The total power is just under 10Watts and the speakers reproduce sounds between 38Hz and 22Khz exceptionally.

For Mac desktops and laptops with white exterior, there’s a new accessory available right from Apple’s on-line store:

The 500GB G-DRIVE is just another 5400RPM 2.5” laptop hard drive put in an appropriate Apple-friendly chassis. It costs $140, a price that’s comparable to other manufacturer’s product prices. This little storage device also adds another annoying cable on your desk, but it could be worse if it would require an additional power supply instead of getting all the necessary power right from the USB 2.0 port.

Another interesting recently added Mac computer accessory is a combination of the traditional memory card reader and the USB hub:

The Moshi Universal Media Reader is very practical, because it doesn’t take away your last free USB port, but it gives you an additional port instead. The special compartment for the USB cable makes sure you always have the cable with you, although a retractable cable would have been a better solution. Costing $35 it doesn’t exceed the standard Apple accessory pricing range.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it could simply mean that Apple made some really great laptops that had most accessories right from the start. There are five Apple laptop computer accessories sold separately that normally go together. One of these is the DisplayPort to VGA/DVI adapter, that permits the user to use the laptop with any LCD-TV, projector or professional external monitor:

It costs $29, a little expensive for two connectors and a piece of cable, but Apple fans don’t mind. With the DisplayPort to VGA/DVI adapter you switched to an external screen, most likely to an Apple LED Cinema display, so the laptop now can be closed:

Placing the laptop in the stand improves cooling, and otherwise reduces the amount of heat generated, because the laptop screen is turned completely off. This accessory also costs a little too much (just under $50) considering the fact that it’s just a piece of aluminum and five pieces of soft silicone rubber: 4 feet on the bottom and one ring that sits between the laptop and the stand, so neither gets scratched. If the laptop is closed, you’ll need an additional keyboard and mouse. It’s recommended to use the Apple Wireless Keybord that connects directly to any MacBook Pro, because they all have integrated BlueTooth controllers:

It costs $70, a decent price for a somewhat more complex Apple laptop computer accessory. The Apple Magic Mouse has the same price:

While it lacks a few click functions that most mice have, the top of the mouse is basically a track pad that supports many preset and custom functions, including multi-touch, swipe and others. It also connects through BlueTooth and runs on batteries. The fifth accessory is of course the Apple Cinema display. It’s on the bottom of the list because it has an astronomical price, $899. Although it has a bigger resolution than FullHD, 1920 x1200, for a 24” LED-backlit screen its price is too high. The cheapest 21.5” LED-backlit monitor with FullHD resolution cost around $150 and between $150 and $900 there are a lot of options. If you’re lucky you might even find a 27-30” monitor with a 2560 x 1600 resolution under $900.