Apple Launches Annual Back-to-School Sale June 1, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple , add a comment
While we are all counting down the final few weeks left of school, the folks over at Apple have just begun the 2010 version of their back-to-school sale.
Like in years past, the sale includes discounts on all the new Macs and MacBooks, ranging from $50 the new, updated MacBook, to up to $200 off the new updated MacBook Pros (the MacBook Air and iMac also get $100 discounts respectively). And of course, all new purchases under these back-to-school deals include either a free 8 GB iPod touch, 4 GB iPod Shuffle or 8 GB or 16 GB iPod Nano (all after a rebate, and if you want more storage, you can instead get a 32 GB iPod touch for only $100, 64 GB iTouch for $200, or a 120 GB iPod Classic for only $50).
The deal sadly though still only applies for college students (including those enrolled for the upcoming year– as long as you got an acceptance letter, you should be all clear) and teachers and staff (though for teachers and staff of schools can take advantage of the deals no matter what grade level they work on be it Kindergarten or 12th grade), leaving all us high school students having to find someone who fits the bill to get us to use the deal.
One Note: If you are looking for a new MacBook or MacBook Pro for school next year, this looks to be the perfect deal for you. But if its the free iPod touch that intrigues you, we just want to warn you that Apple usually updates the iPod line after these deals end (September 7th), and this year’s model is expected to finally get that long rumored camera…. Decisions, decisions, but hey, that’s what school is for.
The Back to School sale runs from now until September 7th, and you can check it out at Apple’s online store.
Apple Updates the MacBook May 23, 2010
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Computers , add a comment
Looking for a MacBook with all the basic specs but not interested in spending an extra $200 on the all-aluminum design of the 13-inch MacBook Pro? Apple has announced this week some modest, yet nice updates to the MacBook line that pretty much puts the two models in the same ballpark.
As we saw in the recent MacBook Pro update, the big gains on the Macbook were not in design (the Macbook still rocks the new unibody plastic with the glass multitouch trackpad, and still lacks the SD card slot found on the MacBook Pro) but graphics and battery life. It boasts the new NVIDIA 320M graphics and a 10 hour battery, while also bumping up other specs like the Intel Core 2 Duo processor (up to 2.4 GHZ standard like on the MacBook Pro 13, compared to the 2.26 GHZ of the previous models).
The best part though is that Apple did all this while keeping the price the same old at $999 (with the Education Store offering it for $949), which is still $200 cheaper than the 13 inch Aluminum MacBook Pro. Its worth noting, however, that the Pro ships with 4 GB of RAM compared to the MacBook’s standard 2, though for $100 you could upgrade the RAM to 4 GB, and for another $50 the hard drive to 320 GB– a significant increase from the 250 GB standard of both models. All that still leaves the Macbook $50 cheaper.
Why Apple would update this to be so close to their high end line in terms of pure specs I’m not sure, but in any case– anyone out there looking for a new MacBook gonna go with this over the MacBook Pro 13?
The new MacBooks are available now from Apple.com.
Apple Announces Macbook Pro Updates April 13, 2010
Posted by Chaim Gartenberg in : Apple, Computers, Web , 1 comment so far
Upgrade Season!
A bit pricier then the student marketed Macbook, the Pro is a bit leaner, meaner, and shinier. So, if you’re considering splurging on a new Pro, the time has come. Specifically, Apple’s hit the update button the the store and added new specs for the Macbook Pros – with the new Intel Core i5 and i7 chips, which are quite awesome.
The cheapest 13-inch Pro didn’t get quite the same update, only getting a bump in speed with new, faster 2.4GHz and 2.66GHz Core 2 Duos, and a slightly long battery life now – and the boost for $200 in specs between the basic Macbook and the basic 13-inch Pro is looking a lot better now.
But the real coolness in the in 15 and 17 inchers – which all now come with either an Intel i5 or i7 chip. Also added is a new automatic process for managing graphics on your computer – basically stuff works better. And, if you’ve got extra money to splurge, options for a HD screen,($100), anti-glare (another $50) or a 512GB Solid State ($1300 – ouch…) (flash memory, as opposed to hard disc – aka much faster, and less breakable).
Check out the new models, configurations at Apple’s online store here.
New MacBooks and Other Fun Stuff! October 21, 2009
Posted by Chaim Gartenberg in : Apple, Computers , 3comments
Let there be Shinyness!
Whoa. Apple today decided to unleash a whole slew of new stuff. Foremost among them, an updated unibody white plastic MacBook (see above pic). Like the 13″ MacBook Pro, its now carved out of a single hunk of plastic, and is packing the new LED screen, glass multitouch trackpad, slimed down design, and updated specs, starting at 2.26 Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 2 gigs of RAM, 250 GB hard drive, at the same price of $1000. Not bad at all.
Next! New Mac Minis. The little Mac has gotten yet another specs boost (it got one earlier this year as well. You can see our review on the early 2009 Mac Mini here), with now at $600 you get an upgraded 2.26 Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of RAM, and an 160 GB hard drive, and at $700 you get an even faster 2.53 GHZ C2D, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB hard drive, making the Mac Mini, as it was, the cheapest way to go Mac. (kinda… provided you aren’t gonna spend money, on, you know, screens, mice and keyboards… if you need some of those, well then this next Mac is the way to go). Also announced was a Mini Server Edition, with no disk drive and instead a 1 TB (or 1000 GB) hard drive, meant for small business owners (any teenaged small business owners out there…?)
The new awesome iMac
But the big player, (and big is very much intended here) is the new updated iMacs, at 21.5 inch and a MONSTER 27 inch beast. Notable is the option for Intel’s new i7 chips in a quad core configuration which is awesome (basically you’ll be getting great speed and power for your Mac while not killing your electric bill. Apple uses the same Core i7 chips found in new laptops in the iMacs– helps keep the sleek design and low power usage– and you can check out our post on the HP Envy 15 and Pavilion dv8 laptops from IDF for full details on all the greatness that is Intel’s new Core i7). Also interesting, is that the screens on the new iMacs support video-in. So you can use your lovely, massive LED widescreen display on say, your new MacBook. Specs on these things are beastly – check ‘em out here.
The new “Magic Mouse”
Finally, peripherals. Apple’s got two new ones here – a new mouse, this time dubbed “The Magic Mouse”, which looks like it fell out of Star Trek, and eliminates the trackball for, you guessed it, multitouch gestures. Haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it looks pretty cool. Also added was a new, sleek and aluminum Apple Remote, to match the current line of aluminum iMacs and MacBook Pros.
…Phew. That’s everything. Anyone out there buying new Mac stuff now? Sound off below readers!
Apple's WWDC: All the Exciting New Products and Updates June 9, 2009
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Apple, Cell Phones , 1 comment so far
So yesterday was Apple’s WWDC conference, and like all major Apple events, quite a show was put on. A whole bunch of new info and products were announced today (here’s a hint on one new product shown off– a NEW iPHONE!). But not only that (the iPhone 3G S to be more specific), Apple also released Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” MacBook Updates, and iPhone OS 3.0.
TeenTechBlog Year End Awards January 1, 2009
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Announcements , add a comment
Happy New Year!!!
Yup, 2008 is in the books- and 2009 is already starting to come upon us. So, what better way to finally finish off 2008 then with our picks for the top gadgets of the year! We got our picks from best cell phone to best laptop to best overall gadget- so read on! (more…)
Apple Announces New Macbooks – First Take October 19, 2008
Posted by Chaim Gartenberg in : Computers, First Look/Reviews , 2comments
The New (And Shiny) Macbook and Macbook Pro
So, turns out the Apple event on Tuesday released the new editions of their popular Macbook and Macbook Pro lines. Made of a solid brick of aluminum and lined in a glossy black like the larger iMacs, they look really nice (see the above picture). Also new is a glass, multi-touch trackpad, which serves as the click as well, with the entire trackpad being a button. The computers also have a new, more powerful graphics card– Nvida GeForce 9400M (in contrast to the original Intel graphics card) and an environmentally-friendly LED screen. The Macbook also receives a bump in RAM — 2 GB of RAM as the default — and a 160 GB hard drive.
The 13.3 inch Macbook sells for $1300, with the upper model being $1600- and adding a 250 GB hard drive, 2.4 GHz processor (as opposed to the standard 2.0 GHz), and a backlit keyboard.
Available upgrades include up to 4 GB of RAM, and a 320 GB hard drive or 128 GB Flash memory (also know as SSD or Solid State Drive- these are the hard drives in the iPod Touch, Nano and iPhone and are more ideal for the constant travelers who use their laptops while they move- or moving like between classes- because these don’t have any moving parts in them. This option right now is much more expensive- adding another $600- while also giving you much less memory- 128 GB vs 250 GB). Furthermore, Apple announced that at least for now, the original white plastic Macbook will still be available, starting at $1000 instead of $1100.
Both of these Macbooks are available today at Apple stores and Apple’s website.
So, what does this mean for you?
Well, if you’ve been waiting to get a Macbook, these new features may bring you over. Or, the lower price on the old one may also be good for you.
New Macbooks Coming Next Week! October 9, 2008
Posted by Eli Blumenthal in : Computers , add a comment
The Macbook event invite
Apple just announced today that next week on October 14, they will be releasing new Macbooks! What these Macbooks are exactly remains anyone’s guess, but the strongest of rumors claims that all the Mac notebooks (including the regular Macbook) will be made out of a single piece of aluminum. Some weaker rumors say everything from new trackpads (maybe glass ones with a multi-touch screen underneath, basically an iPhone in a Macbook), to a Mac tablet (see more info on these and other Macbook rumors here).
While we unfortunately won’t be there in person 
, we will, of course, give you all the info once it comes out next week. In the meantime, hold off on that new laptop purchase and feel free to give us your guess/wish on what you think will happen next week at this Apple event in the comments.
Pix and Info from Engadget.com