Notes of Interest on OS X Lion, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Display Announcements

[SilianRail]

With Apple's obsession with clean and simple design, it's disappointing that Apple weren't more innovative with the idea of a docking station.

"Clean and simple" would mean that the docking station could internally hold all of the peripherals that the majority of users would need - not that it would be the hub connecting a rat's nest of external devices.

The "ultimate docking station" should have:

• a BD-R drive (BTO for none, DVD-R, BD-R)
• a large 3.5" disk drive for backups and bulk storage
• a 2.5" drive slot for a fast or SSD drive for working storage
• an SDXC slot
• a discrete graphics card so that a system with integrated graphics could have powerful graphics when docked (like Sony does)
• USB 3.0 ports
• eSATA ports

Apple basically already has everything needed for this in the 27" Imac chassis. Just replace the mainboard with a much simpler, cheaper board that's a TBolt hub.

Apple had a chance to redefine what "desktop replacement" means by creating an "insanely great" docking station. Instead, as someone said here recently, Apple have created an "insanely meh" monitor.

Monitors, like TVs, are commodities. Expecting anything more than an overpriced piece of junk is bound to disappoint.

 

[gkarris]

It's not an ordinary thumb drive. It will have an apple logo on it.

Awesome for us collectors, not to mention the privilege of doing an "unboxing" video...

 

[gohanmzt]

awesome for us collectors, not to mention the privilege of doing an "unboxing" video...

lol

 

[diamond.g]

So, I have a question, on my installation of Lion it still shows blue orbs under open applications. The default is to turn that off, so will Lion show all applications that you have opened in the dock even if it actually isn't opened?

 

[AidenShaw]

Monitors, like TVs, are commodities. Expecting anything more than an overpriced piece of junk is bound to disappoint.

Referring to an Imac?

 

[ps45]

So I am told that none of the newly released products is available at any stores throughout the Los Angeles area. Are other areas finding the same? Isn't that strange? I would have expected them to have received stocks overnight for launch.

 

[DreamPod]

So I am told that none of the newly released products is available at any stores throughout the Los Angeles area. Are other areas finding the same? Isn't that strange? I would have expected them to have received stocks overnight for launch.

Apple's website says the new computers are available now online, or tomorrow in retail stores.

 

[shurcooL]

Do you want some cheese with that?

Yes, thank you, but only if it comes with wine.

 

[liquidnonsense]

Does anyone know if the new Thunderbolt display works at all with non-Thunderbolt mini-display ports? I've been looking to get a Cinema Display, and though I'd hold out for the next update, but it seems like I might be better of grabbing the now-previous-gen one before they become hard to find.

Yes, the Thunderbolt port still supports mini-display accessories.

 

[Pink∆Floyd]

Since Apple killed the tacky white plastic laptop, do the new systems still come with tacky white plastic power bricks and cables?

Never understood selling a machined aluminum laptop with tacky white plastic accessories.

You make a powerful point, hopefully Apple will revise them

 

[bigp9998]

Sure there is! Have you looked inside of the unibody Mini case? There is not a free millimeter of space.

Getting rid of Superdrive allows apple to offer SSD+HD combination (SSD is smaller bootable drive, and 2nd drive is larger data drive). This will make for a heck of a fast system. It's not physically possible to fit SSD+HD+Superdrive in a Mini case form factor.

I guess my point was that it doesn't really matter if the case is a little bigger because most people aren't carrying it around.

 

[Mal67]

I don't think Apple's designers should be giving themselves a clap on the back at all for the latest mini design at all.

 

[McScooby]

Awesome for us collectors, not to mention the privilege of doing an "unboxing" video...

Special Edition iPod Shuffle pre-loaded with Lion would be do-able?!

 

[425]

I was expecting a white MacBook for my b-day (which is in a couple of days). I really hope my parents did order it already, since I do not want an 11-inch Air (the screen is too small for what I want it for).

 

[ChrisKadaver]

Some really interesting info about the HD6630m. The official specifications for the gpu is here on http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6630M.43963.0.html

And on this forum people discuss how the gpu overclocks
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam.../572607-amd-radeon-6630m-overclockable-3.html

As you can se the HD6630m is contain the same gpu as all models in the HD66**m/HD67**m. Just with different frequenses on the gpu and vram. All HD6630m out there has only DDR3 vram. According to apple their version of the gpu contains GDDR5 memory, just like the HD6770m.
The stock settings for HD6630m is 485mhz on the gpu and 800mhz on the memory.
My first thought was that with a little luck the gpu core would clock just as high as the 6770m. But that maybe the voltage would be lower on the HD6630m that would prevent that. But on the other hand... the 6770m still is very voltage efficient, so maybe you wouldn't need more voltage to the gpu core to get it from 485mhz to 725mhz as on the 6770m model.
Well I decided to google it and found this thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam.../572607-amd-radeon-6630m-overclockable-3.html

One guy has overclocked the gpu from 485mhz to 700mhz (the highest value the program he used allowed). But the memory only went up from 800mhz to 900mhz due to the DDR3 memory, and because of the DDR3 memory, that didnt get him too much performance gain. So I think that AMD haven't cared about reducing the voltage to the core on the HD6630m, just because there won't be any big performance gains because of the fact that the DDR3 would prevent it.

But if it's true as apple says, that the mac minis version of the 6630m is applied GDDR5 memory it would probably get up to the same frequency as the 6770m or at least close to that, and then you would get the full performance gain from the overclocked gpu core. In other words... The HD6630m would performe as good as the 6770m... At least at lower resolutions such as 1280x1024 or 1360x768... And would totally outperforme the last generation base lineup of the iMacs with hd4670

Will be interesting to se if my predictions are correct

 

[Rocketman]

Site error

The Mac-Mini image at the buyer's guide page is now innaccurate.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

$29 - Lion
$10 - 4G thumb drive
$30 - Apple Specialist loading Lion onto the drive (~1 hr)

1 hour? I hardly doubt there is a person who just loads OS onto a USB drive the whole day, that's merely spurious deductive skills.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

The Mac mini would be such a beast with a 6970. Why bother to add the 6630? That's like three years old.

Since when has March 2011 been 3 years ago? 6630M was released in 2011 not 2009 the Radeon 4XXX series was released in 2009.

With that said the 6630M is a pretty decent little card, it's much better than the Intel HD decent for casual gaming while excellent for a home theater set up.

AMD Vision IMHO is a much better home product than the current nVidia verison. I'm glad Apple put something decent into their Mac Mini, and probably will be buying as soon as the tax return comes in.

 

[janil]

With Apple's obsession with clean and simple design, it's disappointing that Apple weren't more innovative with the idea of a docking station.

"Clean and simple" would mean that the docking station could internally hold all of the peripherals that the majority of users would need - not that it would be the hub connecting a rat's nest of external devices.

Yes, this would be great-- that's my big hope for thunderbolt and Apple.

I don't understand why Apple doesn't have a "docking station" setup for its laptops. It's gets old connecting my MBP to the display, usb cables, and firewire 800 each time I want to work at my desk.

I want my next laptop some type of docking setup -- it's so nice to use them at work... just connect it and go.

 

[Ijustfarted]

thank god the white macbook got discontinued. it's such an overpriced laptop and underpowered laptop it always bothered me.

in b4 someone tells me I shouldn't care how others spend my money.
yeah yeah I don't give a crap what you think so keep it to yourself

 

[valkata]

<The thumb drive option will be priced at $69?

$40 for a 4GB thumb drive?

Think about it as a price for upgrade from Tiger/Leopard.

 

[Rocketman]

Think about it as a price for upgrade from Tiger/Leopard.

That said, someone should post a procedure to take the thumb drive and make an externally bootable drive or a dual boot HD. Anyone using 10.4.11 is doing so due to software compatibility with certain apps, making it mission critical.

Updating to Leopard/Lion will brick an iPhone 1 IIRC for example.

Rocketman

iTunes 9.2.1 for OSX 10.4.11
http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes9/061-8601.20100719.nhy5R/iTunes9.2.1.dmg

 

[sailingjason]

MBA and Thunderbolt Display

I am wondering if the Thunderbolt display works well with the 11' Mac Book Air I know no one has the display yet, but it seems that because the MagSafe and Thunderbolt are on opposite sides of the computer, you can only have the Thunderbolt cable connected and not power your computer through the cable, this seems like a design flaw? (I know, it's Apple, Impossible) or does the cable reach both sides?

 

[ginuz]

no matte screen

what a pity they don't have antiglare or matte screen on air. Still found hard to use when you travel the glossy screen!

 

[johndawg1973]

I get the SuperDrive omission from a strategic standpoint, but it sucks for people who wanted to use it as a media center computer. I think there is money to be made in developing a DVD or bluray peripheral that sits underneath the mini with the same form factor.

I agree... I was about to replace our mini in the livingroom. It's pretty convenient for my son to pop in a DVD from time to time.

I typically rip my DVD's to our NAS and now I wouldn't be able to do that....

 

[shervieux]

You don't need multiple monitors. Final Cut Pro 7 was the only application that really used multiple monitors and they killed it, so problem solved!

Think different!

Actually many of us need multiple monitors Once you start using two or more, you wonder how you got along with just one. And I don't use Final Cut. It is essential if you keep 3-4 applications running that you need to see and switch to speedily. When I worked from home (before losing my job), I had 3 19-inch monitors (Windows - Dell). Took up a lot of desk space, but it was sweet. Now, I have my 2008 macbook connected to a 19-inch LG. I miss the third monitor - but I could never go back to just one, unless I am on the road (to which I would not be working with 3-4 apps at once).

I think the only time a 2nd monitor would not be necessary may be on a 27" iMac. But I probably would hook one up anyway.

And Yes, I heavily use the expose key even with two monitors.

I will probably wait to upgrade to Lion though. Want to hear more reviews and the Rev A released bugs to be worked out. Plus, I have been getting a lot of emails from my third party application providers saying NOT to upgrade, as they do not have a Lion-ready update yet. It will probably be like snow leopard - 2-4 months before I jump on the band wagon.