Sean | 
02 28th, 2006| 
Today is the day that Apple allocated to reveal its new gadgets. Going into the event nobody knew what Apple had in store, but the excitment was very high. Apple generally casually mentions that they are going to have an event, and because it’s Apple the fans turn each announcment into a major event. Of course most of these shows unveil amazing new things. Since they just released the iMac and the MacBook Pro which have Intel Core Duo chips, Apple was bound to add the fast chip to an existing member of the Apple computer family.
I am going to start with the dissapointment. Apple released a leather case for the new iPods including the iPod Nano. These cases go for $99 USD, which is outragous. These cases are esentially the same that come with the new iPods, only leather. You have no access to the controls or screen and judging but the look of it, it is very flimsy. On eBay you can get silicone skins for only $5 with shipping. In my opinion I would rather my iPod go “naked” and wrecking it rather than spending half the cost of an iPod. For only $50 you can get a 1GB iPod Nano!
Next on the plate is a iPod Hi-Fi speaker set. Goodbye, big stereo. Hello, iPod Hi-Fi, a beautiful, compact sound system with an integrated Universal Dock for iPod that fills the room with rich, audiophile-quality sound. It’s the home stereo — reinvented. This is one of the nicest systems I have seen and the price is not that bad. At $349 USD it is $50 less then a 60GB iPod (with video). I have not heard one of these beauties but I am sure that it is the best sound system you can get for an iPod for under $500. Not only can it charge the iPod when it is rested in the cradle but you can manage your music with the included remote. This looks to be a similar remote to the ones that come with the new iMac with Front Row. The remot works up to 30 feet away, which is a sumstantial distance. When I first saw this I thought that there was nothing new, but after some deeper analysis I can honestly say that this is a good buy. As Apple says “This is the stereo for the new century. Since it takes batteries you can have it playing in any room of your home or anywhere else you wish to listen to tunes. Some of the official features include:
- World-class acoustic design
- Large soundstage
- Precise imaging and separation
- Wide frequency range
- Room-filling power without distortion
- Seamless iPod integration
- Apple Remote
- AC and DC modes
- Analog/digital input
- Compact footprint
The next gadget on the table is the best. It combines affordability with functionality. I would not only suggest this to a brand new Mac user but also the seasoned veterins who want some more
functionaly. 
This product would be The Mac Mini with a Intel chip. This product has be long awaited. The Mac Mini is Apple’s lowest model desktop computer. These units are so small that many people have found additional ways to use them, like in their cars, and as dedicated media centers. Not only does the new Mac Mini feature an Intel chip but it also has Front Row. Front Row is an amazing peice of software that allows you to have a fully functional media center on your computer. The interface is very slick and fast. Since the price of the Mac Mini is so reasonable I can see this being an instant hit. These small devices start at only $699. The $699 model comes with:
-
1.5GHz Intel Core Solo processor
-
2MB L2 Cache
-
667MHz Frontside Bus
-
512MB memory (667MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
-
60GB Serial ATA hard drive
-
Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
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Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
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Apple Remote
And the model starting at $949 USD has:
- 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor
- 2MB L2 Cache
- 667MHz Frontside Bus
- 512MB memory (667MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
- 80GB Serial ATA hard drive
- Double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
- Apple Remote
For $1449 you can jam a 120GB hard drive in with 2GB of RAM.
If you are interested in a Mac but don’t have alot of money to shell out, the Mac Mini is for you. I would suggest that you purchase the $949 model because it is alot faster and more practical than the cheap one for media purposes.
According to Apple’s website the $949 model is 4 times faster then the older Power PC model.
Out of the major products showcased at this event I would have to say the best is the Mac Mini. The speakers comes in second but I would not jump and buy any of these products right away. I would wait a few weeks or months to see the problems people are having with them.
Now we await the Intel iBook…
Tags: ibook, mac, mini, ipod, speakers, apple, case, computer, laptop, event, intel, front, row
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