Apple today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. Available as a 83MB download beginning today, Boot Camp allows users with a Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS X or Windows XP. Boot Camp will be a feature in “Leopard,” the next release of Mac OS X.
On Wednesday Apple Computer confirmed the fact that the new iMacs experience video playback problems. An article at Information Week states that video sometimes has random horizontal lines, ghosting, video tearing, and other problems. These do not occur when playing movies in QuickTime, rather in iMovie and in alt-tabbing circumstances. Consumer Machine takes a good look at what exactly is wrong. They say that most cases are not software related, pointing the finger at ATI. An excerpt from a company email reads:
Apple is aware of this issue and is looking into it, If a customer has any technical issues, they should contact AppleCare.
It appears that the Intel Core Duo chip already inside thousands of new Intel Macs may indeed be 64 bit. An article at Hexus claims that the Intel chips may are 64 bit. The huge question remains, why would Intel hide such a feature? Speculation has it that Windows has not been booted on new Intel Macs for this reason.
Note: This story has not been fully acredited and may be untrue.
According to ThinkSecret, Apple is to release the new Intel iBooks (a.k.a MacBook) in March. The new notebook is said to have a 13.3″ display and use the Intel Duo Solo processor.
Sources continue to report that the iBooks will arrive clad in a new enclosure; one more significant than a mere incremental update to the current iBook’s design.
The efforts by the Windows community so far have proven to be useless, but that doesn’t mean “other” people have given up. The folks at Red Hat are already planning support for the new Mactels. They will work on a new boot loader that works with the new EFI BIOS on the Mactels. The only flaw in their plan though is that they don’t have any Mactels to test it on yet… On another note, other Linux users may be glad to hear that the KDE team plan to support the Mactel platform by providing libraries with their upcoming KDE 4 release. The power of open-source development, eh!
Haha, first off, let’s get this new name sorted out - MacBook Pro - isn’t that the worst name ever? Anyway, the MacBook Pro is the fastest notebook Apple has ever released and it features an Intel Core Duo processor. Features of the new portable include a built-in iSight camera, IR Sensor, Apple Remote, ATI Radeon x1600 video processor, and a new, innovative magnetic power plug. The new MacBook Pro is available in two configurations: 1.67GHz ($1999) and 1.83GHz ($2499). They both feature a rather dazzling 15.4″ LCD with “cinema brightness”. So yeh, go Apple! They will be available in February (yeh right…) but you can order them now at Apple Online. Oh and we’re also guessing the iBook won’t be saved from the ghastly re-naming, so lets start the countdown for the MacBook!
The new age is here, the first of the Mactels has arrived on Earth! Apple has released new iMacs powered by Intel Duo Core, but everything else is the same - even the price. So we have the 17″ 1.83GHz model at $1,299 and the 20″ 2.0GHz model at $1,699.00. Both come with iLife ‘06, Airport Extreme, Bluetooth and a rather snazzy ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card. They are available now at your local Apple Store or online.
MacOSXRumors reports:
Apple will add more USB 2.0 ports to its Mac line-ups along with the switch to the Intel architecture this year at the request of its customers. The company is however expected to keep at least one FireWire port on each of its MacTel products. Sources also mentioned the possibility that Apple provides an adaptor that splits a FireWire 800 port into two FireWire 400 ports and claim it is technically feasible. We could not verify if this “FireWire adaptor thing” is possible or not though. No details were provided on how many USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 or 800 ports Apple’s next gen Mac desktops and laptops will have.
Whoo, how very exciting. But this makes me wonder why Apple dropped FireWire support from the new iPod if they’re going to keep on using it…
AppleInsider claims that according to “reliable sources”, Apple has contracted out the motherboard design for the next-generation PowerMac to Intel. According to the site, Apple has its current resources spread so far across the planned Intel iMacs, PowerBooks, iBooks and Mac minis that outsourcing the PowerMac motherboard design may help them keep a targeted ship date of the 3rd quarter of 2006 for the next-generation PowerMac. The design is expected to take place within the Intel Apple-Group which was quietly formed in November. Outsourcing PowerMac motherboard design to Intel may have some interesting consequences regarding control and exclusivity of the design. As well, it exposes the PowerMac designs outside of Apple, which could be a source of future leaks. Of course, the PowerMac case design will remain under Apple’s control.
