First off, I still love Mac. To me, they still lead the way when it comes to the latest technology and they still create the best looking products on the technology market. They are the only technology company that I know of that have so many rumors surrounding them at any given time (Mac Rumors), and the only ones to have an actual following of people that will but things (no matter what it is, how much it is, or if they need it) the day it comes out. Windows, or Microsoft on the other hand usually are in the news with problems. Take for example Windows Vista. I’m sure that most everyone, (regardless of being a Mac person or not) can agree that it was a failure. With all the bugs and security holes, and who could forget that annoying “Windows needs your permission to continue.” message. But then came Windows 7, with the promise that it would not only fix all the issues that vista brought, but have great new features. This called for Apple to fire back:

With all the problems that Visa had, I was happy to see that Microsoft was fixing the problems that had hurt them in PC sales with vista. So naturally, with Windows fixing all the problems, I decided to give it a shot and buy it for my Dad as his birthday gift. After installing it and playing around to actually see what the program could do, I was impressed. Not only has Windows gone through with their promise to fix Vista, but they did make it better. Which got me thinking about a PC as my next computer, and probably what led me to buy a PC. (That and the price of one.)

And then their was my Mac, it being almost 3 years old it has served me well. With all of my school work and my new found interstest in web design, it has handled all of that with no problems. Sure over the years I have had 2 HD crashes and the share of problems. But I still love it. And with this new computer, I’m not getting rid of it. In fact, i’m doing the exact opposite. I’m keeping it and using it as my podcasting computer, (http://www.silvys.com/discast/) and as a mobile work computer.

It has been plenty of fun years with my Mac, and I’m glad that when I made the choice 3 years ago, I got it. It has served me well and will continue to serve me well into the future.

Many Mac enthusiasts have been wanting the i5 and the i7 Intel processors to come to the Mac, and they finally got their wish today as both the 15-inch and the 17-inch models include the chips. Apple also stated that the 13-inch has a “groundbreaking” built-in battery that can go 10 hours without recharging and has a graphics processor they claim is 80 percent faster than the current model’s. Apple also says that the 15-inch and the 17-inch models are up to 50 percent faster than the current models.

“The new MacBook Pro is as advanced on the inside as it is stunning on the outside,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing in a press release today. “With faster processors, amazing graphics and up to three more hours of battery life, the new MacBook Pro delivers both performance and efficiency.”
The prices as well as a full list of features for each model are as follows:

• 13-inch, 2.4 GHz: $1,199

• 13-inch, 2.66 GHz: $1,499

• 15-inch, 2.4 GHz: $1,799

• 15-inch, 2.53 GHz: $1,999

• 15-inch, 2.66 GHz: $2,199

• 17-inch, 2.53 GHz: $2,299

Built to order models are also available, for an additional cost.

And for all the geeks out there, below is a full list of features:

The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:

• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
• 250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight® video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire® 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
• SD card slot;
• combined headphone/line in (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 63.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.

The 2.66 GHz, 13-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

• 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
• 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
• 320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
• SD card slot;
• combined headphone/line in (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 63.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 256MB of VRAM;
• 320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire 800 port;
• SD card slot;
• audio line in (analog/digital);
• audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.53 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
• 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 256MB of VRAM;
• 500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire 800 port;
• SD card slot;
• audio line in (analog/digital);
• audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.66 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,199 (US), includes:

• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 with 4MB shared L3 cache;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 512MB of VRAM;
• 500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight video camera;
• two USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire 800 port;
• SD card slot;
• audio line in (analog/digital);
• audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 77.5WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.53 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,299 (US), includes:

• 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;
• 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache;
• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 8GB;
• integrated Intel HD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 512MB of VRAM;
• 500GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately);
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• iSight video camera;
• three USB 2.0 ports;
• one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• audio line in (analog/digital);
• audio line out/headphone (analog/digital);
• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
• built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery; and
• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Via. CBS News/AP

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg says the company has told Apple that it wants to carry the iPhone. But he declined to say when – or even if – the popular smart phone will be available for Verizon Wireless customers.

In remarks Tuesday before the Council on Foreign Relations, Seidenberg cited a recent Wall Street Journal report that said Apple is working on a version of the iPhone that would be compatible with Verizon’s network.

But he did not confirm the report or give any further details Tuesday.

AT&T Inc. has exclusive rights to the iPhone in the United States. The company has been silent about the reports on the new iPhone model.

Apple is expected to announce details on a new iPhone operating system Thursday in Cupertino, Calif.

iPhone developer Pandav has informed MacRumors that they have spotted usage records for an unreleased iPhone in their app’s analytics. The app used was iBART, a public transportation guide for the San Francisco train system.

PinchMedia who provides the analytics for the application breaks down customer usage including what specific devices are being used. This list of devices is reported to developers using internal device identification numbers assigned by Apple. In this case, “iPhone3,1″ was first spotted in Pandav’s usage logs in November. This “iPhone3,1″ identifier does not match up with any shipping iPhones. The last iPhone released to the public was the iPhone 3GS which carries the identification string “iPhone2,1″.

References to “iPhone3,1″ was first discovered in the iPhone firmware files back in August, but this seems to be the first time that it has been spotted “in the wild”. Apple similarly began testing the iPhone 3GS (iPhone2,1) back in October of 2008 about 8 months ahead of its launch.

There have been few details about what the next generation iPhone might include, though early rumors had pegged a multi-core processor that could enhance performance significantly.

So what do you think? Is their going to be a new iPhone soon? Do you have an iPhone, what are your thoughts on it?

(Just as a side note. I wrote this whole post from my iPhone 3GS.)

So what are your thoughts on the ad? Better yet, what are your thoughts on the whole Mac V.S. PC thing? What do you own?

With all the updates to the iPods, Apple has also released iTunes 9 and iPhone / iPod Touch update 3.1.

Price Updates
Along with the new iPod Nano, Apple also released new prices for all of there iPods, there are as follows:

iPod Shuffle
• 2GB – $59
• 4GB – $79
• Special edition 4GB polished stainless steel – $99

iPod Nano
• 8GB – $149
• 16GB – $179

iPod Classic
• 160GB – $249

iPod Touch
• 8GB – $199
• 32GB – $299
• 64GB – $399

Friday’s launch of the iPhone 3GS could usher in an innovative and lucrative new era for those who create applications for the popular device, developers and industry observers say.

The phone’s upgraded hardware, combined with a new operating system, will allow developers to design apps that wouldn’t have worked on previous models of the iPhone.

For example, developers said, the iPhone 3GS is the first iPhone with a video camera, which could inspire apps that edit or mix video clips. Other developers are eyeing the new phone’s built-in compass or its “push notification” feature, which pings users with messages even if its instant-message application is not open.

“Apple has given us all these new tools,” said William Kasel, founder and CEO of Jumpfox, a San Francisco, California-based company that makes mobile apps. “And I can’t wait to see what developers come out with in the next six months. The new features really take [the phone] to a whole new level.”

Apple fans in the United States and seven other countries lined up Friday morning to be among the first to get their hands on the new iPhone 3GS, billed as the fastest, most feature-laden iPhone yet.

Lines outside Apple’s 211 retail stores in the United States were generally shorter than for last July’s debut of the iPhone 3G, probably because owners of that phone balked at paying upgrade fees to wireless carrier AT&T or could simply update their devices by downloading the iPhone’s new 3.0 operating system.

The buying process also seemed smoother than last summer’s iPhone launch, which was marred by slow-moving lines and a flood of customers trying to activate their phones at once. According to reports on Twitter, many iPhone 3GS buyers were able to activate their phones faster and more smoothly than last year.

The new iPhone contains a processor that Apple claims is more than twice as fast as its 3G model, plus a video camera, voice control, longer battery life and a built-in compass. It comes with an upgraded operating system — which Apple released Wednesday for download onto older iPhones — with 100 new functions, including the ability to copy and paste text.

But the phone’s biggest game-changer, observers say, may be new software that allows iPhone users to make purchases within applications.

On previous versions of the iPhone, applications linked users to Web sites where they could buy consumer goods or other items. With the new iPhone 3.0 operating system, users can shop entirely within apps designed specially for the phone, which promises to make for smoother transactions.

App developers love this new function. Until now, they earned money only when people bought applications through Apple’s App Store, or from selling ads within the apps themselves. But now, for example, a game developer could charge users a few extra dollars to access higher levels of a video game. Other apps could allow users to locate the nearest movie theater, and then buy tickets.

“It’s a whole new revenue stream,” said Brian X. Chen, who writes about consumer technology for Wired.com. Chen believes the new feature could help iPhone app developers achieve long-term profits instead of hoping for an App Store “one-hit wonder” that sells well and then disappears.

“This could be absolutely huge for a lot of people,” agreed MG Siegler, who writes for TechCrunch, a popular technology blog. “There’s a lot of money to be made there, I think.”

Siegler believes another bonus of the iPhone 3GS’s new software is its ability to interact with special accessories via Bluetooth and the phone’s dock connector. To cite one example that Apple showcased at a recent 3.0 event, a diabetes app could hook up with an insulin meter, allowing a diabetes patient to check his or her glucose levels.

Developers already are customizing apps for the new iPhone. Jumpfox is hoping to launch BuzzBuy, its PayPal-like e-commerce widget, as an iPhone 3GS app this summer. And ScrollMotion plans to introduce an upgraded version of its Iceberg reader, which will allow iPhone users to download more than 50 magazines, 170 newspapers and 1 million books to their devices for reading on the go.

“We love the new 3.0 functionality,” said Josh Koppel, a ScrollMotion co-founder, who also believes the phone’s copy-and-paste feature will help students and other readers get more use from the Iceberg app. “A new way to monetize on this magical device … is the best thing we could have asked for.”

The popular phone went on sale Friday in the U.S. and Canada plus six European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

About 300 people stood outside the flagship Apple Store on New York’s Fifth Avenue waiting for the doors to open Friday morning. In Atlanta, Georgia, more than 100 people were in line early Friday outside an Apple Store at Lenox Square mall.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s the Apple fanatics [this time]. It’s moms and dads,” said Robin Cutshaw, 51, who lined up for previous iPhone launches in 2007 and 2008.

An IT specialist, Cutshaw said he travels everywhere with his iPhone and once even used it to work remotely from a beach in Brazil. “It doesn’t go in the shower with me, but that’s about it,” he said.

Some who had preordered phones were frustrated by how slowly their line moved outside the Atlanta store. But Marc Kagan, 31, said that buying his new phone took him about three hours, much less than the 10 hours it took last year.

Customers encountered problems activating their new phones last July because demand overwhelmed Apple’s iTunes servers. But on Friday, Kagan said it took Apple employees about 15 minutes to activate his phone in the store.

“It went pretty smooth. I think they’re a little more organized this year,” he said.

AT&T stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart also are selling the iPhone 3GS, although preorders through AT&T and Best Buy sold out before Friday.

Advance buzz about the iPhone 3GS has been largely positive. In a review, CNET gave it a four-star, or excellent, rating.

An iPhone 3GS with 16 gigabytes of storage sells for $199 with a new two-year AT&T contract; one with 32G capacity will cost $299. Since June 8 Apple has been selling the iPhone 3G model for $99 — half its original price.

Apple has sold more than 17 million iPhones since the iconic device hit the market in 2007. Apple’s phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the United States, according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm.

The launch comes less than a week after rival Palm unveiled its much ballyhooed Pre smartphone on the Sprint network and Research In Motion announced it will debut the new BlackBerry Tour on Sprint and Verizon in the coming months.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs had a liver transplant two months ago and will not be able to return to work full-time for another month or so.
While it is not clear what Mr. Jobs medical future will be, Apple has run well without him and has released several new products since he went on medical leave, including a next-generation iPhone. Even so, Jobs product development skills would almost certainly be missed if he could not remain with the firm.

Apple’s stock is up 65 percent this year.

A new, faster version of the popular iPhone will hit stores June 19, Apple said Monday.

The iPhone 3GS is billed as a more powerful, feature-laden follow-up to the 3G, which the company says revolutionized the way people use mobile phones.

The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen. But the phone comes packed with new features inside, according to CNET reporter Erica Ogg, who blogged live from the event.

Ogg says the 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus, she says.

The new phone reportedly will have a longer battery life.

iPhone 3GS will be available in the United States on June 19 and will hit 80 countries by August, Ogg says.

The new iPhone carries a price tag similar to the old iPhone. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage will sell for $199 with a new contract; one with a 32-gigabyte storage capacity will cost $299.

Apple also said it has dropped the price of the current iPhone 3G to $99 ahead of the release of the 3GS. The $99 model features 8 gigabytes of storage.

The announcements came at Apple’s much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. The annual event was attended by 5,000 Apple tech developers, Fortune reports.

WWDC, as the conference is called, is known for its innovative announcements. Apple appeared to meet expectations of many tech bloggers, who had been awaiting a new iPhone model.

Perhaps the only disappointment was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not make an appearance on stage. There had been speculation online that the popular tech figure would make a cameo at the event. Jobs has been on medical leave since January.

Apple also discussed a new iPhone operating system, version 3.0, which adds a cut-copy-paste feature to current iPhones. Apple said the new software adds 100 new features.

One of those getting the most buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones.

If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it’s turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you’ve lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data.

New iPhone applications were also discussed. Apple has gotten widespread praise for the fact that independent developers can create programs for the iPhone.

Read blogs from CNET and Fortune for details on the latest iPhone apps and other news from Monday’s event.

Apple’s laptops and computer operating systems were also discussed Monday.

Apple Senior Vice President Bertrand Serlet took the stage to demonstrate the company’s newest operating system, called Snow Leopard. It will hit stores in September, although a “near-final” version was made available for developers Monday.

Serlet also said that Apple’s Safari 4 browser, which was released in beta in February, will ship Monday.

Apple marketing head Philip Schiller also unveiled a new version of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which he said will feature up to seven hours of battery life. The unibody aluminum laptop boasts a new battery that can handle 1,000 recharges and should last five years before its life begins to diminish, he said.

Phones remained the focus of the event, however.

Apple’s phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm.

Smartphones are a category of mobile phones that act kind of like personal computers, allowing people to surf the Internet, share photos and keep up with e-mail while on the move. About a quarter of all consumer phones sold from January to April of this year were smartphones, NPD says.

The iPhone faces new competition from the Palm Pre, a smartphone that debuted Friday and claims to combine Apple’s popular touch screen with a more functional keyboard, like the one found on a popular business-class smartphone, the BlackBerry.