Concluding the day’s desktop Mac theme, Apple announced this morning a new 27-inch Cinema Display. The new display sports a 2560 x 1440 resolution, and, because of its size, has an actual 16:9 ratio (no more letterboxing when watching widescreen DVDs!).  Like its 24-inch sibling, the display is targeted at MacBook and MacBook Pro users, with a built in three-in-one cable: a MagSafe power adapter, USB plug, and Mini DisplayPort.  Also like the 24 incher, the new display has a built-in iSight camera, microphone, speakers and 3 USB ports—kind of like an iMac, just without the actual computer guts.

According toTechCrunch, down the road, this will be the only model Apple Cinema Display that will be sold.

So, if you want to boost your productivity and your Mac has the requisite Mini DisplayPort, or if you buy the necessary adaptor, the 27-inch monitor may just be for you.  The new Cinema Display will ship in September, at a price of $999. The 24 inch Cinema Display has dropped to $799 from $899.

Product [Apple 27” Cinema Display]

Full Story » | Written by Indraneel Purohit for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

• Mac Pros Now Have Up to 12 Cores
• Apple's LED Cinema Display Now Comes In 27" Size
• Faster New iMacs Can Run Both SSD and HDDs at Once
• Apple's Battery Charger Has the Lowest Vampire Draw In Its Class
• Apple's Magic Trackpad Is Here
• A Driver Update For Apple's Magic Trackpad Is Now Available

"With built-in MagSafe charging, iSight...]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:56:39 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089326
]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:06:00 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089324
]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:18:00 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089303 Apple this morning has temporarily taken down the online Apple Store ahead of what's expected to be a major update to its desktop line. The company is expected to launch new iMacs and Mac Pros as well as a 27-inch Cinema Display. It may further bring out the Magic Trackpad as an optional input for desktops....


Apple - IMac - Macintosh - MacPro - Apple Cinema Display]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:30:00 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089300 Apple's introductions today were joined by two new, major accessories. The Magic Trackpad is Apple's first trackpad designed for a desktop and uses the same surface-as-a-button design as the pad on a MacBook Pro. With an 80 percent larger surface, though, it theoretically allows for more precision. It also has the same angle as the official Wireless Keyboard and is potentially more comfortable than the Magic Mouse over long periods....


Apple - Touchpad - MagicTrackpad - MacBook - Magic Mouse]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:25:00 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089286 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:08:28 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089276 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:23:41 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089234 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:33:59 +0300 http://appleunofficial.com/news/1089217 Features a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 60 percent more screen real estate

Apple on Tuesday unveiled a new 27-inch LED Cinema Display, the latest offering in its line of integrated monitors for the Mac line.

TUAWApple releases new 27-inch LED Cinema Display originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've been looking for a computer with the muscle to handle hardcore NLE video editing while working on a couple of musical compositions, checking the email, running an IM session and handling the hassle of Flash crashing in the browser, and I think Apple deliverd this very machine this morning -- the new Mac Pro, a supercalifragilistic speed demon with up to 12 (yeah, count them) processing cores.

Apple promises the new Mac Pro will deliver 50 percent greater performance than the previous generation. You get: quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors, all-new ATI graphics and the option for up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD).

(Apple's getting pretty serious about SSD, right? Wonder what the chances are for a fully solid state iPod classic come September?)

"The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we've ever made," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want."

These professional desktops are driven by next-gen quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 3.33 GHz.

Apple has a few interesting details on these chips, explaining these multi-core processors use a single die design "so each core can share up to 12MB L3 cache to improve efficiency while increasing processing speed."

The tech specs are a wet dream to anyone who ever spent time trying to tweak power out of a G3 Power Mac, listen up: "These systems feature an integrated memory controller for faster memory bandwidth and reduced memory latency; Turbo Boost to dynamically boost processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz; and Hyper-Threading to create up to 24 virtual cores."

The Mac Pro now comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory and customers can configure-to-order the even faster ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory.

For the first time, Mac Pro customers have the option to order a 512GB SSD. Now, you can install up to four of these inside the internal drive bays. This means you can expect ultra high-speed disk bandwidth and random disk performance to deliver speeds twice as good as the average performance of a standard disk drive.

Display:  two Mini DisplayPorts and one dual-link DVI port. Wanna do video? Just connect up to two LED Cinema Displays without an additional graphics card or adapter. The dual-link DVI port supports legacy DVI-based displays up to a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Like the iMac, the Mac Pro meets stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.

Pricing & Availability

The new Mac Pro will be available in August through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new quad-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

• one 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon W3530 processor with 8MB of fully-shared L3 cache;
• 3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 16GB;
• ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• two Mini DisplayPorts and one DVI (dual-link) port (adapters sold separately);
• 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
• four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports;
• AirPort Extreme® 802.11n;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Magic Mouse.
• The new 8-core Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $3,499 (US), includes:
• two 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5620 processors with 12MB of fully-shared L3 cache per processor;
• 6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
• ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• two Mini DisplayPorts and one DVI (dual-link) port (adapters sold separately);
• 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
• four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Magic Mouse.

Configure-to-order options include:

• one 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon W3565 processor for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• one 3.33 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon W3680 processor for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• two 2.66 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon X5650 processors (12-cores) for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• two 2.93 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon X5670 processors (12-cores) for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• two ATI Radeon HD 5770 cards with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• one ATI Radeon HD 5870 card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• up to 16GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• up to 32GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD); or
• up to four 1TB or 2TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm;
• Mac Pro RAID card;
• dual-channel or quad-channel 4Gb Fibre Channel card; and
• up to two 18x SuperDrives with double-layer support.

Back in the olden days Dell had a much bigger market share than Apple and offered products at prices Apple couldn't match -- those days are gone. Today, Apple announced it will be offering a superbly specced 27-inch LED display for just $999 -- and that's cheaper than the Dell dude, dude.
See, Dell offers its own UltraSharp U2711 27-inch monitor. It costs $1,099. It's a good display (if you don't like curves) and it has the same LG hardware inside, but doesn't offer what Apple does in its new monitor -- which costs $100 less!

Apple gives you:

2,560-x-1,440 res screen
A powered USB hub (Dell haz this)
iSight camera and mic
MagSafe connector
Integrated speakers 

"With its massive 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display is a perfect fit with our powerful new Mac Pro, and it gives iMac users an easy way to double their screen real estate," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

The new, larger 27-inch LED Cinema Display features a beautiful 16:9 edge-to-edge glass display.

Dell matches the resolution -- and judging from the discount on the product now available on the European store, will soon match the price.  

Plus it is Stealth, invisible to radar we hear.

It’s been a long, cruel wait for Mac Pro fans, but Apple has finally delivered for you Tuesday, with a new model packing up to 12 processing cores with Intel Xeon processors. The bad news is, they won’t physically arrive until next month -- but hey, that’s right around the corner, right?

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has finally refreshed the Mac Pro line after months of speculation and rumors. Even though the new high-end desktop hasn’t changed radically on the outside, internally the Mac Pro features the latest and greatest quad-core and six-core Intel Xeon processors, all-new ATI graphics and even an option for up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD). Processor speeds are up to 50 percent faster, maxing out at 3.33GHz and feature a single die design which allows them to share up to 12MB L3 cache, which improves not only speed but efficiency as well.

"The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we've ever made," boasted Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller. "With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want."

The new Mac Pros also sport two Mini DisplayPorts for the first time, in addition to one dual-link DVI port. The extra Mini DisplayPort allows users to connect two LED Cinema Displays without the need for an extra graphics card or adapter, while the dual-link DVI port supports legacy displays up to a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

The new quad-core Mac Pro carries a $2,499 price tag and features:

• one 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon W3530 processor with 8MB of fully-shared L3 cache;
• 3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 16GB;
• ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• two Mini DisplayPorts and one DVI (dual-link) port (adapters sold separately);
• 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
• four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
• AirPort Extreme® 802.11n;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Magic Mouse.

The new eight-core Mac Pro carries a $3,499 price tag and features:

• two 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5620 processors with 12MB of fully-shared L3 cache per processor;
• 6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
• ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• two Mini DisplayPorts and one DVI (dual-link) port (adapters sold separately);
• 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
• four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Magic Mouse.

If you prefer to configure your own Mac Pro, you’ll have a mind-boggling host of options to do so:

• one 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon W3565 processor for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• one 3.33 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon W3680 processor for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• two 2.66 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon X5650 processors (12-cores) for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• two 2.93 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon X5670 processors (12-cores) for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• two ATI Radeon HD 5770 cards with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• one ATI Radeon HD 5870 card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory;
• up to 16GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory for the quad-core Mac Pro;
• up to 32GB of DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory for the 8-core Mac Pro;
• up to four 512GB solid state drives (SSD); or
• up to four 1TB or 2TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm;
• Mac Pro RAID card;
• dual-channel or quad-channel 4Gb Fibre Channel card; and
• up to two 18x SuperDrives with double-layer support.

The new Mac Pro models won’t be available until August, but you can get a peek at all of their yummy goodness right now on the Apple website.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

The Apple Tuesday assault continues! On the heels of a long-awaited Mac Pro refresh, Cupertino has also taken the wraps off a much-needed, super-sized 27-inch LED Cinema Display, coming in September.

MacRumors is reporting that Apple has finally filled a gaping void in their Mac desktop strategy today with the announcement that a 27-inch LED Cinema Display is coming in September for $999. It seems like an eternity in computer years since Apple put the kibosh on their 30” display, which has left graphics and video professionals with no other alternative but to buy elsewhere.

It appears that Apple is making it worth the wait, however: The new 27-inch LED Cinema Display features a resolution of 2560 x 1440, complete with an iSight video camera, microphone and speakers.

"With built-in MagSafe charging, iSight camera, speakers, and USB ports, the LED Cinema Display is ideal for MacBook and MacBook Pro users," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With its massive 2560 x 1440 resolution, the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display is a perfect fit with our powerful new Mac Pro, and it gives iMac users an easy way to double their screen real estate."

The 27-inch LED Cinema Display features a cinema-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio, the aforementioned MagSafe charger and a three-port USB 2.0 hub. The display also features an ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness based on the lighting conditions, similar to that used on the MacBook Pro.

At a price of $999, there’s little not to like about the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display -- except the fact that you have to wait until September to get one, that is. A Mac (desktop or laptop) with Mini DisplayPort is required.

If the 24-inch LED Cinema Display is more your style, you’ll be happy to know that Apple has dropped the price on that model to $799 from its previous $899. So, that’s something you can take home with you today…

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Between the Magic Trackpad now shipping, new Mac Pros on deck for August and a new 27-inch LED Cinema Display coming in September, you’d think Apple would have exhausted their goody bag for Tuesday. But you’d be wrong, because the iMac line has also gotten a little love today.

MacRumors is reporting that Apple has updated its iMac line on Tuesday, featuring the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors, complete with new ATI Radeon HD graphics cards to boot. The rumor mill had been buzzing in recent days with advance word of the refresh, and Apple didn’t disappoint.

"We took the world's best all-in-one and made it even better," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminum and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac."

Unlike the previous iMacs last updated in October, 2009, the new models released today all feature dedicated graphics cards instead of relying on the slower integrated graphics chips.

The refreshed lineup is as follows:

$1199 / 21.5" / 3.06GHz Core i3 / 4GB / 500MB / ATI Radeon HD 4670
$1499 / 21.5" / 3.20GHz Core i3 / 4GB / 1TB / ATI Radeon HD 5670
$1699 27" / 3.20GHz Core i3 / 4GB / 1TB / ATI Radeon HD 5670
$1999 27" / 2.8GHz Quad-Core Core i5 / 4GB / 1TB / ATI Radeon HD 5750
+$200 27" / 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Core i7 BTO option

The only question that remains is: Which one will you be getting?

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

We’re less than 24 hours away from Steve Jobs’ keynote at WWDC 2010. Rumors regarding products and features have been circulating for months now, so we thought we’d help you all catch up on what to expect (or at least hope) to see come out of San Francisco tomorrow. As expected, the majority of rumors surround the iPhone HD, but Apple TV has had some fun discussion as well.

iPhone

• April 12 - Rumor: iChat coming to iPhone OS 4.0?
  With the recent findings made within the iPhone OS 4.0 SDK, rumors are pointing to Apple’s iChat coming to the iPhone platform in the near future.
• April 16 - Rumor: Verizon iPhone by December 2010?
  Well, we’ve certainly heard this rumor time and time again. This time around, it goes as follows…
• April 20 - The iPhone 4G story: Mindless mistake or planted PR?
  Gizmodo made quite a commotion with their purchase of a stolen/lost iPhone 4G for a rumored 5K-10K, but there are plenty of layers to this story that can be debated.
• April 29 - iPhone 4G launch day to be June 7th?
  Will June 7th be the day Apple not only announces the new hardware (as it did with the 3G and 3GS) but also actually makes it available for sale?
• April 29 - Rumor: Next iPhone to have upgraded 5MP camera sensor with flash
  Online sources suggest the next iPhone—which is pretty much guaranteed to be almost identical to the prototype that Gizmodo paid for—will have an upgraded 5MP camera sensor along with a flash.
• May 6 - iPhone HD will record video at 720P
  Someone decided to take a peak inside of the iPhone OS 4.0 beta 3, and they found that there are some pretty telling bits of code concerning video.
• May 11 - iPhone HD coming to AT&T on June 21st?
  Mobile Crunch is speculating that AT&T might be getting the next revision to Apple’s iPhone around June 21st as a result of some recent changes to current iPhone 3GS owners’ upgrade eligibilities.
• May 12 - More next gen iPhone images emerge
  It appears Apple is having a hard time keeping their signature death grip on all of their prototype next generation iPhone units.
• May 23 - Even more next gen iPhone images leaked, this time in white
  Apple’s a lot like BP these days, except when Apple’s products start leaking, we get happy. Apple’s taken the black and white color options from the iPhone 3GS and taken it to the next level.
• June 1 - Rumor: iPhone 4G screen to be 960x640
  A report from the Czech site SuperiPhone.cz claims the iPhone 4G will have a 960x640 IPS display that comes in at 320 pixels per inch.
• June 5 - iPhone HD parts video leaked, more images
  This new image displays a white iPhone HD we’ve seen before, but also gives us a view of the back. However, there are even more images of iPhone parts past the break.

Other Apple Products

• March31 - Rumor: 27-inch LED Cinema Display coming in June?
  Rumors are starting to surface that Apple has plans to release a 27-inch LED Cinema Display later this year, as prices for LCD panels are finally starting to drop in price.
• May 28 - Rumor: Next Apple TV to be $99, foster cloud storage, use iPhone OS 4.0
  Some interesting rumors about what the next version of the Apple TV have surfaced, including 1080p HD, Time Machine compatibility, and a price drop to $99.
• May 30 - Signs point to an App Store for your TV
  Is Apple readying an app assault on your TV? A new rumor purporting a new Apple TV suggest Apple very may well be. From the hardware to the software to the price, this could be an interesting hobby Apple’s got going.

Be sure to follow all the product announcements and unveilings as they happen during our WWDC 2010 Keynote live blog.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome to Steam, the digital distribution client that's been in the PC gaming sphere for around seven years now. Steam allows you to purchase and download Valve and third-party games online with PayPal or a credit card. Once the game is downloaded, the game title stays tied to your user account forever, so you can play it on virtually any system that has the Steam client installed--including that PC you have locked in the basement. Additionally, the client makes it so you never have to pay for that game again, even if you lose all of the data off of your hard drives and misplace the game's original discs.  

Though most of Valve's popular games have been on the market for quite some time, Steam itself offers over 1,100 downloadable games for the computer gaming market from top tier gaming companies like Electronic Arts, Activision, and LucasArts. Fortunately for Mac users, that means that a boatload of games should be well on their way--here's to hoping, anyway. Until then, read on, and take some time to acquaint yourself with this powerful content delivery tool and brush up on your first-person fragging skills.

Before we delve into the grim and gritty of the game client, you might want to check out our last feature story on Steam: The Mac users guide to cool things you can do with Steam.

Preparing your system for Steam

Before you get started we Steam, you've gotta make sure that you have all of the system specifications required to even run the application on your Mac.

Note: The system requirements were pulled for the PC operating system and could differ once Steam is officially launched for Mac OS X. At press time, there was no information available for Mac users. We will update this information once the client is officially released, but  the hardware requirements should be on par with what Mac users will need to be able to handle running Steam on their Macs.

To install and run the Steam client, you'll need a minimum of a 1.2 GHz Intel processor with 256MB of RAM. However, because these minimum system requirements don't always garner maximum results, we'd suggest that you only venture into Valve territory with the "preferred" system configuration. This includes a 2.4 GHz Intel processor and 512MB of RAM, which means that most Mac computers produced after 2007 will be able to run Steam.

It's also important that your main gaming machine is hooked up to a broadband internet connection via Ethernet, rather than through a Wi-Fi connection. This is to ensure that there is no lag when you're playing an online multi-player game like Team Fortress 2.

Preparing to play your Steam games

No game is complete without a keyboard to play on. If you're more of the first-person shooter type of game player, than you'll love the ease of the WASD key system, and the Mac chiclet keyboard is still the best keyboard to use for Mac gaming. However, if you'd rather use a different keyboard, remember that they're all technically compatible with the Mac OS X operating system, though those that come equipped with macro buttons may not work at full functionality because of the lack of drivers. If you're looking for a Mac compatible gaming keyboard that comes with extra macro buttons, we suggest using a Logitech G110.

Now, unlike the chiclet keyboard, the standard Apple mouse will not do wonders for your gaming endeavors. Instead, invest in something like a Razer DeathAdder, which actually comes fully equipped with Mac OS X drivers and can definitely aid you in zooming through your virtual adventures. Also, you'll need a nice, smooth mousepad on which to glide on--SteelSeries makes some pretty large sized mousepads that are perfect for gaming or just simple, everyday browsing.

All games have different system requirements, but there's a great way to ensure that they have at least a chance at running smoothly on your Mac. The target speed for the game--and whether or not it runs on high resolution or low resolution--really depends on the monitor that you have. Apple Cinema Displays will typically run anywhere from a 1600x1024 to a 1920x1200 resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate, which means that your game should run at a healthy 60 frames-per-second, or close to that, for optimum performance.



Some in-game settings can also be detrimental to game performance. The biggest hit is screen resolution--if you don't have the game calibrated to the correct size of your desktop, your game could run at a very slow speed. Typically, 17-inch LCD monitors run at 1280 x 1024, while widescreen runs at 1280 x 960. Anything lower than these two resolutions, and you will probably see some lag in your game play. MacBook Pro owners, your resolution will be defaulted to 1024 x 768. For those running on high res monitors, it would be a good idea to turn off shadows and anti-aliasing, and set the texture to minimum so that your graphics card isn't working overtime to figure out how to render all of the extra stuff in the game. All the necessities of the graphics within the game should already be present, and Valve's games are so light so that they don't need any heavy screen resolution options to properly function.



In regards to the frame rate, it's really important when you launch a game that you don't have any memory hogging processes running in the background--mainly, applications like Photoshop, Firefox and Word. Additionally, Valve suggests that you don't run any anti-virus applications (hey, some Mac users have 'em), P2P and bit torrent clients, or any download accelerators.

Of course, we shouldn't forget to mention that if you have a Mac Pro, you can actual swap out the graphics card to get the maximum performance out of your set up. Apple has this nifty page for upgrading your Mac for games. Head on over and check it out.

Playing your Steam games

The games that will arrive with your new Steam for Mac account are very basic--start off slowly with a game like Portal, then ease gently into first-person shooters with Half-Life 2. When you feel confident enough, a run through the perilous, zombie-ridden streets of Left 4 Dead will help you get acquainted with the fast paced world of online multiplayer. When you feel ready and your brain has been conditioned, it's time to fire up Team Fortress 2 and die a bunch of times.

If you're already a conditioned gamer, well then, we salute you. And we graciously ask you to come join our Steam group.

Getting Stats and Achievements

Stats are one of the features of the Steam community that add another element to the seemingly one dimensional multi-player games. Your individual playing statistics will be tracked by the Steam client while you play games, including your best play time and the last time you've even been online. Stats differ depending on the game you're playing and they're tracked for a lifetime in your personal profile.



Achievements are rewards for completing game objectives that are specific to the title you're playing; for example, killing every single Antelion you encounter in Half-Life 2: Episode 2 will earn you a reward that you can proudly display in your Steam user profile. The idea behind achievements is that there are things you can do in-game to help you receive extra kudos for a game well played. Other players can also receive these achievements if they so desire, or they can simply hone their skills on sniping other players from the perfect distance. We should note that if you are an anti-social gamer and tend to play games offline, achievements will not get counted.

Making friends

Of course, using Steam is also all about making friends in the virtual world. Read on for a quick play-by-play of how you can interact with friends in this versatile gaming client.

Surely you've found a few friends lurking around Steam by now--at least you have the editors at Mac|Life. Say you want to create a group for you and a dozen of your close friends. Go to Community tab, click Groups and then select create a new group. You can also check out groups that your other friends belong to and get invited into their own exclusive club. The best thing about groups is that you can always find people to play with when you're in the mood for a round of Team Fortress 2, without having to add them to your friends list.

Speaking of friends lists, your own friends list gives you information on what your friends like playing and if they're in game, as well as who from your groups is currently engaged in combat. It's also a nifty instant messaging tool and a great way to have private chats. We can guarantee that your most devoted gaming friends will only be reachable by Steam chat.

Perhaps the best thing about Steam is that playing campaign games with your friends in Left 4 Dead 2 actually strengthens your bond. You'll see a side of your friends you never thought you'd see before, like what kind of curse words your friend blurts out at the first sign of a Spitter zombie.

The new product number is MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA.

Current MacBook Air part numbers are 1.86GHz MacBook Air (MC233LL/A) 2.13GHz MacBook Air (MC234LL/A).  Earlier reports said the MacBook Air would recieve the new, ultra low power Intel Core i3 processor, however, Intel has been behind on new processor deliveries lately.

One other request for a new MacBook Air? 4GB of RAM.  Even the lowest end MacBook Pro has 4GB.

Macworld.au also says that the part could refer to an updated Cinema Display, possibly even a 27-inch variety with the same screen as the iMac.  The current LED Cinema Display part number is MB382LL/A.

Or, it could be something else entirely.  Whatever it is, they expect it to make itself known on Tuesday.  Set your alarm clocks!

If you’ve got a Mac with a Mini DisplayPort, you could connect it to Apple’s gorgeous but super-pricey 24-inch LED Cinema Display ($899, apple.com). Or you could pick up an adapter and connect that puppy to the flat-screen TV or third-party monitor you already own.

Dr. Bott's adapter is for video only.

Dr. Bott’s Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter II is a 13-inch-long adapter with a Mini DisplayPort plug on one end and a female HDMI jack on the other. You supply your own HDMI cable, which you can then connect to a TV, monitor, or other display with an HDMI input.

Dr. Bott’s adapter works beautifully, but since it only connects to your Mac’s Mini DisplayPort, it outputs just the 1080p video signal to your display, not the audio. If you can settle for getting audio from your Mac, that’s fine; otherwise, you’ll need a separate audio cable. This seems like a drawback, but it might be a plus if, say, you want to send the Mac’s video output to your HDTV but run the audio through your home stereo.

Kanex's iAdapt 20 can send both video and audio to your TV.

However, some TVs don’t accept a separate audio source when the video source is HDMI--typically, an HDMI cable delivers both audio and video. If that’s the case--or you just don’t want to mess around with a second cable for audio--the Kanex iAdapt 20 is the solution. The 3-foot adapter has a Mini DisplayPort plug as well as a USB plug, and you connect both of those to your Mac. The other end has a female HDMI port, and again you provide your own HDMI cable. Then open your Mac’s Sound Preference panel and set the Output to USB Audio Device, which is the Kanex adapter. The iAdapt 20 then sends both the audio and 1080p video from your Mac to your display--piece of cake! The USB plug provides two-channel audio, but if you need surround-sound audio, Kanex also sells the iAdapt 51 ($69.99, kanexlive.com). It’s similar to the iAdapt 20 but has a third cable for your Mac’s digital audio output. Between the Mini DisplayPort, the USB connector, and the audio cable, you’ll get full HD video and 5.1-channel surround through your display’s HDMI input.

Building a better Mac doesn’t stop with components like RAM. Upgrading your Mac’s peripherals can refresh your entire computing experience, and the only hard part is plunking down a credit card.

Still using your Mac’s original keyboard and mouse--only now they’re covered by a thin layer of finger grime? That display starting to look a little dingy and dull? Is your external hard drive running out of room for all your cat photos, or are you interested in stepping up to a network drive so you can access your files from anywhere?

Upgrading your Mac’s accessories and peripherals is a no-brainer--after all, they’re such an integral part of the Mac experience. Plus, unlike when upgrading internal components, you won’t have to dig around inside your Mac’s case or fumble with a bunch of screws that seem as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Really, the shopping is the hardest part.

As always, we’re here to make it easier with our picks for the best keyboards, mice, all-in-one printers, displays, external hard drives, and network storage. Each category has budget, midrange, and high-end options because as much as we love our Macs, we all still gotta eat.

All-in-One Printers

To get your ideas on paper or to scan papers into your Mac, a jack-of-all-trades printer is just the thing.

HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One

Who says inkjet owners need to lust after laser printers? The Officejet Pro 8500 might invert that expectation with its speedy 35-page-per-minute black and 34-page-per-minute color prints. With up to 1,200 dpi (dots per inch) for black and 4,800 dpi for color, the crisp results stand up to family scrutiny or business presentations. You can even reach it over an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, like a typical laser printer. But a typical laser lacks the Officejet’s individual color cartridges, which let you replace each color as it runs out. Advantage: inkjet all-in-one.

HP · $399.99 · hp.com

Canon Pixma MX340

You got your photo printer in my fax machine! You got your scanner in my copier! This budget printer touches many categories, all great for a home office. There’s a 30-sheet feeder to queue up copies, scans, and faxes, and from your Mac, you can decide whether to print over USB 2.0 or Wi-Fi. You can even print photos from an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, or iPod touch through Wi-Fi. You got your printer in my party trick!

Canon · $99.99 · canon.com

Epson Artisan 810 All-in-One

Like other inkjet all-in-one printers, the Artisan 810 (5 out of 5 stars, Dec/09) prints, scans, faxes, and more. Built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking interfaces let anyone in your household print, even directly onto inkjet DVDs. You can also print from an iPhone over Wi-Fi through the free Epson iPrint app, and the touchscreen panel directly allows printing and copying too. The Artisan is versatile enough for working from home or for doing homework, producing great-looking text and copies.

Epson · $299.99 · epson.com

Keyboards

You touch your keyboard all day long, so you might as well get a nice one.

Matias Tactile Pro 3

You might type more than a thousand words in a single day, so your fingers will thank you for a high-end keyboard. The Tactile Pro 3’s mechanical key switches feel like a clackity dream--but only if you can put up with the sound. Its distinct springs help you hear and feel each key press, which is a striking difference compared with a mushy rubber-membrane keyboard where you can’t always feel if you’ve pushed far enough. In addition to its Mac layout, this keyboard also has markers for all special characters, so you’ll never stab randomly to find an accent, copyright symbol, or Greek omega again.

Matias · $149.95 · matias.ca

Apple Wireless Keyboard

Great design can be more about taking away than adding on. This tiny keyboard (5 out of 5 stars, Mar/08) shaves off nearly all of its extraneous edges to leave just the keys. And that’s really what it’s all about. It even cuts the number pad, but when was the last time you relied on those redundant buttons? More importantly, it cuts away the cable. All that’s left is a battery-powered Bluetooth keyboard with an elegant, aluminum style. Taking things away never felt like such a gain.

Apple · $69 · apple.com

Kensington SlimType Keyboard

Scissors aren’t just for barbers; laptop keyboards usually include a scissor switch in each key. These Y-shaped levers tilt in a similar manner to your stylist’s tools. The SlimType Keyboard takes those sharp key mechanisms to your desktop, so if you like the feel of a MacBook or another laptop’s keyboard, you’ll get nearly the same action. It even adds a number pad, media-playback buttons, and full-sized F-keys. Your fingers will thank you for the short travel distance, plunking down prose like rocks skipping on a glassy lake.

Kensington · $39.99 · kensington.com

Mice

It's an infestation of dreamy point-and-click peripherals.

Kensington SlimBlade Trackball

Mousing can be a chore, especially if you’ve upgraded to a high-resolution screen, say, 1920x1200 or more, or you rock a double-display setup. If that’s you, go for the SlimBlade Trackball (4 out of 5 stars, Jun/09). Spin its meaty sphere, and the pointer effortlessly responds, sprinting across massive monitors. It’s as elegant as it is gentle on your wrist. You can even twist the ball to scroll or click two of its four buttons to enable commands like zooming or pausing iTunes.

Kensington · $129.99 · kensington.com

Apple Magic Mouse

Want to touch the future? Apple’s Magic Mouse (4 out of 5 stars, Jan/10) grafts multitouch gesture commands onto a Bluetooth pointer. It might feel--or sound--clumsy at first; we’re fans of tactile buttons too. But a few simple commands instantly become natural. You can use scroll gestures anywhere on the surface or make swiping motions to browse through certain items, like your iPhoto library. It might even speed up your Mac control while adding a touch of whimsy.

Apple · $69 · apple.com

Logitech Corded Mouse M500

Some days, it feels like wireless technology should’ve come first and wired should’ve been the upgrade. Just plug it in, and it works: no syncing or recharging. The M500 hits this utilitarian target while adding a few extras that should outclass your original pointer. The big, weighted scrollwheel whisks through documents, and you can also tilt to navigate horizontally. Forward and Back buttons help web surfers, and its laser-based sensor delivers excellent movement tracking.

Logitech · $39.99 · logitech.com

Displays

"I can see clearly now. I can see all icons on my display."

LaCie 730 LCD 30-inch

Your Mac is a creative powerhouse. Even your home-office hardware can be good enough to create box-office blockbusters, but you’ll need a high-end display to match. LaCie stakes its reputation on its 2560x1600 730 LCD and its superb color reproduction. The display includes a calibration tool so that you can be absolutely sure that what you see on the screen matches the final look of your movie, magazine, or other visual media. Sure, it’s overkill for most home users, but visual-media pros will see the difference.

LaCie · $3,599.99 · lacie.com

Apple LED Cinema Display 24-inch

Apple’s 1920x1200 LED Cinema Display (4 out of 5 stars, Apr/09) nails both crisp design and bright images. You can connect the Mini DisplayPort plug to any recent Mac Pro, iMac, Mac mini, or Mac laptop, but it won’t work with an older Mac that lacks a Mini DisplayPort connection using Apple’s adapters. Three USB 2.0 ports, built-in speakers, and an iSight camera pile on useful extras. The Cinema Display especially shines with a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air because its built-in MagSafe power connector charges those laptops.

Apple · $899 · apple.com

Dell G2410H 24-inch

Don’t be ashamed, dude--Mac users have been using Dell displays for years. Take a proud stand for value. The G2410H lacks a Mini DisplayPort--Apple’s favorite connector of the moment. It doesn’t even have HDMI. But you do get VGA, DVI, and a great price for this 1920x1080 (1080p) screen. That might seem cheap, but its rich image quality outclasses some competitors with higher costs. And energy-conserving features, such as a light sensor that dims the brightness, can save even more.

Dell · $339 · dell.com

External Hard Drives

With hard drives, size matters, and these three can hold all the junk in your trunk.

OWC Elite-AL Pro mini

Keep your red, typo-correcting pen holstered; that price and size were accurate as we went to press. At that cost, you’ll naturally get every major disk interface possible: FireWire 400/800, USB 2.0, and eSATA. And the paperback-sized enclosure and swank aluminum style look great, but what else is there? Speed and reliability. This solid-state drive blazes through any kind of data, plus it has no moving parts to damage. The combination makes this perfect for ferrying Final Cut Pro edits, photos, and other huge files.

Other World Computing · $849 for 200GB SSD · macsales.com

Data Robotics Drobo S

Any disk drive can add storage, but the Drobo S adds redundancy and flexibility. Normally with redundant disks--think RAID--you have to add pairs of like-sized drives at the same time. But with the Drobo S, you can install any size SATA drive at any time, mixing and matching to create a storage box that makes automatic duplicates and backups. (Some configurations already include storage.) Its FireWire 800, USB 2.0, and eSATA connections give you speedy access to huge files.

Data Robotics · $799 without storage · drobo.com

Western Digital My Book for Mac

Hard drives are cheap, but your data is priceless. The MyBook for Mac makes a great Time Machine backup disk, or you can just use it for additional storage. It’s a sleek, sturdy drive that connects via the USB 2.0 found on nearly any Mac. And an optional hardware-based security tool protects your data from theft. Just enter your password when you plug it in, and the drive will unlock its 256-bit encryption. It can even install the decryption utility first if you connect it to a new computer.

Western Digital · $139.99 for 1TB · wdc.com

Network Hard Drives

Cut the cable: A network hard drive lets you access your files from any computer in the house.

HP MediaSmart Server EX495

The MediaSmart Server hits every major feature Mac users would want, including Time Machine support and iTunes streaming. This Gigabit Ethernet server has room for four total internal disks, plus you can connect four more through USB 2.0 or one via eSATA. You can even stream files online to an iPhone. But one aspect might draw boos: It runs Windows Home Server. While you’ll have to initially configure the system from a PC (or in Boot Camp), we think Windows Home Server can actually be a boon because you can keep adding additional features through software.

HP · $699.99 for 1.5TB · hp.com

Promise SmartStor Zero

Network storage can get needlessly complicated, but Promise aims to simplify your files. While you can optionally install a small utility, you’ll mostly just plug the SmartStor Zero into your network and go, configuring it through a web browser. It supports most major protocols--including Samba and AFP--so it works well on Macs and other systems. You can send it Time Machine backups, serve iTunes media, and stream files to living room devices. And you can remotely access it online to use your files and media wherever you are.

Promise · $399 for 2TB · promise.com

LaCie Network Space 2

In multi-Mac households, plugging the Network Space 2 into your network via Ethernet gives disk access to everyone. You can use it for typical network file storage, including allocating private areas to certain family members. Or let Time Machine connect to it for network backups. You can even plug in a USB 2.0 disk to directly back up this drive. But we like its media features the best. The drive serves iTunes music and can stream media files to network devices, such as an Xbox 360, PS3, or that newfangled Ethernet-enabled TV you just bought.

LaCie · $189.99 for 1TB · lacie.com

Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• What you can expect from iPad digital magazines
  ” Although I have yet to hear any official iPad plans from my two favorite magazines—The New Yorker and G-Fan—I’m still quite eager to see what publishers will be bringing our way. Although some video…” MORE »
• Appletell reviews the Samson G-Track USB microphone
  “Provides: USB microphone and instrument input Developer: Samson Minimum Requirements: USB port Price: $232.49 Availability: Now Choosing the right tools to capture audio can be difficult. An audio interface is flexible in that it can accept…” MORE »
• Apple lets you buy apps for others with “Gift This App” feature
  ” Apple has enabled another payment option on the App Store called “Gift This App.”  It does exactly what you’d expect it to; it gives you a way to give a specific app as a gift. Finally, a way…” MORE »
• Steve Jobs himself reveals info on upcoming MacBook Pros, more
  ” Steve Jobs certainly has a way with words even through his emails. While most of his random responses to the probably large amounts of emails he receives on a normal basis are no more than a sentence,…” MORE »
• iPad (of paper) available now
  “Critics have claimed that Apple’s new iPad is nothing more than a bigger iPod touch. But is that being a bit too generous? Let’s push that limited line of thinking even further and consider whether the iPad isn’t really, in fact, a…” MORE »
• Exclusive: Intellivision coming to the iPad by April 3rd
  ”“Once you compare, you’ll know.” It was true of Intellivision vs. Atari 30 years ago, and it’ll hopefully be true of the iPad vs. pretty much everything else come April 3rd. So, why not bring the two together in a perfect marriage between…” MORE »
• Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - March 22, 2010
  “Macintosh and iPhone/iPod/iPad product updates and announcements for March 22, 2010:  Macintosh iPod Macintosh .com Solutions Inc. has released FmPro Migrator Platinum Edition 5.57…” MORE »
• Rumor: 27-inch LED Cinema Display coming in June?
  ” We’ve had a 27-inch iMac available for around five months now, and the 24-inch LED Cinema Display is starting to look a little lonely all on its own on the Apple Store. The easiest solution happily…” MORE »
• Amazon Kindle app coming to the iPad
  ” After just last week releasing a Kindle application for Mac OS X, Amazon has now announced the same for the iPad. Apparently, they are in the process of creating an application that would not only allow you to…” MORE »
• The Ten games I most want to play on the iPad (Part 2)
  “We’re now less than two weeks out from getting our iPads, and you’re all ready to go, right? Stocked up on games to try out? Got your favorites on the home screen? Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be 100% playable. Apple…” MORE »

Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

We’ve had a 27-inch iMac available for around five months now, and the 24-inch LED Cinema Display is starting to look a little lonely all on its own on the Apple Store. The easiest solution happily fits some recent rumors, and AppleInside has been fortunate enough to land some information that, if sources are to be trusted, should shine a light on the scenario.

Almost every day I see someone on Twitter wishing there was a bigger Cinema Display available—that 24-inches of screen real estate just isn’t enough for some tasks. It certainly seems as though the demand is there, and thanks to the 27-inch iMac, so is the ability to produce the product. According to AppleInsider’s source, Apple has had plans to launch a 27-inch LED Cinema Display for some time, but decided to hold off in the hope that LCD panels would drop in price, making them more affordable to the market. That time, and lower price, will apparently soon be upon us. June is the month set by the seemingly nameless source. If I had to guess for when Apple would introduce the display to the market, I, too, would say June. It would be a nice touch to add to the World Wide Developers Conference, don’t you think? Here’s what we’ve got planned for developers, and how about a bigger display to work with?

It’s almost inevitable that Apple will release a 27-inch LED Cinema Display to the masses at some point in the near future, and June is now the favorite for a launch. I’m sure many will be glad to see the larger display available. After all, a 24-inch monitor just doesn’t work right when alongside a 27-inch iMac.

Read [AppleInsider]

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

What would you consider the "best" monitor for Macs...for a [good] price?

I've been buying monitors for small to mid-size companies for awhile and have one each of a Sharp, Dell, Samsung, Apple and HP monitor in my house so I feel like I have a bit of experience in the area.

Disclaimer: If you are a professional artist, you are going to want something else.  There are a lot out there, but this recommendation isn't for you.

Dell has the best value in monitors and has for the last few years.  They aren't built like Apple displays but they are very solid and look good. 

If every penny counts, you can find the Dell 1600x900 20" display out there every once in awhile for $89.  But really, for $40 more you can step up to 1080P resolution.

I say this cold: No one should have anything less than a 1080P 1920x1080 screen on their desktops.  You can buy a 22" 1080P display for $129 with free shipping on sale at Dell every once in awhile (currently $149).  If it isn't on sale, you can usually find it refurbished for that price or less.   Here's a Samsung equivalent (same hardware+$50) as a mediacenter display which works great for Blu-Ray movies at about 4-8 feet away.  This is basically the same display (size/pixels/aspect ratio) as the $1000+iMac 22" without LED lighting.  The viewing angles aren't what you'll get in a more expensive display and the color takes a little calibration (2 minutes, very easy) but you have a 1080P display on your desk for less than the price of a parking ticket in most cities. 

But that's not the best inexpensive monitor you can buy right now.  Dell makes the SP2309W, 23" "better than HD" 2048x1152 display with HDMI, VGA and DVI inputs, 4 port USB Hub, cable management, Webcam and analog audio I/O.  It also looks great with a "not as glossy as Apple's" 23-inch display.  It doesn't have internal audio, but I'd rather use external speakers (for another day's review) for sound.  They have a $10 sound bar you could get but I wouldn't reccomend it. 

The SP2309W hits every sweet spot for me and you can currently get it for $229+Free shipping at Dell.  Compare that to Apple's $900 Cinema Display with fewer pixels and ports. (yes it is lovely and has power for MacBooks, etc.)

The viewing angles are great but it also has an adjustable arm in the back for both angle and height (Apple's are angle only).  I've had this monitor as my main display since Apple botched its Mini DisplayPort to dual DVI adapter part over a year ago.

I won't lie.  I miss the old 16:10 ratio of the 1920x1200 displays.  I think they are better for computer use (16:9 obviously better for movies) but there are only a few vendors still selling those displays and they are usually overpriced and clunky.  What's great about the bigger 2048x1152 display is that you get all of the pixels of the 1920x1200,but at a 16:9 ratio.

This display also don't require Apple's horrific $100 Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter.  It works with the standard Mini Displayport-DVI (or VGA or HDMI) cable which are $5-$15. 

I have an older, second-hand 30-inch Apple Cinema Display in my basement that works fine with Dual DVI Macs but keeps going fuzzy with the newer DisplayPort Macs.  The adapter has been replaced a few times but works the same each time and Apple, after over a year on the market, still doesn't have a fix. Until Apple fixes this part, I can't recommend anything with more pixels than this Dell display without native DisplayPort built in like this Dell or the 27-inch iMac. 

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Reports suggest Apple is preparing a pair of new products - a new version of its LED Cinema Display and a 12-core Mac Pro.