There has been speculation of late of Apple considering the launch of a “low cost” MacBook of some kind, and a leaker today suggests that it could take the form of a 12-inch MacBook – as well a 13-inch one specifically geared to the education market.
There have been similar suggestions from other sources, though all have been vague, and all of the sources have rather variable records …
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Although it’s been possible for some time to turn an old Mac into a Chromebook, Google has now made the process easier than ever. You can even run Chrome OS from a USB key if you’re not sure whether you want to remove macOS.
Chrome OS is designed to be an extremely lightweight operating system, which can breathe new life into older hardware that is struggling to keep up with today’s demands. That’s true, but I’d still suggest that most owners of older Macs shouldn’t do it …
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It appears that Google was inspired by Apple when it comes to the benefits of custom-designed chips. The company had already confirmed that the upcoming Pixel 6 smartphone will have a Google-designed System on a Chip (SoC), and a new report today says that the company is taking the same approach for future Chromebooks.
Google’s decision is said to have been prompted by Apple’s success with its M1 Macs …
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If you have MacBook tastes but a Chromebook budget, Macworld says you needn’t despair: with a bit of configuring, you can create a pseudo MacBook …
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Microsoft shifted its focus when it introduced the Surface Pro 3 last year to target both the iPad and the MacBook, but today the company announced a more consumer level iPad-like version of its tablet simply called the Surface 3 with the same $499 starting price as the iPad Air 2.
Google also unveiled a collection of new competitively priced hardware including new Chromebooks and a Chromebit HDMI running Chrome OS for under $100 …
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Following the launch of the current Mac mini in October of last fall, we noted that Apple had removed an option to purchase the entry-level Mac with 2TB of storage. It appears Apple has listened to feedback, and now users can, once again, buy a Mac mini with 2TB of storage. According to our digging into web archives, the 2TB option returned for the priciest Mac mini model in mid-December, right around the Christmas holidays. The 2TB Fusion Drive upgrade costs a $100 more than the 1TB drive, and it requires the machine to be built-to-order. Thanks, Bartosz for the initial find.
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Amazon Gold Box – up to 70% off SanDisk memory cards: microSD 32GB $13, 64GB $25, $128GB $90, more
Klipsch KMC3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker w/remote: $155 shipped (orig. $400)
PSA: this is your last chance to get in on the official Xbox One price drop
Giveaway: Henge Docks Gravitas iPhone 6/Plus dock made from solid zinc alloy ($69 value)
Last Call updates:
When it first launched in 2005, the Mac mini was almost unimaginably small. The original aim of the machine was to convert owners of desktop Windows machines. Because those people already owned monitors, keyboards and other peripherals, selling them just the computer itself would enable them to switch to Mac for far less than the cost of buying an iMac.
The typical Windows desktop box of that era looked like this:
A system unit that measured just 6.5 inches square and only 2-inches thick was an incredible feat of engineering. Today, however, it looks rather less impressive …
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Toshiba’s new Chromebook at CES looks a lot like LG, Samsung, and HP notebooks from IFA. “Leading Innovation”
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Editor’s note: As noted in the graph above, the numbers in this article refer only to the commercial channel, as NPD does not measure direct sales. Some of the language below has been updated to clarify this point.
A new release from the NPD Group indicates that notebooks running Google’s Chrome OS have gained significant ground in the past year, with Google’s free operating system managing to overtake Apple’s entire lineup of MacBooks for the first time. According to the statistics, Chromebooks outsold Apple’s notebooks in the consumer channel at an over five-to-one margin.
Of course, it should be noted that the numbers presented don’t take built-to-order machines into account, instead relying on sales of pre-configured options, but even with custom orders included the numbers indicate a significant shift in consumer notebook selection. Luckily for Apple, the biggest hit seems to be to Microsoft, whose notebooks lost a significant 8% of the market to Google.
Google’s putting a lot of energy behind its packaged apps these days as the company continues to push Chromebook to the masses. Now, it appears that the company is building a toolkit to help developers create similar style Chrome apps for both Android and iOS.
From 9to5Toys.com:
A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
Also check out the latest 9to5Mac Happy Hour to hear the latest 9to5Toys segment. During the show, there’s a mention of $50 video conversion software currently available for free and the VPN service proXPN.com available at a 20% discount.
Today’s Featured deals:
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Today only get a free game or movie rental from any Redbox kiosk with codes GAMES3B / DVD3B
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) August 1, 2013
From 9to5Toys.com:
A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+
Today’s Featured deals:
Other great deals we love:
Rockstar releases first gameplay trailer for Grand Theft Auto V: Rockstar has released the… http://t.co/yyZEXzCn2e
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 9, 2013
Amped Wireless begins accepting preorders for the first long-range 802.11ac router: AC… http://t.co/zfnJEsvjjq
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 8, 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j-XTpdDDXiU
The rumors were true: Google just announced the Chromebook Pixel. It’s a 12.85-inch touchscreen Chromebook with a 2,560-by-1,700 display that packs in “the highest pixel density (239 pixels per inch) of any laptop screen on the market today.”
Let’s start with the screen. This Chromebook has the highest pixel density (239 pixels per inch) of any laptop screen on the market today. Packed with 4.3 million pixels, the display offers sharp text, vivid colors and extra-wide viewing angles. With a screen this rich and engaging, you want to reach out and touch it—so we added touch for a more immersive experience. Touch makes it simple and intuitive to do things like organize tabs, swipe through apps and edit photos with the tip of your finger.
Go to 9to5Google for all the details.
As for the chances of Apple ever making a touchscreen notebook, Steve Jobs made it very clear at the 2010 MacBook Air refresh event that Apple did “tons of user testing” and concluded “it doesn’t work. It’s ergonomically terrible.”
We’ve done tons of user testing on this and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical. It gives great demo. But after a short period of time you start to fatigue, and after an extended period of time your arm wants to fall off. It doesn’t work. It’s ergonomically terrible. Touch surfaces want to be horizontal. Hence, pads.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmlH59yKpqY&start=690]
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The price is right, and the processor is an interesting choice (ARM), but unfortunately, the look is unmistakably Apple.
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