Apple Releases new iMacs
Apple has launched a new line of Mac a day before Microsoft is set to release Windows 7. Apple's new iMacs have the latest Core i7 and i5 processors and a new "Magic Mouse". They also feature larger screen sizes (21.5 inches and 27 inches). The screens also have a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution as well as a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Apple's new mouse features multi touch technology allowing you to control everything using gestures such as pinching to zoom. This is similar to the trackpad found on Apple's laptops. The new iMac also has more USB ports and an SD card slot. The new Mac is also wall mountable showing how Apple is designing their computers more and more for the living rooms.
7 Reasons Why Macs are Better than PCs
Judging by the overwhwelming response I got from all these people in my last post. I thought I would even the argument out a little. Here are 7 Reasons why a Mac is better than a PC.
1. Almost No Viruses
The majority of Mac users don't even have an anti virus. This is because there are very few viruses out there for Macs. This is due to the fact that there are more PCs in the world so people only want to make viruses which can spread quicker. This makes a PC the medium of choice. This is great news for Mac users who don't need an additional anti virus which means there is no additional program to slow their computer down and eat up RAM. There is a built in security to stop viruses if they do come. This is of course free as opposed to Microsoft's Live One Care.
2. Heaps of Software Built In
Macs come with so much useful software built in to them. These are mainly part of the iLife suite which includes things like iMovie, iPhoto and Garageband. These pieces of software are so much better than their PC alternatives as they are easy to use and not to mention free. For designers, the software they need is much cheaper than any comparable software on PCs and it is the same, if not more powerful. Take for example Final Cut Studio which is cheaper than Adobe's Premiere. This makes a Mac almost ready to go as soon as you buy it.
7 Reasons Why PCs are Better than Macs.
Lately Apple has gained a lot of popularity everywhere. Many people are talking about switching from windows to mac and I have been in countless arguments over which is better. Note: I will write an article later about why Macs are better than PCs just to be fair.
1. Customisability
PCs are infinitely more customisable than Macs. It is very simple to build your own computer, choosing the exact parts you need to suit your needs. There are infinite combinations and choice when it comes to making a PC. If you don't want to make one, there are heaps of people who will make one for you to suit your own needs. Retailers such as Dell and HP also offer many options to customise a PC. Macs however are very limited. They often don't use the latest hardware for about a year while PCs have already had them. You don't see any Macs with Core i7's inside them. Any extras you want to add on will cost you a fortune for example adding an extra 4GB of RAM will cost you around $800 but if you had a PC, a similar upgrade for 4GB of DDR3 will cost a maximum of $200 but can be had for $150. This makes a PC much more affordable. There is so much choice out there as to parts that you can make it look however you want. Apple only offers a few variations of their computers with little customisation options at a price set way too high. Not to mention the premium you pay for the Apple logo.
2. Hardware and Software Compatibility
Microsoft’s Secret Tablet

It feels like the whole world is holding its breath for the Apple tablet. But maybe we've all been dreaming about the wrong device. This is Courier, Microsoft's astonishing take on the tablet.
Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.
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Until recently, it was a skunkworks project deep inside Microsoft, only known to the few engineers and executives working on it—Microsoft's brightest, like Entertainment & Devices tech chief and user-experience wizard J. Allard, who's spearheading the project. Currently, Courier appears to be at a stage where Microsoft is developing the user experience and showing design concepts to outside agencies.
End of the iPod era
This month, Apple released an upgrade to its iPod line. But amid the hype surrounding its careful marketing and intentional secrecy about the content of the launch, a different truth is emerging: that we are seeing the twilight of the stand-alone digital music player (DMP), a product category little more than 10 years old.
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That does not mean digital music players will vanish. Quite the opposite: the sector is still growing. Increasingly, though, the products have some sort of connectivity — whether wi-fi, mobile phone, Bluetooth or all three.
But if you look closely, signs the stand-alone player is in decline are all around. The first, and most obvious, was Apple's announcement in its latest quarterly results that iPod sales fell year-on-year for the first time since the product's launch in October 2001. As the iPod dominates the market for DMPs, any drop in its sales indicates a fall in the market.
Apple Unveils new iPods
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Apple has unveiled its new iPod range. It includes an iPod nano with basically the same appearance as the previous generation but it has a video camera and the shell is made of polished aluminium making it nice and shiny. It also features a slightly larger screen (2.2") and built in FM radio with Live Pause, an inbuilt pedometer, inbuilt microphone for voice memos and the same Voice Over feature which says the name of the song you are listening to as the iPod shuffle.
Apple also has introduced new colours (including polished steel) for its iPod Shuffle as well as lowering the price of its iPod touch to AU$268 and introducing a new 64Gb model for A$549 and featuring the same voice control system as the iPhone and including the Apple earphones with the remote and mic attached.
As well as this, the new version of iTunes was announced. It includes an iTunes store redesign and a new feature called iTunes LP which allows artists to include interactive features with albums such as lyrics, album info etc. here is a full list of all the new features:
http://www.apple.com/au/itunes/whats-new/
The capacity of the iPod Classic has been upped to 160GB instead of the 120Gb.
Microsoft Releases pricing for new Zune HD

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp put its new Zune HD digital music and video player on sale on Thursday, pricing it below comparable Apple Inc iPod devices, in an attempt to claw some market share away from the dominant leader.
The devices, which are available for pre-order but won't hit shelves until September 15, are priced at $219.99 for the 16 gigabyte version and $289.99 for the 32 gigabyte version. Comparable iPod Touch players are priced at $299 and $399 respectively.
A 16-gigabyte player typically holds about 4,000 songs.
Microsoft's new Zune HD is slimmer than previous version and has a touch screen for the first time. The range comes in five colors and has a built-in radio receiver, Wi-Fi, and can display high-definition video to a big screen.
Source: Reuters
Microsoft Planning to Release online version of Office 2010 for FREE!
Microsoft Corp will release three versions of its dominant Office software that users can access over the Web, catching up with products that rival Google Inc launched three years ago.
It is the latest salvo in an intensifying war between Microsoft and Google. Google announced plans last week to challenge Windows with a free operating system. Microsoft introduced a new search engine, Bing, last month.
"Microsoft is finally making the conversion through the Web-based world. First, we saw that through Bing. Now we are seeing that through Office," said Jefferies & Co analyst Katherine Egbert.
Microsoft will offer for free to consumers Web-based versions of its Office suite of programs, including a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and a note-taking program.
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6 in 10 companies plan to skip Windows 7
Six in 10 companies in a survey plan to skip the purchase of Microsoft Corp's Windows 7 computer operating system, many of them to pinch pennies and others over concern about compatibility with their existing applications.
Windows 7 will be released October 22, but has already garnered good reviews, in contrast to its disappointing current version, Windows Vista.
Many of the more than 1,000 companies that responded to a survey by ScriptLogic Corp say they have economized by cutting back on software updates and lack the resources to deploy Microsoft's latest offering.
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Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Pricing
Microsoft has released more details about its long awaited OS, Windows 7. The original release date is October 22 where Windows will be released in the 14 most common languages. More languages will be released on October 31. It will first be launched in Australia and New Zealand and follow the sun around the world basically.
The pricing is less than Vista thankfully and the full Ultimate version will cost AU$469 instead of the AU$799 for Vista Ultimate. But you can also buy the OEM version of Windows 7 which will be alot cheaper. This is fro people who build their own computer however. The pricing on OEMs hasn't been released but judging from Vista OEM pricing it will be huge.
Vista Ultimate cost AU$799 while the OEM version could be had for AU$280. This is a huge drop in price. Upgrade versions of Vista were more expensive than the OEM. Full Pricing is as follows:
Windows 7 Home Premium: AU$299 (Full) AU$199 (Upgrade)
Windows 7 Professional: AU$449 (Full) AU$399 (Upgrade)
Windows 7 Ultimate: AU$469 (Full) AU$429 (Upgrade)
As you can see the difference between the full version and upgrade version becomes quite small when you look at the Ultimate version. Also the price difference between Professional and Ultimate is very small. I am sure most people would pay the extra $20 to get the Ultimate version.
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