Whenever there’s an Apple event, there’s a feeling of tons of information being thrown at you all at once. Let’s try to get through it together.
While not the first thing mentioned, Mac OS 10.9 aka Mavericks is absolutely one of the most important. Mavericks is designed to be a more dynamic OS, freeing up systems resources in assorted ways. In one example, Apple says if you have eight hours of battery life, expect nine. Time will tell if this is true.
I can see your house from here.
I’m a bit baffled by Apple’s promotion of tagging in Finder, as no one seems to use Labels. Tighter iCloud integration, an updated calendar, the addition of a desktop Maps and iBooks client, and a thousand other features are all great, but nothing compares to the biggest deal: Price. For the first time since 10.0, Mac OS is free. If you have 10.6 or up, go to the App store and download Mavericks (as long as you have hardware at least as recent as 2007). It’s available today.
It’s off to iWork we go.
Both of Apple’s signature software suites, iLife and iWork, have undergone major updates. The packages are now native 64 bit on iOS and MacOS. New UI changes in iPhoto make it look a bit more like a tablet interface, and the tablet version now allows you to order Photobooks. GarageBand has has new features like “Drummer,” which sounds like an intelligent drum machine. iMovie has a Movie Theater mode, where content you create will be synced across devices (including AppleTV) via iCloud. Productivity suite iWork has undergone a massive face lift and added a feature many have been waiting for since iWork in the Cloud went beta: Collaboration.
Now you can collaborate with your friends, even if they don’t have a Mac, all thanks to the magic of iCloud. If you think this sounds a lot like Google Docs, you’re right. The difference, of course, is Apple’s visual elements and tying it all to your AppleID instead of Google account. Like OS 10.9, iWork is available to download today, and is free. That absolutely has to sting for those who have been using iWork for years now. iLife is free with a new device, as always, and can be purchased for existing devices via the App Store.
“On the count of three, we turn and draw our weapons!”
The MacBook Pro line got a much-desired update, sticking Intel’s fourth generation Haswell chip under the hood, as well as Intel’s Iris graphics system. The Haswell chip has been widely praised for extending battery life, and the 13″ MacBook Pro is now reported to clock in at an impressive nine hours. Apple has stuck a Retina Display in both the 13″ and 15″ models, which would be enough to be excited about were it not for the fact that Apple has also reduced the price. The base model 13″ now goes for $1,299 (a $200 reduction). Another big deal is availability as both models are available to order today.
The Mac Pro finally has a price, launch window, and solid specs. As anyone who’s ever used an Apple Pro device can guess, it ain’t cheap. The price of $2,999 gets you the base model. That base model has a 3.7 GHz quad-core Xeon processor, 12 GB RAM, Dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics, and a 256 GB SSD. Impressively, the machine is said to be as quiet as a Mac Mini, making it a great machine for content production. None of that prevents it from looking a bit like a tall, high-end ashtray though.
Tell me it doesn’t. C’mon!
The Mac Pro is not intended for the average consumer. If the price isn’t a dead giveaway, the specs should be; this is not a machine for casual use. You know what is awesome for casual use though? Tablets.
Thou very much shalt covet.
The most recent iPad model has been replaced by a new model, officially named the iPad Air. iPad names have been a mess ever since what should have been called the iPad 3 was called iPad with Retina Display. Even better, the Air is actually thinner and lighter at just one pound. This is an insane achievement for a 10″ tablet. The Air is more than a pretty face; running the 64 bit A7 chip, it’s crazy powerful. Starting at $499, the Air may make it worth upgrading from your existing iPad.
The iPad 2 still available, making it the last current Apple device with a Dock connector instead of the new Lightning connector. Take the lack of Retina Display into account, and one has to wonder how Apple justifies $399 for this bit of aging hardware, especially in an age of affordable 10″ laptops from competing vendors with better screens (Nexus 10 and Amazon Kindle Fire, for example). The answer is likely apps, but it may not seem obvious to everyone.
Meanwhile, the iPad Mini is available, with a price knocked down to $299. This is the cheapest price for a new iPad. You may want to spring the extra $100. Bloggers have been going on and on about wanting a Retina Display on the Mini and come November, they’ll have a chance to put their money where their mouths are with the iPad Mini 2, as seen at the top of this article. Running the same A7 as the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air, the only thing mini about this sucker is the size.
As an aside, it was interesting watching the stream and seeing Tim Cook sneer playfully about competitors trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs. Those hoping for a touch-friendly iMac may be out of luck for some time. Then again, Apple used to make those same shots at 7″ tablets. Now they make two of them.
As for those wanting a wearable device, no such luck this time around. Keep iWatching for future Apple events though.
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