Patently Apple, a website that specializes in tracking patent applications submitted by Apple, dug up recently indications of what an iMac/iPad hybrid might look like.  The patent describes how the computer would shift from being a regular Mac when the display is close to being vertical to being an iPad-like device when the display is moved into a slanted position. I don’t expect this to really be what an iMac/iPad hybrid device will look like or really function.  A much more likely scenario would be for the Mac to be able to display iPad and iPhone applications in their own floating windows...

Patently Apple has dug up a set of Apple patent request submissions that clearly show a notebook with a touch screen.  While this does not necessarily mean that such a computer is just around the corner, it is yet another indication that the multi-touch interface will eventually find its way into OS X and the Mac. I have written about this in the past and the continuing success of the iPad only gives me more conviction about this.  What we could be seeing in a future update to OS X is a set of small changes which would make the basic operating system interface a bit more touch-friendly so that you...

Mariner Software, maker of several well known titles for the Mac such as StoryMill, MacJournal and Mariner Calc is having a huge, but short sale to commemorate its twentieth birthday. All software products are being offered with a 4o% price reduction.  This sale will end today, so you might want to check out their website and their products to see if there is anything of particular interest and application for...

The news is out that Microsoft plans to release the new version of its flagship productivity suite for the Mac in late October.  Office:mac 2011 will bring out a reworked interface which Microsoft believes to better integrate its ribbon concept with the native Mac toolbar standards. New in Office:mac 2011 is the appearance of Outlook in place of Microsoft’s previous email client for the Mac which was called Entourage.  As with Office 2008 for the Mac, the current version of the product, Microsoft will have specially priced editions for students and an academic...

In a day of Mac-related announcements Apple introduced a new 27 inch Cinema display with built-in iSight camera, speakers and microphone.  This display has a MagSafe  charger built-in as well as a 3 port USB hub. The ability to use the monitor as the power supply for a MacBook or MacBook Pro, as well as the hub USB functionality turn the monitor itself in a simple and efficient docking station for your Apple notebook. The new display will be available in September and will cost $999.  Apple has also reduced the price of the 24 inch Cinema Display to...

Apple released today the Magic Trackpad, a touchpad input device for desktops that supports all the multi-touch gestures that you can use on the MacBooks, many of which have been popularized by the iPhone and the iPod Touch. This is the next step in Apple’s slow but sure march towards making OS X applications become touch and gesture aware.  While the Magic mouse already offered some support for touch gestures, it can easily be argued that its surface is too small to make a practical touch interface. The new Magic Trackpad has look that is consistent with Apple’s keyboards and has clearly...

Apple has introduced today new models in the iMac and Mac Pros.  The new models use Intel’s Core i3, i5 and i7 and have new graphics cards. The iMac traded the NVIDIA graphics cards for new ATI RADEON models.  The basic iMac model comes with a  500 GB hard drive and a RADEON 4670, while most other models come with a 1 TB hard drive and use the RADEO 5670. All models come with 4GB of RAM by default and a 27 inch, build to order model with a quad-core i7 is available from $1999.

Another rumor that started circulating today is that an update to Apple’s iLife suite will be coming out in August.  This might be just an unsubstantiated rumor brought along by the fact that Apple did not release a new version of the application suit in the last year, but it is a mighty interesting rumor nonetheless. This rumor includes the notion that a new application will be included  in the suite, though no information is available on just what that application might be.  We’ll just have to wait and see if there is any substance to this...

Over the past couple of weeks evidence has been gathering that updates to the desktop Mac lines might be eminent.  First it was the Mac Pro that had some models listed as unavailable for in-store reservations.  Now, its the iMac that has started being listed as unavailable. The all-in-one iMac and the expandable Mac Pro have been due for an update for some time, as the smallish Mac mini was updated more than a month ago.  We can expect to see a general revision on the graphics cards across the board in the new models, but what other upgrades or changes we might see is still...

Despite all the iPhone 4 frenzy, this seems like a week full of Mac rumors.  A rumor has been circulating widely today that upcoming versions of both the iMac and the Mac Pro will have USB 3.0 ports as well as faster Firewire ports. With external disk size being now measured in the Terabytes, it seems like a good idea to add faster peripheral connectivity to the new desktop macs.  In fact it would not be a bad thing for the next generation of MacBooks either as pocket hard drives have also reached the 1 TB mark. Faster interface ports are so a great thing for everyone that does video editing as they...