Rumors: MacNano & iTunesHD

October 5, 2007   0 Comments
A few rumors are flying around the mac centered blog sites out there. In the last 24 hours these inside sources have been reporting that the MacMini will be retired and give way to the new MacNano, HD movies making their way into the iTunes Store, and even Leopard may be released in Q4 2007, rather then Q1 2008! A series of Apple events would introduce each of these rumors and new products from today to mid-december, just intime for the last minute holiday rush.

Rumor #1: MacNano
This new entry-level mac will measuere about 2/3 of the high of the Nano, shrinking the volume by nearly 25%. Entertainmac anticipated the new dimensions to be about 2 stacked AppleTV's. It will still support an internal optical drive, 60GB and 80GB hard-drives, and we would expect 802.11N wireless capacities. The most shocking however is the rumored starting price tag of $250. It sounds to us like the AppleTV and Mini platforms are melding together on this one.

Rumor #2: iTunesHD
This rumor seems more feasible then the last, as HD video are long over due for the iTunes Store. With HD Discs available from everywhere from the Piggly Wiggly to Albertson's, and Macs/AppleTV's handling HD Capacities there is no logic behind not having HD quality movies available. The rumor floating around specifically points to a selection of movies with an increased resolution. Currently 640x480, this falls short HD capacities, but users out there have already been importing 1280x720 (720p) videos to their HTPC's and AppleTVs for some time now.

Rumor #3: OS-X Leopard
Lastly, we return back to OS-X Leopard. Originally scheduled to be released Q2, Leopard has been pushed back to Q4, and some even point to Q1 of 2008. With the rapid release of recent developer builds of OS-X Leopard, it appears apples is ramping up the changes and finding their way to a final product sooner then anticipated. ThinkSecret and AppleInsider both point to release dates of October 26th. Amazon.com has been pre-selling Leopard for several months now, if you don't want to be one of the midnight release fan-boys.

Labels: AppleTV, iTunes Store, MacMini, Rumors

MacMini not Dead, Just Refreshed!

August 7, 2007   0 Comments
We are excited to report that the MacMini is not Dead! From what we can tell the refresher centers around the introduction of the 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor now seated in the MacMini's. Compliment this with up to a 160GB hard drive (up from 80GB) and you got a nice little HTPC in the making. The one downside, it it still lists the old 802.11g Airport Extreme card for wireless networking. We were hoping to get that upgrade, like the rest of the Apple line-up.

Features:
- 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- Apple Remote with Front Row
- Up to 160GB hard drive
- iLife ’08, Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger (included with every new mac purchase)

The MacMini is available for customization and purchase starting at $599.00, just like the previous models.

We knew something was up when after presentation during the Q&A after the Mac Press Event today, that there was no mention of the MacMini.... to which Tim replied:

"We're refreshing the Mac mini today."

Labels: Apple, Event, Hardware, MacMini

H-Squared - New Mounts

February 21, 2007   0 Comments H-Squared has released 2 new products to their Mini Mount line. Their laser-cut acrylic mounts a sleek, low profile, and clean up your installations.

Air Mount:
Designed for the Airport Extreme, this low-profile design allows you the flexibility of mounting on a wall or under a flat surphase. Its 6.35mm cast acrylic is strong yet nearly invisible to the lameman. The design doesn't interfear or block any of the wireless signal. For those modder's out there they also offer a backlit verion. The standard mount will run you $37.99, while the backlit version will run $52.99.

Mini Shelf:
Using the previous generation mount, the Minishelf adds an extra level of security for your Mini, with a security bar along the back side. This new design is also stackable, meaning you can stack your mini with your external drives, or airport extreme. The shelf mounts horizontally to be sure you mini, stays put. The standard mount will run you $44.99. Not to shabby of you want to hide your mini.

Labels: MacMini