New Macs outshined by a mouse

By Alexander Villafania INQUIRER.NET MANILA, Philippines â Two months since it launched its latest operating system, the Snow Leopard, Apple has been ramping up its presence in the market. Just r ecently, it introduced a new set of Macintoshes, breaking its mold of having to introducing these devices separately. In the Philippines, the company launched two new iMacs â a 21.5-inch and a 27-i nch model, a 13.3-inch MacBook, and a reinvigorated Mac mini. But the most anticipated hardware product for Apple's computer line is its new Magic Mouse. During the local press event, an Apple representatative showcased the new featu res of the new devices. For instance, the new two new iMacs are powered by Inte l Core 2 Duo processors, as well as integrated with much more powerful graphics processors (NVIDIA GeForce 256 megabyte 9400M or ATI Radeon HD 4670 for the 21 .5-inch, and a Radeon HD 4670 or Radeon HD 4850 512 MB for the 27-inch model). Unlike before, the two iMacs also have 4 Gigabytes of memory already, unlike be fore when the previous iteration of the iMac only had 1 or 2 Gb memory. The new iMacs also come with standard 500 Gb hard disk drives, nearly double of from t he original models. Aside from sporting larger screens than their predecessors, another feature of the new iMac are their lower prices: the 21.5-inch is P65,990 while the 27-inch is P81,990, nearly ten thousand less than their previous versions. The new Mac mini is also priced lower at P65,990 and is powered by a faster 2.2 Gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, as well as an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M for g raphics intensive applications. Despite its small size, the Mac mini can pack a a 4Gb memory (or 2 Gb for the e ntry level model). It can also carry ever larger hard disks from 160Gb all the way to 1 Terabyte. The 13-inch MacBook has also been updated and is targeted at student and new Ma c users. Its interal specs have been souped up; it uses a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 2 Gb memory, a 250 Gb hard disk driver, and also an NVIDIA GeF orce 9400M. But the Magic Mouse virtually stole the thunder during the local launch of the new Apple products. Unlike most mouse, the Magic Mouse does not have buttons or a scroll wheel. Instead, the smooth upper surface of the Magic Mouse uses the same mutlitouch technology found in the touchpad of the MacBook. As such, gestu re techniques (panning, scrolling, moving windows, etc) can be used without hav ing to push buttons or even moving the mouse. Fortunately, the device is also w ireless. In fact, those who buy the new iMacs will get to have the Magic Mouse and a wir eless keyboard for free. Obviously, the company is really trying to ensure of a wire-free desktop experience.