Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
I was starting to get worried with UPS until the dude showed up finally at 16:55 PST. Whew. My kid was missing it since we sold the ipad 2 last week. Taking a good 45 minutes to restore the 64GB backup so far.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
My Dodocase Bookback just arrived and I love it. It will take the wear and tear off of the back of my iPad and help with the resale value. Simple installation - great product. Thanks again Leadfoot/DB. Its my 2nd favorite thing today...my new RocketBallz 3 Wood also arrived so that gets the top spotDiablo25 wrote:I just ordered one too. I've been looking for something that can be used with the Smart Cover. Thanks for the heads up Leadfoot/DB.dbdynsty25 wrote:Got my BookBack the other day for the iPad 3 (the iPad 2 version is the same size so works perfect) and it's brilliant. I applied it without any issue (much easier than those crappy armor skins that Rod linked below). Turns out, you really can remove and re-apply the skin. My damn display started showing some issues in the bottom left corner of the screen, so I swapped it out at Apple and removed and reapplied the skin without issue. The adhesion is great and I don't think it's going to peel up. I literally needed a razor blade to even get it started. The feel and grip is improved and I don't worry about scratching it at all now. Thumbs up for sure.Leadfoot5 wrote:It sounds like you guys are looking for something to prevent scratches and the occasional thump, so this may not interest you, but I absolutely love my iPad 2 Book Back from Dodocase. I'm going to order one for my iPad 3rd Gen this week. It provides the perfect grip without adding any bulk like a normal case.
This, along with the Apple Magnetic cover is all I've ever used with my iPad 2 and it's been a great combo. But if you are prone to dropping or banging the device, this is clearly not the best option.
http://www.dodocase.com/products/bookback-for-ipad2
So in short, I agree with Leadfoot 100%...this is the best "minimal" case/skin out there. Pair it with a smartcover of some sort and you're golden.
Thanks again for the recommendation...it's genius.

XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
I had a chance to check out the latest iPad after I sold my HP TouchPad to a Craigslist buyer. I gotta say i'm not feeling the iPad love so I cancelled my Apple order. I guess i'm too used to Android now and all the customization you can do with it.
The new retina display does look nice but I would never say the iPad 2 screen looked awful when comparing the two. Yes the icons and screen look sharper but I was expecting wow and I just really didn't see all the fuss. I viewed a few websites while at BB and the only plus I came away with is that you really don't need to zoom in or out like the older screens.
The new retina display does look nice but I would never say the iPad 2 screen looked awful when comparing the two. Yes the icons and screen look sharper but I was expecting wow and I just really didn't see all the fuss. I viewed a few websites while at BB and the only plus I came away with is that you really don't need to zoom in or out like the older screens.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
The things the iPad can do best anything else on the market without question. I've been tinkering in GarageBand on the iPad and made the song linked below. My apologies in advance for the poor singing, but if a hack like me can create this imagine what someone with talent could do. This was produced, recorded, mixed and shared directly from the iPad with NO real instruments (just playing the on-screen ones) and a microphone. No other tablet can do this kind of creative work, and there are hundreds of other applications for everything from drawing to presentations to games just as feature-rich...
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1037082/One%20- ... eation.m4a
Comments welcomed. Tempted to share with others (Facebook) but fear the insults because of my singing...
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1037082/One%20- ... eation.m4a
Comments welcomed. Tempted to share with others (Facebook) but fear the insults because of my singing...
Sport73
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Wow. Very impressed. Love the vocals......great song of course.Sport73 wrote:The things the iPad can do best anything else on the market without question. I've been tinkering in GarageBand on the iPad and made the song linked below. My apologies in advance for the poor singing, but if a hack like me can create this imagine what someone with talent could do. This was produced, recorded, mixed and shared directly from the iPad with NO real instruments (just playing the on-screen ones) and a microphone. No other tablet can do this kind of creative work, and there are hundreds of other applications for everything from drawing to presentations to games just as feature-rich...
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1037082/One%20- ... eation.m4a
Comments welcomed. Tempted to share with others (Facebook) but fear the insults because of my singing...
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Nice work Sport! Very polished.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Drop the vocal a bit more into the mix & add some gain (maybe light delay) to the vocals & let it fly.Sport73 wrote:The things the iPad can do best anything else on the market without question. I've been tinkering in GarageBand on the iPad and made the song linked below. My apologies in advance for the poor singing, but if a hack like me can create this imagine what someone with talent could do. This was produced, recorded, mixed and shared directly from the iPad with NO real instruments (just playing the on-screen ones) and a microphone. No other tablet can do this kind of creative work, and there are hundreds of other applications for everything from drawing to presentations to games just as feature-rich...
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1037082/One%20- ... eation.m4a
Comments welcomed. Tempted to share with others (Facebook) but fear the insults because of my singing...
My Tesla referral code - get free supercharger miles!! https://ts.la/gregg43474
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Thanks greggsand, I took your advice and altered the mix a bit.greggsand wrote:
Drop the vocal a bit more into the mix & add some gain (maybe light delay) to the vocals & let it fly.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1037082/One%20- ... hestra.m4a
Tough to tell if I have it right as the vocals sound too low on some headphones, too high on some speakers, just right on others etc. Think I got the gain worked out a bit too where this isn't as quiet overall as the last one. I have no illusions about being able to sing, but I consider this to be a real solid exhibit of how powerful the iPad can be as a content creation device when backed by software like Garageband. I'm buying a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 just to play with soon, but there is nothing on rival platforms that can compete with the software you'll find on an iPad or a Mac...
Sport73
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
That new mix does blend a bit better. Nice work.
I didn't know Dropbox could host music to where it's just a link...is there anything special I need to do to get that enabled?
I didn't know Dropbox could host music to where it's just a link...is there anything special I need to do to get that enabled?
XBL Gamertag: Spooky Disco
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
I just put the file in my public folder and get the URL, the browser then automatically recognizes the file type and launches and embedded audio player.Spooky wrote:That new mix does blend a bit better. Nice work.
I didn't know Dropbox could host music to where it's just a link...is there anything special I need to do to get that enabled?
Sport73
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
I just had a chance to hear it. Good stuff. So when it's the next American Idol?Sport73 wrote:I just put the file in my public folder and get the URL, the browser then automatically recognizes the file type and launches and embedded audio player.Spooky wrote:That new mix does blend a bit better. Nice work.
I didn't know Dropbox could host music to where it's just a link...is there anything special I need to do to get that enabled?

Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Pretty slick looking Macpro's at the WWDC.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Slick but WAAAAAAAY overpriced...even for a Macbook. 2100 for base model retina display, are they high? Wow.10spro wrote:Pretty slick looking Macpro's at the WWDC.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Yeah, well overpriced but that's Apple.dbdynsty25 wrote:Slick but WAAAAAAAY overpriced...even for a Macbook. 2100 for base model retina display, are they high? Wow.10spro wrote:Pretty slick looking Macpro's at the WWDC.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Is there any computer maker that makes something similar to a Retina screen. I don't know, just asking. Because it sure seems everyone knew this was coming and Apple still was first to market.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Not in a laptop. There are some 1920x1080 screens, but nothing even close to 2880x1800. It's just insane.JRod wrote:Is there any computer maker that makes something similar to a Retina screen. I don't know, just asking. Because it sure seems everyone knew this was coming and Apple still was first to market.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Well...after complaining how overpriced the new rMBPs are, I went and bought one today. After doing my due dilligence on all of the laptops out right now, I felt it really was the best option as far as getting something that would last me a long time. I had a 13" MBP when they first went uni-body and I loved the thing. I traded it for an 11" Air last fall and I've been sad ever since. Yes, the Air was significantly faster/lighter/thinner but I just didn't like the screen size.
I've been contemplating a new lappy for the past two weeks and was almost dead set on getting a 13" Air, or going back to Windows w/ a Samsung Series 9 13" or an Asus Zenbook Prime 13". Both have hi res displays that are pretty much best in class. But after doing all of my research, coupled with my buddies discount on Apple products (15%), I bit the bullet and walked out w/ a new Retina MBP this afternoon for under $2k. Yes, really damn expensive, but damn nice hardware. Couldn't resist the screen after falling in love with my retina iPad.
I still may go back to a 13" Air if this thing proves to be too big, but I love it so far. Don't know if I can go back to a regular 1440x900 screen.
I've been contemplating a new lappy for the past two weeks and was almost dead set on getting a 13" Air, or going back to Windows w/ a Samsung Series 9 13" or an Asus Zenbook Prime 13". Both have hi res displays that are pretty much best in class. But after doing all of my research, coupled with my buddies discount on Apple products (15%), I bit the bullet and walked out w/ a new Retina MBP this afternoon for under $2k. Yes, really damn expensive, but damn nice hardware. Couldn't resist the screen after falling in love with my retina iPad.
I still may go back to a 13" Air if this thing proves to be too big, but I love it so far. Don't know if I can go back to a regular 1440x900 screen.

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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Just got my very first Mac (a 13.3" MBA with 256 GB SSD). Company purchased it for me. Being a PC/Lpatop guy from Day One, I am VERY impressed with this machine. The only issue I had at the beginning was figuring out how to get Office 2011 on my MBA as there is no DVD drive. Had to download the trial version, then input the Product Key and it was smooth sailing from there. This thing is so fast both in network connectivity and HD performance. Very impressed so far. Company just replaced my previous laptop with an HP laptop and this MBA is 1/3 the weight and so easy to use. My laptop is likely to stay in its dock from now on and I will be taking this MBA everywhere, especially overseas where I am at now. Now all I need to do is figure out my way around this MBA and I am thinking I may never go back to a traditional Windows lappy......dbdynsty25 wrote:I still may go back to a 13" Air if this thing proves to be too big, but I love it so far. Don't know if I can go back to a regular 1440x900 screen.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Yeah, I'm definitely a Windows guy for the most part and I seriously thought about going back to Windows for this laptop purchase, but just couldn't pull myself away. Sure, you're not going to get the very top of the line specs on any of the Macbooks, but the entire package combined makes them damn fine machines. Plus, the resale value on them is spectacular. We'll see what I can get for my 11" Air. If anyone is interested, let me know.DivotMaker wrote:Now all I need to do is figure out my way around this MBA and I am thinking I may never go back to a traditional Windows lappy......
That 13" really is the sweet spot, but I just couldn't pass up the screen even though it was almost twice the cost! We'll see if I keep it...
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Ok I'm in the right thread now DBdbdynsty25 wrote:Yeah, I'm definitely a Windows guy for the most part and I seriously thought about going back to Windows for this laptop purchase, but just couldn't pull myself away. Sure, you're not going to get the very top of the line specs on any of the Macbooks, but the entire package combined makes them damn fine machines. Plus, the resale value on them is spectacular. We'll see what I can get for my 11" Air. If anyone is interested, let me know.DivotMaker wrote:Now all I need to do is figure out my way around this MBA and I am thinking I may never go back to a traditional Windows lappy......
That 13" really is the sweet spot, but I just couldn't pass up the screen even though it was almost twice the cost! We'll see if I keep it...

My wife and I are both looking for new computers. I've got an old 2.1 Ghz Core Duo CPU and my wife has an old T60 Ibm thinkpad. I can probably go a little bit longer with mine but hers is pretty much in desperate need of a replacement. We're both pretty much exclusive windows users though we both have an Ipad and and Itouch, so we're a little more familiar with Apple than in the past.
My wife uses her laptop as her main machine, both at work and at home. Obviously with the dual boot option there's no issue with being able to continue to use windows, albeit at a higher price given the separate copy she'd need. Price of the lower spec retina macbook is $2100 cdn. We've also looked at Asus, MSI, and Samsung. One of the big factors for her is the weight of the machine, so she's reluctant to get any of the really beefed up laptops that are fairly large and heavy such as the bigger and more powerful Asus.
Other than statistical software, powerpoint, word and excel the main thing she uses her laptop for is her photo editing hobby. She's a University Professor so the primary uses other than photo editing are email, lecture preparation, and research (analysis and writing).
Given those uses, would you recommend the Macbook retina even at the price/performance premium or is there another option she should be looking at.
Now for me (LOL!), I mostly use my computer for gaming. For the most part I don't play first person shooters and that may be as much a function of the lack of power in my machine. I have done some flight simulator in the past though, which would require a pretty decent rig for some of the add-ons. For the most part I play wargames (via vassal for board games) and pc wargames. Not very demanding of hardware. I've also got PES 2012 which is a little more demanding but still reasonably okay even on my current system.
Just wondering whether you've tried any gaming on your retina macbook and if you'd recommend that at all for my uses or suggest getting an ASUS instead. I don't want to spend much more than $2000.
Thanks,
Doug
"Every major sport has come under the influence of organized crime. FIFA actually is organized crime" - Charles Pierce
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
For your wife...the retina is way overkill. It's a fantastic machine, but for a little photo editing and normal word processing/research type stuff, a regular MacBook Pro (13") or the 13" Air would be more than sufficient, even in their base model version. WAY more than enough. My wife, who does essentially the same thing as yours just got a new laptop herself.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+14%2 ... &cp=1&lp=1
That's the newest model of the one my wife got. She actually got the u46 because it was on clearance sale ($599 instead of $799 and pretty much no difference)...the only difference is no backlit keys and it's a champagne color instead of silver. It's a fantastic laptop. Now, w/ your wife doing photo editing, there is a chance she wants bigger, or higher resolution instead. In which case I'd go with an Asus Zenbook Prime which has a 13" display at 1920x1080 resolution. Fully spec'd out and you're still around 1500 instead of 2100. Not a gaming monster, but you can do some light gaming on it. It's the machine that I went back and forth about when ultimately I went with a 13" Air for my portable machine because my eyesight aint that great anyway, lol.
http://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-Prime-UX3 ... B00863L2PK
As for you...Retina is where it's at if you want to do any gaming and you want to have a Macbook. Now, keep in mind, it's not necessarily a gaming machine, but it does a pretty good job at it even w today's current games. Now, the downside is it does (a decent job), but for 2100 bucks, you can get a hellova PC gaming rig, but your size and weight are going to be a factor. Asus (my personal favorite laptop vendor outside of Apple), and also Dell and Alienware have teamed up and you can get a monster gaming laptop for around 1500-1600 bucks, but you lose the portability of the Retina Macbook. So you have to figure out what is most important. I played some Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and some Battlefield 3 and they both run very well at full resolution. Not sure what will happen going forward, but it's perfectly capable for what you will be playing. And the screen is absolutely ridiculously good looking. So there's always that.
So ultimately, yes, Apple products are still overpriced for the most part and there are better alternatives if specs are the main concern. If build quality and design are important then Apple starts to compete. I've had nothing but luck w/ my 4 MacBooks so I'll probably continue to buy them, but there are definitely cheaper/better PC alternatives, even if that gap is shrinking now because of PC vendors trying to match Apple.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+14%2 ... &cp=1&lp=1
That's the newest model of the one my wife got. She actually got the u46 because it was on clearance sale ($599 instead of $799 and pretty much no difference)...the only difference is no backlit keys and it's a champagne color instead of silver. It's a fantastic laptop. Now, w/ your wife doing photo editing, there is a chance she wants bigger, or higher resolution instead. In which case I'd go with an Asus Zenbook Prime which has a 13" display at 1920x1080 resolution. Fully spec'd out and you're still around 1500 instead of 2100. Not a gaming monster, but you can do some light gaming on it. It's the machine that I went back and forth about when ultimately I went with a 13" Air for my portable machine because my eyesight aint that great anyway, lol.
http://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-Prime-UX3 ... B00863L2PK
As for you...Retina is where it's at if you want to do any gaming and you want to have a Macbook. Now, keep in mind, it's not necessarily a gaming machine, but it does a pretty good job at it even w today's current games. Now, the downside is it does (a decent job), but for 2100 bucks, you can get a hellova PC gaming rig, but your size and weight are going to be a factor. Asus (my personal favorite laptop vendor outside of Apple), and also Dell and Alienware have teamed up and you can get a monster gaming laptop for around 1500-1600 bucks, but you lose the portability of the Retina Macbook. So you have to figure out what is most important. I played some Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and some Battlefield 3 and they both run very well at full resolution. Not sure what will happen going forward, but it's perfectly capable for what you will be playing. And the screen is absolutely ridiculously good looking. So there's always that.

So ultimately, yes, Apple products are still overpriced for the most part and there are better alternatives if specs are the main concern. If build quality and design are important then Apple starts to compete. I've had nothing but luck w/ my 4 MacBooks so I'll probably continue to buy them, but there are definitely cheaper/better PC alternatives, even if that gap is shrinking now because of PC vendors trying to match Apple.
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Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Could not agree more with this......dbdynsty25 wrote:So ultimately, yes, Apple products are still overpriced for the most part and there are better alternatives if specs are the main concern. If build quality and design are important then Apple starts to compete. I've had nothing but luck w/ my 4 MacBooks so I'll probably continue to buy them, but there are definitely cheaper/better PC alternatives, even if that gap is shrinking now because of PC vendors trying to match Apple.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
For photo editing, a light laptop with an external monitor is something to consider.
May want something with a discrete GPU though, as photo editing software can use GPU -- Aperture does and would be surprised if Lightroom doesn't.
If going with laptop and external monitor, there is still the non Retina MacBook Pro with Ivy Bridge chipset and discrete GPU. It doesn't come with SSD standard but if you're editing DSLR RAW files you need space as much as speed.
It's heavier than the Air or Retina but still the same unibody chassis.
For gaming, hard to beat a desktop.
May want something with a discrete GPU though, as photo editing software can use GPU -- Aperture does and would be surprised if Lightroom doesn't.
If going with laptop and external monitor, there is still the non Retina MacBook Pro with Ivy Bridge chipset and discrete GPU. It doesn't come with SSD standard but if you're editing DSLR RAW files you need space as much as speed.
It's heavier than the Air or Retina but still the same unibody chassis.
For gaming, hard to beat a desktop.
Re: Apple and Macs: New products, iMacs, iWork, iLife
Thanks very much Db and guys,dbdynsty25 wrote:For your wife...the retina is way overkill. It's a fantastic machine, but for a little photo editing and normal word processing/research type stuff, a regular MacBook Pro (13") or the 13" Air would be more than sufficient, even in their base model version. WAY more than enough. My wife, who does essentially the same thing as yours just got a new laptop herself.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+14%2 ... &cp=1&lp=1
That's the newest model of the one my wife got. She actually got the u46 because it was on clearance sale ($599 instead of $799 and pretty much no difference)...the only difference is no backlit keys and it's a champagne color instead of silver. It's a fantastic laptop. Now, w/ your wife doing photo editing, there is a chance she wants bigger, or higher resolution instead. In which case I'd go with an Asus Zenbook Prime which has a 13" display at 1920x1080 resolution. Fully spec'd out and you're still around 1500 instead of 2100. Not a gaming monster, but you can do some light gaming on it. It's the machine that I went back and forth about when ultimately I went with a 13" Air for my portable machine because my eyesight aint that great anyway, lol.
http://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-Prime-UX3 ... B00863L2PK
As for you...Retina is where it's at if you want to do any gaming and you want to have a Macbook. Now, keep in mind, it's not necessarily a gaming machine, but it does a pretty good job at it even w today's current games. Now, the downside is it does (a decent job), but for 2100 bucks, you can get a hellova PC gaming rig, but your size and weight are going to be a factor. Asus (my personal favorite laptop vendor outside of Apple), and also Dell and Alienware have teamed up and you can get a monster gaming laptop for around 1500-1600 bucks, but you lose the portability of the Retina Macbook. So you have to figure out what is most important. I played some Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and some Battlefield 3 and they both run very well at full resolution. Not sure what will happen going forward, but it's perfectly capable for what you will be playing. And the screen is absolutely ridiculously good looking. So there's always that.
So ultimately, yes, Apple products are still overpriced for the most part and there are better alternatives if specs are the main concern. If build quality and design are important then Apple starts to compete. I've had nothing but luck w/ my 4 MacBooks so I'll probably continue to buy them, but there are definitely cheaper/better PC alternatives, even if that gap is shrinking now because of PC vendors trying to match Apple.
That's extremely helpful.
Looking at the ultrabooks one thing I was worried about was whether they would stand up as the primary computer. For my wife that's a big consideration but it looks like you think that won't be a problem.
As for me laptop size is not much of a consideration - I don't travel that much on business. Tough call, I love the screen on my ipad 3. I wonder how long it'll be until monitor manufacturers start putting out similar quality screens.
Doug
"Every major sport has come under the influence of organized crime. FIFA actually is organized crime" - Charles Pierce