Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

Paul,

Sorry to hear that.

My initial reaction to Leopard was the same as you. On the surface
it doesn't seem like a huge bump up from Tiger.

However, after a few months of use, I like the little enhancements
it has added including Time Machine.

As far as the announcements made at the Keynote address.....

It was hard (if not impossible) to top last year.

Nothing this year really caught my attention. The MacbookAir is
ultra-cool, but with no optical drive and limited storage, it really is
a step down for me. The Macbook Air is perfect to bring on a plane
for writing purposes -- but don't expect to watch a DVD on it.

The one thing I would consider is the Time Capsule. Love the fact
it has a built-in 1TB storage. However, after paying $200 for my
Airport Extreme this past year, shelling out $500 for this upgrade
is just too much right now.

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

You're right. But Apple did a couple things that just feel mean. Had they announced with TimeCapsule that Airport Extreme's would now support Time Machine -- as promised for Leopard -- that would have made many people feel warm fuzzies. Likewise, the $20 price for the iTouch apps seems just greedy; were it $5 due to SOX, people would have been happy to pay.

And then to learn that we're still a year from a good personal finance app for the Mac continues to annoy. (Parallels and Microsoft to the rescue for me.)

That said, this is an even better time to switch. Were I buying for the first time this summer, rather than last summer, life would be sweet: MacBook Pro with Leopard ready and patched to 10.5.2! Time Capsule for home networking and backup! iLife 08 pre-installed! iWork for $79! This is a great time to switch. And a great time to do a major system upgrade. But it feels almost spiteful for those of us who bought just a few months back expecting timely and accurate releases of iLife, Leopard, and AEBS.

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

I'm thrilled with the announcements at Macworld!!!

Why? Because more money will stay in my pocket.

Seriously, as cool as the Macbook Air is (and I'm sorely tempted because I want an ultra on-the-go writing machine) I remembered my credo to never buy first gen Apple products. I did with the MBP (2.16) and it had the overheat problem. Re-sold it and got the 2.33 MBP and it's a champ. Also had a problem with the first rev of iPod with Video (5G) and had to have it replaced. Thank goodness for AppleCare. Also, 4200RPM HD in the MBA is insufficient, I understand saving power but you don't save that much from an efficient 5400RPM 1.8" HD. I'd also like the price of SSD to go down because ultimately that's what I'd want in an ultra-portable. So rev.2 MBA it is for me!

What I'm probably going to buy next is the next speedbump/rev of the iMac. I realized that I don't do enough intensive stuff to justify a Mac Pro, and I'm now convinced Apple won't release something between the iMac and Mac Pro. The most demanding programs I use are Adobe CS3 suite and Pro Tools/GarageBand/Logic Studio. All can run just fine on an iMac (as long as you bump up the RAM). That will probably happen within the next 2-3 months if the Macrumor's buying guide cycle holds up. Besides I hear that the current Radeon 2600HD chipset is causing freezing problems for the current iMac owners, so I'd rather wait for the next rev which will use either a different ATI chip or hopefully go back to nVidia.

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

Happy Birthday, Carlo!!
Enjoy the evening.


Cees

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

I too am waiting for a slight bump in the iMac. A Videocard of at least 256mb and a BRD drive (or would that be considered a 'large bump'?)

Re: Official MacWorld Keynote Coverage Thread (1-15-08)

Mac Keynote in 60 sec