Mac mini Finally Updated (After 600 Days…)

We’ve been seeing very strong interest in iWork ’09 since it was released in January. Many people seem to be considering iWork ’09 over Microsoft Office. Both are great programs, and I recommend both. However, over the past year I’ve used Office two or three times, but use iWork daily. Numbers is fulfilling my Excel needs, Pages, my Word needs, and Keynote, my presentation needs.

iWork is normally $79.99 and the Home and Student version of Office is $149.99. While the Home and Student version of Office can legally be installed on up to three machines, the lower price (and powerful features) of iWork ’09 is probably helping to drive demand.

We wanted to remind everyone that, until April 20, there is a $30 mail-in rebate on iWork ’09 when purchased with any new Mac. This brings the final cost to $49.99 (and even less when purchased as part of one of our bundles).

You can read more and download the rebate “by clicking here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag18756/

Here’s a bundle with iWork and an upgraded version of the most popular MacBook we’re selling: it’s an aluminum MacBook 2.0GHz 4GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, Incase Sleeve, iWork ’09 ($30 rebate on iWork ’09). We charge $1489.99 with free shipping and no sales tax on orders that ship out of Vermont. After the rebate, the final cost is $1459.99!

On Tuesday, Apple upgraded the entire iMac family, and now offers the iMac in four new configurations. General specs:

*20-inch* “2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 320GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, $1199.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73293

*24-inch* “2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB memory, 640GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, $1499.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73294

*24-inch* “2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB memory, 640GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256MB memory, $1799.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73295

*24-inch* “3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB memory, 1TB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 with 512MB memory, $2199.99”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73296

The biggest change to the iMac family is an almost total move to larger 24-inch monitors. Out of the four standard configurations, only one features a 20-inch display (1680-by-1050 resolution). The next three models up feature 24-inch displays (1920-by-1200 resolution).

The new iMacs use the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running from 2.66GHz up to 3.06GHz. They all include 6MB of shared L2 cache. Prices range from $1199 to $2199.

The new iMacs also include high-performance NVIDIA graphics standard. The 20-inch iMac has an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor that delivers up to 2.3x faster graphics performance over the previous entry-level 20-inch iMac (and this is the same The 24-inch iMacs offer three graphics options. From Apple:

“The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor makes viewing web pages and searching through your iPhoto library smoother and more efficient. Or you can choose NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 discrete graphics to take 3D graphics up a notch. For 3D graphics-intensive games or pro applications like Aperture and Motion, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 and ATI Radeon HD 4850 processors deliver the fastest graphics performance yet.”

New 20-inch iMacs ship with 2GB of memory, and all 24-inch iMacs ship with 4GB of memory. It’s now possible to use up to 8GB of RAM with the new iMacs. The new iMacs use faster PC8500 SO DIMM

Standard hard drives have also been upgraded. The entry level iMac has a 320GB drive, the two middle models have 620GB drives, and the top iMac sports a 1TB drive.

Complete performance benchmarks of the new machines is forthcoming, but “Primate Labs”:http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2009/03/imac-and-mac-mini-benchmarks-early-2009/ benchmarked the iMac’s standalone processor and RAM performance and says:

“Processor performance hasn’t increased substantially in the latest hardware; the performance increase seems to scale with processor speed. This isn’t surprising, since neither the iMac nor the Mac mini moved to a new processor architecture.”

However, the biggest update to the new iMacs is the move to NVIDIA-based graphics. Improved graphics cards can provide a notable speed boost in many Mac OS X applications, from games, to photo and video editing, even to web browsing. This will be even more apparent when Snow Leopard is released later this year. The improved graphics cards were not considered in the above tests.

Speaking of graphics, all new iMacs feature the new Mini DisplayPort. This makes it possible to connect the iMac to Apple’s 24-inch LED display, as well as pretty much any other

All iMacs have built-in iSight cameras, 8x DVD-burning SuperDrives, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and the latest 802.11n Airport Extreme wireless technology. They also feature a FireWire 800 port, a total of six USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, optical digital audio input/audio line in, and combined optical digital audio output/headphone out.

The iMac is designed with the environment in mind. It’s created with highly recyclable glass and aluminum, and it’s free of toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is one of the first computers to achieve Energy Star 5.0 compliance.

The only negative aspect (in my opinion) about the new iMacs is that they feature an updated wired keyboard that actually lacks a number pad. I use the number pad all the time at work, and I’d miss having it. The keyboard with the number pad is available as a configure-to-order option, and is separately available for sale.

Other than the new keyboard, the new iMacs are a solid step forward. They make it easier for people and businesses at all levels to bring large, productivity enhancing displays and incredible graphics into their homes and offices. I use a 24-inch iMac at work and at home, and appreciate the large display every time I use them.

New Mac Pros were announced this morning, and boy, are they hot. Here’s a rundown of the new features: New Intel Processors Intel’s…

It is Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour. This is going to cause a wicked case of spring fever in at least one Vermonter. Can I get my motorcycle out yet?

It is March though, and that usually means we will have at least a couple of big snow storms before we see spring. The local public radio station is broadcasting “signs of spring” and there are some good ones. I haven’t seen any robins, crocuses or bluebirds, however, I have seen taps in maple trees and sugaring season is here with cold nights and sunny days. What are your favorite signs of spring?

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali and Ed_

_Dear Friends,_

The big news this week is a complete refresh of Apple’s Macintosh desktop computers. iMacs, Mac minis and Mac Pros were all upgraded this week and new versions of the Apple Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme Base Station were released. We will review this new products in this issue of Kibbles & Bytes and should have most of these new products in stock next week.

Apple reduced prices and increased the features of these new desktop Macs and now, more than ever, the value of a Mac transcends the advantages of the Mac operating system, ease of use and reliability. With the ability to run both Mac OS and Windows, the value of a Mac becomes more absolute. Apple desktops are simply the most versatile and best value in desktop personal computers. One recent analysis compared the new $1499 24-inch iMac to all-in-one offerings from Dell and HP. The iMac was less expensive, had a faster processor and RAM, had a bigger hard drive and faster video. With bundled iLife and Mac OS X Leopard the value is striking.

I organized a selection of my photos from Tanzania. If you are interested in taking a look you can surf over to my personal website at: http://www.donmayer.org/Don_Mayer/Tanzania.html

It was Town Meeting week here in Vermont. Each town held meetings, schools were closed and towns voted on their budgets, elected town officials and voted on numerous resolutions. About 40 towns in Vermont had resolutions regarding our aging nuclear plant in Vernon. All but a couple passed resolutions urging the legislature to not permit the relicensing of the plant for another 20 years beyond its design life.

I am also pleased to announce that Small Dog Electronics has received two prestigious awards. We were selected as one of ten companies as The Best Places to Work in Vermont. The rankings will come out in a couple of weeks, but we are very honored to be included. In addition, I learned yesterday that the Vermont Retail Association has selected us as one of two companies for their Greentailer of the Year award. This annual award recognizes the Vermont retailer that best exemplifies overall environmental excellence in its business practices.

It’s sad but true: there are still many conference centers, hotels, and office buildings that lack Wi-Fi. However, many of these do offer hardwired internet access via Ethernet or (egads) a dial-up connection. If you’re solo, this is only a minor inconvenience. However, if you’re traveling or working with other people, a single wired connection can be a major productivity block.

Fortunately, Mac OS X makes it easy to share a single wired internet connection over a Mac’s built-in AirPort wireless card, to other computers that also have wireless capabilities. Except for the Mac Pro, every Mac released since early 2006 has featured a built-in AirPort card (which is what Apple calls its brand of wireless card).

This tip works best from a wired Ethernet internet connection, but I’ve read that it will also work with a cellular internet connection, such as those provided by Verizon, Sprint, etc.

To share an internet connection via a Mac’s Wi-Fi, first connect the Ethernet cable to the Mac that will be serving as the base station.

Next, navigate to that Mac’s System Preferences panel (found under the Apple in the upper left corner of the screen) and select *Sharing*. When the Sharing panel opens, select *Internet Sharing* (note that you won’t be able to check the Internet Sharing box until other options are configured). Next, make sure *”Share your connection from: Ethernet”* is selected in the drop-down list.

Since we want to share our Mac’s connection wirelessly, click *AirPort* in the “To Computers using:” box. Finally, click the *AirPort Options* button to give your new network a name and password. When you have everything the way you like it, turn Internet sharing on.

The Mac serving as base station will still be able to surf the web while others piggyback on its internet connection. Any device with Wi-Fi (including the iPhone and iPod touch) will be able to share this connection.