Mac laptop news and reviews, including MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air

Google's Chrome OS stands to make waves

Dan Moren — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:57:00 -0800

Google's Chrome OS may be a year away from shipping, but the potent mixture of one of tech's most prominent companies and the mostly stagnant OS market is worth watching.

Hack brings 10.6.2 back to Atom processors

Jeff Porten — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:41:00 -0800

The latest Snow Leopard can now run on Atom processors, as long as you're willing to replace the kernel with an Internet download.

Macworld's complete Mac buying guide

Roman Loyola — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:31:00 -0800

In this buying guide, we'll cover all the Macintosh models available, tell you how they've changed over the previous model, and how well they did in our benchmark tests.

Mac hardware, tested and reviewed

Philip Michaels — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:35:00 -0800

We take a final, definitive look at Apple's fall hardware update and revisit the vagaries of Apple's App Store approval process.

OS X 10.6.2 update breaks Hackintosh netbooks

Tony Bradley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:50:00 -0800

The latest update to Snow Leopard removes support for the Atom processor, putting an end to "hackintosh" netbooks -- at least for now.

Mini DisplayPort connector blessed by VESA

Dan Moren — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0800

VESA announced that Apple's Mini DisplayPort connector has officially been integrated into the DisplayPort specification.

Speedmark 6: Macworld Lab's new benchmark suite

James Galbraith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:01:00 -0800

The Macworld Lab has been hard at work tweaking Speedmark, our overall system performance testing tool, to better accommodate Snow Leopard and to test the Macs on which it runs.

Jitouch adds new gestures to Multi-Touch trackpads

Dan Frakes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

Jitouch is a simple program that adds eight new sets of gestures to the Multi-Touch trackpads on recent Apple portables.

Power and the international Mac

Christopher Breen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:50:00 -0800

No, you needn't purchase a power converter when you take your Mac traveling.

The Macalope Weekly: Everyone’s got an opinion

The Macalope — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

This week, everybody tells Apple how to run their business—and the Macalope tells everybody exactly what they can do with that advice.

Review: 13-inch MacBook/2.26GHz (Late 2009)

Jonathan Seff — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:14:00 -0700

In bringing the unibody treatment to the white MacBook, Apple has added many pro features while removing FireWire and the infrared port.

MacBook (Late 2009) benchmarks

James Galbraith — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:05:00 -0700

Macworld Lab has received the new MacBook and has been hard at work, putting it to the test. And while we don’t have Speedmark 6 finalized just yet, we do have some MacBook benchmark results we’d like to share.

Macessity intros TrayStation convertible laptop stand

Dan Frakes — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Macessity's TrayStation pulls dual duty as both an ergonomic laptop stand and a desktop or laptop cooling tray.

Upgrading a MacBook Pro's hard drive

Christopher Breen — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:07:00 -0700

Laptop in one hand, replacement raw drive in the other. No, you needn't reinstall everything when you install the new hard drive.

Apple: Boot Camp will be late to the Windows 7 party

David Chartier — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:33:00 -0700

Rushing to get home from work to install Windows 7 in Boot Camp today? Not so fast, says Apple, and not at all if you own a handful of specific first-generation Intel Macs.

iFixit tears down new white MacBook, so you don’t have to

Jeff Porten — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:46:00 -0700

As usual, the team at iFixit has already taken it upon itself to disassemble Apple's latest new hardware—in this case, the white unibody MacBook

New iMacs and more

Christopher Breen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0700

In this week’s special-edition episode we look at the “two” in the week’s one-two punch—Monday’s spectacular quarterly earnings and today’s raft of new Apple hardware.

First Look: Unibody MacBook

Jonathan Seff — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:20:00 -0700

Apple has redesigned its entry-level laptop. Here's a first look at the latest iteration of the $999 white MacBook.

White MacBook gets unibody design

Jason Snell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0700

The new MacBook, while still clad in white polycarbonate, now features the same unibody construction and bright LED-backlit screens as Apple's other laptops. The $999 portable is powered by a 2.26GHz processor.

Apple reports $1.67 billion quarterly profit on record Mac, iPhone sales

Philip Michaels — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:45:00 -0700

For its fiscal fourth quarter, Apple reported a net profit of $1.67 billion, or $1.82 per share, on revenue of $9.87 billion. It sold 3.05 million Macs and 7.4 million iPhones during the three-month period ending in September.

Four things to follow in Apple's earnings announcement

Philip Michaels — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:58:00 -0700

What should you expect when Apple announces its quarterly earnings Monday afternoon. Philip Michaels looks at four talking points in advance of the 2 p.m. PT conference call, which Macworld will cover live.

Analyst: Mac sales 'defy all logic'

Gregg Keizer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:54:00 -0700

Both Gartner and IDC expect Apple to report an increase in quarterly Mac sales when it unveils its fiscal fourth-quarter numbers next week.

Performance Update fixes a hard drive stalling issue

Rob Griffiths — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:50:00 -0700

Performance Update 1.0, released Wednesday, fixes a problem with hard drives stalling in 2009 and late 2008 Macs.

Knomo Prague laptop bag

Heather Kelly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:03:00 -0700

Knomo's Prague is a slick, designer laptop bag for urban commuters.

Analyst: Apple immune to Windows 7 impact

Gregg Keizer — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:34:00 -0700

Microsoft's introduction of Windows 7 later this month won't cost Apple any Mac sales, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall says.

Automatically mute sound before meetings

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:44:00 -0700

Use a couple of very simple AppleScripts and iCal to mute your laptop before (and unmute it after) you head to meetings, lectures, or other scheduled events.

Nvidia escalates patent-licensing battle with Intel

Agam Shah — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:16:00 -0700

Nvidia has stopped development of chipsets for Intel's latest processors, intensifying a battle between the companies.

Chamber of Commerce to Apple: See you, wouldn't want to be you

Philip Michaels — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:59:00 -0700

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce responded to Apple's decision to resign from the group over disagreements on climate change legislation with a letter of its own.

Google leak points to imminent iMac, MacBook refresh

Gregg Keizer — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:37:00 -0700

Google posted ads on its search results over the weekend that hinted Apple will soon refresh its iMac, Mac mini and MacBook lines.

Psystar licenses OS X virtualization technology

Dan Moren — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:49:00 -0700

Clone-maker Psystar is still stuck in a legal dispute with Apple over running OS X on generic PC hardware, but that hasn't stopped the company from trying new business approaches.

Newton veteran returns to Apple... to market rumored tablet?

Ian Paul — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:10:00 -0700

Michael Tchao, one of the leading proponents of the Newton, is back to work at Apple, according to the New York Times.

Apples to Windows comparison shopping

Peter Sayer — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:27:00 -0700

New retail efforts by Apple and Microsoft in Paris speak volumes about the companies' respective brand images and the customers they're hoping to woo.

Microsoft Courier tablet prototype appears on Web

Dan Moren — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:23:00 -0700

A prototype of a new tablet-like Microsoft device named Courier surfaced on the Web late Tuesday.

Intel shows working Larrabee system

Agam Shah — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:44:00 -0700

Intel on Tuesday demonstrated the first working unit of its Larrabee graphics processor.

Intel's Otellini: PC industry on brink of recovery

Agam Shah — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:52:00 -0700

The PC industry is set to come out of the most damaging recession in decades as computer shipments begin to pick up, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said Tuesday.

The five most important Mac laptops

Benj Edwards — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

It's the 20th anniversary of Apple's first laptop -- the Macintosh Portable. To mark the occasion, Benj Edwards lists the five most significant laptops to come out of Cupertino and why they enjoyed such a lasting influence.

Slideshow: 20 years of notable Apple totables

Benj Edwards — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Take a stroll through the past two decades as we look at 20 years’ worth of laptop improvements introduced by Apple.

Intel accuses EC of mishandling antitrust evidence

Agam Shah — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:38:00 -0700

Intel has accused the European Commission of mishandling evidence during an antitrust investigation.

LittleSnapper shines at screenshot management

Aayush Arya — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:30:00 -0700

LittleSnapper is a handy utility for taking screenshots, but it really shines at managing them. It's like iPhoto for screenshots.

Intel's latest reorganization sets stage for succession

Sumner Lemon and James Niccolai — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:32:00 -0700

The latest leadership shuffle among Intel's top ranks sets the stage for the chip maker to name an eventual replacement for CEO Paul Otellini.

Logitech intros Portable Lapdesk N315

Dan Frakes — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0700

Logitech has announced the Portable Lapdesk N315, a lightweight, heat-blocking notebook perch for your lap, complete with a slide-out mousepad.

Resurrecting the MacBook's number pad

Christopher Breen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:58:00 -0700

With the unibody MacBooks Apple removed the ability for you to use the keyboard as a number pad. Here's how to restore that ability.

The $300 challenge: The student

David Chartier — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:21:00 -0700

Can this recent grad stock a basic Mac laptop with all the college essentials without going over budget?

The Macalope Weekly: Lies, damned lies, and statistics

The Macalope — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:03:00 -0700

This week the Macalope considers the many types of lies, including, but not limited to, lies, damned lies, lies of omission, statistics, and, of course, advertising.