CREATOR OF FASHIONABLE GADGETS Apple has graced its fanbois with an update to its range of desktop computers and the release of a pointing device.
Earlier today the firm shuttered its online store to prepare for the update, which had been rumoured for some time. Many of the rumours dreamt up by over-eager fanbois were incorrect, however Apple did announce that its Imac range will feature Intel’s Core i3 processors. There is also a quad-core Core i5 model for those not happy about spending a grand on a desktop machine that has a chip intended for bargain basement tin boxes.
The overpriced Mac Pro, often the butt of Apple jokes, received major surgery with hexa-core Intel Xeon chips mated with an AMD Radeon HD 5770 graphics card as standard. Take a moment to realise that a £2,000 machine that is pitched as a workstation doesn’t even have a workstation graphics card, nor is the ‘consumer grade’ Radeon HD 5770 graphics card the top of AMD’s graphics card range.
Apple has saved that as an optional extra, with the Radeon HD 5870 available at added cost. Still, at least it’s an option. Nvidia Fermi based GTX 4XX graphics cards are nowhere to be found on the Mac Pros.
For those feeling particularly flush, Apple announced the availability of a 512GB solid state drive (SSD) with the option of specifying up to four in a single Mac Pro. The firm claims that the SSDs provide up to “Two times faster than the average performance of a standard disk drive.” That’s absolutely great, if you happen to have your own gold mine.
Finally, Apple released the Magic Trackpad, a stand-alone trackpad control device. Akin to a laptop’s trackpad, the device will bring multi-touch interaction to desktop users. Clearly the firm realised it could not milk any more money out of redesigning its minimalist single button mouse over and over again. The slab of metal allows the firm to peddle it’s own battery charger, which no doubt will be snapped up by eager fanbois who want the toymaker’s label on every single object they own.
Those thinking of buying Apple’s latest products might want to hold off for a little while, as its online store hasn’t been updated yet to reflect all of the changes in its product line. µ
