OS X Lion

Lion

As expected, Mac OS X Lion 10.7 has launched today brining with it an exciting feature set, and bridiing the gap between the Mac and the iPad.

One nice feature of Lion that we like is AirDrop. It makes transfering files between nearby Macs really simple; without having to set up networking. 

Lion is availible as a $31.99 download on the Mac App Store, availible if you're running Snow Leopard.

Note that Lion doesn't support legacy PowerPC 'Rosetta' applications; if you rely on old software programs do not update, these (usually pre 2006) programs will not work. If unsure, speak to us first, we can advise.

If you are extremely keen on the details of Lion, have a look over at Ars Technica for John Siracusa's incredibly thorough Lion coverage. You won't find a more detailed review anywhere, he's been churning out these monster OS X reviews for over 10 years.
 
Apple also released new hardware which is physically identical but with improved pricing and internals:
 
MacBook Air
The new Macbook Air gets a $100 price drop. The most siginificant changes are:
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Thunderbolt (incredibly high speed data connection, roughly 4x what USB3 can deliver)
  • i5 and i7 processors

As before both an 11" model with 5 hour battery life and a 13" with 7 hours run time are availible.

Starting at $1099

 

Mac Mini

The new Mac Mini also gets a price drop, now starting at $699. This entry level Mac is an ideal PC replacement as you can use it with your existing peripherals, or just plug it into your TV. The new models have the following changes:

  • No optical drive
  • Optional dedicated ATI Radeon 3D GraphicsMac Mini
  • 500GB Hard Disk standard
  • Thunderbolt IO
  • i5 and i7 processors

As before there is also a Sever model availible, ideal for small business email and file seving and hosting your website. This model has dual hard disks for data redundancy and is just $1099.

The lack of an optical drive may bother some, but increasingly these days most people are using USB flash drives or external hard drives to move data around. 

Having the option of a dedicated 3D accelerator is a welcome addition, it means the Mini can be used for playing modern intensive games. Previously it would have stuggled with the latest titles.

As always, we'll have these new models in stock very soon, and can offer some great deals on the out going models.