Macworld San Francisco 2005: the more (tech) the merrier
In an hour and half on Tuesday morning, Steve Jobs made the Apple product line look fuller, hipper, and cheaper than any other brand on the market. But is it all smoke and mirrors? Read on for some clarity.
By Lindsey Turrentine and CNET staff (January 11, 2005) Reviews
If you've ever attended a Macworld keynote featuring Mr. Steve Jobs, you're familiar with the format: long. This year's Macworld SF kickoff was no different--the whole address ran upwards of an hour and a half--but this year's lineup was full of new products for the Apple faithful. From software to the long-rumored flash iPod, Jobs trotted out all kinds of news.
Mac Mini: more (or less) to love
We'd heard plenty of rumors of a budget Mac, but we weren't expecting this: a tiny box that takes small-form-factor (SFF) design to a new level. At 6.5 inches on each side, 2 inches tall, and 2.9 pounds, the Mac Mini is lighter than most laptops. Of course, this puppy doesn't come with a keyboard, a mouse, or a monitor (although it will work with a standard, two-button USB mouse), so its classification as a budget PC is arguable. Add in those necessary components, plus memory upgrades to take it up to 1GB, as well as internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (necessary if you subscribe to the move-your-Mac-Mini-around-the-house philosophy Apple is pushing), and your price will likely go up, up, up. Still, as with Apple's last square-box Mac, the Power Mac G4 Cube, this thing looks hot.
Apple deals up iPod Shuffle
Apple's new flash iPod was not a surprise. But aspects of this tiny player, no bigger than a pack of gum, are unique. First, the price: $99 for the 512MB model and $149 for the 1GB, holding approximately 120 and 240 songs, respectively. That's pretty inexpensive, but in some respects, you get what you pay for. The Shuffle doesn't have a screen, so you'll have to rely on playlists or, as Apple not-so-subtly suggests, Shuffle mode. Hmm. But again, the iPod Shuffle just looks so dang pretty.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, Jobs's iWork is a go
New name, new life--or so Apple execs might hope with its new iWork productivity suite. Priced at $79, iWork '05 is Apple's successor to the venerable AppleWorks productivity suite. Its Pages application is a new word processor with a desktop publishing slant, ideal for creating reports, newsletters, and brochures without having to arm yourself with a pricey Adobe suite (one would assume). Keynote 2 is Apple's follow-up to last year's new presentation app; this time around, it creates cinematic slide shows and photo portfolios with the ease you'd expect from Apple. Also included in the suite is the iLife Media Browser for video clips.
