First Impressions of the 24-inch Cinema Displays Seem Bright

Dave — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:04:10 +0000

ArsTechnica has provided excellent first impression coverage of their newly acquired 24-inch Apple Cinema Display and thus far are pleased with its performance.

While the 24-inch Cinema Displays were announced this past October at the special MacBook event, units have only recently begun shipping. Ars reiterates that the new Cinema Displays only support machines which utilize Apple’s mini DisplayPort Connector, a feature that is said to come equipped on all future products. So, if you are in possession of an older Mac or PC that lacks this connector, you best start thinking about buying a new notebook or wait for Apple to release a proper adapter.

First impressions of the screen show similar characteristics to the current iMac facade, minus the Leno-esque chin. The display weighs in at 21lbs (9.5kg) a mere 4.4 lbs lighter than the iMac, showing that it is a bit on the hefty side.

The display comes equipped with a power cord that reaches from the back of the display to an outlet and has an additional cable that splits into 3, including the USB 2.0 and DisplayPort, and MagSafe adapters. The DisplayPort sends video into the display and integrated iSight, while the USB provides Audio for the built-in speakers and integrated USB hub. The MagSafe adapter is assumed to dispense up to 85W of power, enough power to charge a MacBook Pro. Similar to the iMac, the three USB ports connecting to the internal hub are situated on the back of the display.

Utilizing only these three plugs a user can operate the attached notebook in either a closed clamshell position or open to have an even larger screen area. Clint Ecker from Ars notes, “I’ve been using it in clamshell mode and sliding the MacBook Pro underneath the display, while typing on a Bluetooth Apple keyboard and using an RF Logitech Mouse (which is working fabulously so far). The main feature that appealed to me over owning both an iMac and a MacBook Pro is that I can share the screen when I’m at home, and effectively pull out a few cables and take my machine on the road with me.”

One intuitive feature is that OS X can instantly recognize when the monitor is hooked up, for example using the display’s iSight or USB audio while disabling it from the attached notebook. One last observation that was made shows the display to be just a bit brighter than the iMac screen. I must say that I am indeed envious of the folks over at ArsTechnica. Aside from being able to hold their own fingerprint counting competitions, they can now look in the mirror all day while they work!

New 15″ Macbook Pro: First Unboxing Photos and Impressions

Aviv — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:46:55 +0000

We just got our hands on a brand new 15″ Macbook Pro. Below are some photos of the unboxing experience and our general first impressions and thoughts about the new notebook.

Specs for this Macbook Pro: 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2×2GB, 320GB Serial ATA @ 7200, 6MB shared L2 cache, 1066MHz frontside bus

The box is extremely lightweight. Always a good sign. Apple has definitely factored in their overall carbon footprint. Like Steve said, smaller boxes, smaller palettes, less fuel and so on.

NOTE: Up until now, Macbook Pro’s have shipped in black boxes like their desktop kin. These are white.

The initial impression the notebook gives off when you open the box is very solid. It simply looks like a more unified machine. The unibody enclosure seems to wrap beautifully around the edges. It has more of a Macbook Air-like essence to it. Which is completely the right direction for Apple to be heading in.

The entire notebook is lighter and feels much sturdier than its predecessor. Both the weight and load balance throughout the entire machine seem spot on. So far, first impressions of the new Macbook Pro are very impressive.

The magnetic latch has finally been inherited by the Macbook Pro. No more of that pestering hatch closure. The way the shell seamlessly fits together when you open and close the machine give it a wonderfully high-end feel. Everything that Apple has been working to refine throughout its entire notebook line over the past few years has clearly made its way into the new Macbook Pro.

Apple has moved all of the ports to one side of the machine. The ports are: MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port, One FireWire 800 port, Two USB 2.0 ports, Mini DisplayPort, Audio line in, Audio line out, ExpressCard/34 slot, and a Kensington lock slot. The optical drive is on the other side. It looks just like an optical drive.

A core strength in the new Macbook Pro is the ability to swap out hard drives, and the battery, very easily. You can swap between hard disk drives and solid state drives for the first ever (officially) on an Apple notebook. To many users, this equals pure bliss.

Initial impressions and reactions given from unboxing and handling the Macbook Pro have been impressive. Apple has clearly been working on this for a long time and the level of refined detail can be seen when the box is first opened. From first picking up the machine, to flipping the lid open, design and aesthetic influence taken from the Macbook Air and iMac have been fused together to produce Apple’s classiest notebook yet.

Stay tuned, MacBlogz will continue to provide in depth reviews and analysis of Apple’s new notebook line.

Update: Per request, I’ve uploaded some more photos at the MacRumors forums here.

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First Impressions of the 24-inch Cinema Displays Seem Bright

New 15″ Macbook Pro: First Unboxing Photos and Impressions