Mobile Computing News

Photo: Apple

Apple, the premium mobile devices company, has had unprecedented success since the return in 1998 of their iconic founder, Steve Jobs. Since then, the company has built a $100 billion organisation on the back of mobile music players, Smartphones and its Mac lineup of laptops. This post answers the question Apple posed in a recent marketing campaign: which Mac are you?

The iMac

Photo: Apple

The iMac is Apple’s all-in-one line of desktop computers with a twist – the desktop is in the desktop. That is to say, the desktop components are built into the monitor, so all you see is the monitor and the peripherals you use to connect with it – the mouse and keyboard. This innovative idea has lost its initial lustre, but the desktops have not. Starting at £950, the iMac range packs  computing power somewhere in the middle of the Macbook and Macbook Pro range, minus the premium paid for mobility.

The Macbook Air

Photo: Apple

The Macbook Air was once thought to be Apple’s answer to the netbook. Incredibly thin, light and sleek – it doesn’t even come with a built-in disc drive – the computer is more for the fashion conscious than for serious users. Insofar as amazing processing power is not a requirement and discs are a thing of the past, the Macbook Air is the perfect solution for one looking for a very portable computer that does not have the drawbacks of netbooks.

The Macbook

Photo: Apple

The Macbook is Apple’s ultimate consumer laptop. Priced at £700, this 13-inch computer has processing power in excess of most mid- to high-end laptops, as well as an elegant unibody finish. This Mac is aimed at college students as well as any consumer who wants to own a Mac that has respectable processing power but has no intention of running resource-heavy applications like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop.

The Macbook Pro

Photo: Apple

The Macbook Pro is Apple’s mobile solution for Pro users. Available in 13 inches, 15 inches and 17 inches, with processing speeds peaking at 3.06GHz delivered by Intel Duo Cores, and expandable ram of up to 8GB, these laptops are capable of running all the pro applications a mobile user would want. The price, however, peaks at an astonishing £2300, so it certainly is not for the laptop shopper on a budget.

The right tools for the job

Most consumers will pick up the Macbook or the iMac, since they are the most attractively priced with the most capability. The Macbook Air is a novelty for users who have a high fashion sense as well as require optimal mobility, whereas the Macbook Pro is the default laptop for those in graphics or audio-intensive industries. Choosing, as always, comes down to preference, budgets and need (or lack thereof) for mobility.