Photo: benjamin-nagel / Flickr

Frequent sightings of Apple’s ill CEO Steve Jobs on the company’s campus have given hope regarding Jobs’ recovery, while also sparking rumours of an impending major product release for the world’s biggest tech company. It appears that new Macbook Pros may be on their way and soon.

I wonder if matters are familiar with people

The rumour comes from a report published by AppleInsider. The publication, citing those oh-so-handy ‘people familiar with the matter’, says that Apple executives are considering launching the updated Macbook Pros before the end of this month, February 2011. Given that we’re two-thirds of the way through the month, they’re sure cutting fine in terms of inviting journalists to the event.

A drive down Sandy Bridge

Admittedly rumours of new Macbook Pros have been around for a while, with many thinking Apple would launch the computers in March. The biggest technical update is expected to be the inclusion of the Intel Sandy Bridge chipset – the second-generation core processors. It’s expected that the ones that ship with Apple’s computers won’t be the ones that have the chip design flaw that sparked a recall.

Speaking of Intel

In a post last week, Fast Company hypothesized that Intel may have prematurely leaked the design of the new Macbook Pros in promotional material for their Sandy Bridge chipset. While it’s difficult to tell if that is Apple’s new computer – though it sure has Apple’s design sensibilities – it looks like the incoming Pros will be thinner and could possibly be ditching its optical drive much like the new Macbook Airs have.

In typical Apple fashion, very little else is known about these new laptops, but if recent years are any indication, they will be available in 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch varieties.

Bread, if not butter

While Apple’s core laptop and desktop business has faded into the shadows in the media, with its younger brothers the iPhone and the iPad commanding consumer and press attention, the Macbook Pro continues to be a core part of Apple’s business, and whenever the company releases new ones, it’s always guaranteed to be worth sitting up and listening. We’ll see if Team Jobs surprises us with new laptops this week.

Photo: coffeegoeshere / Flickr

Depending on how frequently you use a computer, it may be time you laid off the addiction a little bit. There’s a part of you that knows whether you fall in the ‘excessive’ territory, but you may not want to accept the fact. More importantly, for those who have their own families, you’ll be told you need to lay off that computer addiction. Life is worth much more than computer screens, so it’s worth taking that advice seriously.

Recognise you can do without

The first step in escaping technology is acknowledging that you can do without. That’s more difficult for some people than it is others, but the point is, most everybody can do without technology at a different point. The trick is to substitute that time when the computer addiction kicks in with alternate activities like sport and hobbies.

Remember what matters

There are endless stories of wrecked families because a loved one was hooked on WoW or video games, or spent too much time in front of the computer. Thankfully, these stories are mostly in alarmist tabloids since the vast majority of us would never let our love for technology supersede our love for other people, when it comes to crunch. When you’re feeling you’re developing a computer addiction, walk away by spending time with your family.

Wean off slowly

Weaning off technology requires you do it with a slow, careful, deliberate precision. Technology or computer addiction, no matter what mainstream papers will have you believe, is not like being addicted to heroine or hard drugs of that nature. It’s far simpler to overcome and only requires a willingness to overcome them. Have days when you leave your mobile phone at home. If you have too many different gadgets, do away with all but the absolute essential. Remember, what you’re trying to achieve: in this instance, less is more.

I’ve found that when it comes down to it, I can do away with absolutely everything except my trusty Macbook Pro. And by do away, I mean literally not use them at all, with the Macbook Pro existing solely to get work done.

It makes for an interesting experiment, well worth taking, so perhaps try it out. Even if you don’t suffer from computer addiction, the time away from PCs will rekindle your love for other things in life.

Photo: Apple

You get laptops and then you get laptops, where the former do the basics and the latter do, well, almost anything a powerful desktop is capable of. Below is a look at some of the top of the range laptops available on the market today.

17-inch MacBook Pro

Where the MacBook has always had a power and functionality advantage, it’s also always had a price advantage – and not in the good old thrifty way. Even then, though, those who love them swear by them. The top-of-the-range 17-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro have a resolution of 1920×1200 (definitely a full HD laptop, then) and have a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor with 4GB of RAM shipped in the box. Suffice it to say, these can definitely do the heavy lifting.

Asus G73JH

When we reviewed the Asus G73JH we warned users to ‘tread lightly’ for it ‘is not cheap’ and ‘not so by a long mile’. But when looking at the pure laptop prowess and power, you’re going to pay for what you get. In that case, how does an Intel Core i7 – 720QM processor sound to you? How about pairing that with 8GB of RAM right out the box and a 1,000GB (yes, 1 terabyte) hard drive in the box? Oh, and if that’s not enough, this is designed to be a pure gaming machine, with an unreasonable ATI Mobility Radeon HD5870 sound? Thought you’d like that. And, of course, with specs like this 1920×1080 as the minimum resolution you would expect, yes? Well, you’re in luck then, because this is an out-and-out 17-inch full HD laptop, too.

Sony Vaio VPCF120ME/B

Photo: Sony

Sony, never one to be left behind in the ‘mine’s better than yours’ comparisons, throws a top-of-the-range HD laptop of its own in the mix. Say hello to the Sony Vaio VPCF120ME/B. This 16.4-inch full HD laptop has an Intel Core i7 – 740QM processor with an unreasonable clock speed of 2,930MHz (yes, 2,93GHz). RAM starts out at 4GB but is expandable up to 8GB, naturally, and it ships with a 500GB hard drive. And if top-notch pixel-pushing is important to you, it ships with an nVidia GeForce GT330M. Will that do?

The options are multi-varied

If all you’re looking for is a well-sized, capable full HD laptop, then your options are manifold. Manufacturers have realized we want high-resolution screens and they’ve given us that. But, of course, not all laptops are built the same, and if you’re looking for a top of the range laptop capable of giving many a run for their money, the three laptops above are solid candidates for that job.

Photo: Apple

All early signs indicate that the iPad is a very big deal, we can all agree. But did you know that, if the iPad were counted as a mobile computing device, Apple’s share of the mobile market would jump from seventh to third? Yes, that’s how big a deal the iPad is, according to IDC.

Leaping over them all

Currently, IDC’s report pegs Apple as the seventh-largest manufacturer in the highly competitive worldwide market for portable computing, with 2.47 million Macbook Pro and Macbook laptops sold this past quarter – a rather impressive feat considering the limited range Apple sells. If you add the 3.27 million iPads Apple sold in this last quarter, the total number of mobile computing devices Apple sold is 5.74 million units.

More importantly, the company’s ranking on worldwide computer sales would change if we added iPad numbers to this. More specifically, if IDC were to consider the Apple tablet as part of Apple’s mobile computing lineup, the company would leap to third in worldwide sales. Behind only Acer and HP. Put even more bluntly, it would place Apple above Dell, Toshiba, Asus, and Lenovo.

Not such a joke anymore, huh?

Photo: Apple

When the Apple tablet was finally revealed after months of speculation, people were in a tiff about what it all meant. Tech circles poked fun at the ridiculous sanitary pad-inspired name (it’s still a silly name) and poked fun at it merely being an oversized iPhone. Arguments broke out over what it meant for computing, what it would be used for, and whether it would even sell.

Now the talking has ceased. All evidence is now pointing to the fact that people cannot stop buying iPads. Competitors are scrambling to catch up, and when their tablets finally reach market, they’ll almost all face a difficult challenge in catching up to the Apple tablet.

The only question that remains is should the iPad be considered as part of Apple’s mobile computing product range on IDC’s chart? Doubtless the competitors it would leapfrog would not be altogether impressed if it were. Apple itself probably doesn’t care, just as long as the company can carry on printing money.

Photo: Apple

While all the debate and conversation centres around what tablet computers mean for netbooks, many people overlook the grandfather (and still the best all-rounder) of mobile computing – the laptop. We’ve racked the brains of our editorial team to come up with the top three Intel Core i7 laptops released in 2010.

The Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch (2010 release)

The latest batch of Apple Macbook Pro laptops brought with them a much-needed innards revision, when the stalwart Intel Core 2 Duos were replace by the Intel Core i5 and i7 respectively. The top-end configuration of the Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch sees a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor, with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. We’re biased toward the 15-inch because the 17-inch just feels too unwieldy, but if a bigger monitor is your thing, by all means go for it. You will always pay a premium for Apple products, but this Macbook Pro is a mainstay in anybody’s Intel Core i7 laptop range.

The HP Pavillion dv7-3110ea

Photo: HP

The HP Pavillion dv7-3110ea muscles its way on to this list almost exclusively on the back of its surprisingly good price relative to its capabilities. This Intel Core i7 720QM notebook packs 4GB of RAM and a spacious 500GB hard drive, just like the Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch above. The only difference is processor clock speed is 1.6GHz vs 2.66GHz and it costs less than half the price. Feeling thrifty? This 17.3-inch Intel Core i7 laptop is price sensitive, too.

The Asus G73JH

Photo: Asus

Although it has an unnecessarily wieldy name and costs an average of 1.5 times the price of HP Pavillion dv7-3110ea above, the Asus G73JH deserves its spot on the list. Specs wise, it has the identical Intel Core i7 laptop processor the Pavillion has, the i7 720Qm clocking in at 1,6GHz, but it gets a RAM upgrade to 8GB. Hard drive capacity is also 8GB, with a 17-inch monitor. How then does it lay its stake? By having an ATI Mobility Radeon HD5870 graphics card, that’s how. Capable of playing the bulk of mainstream computer games on solid to very good settings, this utility laptop is the mobile PC gamer’s dream. And, if the graphics card is not justification enough, it is still cheaper than the Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch above. Convinced yet?

What other Intel Core i7 powered notebooks have you come across this year that you feel deserve being mentioned or reviewed in another post? Let us know in the comments section below.

Photo: Stock.Xchng

We’ve been running a series of posts detailing the must-have tools for freelancers working in the contemporary knowledge economy, having written a general guide and a more specific guide for freelance writers. Now we shine the spotlight on freelance editors, looking at the right video camera, computer and software combination for your needs.

Gadget: a camera

Photo: Sony

The video camera (and digital camera) landscape now runs the gamut from very cheap but rather impressive to exceptionally expensive. As a pro freelance editor, you want to have a very good camera to work with right off the bat. If you’re a bit shy on budget and high definition is not a need, the classic Sony PD-170, which is no longer being produced but can be found in various second-hand markets, is a mainstay for good reason: it works very well. If you are looking for pro camera which records HD content, the Sony DSR-PD177P gives great bang for your buck.

Must-have: a computer, of course

Editing suites have come many strides from the once raw cut-and-paste editing techniques of years gone by, to contemporary systems built entirely on computers. The thing is, though, you still need a powerful computer to do it all on. We’re against being tethered to one location, so we would recommend a laptop over a desktop any day.

If you prefer a desktop, spend your money on a solid workstation. Fortunately, there are myriad options available, and, as long as your machine has over 4GB of RAM, a solid graphics card and a contemporary Intel processor – Intel Core i5 and upwards – then you should be fine.

If you’re inclined to going mobile, Apple’s Macbook Pro range was built, in part, with your needs in mind. They’re not cheap laptops, but they’re very capable when put through their paces and the one-two mobile combination of a Macbook Pro and Final Cut Studio 3 works very well.

Finally: that software

Photo: Apple

Which brings us to the software. If you do opt for a Mac, then Final Cut Studio 3 would be your primary choice for serious editing. Virtualising Windows software will bring your machine to a crawl, so if you’re biased towards Windows software, than purchase a Windows computer.

For the Windows community of editors, your options are Adobe Premiere Pro (which is also available for Mac), the rather pricey Avid Media Composer and Sony’s Vegas Pro.

The takeaway

The trick for a freelance editor is to mix and match. If you can, download trial versions of all the software and put them all through their paces. Then choose the one that sits best with you. As for a camera, see if you cannot take a few models on a test run and see which give the optimum results for your pocket. But the trick is to get the balance right – you want to come across as a professional and therefore you need pro-quality equipment at agreeable prices.

Photo: Apple

In a world where there are enough knowledge-based job that you need never meet your clients face-to-face or you have the ability to work from a remote island with nothing but a few gadgets and stable Internet, it’s often hard to know which equipment is absolutely indispensable. This post, the first in a series of posts, looks at the absolute basic tools you cannot go without, whether you are a graphic designer or a developer. If you work on a PC, this list collates the essential PC freelancer tools.

Item one: a beefy yet portable computer

Yes, beefy yet portable computer seems a bit of an oxymoron, but it is well possible to have a powerful piece of mobile hardware that is easy to carry, too. We are very partial towards the 15-inch Macbook Pro – preferably the Intel Core i7, if you can spare the expense. These computers are incredibly reliable, deceivingly powerful, and give years of service, if the three-year old Macbook this is being typed on is any indication. This is one of the essential PC freelancer tools.

Seriously, throw the budget out the window. Your laptop is your lifeblood, and the ability to virtualise Windows on Mac negates the ‘it can’t run this software’ argument.

Photo: HP

If you’re still not convinced by our Mac appeals, we’ve been well impressed by the performance of the HP EliteBook 8540w. Also powered by the impressive Intel Core i7, and with a processing speed of 2.66GHz with 4GB of RAM out the gates, its heavy lifting impresses.

Item two: the right software

One of the biggest mistakes many newcomer freelancers make is not budgeting for software. Yes, piracy is relatively easy and you’re likely to not be found out, but you have an obligation to pay for the tools that enable you to do your work. Outside of that, if you’re new to freelancing, knowing the right software to get will save you a headache.

Firstly, nigh-on every PC freelancer or knowledge worker needs Photoshop. If not the full Photoshop CS5, at least get Photoshop Elements.

Now, writers may want to pick up Word, or, if you have a reliable Internet connection wherever you write, Google Docs will suffice. Video editors should pick up Final Cut Pro (you did follow the advice about getting a Mac, right?). Graphic designers and photographers may want to look at the rest of the Adobe Creative suite. And, finally, developers, your language of preference should dictate your software, but if you do basic HTML and CSS, you’ll be surprised by how capable your Text Editor software is.

This list aims not to be exhaustive, but rather as first steps. Getting the software and hardware mix right is the first step. In future posts, we’ll go into deeper details about other freelancer tools for specific industries.

Photo: Apple

Yesterday the collective Apple stock overtook Microsoft’s market cap. With that, Steve Jobs and co. eclipsed an organisation they have been in competition with for over 30 years in what many people are calling the end of an era. Here we take a look at Apple’s product set of the last 5 years to see where everything has gone right, and predict what is next to come.

The Mac

Since the contemporary Powerbook in the mid 2000s, Apple’s laptop lineup has steadied significantly (much like the iMac before did for its desktop range). It wasn’t until the introduction of the Macbook Pro and the Macbook combo, coupled with the now famous (or is that annoyingly infamous?) ‘Get a Mac’ commercials did the notebook take on the allure (and market share) it did and boost Apple stock the way it did.

Now Macs contribute a significant proportion to North American notebook sales and while Mac OS is a drop in the ocean compared to Windows laptops, the premium prices Apple charges for its computers is where they make much more revenue and profit than the competition.

The iPhone

In many respects, the iPhone is Apple’s massive game changer. Sure, one must wonder, ‘more so than the iPod?’ given the iPod all but saved the company from inevitable extinction, but the iPhone has been a social phenomena. Selling over 50 million units since 2007 at very healthy premiums, the iPhone and the App Store platform borne out of it contributed 40 per cent of Apple’s bottom line this past year.

The iPad

Photo: Apple

Apple’s most recent rabbit in the hat, the highly divisive iPad, has been the centre of conversation for at least the last six months when rumours of the then non-existent device began gathering steam. With analysts predicting whether it could eek out a market for itself and whether people wanted it, Apple has gone on to sell north of a million units in just 28 days, with many predictions pegging the device at selling 200,000 per week. This is in North America only. It only gets released internationally today.

Honourable mention and future

Though the iPod – and dedicated MP3 players – are a slowly dying category of devices, the iPod deserves an honourable mention for what it has done for Apple fortunes. Sure, it does not fall into our carefully selected ‘last five years’ but Apple have built their reputation as a ‘mobile devices company’ off the iPod’s back, and it may give some telltale signs of what the company will do next and whether the Apple stock price can carry on on the tear that it has been on.

Photo: Apple

Earlier in the year Apple upgraded the MacBook Pro to get with the times. New additions to the Apple laptop included an upgrade to the powerful and fast Intel Core i7 processor, improved graphics card and the battery life has also been extended.

What the MacBook Pro has to offer

Overall the Apple MacBook Pro is a good looking laptop and the build quality is superb. It comes in three different screen sizes: 13 inches, 15 inches and 17 inches. The 15-inch version of the Apple machine is the most comfortable to use and is not too big or too small. The MacBook Pro is also definitely no slouch, with the Intel iCore i7 clocking in at 2.66 GHz and making day-to-day computing a breeze.

Graphics on the Apple laptop are powered by an Nvidia Geforce 330M which isn’t the best for gaming, but definitely gets through editing photos and videos. The battery life with the Apple laptop running on Mac OS X is incredible, with the device offering an amazing eight to 11 hours of battery life when idling and about three hours and 20 minutes when watching HD videos.

Which one to choose

Out of the three Apple MacBook Pros available, the 15 inch stands out as the Apple laptop which most people will want to own. The 17 inch, though offering a bigger screen with a higher screen resolution, is big and bulky and not capable of the mobile computing which a laptop of the calibre of the Apple product is supposed to offer. The 17 inch is seems more suited to be left at home and used as a mobile workstation. The 13 inch isn’t a bad machine, but it may be a bit too small for some people to use. It is perfect for the user who always wants to use their Apple laptop on the move, though.

The Apple MacBook Pro is definitely a laptop to be taken seriously by anyone looking for a laptop offering extensive multimedia capabilities. The 13 inch retails at £1116.24, while the 15 inch and 17 inch retail at £1619.10 and £1585 respectively.

Photo: Apple

Following in the wake of the Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 Macbook Pro updates, the recently leaked entry-level Macbook update has turned out not to be just rumour. And, oddly enough, has snuck onto shelves without the usual red carpet Apple treatment.

Specs

Outside of any manufacturing enhancements Apple most likely made, the new Macbook has seen an update in two areas – the CPU and the GPU. It sees the 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo bumped up to 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. With respect to graphical processing, the latest Macbook will have the same NVIDIA GeForce 320M GPU found in the current Macbook Pro lineup. Why is this a big deal? Primarily because the intelligently designed GPU can perform graphics processing when needed, yet saves battery life by running somewhat idle when not required.

These two updates places the entry level Macbook’s specs at 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, with 250GB storage and 2GB DDR3 RAM at a price of £849, which is around £30 more expensive than. For more of your hard-earned pounds, you can upgrade your Macbook to 4GB RAM with built-in storage space expandable up to 500GB.

Bizarre leak

What brought attention to what appears to be an intentionally stealthy release is how it was leaked a few days ago by Vietnamese publication, Tinhte. This is the same publication that found that second lost iPhone 4G and revealed the Dell Mini 5 would have a Snapdragon processor through a teardown.

Mac updates

With this entry-level Macbook update following the recent Macbook Pro update, Apple has updated two-thirds of its laptop lineup, with only the Macbook Air left out. The Macbook Pro 13-inch has specs similar to the updated Macbook, while the 15-inch and 17-inch Macbook Pro both got Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 composition.