Lately Apple’s press conferences and keynotes have been about iPhone 4 and the iPad. However, they flipped the script today and went “back to the mac,” showcasing the new Macbook Air, Mac OS X 10.7, and the Mac App Store!!!

The All New MacBook Air

These new models will now be available in two different sizes – 11.6″ and 13.3.” The smaller one is only two inches wider than the iPad and some have called this version an iPad with a keyboard. I have a 13″ MacBook and couldn’t imagine having a smaller screen. I guess it’s good for travel, but for everyday use I would have to hook up a second monitor! The 13″ model will start at $1299, whereas the 11″ comes in at a very affordable $999. These models have also adopted the ultra smooth button-less trackpads with multi-touch technology.

Lion brings together the best of the best, by taking some of the best features of the iPad and adding it to their already stellar OS. The first feature and I think my favorite one is the Mac App Store, which I asked for in a previous post! Apple is taking their hugely successful App Store for iPhone & iPads and bringing it to the Mac. You’ll be able to download apps and to your Mac, just like you download apps for your phone. One of the main benefits of this, is receiving updates and new releases instantly! I think all software applications will soon be web apps that you either download or run off a remote server.

Launchpad is another idea that’s being applied to the Mac. Think of the home screen on the iPhone & iPads. All of your Mac Apps will be organized here in nice and neat full screen window. You’ll also be able to group apps into folders and shuffle thru them with ease using simple gestures on your track pad.

Mission Control appears to be another great new tool, especially for those of us that multitask! I constantly have 5 or more apps running spread out all over my spaces, not to mention to the 25 browser windows! This new features brings everything together in one centralized location. Everything from Dashboard and Exposé to Browser windows and full screen apps. I can’t wait to use this new feature, hopefully it will help me stay more organized!

Apple you never cease to amaze me with your innovations! I think a trip to the Apple store is in order… especially with my bday only 10 days away!!!

Mac users will be getting a treat later on today. Software company, Valve, is releasing their online game platform, Steam, for Mac today!

Basically, this service is the equivalent of iTunes for gamers. Allowing users to download games directly to their computers, as opposed to buying a physical copy  and having to install it.

Think of it like this… When was the last time you bought an actual physical CD??? I can’t remember the last time I did. Apple’s iTunes eliminated the need for me to get up off the couch on Tuesday to go a buy a new album, bring it home, and import it into my iTunes. I think Stream is going to have the same effect on the Gaming Industry. Why wouldn’t gamers rather download the latest games directly to their computers and be able to play them instantly.

Stream has a bunch of other awesome features too. It’s not just a place to buy your games, you can also chat with your friends / foes and join tournaments / matches. Personally, I think the best feature is automatic game updates, which brings me to my next point…

Web-based applications are the future for software companies! The days of spending $500 for Adobe’s Photoshop or Microsoft’s Office will soon be behind us. Well, that’s if those companies want to survive. The automatic game update feature in Steam is what makes web-based apps so appealing. Currently, consumers spend a small fortune on software applications, that take up a ton of memory, and slow computers down. Then a year or two later, the software company releases a new version, making the version you just bought out-dated. Imagine, if you could pay a monthly subscription fee to use that same software! And get software updates and bug fixes automatically, ensuring that you always have the most updated version. We recently made the switch from Quickbooks ( physical ) to Freshbooks ( web-based ) and couldn’t be happier! Whenever they add new features or updates to their app, it automatically updates on our end and we don’t have to install a thing!

One company that really embraces web-based software is 37 Signals and they’re CRUSHING IT! Companies like Adobe and Microsoft had better follow suit, in order to keep up with the competition!!

Hey Apple… how about a MacBook App Store!

]]> http://www.makemealive.com/2010/05/12/steam-for-mac-itunes-for-gamers/feed/ 2 http://www.makemealive.com/2010/03/12/apples-ipad-available-for-pre-order-today/ http://www.makemealive.com/2010/03/12/apples-ipad-available-for-pre-order-today/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:48:58 +0000 Doug Logue http://www.makemealive.com/?p=639

The magical and revolutionary day is almost upon us!

In preparation for iPad pre-orders, Apple temporarily took their site offline earlier today. It is now back up and running, but you can definitely notice a lag in page load times. I’m sure this is due to the immense amount of traffic the site is receiving with the announce of the pre-order.

You have two options here. The first, you can reserve the WiFi model for an in-store pick up on April 3rd. Or, pre-order the WiFi + 3G model and have it shipped directly to once it’s released.

And of course, there’s the iPad accessories!

iPad Keyboard

iPad Case

iPad Dock

I’m interested to see the number of pre-orders Apple receives over the next week. Many people are still skeptical on whether or not this new device will be successful. Personally, I think it has it’s niche markets… education, medical, and business professionals on the go. However, even though I’m an Apple fanatic, I don’t really see myself getting one anytime soon.

Will you be pre-ordering an iPad?

iPad Video!

For detailed ipad promo video CLICK HERE

Apple plans to release the first batch of iPads in 60 days. Initially, these will only have WiFi capabilities with 3G coming soon. There will be two different versions of the iPad, WiFi and WiFi + 3G, with the different models – 16GB, 32GB, & 64GB.

One great feature is that the iPads come UNLOCKED!! This will allow usage on any cellular network. AT&T has already released monthly fees associated with the product – $14.99 for 250 MB / month or $29.99 for unlimited. And NO CONTRACTS!!

It’s OFFICIAL!! Here are some photos of Apple’s new tablet, “iPad!” So far, Steve Jobs, has covered photos, music, tv shows and movies, and email. Most of the features have been similar to that of the iphone… slide to unlock, multi-touch interaction, GPS, geotagging of photos, itunes and itunes store. One noticeable difference is the ability to actually type on the touchscreen keyboard, rather then using your thumbs!!

Stay tuned for continued updates throughout the day!

Most everyone thinks that apple will reveal the New Tablet tomorrow at the event. But no one associated with apple has actually confirmed that including Steve Jobs. That is until now.

WHO IS GETTING EXCITED????
A new report by mobile analytics firm Flurry concludes that the Apple Tablet indeed exists, that about 50 test units are housed at Apple’s headquarters, and that it is primarily a media machine for gaming.

One interesting observation: this device seems to run the iPhone 3.2 software, rather than the iPhone 4.0 OSthat is rumored to be unveiled this week. Could that mean that the device Flurry has identified isn’t the tablet, or that iPhone 4.0 won’t be ready for release for several more months? We’ll find out on Wednesday.

Hey,

Fox New confirmed that next week Apple will be holding an event January 27 to unveil the much rumored mac tablet.  Ironically info from pcworld.com “An ex-Google executive said that Apple would unveil a tablet in January, and The Financial Times reported that Apple had booked space at the Yerba Buena Center for a product unveiling. (Of course, the Financial Times originally reported that the event would be held January 26–one day off, as it turns out.)”

By appleinsider.com prediction by Peter Misek, analyst with Canaccord Adams, issued Wednesday. He also expects Apple to introduce iPhone OS 4.0 as part of its product introduction at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco next week. At product unveilings, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs often uses the phrase “One more thing…” to indicate a surprise product announcement towards the end of his keynote presentations.

Lots of rumors flying around the web.  But it is official January 27th is the date of the apple event.  Then we can put all this jabber to rest.