Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category

The term iPod today has become synonymous with almost any music lover world wide and the appearance of iPods has been a boon to patrons of music as these are portable music players designed by Apple and were introduced for the first time in 2001. Since then, there have been various models of the iPods which have been released and each having separate functions of their own, but it can be concluded without a trace of doubt that these iPods have been super successful in attracting the consumers. The various iPod models used at present include the iPod classic, the iPod nano which enabled video viewing, the iPod touch which is somewhat similar to iPhones, the iPod shuffle which does not have a screen and the iPod photo. These are all digital music players having adequate storage capacity which varies according to each model. The iPod classic models contain and save these storage data in an internal hard drive while the other models implement the usage of flash memory. Recent statistics suggest that the iPod has sold about 110 million units world wide giving it the numero uno position as the most sold digital music player in history.

Unlike earlier when iPods worked only with Macs, nowadays, they can function even in Windows versions and they can play various audio file formats like WAP, AIFF, MP3, Audible audiobook etc. The iPod nano can play Quick Time video formats and MPEG 4 files with suitable limitations while the iPod photo allows the viewing of PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF files. It is possible to transfer the files to the storage compartment of the iPods. The Fire Wire and USB wall chargers accompany the iPods which are used to charge the iPods without the computer. All iPods are necessarily supplied with earphones apart from other accessories.

One disadvantage of the iPods has been their low battery life along with weaker equalizer settings and inferior bass quality.

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Safari

The web browser which is introduced by Apple as part of its Mac OS X operating system is known as Safari. Till the late 1990s, Microsoft Internet Explorer supplemented by the Netscape Navigator had been utilized by the Apple Mac computers. However it was in 2003 that the first announcement came from Apple that they had devised their individual web browser called Safari based on the KHTML rendering engine. Since 2005 it has been noticed that Safari is presently the only web browser which is included in Mac. The Safari web browser consists of several additional components which performs a variety of functions. It includes a tabbed-browsing interface and incorporates Apple’s very own QuickTime player. The Safari interface also comprises of the Google search box and there are multitudes of software devices which also function here and the passwords are secured through Keychain. There is also another function called Web Inspector introduced by Apple again and it enables the users to surf a function called the Document Object Model as part of the web page.

For its proper functioning, Safari also requires to use certain other tools like Apple’s own WebKit which is needed to aid the working of the web pages and JavaScript applications. Apple’s prominent innovations, the iPhone and the iPod Touch also use the Safari web browser and in 2007 Safari 3 version was announced for use in Windows Vista and XP versions and it is also used in the working of the Google Docs application. Moreover Safari’s efficient functioning has been facilitated by the use of CSS support. Recent statistics reveal that the usage share of Safari has received an encouraging boost recording a significant growth. It is necessary to mention here that in tandem with the claims made by Apple that Safari is the fastest web browser available, upon examination that despite certain glitches, Safari is definitely the reigning number one web browser at present.

PowerBooks

Upon its invention, computers were touted as the next big thing to hit the world of technological innovations and personal computers had been since then considered one of the most marvelous inventions of the times. However, personal computers today have been pushed to the back by another improved version, most commonly referred to as the laptop. Macintosh or Mac is the premium brand name by which Apple’s range of personal computers is known and PowerBooks refer to the laptop versions of these Mac computers. With the coming of the MacBooks however, the PowerBooks were retracted from service in 2006. But it should be admitted without any note of disbelief that PowerBooks were extremely efficient and won a series of awards for their proficiency. Some of these awards include Endgadget’s ‘Laptop of the Year’ in 2005 and ‘Gold’ status in the 2001 Industrial Excellency Awards.

The first series of PowerBooks introduced were three in number PowerBook 100, PowerBook 140 and PowerBook 170 and they were immensely successful to the extent that it is estimated that it took hold of a share of a whopping amount of 40% of the total laptop sales. In fact PowerBook 100 had been ranked by Mobile PC as the ‘#1 gadget of all time.’ The PowerBook 500 series was also referred to as ‘Blackbird’ and it was the first laptop to allow built-in Ethernet networking and the first computer ever to use a trackpad. However, the PowerBook 5300 which was highly anticipated turned out to be a major failure and Apple introduced new PowerBook 1400 to make up for its debacle. These were the first PowerBooks to possess an internal CD drive. The PowerBook G3 was launched in 1998 and climbed popularity charts and its versions like the ‘Lombard’ and the ‘Pismo’ were provided with newer innovations like AGP graphics and the use of AirPort wireless networking.

However, it was in 2006 that this series was terminated and was replaced by the MacBook versions.

MacBook

The MacBook refers to the notebook computer series of Mac introduced by Apple for the first time in 2006 and it comprised of the Intel Dual Core chip. The present version which was released recently in November 2007 contains 1 GB memory and which can be upgraded to a maximum limit of 4GB and it includes Intel’s X3100 integrated graphic constituents along with Intel’s GM 965 chipset with 800 MHz front-side bus. The present base model of the MacBook comprises of an 80 GB hard drive and Combo Drive together with a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor which can be upgraded from time to time.

The MacBook contains several devices which perform multitudes of functions. It is loaded with the updated new operating system introduced by Apple, the Mac OS X v10.5 OmniOutliner, Front Row, Comic Life, Photo Booth and iLife. There is also an in-built mini-DVI as well as an iSight webcam. Moreover there are USB 2.0 ports, a single Firewire 400port, Sudden Motion Sensor, a Scrolling Trackpad, Bluetooth 2.0 and EDR, Ethernet facilities and AirPort extremes. The MacBook is supplemented with MagSafe power connectors and Apple Remote. The LCD screen of the MacBook is a wide 13.3 inches with a 1280 X 800 resolution and it is the first Apple product to present a glossy screen display. It also possesses built-in stereo speakers and microphones together with optical digital audio outputs which ensure excellent quality sound projection. The MacBook is available in both white and black color models though it is often critiqued for placing the price of the black model as around US$150 more than the white one despite having the same configurations. Unlike the iBook or PowerBook models, the keyboard in the MacBook is not removable. MacBook supports the functioning of various graphic tools like Intel’s GMA X3100.

There has been certain complains regarding sudden shut downs and later restart problems and also the glossy display has also come under fire at times from consumers.