644: Macworld 2009 News, Product Announcements and More

Featured updates:

* Easily create sophisticated animations with *Magic Move.*
* Add dramatic object and text transitions using *new visual effects.*
* Visualize your data with *new styles and animations* for 3D charts.
* Dramatically *reduce file size* without compromising quality.
* Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using *connection lines.*
* Choose from *eight new Apple-designed themes* (44 total).
* *Open, save, and email Microsoft PowerPoint files* from within Keynote.

Some big changes were announced to the iWork suite of productivity applications today. Like iWork ’08, iWork ’09 includes Pages, Keynote and Numbers. Integration and sharing have been vastly improved across the suite, and it still offers excellent Microsoft Office compatibility.

The addition of iWork.com is huge. Much like Google Docs, you will be able to collaborate on projects by accessing your files online. Apple has not launched this yet in its full form, but it is available as a public beta once you have purchased iWork ’09.

In the following articles, you’ll find an overview of the highlighted new features.

“Read more about iWork here.”:http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/
“Check out our coverage of Macworld 2009 on our blog.”:http://blog.smalldog.com

Today at MacWorld, Phil Schiller introduced a brand-new 17″ MacBook Pro. The new MacBook shares the revolutionary aluminum unibody construction offered on the MacBook and 15″ MacBook Pro. Other specs:

* .98 inches thin
* 6.6 pounds
* The world’s lightest and thinnest 17-inch notebook
* Features an LED backlit display, with 1920×1200 resolution. 700:1 contrast ratio, and 60% greater color gamut than the previous 17-inch display.
* Apple says “This is the best display we’ve ever shipped in a notebook.”

* 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Dual Core
* 6MB L2 Cache
* Up to 8GB memory at 1066 MHz DDR3.
* Glass trackpad with four-finger gestures and multi-button support.
* 320GB hard drive

* Three USB ports
* Mini DisplayPort for connecting to Apple’s new 24″ LED display
* FireWire 800 (no 400!)
* Digital audio in/out
* ExpressCard slot.
* Gigabit Ethernet
* MagSafe power adapter (duh)

* Built-in, non user-replaceable battery. This is an adaptive “smart battery” with built-in chips to maintain maximum charge and lifespan

* The battery can last up to eight hours, is good for about five years, and can be charged 1000 times. It is also fully recyclable.

* Battery life varies depending on graphics card used. With the 9600GT, battery life if seven hours. It is up to eight hours with the 9400M integrated graphics.

* All told, this is three hours longer than the previous 17-inch MacBook Pro, equalling a 60% increase in battery life.

* Also, for the first time with the new unibody MacBooks, Apple is offering an anti-glare option. It costs $50 more than the glossy display because the bezel has to be removed after it’s already assembled.

* $2799.99

“Click here to see this MacBook Pro on our website.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72891

“Click Here to take our post-Macworld keynote survey!”:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ruYoNEgHQtJlmUhGxQtbtA_3d_3d

In “6GB of RAM in your MacBook?” published last week, my description of eligible computers included 2.33GHz MacBook Pros. Unfortunately, these models have a capacity of three gigabytes, not six. If there is any question whether your machine can handle the upgrade, give us a call at 800-511-MACS and we’d be happy to confirm for you. Sorry for the confusion!

Happy Tuesday,

While I’m saddened there won’t be another Macworld keynote address, I’m thrilled that this last one was so exciting. The Places feature in iPhoto ’09 is both endlessly cool and useful; iMovie’s long list of improvements, particularly the image stabilization feature, brings the product into true prosumer territory; the 8GB of RAM option, green features, and huge advances in battery technology in the new 17″ MacBook Pro further demonstrate Apple’s commitment to environmental stewardship; and the iTunes store will pull even further into the lead as it eliminates DRM from every track offered by the big four record companies.

Phil Schiller was eloquent and focused in his delivery, and I look forward to seeing him on stage at other events in the future. Ed put it well: “Steve is like your crusty old austere grandfather, while Phil is the uncle you sneak beers with behind the barn.” This said, crusty old Steve did invent the reality distortion field and Phil couldn’t quite get it up and running.

Macworld is really just starting now. Don, Geoff, Art, and I are solidly booked all week with vendors, various Apple boards, industry colleagues, and, of course, lots of parties. Keep an eye on Barkings as we share our experiences throughout the week!

As always, thanks for reading and keep in touch.