By The “Back to the Mac” event already ended and the results seem to be cool. Here are the most important releases from Apple’s Mac.
I. The new MacBook Air is available as 13.3 and 11.6 inch models. It has a new processor, better graphics, improved battery and is thinner than ever. But if you want more info on that read the full article here.
II. With the new MacBook comes a new OS, called, as anticipated, OS X Lion (version 10.7). Apple took what was best from previous OS X-s, combined it with the most popular features of iOS and added some new elements to fix old problems. Moreover, a bunch of new features were introduced with the OS X, but unfortunately we have to wait until the summer of 2011 for its release.
III. A new Mac App Store for the new OS. It is easier to install and upgrade apps, and works just like the iOS store. You can now find featured, top rated and newest apps just with a click on your dock. Even if it might create a profit for Apple, it offers a public display for all developers.
IV. Multitouch is now available for OS X Lion. But how does it exactly work? Well, it mostly replaces clicking. You now can touch the touchpad in various ways to view full screen images, preview thumbnails, etc. The MacBook developers seem to prefer the touchpad to its alternative, touchscreen, which we most likely will not see in the near future on a device of this kind.
V. FaceTime is an app you can download and use for video chatting. It works for Mac to Mac as well as for Mac to iPhone, the later being worse in terms of frame rate, but better in quality. FaceTime is similar to iChat, but you can receive calls at all times, unless you sign out of the program; it also pauses iTunes when an incoming call is detected. However, it is currently available only in beta for OS X Panther.
VII. Mission Control is a simple way to name all essential upgrades included in the latest OS X. Firstly it is just like a better Expose (which has been a time saver since 2003, when OS X Panther was in vogue) for highlighting opened programs. Then, it helps you navigate to any part of your MacBook, through Dashboard, Spaces and all the apps available at the store. Lastly, it groups similar opened programs.
VIII. iLife ’11: iMovie, iPhoto and GarageBand. The new version of iMovie was designed to that everyone can edit videos at an advanced level, including audio editing, voiceover and lots of effects. iPhoto gives you the ability to create slideshows with snow, by zoomming in and out, or by using older tricks and animations. Finally, with GarageBand you can adjust the song of your choice and make it sound the way you like it, or record a song and make it sound awseome with this tool.
OS X Lion sounds amazing and I bet that each one of you is waiting for its realease in 2011. Personally, I can’t wait to see what they will do with OS XI.
