Apple’s MacBook Air laptops have become super popular due to their ultra-slim design. They are super light and easy to transport, which makes them perfect for traveling on business or for students who need to have their computer wherever they go. According to new reports from Digitimes, Apple could be launching brand new MacBook Air models that are even lighter and more slim than they have ever been before. These new models could be released as soon as the end of the year or some time in 2015.

Actually, the Digitimes report doesn’t really specify if the slimmed down new models will be the MacBook Air specifically, but that seems to be what makes the most sense. It could be a slimmed down version of the MacBook Pro, but then there wouldn’t be much of a reason for the MacBook Air. There is a strong possibility that both models will get a fresh redesign though and that they could both be slimmed down a bit. The same website has also reported that the current 13.3-inch version of the MacBook Pro will be retired by the end of the year.

We Have The Latest Apple And Windows Laptops Available For Rent At www.RentOurLaptops.com 888-736-8301

Both of these flagship laptops have gotten little changes this year already. Nothing major was updated, but they did both get a CPU boost along with a nice drop in price. It seems like it might be a little bit hard for Apple to shave even more bulk off of the MacBook Air. At the same time, they will probably never slim down the MacBook pro to the same size as the MacBook Air. The two laptops are different and have different selling points, they wouldn’t dare drop one from their line of products or go out of their way to make them basically the same.

Either way, these new reports are very interesting. Hopefully we will be hearing some more news on this by the end of the year, or even see the new product in person by then.

Back in June Apple announced that it sold 4.4 million Macs during the month, the most ever for that quarter of the year. In addition to that, the company also announced that those figures also showed a year-over-year growth rate that the rest of the industry hasn’t seen since 2010. Apple sold 18% more Macs in the quarter than the same quarter the previous year with revenue from the oldest line of Macs contributing 15% of the company’s $37.4 billion in total sales.

According to a statement from Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil, “I was pleasantly surprised by the Mac numbers. The rumors of the death of the personal computer are, of course, highly exaggerated.” When Chief of Research and Head of U.S. Business for Kantar WorldPanel Comtech Carolina Milanesi was asked for her reaction, she stated, “No, I’m not surprised by the Mac numbers. The PC business is almost all mid- and low-end, and that’s not where Apple plays, so they’ll continue to outperform.”

The sales of Apple’s Macs came in significantly higher than the predictions of nearly every single Wall Street analyst polled by Fortune. Apple beat the 3.9 million average of nearly three-dozen analysts by 12% . None of the 34 financial experts surveyed by Fortune had placed a bet higher than what Apple had recorded. “We had a record June quarter for the Mac, and demand has been very strong for our portables in particular,” stated CEO of Apple Time Cook.

In addition to that, Apple’s CFO Luca Maestri praised the fact that Apple was able to beat the PC industry average in 32 of the last 33 quarters. The one quarter in the last eight years that Apple failed to match or beat the average was Q4 od 2012, which was caused by a production fiasco which left the company without iMacs to sell for several months.

Research firm IDC stated that global PC shipments for the June quarter, with a majority of them running Windows OS, fell to 2% with Gartner noting that the shipments fell flat compared to last year. Gartner’s Van Baker believes the increase in sales was caused by the MacBook Air, the company’s thinnest and lightest notebook. Baker stated, “The MacBook Air is still a very strong product and people like it a lot. It puts them in a good position for continued growth.”

Gotheil and Baker both believe that Apple benefited from the minor bounce back in the overall PC business from the previous quarter, though for different reasons. Gotheil believes that users with aging PCs running Windows (likely ones bought around 2008-2009) picked a Mac as a replacement/upgrade whereas Barker believes there is a different reason for the spike.

“Some of these Macs, I think, went to people who had bought a tablet thinking that it would be a replacement PC,” said Baker. “But then those consumers said, ‘Tablets are nice and I like tablets, but a notebook is still a better idea.’ In the developed economies, that’s a dynamic that is operating.”

In addition to that, all three analysts noted that one potential reason for the increase in sales was the price drop that Apple instituted for the MacBook Air line back in April. Apple decreased prices of all four stock model MacBook Airs by $100 and, for the first time, offered a sub-$900 Air, selling the 11″ 128GB Air for $899 to consumers and $849 to college students and parents of students. Gotheil added, “The MacBook Air is a more attractive choice with those price cuts, and it’s a pretty robust notebook.”

Rumors have been circulating recently of Apple revamping a lot of its hardware, namely with the iMac and MacBook devices. These rumors aren’t surprising due to the fact that Apple is pretty consistent in its timeframe of upgrades, so much so that you can practically set your watch by it. But one interesting bit of information that is making its rounds is the fact that Apple could be looking into boosting the processor speed of the next version of iMacs.

As far as looks go, the iMac has stayed pretty consistent since its last redesign in 2012, instead focusing on minor upgrades in processing power that have benefited the device a good deal. It is still up in the air as to when exactly Apple may do a physical redesign again to the already impressively slim all-in-one but a lot of users are keeping their fingers crossed for other enhancements, most notably a higher screen resolution thanks to a Retina display.

However, French blog site MacGeneration recently debuted a report that suggests that Apple is planning on refreshing the iMac lineup as early as next week with speed upgrades. MacGenerations talked about all four iterations of the iMac and the potential upgrades that could be coming to each one.

The $1,499 21.5″ 2.9 GHz iMac could see CPU speeds increase 0.1 GHz to 3.0 while the Turbo Boost feature, which manages individual cores of the processor automatically for increased efficiency in both power and performance, would increase to 3.7 GHz from 3.6. The $1,299 21.5″ 2.7 GHz iMac wouldn’t receive any upgrades at all, at least as far as MacGenerations is concerned.

The $1,799 27″ 3.2 GHz iMac would see processing speeds increase 0.1 GHz as well to 3.3 accompanied with the Turbo Speed increase from 3.6 GHz to 3.7 GHz. The final version of iMac, the $1,999 27″ 3.4 GHz model, would also see a 0.1 GHz increase to 3.5 with the Turbo Speed performance increasing from 3.8 GHz to 3.9 GHz.

However, all of these speed increases are for the basic models. For a small price increase users are already able to increase both processing speed and Turbo Boost when configuring their device. If these reports hold true then it appears as if some Apple fans will be disappointed as no Retina display has been announced for any of the iMac variations.

Rumors of Apple bringing the Retina display to the iMac have been circulating for some time now. Apple released a 5120 x 2880 wallpaper image a year ago that hinted at the Retina display was coming to the iMac as well as Apple’s external models. The MacBook Pro lineup has had Retina displays for quite awhile now, as has the iPhone and iPad, but Apple has yet to bring it to the iMac or the MacBook Air, which is frustrating potential customers.

There is one solitary clue, however, that alludes to this year being the year of the Retina iMac. Code has been discovered in the beta of Apple’s recently-announced OS X 10.10 Yosemite operating system that points to higher-resolution settings for an unknown computer that could very well be the iMac.

Unfortunately for us that is all purely speculative hearsay and nothing has been set in stone. Not everyone is in favor of the iMac getting the Retina display, however. Customers seem to be a little divided on the topic with some thinking that a Retina display on the iMac is awesome while others believe it to be a bit too much. What about you? Are you eager to see the iMac come out with a beautiful Retina display?

For MacBook Rentals Contact www.Rentacomputer.com At 800-736-8772 Or Online

It’s hard to hear the name “Apple” and then place the word next to the term “affordable”. This isn’t to bash on Apple, but as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for”, right? Apple provides excellent products, usually all are very high-end. However, with high-end products come high-end prices. The iMac and even the Macbook aren’t considered the most affordable of tech devices, but they are always seen as some of the best tech you can get your hands on. You would think that with all of the competitors out there offering lower costs, and most succeeding at emulating what Apple can do, they would try to compete themselves and offer lower prices on some of their tech. Well thankfully, that looks to be in some of Apple’s plans this year.

Apple’s product road map for the year of 2014 has pointed out some interesting things. First and foremost in a new ultra slim 12″ Macbook Air. The map revealed more on the iWatch, and new sizes in iPhones, but more so revealed a new low cost iMac as well.

The new Macbook Air seems to be the thing that most everyone is concerned with, in terms of new laptops coming out later this year. The new Air is expects to do away with the two different sizes which its predecessor had. The new Air is rumored to be 12″ instead of offering an 11″ or 13″ model this time around. According to Ming Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities representative who is quite psychic when it comes to Apple rumors, the 12″ model is thought to be a fusion of the two previous Air models. The 12″ model will still offer the portability of the 11″ model while maintaining the efficiency and productivity of the 13″ model as well. Kuo has also predicted that the new Air model will be host to an ultra high definition display as well. It’s rumored that it will, in fact, be a retina display model to match that of the Retina Macbook Pro model. Yet another rumor of the new Macbook Air is that it will actually (somehow) be thinner and lighter than the preceding model was/is. It seems next to impossible to make this happen, but there are a few speculated specs that show how this could be possible.

As with any laptop, there are a few things that must be included within the casing to make it work. However, there is one thing that you may think would be needed in a high end laptop that the new Air will not include: a fan. This will no doubt make the laptop slimmer, but hopefully the notebook will be able to retain high power output without needing to be cooled down by a fan. There is said to also be a buttonless trackpad. The trackpad will now be responsive to pressure instead of the clicking of buttons.

Kuo again talked of the lower cost iMac expected to come out later this year. Obviously no one knows how “low-priced” it will be, but on the roadmap for Apple, it looks to come out halfway through the second quarter of 2014. The new iMac has been lowered in cost to compete with other companies that offer lower prices (funny how I mentioned that same thing at the beginning of this article). The new Macbook Air, however, isn’t expected to be out until late, possibly the end of this year.

Source.

A Windows or an Apple computer? It’s a discussion that invites flame wars with many people. Before we get into the differences between both of these wonderful machines, we need to first establish some definitions. Comparing Apple computers that run Mac OS X and computers running the Windows operating system, better know as Microsoft, Dell, etc.

Ever since the Apple computers, especially the MacBook Pro’s, sales have been increasing. Why is that? Is it the layout of the system, the design? The fancy perks Apple gives its users like photo booth, iMovie and easy access to iTunes? It could be for many young users.Keep in mind that Apple computers account for less than 5 percent of computers worldwide. It is the sales of the companies popular iPhones, iPods and iPads that provide a strong boost for Apple’s overall earnings.So overall, which one is better, Mac or PC?

Here are a few pointers on their differences:

Price:
To start off you have to compare the prices of both. Apple prices their computers very high, rarely under $1,000. Especially if you want to pay another $200+ on battery insurance. Many of Mac users, especially young college students say it is truly worth it though. The problem with comparing prices between Macs and PCs is that the value of a Mac or PC depends on the consumers personal needs. Depending on what you want to spend on a laptop or monitor is completely up to you.

Technical:
Believe it or not Macs and PCs have very similar internal parts (processors, RAM, hard drives, video cards) but the speed and capacity vary. Overall Macs will outperform low-end PCs because Apple typically boast more expensive and better quality parts. But many PC’s will preform just the same as Macs will for possibly a cheaper cost. Since Apple controls the hardware and software bundles, as well as model updates, every Mac operates smoothly without worry on lagging, and have stable and expected performance. With PCs, different OEMs and custom PCs might not have the suitable drivers released for every components in each OS version, which may cause lagging.

Virus Attacks:
Since Macs aren’t as popular as the hundreds of companies that run Windows, there are fewer malware written to target Macs. Most virus writers target Windows systems because it is the popular desktop choice. Although the threats of Macs getting virus’s are growing from software like Java.

Interested In A Mac or PC Rental For Your Business? Check With Rentacomputer.com Today At 800-736-8772

Many reports believe that the Sandy Bridge E server chips, better known as the Xeon E5 series, from Intel are set to debut this week. There are lots of rumors that the chips have been in the distribution channel for a couple weeks now which means that manufacturers using the chips will be able to launch seamlessly with the actual release of the chips. One such company is Apple.

Nobody who “has the chips” has been permitted to release benchmark tests yet as that honor is being restricted to next week. However, the Xeon E5 series will definitely be a much improved version over the ones currently found in Apple’s highly popular MacBook Pro, a device that hasn’t seen an update since the middle of 2010.

Aside from Apple, other companies, like Dell, have already started announcing new products that are based on the new Xeon E5 series which means that Apple could very well be ready with an all new MacBook Pro update in the very near future.

In addition to that, Apple is likely to take advantage of the E5-2600 series 6-core and 8-core chips. These chips would most likely be used in the company’s dual-processor MacBook Pro devices with the E5-1600 series quad-core and 6-core chips focused on Apple’s low-end, single-processor models.

The new processors aren’t the only things coming out that are vital for a brand new MacBook Pro upgrade. However, there have definitely been far fewer specific MacBook Pro rumors over the past couple of months. A recent report did claim that the company is planning to switch to Nvidia graphics in the next update, moving away from Apple’s current AMD partner.

The main thing that will determine if we see a new MacBook Pro update is, of course, whether or not Apple thinks the line is worth keeping in production. Apple was reportedly questioning last year whether to discontinue the model or not, examining if the MacBook Pro should continue offering the professional-level workstation since sales have been down thanks to a shift towards notebooks.

What do you think? Would you want a new MacBook Pro with the Xeon E5 series chip or do you think it’s time for Apple to retire the trusted device in lieu of something a little more fresh?

Source: MacRumors – Mac Pro Update Now Possible with New Xeon E5 Chips Next Week

Computers, Desktops, Laptops, Servers and the latest in Portable Tablet PCs are available from your computer rental company, Rentacomputer.com.

Talk to a Rentacomputer.com Tech Travel Agent Today!
Call Toll free 800-736-8772.

A global shortage of traditional, spinning hard disk drives (HDDs) has, coincidentally, come at a time when Apple’s flash-based solid-state MacBook Air is one of Apple’s most popular products. The large success of the redesigned netbook has come with “fortuitous timing” in the face of HDD shortages according to Evercore analyst Rob Chira. Chira believes that Apple is largely insulated from the ongoing component constraints that were caused by flooding in Thailand.

The MacBook Air only features NAND flash for storage, primarily relying on solid-state hard drives as opposed to the more traditional spinning hard disks. NAND memory has been completely unaffected by the floods in Thailand, events that have since put over 600,000 people out of work.

In addition to his previous statement, Chira also believes that the ongoing hard-drive shortage will create an influx of MacBook Air copycat Windows-based devices also using solid-state drives in 2012. Specifically, Chira sees PC makers gravitating towards Intel’s ultrabook design specification, which aims to capitalize on the popularity of Apple’s thin-and-light MacBook Air concept.

However, Chira expects Apple to counter this by refreshing its Air lineup in the first half of 2012 and also believes that Apple’s hoard of money will also allow it to leverage “some unique NAND engineering/supply vs. vanilla (solid-state drives).”

Recent rumors have also hinted at the possibility of Apple adding a 15″ model to its MacBook Air lineup in the early parts of 2012 and that the company is supposedly looking to expand its lineup as the ultraportable notebooks now represent 28% of Apple’s notebook shipments.

As far as Chira is concerned, Apple is in a strong position concerning Macs featuring traditional hard drives as well. He believes that Apple was the fastest hardware maker to react with hard-drive suppliers, putting the company in an advantageous position in the chain of supply.

This opinion also comes a matter of days after AppleInsider reported that build-to-order iMacs with 2TB hard drives had an estimated shipping time of 5 to 7 weeks. The shortage of high-capacity drives for Apple’s all-in-one machine could also be the first sign that the company is indeed being hit by the global shortage as well.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, recently expressed concern about the hard drive shortage during his company’s quarterly earnings conference back in October. While Cook was “certain” there would be an industry-wide shortage of hard-disk drives, Cook said he was “not sure” at the time of exactly how the situation would affect Apple.

Source: Apple Insider – Apple’s MacBook Air has ‘fortuitous timing’ in face of hard drive shortage

Power Point Projectors
Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.