Photo by Will Dawson/Veneer

FireWire back in the MacBook.

Apple has had a brilliant run over the past decade of gauging the right time for the introduction - or submission - of a particular technology. Deleting FireWire - entirely - from the specification of the MacBook, and F400 from the MacBook Pro, was not one of their high points. It’s okay to be wrong sometimes. Put our toy back, Steve.

A beefier Mac mini for my AV stack.

Anything faster than 2.0GHZ, Core 2 Duo. And an integrated graphics card. Then we’ll talk.

An acknowledgement of iLife and iWork.

I don’t want a new version, especially. Just acknowledge the rumours and dismiss them. The cloud’s not ready for all of that productivity.

A better flagship 20-inch iMac.

That’s right, Apple - not everybody wants a 24″ iMac. I mean, I do. But not everybody. I would love a 2.8GHz in the 20″ model. If we could push 3.0GHz, I’d be over the moon.

The 17″ MacBook Pro redesign, already.

It may appear at Macworld, but at least tell the hardcore portability-focussed designers out there that it’s coming.

News that Steve is okay.

—–
Not too much, then? Our coverage of the latest products airs on the early morning of January 7 (Eastern Australian time), or in the afternoon of January 6 (Western US time). Be here, or be… square!

Photo by Ryan Holst
 

Macworld

January 5 > 9

This year marks the final appearance of Apple at Macworld, the biggest event of the Mac community; it also highlights the absence of Steve Jobs from the keynote stage, with Phil Schiller, sVP of Marketing, taking the helm of delivering the ‘State of the Apple Union’ to fans worldwide.

TB Tech will be highlighting the latest innovations to the Mac and iPhone platforms, as well as providing full coverage of brand new products from Apple itself.

The Apple keynote will be held on the morning of January 6 (Eastern US time), or the early hours of January 7 (Australian Eastern time).

International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

January 8 > 11

The biggest event of the PC industry is CES - a massive showing of the latest wares from innovators big and small. TB Tech will be providing full reportage of premium products from the consumer tech sector.

As the key events happen, we will highlight the best; the first will be the Microsoft keynote, to be held in the evening, on January 7 (Eastern US time), or at 1:30pm (Australian Eastern time). The keynote will be delivered by Steve Ballmer.

—-

The premium product sector is becoming more accessible, as makers learn increasingly intuitive ways for us to interact with our technology. TB Tech will be delivering the latest news from this area, so if you’re into consumer tech as much as we are, join us.

The coverage starts January 5, at TB Tech.

Their latest commercial, which is a good effort, demonstrates this change:

It is an attractive ad, to be honest - full of sharp angles, relatable people, and everyday situations. If I were a humble consumer looking for a new notebook, open to ideas from both sides of the O.S. camp, Dell’s ‘design for bargain basement prices’ sales pitch would look pretty darn good.

The music is Colors by Kara Willey, categorised by iTunes as Children’s Music. Truly.

As time has gone on, TB Tech has become a popular and credible Australian source; we are certainly a niche blog, serving both tech enthusiasts, multimedia lovers and designers, but we have found our position in the blogosphere very fitting.

Sit back, and enjoy the year in review, along with our signature - big, beautiful pictures.

So what have we achieved?

Photo by CNET Networks

While the global economic situation worsened behind our backs, we opened the year with a bang at Macworld and CES 2008 - in just two weeks, we saw the MacBook Air burst onto the scene - proving that an optical drive actually wasn’t necessary; IBM ThinkPads that had red lids; multi-room audio become affordable with the Logitech Squeezebox Duet; rentals on iTunes and Motorola’s attempts to stay credible in the face of the iPhone.

Towards February, we bought you pictures of the HTC Nike (Touch Dual) for Australia, becoming one of the first ‘Aussie’ blogs to provide a comprehensive review.

In March, the highlight was that of our coverage of the grey BlackBerry Pearl 8120, an exclusive for the Optus network in Australia.

Later in the month, we previewed Sony’s updated Vaio SZ line.

April brought the new gaming handset from Nokia, the N81, winning the award for “glossiest handset of 2008”…

… as well as the new line of Apple Aluminium Keyboards.

In May we brought you updates live from CeBIT Australia; the unveiling of the world’s largest plasma (150”) from Panasonic; a new range of Toughbook notebooks, able to continue operating even when in the face of a torrent of water; and the latest from Wacom.

Later that month, we brought to you the HP dv2000 Artist Edition notebook - packed with features any designer would love. Its distinctive looks draw attention in our statistics page still.

Mid-June, we published exclusive photographs of the exterior scaffolding of the 341 George Street Apple Store - being among the first websites to do so.

Later that month - after lining for an hour in the rain - we bought pictures of the brand new store - the first in the southern hemisphere.

June and July brought the comprehensive photo and review coverage of the Dell XPS M1530 - credited as the first serious competitor to the reigning 15” champion, the MacBook Pro. While in terms of all-round competence, the M1530 could not beat the ‘Pro, in performance it could. This review has been our most popular of the year.

In July, we covered the HP Pavilion dv3021, a brand new premium 13” model. The black-and-silver machine pumped more power than the competition and oozed looks.

August saw us cover a pre-sale model of the BlackBerry Bold 9000 - our biggest exclusive of the year - before the ‘big guns’ (CNET Australia etc.) got a chance. Our fast-tracked photos and review of the Bold brought long-awaited hands-on coverage to the world.

In September we covered the launch of the fourth-generation iPod nano, second-generation iPod touch and revised iPod classic at the Flagship Apple Store in Sydney. Our exclusive photographs were subsequently used in a spread on iLounge, raising our profile as a particularly special site.

October saw the photospread of the Nokia 6210 Navigator, the new consumer-GPS handset from Nokia.

In November we brought more exclusives of CrossOver 7, the new product from CodeWeavers, running stable Office 2007 on the Mac desktop - without virtualisation software.

December has been a time of intense collaboration with our designer, Will Dawson, of Veneer Graphics. We have been working on a special project, which will be unveiled January One, 2009. Keep watching!

I wish all of our readers a merry Christmas or holiday season (or both!). Thank you, personally, for your readership and patronage over the past year, and I look forward to your continued support into a prosperous - and sure to be successful - 2009.

With the updated line of Apple notebooks, which both present a professional aesthetic, it was only suitable for the Cupertino company to design a corresponding display, that borrowed from their design, and, following with the themes introduced by the new models, dramatically simplified the formally cumbersome set-up for the user.

This ‘dream’ is embodied in the new 24-inch LED Cinema Display, which totally rethinks the display mentality. Gone are the acres of polished aluminium, of which Apple was so proud even a year ago, and in are the flowing glossy black lines that we first saw on the 2007 iMac. The 2009 MacBook, and MacBook Pro (our thoughts) carried this trend into the portable arena.

Photo by Eddie Wong

While durability and cleanliness of glossy black finishes may be very debatable on a portable, there is absolutely no doubt about how stunning this is on this new display. Because you’re far less likely to come into contact with the screen (at least for the first few hours of playing), the 24-inch Cinema Display’s aesthetics should deliver a constant stream of ‘contemporary inspiration’ for those Photoshop projects.

Those aesthetics, of course, are adapted from those of the updated MacBook, and its sibling, the MacBook Pro. The sweeping, thin profile compliment the corresponding angles of the laptops; the aluminium border harks back to Apple’s favourite premium finish. Of course, that full-glass, and reflective screen is a fairly identical, upscaled version of the bezel found on the portables.

Reflection?, I hear you say. Blasphemy for designers!, I hear you exclaim. Well, work around it. This piece of art deserves to be away from the sun, anyway, and the benefit it will give will far outweigh the dull depression you may feel when a ray of that rarely-seen “sun” bounces of your Dreamweaver template.

Photo by Apple

Anybody who is limited for time will find the new display’s unicable technology invaluable. One cable from the display splits into three for the laptop: a MacBook-Air-esque MagSafe; a USB jack (to enable the USBs on the rear of the Cinema), and a mini DisplayPort for video. Feel free to leave your notebook’s power in the bag; just plug in your display and you’re ready to rock.

And rock you will - this guy has built-in speakers. Probably not as bassy as those Bang & Olufsens on the desk, but they’ll suffice for the right to brag, and the inbuilt webcam will make those iChats a whole lot more desktop-like.

No, I’m not paid by Apple. Yes, I like them. I don’t like everything by them. This new touchpad is yet to convince me. I like this display. I like it a lot.

It’s expensive, at nearly A$1,500. But if you’ve got deep pockets, and a new MacBook or MacBook Pro (or an older MacBook Pro, like myself), your external display satisfaction rating won’t get much higher than with one of these.

This week: the ‘quiet’ reception to the BlackBerry storm; Sony Pictures throws a tantrum; a portable TouchSmart from HP and more.

Photo by Juan Benitez

The BlackBerry 9500 Storm handset experienced a somewhat ‘quiet’ reception following a similarly understated launch globally. The touchscreen smartphone, which rebels against BlackBerry’s previously strong objection to this style - a view that was enforced by executives from the Canadian corporation:

The iPhone['s touchscreen] has severe limitations when it comes to effortless typing.

–Mike Lazaridis (CEO)

Quite clearly Research in Motion has had a change of heart, most probably enforced with the damning sales numbers: in the last quarter, Apple sold hundreds of thousands of iPhone 3Gs more than all of RIM’s BlackBerry models. Not good.

The new Storm, while providing a traditional BlackBerry infrastructure, plays on the success of Apple with a glossy design, chrome highlights, big icons, a 3.5mm headphone jack and strong multimedia potential. It looks like an iPhone; feels like an iPhone. Still, it’s not an iPhone.

Photo by Major Nelson

The new Xbox 360 experience (the new dashboard) has been updated to include over-the-air Netflix streaming. This sounds great - finally everybody can have this service without the need for yet another third-party box in the AV stack.

This worked really well for the first few hours… until Sony Pictures, a major provider of films to the Netflix on-demand service, blocked all service to Microsoft Xbox 360 owners. That dispute, which is crippling a really, really innovative service, has not yet been resolved.

Sony - brighten up. Does it really matter that Netflix subscribers will view your content on Xbox consoles? Is there a difference between an Xbox and a ‘generic’ Netflix box in your revenue? Didn’t think so. You are just acting like a child because Microsoft got there first.

The Nokia 6210 Navigator has been with us for a couple of months now - probably about time to return it - and it has proven a well-rounded, capable handset.

The GPS, while lock on may be very slow, has got us out of more than a few scrapes; the intelligent keypad design allows fast typing. S60 runs fast and is more than adequate.

Unfortunately, the party ends there. Nokia’s obsession with glass and gloss means this guy scratches easily… too easily. Nothing on the body, but on the screen there’s two new marks that aren’t too bad, but if you’re a total pedant like myself, they are noticeable.

Soon I will farewell the 6210. It will be difficult to find such a good all-rounder again.

Photo: HP

HP has expanded its TouchSmart line into this first portable TouchSmart tablet, the tx2, which effectively replaces the tx2000 convertible tablet before it. The tx2000 worked with capacitive touch technology, and the tx2 builds on this by reducing the emphasis on pen and single-finger gestures and encourages interactive multi-touch use.

A pen is included, and single-finger capacitive touch inputs are still accepted, of course, but the tx2 allows Apple-esque pinch, rotate and swish gestures on its screen. A new Imprint finish is also featured.

The HP tx2 is a real step forward for increased interactivity with our portables - while Apple really pushed multi-touch into the public domain, it’s yet to build a touch-screen, fully-powered computer. We’ll no doubt be taking a close look at the tx2 in the coming weeks.

———-

That wraps up Product Weekly for this 47th week of 2008. Watch closely for an update next week, and not to mention other featured stories in between.

Codeweavers‘ CrossOver product has filled the much-wanted “Run Windows apps for free” niche in the virtual machine market. The purchase of CrossOver, recently updated to version 7, was the only cost.

Many flocked to CrossOver as an alternative to the purchase of Parallels or Fusion, and the need to buy a Windows licence. However, the flaw that held back such a remarkable product, that could really shine in some areas, was the immense lack of compatibility with essential corporate applications.

Version 6 of the software stumbled with Microsoft Office and many common games. This new release, Version 7, is proving to be a much-improved update.

Reading articles from earlier this year which detailed the ‘hacking’, coding and tweaks to squeeze Office 2007 into CrossOver 6’s vocabulary were far too confusing; it was with a pleasant surprise that today, I directed CrossOver 7 to my Office 2007 install file and it quickly installed without error:

All applications of Office 2007 run. There is still a huge pile of Windows applications that are not supported; but even the mastery of basic applications such as this deserve a congratulations.

As an advisor to small business thinking of moving to Mac, CrossOver’s support of Office could be the turning point. No need for expensive purchases of Windows licences; just CrossOver (and Office), and you’re there.

Intertwined in the consumer technology industry is a complicated stream of product cycles, updates, launches, facelifts, upgrades, and obsolescence. While, for many companies, these cycles can be fairly random and therefore difficult to track, a rule of thumb for the union of Apple fans is the ‘one year rule’. From launch, it should be around a year that your new Apple will last - before being replaced.

As a May 2007 buyer of a Revision C (late 2006) MacBook Pro, this ever-changing product cycle became alarmingly clear when the computer I had just spent well over A$3,000 on was incrementally upgraded less than a month later. Since then, it’s been a 9-18 month wait with bated breath to experience the latest in computing from the Cupertino powerhouse.

This morning the entire Apple notebook line was refreshed. The consumer MacBook, prosumer MacBook Air and professional MacBook Pro benefit from enhanced processing power, stronger graphic capability, and general increases in specification. For the two core models, the MacBook, and MacBook Pro, a new manufacturing process, design, and industry-first features have been included for the end-of-year holiday rush, and the 2009 model year.

Design innovations for this year include increased environmental qualities, a new manufacturing process, and a button-less glass touch-pad supporting advanced Multi-Touch gestures and anywhere-clicking.

We’ll start with the model with the least alteration, the MacBook Air.

MacBook Air

Despite the controversy which surrounded the MacBook Air’s launch - speeds well under Apple standard, no bundled optical drive, far too many compromises - the MacBook Air has a defined soft spot with me which has only accentuated over the day. Obvious reasons for this include the option of a hard drive disk, and the included dedicated graphics, offering, we’re told, up to six times the performance of the older Intel shared chips.

This physical, material reasoning is not, though, at the heart of my liking for the MacBook Air. Instead, it is centred at the fact that the MacBook Air is the last remaining model that retains the ‘plain’ aluminium design of the previous MacBook Pro, and the PowerBook G4 before that. No overdone black bezels, no glossy touch-pad. Being honest, I don’t want either of those features right now. Give me durable. Give me usable. That’s all.

The MacBook Air - the model which was seen as ‘the compromise’ of the Apple notebook range - is now, really, the only model I feel completely satisfied with.

MacBook

The best-selling machine from Apple, and the successor from the iBook before it, has settled in the hearts of students to corporates alike since its polycarbonate-laden, 2006 introduction. Classic Apple plastics - white or black. That has been the most important choice for so many of these buyers for the past two, glorious years.

Introduced for October 2008 onwards are the new form, of aluminium, a glossy, iMac-esque LED screen with black bezel, move to more efficient ports, higher performance, dedicated graphics and a much thinner profile - now 0.95 inches. Also added is a glass touch-pad - much rumoured - with no click-button at all. Instead, you tap where you like.

Today, the MacBook has taken on a more grown-up, sophisticated, and perhaps, just perhaps - more conservative image. Although Apple’s extensive use of aluminium and glass are both elegant, durable, and environmentally responsible, they do not, as yet, provide that spirit of fun, ‘laid-back’, relaxed, iLife-centric portable computing that the previous MacBook instilled in its fans and users.

While Apple’s new manufacturing process for notebooks - that of constructing the entire casing from a single block of aluminium - is certainly a process of care and time, the MacBook has, I believe, joined the MacBook Pro in presenting an aesthetic that promotes suave, sophisticated, work-orientated style over that young, let’s-lead-the-Mac-revolution look of the previous model.

I bought a MacBook Pro for these integral features - function through form. It was a work computer, but it had to be smart and stylish. Many friends and acquaintances whose very introduction to the Mac universe was through the polycarbonate MacBook wanted the contrasting sense of fun first - speed, graphics performance, and even looks came second. I was a big fan of that contrast - the MacBook - the fun model; the MacBook Air - for wireless junkies; and the MacBook Pro - where the work was done.

This new image is growing on me, for my own uses - I would like the power of my 2.16GHz MacBook Pro in the form factor of the MacBook, and that is now a very viable option.

MacBook Pro

The MacBook and MacBook Pro share a form factor as well as major design features. The revised MacBook Pro, only available in the new design at 15″, currently, simply appears as an up-sized MacBook - and the MacBook a downsized MacBook Pro, in turn. My above comments on the design of the MacBook apply here also, although to an even further extent.

I use my (previous) MacBook Pro on a daily basis, at school - I use it at nearly every class - as well as at home in a desktop setup, studying, taking to friends’ and colleagues residences, and into the CBD when I travel there. Alex, a Genius at Apple Sydney, described my usage of my MacBook Pro, after 1.5 years, as ‘thrashing the computer’.

So. Users like myself who supposedly ‘thrash’ their MacBook Pros want one thing out of that model. Durability. The previous aluminium enclosure, though prone to shallow scratches and minor warping, has held up remarkably. I am more than pleased. With my 2007 MacBook Pro, I am elated. I call it my ‘Swiss army knife’, as it fulfils so many different tasks.

I am sure that the new MacBook Pro, and the MacBook with it, could fulfil even more. But I am, initially, worried that all that glass, and not enough ‘padding’ is not going to be as durable as the previous model(s). I’m concerned in that area, and until I’ve felt, tangibly, the new design in my own environment, those concerns will remain.

There is no debate in that the design is spectacular. I love it - it’s like having an iMac in your backpack. It’s a beautiful, showy, Mac-users-are-on-top styling job that is one of Jonathon Ive’s best. It is a stunner of a performance notebook and it’s a screamer under the hood, I bet. 2.5GHz+ processors, 512mb of dedicated video memory and up to 4gb of physical RAM aren’t going to be slow, are they? Performance-wise, this new MacBook Pro will run even more rings around the competition, following in the deep footprints of the last.

I love the look and I’m sure I’ll love the feel. But I want a piece of very expensive (they’ve gone back up in price, I see) piece of computing equipment to last as long as possible - up to three years, if necessary. If it could - and it may well - I would have one tomorrow.

—-

If my initial fears of durability can be cured - by my upcoming experiences with these new models - than I will be able to really love the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. They’re wonderful in terms of performance and design. But when it comes down to parting with A$3,000, function and form, which are fused here like no other, must be complimented by longevity.

An update of last year’s aluminium 6110 Navigator model, Nokia’s new 6210 Navigator realigns its popular GPS-enhanced consumer slider with the rest of the range - it’s now lighter, equipped with a much improved display, and runs the polished new S60 3rd Edition.

A fresh coat of glossy black has been applied to the front end, while subtle touches employing more premium materials please eye and hand.

Finer details in photographs can be found at Flickr, while our review is in production.

The pictures speak for themselves - but here are the first live pictures I’ve seen from an Apple Store:

For more, visit TB Tech’s Flickr page at flickr.com/tbtechphotos

iPod nano 4G

Updates: revised form, added colours, increased capacity, updated software, accelerometer

Updates: revised form, increased battery capacity, Nike+ integration, external speaker

For more, visit TB Tech’s Flickr page at flickr.com/tbtechphotos

Contemporary furniture is an expression of modern belief, of convenience, of function through form. While brands such as Ikea flat-pack this expression, ultramodern boutique brands can offer stunning, individual pieces that are unlikely to be found in a Freedom Furniture catalogue.

One of my favourite modern boutiques is Kartell, a beautiful Italian brand (distributed in Australia by the pricey-yet-awe-inspiring Space Furniture). Often inspired by architecture and traditional design, Kartell is, in my opinion, simply stunning. Their range of Louis Ghost seating - haunting, clear-acrylic interpretations of classic French furniture - was designed by the enigmatic Phillipe Starck.

My setup, with Kartell Take lamp at left

Kartell’s take on lighting, though, consistently impresses me. The huge Bourgie table lamp makes more-than-subtle connections with Starck’s pieces, while the smaller Take lamp, one of which resides on my desk, casts stunning, multi-faceted light streams around its space with a layered shade design.

This brand, with some investigation, can be sought out internationally and, if you’re as interested in contemporary takes on classic pieces as I am, it deserves your attention.

The revised setup of my friend and designer Will.

It incorporates an Apple MacBook as the machine, mounted on a Griffin Elevator with a Dell 2407 display. Also featuring is a Logitech MX Revolution mouse and Z-4i speakers.

Workspaces will be a continuing series showcasing design and functionality in modern places of work.

Dell has finally found the key to winning over the Windows home notebook market as well as maintaining a majority in the business laptop sector; design-conscious buyers are enjoying of the manufacturer’s new-found talent while the core quality of Dell’s notebooks remains solid. Dell’s most prominent notebook in this hotly-contested segment has been the XPS M1330, a 13.3” model with a good blend of good design and performance. Will the new big brother to the M1330, the M1530, please the 15.4” crowd? We endeavoured to find out.

Aesthetic

Straight up, the Dell XPS M1530 is gorgeous. Dell has gone to a lot of trouble in making the out-of-the-box design experience a visually enjoyable one for the user; the box itself is adorned with a white and grey XPS pattern and the quality of the accessories and packaging is excellent.

Upon meeting the M1530 we were immediately impressed with its presentation when resting; when closed, the lightly tapered profile casts the eye over the machine, rather than over its thickness, which makes the notebook seem thinner. Although it’s certainly not heavyset, the M1530 is thicker than some competitors (notably the MacBook Pro), but the well-integrated two-tone colour design and tapering reduce this effect.

Our demonstrator was of the Crimson variety; this model is a product with Dell’s new relationship with (PRODUCT)RED, the recognised brand that raises money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Dell was the first major PC maker to join the group; the wares from this new partnership have been both good-looking and inspiring for buyers.

This special model features a bright red lid design; the new XPS M1330 and M1530 models feature a central, coloured panel on the lid with brushed aluminium highlights to either side. While several of my design panel here at the blog labelled this design as loud and garish, I personally found the red to be attractive and certainly not everyday. In a world of black-box PCs, this design is highly encouraging.

Venturing inside, the minimal design theme continues; a stark brushed aluminium keyboard and surrounds style complements the glossy black display and media key array. While not for some, the silver thread cuts down on unnecessary, unwanted clutter and allows the fingers to delight in the cold simplicity that complements such a finish.

A simple (DELL)RED graphic sits on the left palm rest; on the right, two small logos promoting Windows Vista and Intel processors lie under a fingerprint reader. Amazingly, these are the only additions to these frequently-used surfaces. While it is not immediately clear that there is a high-performance NVIDIA graphics card under the hood (NVIDIA is usually credited with a sticker) this very-Apple-like touch greatly impresses and builds up the premium feel of the computer.

While unneeded features are cut out from the base, Dell has included a row of media keys that work with a variety of software. These appear as unmoving graphics at first but with a touch, they glow a blue colour and linger alight for a second or two.

Design-wise with the M1530, less is more. The absense of physical bloat is wonderful, at least for a PC. The quality of the aesthetics on this notebook is excellent.

Features & functionality

Larger laptops (15.4” and larger) can often pack in more than necessary, but what we never like is when they cut back on what really is needed. In true Dell style there are enough hardware-related features on the M1530, which although adds to the complexity of the port array, will please the power user - and that is predominantly the target market for this machine.

External connectivity is generally good - if you are largely into USB devices. The absense of a FireWire 400 or 800 port is not unusual on a PC; however, Dell should be leading the way and introducing these missed ports. An IEEE 1394 video port is included, though, which makes up for some of this.

As manufacturers move toward the increasing popularity towards wireless use of technology, Dell has included a few interesting WiFi features. On the right hand side, there is a WiFi switcher which can quickly turn on and off the wireless functions of the machine quickly, which is helpful on plane flights especially. However, next to this is a WiFi finder button which quickly locates the nearest WiFi and the signal strength.

I found this to be a fascinating addition - helpful in areas when you’re not sure about WiFi, but it grows increasingly unnecessary once your usual WiFi profiles are set up and are joined automatically upon reaching certain networks.

In terms of more mainstream ports, the supply is above average: on the left side we find our power port, two vertically-stacked USB ports, VGA- and HDMI-out ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and IEEE 1394 video.

Curving around to the front, we find the audio ports; in competition with HP, Dell offers two headphone jacks for sharing audio with a friend, as well as a single microphone-in slot. Next to these are the blue-glowing power indicators.

On the right side, a slot-loading DVD drive dominates, but also to be found are another USB port, an ExpressCard slot and that WiFi array.

In terms of hardware, all of these work exactly as expected. I found no problem with any of the ports - except perhaps with the two vertically-stacked USB ports on the left side, where chunkier USB devices could not be used concurrently.

A good supply of bundled accessories polished off the entire package - Dell’s Media Remote fits into the ExpressCard slot and is great for travelling; we also received a DTV antenna to test the Media Centre in Windows Vista, but this may be media only; however, a quality Dell notebook sleeve allowed casual travelling with the laptop on battery power easy, comfortable and enjoyable.

For longer trips when the AC power adapter is necessary (which will be most times) a larger bag will be needed. The adapter itself has taken a leaf from several manufacturer’s books in that it has a wrap-around system to keeps cords tidy and manageable.

Working is essentially very comfortable on the XPS M1530, but it is most comfortable at a desk. When travelling about, using the M1530 on your lap or on a tray table, the larger than usual footprint can become a problem but the light weight can make things significantly easier than on older models.

The 15.4” display we tested with was at WSXGA+ resolution (1680×1050) - not quite 1080p but very nice for a laptop. This was a significant boost from the standard 1440×900 resolution, affording much more real estate on screen when multitasking.

The keyboard allows easy working for hours on end. There is minimal flex, except for in the centre of the pad, where keys bounce a little, but this does not impede on typing ability.

The touchpad really is too small for the M1530 and something wider and taller, with larger dedicated scrolling pads would have been preferable; using an external mouse was more intuitive than using the internal ‘pad. The left and right click, however, sink deeply when pressed, which gives more satisfaction than ‘clicky’ buttons.

Another small letdown was the speaker quality, which I found to be generally lacking in bass and became a little tinny at louder volume. Of course, when using headphones or external speakers this all got much better.

Windows Vista utilises the very generous specification of the Crimson M1530 in a sensible fashion; the fast Core 2 Duo processor and 3GB of RAM, in conjunction with Dell’s own performance tweaks make using each application a smooth experience. Vista holds back the M1530 a little, but with SP1 bugs have been minimised and generally, our experience was improved over generic Vista setups.

Performance

My demonstration unit of the Dell XPS M1530 featured the following specifications:

Performance with these specifications was excellent. While using Microsoft Office productivity applications, the experience could be described as ‘blistering’. Graphics-intensive games were handled with ease in most cases and designer applications like Adobe Photoshop Extended CS3 and Google SketchUp 6 (CAD) performed well.

This performance unfortunately comes at the price of efficient battery use, with a fairly mediocre battery life. In our tests, which involved the display at half to three-quarters brightness (varied according to environment), volume at half, set to the battery saver profile, with wireless web use and with productivity and design applications, we averaged two hours of life. As previously mentioned, when you’re out and about, it will usually be necessary to carry the power cables.

To the casual Internet and Office user, the M1530 would offer more than enough, performance-wise; to the multimedia enthusiast and gamer, these specifications should be just right.

The bottom line

Dell has not only succeeded in making a 15.4” variant that is just as good as its 13.3” sibling, the M1330 - this model is even better. While it is not without its flaws, especially in relation to FireWire and battery life, the M1530 is hard to beat in the power user 15” category. And when a portion of the purchase price will help those less fortunate, who could argue with the PRODUCT(RED) variety? The M1530 offers a decent blend of form and function as well as excellent performance, so if you’re in the medium-sized portable market and want more than a cheaper business notebook, the M1530 could be for you.

Our BlackBerry Bold handset arrived today by courier.  Needless to say, I could hardly wait to unwrap the thing - it is a seriously gorgeous device, and a serious threat to the iPhone 3G on both looks and features terms.

The handset

The Bold feels like quality, and is far more solid to hold than the Curve, and is far ahead of the Pearl. Although the front is glossy and wonderful to the eyes, the back is a leather or leather-like material which both prevents slip and adds a luxurious touch for the fingers, just like the Nokia E65 last year.

It’s just a tiny bit thicker than the iPhone 3G.

The black, silver, and red (number pad buttons) colour scheme blends professionalism with (finally) a great modern design!

The screen

The screen is one of the major talking points of the Bold, and it does not disappoint. It is bright, vibrant and sharp, and rivals the iPhone’s for first-glance beauty. It’s not quite as involving, though, because it’s not touch-based.

Functionality

So far the Bold has been a joy to use. The BlackBerry trackball first seen on the Pearl (which impressed us earlier this year on the Pearl 8120) makes navigation pretty easy, although a Jog Wheel on the side would have been a nice addition.

The keyboard is a little slipperier than on other models - probably due to the high-gloss finish that covers the front face.

Everything feels solid, which is excellent for any new model or significantly changed edition. The Bold looks to be an excellent handset, a real competitor to Apple’s player.

If this turns out to be right, though, we’ll have to see. Check back in the coming days for more!

More photos can be found at my Flickr page - flickr.com/tbtechphotos.

The first handset to pose any threat to the iPhone - finally, somebody other than Apple can blend a bevy of important features while incorporating a thoroughly premium design.

–Tom

Accept no substitutes.  Power the passions you pursue with a smartphone that expresses your style and simplifies your life.

–RIM

No compromises. With email, phone, IM and the Internet, it can connect you. With an integrated organizer, it can help you stay on top of your day. With camera and video recording, you can capture and share the moment with just a few clicks. And that’s just the beginning.

–BlackBerry

They’re not on sale, yet.

HP is on a winning streak with its consumer notebooks at the moment - its 14.1” Pavilion dv6000 Series models have proven to be real winners.  We haven’t heard much from the 13.3” and 15.4” front, so does HP’s neglect in these screen sizes mean that they’ve forgotten how to build a mainstream laptop?  HP’s new 13.3” dv3021tx should answer that question.

Aesthetic

The answer to laptop design, at least for HP, seems to be “gloss and glass”, as we’ve seen on many occasions with its 14.1” notebooks.  If anything, the dv3021tx is glossier than anything we’ve seen from HP yet - every tangible surface is covered in something lacquered.

HP’s love of smooth surfaces certainly isn’t a bad thing - in my tests, I have found HP’s glossy material to be far more durable that easily-scratched matte finishes.  Design-wise, of course, the designs employed by HP are also far more interesting and pleasing to the casual eye than generic PC styles offered by some competitors. This quality, thankfully, continues through the notebook, with above-average fit and finish.

Upon meeting the notebook the eye is drawn in by the minimal, but still visible, “iron mesh” pattern adorning the lid - this design wraps around each surface, and gives the user a sense that a consistent theme has been used, rather than a confusing jumble of different colours and textures.

Opening the lid reveals a full-size keyboard that has been neatly tucked into a rather compact frame. The laptop isn’t especially thin; however, its two-tone, silver and black design thread keeps the profile good-looking.  Surrounded by yet another glossy black frame, lies the 13.3”, 1280×800 (WXGA resolution) ‘BrightView’ glass display.

Beneath this are HP’s popular touch-activated entertainment shortcut keys, which seems now to be the permanent home of the laptop’s volume control.  While this is novel and intuitive to use when you have a clear line of sight to the notebook, it is difficult to alter the volume when you are feeling in the dark.

To combat this problem, HP have two counter-measures.  The first is more obvious - the touch keys are illuminated when you touch their black bar, aiding your fingers which may be in the dark (during a movie or red-eye flight, for example).  The second is perhaps more practical when you are using the machine as a portable entertainment hub - HP bundles a tiny remote with the laptop that conveniently slides into the ExpressCard slot.

Progressing further, the ‘interior’ features of the notebook are primarily a chrome silver affair. The palm rests, touchpad and keyboard surround are all shiny, reflective silver, coated in the lid’s “iron mesh” pattern.  While this looks terribly alluring, after even light use, the fingerprint cover over these frequently utilised surfaces becomes almost unbearable to the clean-freak’s eye.

The problem of fingerprints has become an increasing concern of mine with HP’s burgeoning love affair with glossy textures, and I make it a rule to take a screen-cleaning cloth with me when I take the laptop out.  Travelling around leaves its dirty mark on this notebook in particular.

Features and functionality

While it may be relatively compact, the dv3021tx packs in many important features for the power user.  What impressed us was that many of the features that were incorporated that can so often detract from the form of the notebook have been included with style on the HP.

A full complement of ports on any laptop larger than 12.1” is a necessity in our books.  The dv3021tx, as with HP’s older models, didn’t disappoint, but HP has explored a few more combination-port possibilities on this model, which we feel have just that feel to them - like they are being trialled.

To illustrate this point - this notebook has three USB ports, which is good for this size.  However, the second port on the left side is a combination USB / eSATA port (either a USB or eSATA device can be used in that port).  While this is a likable concept, it isn’t quite as solid as a standalone port, and using either type of device in that port required a small amount of ‘jiggling’ to remove it.

Another quirky feature included on the dv3021tx is a removable DVD drive.  The optical drive can be removed, reducing the weight on the notebook, and covered by a similar glossy silver cover.

Peculiarities aside, the dv3021tx is well stocked.  Previously mentioned were its three USB ports (2x on the left, and 1x on the right), and DVD drive; also to be found are VGA and HDMI-out ports, a memory card reader supporting the popular formats, a Kensington Lock port, and both Ethernet and 56k modem ports.

Fitting in all of these, plus a side-mounted fan outlet to stop the notebook overheating on a lap or bed, has taken up all of both sides.

The back, as is becoming more common, is devoid of features, save for the hinge.

The front edge is home to the audio ports.  HP has once again integrated two headphone jacks, which readers should know pleases me greatly.  One microphone port can be found on the left of these.  While locating the audio slots on the front edge is convenient for casual headphone-based use, out and about, it’s not so convenient for use at home, when you might be tied up to some large external speakers and thick cords.  I found that these cords needed to snake all around my desk.

HP’s ‘QuickPlay’ entertainment control bar has become a consistent feature in the Pavilion line, and they become more accurate and intuitive each time.  As discussed in the Aesthetic section, it can be a toss-up as to its accuracy in darkened environments.  The bundled entertainment remote, which really is tiny, fixes the problem of fiddling for movie controls in the dark, and when unneeded it stows conveniently into the ExpressCard slot.

A combination of HP’s tinkering and Service Pack One have eased the slight pain of Windows Vista, and to be honest, it’s not too bad on this notebook.  A decent specification level means that the system is fast and quick in most actions, and it was always very easy to get work done.

The dv3021tx is what Microsoft calls ‘Office-Ready’, meaning that HP has included a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office.  Utilising this trial, the dv3021tx was able to open and edit foreign Word documents cleanly and quickly as well as compile complicated Excel macros.
HP has added a number of its own programs which come bundled with the notebook. While the majority of these add-ons are what is being labelled “bloatware”, a closer look yields that some of these programs can significantly help the user in updating the computer and Windows as well as backup and recover.

HP’s Software Update utility pleased me greatly.  As a long-time fan of Mac OS X’s Software Update, a fast, small and clean application to offer easy updating of the operating system is something which I find to be a sign of a decent job by the manufacturer.  And a decent job it was - important updates to both Vista and HP’s own PhotoSmart suite were delivered with ease.

Performance

My demonstration unit of the HP dv3021tx came equipped the following specifications:

For its compact form factor, the dv3021tx packs quite a punch in the productivity stakes - its 2.4GHz dual-core Intel processor has the machine up and running quickly and multitaking - even browsing, editing Word and Excel documents, and running Photoshop CS3 - is more than tolerable.

The ever-expanding hard drive capacities of laptops continues to impress me, and HP has squeezed over three hundred gigabytes into this model.  Formatting and the recovery partition reduce this to just over 290GB.  However, even for power users this level should be huge.

Although a GeForce 8400M from NVidia is included, with 256MB of graphics memory, mobile gamers should opt for a dedicated gaming notebook.  This graphics card is excellent for graphic-intensive productivity applications, and is excellent in the CAD realm (tested with Google SketchUp), gaming is not a high point of the dv3021tx.

Intensive games can usually run without a hitch on medium to high settings.

What is important, though, is all of the usual features of the dv3021tx are fast.  Booting up from cold (at least for Windows) is quick, applications are managed quickly by the processor, commonly used services never require waiting, and, of course, working on the go never leaves you staring at an hourglass.

The bottom line

If you are in the market for a fashion-conscious, but still very capable 13.3” Windows notebook, the new dv3021tx from HP is just another in a long line of fairly impressive, and good quality machines from that maker.  It’s hard to specifically not like the laptop - collectively, it is very appealing to the casual user who needs to work with large Office documents and some intensive applications.  Quality, though, comes at a small premium over competitors, and you should hope to find this HP around A$1800.

August is going to be another big month for TB Tech, with two notebook reviews coming in the next few days to kick off the month:

• Dell XPS M1530 Product RED (15.4″, Crimson, 320GB, 4GB)
• HP Pavilion dv3021tx (13.3″, Black, 320GB, 2GB)

Whilst it was actually announced before the iPhone 3G at Apple’s recent WWDC 2008 conference, the rebranded, revamped .Mac (dot Mac) service, Mobile Me, was, in my mind, not given enough coverage or credit from the big news blogs - even some of the bigger name Apple news sources.

What is Mobile Me, anyway?

Mobile Me represents a far bigger breakthrough - and a far bigger advancement for Apple - than iPhone 3G. While much of Mobile Me is similar to the existing .Mac product, its easily understandable, simple, over-the-air, push, multiple-device syncing is unlike anything else out there.

Utilising conventional web syncing technology for old-school .Mac fans (like yours truly), and combining these with amazing consumer-level Push, Apple may well have succeeded in creating the most appealing product to computer users - users of both the Mac and PC/Windows systems.

An easier way to understand this is to look at the features of Mobile Me, one by one.

Push email

Apple is marketing the push features of Mobile Me much more than any of the other features. Apple’s analogy of push synchronisation technology being like a ‘cloud’ is an excellent method of teaching the general public that they can actually get much more - much more - out of their phone and computer than they are getting. The way Apple explains it, every time you make a change to your email, contacts, or calendar on either your computer of your iPhone, this change is beamed up to the cloud, and then the cloud sends out that change to your other devices, instantaneously.

While push email has existed on devices like the BlackBerry for years, and the Windows Mobile platform has integrated this technology with relative success, setting up your inbox to automatically have your email server send your email straight away, without hitting ‘Send and Receive’ or having the device check for you, has always required expensive corporate servers, and a cluey IT department.

Both RIM (BlackBerry’s parent company), and Microsoft have created products for the professional market - RIM’s BlackBerry Connect allows big organisations to adapt their corporate email system to the BlackBerry method, sending emails straight to worker’s BlackBerries; and Microsoft’s Exchange is used widely in the industry mainly as a Windows PC email server system, but increasingly, as push technology for Windows Mobile.

Mobile Me will be Apple’s first foray into the push email market - but this time, the technology will be available and easy to use for everyday consumers. The setup is easy, there’s virtually no maintenance, and it is cheap - only US$99, or A$139 a year. Up front, this seems like a fair bit, but use it for a year, and it becomes invaluable.

So - back to the Mobile Me push email function. Whenever an email is sent to your Mobile Me account (you’ll have an email, bundled, ending in @me.com), if you’re on your desktop machine, the Mobile Me ‘cloud’ (server) will immediately beam down the email to your computer. If you’re on a Mac, Mail.app won’t even need to check - it will just arrive. Similarly, on a PC, Outlook will show up as having received an email even without checking.

But it’s when you’re mobile, away from your computer, that Mobile Me’s push email becomes amazing. This only works with the iPhone. When somebody sends you an email, the ‘cloud’ will send out that email to all your devices - Mac/PC, and your iPhone. No more checking for email every 15 minutes - the email is received without any efforts by you or the device. You can respond on your iPhone, and the sent message will appear in the sents folder on your desktop machine, too. Everything is automated and simple.

Push contacts

Apple has integrated some extremely valuable sideline push technology into Mobile Me - the first of which is push contact syncing. If you make a change in Address Book (Mac) or Outlook (PC), this change will, like your email, be beamed up to the cloud, and then reflected to your other devices. Say you have a Mac at home, a PC at work, and an iPhone as a mobile device - this service is almost essential.

On your iPhone, you might receive a text message from a friend letting you know that they’ve moved - edit their contact info right from the iPhone and your computer will be ready for you, with the up to date information, when you return.

Push calendar

Like the previously mentioned push email and push contacts features, Mobile Me will automatically and instantaneously reflect any calendar-based changes you make on any of your devices to the other devices set up with Mobile Me.

If you have a lunch meeting, but you need to reschedule, just change it on your work computer or iPhone - and that change will reflect everywhere else.

Desktop and Web 2.0

Integral to the glamour of having push email is the desktop email feature of Mobile Me - upon the A$139 (per annum) purchase of Mobile Me, you will be prompted to choose an email address (**@me.com). Being a proprietary system, Mobile Me will only work with this email. Your corporate emails will still have to be routed through Microsoft Exchange if you want to have corporate push.

If you’re away from any of your computers, and away from your iPhone (or you can’t get a signal), you can access all of the Mobile Me services through the web - through any computer that has internet access. Logging on to www.me.com will allow you to log into your webmail, your contacts, edit your calendars, and see the photos you have stored back home through the Web Gallery function. Files that have been synced from a Mac can be accessed through the iDisk feature.

The powerful web application interface on www.me.com includes apps that resemble their Mac desktop counterparts quite remarkably. The contact and calendar features, for example, appear like Address Book and iCal, and the webmail feature like Mail.app.

A bold move by Apple is dropping support for Internet Explorer 6 users - anyone on IE6 will not be able to log into www.me.com - this could pose a problem for corporate users or consumers using kiosks that only have the old Microsoft browser available. Firefox 1 was also dropped.

Wait - over-the-network syncing to my iPhone must cost, right?

Well, we don’t really know. In the US, Mobile Me users that utilise the over-the-air, over-the-cell-phone-network syncing to their iPhone will find that the data usage for this service is part of their AT&T iPhone data pack. In the other countries that the iPhone has been announced in, it’s up to the carrier.

Any syncing of this type involves data use, and the more you use the feature, the more data you will use. Hopefully, though, specific data plans for the iPhone will make allowances for this feature, as Mac / Mobile Me users will find the iPhone sync feature almost irresistible.

Mobile Me represents the first really simple, really easy-to-use consumer push syncing program. It’s relatively inexpensive and it will allow everyday customers to keep on top of email, as well as not having to worry about constantly syncing their Macs and PCs to keep their invaluable contacts and calendar information up to date.

When my .Mac service is transferred to Mobile Me, and I pick up an iPhone, I’ll see how it works. It may not be as simple or as cheap as it appears - but only time will tell if it will become as amazing as Apple is marketing it to be.

Amazing experience!

Coldplay, that little English alt-rock group from London, led by Chris Martin, has enjoyed a lot of success with their light, indie style over the past decade.

Their last album, X&Y, was recorded four years ago - and fans have been waiting for an update. That update, in the form of a full new album, titled Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (literally translates to ‘long live life’) will arrive later this month.

Digital downloads matter

Unlike their previous albums, Coldplay and their label, EMI, had to seriously consider the digital download revolution as the foremost form of the (legal) distribution of the much-hyped new album. This is what they have done - although Viva la Vida will be sold in record stores, as in the past, the album will have a few exclusive tracks available on the digital version of the album. This digital version will use the iTunes store as its download medium.

While other digital music download alternatives like Amazon MP3 have tried - and succeeded - to win over the users of iTunes, and often offer much higher value per track, the iTunes Store is still the best way for artists and record labels to bring both upcoming and established performers to the global scene. Apple’s integrated FairPlay system makes it difficult - albeit not impossible - for end-users to pirate the music, the entire purchase to download to portable listening experience is tightly integrated (with Apple’s iPod) and not only is the buying process unbelievably easy, but somewhat rewarding for the listener.

And with millions of users, implementing a well-designed, streamlined digital download experience, right within one of the most downloaded pieces of lifestyle software on the planet means that the music - the point of the exercise - will reach these millions of ears. Stores like iTunes offer instant gratification for users and entice them into buying more, right now. The record labels have started to realise this and build hype by limiting release on downloadable music and offer bonuses for using a computer, not a physical CD.

Good design in music works

Whilst EMI and Coldplay have made the right choice in using iTunes as the premier source for Viva la Vida, the label is counting on the new album being a big success, with Radiohead leaving the label recently, and Robbie Williams, the other star male act, “on strike”. Therefore, a highly appealing advertising campaign and upbeat, theme-based design was essential for the band.

Even in digital music, the accompanying album art plays a big part in leaving the user satisfied with the music. Devices like the Apple iPhone and iPod touch centralise album art and make sure the user focusses on the art in front of the track they are listening to. Album art communicates a message about the music - it should be enjoyed, as it is on physical music media like CDs and LPs.

The album art for Viva la Vida borrows the Latin American themes gently introduced by the music. The major image behind the white, thick, scrawled ‘Viva la Vida’ print on the cover is the 1830 work La Liberté Guidant Le Peuple (Liberty Leading The People), by Eugène Delacroix. The image illustrates the French Revolution, but the scene seems anything but European at a glance - it is darker, dirtier - the vivid tricolour looks out of place in such an unclean scene. Marianne, the symbol of France, leads the struggle.

Possibly hinted at by the album art is the perception by the younger generation that ‘retro’ ideas and products are now ‘cool’. Such a work, once considered by the young to be a boring old painting, has taken a whole new light when used in this unreal sense.

Advertising has been key in generating much of the non-Coldplay-listening public’s interest. Coldplay and EMI have bonded with Apple, as with the iTunes partnership, to create a stunning television advertisement in the simple, but unbeatable style of previous iPod and iTunes ads. There is a distinctive Mac OS X Leopard theme to the ad, though, with vivid purples, a pillar of the latest OS release from Cupertino, featuring rapidly. Rather than using silhouettes for Chris Martin and friends in the band, the distinctive bodily features of each member, and their instrument, are clearly visible.

This ad is captivating. It features the recurring chorus from the titular track, Viva la Vida (New Edit), and ends with a simple branding from Coldplay and the text ‘Exclusively available on iTunes’.

I do hope Coldplay is as successful as they should be with this album - EMI, the band, and their associates have produced a brilliant product. Of course, the music, to a fan, is sublime - but absolutely key elements - creating a streamlined digital download experience, utilising good design, and creating a sensational ad campaign - should prove to be the backbone of continual success for any artist - even the music industry - in the rush of the digital revolution.