MacRumors

Dow Jones Newswire reports that Apple is indeed planning to launch a netbook computer with a touchscreen as soon as the 2nd half of this year. They cite "two people close to the situation" as sources.

The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches, one person, who declined to be named, said.

This adds credibility to yesterday's report that Apple had already placed orders for the screen with Taiwan-based Wintek.

Based on this new information, it appears that Apple is targeting a ~10" screen size for this Netbook. The addition of a multi-touch screen adds an interesting twist to the concept of a netbook which is traditionally a clamshell miniaturized laptop.

MacRumors forum user WonderSausage received his 2009 Nehalem Mac Pro yesterday. The system was configured as a Dual 2.93GHz Quad-Core system with 6GB of RAM and an ATI Radeon HD 4870 card. Additional high quality photos posted to Flickr with commentary in the discussion thread.

The early GeekBench benchmark for the Nehalem system gave a whopping total score of 17,665, placing it at the very top of the list of all GeekBench 2 scores. The previous #1 placeholder was a Sun Microsystems Sun Fire X4450. This also eclipses the results of the previous top-of-the-line 3.2GHz 8-core Mac Pro which delivers a score as high as 11,030 but with many results in the 9,000 range. As expected, the largest gains in the new systems revolved around multi-threaded functions and memory performance. To give some more perspective on this value, see GeekBench's cumulative table of all Mac performance benchmarks as of January 2009.

Meanwhile, another reader was able to benchmark his Nehalem 2.26GHz Mac Pro which resulted in a Geekbench score of 11226-13113. Again the Nehalem processors excelled at multi-threaded tasks but the raw clock speed of the 2.26GHz processor was slower than the 3.2GHz processor at single-threaded tasks.

This same observation was also seen in Cinebench benchmarks compiled by Tesselator and charted by PowerPaw:

In this example, the new 2.26GHz 8-core Nehalem performed comparably to previous 2.8GHz 8-core processor in multi-threaded tasks, but worse at single threaded tasks. Meanwhile, the multi-core performance of the new 2.93GHz processor significantly outpaced the previous generation machines.

As a result, depending on your work flow (multi-threaded vs single-threaded), it may make more sense to buy a faster Quad-Core than a slower Octo-Core. While some are hoping that Apple's push for multi-threaded support in Snow Leopard may change this equation, developer support and the eventual impact of Grand Central remain unknown.

iLounge points out a prototype iPhone recently listed on eBay.

Here is a quite rare and collectable example of iPhone prototypes, one even running a beta OS. Only one of the phones works however. Neither unit says "iPhone" on them anywhere, or list the storage capacity which is interesting. I did some research on the serial numbers, it appears they were both manufactured about 6 months before the release of the iPhone.

Obviously, it is difficult to determine the authenticity of these claims, but the prototype operating system depicted closely resembles the diagnostic screens found on the iPod Touch.

Two prototype iPhones are being sold. Neither have the word "iPhone" written on the back of them. Based on serial numbers, each unit was manufactured in China in late 2006. The iPhone wasn't officially announced until January 2007, and didn't start shipping until June 2007. The working unit runs iPhone OS 03.06.01_G vs the launch version which ran version 03.11.02_G.

Beta units of Apple products have been known to escape Apple's labs before. Recently a prototype MacBook Air was purchased on eBay by a MacRumors forum member.

Update: It seems these prototypes were owned by a MacRumors forum member at one point back in January. Original discussion thread.

Update 2: The eBay auction listing has been removed at the request of Apple.

When Apple introduced the new MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros in October, they also introduced a new four-finger multi-touch trackpad gesture that allowed users to easily switch between applications (swipe left/right) or invoke Expos (swipe up/down). While it's long been known that the original MacBook Air and early 2008 MacBook Pros were also capable of detecting these 4-finger gestures, Apple has not yet announced or provided software support for the feature.

The latest Snow Leopard developer seeds, however, reveal that Apple will be adding support for these gestures to these "1st generation" multi-touch trackpad devices. Based on reports, this functionality has finally been added for the original MacBook Air (and presumably the early 2008 MacBook Pros).

The original MacBook Air was the first Apple laptop to incorporate a multi-touch trackpad when it was introduced in January 2008 and the MacBook Pros quickly followed with multi-touch support in February 2008.

Sevenmac.de reports [Google translation] that they have received an anonymous tip that the rumored March 24th Apple special event will focus on software.

Sevenmac has now received from an anonymous information source a report that the March 24th event should revolve exclusively around software. More precisely, Apple's video Pro Apps should receive updates or see new versions.

According to Sevenmac, a new version of Final Cut Studio currently exists as an internal beta. The beta version, however, is reported to be buggy, which could force Apple to delay the special event by several weeks. No additional information on other possible software updates for the event are given. It would be unusual for Apple to hold a standalone media event for software updates alone, though further announcements or demonstrations of Apple's upcoming Snow Leopard could conceivably warrant an event.

Rumors of a March 24th event began circulating just days before Apple released new iMacs, Mac minis and Mac Pros. With that revamp of Apple's entire desktop line having occurred last week, the March 24th rumor was presumed to have been unfounded. This latest tip, however, revives speculation that Apple may yet be planning more releases in the near future.

Digitimes relays a Commercial Times report that Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for "Apple's new netbook" due in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

Wintek revealed that it is currently working with Apple to develop some new products, but it said it does not know what applications the new products are for.

While Wintek was unable to confirm the exact products, the Chinese-language newspaper claims that Apple will be releasing a new "netbook" for later this year.

The "netbook" term is one that has been traditionally applied to low-cost miniaturized notebooks. It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in.

Still, there have been long-running whispers that Apple has been working on a true "sub" notebook which may correspond to these rumors. Commercial Times has had a mixed record in predicting Apple's products based on supply chain reports, but has had some seemingly accurate data in the past.

Just a little more than a week after seeding OS X 10.5.7 Build 9J22 to developers, Apple has distributed a new version, Build 9J27, for testing. World of Apple reports on the release and republishes the seed notes, which reveal ten changes since the last release and ask developers to focus their testing efforts on over twenty wide-ranging focus areas.

Changes since the last developer seed include fixes for several issues with preference panes, MobileMe and iCal syncing, partitioning, and Time Capsule and FileVault backups.

With the latest seed of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Apple has made dramatic changes to QuickTime Player in both interface and features. Changes to the interface has gotten the most attention with a description posted by AppleInsider. The new QuickTime X playback window appears to be minimalistic with all user-interface pieces fading away, leaving just the video displayed:

The only window-based interface element in the QuickTime X Player is reportedly the title bar, which is reminiscent of the iPhone's semi-transparent black glass interface while also adopting hues from the video frames playing beneath it. However, this too fades away and disappears with the new overlay controls so videos appear to float on the screen with nothing more than a deep shadow surrounding all four sides.

While AppleInsider posts "mock ups" of the interface, Swedish site Feber.se appears to have posted a believable screenshot of the new player.

Apple's additional changes to QuickTime Player to "focus on playback" raise the possibility of the return of QuickTime Pro as a separate application. In previous seeds, it had been noted that QuickTime Pro features had been enabled by default in QuickTime Player. With this latest revamp, however, many of the "Pro" encoding features seem to be in transition, and introducing a the more simplistic "ability to export video clips in a variety of sizes to your iTunes library .... or publish them through a MobileMe account".

David Zeiler of The Baltimore Sun points out that the event schedule for the Moscone Center in San Francisco is listing a "Corporate Meeting" running from June 6th through June 12th in Moscone West and speculates that this event is Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2009.

While Apple has historically varied the dates of WWDC from as early as May to as late as August, WWDC has been held on the second full work week of June each of the past two years. Several days ago, MacDailyNews pointed to a similar "Corporate Meeting" scheduled for May 16th through May 22nd and speculated that it may represent WWDC, but that event is no longer appearing on the Moscone Center's calendar.

Zeiler speculates that Mac OS X Snow Leopard will be released at WWDC. This would certainly not be a surprise, as Apple announced at last year's WWDC that Snow Leopard would ship in "about a year".

As additional evidence for a Snow Leopard release at that time, Zeiler points to several listings on Amazon.com for Snow Leopard-related books scheduled for release from mid-June through July. In our experience, however, neither Amazon nor publishers have any particular advance notice about software release dates, and the publication dates for their related books are merely based on "best guesses".

Apple has seeded a new version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, termed Build 10A286, to developers. World of Apple republishes the seed notes, which highlight three significant changes in the new build: a new QuickTime user interface, Cocoa-based Finder features, and Safari 4 beta as the default browser.

QuickTime Player
The new QuickTime Player has a new minimal UI and is focused on playback.

Finder
Finder includes a new Cocoa Desktop, Info Window and Contextual Menu

Safari
Safari 4 beta is included in the seed as the default browser.

World of Apple also notes that developers are being encouraged to run the new build in 64-bit mode, signaling a "major shift" in that direction.

Snow Leopard is due for release sometime in 2009, and Apple has been making steady progress on the new operating system, as demonstrated by consistent releases of new builds to developers. Apple has said that they are focusing on quality and performance in Snow Leopard rather than introducing significant numbers of new features.

Apple today released Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station (802.11n) Firmware 7.4.1, bringing bug fixes and security enhancements to the just-released models, as well as older 802.11n-capable AirPort Extreme Base Station, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule models.

Notably, the update also enables remote access to attached drives for both previous AirPort Extreme Base Station 802.11n models as well as the first-generation Time Capsule. (The dual-band broadcast support and guest networking features also added to the newly-released models require hardware modifications, and are thus not available for older models.) Apple's support document provides additional details on the release.

For AirPort Extreme (Early 2009) and Time Capsule (Early 2009) that ship with firmware 7.4, the firmware 7.4.1 update:

- Resolves an issue in which a client computer may be disconnected when waking from sleep
- Addresses an issue in which redirecting SMTP port services may disable IP-layer networking
- Improves the reliability of Back to My Mac-based disk sharing
- Includes recent AirPort security updates

For AirPort Extreme with 802.11n (Fast Ethernet), AirPort Extreme with 802.11n (Gigabit Ethernet), AirPort Express with 802.11n, and original Time Capsule models, the firmware 7.4.1 update:

- Enables remote administration and remote access to compatible USB connected drives via Back to My Mac (except on AirPort Express)
- Improves reliability when backing up to a Time Capsule via Time Machine
- Includes recent AirPort security updates

The security enhancements included with the update are detailed in a separate support document.

The firmware update is currently available via the AirPort Utility setup and management application. Users should be sure to update to the recently-released AirPort Utility 5.4.1 before attempting to update their base station's firmware.

The release of the new Mac Pro on Tuesday marked the first use of Intel's Nehalem processor in Apple's products. As in the past, Intel has allowed Apple to get early access to their newest processors ahead of the competition. These Nehalem Xeon processors used in the high end Mac Pros have not even been officially announced by Intel yet.

Apple details the technical improvements of these new Nehalem processors on their product pages for the Mac Pro. While the descriptions and benchmarks are primarily marketing materials, they do offer simple explanations of some of the new technologies found in Nehalem. Some highlights include:

- Single die 64-bit architecture with fast access to cache data
- Integrated memory controller with significantly more memory bandwidth
- Turbo Boost: "If youre using an application that doesnt need every core, Turbo Boost shuts off the idle cores while simultaneously increasing the speed of the active ones, up to 3.33GHz on a 2.93GHz Mac Pro."

While Apple's tests show large improvements in memory bandwidth and floating point performance, many customers are awaiting 3rd party benchmarks to make a final purchasing decision. Notably, however, specific tasks or applications could see significantly higher performance boosts with Nehalem than might otherwise be expected.

An x264 developer has reported that Nehalem SSE changes are extremely beneficial to x264 performance and "have led to an enormous overall performance increase[s]" over Penryn processors. As this processor support trickles out, it should speed up the time to encode H.264 video substantially.

Meanwhile, VMWare customers may also see significant improvements in running VMWare Fusion on the new Nehalem Mac Pros. According to a forum post by VMWare's Ben Gertzfield, VMWare 2.02 already supports a new feature called "Extended Page Tables" which should result in "a pretty significant performance boost on the new Nehalem CPUs when running Fusion virtual machines."

This is a huge benefit to virtualization software: without EPT, a big chunk of the heavy lifting that a virtual machine has to do is emulating the "map virtual memory address X to physical memory address Y" work that a traditional MMU does.

The first of the Nehalem Mac Pros are expected to ship early next week.

Engadget has posted an unboxing gallery of the new iMac. Externally, there is not much different in the new machine with the exception the removal of the FireWire 400 port and addition of a mini DisplayPort. The new iMac does come with the keypad-less keyboard (pictured above). MacRumors readers who are waiting on delivery of their new iMacs are congregating in this thread.

Meanwhile iFixit has disassembled the iMac completely and provided their usual detailed gallery.

Primate Labs has already posted some benchmarks of the new iMacs and Mac minis. Unsurprisingly they found that processor speed has not improved significantly between the older and the new models:

Processor performance hasnt increased substantially in the latest hardware; the performance increase seems to scale with processor speed. This isnt surprising, since neither the iMac nor the Mac mini moved to a new processor architecture.

Geekbench, however, only measures processor and memory performance and does not measure graphics card performance. The main improvement in these models was a move to an NVIDIA-based architecture with improved integrated graphics. This should improve graphics benchmarks and will also provide additional benefits when Snow Leopard is released.

Amazon has released a free application that delivers Kindle book-reading to the iPhone:

Kindle for iPhone allows Apple iPhone and iPod touch owners to read Kindle books using a simple, easy-to-use interface. You can shop for hundreds of thousands of books at www.amazon.com/kindlestore, and wirelessly transfer the books to your iPhone or iPod touch. Enjoy Amazons low prices on Kindle books, including New York Times Best Sellers and most new releases for $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

Features include:

- Buy a Kindle book from your Mac, PC, or iPhone using a Web browser and wirelessly transfer the books to your iPhone
- Read first chapters of any book for free before you buy
- Download the Kindle books you already own for free -- they are automatically backed up on Amazon.com
- Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle device

The iPhone client will also allow you to seamlessly switch back and forth between your Kindle device and Kindle for iPhone while keeping bookmarks and reading location synced between the devices. The Kindle is Amazon's electronic book reader that was recently updated to version 2. Amazon had promised that Kindle content would become available for mobile phones which had led to speculation that they might support the iPhone.

App Store Link: Kindle for iPhone, Free (U.S. Only)