MacRumors

Apple today introduced the new Mac Pro using Intel "Nehalem" Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture. The new Mac Pro starts at $2,499 and features "the latest graphics technology and an updated interior that makes expansion even easier than before."

"The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade and starts at $300 less than before," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love."

The new Mac Pro includes Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 2.93 GHz and an integrated memory controller with three channels of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC memory. Apple claims that this delivers up to 2.4 times the memory bandwidth while cutting memory latency up to 40 percent. Every Mac Pro also comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. An optional ATI Radeon HD 4870 is available for more performance. The new Mac Pro also comes with both a Mini DisplayPort and a DVI port to support the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, or other DVI based displays.

Mac Pro

- $2499. One 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 Processor. 3GB of RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT 120. 640GB HD.
- $3299. Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 Processor. 6GB of RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT 120. 640GB HD.

---

MacMall is offering $100 rebates on some of the new Mac Pros

Apple today announced updates to its iMac and Mac mini desktop lines, including a 24-inch iMac and a Mac mini with new NVIDIA integrated graphics. For the same $1,499 price as the previous generation 20-inch iMac, the new 24-inch iMac delivers a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage. Apple also claims up to five times better graphics performance in the new Mac mini with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics..

"Our flagship 24-inch iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available for just $1,499," said Tim Cook, Apple's COO. "The Mac mini is not only our most affordable Mac, it's also the world's most energy efficient desktop computer."

iMac

- $1199. 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac. 2GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Integrated graphics. 320GB HD. Mini Display Port
- $1499. 24-inch 2.66 GHz iMac. 4GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Integrated graphics. 640GB HD. Mini Display Port
- $1799. 24-inch 2.93 GHz iMac. 4GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT 120. 640GB HD. Mini Display Port
- $2199. 24-inch 3.06 GHz iMac. 4GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT 130. 1TB HD. Mini Display Port

Mac Mini

- $599. 2.0GHz Mac mini. 1GB 1066 MHz DDR SDRAM, GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, 120GB HD, 8x SuperDrive, Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI, 5 USB Ports, One FireWire 800 Port
- $799. 2.0GHz Mac mini. 2GB 1066 MHz DDR SDRAM, GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, 320GB HD, 8x SuperDrive, Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI, 5 USB Ports, One FireWire 800 Port

Apple also updated the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule, which are now offering simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking "for optimal performance, range and compatibility." The new models also offer the ability to set up a secondary Internet-only Wi-Fi network to allow family and friends to access the Internet without giving them the password to the primary network or allowing them access to networked drives and other peripherals. Finally, Time Capsule offers MobileMe members the ability to access files on their device's hard drive over the Internet from anywhere.

---

MacMall is offering $25-$100 rebates on new Mac minis and iMacs.

There's only a few hours left before Apple's rumored announcement of new iMacs and Mac minis but a list of parts/specs posted to our forum indicate that Apple may be pushing out a number of additional updates including Mac Pros, Airport Extreme, and Time Capsule. The posting was made by someone who has had access to Apple part numbers in the past, and we've since been able to confirm that these part numbers and specs are valid and found in Apple's systems. The most surprising news is that it looks like Apple will be releasing new Mac Pros as well on Tuesday.

The list of parts and specs correspond to the previous iMac rumors of one 20" model and three 24" models. The speeds of the processors appear comparable to the previous iMacs. Hard drive capacities and RAM, however, have been bumped to twice their previous amounts. The iMac will almost certainly adopt the NVIDIA platform which brings with it accelerated video that should also support Apple's upcoming Snow Leopard.

MB417LL/A - IMAC 20" 2.66/2GB/320GB/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB418LL/A - IMAC 24" 2.66/4GB/640/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB419LL/A - IMAC 24" 2.93/4GB/640/256/SD/MSE/KB-USA
MB420LL/A - IMAC 24" 3.06/4GB/1TB/512/SD/MSE/KB-USA

The Mac minis are said to be 2.0 GHz each with improved hard drive space. We've heard whispers that the entry level price for the Mac mini may finally fall to $499, representing a $100 drop. The adoption of the NVIDIA platform in the Mac mini should also provide a significant performance boost over the existing models.

MB463LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/1X1G/120/SD/AP/BT-USA
MB464LL/A - MAC MINI 2.0/2X1G/320/SD/AP/BT-USA

Meanwhile, new Time Capsule and Airport Extreme models are consistent with FCC filings that were just published this week. The timing of the release of these filings almost certainly means these releases are imminent.

Finally, the parts list surprisingly reveals that the Mac Pro will finally be updated alongside a new ATI RADEON HD 4870 graphics card. The Mac Pro specs reveal the following specs:

MAC PRO 2.26_8CX/6X1G/640/GT120/SD-USA
MAC PRO 2.66QCX/3X1GB/640/GT120/SD-USA

The 2.66GHz configuration is a familiar baseline configuration for the Mac Pros and it seems likely there would be build-to-order processor upgrades. The 2.26GHz configuration, however, seems more of a mystery. While a 2.26GHz Xeon processor seems to exist, it does not appear to come in 8-core configurations. Otherwise, the specs seem consistent with the adoption of Intel's Nehalem processors.

Update: Apple Stores down already:

Hardmac posts what it claims are the product numbers and rough descriptions of the iMac and Mac mini which are expected to be released tomorrow:

The new iMac models and their corresponding references:
- MB417: Entry level model
- MB418: "Mass market" model
- MB419: high-end model
- MB420: ultimate model
The entry level model should come with a 20" display, while the three other models will feature a 24" panel.

For the Mac mini, the references are the following:
- MB463: entry-level model
- MB464 high-end model

They cite a "reliable" source that has told them that both models will become available tomorrow. HardMac.com is the english counterpart to MacBidouille and is generally considered trustworthy.

Earlier today a photo of the Mac mini packaging was leaked and is increasingly looking to be legitimate.

Update: OneMoreThing.nl also "confirms" that the iMac and Mac mini will be released tomorrow and provides the following specs (translated by Sijmen):

Mac mini
- 5x USB
- 1x FireWire 800
- 1x mini DVI
- 1x Display poort
- Nvidia chipset (like the newest MacBook)
- starting at Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghz
- 1 of 2 GB DDR3 memory (max 4 GB)
- 120 GB hard disk (max 320 GB)

iMac
- one 20" model, three 24" models
- Intel Core 2 Duo (not a quad core): 2.66 Ghz, 2.93 Ghz and 3.06 Ghz
- 1x Display port
- 20" 2 GB DDR3 memory, 24" 4 GB DDR3 memory (max 8 GB)

Earlier today, we received a product photo of what is claimed to be the new Mac Mini. Without another source, we published it on Page 2 and called it a likely fake.

OneMoreThing.nl, however, has received the same image and feels it's likely to be real. While some thought it was strange for Apple to feature the back of the Mini on the packaging, it follows the same format as the back of their current Mac mini retail box (Photo of back of current box).

Meanwhile, the logo depicted in the photograph represents the NVIDIA chipset:

This would be consistent with rumors, circulating spy shots and expectations of an imminent Mac mini update. Previous reports from Kodawarisan have predicted updates as early as Tuesday.

The big story circulating around the internet this weekend was the possibility of a March 24th Apple Media event. The date was based on a couple of anonymous reports from World of Apple and My Apple Guide. While the date seems plausible, neither site has any particular track record for accurately predicting Apple's future plans.

Still, it adds to the growing number of hints and suggestions that new product releases are imminent. In contrast, however, Japanese site Kodawarisan pinpoints March 3rd (this Tuesday) as the release date for the new iMac.

While it's hard to place much credibility in one report over the other, Apple is long overdue in refreshing a number of their products, including the iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro. It is feasible that Apple could partially stagger these product releases over the next few weeks.

Of the releases, the iMac and Mac mini are expected to be smaller bumps that may not warrant a full media event. The Mac Pro, however, is expected to incorporate a major architectual jump with the adoption of Intel's Nehalem processors. Intel is also conveniently launching Mac Pro suitable Nehalem processors at the end of March. And in a final piece of related news, the latest Mac OS X 10.5.7 developer seeds has been revealed to already "fully" support the Nehalem processors.

AlleyInsider speculates that licensing changes to Blu-Ray could pave the way to Mac support for the High Definition drives.

A new licence will be established by mid-2009 as a "one-stop shop" for device makers. The licence will include all necessary Blu-ray, DVD and CD patents for selling Blu-ray players. The licensing programme will be handled by a new licensing company to be led by Gerald Rosenthal, former head of intellectual property at IBM. It will be based in the US, but will have local branches in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

The new streamlined process will reportedly cut the total cost of royalty payments by 40 percent. Apple's Steve Jobs specifically cited complicated licensing issues as one of the hurdles to adopting Blu-Ray in Apple's own computers.

Of interest, Apple's recent inclusion of HDCP copy protection in their newest laptops could also help pave the way for support of the HD disc format.

When Apple first opened the App Store back in July 2008, their review system allowed anyone to enter a comment or review on any application. No purchase was required at that time. As a result, many critical "reviews" came from those who had never bought those applications. Developers, of course, were particularly unhappy with this system which brought down the average score for almost all paid applications.

In September, however, Apple instituted a new rule in which customers could only leave reviews on applications they had actually purchased and downloaded. Existing "reviews" from these non-customers, however, remained in place.

That is, until yesterday. It appears that Apple has removed these early non-customer reviews. Several long standing apps have seen dramatic decreases in their review counts. SEGA's Super Monkey Ball count dropped from 4197 reviews down to 3710 while Namco's Pac Man dropped from 395 to 122. MacRumors forum users have noted that it has been these specific non-customer reviews have been targeted and removed.

Apple yesterday seeded Mac OS X 10.5.7, the next maintenance release for Leopard, to developers. Apple is requesting that developers focus their testing on over twenty areas of the new seed, which is termed Build 9J22.

Developers familiar with the new build report that Apple has made nearly 70 changes in the update, with many of them focused on syncing and networking improvements. A number of preferences and widgets have seen tweaks to address performance issues, and Apple has also addressed several issues related to RAW image handling. Also of note, Apple has addressed an issue with Safari not accepting certain types of cookies.

Apple has also informed developers that the new Safari 4 public beta will not install on the current 10.5.7 build. The last update to Leopard, OS X 10.5.6, was released in December.

Here at MacRumors, we have had a fascination about the possibility of Apple introducing more advanced Multi-Touch technology into their future Macs and keyboards. This conversation, however, always returns to the question of the practicality and usefulness of this technology.

Looking back at the early days of FingerWorks, it seems that many of these questions had been addressed. FingerWorks co-founder John Elias described the technology back in 2002:

"To observers watching somebody use multi-touch, it looks a little like magic," Elias said, illustrating his point on a computer in Evans Hall. "People see lots of things happening on the computer screen but very little hand motion is observed."

In 2003, one professor found that the Multi-Touch keyboards actually improved data entry speeds compared to standard input:

Hedge has tested the products in the lab and found that people can improve their data-entry speed by at least 50 percent when using gestures instead of the point-and-click motion of the mouse.

FingerWorks had even manufactured a Multi-Touch keyboard replacement for Apple's notebooks called "MacNTouch". The MacNTouch product pages remain on FingerWorks.com, although they are not well linked from the main site.

This product gives some insight into the minds of the FingerWorks Multi-Touch designers. These designers, of course, now work at Apple after the company was acquired in 2005. The MacNTouch keyboard was an aftermarket product that offered PowerBook users a full Multi-Touch interface, complete with Mac OS X drivers:

MacNTouch Keyboards integrate the functions of a large-area super touchpad, a multi-hand, gesture input command station, and a ZeroForce ergonomic keyboard, all on the same smooth surface.

Apple's ongoing research suggests that they are still looking into the possibility of reviving these technologies in future products.

Dow Jones Newswires (via CNN Money) provides a recap of Apple's annual shareholder meeting held today on the company's campus in Cupertino, the first such meeting without Steve Jobs present since his return to the company in 1997. At the meeting, shareholders voted to reelect the entire Board of Directors and voted down four proposals made by shareholders but opposed by the Board of Directors.

Shareholders also defeated proposals that would have given them a say on executive compensation, would have required Apple to disclose more about corporate political donations and its carbon footprint, and would have called for universal health care.

In response to questions about the health of Jobs, the Associated Press reports that there are no changes in his plans to return to the company in June.

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs still expects to return from his medical leave at the end of June, according to an Apple director who responded to an investor at the company's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday.

The investor had pressed for details about when the board of directors knew Jobs planned to step away from his daily duties. Apple director Arthur Levinson responded only by saying that since Jobs announced Jan. 14 that he needed to go on leave, "nothing has changed."

Attendees also participated in a singing of "Happy Birthday" to the absent CEO, who celebrated his 54th birthday yesterday.

CNBC's Jim Goldman had hoped to live blog from the meeting, but Apple banned all communication devices from the meeting hall. Fortune, however, republished reports from two investors who were able to sneak wireless devices into the room.