MacBook

Apple has released a firmware update for new MacBook and MacBook Pro owners bedeviled by their glass trackpads.

The update is designed to fix an issue with the new trackpads unveiled by Apple in October, which replace the traditional trackpad/mouse button combination with a trackpad that also serves as the button. The first few owners of those systems, however, reported a persistent problem in which clicks on the trackpad would not register.

Let us know if the firmware solves your problems or if you have any problems installing the update, which should be appearing in Software Update for owners … Read more

With Apple's MacBook so popular and well-regarded, we're always surprised that there aren't more 13-inch laptops out there. After all, one of the reasons the MacBook resonates so well with people is because its 13-inch size hits the perfect balance between portability and usability. Put another way, a 13-inch laptop is the biggest we'd consider carrying around on a regular basis, and the smallest we'd consider usable as our main everyday computer.

We've already seen one new 13-inch that was an impressive MacBook alternative, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr, which offered a backlit keyboard, a … Read more

The eGo Helium drive from Iomega really loves your MacBook Air and would like to respectfully ask for its hand in marriage.

You see, the two were virtually cut from the same cloth and share an uncanny amount of similarities. From their subtle gray chassis (off topic: what's the plural of chassis? Yep, chassis) and their finely shaped edges to their proprietary file formatting system (HFS+), they're so in touch with each other that $143 seems like chump change to pay for the wedding.

The only thing missing in your MacBook's life is just a little extra … Read more

Here's a rundown of some of the Apple news making the rounds this Wednesday:

Apple may launch most aggressive Black Friday pricing yet--AppleInsider: On a day when the stock market tanked once again on news of shifting priorities in the government's bailout plan, coupled with pessimistic forecasts from huge retailers like Best Buy, this notion doesn't seem all that far-fetched. Last year, Apple offered $101 discounts on MacBooks and other discounts on iPods on Black Friday, and Ben Reitzes of UBS thinks similar discounts could be applied more broadly across Apple's product line on that particular … Read more

With the HP Pavilion dv3510nr, Best Buy's Blue Label laptop program is off to a hot start. It packs a ton of features and performance in a sleek, 13-inch frame and earned itself an Editors' Choice award in the process.

What is Blue Label, you ask? It's a new program where Best Buy takes input from its customers and then works with its vendors to create a laptop that serves up the features its customers want most. According to Best Buy, the features its customers wanted most in a laptop are longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design but with a roomy screen, and a backlit keyboard--all backed with "superior" support. The HP Pavilion dv3510nr hits on all of these points, and it looks good doing it. … Read more

Apple may be searching for ways to make the MacBook Air even lighter.

AppleInsider reports that the company is investigating using materials enhanced with carbon fibers in some of the parts on a future MacBook Air. Given the time and energy Apple poured into the latest redesign of its notebooks, developing a new unibody chassis milled from a single block of aluminum, it's unlikely that the entire chassis would be replaced anytime soon.

But AppleInsider thinks the company could shave 0.22 pounds off the overall weight of the Air if it used some sort of carbon-fiber material for … Read more

Apple's MacBook, shown on the left, and Dell's Studio 15, at right, are vying for consumer attention this holiday season.

Two-thirds of prospective PC buyers in the U.S. plan to buy either a MacBook or a Dell laptop this holiday season, according to a study released Monday by ChangeWave.

ChangeWave's survey of 3,699 consumers found that of those looking to buy a laptop over the next 90 days, 33 percent indicated a preference for the Mac, and another 33 percent said they would buy a Dell. The survey cited Apple's recent MacBook redesign and … Read more

While everyone else is rushing out to their local Apple store to buy a mass-produced, cookie cutter case for their new MacBooks and Pros, try to resist the urge and instead look around for something a bit more unique, like the newest "Held" MacBook cases from Hard Graft.

Although they're definitely gender neutral, I personally think this case looks like it was pulled directly off the set of a 1960s James Bond flick. It's actually designed to mimic the look of a leather shoulder holster pressed against a fine wool suit; the entire sleeve is wrapped in a thick heather gray felt with ivory herringbone elastic straps that keep your laptop safe and secure. Of course, all the Hard Graft distinctions are in place as well, including their signature external pocket made from dyed European cow leather and matching pull tab inside.

The Hard Graft Shop Window also features cases for your phone (several brands and styles are represented), iPod, Moleskine, eBook, and car keys. Even a foldable mouse pad is available through the site, and at a very affordable price.

iPhone cases are only $60 and the "Held" case for your Apple laptops starts at $115--not bad, considering Hard Graft strives to only use sustainable materials built independently in Austria in a "medieval Schloss surrounded by vineyards and apricot orchards." No joke, that's what it says on the page! And best of all, imagine how proud you'll feel when you break this baby out at the airport next to a sea of sheep staring drearily at their cookie cutter neoprene laptop cases. More pictures after the jump.… Read more

Apple customers awaiting their new MacBook Airs may have to wait a little longer than they had thought, but potential Mac Mini customers should sit tight.

That seems to the state of the Mac this Wednesday, according to AppleInsider. The site notes that customers who ordered the new MacBook Airs with the 120GB hard drive option are receiving notices from Apple apologizing for a shipping delay.

The systems were expected to go out this week, but now won't go out until the end of November. Those who ordered the more expensive solid-state drive option have already started getting their … Read more