A new MacBook Air, iLife 11, a sneak preview of Mac OS X Lion, and FaceTime for the Mac. Those are the new products announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the company's headquarters.Jobs also said that the Mac, not to be outdone by its younger iPod and iPhone siblings, will soon have its own application store.
The new Air uses solid-state flash storage instead of a hard drive, which the company said lightens an already lightweight laptop since solid state is as much as 90 percent smaller and lighter than a hard drive. At its thinnest point, the Air is 0.11 inches, and only 0.68 inches at its thickest.
The newest Air is available in 11.6- and 13.3-inch display models, features instant-on bootup, and has a battery life of up to 7 hours.
The latest iLife features a new look look for iPhoto, easier editing in iMovie, and new ways to improve music playing and creating in GarageBand. iLife 11 is included free in new Macs, or available as a $49 upgrade for existing users.
Sending photos to friends and family via iPhoto now includes a choice of eight themes, and the photos can be posted to Facebook with a single click. There's a new way to create books and cards using a carousel interface, intelligent book layout, and a bookshelf to keep track of projects. With new letterpress cards, photos and text can be combined with designs to create wedding invitations, birth announcements, and other announcements.
iMovie features 15 different genres such as Adventure, Romantic Comedy, or Epic Drama, each of which has its own graphics and soundtracks. A feature called People Finder analyzes video and marks clips that have faces to quickly create a trailer.
The company also announced a public beta of FaceTime for Mac, which allows Mac users to video-call iPhone 4 and iPod touch users, or other Mac users. It automatically uses the Address Book contacts on the machine, so special buddy lists aren't needed, and it works with Macs' built-in cameras and mikes.
The company also announced a public beta of FaceTime for Mac, which allows Mac users to video-call iPhone 4 and iPod touch users, or other Mac users. It automatically uses the Address Book contacts on the machine, so special buddy lists aren't needed, and it works with Macs' built-in cameras and mikes.
Apple provided a peek at the Lion. Mac OS X Lion is expected to ship in the summer of 2011, and the preview included LaunchPad for Mac apps, systemwide support for full-screen apps, Mission Control, and a look at the Mac Apps Store.
Jobs said Lion "brings many of the best ideas from iPad back to the Mac" and adds some new ones, such as Mission Control. Launchpad shows all available apps on the Mac, organized as desired. With Mission Control, a user can navigate through apps that are running.
As with an iPad, the Mac app store will allow users to find and download apps via an iTunes account. It will become available within 90 days for Macs running the Snow Leopard OS.
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