Apple Releases New 2011 MacBook Air With Backlit Keyboard, Thunderbolt

Some rumors were true while others were far from it. As expected, Apple has released a refreshed line of ultraportables today. Starting with the new 2011 11" MacBook Air starting at $999 (that's how much a 27" LED Cinema Display costs btw), it now packs Intel's new Sandy Bridge processor, the 1.6Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5 with an optional 1.8Ghz dual-core Intel Core i7 upgrade, 64GB SSD, 2GB of memory and Intel HD Graphics 3000. The new 2011 13" MacBook Air starts at $1,299, packs Intel's 1.7Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5 128GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 3000 and comes standard with 4GB of memory.

But that's not all, both 11" and 13" 2011 MacBook Airs now have full backlit keyboards - A much requested hardware feature since Apple removed it from the 2010 MacBook Airs, Thunderbolt ports and they come with OS X Lion installed and ready to serve. Head on over to the source link for the full customization options.

Apple Updates iMac With Thunderbolt, Faster Everything

There it is, Apple has refreshed the iMac line of desktop computer with better and faster hardware all in the same aluminum enclosure. No new screen sized were added to the new 2011 lineup of iMacs and the 21.5" and 27" are here to stay.  The new 21.5" (1920x1080) iMac starts at $1,199 and packs a 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory and an AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card with 512MB of memory.

Apple's new 27" iMac starts at $1,699 and packs a 2560x1440 screen resolution with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 4GB of memory and an AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics card with 512MB of memory. All the new 2011 iMac now come standard with the new Thunderbolt port, one port on the 21.5" model and two on the 27" model. In addition to all this hardware bump, the new iMacs now have an HD FaceTime camera. 

New Sandy Bridge Equipped iMacs Due Next Week

Rumors are coming in fast and hard about an imminent refresh of Apple's iMac line due as early as next week. AppleInsider reports that the new iMacs will be updated with Intel's new Sandy Bridge family of processors as well as the new high-speed Thunderbolt port which will replace the current miniDisplay port. Rumors also suggest new display sizes and better AMD graphics cards.

2011 MacBook Pros Get High-Powered USB Ports

A little fun fact here, did you know your 2011 MacBook Pro are fitted with new high-powered USB ports? Yes. They output an extra 1100mA of current and charge devices like the iPad and iPhone just as fast as they would from a wall outlet. 

iPad 2 Announced

Announced by Steve Jobs only moments ago, the sequal to the iPad has been announced, imaginatively named the iPad 2. The next baby to come out of Apple uses the all new A5 duel core processor with 9x faster graphics, there are front and back facing cameras, it is 2lb lighter now at 1.3 pounds, a 1/3 thinner at 8.8mm thick (which is thinner than the iPhone 4 by the way) and all in a brand new design with a white version that will ship on time! The iPad 2 will come in the same 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb models, all at the same price as the previous model and will ship on March 11.

There is the usual Apple accessories like a keyboard dock and USB/SD card dock connector that was available last year but we have some now we have some new ones. The first is a HDMI connector that can go straight to a TV which mirrors the iPad screen and exports in 1080p, which will be good for app demos and the like. The next new accessory for the iPad 2 is a new "case" called Smart Covers. It apparently adds no weight or bulk to the iPad while keeping it protected, the inner material is micro-fibre which will get rid of any fingerprints made while using the device and comes in either Polyurethane ($39) or Leather $69). But the coolest thing about these Smart Covers is that it uses magnets to wake and sleep the iPad when you open and close the case. Fancy!

But there is one missing chunk in this announcement. The lack of a Retina Display. Probably too costly for this iteration but I would of blown away every tablet on the market right now if it had that awesome screen.

So will you get one or is it just a pointless announcement?

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