So of you might have heard from my tweets, or my status updates on various sites, that I recently bought a Macbook Pro. Below is a list of the specs in the model I purchased:

• 15.4 inch Matte Screen
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 2GB Memory
• 200GB Hard Drive
• Double-layer SuperDrive
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB

I purchased it from the Apple Store at Lenox Mall in Atlanta, Georgia. I originally went into the store expecting to buy a 2.5GHz/250GB/Glossy model, but the lady in the store talked some sense into me! I decided to go for the smaller processor because of the $400.00 difference, I just didn’t see it being justified, and also I was coming for a 1.8GHz windows machine, so I figured 2.4GHz was plenty of an upgrade. I also changed my mind on the Glossy/Matte because of the need for real colors in my designs and photography. I am very surprised at how well I like the Matte, because my old laptop was Glossy.

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Apple just officially launched its Back to School promotion. 2008’s promotion is bigger than ever. This year’s promotion also includes the new Macbook Air. The official statement on Apple.com reads:

If you’re a student, faculty, or staff member and you buy a Mac before September 15, you can get a free iPod touch or iPod nano. After all, isn’t college about seizing every opportunity?

The qualifying mac computers are:

Macbook | Macbook Air | Macbook Pro | iMac

When you purchase any of the above mac’s, either from instore or online, with a student discount, you will be given the option to receive a FREE iPod Nano (8gig) or a FREE iPod Touch (8gig.) As they have done in the past, if you would rather the larger model iPod Tocuh, you can apply a credit of $299.00 to the 16gig or 32gig models.

This is Apples largest and most genorious back to school promotion ever. I personally will be jumping on the band waggon this summer when I purchase my new Macbook Pro. I am currently waiting to see what develops at WWDC next week.

I am sure everyone who is reading this has heard about the soon to come 3G upgrade to the very popular Apple iPhone. Many are expecting it to premier with the full 2.0 software and the ability to use 3rd party apps with out the need to hack the phone. Currently if you look at Apple.com you will see that the iPhone is unavailable for purchase:

Many are speculating that this is just the result of Apple being sold out of the branded AT&T versions. While this could be, you will also find that the U.K. Apple store is also out of stock. When iPhone’s leave the factory they are carrier specific. What are the chances that Apple would run out of 4 different carrier specific models at the same time?

With WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) just around the corner, the rumor mills have been spinning out plenty of new rumors about the iPhone 2.0 (w/ 3G.) While this is exciting, it is not what I personally am interested in.

I am a huge Apple fan boy. I have owned many iPods over the years, spend way too much money at iTunes, and read Apple news daily. With that said, I am a Windows user! Yes I know that is horrible. Well I have been ready to buy a new Macbook Pro for sometime time now. I was going to get one as a gift to myself for Christmas, but never did. After the recent addition of the Macbook Air Multi-Touch trackpad and faster processor, I found myself driving to the Apple store again! Well, I have decided I will not spend money on a laptop that has a 5 year old design. I am going to hold out until they finally redesign the case the MBP comes in. I now want to take the time to discuss some of the MBP rumors and give my own 2 cents on them.

To start off, it is rumored that the new redesigned Macbook Pro will premier at this years WWDC. While some are saying it is all about the iPhone this year, I have to disagree! I think the real surprise item of WWDC this year will be the completely revamped MBP.

What I hope to see in this new Macbook Pro revamp:

• New Montevina Intel Chip (2.6 Entry / 2.8 Standard)
• HD Video Card and Screen (Glossy and Matte)
• Magnetic Latch
• Larger trackpad with Multi-Touch
• Backlit Black (Macbook Air Style) Keyboard
• Slightly thinner design based on the Macbook Air design
• Blu-Ray Readable Drive with DVD/CD Burner (I don’t think the world is ready for Blu-Ray burners just yet, and they are still to expensive.)
• 200gig 7200 RPM Drive STANDARD
• Slightly darker aluminum case

While I do love the current design, I refuse to drop $2,500.00 on a machine that looks the same as it did 4 years ago. By a slightly darker case, I mean just a few shades darker like you can see in this picture from Apple.com. While some are speculating there will be a black Aluminum version, I don’t think this I will happen. The addition of Blu Ray would be great! While I think it is time to start including Blu Ray players in computers, I don’t think we will see a burner just yet due to the expensive nature and slow burn times. The technology is just not quite there yet. I am sure I will get tons with comments about how terrible the new Macbook Air keyboard is, but I love it. I recently went and played with it in the Apple store and it is great!

Scientists at IBM say they have demonstrated a new type of digital storage which would enable a device such as an MP3 player to store about half a million songs — or 3,500 movies — and cost far less to produce.

This new technology is known as “Racetrack” memory. The new method uses a spinning electron to store the data. It will allow access to the data at a much faster rate then current technology permits. It can do all of this and still use less battery power then modern day storage. This technology acts like flash memory in that it has no moving part. This helps to eliminate all the problems that arise due to mechanical moving parts. Unlike flash, this new technology doesn’t have the wear-out issue, where it can only write to the memory so many times before it wears-out and is unusable.

In his paper, Parkin describes a milestone in which he and his team were able to store data in columns of magnetic material arranged on the surface of a silicon wafer. The information moves around the columns at high speed, giving the technology its “racetrack” name.

IBM said the technology was still “exploratory” at this stage, but that it expected devices which used it to be on the market within 10 years.

The question I need to ask, is who needs to have half a million songs, or 3,500 full length feature films in there pocket. While I would use this new technology, I could never see need to this extreme use of memory. One thing I could see it used for is to expand portable computer memory and extend battery life which is something we would really benefit from.

Questions to discuss: Is this too much memory? Would you rather see this appear in computers or in portable media devices?

For more information be sure to check out the April 11th, 2008 issue of Science Magazine.