Size does matter. For Apple Inc, thinner the better. The world’s leading technology company today introduced the world’s thinnest tablet.
Hoping to lure Christmas shoppers early, Apple Inc unveiled thinner iPads and faster Mac computers ahead of a competitive holiday shopping season.
The new thinner one-pound iPad Air will sell for US$499 in the US from 1 November.
Apple promises up to 10 hours of battery life on the thin iPad Air which runs iOS 7 and A7 chip.
The price of MacBook Pro with sharper retina display starts at US$1299 for the 13-inch Macbook Pro, and US$1999 for the 15-inch Macbook Pro in the US.
In a major deviation for its standard practice, Apple is also offering free upgrades on iOS, its operating system called Mavericks, and business software.
Explaining the unexpected move, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told reporters: “We are turning the industry on its ear, but this is not why we’re doing it. We want our customers to have our latest software.”
Mavericks, the new operating system will also lower batter consumption. With energy-saving core technologies in OS X Mavericks, you can surf the web longer on a single charge, says Apple. “Watching iTunes HD video is now more efficient, so you can watch more video when you’re not plugged in. App Nap regulates applications you’re not using so they consume less energy.”
Apple is also reported to launch its must awaited ultra-high definition televisions with 65- and 55-inch screens by the end of next year.
Riding on the popularity wave of iPhone 5S, Apple has continued its dominance in the US smartphone market. The iPhone 5S helped Apple increase September smartphone by 39%.
What’s new in OS X Mavericks
- iBooks: Download and read books from the iBooks Store. Pick up right where you left off. iCloud keeps your current page up to date across all your devices.
- Maps: Send directions from your Mac to your iPhone and use voice navigation on the go. Explore select cities in photo-realistic 3D with Flyover.
- Calendar: See a map of your event’s location, as well as the weather forecast. See holidays and Facebook events in Calendar.
- Safari: Use Shared Links to discover new, interesting links posted by people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. Protect your online privacy with new tracking-prevention features.
- iCloud Keychain: •Sign in once to all of your mail, contacts, calendar, and other internet accounts, and iCloud pushes them to all your Mac computers. Keep your website passwords, credit card numbers, and Wi-Fi passwords up to date across your trusted devices. Apple uses 256-bit AES encryption to keep your information safe. However, it is not recommended to store your sensitive information in Keychain.
- Multiple Displays: Use your HDTV as a second display with Apple TV. Just plug in a second display to use it with your Mac — no configuration required.
- Notifications: Reply to mail or messages right from a notification, without having to leave the app you’re using. Receive notifications for incoming FaceTime calls and reply with an iMessage or set a callback reminder. Receive notifications from websites, even when Safari isn’t running.
- Finder Tabs: Declutter your desktop by consolidating multiple Finder windows into one. Move files between your tabs by simply dragging and dropping them.
- Tags: Organize files with tags no matter where they’re located — in iCloud or on your Mac. Give a document as many tags as you want. Click a tag in the Finder sidebar to see all the files with that tag.
Leave a Reply