Apple turns the spotlight to notebooks
At an event held at its Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple today announced four significant updates to its product range.
Before delving into its new line-up, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs and chief operating officer Tim Cook took the time to reflect on Apple's success. According to its internal figures, Apple has grown at two-or-three times the market growth in the past several quarters, and it bullishly cites six key reasons; better computers, better software, improved compatibility, Windows Vista, marketing, and its popular retail stores.
Always willing to fire a shot at the competition, Apple highlighted Windows Vista's failure to live up to Microsoft's expectations and ultimately open the door for Apple to take advantage.
Continuing on the statistics front, Jobs announced that Apple now commands a significant 17.6 per cent US retail market share, and then passed the stage to Jonathan Ive - a British designer and Apple's senior vice president of industrial design.
As expected, and in keeping with recent rumours, Ive announced that Apple now builds its MacBooks in a revolutionary new method that involves carving each chassis out of a block of aluminium. Instead of adding pieces - as is the case in the old construction method - Apple now takes pieces away and leaves a solid unibody chassis that's lighter and more rigid than ever before.
So, with the promise of the best build quality bar none, let's take a look at the first new product announcements; new MacBook Pros and a revised MacBook Air.