Every year around this time I tend to write an article on what I would like to see from Apple, to improve my photography workflow. I have basically given up on ever seeing an iPod that makes sense for professional (and high end amateur) photographers, but the computer I use while in my office and on the road continues to be the most important item on my list.
For quite a few years now I have been using the 17-inch PowerBook while on the road and whenever possible try to hook a second monitor up to it to increase my screen real estate. When I am in my office I connect a second monitor, keyboard & mouse, graphics tablet, scanner, printer, external drives (Firewire), an ADSL modem, and a bunch of card readers to the computer. As you can imagine there are a lot of cables hanging from my desk.
Anything that Apple can do to clean up my desk would be appreciated, so instead of complaining about Apple still not understanding how photographers work, this year I am going to give them a gold star for bringing out a new product that will actually make our lives a little easier.
The New (late 2008) 15-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch LED Cinema Display (for the New MacBook Family) are designed to work together by docking through a single umbilical cord from the monitor that plugs into the electrical, USB2 and sound posts on the MacBook. It does not eliminate all the cables from my desk but it does (will very soon, I hope) make the process of connecting and disconnecting my computer (in my office) a lot easier. If I can talk a few of my clients into buying the new MacBooks and installing the new monitors at their office, I would also be able to hook up easily when I am working there.
I should note that I do have one “small” complaint, I do not care what Apple calls it (MacBook or MacBook Pro), but I would like to have a 13-inch (or even smaller) MacBook (Pro) version with a Firewire port. When you travel for a living, every ounce less that you have to carry makes a difference, but no Firewire is not an option.
Apple Unveils 24-inch LED Cinema Display for New MacBook Family
CUPERTINO, California—October 14, 2008—Apple® today unveiled the LED Cinema Display featuring a stunning 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Designed for the new MacBook® family, the LED Cinema Display includes an integrated MagSafe® charger, three USB 2.0 ports and the new Mini DisplayPort, making it easy for MacBook users to quickly connect and power their notebooks as well as use their favorite peripherals.
“The new LED Cinema Display is the most advanced display that Apple has ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “It is a perfect fit for our sleek new line of aluminum MacBooks with its 24-inch LED-backlit screen, aluminum and glass enclosure, integrated camera, mic and speakers, MagSafe charger, three USB ports and Mini DisplayPort.”
The 24-inch glossy, widescreen display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution uses LED-backlit technology to provide instant full-screen brightness and great power efficiency. Suspended by an aluminum stand with an adjustable hinge that makes tilting the display almost effortless, the new display includes a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers, making it ideal for video conferencing with iChat®,* listening to music or watching movies. The new display also includes three self-powered USB 2.0 ports so users can simply leave their printer, camera, iPhone™ 3G or iPod® dock connected when they take their MacBook with them. The sleek, thin display also includes a built-in universal MagSafe charger so users can conveniently leave their notebook’s MagSafe power adapter in their travel bag.
The new LED Cinema Display is the greenest Apple display ever, made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass and highly recyclable materials. The LED Cinema Display meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.** The new display contains no brominated flame retardants, all internal cables and components are PVC-free and its foam packaging has been reduced by 44 percent.
Part of the next-generation DisplayPort industry standard, the new Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, perfect for the sleek design of the new MacBook family. Adapters are available for using the MacBook’s Mini DisplayPort with older generation VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays.
Pricing & Availability
The new LED Cinema Display will be available in November through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $899 (US). The LED Cinema Display requires a MacBook, MacBook Air™ or MacBook Pro with the new Mini DisplayPort.
*Video chatting requires a broadband Internet connection; fees may apply.
