laptop and notebook

The Macalope’s old enough to remember when rumors of an Apple tablet device were made of nothing more than fairy dust and unicorn dreams.

Okay, they’re not made of a lot more than that now, but, boy, people certainly do seem pretty sure it’s coming, don’t they?

We just know it’ll be cool and expensive

The big news this week is, as usual, not news at all, but mere rumor.

(Rock on, Mac community. Rock. On.)

Yes, the Apple tablet device cometh! Just a scant 11 years after the death of the Newton, technology punditry has declared that the arrival of its successor is nigh! Sell all your worldly possessions! Cancel all your appointments! Prepare for the rapture!

Indeed, the rumor mill now places the “iPad” with Verizon as its mobile services provider. How’s that for a slick way for Apple to extend its reach beyond AT&T? “Oh, hey, AT&T, baby, I know we said we were exclusive, but this isn’t an iPhone, so it’s not cheatin’. Oh, don’t look at me like that, baby.”

Apple, you rogue.

After the Macalope noted last week that it was all over but the whining about the price, CNet’s Tom Krazit speculates the price point will be in the US$700 range, putting it between the iPhone and the MacBook. As much as many would like the price tag to be in the craptacular $300 netbook range, the Macalope thinks Krazit’s estimate is far more realistic.

The Macalope’s mother always told him, be wary of any rumor that puts shiny new Apple-y goodness at rock-bottom prices.

And always keep your fur clean in case you get hit by a bus and have to go to the hospital.

What’s in a name?

Of course, beyond “not a netbook” and “sounds like they’re working with Verizon”, no one really has any clue what this thing looks like. “iPad” is the name that’s being bandied about the most-get it? It’s like “iPod” but it’s a pad…—and let the Macalope just say “blech”.

Yanko Design dubbed its concept art piece the “MacBook Touch” (tip o’ the antlers to BusinessWeek ) which is more pleasing to this one’s furry ears, but a device that will almost certainly run the iPhone OS is unlikely to bear the “MacBook” moniker.

The latest speculation from BusinessWeek says Apple’s looking to take video production mobile to some degree (personally, the Macalope expects that to be a pretty small degree) and Craig Hockenberry has already opined about Front Row To Go.

The truth is, no one knows. “A bigger iPhone/iPod Touch” won’t really cut it any more than “a smaller MacBook” would. That’s why none of the names the Macalope’s seen so far really fit. This thing needs a hook and the infrastructure behind that hook to support its appeal. Just as the iTunes Store supported the iPod and AT&T supported the iPhone, this device will have to have something unique behind it.

…

What? What are you looking at the Macalope for? Heck if he knows what it is.

The end of an error

It seems like only earlier this year the thing all the kewl kids were doing was installing OS X on netbooks to get the perfect user experience of a sleek and sexy operating system on a $300 plastic piece of crap. The fervency of the netbook fever that swept through technology punditry, combined with the Macalope’s own opposition to it, did make him consider taking the challenge and trying one out. Why not put his money where his furry mouth is?

Well, there’s the drool factor, for starters. But also, it’s all about opportunity cost, isn’t it? Instead of throwing away $300 on some flash-in-the-pan bastardization, why not save the money and put it towards an Apple netpad thingamajoo when it comes out?

Or just buy some ice cream? Or beer? Or beer-flavored ice cream.

Sure, every once in a while you have to push the envelope and it’s fun to experiment. But while you were wasting your time dropping a V8 into a Yugo, Apple went out and made itself a Tesla.

Sanshui photovoltaic industry added Xinjun  . A few days ago, a total investment of 1.82 billion yuan, production capacity could reach 500MW (megawatts) of solar cells Icahn printing project, only a short period of contact the two sides more than two months later, officially settled in Sanshui. This is the second film this year, solar energy industry base in Guangdong and China thin film solar cell materials research and development group, battery production, equipment manufacturing projects set up, the National High-tech Zone, Foshan Sanshui Garden introduced the fourth major project photovoltaic industry.
The first phase started in June this year to invest 400 million yuan
Icahn signed a total investment of solar projects 1.82 billion yuan, covers an area of 100 acres, capacity 500MW, building 5 minutes.
Icahn, chairman of Solar Energy Group Co., Ltd. Hui Zou said that the first phase of the project will invest 400 million yuan production of 100MW of solar cells, the production line will start construction in June of this year, next year can be put into production by the end of June. After production was up to 1.5 billion in sales, 6 years, at least for the local 3 million brought about by the tax.
Sanshui District, said Zhang Weihong, deputy head of the project set up, will form a strong effect of industry-driven and concentrated on the promotion of thin-film solar industry base in Guangdong as soon as possible the size of great significance, sony battery for the further development of Sanshui photovoltaic industry to promote a positive role. He also expect the company to seize the rapid development of photovoltaic industry the opportunity to develop in depth to the industry, to create love in the trihydrate, Culture and Sport Group of solar energy industry base, and further enlarge and strengthen.
Institute of solar energy industry will be built
In the global financial crisis, dell battery the situation has not yet bottomed out, why choose this time stationed in love and Culture?
Hui Zou, the solar photovoltaic industry is representative of a new international direction of development of advanced energy industry. In the global financial crisis, the industry showed more strong momentum of development. At present, all countries in the world as the realization of industrial upgrading of the major support industries and the introduction of various incentives. China also introduced in March this year “on accelerating the application of solar PV to implement the views of the construction” and “the application of solar PV building Interim Measures for the Administration of financial subsidies,” more than 20 domestic provinces and cities will have under the photovoltaic industry as the local step in the development of key industries.
“It is Chinese and their development prospects, Sanshui seize the opportunity and the construction of Guangdong Province, the first thin film solar energy industry base in the development of new industries under the idea of the photovoltaic industry as support for the current Sanshui one of the largest industries to develop. “Sanshui District, said Li Bai.
The introduction of the Icahn Group is a professional and a great potential for development, venture capital sought after parts of the solar cell R & D and production enterprises. Sanshui building in the crystalline silicon solar cells printed item, the solar industry chain, the core of high-tech production step is to determine the e-plate photovoltaic solar energy conversion and the importance of life processes, and directly determine the solar-powered cost.
“Our core product line of equipment from Japan, the level of production technology and automation have reached the international advanced level.” Hui Zou said that the next step, the company will rely on Icahn superior customer channels, Inspiron 510m battery from printing solar film project began, to continue in Sanshui building integration of solar energy development, solar power stations, and equipment for thin film solar cells, solar accessories, such as projects, and to consider the introduction of world-renowned experts in the establishment of R & D institutions, the construction of solar energy in Sanshui Industrial Research Institute and contains the perfect build the photovoltaic industry chain industrial base.
Settled down in another two months “Sanshui speed”
Although the photovoltaic industry and the industrial chain together, the first region are not part of Guangdong, in spite of earlier inspected a number of provinces and cities nationwide, but in the end, love and Culture Sanshui choose. I understand that its located in Sanshui, just a little over two months, a new “Sanshui speed.”
“This project will be completed two months ago to contact to explore, inspections, XPS M1210 battery , NF343 , demonstrations and a number of tasks such as business negotiations.” National High-tech Zone, Foshan Sanshui Garden music director of the CMC said Shao.
Love Culture Company and the State Park, Sanshui Foshan Hi-tech Zone is the first contact in February this year, and before that, “the company intends to invest in other provinces of the project, but after thorough study and comparison, eventually Sanshui District The Government is determined to build the best solar energy industry base touched by the warm, intimate park has also been cost-effective services, improve the investment environment, highlighting the advantage of the attractive, hp battery decided to change his mind, settled in Sanshui. “Zou said Hui.
“Great market potential of solar energy industry, promote the significance of this project, and the whole region of the relevant units and departments to further enhance service awareness, the development of the project to improve the quality, cost-effective platform for the Chief.” Li Bai in an interview with reporters said

Apple’s scored itself a trifecta with the release of the June issue of Consumer Reports. If it weren’t for the magazine’s legendary reliability and highest ethical standards, we might have gone so far as to say that CR had a little crush on the Infinite Loop folks. The venerable publication gave the company top rankings in three of its notebook categories: 13-inch machines, 14-inch to 16-inch laptops, and 17-inch models.

The MacBooks bested their competitors, despite the lower cost of many of the Windows machines rated. The US$2,000 15-inch MacBook Pro, for example, scored a 75 out of 100 compared to the runner up, a $700 Toshiba Satellite that scored only 64 points.

The 13-inch category in particular was dominated by Apple’s laptop line, topped by the unibody MacBook and followed by both the MacBook Air and the white, polycarbonate MacBook. The 17-inch MacBook Pro also got the highest rating of any notebook reviewed by Consumer Reports, scoring 80 points out of the magazine’s 100 point scale, and nabbed “Excellent” or “Very Good” in every tested category.

Apple’s desktops didn’t fare quite as well, but both the Mac mini and iMac took home silver medals in their respective categories, falling behind an Hewlett-Packard Pavilion and a Dell XPS One, respectively. The company also earned the highest marks for computer tech support in both the desktop and notebook categories.

Last month, Apple topped Forrester Research’s list of computer companies in customer support and came in first for J.D. Power’s list of customer satisfaction in smart phones. The Consumer Reports review gives Apple yet another notch in its belt and certainly seems to make it the company to beat in the consumer arena