CPU World’s Gennady Shvets revealed in a report last week that Intel’s Sandy Bridge family of Core “i” processors is about to be expanded. The chipmaker is beginning production of new ultra-low voltage (ULV) variant processors that would appear to be ideal for the MacBook Air, widely rumored of late to be in line for a refresh to come sometime in the next couple of months.

Apple’s MacBook—their lowest end laptop at $999—has received a nice spec update this week. This new model contains a battery that Apple claims will provide a whopping 10 hours of battery life while running a 2.4GHx Intel Core 2 Duo procressor and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics. Other than those updated specs, it is pretty much the same laptop it previously was. No design changes have been made, and it still only comes in the polycarb enclosure.

Apple managed to sneakily update their sub $1,000 notebook hardware. And when I say sub $1,000, I sadly mean the $999 white polycarbonate shell notebook that Apple has kept around. Although the processor has been kept at 2.0GHz and there is no option for a backlit keyboard, the updates still manage to make the cheapest Apple notebook that much more tempting. The laptop now comes standard with 2GB DDR2 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and a 120GB hard drive, as well as the wonderful Mac OS X software we all know and love.

Now that the crowds have died down a bit, I was able to spend a little more hands-on time with the new 17″ Macbook Pro. The screen is a thing of beauty, but then, I like the glossy screen and the saturation it gives the colors.

One of the things that has always surprised me about the Mac web is that computer migration doesn’t get more press. The ease with which you can move files and identities on Mac OS X is astounding, simply astounding. There’s just no way around that. When I think of how hard it used to be in Mac OS Classic, I picture my dad mowing the yard with that motorless rotary push mower. It’s archaic. Nay! Barbaric!

And brothers and sisters, don’t even get me started on what has to be done on the PC. Is there software out there that helps? I imagine there must be, but I’ve worked with people who have passed up significant computer upgrades at the office simply because the don’t want to deal with the hassle of copying files, reinstalling software, transferring their web and e-mail accounts, and losing their Minesweeper scores.

Yes, it’s true you actually have to do that on the PC (or get your IT department to do it for you). On the Mac, it’s as simple as connecting your new computer to your old with a Firewire cable, and…

Uh, wait. What did I just say? What kind of cable? Oh. Okay, well, it’s at times like this that I like to quote my favorite philosopher, Charlie Brown:

“Aaarrrgh!”

Want more than 4GB or RAM in your new Apple notebook? There might be hope for you after all. 9to5Mac seems to think that Apple is lying to you when they say the machines top out at 4GB. The article cites that Mac Mini owners are able to use 4GB or RAM when the stated more »

Though it’s less applicable now that Apple is offering free MagSafe replacements, Southern Mac Refurbishing has put together a product that might prevent you from ever having to get a replacement.

See how it works (and what’s wrong with it) after the break.

Waiting for a MacBook line update from Apple before you go out and purchase yours? Well, your wait will (most likely) end in September, according to a recent rumor. A post over at ComputerWorld has some juicy details on these updates. According to them, the new MacBooks will be thinner and more round compared to more »

According to data from DisplaySearch, Apple’s notebook sales saw a 7% increase in this year’s first quarter, making Apple the 7th largest notebook manufacturer worldwide. Although I don’t have a third 7 to make this data even more lucky, it is great to see that Apple has moved up a position in this ranking for more »

Apple’s redesigned MacBooks that were scheduled to use Intel’s upcoming Montevina Centrino 2 chip will have to wait until late summer to be launched due to a delay in volume shipments of the product. This platform was expected to be launched at the end of this month, and one reason for this delay according to more »