By Elizabeth Kasper
In the race to stay at the forefront of the technology curve, Apple Computer Inc. announced on Tuesday, Jan. 10 2006, the release of new computers that boast three times the processing speed of older Apple models. With the release, Mac-savvy users are questioning whether typical students will find use for the new machines.
The company announced this week that six months ahead of schedule, the newest version of the widely acclaimed iMac - retail priced at $1,299 for the low-end model - is ready to begin shipping.
The company promises that the computer will break boundaries with the Intel processor chip, coined the Intel Core Duo because it is actually two processors in one chip. The computer is also expected to run up to three times faster than the current iMac G5.
'Each of these processors is within itself faster than the G5,' said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a webcast of the Macworld 2006 conference, which took place in San Francisco. 'And there are two of them.'
The company also announced the arrival of an update to the PowerBook series, the MacBook Pro. The laptop, which will also carry the new Intel chip, is said to run four times faster than the PowerBook G4, offer eight times the graphics bandwidth and do it all in a machine an inch thin and weighing in at 5.6 pounds, according to the Apple Web site. The machine will sell beginning at $1,999.
College students, who use computers for everything from basic word processing to complex video and photo editing, are expected to notice differing levels of change in the new Apple machines depending on how they use them. Joe Allred, Apple hardware buyer for the BYU Bookstore, attended the Macworld conference and thinks that students will love the new machines.
'I looked at the MacBook on the show floor and I was impressed with the speed of it,' said Allred. 'It has the power to handle the big business applications. The MacBook is part of the category of computers that sell the best for us, and I expect it will sell quite a few.'
Not all students are sure that the new technology will be necessary for their needs.
'I think the typical student won''t find it as useful as more advanced students, like visual arts students, will,' said Tom Reyes-Cairo, a Spanish major and BYU Bookstore Cougar Computer employee. 'It''s a really advanced computer. But students are always looking to make things faster, so maybe they''ll notice a difference.'
Traditionally, Apple computers have been praised for their ability to manipulate photos or graphics easily. The new iMac and the MacBook further develop these capabilities, but the typical user might not notice these changes.
'I don''t think that as users, we''re going to feel a lot of difference ,' said Stephen Renshaw, BYU instructor of information technology. 'I think it''s really only going to make a difference for what you might call ''power-users,'' people like intense gamers.'
The price may also cause students to think twice about purchasing a machine. Computer retailers, including Apple, offer comparable machines - perhaps without all the bells and whistles - capable of doing what the average student needs without the bigger price tag.
This will be the first time Apple has sold computers carrying chips made by Intel, a brand typically only used in PCs.
'One of the biggest reasons we decided to switch to using Intel processors was because what drives us is wanting to make the best personal computers in the world,' Jobs said. 'It became very clear that the way to do that was to use some of newest technology.'
(For comments, e-mail Elizabeth Kasper at kittenkasper@yahoo.com)