Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000
Main Features – 4/5 stars
Unlike most keyboards, Microsoft’s keyboard has plenty of extra functionality that you wouldn’t normally see. The entire top row is dedicated to some special features: there’s a key to launch the default web browser, email client, and media player. There are also media controls to play, pause, and navigate tracks. The volume controls offer muting and adjusting volume. A Documents and Pictures folder launcher and Zoom -/+ controls are thrown in too. The Keyboard also sports 5 keys that launch the first 5 respective items in the Windows 7 taskbar. An additional favorite key can be customized to launch any application. These keys are large and easy to press, but are slightly unresponsive at times. Plus, due to the soft-click, it’s hard to tell if you’ve pressed them hard enough. I also had a major issue with the layout of the Function Keys row. As someone who is a heavy multi-tasker, these are always important for refreshing webpages, running spell check, starting full screen mode, and plenty of other actions. Microsoft made the regrettable decision to make these keys smaller than the standard keys found on the keyboard. They are tiny nudges that are difficult to reach since they are recessed. Even the Escape Key (Esc) fell into the same mess. On the bright side, they offer a quick toggle that can turn the Function keys into special commands including undo, redo, save, open, and other tasks.

I was also glad to see the inclusion of hot-key labels such as WIN+D for showing the desktop and WIN+L for locking the desktop. Other than that, there’s a fairly standard numeric keypad on the side along with a button to launch the Calculator application above it. Overall, there are plenty of features that you probably didn’t have on your old keyboard. These will take a bit of time to get accustomed too, but will eventually make you more productive. The biggest quirk was the size of the Function Keys row which will hopefully get resolved in a future iteration.

Design & Comfort – 4/5 stars
My initial impression from removing it from the packaging was how good it looked. It’s sleek, well designed, and looks professional. The edges and specialty keys are all glossy. They looks great when they first come out of the box, but soon begin to attract fingerprints, grease, and dust. The main keys are comfortable to type with: they are quiet and have a soft click. Everything’s within reach and feels great to use. Unlike regular keyboards that have flat horizontal keys, Microsoft has taken a ergonomic approach. This keyboard is curved 6 degrees and has stretched keys. It even has a slight inward depth to cater to the curvature of your hands. The large palm rest offers an excellent grip as well. There are extra wedges included that attach to the rear of the keyboard for elevation. The entire unit has a sturdy feel and stays in place. The size of the Function Keys once again add a drawback to comfort. They are too small and difficult to use. Asides from that, this keyboard simply looks great and is comfortable.

Wireless Mouse 5000
Main Features – 4/5 stars
This 5-button mouse has all the goods. It sports a standard left/right click, back/forward buttons, and a four-way scroll wheel which doubles as a middle click. Once plugged in, all the keys work right out of the box. No extra configuration was required. The scroll isn’t notched nor entirely a free scroll. It has a constant slow friction. It’s a bit of a messy design since it doesn’t work too well for either precision scrolling or for fast movements. When middle-clicking, you end up accidentally scrolling up or down and missing the target. The side-scroll was the only part of the entire scroll wheel I liked. The new BlueTrack technology on the other hand is quite accurate, precise, and responsive. It works on most surfaces unlike the average mouse, but still isn’t as great as the Logitech VX Anywhere which uses the Darkfield technology to work even on glass. I was also glad to see an ambidextrous design which most mice these days don’t exactly offer. But I was once again disappointed to find that the USB receiver didn’t attach into the device flush. It rather sticks out making it bulky, especially since it won’t sit stable on a flat surface. Other than that, this has all the essential features needed to make a great mouse.

Design & Comfort – 3/5 stars
While the features might be there, there are other issues this mouse faces. While the unit looks quite modern and stylish, it’s glossy. This a horrible idea for a mouse. The entire unit begins to look rather disgusting as it gets covered with fingerprints and dust. The dirt makes the surface of the mouse feel textured and it feels like it always needs constantly needs cleaning. Fortunately, the most important buttons, left and right click, feel great to use. They are responsive and offer a great tactile feedback. As mentioned before, the middle click is quite difficult to use due to causing accidental scrolling. The back and forward key are located on the left and right of the mouse. While they are in a good location, the keys are too narrow. Plus, they are a bit too soft and don’t offer nearly enough of a physical click. Since they are sensitive, accidental bump can result in jumping back a page, which isn’t a good thing if you’re filling out a form or writing a comment on a web page. Despite that, the mouse is better than average mice, but there are many improvements that can be made.

Conclusion
Getting Keyboards and Mice to work in the past required installing drivers from CDs and getting the machine to detect the hardware, which was a hassle. This is no longer the case with the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000. After simply inserting the receiver into my Windows 7 machine, everything was automatically detected within a few seconds and ready to go. Extra Microsoft Intellipoint software got downloaded from Windows Updated and I was prompted to install it. Simple as that. Both the Mouse and Keyboard run of two AA batteries each and were included. While I wasn’t able to test the battery life, it should last at least a few months. The device worked from up to 30 feet away, which is great if for home theater setups. While I was a bit rough on this product, I’ve got to say that there wasn’t anything per say that didn’t work. Most of it was comfort issues with sizes of keys and material used in the design. Considering that this entire package is available for $67, it’s actually a fairly good deal. While I feel that Logitech’s competing products might offer more features, they also cost nearly twice as much. For the average person looking for a wireless mouse and keyboard combo, you can’t go wrong with this. The Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 offers a great keyboard and mouse experience.

Buy: $67 – Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000
Links: Microsoft.com/Hardware

Last year Skatter Tech reviewed the Das Keyboard Professional. Today, I present a review of the latest iteration, the Das Keyboard Model S Professional. The new version is almost entirely the same as the previous model, but it now comes with a few additions, changes, and improvements. For starters, the keyboard is no longer as loud when typing, but it still sounds like a typewriter. Other improvements include multimedia controls, powered USB ports, and compatibility for PS/2 ports and KVM switches. Although we took a look at the Professional model, an ‘Ultimate’ version is also available which is a completely blank keyboard without any printed text.

Comfort and Quality
As with the earlier model, the new Das Keyboard S Professional maintains its advertised guarantee of quality with precision, speed, and comfort. When they say this is the best keyboard to use for long hours of typing, they aren’t kidding. This is hands down the smoothest keyboard I have ever used. After some getting used to, I found myself typing faster and faster. Due to high sensitivity, there were quite a few accidental entries at first, but my accuracy increased as I spent more time with it. The feel of the keys is unlike any other keyboard. Instead of the immediate snap or click, the keys feel as though they are on a cushion. It actually accepts key presses before it finishes being pressed. There’s a special kind of fluid flow you feel with this keyboard that you won’t find on others. Plus, it’s comfortable. The Model S also sports the n-key rollover feature which accepts up to 6 presses at once. Most generic keyboards jam with more than 3-4 simultaneous key presses. This allows fast typers to do what they do best. The Das Model S makes the entire typing experience enjoyable by adding an aesthetically pleasing sound to each click. Although not as loud, it reminded me of the sound a typewriter makes and the confident feedback you get which each click. Unfortunately it’s still a bit too loud and may annoy others nearby.

Design and Look
The Model S once again retains the minimalistic look. It doesn’t have any extra text, icons, or nonsense other than the company’s name. The only visual difference on the S Model versus the original is the addition of a “Fn” button in the previous location of the left Windows key. The Fn key offers access to media functions which are secondary commands of the F1-F12 keys. Other than that, the keyboard looks almost entirely the same. The unit won’t budge an inch once placed on your desk. That’s because it weighs nearly twice as much as any keyboard I’ve used. Since this won’t ever leave most people’s desks, the weight is a non-issue. The Model S has a glossy reflective black coating which looks sharp. That also means that it does attract some fingerprints just like every other expensive shiny gadget on the market. That’s however not too big of a deal. Plus, you can wipe smudges off with the included cleaning cloth. Das Keyboard claims that each key can handle about 50 million strokes before it wears out.

Setup and USB Hub
The Das Keyboard S Professional is ready to use right out of the box. There’s no installation required. The device has two USB cables, one enables the keyboard component and the other for the USB Hub. My Dell Inspiron laptop, running Windows 7, detected everything instantly. It should be the same case for Mac OS X users. There’s a two-port USB hub on the right side. Although I wouldn’t recommend using any USB hub for any data heavy devices such as external HDDs, the ports are easy to access and great for flash drives. For the most part I didn’t notice any performance degradation due to the use of a hub. Also since the keyboard portion is independent of the USB hub, any freeze ups won’t affect your typing.

Media Keys
The addition of media keys are a great addition to this keyboard. They are accessible by pressing the ‘Fn’ key in combination with the corresponding Function key. There are keys for lowering volume, increasing volume, mute, play/pause, stop, previous track, and next track. There’s also a key to put your computer to Sleep. The media keys worked perfectly with Windows 7. They also worked smoothly with pre-installed Windows Media Player 12 and 3rd party programs such as VLC and Foobar 2000. They were quite responsive as well. The fact that no additional software was required is a big plus. After some use, I truly feel as though the media keys should be placed in a different location. Reaching across the keyboard to press two keys for each operation seemed time consuming. Either adding dedicated media keys or placing them elsewhere might yield a more productive typing experience.

The Recall
While using this keyboard, the space bar randomly decided to stop working. After a couple rapid clicks, it still ceased to function. I decided to unplug the device and reboot my computer. It then started working again. Over the course of about two weeks of use, it never happened again. I just assumed it was a random bug and never bothered to look into it. However, I was soon informed that the Model S was being recalled shortly prior to publishing this review. There’s apparently a faulty component which causes random keys to stop functioning. It shouldn’t cause any harm to your computer, but when you pay for something it should work flawlessly. If a unit you own does have this issue, unplugging and plugging it should apparently solve the problem temporarily. I’m also glad to see that Das Keyboards is handling this issue quite appropriately. They are offering all the customers who already purchased one the option to receive a free replacement or a full refund. They are no longer shipping out the Model S, but are taking pre-orders for the working model with some minor revisions. It will be available in mid-December.

Bottom Line
Overall, the Das Keyboard S Professional is much of what it used to be, a great keyboard. The minor improvements probably aren’t worth an upgrade from last years model, but is a great complement for new buyers. The slightly more silent keys will annoy your co-workers or roommates less. For the user, the aesthetics and the fast typing experience is great. It’s great for typing long papers or reviews such as this one. While the recall may turn off some potential buyers, keep in mind that Das Keyboards makes reliable products. Last years model worked perfectly and there was only one occurrence of the bug during my two weeks of use. Das Keyboards is taking responsibility and is addressing the issue properly. I’ll update this article when we get a hold of the working unit next month, but for now I’ll trust that they’ll fix it. The Model S is a great keyboard and is definitely worth a look at if you’re a serious writer, programmer, or just type a lot. It’s a quite pricey and will run you about $129. It’s a lot for a keyboard, but it’s a quality product and you’ll only appreciate it once you use it.

Pre-Order: Model S (ships mid-December)
Links: Das Keyboard Model S | Recall Information

The iPhone App Store has a variety of  unique applications and Air Mouse Pro is one of those special ones. It literally turns your iPhone touch screen display into a wireless mouse and keyboard for your computer. The App is compatible with both Macintosh and Windows computers. It’s easy to use and offers just about all the functionality one would possibly need.

By default it offers the ability to point, click, scroll, type with the onscreen keyboard, and use hand motions to control cursor. It’s also been neatly designed to change the set of controls presented to you depending on the type of application you happen to be using. For example, if you were in the standard view it would show function keys, enter, home, delete, and escape. If you switch to the web view, the commands change to the Back, Forward, Home, Refresh, Stop, Bookmark, and Search buttons. And once again if you were handling media, the keys would change to Play, Pause, Previous Track, Next Track, Mute, and a few more. Most App Developers usually squeeze every button possible into onto a single screen. Fortunately the developers of this app kept usability in mind and kept things clean, organized, and simple. The alternate screen views will help you be more productive.

To get the Air Mouse Pro to work, you’ll actually need to install a small program on your computer named Air Mouse Server. It uses your local Wi-Fi network to establish a connection between your iPhone and your computer. The desktop server program includes options to select hot keys for specific programs and modify the sensitivity of the track pad.

There are a couple of ways to use the Air Mouse Pro. First it can be used as a touch pad, similar to the functionality on a laptop. The second method is to hold down a finger and wave the phone in the air to utilize the iPhone’s accelerometer. The touch pad method was practical and worked fairly well, but on the other hand the accelerometer method was a bit of a gimic. It was quite rather difficult to use. Finally, you’ll also be able to input text using the iPhone built-in on-screen keyboard.

Overall, Air Mouse Pro is a great app and does what it was designed to do, except for the accelerometer portion. The user interface is clean, fancy, and just works. This is especially handy for presentations and for those with Media Center PCs. It is available from the App Store for $2.99.

Links: Air Mouse Pro (iTunes Link)

Acer Aspire One Specification:

• Processor: Intel Atom N270 1.60 GHz
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 (533MHz)
• Chipset: Intel Mobile 82801 GBM
• Video: Intel GMA 950
• Storage: 2.5 inch 120GB HDD
• Card Readers: SD Card (1) & Multi-Card (2)
• OS: Windows XP Home Edition
• Display: LED 8.9 inch 1024×600 (WSVGA)
• Webcam: 0.3 megapixel camera
• Wireless: Acer 802.11b/g
• Ports: 3 USB, LAN 10/100 Mbps, VGA, & Audio in/out
• Battery: 24W 2200mAh 3-cell Li-Ion (3 hours)
• Input: 84-key Keyboard & Touchpad
• Weight: 2.19 lbs with 3-cell & 2.78 lbs with 6-cell
• Size: 9.8″ (W) x 6.7″ (D) x 1.14″ (H) inches

The Body: 3.5/5 stars
With the lid closed, the Acer Aspire One has a stylish glossy finish over its blue body. The bottom of the notebook is made of one piece of plastic except for perforations for air flow and a small cutout for access to the RAM. The external build is elegant, robust, and has a tiny footprint. The inside looks fairly good with a black keyboard and a blue surrounding, however there’s a large gap that appears between the lower and upper portion of the notebook which just looks unusual. There are two shinny orange pieces on the hinges, which stand out too much and takes away from the look in my opinion. The screen is surrounded by a highly glossy black frame which provides a nice contrast in some situations, however can become irritation when light reflects back at you. Most of the components are in the right places and are easy to access. Overall, the durability, feel, and looks of this notebook won’t be an issue.

The Screen: 4/5 stars
Like most sub-notebooks, the Acer Aspire One has an 8.9 inch display with a screen resolution of 1024×600. This resolution is just large enough to be able to view and use most standard-sized websites. I ran into occasional issues with some windows for certain applications being too large so the bottom or top wasn’t visible, but it wasn’t too bad. The LED backlit display is quite bright, sharp, and the colors produced are pretty vibrant. The viewing angles were fairly good. The colors faded much faster with slight change in either vertical direction; however horizontal angles remained intact for longer. The screen looks great for watching movies or viewing photos.

Operating System: 5/5 stars
The Aspire One is running Windows XP Home edition which is probably the most widely used operating system today. So there shouldn’t be any complains there. The machine boots up and is ready to go in about 55 seconds. Launching applications such as Mozilla Firefox takes just a second or two. With 1GB of RAM you can have plenty of applications running at once without any issues. Just about all the applications I use on a regular basis are available for download, but if you have any programs that come on a CD or DVD, you’ll need to find an external USB drive to install them. I was also excited to see that Acer had already upgraded XP to Service Pack 3, which will save everyone the time and hassle of having to install too many updates. Having run XP on a machine with a 900 MHz processor and 256 MB of RAM, I can testify that XP is a very flexible OS and will run without any issues on this laptop.

Keyboard and Mouse: 3.5/5 stars
The keyboard is large enough to use comfortably. With a bit of getting used to, you can begin to type pretty fast without any issue. I was also glad to see that the keyboard didn’t have any weirdly sized or misplaced keys as I have seen on many other sub-notebooks. The main issue I had with the usability of the notebook was the awkwardly placed left/right click buttons. The left/right click buttons have been moved to the left and right sides of the touchpad, instead of placing them below. It was quite awkward to use and I often found myself clicking in the wrong spot only to realize that there weren’t any buttons there. Most people will begin to tap the touchpad to initiate a left-click, but will have no choice but to reach over to input a right-click. If Acer had moved the keyboard up just enough to allow room for normally positioned left/right click buttons, the Aspire One would have been much easier to use.

Speakers & Headphones: 4/5 stars
The speaker is located on the bottom-side of the Aspire One. It can get loud enough and remain fairly clear, but are nothing to brag about. The main issue would have to be that everything sounds quite muffled. Everything sounds different based of whether it is being held in your hands, on your lap, or on a flat desk. As for use with a headphone jack, the audio quality is excellent and will offer exactly what you would expect out of a laptop with a built in sound card.

Microphone & Web Cam: 3/5 stars
The Aspire One has a built in microphone and webcam making it a great little VoIP device. I made a few test calls using Skype over a WiFi network and the results were good. The microphone didn’t pick up to much background noise and the web cam was just clear enough to make out faces. The webcam performs quite poorly under poor lighting conditions. Both components are low quality pieces of hardware, but will do the job for communicating when away from something better.

Ports and Expansion: 4/5 stars
The Aspire one has a fairly good selection of ports. It unusually has two memory card readers, one just for SD and the other is a 5-in-1 reader. The reason for two was originally intended for the model with the 8GB SSD model since it allowed expanding the storage onto the SD card using the Linux OS. However they carried it on over the HDD version running XP, which happens to be quite unnecessary. On the front of the notebook you’ll find a switch to toggle WiFi on or off. The right side has the audio input/output, two USB ports, and the multi-card reader. The left side has the power port, VGA port, fan exhaust, ethernet port, another USB port, and a SD card reader.

Performance: 5/5 stars
The Aspire One is a fairly fast notebook. It actually has better specifications in just about every category than the 14 inch Sony Vaio I had been using up until just about two years ago. The HD Tune benchmark tool displayed an average of 49 MB/s data transfer rate, which is excellent. The wPrime 32 CPU test took about 124 seconds to complete which is better than most other sub-notebooks with other processors. The Aspire One is fast enough to do just about all the basic things you would need to do on your laptop on a daily basis. It obviously shouldn’t be used for video editing or gaming, but is great for multimedia playback, internet apps, email, chatting, note taking, and much more.

Battery Life: 4/5 stars
The Aspire One I reviewed only had a 3 cell battery; however 6 cells are also available. Unfortunately a 6-cell will protrude from the notebook. Benchmarks always vary, so I put it to the test in a real-life situation. With WiFi enabled and the screen at half-brightness, I was able to get about 2 hours and 40 minutes of juice out of it on average. I was mainly writing articles, browsing the web, or streaming media the majority of the time. The hours I got might not be entirely similar to what others may receive based of whether they are using hardware intensive applications or not. The battery life was around what other notebooks such as the Lenovo S10 receive, however I do wish it could fit a 6-cell without sticking out like the Asus EEE 900 does. Despite that, it’s fairly good amount considering that it’s got a standard HDD.

Conclusion
After having a chance to play with a couple of other main stream sub-notebooks such as the EEE 900, the Acer Aspire One is currently my favorite. Especially impressive since due to the fairly powerful hardware specs while it’s MSRP is now just $350 for the model in this review. And as I mentioned before the notebook doesn’t lack on looks either. However, my opinion might soon change as Dell and other companies are beginning to roll out more sub-notebooks with competitive specifications and pricing. Just about everything from the operating system, the hard drive space, and speed was satisfactory. The main downsides are probably the awkward positioning of the mouse buttons and the battery life. Overall, most of you folks who are looking for a cheap portable laptop will get exactly what you are looking for and won’t be disappointed with Acer’s Aspire One.

Buy Now: Best Buy $350 | Amazon $400 | Circuit City $330 (SSD Model)
Links: Acer Aspire One | Wiki Page

During the Games Convention in Leipzig, Sony announced a new accessory for the PlayStation 3. This little keyboard snaps onto any SIXAXIS or DUALSHOCK 3 controller to make inputting text easier. The Wireless Keypad accessory is quite similar to what Microsoft rolled out for their Xbox 360 controller over a year ago, however it’s got a few extra features. In addition to making it easier to chat with others and use the browser, it also features a few shortcuts and a special touchpad mode. The shortcuts allow quickly accessing the friends list and message box through the XMB while in games. And the touchapad mode turns the entire face of the keypad into a touchpad to control the pointer when using the browser.

The Wireless Keypad doesn’t seem to communicate with the controller at all, but rather just clips onto it. It has to be paired directly with the PS3 using a USB cable the same way a controller is. And it’s just using the standard Bluetooth 2.0 technology that’s built into the PS3, so no additional equipment is necessary. One bummer might be that this QWERTY keyboard doesn’t seem to be backlit, which the Xbox accessory does. According to the press release the keyboard will become available in North America in November, however pricing hasn’t yet been mentioned.

Links: PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad

The main reason for the existence of this product is the way keys have been designed. The first time you use this keyboard you will immediately love the way it provides tactile feedback with the press of each key. I personally found the “clicking” sounds that comes with the press of each key quite irritating in the beginning, but came to like it after some time. It might be a problem in some situations, say if you are working around others or if someone in the room is asleep. If you don’t like the idea your keyboard sounding like a type writer, this is not the right keyboard for you. I can guaranty that most people who use it will find it extremely comfortable for brief or extended periods of use.

For those of you who are gamers, you might be interested in the Das Keyboard’s “n-key” rollover feature which accepts up to 12 simultaneous key presses without any jamming. I put this feature to the test by pressing all the keys in the “QWERTY” row down at once. It did indeed succeed to input them all into my text editor instantly. My $10 Logitech keyboard on the other hand constantly failed to accept over four simultaneous key presses while my laptop keyboard would jam after six. So not only does the keyboard feel and sound good, but the designers kept technology in mind making it a very accurate keyboard.

As for the visual aspect, the keyboard is pretty darn minimalistic. The Keyboard has the standard QWERTY layout and a numeric keypad with a total of 105 keys. There are no special programmable buttons or other features of any sort. There are blue LEDs to indicate the status of Caps Lock, Scr Lk, and Num Lock. The Das Professional is actually one of the heaviest keyboards I have seen to date, which may be a good thing for desktop users since it will remain steady on your desk. There are also two pop-up feet on the bottom to create an angle for typing if desired.

The Das Keyboard Professional is compatible with Linux, Mac OS, and Windows. All you need is a functional USB or a PS/2 (adapter not included) port to plug it into. The Keyboard has a high quality 6.6 foot long cable which is useful for plugging into machines far away. The two USB 2.0 ports can be used to connect flash drives, mice, or even charge gadgets. If the overall power demand is too high, the hardware automatically shuts down one of the ports to prevent full failure. Although I found it interesting to see a USB hub on such a simply designed keyboard it is none the less a neat aspect.

The Das Keyboard Professional is now available for purchase for a retail price of $129 on the company’s website. This device is definitely much pricier than most keyboards on the market. There are plenty of decent keyboards available for a much more affordable price. However if you are looking for something which truly feels comfortable for long durations of typing and is extremely accurate, this is the way to go. I have gone through many keyboards over the years and this is probably the most comfortable one I have used to date. If you know of or use a more affordable or better keyboard, please point it out.

Links: Das Keyboard

Logitech has just announced two new bluetooth based accessories for Sony’s PlayStation 3: the cordless Vantage Headset and MediaBoard Pro. The new wireless headset is a lightweight behind-the-head design and has can be worn on either the left or right side. The reachable headset, with its noise canceling features, offers up to 12 hours battery life. The new black MediaBoard Pro has been specifically designed for the PS3, therefore supports just about any feature the console offers. In addition, as an upgrade to the its predecessor, the keyboard now includes the PS3’s triangle, X, square, and circle buttons. With the improved touch pad and action buttons, there is no need for an additional mouse or to have to fiddle around with a controller in addition to the keyboard. The MediaBoard functions from up 30 feet away from the PlayStation 3 and provides over 200 hours of battery life.

The Logitech Vantage Headset will be available in November 2007 for a retail price of $79.99, while the MediaBoard will hit stores as early as next month and will also cost $79.99. Logitech’s accessories are high grade quality, however are often expensive. In this case, this headset’s price is more than usual because of its extremely long battery life and noise cancellation technology. If you wish to spend the cash it will be worth it. However for the majority of people bluetooth headsets such as Jabra BT5020 or Samsung WEP200 will do just fine. We would recommend the keyboard though!

Links: Logitech Vantage Headset | Logitech MediaBoard Pro

The New Apple iMac:
Apple’s sleeker and aluminum-enclosed iMac now sports Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo Extreme Processors, which support running up to speeds of 2.8GHz. The machine is a powerhouse as it has room for up to 4GB of RAM and 1 Terabyte (TB) of internal storage! With a fast processor, enough RAM, and storage space, the 265MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO makes the iMac perfect for video editing. In addition the iMac now comes standard with a built-in iSight, Bluetooth 2.0, 8x Dual Layer DVD/CD Burner, AirPort 802.11n (+ a/b/g), Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 400 & 800 ports, 3 USB ports, Stereo Speakers and a Microphone. Although Mac OS X Leopard won’t be available until this October, it will still be able to run both iLife and iWork 2008. The new iMac is available with a 20-inch or a 24-inch display. Pricing for the 20-inch starts at $1,199 while the 24-inch begins at a whopping $1,799.

The iMac can also become truly cable-free if you spend an extra $50 to replace the wired mouse and keyboard with Apple’s Mighty Mouse and new Wireless Keyboard, which connect to the computer’s internal Bluetooth receiver. In addition the ultra-thin aluminum keyboard includes special function keys such as brightness/volume control, disk eject, iTunes play/pause, Exposé, and more!

iLife 2008:
As iLife has been one of Apple’s strongest selling point for the Mac OS X, it was only appropriate that they released the 2008 edition just in time for the launch of Leopard in October. This upgrade brings a ton of new features to iPhoto and in fact completely redesigns iMovie. The main feature Steve Jobs touched on during his press conference was iPhoto’s ability to automatically organize libraries of photos into events based off time stamps. Events can be split into multiple events and separate ones can be merge back together and named accordingly. With this new feature users may now search for a event’s name and find a neat set of photo instead of having to search through filenames directly. Once photos are rated using the new star rating system, users can hide photos that they don’t like, but do not want to delete. (Just like the system in iTunes) And as for iMovie, the application now supports importing video from just about any HD camcorder in addition to DV and clips from Digital Cameras. With the new faster and more efficient interface, users can quickly skim through clips, preview the movie, drag/drop to re-organize clips, add tracks from iTunes, create voice overs, and use the new effects. The exporting function has been improved to support the iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, and YouTube formats in addition CD/DVD.

And as a bonus for .Mac subscribers, iLife 08 will support easy uploading to share Photos and Videos with both Mac and Windows users. iLife also includes an updated iWeb with new interactive Widgets and an updated GarageBand. iLife is now available online and in stores for a retail price of $79.

iWork 2008:

“Pages and Keynote make it incredibly easy, and even fun, for anyone to create stylish documents and presentations very quickly,” said Steve Jobs, Apples CEO “Numbers rounds out the iWork suite, which is far more intuitive and easy to use than anything else out there.”

And the final announcement was the new iWork 2008, which includes a new innovative spreadsheet application called Numbers and upgraded versions of Keynote and Pages. Numbers features a new concept called Intelligent Tables, which is supposedly revolutionary, while Keynote got new effects/transitions/animations and Pages got a word processing and a page layout mode. iWork 08 also retails for a price of $79 and is also available online and in stores now!

Links: Apple iMac | iLife 2008 | iWork 2008 | Keyboards