Apple update adds inertial scrolling and three-finger drag gesture to MacBooks
Finally, inertial scrolling has come to our trackpads on older MacBooks via Magic Trackpad and Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0. The 79MB update requires a restart but now my mid-2009 13″ MacBook Pro has inertial (momentum-based) scrolling. The faster you flick, the further you scroll. Previously I had a 3rd party app installed but this official update adds much smoother inertial scrolling.
I haven’t figured out how to use the 3-finger gesture for window dragging yet, nor did I see a new option in the Trackpad prefpane.
Back to School – Apple Store HongKong
Apple’s annual “back to school” sale has started. From May 26 to September 7, 2010, upon purchasing an Apple computer (MacBook/Pro/Air, iMac) you can get a free 8GB iPod touch after rebates! This was how got my 13″ MacBook Pro last year after the June 2009 updates. If the MacBook Air gets a (great) refresh before the September 7 deadline, I would be seriously tempted!
For more details, see here: Back to School – Apple Store HK.
FAQs: http://www.apple.com/hk/en/promo/faq/bts.html
Faster, cheaper MacBooks announced, with SD card slot!
At the WWDC, Apple announced a few significant changes to its MacBook line.
Yes, that above is an SD-slot! It has replaced the ExpressCard slot in a few MacBook Pro models.
The 15″ MacBook Pro gets the same revolutionary built-in battery as the 17″ version, which means Lithium-Polymer with up to 7 hours of battery life. The battery has an estimated lifespan of 1,000 recharges = 5 years.
- The entry 15″ MacBook Pro now starts at HK$13,188, has a 2.53GHz CPU and does away with the additional 9600M GPU. 4GB RAM with a 250GB HD.
- HK$15,388: 15″, 2.66/4GB/320GB/9400+9600M
- HK$17,688: 15″, 2.8/4GB/500GB/9400+9600M
- The 17″ MacBook Pro specs are unchanged, but it’s the only MacBook with an ExpressCard slot. Price dropped to HK$19,188.
As for the 13″ Unibody… it has been rebranded the MacBook Pro, with the same 7-hour battery:
- HK$9,288: 2.26/2GB/160GB/9400M
- HK$11,688: 2.53/4GB/250GB/9400M
Last but not least, the MacBook Air also received a couple facelifts and welcomed price slashes:
- HK$11,688: 1.86/2GB/120GB/9400M
- HK$13,988: 2.13/2GB/128SSD/9400M
So there you have it, the new line of MacBooks with a ton of 8s in the pricing. Who’s ordering one of these new MacBooks?
Head on over to the Apple Hong Kong store to get all the details.