As previously speculated at Appleinsider.com, Apple announced brand new Core2Duo MacBooks on November 8th, an update to its immensely popular best-selling notebook series.

In an overview, the new notebooks sport Core 2 Duo processors, in the same speed categories as the original MacBooks (1.83GHz, 2.0GHz) with the 2.0Ghz models seeing a bump in 4MB shared L2 cache from 2MB on the 1.83GHz and former models.

Other changes to the hardware include 1 gigabyte of RAM standard on both 2.0 GHz models. The White 2.0GHz series also features an 80 gigabyte 5,400rpm drive with the Black 2.0 GHz model now sporting a significantly increased 120 gigabyte 5,400rpm drive. All models can be custom configured wth up to 2 gigabytes of ram and up to a 200-gigabyte 4200rpm hard drive.

The new MacBooks retail for the sames prices as the former models, at $1,099 for the 1.83GHz White, $1299 for the 2.0GHz White, and $1499 for the 2.0GHz Black model respectively.

Additionally, the new 2.0GHz MacBooks sport 6x DL-supported super-drives, a welcomed addition to the line which had a modest 4x super-drive originally.

According to Apple’s press release, the new MacBooks “are up to 25% faster than the previous generation”.

It’s not clear whether there has been many changes ‘under the hood’ yet, as the new Core 2 Duo MacBooks are designed identically to the previous models on the exterior. Some Apple fans and would-be MacBook owners have speculated in forums already that Apple has made revisions to the internal layout of the MacBooks to avoid continuing issues with shutdowns and heat, as well as other anomalies.

The new MacBooks are available for sale immediately on Apple.com. New MacBook featuring Intel Core 2 Duo!

I’m a proud owner of both an Intel iMac and MacBook, while my girlfriend is still quite fond of her iBook G4 12″, and plans on keeping it for awhile. I previously owned a 14″ iBook, and when the Intel iMac arrived, one of the first questions I had was “Can I boot both PPC and Intel machines from a multiple-partition drive?”

I was wondering if I could still use the external drive which had multiple partitions and served as my backup drive. I use SuperDuper!, and would make regular backups to the drive from the 3 PPC machines we had.
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Parallels Desktop for Mac, the virtualization software that allows users to run a variety of OSes virtually alongside Mac OS X has been updated again to build 2.2.1970.0, released on Nov. 1st. Some handy features have been added to this update.

First of all, a new installation assistant is included which will complete the entire installation process for you – you don’t have to select any configurations, answer any questions, or make decisions about partitions or other options if you don’t want to.
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While those in the professional Mac community often enjoy industry-standard content creation tools provided by powerful programs like Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and Logic Pro— there are also many Mac users in the educational arena who have long reaped the benefits of easy to use, intuitive and powerful educational software made by Apple.

Apple has long prided itself in the educational community, offering solutions for both educators and students alike for over 25 years. Because of their continued effort to produce fun yet powerful software like the iLife suite of applications, it’s no surprise that recently a group of 10 year-olds from schools in New South Wales, Australia have been producing some extraordinary material.

Recently The MacCast received a letter by Paul Meldrum, Senior Education Officer of the Catholic Schools Office, in Broken Bay. Paul wanted to write and let us in on the incredible work of the students of New South Wales.
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If you haven’t been notified by software update already, Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.8 Update is now available for download, and offers a variety of enhancements, fixes and features for both PPC and Intel Mac users.

According to Apple, the update is recommended for all users and includes general operating system fixes, as well as specific fixes for the following applications and technologies:

– Connecting to wireless networks using the EAP-FAST protocol
– Apple USB modem reliability
– Using OpenType fonts in Microsoft Word
– Compatibility with 3rd party USB hubs
– Scanner performance
– RAW camera support
– Printing documents with Asian language names
– Performance of the Translation widget
– Broadband network performance
– Security updates

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Apple iPod Earphones (USD $29.00)
Website: Apple Store
Having caved in to what must have been significant request, Apple has finally released some sleeker, form-fitting earphones, and I’ve already picked up a pair for my 30g Video.

Having tried Apple’s terrible, tinny, and low-volume in-ear earphones, I was hopeful that these new iPod earphones would finally achieve what I had missed in ditching my old Sony Fontopia earphones – smoother, thinner, and elongated stem earphones that fit so snugly you forget they’re there. I also hoped that the excellent sound quality (in my opinion) that was present in the previous, stock iPod earphones would remain, or improve.

So how do they measure up?
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A Buyer’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Used Macintosh

The used Mac market is at once vibrant, busy- and dangerous. As with any second-hand industry, there are awesome deals that make buying new seem downright crazy, and rip-offs that make you wish you’d paid the extra few hundred to ensure you got what you wanted.

Firstly, how do you discern a good deal from a bad one? Secondly, What are the tell-tale signs of legitimate sellers, and those of scammers? Lastly, what distinguishes a decent used purchase from a killer one?

These questions are important to answer when you set your sights on a used Mac purchase, and you’re in luck if you need help: This article will fine-tooth comb the process of finding, evaluating and buying your brand new (used) Macintosh.
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