So, citing an example where $800 in repairs to her Macbook Pro cost her nothing, Apple Gazette’s Lia Espina (AKA the Gadgenista) shares the benefits of getting an Apple Care protection plan. She even shares a very useful tip that makes getting an Apple product and a corresponding Apple Care plan less expensive than it seems:
I hear newbie Mac Users argue that since they paid so much already for an Apple unit, paying for Apple Care is just way too much. But let me remind you that you don’t actually have to buy an Apple Care at the same time …read more

Wouldn’t it be harder to thieves to fence stuff online if all reputable for-sale sites required sellers to post the serial numbers of their wares?
It’s been a pretty hectic week for Technograph, involving a couple of stolen Macbook Pros. The unibody was recently stolen, while its 2007 counterpart was found.

Reader Rico (no relation) recently told me about smcFanControl, an Intel Mac OS X utility that provides the user with direct control over a Macbook Pro’s set of cooling fans. By setting the minimum fan speed of the laptop, smcFanControl basically sets how fast the cooling fans run.
So how does this make cooling pads unnecessary? Rico’s personal testimony revealed that he was able to make his hot-running MBP, at 65 degrees Celsius, drop by 7 degrees by forcing the fans to run at full speed. As a safety feature, smcFanControl will not allow the user to slow fan speed below …read more

So Stephen Wildstrom decided to do some virtual window-shopping, kitting out an XPS M1530 and a MacBook Pro with similar specs. And—que horror!—the Dell was $600 cheaper!
Yes, the MacBook is considerably better looking and it comes with a really nifty assortment of software. But for that $675 difference, you can buy yourself a copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student, a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, and have plenty left over for a nice netbook.

So Apple recently came out with an announcement about replacing the battery of its newest 17″ MacBook Pro:
How much does battery replacement cost?
Battery replacement prices are based on your region:

Region
Cost

United States
$179 pre taxes

Canada
CA$219 pre taxes

Europe
€179 inc. VAT

United Kingdom
£139 inc. VAT

Japan
¥19,800 inc. taxes

Australia
A$299 inc. vat

China
1498 RMB inc. vat

Despite all the iPhone hate, Apple’s laptops deserve all that love. Same with its desktops. Check out what retailers are planning to offer come Black Friday, which is tomorrow:

Current Model
Retail
MacMall
BestBuy
Amazon

13″ White MacBook
$999
-$100
-$100
-$81

13″ 2GHz MacBook
$1299
-$119
-$100
-$79

13″ 2.4GHz MacBook
$1599
-$149
-$150
-$129

15″ 2.4GHz MB Pro
$1999
-$200
-$100
-$200

15″ 2.5Ghz MB Pro
$2499
-$250
-$100
-$210

17″ 2.5GHz MB Pro
$2799
-$250
-$100
-$105

1.6GHz MacBook Air
$1799
-$149
-$150
-$55

1.8GHz SSD MacBook Air
$2499
-$179
-$150
-$129

20″ 2.4GHz iMac
$1199
-$119
-$100
-$69

20″ 2.6GHz iMac
$1499
-$129
-$100
-$80

24″ 2.8GHz iMac
$1799
-$159
-$150
-$119

24″ 3.06GHz iMac
$2199
-$159
—
—

Mac Pro 2.8GHz
$2799
-$250
-$150
-$174

Note: MacMall and Amazon’s prices take into account the mail-in rebate.
Source: Mac Rumors

I mostly kept quiet last night while I chatted with Marco, the site guy, about just how much more powerful the new MacBooks are compared to their predecessors.
Marco: http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2008/10/macbook-and-macbook-pro-performance-october-2008/
Marco: not too much performance boost
Marco: even with ddr3
Rico: Lol, only the basic model has an appreciable boost
Marco: yeah
Marco: i told you
Marco: macbooks benefited more
Marco: benefited
Rico: especially with the discrete (but not dedicated) graphics
Marco: yeah
Marco: but it is cheaper
Marco: my probable advice would be

So Jobs has finally spilled the beans on their new MacBooks, turning the MacBook into a sort of MacBook Pro lite. Friends who’ve been brainwashed by Apple’s marketing have expressed slight disappointment—who can blame ‘em? Here’s a short rundown on what Apple has to offer:
Pricing
Yes, Apple’s laptops (at least these two) feature a premium over similar PC counterparts. The MacBook starts at $1299. A similarly configured Dell XPS M1330—sans the DDR3 memory—is much cheaper, and can do more. Mobile broadband anyone? Forget what Apple says about configuring for standards that don’t exist yet. The Steve Jobs tax is very much …read more