[July 29, 2011] There's plenty more new to chew on from Apple [The Dallas Morning News] Tweet (Dallas Morning News (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 29--Apple didn't just release a new version of its operating system last week. The company also updated its entry-level laptop and desktop Macs and released a revamped 27-inch display that doubles as a docking station. MACBOOK AIR It seems strange to say, but the MacBook Air is now Apple's lowest-priced laptop, starting at $999. With the release of the new Air, Apple also quietly discontinued the white MacBook, which had been a favorite of students. The new Air finally has enough features to be your only computer. Apple equipped it with Intel's Core i5 processor. (There's an option for the faster Core i7.) The Air also gets a Thunderbolt port, which brings it up to a level with the MacBook Pros. There are not many Thunderbolt peripherals out yet, but there will be soon. 27" THUNDERBOLT DISPLAY Thunderbolt is a seriously fast technology. Apple is showcasing it by including it in the newest display. Two cables come from the back of the monitor -- an AC plug and a cable to connect to the computer. The computer cable has a Magsafe plug to pass power through to a MacBook and a Thunderbolt plug for data and video. Once you're connected to a Thunderbolt-equipped laptop, you can take advantage of the ports that are built into the back of the display. That one Thunderbolt connection provides three USB ports, one Firewire 800 port, one gigabit Ethernet port and an additional Thunderbolt port. The new Air and Thunderbolt monitor ($999) make for a formidable computing setup. MAC MINI Apple also updated the Mini -- dropping the price of the base model by $100. However, Apple removed the optical drive to make room for the larger Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. There's also an option for a quad-core i7. The Mini (starting at $599) also gets a Thunderbolt port and graphics that are twice as fast as with the old Mini. I was not happy to see the optical drive removed, but I was assured by Apple that the MacBook Air's external optical drive ($99) will work with the new Mini. ___ To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]