The Mac keeps driving Apple

All people seem to talk about these days is the iPhone, but as Monday’s quarterly earnings announcement proved, the Mac is still very central to Apple’s business.

Intel Atom for netbooks costs 52% more than desktop versionThe netbook version of Intel’s Atom microprocessor costs 52 percent more than the desktop version
Centrino 2: Coming soon to a Mac near you?Lab director James Galbraith looks at what Monday’s unveiling of the new Centrino 2 processors from Intel could mean for future Mac hardware.

Product	Score	Price
15-inch MacBook Pro/2.4GHz	204	$1,899.00
15-inch MacBook Pro/2.5GHz	222	$2,478.00
17-inch MacBook Pro/2.5GHz	219	$2,679.00
13-inch MacBook/2.4GHz (white)	193	$1,288.88
13-inch MacBook/2.4GHz (black)	196	$1,479.00
13-inch MacBook/2.1GHz	180	$1,088.88
MacBook Air/1.6GHz	124	$1,650.65

Product	Score	Price
24-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.8GHz	268	$1,721.15
Mac Pro/8-core 2.8GHz Xeon 5400	314	$2,594.57
20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.66GHz	254	$1,434.12
20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.4GHz	230	$1,147.09
Mac mini Core 2 Duo/1.83GHz	159	$559.99
Mac mini Core 2 Duo/2GHz	172	$777.77

Product	Score	Price
24-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.8GHz	268	$1,721.15
15-inch MacBook Pro/2.4GHz	204	$1,899.00
15-inch MacBook Pro/2.5GHz	222	$2,478.00
17-inch MacBook Pro/2.5GHz	219	$2,679.00
13-inch MacBook/2.4GHz (white)	193	$1,288.88
13-inch MacBook/2.4GHz (black)	196	$1,479.00
Mac Pro/8-core 2.8GHz Xeon 5400	314	$2,594.57
20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.66GHz	254	$1,434.12
20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/2.4GHz	230	$1,147.09
Xserve (2.8GHz Quad-Core Xeon) (2008)
13-inch MacBook/2.1GHz	180	$1,088.88
Mac mini Core 2 Duo/1.83GHz	159	$559.99
Mac mini Core 2 Duo/2GHz	172	$777.77
MacBook Air/1.6GHz	124	$1,650.65

MacBook Pro and the bad battery
How can you tell if your MacBook's battery is on the fritz? Follow along.
Secrets of Mac trackpad, from iBook to MacBook Air
Depending on which Mac laptop you have, there are up to 10 specialized trackpad functions you can use to make navigating the screen, Mac OS X and various applications faster and easier. Computerworld’s Ryan Faas takes a look at each of them.
Essential mobile gear
As a Macworld editor, I’m often asked what I pack in my laptop bag; here’s a look at the kinds of accessories that are on my must-have on-the-go list, along with some specific examples of them.
Fitting your files on a MacBook Air
If you’ve ordered a MacBook Air, you’ve got some storage decisions to make. The 80GB of storage that ships with this thin notebook goes against the trend of higher-capacity hard drives. But not to worry—Joe Kissell has some advice on how to make sure all your vital files and applications fit on your new laptop.
Laptop gems
Here are some favorite pieces of low-cost software specifically designed for—or just especially handy for—use on a laptop.

The Mac keeps driving Apple
All people seem to talk about these days is the iPhone, but as Monday’s quarterly earnings announcement proved, the Mac is still very central to Apple’s business.
Comparing prices: Mac vs. Windows laptops
Think Macs costs more than PCs? PC World’s James A. Martin compares the cost of Mac laptops to their Windows-based equivalents.
Computerworld: How the 17-inch MacBook Pro won me over
Computerworld’s Ryan Faas was skeptical about Apple’s largest laptop model. But a little time with the 17-inch MacBook Pro convinced him to rethink his stance.
Traveling light while staying in touch
Two of Apple’s recent releases—the iPhone and the MacBook Air—can come in handy if you’re on a vacation and want to stay connected without hauling a lot of electronics with you.
The $2,500 solution
Jason Snell comes to the shocking realization that the rules for buying a new Mac have changed.