Apple Mac

Mac OS
The wait is over. Apple's next generation of its operating system, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, has hit the ground running. Are you ready for it? We'll help you get prepared. You can read all the details in our full review of Leopard. The quick rundown is that the grace of Leopard's interface enhancements makes productivity more pleasurable with a Mac, and more than 300 functional and fun features top off this update. The outstanding Finder looks exactly as it does in Tiger. And you can once again change the grid spacing, restoring a long-lost piece of functionality last seen in Mac OS 9. Also giving old-time Mac users reasons to be happy are the addition of spring-loaded folders on the Dock, easier widget construction, intuitive switching between desktops and apps, and a cosmetic makeover for the Finder Help menu.

Mac laptops
In 2006, the big news for Mac notebooks was the addition of Intel processors; by the end of the year, MacBooks upgraded to Intel's latest Core 2 Duo CPUs. We've been impressed by the mix of Apple's lauded industrial design and user-friendly operating system with the kind of high-end hardware usually seen only on the PC side--not to mention the ability to run Windows XP through Boot Camp. You can get the high-end MacBook Pro in two sizes, 15 or 17 inches. The 17-inch MacBook Pro adds some hard drive space and screen real estate over the 15-inch MacBook Pro, boosting the base price by $300. The $2,799 system (our $3,374 review unit was tricked out with extra RAM) is very light for a 17-inch laptop, and it's a good choice for anyone needing an easily transportable big-screen laptop, although most users will be just as happy with the excellent 15-inch version. While the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro significantly outperforms the older Core Duo version, the performance of the 15- and 17-inch Core 2 Duo models was essentially identical--which is to be expected, as they share identical processors, RAM, and hard drives (although the default configurations call for a smaller hard drive in the 15-inch model).

Users looking for a more consumer-friendly laptop can opt for the MacBook line, which also features Intel Core 2 Duo processors. There are three MacBook models, one with a 1.83GHz CPU and two with 2.0GHz CPUs. The MacBook starts at a mere $1,099, but our 2.0GHz MacBook review unit is the most tricked-out of the three, offering the faster CPU and a larger hard drive for a still palatable $1,499--we've awarded it our Editors' Choice. These 13.3-inch notebooks, available in the standard Apple colors of black and white, are nearly as powerful as their 15- and 17-inch Pro cousins, and they include a lot of the same features, such as the built-in iSight camera and Front Row remote. If the handful of compromises vs. the Pro model, such as the screen size and the lack of discrete graphics, isn't a deal breaker, the MacBook is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to step up to an Apple laptop or upgrade their older MacBook.

Mac desktops
Apple sells three different Mac desktops, each of which features a different Intel processor. From its perch at the top of the line, the professional-grade Mac Pro puts a pair of dual-core Xeon chips--that's four processing cores, if you're scoring at home--to good use inside its hulking, brushed-aluminum chassis. You'll need some serious graphics work ahead of you to justify the cost, but if you are a design professional or a committed photo or video hobbyist, you'll notice that the Mac Pro's price is competitive with those of high-end PCs and workstations. In the middle of the line sits Apple's all-in-one PC, the iMac. Apple eliminated the 17-inch iMac when it redesigned the line earlier this year. Now you can get only 20-inch and 24-inch models, ranging from $1,199 for the baseline 20-inch, to $3,000 or more for the highest-end 24-incher. The Intel Core 2 Extreme chip on the higher-end of the line is probably best suited for professional photo editors and others who can justify that much CPU power in a nongaming system. Pair either the 20-inch or 24-inch models with a more reasonable Core 2 Duo chip, and the iMac competes fairly well in cost, features, and performance against similarly priced Windows PCs.

On a budget? Like your tech small and compact? Then the a la carte Mac Mini is your pick. The Mac Mini can't quite keep pace performance-wise with its higher-end siblings, but it's the cheapest way to obtain Apple's excellent iLife software and Mac OS. Its small size, its bundled remote control, and Apple's Front Row software make it a viable alternative to a full-fledged living room PC.