PC vs. Mac

(Newser) - Windows 7 Beta will be launched to the public tomorrow, Steve Ballmer told the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday. The Microsoft chief, filling the keynote slot held by Bill Gates in the previous 11 years, told the audience that the operating system would be a return to the "special sauce" that made the firm an innovator,  ChannelWeb reports. More »

(Newser) - Steve Jobs is moving slowly toward the exit, and the Apple CEO has assembled such a strong team that even the absence of the company's "irreplaceable face" won't spell disaster, reports Apple Insider. Jobs' decision to skip MacWorld Expo doesn't mean his health is worsening but is "a sign that we are in the early stages of changing roles in Apple's management structure," an industry analyst told clients this week. More »

(Newser) - Even apparently recession-proof Apple is now beginning to show signs of strain, and some analysts are predicting a major slowdown for the computer giant next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. US sales of Macs last month declined 1% over a year ago, while PC sales rose 2%. One analyst cut his estimate for Apple's 2009 profit, warning of difficult times ahead. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s staff went into major spin mode after the president-elect was spotted this week working out with (cover your ears, kids) a Zune , forcing millions to ask what happened to the cool iPod user they thought they’d elected. An spokesman assured the nation that Obama typically uses an iPod and couldn’t speak to the Microsoft device’s provenance, New York reports. More »

(Newser) - There’s much to love about the new MacBook, writes David Pogue in the New York Times . The laptop is “a thing of beauty,” with a fabulous trackpad-cum-clicker, an easy way to switch out the battery or even hard drive and a smaller environmental footprint. But there’s also something to mourn: the loss of the FireWire jack. More »

(Newser) - Economic conditions being what they are, you might not have a ton of dough to spend on a new computer. So in his annual PC buyer’s guide, Wall Street Journal tech expert Walter Mossberg adopts a budget-focused mindset. His advice: The current Mac OS, Leopard, is much better than Windows, but Macs don’t come cheap. Look for a computer with Windows XP; downgrading from Vista may cost money, but you can then buy a cheaper machine. More »

(Newser) - Tomorrow, Apple will unveil its latest notebook incarnation—but what that will involve remains shrouded in secrecy, CNET reports. It’s likely to be some kind of major update to the 2-year-old MacBook line, perhaps a new graphics chipset and aluminum casing for the lower-end models. It could also be time for Apple’s first notebook priced under $1,000. More »