Apple today held an event at One Infinite Loop (their campus) that had in it’s "spotlight" notebooks. As all the major tech/gadget sites have pictures and live coverage and you can now watch the keynote video here I won’t bore you with a copy of the same stuff. Let me just summarize what we have seen and then add my comments:

• New manufacturing and construction technology to build notebooks
• Unibody approach allows lighter but more rigid contstruction
• New MacBook Pro
  • New build design
  • New keyboard
  • Nvdida 9400M onboard
  • Nvidia 9600M GT dedicated aswell
  • SSD drive option
  • Similar pricing
• New 24" Display
• Upgrades to MacBook Air
• New MacBook
  • New build design – close to new MBP
  • Nvidia 9400M graphics
  • SSD drive option
  • Similar pricing

Now when you take a look at these points and think about it – I think the big thing today is the new MacBook. Not only do we have an entry level notebook with pro features but it’s also priced the same way as earlier MacBooks. If you compare the changes in the MBP – they are mostly evolutionary. But the new MacBook is a massive upgrade to that line and anyone in the market for a new consumer notebook should definitely have a look.

I recently bought the February 2008 MacBook Pro and currently I do not see a reason to upgrade to the new line. The performance gains are noticeable but not really game changing. On the other hand if I had a plastic Macbook from early February 2008 I would definitely be considering an upgrade.

On a final note – I followed the event on Technologizer.com as former editor of PC World Harry McCracken had a really nice live blog thing going there where I could get the exact words of Steve the moment he uttered them. If you don’t know his Technologizer blog I recommend taking a look. 

…and I am getting back on track. As usual nobody got me a tech gift (nobody would do a scary move like that) so I had to get my own. I got myself an LG Flatron 22″ inch LCD display which to be honest ain’ too good – it’s TN+ so the colors suck a bit. On the other hand the response times as well as the angles aren’t too shabby so I can live with it. The really unbeatable part was the price – 300$ and I got 100$ off that price tag by selling my old BenQ 17″ panel. All in all a good deal. I also got myself The Orange Box (game set with Half-Life 2, all it’s episodes, Team Fortress and Portal) and believe me – playing it on the 22″ inch panel is awesome and scary. What did you get (get yourself) ?

Gizmodo.com has posted an article that underscores my earlier point about the music industry. It basically says that the people in the music industry didn’t miss the internet/consumer evolution but they just didn’t know what to do about it.

“There’s no one in the record industry that’s a technologist,” Morris explains. “That’s a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn’t. They just didn’t know what to do. It’s like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?”

Personally, I would hire a vet. But to Morris, even that wasn’t an option. “We didn’t know who to hire,” he says, becoming more agitated. “I wouldn’t be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me.”

I think that the article is very precise – we are seeing the slow passing of an old industry and a possible rise of a new one.