I love Tom's Hardware -- they're traditionally a PC site (and being a gamer, I've built and run my share of PCs), but like most PC guys, they aren't afraid to lay out the specs and draw direct conclusions from there. And that's exactly what they've done with a very Mac misconception: that Apple computers traditionally cost more than the average PC.

To the average user, that seems true -- if you go to, say, a Best Buy or a Circuit City, and look at the Macs they're selling versus the seemingly equivalent PCs they're selling, then yes, you're seeing higher pricetags on the Apple stuff. But when Tom's lays out what you get out of each computer, the prices are generally the same. In fact, they even build an equivalent Mac Pro, and there's only a $5.67 difference.

Of course, that doesn't stop people from trying to prove otherwise (Apple, you'll note, is not a client of NPD, and they don't actually share which computers they're talking about in the study). And of course, as Tom's Hardware commenters will tell you, there's really no argument for gamers yet, as amazing hardware is nothing when it doesn't run your software the way it should. But it's good to see TH taking a serious, relatively unbiased look at the price differences, and Apple getting a little more love from the traditionally PC crowd.

Is it time to finally put your HD mountain biking documentary on Blu-ray? Apple upgrade vendor MCE Technologies announced availability of a totally Mac-compatible Blu-ray recordable drive for Mac Pro and Power Mac.

The $499 (internal) drive is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5.2 and later, requiring no special drivers for burning -- just install it in your Mac Pro or Power Mac bay, pop in blank Blu-ray media, and you're ready to roll. The drive does both single-layer (6X BD-R or 2X BD-RE) and dual-layer (4X BD-R, 2X BD-RE) burning for capacities of 25GB or 50GB respectively. That's up to 50,000 photos, 12,500 music tracks, or 4 hours of HD video.

There's a $599 version bundled with Roxio Toast 9 and the Toast BD//HD Plugin, as well as an external drive with FireWire and USB 2.0 ports for $749.

To write professional Blu-ray discs that can play on set-top Blu-ray players or Sony PS3, you'll need Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Encore along with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 or Final Cut Pro. Basic Blu-ray movies can be burned with Roxio Toast 9 and the BD/HD Plugin.

[via The Mac Observer]

One area that the Mac has long lagged behind its PC counterparts is in custom tuning, particularly overclocking. With the Intel Macs this has naturally started to change, though the toolset for overclocking in OS X has been rather barebones. So it's interesting to see that the German division of ZDNet has released the ZDNet Clock tool for OS X.

Using the ZDNet Clock tool Mac Pro and Xserve owners (and those only) can boost the processor, front side bus, and memory frequency resulting in a not insignificant "free" performance gain. It should be noted that overclocking puts a strain on the hardware and should be used with caution as it's certainly possible to damage your Mac. Furthermore, there are several side effects in OS X including distorted system time and problems when waking from sleep (the overclocking is disabled on wake). Nonetheless, for those of you out there lucky enough to have a Mac Pro (or Xserve) and crazy enough to push your hardware to the edge may want to have a look.

The ZDNet Clock tool is a free download from ZDNet (the link is in German, click the Jetzt herunterladen button to start the download) and requires a Mac Pro or Xserve running Leopard.

[via AppleInsider]

I have several consulting clients who are architects, all of whom use ArchiCAD to create stunning designs and manage the process of documentation. They're going to be very happy architects in July, since Graphisoft is providing multi-core support in the upcoming release of ArchiCAD 12.

In addition to divvying up those rendering duties to all 8 cores on your Mac Pro, ArchiCAD 12 has a slew of new features including:

• A new tool for designing and documenting curtain wall systems
• Partial structure display for sharing design info with engineers
• Enhancements in the StairMaker tool
• New fill management capability and translucent fills
• 3D "Nudge" feature for moving elements
• Align and distribute elements along a path or in a pattern

Graphisoft and ARCHVISTA Building Technologies are hosting a webinar on June 18, 2008 to demonstrate the features of ArchiCAD 12. While you'll need to contact an ArchiCAD reseller for pricing details, you can slice $500 off of your next ArchiCAD license by ordering the new software before June 30, 2008.

Thanks to Michael for the tip!

Mac Pro users -- it's time to power up the graphics capability of your machine! ATI has announced the new Radeon HD 3870 Mac & PC Edition. Whether you're a serious gamer or a graphics designer, this new card features 256-bit 512MB GDDR4 frame buffer memory, 320 stream processors, twin dual-link DVI ports to run two 30" Apple Cinema HD displays, PCI Express 2.0 support, and more.

One of our readers pointed out that you can even use the HD 3870 in Windows running in Boot Camp on a Mac Pro. The Radeon HD 3870 runs in any Mac Pro and will be available in late June for a MSRP of $219.

Thanks to TJ & Seth for the tip!

When Apple introduced the new Mac Pros, they came with new graphics cards... that weren't compatible with previous Mac Pros. This has caused some consternation amongst owners of the neglected machines, who have been wondering for a while when their problem-ridden video cards might get some Apple love. Fret no more, it's here.

If you're looking for the extra power of the GeForce 8800 GT for your pre-2008 Mac Pro, head to the product page. And, as noted by my friend (and perturbed pre-2008 Mac Pro owner) Peter Boysen, there's actually a somewhat surprising price drop of about $70 from the previously available kits.

Thanks Will, Chris and Peter!

David Beckham recently received a snazzy gilded iPod touch from his teammates. That's nice and all, but this guy is a superstar. He needs some seriously togged out Apple goodies. With that in mind, we're offering the following shopping list:

• The golden MacBook Pro. This sucker features gold-plated casing, a keyboard painted to match and "...your logo in diamonds." Try opening one of these at Starbucks.
• The $39,750 MacBook Air. Twelve thousand hand-applied Swarovski crystals decorate its 24k gold casing. For forty grand, you would think you get a solid state hard drive.
• The golden iPhone. You knew this one was coming. Unfortunately, the pricing is still "to be announced."
• Golden "classic" iPods. Why stop at the touch? You can just as easily get your 160GB or 80GB classic dipped in gold, as well as the nano.

Here's hoping someone special in David's life reads our list and makes a purchase. While you're at it, a buffing cloth would be good, too.

Yesterday, Apple gave Mac Pro owners an EFI Firmware update. Here's what Apple says about the update:

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of Mac Pro (Early 2008) computers.

To complete the firmware update process, please follow the instructions in the updater application (/Applications/Utilities/Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update.app). The updater will launch automatically when the Installer closes.

To download the firmware updater, open Software update or download the installer package from Apple's support downloads website.

It's not often that we get to do an advice column here, but let's see how this goes. An email arrived at the office just the other day...

Dear Aunt TUAW,

I work in the engineering college of a large private university, where I manage 6 Mac-based labs. I just tried to order myself a brand new Mac Pro to replacing my aging PowerMac G5 and was told by my dean that the college would no longer be buying Macs because they had absolutely no place in the engineering industry. He said that from this point forward, the college "would only be buying Windows computers, period!"

I know that he is wrong and that there are engineers that use Macs professionally and I can give a few examples to support that. If I am going to win this argument I'm going to need a lot of proof.

Signed,

Mac-lorn Admin

Dear Mac-lorn Admin,

Darling, didn't you realize the Mac Pro is a Windows machine, and a darned speedy one? Last time I checked, Boot Camp + Mac Pro = a Windows dream! The adult in us loves the reliability and UNIX backbone, but the kid in us loves the GUI and tasty frosting! Having a single machine that can do double or triple duty with Mac apps, BSD/Linux engineering power and Windows compatibility would be the envy of any right-minded academician.

Still, we know that logic isn't going to sway that mean ole dean of yours. TUAW readers, can you help Mac-lorn? Leave us your testimonials about using Macs in your professional lives -- particularly in engineering or in higher ed -- in the comments.

Love,

Auntie T.

Who says this Tuesday arrived without updates? MacBook Air users can launch Software Update this morning and find SMC Update 1.0, which adjusts the use of the (very tiny) internal fan. If you've been having fan issues with your Air, let us know if this patch knocks them out.

Also, the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT Firmware Update is available for the Mac Pro. The change this update offers is "system stability" according to Apple. How exciting.

As usual, we ask that you let us know if you have any trouble after applying these updates.

The MacBook / MacBook Pro update wasn't "major" but it brought about some changes to the Apple line of notebooks. However, one feature that the new 'books are lacking is the inclusion of an Apple remote. The Apple remote is now a $19 accessory. Currently, the only computers that Apple is including the remote with (as standard) are the iMac and Mac mini.

You can still use Front Row (Apple's media management application) without a remote. To start Front Row, just press Command + esc on your keyboard. You can also launch Front Row by clicking it in your applications folder (if you are running Mac OS X Leopard). To navigate through the menus, just use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

What do you think about Apple not including the remote with their line of notebooks? Sound off in the comments!

Well, as Nik posted a bit earlier this morning, the Apple Store is indeed down worldwide. As commenters in that post noted, Apple has updated the Mac Pro line before major trade shows before, and as commenter John pointed out, Apple has just updated the front page of Apple.com announcing upgrades to the Mac Pro and Xserve line. I think it's a pretty safe bet that these machines will be available as soon as the Apple Store comes back online.

So what are the specs? For the Mac Pro the machines are now 8-core standard (!) running up to 3.2 Ghz each (and this is on the new 45 nanometer Quad-Core Xeon). "Fastest Mac ever" is a phrase bandied around a lot -- but in this case, it's absolutely true.

From the press release, the basic configuration ($2799 US) includes:

• two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses;
• 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
• ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory;
• 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 16x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
• two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; and
• ships with Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.

Full CTO options are detailed in the press release linked above.

As for the Xserve, it now includes built-in accelerated graphics to drive up to a 23" Cinema Display and front facing USB 2.0 ports. It is also taking advantage of the new Intel 45 nanometer core technology.

The basic configuration ($2999 US) includes:

• a single 64-bit 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Xeon processor with 12MB of L2 cache and a 1600 Mhz front side bus;
• 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM RAM, expandable up to 32GB;
• a single 80GB SATA Apple Drive Module;
• dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board;
• internal graphics;
• two FireWire® 800 and three USB 2.0 ports; and
• an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server version 10.5 Leopard.

The unlimited client license for Leopard OS X Server is pretty fantastic, as are the power and cooling specs. Full configuration details can be found in the press release here.

Dealmac reports this morning that the Mac Pro towers have returned to Apple's refurb clearance stock, with the Octocore model available for $3399, a full $600 below new retail. The rest of the line shows up as well (scroll down through the refurb page for all the choices); shipping is also free, which is a big help for those heavy, heavy machines.

It may be a smidge late to pick up a tower for Christmas, but the good news is that if you were planning to pick up a hefty Mac before Macworld Expo in January -- since laptops are more likely to see revisions than the big iron -- you can now pick up a pre-owned model for less.

If you own a MacBook or MacBook Pro and have had keyboard problems, Apple just released a software update that will (hopefully) fix this issue! This problem was first spotted when users started upgrading to Leopard. Some users have reported that their keyboards temporarily freeze, especially in Carbon apps such as MS Office 2004.

Apple states, "Some MacBook and MacBook Pro systems may occasionally experience a temporary suspension of keyboard input which can last a minute or longer." You can download the update from the Apple Support website or via Software Update.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Got a Mac Pro or a Core 2 Duo iMac? Feel like installing 1.4 MB worth of updates for your hard drive? Sure you do. Apple released Hard Drive Update 1.0 earlier today, providing important bug fixes and firmware revs for the drives in these machines. What exactly it's doing, we can't say -- but that's where you, our loyal beta testers readers come in. If you install the update, let us know what happens.

Thanks Laurie