Forget all your wires and cables. You won't need them if you buy Apple's new MacBook -- it only has two ports.
Apple's new MacBook is its thinnest and lightest laptop to date. To achieve this feat, Apple (AAPL, Tech30) engineers streamlined many features traditionally associated with portable computers, and eliminated some as well. Here's what you need to know:
1. The body is tapered like the MacBook Air. At its thickest, the new 12-inch MacBook is 13.1mm high (about half an inch) -- 24% thinner than the existing 11-inch MacBook Air.
"Can you even see it? I can't even see it," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said on stage at an Apple event Monday afternoon, holding a closed laptop.
2. It weighs two pounds. For comparison, the MacBook Air weighs almost two-and-a-half pounds. The iPad Air 2 weighs just under one pound.
3. Taking a page from the iPhone design book, the new, all-metal body MacBook comes in three different colors: silver, gray, and gold.
4. The new MacBook is fanless, which is partly why the laptop is so thin and light.
5. There are only two ports. One is a headphone port, and the other port is for a new kind of USB connector called the USB-C. The USB-C port is about a third of the size of a standard USB port, and serves as a single connection point to charge the laptop's batteries, transfer data, and transmit video.
For consumers who want to use their existing, standard USB devices with the laptop, this new USB format will most likely be a pain point. An adapter dongle for the USB-C port costs $80 on the Apple store.
6. Apple has also redesigned the keyboard, which now extends to the edges of the laptop. The keyboard has also been updated to respond to lighter touches, meaning less pounding when typing. The surface of each key is also 17% larger and is lit by individual LED lights underneath "for more precise illumination," Schiller said.
7. The computer's track pad also got a nice upgrade. Like the new Apple Watch, the track pad is now powered by Apple's new Taptic Engine, which picks up on how forceful a touch or tap is. For example, instead of clicking repeatedly on the fast forward button on Quicktime to speed up a video, you only need to press down on the new track pad a little longer and harder than a tap to achieve the same goal.
8. On stage at the event, Schiller said the new MacBook is the "world's most energy-efficient notebook." The laptop's Intel Core M processor consumes five watts of power, and its newly designed and contoured battery cells have 35% more capacity.
9. The new MacBook has a battery life of up to 10 hours.
10. The cost for a new 12-inch MacBook 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor with 256GB of flash storage starts $1299. A 12" 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor MacBook with 512GB of flash storage starts at $1599.
During today's press event, Apple took the lid off the upcoming Apple Watch. When the device launches on April 24, you can expect a number of features working in congress with the company's iOS and Mac ecosystem. And prices range from $350 USD/£299 GBP/$499 AUD all the way to a staggering $10,000 USD/£13,500 GBP/$14,999 AUD.
Apple claims every Apple Watch is super accurate, within 50 milliseconds of UTC. And speaking of speed, the new "Glances" feature allows you to check notifications, the weather, or even your heart rate, with just a quick swipe.
Of course, Apple Watch will also contain a number of communication options, working with the just announced iOS 8.2. You can receive iMessages, as well as answer voice calls like Dick Tracy. But one of the newest features is Digital Touch, which allows you to communicate with friends from Apple Watch to Apple Watch, even sending doodles you make on the watch face.
Apple Watch will communicate with your iPhone either through WiFi or Bluetooth. An Apple Watch app for iPhone will be available via the App Store.
Apple played up the health and exercise benefits of Apple Watch during today's event, pointing out how the device will send helpful reminders for your exercise routine. Of course, the workout app will track your daily movement, and deliver stats like calories burned and miles traveled.
But Apple Watch's biggest conveniences likely come from its use of notifications and its sense of place, making it easy to do things like check into a hotel and even use the watch as your room key. Be sure to check out IGN's coverage of all the apps for Apple Watch discussed today.
Apple claims the Apple Watch should last for about 18 hours. And charging the watch is simple, thanks to a magnetic charger.
Apple Watch Sport
The Apple Watch, as previously announced, will be available in more than one flavor. The Apple Watch Sport features an aluminum body, and will be available in Space Grey and silver. The Sport is $350 USD/£299 GBP/$499 AUD for a 38mm version, or $400 USD/£339 GBP/$579 AUD for a 42mm version.
Apple Watch Steel
The stainless steel variety of the Apple Watch is 80 percent harder, and more resistant to scratches. The model, available in Space Black, will retail for $550 USD/£479 GBP/$799 AUD to $1050 USD/£899 GBP/$1549 AUD, or $600 USD/£519 GBP/$879 AUD to $1100 USD/£949 GBP/$1629 AUD, depending on the watch band associated with the model.
Apple Watch Edition
Finally, the--"very limited"--third version of the Apple Watch is clearly not for the general public. Boasting an 18K solid gold body, the Edition will start at $10,000 USD/£8,000 GBP/$14,000 AUD. Yowza.
Pre-orders of the Apple Watch will begin on April 10. The device will launch in Australia, Canada, United States, Japan, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and United Kingdom on April 24.
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