a__

All your Apple needs

iTunes:TheEssentialG

uideThe

Top30

Liontips

Group

Test:sixRSS

newsreaders

New

MacB

ookAir13-inch

andMac

minireview

edPrinted

inthe

UK

ISSU

E2

38

September2011

NEW!MacBook Air

and Mac minireviewed

p94

+Howtomanagemusic acrossyourApplekit!

Getmore fromthenewOSX

Daisy Disk 1.5.3FreeupspaceonyourMacUlysses 1.6fAgreattexteditor forcreativewriters

Get all the newsSixRSSnewsreadersontest

Best Mac ever!Theresultsofourpollare in

World of appsDedicatedto iPhone&iPad

THE LATEST KITREVIEWEDMadCatzCyborgRATOSX10.7LionAppleFinalCutProX

AND MUCH MORE!

THE LATEST KIT

AdvancedsearchingMasterOSX’ssearchoptions

Advanced

New iMovietips & tricksHowtouseplaceholderclips

iMovie New

Share snapswith iPhotoUpload iPhotoalbumstoFlickr

snaps Share

84 PAGESOF ADVICE!TheUK’sno.1Macmagazine

NEW SECTION! GROUP TEST ON THE DISC

SEPTEMBER 2011 £5.99 £6 OUTSIDE UK & ROI

September 2011 MacFormat.co.uk 3

THIS ISSUE’SHIGHLIGHTS

StartupAll the latest Mac news is here! p6

BestMacever!The results of our reader poll p23

Ultimate iTunesGetmore from themedia hub p32

30great Lion tipsEssential reading for upgraders p70

OSX10.7 reviewedWedeliver our definitive verdict p84

6RSSnewsreadersChoose the best newsreader p110

BuyyournextMacSize up your options here p115

Welcome...toMacFormat, theUK’sNo. 1Macmagazine

There’s somuch great stuff packed into this issue ofMacFormat that I almost don’t knowwhat torecommend first! There’s our verdict on OSX 10.7

Lion, completewith 30 top tips for getting themost out ofit; reviews of both of Apple’s latest Macs – the newMacBookAir andMacmini; the results of our reader poll whereweasked you to vote for your favouriteMac of all time; and abrand new section calledWorld of Apps, dedicated to appsfor iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Phew!

I don’t want to spoil the results of our reader poll, but Ithink theMac thatwas voted the all-time number onewillsurprisemany of you, and it proves that Apple users areforward-thinking people and not stuck in the past. Applegets a lot of stick for completely reinventing itsproducts and leaving older userswho don’twant to upgrade behind. For example,turn to page 88 this issue to see howApple’s scorched earth policy to upgradeshas left a lot of Final Cut Pro users angryabout the new version. Apple does this alot, but it always does it for a reason. Ifyouwant to keepmoving forward you haveto burn some bridges behind you or youend upwith bloated programs thatsatisfy nobody. Need proof? Justlook atWindows!

GrahamBarlow, [email protected]/MacFormat

SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe to MacFormatto save 35% on thenewsstand price, andget a pair of SennheiserMM30i headphones aswell. Turn to p30!

MEETTHETEAM / YOURMACFORMAT EXPERTS!

“The Fantastic FlyingBooks of Mr MorrisLessmore kept mythree-year-old nephewquiet for hours!”Alex recommends theiPad as an interactivebabysitter p104

“If you’re like me andconstantly shufflingwindows on yournotebook’s desktop, besure to try out Afloat.”Manipulate applicationwindows to bettermanage your screen p61

“We had an amazingresponse to our MostAwesome Mac Everpoll, and we’re thrilledto present you withyour winner!”Laurence reveals theresults of your vote p23

“The move to SandyBridge processorsrepresents a great leapforward for the Macmini and MacBook Air.”We’ve got reviews ofApple’s new MacBookAir and Mac mini p94

“Even though I useiTunes every day I’mconstantly surprised bythe things it can do. It’seasily one of the mostpowerful and feature-rich apps on OS X.”Rob is your guide p32

RobMead-GreenDeputy Editor

IanOsborneReviews Editor

LaurenceCableContributor

TimHardwickProduction Editor

AlexThomasArt Editor

343232

The Essential Guide to managing music

32

4 MacFormat.co.uk September 2011

Contents

Thevotesare in!The most awesome Mac everp23

30topLiontipsGet best use out of the new OSp70

ISSUEATAGLANCE

● NEWS&OPINION ● STEP BY STEPTUTORIALS ● LATESTREVIEWS ● MACBUYERS’GUIDE

WIN!A Mac mini andOrbicule apps worthover £1,000!PAGE 12

DomorewithyourMac today30 pages of greattutorials forimproving yourMac skillsp45

AnswerstoyourMacquestionsStart here forsome simplesolutions to Macproblemsp76

DiscoverthelatestApplekitRead our verdicton new Applehardware andsoftwarep83

ChooseyournextMachere!Don’t buy a newMac until you’veread our Buyers’Guidep115

music managing to Guide Essential The music managing to Guide Essential The

Gotaproblemwith thedisc?If you are having difficulties using the disc interface

or content, please visit our support website atwww.futurenet.co.uk/support. If you are still

experiencing difficulties then please email our readersupport team ([email protected])

or call01225822743.

FULLVERSIONSDaisyDisk1.5.3Findoutwhichfilesareusingupall yourharddrivespace

DropDMG2.8.6Createandworkwithdisk images

UlyssesPro1.6fAtexteditor for creativewriters

Pluswidgets, shareware,demosandmore!

ISSUE238 / September2011

Made in the EUMAC238DISC


Start-upHotApple news 6

CompetitionWin aMacmini and twoOrbicule apps 12

Me&MyMacAt homewith aMac 14

IUseMyMac for...Being a rugby star 16

GadgetsGreat newkit 18

FeedbackHave your say 20

MostawesomeMaceverThe results are in! 23

Subscribe toMacFormatNevermiss an issueagain! 30, 93

iTunes: theEssentialGuideGet themost fromyouriTunesmusic library 32

Howto...ImprovingMac skills 45

30topLion tipsMakeOSXLionwork foryouwith these tricks70

Q&AProblems solved 76

ReviewsDefinitive tests 83

Buyers’GuideHowto choose yournewMac 115

MacUserGroupsMeetwith others 128

DiscpagesOnyour disc 129

DaisyDisk 1.5.3Findwhat’s eating file space

DropDMG2.8.6Create disk images on the fly

UlyssesPro 1.6fA text editor for creativewriters

PutsnapsonlineUpload iPhoto pics to Flickrp48

AnimateKeynoteEnliven your presentationsp54

“An amazingpiece ofengineering,and a boonfor gamers”MAD CATZ CYBORGRAT 9 REVIEW P97

“Why trawlthroughcountless siteslooking forinteresting stuffwhen it cancome to you?”RSS NEWSREADERSGROUP TEST P110

Regulars

ON THE DISC WHY NOT ALSO TRY?

sites countless

interesting stuff

you?” to come NEWSREADERS RSS

P110 TEST GROUP

MacFormat.co.uk 5

WHY NOT ALSO TRY?

Like MacFormat?Then you’ll loveour brand newiPad app 100 tricks& tips for iPad 2.Search theAppStore for it now!


STARTUP News Profiles Gadgets Feedback

What do earthworms, BernieMadoff and Steve 'Woz'Wozniak have in common?

They've all featured in the eventfullife of Mark Mathosian – a financialfraud investigator turned private eyeturned freelance writer andphotographer, who just so happens tohave also played a small part in the80s computer boom.

"I consider myself a lifelong Applefan and buy new products as they areintroduced," Mathosian says. "Butwhile I love my Macs, iPads and iPods,the big prize goes to Steve 'Woz'Wozniak and the Apple IIe.

"The Apple IIe was the third modelof the Apple II series and one of thebest-selling Apple computers beforethe Mac went on sale… The numberof programs available for the II serieswas phenomenal." Mark knows ofwhat he speaks – he began using

computers in the early 80s, startingwith a Sanyo MBC-1150, beforemoving on to various PCs andeventually the Mac, turning his hobbyinto a career as freelance writer byproducing 'How To' books as well asmagazine and newspaper articles.

It also partly explains why Mark hasa framed photo of Apple co-founderSteve 'Woz' Wozniak on his desk:

"I purchased an early version of anApple desktop Bus Mouse fromwww.signedbywoz.com. All items comewith a certificate of authenticity.Once my mouse arrived I downloaded

an image of 'Woz' from the internetand then had the whole thingcustom-framed at a local art store."

It's the iMac next to it that getsmost of Mark's attention, as hetypically spends up to 12 hours a daywriting articles in Pages, editingpictures in iPhoto or enjoying music iniTunes. He's currently writing a bookon avoiding investment scams. Someof his expertise was picked up duringhis time as an investigator for theFlorida Office of Financial Regulation.There he helped smash several Ponzischemes including the infamous'worm farm scam', where investorswere persuaded to buy and sellearthworms with the expectationthat it would one day make them rich.You can catch Mark in action in theBBC documentary The MadoffHustle on YouTube, over athttp://youtu.be/-M3sHrVOddw.●

“TheApple IIewasthe thirdmodelof theseriesandoneof thebest-selling computersbefore theMac"

PRofileName: Mark MathosianOccupation: Freelancer writerand photographerBeen using aMac for:25 yearsFavourite hardware: iMac,iPad and his vintage MacsFavourite software: Pages,iPhoto, iTunes and AdobePhotoshop Elements

Me&MyMacMacFormat readers share their belovedMac setups

MacPlusThis classic Mac dates from1986, runs OS X 6.07 andhas a whopping 1,024MBof RAM. Jealous?

MacSe/30This 1989 all-in-one runsOS X 7.5 and has 16MB ofRAM. It's connected to a1993 Apple II Stylewriter.

iMac21.5-inchMark uses his iMac everyday in his job as a writer. It'sa 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duowith 4GB of RAM.

Apple iicOriginally made in 1984,Mark's Apple IIc is still usedtoday – for playing gameson its monochrome screen.

ConTACTUSWanttoshareyourMacsetup

withus? [email protected]

20 MacFormat.co.uk September 201120 MacFormat.co.uk

startup News Profiles Gadgets Feedback

FeedbackLet us knowwhat you think about yourMac,MacFormat andeverythingApple

COntaCtusWhateveryourMac-relatedcares,

concernsorcalamitiesare,letusknowaboutthembycontactingusonthefollowingemailaddress:[email protected]

We’rewaiting for the launch of iCloudwith asmuch excitement as you are!

Well, thanks Apple for addingthe Thunderbolt interface tothe new iMac. As a long-timehobbyist video editor, thechoice has always been clearthat the Pro is theway to go.With the introduction of theThunderbolt port the iMac Corei7 is now surely a contender forsemi-pro video editing, aspreviously the upgradelimitations of an all-in-onedevice have always nixed harddrive expansion.With FireWirethe best current choice forvideo capture (scratch drives)we also needed to considerthat the iMac has only oneFireWire 800 port. There is anissuewith daisy-chaining suchdevices if you happen to have a

DV camcorder. I’m nowwaitingin anticipation for any testresults of video editingperformancewith Thunderboltexternal drives.David F

MacFormat replies:With eachprocessor upgrade the iMac hasbeen getting so powerfulthat it’s starting to rivalthe Mac Pro as perfectlysuitable for most ‘pro’tasks. Now it’s got aThunderbolt port wethink a lot more videoprofessionals will think ofit as a serious computer.We’re still waiting to get aThunderbolt drive intothe office to test – the

Pegasus RAID StoragewithThunderbolt seems to have justslipped past our deadline tomakeit into this issue, but we hope toget it into the next. RegardingFireWire, don’t forget that you canget a FireWire 800 adapter for aThunderbolt port and connect aFireWire device in that way.

star letter / Core i7 iMac vs 8 Core Mac Pro

Email all yourletters to us [email protected] yours getspicked as theMacFormat StarLetter, you’ll be

sent a fantastic EyeTVHybrid. It comes withanalog and digital tuners,so you can use it to put TVon your Mac wherever youare in the country!

starletter

With its Thunderbolt portthe new iMac is a seriouscontender for video.

Lion in the cloudsA fewweeks ago I receivednotification fromApple thatmyMobileMe accountwill beextended for another 12months, free of charge (verygenerous of them) before itdisappears into cyberspace,never to be seen again. But, thething is, I likemyMobileMe.

I have a .mac email accountindependent ofmy ISP. I cansyncmy diaries, calendars andmail on iPod, iPhone and iPad,and I can sharemy favouritephotoswith family and friendsonmy gallery. Steve Jobs thinksthiswas not Apple’s finest hour,and that I shall bemuch happier

withmy head in the iCloud.Apple has spent the last 20years creating themost user-friendly operating systemonsome of themost beautifullydesigned hardware in the

business. But comparedwith itsapparently unsuccessfulMobileMe project, thedownload-only launch of Lion isnotmerely ‘not their finesthour’, but their worst ever.

Apple needs to get its headout of the clouds, and realisethatmany of its loyal customershave their feet firmly planted onthe ground, tethered by copper-wire broadband to pedestriandownload speeds.

Before Apple finallymovesinto its brand-new curved glassCupertino doughnut, and looksout on its beautiful Apricotorchard, it might reflect on thefact Apricot is a defunct brand,

which once upon a timedisplayed great design andcreativity, just like Apple, butlost itsway. Any aeroplane pilotwill tell them that flying in cloudcan be disorientating, and thatthe best thing to do is to dropbelow it to get back on course.Good advice is plentiful, goodsense apparently not quite so.Let’s just hopeApple realisesthe error of itsways beforemy12-month extendedMobileMeaccount expires.DigbyHarper

MacFormat replies:Well, we’dsay don’t write off Apple’s iCloudbefore it’s even launched, Digby.

September 2011 MacFormat.co.uk 21MacFormat.co.uk 21

startupNews Profiles Gadgets Feedback

Not only will it offer a lot of thefeatures that you know and lovefromMobileMe, but it will also befree. Perhapsmost importantly,your MobileMe .me email accountwill still work with the new iCloud.What it won’t offer is a place topublish websites you’ve created iniWeb, or photo galleries to shareyour photos with. Exciting newdevelopments such as Documentsin the Cloud, Photo Stream andiTunes in the Cloud have definitelygot us looking forward to iCloud.Apple might want to move officesto a space age-looking doughnut(see Startup last month), but wedon’t think the company is headingtheway of Apricot just yet.

Time MachineIn your August 2011 issueregarding backups youmentionusing TimeMachine to do a fullrestore. One extra limitation ofTimeMachine is that onceyou’ve completed the restore,new TimeMachine backupsdon’t recognise the existingbacked up data and it insists ondoing a full backup again.Whenyou have 1.3TB to back up on a1.5TB drive, this is not possible!

Aworkaround is to set theTimeMachine disk ID tomatchthe newprimary disk ID(assuming you’ve replaced yourprimary drive due to failure)however a program calledBatChmod is required in order toremove the access control list(acl) from the TimeMachine

Weasked:What’s your favouritefeature of OS X Lion?

@Dave_Piper“My fave feature is the AutoSave! Never lose anotherdocument. Coupled withTime Machine, it’s thekiller feature.”

@neiltaylormade“Has to be reverse scrolling– it just makes sense! Goingback to Windows at work isa pain though, I keepscrolling the wrong way!”

@danielrmitchell“Mission Control withfull-screen apps. Thisintegration makesorganising open apps easierto find and open quickly.”

@TheTechBox“Mail 5 – love the interfaceand some of the newfeatures it boasts.”

@editkick“Love Mission Control! Beenusing corners for years;seems like just the upgradewe need. Gestures will taketime to learn though.”

@craigos_stone“Full-screen apps without adoubt – plus the ability touse gestures to glide fromone to another effortlessly!”

@alimack“Would be Versions andAirDrop, but the latterdoesn’t work on myhardware and no support inOffice 2011 for Versions!”

FromtheTwittersphere

Twittertalk

drive in order tomodify the ID.Full details are available online!KeithHolmes

MacFormat replies: Sounds like agreat tip Keith, thanks for the email.

Never lose a fileChris, great article youwrote forMacFormat on backing up. Thebest I’ve read. But I have twoquestions. First, after extollingthe virtues of Carbon CopyCloner you yourself useSuperDuper!Why do your preferit? You gave it no space in thearticle. Second, can you bootfrom Carbon Copy Cloner if itshares an external diskwithTimeMachine but in differentpartitions? Like I say, a greatarticle. I’ve downloadedSugarSync and CrashPlan onthe basis of it.MikeWallbridge

Christopher Phin replies: To beclear, the whole article was writtenby Ian Betteridge, not me; I justcontributed one of the case studiesof someonewho’s very carefulabout backing up.I personally prefer SuperDuper!,

largely because it feels like a morepolished application; both areequally technically competent, andCarbon Copy Cloner’s creator Mikehas done a stellar job, but it justfeels tome a little like an engineer’srather than a user’s app. And Iparticularly like the schedulingcontrols and smart updating in thepaid-for edition of SuperDuper!Either, though, is fine.

And yes, if you have a clone onone partition and TimeMachine onanother, you can boot from thatclone – just hold theå key on thekeyboard at boot to pick what driveto boot from.

Happy backing up!●

Youcanfindoutwhatwe’reuptoeachmonthbyfollowing the teamatTwitter.com/MacFormat

Having problemswith TimeMachine? Keith Holmes’ tipmay help.

apple events / What’s going on?

IFS, Berlin3-8 SeptemberThe 50th IF trade show willattract reps from across theworld’s consumer electronicsindustry, eager to show us what’snew in convergence technology.

UPDATE 2011, Brighton5-7 SeptemberA mobile conference covering abroad range of topics. Everythingfrom HTML5 and copywriting formobile to full-on iOS app creation.

IBC EXHIBITION,Amsterdam9-13 September, 2011IBC is the leading internationalforum for the electronic mediaindustry, offering everythingacross the content value chain forthe coming year.

MACFORMAT issue 23914 SeptemberGet your eyes and mind aroundthe latest news, information,features and reviews.

APPS WORLDLondon29-30 NovemberAfter visiting Africa and Asia in2011, this international AppsWorld series comes to London.Showcasing across multipleplatforms, there are areas fordevelopers, mobile operators andTV apps to show off their work.Attendees can expect keynotespeeches and advice from thegreat and the good of thisbooming business.

14oCToBer

HOWTO...

Simple searchesStart typing in the searchbar and the Finderimmediately looks for anymatching files on yourMac’s hard disk.

Re-use searchesClick Save (top-right) to create asmart folder. Add it to thesidebar for quick access.

Add criteriaClick + to add detailedconditions that files mustmatch to appear in theresults below.

Search scopeTell the Finder to look allover or just below the lastfolder, and at file names orcontents too.


Photos Movies Music Office System

When you need to findsomething on your Mac,there are several starting

points. Which one is appropriatedepends on how broadly you need tosearch. Applications that organiselarge amounts of related information,such as iCal and iTunes, have asearch bar built in. But sometimesyou won’t have a clue wheresomething is stored, and that’swhere Spotlight comes in handy.

In fact, Spotlight is the basis forsearching across your whole system.It works silently in the background toindex changes made as you work.This is why you can near-instantlytrack things down later.

Spotlight’s most basic form is theSpotlight menu, accessed by clickingthe magnifying glass at the far rightof the menu bar. Type somethinginto its search bar and all sorts ofitem appear – files, applications,

emails, songs and more – grouped bytype. You can control which types areshown, and their order, by openingSystem Preferences > Spotlight >Search Results.

The Spotlight menu usually worksbrilliantly, but it only has room for alimited number of results. Whenthere are too many, and when it’sdifficult to tell apart files with similarnames, choose Show All Finder atthe top of the menu. You’ll have tocope with the jarring shift to aSpotlight window, and pick out theitems of interest from a potentiallymuch longer list; but you’ll be able to

select them and hit the spacebar topreview their contents and decidewhich is the correct one. Lion savesyou hassle by integrating Quick Lookright into the Spotlight menu.

When you open a Spotlightwindow, it continues to show filesthat match the criteria you typedinto the Spotlight menu. You can addmore criteria to inspect additionalattributes in detail. When you’retotally unsure where a file is saved,this is the most powerful way topinpoint what you’re after.

Spotlight searches can be startedfrom scratch as well, cutting out acouple of steps. Any search that youthink will come in useful again can besaved as a smart folder, so that youdon’t have to rebuild it from scratch.There are some hidden tricks as well,which give you even more powerthan you might have imagined.Alan Stonebridge

Search indetailwithSpotlightUnlock the true potential of theMac OSX system-wide search engine

“Spotlight’smostbasicformis itsmenu,accessedbyclickingthemagnifyingglassrightof themenubar”

KEY INFODIFFICULTYIntermediate

TIMENEEDED15 minutes

WHATYOU’LLNEEDLeopard, Snow Leopard or Lion(some features work with Tiger,but it looks very different andis often slow)

HOWTO...


Photos Movies Music Office System

Start fromscratchPresså+ç+[Space] to open a

Spotlight window, so you can find files usingmore than keywords. Options in the search barlet you choose to look everywhere or just in theHome folder. To look in a specific folder, browsethere, pressç+F and select it in the bar.

MatchingvaluesItems to the right in a row specify the

conditions that files must meet. For dates, youcan look within a specific period or relative totoday. Many others accept freeform text. Theoptions differ depending on the attribute, butthey’re easy to construct, just like sentences.

Trim resultsIf you discern a pattern to superfluous

results, they can be excluded. Holdå and the +buttons change to ellipses that add a group ofconditions. Setting the group’s first row to Nonecan filter out, say, PDF files when you’re lookingfor other documents used to create them.

Build your criteriaClick + at the right of the search options

bar to add criteria for files to meet. The leftmostitem in a row is the attribute to be inspected.Click it for a list of common attributes. ChooseOther to see more. Type in the adjacent searchbar to look in descriptions as well as names.

Specific file typesSearching by kind works by category, or

when you choose Other. So, ‘Microsoft’ showsWord and Excel files since both descriptionscontain the word. If you’re unsure what to type,locate an example, choose File > Get Info andcopy and paste its kind from the General group.

Uncertain termsConversely, setting that option to Any

can reveal files that you’re not sure contain allof your keywords. For example, files thatcontain tips or ‘keyboard shortcuts,’ but notnecessarily both. Be careful to enclose phrasesin double-quotes to match them exactly.

Beprecise andquickIn Lion, the Finder’s search bar tries to

interpret the meaning of keywords. Choosing asuggestion turns it into a token. Click the left bitto change scope. Double-click the right bit tochange keyword. This reduces the amount ofclicking needed to specify search terms. ●

Quick attribute accessSome extended attributes are regularly

useful. File label, for example, matches files bythe assigned colour label. Tick the adjacent boxin the In Menu column to save browsing thelong list. Obscure attributes are separatelygrouped, so often-used ones are quick to access.

QUICKTIPTo revise a smart folder, open it, clickthe Action (cog) button in thetoolbar, and pick Show SearchCriteria. A right-click on the sidebarsearches for this option. To keep theold and modified versions, duplicatethe smart folder. Sidebar searchesare in ~/Library/Saved Searches.

01

04

06

02

05

07 08

03

HOWTO / Find exactly what you’re looking for

REVIEWS Hardware Software Games iOS


New Sandy Bridge processorsfrom Intel have brought bigperformance increases

across the Mac range. Their arrival onthe MacBook Air represents a giantleap in power for Apple’s ultra-portable, which also benefits from anew Thunderbolt port and the returnof the backlit keyboard.

The 2011 MacBook Airs retain theform factor introduced in last year’srefresh, with two 11-inch and two13-inchmodels on offer. The 11-inchMacBook Airs use 1.6GHz dual-coreIntel Core i5 processors, with the13-inch versions using 1.7GHz Core i5chips. Themore expensive model ineach size can be upgraded to a1.8GHz Intel Core i7 using the OnlineStore customisation options, andthat’s what we’re looking at here – ahigh-end 13-inchmodel that’s beenupgraded to a Core i7.

The Core i7 (and indeed all theCPUs used in the newMacBook Airrange) is dual core, though HyperThreadingmeans two threads canrun on each of its two cores, giving itfour virtual cores in all. The chips alsooffer Turbo Boost, which cantemporarily increase the clock speedto up to 2.9GHzwhenmore power isneeded. Sandy Bridge’s Intel HDGraphics 3000 processor is a fairreplacement for the integrated

NVIDIA GeForce 320M in the previousline of Airs, though it wasmarginallyout-performed in our Doom 3 test.

The 2010model’s Mini DisplayPorthas been replaced by a Thunderboltport. As regular readers know,Thunderbolt combines video and I/Ocapabilities. As well as giving

incredible data transfer speeds, it alsoacts as a video-out port. You can pluga Mini DisplayPort cable directly intoit, and also VGA, HDMI and DVIscreens, using adapters. You can alsouse adapters for FireWire 800 andGigabit Ethernet, the first time eitherhas been possible using a MacBookAir. The backlit keyboard was removedfor the 2010 refresh, but returns withthis year’s range.

With thewhite MacBook nowdiscontinued, the cheapest 2011 Air isApple’s entry-level notebook. Thisisn’t necessarily a good thing. Thosewhowant a bigger screen, an opticaldrive andmore than 64GB of onboardstoragemust now spend a little moreon a 13-inch MacBook Pro. But thatwill hardly worry those consideringthis top-speccedmodel. It’s smaller,lighter and portable, yet powerfulenough to use as your sole computer.Ian Osborne

AppleMacBookAirdual-core1.8GHz Intel Core i7,Mid-2011£1,449A great leap forward for the Air, but can it fill the gap left by the discontinuedMacBook?

“The Core i7 is dual core, thoughHyperThreadingmeans two threads can runoneachof its two cores, giving it four in all”

APPLENOTEBOOK

The new MacBook Airs come preinstalled with OS X 10.7: Lion – a boon for trackpad users.

Cinebench (CBs)Measuring CPU and GPUperformance, Cinebench reportsits results as a single figure.Multi-core performance quoted.

Doom3framerates(FPS)Uses Doom 3’s ‘timedemo 1’routine, set at 1,024x768 at Ultraquality. Tests graphics andperformance. Higher is better.

XbenchXbench tests CPU and hard driveperformance. Higher is better. Ayou can see the Air’s SSD makes abig difference of the MacBook Pro.

0 2200 4400 6600 8800 11000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 70 140 210 280 350

MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011 MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011 MB Air 13” 1.8GHz Core i7, mid 2011

MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010 MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010 MB Air 13” 1.86GHz Intel C2D, late 2010

MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011 MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011 MB Pro 13” 2.7GHz Core i7, early 2011

BENCHMARKS /Howdoes theMacBookAir stackup?

CONTACTSDeveloper: Applewww.apple.com/uk

SPECIFICATIONSProcessor: Dual-core 1.8GHz IntelCore i7 RAM: 4MB Hard disk:256GB SSD Ports: 2xUSB 2.0,1xThunderbolt Optical drive: NoDisplay: 13.3-inch, 1440x900resolution Graphics: Intel HDGraphics 3000 Dimensions:0.3-1.7x32.5x22.7cmWeight: 1.35kg

VERDICT

“A significant step forwardfor the MacBook Air,which is powerful enoughto use as your main Mac.”

PROS&CONSPowerful new processorsIntel HD Graphics 3000Thunderbolt portBacklit keyboard returnsSolid-state storageNot ideal at entry level

The new MacBook Airs come preinstalled with OS X 10.7: Lion – a boon for trackpad users.

REVIEWS


Apple’s entry-level Mac hasalways been something of amixed bag: beautiful,

compact and well-engineered on theone hand; over-priced and under-powered on the other. And everyrevamp brings more of the same. Isthis mid-2011 model any different?

The good news is that Apple hasfinally managed to squeeze a choiceof 2.3GHz or 2.5GHz Intel Core i5processors into the Macmini’s19.7x3.6x19.7cm ‘biscuit tin’ box, withthe option to upgrade to a 2.7GHzCore i7 model for an extra £80. Thenew CPUs replace the Intel Core 2 Duoof last year’s models with a promised2x performance boost.

Apple has also given gaming andmovie viewing a boost with a discreteAMD Radeon HD6630M graphics card

– and the Macmini now sports aThunderbolt port in place of the MiniDisplayPort which debuted last year.Sitting alongside that are HDMI andEthernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports, aFireWire 800 port and an SD graphicscard slot. It’s amazing how Apple hasmanaged to pack somuch into a tinypackage. And then you notice whatApple has taken away…

One of the things that has drawnsomany people to the Macmini isthat it makes for a great homeentertainment PC. Its compact designand SuperDrive made it ideal for useas a DVD player replacement,especially when last year’s revampadded an HDMI port as well. Only nowApple has gone and removed theoptical drive altogether and replacedit with an infra-red window for theoptional £15 aluminium remotecontrol instead. There are tworeasons for this: one, taking out the

optical drive was the only way Applecould shoehorn in the Core i5/i7processors and a discrete graphicscard; and two, Apple doesn’t much

care for optical discs: see theMacBook Air or Apple’s forthcomingiCloud service for evidence.

The only way you can get thatfunctionality back is to either useanother Mac with an optical drive andOS X’s Remote Disc facility – or to buyan optional MacBook Air SuperDrive

for £66. That’s either a deal-breakeror a fuss over nothing, depending onyour point or view.

Yet there is a lot to love about thenewMacmini. The Core i5 processortrashed its Core 2 Duo predecessor inall our tests – and it’s the same storywith its graphics performance.

You now have two different modelsto choose from, compared to lastyear’s one: the entry-level 2.3GHzversionwith 2GB of RAM and a 320GBhard disk at £529 (£83 cheaper thanthe old model) and this 2.5GHzversion with 4GB of RAM and a500GB hard disk at £699. Both areexcellent value for money.RobMead-Green

AppleMacmini2.5GHzCore i5,mid2011£699The revampedMacmini is faster andmore powerful than ever before. Sowhat’smissing?

“The Core i5 processor trashed its Core 2Duopredecessor in all our tests – and it’s thesame storywith its graphic performance”

APPLEMAC

The latest Mac mini has followed the MacBook Air’s lead and got rid of its optical disk drive.

CONTACTSDeveloper: Applewww.apple.com/uk

REQUIREMENTSDeveloper: 2.5GHz dual-core IntelCore i5 with 3MB shared level 3cache RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) of1333MHz DDR3 Hard disk: 500GB5400rpm Serial ATA Ports: 1xThunderbolt port, 1x FireWire 800port, 4x USB 2.0 ports, SDXCmemory card slot Optical drive:none Display: none Graphics:AMD Radeon HD6630M with 256MBof dedicated GDDR5 video memoryDimensions: 19.7x3.6x19.7cmWeight: 1.22kg

VERDICT

“Fast performance forsuch a small Mac, but thelack of DVD drive mightput off media lovers.”

PROS&CONSMuch faster than 2010 modelGreat for HD movies and gamesThunderbolt I/O portPrices start at £529No optical driveLimited appeal

Hardware Software Games iOS

Cinebench (CBs)Measuring CPU and GPUperformance, Cinebench reportsits results as a single figure.Multi-core performance quoted.

Doom3framerates(FPS)Tested using Doom 3’s ‘timedemo1’ routine, set at 1,024x768 withsettings at Ultra. Frames persecond quoted. Higher is better.

XbenchA test that benchmarks the CPUand hard drive performance usingXbench’s CPU, Memory and DiskTests. Higher is better.

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150

Mac mini 2.5GHz Core i5, mid 2011 Mac mini 2.5GHz Core i5, mid 2011 Mac mini 2.5GHz Core i5, mid 2011

Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel C2D, mid 2010 Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel C2D, mid 2010 Mac mini 2.4GHz Intel C2D, mid 2010

iMac 21-inch, 2.5GHz 4-core i5, mid 2011 iMac 21-inch, 2.5GHz 4-core i5, mid 2011 iMac 21-inch, 2.5GHz 4-core i5, mid 2011

BENCHMARKS /Howdoes theMacmini stackup?

The latest Mac mini has followed the MacBook Air’s lead and got rid of its optical disk drive.


GET INVOLVED

STARTYOUROWNMUGIf you’re planning on startingup a new MUG in your area,or you have recently set oneup, let us know and we’llprint the details here. [email protected]

NEWSTARTER

[1] [email protected]

[2] Bristol&[email protected]

[3] Berkshire&NorthHampshireMUGReading [email protected]

[4] Bracknell ForestMUGBracknell, [email protected]

[5] ClubMac [email protected]

[6] CorkUniversity [email protected]/mug

[7] CumbriaMacEnthusiastsBarrow-in-Furnesscontact@macenthusiasts.co.ukwww.macenthusiasts.co.uk

[8] DeafMacUsersWebsite group for thehard of [email protected]://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/deaf-macs/




[12]HarlechMUGSouth [email protected]


[14]MACUS (Manchester)[email protected]

[15][email protected]



[18]OxMUGOxfordwww.oxmug.org

[19] South EssexMUGWickford, [email protected]



[22] StroudMacUser [email protected]

[23] SuffolkMacUser [email protected]

[24] [email protected]://swindonmacusergroup.googlepages.com


[26] Three CountiesMUGLuton, [email protected]

[27]WessexMUGsFareham, Dorchester,Bournmouth&[email protected]

[28] YorkshireMUGDoncaster& other [email protected]

MacUserGroupsFind fellowMac enthusiasts near you! Here’s a list of theUK& IrelandMUGs

Reader offersGreat deals on awesome software – exclusive toMacFormatmagazine

25%off PasswordWalletKeep your internet passwords safeand in one place with this brilliantutility from Selznick ScientificSoftware. To use it, simply enterthe details youwant to store andthen secure themwith amasterpassword and PasswordWallet’s448-bit Blowfish encryption. Otherneat features include Auto-Typing,which enables PasswordWallet toenter website logins for you. To get20%off the £12.50 asking price goto http://bit.ly/qew3Ie, click Buyand then enterMacFormat25 intothe Apply Coupon box.

30%offFoldersSynchronizerIf you like to keepmultiple copiesof disks, files and folders of yourMac in other locations, then thisapp from Softobe is for you. Backupor synchronise anything fromindividual documents to entire harddrives using a set of easy-to-understand options. To get 30%off the $40 (£25) asking price,simply go to http://bit.ly/qABf9h,select FolderSynchroniser andthen type readeroffers into theCoupon Code box on the secondpage of the order.

20%offCurrencyAssistantNeed to crunch some sums in ahurry? Mabsoft’s CurrencyAssistant could be just what youneed. Its calculator-style interfaceenables you to convert any amountbetween 24 currencies at a time –and you can havemultiplewindows open for evenmoreconversions, with live exchangerate updates for up to 174 differentcurrencies. To get 20%off the £16asking price, go to http://bit.ly/mYmNEO, choose CurrencyAssistant and then type

DBDC8BADC into the Coupon Codebox during checkout.

25%off Pear NoteIdeal for use in meetings, lecturesand events, Pear Notemakestaking and interpreting text notes abreeze. Record audio, video, slidesand keystrokes alongside the notesthat youwrite, to easily interpretthem later. Developer Useful FruitSoftware is offeringMacFormatreaders 25%off the $40 (£25)asking price. Go to http://bit.ly/qGNJFM and typeMacFormat intothe Coupon Code box.