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	“This really is an amazing machine,” declares Dana Batali of the new Mac Pro. “RenderMan,” explains Batali, Director of RenderMan Development at the Pixar Animation Studios, “is the highest quality renderer available. Creating complex surface appearances and images like those you saw in Cars really pushes desktop workstations to the limit. We couldn’t believe it when we realized that Mac Pro renders images 2x faster than even the Power Mac G5 Quad.”
	“Apple’s preview of Mac OS X Leopard won rave reviews from technology industry analysts who said that Monday’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote set a strong tone for the coming months,” reports Macworld’s Jim Dalrymple. “ ‘With enhancements to existing features like Spotlight, iChat, Mail, and new features like Time Machine and Boot Camp, I think that Apple has demonstrated that there is enough value in Leopard for Mac users to upgrade,’ Technology Business Research senior analyst Tim Deal told Macworld.”
	“Apple,” suggests Ryan Faas (Computerworld) “has given Mac professionals a lot to look forward to in the coming year,” and that begins with the new flagship computer in the Mac lineup. “The Mac Pro includes two dual-core Xeon processors, effectively giving it the power of four Xeon processors—more than double the computing power of any other Intel Mac (and setting it higher than most Intel PCs) and twice as fast in real-world tasks as the Power Mac G5 Quad it replaces.” And, Faas points out, the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors differentiate “the Mac Pro from Apple's other deskto! p offerings and most PCs. (A comparable Dell PC would be as much as $1,000 more than a standard Mac Pro.)”
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The times they may be a-changing, but one thing hasn't changed. Five years is too long to wait for a new album from Bob Dylan. Especially when it involves a musical trilogy that began with “Time Out of Mind“; continued with “Love and Theft“; and will soon culminate with “Modern Times.“

When it becomes available in late August, “Modern Times“ will offer 10 new songs, four music videos, and a digital booklet. Pre-order it today from the iTunes Music Store, and you'll receive “Jokerman,“ an exclusive fifth video. And you'll receive an iTunes Pre-Sale Ticketmaster Ticket Code, providing access to pre-sale Ticketmaster tickets for Dylan's upcoming tour. Are you up for “Modern Times“?

On August 29, you'll also find a new digital box set exclusively available on the iTunes Music Store. Called “The Collection,“ it includes tracks from all of Dylan's albums. That's 800 tracks spanning the musical career of this quintessential American musician. You'll be able to purchase “The Collection“ with just one click for $199.

And here’s something else you’re sure to enjoy: A handpicked Discover Dylan playlist of such artists as Ryan Adams, Beck, the White Stripes, Billy Bragg, Bright Eyes, and numerous other young singer/songwriters who have been influenced and inspired by Dylan’s impressive body of work.

At Apple’s wordlwide developers conference earlier this week, Quark introduced QuarkXPress 7.01. The “first page-layout application designed to run natively on Intel-based Macs,” the Universal version of QuarkXPress offers such new features as “transparency, direct PDF creation, Composition Zones, and Job Jackets.” For more information or to download QuarkXPress 7.01, visit Quark’s website.

Also unveiled at WWDC 2006: Xserve with Quad 64-bit Xeon processors and Mac OS X Server Leopard.

The new fifth-generation Xserve features Mac OS X Tiger. Powered by the dual-core Intel Xeon “Woodcrest” processor running at up to 3.0GHz, this quad-core 64-bit system delivers performance up to five times* faster than the Xserve G5. With an industry-leading high bandwidth server architecture that includes PCI Express, independent 1.33GHz front side buses with 4MB of shared L2 cache, and fully-buffered DIMMs (FB-DIMMs), the new Xserve delivers up to four times the I/O bandwidth, up to three times the memory bandwidth and twice the storage bandwidth of the Xserve G5.

Scheduled to ship in Spring 2007, Mac OS X Server Leopard combines 64-bit power with Apple’s legendary ease of use. “Leopard Server,” says Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, “is our best Mac OS X Server release yet and includes many new innovative features, such as iCal Server, a wiki server and Spotlight Server, making it ideal for education, small businesses and large enterprises alike, and a great alternative to Windows and Linux servers.” It also will include a new Server Assisstant and Server Preferences with interfaces designed for small businesses and departments without an IT department. Get a sneak peak at Leopard Server.

*Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint rate tests. SPEC® is a registered trademark of Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); See www.apple.com/server/ for more information.

Now Universal, Xsan 1.4 and Mac OS X Server version 10.4.7 join the more than 3,000 Universal applications available for the now-complete lineup of Macintosh computers based on Intel processors.

With this week’s addition of hit shows from A&E Televisions Networks, you can now find more than 200 network and cable programs on the iTunes Music Store. That includes such popular A&E series as “Criss Angel: Mindfreak,” “Driving Force,” and “Inked.” You’ll also find selections from the award-winning “Biography” series from The Biography Channel as well as “The Revolution” and “Modern Marvels” from The History Channel.

How would you like to test drive Aperture, the all-in-one post-production tool for photographers. Now you can experience the power and versatility of Aperture firsthand. Simply by signing up for our free Aperture Test Drive, a seminar designed especially for professional photographers.

If you’ve found an article you think a friend ought to read, be sure to send her to the online version of today's issue of Apple eNews.

Every week, developers release new products for us to enjoy. Like to see some of the more recent arrivals?

Apple eNews
August 10, 2006
Volume 9, Issue 16

We hope you thoroughly enjoyed reading today’s issue of Apple eNews. We’re already working on the next issue, scheduled to come your way on Thursday, August 24. See you then.

Written and designed by Apple in Cupertino, Apple eNews is a free, bi-weekly email publication.

Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Visit your local Apple site or call your local authorized Apple reseller for more information. Prices are Apple Store prices as of the date of this publication. They do not include sales tax or shipping charges, are subject to change, and are listed in US dollars. Product specifications are subject to change.

Been waiting for the next, great desktop computer? It’s already shipping, and it’s the fastest Macintosh ever. The new Mac Pro.

Featuring the new 64-bit Dual-Core Intel Xeon “Woodcrest” processor, Mac Pro delivers quad-core performance in every configuration. That’s right, every Mac Pro ships with two new Intel Xeon processors, running at 2GHz, 2.66GHz, or 3GHz. And thanks to the performance gains offered by the new dual-core processor and a new lightning fast system architecture, Mac Pro provides up to twice the performance of the Power Mac G5 Quad.⁽¹⁾ Twice the performance.

Completely redesigned, Mac Pro’s enclosure features:

•	Four hard drive bays and up to 2TB of internal storage
•	Eight DIMM slots on two riser cards with support for up to 16GB
•	One double-wide 16 PCI Express graphics slot designed to accommodate high-end graphics cards (without blocking the adjacent expansion slot)
•	Three full-length PCI Express expansion slots
•	Up to two 16x SuperDrives

In fact, with more than 4.9 million possible Mac Pro configurations, you can build the Mac of your dreams. Take a look at Mac Pro.

^{1. Based on estimated SPECint_rate_base2000 results. Testing conducted by Apple in July 2006 using preproduction 3GHz Mac Pro units and shipping 2.5GHz Power Mac G5 Quad units. SPEC? is a registered trademark of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see www.spec.org for more information.}

With the introduction of the new Mac Pro, we’ve completed the transition began on January 10. Now, just 210 days later, we’ve transitioned the entire Macintosh line. With Mac Pro shipping, every desktop Mac—including iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro—and every portable—including MacBook and MacBook Pro—runs on Intel processors.

Of course, all of the Apple software you enjoy has made the transition, as well. Mac OS X Tiger. iLife ’06—iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand. Aperture. iWork ’06: Pages and Keynote. Shake. Logic Pro. QuickTime. Mac OS X Server v10.4.7. Final Cut Studio: Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro. Xsan. Final Cut Express. Apple Remote Desktop 3. They’re all Universal applications, running just fine on Macs with PowerPC processors. And performing even better on new Macs with Intel processors. What a great time to own a Mac.

Not only did we introduce Mac Pro at this year’s Developers Conference. We also gave attendees a sneak peak of Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard. And you can enjoy one, too. Either by watching the keynote in QuickTime or by visiting the new Mac OS X Leopard Sneak Peek website.⁽¹⁾ What’s coming your way in Leopard? Let's look at a few highlights.

A Timely Built-In
Backup Solution
You have your life and soul sitting on your Mac’s hard drive. And with Mac OS X “Leopard” and Time Machine, you’ll have a next-generation backup solution for all your irreplaceable music, movies, photos, and other files.

After the initial backup of your entire system—completed in the background, of course—Time Machine keeps track of the changes you make: the music you add, the photos you tweak, the blogs you update. Then once a day—like clockwork—Time Machine quickly and efficiently backs up everything that’s changed.

And if you’ve ever wished you could go back in time—resurrecting that budget spreadsheet as it appeared three days ago or those photos you accidently erased—now you can. Just jump in the Time Machine, and retrieve them in a flash.

Bringing Mail to Life
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet can keep Mail 3 from delivering a first-class communications experience. For starters, you’ll enjoy the new iLife-inspired Media Browser that makes incorporating photos in your email messages easier than ever. And—just like iLife and iWork—Mail 3 arrives with a stunning collection of Apple-designed stationery templates for invitations, greetings, letters, appointments, and photo sharing.

Here’s something else worth noting. Mail 3 gives special priority to capturing your every idea. Simply jot them down and save them in the new Notes folder. Just think what you can take note of: a new flame’s phone number, URLs, restaurant recommendations, and so much more. Mail lets you group related notes together manually or create a Smart Folder to do the heavy lifting.

And wait till you read all about the new support for To-Dos and RSS you’ll enjoy in Mac OS X Leopard Mail.

A Clean, Well-Lit Space
You multitask. Therefore, you are. Cluttered, that is. Spreadsheets to the left of you. iChat sessions to the right. Mail messages, web pages, iTunes, and a blog-in-utero scattered all around. Yes, you could benefit by bringing a little order to your sometimes chaotic Mac life.

Spaces, a new feature coming your way in Mac OS X Leopard, lets you compartmentalize your daily digital pursuits. Working on a term paper? Keep Safari and Pages open together in one Space, and you won’t be interrupted or distracted by your email. Which, of course, you keep in a separate Space with whatever applications or documents you decide to park there.

Switching from one space to another’s a no-brainer. And Mac OS X Leopard also makes it easy to add—or remove—applications, folders, or documents from the Spaces you create. Feel the need to merge Spaces? That’s simple, too.

Putting a Fresh Face
on iChat AV
From what exotic location would you like to chat from today? With iChat AV 4, the world’s your virtual plaything. Thanks, that is, to the new iChat backdrops coming your way in Leopard. You may be sitting in your den, but so far as your buddies know, you’re warm and toasty on the beach, poised beneath the Great Wall of China, or dodging traffic in Times Square. That’s because iChat AV 4 lets you magically erect virtual sets for yourself using still photos from iPhoto or even iMovie videos.

The fun doesn’t stop there. In iChat AV 4, you’ll also be able to employ some of the neat Photo Booth effects to enliven your video chats. Using iChat Theater, you can play a slideshow for the friends or family members you’re chatting with. Or talk a client through a new Keynote presentation. Full screen, if you like. iChat AV 4 also introduces multiple logins, animated buddy icons, tabbed chats, and invisibility. Take a look.

Ten Reasons to Sneak a Peek
Time Machine, Mail 3, Spaces, iChat AV 4—they’re just four of the many great features coming your way next Spring, when Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard leaps onto the scene. And if you visit our Leopard Sneak Peek, you can also read about the next versions of Spotlight, Boot Camp, Front Row, Universal Access, and other Leopard features. Oh, you’ll also find out about Web Clip, a cool new DIY widget maker.

^{1. All features referenced in the Mac OS X Leopard Sneak Peek are subject to change.}

You could be eyeing one right on your desktop. That’s because we’ve made the entire lineup of Apple Cinema Displays more affordable than ever.

Take a look, for example, at the award-winning 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. Delivering an industry-leading 2560-by-1600-pixel resolution, it’s now available for just $1,999, and it complements perfectly the new Mac Pro. Or try the 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display on for size. Ideal for editing HD content or choosing selects in Aperture, it now sells for just $999. And don’t overlook the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display. Now priced at $699, it too offers a big picture—1680 by 1050 pixels, to be exact.

Visit our website for more information about Apple Cinema Displays.

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Apple eNews: August 10, 2006