“Welcome to Macintosh” is a 2008 documentary chronicling the history of Apple. Important figures in Apple’s past make appearances, including Guy Kawasaki, who was responsible for Macintosh marketing in 1984, as well as Andy Hertzfeld, who worked on the original Macintosh design team. Leander Kahney, the author of the popular Apple book “Cult of Mac,” is in the documentary also. “Welcome to Macintosh” will be airing on January 4th at 9:30 PM EST.

The 2009 documentary “MacHEADS” discusses Apple fans and the popularity of Apple products. There have not been any films in the past that have focused on the legions of fans that are devoted to Apple. “MacHEADS” will be airing January 5th at 10:00 PM EST.

“Planet of the Apps” discusses the phenomenon that is mobile phone apps. The popularity of these apps was fueled by Apple allowing third-party apps for sale for the iPhone and iPod touch starting in July 2008. Other companies have tried to mimic the App Store’s success by launching stores of their own, but have not been nearly as successful as Apple has. “Planet of the Apps” will be airing on January 7th at 10:00 PM EST.

I rarely watch movies so I have not seen either of the documentaries, but it will be exciting to watch them as well as “Planet of the Apps.”

iMac
The iMac now have larger screen sizes and LED-backlit displays. The 20-inch model is now 21.5-inch, while the 24-inch is now 27-inch. While the 21.5-inch is only available as a dual-core, the 27-inch can be bought as a dual or quad-core. The aspect ratio has been changed to 16:9 which will be an improvement for multimedia viewing. The back is aluminum now instead of black. The black backing felt out of place on the previous iMacs. The 27-inch model is also VESA mount compatible as well as capable of accepting video input. All models are available now except for the quad-core iMac, which is coming in November. iMac prices begin at $1199.

Macbook
The entry level MacBook is still white and plastic, but is now unibody like the MacBook Pro. The unibody gives it a cleaner, more simplistic look. Just like the iMac, the MacBook has a LED-backlit display. The MacBook also includes a multi-touch glass trackpad and an all rubber bottom reminiscent of the Airport Extreme’s underside. The built-in battery seen on the Macbook Pros is now present in the Macbook. The 7-hour battery is not user removable. This is not that big of a deal as many users do not use multiple batteries and the battery life is very long. There are a few downsides to the updated MacBook. It lacks any FireWire ports, there is only one port for audio input/output, and it does not have a infrared receiver for accessories like the Apple Remote. These changes clearly cement this model as an entry-level product. Prices start at $999.

Mac Mini
Apple has not given the Mac Mini much love in the past. Rumors have circulated for some time that it would be axed, but the rumors are always proven untrue. The Mac Mini has been updated and now comes in the regular version and a new version that has Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. The optical drive has been replaced with a second hard drive. Both hard drives are 500 GB. An external SuperDrive can be used if an optical drive is still needed. There is only one configuration of the server Mac Mini and it costs $999. The regular Mac Mini base price is $599.

Mouse
The product I am most excited about is the new Bluetooth mouse from Apple, which is called the Magic Mouse. It is a multi-touch mouse which thankfully does away with the needs-to-be-cleaned-constantly scroll ball. Cosmetically, it has a sleeker look than the previous model. The top is clear white plastic. It does not have separate buttons for left and right click but it can be configured to be a one or two button mouse. The Magic Mouse is an inevitable evolution of an Apple branded mouse, as multi-touch has already found its way into the iPhone, iPod touch, and Mac notebooks. If you still want a corded mouse, the Mighty Mouse is still available, which is now called the Apple Mouse. The Magic Mouse comes with all new iMacs unless configured to include the Apple Mouse. It will be available late October and costs $69.

Apple Remote
Another product that received a new look is the Apple Remote. It is now all aluminum. This change was bound to happen because aluminum is Apple’s current style of the moment. It is also longer then the previous remote, looks more comfortable to hold, and is less difficult to lose. The play button has been moved near the menu button and the battery can now be removed easily from the back. According to Apple, the remote is “Compatible with Apple products introduced in 2005 or later that have a built-in infrared (IR) receiver” and “requires the iPod Universal Dock and any iPod with a dock connector or any iPhone.” The Apple Remote cost $19 and the Apple online store says it is shipping in 2-4 weeks.

Time Capsule/Airport Extreme
If you blinked, you might have missed the Time Capsule update. Not much in terms of specs, just that the backup speed is 60% faster than previous models (using Snow Leopard). Wireless networking performance was also improved in both the Time Capsule and Airport Extreme.

While the changes to the Mac and Accessories lineup are not revolutionary, they are welcomed improvements.

If you’re a Mac loving pessimist who likes to save money, I’ve got good news for you. The piece of mind that is AppleCare, can be purchased for less than retail price. While this may not be news to some, it was to me.

For those that don’t know, AppleCare is basically an extended warranty with telephone technical support, web-based support resources, and some free diagnostic software. The complimentary coverage that you get when you purchase a Mac is 90 days of phone support and one year of service coverage (hardware repair). AppleCare extends both phone support and service coverage to three years. When you purchase AppleCare it does not extend your warranty three years, it extends your warranty to three years from your date of purchase.

I won’t go into the debate if AppleCare is worth the money or not. Any Mac user that’s had to use AppleCare though will likely tell you that it is worth the money. I’ve never bought an extended warranty for a computer but I’m going to purchase AppleCare for my Macbook Pro. My MBP travels a good deal, and with all that movement comes the chance that one day something might happen to it.

You can purchase AppleCare up to one year from the date of your Mac purchase. Once that one year mark passes, you can no longer purchase AppleCare. Amazon is currently (maybe always?) selling AppleCare for less than the Apple price. The Macbook Pro plan will set you back $300 ($50 less than retail). The Macbook plan costs $200 ($50 less than retail). The iMac and Mac Pro plans will set you back $150 ($20 less than retail) and $250 respectively. Oddly, the Mac Pro plan is the only Mac AppleCare plan that is not less than retail price. I guess if you can afford a Mac Pro you can afford AppleCare at retail price?

Old Design

Some of the new features include voting buttons on every story. The voting feature will float the most popular stories to the top of the “Top User Rated” tab on the home page. Also changed is that comments are now seen on the same page as the story. Previously the comments were kept in the forum which was tucked away from the story itself. The Playlist website has been folded back into Macworld as well.

New Design

I can’t be certain, but it looks like less content is displayed on the new home page. The new design is certainly in line with current design trends too. My first impression is to give it a thumbs up.

Citing sources in Asia, CNBC says (video link) Apple will release a sub-portable notebook at MacWorld in January. Though a little lite on details, CNBC reports the notebook will cost $1500, be 50% thinner than current notebooks, and be flash memory based. This would likely include the introduction of solid state drives (SSD) to the Apple lineup.

With the sub-portable 50% thinner than the current Macbook Pro, the device is likely to have no optical media drive and reduced USB/Firewire ports. So Apple is going to sell me a smaller screen, less features, and less storage for $1500? No thanks. I know some people have been salivating over this for some time, but I just don’t want a notebook with less features than the one I currently own. I love my Macbook Pro and couldn’t image using a computer smaller than the Macbook, which I previously owned. When did CNBC get on the Apple rumor mill too?

[Via Switch To A Mac]

It’s no secret that we love Apple here at AMHQ. Part of the reason this website was started was to get all the great Apple, Inc information out to everyone on the interwebs. We’re trying to cover things that we ourselves would want to hear about and we hope you do too. As we bring you everything Apple, we are starting something new at Apple Mac HQ next month.

If you take pictures and put them online, changes are pretty good you’ve visited Flickr at some point. We started a new Flickr group recently and we want you to add your pictures to it. The group is called Apple Office, and it’s a place where we want you to put your Apple themed office pictures. Do you have a sweet picture of your office space showing off your 30″ Apple Cinema Display next to your Macbook Pro, right beside your new aluminum keyboard? Maybe you have an Apple logo neon sign right above your Mac Pro?

We want to feature one or two Apple themed offices each month here at Apple Mac HQ. Add your Apple themed office pictures to our Flickr group and you’re automatically entered to be featured on Apple Mac HQ. We’ll give you full credit for the picture and link to your website if you have one. We’ll pick our first office in a few weeks, so go ahead and add your picture to the Apple Office Flickr group!

If you want to watch TV on your Mac, Amazon has an amazing deal going on right now. It looks like it’s one of the Black Friday special deals so take advantage of it while you can. For just $75 USD (after $30 rebate), you can pick up the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950 from Amazon. The regular price is nearly $150 so you’re saving close to 50%.

The Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950 looks amazingly similar to the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid which I own and love (a review is coming soon). In fact, the WinTV-HVR-950 even comes with the EyeTV Lite software package. Included is software that will work with PC’s too. The Hauppaugge will receive HD ATSC (over the air) and analog cable TV signals. The WinTV-HVR-950 even comes with a portable TV antenna capable of receiving HD signals, the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid does not include a antenna. You’ll need a fairly recent Mac to use the WinTV-HVR-950, but if you want to watch TV cheaply on your Mac this is one of the best deals I’ve seen.

If you would like a free iMac and don’t mind filling out a survey, then I’ve got a link for you. Macworld is giving away a free iMac to someone who completes this survey by January 31st, 2008. The contest is limited to US residents 18 years old and older. For the official rules, visit the link above and click the drawing rules link. Good luck to everyone who enters!

B = Billion
M = Million
FY = Fiscal Year

Revenue/Financials
-Revenue of 6.22B; a 29% increase over year ago quarter
-Net income of 904M, up 67% over year ago quarter
-Mac products and services accounted for 62% of total quarterly revenue
-36% of quarterly revenue were from music related products
-Revenue of 118M was recognized from iPhone sales, iPhone accessories, and payments from AT&T
-Apple Stores averaged revenue of 6.6M based on an average of 190 stores
-33.6% total company gross margin
-Capitalized 22M of software development expense related to Leopard in 4Q
-15.4B in cash balance to end the quarter
-24B in revenue FY 2007
-3.5B in net income for FY 2007
-Direct sales were 57% of total company revenue in 4Q

Mac
-Shipped 2.16M Macs in 4Q; which is a new quarterly record
-34% Mac growth over year ago quarter
-Driven by the iMac redesign; 31% year over year growth in desktop systems
-Sales of Macbook and Macbook Pro increased 37% over year ago quarter
-62% of Macs sold were Macbook and Macbook Pro
-Q4 ended with less than 3 weeks channel inventory; which is below average
-7M Macs sold in FY 2007
-Around 8700 Mac sales points

iPhone
-Sold 1.1M iPhones during 4Q; 1.4M to date
-iPhone was the fourth highest selling handset in the US during the 4Q according to market research
-Apple anticipates most iPhone $100 credits to be recorded by end of calendar year 2007
-Working with Salesforce.com on their iPhone software
-On target to enter Asia in 2008 with iPhone
-Apple estimates 250K iPhones sold to individuals wishing to unlock them
-No update on previously mentioned iPhone testing in the Enterprise (maybe with Active Sync?)
-No news on new iPhone model. Apple did not comment on entering Asia with a 2.5G phone. (Could this point to the Asia 2008 launch for a 3G iPhone?)

iPod/iTunes
-10.2M iPods sold in 4Q; 17% growth over year ago quarter
-Other music revenue grew 33% year over year (iTunes, anything else?)
-In the US, iTunes accounts for over 85% of purchased and downloaded music according to the latest available Soundscan data
-Over 3B songs and 100M TV shows sold to date
-52M iPods sold in FY 2007
-Over 40K iPod sales points
-Over 120M iPods shipped to date

Apple Stores
-Apple Stores reported 1.25B in revenue, which was a 42% year over year growth.
-Q4 ended with 197 Apple Stores
-Over 50% of in store Mac sales were to new Mac customers
-31M visitors to Apple Stores in 4Q
-40 new Apple Stores to open in the coming year
-Beijing, China store to open next Summer
-Apple Stores hosted over 100M visitors in FY 2007

Other
-In the first half of calendar year 2007, 17% of global music sales are digital according to IFPI
-Analysts were surprised that Apple released guidance above Wall Street estimates
-230 Best Buy mini stores operating at end of 4Q; with more than 270 expected to be in operation by the end of 2007
-Added over 2000 storefronts to Mac distribution in the last year; this includes partners and Apple Stores
-47% unit growth in Europe year over year
-Japan is still toughest major market for Apple
-21M potential Leopard customers; Macs shipped in the last 4 years that meet system requirements
-100M in revenue on Tiger sales in first quarter of launch

As you can tell by the numbers above, Apple had a remarkable quarter. The holiday season is always the biggest iPod quarter, and with Leopard coming this week the next quarter is looking good as well.

Disclosure: I own an insignificant number of Apple, Inc (AAPL) shares.

Mac sales are expected to take center stage on the earnings report. The fourth quarter is usually a strong quarter for the Mac due to back to school sales. While the Mac may take center stage, iPod and iPhone sales will also be of interest to investors. During the quarter, Apple announced redesigned iPods (except the shuffle which only got new colors), a new iMac, iLife 08, iWork 08, and the price cut heard around the world.

You can listen to the fourth quarter results conference call a number of ways.

Phone: (719) 325-4745.

Webcast: You can listen to the audio webcast here.

Disclosure: I own an insignificant number of Apple, Inc (AAPL) shares.

Update: You can find a breakdown of the fourth quarter results here.

If you’re like me, you take great care in making sure your Apple laptop is clean. Even the most studious person can get a little dirt on his/her laptop though. Mr. Clean easily makes getting your laptop clean with the Magic Eraser.

I recently upgraded to the Mackbook Pro, and needed to clean up my old Macbook before selling it. The Macbook was in very good condition, with the only noticeable wear on the palm rests. The left and right side of the trackpad showed exactly where my palms rested with two slightly discolored spots. After a few swipes with the Magic Eraser, the spots were gone. If you’re looking to clean the palm rests on your white Macbook, the Magic Eraser will do the trick.

One of the more interesting bits of information taken from these articles is on the website of the Missouri School of Journalism. The website says, “Students are encouraged to acquire wireless laptop technology from Apple, which the School has designated as its preferred provider, but students also will have a choice of a Windows-based alternative. Last year, 99.5 percent of incoming students chose the Apple option”. Given a choice, over 99% of the Missouri School of Journalism incoming students (needing a laptop) chose Apple. Wow! The picture below is a picture of a class in the Missouri School or Journalism (picture via MacDailyNews)

If you’re a fan of CSSEdit or DeskShade, you could get into MacWorld 2008 for free. The developer of those applications won a booth at MacWorld as part of the Apple Design Award for CSSEdit, but he is unable to make it to San Francisco in January. He’s looking for someone to take his place and it could be you. Read his blog post for more information.