Welcome to day 4 of the Pocket-lint Christmas gift guide bonanza. Today is a special one for perhaps the faniest of all fanboys out there - the Apple lovers. Because most things Mac don't come cheap, we've done our best to present a few options to fit all budgets but if none of this woks for you, then you can always seek inspiration on our 101 excellent online Christmas stores guide.

Mac earrings/cuff links

There's no greater way of representing the Jobs crew than by wearing your heart on your sleeve, or in this case, your apple. A very reasonable $17 will buy a set of old school rainbow logo earrings for the fan girl and for $32 you can pick up some bolder danglers. Guys get a slightly different look to the shirt with $20 Mac Daddy cuff links from the early 80s or the $40 Apple logos from the return of the Ive era.

Mac Badges

There are quite a few of these out there and it all rather depends on your sense of humour but the Mac badge is a good way to show your pride on all other less formal occasions. Two of the best available are the plain, simple and straight from the heart "I love Macs" and the rather witty, film-referencing "I can't force quit you" for the gay cowboy/Apple humour cross over. Excellent stocking fillers at just $1 a go.

Mac Mugs

No desktop is complete without some caffeine inspiration from the cup of Jobs. Although these Apple grails claim to be original, we wouldn't put too much stock in whether they actually are from the 80s or not. But, at just over ?7 including delivery and a nice bold rainbow logo on the front, they'll bring a nice warm glow to any fanboy's heart even if the cup of Joe doesn't.

Mac SE/30 print

One's home office simply isn't a home office without artwork adorning the walls and nothing says "I was there back in the day" quite like an 8 x10-inch print of a Macintosh SE/30 compact computer. Van Gogh it ain't, but at $20 it's a very pleasant stylised look at a time before the Apple revolution. Surely inspiration for anyone even in the toughest times of one's own business.

iCon Steve Jobs

Dubbed the greatest second act in the history of business, the story behind the revival of Apple is a modern day classic with all the drama, and fortunately slightly fewer pages, as War and Peace. Written in 2005, this biography is going to fall short of one of the most significant Apple moves in the company's life but seeing as there's very little material on Steve anyway, it's about as good as you can get.

If your giftee is a little more recent to the way of the Apple, then another good read is the My New Mac book which you can pick up from the Apple store for ?24.

Magic Mouse

On the hardware side, one you can almost guarantee your loved one won't have is the newly launched Apple Magic Mouse. The ?55 pointer ditches buttons and scroll wheels altogether in favour of ever-popular multitouch technology. You can scroll with it and click the surface and it's also connected by Bluetooth for that bit of added luxury. No cables, no adaptors and it can be configured to work any way you like.

Wireless keyboard/spare battery

This obviously depends on the kind of Mac fan you're buying for. The true hardcore will probably have both a desktop and a notebook in which case one or the other of these will be fine. A couple of things to remember is that not all MacBooks have removable batteries in the first place, so you'd better check which model your giftee has. You can pick up the 13-inch battery for just under ?100.

If you're going for the desktop option, then the Apple wireless keyboard is around half the cost at ?55, it's lovely and slim and works by Bluetooth. It also requires a couple of AA batteries to work, so there's another idea for a stocking filler for you.

Snow Leopard

Most hardcore fans will probably already have OS X Snow Leopard but it's worth checking for two reasons. Firstly, the latest Apple operating system actually is a lot more impressive than the marketing gave it credit for and, secondly, it only costs ?25. In Apple-land, that's what they call a bargain.

Elgato Eye TV tuner

With the quality of notebook and Apple display screens growing and growing, a TV watching experience may be even better on the Mac than your loved one's actual television. In many cases it also avoids having to get out of bed. The Elgato Eye range covers a few different functionalities and costs from ?49 up to the deluxe ?120 hybrid model. Either way, you're going to need an analogue aerial connection but it means you can watch any free digital channels from the convenience of your desk/lap.

Desktop Speakers

There are two ways you can really go here. For pure Mac styles, it has to be the Harman Kardon Soundstick II glass bell jar type 2.1 set up. They'll cost you ?128 but you'll be rewarded with some very wide eyes and a hearty thank you. On the other hand, the Bose Companion 2 Series II looks boxy and dull but the sound is absolute class and amazing for a two-speaker system. They're even a little cheaper at ?100.

Or...

...of course, if you feel really flush and actually want to buy someone a Mac - lucky old them - then take a look our Top Products section which will help guide you through to a suitable model and offer you only the best of the ones Pocket-lint's reviewed. And, as always, if you have any red hot tips for gift ideas of your own, then do let us know in the comments below. Good luck.

Related links:

• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...laptop addicts
• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...photographers
• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...PC gamers

Tags: Hardware Christmas Features Mac mini Apple iMac Apple MacBooks Mac software Steve Jobs

10 perfect Christmas presents for...Apple Mac fans originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:46:36 +0000

iFixit's screwdrivers and spudgers were at the ready following the launch of the new unibody Apple MacBook.

Discoveries of note include the lack of an IR port, making this model the only MacBook that doesn't support a remote, the Bluetooth antenna being moved and FireWire notably absent.

Hit play on the video above for a highlights reel of the teardown, while there's tons more detail and pics over on the site.

Read

Tags: Hardware Laptops MacBooks Apple iFixit Video

VIDEO: iFixit disassembles the new unibody MacBook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:05:44 +0100

Apple has updated its basic MacBook model with a new unibody design, but fans of classic Apple style will be happy to see, it stays available in white.

The polycarbonate unibody MacBook adds an LED-backlit display, a glass multi-touch trackpad and Apple's controversial built-in battery for up to 7-hours of battery life.

The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.

Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller chimes in with: "With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac".

Angled as the "ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users", it's available now ?799.

Tags: Hardware MacBooks Apple Laptops

Apple launches new unibody white MacBook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:44:12 +0100