At MacWorld Expo 2011 Dolly Drive showed off its new cloud based Time Machine backup system. The service interfaces their online backup storage and Time Machine to backup your Mac OS X system. The service even gives you a bootable version of your drive backup and can backup from anywhere you have an Internet connection.

The backup process is encrypted for security purposes. And restoring it is as simple as using Time Machine’s restoration service. The program does not keep you from backing up to an external drive like you would with Time Machine normally. It just backs up to the cloud in addition to an external drive.

The service costs $10/month for 250GB of storage and an additional 5GB/month added for each month that you subscribe. So after three month your storage would grow from 250GB to 265GB. If you don’t need that much, there is a 5GB option for $5/month and 100GB for $7.50/month. The extra 5GB/month of subscription is added to the two lower cost options as well.

Dolly Drive is a pretty good deal since by comparison Dropbox offers 50GB of online storage for $10/month or 100GB for $20/month. Although Dropbox does have a free 2GB service. Box.net offers a free version with up to 50GB but for 500GB it costs $15/month. There is an unlimited version of Box.net, but you have to call to set that up and get special pricing. Neither of these interface with Time Machine, but have simple to use clients that install on your Mac or Windows system.

Competing backup solution Mozy works on the Mac for $5 a month with unlimited backup space, but it doesn’t connect to TimeMachine like Dolly Drive.

Below is a demo from TUAW.

We will give you a full review of the service in the coming weeks.

Dolly Drive for Cloud Based Time Machine Backup (Mac) is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Notebooks.com was at Macworld 2011 in San Francisco to check out some of the best apps, hardware, accessories, and peripherals for the Apple ecosystem. We found eleven products that stood out from the show and awarded them Notebook.com’s Best of Macworld 2011 awards.

Best iOS App for Home: Appetites

Appetites is a unique take on the traditional cookbook. Built entirely for the iPad–not the iPhone–Appetites is not just your traditional step-by-step written cookbook, it’s a step-by-step video cookbook. Rather than a long cooking show, each step in a recipe gets its own video clip. This strategy for the app is great as videos are broken down into small, digestible chunks for the novice chef. Need help preparing a pomegranate? There’s a video for that!

After you’re done with each step, you can either tap to replay the video or flick to scroll to the next step. Videos are pre-loaded in the app, which means you won’t need an Internet connection and videos start playing immediately.

Appetites also comes with a handy recipe feature that will allow you to email your ingredients list so you can head to your neighborhood grocer and prepare meals.

Initially, Appetites will launch with a very limited set of recipes. However, the company is planning to launch 12 video cookbook recipes every month to grow the catalog. Want more recipes? Those will go for $0.99 as in-app purchases. We found Appetites to be a refreshing take on a traditional cookbook that is polished and a joy to use.

Best iPhone Case: FastMac Impact Shield

Made from a bio-degradable soy-based gel, the Impact Shield for the iPhone–along with sleeves for laptops–helps to keep the iPhone protected from impact and breakage. FastMac says that the Impact Shield lives up to its military certification in drop and impact tests. How rugged is it? Well, the Impact Shield is no bigger than a typical iPhone case despite its ruggedness. Rather than wielding around a bulky case, a la OtterBox style, iPhone users are in for a treat as FastMac’s solution is sleek and elegant.

The way the shield works in protecting your iPhone is that the interior of the hard plastic case is lined with the soy gel. When an impact occurs, the gel helps to dissipate the force, keeping your precious Apple solution protected. The best part about the Impact Shield is that it offers rugged protection in a very consumer-friendly look and form factor. The FastMac Impact Shield is only $20, which is far less other rugged cases.

Best iPhone Skin or Shield: Wrapsol Ultra

The idea behind Wrapsol’s new Ultra case is similar to wraps and skins such as Invisible Shield. However, Wrapsol’s wrap promises more protection than the competitors, looks elegant, and is easy to apply. The new Ultra wraps don’t require a liquid solution to apply. That means no messy soapy sprays to apply. Just peel the plastic and squeegee the tough panels to the front, rear, and sides of your iPhone. Moreover, unlike the orange peel-like texture on the Invisible Shield, the Wrapsol Ultra has an ultra smooth surface, resembling glass with a barely there appearance. Best of all, whatever bubbles appear at the time of installation will disappear on their own within 24 hours.

Most iPhone skins at Macworld were all about graphics, featuring an array of pop-star and movie inspired graphics. They may be alright if you want the world to know how much you love Justin Bieber, but they won’t do much to protect your iPhone.

Wrapsol says that with its Ultra wrap, your iPhone investment can stand up to not only scratches, but also minor drops. The Wrapsol Ultra is available at Walmart and through Wrapsol.com,

Best Mobile App Innovation : Nuance Dragon SDK

Just over a week ago, Nuance announced that its Dragon Mobile SDK was released to developers, empowering them to build high-grade speech recognition into just about any Android or iOS app. Developers can now embed Nuance’s code into their apps and rely on Nuance’s repository of speech patterns and recognition experience in the cloud.  As with Nuance’s own mobile apps, third party apps will capture audio and send it off to Nuance’s cloud-based servers for transcription. The results are sent back to the user’s handheld.

This move has the potential to shape how apps and user experiences are created, allowing for quicker data entry, selection and navigation. Enabling voice recognition in iOS apps is incredibly easy.  According to Nuance, some developers testing the SDK have been able to add voice to their apps in as little as an hour.

Nuance’s voice recognition engine has been employed by a number of third-party apps through a limited pilot. Apps including Siri, Price Check by Amazon, Ask for iPhone, aisle411, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and SpeechTrans already use Nuance’s technology.

At Macworld 2011, Nuance hinted at speech coming to the living room, though the company was secretive in what those applications may be.

Best Mobile Travel Companion: Navigon Inrix Traffic Update and Mount

Navigon is one of the best selling GPS apps on iOS. The German-based company releases regular map updates and software enhancements to its downloadable turn-by-turn voice-guided GPS app, which doesn’t need an Internet connection for navigation. The app, available for a flat fee on Windows Mobile, Android, and iOS, was recently updated to provide a number of useful features, including split-screen active lane assistance to help users get into the right lane ahead of time to prepare for a turn. At Macworld, the company announced that it would be relying on Inrix and crowdsourced information to gather traffic data.

Better traffic data means users will be able to drive around traffic jams instead of being stuck in them. Inrix collects traffic data from delivery trucks and other users with an active Internet connection to transmit speed data. Navigon can now calculate the quickest route for you based upon current traffic information, rather than relying on historic traffic data, for local city streets and for major freeways.

Navigon also introduced an elegant windshield mount for the iPhone 4 at Macworld 2011. The minimalist mount has a much lower profile than other mounts we’ve seen. The mount, which retails for $50, comes with a 5-foot long USB cable and a car charger to keep your phone powered and charging while navigating.

Best iOS App: Jammit App

Jammit App is a play along app designed to help aspiring musicians learn their favorite tunes and play along with the artist that actually played them. The real magic of this app is that it features the original master tracks of some of rock’s most popular songs. Jammit App has some music industry insiders on staff, who’ve somehow negotiated the rights to songs from the Grateful Dead, Foreigner, Motley Crüe, The Ramones and others.

The app isolates the users’ choice of vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard or drums from the rest of the band. Sheet music is included for each part and they can be slowed down or looped, allowing the user to play along at a comfortable pace. Once the user learns the part, they can rock with their favorite bands and record their jam session.

Best Mac Hardware Upgrade: Other World Computing Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD

Other World Computing’s MacBook Air Mercury Aura Pro Express SSDs are designed to increase the storage capacity of Apple’s latest MacBook Airs. Many MacBook Air owners find that 64GB, 128GB or even 256GB just isn’t enough. The Mercury Aura Pro Express is available in capacities of up to 360GB and can fit in both the 11.6″ and 13.3″ MacBook Air.

The Mercury Aura Pro Express isn’t a cheap solution, but the blazing fast data transfer rates and higher capacity make the MacBook Air even better. According to OWC, these drives are 22% faster than the ones that ship with the MacBook Air.

The 180GB version is $499, the 240GB is $579 and the 360GB version is $1,179. The sweet spot is clearly the 240GB version, which would be a very welcome upgrade to the 11.6″ MacBook Air, which maxes out at 128GB direct from Apple.

Best Mac Media Accessory: McTiVia

McTiVia is the best living room accessory we’ve seen for Macs in a long time. McTiVia allows users to send whatever’s on their MacBook’s small screens onto their HDTVs. A small box sits next to the HDTV and connects via HDMI. It employs WiFi, which means you don’t have to run a cable between your MacBook and TV.

The solution is as simple as can be. It allows users to share exactly what’s on their screen, including movies and content that might not be available via Apple TV. McTiVia will stream content at up to 30 frames per second for video files up to 720p resolution.

McTiVia is avaialable for $199 from Awindinc.com/mctivia

Best iOS App & Hardware Combo: Scosche myTrek

The Scosche myTrek is a wireless pulse rate monitor for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The myTrek is worn on the forearm and connects to the iOS device via Bluetooth. Optical LED sensors capture the user’s heart rate, which is analyzed by the myTrek application. The device has a couple of buttons that allow the user to control music without leaving the app or touching your iPhone.

The myTrek app keeps a running history of the user’s heart rate during workouts. It can be used while running, biking, lifting weights or just about any other strenuous activity.  The Sosche myTrek will be available in time for summer

Best New Mac App: Boom

Boom is a simple sound utility for the Mac that helps to increase the sound output of your Mac computer. With more quieter speakers on a MacBook and MacBook Air, Boom is a simple to use, inexpensive $5 program that’s accessible from the utility menu bar at the top of your OS X display. For times when you need to increase the volume output of your portable Mac’s speakers and don’t want to tote around third-party speakers, Boom will help increase the volume output anywhere between two to four times that of your Mac. Simply crank up your default volume control to max, and if that’s still not loud enough you can increase the volume control of Boom. The app is great for those who want to watch and share movies on their Mac notebook, or for those who need to do presentations on the go with audio.

Macworld 2011 Best of Show: HyperJuice Magic Box

HyperMac batteries sold like hotcakes until a dispute with Apple ended sales of the external MacBook battery, which featured a MagSafe adapter. At Macworld 2011, Sanho showed us the rebranded HyperJuice batteries, which require the purchase of an airline power adapter. Unfortunately, the airline power adapter doesn’t  charge the MacBook’s internal battery. That solution isn’t as elegant, but the newly introduced Magic Box is.

With a couple of splices, the Magic Box allows users to borrow the MagSafe end of any MacBook’s AC adapter and plug it into the HyperJuice battery. The solution tricks the MacBook into thinking its plugged into a wall outlet, which means the battery will charge your MacBook, even when stowed in your bag.

The MagicBox means that all those MacBook users will again be able to stay mobile for several days without plugging in.

Notebooks.com’s Best of Macworld 2011 Awards is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

MacWorld Expo 2011 is right around the corner and the conference organizers are extending our readers a couple of special offers. An Expo only pass is $25 if you buy it online or $45 at the door. If you register through this link however, you can get in the door for just $15. If you are interested in any of the pricier conference sessions or packages, you can save 10% by visiting the special link as well.

So what do we expect to see at MacWorld? Lots of accessories, software and apps. While Apple no longer sponsors or exhibits at the show, there will be almost 300 Mac and iOS related companies on site.

I spoke with Paul Kent, the organizer of MacWorld recently and he said the focus will definitely be on mobile. Approximately 70% of the products will be mobile and with 37% of the exhibitors being first-time MacWorld exhibitors, we expect to see some fresh faces and products.  He said we should keep an eye on Altigen, a new exhibitor that will be introducing something new.

MacWorld is also well known for being one of the few industry shows open to the general public. The Expo portion of the show kicks off on Thursday (1/27) and closes on Saturday (1/29).

Register for MacWorld Expo 2011 for Just $15 is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Many companies are concerned with copyrights, but one Chinese gadget maker is selling a fake Macbook Air and a gigantic iPhone tablet without a second thought.

Teso, a gadget design outfit in southern China, is reportedly selling a knockoff Macbook Air that has the same outward appearance, right down to an Apple logo, but its insides can’t compare with the real thing. The price for this fake Macbook Air is $280 (3,000 yuan) on china which is far less than a genuine Apple Macbook Air and represents the fact that the device runs Windows XP and is powered by an Intel processor. According to a company official, Teso sells more than 5,000 knockoff’s every month in China, but cannot bring the devices to the U.S. due to copyright issues.

Teso is currently working on an iPad like model that it hopes to begin selling in the next month or two. The expected price for this iPad knockoff is below 3,000 yuan ($440 US). In order to avoid a complete copyright violation, Teso has transformed its iPad wannabe into a giant iPhone.

Chinese Company Knocks off Macbook Air and makes a Giant iPhone is a post by Rajesh from Notebooks.com.

Well Macworld Expo 2010 is over.  The fat lady has sung her tune (over iTunes of course).  How did Macworld do without Apple being there this year?

Well, from what I can tell from associates and write ups on the Internet, it was “ok”.  It was strange not having a Steve Jobs keynote to awe the masses with new and improved Apple technologies.  It was odd not having Apple’s presence on the convention floor.  It was really interesting that the largest vendor at the show was Microsoft.  And, the biggest announcement at the show was about the update to Office for the Mac. Otherwise, it was all about iPhone applications.  I wanted to know more about the Macbook line and newer hardware.

Other folks tried to make it work– Kevin Smith and David Pogue, to name a few.

Overall, it was OK.  It was a good show for the media to see new products and to make new associations.  For the public, it was an event that just came and went.  We’ll see what happens next year.

A quick Macworld wrap-up is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

And ,in news from Macworld 2010, Microsoft has announced a new version of Microsoft Office for Mac 2011.

So what is new in this version?

• New co-authoring tools and web apps– this means users can collboratively work on MS Office documents and then share them over the Internet with one another
• Office for Mac Ribbon UI– now, like its PC counterpart, Office for Mac 2011 with use the Ribbon user interface
• Outlook for Mac– Outlook for Mac is replacing Entourage as the email application for Mac users.  It will also import .pst files from Outlook on PC.

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 will be available later this year.

Macworld: Microsoft announces Office for Mac 2011 is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

Its time once again for San Francisco to get all hyped up about Macworld. Macworld is usually where Apple announces their new products and services to the marketplace.  Its the place where Steve Jobs tends to make one of his famous keynotes– which always ignites a media frenzy.

Well this year, things have changed. This is the first year that Apple is not at Macworld.  This biggest vendor there is actually Microsoft.  How is that for different?  The show is also a little smaller than last year, with vendors dealing with the recession.  Many decided to “stay home” and see what Macworld would be like without Apple there to represent.

Admittedly, Apple did take some of the wind out of Macworld 2010 with their iPad event and the Aperture 3 announcements.  Mac hopefuls are waiting for more news, maybe something with a hardware refresh or iLife 2010?

Now, this is not to say that there isnt a lot going on at Macworld 2010.  There will still be  over 250 vendors, with 60 of them showcasing new products for Apple. The exhibition hall, open from February 11 to February 13, including the Mobile Application Showcase, the largest collection of iPhone developers ever assembled, and the Indie Developer Pavilion, a special area for independent Mac developers of all sizes.

As for special events and sessions, from Macworld:

On Thursday, New York Times tech columnist David Pogue will host a session called Late Night with David Pogue, featuring surprises guests and musical performances and noted writer and director Kevin Smith will hold a Q&A session on storytelling, technology, and filmmaking.

On Friday, entrepreneuer and former Apple Evangelist Guy Kawasaki will talk to developers about the state of innovation in the tech market; podcaster and pundit Leo Laporte will brodcast live with guests like MythBusters’ Adam Savage and The Byrds’ Roger McGuinn; and Daring Fireball author John Gruber will discuss the top issues shaping our world.

This year, for the first time ever, the show also extends to the weekend, with a musical performance by artist BT and an event discussing Apple’s iPad, led by Macworld Editorial Director Jason Snell.

So, what will Macworld be like sans Apple?  Only time will tell.

Macworld 2010- a new attitude this year is a post by Amy from Notebooks.com.

Apple announced a redesigned 17-inch MacBook Pro at MacWorld, featuring its relatively new unibody design that’s used in the rest of the Apple notebook lineup. The base configuration comes with 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, NVIDIA 9400M and 9600M graphics.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro It is available now for pre-order from $2,799 and will hit store shelves in a few weeks.

The all aluminum unibody design is sturdy and looks great. It weighs just 6.6 pounds and is thin for a 17-inch notebook.

It comes with a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor or you can opt for a 2.93GHz version for an additional $300.

The standard 320GB drive runs at 5400RPM, but you can upgrade to a 7200RPM 320GB drive for $50. There are two SSD options available. The 128GB SSD adds $500 to the price tag and the 256GB version is $900.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has an anti-glare display option, which is a must-have for many digital content creators. Apple should consider adding this option to the MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, the new MacBook Pro does not have a removable battery. Apple claims the fixed battery will last for up to eight hours on a single charge and is good for up to 1,000 cycles. This is a big mistake on Apple’s part. Digital content creators, whom this product is intended for, use power-hungry applications such as Final Cut Pro. The 15-inch MacBook Pro takes an incredibly long time to recharge and if the 17-incher has similar circuitry users will have to wait 4+ hours to recharge their one and only battery.

Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro With Revolutionary New Built-in Battery That Delivers Eight Hours of Use & 1,000 Recharges

SAN FRANCISCO—January 6, 2009—Apple® today unveiled the new 17-inch MacBook® Pro featuring a durable and beautiful precision aluminum unibody enclosure, and a revolutionary new built-in battery that delivers up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a high resolution LED-backlit display and the same large glass Multi-Touchâ„¢ trackpad introduced with the new MacBook family in October. In addition, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics and the latest generation Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors. As part of the industry’s greenest notebook family, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is made of highly recyclable materials, meets stringent energy efficiency standards and is made without many of the harmful toxins found in other computers.

We’ve developed new battery technology that is better for the user and better for the environment,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. Apple’s advanced chemistry and innovative technology deliver up to eight hours of use on a full charge cycle and up to 1,000 recharges.”

Apple uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro’s incredible design.* The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes an ultra-thin, widescreen glossy 1920 x 1200 display with 78 percent more pixels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 60 percent greater color gamut that delivers desktop-quality color in a notebook. The LED-backlit display has brilliant instant-on performance, uses up to 30 percent less energy and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights.

Measuring just 0.98-inches thin and weighing 6.6 pounds, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is the world’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is the most powerful Mac® notebook yet with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available up to 2.93 GHz, up to 8GB DDR3 main memory and a graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive standard with a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 128GB and 256GB solid state drives as options. As with the rest of the new MacBook family, the 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the aluminum unibody MacBook family in setting new standards for environmentally friendly notebooks with every model achieving EPEAT Gold status.** Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $179 which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

Pricing & Availability

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), and includes:

* 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;

* 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;

* 1066 MHz front-side bus;

* 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;

* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;

* NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;

* 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;

* a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;

* Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);

* built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;

* Gigabit Ethernet port;

* built-in iSight video camera;

* three USB 2.0 ports;

* one FireWire® 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);

* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;

* one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;

* glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;

* built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery; and

* 85 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 memory, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive, anti-glare display for $50 (US), Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

*A properly maintained Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit www.apple.com/macbookpro/17inch-battery.

**EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Apple Intros Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro, No Removeable Battery is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

For over 20 years Apple fanboys and enthusiasts have congregated to an annual event known as Macworld Expo. As a lover of Apple products myself, I have attended the expo the last two years and will be sharing my experience at Macworld 2009 here at Notebooks.com. You may have heard that Apple recently announced that Macworld Expo 2009 would be their last. Apple does not organize the event so this does not mean it will be canceled, but without them does that mean that expo is done for? Will fanboys weep in the streets the first full week of January each year? Not anytime soon.

The last few years have been great for Apple. At the beginning of each year they have kicked things off with CEO Steve Jobs unveiling something new such as 2007′s huge introduction of the iPhone. I did not attend the keynote, but I did get to check out the expo hall that year. I was amazed at the size of each hall (the expo occupies not one, but two of the Moscone Center’s huge expo halls) and the number of big name manufacturers and well known software companies that were present. I was equally excited to see a variety of unknown vendors peddling iPod accessories, Mac related gadgets, and Apple apparel. Don’t forget about the “show deals”. Some were posted and others you had to ask for, but you could get a nice little discount on things by taking advantage of various deals that were only available during Macworld.

I would have to say that the most awe inspiring part of the expo hall is when you approach the Apple booth. Gargantuan in size, it dwarfs all other booths at the expo and can be seen from almost anywhere in the hall. A giant black cube of sorts with action happening on all four sides. Dozens of new products displayed along the outside edge and two theater like areas for demonstrating software to the buzzing crowd on the inside. Mac Geniuses are there in force, available to answer most any question. This is all capped off of course with a giant, white hot glowing Apple logo.

Sounds cool huh? How can greatness like this every be experienced again if Apple chooses to pull out of Macworld? Will all be lost? Of course not. Why? Because Apple replicates this experience each and every day at a place they call the “Apple Store”. Although scaled down a bit, the retail store doesn’t require a pass to get in and is conveniently located in most major cities. Products to play with… check! Big screen with demos and Mac Geniuses at the ready…. check! Glowing Apple logo prominently displayed … double check!

You might also say “What about the keynote?”. Sure, the keynote is a great kick off to the expo, but once its over its really everything else that keeps the crowd moving along during the 5 day event. The previously mentioned vendors, the educational user sessions, and impromptu meet ups is where the fun stuff happens. The time I spent at the Apple booth pales in comparison to the time I spent exploring the rest of the expo. Would I miss Apple if they were not there? Sure. Would I stop attending? No way. Most who attend the expo have already purchased an Apple product in the past and are there to learn from the experts, play with new products, and bask in the glow of the community… not a backlit logo.

I sincerely hope that Macworld continues to be a place for debuting new products, asking questions, sharing answers, and rubbing elbows with others who enjoy all things Apple. I am looking forward to meeting new people and seeing new things at this year’s Macworld. WIll you be there? Have a product that you want featured on Notebooks.com? What are your fondest memories of Macworld?

Does Macworld need Apple? is a post by Adam Helweh from Notebooks.com.