Apple releases a slew of new products, Christmas in July in Cupertino

Unless you're living under a rock, you should have noticed that Apple was extremely busy yesterday. The company that you either hate or love had an army of hardware releases and refreshes, along with the launch of its new desktop operating system, OS X 10.7 Lion. In case you missed all the news, here's a round-up of everything. Also, all of the below computers come preloaded with Lion, so if you've been holding off for a new Mac, now's the time to take the plunge.

OS X Lion

The first announcement, which word spread Tuesday, was the release of OS X 10.7, a Mac App Store exclusive for $30. The new operating system will also be available next month on a USB flash drive for $69. If you recently purchased a new Mac, like I did, make sure you check if you're eligible for a free upgrade to Lion with the Up-To-Date Program.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air finally got a refresh, as both sizes of Apple's ultra-slim laptop got updated with a Thunderbolt port, Sandy Bridge i5 and i7 processors, and backlit keyboards. The MacBook Air starts at $999. Also, while we're talking about MacBooks, the white MacBook, not the Pro versions, got officially discontinued as well.

Mac mini

The Mac mini got updated with Core i5 and Core i7 processors, a Thunderbolt port, AMD Radeon HD graphics, and the loss of an optical drive. Users requiring an optical driver will need to use either Remote Disc capabilities or purchase an external SuperDrive. Pricing does return though to starting at $599, which cheaper is always good.

Apple Thunderbolt Display

Last, but certainly not least, Apple announced its Thunderbolt display, the only new product not immediately shipping. This 27-inch display, being called ” the ultimate docking station,” uses a single Thunderbolt connection and packs a 2560 x 1440 res 16:9 IPS display, FaceTime HD camera and Mic, a Thunderbolt port, integrated 2.1 speaker system, Firewire 800 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports and MagSafe charging for your laptop. It will be shipping within the next 60 days at the steep price of $999.
source: Akihabara News

First iPad, iPhone 3GS Outselling Newer Android-Based Products

Sales of older generation Apple products are outpacing more current Android-based devices, new research reveals.

A survey from Canaccord Genuity originally reported by AppleInsider shows that while the iPhone 4 is "by far" the best-selling device at both AT&T and Verizon stores, products like the first-generation iPad and the iPhone 3GS are still selling quite well.

"Interestingly, our April checks indicated continued strong demand for the iPhone 3GS at AT&T and iPad 1 at Verizon, as these older generation products with reduced prices often outsold new Android products," Canaccord analyst Michael Walkley said in a note to investors. "We believe this highlights Apple's significant competitive advantage, and these older products help Apple offer a tiered pricing strategy at key channels."

Canaccord found that the iPhone 3GS, which is competitively priced at $49, outsells Android-based smartphones like the HTC Inspire or the Motorola Atrix. Unsurprisingly, Walkley also said the iPad is the best-selling tablet on the market. By contrast, other tablets have had "modest sales," such as RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, the Motorola Xoom, or the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

It seems other tablet makers are faced with an uphill battle when it comes to competing with Apple. In fact, a recent DigiTimes report said that in light of lackluster sales of non-Apple tablets, many companies have to deal with the issue of excess inventory of their devices. Apparently, the market has a limited demand of just 20 million units, while there is only demand for 20 million tablets this year.

In spite of a decline in Apple sales in the first quarter down to 4.69 million units from the previous number of 7.33 units, Walkley also noted that both the 16GB and 32GB first-gen iPads sold out within two weeks after the launch of the iPad 2.

However, Android still has a strong foothold on the smartphone market. The most recent numbers from comScore showed Google's mobile platform to be the most popular OS in the country, with 31.2 percent of the market. RIM sits in the second spot with 30.4 percent of the space, and Apple holds steady with about a quarter (24.7 percent) of the mobile market.

For now, it appears Apple has benefited from discounting older-generation models of its popular products.

PCmag