Month: January 2015

Once upon a time it was simply a choice of leisure or work, but now there are so many modifications to the ‘laptop’, it’s a difficult choice when choosing which is right for you.

So let’s start with the basics. There is 3 types to choose from; Ultrabooks, Workstations and Chromebooks.

Ultrabooks are thinner, lighter, and meet certain standards of power and size established by the processor maker Intel to compete with Apple’s MacBook Air range. The result has been some extremely premium machines. Think of laptops under an inch thin with long battery life and crisp screens, like the Leveno Thinkpad S440. And lately, folks have been squeezing dedicated GPUs into the form factor, like the Acer Aspire S3.

Workstations are almost designed solely for work, hence the name. These usually chunky laptops have one thing in mind, productivity. They are generally equipped with professional-grade GPUs. Other characteristics of these productivity-hubs include a wider variety of ports and easier access to internals than most consumer-grade notebooks. Not to mention more legacy inputs, like trackpoint cursors, and hardware-level security options, like fingerprint scanners. An example includes the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Chromebooks run on an all new operating system created by Google and called Chrome OS. As the name suggests, everything from writing documents to listening to music is done through Google’s browser Chrome. The result is a system that can run with super low-end hardware, which lends Chromebooks if you are on a budget. Of course, Chromebooks are best in areas with wireless Internet access, but Google has vastly boosted their offline functionality over the years. For more information on Chromebooks, give the GEEX team a call.

2 in 1 laptops are excellent if you find yourself jumping from device to device then you may be better with a hybrid laptop. These beauties come as tablets but as you develop with them and add accessories they become more like a laptop. The idea is to provide one device that successfully serve both use cases, rather than have homes and businesses overwhelmed with gadgets for every scenario. Try the Surface Pro 3.

For more information on which is the right product for you, give the GEEX team a call on 0121 285 0098.

With six Macs to choose from, each with their very own specs and features, it can get a little tricky to pick which one is right for you. Should you buy a Mac mini, an iMac or Mac Pro?

Apple’s range of Macs includes the following:

MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
Mac Mini
iMac
Mac Pro

MacBook Air

This is Apple’s ultrathin and incredibly light laptop, sometimes referred to as an ultrabook. It comes in two sizes; 11 inch and 13 inch. It was Apple’s first laptop to feature a SSD (flash storage).
Take a look at our range of MacBook Airs lease here.

 MacBook Pro

There are actually two types of MacBook pro available: a MacBook pro with a high resolution Retina display and flash storage, and a simple MacBook Pro that is the nly to feature a CD/DVD drive. The Pro part of the name suggests that this is way more powerful than the MacBook Air, however the prices are a lot closer than they used to be as the Air has a much more upto date hard drive than the Pro. As with the MacBook Air, it comes in two screen sizes; 13-inch and a 15-inch version.
Take a look at our range of MacBook Pros to lease here.

 Mac Mini

The Mac mini is Apple’s compact desktop computer, it’s also Apple’s cheapest Mac! One of the best features of the Mac mini is its HDMI port, which helps to make this the perfect office computer to plug into a TV screen on a wall.
Take a look at our Mac mini range here.

 iMac

Apple’s iMac is probably its most famous Mac. Over the years the iMac has lost its old bulky monitor, and slimmed down. It is incredibly thin, but the whole computer is hidden behind the stunning display. There are two different sizes of iMac available; the 21.5-inch and the 27-inch iMac. Back in June 2014 Apple added a new lower-cost iMac to its range, and then in October release a 27inch 5K retina iMac.
Take a look at these stunning displays here.

 Mac Pro

Apple’s Mac Pro gained a whole new revolutionary design in 2013 however it was very difficult to get a hold of one until 2014. Known as the bin when it was released due to it’s innovative design, however don’t let it fool you, the Mac Pro is Apple’s professional. It’s fully-fledged workstation is aimed at those who need the ultimate power, or a true Mac fanatic.
Take a look at the Mac Pro here.

If you are still puzzled as to which one will meet your requirements call the GEEX support team today on 0121 285 0098

The developers working on the next version of Windows 10 are so excited by what it contains they have codenamed it “FBL_Awesome”.

Microsoft engineering manager Gabe Aul admitted that the name “is a bit corny”, but that it acts as a “daily reminder to ourselves that we want this build to be great”.

Windows 10 is to include several new features, such as a fully integrated version of the voice-activated personal assistant Cortana.

Microsoft is expected to unveil the consumer preview version of Windows 10 on 21st January.  Microsoft says more than 1.5 million people are testing Windows 10, the most beta testers for any version of Windows to date. Around 450,000 of those using Windows 10 every day.

The GEEX Team have been running Windows 10 inhouse on a couple of computers for the past few weeks and we can confirm this version is ‘Awesome’.  Expect a review from us in the coming months on how we have found this version and how we can help you upgrade your old equipment to new equipment with Windows 10 in a new lease package.

In 2010 when the iPad was first released, businesses have been able to stay connected and easily work on the go like never before.   However people are still looking at ways to increase the use of their iPads through different applications available on the app store today.  Thanks to an app called Duet Display, you can now effortlessly turn your iPad into your second screen for your Mac

Duet Display, developed by a former Apple engineer, Rahul Dewan, will turn your iPad into an external screen for your Mac, and does so using a cable that you already use to charge and sync your iPad. To be precise, it’s actually two apps — one for your iOS device and a companion app for your Mac that lets it recognize an iPad or iPhone as a second screen.

How does Duet Display work?

Download Duet Display from the Apple Store for £10.99

Install Duet Display for OS X

Duet Display will add a little settings icon to the right side of your menu bar and requires a password when you’re installing it on your Mac. This is because the app needs to install display drivers.

Open the Duet Display app on your iPad and plug it into your Mac with a lightning cable (or a 30-pin cable if you’ve got an older iPad that’s still supported).

Now enjoy working with two screens!

Because your iPad is plugged in, you won’t have to worry about your iPad’s battery. And while you’re using Duet Display on the iPad, you’ll still get your regular iOS notifications. You can also set your computer to use all the pixels on your iPad’s Retina display (2,048×1,536 pixel resolution), or you can set your iPad to regular resolution too. Duet Display works with

all Macs running on OS X Yosemite and any iPads or iPhones running iOS 5.1.1 or above, meaning it will work with your old iPad. The only downside is you can only connect a single iOS device for now.

GEEX lease iPads from as little as £3.70 a week and they come with 3 years warranty and support.  Give us a call on 0121 285 0098 to find out more

This year will be about much more than just the Apple Watch but some great new products.

On a scale of difficulty from one to ten, getting information out of Apple scores a billion: the world’s most watched and most copied company knows the power of secrecy as a marketing tool and as a way to keep rivals’ photocopiers powered down.

Predicting what Apple might be doing in 10 years’ time is near on impossible but by looking through various Apple blogs and rumour sites and articles we have managed to find a few interesting products we could be enjoying in 2015.

 

Apple 4K TV and HomeKit

There were rumours Apple would enter the TV market in 2014 but this never came true and there is no sign of an Apple TV set appearing anytime soon in 2015.  Apple TV has already been copied by different manufacturers and there is a rumour that Apple could be updating the spec on their model soon with a new A7 processor.  However there are rumours Apple could be releasing a set top box called HomeKit in 2015 also.

HomeKit is Apples home automation API, and an Apple TV would make perfect home hub and could be added to the Apple TV device.  HomeKit will allow you to control devices from outside the home when required.  There are rumours that the new kit will have a microphone built in so you can use Siri to control the whole thing.

 

iPad Pro

A rumour for a new iPad Pro has been circulating for a while now and the conditions for a new bigger iPad are certainly right now.  iPads are being used constantly more as business devices and a new bigger device would be welcomed.

The device doesn’t need to be too different to the iPad Air 2 with maybe a bigger 12.9” screen and higher resolution – 4K.  The bigger screen would also mean a bigger battery meaning longer life.

Some speculation has suggested that the iPad Pro will be a hybrid device, either in the form of a tablet-cum-notebook or as a dual-os device.  There could be a introduction of a stylus as well.

 

Retina upgrades

There is rumours of Apple Mac 21.5” getting Retina displays and it could be sooner rather than later these are being realised.  There’s rumours of a new 5K display for a Mac Pro and would delight video and imaging professionals but they might have to wait until the new Mac Pro is released since the current thunderbolt does not support 5k video.

The new Retina MacBook Air has been rumoured to be released for a number of months but still not had anything come back from Apple.  It might have something to do with Intel and the ongoing problems with its Broadwell processors and the delay in getting these released.

 

There will be lots going on with Apple this year and GEEX can promise you that it will continue to bring you the latest equipment within its lease packages.

If you are unsure to upgrade your equipment why not give us a call and we can tell you if it would be worth holding fire or upgrading now.  Remember our leases come with upgrades every 2 years so your equipment should always be up to date.