New iLife, iWork, 17-Inch MacBook Pro, and DRM-Free iTunes

For many of the last ten years the week of MacWorld Expo has been the biggest news week of the year for Apple fans. This year might not be as exciting as 2006 with the announcement of the iPhone, but we had some good news nonetheless.
Both iLife and iWork and all apps in them are being updated. It looks like iMovie 09 will get some more professional features, and iPhoto will get some new organizational tools. You can read all about the announcements in our special MacMost keynote blog post.
Apple also announced the new 17-Inch MacBook Pro with similar features to the 15-Inch released a few months ago. One interesting new feature in the 17-Inch is an 8-hour battery that uses some new technology and sits inside the case rather that in a removable compartment.
Another announcement is that the iTunes music store will finally be switching to a DRM-free model. All songs will be DRM-free by the end of the quarter. In addition, you’ll be able to upgrade your old music to the DRM-free versions. Plus, the $0.99 pricing will be gone, replaced by $0.69, $0.99 and $1.29 prices. Looks like a lot of the older tracks will be at the lower price, making them more competitive with other MP3 services.
Of course there will be a lot more news this week from companies other than Apple. Many Mac and iPhone-related companies release software and hardware at the MacWorld Expo. Check the MacMost.com Top Apple News page for some of the biggest stories. Also check the All Apple News page to dig deeper and see just about every news story and press release issued this week.