It looks like a busy week for Intel. The Godfather of Chips is expected to ship its new Core Duo T2700, a 2.33GHz dual-core 65nm Yonah-based CPU for high end notebooks and desktop replacement (DTR) devices sometime this week. The processor should start showing up in high-end notebooks in the near future.

Intel's new, dual-core Yonah processor has been voted most likely to be the CPU found in the first Intel-based Macs. Early test-drives showed it was a fairly strong candidate to replace the single core Pentium M offering performance equal to that of AMD's Athlon 64 X2 without an on-die memory controller.

The company will also comically release its Core Duo U2500 ultra-low voltage (ULV) CPU. The U2500 is a 1.2GHz Yonah processor with 2MB L2 cache and a 533MHz FSB consumes only about 0.75 W during normal operation.

We reported earlier about refurb MacBook Pros and iMacs that you could entertain as an option if the latest Apple babies are way, way out of your league for now - financially speaking. Now to add to your cheaper list of options are refurbished black and white MacBooks. The Steve Jobs camp is offering refurbished 13.3-inch Intel Core Duo MacBooks, each featuring a built-in iSight camera.

Apple's refurbished White 1.83GHz MacBook with 512MB of memory, a 60GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, and a SuperDrive is available for $949, which will give you $150 worth of savings.

On the other hand, the White 2.0GHz MacBook with 512MB of memory, a 60GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, and a SuperDrive is priced at $1,099, and it entails a $200 off.

If you're the type who believes that black is the sleekiest way to go, then maybe you may like the sound of this offer: Apple's refurbished Black 2.0GHz MacBook with 512MB of memory, an 80GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, and a SuperDrive for $1,299, a $200 discount.

It seems that Mac developers and power users no longer have the capability to rebuild, replace, and alter the OS X kernel from source code. This means that Linux clearly has the upper hand in terms of openness -- the very same reason why it has become the second most popular OS.

What does proprietary mean? End users generally do not have the ability to run the software for any purpose, study and modify the software, copy the software and provide it to third parties, and make and release improvements to the software.

The Darwin open source Mach/Unix core shared by OS X Tiger client and OS X Tiger Server remains completely open for PowerPC Macs. If you happen to be a proud owner of a G3, G4 or CS Mac, you can hack your own Darwin kernel and use it to boot OS X. However, if you have an Intel-based Mac desktop or notebook, your kernel and device drivers are impenetrable...for now.

Although Apple is largely generous to the open source community by open sourcing internally developed technologies such as QuickTime Streaming Server and Bonjour zero-config networking, the source code required to make a personalized OS X kernel, however, is gone.

What does this mean to Apple users? This step back to a proprietary kernel means that all users must accept a fixed level of performance since they can't configure it by themselves. The default OS X kernels are built for broad compatibility rather than speed and throughput. That doesn't matter at present, because all Intel Macs are built on the same Core Duo/Core Solo 32-bit architecture.

Apple is afraid of losing hardware sales to software pirates. They do not want to face the possibility of dealing with the selling and distribution of cloned Macs in foreign markets with weak protection for intellectual property. They have all the reasons to be paranoid, but not paranoid enough to slam its doors to the open source community.

Mac users are in for an HDTV treat with Miglia's TVMini HD. The stylish compact device enables users to watch, record and edit HDTV ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) content and unencrypted digital cable TV programs. Simply put, Mac users can watch Grey's Anatomy while out in the woods. Just make sure you're on the side of the woods that's within range of an ATSC broadcast tower.

The package includes a USB tuner, a small TV antenna, a remote, and a CD with Elgato's EyeTV 2.1 television scheduling and editing software. It comes with a carrying pouch to get you organized.

To properly view 1080i high-definition programming, you need to have a Mac powered by Intel Core Duo or dual processor PowerMac G5.

The main purpose of the device is to capture ATSC transmissions, which can be both standard-definition and high-definition. Like traditional analog, it's transmitted over-the-air. The big difference between these is that ATSC never has static. With sufficient signal, you'd always have crystal clear audio and video quality. The thorn in digital TV's side is that if the signal strength drops below 50%, you lose your picture completely.

Sure, the MacBook and MacBook Pro looks professional and almost classic. Yet sometimes, you just want more color in your life and the Apple laptops' white or black just doesn't cut it. The French painter Pierre Bonard once said, "Color does not add a pleasant quality to design - it reinforces it" - so this must mean putting color in an already fashionable laptop won't be such a bad idea, right? If you answered yes, then you might want to take a look at Colorware's offering.

Colorware is offering the MacBook and MacBook Pro, with a deluge of colors to choose from. Offering a range of 24 colors (one less for the Mac Book Pros), Colorware's MacBooks and MacBook Pros are powered by Intel Core Duo Processor and has the iSight camera built-in. Other softwares included in Colorware's offerings are iLife '06, iWork '06, Front Row, Photo Booth, Comic Life, and OmniOutliner.

Of course, all these come with a price - a high price, I have to say. While the white 13" 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook sells for only $1,099, Colorware's version will make you $1,749 poorer. Colorware's 15" 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro sells at $2,649 (vs. the white one for $1,999). If you do have the money to burn and would like to own a different-colored Apple laptop, visit the Colorware site to see other offerings and to decide which color strikes your fancy.

If brand new Apples are way, way, way out of your pocketbook's league, you may want to consider these refurbished MacBooks and iMac G5s that come with much lighter price tags:

• 1.83GHz MacBook Pro notebook with 512MB of memory for $1,599 (21% off )
• 2.0GHz MacBook Pro 1GB of memory for $1,999 (21% off)
• 2.16GHz MacBook Pro 1GB of memory for $2,199 (22% off)
• iMac G5 systems with SuperDrives includes 17-inch 2GHz iMac with a 128MB ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card ) for $949 (save $550)
• 17-inch 1.9GHz iMac with 128MB DDR ATI Radeon X600 Pro graphics card for $999 ($300 discount)
• 20-inch 1.8GHz iMac with a 64MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics card for $1,099 (save $800)
• 20-inch 2.0GHz iMac with 512MB of memory, a 250GB SATA hard drive, and a 128MB DDR ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card for $1,249 (save $550)
• 20-inch 2.1GHz iMac with 512MB of memory, a 250GB SATA hard drive, and a 128MB DDR ATI Radeon X600 XT graphics card for $1,299 ($400 savings)

Also available:

• Intel Core Duo iMacs with SuperDrives which includes 17-inch 1.83GHz Intel iMac with 512MB of memory, a 60GB SATA hard drive, and a 128MB GDDR3 ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card for $1,099 ($200 less)
• 20-inch 2.0GHz Intel iMac with 512MB of memory, a 250GB SATA hard drive, and a 128MB GDDR3 ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card for $1,399 (save $300).

The Mac Mini is of course a very handy contraption and not to mention costs less than most Mac products, some may disagree but it seems like using one of these babies couldn't get any better. But actually, you now have a choice for your handy thingamajig to be even better and if you are experimental and adventurous enough, the upgrade may cost less for you.

The step-by-step procedures could be found in the website, but we can tell you some reminders before attempting to do as such. If you are going to attempt to do this, you should know how to open your Mini, if you do not know how, then I suggest you put down the screwdriver and be contented with what you got. With that settled, as soon as you open your Mini, you should pay attention to the 4 black screws in the corners, the black cable for the hard drive sensor, the flat cable for the audio module, and the Airport antenna.

Another reminder is when you have properly unmounted the motherboard from the case, pay attention to the thermal pads so as when you assemble them back again your baby won't suffer the perils of overheating. When working on your disassembled Mini, make sure that it is placed on a flat surface with a table towel since the device, especially the core duo, is very fragile. And lastly, always remember that you should do this procedure at your own Mini's risk.

Macworld has posted some brand new images of a dissected Intel Mac mini. Nothing major has changed on the new Mac minis besides a few added ports on the rear and, of course, the new Intel chipset. They have, however, made it more difficult to upgrade by making the RAM slots less accessible, changed the hard drive to a Serial ATA 2.5" drive (from a Parallel ATA drive) and relocated the Bluetooth card.

The Intel based Mac mini's (available in Core Duo and Core Solo flavours) are available now from the Apple store from $599 US.