Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2003.06.27
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars.
There's Life in the Old G4 (and G3) Yet, at
Least for Laptops
There hasn't been a lot of news on the Apple portable front this
week. The rumored 15.4" PowerBook didn't materialize at WWDC -
there were no "year of the laptop" announcements at all. However,
the release of the G5 Power Macs does
clarify things somewhat as regards the potential for a PPC 970/G5
PowerBook, which appears to be slim, at least in the near term.
In that context, the Register's Tony Smith reports
that:
- "Motorola appears to have brought forward volume production of
the next major G4-class PowerPC processor, the MPC7457, from Q4 to
Q3.
"The 7457 remains the leading contender for upcoming Apple
PowerBooks. While some Mac users hoped IBM's 64-bit PowerPC 970,
which Apple is calling the G5, would make it into PowerBooks, the
chip's significant heat dissipation prevents it from taking on such
a role....
"The 7457 is Motorola's follow-up to the current top-of-the-line
G4, the 7455. It not only doubles the G4's on-die L2 cache to 512
KB, but expands its external L3 cache support to 4 MB (though
only 2 MB can be used as cache per se; the rest is available
as "private memory"). The clock speed will max out at 1.3 GHz, but
the extra cache sizes should improve performance even on the
1 GHz version compared to current G4-based PowerBooks. So too
will its 200 MHz frontside bus, which paves the way for 400 MHz DDR
SDRAM support."
On the heat issue, Smith notes that Motorola claims the new chip
consumes 16.6W at 1.3 GHz, compared to the current 7455's 15W at
1 GHz, so it will certainly not improve the heat issue. For
comparison, a G3 750fx chip running at 800 MHz draws only 3.6
watts, or a projected 5 watts at 1 GHz (not yet marketed),
which is one reason why I contend that the G3 is still the best
PowerPC chip for laptops if you don't need the AltiVec horsepower
of the G4.
IBM is said to be working an a G3-class processor with AltiVec,
but it remains to be seen whether it will offer any power economy
advantages over the Motorola chips.
However, the G5 processor used in the new Power Mac towers
introduced this week consumes a whopping 42W at 1.8 GHz, making
those machines' elaborate nine-fan computer-regulated cooling
systems obligatory, and their resemblance to portable space heaters
is more than a whimsical observation.
On the basis of that level of power-sucking and heat generation,
I would suggest that G5-based laptops are an extremely unlikely
prospect any time in the foreseeable future.
Tony Smith contends that the 7457 remains the most likely
processor candidate for the 15.4" PowerBooks expected to be rolled
out later this summer.
TiBook Hinge Repair Options
Disgusted with the price quoted by Apple to repair his TiBook's
broken hinge, P. Sigurdsson figured out a cheap workaround and
posted a tutorial on the
topic.
If you're looking for an alternative and do not wish to perform
the work yourself, MacResQ offers the complete hinge replacement
(both hinges) for $499. Learn more at PowerBookResQ
or call 1-866-Mac-Repair.
MacResQ QPro Portable 2.5" External USB Hard
Drive Case
Easily back up your 'Book's hard drive files. This external 2.5"
hard drive enclosure allows you to install a 2.5" laptop hard drive
into a USB IDE external enclosure.
Features:
- Fits all standard 2.5" IDE hard drives.
- Supports full speed (12 Mb/sec) transfer rates.
- Plug & play automatic system configuration.
- Pocket size and lightweight.
- Ideal for backup and storage of data files.
System requirements:
- Mac: iMac or newer computer with USB port. Mac OS 8.6 to 10.1.5
and 10.2.x
- This case must be plugged into one of the computer's USB ports
or into a powered hub. It will not receive enough power if
connected to the keyboard or an unpowered hub.
- Mac software drivers available by download.
Includes: translucent blue hard drive enclosure by WEM
Technology, USB A to B cable, PS/2 to DC 5V cable, driver disk,
black carrying case.
1-yr warranty.
Price: $24.99
For more information, visit MacResQ.
QuickerTek AirPort Wireless Network
Upgrades For PowerBooks
PowerBook users know that wireless networking is a great
feature, but it has some limitations - mainly range and signal
strength.
QuickerTek
offers three new products that enhance wireless performance on
PowerBook Titanium and Pismo models.
PowerBook Pismo and Titanium G4 Stub Wireless Antenna
This new antenna provides up to double the range of the standard
AirPort card and internal antenna(s) in the Apple PowerBook Pismo
and Titanium G4s.
By simply attaching the new antenna cable to the stock Apple
AirPort card and then connecting the external Stub antenna, you're
ready for way-better reception, signal strength, and reliability.
The Stub antenna detaches for easy transport in your backpack or
briefcase.
There's no additional
configuration work you have to complete either. Just plug in and
you're ready to go. With this new range, you could sit in the
parking lot of your favorite wireless coffee shop and surf the
Web...
Compatibility:
- Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X
- PowerBook G3 Pismo or PowerBook G4 Titanium using the standard
Apple AirPort card
Warranty: One year, parts and labor
After the initial antenna installation, the PowerBook need not
be disassembled again. The stock antenna(s) remain in place, so no
permanent PowerBook alterations are required.
Price: $49.95
PowerBook Wireless Whip Antenna
The PowerBook Pismo and Titanium G4 Whip wireless antenna gives
up to 10 times the range as standard.
Easy to install and use, the Whip antenna provides
additional signal-grabbing power to reach out in wall-filled office
environments. Also ideal when you are just out of the normal range
of your AirPort network.
Say good-bye to dropped links and flaky connections when your
PowerBook is equipped with the QuickerTek Whip wireless antenna.
This external antenna connects with Velcro, so there are no
permanent modifications to your beautiful PowerBook case. And the
antenna is easily repositioned to adapt to any wireless
situation.
Don't let its small size fool you, this little antenna offers
amazing range.
Compatibility:
- Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X
- PowerBook G3 Pismo or PowerBook G4 Titanium using the standard
Apple AirPort card
Warranty: One year, parts and labor
After the initial antenna installation, the PowerBook need not
be disassembled again. The stock antenna(s) remain in place, so no
permanent PowerBook alterations are required.
Note that when your PowerBook is equipped with the QuickerTek
Whip antenna and the QuickerTek AirPort Base Station upgrade, the
effective range can be as high as 10 times more than a stock
PowerBook and Base Station.
Price: $89.95
Apple AirPort Base Station Antenna Upgrade
Complete your wireless network upgrade with this AirPort
Base Station upgrade. Send your graphite or snow AirPort Base
Station to QuickerTek and they'll upgrade it and send it back to
you. Combine the Whip Antenna with this Base Station upgrade, and
you'll have wireless performance that Windows users only dream of.
Check the performance specs on this product, and you'll agree that
upgrading your AirPort Base Station with the QuickerTek upgrade is
the only way to go.
Compatibility: upgraded customer-supplied Apple AirPort base
station, graphite or snow base stations
Warranty: One year, parts and labor
Customer ships their Apple AirPort Base Station to QuickerTek.
QuickerTek upgrades their unit and ships back. Advance exchange is
available. A rebate is earned when the customer ships a working
Base Station to QuickerTek. See your QuickerTek retailer for
pricing, shipping, and rebate information.
Note that when your wireless network is equipped with a
PowerBook G4 using a QuickerTek Whip antenna and this QuickerTek
AirPort Base Station upgrade, the effective wireless range can be
as high as 10 times more than a stock PowerBook G4 and Base
Station.
KoolSink Metal Laptop Cooling Stands
The makers of the original stainless
steel KoolSink have
made a lightweight anodized aluminum KoolSink. Perfectly matched to
Apple's new line of PowerBooks, the new aluminum KoolSink is
designed for laptops emitting higher heat.
The new anodized aluminum KoolSink is claimed to dissipate heat
faster than any other product on the market. Users of laptops that
generate high temperatures can greatly benefit from this new
cooling laptop stand.
No more noisy fans or painful burns and increased battery life
and performance by running your CPU cooler. No other laptop stand
available on the market does active cooling for under $40.
KoolSink works by:
- Conduction: The Aluminum KoolSink and Stainless steel KoolSink
sucks heat away and your laptop runs cooler and more
efficiently.
- Convection: The minimum gap under the laptop creates a Venturi
effect to help cooling.
- Ergonomics: Reduces user strain by straightening the
arm-to-wrist position.
Prices: stainless steel $19.95, aluminum $39.95
Western Digital to Offer Hard Drives for
Portables?
Last week, venerable hard drive maker Seagate announced that it
will be reentering the laptop hard drive market. Now, Cnet's John
G. Spooner reports
that Western Digital is also looking at entering the market for
hard drives used in notebook computers.
It's not difficult to fathom why this surge of interest in the
portable market. Laptops are closing in one-quarter of new
computers sold (and with Apple it's heading for 50%). Spooner notes
that:
- "The Lake Forest, Calif., hard-drive manufacturer, which offers
disks for desktop PCs and servers, has begun development work on a
new line of mobile drives and could enter the market quickly if it
chooses to....
"The notebook drive market is a draw for companies such as Western
Digital. While desktops and servers represent the bulk of the
available hard-drive market, unit shipments of notebook PCs are
rapidly increasing. Notebooks made up about 23.5 percent of the
total 136 million PCs shipped worldwide in 2002, according to
market researcher IDC."
The article also notes that:
- "...notebook drives have several special requirements, making
them somewhat more difficult to design. The drives must be made
smaller than their desktop counterparts because of the tighter
confines of a notebook chassis. Mobile drives also must limit power
consumption to help lengthen notebook battery life."
CMS Reduces Pricing of Notebook Hard Drives
by up to 16%
CMS Peripheral
Inc., a supplier of backup and hard drive solutions for
notebook and desktop computers, has announced price reductions for
a majority of the Easy-Plug Easy-Go (EPEG) Notebook Upgrade
solutions.
The company reduced the pricing for the 40 and 60 GB upgrade
solutions for hard drives and secondary bays of notebook computers
by 16% in some cases. Pricing for the upgrades now starts at $269
for the 40 GB EPEG and $419 for the 60 GB EPEG.
The Easy-Plug Easy-Go product line offers support for more than
800 different notebook models from top manufacturers such as Apple,
Compaq, Dell, IBM, and Toshiba. With support for a wide variety of
notebook manufacturers, CMS' solution offers IT managers a
cost-effective alternative to replacing outdated and under capacity
notebooks. All of CMS' notebook upgrade solutions are tested to
meet or exceed the original notebook manufacturers' drive
specifications. Hard drive upgrades are available from 20 to 80 GB
and are backed by a three-year warranty.
The price reductions are effective immediately on selected
capacities of the Easy-Plug Easy-Go and are available through major
distributors, corporate resellers, mail order and direct from the
company's website.
DPS Now Shipping Que!007 Portable
DVD Burner and Digital Theater Device
Digital
Peripheral Solutions Inc. (DPS) has announced it is
shipping its Que!007 Portable DVD Burner and Digital Theater. The
sleek, portable, all-in-one convergence device features a FireWire
DVD burner that also plays DVDs, CDs, MP3s, Picture CDs, and
PowerPoint presentations.
Unlike competitive units, the Que!007 works equally well as a
computer peripheral or as a standalone battery-powered device. The
built-in FireWire interface allows PC and Mac users to easily
record, erase and rewrite DVDs, CDs and MP3 files. The Que!007 also
plays DVD movies, audio CDs, MP3s, karaoke, picture CDs and
PowerPoint presentations directly to a TV or flat-screen
display.
"We designed the Que!007 to replace several of today's most
popular PC/Mac peripherals - DVD Burners, set-top/portable DVD
players, MP3 players, audio CD players and presentation projectors
- with a single, all-in-one, portable, battery-operated device,"
said Pierre Abboud, vice president of DPS. "This not only makes it
easy for users to carry an entire home theater/entertainment center
in the palm of their hand, it also saves them hundreds of
dollars."
As a computer peripheral, the Que!007 can be used as a
transportable data storage or data archiving drive. It includes an
impressive array of features for burning DVDs and CDs as well as
for playing DVD movies on PCs or Macs. In addition, it allows
business users to display PowerPoint presentations, DVD-based
industrial training videos, and impressive digital slide shows with
built-in interactive screen transitions that pan, zoom, flip and
rotate screen effects directly from the Que!007 without requiring
bulky, expensive digital projectors or notebook computers.
As a 9-volt DC-powered portable digital theater/entertainment
center, the Que!007 serves as a mobile DVD/CD/MP3 player, plays DVD
movies in an RV or boat, and entertains children on long car rides
(which many parents consider the drive's biggest benefit).
The Que!007 includes 4.7 GB of storage, a 2 MB buffer,
built-in LCD display, Dolby Pro Logic and 3D Virtual Surround, a
universal headphone/analog/optical audio output jack, and more.
Accessories include a 36-key remote, external power supply adapter,
detachable rechargeable battery pack, headphone set and all
necessary cables. Bundled software includes a DVD authoring program
for PCs and a CD mastering program for PCs and Macs.
The device supports virtually all disc formats and most media,
including DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW and CD-RW. The unit itself
is shock and vibration resistant.
MSRP for the Que!007 Portable DVD Burner and Digital Theater is
$599; it is available through PC/Mac Warehouse, PC/Mac Mall, and
PC/Mac Zone, and through distribution from Ingram Micro.
Bargain 'Books
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233
MHz, the cacheless MainStreet
version and the later Series II
with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from
the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included
links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for
the PowerBook G4/667 (Gigabit
Ethernet/2001) and G4/667
(DVI).
- refurb 12" iBook 900,
128/40/Combo, w/AppleCare, $1,398
- refurb 12" iBook 900, 12"
128/40/Combo, $1,199
- refurb 14" iBook 900, 1
256/40/Combo, w/AppleCare, $1,599
- refurb 14" iBook 900,
256/40/Combo, $1,399
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals
and Best iBook Deals.
