Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2003.09.02
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars.
Due to Internet access problems at Low End Mac headquarters and
the publisher's work schedule at his other job, we were unable to
post The 'Book Review last Friday. We hope to recover from the
holiday schedule and resume our normal publishing schedule on
Wednesday.
12" PowerBook G4 Customer Installable
Parts
Apple has posted links to PDF files that contain instructions
for installing
replacement parts in the 12" PowerBook G4 computer.
Retrofitting Your TiBook or iBook with a
Backlit Keyboard
PowerPage has posted
a tutorial by Russ White from Small Dog Electronics that
walks you through the process of installing keyboard backlighting
on Apple portables using Electro-Luminescent (EL) sheeting, the
same type of material used in the backlight for Timex Indiglo
watches (Apple's 17" PowerBook uses
fibre-optics for keyboard backlighting).
"The advantage of EL is that it generates a uniform light over
its entire surface. The sheet itself generates almost no heat, and
the sheet is about the thickness of some heavy paper (card stock),
so it can fit behind the keyboard without any need to rework the
case or keyboard."
Fixing Your PowerBook G4 15"
Also on PowerPage is another
Tech Tails reprint by Troy Kingsbury of Small Dog on how
to repair titanium PowerBooks that have come unglued, have latch
problems, or get scratched.
Willow Mission Light 17" PowerBook Carry
Case
The new Mission Light 17"
PowerBook case is a lightweight, economical solution for
safely transporting your Big Al PowerBook. The simple effective
design offers excellent protection for you PowerBook in a clean,
lightweight case.
Features:
- Clean, lightweight and flexible design.
- Excellent protection for your 17"
PowerBook afforded by 1.2 cm (0.5") foam
- Reinforced by corrugated plastic on the back, high density
polyethylene
- Reinforcement on the handle side and 4 mm (1/8") hardboard on
the bottom.
- Exterior 600 denier polyester and interior 200 denier nylon
both of which are urethane coated for waterproofedness.
- The fabrics give an excellent balance between superb protection
and durability and light weight.
- Excellent shoulder carrying comfort insured by a wide,
contoured, thickly padded shoulder strap.
- Heavy duty mountain bike style briefcase handle double rivet
reinforced (on each side) through the wrap handle to insure the
safety of your laptop.
- Convenient DVD, CD-ROM & cable pockets located in the
laptop section for easy access plus extra room for manuals or other
letter sized paperwork on lower accessory level.
- Outer front organizer panel with pockets business cards, pens,
elasticized pocket for the Apple power supply plus room for the
power cord and an ethernet cable.
- Outside flat, outer pocket for airline tickets, thin paperwork,
etc., flat external rear pocket especially handy for maps,
magazines or newspapers.
- a velcroed elastic strap to lock down 17" PowerBook and 1.2 cm
( 0.5") of paperwork for further protection.
- Handy mesh pocket in the lid for safe and convenient storage of
cables or other thin items.
- Luggage feet riveted through the hardboard bottom of the case
which actually keep it up and off the ground when you want to set
the case down whilst entering and leaving your vehicle.
- Lifetime guarantee against defects in materials or
craftsmanship.
Available colors: black, charcoal, navy, taupe, burgundy
Pricing: $125 Cdn./$ 91 U.S.
OrangeLink FireWire 800 for Notebooks
Mac and Windows Laptop users can now experience the cutting edge
of FireWire 800/1394b with the OrangeLink
FireWire 800 for Notebooks from Orange Micro.
FireWire 800/1394b is steadily gaining popularity because it
allows data transfer rates of up to 800 Mb/sec. External hard
drives, 
digital audio, digital video, and other high speed
peripherals will benefit tremendously from the increased throughput
of FireWire 800 while still enjoying the "plug and play" and "daisy
chain" conveniences that have characterized FireWire since its
inception.
At press time, the only laptop shipping with native FireWire 800
ports is the 17" PowerBook, which
has a list price of $3,299. What are the rest of us laptop users to
do? Orange Micro has come to the rescue by creating the OrangeLink
FireWire 800 for Notebooks card. Put this card into your Mac or
Windows laptop, and you can instantly start enjoying the benefits
of this new technology.
"The response to our FireWire 800 line of products has been
overwhelmingly positive," stated Arthur Scotten, president of
Orange Micro.
Besides the obvious benefit of FireWire 800/1394b's speed, there
are many other reasons why it is becoming the most popular
connectivity solution: plug and play convenience, backward
compatibility with the previous FireWire 400/1394a standard,
daisy-chain capability, and up to 45 watts of bus power that can be
provided through the connection.
The OrangeLink FireWire 800 for Notebooks card is equipped with
two 9-pin FireWire 800/1394b ports so users can simultaneously use
two FireWire 800/1394b devices. Backward compatibility with legacy
FireWire devices require only a 6-pin to 9-pin adapter or 6-pin to
9-pin cable (both available in Orange Micro's line of FireWire 800
products).
The OrangeLink FireWire 800 for Notebooks (product #70HTL00050)
carries a MSRP of $89 and will ship on September 30, 2003. Video
editing software is included with the package.
The OrangeLink FireWire 800 for Notebooks is compatible with
Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, and XP with included Orange Micro driver.
FireWire 800 support is included in Mac OS X (10.2.4 or
newer).
To provide the full bus power to peripherals, Orange Micro also
has an optional external power supply available it is available for
purchase from the Orange Micro Online
Store.
Koverz Provides Cure for Not-so-Mysterious
PowerBook Woe
Thousands of people open their PowerBooks on a daily basis and
are discouraged to find mysterious marks and smudges on their
laptop computer 
screens. Some of the marks are
easily removed from the screen with a swipe of a cleaning cloth,
while others remain as permanent reminders of how a small problem
can turn into a big problem for possibly the most powerful laptops
in the industry.
The mysterious marks are not so mysterious however. The marks
are actually caused when oil and dirt left on the keyboard and/or
wrist-rest come in contact with the computer screen when the laptop
is closed. The marks can be easily prevented with the help of a
laptop screen protector from Koverz, Inc.
"We have customers from across the country that have recognized
the marks on their screens, and have chosen a simple, yet elegant
solution to their problem," said David Leishman, president of
Koverz. "At Koverz, we have created a leather laptop screen
protector that fits perfectly over the keyboard and/or wrist-rest
of most Apple PowerBooks and iBooks. The result is a protective
barrier that prevents the dirt and oil on the keys from coming in
contact with the delicate LCD screen."
Koverz laptop screen protectors are made from 100% cowhide
leather, which will not bleed or shed and is the most durable
material for this type of product. The topside, which faces the
screen features a chrome finish, and the bottom side is unfinished
suede.
"We have been contacted about our screen protectors by everyone
from individual computer owners to universities that purchase large
quantities of Apple laptops," Leishman said. "In some cases,
people, schools, universities or companies are spending upwards of
$3,000 for an Apple laptop, and for less than 1% of the cost of the
computer, owners can purchase a Koverz laptop screen protector and
insure that their laptop screen will last as long as the rest of
their investment."
The Koverz laptop screen protector is available for most Apple
PowerBooks and iBooks. Pricing ranges from $11.95 to $15.95. Koverz
offers volume discounts, as well as customized laser etching.
Toshiba Unveils Next-Generation DVD
Recordable Drives for Portable Computers
Toshiba Storage Device Division has introduced two
slim-line optical disk drives that provide higher media recording
speeds for mobile computers and allow computer manufacturers to
deliver better functionality to professionals on the go. The
SD-R6112 slim DVD recordable drive enables mobile users to take
advantage of 2x DVD recording, while the SD-R9012 super slim
CD-RW/DVD-ROM combination drive delivers 16x CD recording speeds in
a petite 128 x 9.5 x 126.1 mm format.
"As more and more computer users transition to mobile PCs,
they're demanding desktop performance in a mobile package," said
Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba SDD.
"Toshiba's new optical disk drives help OEMs continue to build
lighter, thinner and more functional mobile computers even as some
system components, like display screens, grow larger."
The Toshiba SD-R6112 drive supports 2x DVD-R, 1x DVD-RW, 1x
DVD-RAM read, 16x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW, allowing users to take
advantage of multiple technologies in a single drive. The SD-R9012
supports 8x DVD-ROM, 16x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW. Both drives include
buffer underrun technology and a 2 MB buffer. The tray loading
drives are also shock resistant and feature low energy consumption,
making them ideal for laptop design.
Toshiba's SD-R6112 and SD-R9012 slim-line drives will begin
shipping to mobile PC manufacturers in late August.
CharisMac's FireDino Back in Stock for a
Limited Time
CharisMac Engineering's FireDino,
the world's most ferocious 4-port FireWire hub, is available again
for a limited time. 
The award-winning hub is
once again ready to wreak havoc in your office while helping you
keep all of your FireWire devices conveniently connected to your
Mac computer.
"Yes, we've received a new batch, and these units seem
particularly rambunctious," said Jim Schroeder, head of CharisMac's
support team and in charge of quality assurance. "I definitely have
mixed emotions with these dino's entering the field; I'm not sure
whether to be excited for the lucky recipient or to be frightened
for them."
The platform independent FireDino provides 4 data ports neatly
tucked away in the back of the ferocious beast. The FireDino is bus
powered; however, CharisMac offers an additional power adapter for
an extra charge. The FireDino requires no additional drivers,
although food and water may be necessary to keep your FireDino
happy.
The FireDino first shipped in September of 2002 and quickly sold
out. Three additional batches have been quickly sold through since
the holiday buying season and CharisMac expects that these will
once again go quickly.
The FireDino has received numerous awards and accolades,
including Mac Addict Magazine's Editors Choice award. The FireDino
has also been featured on Inside Mac Radio and on the Screen Savers
TV show, found on the TechTV channel.
The FireDino is available for $69.95 directly from CharisMac
Engineering via their online store. The FireDino will be available
for a limited time only and will be sold on a first come first
serve basis.
CompuCable Addlogix FireXpress800 350DX
FireWire800 and USB 2.0 External 3.5" Drive Enclosure
The Addlogix
FireXpress800 350DX is powered to convert any IDE hard
disk drive into the fastest FireWire800 enabled external storage
device.
The FireXpress800 350DX
features a USB 2.0 interface (which is fully USB 1.1 compatible)
and the FireWire800 interface work with Mac and PC operating
systems. The data stored on the drive is fully accessible with
either interface and does not require special partitions.
FireXpress800 350DX supports large capacity hard drives in both
FireWire and USB interfaces, and is compatible with the latest
large capacity ATA-6 hard drives with full support.
The conversion kit includes premium IEEE 1394b (Beta and
Bilingual) cables, USB 2.0 cable, driver software, AC power cable
and AC adapter.
Features:
- Provides IDE to FireWire800 and IDE to USB 2.0 conversion in
one kit
- Three FireWire800/IEEE-1394b ports
- Supports 3.5" sized IDE devices
- Supports IDE ATA100/66 protocol
- Large drive support; works with 200 GB and higher hard
drive
- Tri-FireWire ports for daisy-chaining FireWire800 and 400
devices
- Transfer rate: Up to 800 Mb/sec FireWire800; 480 Mb/sec USB
2.0
- Hot-swapping capability (Including between USB and
FireWire)
- Easy installation, no jumper or ID setting
- Compatible with Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP and MacOS
8.6/9.x/X
Price: $179.95
Hitachi 1" 4 GB Microdrive Coming
Cnet's John G. Spooner reports:
"Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is delivering a tiny 4 GB
hard drive to electronic device manufacturers for testing.
"The 4 GB Microdrive, a miniaturized version of a hard drive
used in PCs, can be used by a wide range of devices to store data
files for computers or image files for digital cameras, among other
uses, the company said. The San Jose, Calif., hard-drive maker is
offering samples now and plans to ship the 1-inch drive in volume
in November."
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 17" PowerBook
G4/1 GHz, 512/60/SuperDrive, InCase extra large laptop
sleeve leather, Apple Airport Extreme base station with modem &
antenna port, leather screen protector w/SDE logo, $3,399
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,649
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/Combo, $1,499
- two 12" iBook 700
384/20/CD-ROM, a .mac account, two Kensington Astro Packs iBooks
are new with 1-year Apple Warranty. $1,799
Prices at Mac Outpost in Canadian dollars.
- PowerBook G3/400, 128/10/DVD, $999.99
- iBook 366, 128/6/CD-ROM, $899.99
- iBook 300, 128/6/CD-ROM,
$799.99
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals
and Best iBook Deals.
