Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.03.26
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars, bold links are to
outside sites, and regular links lead to 'Book profiles on Low End
Mac.
17" PowerBook G4 Wows Windows Guy
Australian IT's
Ian Cuthbertson says:
"All right, I surrender: this is the finest looking notebook
I've ever seen. As a dyed-in-the-wool Windows person, I'd
previously believed the whole Mac empire was like an expensive pack
of cards, likely to fall down at any time through marginalisation
and lack of applications...
"Well, if you can't beat them, join them . . . widescreen DVD
has never looked so good, or sounded so fine....
"Methinks I have seen the light - and I'm not talking about the
power cord when it's plugged in."
Enable True PowerBook Function Keys with
10.3.3
Mac
OS X Hints notes:
"With the 10.3.3 update, there's a new checkbox in the keyboard
preferences pane labeled 'Use the F1-F12 keys for custom actions.'
If you check it, then you get 'real' function keys, while holding
down fn gives you the brightness, sound, etc. controls...."
Mac OS 8 & 9 Compatibility Chart
Updated
Apple has updated its Classic Mac
OS compatibility chart from which you can learn which versions
of Mac OS 8 and OS 9 will run on which Macintosh
computers.
That Damn Faulty Logic Board Again
On 2guysamacandawebsite.com:
"Lord 'a mercy - it started happening again. My constant
companion, my luggable huggable laptop, my reliable iBook is not so
reliable any more. Inexorably, apparently, my iBook's logic board
has just taken a big ole' dump on the sofa and didn't even have the
common courtesy to clean it up or at least spray some air freshener
. . . any amount of pressure on the bottom and *KAFLOOEY* - the
iBook gets funky lines across the screen and it's unusable until a
restart....
"Anyway I finally get on the horn with Tech Support, and as
usual, I get first-class treatment. In this case I only have to
jump through one hoop to prove that it is indeed the logic board
that's hosed. I don't have AppleCare, but Apple will be footing the
bill since it's still under '3 years from the time of first retail
sale'. They'll send me a mailer to get my iBook to Apple, and
they'll fix it 'within 14 days' or more likely, as the support guy
hinted, in 4 or 5 days....
"Once again Apple's Tech Support rocks! . . . the April '04
issue of Computer Shopper has a piece about a guy who's been going
back and forth with Gateway about warranty work for over four
years. Gateway finally told the guy they weren't fixing it and his
only recourse is to pursue legal action...."
Logitech Announces Notebook Mouse
The latest in Logitech's family of portable
notebook mice, Notebook Optical Mouse Plus makes it easier than
ever for busy professionals and casual notebook users to pack a
mouse for the road - or just carry one to meetings.
The innovative, patent-pending cord wrap is the key to the
design. When it's time to move, the thin cord winds into a track
built in the base of the mouse. Once the cord is wrapped up
completely, a snap fastens the USB connector to the bottom of the
mouse, protecting the optical sensor. The result is a durable,
all-in-one package without any fragile moving parts.
Notebook Optical Mouse Plus has a silver top framed by a black,
shock-resistant base. No setup is necessary to use the mouse - it
simply plugs into a USB port and works immediately.
"When we researched the needs of notebook users, we found that
tangled cords are a huge hassle," said Ashish Arora, Logitech's
director of product marketing, Retail Pointing Devices. "With
Notebook Optical Mouse Plus, we've come up with a simple and unique
solution for managing the cords and improving the mobile computing
experience. We now have two fantastic products for notebook users
to suit their individual needs - this new corded product and the
very successful Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks."
The Logitech Notebook Optical Mouse Plus will be on retail
shelves in Europe and the U.S. in April. The suggested retail price
in the U.S. is $29.95.
New Bluetooth FrogPad Products the ROI
Solution for Mobile Operators
FrogPad, Inc. and its strategic
Bluetooth solutions partner, Gennum Corporation conducted a
demonstration to announce the general availability of the Bluetooth
enabled FrogPad keyboard and headset at CeBit. The new Bluetooth
keyboard incorporates FrogPad's patented algorithm and ergonomic
layout designed around the 15 most-used letters in the Roman
alphabet and the latest short-range wireless Bluetooth technology.
The demonstration will be with Both Pocket OS and Palm OS PDA's,
and Mac PowerBook's.
3g and 4g Mobile operators have demanded products that will
offer PC capabilities in a PDA form factor. Miniaturized or folding
keyboards are not fully functional or portable. Only the Bluetooth
FrogPad can boast that claim of portability, compactness, full
sized keys, and full functionality. With these new high end
products, FrogPad helps "secure a place for Bluetooth technology at
the wireless table".
FrogPad will provide the definitive White Paper that cost
justifies employee training time and mass adoption rate. FrogPad
can demonstrate to Organizations cost savings and increased revenue
by giving its field service and sales force and executives access
to databases, e-mail, and internal network resources. This alone
will generate the kind of data transmission and revenues that
Mobile Operators have longed for.
Pioneering a new global standard for data entry, the FrogPad
continues to be first to market in technology that impacts the
mobile computing. Unlike QWERTY, whose design was derived from the
limitations of 19th Century typewriter technology, the FrogPad
offers a logical key layout and design that encourages correct
ergonomic posture. Additionally, given its use of full-size keys,
the FrogPad offers users of mobile computing devices, an effective
alternative to the script-based or mini thumb keyboard platforms
currently available. After an average of 8 hours of training and
practice, most FrogPad users can achieve input rates of the
standard 40 words per minute, as compared to the average of 10-20
words per minute by the fastest thumb typists.
FrogPad, Inc. and Gennum Corporation will also be demonstrating
its first Bluetooth Headset named FROGTALK, for use with
Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, PC's, Macs, PDA's, and Gamers.
Professional mobile warriors will find premium sound and vocal
experience with the FROGTALK which features Gennum's patented
FRONTWAVE technology. FRONTWAVE filters out background noise while
simultaneously amplifying the voice of the user, providing a
crystal-clear conversation environment.
In an effort to assist OEMs interested in developing their own
Bluetooth-enabled FrogPad keyboards, FrogPad and Gennum will also
unveil the licensing model of the single chip solution, which will
incorporate FrogPad's unique algorithm with the Bluetooth™
Human Input Device (HID) profile. By incorporating the HID profile,
FrogPad provides OEMs the assurance that their FrogPad products are
Bluetooth-enabled out-of-the-box.
Leveraging Gennum's expertise in developing technology for
hearing instruments, FROGTALK provides balance in the ear, making
it comfortable to wear for hours at a time. The headset is
configurable to fit on the left or right ear and was designed to be
installed and operated using just one-hand.
The headset can also be utilized without a cell phone to amplify
and improve the sound quality of live conversations, especially in
noisy environments, such as in airports, conventions centers, and
military applications.
The lithium-polymer battery in FROGTALK features up to 6 hours
of talk time and 200 hours standby time. The FROGTALK will be
available in the online store of FrogPad in June 2004.
The industrial design for the Bluetooth™ FrogPad, to be
named the BlueFrog, is being done by Design Edge. Many exciting new
products from FrogPad are on the horizon - left-hand versions of
all products, a gaming version, a Chinese version, called BossFrog
will be released on April 1st. For our Road Warriors, FrogPad will
bundle their BlueFrog with FROGTALK along with Ziplinq's USB
accessories for power and recharging.
firePod FireWire/USB Combo Car Charger for
iPod
Now enjoy the portability of powering iPod (original, 3G
and mini) in your car, the ability to use a single charger for many
FireWire powered devices, and the convenience of charging cell
phones, PDAs, other USB MP3 players and even Gameboy Advance SP on
the road with a USB charger.
The
firePod and fireCable provides a complete on-the-road Universal
FireWire and USB power system. The Basic kit includes the firePod
(12V USB/FireWire power adapter), and fireCable (FireWire
pass-through power line). The Deluxe kit also includes FireWire
AC/DC adapter, similar to Apple's iPod adapter.
The USB port is regulated to the strict standard of USB power
specification, works with popular bus-charging devices such as USB
link cable for popular portable devices (PDA, cell phone, etc.),
and even works with USB lamp. firePod's FireWire port outputs a
steady and regulated current that is identical to your Apple
FireWire port, so you don't have to worry about battery-butchering
power surge from accelerating and braking in everyday commute.
firePod is also bundled with the fireCable, a unique cable that
provides universal FireWire bus-power without occupying any
precious FireWire data port, great for PC iPod user who is
currently using a 6-to-4 Pin FireWire adapter.
Features:
- Designed to match your iPod
- Provides FireWire bus-power and USB bus-power
- USB port works with iPaq USB charger, cellular phone USB
charger, PDA USB chargers
- Simultaneous usage for both USB and FireWire
- Fits into any 12V automotive DC power source
- Triplet LED to indicate power source, and bus-power usage
- Computer-tested and regulated electrical voltage/current, for
both USB and FireWire; prevent battery-life reduction
- Fuse protected against over-current protection
- Bundled with fireCable Universal FireWire Power System
fireCable Universal FireWire Power Supply for
Hard Drives and Video Cams
The
fireCable is a universal power adapter (and a charger, too) for
any bus-powered FireWire device. It works by 'injecting' DC current
into the power pins of a standard 6-pin FireWire connector without
having to use any vendor specific DC connectors. The fireCable is
designed with pass-through data port, and using fireCable does not
block any FireWire ports on the bus-powered device.
fireCable is a great accessory for iPod or slim FireWire hard
drive. The fireCable can provide the essential bus-power when
bus-power is not available from the FireWire Host Controller, such
as a CardBus/PCMCIA controller or a i.LINK port. This makes the
fireCable the ideal companion for the Windows version iPod, older
PowerBook users, and any bus-powered FireWire devices.
The kit includes one FireWire pass-through power cable, and one
FireWire AC/DC adapter, similar to Apple's iPod AC adapter.
Additional adapters are also available for USB bus, PS/2 bus, and
automotive DC power source. International Power input 100-240VAC;
DC power output is 12V 1.5A.
Older PowerBooks and PC Laptops: fireCable can be used to
automatically enable iPod's FireWire-transfer-mode (and provide
bus-charging), when the iPod is connected to PowerBooks with PCMCIA
FireWire controllers.
Features:
- Universal Power Supply for FireWire bus-powered devices
- Provides FireWire bus-power without blocking any data ports on
the device
- Tested with iPod, popular 1.8" and 2.5" hard drives/enclosures,
i.LINK, and PCMCIA FireWire controller
- fireCable available in iPod white
- Custom FireWire AC/DC adapter with diode to meet IEEE1394
(FireWire) power system specification
Windows Watch
IBM Ships 'Mandatory' ThinkPad HDD patch
The Register's Tony Smith
says:
"IBM has issued a 'mandatory' software update for ThinkPad
notebooks equipped with Hitachi-manufactured hard drives.
"According the company's support web site, the firmware update
fixes what it describes as 'early reliability issues in some
drives'...
"The drives in question have model number HTS726060M9AT00 with
ASM part number 92P6550 and FRU part number 92P6551....
I wonder if any of these drives have found their way into Apple
laptops?
HP's New Ruggedized Notebooks Can Take a
Beating
PCWorld's Tom
Krazit says:
"Feel free to drop this notebook on the floor, or leave it out
in the rain overnight. Hewlett-Packard's first ruggedized notebook
and Tablet PC are able to withstand those types of abuse by workers
in demanding environments and military personnel.
"The HP Rugged Notebook nr3600 launched this week, alongside the
HP Rugged Tablet PC tr3000. Both products were developed in
partnership with Itronix, which has manufactured these types of
notebooks for some time under the GoBook II brand....
""The notebook uses a 1.7 GHz Pentium 4 processor from Intel.
Faster processors are available, but because the nr3600 is sealed
to prevent rain from leaking into the unit, it needs to operate
without a fan directly over the processor...
Both the notebook and the Tablet PC were designed to exceed U.S.
military specifications for rugged products.... [which] involves
dropping the notebook 26 times from a height of 3 feet onto a
surface of plywood laid over concrete, and verifying the unit will
operate in temperatures ranging from minus-23 degrees to 60 degrees
Celsius (-10 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Prices range from $3,500-$4,100.
Phoenix Offers Notebook Users No-Boot
Outlook Access
TechWeb News
reports:
"PC BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies on Thursday unveiled an
update to its FirstWave Assistant technology that will let notebook
users check their Outlook calendar, e-mail, and contact data
without waiting for the system to completely boot up.
"Aimed at notebook vendors - who can add FirstWave Assistant to
their Windows-based laptops to provide PDA-like response times for
personal information - the expanded version includes read-only
access to Outlook's data. Future versions will add preboot
read-write capabilities so users can not only view Outlook
information, but add new appointments or contacts, as well."
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)
and the titanium vs. aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz.
- new 14" iBook G3/900,
256/40/Combo, AirPort, .Mac account, $1,170 before rebate
- new 15" PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, built-in Bluetooth & AirPort Extreme,
Airport Extreme Base station (w/o modem & antennae port),
$2,795
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
