Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.04.09
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.
PC Laptops Are Kinda Disappointing
Blogger Dennis
T Cheung says:
"To this day, I continue to be perpetually disappointed with the
PC laptop experience. They're almost always ugly, they have poor
power management, they don't go to sleep guaranteed on on lid close,
you can't change batteries without plugging them in, and the OEMs
always add weird stuff to the machine.
"For example, why did Toshiba add that stupid
'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' on lid close feature? I
mean, did they really envision a scenario in which a person who
closes their laptop lid lets everyone in a 50 foot radius know "HEY!
My Toshiba's lid is closing!! Look at me!!"
"Then there are Sony Vaios with the jog wheel that doesn't do
anything, and support for memory stick which no one uses.
"And finally, there's my Acer, which has a bunch of extra rubber
flaps that don't do anything.
"I hope Longhorn will fix some of the weird OS/Hardware
integration issues.
"But for now, Apple definitely do laptops right IMHO."
"Apple Has Always Made Superior Laptops"
Blogger Omar
Shahine, a Lead Program Manager on Virtual PC for Mac,
says:
"I can't tell you how many times I've closed my laptop lid, placed
it in my bag and opened it back up on the train a 30 minutes later to
find the battery half drained. Since I refuse to install any of the
Toshiba Power management software for my Tablet PC (because it locks
it up from time to time) I get about 1.2 hours of juice as my tablet
runs at full bore the whole time.
"Apple has always made superior laptops. They just work, aren't
ugly with dozens of panels, protruding pieces of plastic and
boneheaded design placement like my microphone that is located right
near my loud fan. Oh, and lets not even mention the 15 or so stickers
that come on the thing. That's just tacky. I'm not sure this will
ever change. The business that OEMs are in require that they compete
on price, so they'll never spend the kind of money Apple does to make
their stuff sexy and functional. If you don't know what I'm talking
about, go to an Apple store and play with a 15 or 12 inch PowerBook.
Notice the clean design, smart placement of panels, lack of stickers
and panels, fluid lines, pulsing LED lights, keyboard controls that
have stunning On Screen UI, and ambient light detection for back
lighting the keyboard etc."
Samsung Readies Portable Fuel Cell, Could Provide
10 Hours of Power to a Notebook Computer
IDG News Service's Martyn
Williams says:
"Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the research and
development arm of South Korea's Samsung Electronics, has
successfully developed a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the
company says.
"Direct methanol fuel cells mix methanol with air and water to
produce electrical power and are viewed by many as a potential
successor to Lithium-Ion and other batteries used in devices such as
notebook personal computers and other portable electronics
devices."
ProCare at Your Apple Store
Apple has announced ProCare,
their newest level of service for Apple customers. As a ProCare
member you'll enjoy a higher level of service and support at your
local Apple Retail Store. Best of all, if you're currently a Pro Card
member, your first year of ProCare is free.
With ProCare, you'll get added benefits over and above our
standard level of service:
- Rapid Repairs. Get priority, next-day turnaround on in-store
repairs.
- Reserve a Genius. No waiting at our Genius Bar with up to
seven-day advance reservations.
- Complete setup. We'll transfer your old files and get you
ready to roll before you leave the store.
- Custom workshops. Book free, one-hour workshops to take your
skills further.
- Exclusive discounts. Get special discounts on selected Apple
and third-party products.
Get ProCare for $99. Pro Card members get their first year free.
If you're currently a Pro Card customer, just bring your Pro Card to
your local Apple Retail Store by July 31, 2004 and get your new free
ProCare card, good for an entire year. Or purchase a ProCare card for
$99 at your local Apple Retail Store.
iBook Production Moving to China?
DigiTimes.com Emma
Wang and Steve Shen report:
"Asustek Computer will initially invest US$25 million (about
NT$825 million) to build a plant in Shanghai, China, according to a
filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday.....
"The Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times reported today
that Apple Computer, which contracts its iBook models to Asustek, has
pushed the local motherboard maker to migrate its notebook production
to China from the third quarter. The migration is expected to
complete by the end of this year...."
Milano iBook and PowerBook Leather Cases
The
Milano
leather case is as slim and full-featured as your new
PowerBook or iBook. This high-quality leather case is geared to the
executive who wants a slim, stylish case for business use.
Crafted of high-quality cowhide leather, the Milano comes in a
12", 15", and 17" version to ensure a custom fit for all PowerBook
models. The 12" and 14" iBook also fit nicely in the respectively
sized cases. The Milano is a tight design that avoids the bulkiness
found in most other cases.
The Milano has a comfortable, padded non-slip shoulder strap with
an attachment for your iPod, digital camera or cellphone. Or you can
go strapless and carry the case by its rugged handle. The buckles and
handle connectors are all-high quality solid stainless steel
hardware.
The interior features a padded laptop pocket, lined with soft
plush fabric. A smaller pocket holds your non-digital documents and
folders. There is also a pocket for your extra batteries, cables,
adapters, etc. The back of the case features a large open pocked for
quick access to magazines, plane tickets or other quick-reach
items.
The Milano is a slim design with enough storage for the "on the
go" professional. Matter of fact, it is so sleek that most people
won't even realize that you have a laptop in your bag.
Milano iBook and PowerBook Cases sell for $139.95.
FireWire 1394a/USB 2.0 32-bit CardBus Adapter
The CB1394U
is a PCMCIA standard-compliant, 32-bit, high-performance
bus-mastering architecture for Mac and PC computers. Broadening the
ability of interconnect between computers, computer peripherals,
consumer devices either USB 1.1/USB 2.0, FireWire/1394a or iLink
ports
Provides a 32-bit multiplexed address/data path, which can yield a
peak bandwidth of 132 Mbps using the synchronous burst-transfer
orientation of PCI. The CB1394U can assume control of the system bus
and act as system-bus masters, allowing for "intelligent" system
adapters.
The CB1394U CardBus supports Win98, 98SE, ME, 2K, XP, and Mac OS
9.x or higher
Specifications:
- Operating System: Win 98SE, ME, 2K, XP, Mac OS 8.6 or
higher
- IEEE 1394 Interface: IEEE 1394-1995, IEEE 1394a compliant.
Support data
- transfer rate up to 100, 200, 400 MBps. SBP-2 Target
- Revision 4 compliant.
- One 6-pin 1394a port, One 4 pin 1394a port, Two USB2
ports
PowerBook G4: Customer-Installable Parts
Procedures
This
document contains links to QuickTime Movies and written
instructions, in both text and PDF format, for installable parts for
the PowerBook G4 model computer.
iBook G4: Customer-Installable Parts
Instructions
This
document contains links to replacement instructions in PDF
format for the customer-installable parts listed below. These
instructions cover customer-installable parts for the iBook G4 and
iBook G4 (14-inch).
PowerBook and iBook: Identifying the Right Power
Adapter and Power Cord
Learn which power adapter, power cord, and plug are appropriate
for which PowerBook and iBook computers from this
document.
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.
- PowerBook 5300cs, 8/775 MB,
floppy, AC. Get a great deal on a low-end PowerBook. Just in from
being refurbished, $49.99
- PowerBook 1400cs, 16/775
MB, floppy, new Battery, AC, $99.99
Refurbished PowerBooks
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 256/40/Combo, $1,149
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/667, 256/30/Combo, $1,449
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/867, 256/40/Combo, $1,599
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/800, 512/40/Combo, AirPort,
$1,629
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 512/60/SuperDrive, AirPort,
$1,849
- 17" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, $2,649
Refurbished PowerBooks and iBooks
- 12" iBook G3/800, 128/30/CD-ROM, AirPort, $759
- 12" iBook G4/800, 128/30/CD-ROM, $899
- 12" iBook G4/800, 256/30/Combo, $999
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 256/40/SuperDrive, $1,349
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/60/Combo, $1,699
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see our
Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and
Best iBook G3 Deals.
