Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.05.10
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.
Apple Expands iBook Repair Extension Program
Apple Computer has expanded its iBook Logic Board Repair
Extension Program to cover a wider range of machines.
After Apple announced the iBook repair program in January, some
Mac users complained that their iBooks had similar problems but
were not included within the range of eligible serial numbers to
qualify for the remedy.
The program originally covered iBooks made between May 2002 and
April 2003; it now been expanded to cover units made through
October 2003. This will be good news for owners of the last batch
of G3 iBooks made, but I have had letters from owners of pre-May
2002 iBooks who claimed to have similar symptoms to those covered
under the program.
The Updated iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program is a
worldwide program covering repair or replacement of the logic board
in specific iBook models manufactured between May 2002 and October
2003 that are experiencing specific component failures.
The Updated iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program covers
iBooks that have a particular component failure on the logic board,
resulting in the computer starting up but the built-in and attached
external displays exhibiting one or more of the following
symptoms:
- Scrambled or distorted video
- Appearance of unexpected lines on the screen
- Intermittent video image
- Video freeze
- Computer starts up to blank screen
The program covers affected iBooks for three years after the
first retail sale of the unit. Apple will continue to evaluate the
repair data and will provide further repair extensions as
needed.
The program is now available for iBooks with serial numbers in
the following range(s):
UV220XXXXXX to UV342XXXXXX
iBooks with the serial numbers listed above may be referred to
as:
- 12" iBook (16 VRAM)
- 14" iBook (16 VRAM)
- 12" iBook (32 VRAM)
- 14" iBook (32 VRAM)
- 12" iBook (800 MHz 32 VRAM)
- 12" iBook (900 MHz 32 VRAM)
- 14" iBook (900 MHz 32 VRAM)
$190 Refurbished PowerBookResQ Combo Drive Self
Service Upgrade for G4 PowerBooks with DVD Drive
Burn CDs and play DVDs from within your titanium PowerBook
G4.
The PowerBook
G4 Combo Drive upgrade for the PowerBook G4 (400 MHz to
1 GHz) is a slot-loading CD-RW/DVD drive designed to replace
the built-in CD-RW-only or DVD-only drive with a drive that can
burn CDs and play DVDs, thus eliminating the need to drag around
extra hardware and cables.
The PowerBook G4 CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive upgrade is compatible
with Mac OS X, Mac OS 9, iTunes, Disc Burner, and Apple
DVD Player. The drive is bootable and has been certified by Dantz
Development for use with Retrospect. The drive writes CD-R media at
8x speed, writes to CD-RW media at 8x, reads regular CD-ROM media
at 24x speed, and reads DVD media at 8x speed.
In order to be compatible with the required software, your
PowerBook must be running Mac OS 9.2.2 or OS X 10.1.3 or
later.
System requirements: PowerBook G4 with an existing DVD
drive.
Price: $189.99
Is the PowerBook with 128 MB Video Memory
Faster than the 64 MB Version?
Bare Feats' rob-Art Morgan asks and
answers:
"Does the newest PowerBook with 128 MB video memory option go
faster than the 64 MB version? That's a burning question for which
we all want the answer. Bare Feats lab has ordered a PowerBook with
128 MB option, but in the meantime, we were able to get one test
result from a 'remote mad scientist.'"
Yes it does, but by how much?
Using Your PowerBook as a DVD Player
with an External Monitor or TV
A new Apple
Knowledge Base Article says:
If your PowerBook has a DVD-capable optical drive, you can use
your PowerBook as a DVD player to watch movies on an external
monitor or television.
Basic Steps
- Shut down the PowerBook and turn off the external monitor or
TV.
- Connect a video cable from the video output port on your
PowerBook to the video input port on the monitor or TV. You'll have
to find the right combination of ports on the computer and monitor
or TV. For example, if your computer has an S-video output port and
your TV has an S-video input, you could use that connection for the
picture, then connect an audio cable from the sound output port on
your computer to the sound input port on the TV.
- Turn on the monitor or TV, then start up your PowerBook. You'll
probably also have to switch to the video input on your TV once
it's on.
- Make sure you can see the computer's desktop and menu bar on
the monitor or TV. If not, check settings in Displays preferences
(Mac OS X) or the Monitors control panel (Mac OS 8 and
9). Depending on your PowerBook model, you might have to reduce the
number of colors on the screen to give enough memory to the DVD
Player. Choose Thousands instead of Millions of colors.
- Deselect the Video Mirroring if it's selected. You can't watch
a DVD on the built-in display and an external display or TV at the
same time.
- Open DVD Player and insert a DVD-Video disc.
BookEndz Docking Station for 15" Aluminum
PowerBook Shipping
One of the great things
about a portable computer is that you can take it with you wherever
you go and the latest models are as powerful as a desktop system.
However, having to connect and disconnect all those cables every
time you come into or leave the office is a hassle.
With BookEndz
Docking Stations, you connect everything to the BookEndz, then
connect your computer to the dock, and you are done. To leave, just
disconnect your computer from the BookEndz Dock.
Now you can turn your
portable into a desktop, which allows you to use an external
monitor, keyboard, mouse, hard drives, etc. without the
inconvenience of having to search for the cable that fell behind
your desk. It's there, connected to the Dock, ready to go all the
time.
BookEndz offers docking stations for the new 12" PowerBook and
15" Aluminum PowerBooks (released end of Summer of '03) and will
have information on a Docking Station for the 17" PowerBook in
May.
- BookEndz Dock for 1999 "Lombard" G3 PowerBook, $229.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2000 "Pismo" G3 PowerBook, $229.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2001 "Titanium" G4 PowerBook (Titanium),
$244.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2001 "Titanium" G4 PowerBook (Black),
$229.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2002 "DVI" G4 PowerBook (Titanium),
$244.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2003 12" PowerBook, $179
- BookEndz Dock for 2003 12" PowerBook with mini-DVI, $179
- BookEndz Dock for 2003 15" PowerBook with ports on both sides,
$244.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2001 G3 iBook (Black), $144.95
- BookEndz Dock for 2001 G3 iBook (White), $159.95
Daystar Announces PowerBook Lombard XLR8 G4
Upgrade
Daystar Technology has expanded the XLR8 system upgrade
technology to include the Apple
PowerBook G3 1999 series (Bronze Keyboard), also known as the
"Lombard" PowerBook.
Combining technologies from Daystar and XLR8, the new upgrade
not only provides fast G4, OS X performance, but also features a
low-power design that extends battery life and runs cooler than
competitive offerings.
The
MAChSpeed G4 Lombard is factory installed and tested by Daystar
in a unique 24 hour turnaround program. Daystar adds additional
speed to the installation process with its exclusive "Week-ender"
installation program, providing 12 hour turnaround. The Week-ender
program allows users to achieve near-zero downtime by sending their
PowerBook in on Thursday evening, then receiving the upgraded
system on Monday.
"The Lombard is a unique upgrade, in that the Lombard
itself has a number of RAM and system incompatibilities'," said
Gary Dailey, president of Daystar. "We want to achieve the 100%
customer satisfaction record that we have with the Pismo upgrade.
While there is still an 'OS 9 sleep' issue when OS 9 and
OS X are installed on the same volume, we have been able to
eliminate every other possible incompatibility. The upgrade is as
near to perfect as it can be and still assure compatibility as the
OS changes."
MAChSpeed G4 Lombard standard pricing Includes all unit 2-day, 2
way shipping, CPU upgrade installation, testing, MAChSpeed Control
OS 9 & OS X installation, additional shipping options
are available.
433 MAChSpeed G4 Lombard, $259
MAChSpeed G4 Lombard Week-ender Pricing (In on Friday, back on
Monday) Includes all unit 2-way, overnight shipping, CPU upgrade
installation, testing, MAChSpeed Control OS 9 & OS X
installation
433 MAChSpeed G4 Lombard Week-ender, $299
Due to the sensitivity of the electronics within the PowerBook
G3, and the need for low-power tuning, Daystar handles the
MAChSpeed G4 Lombard as a factory installation. Unlike some
competitive PowerBook upgrades, Daystar completes all upgrading and
testing within its own facility, using its own state-of-the art
equipment and worldwide recognized professionals.
- The user is shipped a professional foam shipping
container.
- They complete the checklist, then use the prepaid label to
return the container with their PowerBook G3 to Daystar.
- Daystar tests and checks the system, performs the upgrade, then
tests the upgraded unit overnight and returns the upgraded unit to
the user.
- The user then opens the box and starts working at G4
speeds.
All shipping costs of the Lombard unit and insurance is included
in the MSRP listed above. The user pays an additional shipping fee
for the initial shipping of the container.
Support For International Lombard Units: International orders
are available with the standard 24 turnaround only. International
users can choose from a variety of shipping and return choices.
Glide Kits PowerBook and iBook Chassis
Maintenance Kits
RadTech
Glide Kits are machine-specific chassis maintenance,
adjustment, and tool kits specifically configured for each model
Apple portable.
Each Glide kit contains comprehensive instructions and all the
tools necessary for performing routine chassis maintenance and
adjustments, display hinge tensioning, lubrication, memory
installation, and service access.
All Glide kits feature RadTech's exclusive molecular metal
conditioner, Syndrol HD. This 100% synthetic metal conditioner
works in ways oils and lubricants can't, penetrating to the
molecular level of your notebook's hinges and providing
unparalleled friction reduction and smooth, silent rotation.
iGlide for dual USB (white) 2001 and up iBook
Kit includes RadTech's Syndrol HD metal conditioner for
silencing stiff, creaking iBook hinges. This kit also includes
1.5mm and 2.0mm short arm Hex keys for removing and reseating case
fasteners.
TiGlide for all 15" titanium
PowerBooks
Optimize titanium PowerBook G4 chassis alignment, fit, and
display hinge tension. This kit allows you to correct and optimize
PowerBook G4 chassis alignment and display hinge tension. The
result is a significant improvement in appearance and functionality
while minimizing the chance of component failure, saving cost and
downtime. Kit contains Syndrol HD, which penetrates the hinge
components much better than conventional lubricants. RadTech's
custom Ti-Tool is also included for easy hinge tension adjustment.
The result is unbelievably smooth and effortless display
rotation.
TiGlide also features other tools and aids for easily aligning
the display-to-case clearance, eliminating finish abrasion, and
improving your machine's looks. You'll wonder how you lived without
it. Easy for any user to apply. Takes 5-10 minutes to totally align
and adjust a PowerBook G4. Includes simple instructions, metal
conditioner, a Ti-Tool hinge spanner, and chassis alignment shims.
Also available with a T-8 Torx wrench, this makes a nice addition
to any Ti owner's toolbox.
AlGlide for all 12", 15", and 17" Aluminum PowerBooks
Kit includes RadTech's Syndrol HD metal conditioner for
silencing stiff, creaking hinges. This kit also includes 1.5mm and
2.0mm short arm hex keys for removing and reseating case fasteners,
and a #00 precision Phillips driver for RAM installation and
service access.
Features:
- Prolongs hinge, display, and case life.
- Quiets noisy, creaking display hinges.
- Extremely long-lasting hinge lubrication, benefits remain even
if washed off!
- Works in ways oils and lubricants can't, Syndrol HD outperforms
them all.
- Unaffected by heat or cold.
- Included tools fit small fasteners correctly without
marring.
- Heat cycling loosens fasteners, Glide kits provide the tools to
keep them tight
iGlide Contents:
- 1, 2ml Syndrol HD metal conditioner
- 1, L-Style 1.5mm hex wrench
- 1, L-Style 2.0mm hex wrench
- 1, Illustrated instruction set
AlGlide Contents:
- 1, 2ml Syndrol HD metal conditioner
- 1, L-Style 1.5mm hex wrench
- 1, #00 Precision Phillips driver
- 1, Illustrated instruction set
TiGlide Contents:
- 1, 2ml Syndrol HD metal conditioner
- 1, RadTech Ti-tool spanner
- 1, Non-marking pry tool
- 1, Display alignment shim set
- 1, Illustrated instruction set
- 1, Optional T6,T8 Torx wrenches
Glide kits are priced at $10, $13.95, $16.95, and $17.95.
PowerBook Wish List
O'Reilly Network's Brian D Foy says:
"I want to buy a new PowerBook. This one will be the fifth
PowerBook I have bought, and I still have two of them, only because
I passed on the others to computerless friends. Old Macs never die,
they just become servers or fancy hard drives.
"I never research these purchases. I just buy the one in the
middle, and take whatever features it has....
"Now, I know that the PowerBook I am going to buy already has a
lot of features that I would look for, like a DVD Burner,
Bluetooth, 802.11g, and so on. Not counting those things that I
expect in a PowerBook, what else would I want?"
Brian's list includes:
- Multiple hard drives
- RAID
- A sliding door
- Detachable screen
- Stretchable screens, add a TV tuner and stretch the screen to
15 foot mode.
- Wireless Power, I would even settle for a really small nuclear
reactor inside the case, as long as I could get 3 years out of my
battery.
- External display
- Cellular Phone Jammer
- Flash card reader
- Manual CD eject button
- Pneumatic pads. Pump these up to bring the PowerBook a
comfortable height off the desk
- Sound input. Whatever happened to sound input? (Editor's note:
It's back, albeit unfortunately not PlainTalk)
- Track lighting - tiny lights embedded on the top edge of the
screen
- MP3 player
- Carrying handle
iBook Aces European "Electro-smog" Radiation
Tests
Reader Richard Kähler of Germany passed this interesting
item along:
Dear Charles,
Just found this message in my favourite German Mac-newsmagazine,
MacGadget:
- (16:20 Uhr) Kaum Elektrosmog-Belastung durch iBook G4.
Notebooks liegen im Trend, auch bei Apple
(http://www.apple.com/de/). Fast jeder zweite verkaufte Mac ist
mittlerweile ein Mobilrechner. Doch wie sieht es in Sachen
Elektrosmog aus? Die Zeitschrift Ökotest
(http://www.oekotest.de/) ging dieser Frage nach und testete
(http://www.oekotest.de/cgi/ot/otgs.cgi?doc=32130) acht Notebooks
unterschiedlicher Preisklassen auf ihre Strahlungswerte. Das
Ergebnis: Nur das iBook G4 (http://www.apple.com/de/ibook/) von
Apple erfüllt die strenge TCO-Norm und erhielt das
Prädikat "sehr gut". Drei Geräte erzielten ein
"befriedigendes", weitere drei (von Medion (http://www.medion.de/),
Samsung (http://www.samsung.de/) und Sony (http://www.sony.de/))
ein "ausreichendes" Ergebnis. Ein Dell
(http://www.dell.de/)-Notebook erhielt von den Testern ein
"mangelhaft". Laut Ökotest wurden die Elektrosmogmessungen
praxisnah und in Anlehnung an die von der schwedischen TCO-Norm
geforderten Meßmethoden durchgeführt. Der
vollständige Test ist in der Mai-Ausgabe von Ökotest
nachzulesen.
Rough translation:
The German test magazine 'Oeko-test' (which is very stringent at
testing every kind of product for being harmful to health!) had
tested eight notebooks for electro-smog (radiation of high- &
low frequency electric fields & electrostatic). And the only
one which passed the tests and being totally okay with the very
severe Swedish TCO-Norm (which is acknowledged on workstations here
in Europe) has been the Apple iBook G4 (Hooray!). All the other
notebooks (for instance a Samsung X30 WVC 1700 and a Sony Vaio
PCG-GRT916Z) did radiate electro-smog 10 to 40 times higher than
allowed by TCO. The worst results of all notebooks had a Inspiron
510m by Dell.
The whole test-text (in German) can be found at <http://www.oekotest.de/cgi/ot/otgs.cgi?doc=32130>.
iBatt 1.1 PowerBook Battery Monitor,
Net-enabled [OS X 10.2 up]
iBatt is a battery monitor
for PowerBooks. It goes far beyond the basic charge level
information reported by the system and tells you your battery's
capacity, voltage, and overall health report. In addition, it will
provide a running graph showing trends in your battery's
performance.
What useful information does it provide?
iBatt will almost certainly tell you things about your
PowerBook's battery that you never knew. All batteries degrade over
time, and OS X has no built-in way of showing you just how
worn out your battery is. But your PowerBook knows, and iBatt knows
how to get that information.
Have you ever wondered if your PowerBook falls short of others
in terms of battery performance? iBatt is not just a standalone
application, but an Internet-based statistical tool. It reports how
your battery measures up against other PowerBooks of your model,
and gives you the option to submit your own battery statistics to
iBatt's Internet database.
New in this version:
- Y-axis on graph changed from mAh/s to the more standard
Amps.
- Computer listing now shows actual internal PowerBook model
code
- Removed PowerBook-related wording from the program, since iBatt
works with both PowerBooks and iBooks.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
- PowerBook or iBook
iBatt is $15 shareware.
IOGear Launches Industry's Shortest
802.11g Notebook Network Card
Mobile professionals are now free from having to insert and
remove a notebook network card each time they want to work
wirelessly, with IOGear's new Wireless-G
Notebook Network Card.
The 802.11g card's compact antenna board design appears to be
almost invisible to laptop users when plugged into a PC's CardBus
slot. This makes it very attractive for road warriors who may now
leave their WiFi card inside a notebook when traveling. The Card
provides access for Internet surfing, networking, file-sharing and
printing in any home or office equipped with 802.11g access.
The device comes with built-in, advanced security features for
safe networking. It is priced at $49.95 (MSRP) and is available
immediately from all major catalog resellers, online resellers, and
selected retail outlets.
"The purpose of mobile computing is to make staying connected
from any location more convenient. Having to remove a WiFi network
card each time users pack up their notebooks is a nuisance," said
Miranda Su, vice president of sales and marketing at IOGear Inc.
"In order to simplify WiFi connectivity, IOGear shrunk the design
of its CardBus card so it can remain plugged in at all times. This
makes it just one less tool to pack when computing on the go."
IOGear's Wireless-G Notebook Network Card is PC compatible and
operates on Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP systems. It comes with
IOGear's standard three-year warranty.
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.
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,279
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/Combo, free USB watch (after rebate), $1,399
- open box 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,429
- open box 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,469
For more information, visit:
http://www.powermax.com/cgi-global/generate_css_temp.cgi?i=PM_CN_PU&t=Ultra+Compact+PowerBook
New leftover previous generation models:
- 14" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/60/Combo, $1,349
- 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,499
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1
GHz, 256/60/Combo, $1,799
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $2,299
- 17" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $2,599
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
