Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.05.28
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.
TrackYourMac 1.0.3 Tracks Your Lost or Stolen
Mac
TrackYourMac is a
software utility that will monitor your Mac's IP address to allow
you to keep tabs on your Mac.
From the moment the TrackYourMac software is installed, you will
be able to keep track of your Mac via email or the Web. Although
insurance may cover the fact your Mac has been stolen, the data on
it can be more valuable to you than the hardware itself.
TrackYourMac is a great tool for finding where your Mac is
currently located, whether for reference if you are a system
administrator or in the event that it is stolen. Now law
enforcement agencies have something to work with should your Mac
get stolen.
TrackYourMac requires very few resources to run and takes very
little time to setup. Answer a couple of questions, and away you
go. In the event that you need to reinstall the software, you can
simply enter your TrackYourMac ID, and your software will simply
start working as if nothing had ever happened.
Whether you have a desktop or laptop TrackYourMac is a handy
tool to have.
Key Features
- Web and email based tracking
- Information about the physical hardware is stored to help
identify the Mac
- Automatically starts on machine boot. It does not require a
user to be logged in
- TrackYourMac runs hidden
New in this version:
- Small bug fixes to timed updates
- Minor improvements to the desktop application
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.1 or later
TrackYourMac is $19.99 subscriptionware.
BlueChip G3/1 GHz Pismo Upgrade Canceled
xlr8yourmac.com reports:
"Update - here's PL's comments on why the 1 GHz 750GX BlueChip
model was canceled:
"Based on new information from IBM, published 5/20/04,
concerning the power demands of the GX vs. the FX.
"Essentially they revised their power figures, and we performed
tests that confirmed things. The increase from 900 [MHz] to 1 GHz
on a 750GX results in about a 25% (!?) increase in power draw,
taking things to a level beyond what the Pismo can adequately
handle."
Identifying 5400 RPM Hard Drives in
PowerBook G4s
A new Apple
Knowledge Base Article notes that some PowerBook G4 computers
were ordered configured with an optional 80 GB 5400 RPM hard drive,
instead of the default 4200 RPM hard drive. To identify your
computer's hard drive speed, follow these steps.
For Mac OS X 10.3
- Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
- From the Go menu, choose Utilities.
- Open System Profiler.
- In the Contents list, click ATA under the Hardware heading
- In the ATA Device Tree window, click ATA-6 Bus.
- In the ATA-6 Bus field, look at the Model line. Check to see if
the drive's model number is listed here. If so, your computer has
the 5400 RPM drive.
5400 RPM hard drives:
- HGST - HTS54080M9AT00
- Toshiba - MX8026GAX
LavaPad Mouse Pad: A Color for
Every Mood
TikiMac's
LavaPad is a mousepad with translucent edges, illuminated by a
multicolor LED light system, available for Macintosh and PC
systems.
Features:
- 7-color options in a single mousepad
- Optional "automatic cycle" mode rotates through each color
- Low power consumption LED lights
- Terrific night time illumination - ideal for working or playing
in the dark
- Slick mousing surface that works well with both ball and
optical mice
- Built-in 6' USB data cable, used for power
- 1 year limited warranty
LavaPad allows the user to select any one of seven color
combinations - or a special color-cycling mode - through a tiny
button located on the pad itself. Power is supplied to the mouse
pad's LED lighting system via an integrated 6' USB cord.
Scheduled to ship on June 1, the LavaPad sells for $29.99.
Mahana High Performance External Hard Drives
for Macs Running OS X
TikiMac's
Mahana are high-capacity, high-performance external hard
drives, built exclusively for Macintosh systems running OS X.
Mahana hard drives are available in 320 GB, 400 GB, and 500 GB
capacities, come with dual FireWire 800 interfaces supported by the
Oxford Semiconductor 922 chipset, and a three-year limited
warranty, starting at $390.
The Mahana sports a single, large RAID 0 (striped) disk volume
out of the box, but can be reconfigured as two separate physical
disks or further divided into any number of partitions as required
by the end user.
With true plug and play convenience, the Mahana external hard
drive is hot pluggable for easy file transfers without
interruptions and data sharing between Macs. The Mahana drive
requires no special drivers or software installation for Mac
OS X users.
Under the hood, the Mahana utilizes hard disk mechanisms from
Seagate and Maxtor, operating at 7200 RPM with 8 MB of buffer
cache and cooled by an ultra-quiet fan.
"We recognize that there are more inexpensive alternatives out
there for drive mechanisms", said Roby Sherman, principal of
TikiMac, "but as we also know from our 25+ years of industry
experience which products have consistently proven themselves to be
the best in terms of quality and performance. That's why Mahana
exclusively uses drive mechanisms from Seagate and Maxtor."
The Mahana external hard drive is available for pre-ordering
today and will begin shipping at the end of May through TikiMac
authorized resellers, specialist stores and its online store. The
drives ship with a FireWire 800 cable (9:9-pin), FireWire 400 cable
(6:9-pin) and an A/C adapter.
iLap Laptop Stand
iLap keeps
you and your laptop cool so you can work comfortably on your lap or
at your desk. Designed to match the Apple PowerBooks, the iLap
laptop stand is made of aluminum with sandblasted and silver
anodized finish. iLap is also suitable for other laptops. iLap
comes in five sizes: 12", 14", 15", 15" widescreen, and 17"
widescreen versions.
Cool laptop
- iLap keeps your laptop cool by using light weight aluminum as
cool sink.
- Allows your laptop to run more efficiently and last
longer.
Cool lap
- iLap raises your laptop to keep your lap cool.
- Padded with cushions for extra comfort.
Cool posture
- iLap is ergonomically designed to suit both lap and desk works,
so you stay cool even on prolonged use.
- Raises your laptop screen higher to reduce strain on your neck
and shoulders.
TimeLeft 1.0.1 Laptop Battery & UPS
Monitoring Tool
TimeLeft
monitors your laptop battery and UPS batteries (connected to
serial, USB or Ethernet) in real time. A little battery icon is
displayed on your desktop (as a desktop picture, no menu bar, no
dock icon), giving information (time remaining, battery charge in
percent).
TimeLeft can execute an AppleScript when battery level is under
a threshold you determine.
To customize TimeLeft's behavior a preference pane is installed.
You can:
- Choose the power source to monitor.
- Change battery's color.
- Select an AppleScript to execute.
- Determine threshold for AppleScript execution
- Move the battery on the desktop.
- Change battery transparency.
- Launch / Quit TimeLeft.
New in this version:
- Window's location is saved.
- Installer & Uninstaller.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
TimeLeft is freeware.
Paul Thurrott Seeks Advice on 'Book
Purchase
Paul Thurrott of Internet Nexus
says:
"So I sold my 17-inch widescreen
iMac to a friend (for a smoking deal) this week. I had
purchased the machine about 14 months ago in order to work on a
book, and after I completed working on that title last fall, my
iMac usage fell off sharply. The reason is simple: Because it's a
desktop machine, it was stuck in my office, and I've been working
from around the house for the past several months more and more
often....
"Meanwhile, my aged 2001 iBook (a
500 MHz G3 model with a DVD drive) is barely acceptable for
anything more than casual Web browsing....
"...What now? Part of me honestly considered bagging Apple
altogether.... I've been unimpressed with the performance of the
Macs I've owned (and have no desire to spend $3000 or more on a new
Mac) and have been equally unimpressed with the quality of Mac OS
X, which yes, is beautiful, and in some ways quite capable, but
still lags XP in key areas.
"So if you have a second, and are interesting in doing more than
just dump on me for being a Windows shill or whatever warped thing
it is you think I am, I'm really looking for some advice. I figure
I can spend about $2000 on a portable Mac without raising too many
red flags with my accountant/wife. But I have questions. I also
have requirements.
- It has to burn DVDs.
- Should I get the 14-inch iBook G4?
- Or is the 12-inch PowerBook a better deal?
- Should I wait for the WWDC? (Inevitably, Apple will introduce
faster machines the second I buy mine).
Okay, Paul, if you're listening:
- You really can't go wrong with either of these machines (both
of which are available with a SuperDrive), and the performance
difference would not be substantial respectively. If you take it on
the road, however, the PowerBook will be a lot easier to lug
around, and the 12" screen is a gem.
- I don't anticipate any portable announcements at WWDC so soon
after a complete revamp of the entire line in late April.
Macworld Reviews New PowerBook G4s
Macworld's Henry Norr says:
"The year 2003, which Steve Jobs dubbed "the Year of the
Notebook," brought big changes to Apple's PowerBook line - the
introduction of a 12-inch version, the transition from titanium to
aluminum, and the addition of AirPort Extreme, built-in Bluetooth,
FireWire 800 (in some models), and USB 2.0, among other
enhancements.
"In contrast, 2004 is shaping up as a year of incremental
improvements, at least judging by the first round of PowerBook
updates. Instead of new designs or breakthrough technologies, Apple
has delivered modest improvements in performance, made AirPort
Extreme standard in all configurations, and trimmed prices at the
upper end of the line. And it appears - knock on wood - that the
company has resolved the quality problems (with screens and
latches) that marred many of last year's mobile Macs."
Snippets:
"....there's a lot to like about the new 12-inch PowerBook. When
Apple introduced the first one, more than a year ago, it was
noticeably slower than the 15- and 17-inch models of the time, but
that performance gap has all but disappeared: the new 12-inch model
is a genuine speedster."
"Last September's PowerBook updates, including the rollout of
the first aluminum-clad 15-inch model, were tarnished by an unusual
number of quality-control problems.... We're happy to report that
we've seen none of these problems so far in the four new PowerBooks
we've tested...."
"Our one real gripe about the PowerBook line is something that's
not there: a smaller, lighter model with a conventionally shaped
13- or 14-inch screen.... We suspect there would be substantial
demand for a PowerBook that was smaller, lighter, and less
expensive than the current 15-inch widescreen models but equipped
with a display larger than 12 inches."
[Amen to that, Henry. The 14" iBook is almost "Son of Pismo,"
but not quite.]
"Our favorite PowerBook is the 12-inch Combo-drive model,
because it packs so much power into such a compact and elegant
design."
PCMCIA Slot Cooling Fan for PowerBooks
xlr8yourmac.com says:
"Last fall a reader posted a report here on using a PCMCIA slot
cooler with his PowerBook (which helped cool CPU upgrade Pismos,
etc.) - but the source for the Cooler sold out literally the same
day and no longer lists it. Today he sent an email with info on
other sources for the cooler as well as info on fan and filtering
mods....
"....From my experiences and what I read from others using this
fan, it is the most effective way of cooling down PowerBooks and
extremely helpful for reliability in CPU Upgraded PowerBooks (i.e.
PowerLogix's BlueChip). My initial tests showed that it directly
lowered my PowerBook Pismo CPU temperatures from 60 degrees to 44
degrees (Celsius) when doing and hour long video compression. Very
effective. Sorry I got no pictures (No Digital Camera), but it
should be straight forward enough I hope."
Pismo Owner Report on BlueChip G3/900 Heatsink,
Heatpipe Mods
PowerBook Pismo user Philippe Helman has posted tutorial pages
on the BlueChip G3/900 upgrade with heatsink/heatpipe cooling mods
at <http://www.sterpin.net/pismologixuk.htm>
and <http://www.sterpin.net/pismologixukp.htm>.
- PowerBook G3/400 [Pismo] upgraded to G3/900 (750fx) by
PowerLogix
- 512 Mb RAM (2x256 PC100 CL2).
- OS X 10.3.2.
"The original double heatsink is not used anymore by PowerLogix
because the G3/900 installed processor final height is 1,7 mm above
original one. Therefore, PowerLogix provides a 1,3 mm thick single
copper plate of 35x65mm size to be glued with thermal paste both on
the processor AND under the metal plate covering the processor
card.
"As I was not fully convinced of the efficiency, I reworked the
original heatsink to use it again....
"I made a comparison between PowerLogix and modified Apple
heatsinks, and I also measured with an original 500 MHz processor
card. The read values are for comparison only and do not represent
the real processor temperature."
SubRosaSoft Announces VolumeWorks 1.0
Utility for Resizing and Managing Partitions
SubRosaSoft.com Ltd. has announced the release of
VolumeWorks version 1.0. VolumeWorks is the first OS X utility
that enables a user to resize and manage partitions (volumes) on
hard drives without destroying the data on the drive.
"PC users have long been spoiled with partitioning utilities
such as PartitionMagic that allow them to modify their drive
partitions on-the-fly, without destroying their data. Now Mac OS X
users can finally see what they have been missing. SubRosaSoft is
extremely excited to ship an OS X utility that PC users have
enjoyed for many years!" Stated Marko Kostyrko, CEO of SubRosaSoft.
"
"Like all of our utility products, VolumeWorks is extremely easy
to use. In less that a few clicks, VolumeWorks will resize your
partition to the size of your choice. Unlike traditional methods of
backing up, erasing, and repartitioning the drive, VolumeWorks
allows you to expand or shrink partitions without erasing them.
VolumeWorks will even defragment the disk if necessary to allow for
shrinking." Marko continued, "You can use VolumeWorks to add and
delete partitions from your hard drive. VolumeWorks includes many
custom icons that can be automatically applied to your newly
created partition."
"The release of VolumeWorks demonstrates our commitment to stay
on top of leading edge technologies, and our continuing
determination to have the most comprehensive and easy-to-use system
utilities available." Concludes Marko Kostyrko.
Written specifically for Mac OS X, VolumeWorks includes powerful
features that give a user greater flexibility and control in
setting up and managing drive partitions:
- Resize Partitions On-the-Fly allows you to modify partitions on
your drive without erasing them.
- Comprehensive Interface Support including ATA, SCSI, FireWire,
and USB drives.
- Streamlined User Interface allowing most operations to be
accomplished in a few clicks.
- Hide Partitions for temporarily putting partitions out of sight
for privacy.
- Custom Icons provides a selection of icons for newly created
partitions.
System requirements: SubRosaSoft VolumeWorks requires System
10.2 or higher For more information on VolumeWorks please visit
SubRosaSoft VolumeWorks is now available at the manufacturer's
suggested retail price (MSRP) of $49.95 A CD version will be
available soon for $59.95 plus shipping.
OtterBox oPod Case for iPod
OtterBox has released the "almost bombproof"
oPod
case for 3G iPods. Molded from polycarbonate resin, the oPod case
not only completely protects the iPod from dings and scratches, it
serves as protection against drops onto hard surfaces as well. Easy
access to the front controls and headphone/remote jacks are
maintained with the oPod in place. A water resistant membrane and
the option of five different case colors rounds out the feature set
of this rugged case.
Millions of iPod owners now can protect their popular digital
music players from dirt, sand and dust - and continue to use their
iPod - with the new ruggedized oPod case recently launched by
OtterBox.
The oPod case also protects the iPod when dropped - a feature
few other cases provide.
Retail price for the water-resistant, crushproof, interactive
oPod case by OtterBox is $49.95.
OtterBox, well-regarded for its broad line of indestructible
cases that protect PDA's, GPS's and other valuables, guarantees the
slim oPod case will protect any iPod, or OtterBox will refund the
$49.95.
The lightweight, 3.4-ounce oPod case fits snugly around the
iPod. The 5" x 3" x 1" protective case features a sturdy, flexible
clear membrane cover that protects the iPod screen, touch buttons
and touch wheel on the iPod face. Users easily can tap iPod buttons
through the clear membrane to access music selections, volume
control and more.
OtterBox designed the oPod case so all latches are inside the
case and opened easily with finger pressure.
All OtterBox cases are made of polycarbonate resin, which one
magazine described as nearly "bombproof." Polycarbonate resin is
the same material used to make football helmets.
The oPod protective case from OtterBox also allows easy access
to the remote port, headphone jack and all buttons on the face of
the iPod. Because of the oPod case design, all connections remain
completely water-resistant and keep out sand and dirt.
"With the new indestructible oPod case, iPod owners can enjoy
their music anytime, anywhere, and never worry about poor weather
or outdoor conditions ruining their device," said Brian Thomas,
OtterBox director of sales and marketing. "It's a lightweight
"must-have" accessory for iPod owners who want to protect their
$250 to $500 investment."
The OtterBox oPod protective case comes in two styles to
accommodate all generation iPods. The case is available in five
colors: white, yellow, green, blue and pink. OtterBox plans to
launch a case for the Apple iPod mini later in 2004.
"No other case exists that offers the same level of protection
and, at the same time, allows owners to use their iPod through the
case - this is ultimate iPod protection," Thomas said.
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.
This Week's 'Book Deals
- new 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, AirPort, LaCie DVD-/+RW drive FireWire Pslim
Porsche, installed PC100 SO DIMM 256 MB, $1,069
- new 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1
GHz, 256/60/Combo, Bluetooth, Apple Bluetooth Wireless Mouse,
PC2700 SO DIMM 256 MB DDR 333, $1,929
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/667, 256/30/Combo, $1,449
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/Combo, $1,149
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/SuperDrive, Bluetooth, $1,449
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
