Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.07.16
This week's PowerBook, iBook, and iPod news
Portables More than Half of Apple's Computer
Sales
Apple shipped 876,000 Macintosh units and 860,000 iPods during
its 3rd fiscal quarter, representing a 14% increase in CPU units
and a 183% increase in iPods over the year-ago quarter.
Highlights
- Portables now account for 53% of Apple's sales with 240,000
iBooks and 220,000 PowerBooks sold in the quarter.
- Apple sold 416,000 desktop Macs in Q3, breaking down to 183,000
eMacs, 173,000 Power Macs and just 60,000 iMacs, so perhaps there
was method in Apple's madness when announcing a hiatus of a couple
of months in iMac sales.
- IBM's holdups delivering G5 processors was cited for the delay
in releasing new G5 iMacs, now due in September.
- A whopping 860,000 iPods were sold in the quarter through
13,000 distribution points worldwide, representing 70% of the
market.
- Higher education sales were up 40% over the previous year's,
while K-12 sales were up 3% year-over-year.
Apple's live streaming of its Q3 2004 financial results
conference call utilizing QuickTime is available for
replay.
Notebook Sales Keep Apple Steady
The Register's Andrew
Orlowski reports:
"Record notebook shipments kept Apple in the black in the last
quarter. The company reported a net profit of $61m, before
restructuring charges, on revenues of $2.014bn for fiscal Q3, 2004
ended 30 June.
"...PowerBook and iBook shipments were up 37 per cent and 26 per
cent year on year, representing 21.5 per cent and 13.6 per cent of
revenue...."
Replacing an iBook
MyMac's Mark Marcantonio
says:
"After two weeks of looking and searching I finally broke down
and replaced my aging iBook 500.
Being a serious cheap skate. I was looking at all of my options. I
rarely buy anything of substance new....
"Then, two bombshells happened; first, my principal agreed to
let me trade-in two other old laptops along with the iBook.
Secondly, by chance I looked at the CompUSA web site and noticed
they had a trade-in program with prices based upon MHz. My iBook
was worth a whopping $575 if all was ok. The two older Windows
laptops added another potential $450. The Mac Store could only give
me a realistic $340 on the iBook, and of course wouldn't even touch
the other two notebooks. The down side to CompUSA was that they
only sold new equipment. I consider my demo/refurbished/used
purchases to be a personal badge of frugal honor....
"I was pretty well set on another iBook 12", but the sexy sleekness of the
PowerBook 12" was tempting. I
decided to run a couple of speed comparison tests. I counted
'Mississippi's' during the startup of both iMovie and iPhoto. The
difference was less than a second. Next, I compared keyboards and
cases. The PowerBook's keyboard is an absolute joy, the best I've
felt since the IBM 770X. The iBook felt stiffer than my old model,
something that I never complained about but on occasion did notice.
The difference in cases is dramatic. The aluminum PowerBook screams
cool, contemporary, however, being a teacher the iBook's
polycarbonate case has proven its durability and toughness on many
occasions.... After some final debating, I just couldn't justify
the price difference and settled on the iBook...."
TechnoWarehouse Announces Two New PowerBook
Docking Products
TechnoWarehouse
LLC, a Wichita, Kansas-based Mac products retailer, just
announced two new PowerBook docking products.
PowerBook users will be interested in the addition of two new
BookEndz
docking stations - one for the 12" and another for the 15"
aluminum PowerBooks. These docks are styled to match the finish of
the new portables, and the docking action is as smooth as ever.
BookEndz allows the PowerBook user to connect all the external
devices normally found on a desktop workstation connected to the
dock. Users then have to dock the PowerBook to gain access to these
desktop peripherals such as external monitor, full size keyboard
and mouse, as well as external storage devices that may be too
large for mobile use.
"Photo-Control, makers of the popular BookEndz docking stations,
decided not to create a dock for the 17" PowerBook," said Jack
Putnam of TechnoWarehouse. Preorders were uncharacteristically low,
and demand has not grown as expected. "BookEndz are still available
for many other PowerBook models here at TechnoWarehouse," continued
Putnam.
A complete line of BookEndz docking products, as well as
wireless PowerBook antennas by QuickerTek, and storage drives by
WiebeTech and MCE are available from TechnoWarehouse.
G-Point 54 Mbps PowerBook Adapter
The G-Point 54 Mbps
Wireless PowerBook Adapter with antenna interface delivers the
fastest wireless throughput on the 2.4 GHz band and support for
external 2.4 GHz Antennas. The 54 Mbps PowerBook Adapter offers
instant wireless connectivity with any Type II or Type III
CardBus-ready PowerBook and has an MC connector to extend wireless
range and performance with the use of external antennas.
The 54 Mbps Wireless PowerBook Adapter is 802.11g certified and
interoperable with existing WiFi 802.11b product. The 54 Mbps
PowerBook Adapter supports WPA, 802.1x, AES, and WEP for security
and a physical security lock feature that allows you to attach a
chain or cable to prevent theft.
NOTE: Apple's AirPort 3.1 or 3.1.1 software supports this card
for use with PowerBooks with a CardBus slot.
- Fast 54 Mbps wireless throughput
- WiFi Protected Access support
- WiFi Certified 802.11g
- 32-bit CardBus
- 802.11b WiFi compatible
- 5 times faster than 802.11b
- External 2.4 GHz Antenna Ready with MC connector
- 1 year warranty
System requirements: Mac OS X (version 10.2.6 and higher), not
supported on WallStreet PowerBook
Technical Specifications
- Standard Compliance: IEEE 802.11b (Wireless LAN Standard
protocol), IEEE 802.11g (Proposed draft standard)
- Frequency range: 2,412-2,462 MHz
- Transmission rate:
- 802.11g: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps
- 802.11b:1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps
- Security: 128/64-bit WEP and password
- Access mode: Infrastructure mode
- Antenna: Diversity method (Internal)
- External Antenna Connector: MC
- Output power: 15 dBm (32 mW)
- Interface: 32-bit CardBus
- Communications Protocol: Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
(DS-SS), Half-Duplex, OFDM
- Dimensions: W2.1 x H4.3 x D0.25" (W54 x L110 x D6mm)
- Weight: 1.6 oz. (45g)
- Operating environment: Temperature 0-55°C, Humidity 20-80%
(no condensation)
- Power consumption: TX peak: 550 mA@3.3VDC
- RX peak: 350 mA@3.3VDC
- Idle: 225 mA@3.3VDC
- radio disable: <10 mA@3.3VDC
Smart Disk FireFly Palm-sized External Hard
Drive
Extreme portability,
striking design, and high performance in personal storage. Store
thousands of MP3s, photos, or videos. Smaller than a pack of
playing cards and only 3.3 ounces, the FireFly fits easily in your
pocket or purse. When you need to get to your files, you do so at
fast USB 2.0 speeds.
FireFly is bus-powered, so you don't need an AC adapter. Simply
plug the drive into your USB port, and you're ready to go.
FireFly features:
- Easy installation: just one cable to connect
- No external power supply required
- No software to install - just plug it in and go
- High-performance - use data or run applications directly from
the drive
- Allows you to store, edit, and archive all your files: music,
video, pictures, presentations, and data
- Weighs only 3.3 ounces and extremely compact
- 20 GB of storage
- Durable, reliable, and built for the road
FireFly's miniature size and weight are made possible through
the use of magnesium alloy for the drive's housing - by weight, one
of the strongest materials on the planet. Its thermal dissipation
properties also help to wick away heat, increasing drive longevity.
Hold it in your hand, and you'll sense the aesthetic and functional
advantages of a metal housing over plastic.
Compared to the highest capacity pen drives, FireFly gives you
superior cost-effective storage, and when you consider the cost per
gigabyte, FireFly is the clear choice. With its terrific
versatility and high-performance, FireFly is the perfect solution
to all of your data storage needs.
Here are a few ways to put FireFly to work.
- Transfer documents easily between computers. Forget copying
documents to CDs to use between home and office: store them on the
ultra-portable FireFly, then take the entire drive with you
wherever you work.
- Boost your laptop or desktop storage capacity. Whether you use
a laptop, desktop or both, FireFly is the perfect way to add
storage capacity to your computer. Its trim size means it doesn't
take up much space on your desk. If you're traveling with a laptop,
just slip FireFly into your computer's carrying case. FireFly
easily holds the applications and data you need. Its speedy
transfer rates mean you can work directly with applications and
data on the disk - no need to copy anything to an internal hard
drive first.
- Back-up vital programs and files. Don't have a CD burner built
into your system? Have one, but hate the thought of creating dozens
of CDs to duplicate data that absolutely must not be lost? Back-up
your critical files to FireFly instead. FireFly offers great
performance in copying large numbers of files from your local hard
disk, is easily connected and disconnected through a single cable,
and is convenient to use in your office or on the go. If your
laptop fails while you're traveling, your data can still travel
safely with you on your FireFly drive.
Specifications
- Interface: One USB mini-B port
- Dimensions: 2.5" x 4" x 0.5" (103 mm x 63 mm x 13 mm)
- Weight: 3.3 oz (93 g)
- Capacity: 20 GB (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Your operating
system may report capacity as fewer gigabytes)
Package includes:
- FireFly hard drive
- USB 2.0 cable
- User Guide
System Requirements
- Available USB 2.0 port or USB 1.1 port
- Mac OS 8.6 - 9.x, Mac OS X 10.1 or higher
- Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP
Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive
The Imation
USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive is a compact and powerful flash
device that features a proprietary "never lose" swivel cap and a
sophisticated, professional design. Slip the lanyard about your
neck and wear the drive like a pendant, slip it into your pocket,
or toss it into your briefcase. It weighs only one ounce.
The Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive is available in four
capacities ranging from 128 MB to 1 GB. With an ultra-fast USB
2.0 connection, it's the quick and easy way to transfer or share
business presentations, digital photos and videos, or other large
files. The easy to use, plug-and-play format enables you to drag
and drop files and transfer data on any computer with a USB 1.1 or
2.0 port.
Downloadable software, available at no charge, allows
public/private area drive partitioning and password privacy to
protect your files from accidental erasure or unauthorized
access.
Features:
- Proprietary swivel design ensures you'll never lose the
cap
- Unique, miniature form factor
- USB extension cable and neck strap included
- Ultra-fast USB 2.0 drive (8 /sec read speed; 7/sec write
speed)
- 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB capacities
- Ten-year data retention
- Up to 100,000 write cycles
- One year warranty
System & Software Requirements:
- Macintosh OS 9.0 or higher, no software required
- Windows ME, 2000, or XP, no software required
- Windows 98SE, driver required
- Linux 2.4 or higher, no software required
ThermographX 1.2.5 Temperature Monitoring
Utility
ThermographX monitors
the various temperature sensors inside your modern Macintosh G4 or
G5.
- Records maximum and minimum temperatures.
- Shows temperature records over time, using a zoomable display
so you can analyze short-term or long-term.
- Shows individual sensor temperatures on models that have
them.
- Graphs customer-submitted temperature results for comparison
with your own system.
ThermographX compatibility is still being determined. So far, it
is known to provide accurate sensor readings on these models:
- 12" & 17" PowerBook G4.
- aluminum 15" PowerBook G4.
- "Mirror Door" G4.
- Power Macintosh G5.
- iBook G4
- G4 Cube
Note: Motorola's MPC7450CE/D Rev 5 errata indicates "The thermal
assist unit (TAU) is no longer supported on the MPC7450, MPC7451,
or MPC7441.". Because of this, you will not be able to measure the
junction temperature on any system with these processors. At
current, this includes the "Gigabit" PowerBook G4 and the "2001
Quicksilver" G4's.
New in this version: Added support for April 2004 PowerBooks and
June G5's.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.2.4 or higher (Panther
compatible); requires a Macintosh with compatible thermal sensors
(so far, these have been found on the iBook G4, aluminum 12", 15",
and 17" PowerBooks, the "mirror-door" G4 and the G5, and some G3
PowerBooks and G4 Cube models).
ThermographX is $7 shareware.
palmOne & Mac: Sharing the Digital
Lifestyle
The new Zire 31
and Zire 72 handhelds from palmOne are a natural extension of
your Mac. With color screens, ease of use, and compatibility with
great Mac apps such as iPhoto, iCal, Address Book, and iSync, it's
easy to take your digital life with you on the road.
Swap and share. Import photos taken with the Zire 72 camera into
iPhoto. Or vice versa - move photos from iPhoto to a Zire 31 or
Zire 72 for an always-with-you photo album. And keep iCal and
Address Book in sync with either handheld using the free iSync
software.
Show off your photos on your handheld. Transfer photos or entire
albums from your Mac to your palmOne device.
Synchronize iCal and Address Book with your palmOne device. And
then back it all up to your .mac account.
Communicate without wires. Use AirPort Extreme to connect to the
Internet for email and Web browsing. Use Bluetooth to connect to
your handheld for some very cool functionality.
Enhance the connection between your Mac and palmOne device using
software that makes the most of each.
Sony Ships Lifelike Color X-brite LCD
Panels
The Register's Tony
Smith reports:
"Sony UK has brought its rather good X-brite Vaio notebook
displays to the standalone monitor market in the form of the 17in
SDM-HS74P and 19in SDM-HS94P screens.
"In the UK, the technology is dubbed 'X-black' rather than
'X-brite', but it's the same system. It yields enhanced image
contrast, high brightness, very rich and vivid colours, and a
screen that really is black when it's powered down rather than dark
grey. That's coupled with very fast response times - 12ms in the
19in model's case, 16ms for the 17in screen.
"X-brite-based screens come closest to delivering CRT image
quality in a notebook, we reckon, and now you can connect a desktop
PC to one too...."
LaCie Introduces Largest & Fastest
External Hard Drive: 1.6 Terabyte Bigger Disk Extreme
LaCie expands its Extreme
line of external hard drives with the Bigger Disk Extreme - up to
1.6 terabytes of storage with the fastest speeds on the market,
available worldwide summer 2004. The Bigger Disk Extreme performs
up to 50% faster than first-generation FireWire 800 drives, pairing
ultimate capacity and throughput to accommodate the editing needs
of video and audio professionals.
"The Bigger Disk Extreme truly breaks barriers of both size and
speed," says LaCie Senior Product Manager Olivier Mirloup. "With
burst transfer rates reaching up to 85 MB per second and unrivaled
1.6 terabyte capacity, this drive is designed to support
multi-stream audio and video editing in a variety of formats."
The Bigger Disk Extreme includes all necessary cables for use
with its FireWire 800/400 and iLink/DV ports, making it ideal for
professionals working with audio, DV or SD video, and video RAID
projects on both Macintosh and Windows platforms.
A true plug-and-play device, the Bigger Disk Extreme has a
built-in RAID 0 configuration that allows for instant high-speed
data transfers of up to 85 /s and immediate large-scale backup
without the need for complicated setup. Bigger Disk Extremes are
hot pluggable for file sharing among FireWire 800/400 and iLink/DV
workstations. No drivers or software installation is required for
those using Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Mac OS X operating
systems.
Bigger Disk Extremes feature a stylish metallic design crafted
from sturdy aluminum alloy for portability and protection, and are
significantly smaller, quieter and much more affordable than RAID
towers. A smart fan system, improved heat dissipation, and
automatic on/off feature prolongs performance and drive
reliability. The included drive stand provides stability and allows
for upright desktop use to save valuable desk space, while an
optional rack-mounting kit enables placement in standard 19-inch
racks.
Features:
- Professional choice for video/audio editing and imaging
- Largest storage with up to 1.6 terabyte capacity
- Fastest throughput for optimal editing
- No setup required with build-in RAID 0 array
The Bigger Disk Extreme will be available summer 2004 through
LaCie authorized resellers, specialist stores, and mail order
partners, with a suggested retail price of $1,199 for the 1 TB
and $2,199 for the 1.6 TB drive. Drives ship with FireWire 800
cable (9:9-pin), FireWire 400 cable (6:6-pin), and iLink/DV cable
(6:4-pin). Also included is a power supply and LaCie utilities
(SilverKeeper for Mac OS 9.x and 10.x users and Silverlining®
for backup and drive management). Mac OS X, Windows 2000 or Windows
XP is required for FireWire 800 operation. US warranty is one year;
Europe is two years.
Underwater Communication and Music Listening
Device for MP3, iPod, CD, Cassette, XM Radio
New underwater technology developed by a Marco Island YMCA Swim
Coach who wanted to communicate instructions to his swimmers while
they were swimming, in an effort to make their practice more
efficient, has designed something that has a myriad of
applications. Together, Coach Kamal along with Olympic Coach
Richard Quick (Stanford University) will meet at the Olympic Time
Trials in Long Beach, CA this weekend to introduce the high-tech
product that will revolutionize swimming instruction.
People love music and sportZjam makes
it possible to take music with you, not just on land, but at sea!
Popular devices such as the MP3, iPod, XM Satellite Radio,
CD/Cassette players can't get wet. But the underwater wireless
sportZjam can. Simply
connect your electronic device on land to a transmitter and only
take the wireless sportZjam in the water with you. You will be able
to hear your music up to a mile away. One transmitter can be
received by an unlimited amount of people with the sportZjam.
sportZjam has 14 different channels and a volume selection
mode.
sportZjam is the perfect gift for a family member, friend, or
student athlete who no longer has to choose between working-out and
studying now that they can tape their lectures and listen to them
again as they workout. Books on tape can also make leisure sports
even more enjoyable. Regardless of the activity, sportZjam makes
listening to music easy because you leave your bulky electronics
behind. Don't ever worry about getting caught in the rain/snow
while you're running, walking, biking, skiing, playing hockey,
riding your motor cycle or jetski/waverunner. You're expensive
electronics that are not waterproof will be safely stowed away-
sportZjam can handle the rest.
sportZjam is economical (about $60. per player) for youth sports
programs such as water polo, football, hockey, tennis,
skateboarding, synchronized swimming and more. Most collegiate
programs use costly communication/instruction devices to guide with
practice. If you are having a scrimmage, each coach can have one
transmitter and they can be set to different channels allowing each
group to talk solely to his/her team members. Up to 14 different
teams can connect at one time at the same location.
Group/organization/school discounts available.
Use sportZjam anytime weather or water gets in the way of your
listening pleasure. Leisurely sportZjam can be used in hot tubs,
snorkeling, and on wave runners to listen to music and to
communicate information.
Statistics reveal that some students are able to better focus on
independent class work if they listen to classical music. sportZjam
can make that happen without disturbing the students who prefer to
work in silence. Using sportZjam in the classroom is not only
economical, it is effective. If students need subtle reminders to
get back on task and words of encouragement to carry on, a message
can be delivered to them from the teacher.
Complete kit with sportZjam, transmitter, and connect cord is
about $98.
Harman Multimedia's Portable Music Box
Set to Travel
Harman Multimedia has announced the introduction of JBL On Tour, a portable audio system
designed to meet the demands of students, professionals and
consumers on the go. Slightly larger than an eyeglass case and
roughly the size of two iPods, JBL On Tour is the ultimate addition
to any digital music player, personal CD player, or laptop or
desktop computer.
JBL On Tour's portability encourages consumers to share their
music, providing them with sound at home, at their desks or on the
road. The combination of unique and innovative design with advanced
speaker technology provides a clean and clear audio experience. The
portable audio system utilizes a stereo pair of Odyssey transducers
and features six watts of total power. On Tour comes equipped with
touch volume controls, an integrated protective cover and stand,
and white-chrome accents. The use of four standard AAA batteries
provides more than 24 hours of operation at normal listening
levels.
"The popularity of digital music players has exploded in recent
years and what has been missing is a portable, attractive, and
great-sounding set of speakers to complement any digital music
player - such as iPod," said Joe Milano, Harman Multimedia's
director of strategic accounts. "Harman Multimedia's JBL On Tour
was developed specifically for the music lover on the go,
delivering high-quality sound in the palm of the hand."
JBL On Tour is compatible with all digital music players and
personal CD/DVD players as well as laptop and desktop computers.
With a suggested retail price of $99.95, JBL On Tour will be
available in early August.
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.
- used 15" PowerBook G4/500,
128/20/DVD, 60 day guarantee, $899.99
- with 16x Combo drive installed, $,1099.99
- Upgrade to 1 GB of RAM, $189.99
- add 512 MB of RAM, $99.99
- Add an AirPort card, $54.50
- refurb 12" iBook G4/800,
512/30/Combo,/ Simon and Schuster Britannica 2003 Deluxe, $919
- used 12" iBook G3/500,
256/10/Combo, AirPort, $629
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/Combo, Bluetooth, $1,159
- new 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/SuperDrive, Bluetooth $1,499
- refurb 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, $649
- refurb 12" iBook G4/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, $749
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/30/Combo, $949
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/Combo, $1,099
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.2 GHz,
256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,549
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,699
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $2,099
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
512/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,999
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $2,199
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $2,399
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
