Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.12.03
iPod News
Tech Trends
Windows Watch
Downgrade to Upgrade: PowerBook vs. iBook
G4
OpEd: PowerPage UK Bureau Chief
Neal Hoskins writes:
"You know the story. PowerBook beginning to creak, the feeling
that if you want cash in the chips at least you'll get something
for it, and the weekly search online for reviews, comparisons,
tests and then its out there. Boom - I need a new PowerBook. But do
you really?.
".... These days and after the last iBook refresh Apple is
packing quite a punch into their snowy books. And one look at the
pricing of the 12-inch model PowerBook makes you ask yourself who
would really pay that much?
"So I went and did it - downgraded from a PowerBook G4 Titanium 867 MHz to an
iBook G4 1.2 GHz and really there
is no difference in performance.... Having had a work iBook for a
year has taught me that the wear and tear is so much better, in
fact it's in a different league...."
Fragile PowerBook
OpEd: Daily Sentinel columnist
Matt Williams says:
"A laptop computer is a fragile creature. I recently pinched the
screen on my Macintosh PowerBook and killed it dead.
"In one fatal swoop, the icons on my desktop were lost in a sea
of colorful lines resembling those seen on a television screen when
a local channel temporarily goes off the air.
"The damage was serious. Irreparable, in fact. Amazingly, I cost
myself $1,300 with my index finger and thumb.
"It was a stupid mistake, really. But it taught me a valuable
lesson about electronics. I'll never mistreat mine again."
Combo Drive for Pismo, Lombard
PR: New from Wegener Media,
CD-RW/DVD
Combo drives for Pismo
(PowerBook G3, FireWire) and Lombard (PowerBook G3 Series, Bronze
Keyboard).
Full Compatibility
- Bootable. Just hold "C" when booting.
- Buffer Underrun Protection-no more bad CD's.
- Fully compatible with iTunes, CDBurner, Toast, even
Retrospect.
- 100% compatible with OS 9.2, OS X, Jaguar, Panther
- New mechanism by OEM mfr.
- Just slide into your right hand bay, and you're in
business.
- Get $40 rebate for sending us your old complete DVD drive (dead
or alive). Simply return it to our shop and receive a refund check.
(details included with your order). Rebate not available for kit
purchase
Identical look as original drive. No ugly faceplates or
non-matching hardware.
16x Combo Drive
- 16x CD burn capability
- 10x CD rewrite capability
- 8x DVD playback
- 24x CD-RW/CD capabilities
- Complete Drive - just slide in and use.
- $259.99
24x Combo Drive
- 24x CD burn capability
- 16x CD rewrite capability
- 8x DVD playback
- 24x CD-RW/CD capabilities
- Complete Drive - just slide in and use.
- $299.99
Combo Kits
Buy as a kit. Use your old drive frame. Requires 3 minute
installation. Very easy installation, photo guide and screwdriver
included. All electronics are new-you'll just use your old plastic
drive frame (the black plastic on the bottom of your drive. Just
remove 4 small screws, slide old out, and new drive set in.
16x Combo Drive Kit
- Same as Combo drive above, only as kit. $199.99.
24x Combo Drive Kit
- Same as Combo drive above, only as kit. $249.99.
8x Combo Drive Kit
- Same as above, only 8x CD-RW, 8x DVD, 8x CD rewrite, 24x
CD-ROM. $149.99.
For more information, visit:
http://www.wegenermedia.com/pismocombo.htm
Stand Smallest Laptop Stand on the Market
PR: The XT-Stand is
extremely lightweight with a flexible design that accommodates 12"
to 19" notebooks and yet it is the smallest adjustable notebook
folding stand on the market.
The XT-Stand's 4-point support design
increases the angle between your laptop and desk. This space allows
the CPU to dissipate heat easily, thus saving power. This is a
fundamental solution for preventing laptop overheating.
The stand is constructed of high quality stainless steel with a
titanium alloy coating and uses rubber pads on the feet to reduce
slippage.
The rear of the laptop is raised so that the screen of the
laptop is more aligned with the human eye. This eliminates
reflection and minimizes eye strain.
The XT-Stand sells for $59.95
Temperature Monitor 2.3 Displays Current CPU
Temperature
PR: Temperature
Monitor is an application to read out all available temperature
sensors in Macintosh computers. The program can display and
visualize measured values in a large variety of fashions. The
application supports the following operations on the measured
readings:
- display in a default window
- output in a screen display in front or in the background of the
screen
- tabular display in an overview window
- display in the menu-bar
- display of a maximum of two readings in the Dock
- graphical display of short-term and long-term history
curves
- speech output of readings
- display of minimum and maximum values
- export to text files
Moreover, the application can display additional technical
information about your computer. Among other information this
includes:
- Processor type
- Processor and bus frequencies
- Manufacturing information
Of course the application can read out the data only if your
computer is equipped with the necessary sensors, and if Mac OS X
can access them without needing third-party device drivers.
Beginning in summer 2002, Apple has begun to massively drive
forward the use of monitoring probes in the PowerMac series, the
Xserve series, and in portable computers. Some models are equipped
with 38 and more sensors. But Temperature and Hardware Monitor can
detect sensors on many older systems as well if they are
available.
We try to detect all sensors on as many Macintosh computer types
as possible. However, a prediction which sensors are available in
which models is not possible, because Apple very often releases
"silent product updates", where the hardware equipments of some
models are changed but the names are not (specifications are
"subject to change without notice"). The particular graphics card
and hard disk configuration used is also important because these
parts can include independent sensors, too.
Please note that Apple does not support an official or
standardized way of reading out sensor data in Mac OS X (the only
exception is the Server Monitor application for the Xserve series).
Moreover, there is no documentation or other technical note about
the individual function of the sensors. For this reason, the
development of Temperature Monitor and Hardware Monitor is very
costly because the necessary data has to be determined by reverse
engineering and tests run on a variety of computer models. Please
support the development of the applications by purchasing a
registration key for Hardware Monitor.
New in this version:
- Support for all sensors of the iMac G5 has been added.
- Support for sensors of Nvidia GeForce 6800 graphics cards has
been added.
- Preliminary support for the sensors of the Power Mac G5 October
2004 model has been added. Compatibility reports for this model
sent with the respective option in Hardware Monitor are
welcome.
- Support for a large number of additional hard disk temperature
sensors has been added.
- A new status window was added which can display minimum and
maximum readouts of all sensors for a selectable time frame of up
to one week.
- An option was added to automatically save history data not only
when quitting the application but also in a regular, selectable
time interval. This allows you to save reference data for cases
where your computer is affected by emergency shutdowns due to
overtemp conditions.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.2.5 or higher
Temperature Monitor is freeware.
iPod News
iPresent It 1.0: Who Needs a Laptop to Give a
Presentation?
PR: Make your next pitch using your iPod photo. With iPresent It you can
convert your PowerPoint, PDF and Keynote presentations into
slideshows that are synched with your iPod photo. Never carry a
laptop into a presentation again; it's all on your iPod.
Features:
Create slideshow images from any of your PowerPoint, Keynote or
PDF presentations.
Saves presentations as albums in iPhoto or subfolders of a
folder (such as the folder being used to sync to your iPod photo
via iTunes).
Easily update your slideshows whenever you make changes to a
presentation. Your presentations will always be ready for
synching.
Easily remove slideshows when they are no longer needed.
Removing them from iPresent It ensures they will be removed from
your iPod photo the next time you sync.
Preview slides as they're converted into a slideshow.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.2 or greater
iPresent It is $17.95 demoware. Trial version limits slideshows
to six slides.
CEO Classic iPod Case
PR: The CEO
Classic case offers elegant protection for the iPod on the go.
A patented belt clip system offers interchangeable clip options
including belt clips, bike and car holders.
Case features:
- Leather outer construction
- Leather-lined interior
- Plastic screen protector
- Easy access to hold button, earphone jack, and FireWire
port
- Multidapt® interchangeable clip system
- Snap closure on flap
- Includes low-profile spring clip
Color: Black
Outside case dimensions: 4.5 x 2.75 x 1 in. (11.43 x 6.99 x 3.17
cm)
Works with first and second generation iPods.
$34.95/$29.99
Tech Trends
UK Prof Pioneers New LCD Screen System
News: The
Register reports:
"A Cambridge UK academic has come up with a completely new flat
TV concept that relies on total internal reflection in a wedge
shaped piece of clear plastic, fed by the same LCD video projectors
that drive rear-projection televisions. The technique promises to
cost about a fiftieth of the price of current plasma screens and
yet deliver a similar quality picture.
"The system works by introducing light at the bottom edge of the
wedge, which bounces across and back again up the length of the
wedge until it reaches the critical angle at which it escapes and
leaves the face of the screen as light. A precise mathematical
formula ensures that light for the correct pixel exits the screen
at just the right distance up the wedge.
"Dr Adrian Travis of Flat Projection Displays, a spin-off from
Cambridge University's Department of Engineering, is negotiating
for the concept to emerge onto the market in early 2007 and has it
working perfectly on a 15-inch screen and shortly expects to have
it ready to go on a 50-inch display."
Windows Watch
Toshiba Introduces Multimedia Center Hub to
Enhance Notebook Experience at Home
PR: Toshiba's Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba
America Information Systems, Inc. and provider of industry-leading
portable computers, projectors and other mobile-related services
and products, today introduced the Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub
that allows consumers to easily connect their notebook computers to
their home entertainment systems.
The Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub enables users of any
notebook computer running Microsoft Windows XP Home, Microsoft
Windows XP Pro and the recently released Microsoft Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005 to:
- Play music, movies or games in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
from home entertainment systems or external PC speakers;
- Play games in full EAX(TM) Advanced HD Surround Sound for a
realistic 3D audio experience;
- Listen to MP3 play lists on home stereo speakers by connecting
the hub to a stereo receiver via a SPDIF coaxial audio cable;
- Connect joy sticks, steering wheels and game pads for an
enhanced gaming experience via any of four USB ports, as well as
connect other devices such as a printer or scanner;
- Connect to the Internet via an integrated Ethernet port to
download music or digital video, or just send a friendly
e-mail.
"The notebook computer is being transformed from primarily a
productivity tool into a personal entertainment hub where users can
manage and enjoy multimedia content," said Taro Hiyama, vice
president of marketing, Toshiba Digital Products Division. "The
Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub offers consumers a simple and
inexpensive way to enhance their multimedia experience on their
notebook computers."
Designed in a compact form smaller than a VHS tape, the
Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub is priced at $129.99 and is
currently available from ToshibaDirect.
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 WallStreet G3/233, 192/4/CD-ROM, $209
Special Deals: Apple
Certified
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,349
- refurb 15" aluminium PowerBook G4/1
GHz, 256/60/Combo, $1,499
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,699
Power Max
- used 12" iBook G3/500,
384/10/CD-ROM, $599. With this CPU you qualify to buy OS X
(Panther) for $99 and get a free USB Watch (after rebate).
- PowerBook 3400c/200, 32/2/CD-ROM,
new battery, 60 day warranty, $149.99
- PowerBook 3400c/200, 32/2/CD-ROM,
new battery, 1 year extended care, $239
- PowerBook 3400c/240, 32/2/CD-ROM,
60 day warranty, $229
- PowerBook 3400c/240, 32/2/CD-ROM,
1 year extended care, $299.99
- new 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz,
256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, PC2100 SO DIMM 512 MB DDR 266,
Kensington Saddlebag Case Black with Black trim, $1,629
NOTE: To purchase this special you must be a Top Dog Club
Member
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and
Best iBook G3 Deals.
