Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.05.13
This Week's PowerBook, iBook, and Notebook News
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is
covered in The iNews
Review.
Tiger Talk
News & Opinion
Reviews
New Products
Tech Trends
Tiger Talk
Upgrading an iBook to Tiger
A. P.
Lawrence says:
"I upgraded my Mac iBook last night. Although it is up and
running now, the upgrade was difficult and problematical.
"First, I didn't like that there is insufficient feedback as to
what is happening. Several times during the "Install" phase, and
especially at the very beginning of it, I thought the machine was
frozen. Only by putting my ear to the keyboard could I tell that
the upgrade to Tiger was proceeding,"
PowerLogix G3 and G4 Upgrades Are
Tiger-friendly
PR: Anyone who already owns or is planning to purchase a
PowerLogix G3 or G4 upgrade will not have to worry whether it is
compatible with Apple Computer's latest operating system OS X
Tiger. The answer is an emphatic yes.
Other World Computing (OWC) is happy to offer completely
Tiger-friendly PowerLogix upgrades
via its website.
"We don't want people to worry that if they are using a
PowerLogix processor they can't upgrade to Tiger, because they
can," said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC. "PowerLogix
processors, whether already installed or being considered, will not
only work with but enhance the performance of Apple's latest
operating system."
PowerLogix's G4 upgrades are available in speeds of 1 Gigahertz
(GHz) to Dual G4/1.8 GHz and priced as low as $179. Upgrades are
compatible with PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics (a.k.a. Sawtooth), Gigabit
Ethernet, Digital Audio, Quicksilver and Cube Apple models.
PowerLogix's G3 ZIF upgrades are available in speeds of
1 GHz and 1.1 GHz with 1 MB 1:1 L2 Cache from $229, and
are compatible with PowerMac G3 Beige, G3 Blue&White and G4
'Yikes' PCI Apple models.
A PowerLogix Pismo G3/900 MHz Upgrade with 1 MB 1:1 L2
Cache is offered for $349.
Cache enabling software is required for ZIF, Pismo, Lombard,
Wallstreet and PCI upgrades and is available free of charge at
<http://www.macsales.com/PLTIGER>
News & Opinion
PowerPage's PowerBook Wish List
PowerPage's
Jason D O'Grady says:
"We're having so much fun with our iPod and iTunes Wishlist
features that the next logical progression is PowerBooks. This
article discusses some of features we'd like to see in the next
PowerBook."
Items on Jason's list that particularly resonate with me
are:
- Upgradeable processor or board
- More sturdy and smoother opening hinges
- Page up and down keys
- Easier access hard drive for replacement or upgrade
OWC SuperDrive Upgrade for PB G4 Now
Retrospect-certified
PR: Other World Computing (OWC)'s Mercury SuperDrives
not only are fast but are Dantz/EMC-certified and supported for
Dantz Retrospect backup.
"These drives read and write fast, and our customers can have
every confidence that their most critical audio, video, data - and
now backup - needs can be handled with this Retrospect
certification," said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC.
The OWC Mercury PBG4 internal SuperDrive offers burn speeds of
up to 8x DVD, 2.4x DVD Dual Layer and 24X CD. And, with the Dantz
certification, consumers can be confident it will be 100 percent
compatible with Dantz software and supported for burning music,
data and video with nearly any Apple/Mac DVD or CD authoring
application.
For PowerBook G4 Titanium models that shipped with a CD-RW or
better, and any PowerBook G4 12", 15", or 17" aluminum model,
bundles are available that include the drive, Dantz Retrospect, NTI
Dragonburn and 10 pieces of 8X DVD media for $169.95.
"People are busy. They don't want to wait hours for the latest
family movie to burn," O'Connor said. "This latest Mercury PBG4
DVD- and CD-burner replaces the stock drive to burn fast without
requiring anything extra to carry around."
OWC sells a full line of internal and external SuperDrive
solutions for most Mac models, offering a top speed for DVD burning
of up to 16X, from $69.99. The drives can be used with Apple iApps,
Roxio Toast, as well as most any other burning application.
Reviews
NuPower High Capacity Battery for 12" PowerBook
Reviewed
PowerBook Zone's Simon Helton
says:
"When I heard that Newer Technology had created a replacement
battery for the 12" PowerBook, to be sold through Other World
Computing, I was excited at the possibility of longer battery life.
While iBook and PowerBook battery life is definitely above average,
there's always room for improvement, and being able to go longer
between charges for only a few dollars more than Apple's battery
sounded tempting. OWC was generous enough to send over a battery
for me to try out, and after using it for a couple weeks now, I've
given it about as thorough a test as can be done without comparing
how it ages over several years to the Apple-brand battery."
New Products
LapCop 3.0 Helps Recover Your Stolen
Mac
PR: To help recover your iBook or PowerBook in case it
gets stolen, we have developed LapCop.
LapCop is an innovative security application that sends an alert
mail in case your Mac is stolen, allowing you to recover it.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.4
- Tiger compatible
LapCop sells for $25.
Xbrand Adjustable Height Laptop Stand with
360° Rotation
PR: You will be surprised by the remarkable
increase in comfort when you raise your display and bring it closer
to your eyes with the Xbrand Laptop
Stand. You will also improve the cooling of your computer
and benefit from a more comfortable and productive keyboard and
mouse. This easily-adjustable laptop stand offers four height/tilt
positions so every user can configure it to reduce the head, neck,
and back strain commonly associated with laptop computer use.
In the lowest position, the laptop retainer ledge folds down if
you need to access a CD or diskette drive on the front edge of your
laptop. It even rotates 360° on hidden rollers for multi-user
viewing. Requires an external keyboard and mouse (not included).
The USB model serves as an integrated port replicator by providing
four very accessible USB 2.0 high-speed ports.
Laptop Stand Applications
In your home office:
Admit it. Your home office is a little cluttered, and doesn't
seem quite big enough for you to work with your laptop and your
papers and bills. Take back wasted space with a premium 
laptop stand from
Kinesis!. The small footprint Xbrand Laptop Stand gives you back
space that you sorely need, especially if you get a tiny MiniType
keyboard and wireless mouse. Or make even more room and increase
your comfort and productivity by getting an ergonomic keyboard and
an adjustable keyboard tray.
If you often travel and take your laptop with you, consider
getting the Kinesis NoteStand laptop stand. It is very thin, very
light, and very elegant. And it also does a great job of elevating
the screen and bringing it closer to your eyes, as well as keeping
your laptop cool and protecting it from those dreaded liquid
spills.
For your kitchen laptop:
If you are like many computer users, you have a laptop in or
near the kitchen and sometimes it ends up on the counter for
checking email or recipes. Have you spilled anything on it yet?
This is a great place to use a laptop stand. If you are going to
spill something, do it on your separate keyboard or mouse, not
directly on your expensive laptop! If you are just browsing and not
typing, you won't even need a separate keyboard, but you may want
to get one of our wireless mice.
At work and on the road:
If you are one of those many people who now use a laptop at work
as your primary computer, you definitely need a laptop stand. The
USB model of the Xbrand Laptop Stand is an ideal choice for
comfort, productivity, and flexibility. You may also want to
consider our affordable generic port replicator or one of our
wireless mice.
If you need to travel with your laptop and only have the budget
for one laptop stand, by all means get the NoteStand. It does a
great job in the office, but due to its thinness and light weight,
it really shines when you are traveling and need a laptop stand in
your hotel room or off-site office.
Laptop Stand Features:
- Dynamically raises laptop display while converting system into
a complete desktop replacement.
- One Touch Height Adjustment: A simple touch of the actuator
button raises or lowers your laptop display to the optimum viewing
position - 4 positions in all.
- 360° Swivel: Swivel your laptop to share documents, web
sites, spreadsheets, presentations, movies, all your information
and great ideas. It's also a great way to quickly access your
computer's rear facing ports and side loading drives.
- Promotes Laptop Cooling: Laptops are hot, but this Laptop Stand
is definitely cool. Designed to promote increased airflow and
convection cooling it can improve your laptop's performance,
battery life and even it's longevity.
- Integrated 4-port USB 2.0 Hub (AC120LC-USB only): Let's you
swiftly and simply connect and disconnect external peripherals with
a single high speed cable connection.
- Grab and Go Contoured Sides: Sculpted for computing on the go,
contoured sides let you to quickly and firmly grasp your laptop
while removing it from and returning it to the Stand.
- Folding Retainer: The simple slide of a switch lowers the
Folding Retainer to allow easy access to front loading drives,
battery bays or function buttons.
- Non Slip, Non Skid Contact Surface: Rubber pads grab your
laptop at the corners to hold it firmly in place.
The Laptop Stand is physically compatible with all laptops.
The USB hub is compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, and
Mac OS 9.0 or higher.
- Laptop Stand - AC120LC: $69.99
- Laptop Stand with 4 Port USB Hub - AC120LC-USB: $119.99
XT-Stand Folding Laptop Stand
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.
Price: $59.95 (Shipping and applicable taxes extra)
Tech Trends
Hitachi Boosts Notebook Drive Performance to
Desktop Replacement Level
PR: Hitachi
Global Storage Technologies has set a new notebook
performance record, announcing today worldwide availability of the
fastest 2.5" hard drive for mobile applications. The 7200 RPM
Travelstar 7K100 is first to market with desktop-class performance
on a 2.5" hard drive for notebook systems such as Dell's Inspiron
XPS Gen 2 system.
With 100 gigabytes(2) of storage capacity, the Travelstar 7K100
is bigger, faster, and stronger than its award-winning predecessor,
creating an industrial-strength notebook hard drive. Hitachi's
second-generation 7200 RPM 2.5" product offers a 67%
storage-capacity increase and a 33% performance improvement
(sustained data transfer rate) over the previous generation. In
addition, a 50% improvement in operating shock tolerance gives
users greater system reliability and data integrity. Within its
class, the 7K100 features industry-leading 300 Gs and 1000 Gs
operating and nonoperating shock specifications, respectively.
"Hitachi created the 7200 RPM notebook hard drive segment in
2003 to give mobile users a performance rush; based on strong
demand, we are now bringing an even more powerful product to the
market," said Bill Healy, senior vice president, product strategy
and marketing, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "We've learned
much about the 7200 RPM notebook hard drives over the past several
years and have applied that experience to create the quintessential
performance product."
Users of notebook systems that employ the Travelstar 7K100 as
the leading-edge storage component will experience a marked
performance improvement in a variety of computing activities:
Windows XP startup, application loading, copying files and general
HDD usage (playing an MP3 file, viewing pictures, browsing the
Internet, etc.). Hitachi's benchmark testing of the 7K100 during
these activities shows a 25% faster performance over the fastest
competitive 2.5" 5400 RPM drive on the market (comparisons were
made to 5400 RPM drives as no competitive 7200 RPM 2.5" drives were
available for testing at time of announcement).
The heightened level of performance, higher capacity and
ruggedness on the 7K100 are intended to give greater mobility to
power users who have traditionally looked to desktop systems for
premium functionality. These include PC gamers, graphic arts
designers, digital video editors, computer-aided-design engineers,
as well as general users who demand the latest and best that
notebook technology has to offer.
The Travelstar 7K100 significantly outperforms competitive
notebook hard drives as well as some 3.5" desktop drives. In fact,
Hitachi benchmark testings have shown as much as a 7-percent faster
performance rate when compared against 7200 RPM desktop drives with
a 2-megabyte cache.
"The leadership attributes that define the Travelstar 7K100 are
indicative of the deep R&D resources we apply to our entire
2.5" hard drive product line," Healy added.
As the architect for the performance-focused 7200 RPM 2.5" hard
drive segment, Hitachi has been working to grow the market and seed
acceptance among users. Since mid-2003 when the category was
launched, Hitachi has seen a notable shift toward higher-performing
notebook systems due to a growing sophistication in the user base
and to the aggressive movement to wireless computing. In response,
Hitachi is actively planning to support this growth trend and
expects to significantly expand its production of 7200 RPM 2.5"
drives by the end of 2005.
"Notebook computer manufacturers are sensitive to the growing
demand for more disk drive performance and capacity, and the
Hitachi 7K100 responds to that demand," said John Donovan, vice
president, TrendFOCUS. "While the 7200 RPM segment for notebooks is
still a relatively small one, Hitachi's continued technology
advancements will do much to accelerate the growth of this
category."
To provide a broader set of options for customers, Hitachi has
increased the number of capacity points in its 7200 RPM offering to
60, 80 and 100 GB. The Travelstar 7K100 PATA model is now shipping
to customers worldwide in all capacities. Hitachi will also deliver
a SATA version with 1.5 Gbits/second interface transfer rate in
July. In addition, an enhanced availability (E7K100) model,
offering 24x7 availability for blade server applications, will
follow later this summer. All Travelstar 7K100 models are ROHS
compliant.
Hitachi, Fujitsu Tout 100 GB Notebook
Drives
IDG News Service's Martyn
Williams reports:
"Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and Fujitsu have both begun
shipping new notebook hard drives that offer more storage capacity
and better performance over previous models, they said this
week.
"Both drives, Hitachi's Travelstar 7K100 series and Fujitsu's
MHV2100BH, are 2.5-inch types and are available with a maximum
capacity of 100GB."
Widescreen Notebooks to Become Mainstream in
2006
DigiTimes.com's David Tzeng
and Rodney Chan report:
"With brand-name PC vendors increasing their orders for
widescreen notebooks, the segment is set to dominate the market by
the first half of next year, according to sources with notebook
makers in Taiwan.
"Widescreen models may account for 80-90% of the notebook market
in the first half of 2006, up from 30-40% at present, the sources
said.
"Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP), Acer, Apple and Asustek are
increasing the proportion of widescreen models in their notebook
lineups for 2006, the sources said....
"Widescreen notebook-use panels will become cheaper than
standard-size panels by the first quarter of 2006, according to the
panel makers."
Notebook Computer Battery Relatively
Universal
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Craig Crossman reports:
"Backing up has become a way of life these days. We back up the
contents of our computer's hard drives (you do back it up,
don't you?). A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) keeps us going in
case of a power outage. We archive our digital photos to CD and
DVD, and we might even print out an important document just in case
the word processor goes on the blink.
"But when it comes to backup power for a notebook computer, too
many of us still rely on having an AC power source available if we
need it....
"If you find yourself playing notebook roulette, the answer
might lie in a new battery that works on most any notebook
computer."
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible
for AppleCare.
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 (VGA) and
G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs.
aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz
15" PowerBooks.
- iBook 300, 96/6/CD-ROM,
blueberry/tangerine, $279.99
- Order with AirPort Card installed, add $89.99
- Upgrade to 320 MB RAM, add $39.50
- 12" iBook G3/600,
256/20/CD-ROM, $469.99
- 12" iBook G3/700,
256/20/CD-ROM, $519.99
- 12" iBook G3/800,
256/30/CD-ROM, $549.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/550,
256/20/Combo, $799.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/667,
256/30/Combo, SVGA video, $889.99
- 12" iBook 500,
192/10/CD-ROM, AC, battery, OS X, $399.95
- 12" iBook 600,
256/20/CD-ROM, AC, battery, OS X, $499.95
- 12" iBook SE 466,
320/10/DVD, Key Lime, $599.95 RARE!!!
- new 12" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/CD-ROM, AirPort Extreme, $849
- new 12" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, Bluetooth, AirPort Extreme, PC2700 SO
DIMM 256 MB DDR 333, Airport Express Base Station, Kensington
Pocketmouse Bluetooth, $1,599
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, Best PowerBook G3 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
