Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.08.26
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. News about
Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is
covered in The Macintel Report.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Advice
Reviews
Products and Services
Software
Tech Trends
News & Opinion
Future 'Books Could Reduce Power Used with New
Clock Devices
Macsimum News' Dennis Sellers says:
"There's another technology to keep an eye out for regarding
future iBooks and PowerBooks. IDT (Integrated Device Technology), a
communications IC company, has introduced new notebook clock
devices that purportedly reduce power consumption by up to half
that of previous generation products.
"The new low-power PC clock devices support Intel Centrino
mobile technology-based laptops, which are built upon the Intel
'Napa' platform and will also support Intel's next-generation
computing architecture. Since Macs are moving to Intel chips, it
seems likely that future Apple laptops will utilize the IDT
technology. And power consumption in portables has been one of the
company's biggest concerns."
Link:
Future Apple Laptops Could Be Impacted by New Notebook Clock
Devices
PowerBook Mania!
A newsbc.ca blog says:
"I've been in love with Apple's PowerBooks for far too long and
with school in the not so distant future I'll be getting one
lickety split. I've had major PowerBook fever for the past week and
a half and have been seeking out what kind of software I can run on
it once it arrives. Check out the SpeedoWiki on a regular basis to
see what I'm doing on a more daily basis btw, I make many changes a
day. On the subject of wiki/powerbook I've started to compile a
list of cool resources that I come across along the way. Said list
is available here - http://speedo.ca/wiki/index.php/PowerBook"
Link:
PowerBook Mania!
Arizona High School Trades Books for
iBooks
The position of Associated Press (AP) is that you may
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Use policy specifically allows quoting up to 50% or 300 words of
our original content, whichever is less.)
Waiting for a New iBook to Arrive
Bill Palmer says:
"My new iBook is currently in Jacksonville, a good two hundred
miles from here, and despite the fact that it's 10:00 at night,
Amazon somehow still seems to think that it's going to be delivered
today. Yeah. I guess it's the price you pay for going after the
best price instead of merely walking into an Apple Store and
walking out with one. But since I'm not in any hurry, I'll just
remind myself that I saved a good $160 by going through Amazon.
It's just funny, though, how you can spend the better part of a
year carefully planning a purchase, and then once you pull the
trigger, you go nuts because you have to wait another three days
for it to show up."
Link:
Waiting for the New iBook to Show Up
Advice
How to Use a PowerBook as a WiFi Access
Point
Make says:
"In Make volume 03 we showed you how to make a "stomp box" - a
device that uses a high speed EVDO wireless access card and Wi-Fi
to create a mobile wireless access point. But, if you have a Mac
PowerBook with PC card slot and a EVDO card you can make the same
thing, broadcasting free Wi-Fi for anyone around! Here's
how..."
Link:
How to Make a PowerBook into a Wi-Fi Access Point
Apple's New PowerBook Care and Handling
Page
Topics:
- Carrying Your PowerBook
- Storing Your PowerBook
- Cleaning Your PowerBook
- Cleaning Your PowerBook Display
- Safety Instructions for Setting Up and Using Your Computer
- Plugging In the Power Adapter
- Connecting a Phone Line to the Internal Modem
- Using Your PowerBook
- Avoid Hearing Damage
- Battery
- Connectors and Ports
Link: PowerBook Care and
Handling
Replacing Your PowerBook's Lost Feet
the-wabe.com says:
"One of the complaints about the first-generation PowerBook G4
is that the rubber feet easily wear down/tear off leaving the owner
with a very hot machine that sits directly on the table. Not good
for the table, not good for the machine.
"Since losing the rubber feet on my machine, I've been using the
low-tech solution of drink coasters to keep an adequate gap from
the surface of my desk. The problem with this solution is that I'd
often forget the coasters when traveling, leading to the very real
danger of overheating the machine.
"The replacement cost of the feet is $20 for a set of four. That
may seem outrageous, but somebody has to pay for Steve Jobs's
weekly oatmeal colonic, right?
"Being an engineer, I figured I could do better, and with a
little ingenuity I did. Now you can, too."
Link: Replacing Lost
PowerBook G4 Feet
Reviews
Does LoJack for Laptops Work?
Forbes' David A. Andelman reports:
"The idea conjured up all sorts of wonderful fantasies. My
laptop is stolen. I call an 800-number and before the setting of
the next sun, a swat team of heavily armed and armored paramilitary
police are breaking down the door of a bandit's den to reclaim my
purloined computer.
"At least that's my fantasy. In fact, the reality may not be
that far off. Well, maybe not a swat team and maybe there wouldn't
be a whole nest of bandits involved, but there is a recently
renamed software product that promises pretty much that. Absolute
Software's LoJack for Laptops used to be called CompuTrace, and now
it's back with a new name and a new identity."
Link:
Does LoJack for Laptops Work?
Products and Services
Kyocera KPC650 EVDO Card Now Fully Supported on
PowerBooks
[PR] The Mac EVDO Experts at EVDOinfo.com who in the past
have shown us how to make every Verizon BroadbandAccess card work
on the PowerBook, is now reporting that software is available that
allows the Kyocera KPC650 EVDO Card to be fully supported on any
PowerBook with a PC Slot. This software is available as a free
download. EVDOinfo.com has a full review of the new software that
was just released.
Link:
Kyocera KPC650 EVDO Card Now Fully Supported on PowerBooks
Software
One Finger Snap: A Right Mouse Button
for One Button Mice
[PR] One Finger Snap is a Preference Pane that brings up
the contextual menu whenever you click and hold down the mouse
button. This means that you can do everything with a single-button
mouse that you can do with a 2-button mouse.
Don't throw away that 1-Button Mouse:
Many new Mac buyers find that the first purchase they make is
for a 2-button mouse so they can have quick access to the
contextual menu. Sure, you can hold down the control key when you
click, but let's face it, a two button mouse makes the contextual
menu so much easier to get to. Now with One Finger Snap, you can
just click and hold down that one button to get to the contextual
menu. And that way you can hold onto that beautiful Apple mouse,
too.
Great for PowerBook users:
At the office, you have a nice two-button mouse, and you use it
every day. Now you take your powerbook on the road, and your right
mouse button finger is just twitching. You get things done so much
faster with the contextual menu. Don't you wish there was an easy
way to get to it from the track pad? One Finger Snap works as well
with a one-button track pad as it does with a one-button mouse. So
you can click and hold the trackpad button rather than carry along
another piece of equipment.
for ex-Windows users:
So you took the plunge and switched to the Mac. Good for you.
While you like Mac OS X on your new Mac Mini, you can't help but
miss that old 2-button mouse. Don't go back to Windows, just try
One Finger Snap. It's much cheaper, and it has fewer viruses.
But I already have a 7-button, wireless mouse with a scroll
wheel:
Oh, you ubergeek you. One Finger Snap can still help you.
Wouldn't it be nice to have just one more button? Turn on One
Finger Snap, and you no longer need that right mouse button for the
contextual menu. Now you can reassign it to something more useful
(like sshing your web browser, or opening AppKiDo, or reading
joyoftech).
What about Apple's new Mighty Mouse?
Apple recently released a new mouse, dubbed "Mighty Mouse", that
has up to four buttons and a scroll wheel, depending on how you set
it up. We've ordered a Mighty Mouse for testing, and the current
wait time is 7-10 days between order and shipping. We're looking
forward to running this mouse through its paces.
Still, if you prefer $6.85 to $49.00, or "as quick as a
download" to "in seven to ten business days" or "just click and
hold my trackpad button" to "another shiny thing to pack in my bag
that may get squished", then please consider One Finger Snap as an
alternative.
If you decide on a Mighty Mouse, and we can understand why, then
One Finger Snap is designed to work with any mouse, including
Mighty Mouse, so you can still bring up the contextual menu by
clicking and holding, giving you one more button on your brand new
mouse.
System Requirements:
- One Finger Snap will work on Mac OS X 10.3 Panther or 10.4
Tiger.
What's new with One finger snap 1.2
- One Finger Snap is now smarter about when it will initiate a
right-click. It will no longer try to initiate a right-click over
the Dock, over a scroll bar, or over a menu item, for
instance.
- If you find that it is still trying to right-click at these
times, then you should turn on "Access for Assistive Devices" in
the Universal Access preference pane.
- Changed the name that appears in the Preference Pane to "1
Finger Snap", to make it a little shorter so it will fit better in
the Preference Pane.
- Made One Finger Snap easier to use with third-party mice that
don't use custom drivers.
- Added drag-select then hold - drag-select a block of text, then
keep the mouse button held down and a contextual menu will appear
with options for the text you just selected.
One Finger Snap will regularly display a window asking you to
register it until you have purchased a license.
A single user license costs $6.85.
Link: One
Finger Snap
Tech Trends
Portable Methanol Fuel Cell System with
Breakthrough Micro Reformer Technology
[PR] UltraCell Corporation has announced a new fuel cell
power source for portable electronic devices that has twice the
energy density of lithium batteries. UltraCell's reformed methanol
fuel cell (RMFC) technology uses a revolutionary micro reformer to
generate fuel-cell-ready hydrogen from a highly concentrated
methanol solution. This new portable power system has the power
density of a hydrogen fuel cell but uses readily available, low
cost methanol fuel in a convenient, compact package. Weighing just
40 ounces, the power unit is about the size of a paperback
novel.
This new technology has already been developed by UltraCell as a
prototype for the military. This original system, the XX90, was
designed for up to 45 watts of continuous power. Subsequently, the
U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and
Engineering Center (CERDEC) awarded UltraCell a contract to
accelerate its development of a more compact portable system to run
at 25 watts. This new power source is being developed for
commercial use as the UltraCell25™ and will be available in
2006 for professional, industrial and mobile computing
applications. Its name for the military will be the XX25.
UltraCell's micro reformer technology is designed to work in a
user-friendly package that, with the push of a power button, self
starts and feeds power as needed. The system's spent fuel canisters
can be instantly "hot swapped," as needed, to provide continuous
power in any remote situation. Whether for a soldier on mission or
for the on-the-go laptop user, mobile executive, emergency first
responder, researcher in a remote location, industrial video maker,
or remote electronic monitoring, this means a nonstop supply of
power anywhere, anytime. For greater flexibility, the system can
even support batteries by serving as a portable recharging power
supply.
The complete UltraCell system includes fuel processor, fuel cell
stack, control system, balance of plant and easily replaceable fuel
cartridge. Based on proprietary control algorithms, the control
system manages a steady flow of power by adjusting pump and
compressor settings. The revolutionary micro fuel cell generates no
excess water, and consequently does not need a water management
system, saving size, weight and cost versus alternative micro fuel
cell systems. In addition, the UltraCell system uses a high
temperature membrane assembly (MEA) from Pemeas in its fuel cell
stack, resulting in high tolerance to CO and impurities.
"The major advantages of our system are the result of key
advances by UltraCell and partners, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratories, Pemeas and others, yielding a breakthrough in fuel
reformer technology," said Jim Kaschmitter, CEO of UltraCell.
"UltraCell's novel fuel reformer converts methanol fuel to hydrogen
efficiently and in a very compact package. Our technical team
solved several key engineering challenges in thermal design and
packaging to achieve this breakthrough. Our system provides a
significant performance advantage over competing fuel cell and
battery solutions for portable power users."
Founded in 2002, UltraCell develops and manufactures complete
micro fuel cell systems for portable devices. The company has
developed new technologies and intellectual property in the field
of methanol-based fuel cells. The company has an exclusive license
with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories for micro fuel cell
technology based upon reforming methanol into hydrogen "reformate"
using proprietary technology in the fuel reformer and hydrogen fuel
cell stack. For more information, please contact: UltraCell
Corporation, 230-A South Vasco Road, Livermore, CA. 94551; Tel.:
(925) 455-9400 ; Fax: (925) 455-7750.
Link: UltraCell
Corporation
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.
- PowerBook Pismo G3/400, 192/10/DVD, $399
- PowerBook Pismo G3/500, 256/12/DVD, $449
- 15" PowerBook G4/500, 256/20/DVD, $599
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 512/40/Combo, $819
- PowerBook 1400cs, 16/775 MB, new battery, $99.99
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256MB/ 60GB/ SuperDrive,
AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256MB/ 60GB/ Combo, AirPort
Extreme Card, $1,499
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, /512MB /100/SuperDrive,
AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0, $2,299
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/Combo, $549.99
- 14" iBook G3/800, 256/30/Combo, PC133 SO DIMM 512MB, Kensington
Saddlebag (brown),Small Dog Coozie, $809
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.
