Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.12.16
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.
MIT's $100 Laptop
News & Opinion
Reviews
Products
Software
MIT's $100 Laptop
It won't be a Mac, but it won't be a Windows
laptop either. MIT's plan is to see these Linux-based laptops
selling to governments at $100 in bulk, and we may see a $200
consumer version as well.
Quanta to Build MIT's $100 Laptop
eWeek reports:
"The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab has
announced that Taiwanese device maker Quanta Computer Inc.
[longtime Apple PowerBook subcontractor] has been selected to
design and build the $100 computers planned as part of the school's
One Laptop per Child initiative.
"After reviewing design submissions from several different
companies, the OLPC's Board of Directors said it selected Quanta in
part because the computer maker, which builds some PCs sold by
Hewlett-Packard Co., promised to devote 'significant engineering
resources' to the project from its Quanta Research Institute. Under
the company's current plans, it expects to deliver the laptops to
market by the fourth quarter of 2006."
Link: Quanta Building
MIT's $100 Laptop
Intel Chairman Claims World's Poorest Don't
Want $100 Laptop
Reuters' Peter Apps reports:
"Potential computer users in the developing world will not want
a basic $100 hand-cranked laptop due to be rolled out to millions,
chip-maker Intel Corp. chairman Craig Barrett said on Friday.
"Schoolchildren in Brazil, Thailand, Egypt and Nigeria will
begin receiving the first few million textbook style computers from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) media lab run by
Nicholas Negroponte from early 2006.
"'Mr. Negroponte has called it a $100 laptop - I think a more
realistic title should be 'the $100 gadget,' Barrett, chairman of
the world's largest chip maker, told a press conference in Sri
Lanka. 'The problem is that gadgets have not been successful.'"
Editor's note: The $100 education laptop will have an AMD CPU,
not Intel inside. Sour grapes? dk
Link:
World's Poorest Don't Want '$100 Laptop': Intel
News & Opinion
Apple Preparing 13" Widescreen iBook?
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Another day, another Intel-based Mac launch progress rumour.
The latest points to a widescreen iBook, to surface 'early next
year'.
"So suggest sources cited by Apple-watching website Think
Secret. Their take on the situation: Apple will deliver a
widescreen iBook with a 13.3in, 1280 x 720 display."
Link:
Apple Readies '13.3in Widescreen Intel iBook'
iBook Keyboard Devolution?
TUAW's Victor Agreda, Jr. says:
"Back in September of 2001 I received a spankin' new iBook G3
for my birthday. It was a great machine. While I'd admired the
simplicity and form of the clamshell iBooks (and for some reason I
loved that nuclear green), they were too darn big and too low-res
for me....
"When the G4 iBooks were introduced, I knew I had to upgrade, so
I wound up with an 800 MHz iBook, the one I'm still using. The 60
GB drive and 384 MB of RAM made it a little pricey, but thankfully
help keep it's little brain together....
"Less than a year later, I bought my wife a 1.2 GHz G4 iBook.
It's a great machine too, runs everything pretty smoothly, even
with only 30 GB drive (we later bought a RAM upgrade so she's got
512 MB). One thing I noticed through these purchases: Apple's iBook
keyboards get crappier every year, and I've got the pics to prove
it...."
Link: iBook
Keyboard Devolution?
Reviews
How Fast Is the 17" PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz
Compared to the 15" PowerBook G4/800 MHz?
MacReviewZone's Johnny AppleSpeed compares the PowerBook G4/1.67
GHz 17" vs. PowerBook G4/800 MHz 15"
Link:
How Fast Is the PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz 17" Compared to the PowerBook
G4/800 MHz 15"
The Lap(top) of Luxury - Marware PowerBook
Protection Pack
oreilly.com's Derrick Story reports:
"I always keep something between the keyboard and the screen of
my 17" PowerBook. My favorite protector has been the Optix cloth by
RadTech.us, but I wanted to try Marware's new Protection Pack for
PowerBook.
"Their approach is a little different. The kit includes a soft
PVC leather-like handrest cover (very suede) that adheres to the
area below the keyboard and around the trackpad. It's designed to
fit perfectly. The soft surface feels really good on the palm of my
hands and wrists. Actually, it's quite luxurious to have my hands
resting on this suede-like leather instead of aluminum. And if you
wear a watch or jewelry, the cover protects the surface of your
PowerBook...."
Link: The Lap(top) of Luxury -
Marware PowerBook Protection Pack
Products
Compact EZ-Reach Keyboard
PR: Ergonomic compact keyboard ideal for use with laptop
stands.
The EZ-Reach Keyboard is a small footprint - low profile split
key keyboard from Contour Design.
Key Features:
- Unique columnar key layout reduces hand motion
- Small footprint takes less desk space allows for more optimal
mouse positioning adjacent to keyboard (12-3/4"W X 5-1/2"D X
1/2"H)
- Low profile and small size allows for portability with notebook
computers
- Supports both PS2 and USB ports for both Windows and Macintosh
computers
EZ-KEY01 MSRP $109.95
Link: EZ-Reach
Keyboard
Waterfield Racer-X Laptop Case
PR: Built to bolt. A
perfect fit for your laptop and a few necessities. Plush interior.
Mountain bike grip. Meet your PowerBook's new best friend.
Available in three sizes:
Software
coconutBattery v2.0 Completely Rewritten
PR: coconutBattery v2.0 is completely
rewritten...preferences menu...dashboard widget...more
languages(coming soon)...many groundbreaking new features are
planned for the next versions...and it's still freeware(but
donations are more than welcome)
coconutBattery isn't just a tool which shows you only the
current charge of your battery - it also shows you the current
maximum capacity of it in relation to the original capacity your
battery had as it left the factory.
You also get information about the battery-loadcycles (how often
did you fully load your battery), the current charger
(coconutBattery even warns you if you plugged in a wrong charger
for your Notebook) and last but not least information about the age
of your Mac.
coconutBattery gives you all these information just in time
because of it's live-feedback interface!
Of course you are able to save the current maximum capacity of
your battery - with just one click! coconutBattery uses Apple's new
and really powerful technology named "CoreData" to realize this
comfortable saving option.
The absolutely most requested feature has been added:
coconutBattery now ships with a Dashboard Widget, which has exactly
the same coconut-flavour as the real app! You have to check it
out!
And last but not least: coconutBattery is Universal Binary (you
can run it on the upcoming Intel-Macs!) and it is completely
localizable!
Many localizations are ready to start but still need some bug
fixes.
If you want to help translating coconutBattery to your language,
just write me an email - but you should wait these few days until I
know what localizations needs a update.
By the way: The really really cool and absolutely
coconut-flavoured icon was created by http://www.afterglow.ie -
really good job! Check out the web page.
System requirements:
- Mac OS 10.4.3 (Tiger)
- An Apple-Notebook (PowerBook or iBook)
New in version 2.0:
completely rewritten, added a dashboard widget, preferences menu
for custom values and much much more!
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later.
Free
Link: coconutBattery
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.
- used 15" PowerBook G4/667 (DVI), 256/30/Combo, $649.99
- used 15" PowerBook G4/867, 256/30/Combo, $749.99
- used 15" titanium PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/60/Combo,
$849.99
- Upgrade to a 2x SuperDrive installed - $129.99
- Upgrade to an 8x SuperDrive installed - $169.99
- Upgrade to 1 GB of RAM - $189.99
- Upgrade to 512 MB of RAM - $59.50
- Upgrade to 40 GB HDD - $69.50
- Upgrade to 60 GB HDD - $79.50
- Upgrade to 80 GB HDD - $109.50
- Add an AirPort card, $109.99 installed
- Targus carrying case, 99¢
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/Combo, APX,
$1,099
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/60/Combo, APX, BT 2.0,
$1,199
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/ SuperDrive, APX,
$1,149
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX, BT
2.0, $1,299
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/Combo, APX,
$1,299
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/Combo, APX, BT 2.0,
$1,449
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,799
- used 12" iBook G3/800, 128/30/CD, $419
- used 12" iBook G3/800, 384/30/CD, $429
- used 12" iBook G3/800, 128/30/Combo, $439
- used 12" iBook G3/800, 384/30/Combo, $459
- used 12" iBook G3/900, 128/40/Combo, $499
- used 12" iBook G3/900, 384/40/Combo, $549
- used 12" iBook G3/900, 640/40/Combo, $599
- used 14" iBook G3/600, 256/20/Combo, $439
- used 14" iBook G3/700, 256/30/Combo, $459
- used 14" iBook G3/900, 256/40/Combo, Scratch and Dent,
$529
- used 14" iBook G3/900, 256/40/Combo, $529
- used 14" iBook G3/800, 384/30/Combo, $589
- used 14" iBook G3/900, 640/40/Combo, $599
- used 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/Combo, $899
- used 14" iBook G4/933, 256/40/Combo, $799.99
- used 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/60/Combo, BT,
$1,199.99
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our best aluminum PowerBook G4
deals, best titanium PowerBook G4
deals, best iBook G4 deals,
best PowerBook G3 deals, and best iBook G3 deals.
