Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited
by Dan Knight
- 2006.02.10
This Week's MacBook, PowerBook, and iBook News
The
MacBook Pro, which should begin shipping Real Soon Now, has been
all over the news. Perhaps the most exciting revelation is that the
Intel Core Duo should be able to run PowerPC software using Rosetta
at about the same speed that these programs run on a PowerBook
G4.
In other notebook news, desktop sales have fallen behind
portables in the US retail market, and Apple is #9 in notebook
sales. dk
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
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.
News & Opinion
Tech Tips and Info
Reviews
Products and Services
Software
News & Opinion
MacBook Pro: The Perfect Form Factor?
![15" MacBook Pro]()
MacBook Live reports:
"Soon, many of us will have the first MacBooks in our hot little
hands. It's a very exciting proposition. But this is truly a case
where the real beauty is on the inside, since for all that's new
about the new MacBook Pro, it
looks pretty much exactly the same as the PowerBook it's replacing.
When this was brought up in a recent interview with Newsweek, Steve
Jobs was quoted as saying, 'The form factors are perfect, we don't
know how to make them any better.'
"Now, I don't know about you, but I think this would have been
the perfect time for Newsweek's Steven Levy to look Jobs squarely
in the eye and say, 'You and I both know that's bullshit,
Steve.'"
I think so, too; the 15" aluminum PowerBook/MacBook Pro
form factor is very nice, but Jobs was obviously making a virtue of
necessity. cm
- Link:
MacBook Pro: The Perfect Form Factor?
Rosetta Emulation on MacBook Pro Comparable to
Performance of G4 PowerBook
Rob Galbraith reports:
"Like us, you may be considering the purchase of an Apple MacBook Pro as a way to bring
deadline-friendly processing speed to a Mac-based field workflow.
For several years, certain models of Apple's PowerBook line have
represented a superb blend of features, screen quality and
portability; in fact, the overall design of the company's mobile
machines has far eclipsed computers we've used from mainstream PC
vendors in all key areas, except one: speed. A PowerPC G4-equipped
Mac laptop simply can't keep up to a Windows laptop powered by an
Intel or AMD processor....
"As we noted in an article introducing the MacBook Pro last
month, we hope that the switch to Intel processors by Apple will
close the speed gap between Mac laptops and laptops from everyone
else. But it's really too soon to address whether an Intel-equipped
Mac will perform comparably to an Intel (or AMD)-equipped PC, since
so few Mac pro imaging applications have yet been turned into
versions optimized for the Intel architecture of the latest Macs.
For months to come, the majority of Mac applications we rely on to
get photo work done will be PowerPC versions, and will operate on
an Intel Mac only through the assistance of the Rosetta emulation
technology built into the Mac OS.
"It's also really too soon to benchmark a MacBook Pro
specifically, since they aren't yet shipping and we don't have one.
What we do have on hand is a close cousin to the MacBook Pro: an
early 2006 iMac with a 2 GHz Intel Core Duo processor. As fans of
Stephen Colbert's Colbert Report, we applied his standard of
truthiness in coming up with the headline for this article. We
really wanted to benchmark a MacBook Pro, but couldn't, so we got
hold of an iMac instead and having been calling it a MacBook
Pro...."
"In PowerPC applications, functions that thread through both
cores in the iMac's Intel Core Duo processor are completed about as
fast, or in some cases faster, than by the PowerBook G4. That's
an impressive feat, given how much translation Rosetta must have to
do to make PowerPC code palatable to an Intel processor."
- Link:
Benchmarking the MacBook Pro
15" MacBook Pro $1000 More than 17" Core Duo
Dell
ZD Net blogger George Ou says:
"Ok I know it's been a while since the Dell dude was booked for
Mary Jane, but I just couldn't resist the title when I did a little
comparison shopping for a PC Duo. I found a nice little coupon code
(6C$03$J1734MS?) worth $650 off a new Core Duo 1.83 GHz notebook
from Dell but couldn't find any coupons for the Mac 1.83 GHz Core
Duo. Since this is a typical coupon you'll find every few weeks for
Dell and it's rare to find any kind of coupon for the Mac let alone
one this large, I felt this was a fair comparison because it's what
consumers would generally pay in the real world. If someone does
find a Mac coupon, let me know and I'd be happy to update the
pricing on the Mac."
Dell Core Duo 17"
|
Mac Core Duo 15.4"
|
|
1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
|
1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
|
|
17" XGA+ TFT*
|
15.4" 1440x900 TFT
|
|
1 GB 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
|
1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM*
|
|
8x DVD±RW/CD-RW*
|
4x DVD±RW/CD-RW
|
|
$1,432 after rebate
|
$2,499
|
|
* advantage
|
- Link: 'Dude'! The Mac Duo Is
$1000 More!
The Modemless MacBook Pro
MacBook Live says:
"The new MacBook Pro is the
first Apple laptop in ages to ship without a modem. I know it's not
the first because I still shudder at the memory of installing a
28.8 modem in one of my first PowerBook Duos. Anyone who complains
about the installation of a new hard drive in a recent vintage
PowerBook should try putting a modem in a Duo. Waaay too hard.
"At first I didn't think too much about the lack of a modem in
the new MacBook, since I'm connected at home with airport and a
cable modem and at work with airport and DSL. After all, dialup is
so last century, right?
"Yet I still maintain a dialup Internet account with my local
ISP. Why? Sometimes the cable goes out...."
- Link:
The Modemless MacBook Pro
Notebooks Pass Desktops in US Retail
CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos reports:
"The numbers are in, and the U.S. is notebook country.
"Sales of notebooks surpassed desktop sales in the U.S. retail
segment for the first time, according to a report from Current
Analysis. Notebooks accounted for 50.9 percent of personal
computers bought at retail in 2005, while desktops accounted for
49.1 percent. In 2004, notebooks accounted for only 43 percent of
U.S. retail sales, while desktops accounted for 57 percent."
- Link:
Notebooks Pass Desktops in US Retail
Apple 9th in Portable Sales for 2005
Softpedia News's Victor Mihailescu reports:
"The laptop market is growing and growing. In 2005, the total
number was 65.3 million units, up 33.5% from the 48.9 million units
shipped in 2004, according to data compiled by IDC. Of the total
number of PCs sold, laptops accounted for 31% of the 207 million,
up four percent from last year, and their market is expected to
overtake that of desktops in the not too distant future.
"Of the big players, Apple was number 9 on the top ten list in
2005....
"Shipments (market share percentage: units/65.3 million
total):
- Dell - 11,290 (17.29%)
- HP - 10,250 (15.70%)
- Toshiba - 7,156 (10.96%)
- Acer - 6,626 (10.15%)
- Lenovo - 5,376 (8.23%)
- Fujitsu Siemens - 4,089 (6.26%)
- Sony - 2,560 (3.92%)
- NEC - 2,447 (3.75%)
- Apple - 2,171 (3.32%)
- Asustek - 1,552 (2.38%)
- (Source: IDC, compiled by DigiTimes, February 2006)
"Might not seem like much, but one has to remember that these
are the G4 PowerBooks and iMacs [sic], that were outdated when
compared to the competition."
- Link:
Apple Ninth in Portable Sales Rankings in 2005
Apple Notebook Orders to Boost Quanta Shipments
This Year
DigiTimes' Jessie Shen reports:
"Quanta Computer fulfilled notebook orders for Apple's iMac and
PowerBook series in 2005 with a combined shipment of about one
million units, today's Chinese-language Commercial Times reported
today. This year, the notebook manufacturer is expected to enjoy
significant shipment growth of the two product lines, of which the
PowerBook series may climb to one million units in shipments.
"Meanwhile, Asustek Computer, another notebook contract maker
for Apple, may ship two million iBook models in 2006, indicated the
paper."
- Link: Apple
Notebook Orders to Boost Quanta Shipments This Year
Apple Applies for Touchscreen Gesture
Patent
ExtremeTech's Mark Hachman reports:
"Apple Computer has applied for a patent on several methods of
applying gestures to touch-sensitive input devices, possibly
implying a touchpad- or touchscreen-enabled product is in the
company's future.
"The company's patent, 'Gestures for touch sensitive input
devices,' features a large illustration of a hand making the
'dialing' motion that controls an iPod on a large, blank display.
The patent describes several methods for inputting touch commands,
including the implementation of floating controls as well as the
method of turning a virtual page, such as in an electronicbook."
- Link: Apple
Applies for Touchscreen Gesture Patent
Apple Files Patent for Touchscreen Device
Apple Files Patent: Touchscreens
United States Patent Application 20060026536
Kind Code A1
Hotelling; Steve ; et al. February 2, 2006
Gestures for touch sensitive input devices
Abstract
- Methods and systems for processing touch inputs are disclosed.
The invention in one respect includes reading data from a
multipoint sensing device such as a multipoint touch screen where
the data pertains to touch input with respect to the multipoint
sensing device, and identifying at least one multipoint gesture
based on the data from the multipoint sensing device.
Assignee Name and Address: Apple Computer, Inc.
- Link:
United States Patent Application 20060031539
Win a MacBook Pro in Small Dog Contest
PR: Small Dog Electronics' next contest prize is for the
new MacBook Pro with Intel Core
Duo processor
The MacBook Pro has a 15.4" display with a native resolution of
1440 x 900 pixels, which is driven by a ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
graphics processor. The MacBook Pro comes ready to go with built-in
APX, and Bluetooth.
The Intel processor has promise of being four times faster than
the G4 processor used in the PowerBook line. This is an exciting
development as software developers begin to produce software to run
on the new platform.
One of the unique features of the MacBook Pro is the MagSafe AC
connector. The AC adapter connects to the MacBook Pro not by the
usual plug but by a magnet. If the cord is accidentally tugged, the
AC cable will release without stressing the connection or pulling
the laptop onto the floor.
Small Dog will pick the winner of this prize on Independence
Day, July 4, 2006.
- Link: Small Dog
Contest
Tech Tips and Info
How to Fix a Broken PowerBook Display
Latch on the Cheap
MacBook Live says:
"My 2003 PowerBook had been acting a little flaky for awhile.
Pushing the release button to open the 'Book's display was becoming
more frequently hit or miss, often requiring repeated attempts to
coax the computer to let me in. In the manner of all considerate
problems, this one worked out its issues on its own, without
requiring my input . . . one day while opening the
display, the latch that holds it closed simply snapped off. I can
only assume it was tired of fighting. Whatever the reason, I no
longer had to concern myself with its reluctance to open.
"Of course, getting the PowerBook to close was now
impossible....
"Do I eat the $300 and have Apple fix it? Do I buy the necessary
part online for about $100 and attempt the repair (a tricky one)
myself? Or, do I throw the dysfunctional machine up on eBay, get what I
can get, and buy a new PowerBook? (The last option was very
tempting)"
- Link:
How to Fix a Broken PowerBook Display Latch on the Cheap
Reviews
iLap Solves Several Problems for 'Book
Users
MacBook Live
says:
"All PowerBook and MacBook accessories should work as well and
look as good as the iLap from Rain Design. I found the iLap when
looking for a solution to the discomfort I experienced typing on my
new 15-inch PowerBook. Unlike the 12-inch PowerBook (my main
machine since its 2003 introduction), I found the 15-inch
PowerBook's leading edge to be the perfect distance from the
keyboard to dig right into my forearms as I typed. When I saw the
comfy looking velvet cushion that fronted the PowerBook's leading
edge on the iLap, I figured I should give it a try, a decision that
turned out to be quite prescient. Not only did the iLap solve my
wrist problem, it solved a few others I wasn't even expecting. Even
though I ended up going back to the 12-inch full time, the iLap had
become a permanent part of my daily computing."
- Link:
MacBook: I Sit, Therefore iLap
Products and Services
HardCover Case for PowerBooks, MacBook
Pro
PR: Protect and Use with Style and Elegance - Special
Intro Price for a Limited Time
The intuitive
design of the HardCover Case helps protect your investment by
firmly attaching to your PowerBook, keeping it safe from scratches,
and absorbing shock. All the while, fulfilling the laptop's
original potential of portability, allowing you to carry and
organize loose papers, business cards and CDs. Plus, the HardCover
Case adds the look and feel of an expensive hardcover book to
showcase or disguise your laptop. So there's no need for your bulky
computer bag anymore.
- Other Sizes Available.
- Custom Logo Available.
Price
- 1 - 4 - $29.77
- 5 - 9 - $28.77
- 10 + - $27.77
Editor's note: This was one clever, simple product that really
stood out for me at this year's Macworld Expo. If you're looking
for compact, lightweight protection for just your PowerBook and
don't want the hassles of removing it from a sleeve or case to use
it, take a look. dk
- Link: HardCover
Case for PowerBooks, MacBook Pro
Samsung Offers 100 GB and 120 GB 2.5"
Hard Drives
PR: Samsung Electronics Ltd. introduces four new 2.5"
hard drives specifically designed for intensive notebook and
enterprise computing applications. Samsung's latest addition to its
award-winning SpinPoint family of hard drives includes the M60 SATA
Series featuring the 100 GB HM100JI ($170 Estimated Street Price)
and 120 GB HM120JI ($200) and the M60 Series featuring 100 GB
HM100JC ($150) and 120 GB HM120JC ($180).
"In continuing with our progress and commitment to being at the
forefront of cutting-edge technology, Samsung is focused on
providing high-end storage solutions with increased capacity," said
Albert Kim, National Sales Manger, Storage Systems for Samsung SSI.
"The new M60 SATA Series and M60 Series demonstrate Samsung's
continuing commitment of providing quality and reliable hard drives
for the enterprise marketplace and for home users."
The M60 SATA Series hard drives are perfect for enterprise
applications such as blade servers that require small form factors
with the benefits of Serial ATA technology. The M60 SATA Series
allows for an unlimited number of hard drives with a system. The
M60 SATA Series is the perfect solution for "daisy chaining" of
drives via slim cables, allowing users to store virtually unlimited
amounts of data by simply adding additional drives to their
system.
Ideal for corporate or mobile computing needs, the M60 Series
and M60 SATA Series feature 8 MB of onboard data cache and
high performance 5,400 rpm spindle speed. The new series of hard
drives provide cutting-edge shock protection capability through an
advanced mechanical platform and able-bodied cover design
engineered to minimize the intensity of external shock transmitted
to the most critical components of the drive.
The M60 Series and M60 SATA Series hard drives are equipped with
Samsung's Hybrid Latch System, a revolutionary new latch mechanism
that eliminates unpleasant rattling noises and significantly
reduces the clicking noise generated when a drive moves its heads
on and off the disk according to the operating modes. The drive
uses a Fluid Dynamic Bearing motor to achieve an industry-leading
operating acoustic noise levels.
Each of the new M60 SATA Series and M60 Series Parallel ATA hard
drives feature 60 GB formatted capacity per disk, Fluid Dynamic
Bearing Spindle motor technology, ATA SMART feature set, ATA
Automatic Acoustic Management, ATA Device Configuration overlay and
Multi-Burst On-The-Fly Error Correction. Utilizing Samsung's
SilentSeek(TM) technology, the M60 Series and M60 SATA Series
provide PC notebook users with some of the quietest 2.5" hard
drives in the industry.
- Link: Samsung
Software
PocketMac for BlackBerry Synchs
BlackBerry with Mac via iSync
The PocketMac Team says:
"BlackBerry devices - sync your Mac to your BlackBerry device
for Free..."
More than 4 years after we began making unique sync solutions
for the Mac, people still ask us, "Are you guys nuts?"
Only now they ask, "What Mac user would want a BlackBerry
device?"
And just as before, our answer is: All of them!
The BlackBerry device is one of the best devices and the Mac is
the best computing platform.
Why not have the best of both worlds? That's why we created
PocketMac® For BlackBerry, the original Mac-To-BlackBerry Sync
Solution...
Now you can dependably and stably sync your BlackBerry device
with your Mac. PocketMac For BlackBerry is the first program to
allow Mac users to sync their crucial data between their BlackBerry
device and Entourage, Address Book, iCal, Now Contact, Now
Up-To-Date, and even Stickies. And it's fully integrated with iSync
as well!
14 months of hard work, engineering and testing PocketMac For
BlackBerry means you'll never need a Windows-based PC to sync your
crucial data with your BlackBerry device and that synching is fast
and rock-solid.
PocketMac For BlackBerry takes care of everything for you.
Install the software on your Mac in 3 minutes, configure which
options you want enabled (Entourage Calendar, iCal, Tasks, etc.),
connect your BlackBerry device to your Mac via USB or Serial Cable,
and start the sync. That's all that's required. That's literally
it.
What's more, PocketMac for BlackBerry was just awarded 4-1/2 of
5 mice by Macworld UK.
Best of all, thanks to Research In Motion® (RIM®)
(designer and manufacturer of the BlackBerry device) licensing
PocketMac for BlackBerry, it's free for all BlackBerry users!
And, PocketMac For BlackBerry is a 2-way sync system, allowing
you to sync changes in everything from Contacts to Calendar Events
to Tasks to Notes. And it's fast - it's built with the same
industry-leading technology that made our other PocketMac products
the best sellers they are today.
What's more, it's safe for your data. This software has been
written, tested, rewritten, retested and then tested again for 14
solid months to make sure your data is being routed perfectly! And
now it's ready to run on your Mac!
If you have a BlackBerry and a Mac, PocketMac For BlackBerry is
the perfect tool for you! We know you'll love the ease and power of
this software.
PocketMac For BlackBerry Features
- Entourage Sync - You can sync Entourage Contacts, Calendar,
Tasks, & Notes with your BlackBerry device.
- Address Book Sync - You can sync Address Book Contacts with
your BlackBerry device.
- iCal Sync - You can sync iCal Calendar and Tasks with your
BlackBerry device.
- Now Contact/Now Up-To-Date Sync - You can sync Now Contact/Now
Up-To-Date Contacts, Calendars & Tasks to your BlackBerry
device. (Requires Now Contact & Now Up-To-Date.)
- Stickies Notes Sync - You can sync Stickies Notes to your
BlackBerry device.
- Daylite Sync - You can sync Contacts, Calendars & Tasks to
your BlackBerry device.
- iSync Integration - PocketMac For BlackBerry is fully
integrated with iSync on your Mac. You can use iSync to sync, or
you can use PocketMac's own software to sync.
- USB/Serial Sync - You can sync your BlackBerry device over USB
or Serial (Keyspan USA-19HS Required).
- Password Support - PocketMac For BlackBerry fully supports
BlackBerry passwords. Just enter your password and sync - it's that
simple.
- USB Charge While Sync - The moment you plug your USB-supported
BlackBerry device into your Mac and PocketMac starts to sync, your
BlackBerry device will be automatically recharged.
System requirements:
- Mac OS 10.3 ("Panther")/10.4 ("Tiger") Or Higher
- 14 MB free disk space on your Mac
- 1 Available USB Port
- And a BlackBerry Device
Optional Requirements:
- Only for Entourage Synching Options: Entourage 10.1.6 Or
Higher
System support: Platform: PPC
PocketMac for BlackBerry is free
- Link: PocketMac
for BlackBerry
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 and iBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
- used 12" iBook G3/600, 256/40/CD, $390
- used 15" PowerBook G4/800, 256/40/Combo, $725
- extra 512 MB add $89
- used 12" iBook G3/900, 640/40/Combo, $599
- used 12" PowerBook G4/ 867, 256/40G/ Combo, $699
- used 15" PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,399
Power Max
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 256/30/CD, $699
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/Combo, APX, $1,399
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 512/100/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,849
- used 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/40/Combo, $739.99
- Upgrade to SuperDrive, $129.99
- Upgrade to 8x Super Drive, $159.99
- Add 512 MB RAM with purchase of machine (total of 768 MB),
$49.99
- Add 1 GB RAM with purchase of machine (total 1.25 GB of RAM!),
189.99
- 1 year extended service warranty,$99.99
- Add AirPort Express card, $39.99
- Upgrade to 80 GB hard drive, $119.99
- used 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/60/Combo, BT,
$1,179.99
Free ground shipping.
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,099
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.42 GHz, 512/60/SuperDrive, APX, , BT 2.0,
$1,049
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/Combo, APX, BT 2.0,
$1,399
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,499
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,699
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 512/100/SuperDrive, APX, BT
2.0, $1,849
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our best 15" MacBook Pro deals,
our best 17" MacBook Pro deals,
12" PowerBook G4 deals, 15" aluminum PowerBook G4 deals, 17" PowerBook G4 deals, titanium PowerBook G4 deals, iBook G4 deals, PowerBook G3 deals, and iBook G3 deals.
