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All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Reviews
Apple Updates
Tech Trends
Products & Services
News & Opinion
Can a Mac Lover Go PC?
As a
lifelong devotee of Apple products, The Independent's Paul McKenzie
scorned PCs. But when he needed a new laptop, he decided it was time to
consider a switch of loyalties.
Paul ailing iBook G4 sounds like a basket-case. Definitely time for
a new computer. But the conundrum - go for a cheaper but touted as
"just as good" PC notebook or netbook, or bite the bullet and get
another Mac?
Paul does due diligence, checking out a Sony Vaio ("arrives with no
instructions . . . so it's a learn-by-feel experience that
leaves me flustered and exasperated. The machine itself feels plasticky
and fragile...."); a HP Pavilion Notebook dv3-2100 (bulky and heavy
. . . too much going on . . . touchpad and the
surrounding areas are sensitive . . . the mouse jumps all
over the place like a cat on a hot tin roof . . . messy and
hard to navigate...."); a Dell Studio 1555: ("imitates many Mac
features . . . an affordable laptop that gives the Apple
MacBook Pro a good run for its money . . . stunning picture
quality and sound, courtesy of 3-watt subwoofer. But it's the price
that really wows me...).
And finally: MacBook Pro ("the Rolls Royce of laptops
. . . The Leopard operating system is as good as it gets
. . . Apart from a paltry GB memory . . . which can
be upgraded to 8 GB . . . I struggled to find a fault -
except, of course, for the price....")
Paul's conclusion: "...more PC users wish they owned a Mac than
vice-versa . . . you get what you pay for. So I'm going to
treat myself to a MacBook Pro. Why? Because I'm worth it."
Good on you, Paul.
Link:
Can a Mac Lover Go PC?
Mac Notebook or Desktop? Which Mac Is
'Perfect?'
Mac 360's Kate
MacKenzie says:
"Debates rage in personal computers. Which is better, Mac or Windows
PCs? Brand comparisons aside, a better question might be, 'Which Mac
would you rather have?'"
In Kate's estimation, the winner is the 13" MacBook Pro, which
is nearly as fast as the more expensive, large screen MacBook Pro
models, and with the real strength lying in the trends of the future
where portability is king, noting that being able to take a
full-fledged, powerful, elegantly constructed Mac in a backpack is even
more valuable than having a much more limited Mac - an iPhone - in your
pocket, with one being a real computing device with few shortcomings
while the other is a wannabe sacrificing capability for
portability.
Link:
Mac Notebook or Desktop? Which Mac Is 'Perfect?'
How to Add a Second Hard Drive to Your Unibody
MacBook Pro
PowerPage's
Chris Barylick reports that a user faced the dilemma of getting the
faster SSD hard drive or the larger capacity rotational drive for his
MacBook Pro. Instead of settling on either of those options, he removed
his DVD drive, hacked together an adapter to interface with the
proprietary Apple connector, and installed a second hard drive....
Link:
How-To: Add a Second Hard Drive to Your Unibody MacBook Pro
Clean a Spill on a Laptop
PC World's
Zack Stern says:
"When liquids meet electronics, you can't waste time. Conductive
liquids cause most of the initial damage. Immediately unplug the laptop
from its power cord, and pull out the battery. Don't bother closing
programs or saving data...."
Link: Clean
a Spill on a Laptop
Reviews
13" MacBook Pro 'Sleek and Classy'
Notebook
Review editor Kevin O'Brien also recently posted a review of the new
13" Apple MacBook Pro, calling it "very sleek and classy" with the
unibody design "turning what is usually a mindless appliance into a
work of art."
Link: Apple 13-inch
MacBook Pro Review
Mid 2009 15" MacBook Pro 'a Wonderful Laptop'
Notebook
Review contributor Buddy Sun has posted a review of the top end
15" MacBook
Pro, looking at how it performs compared to other computers and
MacBooks, and discussing its advantages and disadvantages, and
concludes that the 2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro is "definitely a wonderful
laptop to own."
Link: Apple 15-inch
MacBook Pro (Mid 2009) User Review
Apple Updates
MacBook and MacBook Pro May Unexpectedly Go to
Sleep when Stacked
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says that if you stack a MacBook
(13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) or MacBook Pro (Mid 2009) computer on
top of another MacBook Pro, it may go to sleep unexpectedly.
Depending on when this happens, it may appear that the computer is
having difficulties starting up. Stacking the computers can result in
the top computer going to sleep before it's completely started up.
Products Affected: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro
(13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro
(15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late
2008)
The resolution of this issue is simple: "Do not stack the
computers."
Apple says the reason for this phenomenon is that when stacked, the
magnet in the bottom computer may activate the magnetic switch in the
top computer. This is normal behavior. Automatic sleep operation works
based on magnets; a switch in the MacBook Pro, known as a Hall Effect
switch, is activated when the magnet in the display clamshell gets
close to it. This is how your computer knows to go to sleep when you
close the display.
Link: MacBook and MacBook Pro: Some
Computers May Unexpectedly Go to Sleep when Stacked
Apple Releases Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.1
This update provides bug fixes and better compatibility with the
Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard.
It installs on all Macintosh systems with Bluetooth based on the
Broadcom chipset.
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later
Link: Bluetooth
Firmware Update 2.0.1
Tech Trends
MacBook Air Clone Full Metal Jacket Edition
China's Shanzai's Yellow Tiger comments that the MacBook Air is
positioned as the ultraportable in Apple's MacBook family. While it's
super stylish in the looks department, it disappointed a lot of Apple
fans with the sacrifices it had to make in order to keep so slim. The
Shanzhai guys have just come out with a MacBook Air-inspired device
that stays true to the styling, while still offering many of the
features the Apple product lacks. And all in a full metal chassis.
Yellow Tiger lists a few of the drawbacks to the MacBook
Air:
- No Ethernet port - in the interests of thinness, it's wireless
only.
- Only one USB port, and it's recessed to boot, which will hinder
certain peripherals.
- No FireWire port. Forget uploading digital video from a camera, or
using those spiffy FireWire external hard drives.
- No user-replaceable battery. A bit of a hassle especially as your
battery life drops to four hours, then three, then nothing. Shades of
the iPhone battery issues here.
Shanzai has come up with an unabashedly Apple-inspired new MacBook
Air-esque subnotebook that takes advantage of Apple's stylish design,
and combines it with Shanzhai's practical feature set and netbook
pricing.
Here are some of the Shanzai machine's improvements and
features:
- Full metal jacket for enhanced rigidity and better thermal
sinking.
- It features a frameless 11" screen, instead of the Mac Air's 13"
screen, for increased mobility.
- It has 2 USB ports and a removable battery, plus a reserved PCIe
slot inside for a 3G module (no 3G on the MacBook Air).
- The dimensions of the device are 277 x 187 x 25mm; slightly thicker
than the Mac Air but also lighter at 1.33kg (MacBook Air is
1.36kg).
Other specs include:
- Processor: Intel Atom 1.6 GHz
- RAM: 1 GB DDR2
- HD: 2.5" 160 GB
- Screen: 11.1 inch, 1366*768 resolution
- Connectivity: Ports are mainly on left and right sides (as opposed
to the back), 2 USB ports, earphone port, power, one RJ-45 port. A
card-reader and status lights on the left side.
- Battery: 3500mAh (removable)
Due out in September this year for around $290.
Link: MacBook Air
Clone Full Metal Jacket Edition
Time to Drop the Netbook Label?
Cnet's Erica
Ogg says:
"Can we all agree on something? There's no longer a difference
between a Netbook and a notebook. Thanks to Netbooks' move to more
features and larger-size screens, the distinction between the two can
now be considered little more than marketing speak...."
Link: Time to Drop the
Netbook Label?
Nokia Enters Netbook Fray with Booklet 3G
PR:
After more than 25 years as a pioneer and leader in the mobile phone
industry, Nokia will bring its rich mobility heritage and knowledge to
the PC world with the new, Windows based, Nokia Booklet 3G
mini-laptop.
Powered by the ubiquitous Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet 3G
is claimed to deliver impressive performance with up to 12 hours of
battery life, enabling users to leave their power cable behind and
still be connected and productive. Nokia touts the Booklet 3G as being
able to deliver the rich experience of a full-function PC inside whose
compact aluminum chassis weighs a feather-light 1.25 kilograms and
measures slightly more than two centimeters thick (MacBook Air 1.36
kg/0.4-1.94 cm) . Despite its diminutive form factor, the Booklet 3G
delivers a broad range of connectivity options - including the
eponymous 3G as well as HSPA and WiFi, giving consumers high speed
access to the Internet, including Nokia's broad suite of Ovi
services
"A growing
number of people want the computing power of a PC with the full
benefits of mobility," commented Kai Oistamo, Nokia's Executive Vice
President for Devices in a press release. "We are in the business of
connecting people and the Nokia Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for
us. Nokia has a long and rich heritage in mobility and with the
outstanding battery life, premium design and all day, always on
connectivity, we will create something quite compelling. In doing so we
will make the personal computer more social, more helpful and more
personal."
The
Booklet 3G mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a
front facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth and an
easily accessible SD card reader. Other premium features include a
10-inch glass HD ready display and integrated A-GPS which, working with
the Ovi Maps technology, can pinpoint your position in seconds and open
up access for a truly personalized maps experience. The Nokia Booklet
3G also brings a number of other Ovi experiences to life, such as
access and playback of millions of tracks through the Nokia Music
Store, and using Ovi Suite to sync seamlessly from your Nokia
smartphone, to your mini-laptop, to the cloud.
Further information, including detailed specifications, market
availability and pricing, will be announced at Nokia World on September
2.
Link: Nokia Booklet 3G
Products & Services
BookArc Turns Your Laptop into a Minitower Desktop
Computer
PR: BookArc is a simple, elegant way
to operate your closed MacBook while at home. It literally turns your
laptop into a minitower desktop computer. Carved from strong, heavy
gauge steel, BookArc vertically holds any MacBook from MacBook Air to
the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Park your BookArc-cradled MacBook next to your
LED Cinema Display and you ll have the coolest desktop/laptop setup
your desk has ever seen.
Clear off your desk.
BookArc helps you free up valuable real
estate on your desk, giving you a cleaner, less cluttered, Zen-like
workspace. With a footprint of 10-by-4 inches, BookArc takes up a
fraction of the space your MacBook wastes just lying around. And while
it takes your MacBook to new heights, BookArc rests on soft, silicone
footpads that keep it from leaving any unwanted surface marks or
scratches on your desk.
Fits like a glove. Using your MacBook closed on a BookArc while
connected to your favorite widescreen monitor, keyboard and mouse is
truly the best of both worlds.
To ensure the perfect fit, BookArc includes three different sized
scratch-free, silicone cushions. These gently grip the various MacBook
models and ensure the perfect fit right out of the box. Cushions are
super easy to install and remove making it easy for BookArc to switch
from one MacBook to another.
Can a stand speed up your MacBook?
Along with a stunning design and improved
ergonomics, BookArc can actually boost the performance of your laptop.
When your MacBook is running closed in the BookArc, your machine will
automatically dedicate 100% of its video memory to the external display
- instead of splitting it with the internal display., so You should
enjoy a noticeable speed increase when working in Photoshop, Aperture,
iPhoto and other graphics-intensive applications.
- Provides a cleaner, less cluttered workspace
- Includes three silicone inserts for perfect fit
- Improves MacBook performance when using external monitor
Compatibility
- MacBook Pro (13, 15 or 17-inch)
- MacBook (black, white or aluminum)
- MacBook Air
Dimensions
- Height: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
- Width: 4.5 inches (11.4 cm)
- Depth: 10.12 inches (25.7 cm)
- Weight: 1.2 pounds (.54 kg)
Price: $49.99
Free Ground Shipping available for a limited time in the Continental
United States. Select Free Ground Shipping in the checkout process.
Buy a BookArc 6-Pack - $249.99
What's a 6-Pack?
We Mac users tend to hang together. That's why we designed the
6-Pack bundle. Get together with 5 of your Mac friends and your whole
team can save big. Want an even better deal? How about FREE
shipping?
Link: BookArc
750 GB Overnight Hard Drive Upgrade for MacBook,
MacBook Pro
PR: TechRestore, Inc. has announced that they have begun
offering the first 750 GB Overnight Drive Upgrade service for MacBook
and MacBook Pro systems that includes data transfer and free shipping.
Break the storage barrier with the new 750 GB laptop drive that is
compatible with 13" and 15" MacBook and MacBook Pro Unibody systems and
the original MacBook Pro 17" models.
TechRestore's high-speed overnight hard drive upgrade service is
completed within 24-hours and includes installation of the new drive
into the users MacBook or MacBook Pro, data transfer from the old hard
drive onto the new drive and Free return shipping. An exact clone of
the users data is transferred to the new drive ready for immediate use
when their Mac is returned to them.
Clients also have the option of having their old hard drive
installed into an external enclosure for an additional $39, which works
great with the revolutionary Time-Machine backup feature in Mac OS 10.5
Leopard. Nationwide door-to-door pickup service is available for the
upgrade as well as local pickup from one of over 2000 TechRestore local
pickup centers throughout the United States.
"We continually receive requests for larger storage upgrades from
our clients, said Shannon Jean, Founder and President of TechRestore.
"The new 750 GB drive is perfect for storing massive amounts of
personal data, applications, video, music and more. We are very excited
to bring this new service to our clients."
The upgrade is available immediately with pricing as follows:
Overnight 750 GB MacBook and MacBook Pro Unibody Hard Drive Upgrade
Service with Data Transfer and Free Return Shipping: $299.
Link: TechRestore
750 GB Drive Upgrade
Uniea Launches 2009 Back to School Sale on
Cases, Bags, and Totes
PR: Uniea's Back to School Sale on laptop/iPod/iPhone cases,
bags, and accessories began August 24 and runs through September
30.
To get a 10% discount on your choice of Uniea products such as their
Haptique shell cases for MacBooks and MacBook Pros and their
OmniVerse
Universal Totes in silk or nylon, just enter the coupon code
"school" on the checkout page at www.unieastore.com
Link: Uniea
PRAM Batteries for 17" 1.5 GHz and 1.67 GHz G4
PowerBooks
PR: Newer Technology, Inc. announces a replacement PRAM/clock
battery for PowerBook G4 17" 1.5 GHz - 1.67 GHz systems.
Is
your PowerBook G4 17" (1.5/1.67 GHz) forgetting what time and day it
is? Your clock battery is failing! Time to replace it! A Newer
Technology, Inc. replacement battery is a perfect fit to repair your
PowerBook.
This replacement PRAM battery is for a specific range of PowerBook
G4 17" systems only. Make certain that your system uses this type of
PRAM battery before purchasing. We suggest you disassemble your machine
using the above linked instructions and verify that you see the same
battery backup module.
PRAM Batteries for PowerBook G4 17" 1.5 GHz - 1.67 GHz systems -
$29.95
Link: PRAM Batteries
for PowerBook G4 17" 1.5 GHz - 1.67 GHz Systems
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible for
AppleCare.
PowerBook, iBook, and MacBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
Factory refurbished units with Apple's full one-year warranty.
- 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80 HD, $999
- 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/120 HD, $1,099
- 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 SSD, $1,149
- 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80 HD, $1,099
- 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 GB SSD, $1,199
- 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/120 GB HD, $1,249
- 2.0 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/160/SD, $899
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/250/SD, $999
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/128 SSD/SD, $1,299
- 13" 2.26 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $999
- 13" 2.53 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/250/SD, $1,299
- 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,349
- 15" 2.53 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,449
- 15" 2.53 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/128 SSD/SD, $1,599
- 15" 2.66 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,599
- 15" 2.93 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,949
- 17" 2.5 GHz hi-res MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,999
- 17" 2.66 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,949
- 17" 2.66 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, antiglare,
$1,999
- 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 120 GB, $1,099.99 after rebate
- 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 64 GB SSD, $1099.99 after rebates
- 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, 128 GB SSD, $1299.99 after rebate
- 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 1 GB/60/Combo, $589.99
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 1 GB/80/SD, $619.99
- 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/80/SD, $629.99
- 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/120/SD, $719.99
- 15" 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro, 1 GB/80/SD, $779.99
- 15" 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro, 1 GB/80/SD, $799.99
- 15" 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 1 GB/200/SD, $899.99
- 15" 2.33 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 1 GB/120/SD, $949.99
- 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 1 GB/160/SD, $1,049.99
- 17" 2.33 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 1 GB/120/SD, APX, $1,269
- 17" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 1 GB/160/SD, $1,399
- Lombard PowerBook G3/400, 256/6/DVD, OS 9, $179
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 512/10/no optical drive?, AP, $299
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, black, 1 GB/80/SD, $879
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 128/6/DVD, $299.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 128/6/DVD, $349.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 256/40/DVD, $399.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 256/60/DVD, $419.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 256/40/DVD, $439.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 256/60/DVD, $449.99
- Pismo PowerBook with G4/550 upgrade, 256/40/Combo, $529.99
- Clamshell iBook G3/300, 96/6/CD, blueberry or tangerine,
$179.99
- 12" iBook G3/500, 128/10/CD, $169.99
- 12" iBook G3/600, 128/15/CD, $249.99
- 12" iBook G3/700, 128/20/Combo, $329.99
- 12" iBook G3/800, 256/30/Combo, $399.99
- 12" iBook G4/800 MHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $289.99
- 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $369.99
- 12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $409.99
- 12" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/40/Combo, AirPort & Bluetooth, 60
day warranty, $489.99
- 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/60/Combo, 60 day warranty, $499.99
- 14" iBook G4/1.42 GHz, 512/60/SD, 60 day warranty, $529.99
- 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, $594.99
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, $659.99
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, black, 512/80/SD, $719.99
- 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white Core2 Duo, 1 GB/80/SD, $769.99
- 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black Core2 Duo, 1 GB/120/SD, $799.99
- 12" iBook G3/800 MHz, 384/30/Combo, $249
- 2.0 GHz MacBook, white, 1 GB/60/SD, $549
- 2.0 GHz MacBook, white, 2 GB/120/SD, $699
- 2.0 GHz MacBook, black, 1 GB/100/SD, $749
- 2.16 GHz MacBook, white, 1 GB/100/SD, $749
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/250/SD, AppleCare, $1,259
- 15" 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/80/SD, scratched $699
- 15" 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/80/SD, $849
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/100/SD, scratched $749
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/100/SD, screen blemish, $749
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/80/SD, $899
- 15" 2.5 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,499.95
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
