Except as noted, prices are in US dollars, bold links are to
outside sites, and regular links lead to 'Book profiles on Low End
Mac.
Pink Pismo Screens
There is a quickly growing thread
over at MacInTouch about 14.1" screens on Pismo and Lombard PowerBooks
developing unsightly pink-shaded blotches, often shortly after the
warranty expires. We would be very interested in knowing how widespread
this problem is.
Apple PowerBook/iBook Omnibus Power Adapter
Guide
Confused about what Apple power adapters will work with your
'Book?
Apple has posted a comprehensive
chart of portable power adapter specs and compatibility
information that provides information for all PowerBook power adapters,
batteries, and battery chargers, from the PowerBook 100 through the latest TiBooks
and iBooks, and how to identify them.
Madsonline Makes Apple's Older AC Adapters Usable
With Newer iBooks And G4 PowerBooks
Madsonline's new $20 Generation Gap adapter
connects older (black M4402 or "yo-yo") power adapters to 
the new, smaller AC adapter plug introduced with the
Titanium PowerBook.
Generation Gap adapters are tested on the following Apple AC
Adapters: M7332, M4402, M4896, M4895, but are incompatible with
MadsonLine's own Micro and some other third party adapters.
Now if they will only come out with one that does the vice-versa, so
users with older 'Books can use the cool, new portable power adapters
Apple unveiled last week!
MCE PowerBook G3 Expansion Bay Devices On Sale
The MCE
Xcarét Pro 2000 Expansion Bay CDRW and MCE Xcarét Pro
Expansion Bay CDRW are CDRW drives designed to fit into the right-side
expansion bay slot of the WallStreet PowerBook. Now
you can write data to standard recordable (CD-R) and rewritable (CD-RW)
CD's at up to 8x speeds anywhere you can use your PowerBook. In
addition, the devices will read prerecorded CDs at up to 24x speed. The
new 8x8x24 speed expansion bay CDRW drives also feature "Buffer
Under-run Protection" to prevent making "coasters" or bad discs.
The MCE Xcarét Pro 2000 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
allows you to burn CDs and read DVD-ROM discs on your PowerBook G3 1999 (Lombard/Bronze
Keyboard) or PowerBook G3
2000 (Pismo/FireWire) with a single expansion bay drive.
These drives also allow WallStreet PowerBooks to read writable CDs,
which the stock Apple WallStreet CD-ROM drive won't.
MCE Xcarét Pro 8x8x24 Expansion Bay CDRW Drive
- Designed for PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- Regular price: $399
- Sale Price: $379
MCE Xcarét Pro 4x4x6x24 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo
Drive
- Designed for PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- Requires DVD CardBus Decoder Card (part # DVDMPG2 below) for DVD
movie playback
- Regular price: $479
- Sale price: $449
MCE Xcarét Pro 2000 8x8x24 Expansion Bay CDRW Drive
- Designed for PowerBook 2000 (Pismo); and: PowerBook G3 1999
(Lombard)
- Regular price: $399
- Sale price: $379
MCE Xcarét Pro 8x8x24 Expansion Bay CDRW Drive
- Designed for PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- Regular price: $399
- Sale price: $379
MCE Xcarét Pro 2000 4x4x6x24 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo
Drive
- Designed for PowerBook 2000 (Pismo) and PowerBook G3 1999
(Lombard)
- 333 MHz model requires DVD CardBus Decoder Card [part # DVDMPG2] or
built-in hardware decoder)
- Regular price: $479
- Sale price: $449
MCE Xcarét Pro 4x4x6x24 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo
Drive
- Designed for PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- Requires DVD CardBus Decoder Card (part # DVDMPG2) for DVD movie
playback
- Regular price: $479
- Sale price: $449
MCE CardBus DVD Decoder Card
- For PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet) or 333 MHz PowerBook G3 1999
(Lombard) that did not come with a DVD player and respective MCE
Xcarét Pro DVD/CDRW Combo Drive.
- $129
Bundle: MCE Xcarét Pro 2000 4x4x6x24 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW
Combo Drive with CardBus DVD Decoder Card
- For the 333 MHz PowerBook G3 1999 (Bronze) that did not come with a
DVD player. Includes BOTH Xcarét Pro 2000 DVD/CDRW Drive AND
CardBus DVD Decoder Card (decoder card required for DVD move playback
on this computer).
- $549
Bundle: MCE Xcarét Pro 4x4x6x24 Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo
Drive with CardBus DVD Decoder Card
- For the PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- Includes both Xcarét Pro DVD/CDRW Drive and CardBus DVD
Decoder Card (decoder card required for DVD movie playback on this
computer).
- $549
CLEARANCE
MCE Xcarét Pro 2000 4x4x20 Expansion Bay CDRW Drive
- Includes expansion bay CDRW mechanism only. Compatible with Apple's
free iTunes and Disc Burner CD-recording software.
- Designed for PowerBook 2000 (Pismo) and PowerBook G3 1999
(Lombard)
- $299
MCE Xcarét Pro 4x4x20 Expansion Bay CDRW Drive
- Includes expansion bay CDRW mechanism only.
- Compatible with Apple's free iTunes and Disc Burner CD-recording
software.
- Designed for:
- PowerBook G3 Series (WallStreet)
- $299
MCE FireBay FireWire Expansion Bay Docking
Station
Thought you could only use expansion bay devices in your PowerBook?
With the MCE
FireBay, your expansion bay devices become portable FireWire
devices and can be used on any machine with a FireWire port.
Simply plug a PowerBook 2000 (Pismo) or PowerBook G3 1999 (Lombard)
expansion bay drive, such as your PowerBook's original CD/DVD expansion
bay drive, into the FireBay, and you've got a portable, bus-powered
FireWire device which you can use with the PowerBook G4 Titanium, the
Power Mac G4 minitower, or any other FireWire-equipped Macintosh or PC
computer. The FireBay is compatible with Mac OS 8.6 through Mac
OS X.
If you've got more than one expansion bay device, you can now use
them simultaneously by stacking multiple MCE FireBay docks using their
built-in stacking mechanism - no need for an extra FireWire cable, the
stacking interface is built in.
Supported expansion bay devices include Hard Drives, CD-ROM drives,
CD-ROM/DVD drives, CD-RW Drives, CD-RW/DVD Combo drives, and LS120
SuperDisk/Floppy drives.
The MCE FireBay sells for $169.
J.R. Hill & Company Vinyl and Leather Laptop
Screen Protectors
PowerBooks since the introduction of the Lombard have been plagued
with the keyboards contacting the display surface when the 'Book is
closed, which causes unsightly marks to appear on the screen.
In many cases these are just finger residue transferred to the
screen, which can be washed off, but in others actual abrasion of the
plastic occurs.
The PowerBook G4 is affected, but 
iBooks (old
and new) and WallStreets are not.
J.R. Hill &
Company's Full Size Vinyl Screen Protector solves that problem
by covering the entire keyboard and track pad area. The PowerBook G4
screen protector measures 12-3/4" x 8-3/8" which fits the Apple
PowerBook G4 laptops perfectly, and sells for $9.99.
The PowerBook G3 Series screen protector measures 11" x 5-1/2" and
sells for $6.99.
The iBook version fits the 2001 iBook and any other laptop that has
a keyboard of 11" x 5" or less, and sells for $7.49.
Also offered is a Full Size Leather Screen Protector that measures
12-3/4" x 8-3/8" which fits the Apple PowerBook G4 for $17.49.
Kingston Technology Releases 5 GB PC Card
Hard Drive
The
Register's James Watson reports that Kingston Technology is
releasing a new version of its DataPak device, which is essentially a
5 GB hard drive on a PC card. The previous device from the company
was only able to store 2 GB of data.
Note: The drive in this unit is probably the same Toshiba 1.8" 5 GB
hard drive that is used in the new iPod.
Adaptec Brings USB 2.0 Connectivity to Notebook
Computers
Adaptec, Inc. has
announced USB2connect for Notebooks, a new two-port USB 2.0 CardBus
adapter. This latest addition to Adaptec's USB 2.0 product line offers
consumers more flexibility for connecting multiple USB devices and
peripherals to their laptop computers. Now consumers can have access to
high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity anywhere they travel.
Adaptec's USB2connect for Notebooks kit includes a high-speed 2-port
USB 2.0 CardBus adapter for PC and Macintosh notebooks, providing
laptops with plug-and-play connectivity for USB 2.0 devices such as
hard drives, CD-RWs and scanners. IDC has estimated the size of the
portable computer market to be over 31 million units in 2002. Adaptec's
USB 2.0 drivers for Microsoft Windows 98SE, Me and 2000 are also
included with USB2connect for Notebooks to ensure a complete, reliable
solution for consumers.
USB2connect for Notebooks is fully backward compatible with USB 1.1
devices and has full USB 2.0 high-speed certification from the USB-IF.
Products that pass this program's tests are deemed USB 2.0 compliant
and are added to the USB-IF's Integrators List. This list allows
consumers to verify before making a purchase that a particular product
is a quality USB 2.0 compliant device.
With data transfer rates of 480 Mbps, USB 2.0 is forty times faster
than the USB 1.1 specification. USB 2.0's high-speed performance makes
it perfect for handling the growing demand of increased
bandwidth/high-speed multimedia applications and products on the market
today.
Adaptec's USB2connect for Notebooks has an MSRP of $99 and will be
available at the end of October through select retailers, resellers,
mail order and Adaptec's web site at:
Bargain 'Books
Amazon was offering the best price I've seen yet on a refurbished
Lombard this week. When I was there, it said there was only one
left.
ExperCom also has some pretty attractive refurb. deals:
- PowerBook G4/400,
128/10 GB/DVD/56k/15.2", Apple 1 year Warranty, Factory Refurbished,
$1,699
- PowerBook G3/400
Pismo, 64+256 MB/10 GB/DVD/56k/14.1" (USB/FireWire), $1,399
includes Free 256 MB RAM ($19 installation fee required)
- PowerBook G3/233
WallStreet, w/DVD, Apple 1 year Warranty Factory Refurbished,
$999
And check out these prices at MacSelect:
- PowerBook G3/400
Pismo. 128 MB/10 GB/DVD/56K/14.1", 90 Day MacSelect Warranty,
Refurb, $1,149
- PowerBook G3/300
Wallstreet, 128 MB RAM/8 GB/DVD/100 MB ZIP/56K/14.1",
Refurbished, $999
- PowerBook G3/266
Wallstreet, 64 MB RAM/4 GB/20x CD/100 MB ZIP/56K/14.1",
Refurbished, $849
