Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2002.04.12
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars.
XPostFacto 2.2b1 Now Supports OS X Installs on
Legacy PowerBooks
Ryan Rempel's
XPostFacto (formerly Unsupported UtilityX) helps to install
Mac OS X, Darwin, and Mac OS X Server on some unsupported
systems, now including beta-level support for the original PowerBook G3 (Kanga/3500), the 3400, and possibly the PowerBook 2400. Version 2.2b1 also fixes the
"kernel panic if nothing connected to onboard video" problem, as
well as a few other problems.
Macs Only! reports that
Jake Luck has been successful in getting OS X running on his
PowerBook 2400c using XPostFacto v2.2b1. Jake's 2400c has an
Interware 400 MHz G3 upgrade and an Adtec 96 MB RAM chip for a
total of 112 MB of RAM.
While Apple has limited its support for Mac OS X to those
machines that originally came with a G3 or G4 processor, it is
possible to install Mac OS X on several earlier machines. The
unsupported machines that work now are the 7300, 7500,
7600, 8500, 8600,
9500, and 9600, as well the clones that were based on
one of these systems (the Umax
S900 and J700, and the
Power Computing PowerWave and
Power Tower Pro). The original
processors in these machines will work (with the exception of the
7500, which requires a processor upgrade). G3 or G4 upgrade cards
work as well. Other models that use the PCI architecture may be
made to work in time.
New in this version:
- Beta-level support for the original PowerBook G3, the 3400, and
(possibly) the 2400.
- Fixes for the "kernel panic if nothing connected to onboard
video" problem. (The ATI driver update will still be needed for
some ATI cards, however).
- Will permit installation onto drives connected to the UltraTek
IDE card (with the OWC/FirmTek upgrade applied).
- Fixes a problem installing Darwin 1.4.1.
- Fixes a problem with Mac OS 9.2.x.
System requirements:
- Power Macintosh 7300 to 9600 or equivalent clone
- Original PowerBook G3 or 3400 (possibly 2400)
- Mac OS 9 or higher
XPostFacto is freeware.
Moo X 1.0b Optimizes Older and New Machines
to Take Advantage of Their Hardware
Moo X stands for Mac OS Optimizer for X. It's main purpose
is to make the most of your system by freeing up and fully
utilizing your RAM, giving your system better performance. This
application is useful for older machines that want that speed
boost, but it also is a great tool for anyone that wants use more
or less of their memory. By optimizing your system for more memory,
applications can load and install faster while using less memory
gives more value multitasking.
Developer's comments: "After cataloging through various
optimizer programs, I discovered that many had great abilities, but
none really combined all the features. This meant to fully optimize
your system with 3 different settings set you would have to have 3
different applications. I thought this was ludicrous. After talking
to the authors and understanding their approach I wrote Moo X."
This application is in beta release, and it's free.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.1 or higher
Century iAdaptor2 Power Adapter for PowerBook
G4/Dual USB iBooks
Century's iAdaptor2 is an ultra compact adapter compatible
with Apple's PowerBook G4 and Dual USB (all-white) iBooks. It
incorporates the plug into its body, much like the newest Apple
adapter.
You can check it out at the PowerBook Zone
Store.
iBook iXtravaganza at Power Max
Power Max has
made some big iBook purchases at great prices and are passing along
the savings to their customers. They have hundreds of these in
stock.
- iBook 500, 64/10 GB/CD,
$939
- iBook 500, 128/15 GB/CD,
$999
- iBook 500, 128/10 GB/DVD,
$1,099
- iBook 600, 128/15 GB/DVD,
$1,169
- iBook 600, 128/20 GB/Combo,
$1,349
Plus get a free Apple carry bag with every configuration- while
supplies last.
All above are factory refurbished by Apple.
Apple Australia Supplies TiBooks for Round the
World Yacht Cruise
David Frith of Australia's The Barrow
reports that Apple Computer Australia is sponsoring
a group of young people embarking on a cruise around the world for
two years on a luxury 54' yacht.
Apple Australia is supplying Titanium
PowerBooks and Final Cut Pro video-editing software for The
Voyage of Kijana, a venture proposed by 20-year-old Jesse Martin of
Melbourne, who has already sailed alone round the world at age
18.
Kijana is a ten-year-old 54' two-masted cutter built in
Brisbane, which left Sydney Harbour last week. The crew will post
one-to-three-minute QuickTime movie clips on the Kijana website and
answer emails from schoolchildren following their progress round
the globe.
Digital footage will be downloaded from Sony Cameras into the
PowerBooks, edited on Final Cut Pro, and beamed back to Australia
via Telstra-supplied satellite phones.
A 13-part documentary TV series will be translated into 17
languages and has already been presold to more than 100
countries.
The crew have been given three Titanium PowerBook G4s, Apple's
Cut Pro 3 professional video editing software, and an iPod. The
crew of five - Jesse and Beau Martin, Josh Schmidt, Mika Tran and
Nicolette Fendon - have all undergone a two-day training course in
Final Cut Pro.
Other World Computing Introduces 160 GB
External FireWire Drive
Other World
Computing has introduced a new 160 GB OWC Mercury external
FireWire drive that spins at 5400 RPM and uses an Oxford 911
chipset.
The company also announced that it has lowered its prices on all
OWC Mercury-brand external FireWire storage drives. Pricing for OWC
Mercury drives ranges from $149.95 for a 20 GB 5400 RPM drive to
$519.97 for a Mercury On-The-Go 2.5" portable drive, with the new
160 GB FireWire drive priced at $379.95.
OWC Mercury storage devices provide a fast and convenient way to
add significant plug-and-play storage to personal computers and
notebooks. OWC's FireWire drives feature transfer rates as high as
400 Mbps and weigh as little as 11 ounces. The drives are
compatible with Macintosh and Windows systems, and they feature the
fastest Oxford 911 bridgeboard technology available.
OWC Mercury FireWire drives are alternatives to upgrading
internal hard drives, and allow for easy computer-to-computer
transfer of data. OWC's Mercury On-The-Go drives offer a portable
solution that measure as little as 3.0" wide by 5.5" deep and 1.0"
high. OWC's Elite Pro models measure 9.0" deep by 1.5" wide by 5.5"
high and can be conveniently stacked out of the way to conserve
desktop space. OWC Mercury Elite Pro models also do not require a
fan because the power supply, which generates the majority of the
heat, is actually a separate, compact external power supply brick,
providing a much quieter working environment.
The drives can quickly be connected to any computer with a
FireWire port. For computers without FireWire ports, OWC also
offers a variety of PCI cards for desktops and CardBus cards for
notebook computers.
Below is the current price list for OWC's external storage
solutions:
Mercury Elite Oxford 911 7200 RPM External Solutions
- 20 GB $159.99
- 40 GB $179.99
- 60 GB $199.99
- 80 GB $239.99
- 100 GB $295.99
- 120 GB $309.99
Mercury Oxford 911 5400 RPM External Solutions
- 20 GB $149.95
- 40 GB $169.95
- 60 GB $189.95
- 80 GB $215.95
- 120 GB $295.95
- 160 GB (New for April 2002) $379.95
Mercury On-The-Go 2.5" Portable Oxford 911 External
Solutions
- 20 GB $189.97
- 30 GB $215.97
- 40 GB $279.97
- 48 GB $395.97
- 60 GB $519.97
Sony Releases Vaio Laptop With 16.1"
Screen
The new
Sony Vaio GRX Series notebooks now offer the largest
LCD screen available in a laptop computer. (iCab warns that this
page contains an endless loop, although IE 5.1 has no trouble with
the page.)
Specs
- Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor: up to 1.70 GHz, supports
enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology for optimized performance on
the road
- LCD screens up to an amazing 16.1" 1600x1200 with dual display
support. The 16.1" screen option offers the same viewing area as
most 17" CRT monitors.
- AGP-enabled ATI Mobility™ Radeon 7500 graphics with 32 MB
SDRAM and 3D acceleration support
- Integrated 10Base-T/100Base-T ethernet and V.90 modem
- Hot swappable multi-bay design allow internal removable
CD-RW/DVD combo drive or optional second onboard battery for
extended mobile power on the road
- Center Jog Dial control with back button for fast navigation,
plus MagicGate Memory Stick media slot for fast, easy transfer of
digital images and other important data
- Choice of 256 MB or 512 MB SDRAM
- Choice of 20, 30, or 40 GB hard drive
- Choice of CD-RW/DVD combination or DVD-ROM drive
- Choice of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, XP Professional,
or 2000 Professional
- Choice of Microsoft Word 2002, Office XP Small Business, or
Office XP Professional
- Choice of 1 or 3-year Limited Warranty
Bargain 'Books
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.
- iBook 500, 128/10G/CD-RW/12.1",
factory refurbished, 1,099.99
- PowerBook G4/400,
128/10G/DVD/15.2", factory refurbished, 1,499.99
- PowerBook G4/550, 256/20 GB/DVD,
new, $1799
- PowerBook G4/550, 512/20
GB/CD-RW, new, $1949
- iBook 500, 64/10/CD-ROM,
refurbished, $999
- iBook 500, 128/10/DVD,
refurbished, $1,049
- iBook 500, 128/10 GB/Combo,
refurbished, $1,179
- iBook 500, 128/15 GB/CD-ROM,
refurbished, $1,089
