Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.04.01
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. iPod
news is covered in The iNews Review.
G4 Cube Transformed into 'Killer Kube'
NEWS:
Bare Feats rob-ART Morgan
says:
"There are some exciting upgrades available for loyal owners of
the G4 Cube. The appeal of the
Cube was good performance in a small, quiet package. The new
Mac mini would appear to be an
appealing replacement to the Cube, but, though it is faster than a
stock Cube and more compact, it is not as quiet and it is a virtual
'dead end' in terms of upgrades. The Cube, on the other hand,
offers options to upgrade the CPU, graphics processor, hard drive,
memory, and optical drive. And all of these choices together have
the potential to push the Cube beyond the performance of the
fastest Mac mini and extend the life of the beloved Cube.
"In this article, we're going to 'hot rod' the Cube in our quest
to transform it into the fastest, baddest, 'Killer Kube' that eats
Mac minis for breakfast (moo ha ha...)"
Return of the Mac
NEWS: Paul
Graham says:
"All the best hackers I know are gradually switching to Macs. My
friend Robert said his whole research group at MIT recently bought
themselves PowerBooks. These guys are not the graphic designers and
grandmas who were buying Macs at Apple's low point in the mid
1990s. They're about as hardcore OS hackers as you can get.
"The reason, of course, is OS X. PowerBooks are beautifully
designed and run FreeBSD. What more do you need to know?
"For most of us, it's not a switch to Apple, but a return. Hard
as this was to believe in the mid 90s, the Mac was in its time the
canonical hacker's computer."
Cool Exploded View of Mac mini in
New York Times
NEWS:
htmini.com reports:
"The NYT circuit's section ran an article about (Reg. Required)
about the Mac Mini today and while that's pretty run of the mill,
they also produced a pretty awesome exploded-view diagram of the
mini...." [Reduced, cropped version displayed here.]
Mac Offers mini Bait
NEWS: The Standard's Michael
Himowitz says:
"Over the years I've spent many hours tinkering with the little
Windows network in our home, and each time I add a PC it gets a
little easier.
"But the other day was a first. I opened a new computer, hooked
up a keyboard, monitor and mouse, and turned it on. After a few
minutes answering simple on-screen questions, I was hooked up to
our wireless network, browsing the Web and sharing files with our
other computers. A few minutes later, the new computer was beaming
images to the printer hooked to my computer in the next room.
"I've never had a PC as easy to get running on a Windows network
as this one. And the astounding thing: It's a Mac."
Apple mini: Little Box of Wonders
NEWS: TechNewsWorld's John P Mello Jr
reports:
"One shortcut taken by computer makers is to unload the burden
of processing graphics onto a system's main processor and memory.
That's not Apple's style. The Mini has a dedicated graphics
processor, the ATI Radeon 9200, and 32 megabytes of dedicated
memory to handle its graphics chores....
"Priced at US$499, the Mac Mini turns commodity computing into
fine computing. Moreover, it makes it affordable for many PC users
enamored of Apple's iPod to test the OS X waters...."
Xmultiple FlashPoint USB Flash Drive with Dual
Copy Technology
PR: USB flash drives are a new wave in portable data
storage. FlashPoint takes this
technology one step further - data on FlashPoint pen drives can be
copied from one pen drive to another.
FlashPoint drives have an integrated female
USB connector so you can now plug a cable or another device into
the same USB port in which the FlashPoint drive is attached.
FlashPoint is an extension hub so you can attach more than one
device to a single USB port. With all of this added technology to
the FlashPoint drives . . . the physical size of
FlashPoint remains the same as most existing pen drives.
If your digital camera reaches it's capacity. Just download the
digital photos to the FlashPoint "ShareDrive". Wish to make a copy
of the digital/MP3 data files to another USB flash drive? Simple.
Just plug in the FlashPoint, press the button, and the download is
complete.
FlashPoint drives are a small, simple, elegant, lightweight,
mobile data transfer device. With the FlashPoint drive technology a
user does not need a computer, laptop, or handheld to copy files on
the go. FlashPoint solves the problem of copying files from your
machine to a friend's machine when you all you have is your pen
drives. FlashPoint is a simple solution. Perfect for the mobile
world we live in. Current USB Flash Memory Drives can support up to
2 GB of space. This makes the importance of FlashPoint data
copy capability even more important. Transporting, copying and
accessing data with
Current USB flash memory drives can support up to 8 GB of
flash memory. And this capacity will grow within the next few
months. This makes the importance of FlashPoint data copy
capability even more important. Transporting, copying, and
accessing data with FlashPoint ShareDrive is as simple as carrying
a pen. And because FlashPoint is a plug and play device, you just
place it in a USB slot and it will register with the computer as a
removable drive almost instantaneously. With FlashPoint ShareDrive,
the pen drive will also have a subdirectory called "Share" which is
the file that all files will copy from when you attach to
FlashPoint drives together and copy files. In addition, because it
is a hub, you can simply plug another device into the female
connector and it recognizes more than one device.
The FlashPoint USB memory drive can also be used to copy data
from other devices, in a process called "dump". This is useful when
copying data from a digital camera for example. The process is
controlled by buttons for Power control, Load and Dump of data.
FlashPoint is the first product to take flash drive technology
to a point where the a user's data and information can be easily
transported and copied. Unlike existing pen drives, FlashPoint
drives do have a battery integrated inside - this provides the
power to transfer data from one FlashPoint drive to another - but
it is an extremely small battery that takes virtually no room in
the pen drive. With FlashPoint copying files with a friend or a
business acquaintance is ultimately hassle-free.
FlashPoint ShareDrives are designed to work on both Windows and
Mac platforms, and with all USB devices, including USB 2.0
(Hi-Speed). It works with Windows 98/Me/2000 and XP or Macintosh OS
9.x and 10.x.
An 8-bit 8051 compatible MCU core runs the show, with 64 KB of
internal ROM for firmware and software. The connection to other
devices is through USB 2.0 (full-speed). The FlashPoint ShareDrive
comes in different memory configurations, from 256 MB through
2 GB.
FlashPoint ShareDrive with 1 GB sells for $149.99.
Mercury Pro DVR-109 'SuperDrive' First of Its
Kind Certified for Use with Retrospect
Other World Computing today announced the latest addition to its
impressive line of SuperDrives - the OWC Mercury Pro
DVR-109 dual layer DVD±R/RW external solution.
As the speediest of OWC's Mercury Pro SuperDrives, it offers up
to 16x DVD±R/RW and up to 40x CD-R/RW burn speeds. OWC's
Mercury Pro DVR-109 external SuperDrive solution includes both
FireWire and USB 2.0 ports, supports the burning of up to 8.5 GB of
data or video per disc, and comes with a one year OWC warranty.
The drive is immediately available for $159.99.
"The OWC Mercury Pro is convenient, fast, and an awesome deal,"
said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC. "You get all the cables you
need, NTI DragonBurn, EMC Dantz Retrospect backup and restore
software, five DVD-Rs in jewel cases, 25 pieces of 80-minute CD-R
media, and all the necessary connecting cables.
"It's among the fastest of burners available on the market today
and economical, too. But even more important is the confidence that
comes with using what is to date the only DVR-109 Dual Layer based
FireWire/USB Solution to have received EMC Dantz Retrospect Backup
and Restore Certification."
Other Mercury Pro external drive solutions have received high
marks from a number of reviewers, including four-out-of-five mice
from Macworld and an "Editor's Choice" designation from MacAddict.
The OWC Mercury Pro Dual Layer DVD±R/RW Pioneer DVR-109 16x
External will build on its predecessors' successes.
"This latest edition serves to enhance a product already
recognized for its quality, reliability, performance and
competitive value," O'Connor said. "It is also incredibly
convenient for those who don't want the hassle of installing an
internal CD- and DVD-burning solution, or who would like to use
their burner with multiple machines."
All Mercury Pro models are plug and play for nearly any Mac or
PC system with an available FireWire or USB 2.0 port.
FireWire 800 1394b/USB 2.0 Four Bay
Removable Drive Enclosure
PR: The EF8U5AL_Q
is a four bay external FireWire 800 1394b/USB 2.0 combo storage
enclosure with removable drive trays and two high-performance
1394b/ USB 2.0 bridge adapters built-in. The EF8U5AL_Q can easily
convert four 3.5" IDE/ATA hard drives into a FireWire 800 1394b or
USB 2.0 external device.
With its rugged aluminum body and directAIR™
cooling system, the EF8U5AL_Q provides excellent protection for the
hard drives and has great thermal management.
With its 1394b/USB 2.0 bridge boards, the enclosure offers the
highest compatibility and reliability. It works with Microsoft
Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Linux, FreeBSD, and Mac OS 9.x or
higher.
Feature:
- Convert four IDE/ATA 3.5" hard drives into a Hotplug-able
FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 storage system
- Supports ATA133; supports drives larger than 128 GB
- 100, 200, 400, 800 Mbps FireWire transfer rate x 2
- 12 Mbps for USB 1.1, 480 Mbps for USB 2.0 transfer rate x
2
- Hot-swapping capability for hard drives - no IDs, no
termination
- More compact, low noise, and better heat dissipation as a
result of the new aluminum body
Specifications
- Operating Temperature: 0° C to 50° C
- Operating Humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
- Dimension: 19.8 cm x 26.7 cm x 42.0 cm (W7.5" x H10.5" x
D16.5")
- IDE peripherals: Up to four P-ATA133 in two set of Master/Slave
configuration
- Operating System: Win 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Linux, FreeBSD, MAC
9.x or higher
- IDE Interface:
- ATAPI/ATA66: USB 2.0
- ATAPI/ATA133: IEEE-1394b/FireWire 800
- IEEE 1394 Interface:
- Initio 2430: IEEE 1394a compliant.
- Support data transfer rate up to 100, 200, 400, 800 Mbps.
- USB 2.0 Interface:
- Ali 5621: USB 2.0 EHCI based USB 2.0 compliant solution.
- transfer rate up to 12, 200, 480 Mbps
- Connectors:
- 9-pin IEEE 1394 connector x 4
- 4-pin USB connector x 2
- Power connector x 1
- On/Off switch x 1
- Power Requirement: 115-230 VAC 50/60 Hz switchable 200W power
supply
- Price: $499
StorDirector 1.0 Partitions, Stripes, Mirrors,
and Edits Disks on the Fly
PR: CommandSoft
StorDirector does more than any other storage utility on
the market for Mac OS X. Partition, stripe, mirror, and edit
disks on the fly like never before. Works with any kind of
storage.
System requirements: Mac OS X
StorDirector sells for $69.95.
Tom Bihn: eM2 Mac mini Bag
PR: htmini.com
reports:
"Here at HTmini we don't get to review many things, so when
someone wants to send us their product to try out we jump at the
chance.
"Tom Bihn contacted us a week or two ago and offered to let us
evaluate their Mac Mini case called the eM2. When I first mentioned
that I'd be writing a review of the case, my girlfriend asked me
why you'd want to carry your Mac mini around with you. Our mini
sits under the TV and hasn't moved since we got it, so I had to sit
down and come up with some situations where you'd be carrying your
Mac mini around...."
i3 Mac mini Car Interface
NEWS: engadget.com's Barb Dybwad
reports:
"So you've stuffed your Mac mini into your glove compartment and
mounted a touchscreen precariously on the dash. Or perhaps you've
gone all out and really spent some time on creating an unholy union
of auto and mini - either way you've figured out it's best not to
double-click and drive. You can avoid risking life and limb in
finding the perfect playlist on the road by checking out the i3
integrated application launching interface designed specifically
for car use. It allows you to map applications to buttons for one
touch (or click, if you're not rocking the touchscreen) opening,
and is customizeable with downloadable skins. There ya go - safety
and fashion for $25."
Benny Hinn Ministries has Faith in Macs and
ADTX RAID Solutions
NEWS: Advanced
Technology and Systems Co., Ltd. (ADTX) describes how the
ADTX L Series High Performance SATA RAID is the answer for Benny
Hinn Ministries video post-production.
Benny Hinn Ministries, a media-savvy Christian evangelist
organization, produces a cable program shown on the Trinity
Broadcast Network in the United States and on stations in 192
countries worldwide. The ministry also conducts and records their
frequent religious crusades throughout the world. With increasing
video content, quicker deadlines, and limited staff for editing,
Benny Hinn Ministries turned to Bart Harrison of Multimedia
Programming America (MPA) to provide help in finding a solution
that not only works, but is affordable and reliable as well.
Harrison recommended implementing a Storage Area Network (SAN)
using two ADTX L Series RAID systems because of their superior
performance-to-price ratio and history of excellent reliability. By
using a SAN, Benny Hinn Ministries editors are able to collaborate
on the video footage, and by using the two L Series RAID systems,
all five editing rooms and an ingest station have enough
performance to work simultaneously on a combination of standard and
high definition video when needed.
"When MPA suggested we go with the ADTX drives working in
conjunction with 6 new Apple G5 Final Cut workstations we were
planning to install, we were surprised." Explains Truett Hancock,
Vice President of Television Operations, Benny Hinn Ministries, "We
originally thought we might be quoted an Apple solution for
storage. However, after seeing the specs, performance, and pricing
of the ADTX L Series, our mind was quickly made up. My editing team
has pushed the drives hard from the very first day, and I have yet
to hear a complaint. No more dropped frames, and all of the
anomalies we were experiencing in the past are gone. The ADTX
drives are an extraordinary combination of speed, reliability, and
value."
"The L Series RAID has a price point that is competitive, but
when you consider the number of simultaneous streams of high end
video it can support, the L Series is one of the best values." Says
Naresh Chadha, President of International Operations for ADTX, "For
video, film and broadcast customers looking for additional storage,
the L Series RAID system is a great choice."
ADTX will be exhibiting the L Series High Performance SATA RAID
at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event April 18-21
in Las Vegas. In booth 4555D, ADTX will demonstrate live
performance tests of the L Series RAID using both Macintosh and
Windows based computers, new RAID systems will be introduced and on
display in the booth as well.
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers every two
weeks:
For deals on laptops, see our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals,
and Best iBook G3
Deals. For deals on iPods, see our Best iPod Deals.
