Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.03.10
This week's top Mac story has got to be the ability to upgrade
an Intel-based Mac mini to 2.16
GHz by dropping in a new CPU - that costs as much as the computer!
The first Mac mini Core Solo reviews are seeing how it compares
with the older G4 model and
whether it's a good "switcher" machine.
There's a much-debated article that claims Macs have half the
total cost of ownership (TCO) of Windows computers, and WINE, the
Windows API for *nix that is not an emulator, reaches
version 0.9.9 this week and is available for OS X.
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. News about
Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is
covered in The Macintel Report.
iPod news is covered in The iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
Mac mini Core News
News & Opinion
Tips
Products
Software
Mac mini Core News
Intel Mac mini CPU Upgradable
paulstamatiou.com reports:
"Today was the day that just about everyone that ordered a mini
on the 28th received it via FedEx. Tons of pictures of the Intel
Mac Mini's internals flooded
the Internet this morning. Shots of the double-layered DDR2 200pin
SO-DIMMs slots, the IR port next to the optical drive responsible
for the Front Row remote control feature, the new Serial-ATA hard
drive interface and more surfaced. However, one thing that caught
my attention was the use of a socket for the CPU rather than a
soldered-on, unreplaceable processor. The big connotation with this
is that you can buy a cheaper Mac Mini such as the 1.5 GHz Core
Solo (assuming the motherboard and software is identical between
Core Solo and Core Duo versions) and upgrade it to something like,
say a 2.0 GHz Core Duo. I still have to sift through some
whitepapers and find exact heat specifications for the 1.83, 2.0
and 2.16 GHz Core Duos to see if the Mac Mini's heat sink and fan
combination would be up to the task.
"Similar to the overclocking craze with the old Mac Mini, of which I became
victim, I think that we will start to see a hardcore modding scene
revolve around putting aftermarket processors in their cheap minis
and adapting various cooling solutions to fit them. I already have
plans to create a copper cooler, with the help of a friend with
access to a CNC, for a new mini which I hope to purchase soon."
- Link:
Intel Mac Mini Is Upgradable
Mac mini Core Solo Not a Good Switcher
Machine
TUAW's C.K. Sample, III reports:
"I'm getting a lot of comments on
last night's review of the Mac
mini Core Solo, and a lot of Mac faithful are saying that the
review is too harsh, that I'm being too negative, and that the
majority of the problems would appear to be software glitches, not
hardware. They wonder why I am currently panning the device in my
review.
"Allow me to offer a very simple rebuttal that I think justifies
my negative review. The Mac mini, since its introduction, has been
the machine most clearly aimed at switchers. It's a small,
supposedly inexpensive computer, sans keyboard, mouse, and screen,
that any Windows user can buy as their starter Mac. Now, let's
overlook for a moment that in Windows land, $600 for a 1.5 GHz
processor and a 80 GB hard drive is by no means a steal. If you
were a first time Mac user, who had long heard the marvels of Mac,
the stability of OS X, and had finally gone to purchase one,
hearing from all your friends that it would be a paradise of no
crashes, no bugs, that it would just work compared to your
crashtastic Windows machine, wouldn't you be inclined to return it
if you encountered all the little glitches I've encountered over
the past 24 hours?
"I honestly think that if a substantial number of other Mac mini
users are encountering the same problems that I have been
encountering, that releasing the machine at this price point and
with these problems could in the long run prove to be a huge
marketing mistake on Apple's part."
- Link:
Mac mini Core Solo: Not a Good Switcher Machine
Single-core Mac mini Reviewed, Compared with G4
Version
Ars Technica's Clint Ecker reports:
"Up until Apple's 'fun' announcement on the last day of
February, there was really no indication of how Apple's low-end
Intel offerings would be presented. Now that Apple has disclosed
the specification and price points for their entry-level machines,
we can get a better idea of where Apple is trying to take their
product line. For those people who might be unaware, two new Mac Mini models were released and
by most accounts, the products have been well received aside from a
few quibbles over specifications.
"The biggest topic of discussion and opinion slinging online is
Apple's decision to go with an Intel integrated graphics chipset.
That has reportedly caused a lot of people to postpone their
purchases. There are a number of reasons for the outcry, and rest
assured we'll touch on them throughout this review. Most
importantly, we'll try our best to determine how much that decision
will hurt the Mini's performance and possible future sales.
"I am actually an owner of a first-generation Mac mini with a 1.25
GHz G4 processor. I'll be using that machine to highlight that
changes to the model throughout this review."
- Link: Mac mini
(Core Solo)
Intel mini Great for High Definition Video,
Graphics Hardware 'a Step Up'
maconintel.com reports:
"Many have been examining the specs of the new Intel-based Mac mini since it was
introduced by Steve Jobs at last week's Apple event. Of the changes
from the previous G4-based mini, the one item that has raised the
most eyebrows is the move from ATI Radeon 9200-based graphics to
the Intel GMA 950 chipset. The prime concern? Intel's graphics
chipset does not use its own dedicated graphics memory, but uses
part of the mini's main memory in a sharing arrangement. 'Shared
graphics memory' and 'high performance' are not two phrases people
are accustomed to associating with one another.
"It turns out, it's not something to fret about."
- Link: Intel mini Is
Great for HD Video and Its Graphics Hardware Is a Step Up
Putting the New Mac mini in Perspective
Gene Steinberg, the Mac Night Owl, says:
"Although I've had a fair amount of experience with the first generation Mac mini, and I
find it a pleasing product, I don't know if I'm going to review
the MacIntel version, although
I expect many close encounters with it within the next few weeks.
However, the real point of today's exercise is to consider just
where it fits in."
- Link: Putting
the New Mac mini in Perspective
Installing Memory in the Intel Mac mini
A new MacFixIt tutorial says:
"Installing memory Installing RAM and other components in the
Mac mini requires lifting off
the top housing with a putty knife. However, the putty knife
requires modification - Apple says 'Using sandpaper (150 grit),
file down the end of the putty knife (on one side) until it's
slightly beveled.'
"Memory installation: The only tool required for this procedure
(after the top-housing is removed) is a Jeweler's Phillips #0
screwdriver.
"RAM type: The Intel Mac mini uses PC2-5300, unbuffered
nonparity, 200-pin, 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM."
- Link: Intel
Mac mini (#3): Installing RAM, Resetting the SMC, More
Intel Mac mini Take-apart
nak.journalspace.com reports:
"I got a Mac mini today, and
took it apart. Here are the juicy photos. Click on any one of them
to view the entire gallery....
"The machine is packed very tight, much more so than the PPC
Mini. There doesn't seem to be enough room on the motherboard for
discrete video. The audio and bluetooth are on a separate
boards.
"There are two ram [sic] slots, but they are much harder to get
to than in the PPC Mini."
- Link: Intel
Mac mini Take-apart
News & Opinion
Mac TCO Half That of Windows
Network World,'s Winn Schwartau, president of Interpac, "On
Security" and columnist. Discuss MacTel says:
"In April 2005, Apple introduced the OS X 10.4, also known as
Tiger. In January, it announced MacTel computing. And now imagine
desktop and laptop computers that don't crash for months at a time.
Imagine PCs that are close to immune to the endless train wrecks
caused by viruses and worms. Imagine increasing the performance of
a secure computing environment by as much as 400% overnight.
Imagine an engineering company that builds and delivers properly
integrated hardware, properly configured security default
conditions - almost plug and play. Imagine a computing environment
in which the endpoint is not a viable target for the bad guys. And
imagine that the total cost of ownership for these benefits is
lower than what you are paying.
"No, I am not a converted Mac bigot. My company still uses
WinTel machines for many things, but not those daily
mission-critical tasks for which availability is the paramount
security issue. My concerns are not that different from that of the
typical small to midsize business or global enterprise. I want my
computer to: work every time; be 100% compatible with my enterprise
and applications; and have a high degree of immunity to the
prevailing threats out of the box.
"Corporations tend to ignore anything but WinTel machines,
partly out of habit and partly because the Dell/HP/Network
Associates/Symantec representatives are in their faces every day
with next-day promises. Consider this the endless cycle of the
heroin sale in IT. Macs also get ignored partly because they're so
different, partly because they weren't quite ready for prime-time
enterprise play and partly because they are more expensive then
WinTel machines.
"I chose to test this last thesis because price is a leading
consideration in all aspects of IT operations and a fairly simple
exercise. I designed a total cost of ownership (TCO) tool to see
whether Apple's higher prices were justifiable. The criteria that
go into a TCO go beyond per-box cost, per-seat operating system and
Office licenses, and shipping....
"The TCO tool considers reliability costs, downtime per user per
year, productivity losses/gains, reboots and system maintenance.
The enterprise also needs to consider the help desk and other
support time/costs per user per PC....
"The results of this TCO astounded me. For my small enterprise,
owning a WinTel box for three years costs twice as much as owning a
MacTel. When I talked with several of our clients, I found that the
burdened cost of ownership per PC - just for support - ranged from
$1,300 to $4,000 per year."
- Link:
Going Above and Beyond
Tips
Setting Up a Modem for Faxing in Mac OS X
10.4
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"To make your internal Apple modem or external Apple USB modem
available for faxing, just send a fax from any application.
"You can follow these simple steps:
- If you're setting up an external Apple USB modem, make sure
that it is directly connected to your Mac.
- Open any document.
- Choose Print from the File menu.
- Select 'Fax PDF' from the PDF popup menu.
- Verify that the expected modem is selected in the Modem popup
menu, such as 'External Modem' for the Apple USB modem.
"If you want to receive faxes, set up your Mac to receive faxes.
The modem will answer calls (if the computer is turn on and awake)
even if the modem does not appear in the Fax List.
"If you are using a third-party modem, contact the manufacturer
for assistance if these steps do not help."
- Link: Setting Up
a Modem for Faxing in Mac OS X 10.4
Products
Mac mini with miniStack the Hub of a Modern
Home Media Center
PR: In a live unveiling at Apple Computer Inc.'s
headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Tuesday, February 28,
Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs announced the immediate
availability of the Intel-based Mac mini equipped with Front Row
software so that the processor can be hooked to a television and
function as an entertainment center access point for the modern
living room.
According to Jobs, the newly Intel-equipped Mac mini media
center computers are two to five times faster than prior non-Intel
models and come equipped with a remote control for easy navigation
to play music or videos and to view pictures.
Apple's announcement of the entertainment center focused
version of the Mac mini comes on the heels of the retail release of
the miniStack V2 by Newer Technology Inc. (NewerTech).
Named the Mac mini "Accessory of the Year" by 123Macmini.com,
the miniStack dramatically expands the hard drive capacity and the
number of FireWire and USB ports of the Mac mini.
"The combination of the new miniStack V2 and the new Intel Mac
mini creates the ideal media center for any home," said Jennifer
Soule, sales manager for NewerTech.
The new Intel-based Mac mini is available in two configurations,
one incorporating Intel's Core Solo chip and a 60 gigabyte ( GB)
hard drive and the other equipped with the faster Core Duo chip and
an 80 GB hard drive.
The miniStack V2 from NewerTech expands the hard drive capacity
up to 500 GB.
When paired with the Mac mini, the NewerTech miniStack V2 allows
ergonomic USB and FireWire port access on the side of the media
center. This allows extremely easy access to download photos,
music, and video. As a stand alone, the Mac mini does not allow
side access.
"Apple's Mac mini and NewerTech's miniStack serve the same
purpose: to bring the latest and greatest technology to the home at
an appealing price. Paired together the Mac mini and the miniStack
make the perfect home entertainment center. The mini provides the
operation and the miniStack provides the muscle," said Larry
O'Connor, president of NewerTech.
Fitting the same physical footprint and specifically designed to
be aesthetically matched, the Mac mini and NewerTech miniStack V2
make a visually appealing, yet unobtrusive combination as a media
center.
- Link: NewerTech
miniStack
MiniView KVM Helps Turn Mac mini into
Home Entertainment Center
PR: Consumers can now convert the new Mac mini into an
advanced home multimedia center with IOGear's new low-cost, 4-port
MiniView USB KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Switch (model#
GCS634U).
IOGear's new product enables consumers to share their favorite
music and video files among desktops and laptops. The switch turns
any home computer into an entertainment hub and connects to HD TV
(High Definition Television) with VGA (Video Graphics Array) input.
By linking a USB wireless keyboard and mouse to the KVM switch,
users can watch home videos, play their favorite CDs, surf the
Internet and control computers' desktop functions from the comfort
of their couch.
"With the launch of the 4-port MiniView KVM Switch, IOGear
continues to turn existing computer systems into home entertainment
centers," said Miranda Su, vice president of sales and marketing at
IOGear, Inc. "As KVM switches emerge from the enterprise to the
mainstream market, our goal is to enhance the digital living room
with these affordable, cutting-edge devices. IOGear continues to
introduce innovative new products that are compatible with today's
most established brands, including Apple."
The compact KVM switch stacks directly under the mini, reducing
home or office clutter. The KVM fully supports multiple operating
systems, including Windows, Mac, Sun and Linux. It comes equipped
with two built-in cables for simple Plug-n-Play use, featuring two
extra ports and two additional detachable cables. The device comes
with a unique USB 'Sniffing Technology' that reduces the delay
typically experienced when switching computers, and allows multiple
computers to be booted simultaneously. The 4-port MiniView USB KVM
Switch supports Plug-n-Play monitors and most wheel mice. IOGear's
patented Video Signal Enhancement Technology (VSE) provides rich,
32-bit color at resolutions up to 2048 x 1536.
Features
- Control up to 4 computers from a single video, USB keyboard and
USB mouse
- Expandable & extendable: two 6' molded-in cables, two
detachable cables
- Full support for Mac, PC & Sun systems
- Supports Mac & Sun special keys
- Connect speakers to enjoy audio from any connected system
- Select system by tapping Hot Keys on keyboard
- Instant, error-free bootup
- Plug-n-Play
- 2048 x 1536 video resolution support
- Requires no software
- Requires no external power
System requirements:
- Computers with a USB connection and VGA connection
- Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP
- Mac OS 8.6 or greater
- Sun Solaris work station
- Linux, UNIX and other USB supported systems*
*Additional drivers and support may be needed
- Audio: Requires powered speakers systems
The KVM switch features a set of 'hot keys,' IOGear's
breakthrough KVM technology. When using a PC keyboard, hot keys are
designed to emulate the special keys on all Mac machines.
The self-powered 4-port MiniView USB KVM Switch is priced at
$129.95 (MSRP) and is available immediately from all major catalog
resellers, online resellers and selected retail outlets. It comes
with IOGear's standard three-year warranty.
- Link: IOGear
Transforms New Mac mini into Home Entertainment Center
Granite Digital Introduces New SATA
Aluminum Drive Technology
PR: Granite Digital, Inc. has released a new line of
Aluminum SATA storage systems designed from the ground up by
Granite engineers which feature less moving parts while still
providing the quality and performance users expect from
storage-related products produced by the 26-year-old company.
"These new SATA Aluminum RAID and Backup Drive
Systems are faster, cooler, better designed, more reliable and
affordable than any storage system on the market," said Frank
Gabrielli, President of Granite. "We have been innovating storage
designs and technology for over 25 years and will continue to
create designs that improve and support data storage."
The SATA Aluminum storage systems range from single-drive
hot-swap units to 16-drive hot-swap systems capable of storing over
8 Terabytes of data with transfer rates of over 600 MB/s. The
unique all-Aluminum design provides cool operation without the use
of cooling fans. The cases act as large heat sinks actively
dissipating unwanted heat keeping drive temperatures well below
industry standard for proper operation.
Granite provided additional engineering design into the hot-swap
system of the drives allowing for easy removal and insertion of
drive mechanisms making the systems perfect for backup, graphics
and prepress, DV, AV and enterprise storage applications.
"We did our homework with these new storage enclosures," said
Gabrielli. "We have eliminated many of the common points of failure
with storage subsystems and believe we have designed a product that
will stand the test of time."
More information on Granite's entire line SATA Aluminum and
FireWire storage products can be found on Granite's web page,
www.granitedigital.com , or by calling 510-471-6442.
Granite is a leading manufacturer of FireWire (IEEE 1394) and
Serial-ATA (SATA) storage solutions for the Apple Macintosh and
Microsoft Windows platforms
Granite is a privately held manufacturer of high-quality storage
products for the consumer, enterprise and forensic markets. Founded
in 1979, Granite is located in Union City, CA. Granite Digital is a
trademark of Relax Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective holders.
- Link: Granite
Digital Introduces New SATA Aluminum Drive Technology
Software
WINE Approaching Version 1.0
The Darwine project intends to port and develop WINE [WINE runs Windows APIs on *nix;
it is not a Windows emulator. ed] as well as other
supporting tools that will allow Darwin and Mac OS X users to
run Windows Applications, and to provide a Win32 API compatibility
at application source code level.
A new Darwine release is out, based upon the wine-0.9.9
release.
Corresponding universal Darwine SDK version has been
released.
The majority of changes for this release can be viewed here in
wine.git/ChangeLog
It is being released as a DEVELOPER PREVIEW so USE AT YOUR OWN
RISK! It is not yet suited for mass distribution or general user
use.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later
System support: PPC/Intel
Free
- Link: Darwine
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers every two
weeks:
For more deals on current, recently discontinued, and older
notebooks, see our 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.
