Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.03.31
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.
News & Opinion
Products
News & Opinion
Apple Computer Tops BusinessWeek 50
BusinessWeek Online's Peter Burrows says:
"It's remarkable that Apple Computer Inc., heading the
BusinessWeek 50 list of the best corporate performers, was on the
brink not so long ago. 'Oh, the company was going bankrupt, all
right,' recalls ex-board member Edgar S. Woolard Jr. But in
mid-1997, Woolard called Steven P. Jobs and asked him to retake the
helm of the company Jobs had co-founded in 1976. In short order,
Jobs tightened up operations, re-energized Apple's talented troops,
and in 2001 oversaw the debut of a magical little device called the
iPod.
"Those cute gizmos, in their various
digital-music-and-video-playing incarnations, have made Apple more
powerful than ever, a Wall Street darling that has the early lead
in the race to define the world's digital media future. The
question of Apple's social and cultural impact was perhaps settled
once Jobs was the subject of a Saturday Night Live parody (for
cranking out iPods so small they're invisible). But the question
still dogging investors, who have bid up Apple shares more than
100% since January, 2005, to around $64, is: Can the company keep
it up?
"The answer will depend not only on successive generations of
the iPod but also, to a large degree, on Apple's Macintosh PCs.
While the iPod gets most of the headlines, the Mac still brought in
39% of Apple's sales in 2005. And while most analysts think that
iPod sales will continue to skyrocket for the next couple of years,
they also believe that the music player market will come back to
earth at some point...."
- Link: No. 1: Apple
Computer, BusinessWeek 50
Apple Vintage and Obsolete Products List
Updated, Adds Many G3 Models
Apple has updated its document that specifies obsolete and
vintage Apple products worldwide for which it has discontinued
support.
Vintage products are those that were discontinued more than five
and less than seven years ago. Apple has discontinued hardware
service for vintage products with the following exception:
- Products purchased in the state of California, United States,
as required by statute. Owners of these products may obtain service
and parts from Apple Service Providers within the state of
California, United States.
Obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than
seven years ago. Apple has discontinued all hardware service for
obsolete products with no exceptions. Service providers cannot
order parts for obsolete products.
All retail Apple Stores and the Canadian, European, Latin
American and Asia-Pacific operating regions follow the U.S. product
list, but make no distinction between vintage and obsolete. When
applied to the retail Apple Stores and these regions, all products
on the list are considered obsolete.
The early iMacs (Rev. A-D), original
PowerBook G3, PowerBook G3
Series (WallStreet), PowerBook G3
(Bronze Keyboard, Lombard), clamshell iBooks, blue & white Power Mac G3, and Power Mac G4 (PCI) are now on the list.
- Link: Vintage and
Obsolete Products - AP/CN/EU/LA/US, 2006.03.22
Products
Western Digital's Tiny 6 GB Passport Pocket
Drive
PR: Big capacity in an ultra-thin, pocket-size
drive. Now you can store your photos, music, video, and document
files, large and small, and carry them conveniently in your pocket
or purse.
Sometimes big things can come in small packages. And that's what
this ultra-thin drive delivers; big capacity in a pocket-sized
device designed to let you store and carry your photos, music,
video, and document files - large and small.
Features:
- Fits easily in a purse or pocket.
- Provides an easy way to carry files from place to place and
from Mac to PC or PC to Mac.
- Includes a convenient flip-out, rotating USB connector.
- Powered by your computer, so it doesn't need a power
supply.
- Includes a free rubberized sleeve for additional
protection.
Ideal for:
- Transporting digital music, photos, video and business files,
large and small.
- Temporary backup for your important digital assets.
- Moving data from Mac to PC or from PC to Mac computers.
System Requirements:
- Macintosh
- Available USB port
- Mac® OS 9.2.2 or Mac OS X 10.1.5 or later
- Windows
- Available USB port
- Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP
Package Contents:
- WD Passport Pocket Drive
- Rubberized protective sleeve
- Quick Install Guide
Performance Specifications
- Rotational Speed: 3,600 RPM (nominal)
- Buffer Size: 2 MB
- Average Latency: 8.30 ms (nominal)
Seek Times
- Read Seek Time: 11.0 ms
- Track-To-Track Seek Time: 1.0 ms (average)
Physical Specifications
- Formatted Capacity: 6,144 MB
- Capacity: 6 GB
- Height 0.370 Inches (Max)
- Length 2.410 Inches (Max)
- Width 1.80 Inches (+/- 0.010 inch)
- Weight 0.10 Pounds (+/- .10 lb)
You can purchase Western Digital products at many stores or
online.
Price $129.99
New! Scheduled to ship by 2006.04.05.
- Link:
WD Passport Pocket Hard Drives
Touchscreen-Enabled iMacs
PR: Troll touch-enabled Apple iMacs. Any model, any
color. Send your machines or purchase the entire touch-enabled iMac
package from us. Touch-Enabled iMac Intel Core Duo systems now
available.
TouchSTAR2 G4 iMac
- Touchscreens available.
- Machines must be customer supplied.
TouchSTAR1 CRT iMac
- Touchscreens available.
- Machines must be customer supplied.
TouchSTAR3 iMac
- iMac Intel Core Duo Available NOW!
- 17 and 20 inch
G5 iMac touchscreens available.
- Machines must be customer supplied.
Touch-enabling allows you to transform the world's most
innovative desktop computer into an instant kiosk, mall directory,
POS terminal, virtual MLS book, personal communications device and
so on. The possibilities are truly endless and unlimited.
For more information, or to discuss touchscreen solutions, call
us toll-free (USA only) at 1-800-201-1160.
Troll Touch Worldwide, telephone us at 1-661-257-1160, fax
1-661-257-1161 or email to sales@trolltouch.com.
- Link: Touch-Enabled
Apple iMac
AirPort Amplifier for AirPort-Equipped
iMacs
PR: The iMac Connect is the fastest and easiest route to
increased wireless performance, all with no wires and no
disassembly. If you can use a web browser, setup is a breeze. For
$199.95 all AirPort-equipped iMacs can be boosted to five times the
standard wireless range.
Now iMac users can easily connect AirPort and AirPort Extreme
networks without taking the iMac apart and messing around with
cables, wires and other confusing nasty bits. AppleCare remains
intact. iMac Connect gets power from either USB or AC adapter. For
those who demand complete mobility there a model with an internal
battery ($229.95 ). Rather than attach to the iMac, it simply rests
on the desk.
Between the internal AirPort card and the access point (commonly
an AirPort Base Station), iMac Connect amplifies wireless signals
going in and out of the iMac. You connect to different networks
just like using a standard iMac.
How does Apple AirPort Express compare to the iMac Connect?
Although they both perform some of the same functions, they are
different. AirPort Express cannot perform as well, due in part to
the smaller buffer inside the AirPort Express slowing performance.
AE can only be powered from AC adapter - limiting mobility.
Changing networks requires a lot of extra work. iMac Connect
eliminates each of these standard limitations. iMac Connect accepts
external antennas, unlike the AirPort Express where you don't have
to have access to the RF port connector. iMac Connect generates
four to five times more RF output and has a more sensitive receiver
than the AirPort Express. iMac Connect works on all 802.11b/g
systems, Mac or Windows.
Five times the standard iMac wireless range is made possible
with a 200 milliwatt antenna. This measure refers to RF power - the
rating for wireless products. A stock iMac has about 30 milliwatts
of RF power. Improving the RF rating from 30 to 200 milliwatts is
what gives you that extra wireless range and speed.
You also can use any popular wireless network hardware include
access points from LinkSys, Belkin, dLink and of course, Apple
AirPort and AirPort Extreme Base Stations. That means just about
any 802.11b or 802.11g networks and your Mac OS X or later
operating system. You can even move your iMac Connect from your
iMac to any other WiFi-ready computer - Mac or Windows.
QuickerTek's iMac Connect combines a more powerful 2dBi antenna
with a design that does not require opening the iMac. Later, if you
want even more power, you can add one of QuickerTek's powerful
antennas.
Like most QuickerTek products, it's backed with a one-year
warranty on parts and labor.
- Link: iMac
Connect
Westinghouse Digital's Latest HD-Grade 17" and
19" LCD Monitors
PR: Westinghouse Digital Electronics, one of the top five
LCD TV manufacturers in the US, has announced the latest models in
its HD-Grade LCD monitor line, the 17" LCM-17v8 and the 19"
LCM-19v7, offering fast response times, high brightness levels, and
sharp contrast ratios, making them the ideal display solution for
the home or office.
Complementing the company's current HD-Grade family of 17" to
20" high-quality, flat panel LCD monitors, the LCM-17v8 and
LCM-19v7 feature a stylish black chassis, sharp 450:1 contrast
ratio, fast 8 ms response time, and 300 cd/m2 brightness, to
deliver an enhanced viewing experience for working on documents and
spreadsheets, sending e-mail, surfing the Internet, or enjoying
digital entertainment.
"Westinghouse Digital continues to introduce LCD displays that
enhance the user's business and entertainment computing experience,
offering industry-leading performance features in a lightweight,
compact form factor," said Rey Roque, vice president of marketing
for Westinghouse Digital Electronics.
The ultra-thin, two-inch monitors leave a small footprint on the
desktop or can be easily mounted on the wall, and offer integrated
speakers and a DVI input to deliver a complete multimedia
experience for watching DVD movies, playing video games or viewing
digital photos.
The LCM-17v8 is available at retailers nationwide for an
estimated price of $229.99 and the LCM-19v7 for $299.99.
Product specifications:
LCM-17v8
- Screen size: 17" color TFT LCD Monitor
- Native resolution: 1280 x 1024
- Aspect ratio: 5:4
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Contrast ratio: 450:1
- Viewing angle: 150-degree (horizontal)
- 130-degree (vertical)
- Response time: 8 ms
- Display Colors: 16.2 million colors
LCM-19v7
- Screen size: 19" color TFT LCD Monitor
- Native resolution: 1280 x 1024
- Aspect ratio: 5:4
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Contrast ratio: 450:1
- Viewing angle: 150-degree (horizontal)
- 130-degree (vertical)
- Response time: 8 ms
- Display Colors: 16.2 million colors
Westinghouse Digital Electronics' LCD TVs and monitors are sold
at retailers nationwide.
- Link: Westinghouse Digital
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.
