Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2007.02.23
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is
covered in The 'Book Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Products
iPod Accessories
Software
News & Opinion
Firefox Share Dips, Safari Up 50% in a
Year
Computerworld's Gregg Keizer reports:
"Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser lost market share last month,
Web metrics company Net Applications reported today. But Apple
Inc.'s Safari continued to gain ground, an indicator of a slow but
sure uptick in Macintosh sales.
"In January, Firefox accounted for 13.7% of the browser usage
market, Aliso Viejo, Ca.-based Net Applications said, down slightly
from 14% the month before. The dip was the first since May 2006.
Since then, Firefox's share has risen continually month to
month....
"More conspicuous than Firefox's slip, however, has been
Safari's steady march. The Apple browser, which is based in part on
the open-source Konqueror, boosted its share to 4.7% in January
from 4.2% in December. A year ago, Safari held 3.1% of the browser
market."
"Microsoft's Internet Explorer accounted for 79.8% of the
browser market in January."
Link:
Firefox Loses Browser Share, Safari Gains
8-core Mac Pro Upgrade Worth the Cost?
Hardmac's Lionel reports:
"Thanks to Intel, we could install two Xeon 5355 in a Mac Pro -
Is the 8 cores-based architecture faster than the 4 cores-based
one?
"...This article is the second part of our test with the Quad
Core Xeon X5355 initiated with the previous article: http://www.hardmac.com/articles/70/.
"Having set up a powerful Mac Pro based on two Quad Core Xeon
X5355s, we ran some tests and benchmarks to evaluate if this 8
core-based machine would be useful with current software,
applications and OS X settings. In other word, do 8 2.66 GHz
cores make a big difference compared to 4 cores at 3.0 GHz?"
Link: Evaluating
Performance of a Xeon 5355-based Mac Pro
Hard Drive Heat Failure Analyzed
The BBC reports:
"The impact of heavy use and high temperatures on hard disk
drive failure may be overstated, says a report by three Google
engineers.
"The report examined 100,000 commercial hard drives, ranging
from 80 GB to 400 GB in capacity, used at Google since 2001....
"There is a widely held belief that hard disks which are subject
to heavy use are more likely to fail than those used
intermittently. It was also thought that hard drives preferred cool
temperatures to hotter environments....
"Hard drives less than three years old and used a lot are less
likely to fail than similarly aged hard drives that are used
infrequently, according to the report....
"The report said that there was a clear trend showing 'that
lower temperatures are associated with higher failure
rates'....
"But hard drives which are three years old and older were more
likely to suffer a failure when used in warmer environments."
Link: Hard Disk Test
'Surprises' Google
Google Hard Drive Study Find SMART Prediction
'Almost Ineffective'
Extreme Tech's Mark Hachman reports:
"A long-term study conducted by Google indicates that hard
drives are not as susceptible to high temperatures as once
thought.
"The study, presented at a storage conference last week, also
found that the SMART predictive analysis used to calculate the
likelihood of disk-drive errors is almost ineffective, although
basic disk checks can signal that a drive is about to fail.
"The authors of the paper, Eduardo Pinheiro, Wolf-Dietrich Weber
and Luiz Andre Barroso, indicated that their study was
significantly larger than others, including studies that have
examined over 3,000 server-class disk drives....
"While temperature has long been suspected to have an impact on
PC components, including motherboards, CPUs and hard drives, the
Google researchers concluded that the latter component is not as
susceptible as once thought."
Link: Google
Study Examines Effects on PC Hard Drives
Apple Updates
Daylight Saving Time Updates for OS X 10.3 and
10.4
"The Daylight Saving Time Update for Mac OS X and Mac OS X
Server addresses recent changes in the way Daylight Saving Time
will be observed in the U.S. and Canada beginning in March 2007 and
includes the latest time zone information for the rest of the
world."
Products
OWC SuperDrive Upgrades for All Macs from
$29.99
PR: Upgrade with newest, fastest, and quietest SuperDrive
technology. Read/write DVDs & dual-layer DVDs at speeds up to
16x - CDs up to 40x.
Other World Computing (OWC) has announced SuperDrive optical
drive upgrades for all Mac computers, including Mac Pro, PowerBook
G4 Titanium 15", 12/15/17" Aluminum; iBook G4, PowerMac G3, G4, G5;
iMac G4; and eMac.
Whether upgrading from a read-only drive, replacing an older
SuperDrive, or for additional optical drives, OWC's options are
priced right and plug n' play easy to install. OWC offers the
newest, fastest, and quietest SuperDrive technology from Pioneer,
including 16x DL SuperDrive DVR 111D to read and write DVDs, CDs,
and Dual-Layer DVDs with an up to 8.5 GB capacity per DVD Dual
Layer disc at speeds of 8x; Up to 4.7 GB capacity per DVD at 16x;
and CDs of up to 700 MB at 40x. OWC makes it easy to upgrade to
fast DVD/CD burners with the latest software, such as Apple iLife,
Roxio Toast, NTI Dragonburn, and other CD/DVD authoring
applications.
OWC offers professional installation services for internal
installation for those not wishing to install on their own. For
External FireWire and USB 2.0 drives, no installation is required,
since they are plug Œn play ready. Just plug in the power
cord and USB 2.0 or FireWire cable and go.
SuperDrives are available immediately from OWC priced starting
at $29.99.
Link: SuperDrives
NewerTech Lowers Pricing on Award-Winning
miniStack Hard Drives
PR: Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech), developer of
performance upgrades, has announced new lower prices on its
award-winning line of miniStack V2 FireWire/USB 2 external hard
drive solutions. Available in capacities up to 750 GB, prices start
at just $114.99 for 80 GB - $449 for 750 GB. The best value is the
400 GB drive, which is priced at only $199.99 (down from $239.99, a
$40 price reduction).
Winner of "Top Product" Macworld Magazine, "Editor's Choice"
MacAddict, and "Accessory of the Year" 123Macmini.com, the
NewerTech miniStack drives now include the award-winning Prosoft
DataBackup II for OS X (a $59.95 value) and award-winning
NovaStor NovaBACKUP for Windows (a $49.95 value). Both software
products include the same full technical and update support that
comes with the stand-alone retail versions. "Add Your Own Hard
Drive" utility/performance and backup software bundles are also
available from $69 (a $200 value).
Perfect for audio/video, computer backup, music and photography
storage, and more, the NewerTech miniStack drives are ultra-compact
with dimensions of 6.5" x 6.5" x 1.5" and feature 3 USB 2.0 and 2
FireWire ports that function as hubs to connect other devices to
the computer. The drives also have a unique cooling system,
including a Smart Fan.
"The NewerTech miniStack V2 has it all - speed, easy access
ports and award-winning engineering, all in an ergonomically
compact footprint," said Grant Dahlke, NewerTech Marketing Manager.
"More than just a hard drive, the miniStack V2 solution provides
powered FireWire and USB 2.0 Hubs for two additional FireWire ports
and three additional USB 2.0 ports, including one of each port
conveniently located on the side for easy accessibility/use."
The
NewerTech miniStack V2 drives come in capacities of 80 GB - 750 GB
and include the FireWire connecting cable, USB 2.0 connecting
cable, Intech HD Speedtools Utility Suite, intelligent thermal
monitoring, Auto Power On/Off function with manual override,
built-in 3 port USB 2.0, and 2 port FireWire powered hubs. All
NewerTech storage solutions utilize an Oxford chipset on a custom
bridge for optimum performance and are backed by a 2-year warranty
with up to an additional 3-year drive-manufacturer warranty (for a
total up to 5 years) on the hard drive mechanism. Drives are fully
bootable on systems supporting FireWire and/or USB 2.0 boot.
Price List:
- 250 GB, now $149.00 (7200 rpm w/16 MB buffer)
- 400 GB, now $199.99 (7200 rpm w/16 MB buffer)
- 500 GB, now $249.99 (7200 rpm w/16 MB buffer)
- 750 GB, now $449.00 (7200 rpm w/16 MB buffer)
Link: miniStack V2
FastMac's $26 Internal Bluetooth Upgrade for
Mac Pro
PR: FastMac has announced the availability of a 100%
compatible plug and play internal Bluetooth upgrade for all Mac Pro
systems. The upgrade adds Bluetooth wireless connectivity between
the customer's Mac Pro and the growing array of Bluetooth-enabled
personal digital assistants, mobile phones, cameras, printers,
headsets, keyboards and computer mice.
The Bluetooth module fits directly into the system's main logic
board, attaching to the built-in Apple antenna. No drivers or
software are required. This upgrade is available now for an
introductory price of $25.95. It comes with a 1-year warranty and
30-day money back guarantee
Unlike other upgrades that attach externally, cost more and tie
up USB ports, this upgrade connects directly into the systems main
logic board freeing port space while adding functionality. The
upgrade has an effective range up to 32 feet (10 meters) and can
transfer data at up to 721 kbps. It is fully compatible with all
versions of Mac OS X including 10.4 (Tiger). Video install and PDF
instructions are also provided.
Compatibility: Mac Pro
Link: Bluetooth
Under-desk Mounting and Security Bracket for
Mac Pro, Power Mac G5
PR:
Sonnet Technologies announces MacCuff Pro, the under-desk mounting
and security bracket for Mac Pro
and Power Mac G5 computers.
MacCuff Pro enables users to hang their computer under a desk or
table, secure it with the included steel cable (lock not included),
and manage cables.
Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 computers can be physically imposing;
on top of a desk they can take up too much space. Sitting on the
floor, computers are exposed to excessive dust, accidental kicks,
and vacuum cleaner strikes. Cables can present an unsightly safety
hazard. Any computer can be subject to unauthorized removal.
MacCuff Pro provides an elegant solution for all of these problems.
MacCuff Pro gets a Mac Pro and its cables securely under the
desktop and off the floor!
The MacCuff Pro bracket is constructed of heavy-gauge steel and
has a refined platinum finish with a durable plastic coating that
won't mar the computer's finish. The professional-grade steel
security cable is also vinyl coated to prevent scratching.
Installation is simple-tape the drill template to the surface,
drill pilot holes, attach the bracket using the supplied screws,
hang the Mac Pro, and plug in and route the cables through the
strain-relief slot. MacCuff Pro frees your desktop and elevates
your Mac to an aesthetic position!
Key
Features
- Refined under-desk mounting
- Professional-grade security
- Under-desktop management of power and peripheral cables
- Compatible with all models of Mac Pro and Power Mac G5
MacCuff Pro (part number CUFF-PRO) will be available February
23, 2007 for the suggested retail price of $129.95.
Link: MacCuff Pro
OWC Apple-qualified Mac Pro Memory, Hard Drive
Upgrades
PR: Other World Computing (OWC), a leading after-market
supplier of memory upgrades for the Mac Pro, today announced new lower pricing
and immediate shipment of the OWC Apple-Qualified Memory Upgrade
Modules for Mac Pro Quad Xeon computers. Priced as low as $166 per
GB, OWC is offering these upgrades at a savings of 50% or more as
compared to factory-installed and other competitors. The OWC DIMM
(FB-DIMM) 667 MHz DDR2 72-Bit ECC fully-buffered Memory Upgrade
Modules are available in matched sets of 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB
modules for up to 16 GB of total memory (see full pricing info
below).
OWC has been providing memory to upgrade Apple computers for
nearly 20 years. OWC was the first company to provide a true
Apple-Qualified Mac Pro Quad Xeon memory upgrade kit at independent
prices, shipping within five days of the release of the Mac Pro
Quad Xeon. OWC Memory Upgrade Modules are premium quality,
fully-tested modules that fully meet and/or exceed all Apple
specifications. Utilizing superior components, including true
Apple-Qualified heat spreaders, the modules provide a lifetime of
high-performance, reliable operation backed by OWC's Lifetime
Advance Replacement Warranty.
Cash Back Trade-in Rebate
A cash-back rebate of up to $250 per set is also available from
OWC for the trade-in of Apple factory memory. Available
immediately, the OWC Memory Upgrade Modules consist of matched
pairs of FB-DIMM modules manufactured to Apple's stringent Mac Pro
specifications, far exceeding JEDEC (the leading developer of
solid-state industry standards) specifications.
OWC Memory Module New Pricing
Up to 16 GB of memory is supported by the Apple Mac Pro Quad
Xeon:
- 1 GB Matched Sets (512 MB Module x 2) for as low as
$197.25/GB
- 2 GB Matched Sets (1.0 GB Module x 2) for as low as $166.13/GB
4 GB Matched Sets (2.0 GB Module x 2) for as low as $168.69/GB
Hard Drive Upgrades for Mac Pro
In addition to Memory Modules, OWC also has Hard Drive Upgrades
for the Mac Pro for up to 3.0 TB of internal storage. Pricing
starts at $52.99 for an 80 GB Plug and Play hard drive for each of
the Mac Pro's four HD Bays, with 500 GB drives available for as low
as $139.
Software
Carbon Copy Cloner 3 Adds Automated
Backups
PR: Carbon Copy Cloner version 3 is now available for
beta testing.
In its simplest form, CCC will clone one hard drive to another,
copying every single block or file to create an exact replica of
your source hard drive. This is very useful if, for example, your
laptop is damaged and you must send it in for repair.
CCC can also be used to perform regular backups of your data.
When you select a source disk in CCC, you are presented with the
contents of that disk (hidden items too). Simply uncheck the items
that you do not want to backup, and CCC will provide ample
indication what will and will not be copied. Select a target disk
to which you would like to backup, then press the clone button.
The key to a successful backup plan is to actually do the
backups regularly. When left to a human, the task often gets tacked
on to the end of a very long list of other things to do. When you
eventually have a catastrophe, the data is simply gone. You know
that feeling - you just lost six years of family photos. Your kids
being born, their first birthdays, their first everything. The
answer to this is consistent and regular backups, placed on a
schedule and handled automatically by your computer. CCC includes
that functionality, and takes it even further.
Among the new features are:
- Support for block-level disk-to-disk clones.
- Support for backing up across the network.
- The ability to drill down into folders to select exactly what
gets copied and what doesn't (you can drill down
indefinitely).
- A more responsive interface and the ability to stop the
clone.
- More accurate feedback during the clone.
- The ability to pick up where a previously aborted backup task
left off.
- More information about your disks are available within the CCC
interface.
- Advanced scheduling capabilities - choose what days to run your
backups and how frequently they should run. You can also defer a
backup if it starts at an inopportune time.
- Now you can create a scheduled task that backs up your data
whenever you attach a specific hard drive or iPod.
Intel-PowerPC Considerations
While CCC 2.3 is PowerPC binary, it does run via Rosetta on the
new Intel Macs. A word of caution: Apple currently does not support
booting an Intel Mac from an OS installation that came from a
PowerPC Mac, and vice versa. Until Apple provides a Universal OS
that is capable of booting both architectures, do not clone a
PowerPC Mac to an Intel Mac or vice versa. User files, of course,
can be copied between the two machines. If you get a new Intel
Macintosh, consider using the Migration Assistant to transfer data
from your PowerPC Macintosh to the new machine.
In its simplest form, CCC will clone one hard drive to another,
copying every single block or file to create an exact replica of
your source hard drive. This is very useful if, for example, your
laptop is damaged and you must send it in for repair.
CCC can also be used to perform regular backups of your data.
When you select a source disk in CCC, you are presented with the
contents of that disk (hidden items too). Simply uncheck the items
that you do not want to backup, and CCC will provide ample
indication what will and will not be copied. Select a target disk
to which you would like to backup, then press the clone button.
New in version 3.0b4:
- Universal Binary
- Support for block-level disk-to-disk clones.
- Support for backing up across the network.
- The ability to drill down into folders to select exactly what
gets copied and what doesn't (you can drill down
indefinitely).
- A more responsive interface and the ability to stop the
clone.
- More accurate feedback during the clone.
- The ability to pick up where a previously aborted backup task
left off.
- More information about your disks are available within the CCC
interface.
- Advanced scheduling capabilities - choose what days to run your
backups and how frequently they should run. You can also defer a
backup if it starts at an inopportune time.
- Now you can create a scheduled task that backs up your data
whenever you attach a specific hard drive or iPod.
System requirements: Mac OS 10.4.8 or later.
System support: PPC/Intel
Donationware
Link: Carbon
Copy Cloner
Free ClamXav Virus Checker for Mac OS
X
PR: ClamXav is a free virus checker for Mac OS X. It uses
the tried, tested, and very popular ClamAV open source antivirus
engine as a back end.
Back in the days before OS X, the number of viruses which
attacked Macintosh users totaled somewhere between about 60 and 80.
Today, the number of viruses actively attacking OS X users is
. . . none! However, this doesn't mean we should
get complacent about checking incoming email attachments or web
downloads, for two reasons. Firstly, there's no guarantee that we
Mac users will continue to enjoy the status quo, but more
importantly, the majority of the computing world use machines
running MS Windows, for which an enormous quantity of viruses
exist, so we must be vigilant in checking the files we pass on to
our friends and colleagues etc. For example, if you're a wise
person and you've turned MS Office's macro support off then you're
not going to notice that virus which is hiding inside this month's
edition of Extreme Ironing.doc which your friend sent you. If you
then forward that document to a less wise person who has not turned
off the macro support, then you have most likely just sent him a
shiny new Pandora's Box with a sign saying "Open this end"!
Flippancy aside, I'm sure you get the idea: check the file
before opening and/or sending it on to someone else. This gives you
the opportunity to avoid the file altogether or at least copy and
paste any vital information into a new document and send that
instead.
Don't forget, if you run VirtualPC you can still become infected
and lose valuable data on your Mac even though technically you're
running Windows inside a sandbox. VPC will run any application you
tell it to, virus or no virus, it doesn't know the difference. You
can protect yourself slightly by not using VPC's "shared folders",
but that's a useful feature which you shouldn't have to be
without.
New in version 1.0.7:
- Added support for ClamAV 0.90
- Fixed issue where ClamXav would ask repeatedly for the engine
to be installed if the virus definition files had been
deleted.
- Updates to Danish, Japanese and Taiwanese localisations.
System requirements:
- PPC Mac or Intel Mac
- Mac OS X 10.3 or later
- Must not be used with Mac OS X Server!
System support: PPC/Intel
Free/Donationware
Link: ClamXav
QuickVerse Mac White Box Edition
Shipping
PR: Findex, Inc. have now shipped a whole new, fully
upgraded Macintosh version of their #1 selling Bible Study software
program, QuickVerse 2007 for Macintosh. This is the $59.95 MSRP
"White Box" version, which is being featured in all Apple Retail
stores. (The $129 "Black Box" will be following shortly, in another
week or two probably).
QV 2007 White Box is available to ship right now through our
distribution partners at Visco Entertainment and Navarre
Corporation. Please place your order today.
The amount of content in this new version of QuickVerse is truly
staggering. For example, the $59.95 MSRP "White Box" version of
QuickVerse 2007 contains 10 Bibles, 45 reference works, 2000
stunning photos and Holy Land maps, the most advanced Bible search
and retrieval engine available, and more. In fact, all of this
content has a combined retail value of over $1,300 if it were
purchased separately. You can't argue with that kind of value.
QuickVerse Mac has been created from the ground up to be a truly
native OS X application. Any Mac user interested in Bible
reading, Bible study, sermon preparation or teaching will quickly
discover how easy the program is to use. QuickVerse Mac is the most
intuitive and Mac-embracing Bible study software on the market.
New Features
- Word Form and Thesaurus Search - New advancements in word
search technology will now allow you to find all forms of a given
search word without embedding cryptic symbols like "*" or "?".
Search for similar words including those hard-to-remember 16th
century words like Forthwith (immediately), threescore (sixty) or
fourscore (eighty)!
- Near/Proximity Search - Now find multiple words near each
other. Find God within 5 words of command! NEW! Book
Download/Unlocking - Now drop and drag online books to your
QuickVerse desktop, simply unlock any books, anytime with
QuickVerse!
- Prayer Journal - Now track all of your prayers and prayer
requests on your Mac with QuickVerse! Keep track of your prayer
requests and answers, add detailed descriptive prayer requests,
categories and dates. The Prayer Journal Answer section allows
entry for answered prayers, dates and even descriptions!
- Book Notes - Note indicators now mark every position in the
Table of Contents in all books - you'll always know note positions
in every book! Autosave now saves notes automatically as you move
through any/all books - even if you forget!
Additional Features:
- Universally Compatible - QuickVerse Mac is universally
compatible with PowerPC, G3, G4, G5 and Intel Core Duo processors!
No need for emulators to run QV Mac on Intel Macs!
- VerseFinder - With both abbreviated and full book names to
expedite book/chapter/verse research. Reading Plans - Now including
over 100 preconfigured reading plans or create your own and track
your Bible reading progress daily.
- Advanced Reading Plans and Devotionals - Save and apply up to 4
Bible segments in any daily reading plan. Choose from several
preset Bible reading plans or create your own!
- Parallel Gospels and Parallel Bibles - Show over 100 passage
similarities in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. View any group of
verses in several translations at once, in the same window!
- Bookmarks - Bookmark your favorite positions in any book! Add
categories and notes for instant recall.
- Audio Pronunciations - Hear those difficult Bible references!
Over 6,500 audio words are simply a click away. Interactive Study
Workbooks - An all new interactive approach to digital workbook
study! Read, answer and print your results without ever leaving
QuickVerse!
- Original Languages - Strong's Concordance with Greek and Hebrew
Dictionary links every word in the Bible back to its original Greek
and Hebrew root. Includes Greek and Hebrew spelling, pronunciation,
and complete English definitions!
- Book Synchronization and Linking - Scroll in one window pane
and the others follow - automatically! Over 250,000 predefined
hyperlinks between books and media.
System requirements:
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher.
- Hardware: Macintosh G3 or Intel processor, 500 MHz or
higher
- RAM: 256 MB or greater
- Hard Disk: 200 MB free space
- Drives: CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
QuickVerse 2007 Macintosh White Box
Large Box (9.5" x 8" x 1.75")
UPC: 6-94680-11197-4
MSRP: $59.95
Link: QuickVerse
Mac White Box Edition
PortableOSX Reaches Beta
PR: PortableOSX installs a stripped down version of Mac
OS X to a mobile device, such a USB 2.0 or FireWire drive.
Note that this application has no graphical interface. It uses the
command line in the Terminal app.
With the release 0.0.1b PortableOSX finally gets in the beta
stage. If no Intel code is submitted before the final version, the
code itself will not change.
This release includes some minor bug fixes, some textual
interface improvements, and the new icon, made by Michael Scofield
and AdN.
New in version n 0.1.1b2:
- This new beta has a main new feature: finally we have Intel
support! Also a new French localization has been added. Big thanks
to our community, especially to LaMax and llee, which made possible
booting the system on Intel Macs.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.4 or later
- Terminal app
- a Mac OS X 10.4 Install Disk
- a bootable disk with at least 1 GB (PPCs) or 2.8 GB (Intels)
free
System support: PPC/Intel
Free
Link: PortableOSX
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers about twice a
month:
For more deals on current, recently discontinued, and older
notebooks, see our MacBook deals,
15" MacBook Pro deals,
17" MacBook Pro deals, 12" PowerBook G4 deals, 15" & 17" PowerBook G4 deals, titanium PowerBook G4 deals, iBook G4 deals, PowerBook G3 deals, and iBook G3 deals.
