OWC: Mercury On-The-Go FW800+USB2 up to 1.0TB. Bus Powered, no external power supply needed. Macworld Editors Choice, CNET Very Good Starting from $99.97, 500GB $159.99. Click here
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how
to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full
Tilt Poker Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.
First, I'd like to take a minute to mention the passing of the G3
iMac - yesterday, Apple quietly took it off the
Apple Store site, although it remains on the Education Apple
Store site.
To quote a Letterman, "We'll miss ya, buddy."
Okay, now on to this week's article.
Last Thursday, I ordered an AirPort card for my iBook in fears
that "old" AirPort cards might become scarce after the next iBook or
15" PowerBook revision (whether titanium or not). I ordered it from
the Education Apple Store, so I got a few bucks off the $80 price
tag. Apple sent it FedEx Ground (it was free for me), although it was
flown from Taiwan to Indianapolis and then delivered to me by
ground.
I received it on Monday and installed it that morning.
AirPort Not-So-Extreme
Ball State's campus will
be 100% wireless next year, and right now it's pretty close. They're
using 802.11b equipment, so AirPort Extreme wouldn't benefit me
unless I bought my own 802.11g base. Although I have ethernet in my
room, I can use AirPort to go outside or to other buildings where
ethernet is not available and surf the Web.
Installation
Installation was simple. In the tiny box, Apple included just what
I needed and nothing else (the special bracket/adapter to install the
card in iMacs and some Power Macs is an optional purchase now).
Besides a skimpy manual that pointed me in the direction of my iBook
owner's manual for installation information, there was a CD with
AirPort 3.0 (although 2.x seems to be all you can download). It was a
rather simple procedure - slide the card in place under the
keyboard, attach the wire that goes to the antenna(s), and install
the software.
Software
The software is easy to use and consistent with Apple's other
networking software.
Range
Although there's know way of knowing where the base stations are,
as they're hidden, I'm finding my range is better than some of my
friends have with Toshiba laptops with integrated WiFi. I'm guessing
it's the placement of the antennas in the computers.
So That This Isn't Just a Review
Enough of reviewing of it - AirPort of any variety is a great
invention, and it's easy to use. 802.11-anything, for that matter, is
a great technology. Many people do not order their computer with it,
nor do think it's for them.
When getting my iBook, I decided not to buy an AirPort card to
keep costs down; now I realize I should've had it from day one.
Many colleges, universities, libraries, and other public places
are installing WiFi access points and allow free (or next to free)
access. Not only does it allow people to carry less (just your laptop
- no more ethernet cables or anything like that), it ends the
fighting over a single ethernet port somewhere and eventually might
replace the wired form of ethernet.
Nobody provides a wireless solution as slick as Apple's, nor at
such a good price. Sure, Apple's base stations are rather costly, but
they are some of the best.
If you're debating whether or not to get a wireless system for
your laptop, see what's available (see Extreme
Wireless for Older Macs for an overview of 802.11g options), and
if you can use it where you are, go for it - it's worth every penny.
Mac of the Day: 15" MacBook Pro Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based MacBook launched at 1.83-2.0 GHz, had several teething problems.
Group of the Day: System 6 is the email list for those who choose System 6.
November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
Recent Content on Low End Mac
Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20.
Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.19.
Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
IBM Model F: A Great Old Keyboard with an Outdated Layout, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 11.19.
Although it used a different technology than the revered IBM Model M keyboard, the Model F was a great keyboard in its own right.
Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18.
"Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
Best Xserve Deals, 11.18.
Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.17.
Used 1.83 GHz, $750; 2.16, $800; 2.33, $900; refurb 2.4, $1,299; 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,899; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.17.
Used 400 MHz, $50; 933 MHz, $80; 500 dual, $60; 867 dual, $90; 1 GHz dual, $150; 1.25 GHz dual, $225; 1.42 GHz, $499.
Best Mac OS X 10.5 Deals, 11.17.
"Leopard" upgrade, $80; single user license, $135; 5 users, $173; Mac Box Set, 5 users, $230; Server, 10 users, $340; unlimited, $850. Shipping included.
Best Mac mini Deals, 11.16.
Used 1.42 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.66 GHz Core Solo, $419; 2.0 Core 2, $450; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $769; Server, $990.
Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed
price quotes and advertising information, please
contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number
is for advertising only.
OWC:
