Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2003.08.22
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars.
Dollar Value of Laptop Sales Edges Past
Desktops for the First Time
The Washington Post's Mike Musgrove reports:
"In May, for the first time, the dollar value of laptop sales
nudged past that of desktop computer sales - and it doesn't look to
stop growing anytime soon. These signs of life in an otherwise
sluggish market have manufacturers excited enough to show some
signs of life of their own. While desktops haven't changed much
over the past year, except for sporting lower price tags, this
year's laptops look and work a lot differently than last
year's...
"While nobody complains about laptops that run for too long on
batteries, the most popular laptops right now are 'desktop
replacements,' deskbound machines that use power-hungry chips
originally designed for desktops....
"Heavier laptops allow for bigger screens, and sometimes wider
ones as well. Though 14-inch screens were the dominant size for
years, 15-inch screens became the norm this year. Then Apple broke
a size barrier in the spring by introducing a 17-inch display -
bigger than many desktop PC monitors."
Will the Next iBook Have a 200 MHz System
Bus?
IBM has released an Application Note entitled Toward
a 200 MHz System Bus for the PowerPC 750FX.
From a Mac portable enthusiast's perspective this is intriguing,
since the PPC 750FX "Sahara" chip is what powers the current iBook
models.
IBM's application note investigates the requirements for
implementing a 200 MHz 60x bus using single or dual IBM PowerPC
750FX processors.
If Apple sticks with the 750 family of G3 chips for the iBook. a
200 MHz system bus would be an alternative to going with, hotter.
more power-hungry G4 chips as a means of goosing performance.
The next generation,
750GX "Gobi" G3 chip is scheduled to ship late this year
in clock speeds up to 1.2 GHz, which, combined with a 200 MHz
system bus, would give the iBook a substantial boost in
performance.
FastMac PowerBook Pismo G4 Processor Upgrades
People love their Pismos. I know
I love mine. "Workhorse" is a word frequently heard to describe
them. "Rugged" and "well-designed" are some others. But lately you
might have found you've been spending more time tied to your
desktop computer, because if you're using Apple's powerful
Unix-based OS X and upgraded versions of your favorite
software, your Pismo just doesn't run as fast as it used to. That's
where FastMac can
help. FastMac's G4
processor upgrade can once again release you from your
deskbound existence by giving your PowerBook more power, more speed
. . . more life.
Giving your Pismo a genuine Motorola G4 brain for around $250?
Is that possible? Absolutely. All you have to do is send in your
old processor board in working condition, and FastMac will do the
rest, installing a new processor and a new, faster backside cache.
Using your original board not only saves money,but also eliminates
third party software issues some other upgrades can have. Before
FastMac ships it back to you, they rigorously test your upgraded
board to make sure it's delivering the best performance possible.
And in no time, you'll be speeding down the information
superhighway.
On some operations you'll see speeds double - even triple - that
of your original processor. Screen redraws will be faster.
Scrolling will be quicker, more responsive. Overall performance
will increase. Programs that used to get bogged down will fly.
Features:
- Motorola 500 MHz G4 7410 or Motorola 533 MHz G4 7410 running at
550 MHz
- 1 MB backside cache
- AltiVec velocity engine
- Min. System: Mac OS 9.1
- Supports Mac OS X
- 1 year warranty
Prices:
- G4/500: $239.95
- G4/550: $289.95
CompuShell Ultimate Full Time Protection for
Your PowerBook
Integrated Products, Inc's
CompuShell
is a new concept in notebook computer protection - a
precision-formed aluminum case with a beautiful clear or
transparent color powder coat finish. Once you place your PowerBook
inside, you never have to take it out in order to have full use of
your computer. This facility minimizes potential for damage and
wear every time you remove your computer from the case.
Other advantages include:
- Attractive looks
- Vault like protection and slam latch for one hand
operation
- Easy access to ports and drives.
- Flip and go. In a few seconds you're ready to use your
computer.
- When fully opened, the CompuShell tilts the back up for a
comfortable working position
- The pads are spaced to allow maximum airflow for better
cooling
- Low profile fits nicely in a backpack or bag
- Will help keep your PowerBook in like new condition.
- Works great for self defense.
- Tilts computer for ergonomic comfort
Impact resistant CompuShell is available for the 12, 15, and 17
inch Power Book in three colors:
- Translucent Candy Apple Red
- Translucent Cobalt Blue
- Translucent Power Book Silver
Prices:
- 12" CompuShell, $199.95
- 15" CompuShell, $199.95
- 17" CompuShell, $224.95
Antec Launches Notebook Cooler
Designed to draw a continual flow of cool air across the
computer's hottest surface, Antec's Notebook Cooler fits
directly 
underneath a laptop. Its aluminum surface helps conduct
heat away from the system and its 388 ventilation holes keep a
steady distribution of airflow from two 70 mm fans.
The Notebook Cooler is lightweight (25 ounces) and slim (13" x
11.2" x 0.85"), so it can easily be transported along with a laptop
in any standard carrying case. It comes with a 30" USB power cable
and can be used with PCs or Macs. Additionally, the Notebook
Cooler's pass-through USB connector allows the laptop's USB port to
be kept free for other devices such as mice or PDAs.
"Anyone who's ever used a laptop knows that overheating is a
major frustration. It not only causes system crashes, but also
impacts overall system stability and life span," said Scott
Richards, Antec vice president of sales and marketing. "Despite
this, there weren't any high-quality products available to address
the problem, so it was only natural that we extend our expertise in
PC cooling to notebooks."
MCE Technologies Ships Portable FireWire
DVD-Multi Drive
MCE Technologies,
LLC (MCE) has announced the Lucid M2X Portable FireWire
DVD-Multi Drive. The Lucid M2X is a compact, bus-powered drive
capable of writing to five different types of recordable media,
including CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM discs. DVD-Multi
technology allows a DVD-RAM disc up to 9.4 GB in capacity to be
inserted into the slot-loading Lucid M2X drive and be used as a
virtual hard disk at the Mac OS desktop level, with data
dynamically read and saved to the disc on the fly. The MCE Lucid
M2X Portable FireWire DVD-Multi Drive is expected to ship August
21, 2003 with a suggested retail price of $389.
"Considering the low cost of DVD-RAM media, its ability to be
rewritten 100,000 times, and its 30-year storage life,
cartridgeless DVD-RAM is quickly becoming the most ideal way to
store important data," said Arnie Ramirez, president of MCE.
The Lucid M2X DVD-Multi drive offers unprecedented flexibility
by supporting five different types of recordable media, making it
the most versatile portable data storage device around. It writes
to 4.7 GB single-sided or 9.4 GB double-sided DVD-RAM media at up
to 2x speed, to standard 4.7 GB DVD-R media at up to 2x speed, and
to 4.7 GB DVD-RW media at up to 1x speed. In addition, it writes to
standard 650 MB and 700 MB CD-R media at up to 16x speed, writes to
standard CD-RW media at up to 8x speed, reads DVD-ROM discs at up
to 8x speed, and reads standard CD-ROM discs at up to 24x
speed.
The DVD-RAM recording function of the MCE Lucid M2X DVD-Multi
drive is supported natively by Mac OS X at the desktop level
without the need for additional drivers, and is also fully
compatible with Dantz Retrospect backup software. The unit is also
compatible with Apple's iTunes, Finder Burning, and DVD Player
utilities.
The Lucid M2X DVD-Multi drive is extremely portable, weighing
less than a pound. The drive is FireWire bus powered and compatible
with Macs and PCs that have a FireWire port. The MCE Lucid M2X
ships with a 9.4 GB double-sided DVD-RAM disc. ImageMixer
DVD-authoring software for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, and compatible
with both G4 and G3 based machines, is included with the drive. To
facilitate faster and more efficient data DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW
recording, Roxio Toast Lite software is also included.
DC to DC Adapter for the Mac
Lind
Electronics offers a DC to DC adapter so your 'Book can be
powered by 12VDC to 28VDC power sources.
Bargain 'Books
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233
MHz, the cacheless MainStreet
version and the later Series II
with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from
the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included
links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for
the PowerBook G4/667 (Gigabit
Ethernet/2001) and G4/667
(DVI).
- new 12" iBook 800,
128/30/Combo, Hoyle Card Games 2003, 256 MB extra RAM, $1,175
- new 12" iBook 700,
128/20/CD-ROM, $799
- refurb 17" PowerBook
G4/1 GHz, 512/60/SuperDrive, AirPort, $3,099
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/867,
256/40/SuperDrive, $1,649
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals
and Best iBook Deals.
