Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.03.05
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars, bold links are to
outside sites, and regular links lead to 'Book profiles on Low End
Mac.
Willow Design Extends Final Closeout Sale
Deadline
Willow
Design had planned on shutting down operations permanently by
February 29th, but they got so many orders that, even after working
flat out for the last three weeks, they will have to sew until the
end of March just to complete them. The new plan is to cut off
orders March 10 so they can get everything finished by March 31st,
a second try at a closing date.
"We have been overwhelmed by the response," says Willow's
president Nigel Peck. "It seems everyone who has got one of our
cases in the last 16 years has decided they have to have two more.
If you have ordered, please be patient as we are days behind in
processing the orders. Thanks to everyone!"
Willow manufactures a wide variety of cases, backpacks,
handbags, and more for every current Apple product. Their quality
of design and construction has been uniformly superb in all of the
Willow products I've reviewed over the past several years, and I am
profoundly saddened that the company has not been able to make a go
of it, largely due to lower priced competition from offshore
sourced products made with much cheaper labor than is possible in
Canada.
You still have a few more days to take advantage of your last
chance to own one (or more?) of these great cases.
Editor's note: I've ordered a slipcase for my 15" PowerBook G4
for those times when I don't need the larger Willow case I've been
using for years. Construction quality and protection are
impressive, as are the sale prices. dk
SlimBatteryMonitor 1.1 Battery Meter Monitors
Laptop & UPS Power
SlimBatteryMonitor is a free
replacement power gauge for Mac OS X that monitors both laptop
batteries and many UPS batteries. Multiple-battery systems (e.g.,
older powerbooks) are supported as well. A graphical icon shows the
power remaining and can be accompanied by a text description
(battery charge in percent or time remaining). Colours can indicate
whether the system is fully charged, charging, or on battery.
- three different text displays show percent full or time
remaining
- three different shape options 3 different shape options
- much smaller than Mac OS X gauge much smaller than Mac OS X's
gauge!
You can choose different display options for each battery state
(fully charged, charging, or on battery). You may wish to see the
time remaining while on battery, for example, but show only the
icon during charging and hide SlimBatteryMonitor entirely when
batteries are fully charged.
SlimBatteryMonitor agrees closely with Apple's monitor, as both
are producing a gauge from the same raw data but is a better choice
because it presents the same information in a more space-efficient
manner, allowing you to fit other menu bar items on the screen as
well.
SlimBatteryMonitor operates as a background application, so it
won't use up a space in your dock. It is compatible with Mac
OS X 10.2 and up, and it is very easy to configure.
New in this version:
- SlimBatteryMonitor can now open a warning panel when battery
power is nearly depleted.
- The energy saver system preference pane can now be opened from
SlimBatteryMonitor's menu.
- Enhanced support for 2-battery powerbooks: Now the second
battery's remaining time can be estimated from the first battery's
power characteristics. Also, times and percentages are now
aggregated across both batteries.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.2 and up
An iBook G4 with 1.12 GO RAM
Hardmac's Olivier made an
interesting trove:
"I put an Apple 1 G[B] extra RAM in my G4 iBook which is
supposed to be bound to 640 RAM and I discovered the computer would
detect and use flawlessly this RAM, thus making it to 1.12 GO de
RAM :)
12" PowerBook Heat Fix
Is your 12" PowerBook G4 running hotter than blazes? Try a fix
posted on PowerPage to reduce the operating temperature of the
smallest PowerBook G4.
Back to the DuoDock?
Apple-x net's
Eoban says:
"I'm thinking of a particular portable device made by Apple.
It's the smallest and lightest model to date, with a grayscale
screen, simplified controls and a dock connector.
"If you're thinking of the iPod mini, that's a good guess, but
it's wrong.
"In October 1992 Apple introduced the PowerBook Duo 210, the first model of Duo. At
first glance it seemed just like any other PowerBook, although it
was the thinnest and lightest yet. Far thinner, it seemed, than
would be possible if a user expected full functionality from
it.
"But in the case of the Duo line of Macintosh PowerBooks, the
computers had no external bus ports whatsoever save a single serial
port and a wide dock connector for plugging into a DuoDock, which
was designed to turn the Powerbook into a full-fledged desktop.
"It seems more possible all the time that the iPod will embody
the legacy of the DuoDock in coming years...."
Matias Laptop Armor Hard Cases
Stylish and rugged, Laptop Armor
hard cases are designed to give your notebook computer real
protection from the catastrophic impact of a fall - and look great
doing it.
Drop tested. They don't recommend that you do this with your
laptop, but to test how well Laptop Armor performed, Matias dropped
one 10 feet (3 meters) off a second floor ledge onto concrete. Both
laptop and case survived.
Hard exterior, soft interior. The key to Laptop Armor's
protective capability is the combination of a hard outer shell and
a padded foam interior. The Foam Pillow design surrounds the edges
of your laptop with multiple layers of foam, insulating it from the
outer shell of the case. In the event of a fall, the hard outer
shell absorbs most of the impact, while the Foam Pillows cushion
your laptop and keep its fragile corners away from the
collision.
Custom fit to your laptop. Laptop Armor's patented Foam Pillow
design is adjustable to custom fit virtually any size laptop or
notebook computer. Velcro-backed Foam Pillows are used to re-size
the inside of the case, matching it to the size and shape of your
laptop, ensuring a snug fit.
Pocket and file storage. Laptop Armor cases have magazine/file
folder storage plus 3 pockets: one large pocket for your power
adapter and cables, a smaller pocket to stow a mouse or iPod/MP3
player, and a tall one to hold your sunglasses and pens or pencils.
All models include a padded, removable shoulder strap. Laptop Armor
cases are available in "Slim" sizes for thinner notebooks, as well
as a "universal" size for larger/thicker models.
Laptop Armor cases also come in 2 styles: The basic models are
black and consist of a lightweight EVA shell, encased in a rugged
metal frame. They offer economical, dirt-resistant protection.
Aluminum models have a beautiful
metallic finish and modern styling. Available in three colours -
polished aluminum, black aluminum, and white aluminum - they offer
practical protection and rugged good looks.
Fits: 12" to 15" Apple laptop for Laptop Armor
Laptop Armor sells for $99.95 to $149.95.
You can read Applelinks Senior Editor Kirk Hiner's
review of Laptop Armor online.
Notebook Ergonomics, Usability
A
mezzoblue blog says:
"Using a notebook as my primary system is proving great for
keeping everything I need with me at home or at the office. (Yes,
the infamous iBook, though I don't expect that to hold true much
longer.)
"But the past two months of this are taking their toll. Placing
a notebook on a desk and then hunching over the small screen all
day is a quick way to a stiff neck; doing so day after day is a
quick path to long term disability. I'm willing to spend the
pennies now to avoid the corrective dollars later, so I went out
and bought an iCurve notebook stand and a Logitech keyboard.
Skirting around Apple's generally more expensive hardware, I picked
up a PC/Mac compatible USB cheapie keyboard. Smart."
"Well, not so fast...."
Notebooks Becoming the Computing
Equivalent of a Second Car
The
New York Times reports:
"The notebook PC is becoming the computing equivalent of a
second car in many households. Notebooks finished off last year
with strong sales, continuing to grab a growing share of the
consumer PC market, NPD Techworld reported last week.
"Mobile machines accounted for more than 35 percent of all PC's
sold in retail stores last year, up from 29 percent in 2002 and 23
percent in 2001, the research firm said."
"But most notebooks are not getting lighter. They typically come
with DVD players and CD burners. They are more movable than
mobile."
This squares with my long term contention that laptops are the
logical computer for most people and that a large proportion of
laptop owners use them more as desktop substitutes than for mobile
computing, but it's incredibly convient to have the option of
either.
Apple laptop sales are roughly 50% of systems shipped.
Sendstation Systems's PocketDock FireWire
Adapter for 3G iPod
You're familiar with PocketDock,
yes? The handy adapter that allows you to use a standard FireWire
cable with the 3G or mini iPod.
How many ways will it save your day?
Here's what it can do:
- Connect a standard FireWire cable to any 3G iPod (with the dock
connector on the bottom)
- Charge the iPod
- Transfer data to and from the iPod
- Use accessories you bought for your original iPod with your new
one
- Make it so you don't have to disrupt your iPod's dock every
time you want to take your iPod on any extended journey
System requirements: Compatible with the following Apple iPods
that use the dock connector: iPod mini, 10 GB (M8976LL/A), 15 GB
(M8946LL/A), 20 GB (M8976LL/A), 30 GB (M8948LL/A), and 40 GB
(M9245LL/A).
Price: $18.95
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)
and the titanium vs. aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz.
- used tangerine iBook G3/300,
64/6/CD-ROM, 30 day warranty, $399.99
- new 14" iBook G3/900,
384/40/Combo, $1,049
- new 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/Combo, Bluetooth, includes Small Dog Generic 512 MB PC2100
DDR 266MHz SO DIMM, iSkin ProTouch PB Keyboard Protector in Arctic
White, $1,725
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
