Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.12.17
Tech Trends
Spotty iBook G3 Reliability
NEWS: MacInTouch
reports:
"A school with a large installation of iBooks is looking for
feedback from similar organizations about failure rates:
"We purchased a large number of 14" 600mHz/256/20/Combo iBooks
almost three years ago for use by our faculty and some
administration. Within that time we have seen failure rates of: 20%
for the Hitachi/IBM 20GB hard drives, nearly 20% failure on logic
boards . . . and nearly 100% on the laptop batteries....
This is in comparison to a similar sample size of Dell Latitude
D600 laptops where we have seen zero failures within the first two
years of use."
You Know You Might Be a Mac User If...
OpEd: LinuxInsider's Paul Murphy
says:
"Listen to the people who made the PC versus Macintosh decision
for themselves and it's pretty clear that the PC people get heavily
vested in their knowledge of the machine and whatever Windows
variant they have or aspire to, while the Mac people tend to assume
the machine and talk about what they do with it. That's a very big
difference, but what's behind it?
"What differentiates a Mac user from a PC user, assuming the
usage decision is uncoerced by an employer?
"My wife, a reformed PC user (always the most merciless of
evangelists), answered that question with a list straight from Jeff
Foxworthy:
- You think virus protection is what you get a flu shot for.
- You actually make a conscious choice in selecting your Web
browser and presentation software.
- You have suppressed a smile at the sound of another user
rebooting their computer for the fifth time that day.
- You dress up in a black turtleneck and jeans to go out at
Halloween.
- You've never sworn about a service pack.
- You have a Bush-Cheney sticker on your Volvo.
"OK, one of those is a ringer - but the question itself is
interesting: What individual characteristics differentiate the two
communities?"
Fastest SuperDrive DVD Burner for Apple
Laptops, Cube, and iMac
PR: FastMac announces
availability of the fastest internal slot-loading DVD/CD burner for
Apple PowerBook and iBook computers, allowing DVD burning that is 8
times faster than Apple's original "SuperDrive."
FastMac's 8x DVD±RW drive is
compatible with all Apple PowerBook G4, iBook G4, PowerMac G4 Cube,
iMac G3 Slot-Loading, and iMac G5 models. Designed to replace
Apple's original optical drive, the FastMac 8x DVD±RW drive
takes full advantage of popular DVD and CD creation software such
as Apple's iDVD, iTunes, and Disc Burner, as well as Roxio's Toast
Titanium and Popcorn.
"Our new 8x multi-format burner, with included iLife software,
offers the ultimate DVD and CD recording experience," said Michael
Lowdermilk, Business Development Manager for FastMac Performance
Upgrades. "With it, you can burn a complete 4.7 GB DVD in under 10
minutes."
The FastMac 8x DVD±RW drive burns DVDs at 8x speed and
rewrites DVDs at 4x speed. It also writes to DVD-RAM discs at 3x
speed, CD-Rs at 24x speed, and CD-RWs at 10x speed.
"FastMac is very excited to be the first to market this
product," added Lowdermilk. "Our 4x drives have been incredibly
popular with users whose laptops didn't initially come with a
SuperDrive. But now with the availability of the 8x drive, owners
with 1x and 2x SuperDrives will see a dramatic increase in
performance, making it a worthy upgrade."
In addition to being the fastest DVD Burner for Apple laptops,
the FastMac 8x DVD±RW drive is also the easiest to install,
with FastMac's new, easy to understand, fully illustrated
instruction manuals included with purchase of each drive.
Specifications
- Write to DVD-R: 8x Speed
- Write to DVD+R: 8x Speed
- Rewrite to DVD-RW: 4x Speed
- Rewrite to DVD+RW: 4x Speed
- Write to DVD-RAM: 3x Speed
- Write to CD-R: 24x Speed
- Rewrite to CD-RW: 10x Speed
- Read from CD-ROM: 24x Speed
- Read from DVD-ROM: 8x Speed
- Buffer underrun Protection
Warranty: 1 Year
FastMac's 8x DVD±RW drive, priced from $259 for most
models, is compatible with the following Apple computers:
- PowerBook G4 Titanium (all models)
- PowerBook G4 Aluminum (all models and screen sizes) iBook G4
(all models and screen sizes)
- PowerBook G3 Pismo and Lombard
- PowerMac G4 Cube
- iMac G3 Slot-Loading (all models)
- iMac G5
FastMac designs and manufactures innovative upgrade products
that add value and extend usability of Apple Macintosh computers
and iPod music players. FastMac's line of optical drives and CPU
upgrades are available through an international network of dealers,
distributors, resellers and consultants.
- SuperDrive 8x for iBook G4, $229.95
- SuperDrive 8x for PowerBook G3 Pismo, $229.95
- SuperDrive 8x for PowerBook G4 400, 500, 550 & 667 MHz,
$299.95
- SuperDrive 8x for PowerBook G4 667 MHz or Higher,
$229.95
- SuperDrive 8x for PowerMac G4 Cube, $299.95
You can read
my review of the FastMac 4x SuperDrive Pismo PowerBook module
at Mac Opinion.
MCE 8x SuperDrive Upgrade for PowerBook G4 with
Double Layer Support
PR: The MCE
8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade with Double Layer support is the
most technically advanced optical drive ever created for the Apple
PowerBook. Recording at 8x to both DVD-R and DVD+R media the MCE 8x
Internal SuperDrive upgrade brings the PowerBook G4 on par with
even the fastest drives Apple offers for their Power Mac G5
towers... even more amazing is that the MCE 8X SuperDrive upgrade
has true Double Layer support which means you now have the ability
to record up to 8.5G B of data on a single side of a Double Layer
DVD.
The additional storage capacity of the DVD+R Double Layer disc
enables you to record up to 4 hours of DVD quality video or 16
hours of VHS-quality video, without the need to turn over the disc.
You can now archive up to 8.5 GB of computer files on a single
disc, which almost doubles the storage capacity compared with the
4.7 GB for the single-layer DVD-recordable discs currently
available.
The MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade is a dual drive and
records to both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW media. It also reads and
writes standard CD-R/RW media and is compatible with all of Apple's
iApps including iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, and Finder Burning.
MCE's new 8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade for the PowerBook G4
offers unprecedented media interchangeability and twelve times the
capacity of CD-R and CD-RW. The MCE 8x SuperDrive with Double Layer
support reads industry-standard DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW,
DVD+R/RW, DVD+R DL, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, Photo CD, and Video CD
media.
You may install it yourself or, if you prefer, you may have the
MCE 8x SuperDrive upgrade professionally installed into your
PowerBook G4 by MCE Technologies or one of their worldwide
Authorized Upgrade Centers.
Features
- 8x DVD-R and DVD+R recorder
- 4x DVD-RW and DVD+RW recorder
- 2.4x DVD+R Double Layer recorder
- Convenient slot-loading mechanism
- 2 MB Cache Buffer
- Buffer underrun protection
- Bootable
- Compatible with iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, iTunes, Disc Burner and
Apple DVD Player
The New MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade is compatible with
the 12", 15", and 17" Apple PowerBook G4. Whether you have Aluminum
or Titanium, this upgrade is compatible with your PowerBook G4.
The Double Layer DVD+R system uses two thin embedded organic dye
films for data storage separated by a spacer layer (see figure).
Heating with a focused laser beam irreversibly modifies the
physical and chemical structure of each layer such that the
modified areas have different optical properties to those of their
unmodified surroundings. This causes a variation in reflectivity as
the disc rotates to provide a read-out signal as with commercially
pressed read-only discs. Did you get all that?? It just means that
there are two recording layers inside the DVD instead of just
one... two layers means twice the recording capacity! Now wasn't
that easier?
Not every disc is created equal. The MCE 8x SuperDrive Upgrade
for PowerBook G4 implements an onboard liquid crystal
tilt/thickness compensator... the first time ever in a portable
form factor. This cutting edge technology provides accurate,
reliable read and write performance with a variety of disc
characteristics, even with irregularly curved or thick / thin
media. This technology is also effective in recording DVD+R double
layer media.
The MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade with Double Layer support
is seamlessly compatible with all of Apple's iApps including
iTunes, iDVD, and iPhoto. In addition, it is compatible with Finder
Burning and DVD Studio Pro, Apple's professional DVD Authoring
software.
Imagine being able to record 4 hours instead of 2 hours of the
highest quality DVD video on a disc. Or to store 8.5 gigabytes,
equaling about 12 fully recorded CD-Rs, instead of 4.7 gigabytes,
on a single sided DVD. With Double Layer recording technology, now
you can.
If the MCE 8x SuperDrive Upgrade with Double Layer Support does
not live up to your EVERY expectation just let us know within the
first 30 days. We will cheerfully refund your purchase price!
Specifications
Write Support: DVD DVD-R*1, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW,DVD+R DL, CD
CD-R 700(type 80), 650 MB(type 74), CD-RW, Ultraspeed CD-RW,
Highspeed CD-RW
Read Support: DVD DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R,
DVD+RW & DVD+R DL*2, CD CD-ROM(Mode 1&2), CD-ROM XA, CD-DA,
Video CD, PhotoCD, CD EXTRA, CD-Text, CD-R, CD-RW
Write Speed:
- DVD-R 8x
- DVD-RW 4x
- DVD+R 8x
- DVD+RW 4x
- DVD+R DL*2 2.4x
- CD-R 24x
- CD-RW 24x
Read Speed
- DVD Max 8x CAV
- CD-ROM Max 24x CAV
Data Buffer (size) 2 MB
Dimensions (W x H x D) 128 x 12.7 x 129mm
Weight 200g
Supported Media:
- DVD-R (Version 2.0 for General), 4x-speed DVD-R, 8x-speed
DVD-R
- DVD-RW (Version 1.0, 1.1, 1.2), 2x-speed DVD-RW, 4x-speed
DVD-RW
- DVD+R, 4x-speed DVD+R, 8x-speed DVD+R,
- DVD+RW,4x-speed DVD+RW
- DVD+R DL
- CD-R, Multi-Speed CD-RW, High-Speed CD-RW, Ultra-Speed
CD-RW
- (*) DVD-RAM and Ultra-Speed + CD-RW are not supported.
Media is manufactured with different levels of quality. Please
note this product does not guarantee writing at write speeds
specified on media.
Mod of the Week: Apple iTablet
NEWS: MacMOD has posted a tutorial on
turning an iBook into a tablet PC:
"Apple has made is quite clear that the tablet PC and PDA
markets are not areas in which they see a viable market for
themselves. While that may be the true, there are still mac users
out there who need a pen based mobile computing solution. Instead
of turning to Windows or waiting around for Apple to introduce one
of their own, MacModder Joseph DeRuvo Jr. decided to take matters
into his own hands. The results were amazing. The iTablet, a
seriously modded ibook, retains its style and major functions but
features a troll-touch touch screen, dual hard drives, integrated
bluetooth, additional firewire ports and a built in flash card
reader."
Performance Comparison: eMac G4, iBook G4, and
iMac G5
NEWS: MacInTouch reports:
"With several of Apple's low-midrange computers in hand, we
decided to compare performance using our standard benchmark test
suite, finding surprising speed in the new eMac and iBook G4
models...
MacInTouch Test Systems
- iBook G3/900 MHz Combo: 12" iBook G3, 640 MB of RAM (512K L2
cache), standard 40 GB Hitachi hard drive; Mac OS X 10.3.5; tested
at "Auto" and "Highest" processor settings
- iBook G4/1.2 GHz Combo: 12" iBook G4, 768 MB of RAM (512K L2
cache), optional 80 GB Toshiba hard drive; Mac OS X 10.3.5; tested
at "Auto" and "Highest" processor settings
- eMac G4/1.2 GHz SuperDrive: 512 MB of RAM (512K L2 cache),
optional 160 GB Seagate hard drive (ST3160023A), Mac OS X
10.3.5
- iMac G5 20"/1.8 GHz SuperDrive: 1 GB (2x512) of RAM (512K L2
cache), standard 160 GB ST3160023AS hard drive; tested at Auto and
Highest processor settings
- Power Mac G5/1.8 GHz: original single processor G5 model; 512
MB of RAM (512K L2 cache), dual ST3160023AS hard drives configured
in a striped RAID, using Disk Utility.
"The iMac G5 is a wonderful system, and we'd rather pay a few
hundred dollars over the cost of an eMac to get one, but all the
Apple hype about the G5 falls a little short when you see the
low-cost eMac, with its slower G4 processor, pushing the iMac G5 in
performance....
"PowerBooks are nice, but pricey. The biggest advantage you get
for the extra cost of the 12" PowerBook is the ability to drive a
larger external screen in dual-display mode (up to 2048x1536),
although the built-in screen has the same 768x1024 resolution as
the iBook.
"The 15" PowerBook is an ideal mobile machine.... This laptop
costs almost twice as much as an iBook G4, however, making it an
expensive option for part-time portability, and it's not as compact
as the jewel-like 12" models."
Screen Spanning with Your iBook, iMac, or
eMac
NEWS: Use an extended desktop with your iBook, iMac or eMac with
Screen
Spanning Doctor. This program is for educational purposes only
and you are responsible for everything you do with the given
information. The information published here may not be used for
commercial purposes without written approval from macparts.de.
The new iMac G5 can do screen spanning after being patched with
Screen Spanning Doctor.
The same is true for the speedbumped iBooks released in October
(no surprise here, since the architecture of the iBook hasn't
changed).
Disable iBook LCD Display
NEWS: A MacOS X Hints contributor
says:
"While trying to patch my 600mhz dual USB iBook to run in dual
display mode /clamshell, I ran across this by accident. Apparently,
it is possible to use only an external display at a much higher
resolution than available to the iBook's built-in display....
"The Displays panel now only detects my external display, and
runs it perfectly as my primary display. This should resolve any
heat-dissipation issues that result from running the iBook in
clamshell mode."
Full details at MacOS X Hints.
Other World Computing Signs Distribution
Agreement with PowerLogix
PR: Other World
Computing (OWC) has announced it has signed a distribution
agreement with PowerLogix
giving OWC the right to sell and distribute PowerLogix' entire line
of Macintosh upgrade products.
"PowerLogix has long been one of the leading providers of
after-market Macintosh upgrade products, so we're very pleased to
be able to deliver PowerLogix products to our tens of thousands of
customers around the world," said Larry O'Connor, president of
OWC.
As part of its distribution agreement with PowerLogix, OWC has
also agreed to provide fulfillment and distribution services, as
well as back the enduser support, for PowerLogix products found at
<http://www.powerlogix.com/support>.
"We are very excited to complete these two agreements," said
PowerLogix founder, Robert Jagitsch. "Customers need to know that
the PowerLogix product line will be fully supported. Customer
service and support are at the very top of our priority list as we
move forward with a solid basis for continuing our tradition of
innovative products."
Selected PowerLogix
products are available immediately through OWC via its
website.
In addition to PowerLogix, OWC also offers its own full line of
OWC Mercury Processor upgrades as well as upgrade products by
Sonnet Technologies and other brands.
"This latest expansion of our product line puts OWC in the best
position to serve customers' needs with the best selection of
upgrade solutions for nearly every Mac model out there," O'Connor
said.
Tech Trends
What to Consider When Considering a Laptop
Computer
OpEd: post-gazette.com's David Radin
says:
"The perfect notebook computer would be light as a feather,
compact while in transit but with a full keyboard and huge, bright
screen when in use. Never losing its charge, it would be able to
run even the most power hungry applications without breaking a
sweat, and would connect a user wirelessly to any network.
"Unfortunately, that notebook computer does not exist.
"So if you plan to purchase a notebook computer for a gift,
you're going to have to make trade-offs - and to make them well,
you'll want to keep in mind the way the person to whom you're
giving the gift will use the notebook."
The Evolution of Scrolling: Reinventing
the Wheel
OpEd: Writing for TidBITS, Joe Kissell
says:
"All modern computer operating systems are based on some form of
graphical user interface (GUI) that assumes the presence of a mouse
(or comparable pointing device) to move a pointer around on the
screen. Most of us have become so accustomed to using a mouse that
we don't even think about it anymore. Although it's possible to use
most GUI programs with a keyboard alone, it's much more cumbersome
- and the whole point of modern interfaces was to be less
cumbersome than their keyboard-only predecessors.
When it comes to scrolling, however, most GUIs don't make it
easy for ordinary mice....
"One solution, certainly, is to use the Page Up/Page Down keys
on your keyboard to scroll. But that requires moving your hand back
and forth between your pointing device and your keyboard, which can
also be tedious. Another approach, which has been an option in
Kensington's MouseWorks software for years, is called 'Scroll With
Mouse'....
"...This mechanism was almost immediately embraced by consumers,
so that within about two years scroll wheels were the norm on
almost all mice - except, incomprehensibly, for those made by
Apple, on the grounds that anything more than a single button makes
mice seem too complicated."
"...Notwithstanding Apple's outstanding click wheel design,
input devices on Macintosh computers remain behind the times. My
current laptop, an Apple PowerBook G4, has a trackpad with no
built-in scrolling capabilities (and, frustratingly, just one
button). Fortunately I was able to find a wonderful $15 piece of
software called SideTrack, which turns the edges of the trackpad
into a highly configurable scrolling device much like the WebRacer
touchpad - and many Windows-based laptops. This is a great
enhancement, because target acquisition is even more difficult with
a trackpad than with a mouse."
http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/
Researchers Warn Laptop Users of Infertility
Risk
NEWS: IDG News Service's Laura Rohde
reports:
"Laptops should be used as desktops if men want to protect their
reproductive health, according to a new study published
Thursday.
"A combination of the heat generated by a laptop and the
position of the thighs that is needed to balance the computer leads
to higher temperatures around a man's genitals and over time can
result in decreased sperm production, according to the study
'Increase in scrotal temperature in laptop computer users,'
published in the U.K. journal Human Reproduction."
Sounds reasonable. Diminished sperm counts due to higher scrotal
temperature associated with wearing tight jockey briefs rather than
boxers or spending too much time soaking in hot tubs has been long
documented. Another argument in favor of using a laptop stand or
lap desk.
Notebooks as Popular as TVs this
Season
NEWS: While some time-honored holiday traditions never change,
the 2004 holiday season is increasingly going digital with
notebooks amongst this season's brightest sellers.
According to consumer retail figures from The NPD Group,
notebooks are becoming as popular as TVs. During "Black Friday,"
the name retailers give for the day after Thanksgiving, consumer
notebook sales exceeded the sales of all types of TVs.1 Analyst firm Gartner expects both U.S. and
worldwide fourth quarter consumer notebook shipments to be up
almost 22 percent each over 2003.2
Technology gifts are certainly top of mind with holiday gift
givers. Seventy-six percent of Americans plan to give a tech gift
these holidays, according to this year's Best Buy Holiday Trend
Index.3
Key factors gift givers are seeking in tech products are
personalization, mobility and the ability to connect with other
products as well as with friends and family. Fitting the bill,
Intel Centrino mobile technology-based notebooks are morphing into
all-purpose entertainment devices you can take anywhere with
entertainment features such as wide screens, TV tuners, personal
video recording capabilities, and remote controls.
Laptops are also gaining popularity thanks to the growing
availability of wireless Internet access or "WiFi", which allows
WiFi equipped laptops to connect to the Internet wirelessly at
home, work, and public hotspots. More than 43,000 hotspots
worldwide are verified for interoperability with Intel Centrino
mobile technology. Notebooks with Intel Centrino mobile technology
have WiFi capability built in and deliver breakthrough mobile
performance while enabling great battery life in lighter,
easier-to-carry notebook PCs. Some models of Intel Centrino mobile
technology-based notebooks are available for under $1,000.
Holiday shoppers can get great deals on laptop PCs with such
special offers as CompUSA's Mobile
Entertainment Starter Kit. Shoppers purchasing an Intel Centrino
mobile technology-based notebook at any CompUSA store until Jan. 31
will receive the kit, which includes a free trial of Real Network's
Rhapsody premium music service, free downloadable audio books and
magazines, six months of free file sharing service, a discount for
Movielink online movies, and more. Details on this and other
notebook PC holiday offers are available at <http://www.intel.com/personal/special_offers/notebook_pcs.htm>.
Consumers will also get a chance to preview soon-to-be-released
laptop PCs with next-generation Intel Centrino mobile technology
(codenamed Sonoma) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas,
Jan. 6-9.
- Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld, "How green was Black
Friday 2004?" Analyst Report.
- Source: Gartner's Global PC Forecast and Shipments Quarterly
Statistics-Database Dec. 3, 2004.
- Source: 2004 Best Buy Holiday Trend Index, a survey conducted
by Click IQ, which polled a representative sample of 1,595 people
ages 15 to 55, and has a margin of error of +/- 2 percent.
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.
Special Deals: Apple
Certified
Free shipping.
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/30/Combo, $799
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz,
256/30/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $849
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/Combo, $899
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.2 GHz,
256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,049
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz,
256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,099
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz,
256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,699
- used 12" iBook G3/500,
128/10/Combo, OS 9 only, $569
- used 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/Combo, OS X only, $649
- new 17" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, MacCase Briefcase 17" Pure
(Silver), $2,515
- 14" PowerBook WallStreet G3/233, 192/4/CD-ROM, $209
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and
Best iBook G3 Deals.
