Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.03.18
The week's PowerBook, iBook, and Notebook news
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is
covered in The iNews
Review.
'Book News
How to Run an OS X 'Book without Shut Downs,
Restarts, or Quitting Applications
MacDailyNews comments:
"After almost four years now with OS X, I'll tell you how I
think a PowerBook or iBook should be run.
"I never shut down my computer. Well, hardly ever. My PowerBook
has been on or asleep for over three weeks currently. This excludes
any restarts due to software updates since I have to keep current.
I must have gone over two months at least without restarting or
shutting down at times in the past.
"Although the frequency of Apple's incremental OS and other
application updates sometimes makes me wonder if they are forcing
me to restart when I normally wouldn't for a reason or just to mess
with me.
"I've concluded that there is almost no need to ever shut down
your computer. While in Sleep mode, the PowerBook consumes almost
no battery power."
I agree. My PowerBook WallStreet, which runs OS 9, goes for
literally months between restarts, although my production OS X
machines get rebooted fairly frequently for software updates.
CM
Frequently Asked Questions about Defective
Trackpads
The PowerBook Zone's Doug B. Landry has posted an
FAQ on
Defective Trackpads in the latest PowerBook revisions.
"We've received an overwhelming amount of email from readers
discussing defective trackpads found with their new PowerBooks. To
help those looking to diagnose and troubleshoot their problems,
we've decided to create a list of frequently asked questions that
should help to this end. If there are questions or answers that
you'd like to contribute, email us at editor (at) pbzone.com."
PowerBook G4 : Troubleshooting Intermittent
Trackpad Issues
A new Apple
Knowledge Base Article says:
If you find that the trackpad cursor on your PowerBook G4
(12-inch 1.5 GHz), PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5 GHz), or
PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67 GHz) temporarily stops tracking or
behaves erratically, try the following steps to resolve the
issue.
- Make sure you test all parts of the trackpad surface and be
sure you're using just one finger. Multiple fingers could cause
erratic behavior.
- Reset the trackpad by placing your entire palm directly onto
the whole trackpad for 3 to 4 seconds, and then remove your hand
from the trackpad in one smooth motion.
In most cases, trackpad operation will return to normal. If so,
this resolution should work if you ever see the issue again. Apple
is aware of this issue and is investigating.
17" PowerBook G4 Review
CNET's
Troy Dreier says:
"With the latest version of its 17-inch wide-screen PowerBook,
Apple incorporates some nice upgrades but leaves out the one most
of us were hoping for: a mobile version of the high-performance G5
chip. Still, the impressively designed 17-inch PowerBook G4,
Apple's premiere desktop replacement, is equipped with a
new-and-improved set of specs and features, including a scrolling
trackpad, for easier navigation through documents and Web pages,
and Sudden Motion Sensor technology to protect the hard drive.
Apple has also lowered the price by about $100; unfortunately, at
$2,699, the 17-inch PowerBook G4 still costs hundreds more than the
PC competition....
"The foxy Apple 17-inch PowerBook delivers the performance and
the features most users will need, but it's more expensive than a
similarly outfitted Windows laptop."
eMac Attraction Fades as Educators Turn to
Portables
Macworld UK's Karen
Haslam reports:
"Speaking to analysts at the Morgan Stanley Semiconductor and
System Conference, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer revealed that
independent third party research group Student Monitor had found
that in the education sphere intention to buy Mac - particularly
portable Macs - is way up.
"This is good news for Apple, but not necessarily good news for
the particularly un-portable eMac....
"times have changed and it would appear that Apple is having
much more success seeding the iBook to schools than the education
specific eMac. And with the advent of the Mac mini at £339 an
even lower priced option than the eMac (as long as a screen, mouse,
and keyboard do not need to be bought) it could be concluded that
the eMac is one more consumer computer than the company needs."
The Not So Mini Gap in Apple's Product Line:
The Notebook Mini
apple-x.net's
Trent Lapinski says:
"With PowerPage's 'Palmtop' Mac rumor surfacing this past
Tuesday, it struck me that the last remaining gap in Apple's
product line is between the iPod and the iBook. Thanks to the
Mac mini the desktop product
line is finally taken care of. However, the cry for a portable with
more features than an iPod and something more pocket friendly than
an iBook is really the last thing Apple users are craving, and with
good reason, too....
"....While the iPod is a great way to access stored information,
that's about all it can do. The iPod is more of a mirror than a
window. And sure, an iBooks or PowerBooks are amazing ways to
create and stimulate information on-the-go. Alas, neither can fit
in my pocket....
"The solution? A handheld Mac that has a somewhat full keyboard
and a stylus that can fold to fit in at least a cargo pocket. Call
it a tablet Mac, call it an iPod Extreme, an iBook mini, I don't
really care - I just need one, as do many others...."
Wooden Laptop
hackaday.com's Jason Striegel
says:
"....the other day I got a message from asbesto, who told me
about a wooden laptop that he made:
"Here is my laptop: the 'legnatile'; I replaced the plastic
shell with a wooden one; it took about 4 months of work, and now
it's lighter than the original plastic shell. A unique piece,
ultimate frontier of case modding, joint of natural wood and
leather, with high technology. Inspired by 'Snow Crash' by Neal
Stephenson & the first real wooden laptop in the
world!"
Motorola Postpones iTunes Phone Debut
AP Business Writer Matt
Moore reports:
"Motorola Inc. postponed plans Thursday to unveil a cell phone
that can buy and play songs from Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes
download service, a sudden decision which may reflect tensions with
cellular companies who also want to sell music to mobile phone
users.
"The company briefed reporters on the new offering earlier in
the week and planned to unveil the phone at the big CeBIT
technology show here. Motorola's two-story exhibition booth
included a display of iMacs running iTunes, but the new phones
weren't there.
"Motorola spokeswoman Monica Rohleder said in Chicago that the
company remains in discussions with a number of wireless carriers
regarding the first iTunes phone and will announce it 'when it's
ready to go,' close to its expected release time this summer."
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible
for AppleCare.
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 (VGA) and G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs. aluminum
15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz 15"
PowerBooks.
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz,
512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort, AppleCare, $2,279
- Add an Epson C86 printer for $99, then get $99 back via mail-in
rebate.
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, Best PowerBook G3 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
