Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited
by Dan Knight
- 2006.04.07
This Week's MacBook, PowerBook, and iBook News
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered
in The iNews Review. News about
Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is
covered in The Macintel Report.
News & Opinion
MacBook Pro Problems
Tech Tips and Info
Reviews
Products and Services
Software
News & Opinion
Asus to Make 13" Widescreen MacBook?
The Register's Tony Smith says:
"Asus has reportedly won the contract to manufacture Apple's
upcoming Intel-based iBook - aka the MacBook - which will be the
first consumer-oriented notebook from the vendor to incorporate a
widescreen display.
"So claimed Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial Times
today, according to the AFX news service. The report suggests Apple
will ship the product in June - a year on from its announcement of
the move from PowerPC processors to Intel chips, incidentally. The
notebook will sport a 13.3in display."
"The 13.3in screen was said to have a native resolution of 1,280
x 720 - sufficient for 720p HD content."
- Link: Asus
to Make 13.3in Widescreen MacBook - Report
Laptop Hard Drives: 5400 vs. 7200 rpm, FW400 vs
FW800
Bare Feats' rob-ART morgan reports:
"If you are buying a new MacBook Pro, you might be wondering
if the 7200 RPM drive option is worth the $$$. We were wondering
the same thing. So we tested two MacBook Pros, one with the 5400
RPM drive and one with the optional 7200 RPM drive.
"We were also wondering how much speed we were giving up by the
loss of the FireWire 800 port. So we tested one of our fastest 3.5"
7200 RPM drives on the MacBook's FireWire 400 Port and compared to
what we got on a PowerBook's FireWire 800 port.
"Some of the results are a bit surprising, especially the hard
drive comparison."
Here's one that may surprise you: "The 7200 rpm internal drive
is not significantly faster than the stock 5400 rpm when
doing small random reads and writes. That implies that it
won't give you much advantage for booting and normal
operations."
- Link: MacBook Pro
Drives: 5400 rpm vs 7200 rpm; FW400 vs FW800
The Lessons of the $100 Laptop
eWeek reports:
"The $100 laptop is coming together, its founder says, but
without the famous crank.
"Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of One Laptop Per Child, said in
a keynote at LinuxWorld here that OLPC is preparing to deliver its
first 5 million to 10 million machines late this year or early in
2007. The machines will come with 7-inch screens and a 500 MHz
processor from Advanced Micro Devices, will use flash memory in
lieu of a hard drive, and will run a Linux operating system. The
hand crank, which was criticized by Bill Gates, Microsoft's
chairman, will be moved to the machine's power supply brick,
however.
"Despite the groundswell of interest and some criticism it has
created, the $100 laptop, Negroponte said, is primarily an
educational tool designed to be owned and maintained by
schoolchildren. Its job, in part, is to educate by granting
students access to the Internet and its vast store of information -
Negroponte joked that many students' first word in English is
'Google' - as well as by allowing them to write computer programs.
But it is likely to teach the computer industry, famous for its
grandiose projects that inevitably face setbacks, something of a
lesson as well: Think small."
- Link: The Lessons
of the $100 Laptop
Watch Major League Baseball Online
Forbes.com's Dan Frommer says:
"Would you trade peanuts and cracker-jacks for a swivel chair
and a computer screen? As broadband Internet access has become
nearly universal, U.S. sports leagues and their broadcast partners
are trying to figure out how to bring fans and their wallets online
without losing TV viewers or lowering ticket sales.
"As a result, almost every major sport, from pro basketball to
college football, has started streaming some or all of its games
over the Internet. Leading the online sports pack - major league
baseball.
"For the fourth straight year, MLB will stream more than 2,400
games live over the Internet. The league says quality will be at
its best this year: Teams wired every stadium during the off-season
to simplify the video encoding process. Subscribers can watch a
full slate of games for $15 per month or $80 for the entire season
- barely the cost of two decent tickets at the park.
"But there's a catch: Right now, home-market games are
off-limits, as are nationally-televised games, so baseball can
protect the millions of dollars that broadcasters pay each year for
local television rights. That means a Red Sox fan in Los Angeles
can catch balls and strikes online but a Yankees-crazed exec holed
up without a TV in a Manhattan office is out of luck."
- Link:
Take Me Out to the Laptop
MacBook Pro Problems
Apple Addresses MacBook Pro Issues
DailyTech's Tuan Nguyen reports:
"Apple has been doing quite well lately, especially when it
comes to drumming up support for new products. It's MacBook Pro is no exception to the
rule - but rightly so. The popular notebook has been receiving
praise from various publications and orders have been flying.
"Despite its popularity as a 'must have' Apple product, the
MacBook Pro is encountering a lot of issues. Many users are
reporting similar issues to the ones I pointed out. To recap from
my blog:
- AirPort does not automatically rejoin a preferred network after
waking up from sleep mode. This does not happen with my PowerBook.
Settings are the same.
- AirPort would drop down to nearly 1 block randomly once in a
while. This also does not happen with my PowerBook.
- At the lowest screen brightness setting (one block), the LCD's
backlight flickers noticeably. This is pretty annoying.
- Heat is a big issue. The MacBook Pro gets so hot that I cannot
place it on my lap if I'm wearing shorts. And even if I am wearing
pants (instead of shorts), it's still very uncomfortable. Using the
AC power, the palm rest area becomes very warm, and the area above
the F keys is very hot. I do not notice this with the
PowerBook....
"I spoke with Apple over the weekend, and to my surprise, some
of the issues are well known. Known well enough in fact, that Apple
has already started addressing these issues in updated MacBook
Pros. According to Apple, it has begun replacing the mainboard
inside its MacBook Pros with a new revision. It calls the updated
product 'revision D', which is identifiable by product serial
number."
- Link: Apple Addresses
MacBook Pro Issues
MacBook Pro Issues Addressed with 'Rev. D'
Logic Board
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady reports:
"Apple's MacBook Pro is
undoubtedly the fastest and most powerful notebook computer Apple
has ever launched, but it's not without its problems.
"Tuan Nguyen at Daily Tech has posted a number of issues with
his MBP:
- AirPort doesn't automatically rejoin a preferred network after
waking from sleep.
- AirPort reception drops down to nearly 1 bar randomly once in a
while.
- At the lowest screen brightness setting (one bar), the LCD's
backlight flickers noticeably.
- Heat is a big issue. Using the AC power, the palm rest area
becomes very warm, and the area above the F keys is very hot.
"Apple's own MacBook Pro discussion boards are filled with posts
about various issues with the new notebook but it doesn't mean that
it's defective. After all, only people that are having problems are
going to post to the boards. Apple's dedicated MacBook Pro Support
page has some great tips on troubleshooting most issues....
"According to Daily Tech the MBP issues are well known at Apple.
Apple has started addressing the issues by replacing affected
machines with a new 'Revision D' logic board."
- Link: MacBook Pro
Issues Addressed with 'Rev. D' Logic Board
MacBook Pro Noise Complaints
Red Sweater Blog's Daniel Jalkut says:
"I've become a bit fixated on the MacBook Pro noise issues that are
plaguing many early adopters of these new machines. This page
serves as a centralized organization point for the various posts I
have made on the subject, as well as links to a couple programs
I've developed to explore and alleviate the 'CPU whine' issue in
particular.
"Summary of Noise Complaints:
- CPU Whine....
- Display related buzz/whine....
- Mooing Motors....
- Undiagnosed humming/buzzing/whining....
- Complete, beautiful silence. It's worth noting that some MBP
owners report a complete lack of these symptoms....
"Summary of Downloadable Items (alleviating CPU whine only):
- MagicNoiseKiller....
- QuietMBP...."
- Link: MacBook
Pro Noise Complaints
Tech Tips and Info
Install a Slot-loading Drive in the Dual USB
iBook G3
An Anonymous poster to MacOSHints says:
"Per Apple (and others, I think), 'slot loading drives are not
compatible with the iBook G3.' But it works in mine now. I just
completed this difficult mod yesterday, and since the info was hard
to find, I figured I should share it.
"The secret is that the iBook G3 has only one ATA bus, so you
must have a proper master/slave relationship. I bought a
slot-loading DVD/CDRW combo drive (Apple's Model CW-8123-C) on
eBay for
$26 for this project. Google research told me this model is
hard-set to Master, with no jumpers or whatnot. Therefore, I had to
set my new hard drive to Slave (might as well upgrade it, too, if
you're going that deep into the guts of the iBook)."
- Link:
Install a Slot-loading DVD Drive in the iBook G3
How to Use Your PowerBook G4 or MacBook Pro
with the Display Closed
An updated Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"If you use an external display or projector with any MacBook
Pro or PowerBook G4 and a USB mouse or keyboard, you can close the
display and still use the computer. Here's how.
- Make sure the computer is plugged in to an outlet using the AC
power adapter.
- Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to your computer.
- Connect the Apple video (VGA or DVI) adapter that came with
your computer to the appropriate port on the external display or
projector and turn the display or projector on.
- With the computer turned on and your keyboard or mouse
connected, connect the other end of the adapter to the video output
port on your MacBook Pro or PowerBook G4.
- Once your computer's Desktop appears on the external display,
close the computer's lid.
- Once the lid is closed, wake the computer up by either clicking
your mouse button or by pressing a key on your keyboard.
"You should now be able to use your MacBook Pro or PowerBook G4
as you normally would, using your USB keyboard or mouse."
- Link: How to Use
Your PowerBook G4 or MacBook Pro with the Display Closed
Reviews
Migration to MacBook Pro Can Be
Problematic
O'Reilly.net's Chuck Toporek says:
"A couple Friday's ago, my new company-issued laptop arrived:
one of the shiny new MacBook
Pro's. And all I can say is Holy Crap!, what a difference a new
computer makes. I've been working on a 667 MHz Titanium G4 PowerBook for about
three-and-a-half years now, and my aging Mac has started looking
its age. And even though it's been a reliable workhorsie, I was
more than happy to send her out to pasture.
"When the new MBPro arrived, I made what I believe is a simple
and fatal mistake, and that was to boot up and use the Migration
Assistant to transfer my data (apps, settings, and all) over to the
new machine. And while the MBPro ran well once all my data
transferred over (that process took about 45 minutes), certain apps
weren't behaving nicely, mainly Microsoft Office.... So, I backed
up my MBPro to a LaCie FireWire drive, and then gutted and
reinstalled the system, partitioning the hard drive, and then spent
the better part of an afternoon and evening reinstalling all of my
apps from scratch. Yeah, that took a while, but since doing that,
my new MBPro has been running smoothly, and I'm really digging this
new machine.
"And while I'm definitely smitten with the new MBPro, I do have
a couple nits to pick...."
- Link:
Baby Got Mac(Book Pro)
MacBook Pro 'Responsive'
eXtensions' Graham K. Rogers reports:
"At the end of March I was lucky enough to borrow a new MacBook Pro from Maccenter. The one
I had was the top of the range with a 2 GHz Intel Core Duo chip and
1G of memory as standard plus 256 MB of dedicated graphics memory.
There is an option to have the 2 GHz chip replaced by one of 2.16
GHz. Superdrive to enable burning of DVDs is standard.
"That 2.16 GHz chip was made the MacBook Pro the fastest Windows
XP laptop computer when Gearlog tested one with the hack that
allows Windows to run on Intel Macs. It is faster with Adobe
Photoshop than any other Core Duo laptop. This will not last long
and Samsung has already announced a 2.33 GHz core duo
computer....
"Two things were noteworthy almost immediately: the screen
display was crisp and bright; and the operations of the trackpad
were much smoother than the PowerBook I am used to. The increased
screen area means that far more can be displayed, and more clearly,
on these new machines."
- Link: The
MacBook Pro 2 GHz
MacBook Pro 'Gorgeous'
biosmagazine.co.uk says:
"Apple's MacBook Pro
laptop is the company's first system to use an Intel processor.
Similar to the iMac, the MacBook Pro features Intel's new Core Duo
processor (gone is the slow IBM PowerPC) which delivers up to four
times the performance of the PowerBook G4 - claims the company -
when running software that supports the new technology (Universal
binary).
"The MacBook Pro sports the usual gorgeous aluminium enclosure
we've all come to love on the PowerBook G4, weighs only 2.5kg and
is less than 25mm thick (smaller and lighter than the PowerBook
G4), includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing
on-the-go, and even comes with a diminutive matching infrared Apple
Remote (looks like an Apple Shuffle MP3 player) and Front Row
software for accessing your data across the room. The typing
experience is still a pleasure (as is the backlit keyboard) and the
touchpad is ideal for surfing, but the one-button mouse is a bit of
a pain (especially if you're migrating from a Windows XP
laptop)."
- Link: Apple MacBook
Pro
Products and Services
MaxProtect Impact Resistant Protective Bag for
PowerBooks, iBooks, and MacBooks
PR: MaxProtect is an impact resistant carrying bag for
PowerBooks, MacBooks, and iBooks that provides maximum shock
protection while carrying your computer that provides maximum shock
protection while carrying your computer. MaxProtect is made of
Visco-Elastic Memory Foam which exhibits excellent resistance
against impact and shock.
MaxProtect tightly envelopes the whole notebook, providing
padded protection on all sides from external impact or shock during
daily usage.
Features:
- High Impact resistance polyurethane foam for shock absorption
from all sides.
- Thick Foam padding throughout the entire surface of the
notebook.
- Two zippers pull apart design.
- Protected zipper closure, zippers don't come in contact with
the Power book.
- Handles for easy Transportation.
- Tight Form fitting design for all PowerBook and iBook sizes for
maximum protection.
- Ultra Thin.
- Unsurpassed quality.
Sizes to fit all current Apple portables 12" through 17" -
$24.99 to $26.99
- Link:
MaxProtect Case
Software
ClickScroll Offers Scrolling without
Scrollbars or Scrollwheels
PR: ClickScroll gives your Mac an highly addictive
feature: scrolling without scrollbars and scroll wheels.
No need to move your eyes anymore when you need to scroll a web
page or a text document - simply call ClickScroll once and gently
move your mouse around.
ClickScroll supports multibutton mice for a fast access, as well
as single-button ones. It is the perfect scrolling software for
laptops users.
With ClickScroll, take advantage of the following features:
Seamless integration: ClickScroll can be called in virtually
every Mac OS X application (Finder, Mail, Safari, Internet
Explorer, Word, Photoshop, etc.).
Themes support: Do you want to create your own ClickScroll
theme? Use the ClickScroll Interface Builder and let your
creativity work for you !
Visual Feedback: ClickScroll lets you know what it is doing all
the time with a Mac OS X-friendly interface.
ClickScroll supports both horizontal and vertical scrolling to
provide a richer experience.
New in version 2.0:
ClickScroll can now be activated by key combinations (can be
100% mouse triggered or keyboard triggered)
If you already own a ClickScroll 1.x serial number, contact
Alorsoft to get a 50% discount for your ClickScroll 2 serial
number.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
System support: PPC/Intel
€6 /$8 Shareware
- Link: ClickScroll
Juice 1.1 Battery Monitor Widget
PR: Adds a battery to your dashboard, with info on the
current state of your laptop's battery as well as an indication of
how much time you can use your battery before it's empty, or how
long it takes until it's fully charged.
New in version 1.1:
- Added support for the MacBook
- New smaller battery image
- Faster results
- Fixed bug that kept hard-disk awake
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, iBook, PowerBook or
MacBook
System support: PPC/Intel
Free
- Link: Juice Battery Monitor
Widget
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.
PowerBook and iBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
Availability of MacBook Pro models changes from day to day.
- refurb 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/80/SuperDrive, $1,699
- refurb 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 1024/100/SuperDrive, $2,199
- refurb 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1024/100/SuperDrive, $2,399
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/60/Combo, APX, BT 2.0,
$1,099
- refurb 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/Combo, APX, BT 2.0,
$1,399
- refurb 17" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, APX,
$1,699
According to DealMac.com,
entering coupon code "BWBE0720" drops the price to $1,794.60 plus
around $9 for shipping.
- 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/80/SuperDrive, $1,794.60 with
coupon
- 12" iBook G3/600, 128/20/Combo, $409
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/CD, $449
- 14" iBook G3/800, 128/30/Combo, $459
- 14" iBook G3/900, 128/40/Combo, $499
- 14" iBook G3/900, 128/40/Combo, $549
- 14" iBook G3/900, 640/40/Combo, $559
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 128/40/Combo, $629
- 12" PowerBook G4/867, 128/40/SD, $679
- 15" PowerBook G4/800, 256/30/Combo, $649
- 15" PowerBook G4/550, 512/20/Combo, $649
- 15" PowerBook G4/867, 256/40/Combo, Scratch & Dent,
$699
- 15" PowerBook G4/867, 512/40/Combo, $849
- 12" iBook G3/500, 256/15/CD, $300
- 12" iBook G3/600, 256/20/CD, $390
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/CD, $395
- 15" PowerBook G4/667 VGA, 256/20/Combo, $625
- 15" PowerBook G4/667 DVI, 256/20/Combo, $645
- 15" PowerBook G4/800, 256/20/Combo, $729
- add extra 512 MB to any above for $89
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our best 15" MacBook Pro deals,
our best 17" MacBook Pro deals,
12" PowerBook G4 deals, 15" aluminum PowerBook G4 deals, 17" PowerBook G4 deals, titanium PowerBook G4 deals, iBook G4 deals, PowerBook G3 deals, and iBook G3 deals.
