All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
General Apple and Mac desktops is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod, iPhone, and Apple
TV news is covered in The iNews
Review.
News & Opinion
Reviews
Tech Trends
Products & Services
News & Opinion
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE: How Apple Should Build a
Netbook
Computerworld's Seth Weintraub says:
"I just fell in love with a laptop, and for the first time since the
IBM Thinkpad T40, it isn't a Mac.
"The ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Netbook is exactly what I want in a
Netbook and here's why . . . and what Apple could do with
this hardware.
"Today's NetBooks are a bit too slow. The 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270,
which is in just about every NetBook out there, can't do video very
well and lags often enough when typing or opening programs to get
annoying. The update in the Intel Atom N280 is just enough (especially
with the faster 667MHz front side bus. memory and GN40 chipset) to get
the job done. Coupled with the new processor, the 1000HE also has a
much denser battery pack which ASUS says can ride 9.5 hours (real world
is closer to 8 hours). Wow, perfect.
"While I would happily shell out a few extra bucks for two or more
GB of RAM, the Hard Drive really hits the sweet spot. My $1500 Unibody MacBook has the same
160GB that this $370 Netbook has. Hrmph.
"The comparisons to the MacBook don't stop there...."
Link: Apple
Netbook, Where to Start? - ASUS Eee PC 1000HE
Apple Rethinks Fixed Batteries
The Register's Rik
Myslewski reports:
"Three Apple patent applications have surfaced indicating the
company may be rethinking its policy of using non-user-serviceable
batteries in its mobile devices.
"One of the applications describes a 'host machine' - looking much
like an iMac in the accompanying drawings - that has battery-charging
slots built into its body.
"A second describes how the host machine could communicate
wirelessly with mobile devices to monitor their battery power, notify
users when it was time for a charge, and talk with other host machines
about the state of the batteries it's servicing.
"A third describes a 'intelligent universal rechargeable batteries'
with pop-off end-caps that allow 'battery chemicals' to be swapped out
when they've reached the end of their productive lives....
"We support battery freedom,"
Editor's note: Me too! cm
Link: Apple
Rethinks Battery Bondage
Apple to Go Back to User-Replaceable
Batteries?
ZD Net's Adrian
Kingsley-Hughes reports:
"A patent application uncovered by The Register seem to
indicate that Apple is interested in making batteries
user-replaceable."
"It's far too soon to read too much into this patent filing and
could be little more than blue-sky thinking. In fact, given Apple's
love affair with non-user-replaceable batteries at the moment (a
feature which I see as a built-in obsolescence time-bomb
. . . or at the very least a trickle income stream from
warranty repairs)....
"My guess is that Apple may be coming up with a backup plan in case
their current approach to batteries starts drawing legal attentions, in
particular from the EU. There are some people who see
non-user-replaceable batteries as a crime against the planet...."
Editor's note: I don't know about "crime against the planet," but I
personally regard non-replacable batteries, or for that matter absurdly
expensive replacable but non-standard size and format batteries, as an
abomination, antagonistic to value, and a crime against my wallet.
cm
Link: Apple to Go Back to
User-Replaceable Batteries?
Upgrading RAM in the MacBook White
MacUser's
Derik DeLong says:
"Reader Dan wrote in for advice about upgrading to a new white MacBook. He found himself
puzzled when it came to the memory situation in low-end model,
especially vis-a-vis its aluminum counterparts:
"As you probably know, the white version comes with 2
GB of 667 MHz DDR2 RAM. The Aluminum version comes with 2 GB of 1066
MHz DDR3 RAM. Both have a 1066 MHz front side or front system bus...
all I know is it has the abbreviation FSB. My question, which I've
posed to crucial.com, but they didn't know, and Apple, ditto
(amazingly...), was whether I could take out the 2 GB of RAM in the
whitebook and upgrade it to, not only to 4 GB, but also in speed.
"Well, wonder no more...."
Link:
Upgrading RAM in Apple's White MacBook
LoJack for Laptops, Mac Edition
TestFreaks'
Tom Ratas says:
"A quick search of the web brings up these shocking statistics: A
laptop is stolen every 53 seconds, more than 12,000 laptops disappear
each week from US airports alone and only 3% of laptops are ever
returned (http://www.propeller.com/story/2008/11/24/interesting-laptop-theft-statistics/).
Before you become a member of that sad statistical group, consider
employing some anti-theft deterrent. Physically locking down your
laptop is one way to keep your laptop from disappearing, but sometimes
you can't or don't have an opportunity to lock it down. This is where
laptop-tracking software comes into play.
"LoJack best known for their Stolen Vehicle Recovery System have
lent their name to Absolute Software's tracking software. The LoJack
for Laptops is a program and computer retrieval service that helps
track, locate and recover stolen computers. The software works behind
the scenes to silently and securely protect your Mac. If stolen, the
machine can be remotely activated to contact the LoJack monitoring
center every fifteen minutes. The Absolute Recovery Team will then
track the location of the laptop and engage local law enforcement to
recover and return your precious Mac...."
Link: LoJack for
Laptops - Mac Edition Review
Contigo Mug Prevents Keyboard Spills
Bare Feats' Bet-TAY says:
"I love to browse, read, and type my way through my morning as I sip
my 100% Kona Joe coffee. But containers of liquid near a computer is,
as my husband, Rob-ART, says, '...an accident waiting to HAPPEN!' I
keep my Mac Pro to my left on a desktop and my MacBook Pro on my right.
My tall coffee cup was poised between the two and every time Rob-ART
walked past my desk he would hummmmm the tune to 'You'll Be SORRY....'
I was confident that my neat and careful ways would triumph, but one
day the unthinkable HAPPENED!
"I turned to answer an email on my laptop and smacked a full cup of
coffee into the awaiting thirsty back-lit keyboard of my beautiful
MacBook Pro. YIKES!....
"I enjoy my coffee sipping morning routine, but I didn't want to
repeat the accident, so a search ensued for the ultimate, leak-proof
drink container. This is what I found . . . the Contigo West Loop Mug.
"Contigo guarantees that the contents of their mugs are impossible
to spill and 100% leak-proof...."
The 16 oz. Contingo West Loop Mug is currently available from
Amazon.com
for $19.19 in silver. A 2-pack with maroon
or rose
and stainless sells for $35. Contingo also makes leak-proof travel mugs
and kids mugs.
Link: Solution: Avoiding Keyboard
Spills
Reviews
Ultimate High Capacity Notebook Drive: Seagate
Momentus 7200.4 500G
Bare Feats' rob-ART morgan says:
"Many of you emailed us expressing a wish that there was a 500GB
7200rpm 9.5 mm thick notebook drive option for the 'unibody' MacBook
Pro. Your wish has come true. Introducing the Seagate Momentus
7200.4.
"We benchmarked it using QuickBench and Disktester against the 320GB
7200rpm drive that shipped with our MacBook Pro 2.8GHz test unit along
with some other notable notebook drives."
"The Seagate Momentus 7200.4 gives the high-end laptop user both
speed and space. It's not only the fastest notebook HDD we have ever
tested but provides as much storage space (500g) as any other drive
available. It's super quiet and even when we were beating on it, it
never rose above 91 degrees F."
Link: Ultimate Notebook Drive? -
Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500G Versus Other SATA Notebook Drives
2 GHz MacBook White Barely Slower than 2.1 GHz
Version, Roars on Graphics
Macworld's
James Galbraith reports:
"While Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops have been
re-engineered to include an all-aluminum unibody design, one lone
plastic - err, I mean polycarbonate - model remains. With its recent
internal updates, the $999 white MacBook 2 GHz is a better all
around system than the white
MacBook it replaces....
Speedmark 5 scores for 2 GHz MacBook White and other Mac notebooks.
"The $999 2 GHz MacBook features faster graphics performance, thanks
to the new Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics subsystem . . . The
second update is a doubling of the RAM - the entry level MacBook ships
with 2 GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, compared to just 1 GB of the
same type of memory in the previous version. The latest white MacBook
also has a faster front side bus, now running at 1,066MHz instead of
800MHz before....
"What do these changes mean in terms of speed improvement?"
Link:
Review: White MacBook 2GHz with Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics
Power Support MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film
Macworld's Rob Griffiths says:
"While testing the TechRestore-modified MacBook Pro, I thought it'd
be interesting to compare that machine's matte screen with a stock
(glossy-screen) MacBook Pro equipped with an anti-glare film. While
there are many such films in development, I could find only one
shipping right now:
Power Support's $35 MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film. (Power Support
also makes the film in a 13-inch version, for the same $35 price, to
fit the new unibody MacBooks.)....
"Of course, the best solution would be for Apple to - as it did for
nearly the last 20 years of Mac laptops - offer a true matte-screen (as
an option, in this case) for those users who simply cannot put up with
glossy displays."
Link: Review:
Power Support MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film
Tech Trends
Solid State Drives Not Worth the Price for
Many
USA Today's Ed Baig
says:
"Would you trade storage capacity and a lower price for speed and
reliability? That's is the tradeoff between PCs with a conventional
hard drive or the latest generation of solid state drives (SSDs.)
"For now, most consumers are sticking with the cheaper alternative.
Who could blame them, given the battered economy?
"A new report from the PriceGrabber.com comparison shopping service
indicates that of those online users who are familiar with SSD
technology, only 11% said they'd consider buying a netbook with the
technology in the next few years. Another 43% indicated a willingness
to do so only if the price dropped...."
Link:
Solid State Drives Not Worth the Price for Many
Intel Nudges Atom Processor Faster with
Update
PC Mag's Cisco
Cheng reports:
"Intel has already begun shipping the latest update to its beloved
Atom processor. The Atom N280, rated at 1.66GHz, will be a smidge
faster (.06 GHz to be exact) than the previous N270.
"More than just a bump in megahertz is the slight shift in
architecture, as the new platform integrates north bridge functions
such as the memory controller and graphics core into the processor die.
This will allow DDR2 memory to scale from 533MHz to 667MHz and optimize
video playback."
Link: Intel Nudges Atom
Processor Faster with Update
Intel Ships Updated Atom Chips 6 Months Early
The Register's
Austin Modine
"Intel has confirmed it is already shipping the next incarnation of
the Atom processor.
"The chip maker's successor to the near-ubiquitous netbook chip, the
N270, is landing in the hands of laptop makers well before the
anticipated mid-2009 release. Those presently mulling a netbook
purchase may want to hold off for a bit...."
Link:
Intel Ships Updated Atom Chips Six Months Early
'$100 Laptop' to Drop from $204 to $180
The Boston
Globe's Hiawatha Bray reports:
"The One Laptop Per Child Foundation of Cambridge was established to
bring the world's children a $100 laptop, and according to founder
Nicholas Negroponte, the organization is still determined to reach that
goal. But last year, it quietly raised the price of its proprietary XO
laptop from $188 to $204, more than twice what the foundation
originally hoped to charge. Now Negroponte is promising to cut the
price of the XO by $24, to $180. 'I believe it will go down another $20
soon,' he added. But even at $160, the laptop will cost far more than
its original $100 target price...."
Link:
Cheaper Cheap Laptop Promised
Products & Services
7 Port Powered USB 2.0 Hub Has Rotating Ports
PR: An especially attractive solution for owners of Apple's
port challenged laptops, this compact 7-port USB hub from
X-TremeGeek.com folds in the middle for travel and features 4 roatating
ports for maximum versatility when connecting several USB devices at
once. An included AC adapter provides additional power to the
ports.
We've never seen anything like this at Low End Mac - very clever!
Product Specifications
- Ports : 7
- USB: 2.0
- Size: 6 3/4"L x 7/8"W x 7/8"H
- Cable: 20"
- Power: USB or AC (adapter included)
- Other: Ports fold & rotate
List Price: $27.99
Sale Price: $10.75
Link:
7 Port USB 2.0 180 Degree Revolving Hub
TechRestore MacBook/ModBook Conversion Take Apart
Video
PR: TechRestore's Shannon Jean says:
"I've finally finished the world's first Modbook upgrade video, with
help from Dan's technical skills and Lance's music. This newest
stop-motion animated video shows the complete conversion process, from
MacBook to Modbook. I think it's our best video yet (but be sure to
voice your opinion in the comments are ratings). As usual, this video
is brought to you in wide-screen - optionally 720p HD format - that's
nearly twice the resolution of a standard DVD, so you can see it as
though you were watching a blue-ray disc, even on YouTube. (c:
"If you haven't seen one yet, let me just tell you that this is the
must have service for artists. With 512 levels of sensitivity, and a
screen surface designed to feel like paper, this touch-screen
out-performs any other tablet on the market - not to mention the fact
that it's a Mac! The best part is, that you don't have to buy a whole
new system ($2249 for a complete Modbook), just upgrade the MacBook
that you already use, for half that price ($1149), and it comes back
with all of your data and programs intact - sweet.
"We have posted a new, stop-motion take apart HD video of our
Overnight ModService. Watch the conversion of a standard MacBook into
the only Tablet Mac in under two minutes."
Link: TechRestore MacBook/ModBook
Conversion Take Apart Video
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible for
AppleCare.
PowerBook, iBook, and MacBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
- refurb 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80, $999
- refurb 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 SSD, $1,199
- refurb 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80, $1,099
- refurb 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 SSD, $1,299
- 2.0 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/160/SD, $1,099
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,399
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/128 SSD/SD, $1,899
- refurb 15" 2.2 GHz Santa Rosa MacBook Pro, 2 GB/120/SD, $1,249
- refurb 15" 2.4 GHz Penryn MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,699
- refurb 15" 2.6 GHz Penryn MacBook Pro, 2 GB/200 @ 7200 rpm/SD,
$1,799
- refurb 17" 2.4 GHz Penryn MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $1,849
- refurb 17" 2.5 GHz Santa Rosa MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,899
- 15" 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro, 512/80/SD, $849.99
- 15" 2.16 GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, $949
- 17" 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, 1 GB/120/SD, $1,399
- 2.0 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/160/SD, $1,219.99
- 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,509.99
- 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/200/SD, $1,449.99
- 15" 2.6 GHz Penryn MacBook Pro, 2 GB/200 @ 7200 RPM/SD,
$1,699.99
- 15" 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,819.99
- 15" 2.53 GHz Unibody MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $2,329.99
- 12" iBook G3/500 MHz, 128/10/CD, $169.99
- 12" iBook G3/600 MHz, 128/15/CD, $249.99
- 12" iBook G3/700 MHz, 128/20/Combo, $329.99
- 12" iBook G3/800 MHz, 256/30/Combo, $399.99
- 12" iBook G3/900 MHz, 256/40/Combo, $489.99
- 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, 60 day warranty,
$594.99
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, 60 day warranty,
$659.99
- 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, black, 512/80/SD, 60 day warranty,
$719.99
- 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/80/SD, 60 day warranty,
$769.99
- 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black, 1 GB/120/SD, 60 day warranty,
$799.99
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/867 MHz, 256/30/Combo, $549.99
- 15" titanium PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 256/60/Combo, $699.99
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1.25 GHz, 256/60/Combo, $599.99
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/Combo, $639.99
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 1 GB/80/Combo, $679.99
- 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 1 GB/80/SD, APX, $729.99
- 15" hi-res aluminum PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 512/80/SD, APX,
$799.99
- 15" 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/80/SD, 90 day warranty, $899.99
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/80/SD 90 day warranty, $979.99
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/100/SD 90 day warranty, $1,099.99
- 15" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, 90 day warranty,
$1,179.99
- 12" PowerBook G4/1 GHz, 1.25 GB/40/Combo, $499
- 12" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SD, $549
- 1.83 GHz MacBook, white, 2 GB/60/Combo, $649
- 2.0 GHz MacBook, white, 2 GB/60/SD, $699
- 2 GHz MacBook, black, 2 GB/120/SD, $799
- 2 GHz MacBook, black, 2 GB/500/SD, $949
- 2.0 GHz 15" MacBook Pro, 2 GB/80/SD, $799
- 2.16 GHz 15" MacBook Pro, 2 GB/100/SD, $999
- 2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320 @ 7200 rpm/SD, AppleCare,
$2,999
- 1.83 GHz MacBook, 1 GB/80/Combo, APX, $600
- 15" hi-res PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 1 GB/80/SD, $715
- 15" hi-res PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 1.5 GB/100/SD, $805
- 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, APX, $969
- 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 512/30/Combo, $499.95
- 15" PowerBook G4/500 MHz, 256/20/DVD, $479.95
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
