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, iPhone, and Apple
TV news is covered in The iNews
Review.
News & Opinion
Reviews
Apple Updates
Tech Trends
Software
News & Opinion
5 Reasons the MacBook Pro Isn't Just for Pros
Mac Blorge's
Triston McIntyre says:
"You're standing in the Apple store, looking up and down the row of
MacBooks and MacBook Pros; one is silver and slightly bigger, and one
is white or black . . . but when it comes down to your bank
account, is silver really all that worth it? The answer is a thousand
times yes, and here are 5 reasons why."
Link:
5 Reasons the MacBook Pro Ain't Just for the Pros
8 Steps to Buying a MacBook
American Chronicle's Rodney Goldston says:
Every week I'm approached by friends and family considering the
purchase of an Apple computer asking my advice. In this article I'll
teach you the critical things you need to consider when purchasing an
Apple MacBook computer. I'll also provide a link to places on the web
where you can get a list of good deals on a MacBook and other Apple
Computer stuff.
- Decide where you want to shop.
- Decide what color MacBook you would like to own.
- Memory
- Hard Drive
- Decide on an optical drive
- Displays
- AppleCare Protection Plan
- Enjoy your new MacBook
Editor's note: "The page cannot be displayed. The request cannot be
processed at this time. The amount of traffic exceeds the Web site's
configured capacity. Server error: Web server is too busy." Good old
Microsoft Internet Information Services, always letting us know when
it's misbehaving. :-) dk
Link:
8 Steps to Buying an Apple MacBook Computer
Mobile Intel 'Penryn' Processors to Launch in
January
The Register Hardware's
Tony Smith
"Intel has already launched its first desktop 45nm 'Penryn'
processor, the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and has begun seeding next year's
QX9770 - reviewed here. And now we know what it's planning for
laptops.
"While these desktop CPUs are quad-core parts, the mobiles will be
dual-core chips, DailyTech reports. They'll debut on 6 January during
the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and just ahead of Macworld
Expo.
"The T8100 and T8300 are clocked at 2.1 GHz and 2.3 GHz,
respectively, and contain 3 MB of L2 cache shared by both cores. The
T9300 and T9500 up the cache to 6 MB. They run, respectively, at 2.5
GHz and 2.6 GHz.
"All four chips have a thermal envelope of 35W, which matches
current Core 2 Duo processors, allowing notebook makers to slot the new
chips in without having to redesign the machines' thermal
characteristics....
"...Intel's next update of the current incarnation of its Centrino
notebook platform. Santa Rosa's successor, 'Montevina', is due in May
2008 and will see the introduction of 25W CPUs capable of running on an
1066 MHz frontside bus (FSB) - Santa Rosa uses an 800 MHz FSB."
Link: First
Mobile Intel 'Penryn' Processors to Launch in January
Intel's 'Penryn' Mobile Processor Schedule
Revealed
DailyTech's Brandon
Hill reports:
"Model numbers for Intel's upcoming mobile chips leaked
"Intel shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to its mobile
processors. Intel's Core-based architecture has being doing remarkably
well in the marketplace with Celeron-M, Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo
and Core 2 Extreme processors covering the vast spectrum between budget
and high-end notebooks.
"Intel will up the ante again on January 6, 2008 with its new 45nm
Penryn-based Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme dual core processors.
"It's highly plausible that the chips could make their first
appearance at CES 2008 (January 7, 2008) with further unveils at
Macworld 2008 in Apple's oft-rumored tablet, revamped MacBook Pros or
refreshed iMac desktops."
Link:
Intel's 'Penryn' Mobile Processor Schedule Revealed
MacBook nano at Macworld '15% Short of a Sure
Thing'
lacyiceplusheat.blogspot.com says:
"A Piper Jaffray analyst puts the probability of an 'ultra-portable'
MacBook being introduced at Macworld at 85%.
"That's as close to being a certainty as anything rumored to be
about to sprout forth from Apple ever is, which is to say don't count
on it until you hear Steve Jobs say that it's true, but be listening
for it...
"And, as always with Apple, the truth may turn out to be even more
interesting than anticipated."
Link:
Subcompact MacBook nano at Macworld 15% Short of a Sure Thing
Why Is a MacBook 30% More Expensive in the UK?
seopher.com's Steven York says:
"It's the festive season and everyone is geared up for some
shopping. As it happens my old Pentium IV laptop isn't doing so well
anymore so I felt inclined to purchase a more mobile computing
solution; the Apple MacBook was the obvious choice. But what are Apple
doing with their pricing structure?
"The MacBook is an excellent piece of kit; the build quality alone
is leagues ahead of most laptops and given I don't game on notebooks
anymore it seems logical to accept a Mac as the most stable, high
quality tool for my mobile computing needs. However upon shopping
around the obvious price differences between the UK and US became more
than an annoyance, they became insulting . . . there is one
crucial question that I would like a definitive answer to:
"Can someone explain why there is such an epic difference in price
between the UK and US markets?"
Link:
Why Is a MacBook 30.8% More Expensive in the UK than the US?
Kenmos and Nano-Op Supply LED Backlit LCDs to
Apple
DigiTimes' Rebecca
Kuo and Rodney Chan report:
"Kenmos Technology and Taiwan Nano Electro-Optical Technology
(Nano-Op) have become suppliers of notebook-use LED backlight units
(BLUs) for Dell and Apple, with the makers' shipments to the segment
expected to soar, according to industry sources.
"Nano-Op has already started shipping 12.1-inch notebook LED BLUs to
Dell via AU Optronics (AUO), and its 13.3-inch LED notebook BLUs have
already been validated by Apple, the sources said.
"The sources disclosed that Nano-Op's LED notebook BLU shipments in
November were only about 10,000 units, but Apple orders are expected
drive up shipments to over 90,000 units in December."
Link: Kenmos and
Nano-Op Supply LED Notebook BLUs to Dell and Apple
Apple to Debut More LED-lit Notebooks?
MacNN reports:
"Both Apple and Dell are already set to receive large quantities of
small LCDs with LED backlights for imminent notebooks, according to a
new report from Taiwan manufacturers. Local firms Kenmos and Nano-Op
are said to be producing the thinner, more power-efficient backlights
for LCD display makers AU Optronics (AUO) and Chi Mei respectively that
will be used for compact notebooks by both of the American notebook
designers. Although details of Kenmos' production plans are unclear and
may include existing systems such as the 15-inch MacBook Pro or the XPS
M1330, AUO and Nano-Op are allegedly producing a 13.3-inch screen for
Apple and a 12.1-inch screen for Dell, the report's industry sources
claim."
Link: Apple,
Dell to Debut More LED-lit Notebooks?
Reviews
17" MacBook Pro 'Absolutely Flies'
Trusted
Reviews' Wil Harris reports:
"Apple has turned around its fortunes in computer sales with its
latest line-up of laptops. While its market share in terms of hardware
has been tiny in the last two years, this year has seen it grow
massively, to the point where almost 20 per cent of all laptops sold in
the US are Designed By Apple in Cupertino, California - and Jobs' firm
is well on the way to catching HP and Dell in the sales stakes.
"Key to the resurgence of Apple has been its consumer line of
notebooks, the MacBook, with its
pearly white finish and wide screen. But Apple has never forgotten that
so many of its customers are 'creative' professionals - video editors,
photographers, graphic artists and web designers, and so has continued
to put a bit of effort into its MacBook Pro line....
"The configuration we have on test here today is a 2.4 GHz machine,
specced up with 4 GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive...
"...there's no doubting that the machine doesn't lack power. First
impressions upon use are that it's seriously snappy - with 4 GB of
RAM, Leopard, the latest version of OS X, absolutely flies
. . . the 17in MacBook Pro is really a fantastic machine for
creatives and anyone else looking for a high-powered, high-style laptop
with a large screen...."
Link:
Apple MacBook Pro 17in
Hitachi vs. Seagate 200 GB 7200 rpm Notebook
Drives
Bare Feats' rob-ART
Morgan reports:
"Seagate now has a 200 GB 7200 rpm SATA notebook (2.5 inch) drive,
the Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420AS and ASG. We were curious how it
compared to the 200G 7K notebook drive from Hitachi Travelstar 7K200
(HTS722020K9SA00).
"We tested them on both FireWire 800 and SATA ports. And we included
results from the Western Digital Scorpio (WD2500BEVS) 250 GB 5400 rpm
notebook drive.
"Conclusions:
"The Hitachi 7K 200G notebook drive posted the fastest times for
large sustained transfers. However, the Seagate 7K 200G was fastest in
the small random transfers - which implies it would make a better boot
drive. I'd be pleased to have either drive in my MacBook Pro...."
Link: Shootout:
Hitachi versus Seagate 200 GB 7200 rpm Notebook Drives
Apple Updates
Apple Posts MacBook Developer Note
PR: This developer
note gives a technical description of the Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook
computers introduced in November 2007. The purpose of this note is to
provide information about the computer's internal design, input-output
features, and expansion capabilities to help developers design products
compatible with the MacBook, however, it makes interesting reading for
anyone technically-minded who has an interest in the engineering
details of Apple's latest notebook computers.
This particular note describes the MacBook computers based on the
2.0 GHz and 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo microprocessor, introduced in
November 2007. It includes information about distinguishing features of
the computer, including components on the main logic board: the
microprocessor, the other main ICs, and the buses that connect them to
each other and to the I/O interfaces.
Link:
MacBook Developer Note
Tech Trends
Laptop Power Cranks Up a Gear
The Register Hardware's
James Sherwood reports:
"There's never really been a reliable way of losing weight and
saving the planet - and certainty not one that works while you're sat
working at your desk. Until now - a Spanish Polytechnic has invented a
laptop that runs on a miniature bicycle.
"The Polytechnic of Madrid's design means a cycling action by the
user is turned into electricity, which powers the laptop via a voltage
convertor...."
Link:
Laptop Power Cranks Up a Gear
Samsung and Toshiba to Share Specs for
Premium NAND Flash Memory to Increase Supplier and Procurement
Flexibility
PR: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation
today announced that they have licensed to one another the rights to
produce, market and sell memory with the specifications and trademarks
of Samsung's OneNAND and Toshiba's LBA-NAND memory chips.
As a result of the reciprocal arrangement, original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) will have a broader choice of suppliers for each
premium memory chip, thereby reducing any potential risk of
over-dependence on a single supplier for any of the selected chips. The
arrangement is expected to result in increased availability of
premium-performance OneNAND and LBA-NAND flash devices worldwide.
Under terms of the agreement, Samsung will license product
specifications of its integrated OneNAND and Flex-OneNAND "fusion"
memory chips to Toshiba, while Toshiba will license product
specifications of its single-package LBA-NAND and mobileLBA-NAND flash
chips to Samsung. Both companies will develop and market products that
are compatible with the respective original-source technology. Samsung
and Toshiba each plan to release products next year based on the
respectively licensed product specifications.
Masaki Momodomi, Flash Memory Technology Executive of Toshiba
Corporation's Semiconductor Company, said, "Signing this agreement will
provide a major boost for market development and we believe it will
trigger substantial new growth. It will allow our customers more
options - both in terms of high performance technologies and suppliers.
We believe that this agreement will bring positive results to the
industry as a whole."
Yun-Ho Choi, senior vice president of the Flash Team at Samsung
Electronics' Semiconductor Business, said, "The advanced performance
specs and easy design-in features of the NAND flash memories to which
the agreement applies can greatly improve design options for CE
application designers, while reducing development costs. Samsung will
place additional priority on meeting the anticipated growth in demand
for high-performance NAND flash in mobile and other consumer
applications through the provisioning of more diverse NAND solutions
and peripheral interfaces."
Samsung's OneNAND and Flex OneNAND are fusion memories that
integrate a NAND core, SRAM, error correcting engines, and logic
circuits in a single chip with a NOR interface. Flex-OneNAND's
capability of partitioning SLC and MLC allows it to provide a highly
flexible and cost-effective flash storage solution for consumer
electronics and other applications. By providing optimized software
along with OneNAND, Samsung can help users easily design OneNAND into
their platforms for high performance while reducing total development
time.
Toshiba's LBA-NAND and mobileLBA-NAND are non-volatile memories that
integrate a controller and NAND flash memory in a single package. Pin
assignment and the command sequence are compatible with conventional
NAND flash memories, but logical address access methods are utilized.
LBA-NAND are designed for use in mobile consumer products, such as
digital audio players and personal media players, and mobileLBA-NAND
are for mobile phones. Both support developers in minimizing
development costs and shortening development times for new and upgraded
products.
Software
KeyRemap4MacBook 2.2 MacBook Keyboard
Remapper
PR: KeyRemap4MacBook is a keyboard remapper for Mac OS X.
Not to mention the change of simple key remap, it has the special
remapping like Emacs-mode, SandS-mode (Space and Shift).
ex.
- enter - > command
- swap escape & tilde.
- control+M - > return (Emacs)
- space - > shift (SandS)
- drop shift+F1 .. shift+F12 (prevent to slow down expose)
Very small & concise source code written with C++.
Use it as codebase of your original keyremapper.
New in version 2.2:
- [BUGFIX] Fixed the bug around "key to modifier" (enter2*,
return2option, jis_eisuu2*, jis_kana2*).
- Support PowerBook enter key.
- Added new remapping.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
System support: PPC/Intel
Free
Link: KeyRemap4MacBook
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, iBook, and MacBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.
Changes this week with Apple refurbished 'Books include a $100 price
drop on the 2.4 GHz 15" MacBook Pro, a return of 2.33 GHz 17" MacBook
Pros and a wider selection of refurb MacBooks. cm
- refurb 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/00/Combo, $899
- refurb 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/120/SD, $1,049
- refurb 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black, 1 GB/160/SD, $1,249
- refurb 15" 2.2 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/120/SD, $1,699
- refurb 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $2,099
- refurb 17" 2.33 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $2,199
- refurb 17" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $2,399
- refurb hi-res 17" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD,
$2,599
TechRestore is offering a $25 discount to 'Book
Review readers off any PowerBook or iBook in stock. Just enter the code
CWM during checkout when ordering online. The coupon code is valid from
now through 2007.12.31.
- 12" iBook G3/900, 256/40/Combo, $429.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/60/Combo, $799.99 less $25 =
$774.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SD, $879.99 less $25 =
$854.99
- 15" PowerBook G4/1.67 GHz, 512/100/SD, $979.99 less $25 =
$954.99
- Lombard PowerBook G3/333, 128/4/CD, $219.99
- Lombard PowerBook G3/400, 128/4/CD, $299.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 128/6/DVD, $299.99
- Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 128/6/DVD, $349.99
- 15" 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/80/SD, 512 MB VRAM, $1,179.99
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 512/100/SD, 256 MB VRAM, $1,239.99
- 15" 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, 512 MB VRAM, $1,299.99
- 15" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, $1,399.99
- 17" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/100/SD, $1,629.99
- 17" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/120/SD, $1,689.99
- 17" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/160/SD, $1,729.99
- 17" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 1 GB/200/SD, $1,829.99
Free ground shipping
- open box 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/120/SD,warranty
started, $1,199
- open box 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white, 1 GB/120/SD, $1,229
- open box 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black, 1 GB/160/SD,warranty
started, $1,399
- open box 2.16 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black, 1 GB/160/SD, $1,469
- open box 15" 2.33 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, $2,599
- open box 17" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/160/SD, warranty
started, $2,688
- 12" iBook G3/700, 128/20/CD, AP, small crack, $249
- 15" PowerBook G4/550, 128/30/Combo, $349
- 12" iBook G3/700, 256/20/Combo, $299
- 12" iBook G3/700, 384/20/Combo, $309
- Add AirPort for $69
- 12" iBook G4/1.0 GHz, 512/30/Combo, $475
- 12" iBook G4/1.0 GHz, 512/30/Combo, AirPort, $509
- Add AirPort Extreme for $39
- 12" iBook G3/500, 128/10/CD, $199.95
- 12" iBook G3/500, 128/40/CD, $219.95
- 12" iBook G3/500, 256/10/CD-RW, $239.95
- 12" iBook G3/800, 256/30/CD, $249.95
- Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 192/6/Zip, $269.95
- 14" iBook G4/1 GHz, 512/40/Combo, $549.95
- 15" PowerBook G4/500, 256/20/DVD, $449.95
- 15" PowerBook G4/800, 256/40/Combo, $599.95
- 12" clamshell iBook G3/300, 512/3/CD, tested battery, power cord,
OS X 10.3, $235
- $189.99 with OS X 10.3 with 288 MB RAM
- $149.99 with OS X 10.2 and 160 MB RAM
- 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 256/40/Combo, OS X 10.4, $589.99
- 12" iBook G4/1.07 GHz, 256/30/Combo, APX, $399
- new Apple battery for 12" iBook G3 or G4, $42.99
For more deals on current and discontinued models, see our MacBook deals, MacBook Pro deals, 12" PowerBook G4 deals,
15" PowerBook G4
deals, 17"
PowerBook G4 deals, titanium PowerBook G4
deals, iBook G4
deals, PowerBook G3
deals, and iBook G3
deals.
