Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.04.22
Mac News
Reviews & Comments
Tips
New Products
Mac News
TechnoWarehouse Slashes G4 Processor Upgrade
for iMac to $199
PR: TechnoWarehouse LLC has announced a new price for the
466 MHz
processor upgrade for tray-loading iMacs. This powerful
upgrade is now reduced to only $199 ($50 less), and the rebate for
a working CPU card is $15.
iMac users can enjoy the superior performance of a 466 MHz
PowerPC G4 CPU. This G4 upgrade boosts iMac performance to allow
any Mac OS from 9.x through 10.3, without drivers. The original
iMac CPU was simply not powerful enough to run any version of Mac
OS X. This G4 processor upgrade has 1 MB of backside cache
running at half the CPU speed, so not only do customers get a
numerically greater processor clock speed, they also get double the
cache memory. The result is a 2.5 times improvement in system
speed. This user-installed upgrade come with a one-year
warranty.
"It's very exciting to provide a Mac OS X solution to the
millions of original iMac customers. We have hundreds and hundreds
of satisfied iMac customers who are running more demanding
applications from video editing to graphic design, using the power
of this popular iMac processor upgrade," said Jack Putnam of
TechnoWarehouse.
The 466 MHz PowerPC G4 CPU upgrade is compatible with the
following iMacs (Rev. A-D)
Reviews & Comments
The Ultimate Low End Mac With High Cool
Factor
Mac 360's
Bambi Hambi says
"It's been a long time coming. Hands down, Apple's Mac mini with Mac OS X Tiger owns the
low end. No, Apple won't sell more Mac mini's than eMachines or
Dell will sell low end boxes.
"What you get with the Mac mini vs. what you get with even low
end home-built PC systems is remarkably different.
"Low end (meaning, low cost and powerful) and ultra cool are
combined in one very powerful and appealing package. Here's
why."
Mac mini 1.42 GHz Reviewed
SchwarzTech's Eric Schwarz
reports:
"I ordered a Mac mini in mid-February to serve as a replacement
and companion for my iBook G3 and work-issued iBook G4. I opted to
get the 1.42 GHz model with some upgrades (512 MB RAM, SuperDrive,
AirPort, Bluetooth). With a display, keyboard, and mouse already
available, I fit Apple's target mini demographic perfectly.
"After weeks of waiting, the mini shipped via FedEx direct from
China and arrived last Friday. I was astonished at not only how
well-packaged it was (after opening the boxes for various Macs from
the aforementioned iBook to eMacs, I've always been impressed with
Apple's attention to details), but also how much smaller it was
than I had imagined."
The One-Sentence Verdict:
"The Mac mini is about as close to perfection as a budget/home
PC gets."
Pared Apple Just Peachy
The Herald Sun's
Peter Familari reports:
"Using all the know-how gleaned from the iPod mini and its range
of delectable PowerBooks and iBooks, Mac has done it again.
"Only this time the product given that ever-shrinking treatment
is a desktop called the Mac
mini.
"The wee mini comes in several versions, but shared by each is a
sleek, minimalist chassis that is 5cm high and a modest 16.5cm
square.
"Within this brilliant piece of industrial artifice, Apple has
crammed all the bits and pieces that make up a complete
computer."
The Mac mini - What Display to Choose?
Mini
Ture_MacJournal says:
"The only low to medium end Powermac device I have not parried
with is the 20" iMac G5 I have
been waiting for the rumoured changes and so far here, they are not
being exhibited. But next month it may be different, who knows but
that wont make any difference to the smallest in the family, the
Mac mini, if you don't count
the iPod's.
"With a passion I do still reflect on the great eMac that was at
the time everything I had wanted in a low end desk top.
"The key requirement of a 17" screen and quite powerful, subtle
and fast processing....
"To eulogize the eMac is
difficult, but now when there is a Mac mini in its place perhaps a
lot easier. The only thing to save the eMac I felt was the advent
of the Mac mini and the continual need in business and education to
have a reliable and reasonably damage proof shell obviously a
faster processor would help eMac longevity."
The Interactive Mac mini
Mini Ture_MacJournal says:
"So what does interconnective really mean for an iDevice like
the Mac mini?
"I had been searching though my old research database for
Internet connectivity and came to an excellent few links that point
to the direction of iconnectivity.
"There is a huge potential and real style and scope in the
interactive connections plug and play possible through the many
networks and the gateways even now at our disposal."
The Mac mini Suits an iHome
Mini Ture_MacJournal says:
"The academic argument for houses that are designed and
discreetly networked is readily available on thousands of web sites
and in the halls of academic opinion, but what exactly are we
talking about. Well we are looking at the current surge in embedded
appliance technology since 1999 which has change the way in which
many think about their daily life patterns.
"An iHouse becomes an iHome when all the technology within it is
being used adequately and comfortably is assimilated into the daily
life style rituals a family may have. We sometimes think this is
all just a matter of chance but this is not the case we all have to
work hard at being comfortable and well organized....
"...The Mac mini can have media centre applications...."
The Mac mini Size + Form + Quiet = Mi
Musica!
Mini Ture_MacJournal says:
"There are a number of characters and factors which make me
appreciate my Mac mini. My music, 'Mi Musica'. In 1969 I went on
rather a long journey which took me via San Francisco and LA to
take a Pan Am to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"It was an Architects congress which the University sent me to
as an international delegate. I mention this because I was an
Auzzie so far from home, in a strange environment, but on the train
station on the way back from Ma del Plata one of the young
Argentinean Architects sporting the then popular handle bar
drooping moustache, was carrying his guitar. I said, "why bring
that along" and he replied, "I have to have my Musica". Here is me
an Australian carrying a portable tape deck and a small transistor
radio and I could not understand what he was on about, but when we
sat in the train his guitar and songs came out and they were superb
so superior to my canned low quality music.
"SIZE-FORM-QUIET- THEN SUPERB MUSIC.
"So with my Mac mini, I have to have my music, and the quality
is superb just as it was in a train on the way back from Mar del
Plata. So why is it so good?"
"Well for one thing the Mac mini is whisper quiet...."
The Mac mini Seamless Transfer - Looking
back
Mini Ture_MacJournal reports:
"One of the requirements for my first Mac mini was the complete
backing up of my core information off my iMac G5 as it was, because
each time previously I have had to work hard at the establishment
of my data. from 40 GB HD's but this time it was a breeze with the
simple restore command with a fire wire cable. It had sometimes
taken me weeks previously even with restores building from 40 GB to
80 GB....
"I have never had a more seamless or more effective restore from
one computer to another."
Tips
Mac mini with a 3.5" Drive on the
Internal IDE Bus
Arizona Macintosh Users Group's Arthur
Whalem reports:
"The Apple Computer Mac mini is a cute little box with a fast
processor and a slow performing hard drive. I thought it would be
interesting to see how performance might be improved if I installed
a 3.5" 7200 RPM hard drive on the ATA100 IDE bus of a Mac mini 1.42
GHz. The Mac mini in these tests has 512 MB of memory installed and
I have removed the internal DVD and 2.5 inch hard drive in order to
attach an adapter that allows the Mac mini to accept one or two 3.5
inch IDE hard drive(s) instead."
New Products
The Plasticsmith Introduces Mac mini Shack
PR: The
Plasticsmith has announced the release of its newest
Mac mini accessory, the mini
Shack, designed exclusively for Apple's Mac mini. It is the first
stand to incorporate a hub.
The mini Shack:glo
sports a blue LED illuminated base crowned with a white acrylic
housing that shelters a built-in 7-port high-speed USB 2.0 hub and
provides space under the hub for cord management. The USB-powered
blue LED features a convenient on-off switch. It matches the lines
of the mini, complementing the mini's unique design. It is
available, as well, in LED white glo $69.95 introductory price;
$79.95 as of June 1st.
For those who prefer
transparency over a blue hue, the mini Shack:clear is identical in
size, design and built-in hub, however it provides an alternative
to the look of the blue-glo, with a light-reflecting acrylic base.
Clear $59.95 introductory price; $69.95 as of June 1st.
Finally, there is the humble mini Shack: "BYOH" (Bring Your Own
Hub) for those who already have their own hub and want a safe and
stylish hideaway to store it in or would rather select their own
hub. Like its sisters, its shape and height is identical. It has
the spaciousness to manage cord clutter and can shelter any one of
a number of hubs. BYOH $39.95 introductory price; $49.95 as of June
1st.
All of these products are sold through the Plasticsmith's online
store and will be available for shipping on 4/29/05.
DecalGirl Mac mini Skins
PR: DecalGirl
says:
While we loved the fact that our new Mac minis took up no desk space, we
felt that the stark white top of the unit was missing something.
After doing a few skins for them on a whim, we were amazed at the
comments we received and figured we had to offer them to other Mac
mini owners.
We're proud to offer a line of precision-fit skin kits to dress
up your Apple Mac Mini. As with any of our full-color skins,
they're all easily removable, washable and reusable and guaranteed
not to fade, smudge or smear. We'll also be offering a template
soon for those of you who want to use your own artwork.
Mac mini Skins sell for $9.99 and come in 32 different
designs
Tempo-X eSATA Eight Port Serial ATA
PCI-X Host Controller for Power Macs
PR: Sonnet Technologies has announced the Tempo-X
eSATA 4+4 8-port Serial ATA PCI-X host controller, the latest
addition to the Sonnet Tempo line of products. This product
replaces the acclaimed Tempo-X SATA 4+4, adding features while
retaining the same suggested retail price. New features include
eSATA connectors used in the external ports, drive activity LEDs,
and hot-swap drive connection support.
Like the Tempo-X SATA 4+4 it replaces, Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 offers
four internal ports, plus four external ports for connecting SATA
drives. The external ports now feature eSATA connectors - eSATA is
the emerging standard from the Serial ATA International
Organization (SATA-IO) for the external deployment of Serial ATA
storage solutions. Designed for applications where swapping drives
is required, eSATA connectors and cables offer better shielding for
improved EMI characteristics, have better retention than the
internal SATA I version, and are rated at 5,000 insertion
cycles.
High performance and flexibility remain the hallmarks of the
Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 - this product utilizes the PCI-X interface to
take advantage of the enhanced performance offered in fast Power
Mac® G5 computers while retaining compatibility in standard PCI
slots. Users can connect up to eight hard drives for up to
4 TB (terabytes) of storage space and can group them in a RAID
0 (striped) array to achieve sustained read/write speeds in excess
of 545 MB/s. With the addition of hot-swap functionality, users can
change projects and drives on the fly, an especially useful benefit
when drives are connected externally.
Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 Key Features
- 64-bit, 133 MHz PCI-X Serial ATA host controller
- Works in any PCI-X or PCI slot in the listed compatible
computers
- 4 internal (SATA I) + 4 external (eSATA) ports to support up to
4 TB of storage
- Supports hot-swap drive connection
- No drivers to install - plug and play installation
- Supports Mac OS X's built-in RAID 0 (striping) and RAID 1
(mirroring) functions
- Upgradable firmware to enable future enhancements
- Includes two 22-inch, internal SATA data cables and two
legacy-to-SATA power cable adapters
Compatibility:
Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 (Part no. TSATA-X44A) is available immediately
with a retail price of $199.95.
Tempo eSATA Data Cables
PR: The Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 card's external ports require
the use of eSATA data
cables. Sonnet offers two kinds of eSATA cables to support
the connection of external drive enclosures with SATA I connectors
as well as those with eSATA connectors.
- TCB-SATA-2/1 connects Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 to an external drive
enclosure with SATA I connectors.
- TCB-SATA-2/2 connects Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 to an external drive
enclosure with eSATA connectors.
Tempo eSATA data cables are available now and are sold
individually with a retail price of $24.95.
Hot-Swap Support for Tempo-X Serial ATA PCI-X
Host Controllers
PR: Sonnet Technologies have announced the addition of
hot-swap functionality to the Tempo-X family of Serial ATA (SATA)
PCI-X host controllers. Tempo-X products shipping from today,
including the just-announced Tempo-X eSATA 4+4, support
hot-swappable drive connection, enabling users to swap out large
amounts of data on single drives and RAID arrays without the need
to power down the computer. Customers who have already purchased
and installed a Tempo-X SATA host controller may now upgrade their
card's firmware to add this new feature.
"Sonnet received numerous requests for the addition of hot-swap
support," declares Robert Farnsworth, Sonnet president and CEO. "It
has been the number one request of Tempo-X SATA 4+4 and Tempo-X
eSATA 8 users, and it's been our engineers' top priority for this
product line." "Serial ATA was originally designed to support
internal device connection, but with its data transfer speed
advantage over FireWire® 800, users demanded external
connections for SATA drives," states Steve Garceau, Sonnet Product
Manager. Sonnet's Tempo-X line addresses the need for external
drive support. Hot-swap functionality significantly improves its
value.
The firmware updater for the Tempo-X SATA 4+4 and Tempo-X eSATA
8 PCI-X Serial ATA host controllers is available for free download
at: <http://www.sonnettech.com/downloads/adapter_sw.html#tsata-x>
FirmTek High Performance PCI-X SATA Host
Adapters for the Macintosh
PR: FirmTek,
LLC, the leading developer of ATA host adapter solutions
for Apple's Macintosh has announced the immediate availability of
their newest Serial ATA host adapters: the four-port SeriTek/1VE4
and SeriTek/1V4 external and internal adapters. These adapters join
FirmTek's popular line of Serial ATA solutions which include the
world's first internal and external Serial ATA adapters for the
Macintosh, the SeriTek/1S2 and SeriTek/1SE2, and their
award-winning external enclosure, the SeriTek/1EN2.
The SeriTek/1VE4 and SeriTek/1V4 adapters offer 133 MHz PCI-X
interfaces for the ultimate in Power Mac G5 performance while
retaining compatibility with all other PCI-based Macintoshes. They
feature direct booting from attached hard drives, hot-swap
capability (1VE4 only), support for native Mac OS X RAID 0/1, and
work with OS 8, OS 9, and OS X 10.1.5 and later.
SeriTek/1VE4
This adapter offers four external Serial ATA ports that are
independently controlled, fully shielded and completely
hot-swappable. This design allows for the quick connection of
drives to virtually any PCI-based Macintosh for any number of
applications, and the hot-swap feature means that multiple users or
applications can share the same machine without rebooting between
projects. Even a fully operational RAID volume can be unmounted,
disconnected, and replaced with another volume without powering the
Macintosh down, a FirmTek exclusive feature. This can be especially
useful in applications where large video files are being
created.
SeriTek/1V4
This solution employs the same FirmTek quality as the 1VE4, but
utilizes internal connections for independent volumes or RAID
arrays contained entirely inside the Macintosh. It has the same
performance without employing hot-swap capability.
With legacy G4 platforms, including most of the "Sawtooth"
varieties of Power Macintosh, both of these new SeriTek solutions
are limited by bus speed rather than processor speed, which results
in impressive performance now that the processor can be fully
utilized. While the original Sawtooth machines will often
outperform 130 MB/sec throughput, the later Digital Audio,
Quicksilver and MDD systems deliver RAID performance nearly
equivalent to the latest G5 towers. Given these older systems'
greater internal storage capacities, this will be important for
many video professionals.
"Macintosh users now have the option of adding four
high-capacity and high-performance Serial ATA hard drives to their
computer with just one adapter," said Chi Kim Stanford, Vice
President of Business Development for FirmTek. "Drives can be
configured as individual volumes, striped with OS X's disk utility,
or configured as high-performance RAID sets using third party RAID
solutions such as SoftRAID resulting in amazing performance and
reliability." "The blazing performance of our new SeriTek/1VE4 and
1V4 host adapters," continued Stanford, "allow many video
professionals to realize the dream of capturing uncompressed
high-definition video on a budget."
The SeriTek/1VE4 and SeriTek/1V4 adapters offer the key benefits
of speed and capacity with remarkable flexibility and ease of
service. With drives now surpassing 500 GB each, there are few
applications with requirements too extreme for these new SeriTek
models. When formatted and controlled by Mac OS X's RAID software,
the highest performance drives support the storage of uncompressed
high-definition streaming video, which was not easily accomplished
on desktop systems before the arrival of Serial ATA. The easy and
accessible cabling of Serial ATA drives also makes installing and
servicing them a snap when compared to their predecessors.
SeriTek/1VE4 and SeriTek/1V4 Key Features and Benefits:
- Exclusive hot-swap capability of stand-alone drives and drives
within a RAID volume; add and remove drives without shutting down
the computer (1VE4 only)
- Latest 133 MHz PCI-X interface technology
- Compatible with all PCI-based Power Macintosh computers;
deliver top performance on "Sawtooth" G4, and all G5 computers
- Self-contained booting functionality supports direct booting
from attached drives
- Four independently controlled Serial ATA ports
- Boosts overall system performance with data transfer rates of
up to 150 Mbytes/sec or 1.5 Gbits/sec per port
- "Plug and Play" drivers built-in for Macintosh
- Supports Mac OS 8, OS 9, and OS X version 10.1.5 or later
- Provides performance and protection: Supports native OS X RAID
0/1; OS 9 RAID with third party software
- User-upgradeable firmware for easy updates
- Large LBA support for drives larger than 137 GB
- Includes two "works with Macintosh" thin and flexible SATA
cables to allow easy, optimal placement of devices (1V4 only)
- Ideal for backing up large amounts of data - perfect for
multimedia-intensive applications: audio/video capture and editing,
graphics manipulation and high-end digital publishing
FirmTek's SeriTek/1VE4 external Serial ATA host adapter is
priced at $139.95 (SATA-1VE4). The SeriTek/1V4 internal Serial ATA
host adapter is priced at $119.95 (SATA-1V4). Specially priced
bundles with external enclosures are available.
nRAID Terabyte Network Direct Attached
Storage
PR: nRAID
is the world's first Network Direct Attach 2.5 TB (terabyte) RAID
system. nRAID offers the same RAID functionality as eRAID, yet
nRAID allows direct connection to any network without the need for
IP configurations or expensive servers! nRAID is designed from the
ground up for easy expansion and secure data storage and sharing of
all your files in a fast, easy, cost-effective and extremely high
fault tolerance system.
Key Features
- NDAS-RAID - Network Direct Attach Storage RAID System
- Built-in technology supports aggregation, which allows easy
expansion.
- Support ATA133 HDD with 48-bit LBA support
- Support Sharing RAID volume via dual buses: Ethernet or USB 2.0
and Serial ATA
- Configure RAID with RS232/USB port or LCD control panel
- Instant availability and background initialization
- Redundant Flash Image to ensure risk-free when flash, or
firmware crash
- Serial ATA, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Support: Windows® 98SE / 2000 / XP / Linux Red Hat"
9.0
- G4 processor or higher running OS X 10.2 or higher
- Price does not include hard drives
Just connect nRAID into a wired or wireless network (LAN)
switch, install the driver software and simply use it just like a
local disk drive on each specified computer.
Because NDAS technology allows direct storage connection to the
network, the data process path and speed is as durable and fast as
a computer's internal storage. Other external network storage
devices are more complex, rely on a server, and have longer data
processing paths. Ultimately, other solutions experience
significant degradation in performance.
NetDisk may easily adapt as the central storage unit for all
business or entertainment needs.
Each nRAID has a unique hardware ID and access keycodes which
allow you to specify which computer users have read and write
access, read access only or even no access to NetDisk? even though
they are all connected on the same network! Also, since nRAID
requires no TCP/IP setting, the unit is invisible and safe from
external hackers.
Built-in two independent data paths our nRAID is the ONLY
external (portable) RAID system with offering the un-parallel
sharing feature. As USB 2.0 and Ethernet ports configure with
channel 0 (data path), where other independent channel 1 move data
thru Serial ATA, therefore two different computer systems (OS
independent) can access the data in our nRAID. To use this feature
please refer to turn on the Sharing feature
Specifications
- Model Part Number nRAID - Network Direct Attach Storage RAID
system up 2.5 TB capacity
- System Architecture Toshiba TMPR4927ATB 200 MHz 64-bit RISC
processor
- 64 MB onboard cache memory with ECC protection
- Five channels IDE controller with enhanced H/W XOR engine
- NVRAM for RAID configuration & transaction log
- Write-through or write-back cache support
- Firmware in Flash ROM for easy upgrades
- RAID Features RAID level 0, 1 (0+1), 3, 5 and JBOD
- Multiple RAID selection
- Array roaming
- Online RAID level/ stripe size migration
- Online capacity expansion and RAID level migration
simultaneously
- Automatically and transparently rebuilds hot spare drives
- Hot swap new drives without taking the system down
- Instant availability and background initialization
- Automatic drive insertion / removal detection and
rebuilding
- Disk Bus Interface Ultra ATA/133 5 channels, operating in
parallel
- Five hot-swap drive trays supports disk exceeding 137 GB
- Staggering the Spin-Up of Individual Disk to Solve the Power-on
Surge
- Host Bus Interface: USB 2.0, Ethernet (10/100 mbps)
- Serial ATA; transfer up to 150 MB/s
- Monitor/Indicators Push Buttons and LCD Display Panel for
setup, alarm mute and configuration (option)
- Five drive LED indicators and 3 environment LED indicators
- Environment and drive failure indication through LCD, LED and
alarm buzzer
- Built-in alarm
- RAID Management Bootable CD VT-100 utility for X86-based system
initialization
- Field-upgradeable firmware in flash ROM via RS232 port
- Web browser-based RAID management via HTTP PROXY through RS232
port for windows & Linux system
- Firmware-embedded manager via RS232 port (platform
independent)
- Software Drivers Windows® 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP (Multi
R/W)
- Linux Red Hat" 9.0 (beta)
- G4 processor or higher running OS X 10.2 or higher (Single
Write)
- Mechanical Weight 15 lbs/6.8 kg w/o disk drive
- I/O Interface 1 x Universal AC receptacle
- 1 x RS232; 1 x USB 2.0, 1x RJ-45, 1 SATA port
- Environmental Operating Temperature: +5 C to +40 C
- Humidity: 15-80%, non-condensing
- Storage Temperature: 40 C to 70 C
- Storage Humidity: 5-90%, non-condensing
- Electrical 115-230 VAC 50/60 Hz switchable 200W output
nRAID sells for $1,499.
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers every two
weeks:
For deals on laptops, see our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals,
and Best iBook G3
Deals. For deals on iPods, see our Best iPod Deals.
