Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.11.04
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. News about Apple's
transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is covered in
The Macintel Report. iPod news is
covered in The iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
Advice
Products
Software
Advice
The Merits of Partitioning Your Hard Drive
Macworld's Rob Griffiths says:
"For those who aren't familiar, a partition is nothing more than
one smaller piece of a larger hard drive. Though this is
oversimplifying things a bit, to the operating system there's no
difference between a hard drive and one partition of a hard drive -
both appear as distinct mountable volumes to the system.
"And since a partition looks and acts like a hard drive, when
you have an issue with a partition, the problem is usually
restricted to that one partition - the remainder of the partitions
on that disk will be fine. This isn't true in all situations, of
course. If you have a catastrophic failure of the drive (the power
unit fails, the read/write heads stop moving, etc.), then
partitioning isn't going to help at all. But for most minor drive
problems, only the affected partition will have difficulties. In my
case, even though the iPhoto partition was completely thrashed, I
could read and write to the other partitions on the disk without
any troubles at all...."
Being a longtime partitioning fan and advocate, I commend this
article, although it does not reference the fact that good software
tools are now available for partitioning and resizing partitions
without erasing the drive (iPartition, Drive Genius, and
VolumeWorks). cm
Link:
On the Merits of Partitioning
Products
2 GB Memory Upgrade for New iMac G5, Power Mac
G5
PR: Trans International has announced the worldwide
availability of 2 GB memory module for newly released Apple iMac G5
1.9 GHz, 2.1 GHz and Power Mac G5 2.0,2.3, 2.5 GHz machines.
Trans is a member of the Apple Developer Group and a leading
memory module manufacturer since 1988. Trans is now shipping 512 MB
and 1 GB modules and 2 GB will be available in second
week of November 2005.
Trans memory modules conform to Apple's stringent electrical and
mechanical design guidelines. The unbuffered DDR2 PC2-4200 Memory
Modules support data rate up to 533 MHz.
EDGE Tech DDR2 and DDR2 with ECC for Apple
Computers
PR: EDGE Tech Corp, a leading supplier of DRAM and flash
memory upgrades, portable computing products, storage devices, and
other personal technology solutions, is pleased to announce its
DDR2 and DDR2 with ECC memory for the Apple series of computers.
EDGE Tech Corp's DDR2 memory modules are the industry's only Mac
memory modules to undergo the rigorous testing and vetting process
necessary to ensure lightning speeds and ultra stability to the Mac
user's experience. Manufactured to the needs of the power user,
EDGE Tech's memory modules will be available in memory
configurations from 512 MB to 4 GB of DDR2 RAM and DDR2 with
ECC and will be available to consumers immediately.
EDGE Tech qualifies all DDR2 modules by thoroughly testing them
under a variety of environmental conditions such as extreme heat
and bitter cold while performing under load with the latest Mac
software. EDGE Tech's modules are designed under compliance with
the industry's JEDEC semiconductor engineering standard and
assembled in ISO-compliant conditions while tested with the lowest
possible latencies and highest bus speeds.
iMac G5
- Memory Size: 512 MB to 2 GB DDR2 (single module)
- Memory Speed: PC2-4200 (533 MHz)
- Memory Type: Dual Channel DDR2
- Pins: 240 pin DIMM
- Lifetime Warranty with 24/7 tech support
Power Mac G5
- Memory Size: 512 MB to 4 GB DDR2 (two module format) and
1 GB to 2 GB DDR2 with ECC (two module format)
- Memory Speed: PC2-4200 (533 MHz)
- Memory Type: Dual Channel DDR2 / Dual Channel DDR2 with
ECC
- Pins: 240 pin DIMM
- Lifetime Warranty with 24/7 tech support
EDGE products are available through resellers including CDW,
Insight, PC
Connection, PC Mall, Zones,
eCOST,
Tech Depot (an Office Depot Company),
Walmart, and Staples.com, and through distribution at Tech
Data, Ingram Micro and D & H Distributing. This specific EDGE
product is also available for purchase through the company's
website.
Link: EDGE
Tech
Extended Wireless Range, Signal Strength for
iMac G5
PR: New Transceiver Offers Up to One Mile of Wireless
Apple iMac G5 users can now connect to wireless networks that
were previously far out of range, or where connections were made
but the data rate was just too slow to really use effectively. By
adding ten times the normal RF power, the freedom to connect to
longer distance wireless networks is a reality. Schools are
delighted to be able to add iMacs at the far corners of buildings,
without sacrificing signal strength or speed. At $200 , the iMac G5
Transceiver is available from QuickerTek dealers.
This small QuickerTek iMac G5 Transceiver is not much larger
than a antenna, clips temporarily onto the iMac case. It connects
to the new AirPort card inside the iMac G5. It's ideal for
full-speed connections at larger network areas such as college
dorms and expansive offices, where users normally can't reliably
connect and certainly not at any satisfying wireless speed.
The QuickerTek iMac G5 Transceiver offers 500 milliwatts of RF
power. By comparison, iMacs tend to have average RF power of little
more than 30 milliwatts. The challenge is that iMac G5s have an
internal metal shield that limits the effectiveness of the built-in
AirPort wireless. It's easy to see why the QuickerTek iMac G5
Transceiver can not only connect to longer distance wireless
networks, but also offer full-speed, very usable connections. It's
also as simple to use as the iMac itself, with no extra steps
required.
Rick Estes, president of QuickerTek, Inc. stated, "Our growing
Transceiver product line has been making longer distance wireless
connections easier for mobile PowerBook and iBook users," Estes
stated. This new Transceiver is ideal for those networks with
longer distances between the iMac(s) and the network access point
or AirPort Base Station. These distances severely limit the
wireless connection speeds.
Like most QuickerTek products, it's backed with a one-year
warranty on parts and labor. QuickerTek has been a recognized
leading innovator of antennas and RF products for Apple Power
Macintosh, iMac and PowerBook computers. QuickerTek products can be
purchased online.
Link: 27dBm
Transceiver for iMac G5
Das Keyboard, a Perfect Gift for Geeks?
PR: It's the time of year when Santa is making his list
and checking it twice - and this year he is packing plenty of the
year's coolest tech devices on his sleigh. He knows that every
computer programmer and übergeek will be hoping to unwrap a
blank keyboard when they are opening presents in just a few short
weeks. Metadot Corporation is urging all shoppers to consider Das
Keyboard for the geeks on their holiday shopping list.
Das Keyboard is an enhanced
104-key USB PC keyboard equipped with blank keys mounted on
precision and individually weighted key switches. Since users
cannot look at the keys while typing, their brains adapt and
memorize the key positions, resulting in faster and more accurate
typing. In addition to its unique appearance, Das Keyboard features
five different levels of force required to activate its keys.
Whereas most keyboards use a standard 55 grams of force to register
each key, Das Keyboard's keys are divided into groups with feedback
springs weighted differently, from 35 grams to 80 grams, which
corresponds to the strength of the finger that touches the keys.
The result is more comfort for the user's hands. Das Keyboard is
built from premium keyswitch technology and its keys are
factory-tested to withstand over 30 million keystrokes.
"Give your geeks what they truly desire this holiday season,"
said Birgit Guermeur, project manager for Das Keyboard. "If you
have someone on your list who is passionate about technology,
whether they love to play games or write code, Das Keyboard is the
perfect gift. Not only does the keyboard look really cool, but it
can help enhance their productivity because it will teach them to
stop looking down at their fingers while they are typing."
Das Keyboard is compatible with all modern operating systems
including Windows, Linux and MacOS X. Priced at $79.95, Das
Keyboard is available now from the company's website or from
ThinkGeek, Inc. at 888-433-5788.
Link: Das
Keyboard
Service USB Plus Enables Control of Real-World
Devices
PR: Boenig & Kallenbach, the German specialist for
Macintosh add-ons presents the new USB interface "Service USB Plus"
enabling measurement and control of real-world devices from a wide
variety of standard Macintosh applications.
Service USB plus has been proven in professional
implementations for industry, trade shows and entertainment. It can
be used for example to drive special effects such as flashes or fog
machines directly from Macromedia Director MX for concerts or trade
shows.
Further examples for using Service USB plus include complex
measurement value logging with temperature, liquid, pressure or
light sensors as well as remote control of slide projectors,
relays, step motors, switches or push buttons. By combining
multiple Service USB interfaces, up to 128 input and output
channels can be handled by a single Apple Macintosh computer.
With Service USB, real-world devices can be controlled directly
from standard Macintosh applications and programming languages such
as AppleScript, REALbasic, DirectorMX, 4th Dimension, FileMaker,
Ragtime, MaxMSP, LabView, C, C++, Cocoa, Java, Carbon and the
UNIX-Shell. Service USB ships with a complete SDK including
drivers, sample applications and documentation.
For connecting external devices, Service USB plus offers eight
digital input, eight digital output and two analog input lines. The
state of connections is displayed on 26 LEDs providing a visual
control during operation. Service USB plus ships in a compact and
robust aluminum case including 21 cable clamps for connecting
control lines, a 25-pole standard connector replicating all signals
and an RS232 interface for controlling additional devices.
Link: Service USB
Plus
Software
One Finger Snap Right Mouse Button for Single
Button Mice
PR: One Finger Snap is a Preference Pane that brings up
the contextual menu whenever you click and hold down the mouse
button. This means that you can do everything with a single-button
mouse that you can do with a 2-button mouse.
Don't throw away that 1-Button Mouse:
Many new Mac buyers find that the first purchase they make is
for a 2-button mouse so they can have quick access to the
contextual menu. Sure, you can hold down the control key when you
click, but let's face it, a two button mouse makes the contextual
menu so much easier to get to. Now with One Finger Snap, you can
just click and hold down that one button to get to the contextual
menu. And that way you can hold onto that beautiful Apple mouse,
too.
Great for PowerBook users:
- At the office, you have a nice two-button mouse, and you use it
every day. Now you take your PowerBook on the road, and your right
mouse button finger is just twitching. You get things done so much
faster with the contextual menu. Don't you wish there was an easy
way to get to it from the track pad? One Finger Snap works as well
with a one-button track pad as it does with a one-button mouse. So
you can click and hold the trackpad button rather than carry along
another piece of equipment.
For ex-Windows users:
- So you took the plunge and switched to the Mac. Good for you.
While you like Mac OS X on your new Mac Mini, you can't help but
miss that old 2-button mouse. Don't go back to Windows, just try
One Finger Snap. It's much cheaper, and it has fewer viruses.
But I already have a 7-button, wireless mouse with a scroll
wheel:
- One Finger Snap can still help you. Wouldn't it be nice to have
just one more button? Turn on One Finger Snap, and you no longer
need that right mouse button for the contextual menu. Now you can
reassign it to something more useful (like launching your browser
or opening AppKiDo or reading Joy of Tech).
New with One finger snap 1.3
- The click feedback sound volume is now adjustable.
- Fixed an issue with the contextual menu not always coming up
when drag-selecting in Safari & Apple Mail
- Lots of under-the-hood redesign
- Added a Japanese Localization - Thank you (Masamichi
Kagechika)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
$6.85 shareware
Link: One
Finger Snap
Desktop Mac
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