Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.11.11
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.
News & Opinion
Products
News & Opinion
Macintel mini in January?
Forbes' Maya Roney reports:
"Benjamin A. Reitzes of UBS Investment Research . . .
said Apple would introduce more video content and digital
entertainment offerings at Macworld in January, helping to drive
shares. Checks also indicate that the company may be ready to
launch lower-end Intel-based Macs earlier than its original June
2006 target, with the possibility of an Intel-based Mac Mini at
Macworld...."
Link:
Intel-based Mac mini in January?
Set Your Sights on the Latest iMac G5
PC
Magazine's Joel Santo Domingo reports:
"The first two versions of the Apple iMac G5 were wonders of
design and engineering, and the newest version continues on that
same path. The newest 20-inch iMac G5 ($1,699 direct) adds a few
features, including upgraded graphics and a slightly faster
processor, while cutting the price by $100. On the whole, the iMac
G5 (iSight) is an evolution of the design we first saw a year ago,
and we consider it an improvement. The iMac G5 is a great desktop
for Mac users whose needs go beyond simple Web browsing and
e-mailing."
Link: Set Your
Sights on the Latest iMac G5
Apple Takes a Bite Out of Windows
The Seattle Times' Paul Andrews says:
"Hardly a week goes by that I don't hear from a friend or
colleague with a monumental Windows problem.
"I tell them I'm glad to help, on one condition: Next time they
buy a computer, they agree to consider a Macintosh. A year ago,
after a particularly trying week of spyware, adware, viral attacks,
lockups and reboots, I changed my primary computer to a Mac. I've
dabbled with Macs since the late 1980s but never felt a need to
change from Windows.
"For the first couple of months after the switch, while I
transferred e-mail and contacts to Mac programs, I was firing up
Windows almost daily. Gradually, though, I found fewer reasons to
go back. It was a snap to export text and data files to the Mac,
then convert them to Mac applications. And programs such as iTunes,
iMovie, Safari and iPhoto, which came with the PowerBook, were easy
to learn and use."
Link:
Mac Takes Bite Out of Windows
Products
MacMice Products Find New Home
PR: Mac-Pro Systems and Software has become the new
source of DVForge/MacMice branded products for the US market.
"We are very excited to be carrying these products and look
forward to expanding our business with not only the existing line
but some very cool items that have yet to hit the market." said
Mike Ajlouny, President of Mac-Pro Systems and Software. "Having
been a dealer of these products, we feel fortunate to be able to
continue their existence and make them available through our
business."
Before DVForge, Inc. closed it's doors in September, Mac-Pro
made arrangements to secure much of the remaining inventory. "Each
of these products established by DVForge are unique and quickly
became favored by our customers. We have received many inquiries
about them, and are proud to carry and distribute them."
Products such as The Mouse, The Mouse BT, the iBreeze fan-cooled
laptop stand, and the JamPlug are all available through Mac-Pro.
The JamPod, a brand-new device that enables any electric guitar or
bass to be played along with the music on their iPod or iPod mini,
is now available for the first time to the U.S.
Mac-Pro is currently overseeing production of some brand new
items created by DVForge product designers. These forthcoming
products include:
The
PortBuddy
A port re-locator specifically for the original iMac G5 that
prevents the need to climb behind your computer to plug in USB
and/or FireWire devices.
The
Stand
A rebirth of the wildly popular iBreeze made from aluminum and
containing two whisper-quiet fans, perfect for any Apple
PowerBook.
The Ball BT
The world's
first Bluetooth trackball
California-based Mac-Pro Systems and Software, Inc. has been
serving the Apple Macintosh community since 1988. In addition to
carrying the largest inventory of Mac-related products in
California, they also provide a myriad of other services including
a top-notch repair team, order fulfillment and direct shipping.
Mac-Pro has the largest inventory of Apple parts available and
in-stock.
Link: Mac-Pro.com
Griffin AirClick & AirClickUSB
Software
PR: AirClick USB Remote ($40) is unique in a crowded
field of products because it uses RF signals allowing it to
transmit up to 60', even through walls. Most remote controls use IR
technology, which relies on line-of-sight, and works only over
relatively short distances. There are no line-of-sight limitations
with Griffin AirClick. With the software update, AirClick USB is
now more versatile and powerful.
AirClick Software for Mac OS X includes settings for GarageBand,
Adobe Reader, iTunes, DVD Player, Keynote, PowerPoint 2004,
QuickTime Player, iChat/Mail, iPhoto, Safari, Preview and VLC.
This update provides settings for GarageBand, Adobe Reader, and
Preview. Also include:
Maxtor's External Drives Hit 1 TB
Extreme Tech reports:
"Maxtor has announced a new storage solution for PCs that can be
purchased with capacities up to a terabyte.
"The company said Wednesday that the new Maxtor OneTouch III
Turbo Edition will ship in either a 600-GB or 1-TB capacity point,
at $549.95 and $899.95, respectively, beginning in December."
Link: Maxtor's
External Drives Hit 1 TB
Five Drive Hot-Swap Serial ATA Enclosure
PR: Five-bay hot-swap Tower features the latest Serial
ATA storage technologies and delivers unprecedented performance
with cross-platform Macintosh, Linux and PC. Utilizing SiI 3726 a
1-to-5 Serial ATA (SATA) Port Multiplier and backplane to provide a
high-performance link between a single SATA host port and five SATA
remove-able HDD trays without internal cabling to ensure a high
performance interconnect. Our PentaSATA with SiI 3726 supports host
and device link rates of 1.5 Gbps and 3 Gbps with auto-negotiation
to choose 1.5 Gbps or 3 Gbps SATA hard drives, therefore all
SATA(s) will operate at their optimum transfer rate.
The PentaSATA chassis features
an attractive design made from brushed & anodized extruded
aluminum to keep weight at a minimum while maintaining structural
rigidity. It includes a built-in server-class universal power
supply and offers a special Heat Management System to ensure hard
drives are kept cool & reliable while keeping noise to a
minimum. The Heat Management System provides superior airflow
throughout the chassis, from special holes in the tray handles to
the perforations in the trays themselves, and utilizes whisper
quiet fans and special warning indicators. In the unlikely event a
fan fails or temperatures become too extreme, fan or temperature
LEDs will light and a "mute-able" audible alert will warn the
user.
Model: P/N ES3-P
- Five 3.5 Remove-able bay with port multiplier SATA (serial ATA)
Tower
- Backplane: No internal cabling - SiI 3726 built-in
- RAID Features: Dependent on SATA PCI host controller
- Disk Bus Interface SATA2 - 30 Gbps Five slots
- Host Bus Interface: eSATA - 3.0 Gbps
- OS support Win 98SE or later, MAC 9.x or later, Linux,
FreeBSD
- Mechanical 14.0 x 12.7 x 31.0 cm (5.5" x 5.0" x 12.0")
- Environmental Operating Temperature: +5o C to +40o C
- Humidity: 15-80%, non-condensing
- Storage Temperature: 40o C to 70o C
- Storage Humidity: 5-90%, non-condensing
- Electrical 115-230 VAC 50/60 Hz Autoswitch with 65W output
Key Features
- Up to 3.0 Gbps transfer rate
- Small footprint and stackable
- Firmware Update-able
- Built-in WRI Power Supply
- Support Win 98SE, ME, 2K, XP
- Support MAC OS 9.x or higher
- Support FreeBSD, Linux
- Easy Setup
Five drive SATA hot-swap enclosure: $595
Link: Five
Drive Serial ATA Enclosure, FireWire Depot
Desktop Mac
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