Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.05.05
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
Tips
Reviews
Products
News & Opinion
Macs Fuel Academic Turnaround at UK School
Apple UK Education reports:
"Wildern School in Hampshire combines top exam performance with
a highly innovative approach to teaching. It scores 100% GCSE
passes and has won the Government's prestigious Future Vision Award
for use of technology in the curriculum. Now Wildern is working
closely with other UK schools, sharing the fruits of its success in
transforming learning and boosting student results.
"Innovation at Wildern School relies heavily on Apple
technology, with more Macs than any other school in England.
According to the school's Head, Jeffery Threlfall: 'Our focus is on
quality teaching and improving opportunities for children to learn,
not on technology for its own sake. Macs have provided brilliant
support for our teaching ideas and the ideal platform for working
with other schools'.
"Wildern School is a comprehensive school with around 1,800 boys
and girls between the ages of 11 and 16. Its size poses both
opportunities and challenges for Threlfall and his staff. 'We have
the breadth of resources to forge strong relationships with the
community', he explains. 'However, scale means we have to be very
careful in planning everything we do, or we could incur costly
errors'.
"Our focus is on quality teaching and improving opportunities
for children to learn, not on technology for its own sake. Macs
have provided brilliant support for our teaching ideas and the
ideal platform for working with other schools."
- Link: Macs Fuel
Academic Turnaround at UK School
OS X Far Safer from Malware than
Windows
iTWire - IT News Australia's Stan Beer reports:
"The recent ruckus about the claimed growing vulnerability of
Mac OS X from certain sources has caused an indignant outcry
from Mac advocates who claim the stories are mostly media hype.
According to an expert in Unix and Linux systems, the outcry is not
without justification.
"Con Zymaris has been working with Unix systems for nearly three
decades and for the past 15 years has been running a consultancy on
open source software implementation. Zymaris says that, while it is
true that a Mac can get infected with a virus, it is not easy and
it is not likely to cause much damage. What's more, Mac users don't
need to install firewalls and anti-virus software...."
"According to Zymaris, at the most basic level, Windows machines
get infected by malware through poor design, which is not the case
with Macs."
- Link: Mac OS X Safe
as Houses not Windows
Could Mac Backup Software Be Harmful?
Editor's note: Despite this misleading title of the article,
running backup software simply isn't harmful. The danger is
assuming that you can restore your hard drive or select files with
no changes to the file metadata - such things as creation date,
last saved date, and various flags used by the operating system.
dk
Plasticsfuture's maurits says:
"Earlier, I wrote about The State of Backup and Cloning Tools
under Mac OS X, where I made the point that copying files on
Mac OS X is not trivial because of the metadata associated
with files:
"Paradoxically, copying a file and being sure that all
information has been copied is not easy under Mac OS X.
"I analyzed a variety of file copying engines, most of them
command-line tools, and demonstrated how they fare in preserving
file metadata.
"In this article, I will investigate commonly used GUI
backup/cloning tools for Mac OS X. The tools vary widely with
respect to their feature set; the features are irrelevant here. I
will concentrate purely on the underlying functionality of copying
files. A backup tool needs to be able to copy files faithfully for
a successful restore in case desaster has struck. The surprising
conclusion of my investigation is that almost all Macintosh Backup
tools fail at their most basic task, the faithful copying of
files."
Editor's note: Only one program,
SuperDuper, is "highly recommended". We've been using it for a
long time at LEM headquarters. See our review, SuperDuper: Quick, Easy, Efficient
Backup for $20 (SuperDuper is now a US$28 program and worth
every penny). dk
- Link:
Mac Backup Software Can Be Harmful
Future Apple Monitors Could Double as
Cameras
Business 2.0 Magazine's Owen Thomas, and Fortune's Oliver Ryan
report:
"In an invention out of George Orwell's nightmares, Apple's
two-way screen takes your picture as you view it."
"Since the legendary 1984 TV commercial that launched its first
Macintosh, maverick Apple has prided itself on humanizing personal
computing. However, its latest innovation may prove disconcerting
to fans: It's a flat-panel LCD screen that can record video as well
as display it."
"Apple has patented a way to insert tiny image sensors in
between the LCD cells of a flat-panel monitor. But over on
Slashdot, one reader is understandably flustered: 'What you're
telling me is that Apple is NOT really the enemy of Big Brother,
but Big Brother in disguise? I'm so confused. How can there be so
many truths?'"
- Link:
New Apple Monitors to Double as Cameras
The Latest Articles on Mini
Ture_MacJournal
From the Mac Quadra 610 DOS
Compatible to the Mac mini
(Intel). "So crystal balling the future of digital imagery and
archiving is not just a pleasant historical archival pastime it is
the day by day setting up of the translatability and upward
compatibility of our digital lives efforts and moments to preserve
for the future, digital file and image archives."
New DisplayPort Interface Standard for PCs,
Monitors, TV Displays, and Projectors
PR: The new DisplayPort standard was developed by a VESA
Task Group comprised of leading companies in the display silicon,
connector, computer monitor, TV display, projector, and PC industry
segments. "With support from these major industry players, we
expect rapid adoption of DisplayPort in the PC marketplace,"
according to Bill Lempesis, executive director of VESA.
"DisplayPort will reduce platform costs and drive a common digital
interface across PC platforms and components."
DisplayPort allows high-definition digital audio to be available
to the display device over the same cable as the digital video
signal. It delivers true plug-and-play with robust
interoperability, and is cost competitive with existing digital
display interconnects. Designed to be available throughout the
industry as an open, extensible standard, DisplayPort is expected
to accelerate the adoption in PCs of digital outputs enabling
higher levels of display performance. When the optional content
protection capability is active, DisplayPort will support viewing
high definition television, video and other types of protected
content.
DisplayPort enables for the first time a common interface for
both external and internal display connections within a PC notebook
or a desktop display. This approach allows for standardized
connections between source devices and display devices, such as LCD
panels, without the need for signal translation. This direct drive
capability simplifies display product design and reduces cost.
DisplayPort may be applied within notebook PCs, and for external
display connections, including interfaces between a PC and monitor
or projector, between a PC and TV or between a device such as a DVD
player and TV display.
The standard includes an optional digital audio capability so
high-definition digital audio and video can be sent over the
interface. DisplayPort also provides performance scalability so
that the next generation of displays can feature higher color
depths, refresh rates, and display resolutions. The external
connector is small, user-friendly and optimized for use on thin
profile notebooks in addition to allowing multiple connectors on a
graphics card.
Layered, Modular Architecture Includes Main Link and Auxiliary
Channel
DisplayPort incorporates a Main Link, a high-bandwidth,
low-latency, unidirectional connection supporting isochronous
stream transport. One uncompressed video stream with associated
audio is included in Version 1.0. DisplayPort is seamlessly
extensible, enabling support of multiple video and/or audio
streams. Version 1.0 also includes an Auxiliary Channel to provide
consistent-bandwidth, low-latency, bi-directional connectivity with
Main Link management, and device control based on VESA's EDID and
MCCS standards. The Link configuration enables true
"Plug-and-Play."
The Main Link bandwidth of up to 10.8Gbit/s, equivalent to a
data transfer rate of 1080 Mbytes/second, uses four lanes; the
auxiliary channel features minimal delay, with maximum transaction
periods less than 500 microseconds.
As higher performance display and source technologies are
introduced, the demands on interface bandwidth expand and the
problem is becoming ever more acute with requirements for more
colors, higher resolutions, and higher refresh rates. The
DisplayPort standard's high initial bandwidth is designed to scale
to even higher bandwidths to accommodate future display
requirements.
Data is transmitted across the DisplayPort interface using a
micro-packetized format which provides both high performance and
the flexibility to handle the evolving requirements of a high
performance display interface.
The DisplayPort standard has available an optional robust
content protection system which is designed to meet the unique
high-bandwidth requirements of the current and future requirements
of high-definition audio and video digital technology. In addition,
a compliance program is nearing completion to complement the
standard and to assure that solutions will be interoperable and
provide a great user experience.
- Link: VESA
Tips
How to Open a Mac mini
machtpc.com's B.Greenway says:
"The title pretty much says it all. With more and more minis
making their way into our lives, sooner or later you might just
need to know how to properly open yours.
"This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 at 2:21 am and
is filed under How to. You can follow any responses to this entry
through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a
response."
- Link:
How to Open a Mac mini
Apple Keyboard Update 1.0
The Apple Keyboard Update 1.0 addresses reliability of keyboard
and mouse functionality on MacIntel systems.
This update is recommended for the following computers:
System requirements: Installation of the Apple Keyboard Update
1.0 requires Mac OS X version 10.4.6 or later
System support: Intel
File Size: 12 MB
- Link:
Apple Keyboard Update 1.0
Reviews
The Mac Night Owl Reviews the 20" iMac
Gene Steinberg, the Mac Night Owl, writes:
"It's really hard for me to be objective about the iMac. My experience with them goes
back nearly eight years, to the original introduction of the bondi blue model in the summer of
1998. Yes, it's been that long, and I've remained fascinated as the
product has matured."
- Link: The
Night Owl Review: 20-inch iMac
Products
NewerTech Unveils First 750 GB
FireWire/USB Solution
PR: Newer Technology Inc. (NewerTech) has announced the
release and immediate availability of a 750 GB version of the
award-winning NewerTech miniStack V2 FireWire and USB 2.0 combo
storage solution with integrated port expansion hubs.
This new 750 GB model, introductory priced and immediately
available at $599.99, is the industry's first ever external
FireWire 400/USB 2.0 single-drive solution that also integrates
port expanding USB 2.0 and FireWire powered hubs. Also available
are 80 GB to 500 GB models with the same port expanding features
with prices starting as low as $129.00.
With a profile of only 6.5" wide by 6.5" long by 1.5" high, the
NewerTech miniStack specifically meets the demands of today's
Audio/Video, Backup, Movie, Music, Photography needs, while saving
space and enhancing function via integrated powered hubs that
provide three additional USB 2.0 ports and one additional FireWire
Port.
"Today is a day that all technology users will celebrate.
NewerTech's miniStack V2 has set a new standard with reliable
state-of-the-art single drive storage at an all-time high 750 GB
with the added bonus of premier USB and FireWire port expansion,"
says Jen Soule, Sales Manager of Other World Computing, a strategic
partner and source distributor of NewerTech products.
Combining massive storage capacity and expanded powered
port capabilities, the new 750 GB NewerTech miniStack V2 perfectly
completes modern Digital Media focused computer systems, providing
unparalleled capacity for Audio/Video, Movies, Music, and Photos. A
single 750 GB miniStack V2 can be used to store/playback/edit over
55 hours of raw, uncompressed digital video translating to an
amazing 320 hours of standard MPEG2 compressed video.
"The latest perpendicular hard disk technology enhances
performance, while increasing capacities to accommodate our ever
growing storage requirements, and NewerTech is proud to lead the
industry in bringing the latest and greatest solutions to
technology users everywhere with this ideal entertainment hub,"
says Larry O'Connor, President of NewerTech.
miniStack V2 Features:
- Matches the sleek Mac mini look
- Unique Cooling system, including Smart Fan
- 2 FireWire and 3 USB ports available
- Security slot and slots for internal cooling
High-Performance 3.5" ATA/6 7200 rpm Drive with 2 MB, 8 MB, or
16 MB data buffer doesn't just give you more storage, it also
provides far better performance than any internal Mac mini hard
drive option as well. Use the NewerTech miniStack as your Startup
Drive for an instant performance boost.
System Requirements
The miniStack V2 works with any Mac, Intel Mac, PC, or Linux
computer with an available FireWire or USB port. By design, the
miniStack is the perfect companion for the Mac mini and is further
build to safely endure the rigors of travel for those requiring
portability.
Mac Requirements:
- FireWire 400 (1394a): Mac OS 9.2 or higher
- USB 2.0: Mac OS 10.2 or higher
- USB 1.1: Mac OS 9.2 or highe
Windows Requirements
- FireWire 400 (1394a): Windows98SE/ME/2000/XP
- USB 2.0: WinME/2000/XP
- USB 1.1: WinME/2000/XP
The miniStack V2
- 0 GB 'Add Your Own HD' $79.95
- 80 GB 7200 rpm 2 MB $129.00
- 160 GB 7200 rpm 8 MB $149.99
- 250 GB 7200 rpm 8 MB $179.99
- 320 GB 7200 rpm 8 MB $209.99
- 400 GB 7200 rpm 8 MB $299.99
- 500 GB 7200 rpm 8 MB $419.99
- 750 GB 7200 rpm 16 MB $599.99
All models feature high speed Oxford 911-Plus based custom
bridge, are EMC Backup Certified with direct support in EMC's
industry respected standard Retrospect Backup software. Solutions
are packaged with everything needed for immediate plug-and-play
operation: FireWire and USB cabling, Intech HD Speedtools utility
suite, EMC Retrospect backup software, and a full 2-year NewerTech
Warranty.
USB only miniStack also available.
- Link: NewerTech
miniStack
Multi-Channel Digital Audio PCI Express
Card for Power Mac G5
PR: Apogee's Symphony PCI Express card is a digital
computer interface that is based on the PCI-Express architecture in
Apple's Power Mac G5 computers. Controlled by Apogee's Maestro
software, Symphony features 32 channels of digital I/O on a single
PCI-Express card format. And supports sample rates up to 192 kHz.
Symphony connects directly to Apogee's Rosetta and AD-16X and
DA-16X series converters via the X-Symphony option card, which
installs in the slot of the converter itself.
With the ability to install three cards in Apple's G5, Symphony
is the only connectivity solution that offers high end,
professional users the capability to utilize up to 192 channels of
audio simultaneously in a single computer, providing more than
enough I/O for even the biggest scoring sessions.
"We are pleased to be able to ship Symphony, an exciting step
forward in native I/O capability," says Betty Bennett Co-Founder
and CEO of Apogee. "Symphony makes very high channel, high quality
recording with Apogee converters a reality and offers this
breakthrough at a lower cost per channel than any other
option."
Symphony at a glance:
- 32 channels of 24-bit 192K Digital I/O
- Single 32 channel PC32 bi-directional connector
- Direct connectivity to Apogee's Rosetta 800, Rosetta 200 and
AD-16X and DA-16X converters via the X-Symphony option card
- Compatibility with any CoreAudio software application
- Apogee's Maestro Software for advanced control and routing
- Availability: Now Shipping
- Link: Symphony PCI
Express Card
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers every two
weeks:
For more deals on current, recently discontinued, and older
notebooks, see our MacBook Pro
deals, 12" PowerBook G4
deals, 15" aluminum PowerBook G4
deals, 17" PowerBook G4
deals, titanium PowerBook G4
deals, iBook G4 deals,
PowerBook G3 deals, and iBook G3 deals.
