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Thursday, June 30th 2005
iPod and Notebook Integration
Macsimum News has a very interesting story on a new Apple patent, part of which includes a diagram and text description of an integration opportunity between an Apple notebook and the iPod mini. Shown in a Voltron-like fusion, the iPod mini would actually slide into the spot currently occupied by the trackpad, allowing the iPod's wheel to serve the trackpad function. With all of the iTunes phone news, the fact that this patent includes cellular phone information is also very intriguing.
PowerBook Fan Noise Reduction
We haven't noticed it on our own PowerBooks, but some people are apparently experiencing increased fan activity with the installation of Mac OS X 10.4. To reduce this sometimes-annoying noise, Mac OS X Hints has a post on how to bring back the fan activity to 10.2.8 levels. The update ends with a note to the same effect, but we want to add ourselves that this is really, really not recommended. Playing with the system software as they suggest is generally not a bright idea, and we would only do this on a machine that we either didn't own ourselves or one that already had one foot in the grave. Loud fans during meetings or lectures are certainly obnoxious, but don't risk an expensive machine over it.
Wednesday, June 29th 2005
Full-size iPods Updated
Apple today updated their standard-sized iPod offerings, simplifying the iPod photo and monochrome iPod lineups. The new iPods come in 20GB and 60GB capacities, both with the color screens and full photo capabilities. The 30GB iPod photo will no longer be produced. Additionally, the iPod U2 Special Edition has not been neglected, now coming with its own color LCD and photo functionality.
Price drops also came with the news. While the 20GB iPod will stand pat at $300, the 60GB iPod has dropped $50 to $400. The iPod shuffle 1GB and iPod U2 Special Edition each had $20 cut off their prices, coming in at $130 and $329. For more information and to see all the details, check out The Apple Store.
Free iPod mini with Education Mac Purchase
Apple has a new promotion where with the purchase of a Mac for students or academic institutions, you can receive a rebate check for $179. Apple is advertising this rebate as being for the purchase of an iPod mini, but of course, this can be applied towards other iPods or your own bank account. We know many of you are looking to buy a new Mac for school, or for your children heading off to school, and this is nice deal if you're buying before September 24. Combined with the iBooks, you can get a very nice laptop for well under $1000. One thing to note, though, is that the Mac mini does not qualify for the offer. Check out The Apple Store's education section.
Wednesday, June 22nd 2005
The First PowerBook and the Latest 'Books
If you've been pondering an Apple portable purchase, but haven't been able to decide between the 12" iBook and 12" PowerBook, Charles Moore has you covered. The price and feature differences make it a very tough call on which model to buy, depending on your needs, but Charles is very thorough in his evaluations.
In other Charles W. Moore news, he has a nice piece going through some Apple, and PC, laptop history.
Students Charged With Computer Trespass in High School Laptop Program
13 students at Kutztown High School have been charged with computer trespassing after obtaining administrator passwords for district-owned Apple laptops, allowing them to bypass the installed security software. While the students were able to perpetrate some mischief, such as visiting blocked websites, they at no time had any access to grades or sensitive information of that nature. For the full story, check out the Reading Eagle.
While schools have been rushing to embrace computer technology, whether Apple or PC, this case serves as a small warning to schools that often rely on overworked IT employees or student volunteers to handle most issues. Students utilizing their school's computers also should beware; the students in this case are being charged with felonies, despite no serious damange being done.
News and Notes
The PBZ crew is headed to a friend of the site's wedding in Hawaii today, so there are unlikely to be any updates for the next week, barring miraculous internet access. We'll be back with more news on Tuesday, though!
Tuesday, June 21st 2005
Another Round of PPC PowerBooks?
AppleInsider has a story on Freescale's 90nm G4 7448 processor, which could be the successor to the current 7447A G4 found in the PowerBooks. This new revision is expected to only sample up to 1.7 GHz, a marginal increase over the existing models, but with the added benefit of significantly reduced power consumption.
Of course, there is no guarantee that this processor will find its way into Apple's PowerBooks. The processors are not expected to be available until October 2005, making a relatively small window between their release and the transition to Intel. Still, we'd expect another PPC PowerBook revision to tide over users waiting for Intel PowerBooks, or to give a final opportunity for PPC loyalists.
Asustek to Produce Widescreen iBook
Asustek has reportedly beaten out frequent Apple contractor Quanta to produce the next model of iBook, which is rumored to feature a widescreen LCD. The PowerBook has been produced by Asustek for quite a while now, so they do have experience with Apple notebook, while Quanta is best known for producing the iMac. Interestingly, a 15.4" widescreen iBook is said to be in the cards, making it quite a mystery how Apple will differentiate between the PowerBook and iBook lines. Asustek's contract is believed to run for the first 500,000 of the new iBooks.
Monday, June 20th 2005
Nanoparticle iPod Batteries; iPod Batteries for Life
Site sponsor TechRestore has a cool new program out for iPod users. As part of their iPodRestore services, they now offer a lifetime battery replacement program. For $100, any non-shuffle iPod can receive a lifetime of battery replacements, including professional installation and overnight return shipping for the first battery. Additionally, all of the replacement batteries offer at least 30% more capacity than the original battery. All of the old batteries are then handled by a battery recycling company. If you plan on holding onto your iPod for a few years, this is a very good value.
Now, as for the latest in iPod battery technology, Fast Mac has announced that it is producing an iPod battery which "utilizes patented nanoparticle technology to dramatically extend battery lifespan". The new battery, which is available for the first three generations of iPods, offers up to an amazing 70% increase in capacity, as well as up to 7.5 times as many charge cycles. The batteries sell for $40 for the first two generations of iPod, and $30 for third generation. The batteries include installation instructions and all necessary tools, as well as two-year warranties, making them very reasonable. If you're uncomfortable operating on your iPod, for $50 you can have the battery professionally installed, including shipping to get your iPod back to you in 48 hours. More information can be found here.
Henrico School District Liquidating iBooks
Now that Henrico schools are moving their student laptop program from Apple iBooks to Dells, all those old iBooks will be liquidated, potentially for very low prices. Of course, first dibs on the iBooks go to students at the school, who can purcahse the iBooks for $50. A public sale is likely this summer, with prices for those customers not yet known. We recommend finding a student in the district and slipping him a $20 for his trouble.
Friday, June 17th 2005
QuickerTek Releases iBook Wireless Range Extender
If you could use a little more range out of your iBook's wireless technology, QuickerTek now offers an external antenna compatible with all iBooks that support AirPort. With this accessory, which costs $100, wireless range of as much as 200 yards is possible, a significant increase over the internal antenna.
News and Notes
With the perennial interest in a tablet Mac, we read with interest this article from BusinessWeek, which reviews the IBM ThinkPad X41 Tablet. Using a Pentium M, this model of ThinkPad looks to balance performance, size, and impressive battery life, perhaps setting an example for future PowerBooks.
In other PC laptop news, HP has begun shipping laptops with 64-bit AMD processors. While the article makes it sound like little more than a novelty in the Windows world, 64-bit laptops are clearly on the x86 radar already.
Thursday, June 16th 2005
Kansas School District Expands Apple Laptop Program
El Dorado High School, part of USD 490 in Kansas, has been given unanimous approval to expand its laptop program for students at the school. During the 2004-2005 school year, every junior and senior at EHS received an Apple laptop, with the success of the first year prompting laptops to be purchased for each freshman and sophomore for next year.
While this isn't one of the flagship contracts Apple has with school districts for several million dollars, this is a positive case to point at. Additionally, the district superintendent felt that part of the value of the program was replacing text books for CD versions, an interesting point that hasn't received much attention. The full story can be found on the El Dorado Times.
Your Next PowerBook: PPC or Intel
Charles W. Moore has penned a useful story going through the various options for a Mac user (or potential convert) looking to make a purchase. This decision is undoubtedly a tricky one right now, particularly for portable users unsure if the PPC iBooks and PowerBooks will improve much before the Intel-based 'books. Definitely a recommended read.
Tuesday, June 14th 2005
News and Notes
Apricorn has updated its line of hard drives perfect for the mobile user. If you need a 1.8" external hard drive that can be powered by the USB bus, they now have a 60 GB drive for $350, with the 40 GB drive coming in at $250, and the 20 GB drive for $180.
For those of you taking your Macs overseas, Apple has posted a convenient chart showing whether the power supply included with your Mac features automatic. Of course, all the PowerBook and iBook power supplies switch automatically, necessitating only an adapter for different plug types.
Monday, June 13th 2005
Brenthaven Updates PowerBook and iBook Bags
Late last week, Brenthaven announced updated models of their Pro 12/15 and Pro 17 models. The Pro 12/15 is suitable for all PowerBooks and iBooks between 12" and 15" in size, and the Pro 17 is, of course, perfect for the 17" PowerBook. These new models include "CORE" padding, which adjusts to give a fitted protection to the PowerBook or iBook within the bag. The Pro 12/15 costs $149, while the Pro 17 will run you $179.
17" PowerBook Disassembly
Over at Accelerate Your Mac, a link to a photographic tour of a 17" PowerBook being disassembled has been posted. For those who don't want to take some tools to their own precious 'Books, this is an interesting look at the innards.
Friday, June 10th 2005
Bad Batteries with Recent iBooks and PowerBooks?
We've received a few emails such as the following, so we thought it best to address it:
If I ordered a powerbook from my university computer store on May 27 2005, do I need to be concerned about receiving a bad battery?
Apple's safety recall specifies PowerBooks and iBooks sold through May, 2005, and considering the length of time that it can take for PowerBooks and iBooks to get from the factory into the customer's hands, there's a good chance that even some PowerBooks bought in the last couple weeks will have the troubled batteries.
The good news is that the recall program is very painless, and there's little to be concerned about with the existing battery. Simply go to Apple's page for the battery exchange and put in your information for a new battery to be sent right to you.
Thursday, June 9th 2005
Intel PowerBooks: Around the Web
With all of the news and analysis of the Intel switch, we thought it might be best just to consolidate those with the most relevance for PowerBook and iBook users.
First up, eWeek has a story on the Pentium M being the likely choice for new PowerBooks and iBooks. This is, of course, a pretty obvious selection, but some of the notes on the performance and battery life, as well as the future dual-core version that should find its way into some of the first x86 Apple laptops are interesting.
Curiously, another good piece comes from Sci-Tech Today. Jason Lopez speculates that Apple's decision to switch to Intel was driven heavily by the growing dominance of laptop sales in the personal computer market, and Intel's greater emphasis on this segment.
Lastly, that rogue Charles W. Moore has a positive take on the situation over at PowerBook Central, giving reason to dry your tears.
Wednesday, June 8th 2005
John Siracusa Looks at the Intel Transition
There are going to be a lot of articles and opinions expressed on the Intel transition, but if you read one, we recommend John Siracusa's piece. Most famous for his reviews of major Mac OS X releases, John provides a good balance of reality with the simple emotional response of a geek who loved PowerPC technology. We particularly recommend the questions and answers portion.
News and Notes
Photo.net has an interesting dialogue on PowerBook LCD calibration. Also, in case you missed it, Apple has addressed some of the concerns of the environmentalists about iPod disposal. Apple's recycling program will handle iPods that are headed for the trash, making sure it doesn't end up in a landfill. A nice benefit of using this program is a 10% discount on a new iPod when recycling an old one.
Tuesday, June 7th 2005
Apple Announces Transition to Intel Processors
We've been keeping out of all of the rumors and speculation about Apple potentially leaving the PowerPC platform for Intel processors, but at the Worldwide Developers Conference today, Steve Jobs announced that the rumors are true. If you've somehow managed to avoid hearing the news, Apple has a press release on the subject, while MacNN has extended coverage.
The short of it is that if the transition from 68k Macs to PowerPC is any indication, Apple will once again be doing everything possible to make this a smooth transition. Steve Jobs said all the right things today about how this will be a gradual process over the course of multiple years, and that solutions to maintain compatibility between the two platforms will be in place. Already there is a program known as Rosetta which will serve to transparently run PPC Mac OS X applications on Intel-based Macs. Also intriguing is that Mac OS X has had an Intel version developed in parallel for the last five years.
We'll offer our take on what this means for Apple's portable line, but it should be clear that the PowerBook G5 is much less likely to ever happen now, and that PowerBook clockspeeds will no longer be held down by the G4. This is going to be a very exciting period for Apple and its customers, and there will undoubtedly be a great deal of debate and criticism, but we're overall very optimistic.
Laptops Outsell Desktops for First Time
The Washington Post has a very interesting article reporting that laptops outsold desktops for the month of May in the United States. Taking 53% of computer sales, this is the first time that portables have taken the crown for a calendar month. With LCD prices dropping and laptops requiring fewer compromises in features and performance than in the past, laptop sales are expected to continue to take more sales away from desktops.
Monday, June 6th 2005
PowerBook-Compatible Cell Data Card Released
For those of you working on multiple continents, MacCentral has an interesting story on a new PC card released by nova media. The card, which will retail for around $480, works on both UMTS connections in Europe, as well as the GPRS networks more common in the US. While this is not cheap, for those who value versatility, this card could be a winner. More information about the GlobeTrotter 3G Quad can be found here.
Fake PowerBook G5 Press Release Posted
If you haven't seen the fake press release for the PowerBook G5 yet, Hardmac.com has it, along with a summary of the supposed specs. The forgery is actually quite good, but there are a few giveaways to spot...
Friday, June 3rd 2005
Intel Releases Information on Next-Generation Mobile Processor
It's always important to see what the competition is doing if you want to stay a step ahead of it, which is why we read with interest this article on Intel's next notebook processor, known as Yonah.
The most interesting feature of Yonah is that it will be primarily a dual-core processor, with single-core versions being reserved for budget notebooks. Also worthy of note is that it will be produced on the 65-nanometer process, so that despite having 10 million more transistors than the current Pentium M, battery life and heat should be improved.
News and Notes
Charles W. Moore has his latest PowerBook Mystique up at PowerBook Central, with a discussion of quality differences between PC and Apple notebooks.
For those looking to buy a budget Apple laptop, Low End Mac has posted the best deals around the web on PowerBook G3s.
Thursday, June 2nd 2005
Cobb County iBook Program in Jeopardy?
The much-discussed contract between Cobb County, Georgia and Apple is under fire one again, as a former Cobb County commissioner has filed a lawsuit stating that voters were misled about how their tax dollars would be spent in this instance. The program could be worth as much as $70 million to start with, and $20 million annually to maintain the program, so this could be a significant blow for Apple. While we're not experts on the particulars of the case, the language appears accurate enough, as the money was earmarked for "student workstations," so with any luck, this will just lead to a brief delay. The full AP story is also available here.
Dr. Bott Ships MUSAK Laptop Bag
If you've been reading the site very long, you know we're nuts about laptop bags, and would have one for each day of the week if we could. The MUSAK bag now being shipped by Dr. Bott for $100 is a new one even to us, as it features not only easy access to your laptop's sidekick, the one and only iPod, but has built-in speakers for your iPod. If you need to perform spontaneous concerts, this looks like an interesting option, and there is a version for the iPod mini, as well. The MUSAK laptop bag is compatible with all of Apple's laptops, save the 17" model.
Wednesday, June 1st 2005
PowerBook HD at WWDC?
Over at MacNETv2 is a lengthy piece with some predictions on what Apple will unveil at WWDC on June 6. Lisa Swanson, the author of the article, feels most confident about an HD PowerBook being released at WWDC, with the iBook line also being overdue for an update. Also discussed in the article is the potential for a PDA or tablet-like product.
News and Notes
Today has been a busy one for PowerBook Central. First up, they have an interesting retrospective on the iBook Dual USB. With products like Apple's, which emphasize their industrial design and aesthetic appeal, it's always interesting to see how impressions of their products styling changes.
In bigger news, PowerBook Central has launched PowerBook Central Auctions. This eBay alternative is not just for PowerBooks, so don't feel left out if you want to sell something else. With the eBay fee increases, this could be a great option for some sellers.
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