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November 1st through 7th Archives

Thursday, November 7th 2002 10:14 CST

New PowerBook Notes

The following are some of the less obvious things we've been able to find out about the new 1 GHz and 867 MHz PowerBook G4s released yesterday:

• There is no built-in Bluetooth. The D-Link adapter is still offered alongside the new machines at the Apple Store.
• Apple says the new PowerBooks are the first portables to include a 1 MB L3 cache.
• The slot-loading SuperDrive, also a first on a portable, only burns DVDs at 1X, instead of the 2X like the desktop SuperDrives. All the other performance speeds are the same. The SuperDrive is standard on the 1 GHz model, while the 867 MHz unit comes with a Combo drive.
• Apple is still running the RAM doubler discount. On the 1 GHz unit, you can double the standard 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM for just $40.
• The option for a 5400 RPM 60 GB drive is gone. The only options are 40 and 60 GB at 4200 RPM. We'll keep you posted if this is a typo or changes soon.

Our Impressions

Overall, the biggest surprise about this PowerBook update is not the performance; after all, what's really been added here? Faster processors and graphics capability in the same almost-24-month-old case design. To be sure, 1 GHz and ATI Radeon 9000 graphics are nothing to sneeze at, but the real surprise is the price point Apple has set for these machines. The entry level model at $2299 for 867 MHz, 40 GB drive, and a combo drive is quite impressive. The $200 price cuts on the iBooks to put them at under $1,000 at the bottom end is also a great move by Apple.

We think these PowerBooks are a stop-gap upgrade. Remember this time last year? October saw the release of 550 and 667 MHz speed bumps to the original 400/500 MHz units introduced in January of 2001. Then in December of 2001, combo drives were added in an unusual right-before-Macworld SF upgrade.

Though it may not be at Macworld SF, the lack of Bluetooth in this model suggests that there is still something to come from Apple within the next six months.

Buying Experiences?

We're going to be tracking the availability of the new PowerBooks. If you've ordered one of the 867/1000 MHz PowerBooks, please send any details on shipping time and any discounts you received to info@pbzone.com. Also, if you've seen availability of the new machines at Apple retail stores, we would appreciate a note on that as well.

We'd like to recommend reading PowerBook Central thoroughly--as it's their speciality, they have the bundles, discounts, etc. news covered better than anyone else on the 'net. There are some great bundles already available, so check those out before running out to an Apple Store to impulse buy!

IBM Sets New Laptop Storage Record with 80 GB Monster

IBM announced today that their previously-announced Pixie Dust technology has yielded even higher capacity for a notebook drive. The 80 GB Travelstar 80 GN spins at 4200 RPM, includes a record 8 MB cache, and is up to 4 decibels quieter than previous models.

IBM also hints at 7200 RPM mobile drives in the future, saying "IBM also announced plans for a new 7200 RPM performance category, offering workstation performance with freedom of mobility." There was no immediate word if there were any 7200 RPM products available now.

Tuesday, November 5th 2002 06:51 CST

Spire PDA+15% Off Deal

Spire, a PBZone advertiser, wrote to let us know they're offering a new product--free!--with every bag order:

we are now running a promotion for a free PDA case ($20 value) with any backpack order! The free case + the 15% discount is a killer deal.

Universal WiFi Driver Nearing Release

Amanda over at IOXperts gave us a sneak preview of their upcoming universal Macintosh wireless driver for Mac OS X and 9:

Readers with TiBooks and poor Airport reception might want to take a look at the open beta version of the IOXperts universal WiFi driver <http://www.ioxperts.com/80211b_X.html>, which will allow you to use almost any PCMCIA 802.11 card around, whether or not the vendor supplies a Mac driver.

There's an open source driver available for free, but the IOXperts driver supports AppleTalk, a wider variety of cards, and some other features (it is not based on the open source driver). The driver will operate for 30 minutes per boot without a serial number, so you can try it before buying. Pricing is $14.95 during beta, and will go up slightly at release (which is imminent). There is also a MacOS 9 version of the driver available for download.

New iBooks on the Way 

News.com claims updated iBooks are coming later this week, dropping prices and adding MHz. The entry level model will sell for $990 and run at 700 MHz, according to their story. The launch appears to be set for Wednesday.

Also, some early mistakes on Apple's website appears to have put PowerBook prices $200 lower as well--we'll see if there's a price break for Apple portable buyers later this week. Stay tuned.

Monday, November 4th 2002 08:36 CST

Apple to Integrate Bluetooth in Next Generation Portables

First seen over at MacNN: Apple has applied for the necessary allowances at the Federal Communications Commission to include integrated Bluetooth wireless technology in its next iBook and PowerBook portables.

Clearly this is no surprise, as Apple has been working steadily to implement Bluetooth in a useful way into Mac OS X. We look forward to seeing what neat things they're going to do with Bluetooth; if there's anything Apple does well, it's taking an industry standard and stretching it to do things no other company could even dream.

Remember One Thing: RAM Helps

Reader Brian sent in words of advice for Mac OS X users:

Great site. Just a suggestion on ram. I'm not the first to say it, but here goes:

I have a been an OS X person since the beta. I have always been running 256 meg of ram on a Pismo. I have really enjoyed it. Recently though, in Jaguar, I started to experience interminable waits while switching programs. It also took forever to log out or quit a program. I started to realize I need more ram. Or maybe it was Jaguar?

So, I added 512 megs yesterday, and the difference is shocking. With 640 megs, my HD no longer cranks after every action. Programs hide immediately. They quit almost immediately! They start up faster. After 18 hours of usage, with Photoshop, Illustrator, Mozilla, Mail, my logged pageouts are way down. Hands down, this is the best change I have made to the Pismo since I purchased it. And all for $115! I'll be upgrading to a full gig soon.

So, tell everyone- max out your ram if you experience OS X trouble. At least now I know I'm being held back only by processor and HD speed. Next up- faster HD. My whole expectation for OS X has just jumped up a notch, and I love it. I now am in pain thinking all the the time I have wasted saving a couple of hundred dollars!

Latests Mac Sightings

Readers continue to see Macs around:

Thought you might like to know that in the movie Santa Claus 2, there is a Titanium PowerBook on the desk used by the principal to display a visual of the graffiti from a wall that was painted by Santa Claus's son. The principal is an important part of the movie because she, well, enough said for now - don't want to give away the movie!

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Hi! have you guys noticed the mac in the Verizon commercial where the guy's in the office building flicking the lights on and off? (It is verizon, right? y'know, the "can you hear me now?", commercials.)