Widescreen iBook Rumors Gain Weight, 12" iBook G4 Reviewed, Ultralight Laptops, Rugged Laptops, and More
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video
Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free
Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: Upgrade to a Larger Hard Drive, Add Additional Drives SATA for Mac Pro and G5s, up to 1.0TB in each Bay. 500GB from $90!
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
MacBook/MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO DDR2 667Mhz 4GB Kit $80, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40, 1GB $20 - Click to Maximize your Macs...
Charles Moore
- 2005.06.24
This Week's PowerBook, iBook, and Notebook News
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is
covered in iPod News
Review. News about Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other
Intel developments is covered in The Macintel Report.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
- From Mac Plus to 17" PowerBook G4
- Widescreen iBook Rumors Gain Weight
- Taiwan's Asustek Snatches iBook Order from
Quanta
Intel Transition
- Intel Integrates WiFi with
CPU (Macintel Report)
Reviews
Windows Watch
Bargain 'Books
News & Opinion
From Mac Plus to 17" PowerBook G4
hyku's Josh Hallett says:
"Unpacking my new PowerBook
17" got me thinking about my Macintosh history. It has spanned
18 years and seen 12 different machines starting with a Macintosh Plus in 1987 and
continuing today with a new G4 PowerBook 17".
"Let's take a look back, shall we."
Widescreen iBook Rumors Gain Weight
The Register's Tony Smith says:
"Asustek, not Quanta, will produce Apple's upcoming widescreen
iBook laptop Mac.
"So claims a report in Taiwan's Economic Daily News, which adds
weight to rumours published in April that the Mac maker is
preparing a consumer-oriented widescreen notebook."
Taiwan's Asustek Snatches iBook Order from
Quanta
AFX News Limited (via Forbes) reports:
"Asustek Computer Inc (2357.TW) has signed a contract with Apple
Computer Inc to make 14-inch 'iBooks' for the American computer
giant, the Economic Daily News reported, quoting unnamed market
sources."
DigiTimes.com's Jessie Shen reports:
"Asustek Computer recently beat out Quanta Computer to grab
orders from Apple Computer for a 14.1-inch widescreen iBook model,
with shipments to total about 500,000 notebooks, according to the
Economic Daily News.
"Last year, Asustek shipped more than one million notebooks to
Apple, the paper indicated. According to sources, the company
produced Apple's 12.1-inch iBook and 12.1-inch PowerBook. Asustek
also secured orders for the 15.4-inch iBook, which will be launched
in 2006, the sources added."
Reviews
12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz Reviewed
MacUser says:
"When the iBook range was launched, there was a wide performance
gap between this new consumer portable and the existing PowerBook
models. Now, though, it's a different story. Both portable lines
feature G4 processors and, despite the PowerBooks having more
megahertz, their performance is similar. And the iBooks are nipping
at the PowerBooks' heels in other respects, too."
- Link:
iBook G4 12in 1.2 GHz Combo Reviewed (subscription
required)
Windows Watch
Carbon Fibre Used in Ultralight Laptops
gizmag.com reports:
"The never-ending quest for lighter, more powerful notebooks
appears to have a new trend, at least if you can call two carbon
fibre notebooks a trend. A fortnight ago Acer showed its Ferrari
4000 Carbon Fiber notebook, now MPC has joined with its own
high-powered notebook with carbon fibre lid. The sad part is that
unlike the sleek and sexy Acer, which shows the carbon fibre weave,
MPC has elected to paint theirs. Designed to offer an ultra-sleek
notebook with exceptional performance in a lightweight form factor,
the TransPort U1000 ultra-portable notebook computer weighs less
than four pounds, an Intel Pentium M processor for high-performance
mobile computing, and 12.1" display integrated into a carbon-fiber
lid. At US$1,900, it's a lot of performance in an incredibly light
package, but someone should tell them about the attractiveness of
the carbon weave."
Laptops Built for Abuse
Forbes' Arik Hesseldahl says:
"Occasionally I have a nightmare about bad things happening to
my laptop. A drink gets spilled in the keyboard, or it goes
crashing to the ground. Either would be enough to give me a real
start in the real world and would be certainly enough to shatter an
otherwise peaceful night's sleep....
"With these fears in mind, I've always wanted to try out some of
the so-called 'ruggedized' notebooks I've heard so much about over
the years. The opportunity finally presented itself when I got
samples from two manufacturers of rugged notebooks: Panasonic, a
unit of Japan's Matsushita, and the privately held Itronix, based
in Spokane, Wash.
"These are the machines that utility companies buy for their
field service personnel, that police departments buy for cops and
that the military buys for soldiers in dangerous places around the
world.
- Link:
Laptops Built for Abuse
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible
for AppleCare.
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233
MHz, the cacheless MainStreet
version and the later Series II
with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from
the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included
links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for
the PowerBook G4/667 (VGA) and
G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs.
aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz
15" PowerBooks.
- 12" iBook G3/500,
192/10/CD-ROM, $399.99
- 12" iBook G3/600,
256/20/Combo, $529.99
- 12" iBook G3/800,
256/30/CD-ROM, $529.99
- 12" iBook G3/900,
256/40/Combo, $679.99
Special Deals: Apple
Certified
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1.2
GHz, 256/30/CD-ROM, $799
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1.2
GHz, 256/30/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $849
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,099
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33
GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.5
GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, $1,499
- Blueberry iBook G3/300,
96/6/CD-ROM, $279.99
- Tangerine iBook G3/300,
96/6/CD-ROM, $279.99
- PowerBook Pismo G3/400,
192/10/DVD, $415
- PowerBook Pismo G3/500,
256/12/DVD, $459
- 15" PowerBook G4/500,
256/20/DVD, $599
- new 12" iBook G4/1 GHz,
256/40/CD-ROM, AirPort Extreme, $849
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, Best PowerBook G3 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals. 
Recent 'Book Reviews
- New 'Books Likely in September, 17" PowerBook Display Fault Site, SSD Security, and More, 08.29.
Also 6 ways to speed up your MacBook, next generation MacBook Air CPU, MacBook Air Update, LapStrap carrying solution, rise and fall of ultraportables, bargains from $220 to $2,699, and more.
- MagSafe Out of Warranty Replacement, nVidia Flaw Affecting Macs, MacBook Air Revision Soon, and More, 08.22.
Also 160 GB microdrive from Intel, MacBooks on grocer's shelves, Intel future CPU plans, a checkpoint friendly notebook case, bargain 'Books from $220 to $2,699, and more.
- 'All nVidia GeForce 8600 Chips Bad', Subcompact MacBook in 2009?, Instant On Notebooks, and More, 08.15.
MacBooks in high demand in education, first quad-core ThinkPad, Dell notebook claims 19 hour battery life, new Logitech mouse clips to your notebook, bargain 'Books from $200 to $3,069, more.
- US Customs Can Seize Any Laptop, Aluminum and Ultraportable MacBook Rumors, and More, 08.08.
Also thoughts on the next generation of MacBooks, "I want to marry the Apple MacBook Pro", do it yourself MacBook Pro hard drive replacement, bargain 'Books from $490 to $3,069, and more.
- More in the .
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line.
- List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone.
- August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Looking for a Content Management System That's as Easy as Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.29.
Low End Mac needs to move to a content management system, but the few we've tried just don't cut it for people used to the simple elegance of the Mac.
- First 3 Million Mac Quarter, Skinny on Mac mini Pricing, Mac-like gOS, and More, Mac News Review, 08.29.
More plan to buy Apple products than ever before, complete reset can fix MobileMac synch problems, Apple boosting computer and smartphone share, and more.
- iPhone 3G Reception 'Completely Normal', AT&T International Data Plans for iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 08.29.
Also longer life for iPod earbuds, an alternative to MobileMe, new cases and apps for iPhone, AppStoreGems website launched, and more.
- Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400.
- Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179.
- 10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28.
A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
- Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28.
Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
- Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
- Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
- Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
- CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27.
Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
- MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.27.
The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
- Resurrecting a Dead Pismo, Spotlight Search Tip, and EasyFind a Good File Finder, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.27.
Lots of tips on bringing a comatose Pismo back to life, a Spotlight file name search tip, and EasyFind as an alternative to Spotlight.
- Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
- More links in our archive.
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: Upgrade to a Larger Hard Drive, Add Additional Drives SATA for Mac Pro and G5s, up to 1.0TB in each Bay. 500GB from $90!
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
MacBook/MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO DDR2 667Mhz 4GB Kit $80, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40, 1GB $20 - Click to Maximize your Macs...
Charles Moore - 2005.06.24
This Week's PowerBook, iBook, and Notebook News
General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered in iPod News Review. News about Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is covered in The Macintel Report.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
- From Mac Plus to 17" PowerBook G4
- Widescreen iBook Rumors Gain Weight
- Taiwan's Asustek Snatches iBook Order from Quanta
Intel Transition
- Intel Integrates WiFi with CPU (Macintel Report)
Reviews
Windows Watch
Bargain 'Books
News & Opinion
From Mac Plus to 17" PowerBook G4
hyku's Josh Hallett says:
"Unpacking my new PowerBook 17" got me thinking about my Macintosh history. It has spanned 18 years and seen 12 different machines starting with a Macintosh Plus in 1987 and continuing today with a new G4 PowerBook 17".
"Let's take a look back, shall we."
Widescreen iBook Rumors Gain Weight
The Register's Tony Smith says:
"Asustek, not Quanta, will produce Apple's upcoming widescreen iBook laptop Mac.
"So claims a report in Taiwan's Economic Daily News, which adds weight to rumours published in April that the Mac maker is preparing a consumer-oriented widescreen notebook."
Taiwan's Asustek Snatches iBook Order from Quanta
AFX News Limited (via Forbes) reports:
"Asustek Computer Inc (2357.TW) has signed a contract with Apple Computer Inc to make 14-inch 'iBooks' for the American computer giant, the Economic Daily News reported, quoting unnamed market sources."
DigiTimes.com's Jessie Shen reports:
"Asustek Computer recently beat out Quanta Computer to grab orders from Apple Computer for a 14.1-inch widescreen iBook model, with shipments to total about 500,000 notebooks, according to the Economic Daily News.
"Last year, Asustek shipped more than one million notebooks to Apple, the paper indicated. According to sources, the company produced Apple's 12.1-inch iBook and 12.1-inch PowerBook. Asustek also secured orders for the 15.4-inch iBook, which will be launched in 2006, the sources added."
Reviews
12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz Reviewed
MacUser says:
"When the iBook range was launched, there was a wide performance gap between this new consumer portable and the existing PowerBook models. Now, though, it's a different story. Both portable lines feature G4 processors and, despite the PowerBooks having more megahertz, their performance is similar. And the iBooks are nipping at the PowerBooks' heels in other respects, too."
- Link: iBook G4 12in 1.2 GHz Combo Reviewed (subscription required)
Windows Watch
Carbon Fibre Used in Ultralight Laptops
gizmag.com reports:
"The never-ending quest for lighter, more powerful notebooks appears to have a new trend, at least if you can call two carbon fibre notebooks a trend. A fortnight ago Acer showed its Ferrari 4000 Carbon Fiber notebook, now MPC has joined with its own high-powered notebook with carbon fibre lid. The sad part is that unlike the sleek and sexy Acer, which shows the carbon fibre weave, MPC has elected to paint theirs. Designed to offer an ultra-sleek notebook with exceptional performance in a lightweight form factor, the TransPort U1000 ultra-portable notebook computer weighs less than four pounds, an Intel Pentium M processor for high-performance mobile computing, and 12.1" display integrated into a carbon-fiber lid. At US$1,900, it's a lot of performance in an incredibly light package, but someone should tell them about the attractiveness of the carbon weave."
Laptops Built for Abuse
Forbes' Arik Hesseldahl says:
"Occasionally I have a nightmare about bad things happening to my laptop. A drink gets spilled in the keyboard, or it goes crashing to the ground. Either would be enough to give me a real start in the real world and would be certainly enough to shatter an otherwise peaceful night's sleep....
"With these fears in mind, I've always wanted to try out some of the so-called 'ruggedized' notebooks I've heard so much about over the years. The opportunity finally presented itself when I got samples from two manufacturers of rugged notebooks: Panasonic, a unit of Japan's Matsushita, and the privately held Itronix, based in Spokane, Wash.
"These are the machines that utility companies buy for their field service personnel, that police departments buy for cops and that the military buys for soldiers in dangerous places around the world.
- Link: Laptops Built for Abuse
Bargain 'Books
Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible for AppleCare.
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233 MHz, the cacheless MainStreet version and the later Series II with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for the PowerBook G4/667 (VGA) and G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs. aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz 15" PowerBooks.
- 12" iBook G3/500, 192/10/CD-ROM, $399.99
- 12" iBook G3/600, 256/20/Combo, $529.99
- 12" iBook G3/800, 256/30/CD-ROM, $529.99
- 12" iBook G3/900, 256/40/Combo, $679.99
Special Deals: Apple
Certified
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz, 256/30/CD-ROM, $799
- refurb 12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz, 256/30/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $849
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/Combo, AirPort Extreme, $1,099
- refurb 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.33 GHz, 256/60/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, $1,299
- refurb 12" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 512/80/SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, $1,499
- Blueberry iBook G3/300, 96/6/CD-ROM, $279.99
- Tangerine iBook G3/300, 96/6/CD-ROM, $279.99
- PowerBook Pismo G3/400, 192/10/DVD, $415
- PowerBook Pismo G3/500, 256/12/DVD, $459
- 15" PowerBook G4/500, 256/20/DVD, $599
- new 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 256/40/CD-ROM, AirPort Extreme, $849
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, Best PowerBook G3 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
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