The 'Book Review 2001.11.09

Except as noted, prices are in US dollars, bold links are to outside sites, and regular links lead to 'Book profiles on Low End Mac.

• IBM Unveils High-Capacity Portable Hard Drives
• Margi Display-to-Go 4 MB PC Card Supports Cinema Display on TiBook
• iBook Tote and Tilt Handle for 500 and 600 MHz iBook
• nCalc 1.2.2 Calculator Designed for PowerBooks and iBooks
• Chrome BikeBags from BlakesBags
• The Back Office from Shaun Jackson Design
• e-pac G3 Rucksack / Briefcase for PowerBook 98/99/2000
• One Gig RAM Kit for (Most) TiBooks
• PBZone.com Offers FireWire Enclosures
• Bargain 'Books

IBM Unveils High-Capacity Portable Hard Drives

IBM has unveiled two high-capacity hard drive products with enhanced capabilities and industry-best features for the mobile and new blade server segments.

The Travelstar 60GH and 40GN family includes the Travelstar 60H, at 60 GB and 5400 RPM the industry's highest-capacity, highest-performing 2.5" notebook drive. The 40GN offers 40, 30, 20 and 10 GB capacities spinning at 4200 RPM. As a family, IBM says the Travelstar enables the longest battery life among leading notebook drives and maintains its "quietest" drive title with IBM's Drive Noise Suppression System continued across the new product line.

Finally, IBM introduces new 2.5" Travelstar models, offering enhanced availability for nontraditional applications. These industry-first models increase available hard drive "power-on hours."

The new Travelstar drives also have low power features and have implemented IBM's antiferromagnetically-coupled (AFC) media, also called "pixie-dust," across the product lines. The magnetic properties of AFC media enable higher data stability, and thus, higher areal density - potentially tripling the industry's current areal density limits.

At a top capacity of 60 GB, the 60GH represents a 25% capacity increase over the previous generation of Travelstar drives, but without additional power consumption. IBM enables low power consumption on the new line of Travelstar with its enhanced Adaptive Battery Life Extender (ABLE) technology, offering notebook customers the longest battery life of leading notebook hard drive on the market.

These new developments, combined with advanced areal density, noise suppression, and operational shock protection technologies, give customers the highest value when compared to other notebook drives. In addition, the Travelstar 60GH and 40GN are able to provide industry-leading technology at a value price by the efficient use of components - heads and disks - to accommodate desired capacity points.

With a top capacity of 60 GB, the new Travelstar drive can store up to 60,000 high resolution photos, 92 music CDs, 60,000 paperback novels, or 15 DVD movies. The 60GH and 40GN are currently shipping.

Margi Display-to-Go 4MB PC Card Supports Cinema Display on TiBook

Margi has announced that their new driver will allow you to connect the Cinema Display to the TiBook under Mac OS 9.2.1 using their Margi Display-to-Go 4 MB card.

Display-to-Go 4MB is a Type II CardBus PC Card with adapter cables for use with DVI, DFP or VGA displays. These displays can be a CRT, digital or analog LCD display, projector, plasma display or head wearable display. Stated simply, it's a PCMCIA graphics adapter card for laptops.

Display-to-Go 4MB supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1200, at several refresh rates up to 85 Hz. Resolutions up to and including 1280 x 1024 can operate in 24-bit color (millions of colors), and higher resolutions support 16-bit color (thousands of colors). Display-to-Go 4MB gives every mobile presenter the ability to drive most any computer display from his laptop computer.

The card comes with onscreen setup adjustments and can operate on any CardBus enabled laptop running Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Mac OS 9.0. Because Display-to-Go has its own graphics chip, the user can independently set the resolution of the attached display. This may not be true if the user connects to the VGA port on the back of the laptop.

Mac OS 9.x supports multiple display mode. When additional displays are attached, as with the Display-to-Go 4 MB card, the desktop workspace is increased. Windows can be maximized to completely fill each display and can be dragged between the two displays as if they were one

Included with the Display-to-Go 4MB card is either a VGA, DFP (a.k.a. MD-20 or VESA), or DVI cable. All Display-to-Go 4MB models come with drivers for Mac OS 9.0, Windows 98, and Windows 2000.

4 MB of graphics RAM lets you work at a resolution up to 1600 x 1200 and 16-bit color. In addition to providing a larger working area, the Display-to-Go 4MB card also keeps your presentations jitter-free.

The same Display-to-Go 4MB card can be used with the VGA, DFP, and DVI adapter cables to plug into analog or digital displays including Apple Cinema displays. New Cinema displays featuring the ADC connector can be connected using Gefen Inc.'s DVI to ADC Conversion Box . [Note: Margi Systems has not tested the DVI to ADC Conversion Box. As such use of the product is at your own risk, and no support is available.]

iBook Tote and Tilt Handle for 500 and 600 MHz iBook

Features

• Tote your iBook by a handle
• Tilt to allow air circulation under your iBook
• Installs in less than five minutes
• Does not void warranty
• 100% made in the USA
• Color matches iBook

iBook Tote and Tilt sells for $39.95

For more information, visit <http://www.cyber3.com>.

nCalc 1.2.2 Calculator Designed for PowerBooks and iBooks

A calculator intended for PowerBook and iBook users, nCalc works only with the embedded numeric keypad on your keyboard regardless of whether NumLock is On or Off. This is extremely convenient for notebook users, but not much use on desktop computers.

System requirements: Mac OS 8.6 or higher and CarbonLib or Mac OS X 10.0 or higher.

nCalc is freeware

Download your copy at <http://slcx.net/>.

Chrome BikeBags from BlakesBags

BlakesBags' website is long on nice photos and short on words. These bags would be ideal for toting 'Books around.

The Back Office from Shaun Jackson Design

Shaun Jackson Design, creators of the Lapdog computer case, have come up with yet another innovative way to transport your laptop computer.

The Back Office is a cleverly designed, padded backpack for your notebook computer that unfolds in seconds to create a completely functional mobile workspace. The Back Office is sized to fit even large screen laptops and the 6 additional pockets will handle all of your necessary accessories including power supply, cables, removable drives, etc., with plenty of room left over for all your other stuff.

The comfortable shoulder harness makes carrying your mobile technology gear a breeze and tucks neatly away into its own pocket if you'd prefer to use the pack as a briefcase.

Like SJD's Lapdog, which is now available at the Design Store at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Back office works equally well on your lap or on any desk surface. Constructed of the rugged 1000 denier ballistics nylon with military grade webbing and zippers.

e-pac G3 Rucksack / Briefcase for PowerBook 98/99/2000

The e-pac 2010 was designed for both the iBook and PowerBook, but they are also compatible with any notebook on the market. The cases offer the ultimate in protection. The bag has a soft outer shell. A unique metal reinforced frame protects the contents of the case, making it one of the safest products for transporting portable hardware on the market. Each bag can be carried three ways; moulded hard-wearing brief case handles, a removable non-slip shoulder strap and padded concealable rucksack straps. They also come with a Velcro fastening on the reverse, for trolley attachment at travel terminals; in fact e-pac products have been approved by all major airlines as hand-luggage.

The interior has been developed to carry all sundries safely: there are specific pockets for the power points and leads, all with extra padding to protect the hardware. The cases have a removable CD storage wallet, a zip down cushioned work station, pen holders, business card pockets, lockable metal zips with padlocks as standards.

• Size: 39cm x 35cm x 12cm
• Weight: 5 lbs / 2.2 Kilos
• Price: $99

One Gig RAM Kit for (Most) TiBooks

The PowerBook G4 Titanium has two memory slots and can be upgraded with RAMJET DIMMs to a maximum of 1024 MB (1 GB). The original 128 MB or 256 MB that comes with this PowerBook is installed as a single SO-DIMM in slot 1.

Note to TiBook 667 MHz owners: Due to an unpublished spec. change by Apple, the 667 is not able to use the RAMJET 512 MB module in its upper slot. This means that you cannot install the RAMJET 1 Gig kit in your machine. RAMJET is currently working toward a solution.

PBZone.com Offers FireWire Enclosures

PowerBook Zone has another batch of FireWire enclosures for 2.5" hard drives. If you've got a 2.5" drive left over from a hard drive upgrade of your PowerBook or are taking a look at the great prices for new 2.5" drives, this is a great way to get a fast, portable hard drive for your PowerBook - all while saving a bit of money by putting the two pieces together yourself.

The FW-2500WB enclosures incorporate the ultra-fast Oxford Semiconductor "911" FireWire bridge chip for the best performance. If you've been paying attention to the external FireWire device market, you know this is the fastest chip out there - suitable for video work, high-end audio work, and anything else you can throw at it.

The enclosure costs $119 and UPS ground is a flat $5.

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Bargain 'Books

Small Dog Electronics

• PowerBook G4/500, 256/20 GB, factory refurbished, 1 Year Apple Factory Warranty, $1,999
• PowerBook G4/400, 128/10 GB, $1,699
• iBook Blueberry G3/300, 32/3 GB/CD/56K, $849
• PowerBook WallStreet G3/300, 320/8 GB/CD/56K/14.1", $1,099
• PowerBook WallStreet G3/233, 32/2 GB/CD/floppy/14.1", $1,099
• PowerBook WallStreet G3/300, 64/8 GB/DVD/56K/14.1", $1,199

Those WallStreets do hold their value!

LA Computer Center

• PowerBook G4/400, 128/10 GB, New, $1,770
• PowerBook G4/500, 256/20 GB, New, $2,099

MacSelect

• PowerBook Pismo G3/400, 128/6 GB/DVD/56K/14.1", 90 Day MacSelect Warranty /Refurb, $1,149
• PowerBook Wallstreet G3/300, 128/8 GB/DVD/100 MB Zip/14.1", Refurb., $999
• PowerBook Wallstreet G3/266, 64/4 GB/20x CD/100 MB Zip/14.1", Refurb., $849

That's a pretty amazing price on that Pismo.

Power Max

• PowerBook Lombard G3/333, 64/4 GB/CD/14.1" w/Deluxe Bag, Used, $1,099
• PowerBook WallStreet G3/292, 64/8 GB/CD/floppy/14.1", Used, $1,069

If you take the bag into account, that is pretty much even-Steven pricing for a Lombard and a WallStreet. Which would you rather have?

DataTech Remarketing

And for you budget PowerBook shoppers:

• PowerBook 5300C/100, 16/500, $219
• PowerBook 540C, 12/320/GV19.2, $149