iBook Colors & Ship Date, Huge Laptop Hard Drives, BookEndz, and Lots More

NOTE: This Miscellaneous Ramblings column originally appeared on MacOpinion on August 13, 1999. It is republished here by permission of the author and MacOpinion.

Tangerine iBooks Hold Their Own Popularity-Wise

Rumor has it that iBook pre-orders are running as much as four times greater than pre-orders for the iMac when it was announced last August. The ever-popular Blueberry color reportedly has the numbers edge by a small margin; the Tangerine iBook is proportionately much more popular than the Tangerine iMac was.

Indeed, although Tangerine is my third or fourth-favorite iMac color, Tangerine just seems to look "right" on the iBook to my eyes, and apparently to a lot of other eyes as well.

iBooks to Ship on September 1?

Doug Landry's iBook Zone reports that the giant mail order reseller MacWarehouse is expecting iBook in stock September 1st. If true, that would be a lot sooner than some of the more lugubrious predictions floating around. We'll have to wait and see. Apple is still stinging from the Lombard ship date fiasco, and has not announced a firm shipping date for iBook.

or Not

MacInTouch reader Dave Martin had this to say about Apple's own Apple Store delivery estimates:

FYI, current estimated shipping for iMacs on the Apple Store is at 40 days (~September 18). iBook estimated shipping is 50 days (~September 28).

How Does a 25 Gigabyte Laptop Hard Drive Grab You?

Don't have enough hard drive space on your laptop? IBM comes to the rescue with a new laptop hard drive with an astonishing 25 gigabyte capacity - The IBM Travelstar 25GS. That's right, 25 gigs - the equivalent of either 20 TV-quality movies, 792 feet of shelved books or seven million pages of text, or more than 12 times as much data space as the puny 2 gig drive in my WallStreet.

Not content with building the biggest laptop drive, IBM, which invented and shipped the world's first computer hard disk drive in 1956, has also introduced what it claims is the world's toughest 2.5" hard drive - the 12 GB Travelstar 12GN, which features the industry's highest shock rating of 800 G/1 ms, and the world's highest density storage laptop drive - Travelstar 18GT which holds the equivalent of the text printed on 18 pickup trucks full of paper. These two 12.5mm thick units will fit in PowerBook G3 Series 'Books.

The IBM Travelstar 25GS offers several industry firsts: its record-setting capacity of 25 GB of course, plus a media transfer rate of up to 181.2 Mbits/sec, and a disk rotation speed of 5400 RPM. The IBM Travelstar 18GT and Travelstar 12GN hard drives provide areal densities of 10.1 Gbits/sq. in. and 6 GB of capacity per disk.

An advanced electromechanical design provides the exceptional storage capacities and superior shock ratings in these new IBM hard drives, combined with technologies like IBM giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head, Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) digital channel, a head load/unload feature, a more rigid base casting than previous models, and Enhanced Adaptive Battery Life Extender* (ABLE) 3.0. They are also optimized for using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques. Fast Ultra-DMA interface transfer rates reach as high as 66 MB/sec. In addition, the new IBM drives employ a thermistor - an adaptive control device that helps maintain high performance and fast seek times at high environmental temperatures.

Technical specifications for the new IBM hard drives:

Travelstar 25GS

• Height: 17 mm
• 25.3 GB
• 5 disk platters
• 10 recording heads
• 5411 rpm
• 5.5 ms avg. latency
• 500 G/2 ms nonoperating shock
• 150 G/2 ms operating shock
• 12 ms avg. read seek time
• 6.47 ounces (185 grams).

Travelstar 18GT

• Height: 12.5 mm
• 18.1/15.1 GB
• 3/3 disk platters
• 6/5 recording heads
• 4200 rpm
• 7.1 ms avg. latency
• 700 G/1 ms nonoperating shock
• 175 G/2 ms operating shock
• 12 ms avg. read seek time
• 4.72 ounces (135 grams).

Travelstar 12GN

• Height: 9.5 mm
• 12/9/6 GB, 2/2/1 disk platters
• 4/3/2 recording heads
• 4200 rpm
• 7.1 ms avg. latency
• 800 G/1 ms nonoperating shock
• 175 G/2 ms operating shock
• 12 ms avg. read seek time
• 3.46 ounces (99 grams).

For more information about IBM hard drives visit: http://www.ibm.com/harddrive

Lombard BookEndz Docking Station Now Shipping

Newer Technology is now shipping BookEndz docking stations for Lombard and has discontinued production of all BookEndz models for older PowerBooks except WallStreet.

BookEndz allows you to keep all your peripheral cables plugged into it while you take your 'Book on the road. When you return, just slide the PowerBook into BookEndz and you're connected again.

BookEndz for Lombard (1999 PowerBook G3 Series) includes:

• 2 USB ports
• Power receptacle accepts standard Apple or compatible AC or DC supplies
• SCSI port is a standard 25 pin female, like desktop Macs
• RJ-45 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
• VGA external monitor port
• S-video industry standard 4 pin output
• Industry standard RCA phono type female
• Composite Video output
• Audio input accepts standard 3.5 mm audio devices
• Audio output accepts standard stereo 3.5 mm audio devices
• RJ-ll modem port

BookEndz for WallStreet (1998 PowerBook G3 Series) includes:

• 9 pin GeoPort serial 6" male/female extension for high speed serial devices
• 4 pin ADB 6" male/female extension for keyboard/mouse or other ADB devices
• Power receptacle accepts standard Apple or compatible AC or DC supplies
• SCSI port is a standard 25 pin female, like desktop Macs
• RJ-45 10BT ethernet VGA external monitor port
• S-video 4 pin output
• RCA phono type female Composite Video output
• Audio input accepts standard 3.5 mm audio devices
• Audio output accepts standard stereo 3.5 mm audio devices

Andy Ihnatko Agrees with Me that Apple Still Needs a "Thin" PowerBook

Andy Ihnatko of MacCentral thinks that the iBook's macho detractors may have something to hide, but he agrees that Apple is losing loyalists by ignoring the thin subnotebook market.

iBook fans and skeptics alike should find Andy Ihnatko's latest MacCentral column, iBook, GoodBook, OtherBook, an interesting read.

Andy is an iBook fan and expresses his pleasure that someone was finally "willing to break the boring Black Or, For The Office Rebel, A Very Dark Shade Of Grey motif which has had a stranglehold on all notebooks, including Apple's."

He also likes the iBook's controversial handle and the fact that its rugged durability has been stylishly camouflaged by curvy lines and arched contours which are of course much stronger structurally than the more practical and "no-nonsense" looking square corners and flat planes.

Andy also takes a swipe at those self-styled macho men who vow that they'd never be caught dead carrying something as "girlie" as the iBook around, not too subtly suggesting that they may be repressing something entirely other by protesting too much. Hmmm. I'll leave that latter for Andy to explain.

More objectively, Andy posits a forceful point by point argument that iBook's design parameters - e.g., all the things that curmudgeons like me have been complaining were left out - have been carefully and cleverly conceived toward an objective of not stealing "a single sale away from the PowerBook G3 line." As he puts it, "detail by detail, the iBook's spec sheet is precision-engineered to separate the people who can be talked into spending a thousand more for a G3 from those who can't."

Andy suggests that Apple may have learned from past mistakes with introducing products that cannibalized sales of higher profit margin Apple products.

However, like me, Andy Ihnatko believes that Apple still needs a "slim" executive "eBook" to fill the remaining void in the Mac portable lineup - a machine "two inches smaller and at least two pounds lighter than the iBook and PowerBook G3" and that looks even smaller than that.

Andy thinks this sounds a lot like the late, lamented PowerBook 2400c. To my mind, Apple could have a real winner by sending the also late and lamented PowerBook 1400 to the same fat farm that turned WallStreet into Lombard for only modest development costs as opposed to starting from scratch. Both the 2400 and 1400 already accept G3 upgrades, so why not a 216 or 233 MHz G3 CPU?

The iBook's virtues notwithstanding, Apple needs an entry in the thin subnotebook market, and as Andy Ihnatko notes in his column, the lack of same is luring significant numbers of Mac loyalists over to the Dark Side.

As Andy notes, he loves his PB 3400, "Lilith," "but she's a big mama," he laments "and even I began to be seduced by the Windows subnotebooks. Me too, Andy; me too.

More on AirPort FCC Approval Holdup

In last week's MR, I noted that Apple has not yet received FCC approval for its AirPort wireless networking products, which are a major feature related to the iBook. I noted that Apple had reportedly canceled all AirPort Base Station and AirPort Card orders placed at the Apple Store due to the fact that FCC regulations dictate that unapproved items may not be put into production, so in order to get iBook production ramped up Apple was obliged to remove the AirPort component of orders already received. Orders placed with Apple resellers are unaffected by this action.

Road Warrior reader Steve Palm wrote with this comment:

I just wanted to say that I had placed an order for the AirPort base station, as well as for the AirPort card along with my iBook order. Although I see that the current Apple Store web page no longer accepts orders for these items (and hasn't for at least a few days now), I just received a printed order confirmation from Apple which still lists them on my order, and my online Apple Store order does not have those items removed.

However a MacInTouch reader notes that AirPort is indeed suffering from delays that are causing ordering problems, and forwarded this statement, presumably from The Apple Store:

Thank you for your recent order with the Apple Store. We appreciate your business and look forward to shipping your product as soon as it is available. Unfortunately in order to speed up the process of getting your items to you we have had to remove the AirPort accessories from your order. FCC regulations prevent us from allowing any item that has not been fully approved yet to be put into production. Which means that the items cannot be on your order when the production order is created. Therefore in order to make sure that you receive the rest of your items as soon as they become available we have had to remove the AirPort accessories. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, however you can call 1-800-795-1000 to place a new order once the AirPort items become available sometime in late September.

Hi Yo Silver!

Like the looks of this "silver" WallStreet? You can make yours look just like it a whole lot easier than you might think.

Vimage Bails Out of Mac Upgrade Market

In a development that can only be interpreted as ominous for the Mac processor upgrade market, Vimage has posted the following statement on the former Vimage Store Website:

We're sorry, but we no longer provide direct sales as of 7/30/99. We are deeply sorry for this inconvenience, but we have restructured our business plans, and it is no longer feasible for us to sell to resellers/end users. Thank you for your patience.

Reportedly, Vimage will be refocusing its efforts on the OEM business, with its processor upgrade products rebranded for sale by other manufacturers.

The Vimage Corporation's abandonment of the Mac upgrade business, at least directly, is not good news. There have been persistent rumors lately about a so-called "G4 bomb" in the ROM of G3 Macs that will disable the machine if the presence of a G4 chip (as in a third-party processor upgrade card) is sensed. It is to be hoped that this rumor is groundless, but Apple has not, at this writing, denied it. Vimage's departure as a player in the Mac upgrade market will only serve to increase speculation unless Apple clarifies this issue.

Samsung Develops Even More "Stunning" Flat Screen Display

In his Random Ruminations column on Applelinks this week, John Martellaro declaims that flat screen LCD monitors are "stunning," and indeed my own addiction to flat screen displays has been a significant element of my longtime partiality for PowerBooks. I simply don't like CRTs - even "good" CRTs. John says he has vowed to "never buy another Cathode Ray Tube as a computer monitor," and while "never" is a dangerous word, I would tentatively make the same affirmation.

John says that his "Apple LCD display is so good, it makes the Radius [CRT] look very sorry indeed.... I can hardly stand to look at it."

And we aren't the only ones. In his column about the iBook in The Sentinel newspaper this week, Kurt Wanfried says that despite having recently purchased two 21-inch CRT monitors from The Sentinel a few weeks ago, "I suspect these are the last CRT monitors I'll own because the flat screens like notebook computers use are better in so many ways."

Now Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced what promises to be a flat screen that will be "stunning" beyond our wildest dreams, the "Super eXtended Graphics Array-plus (SXGA+)" - a 16.5-in. TFT-LCD display panel for laptop computers (and possibly the next generation Apple Studio flat-screen monitor for desktops now that Apple has invested $100 million in Samsung's flat-screen operation?). The SXGA+ features more pixels than the standard SXGA panel (1,400 x 1,050 versus 1,280 x 1,024 pixels), which should guarantee spectacular performance. Production is expected to commence early next year, and Samsung reportedly projects a sales volume of 10,000 units per month.

Less auspiciously, a Reuters news story on cnnfn.com reports that creditors of South Korea's Samsung Group, in whose flat panel monitor division Apple Computer recently invested $100 million, have proposed freezing new loans to Samsung unless the company guarantees debt repayments.

Yoo Han-jo, a director of Hanvit Bank, told Reuters that five of Samsung's major creditors have agreed on a package of financial sanctions against the company, and will propose it to an expanded meeting of all Samsung creditors next week.

The bank official indicated that creditors will discuss the plan to freeze loans to Samsung Group companies next week, and if Samsung can't come up with a credible plan to clear the 4.3 trillion won debt of its auto unit, Samsung Motors Inc., credit lines may be cut to the entire group of companies.

In late June, Samsung Group announced that it was getting out of the automobile business and filed for receivership after its plan to sell Samsung Motors to Daewoo Group fell through. It is unclear as to what significance this development has on Apple's investment in Samsung, or plans for the SXGA+ screen. The last thing Apple needs is another kink in its flat screen supply pipeline.

New Beta Version 1.5b1 of Griffin's iMate USB to ADB Adapter

Griffin Technology, Inc. has posted beta version 1.5b1 of the iMate driver for their iMate USB to ADB adapter. The new version provides more flexible control and improved support for Lombard, as well as tighter integration between the iMate driver and the iMate Fiddler application. Performance and compatibility changes can now be made to iMate on-the-fly. Changes made with the iMate Fiddler application are now implemented immediately. This makes tuning the performance of an ADB device much easier. Some other changes were also made that may improve reliability when awakening from sleep mode on Lombard.

On the earlier 233 MHz iMacs (Rev A or Rev B iMac; Bondi) you MUST have the latest version of the iMac ROM to use the iMate driver software. The newer Rev C and Rev D (Flavored, 266 MHz, and 333 MHz) models should already come with the correct ROM and firmware installed. PowerBook G3s do not need any updates.

The ROM version can be ascertained by selecting the "Mac OS ROM" in the System Folder and selecting "Get Info" under the "File Menu". It should be version 1.2.1 or higher. If you do not have a recent ROM version you must download the iMac Firmware Update and the iMac Update 1.1 from the appropriate Apple site below.

The iMate driver provides the functionality of the ADB manager, allowing ADB devices that require custom drivers to operate on an iMac, Lombard, or other Mac with a USB card. Some ADB devices such as keyboards, mice, and bar code readers operate with the iMate without any driver software at all or only need a driver to support special functions.

To Download the iMate Driver, go here.

Linux For Lombard

Linux Florida has published publish a tutorial on how to install Yellow Dog Linux on Lombard:

After many hours of work we are among the first to run it successfully and stably on this machine and are the first to write a procedure for it. This install is quite easy and the user who is fairly unwary about Unix should be able to do this. We've got the exclusive on this - you won't see it anywhere else.

Linux Florida used Yellow Dog Champion Server 1.0 on a Lombard 400, but speculate that their instructions could most likely be used as a guideline for installing LinuxPPC or Champion 1.1 as long as the same kernel and X server are used.

Macworld Finally Posts a Lombard Article

Amid all the iBook hype and hoopla, Macworld magazine has finally gotten around to Lombard in a short article entitled Apple Puts PowerBook on a Diet.

The article, a typically bland but technically informative Macworld piece, offers no earth-shattering revelations but provides a good overview of Lombard specs. and features.

Rainbow Painter 1.3.0 Released

For our exotic software item this week, Swedish software developer Addiction Interactive has released a version 1.3.0 update of their Rainbow Painter image editing application for the Macintosh.

Rainbow Painter is an image editing, painting, and photo retouching program for the PowerPC Macintosh that supports 8 image layers with alpha channels and a mask layer.

New features in Rainbow Painter 1.3.0 include:

• Extended Tutorial
• Extended Quick Help
• New picture effects: "Enhance", "Plasma", "Impressionism", "Mineral", "Cosmic Glow".
• The color of the mask layer can now be changed (click on the color shown below the mask tools)
• Coordinates are now displayed in the "Realtime Zoom", when the mouse pointer is over a picture
• The picture's size is now displayed to the right of the picture's name.
• "Export" as "Raw" has been improved with a settings dialog
• The "Raw" importer now recognizes both 16-bit and 15-bit pixels
• The picture effects have been divided into 2 sets ("Classic FX", "Modern FX") for easier reference
• The mask operation 'Remove' has been renamed "Clear," to better reflect its function.

Rainbow Painter is shareware with a modest fee of US$12. Users are permitted to put the unregistered version of the program on any media they like, including CD-ROM and FTP etc. System requirements are MacOS compatible computer with a PowerPC processor. Colors: Thousands (15 bits) or millions (24 bits). 10+ MB of free hard disk space.

Rainbow Painter 1.3.0 and can be downloaded here.

For more information visit the Rainbow Painter page.

G3 Upgrades for PowerBook 1400s and 2400s May Not Be Dead Yet

UpgradeStuff.com's Dave Manning reports that response so far has been strong to his request for feedback with regards to a possible further PowerBook 1400 G3 upgrade manufacturing run. Preferences have been about evenly split between a low-cost G3 upgrade (216 or 233 MHz) and a higher performance 300 or 333 MHz copper G3 upgrade. Further feedback is kindly requested from anyone interested at 1400@upgradestuff.com

Hard on the heels of Vimage's announcement (see above) that they were pulling out of the Mac market as a direct supplier of CPU upgrade cards, Newer Technology has also announced that it is discontinuing G3 upgrades for the PowerBook 1400 and 2400 due to "declining demand for PowerBook upgrades." At this point, the pipeline is pretty much emptied of both Newer Tech and Vimage PowerBook 1400 upgrade cards.

Have Your 'Book Repaired; Pick Up a Virus?

In medicine, infections from viruses and bacteria picked up in hospitals are a growing problem, and it looks like Apple's PowerBook repair center has similar troubles. A thread of reader letters published on MacFixit indicates that the 666 virus is on the loose at the PowerBook hospital, and that "patients" are being discharged with this highly contagious disease.

One writer says he ran Virex 5.9.1 on his girlfriend's 'Book immediately prior to being shipped to the Apple Repair Facility in Texas. When the machine was returned, the HD has been erased and MacOS 8.5.1 installed in place of the OS 8.6 that had been on it. The owner's personal files, which had not been backed up, were lost. When contacted Apple reportedly said that the HD had been wiped to destroy the 666 virus on it - which the writer says he is sure was not the case. However, the punch line is that when he ran Virex again on the returned PowerBook, the 666 virus was there. "This means that they wiped the HD got rid of the virus and then put the virus back on her machine," says the writer.

If you're sending your 'Book to Apple (or anywhere for that matter) for repair, make sure your files are backed up, and check for viruses your baby may have picked up in the "hospital" when it returns.

SnapTop v1.2: Keystroke Navigator Released

AuctionMac.com Software has released v1.2 of their SnapTop keystroke navigation system extension for the Mac.

SnapTop provides three productivity-boosting functions that will react to preset keystrokes from virtually any application:

1. Snap to desktop: From any application you can "snap" to the desktop and hide all other applications. The demo comes built with a certain keystroke... Registered users can customize with keystroke they prefer.
2. Snap back: Another keystroke reverses the process, showing all your open applications again instantly. SnapTop does not quit any program... but hides them similarly to the Finder's "Hide Other's" command. The demo comes with built with a certain keystroke preset. Registered users can customize keystroke.
3. Close all Finder windows: This feature will switch you to the Finder and close all the open windows. The demo comes built with a certain keystroke... etcetera.

SnapTop is small, easy to install, and has modest system requirements. With registration, the demo delay is removed and you are free to choose any key combos you like in your registered personal copy. The registration fee is US$8.99.

Apple Releases PowerBook G3 Series Battery Reset Update Version 1.0

Apple has released a Battery Reset Update for WallStreet models to address a situation that may occur with some PowerBook G3 Series I and II computers in which the main battery won't charge, doesn't show up, or behaves in an otherwise "unexpected way." However, Apple notes that this update "may not address all battery-related problems." Lombard does not require this update.

You can download the WallStreet battery reset update software here.

PowerPage Reviews Ratoc CDFW-2 FireWire PC Card

If you're interested in upgrading your 'Book to support FireWire, you might find this review of Ratoc's CDFW-2 FireWire PC Card on O'Grady's PowerPage worth a look.

The review says that the Ratoc card worked well with the peripherals they tested: a VST 6 GB FireWire hard drive and a Sony TRV-9 digital camcorder, but some problems were encountered on waking the test PowerBook, a Lombard/400, from sleep. The Lombard "would often crash waking from sleep with the card installed and the drivers loaded."

A Simple Fix for yhe iMac Mouse

Our Danish correspondent Eolake Stobblehouse owns both an iMac and a Lombard PowerBook, and thus has been obliged to contend with the vicissitudes of the controversial iMac "Hockey Puck" USB mouse.

He sends this simple tip for making life with the round rodent more bearable.

"If you put a little blob of glue on the front of the iMac mouse and let it dry," says Eolake, "you can easily feel which way the mouse is turned. Even though I have large hands, I actually really like this mouse after I have done this.

"The iMac mouse is also wonderfully compact and fits easily into the computer bag with the Lombard. I am several times a week sitting in restaurants, café, and wherever I am, photoshopping and web-designing just as easily as if I was home."

A Fine Tribute from an Esteemed Colleague

John Martellaro, who like me is a columnist for both MacOpinion and Applelinks, also had this to say in Random Ruminations #1 this week.

There are some things to catch up on this week. Since it's catch up time, I'll call this "Random Ruminations" in honor of Charles W. Moore and his Miscellaneous Ramblings columns. I hope he won't be too upset with me if I mention that his MR columns and all his other works are splendid examples of the best technical writing on the Macintosh Web. Hey, Charles! Does that get me off the hook?

Sure does, John! I am indeed honored.

Road Warrior Mailbag

From Steve Justus:

Charles-

With all the talk about what features iBook lacks, it's easy to forget this is the first model of the product. The original iMac also had some substantial deficiencies - for example, a video system that wasn't too good for playing games. Those were fixed pretty quickly. I don't think it will be very long before a revision B comes out to address similar issues on the iBook.

As for the pricing, let's keep in mind that Apple got caught by a shortage of displays and probably had to raise the price a little higher than they would like. They didn't invest $100 million in Samsung just because they thought it would be a profitable investment. They expect to secure a better and cheaper source of displays, which should bring the iBook price down in the near future.

The iBook is also the first product based on the Unified Motherboard Architecture (UMA) that is supposed to provide a common basic set of functions across Apple's entire product line. There are a number of startup costs associated with this that haven't been amortized yet. MacOS Rumors reports that Apple expects this move may save up to $250 per machine. I know this is a rumor site, and the figure may not be correct, but UMA is a reality and Apple is adopting it because they expect it will save money. All other Apple products - the next generation iMac, PowerBook, and professional desktop are based on UMA so this transition is not far away. Once UMA is adopted across the entire product line, the iBook costs should come down even further.

I won't be surprised to see a revision B iBook shipping in early 2000 with a few new key features at $100-200 less than the current one. I'm not sure if I'll buy one, but I am one of those people who does find the design strangely appealing - especially the Tangerine.

---

Several RW readers responded to Michael R. Shannon's query about wireless pointing devices for the Mac:

From Steve:

Charles,

Just read the Road Warrior column and the question from Michael Shannon and thought I'd mention the Gyropoint II.

It is a wireless pointing device with a long range. It takes a while to get used to, but works extremely well. It is ideally suited to use for PowerPoint presentations, as clicking the "mouse" button is easy. The "cool" factor is also pretty high.

---

From Andy Boretto:

The GyroPoint is great, as is the ProPresenter, both work on PowerBooks from the 1400 to the G3.

GyroPoint from ixMicro

[ GyroPoint II at MacWarehouse ($119)]

[ ProPresenter at MacWarehouse ($79)]

Hope this helps your Road Warriors. . .

---

From Bruce McLaughlin:

Hello there,

I was reading your column in MacOpinion. You were answering a reader's query about a wireless mouse for his PowerBook I have some experience with the Gyropoint mouse, which is designed to be used while held in the hand. Moving the mouse around the screen took a little getting used to, but for just clicking it should work well. At the time I was using it there were cordless versions as well as a version with a loooong cord.

CDW currently has a Gyropoint II which is Mac compatible. I hope this is helpful for your reader Michael R. Shannon. Feel free to forward this to him.

- Bruce.

---

From Harold Tessmann III:

I just finished reading Ramblings #24 and thought I could offer a little assistance. Michael R. Shannon asked for wireless mice for his ADB-capable PowerBook. We faced a similar situation here at the ResComp office when our GyroMouse started acting up. (It was several years old, so it's not a reliability issue.)

Since we were happy with our old GyroMouse, we looked into the GyroMouse II. Like all wireless mice, it has a little base station that connects to your 'Book. To move the cursor on screen, you hold a button and wave the GyroMouse around like a conductor waves his baton - kinda cool, but it takes a while to get used to. A big minus for us was the lack of programmability. Two buttons are only useful if they do different things, and since the GyroMouse uses the generic Mac mouse drivers its buttons both do normal clicks. That might be a feature if you'll be do presentations on shared computers where you can't install drivers, but it sounds like Michael will almost always be using his PowerBook.

We also have a dedicated presentation PowerBook so we kept looking. The second and last device we investigated was Logitech's TrackMan Live!. It's a wireless trackball that has three buttons. As you'd expect from a trackball, you move the cursor by turning a little ball embedded in the device. Control was fairly smooth; I'm not used to trackballs and I found it comfortable. It comes with drivers that allow you to fully program it, thus you can set one button to advance your presentation and another to go back a slide. We liked this device so much that we bought one and it works very well. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for the information and insights, all.

---

From Eolake Stobblehouse:

Hi Charles,

One thing I don't understand about my Lombard 400 display: When I tip it towards me, it grows lighter, and when I tip it away, it grows darker. This is to the degree that I can't get an even illumination of the whole screen from top to bottom. When you tip it back and forth, it is very noticeable. Is this normal for LCD?

Yours, Eolake

I think not, especially after looking at some digital photos of the phenomenon that Eolake forwarded. Anyone out there in readerland experiencing a similar unevenness of illumination on their Lombards?

---

From John A. Lee:

Hello Charles,

Visited your column last evening and found notes of pleasure while reading your article about the PowerBook 5300. I purchased a used 5300cs about two weeks ago for $500. I had already been aware of some the drawbacks of the 5300 from other sources, and I had a question or two I thought I'd send along to you since you are an owner.

The 5300 is slow...it makes my 7200/120 seem refreshingly snappy but the PowerBook has allowed me to continue on projects while away from my desktop model which has already proven it's worth. It is much better with Speed Doubler on board and I wanted to ask about the difference between Apple's "Virtual Memory" as compared to the Connectix "RAM Doubler" product. Are there any performance advantages to RAM Doubler over VM? Better speed, stability? Freed disk space from the HD?

I also find the HD a bit small and I wanted ask you about any caveats for installing a newer one into this machine. I've installed HD's in other machines before, so mainly what I want to know is if there is a specific type of HD that is considered "right" for the 5300. The one that is in the machine is the one from the factory which is an ATA.

Maybe I missed these items while reading your article but I wanted to mention some of my own 5300cs experiences. Since installing OS 8.6 I've noticed that I cannot change the amount of disk cache available in the Memory Control Panel. I'm also interested in information about the "persistent caching" scheme. Norton treats the 5300 HD as two separate volumes and this would be good to investigate and understand.

Not much further than this, other than to say that I enjoyed the piece.

The 5300 is indeed slow, but I still like mine. :-) I'm a confirmed RAM Doubler fan. VM is clunky by comparison.

Any standard 2-1/2" IDE drive that will physically fit in the 5300 case *should* work. One source might be a 2 gig unit from someone who has upgraded their WallStreet. I have a VST 810 MB expansion bay drive in this one augmenting the internal 500 MB unit, but they are discontinued.

I have a late beta of 8.6 installed on one of my four HD partitions, but I don't use it much because it doesn't seem to work happily with Eudora Light on the 5300 (Same problem with OS 8.5 as well; Eudora Lite works fine with Mac OS 8.5 or 8.6 on my WallStreet). Never noticed the disk cache glitch, but never looked for it.

As for your Norton glitch, Norton Disk Doctor runs fine on my 5300. I have the internal 500 MB drive partitioned four ways, plus the expansion bay drive, and Norton treats them all as separate volumes. Did the former owner partition your drive?