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: NewerTech NuPower Batteries for iBook and PowerBooks Designed+Built in USA to run longer, LAST LONGER TOO! Free Battery Recycling Return Label; Quality High-Capacity from $99.95
Take a much needed three-week vacation, and Apple goes on a small
release binge. Go figure.
So what did I miss, and what do I think of what I missed?
XServe
Apple released XServe on May
14 when I was in Hong Kong. It's a pleasure to see Apple getting back
into the heavy iron of servers. Big businesses will likely begin to
see Apple servers as viable alternative to Linux, Unix, and
Windows.
The XServe has several things working in its favor. The price, for
one thing, is extremely competitive. Industrial strength server power
for such a low price can't help but turn a few heads in these lean
tech times. Couple that price with the power of OS X, the G4
processor, and (hopefully) decent support from Apple, and the XServe
should woo at least some customers away from the competition.
Of course, Apple has a real uphill battle on this front. In the
consumer market, Apple at least enjoys some level of notoriety with
its slick designs and cool software. In the business environment,
Apple has to deal with the entrenched idea that Macs are just toys,
that they aren't stable, and that they don't have the horsepower
necessary to handle the big jobs. Add the fact that Macs are
regularly disparaged in the IT industry and, I'm certain, in IT
schools across North America. Apple has its work cut out for it.
OS X will likely be the biggest selling point of the new XServe.
OS X combines the best of Unix and Linux (rock solid, secure,
powerful) with the, ahem, best of Windows (easy to set up and
administer). Cheaper, stronger, more stable. What more could an IT
manager want?
The Updated iBooks
Apple released the updated iBooks (12"
and 14" models) on May 20.
Sweetening the pot for low-end laptop lovers, the updated iBooks
include a faster G3 processor and 16 MB Radeon Mobility chips across
the board.
No complaints here. Faster is better, and a refreshed iBook line
should bring in new customers. The upgrades aren't so huge that
PowerBook sales will be hurt, but they are good enough for people in
the market for an affordable, well-equipped portable.
Personally, I would have loved to buy an iBook, but the screen
size and resolution are too small for the type of work I do. Dual
monitor support is an essential for me. Apple marketing nailed me
like an indecisive squirrel on a four-lane highway. I had no choice
but to buy the pricier,t better equipped PowerBook.
Such a tale of woe, I know.
So, a few minor, if good, announcements. Can't say I missed a
whole lot. Apple is maintaining strength in the consumer market and
building it in the business market - a sound strategy and one that
we all hope will continue.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
Recently on Mac Scope
Connecting with the broader Macintosh community, 04.06.
"But beyond the very minor celebrity status that came with being published on Low End Mac, it gave me a real opportunity to participate in the Mac community."
Hardware failure, that rare Mac headache, 07.09.
Macs are usually pretty reliable, but a hardware failure after just two-and-a-half years is still disappointing.
Mac of the Day: Motorola StarMax 5000, May 1997 - This second-generation Mac clone offered 603e, 604e processors.
List of the Day: The iPod List The iPod List is a forum to discuss the iPod, it's accessories, the iTunes Store, iTunes, and related topics.
October 13 in LEM history: 98: Evidence that Macs last longer - 99: A Mac is like Prozac - From home computers to a real computer - 00: Tradeoffs for OS X beta - 03: iBook failures - 05: The 2005 iMac G5 value equation - Email on your iPod - OS X on 4 dual-core CPUs - 06: The legendary Apple Extended Keyboard - Stinky old iBook smells like sweat - Apple's climb back to success
Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,799; new, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 shipped; 8-core, $2,599 shipped; 3.0 $3,399 shipped; 3.2, $4,099 shipped.
Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $294; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 10.09.
If your old Mac is too slow, too noisy, too plain looking, or has too little room for expansion, you might want to mod it.
Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $269; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz, $390; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $529.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $995; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,400 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,699; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
DVD upgrade from 10.3, $75; upgrade bundle with 10.3, $118; full version, $129; family pack, $200; 10-user Server, $350; unlimited, $400.
Migrating My Law Office from Windows to Macintosh, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 10.08.
By switching to Leopard Server, everyone in the office will be able to move to a Mac - but which ones will best meet their needs?
Low End Mac Needs Help Moving to Joomla, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.08.
We've settled on Joomla as the content management system that should work very well for Low End Mac, but we're running stuck with templates.
Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed
price quotes and advertising information, please
contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number
is for advertising only.
OWC:
