Macopinion

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Road Warrior Review - Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger

Your iPod gives you untethered music, but only as long as the battery charge lasts, at which point you’re obliged to plug into a computer USB pork or an AC power adapter for several hours recharging time.

A new solution for extending iPod portable runtime is Proporta’s USB Mobile Device Charger, which is basically a 3400 mAH lithium Ion (LiIon) rechargeable battery pack that charges from a USB port on any computer (or from an optional AC power adapter), and delivers 5.5 volts through its USB output port to recharge and/or run an iPod or other USB device.

Full-sized iPods have OEM battery capacities of around 850 mAH to1,200mAh capacity so 3400 mAH is a lot more juice than your ‘Pod’s internal battery supports, the mobile device charger could more than quadruple your runtime between charges if you start with both batteries fully charged.

With its white livery and a form factor and footprint roughly the same as a full-sized iPod, the Mobile Device Charger harmonizes nicely appearance-wise, and will fit in a soft iPod sleeve for carriage. It comes with high-quality in and output USB cables, also in white, and a selection of USB device adapters for iPods and other machines.

The Mobile Device Charger is simple to use. To charge, just connect it to a computer’s USB port. The charge indicator LED on top of the Unit will glow red while the battery is charging, then green when it is fully charged.

Then you just plug your iPod or other USB device into the output port for hours of power and/or a recharge of the music player’s internal battery.

I also tried the Mobile Device Charger with a rechargeable Bluetooth mouse, with which it worked just fine. However, my i-Rocks external USB hard drive enclosure proved more of a current draw than the Proporta device could deliver, but that’s not a criticism; that drive needs juice from two USB ports on my 17-inch PowerBook to spin up, although it does work through a single port on other machines. I digress.

For its primary intended purpose - extending the battery-power runtime of iPods and other portable music players, mobile telephones, PDAs, SmartPhones, GPS navigation devices, and digital cameras, the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger works just fine.

To charge and/or run your mobile device, connect it to the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger using one of the supplied cables and the appropriate cable connector, press the button surrounding the charge indicator LED, and you’re away to the races. When the Mobile Device Charger’s internal battery is almost discharged, the LED indicator will begin to flash red, indicating that it needs to be recharged.

Features
Features

Charge anywhere, recharge anything - standard USB input and output
Comes with a retractable cable and the following inter-changeable connector heads: 2 x Nokia, 1 x Sony Ericsson, 1 x Mini USB, 1 x iPod
Compact, slim and lightweight (measures just 100 x 62 x 15mm or 3.9 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weighs 120g or 4.2 oz)
Impressive 3400 mAH storage (recharge your devices several times)
Powerful 5v, 700mA output (enough for even the most power-hungry mobile devices)
LED charge and discharge indicator
Microswitch on/off selection

The Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger sells for $ 44.95

Shipping worldwide - $4.95

For more information, visit:
http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=2725&t_mode=des

*** cmoore@macopinion.com

Provisionally, you can access The Road Warrior Archive to Jan. 16, 2006 by clicking here.

Note: Letters to The Road Warrior may or may not be published in The Road Warrior Mailbag at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context.

If you would prefer that your message not appear in The Road Warrior Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published.

CM

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The Widescreen Debate

In my The Road Warrior column here last week on the topic of past and perhaps future Apple subnotebooks, I mentioned that while widescreen monitors have their obvious virtues, for a serious road warrioring machine I think the classic laptop display aspect ratio has an advantage, allowing a narrower, more handy form factor.

Not everyone agreed with me. Reader Brett wrote: “I disagree with your contention that a widescreen format offers no advantage for word processing. I’m a professional journalist, and the lack of a widescreen was the main reason (besides the great deal my university bookstore was offering faculty on the last model PPC models) I reluctantly sold my 12” PowerBook last year and replaced it with a 15” PB.

“With a wide screen, I can have a text document holding my notes or on the left side of the screen and the story I’m writing on the right. In apps such as Scrivener and Devon, the wide screen makes a 3 panel view much easier than the 12” orientation. A widescreen also facilitates use of the many apps that use pop out drawers and palettes.”

Valid points all, and I really don’t like to frame this as a major controversy. I have no quarrel with folks who prefer the widescreen format. For instance, my friend Dan Knight over at Low End Mac held off buying a laptop as his production workhorse until Apple introduced its first widescreen laptop - the original Titanium PowerBook in 2001. Dan bought one of the first TiBooks sold, and still has it.

Indeed, in terms of Apple portables, the point is currently moot. Apple no longer makes a conventional aspect ratio screen laptop since the 12-inch PowerBook was discontinued last May with the introduction of the MacBook, and all PowerBook/MacBook Pro models have been widescreen units since January 2001.

However, for serious mobile computing I steadfastly maintain that the classic laptop screen aspect ratio such as XGA standard (1024 x 768, 4.3 aspect ratio) makes the best compromise, and personally, I don’t find it a major hardship to work with.

Until I bought my 17-inch Power Book last winter, I had thought that maybe I just didn’t know what I was missing, even though I never felt especially inhibited or cramped by the 1024 x 768 displays in my Pismo PowerBook and G3 iBook. I was quite content using a 12-inch IBook as my main production machine for more than three years, and I still love the sharpness of its Display.

However, I have to say that the 1440 x 900, 16:10 aspect ratio widescreen in my 17-incher hasn’t resulted in any epiphany, and while the extra screen real-estate is certainly nice to have, I really don’t find going back to the conventional aspect ratio displays in the Pismo and iBook a hardship or even much of an adjustment.

That contrasts sharply with the experience of Dan and Brett, who profess to feel cramped by XGA dimensions and want to be connected to an external monitor when practical using a XGA machine. Different strokes I guess.

I feel like the generous acreage on my BigAL ‘Book’s 17 inch widescreen is a luxury, and I of course don’t mind having the extra width, although it is the WSXGA 900 pixels vertically as opposed to XGA 768 pixels that I appreciate most in that it cuts down on scrolling.

I’m wondering if one reason why I’m comfortable with conventional aspect ratio displays is that I’m a consummate windowshading fan. Working on an XGA display doesn’t bother me a bit, but trying to do production work on a computer without windowshading quickly makes me want to a tear my hair out.

With the addition off Unsanity software’s blessed WindowShade-X haxie combined with OS X’s built-in Exposé a featured and Hide Application functions, I’m pretty happy keeping literally dozens of windows from a gaggle of different applications open and quickly available at any time. My main text crunching application is Tex Edit Plus, whose window interface is delightfully compact, which of course helps. You can get two TextEdit documents displayed side by side on an XGA display with only a bit of overlap, [(nearly three of them on the WSXGA widescreen!), which suits my purposes just fine in all but very rare cases.

Wide screen resolution is a luxury I can live without, especially in a serious on the road machine in the interest of a more compact and narrow footprint and lighter weight. Just my two cents. If you prefer widescreens, then more power to you. You’re probably in the majority. However, it would be nice if Apple could accommodate both schools of thought. CM

Tomorrow: Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger Review

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*** cmoore@macopinion.com

Provisionally, you can access The Road Warrior Archive to Jan. 16, 2006 by clicking here.

CM

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Monday, December 11, 2006

Why Zune is a Threat, Part 1

By Marc Zeedar macopinion@designwrite.com

There has been much glee in Apple circles lately, now that Microsoft's long-awaited digital music player has proven to be a complete dud. Zune sales are somewhere below non-existent and reviews range from scathing to ho-hum (we'll ignore the handful of Microsoft-sponsored rave reviews which are so over-the-top you'd think Zunes cured cancer). Even Microsoft, despite their ridiculous claims of success, is predicting it'll take them until June to sell the same number of iPods Apple sells in less than a week.

Zunes, in their present incarnation, will actually do more to help Apple than hurt it: the Zune ecosystem is so bad that it just emphasizes what Apple got right with the iPod.

But Apple should not feel overconfident or complacent. The Zune does represent a warning shot and if Apple wants to keep their position, they need to heed the warning.

This Is Not 1984
The first warning sign is that as poor a product as the Zune is, the difference between Zune and iPod is not as deep as that between DOS and Mac OS back in the mid-80s. Software on DOS was truly a horrible experience and only an idiot couldn't see that the Mac was better.

Of course back then the monopoly was on the other foot, with DOS the standard and Mac the threat, and the threat had to be significantly better. That, indeed, is the key flaw of the Zune: it's not even as good as the iPod, let alone better. Without besting the iPod it has no chance of stealing marketshare.

Superficial similarities, however, are dangerous. The Zune isn't as bad as DOS. From all accounts if Zune had come out a few years ago before the iPod took a hold of the market it would have been a real competitor. Some people actually prefer the Zune's hardware design, colorful interface, and larger screen. The Zune's primary flaws are not matching the iPod in all areas (hardware design, software functionality, feature list) and crippling its only unique feature, wireless song sharing. Zunes are certainly not broken; just underwhelming and average.

Many consumers are not well-informed and can be fooled. Just as people couldn't see the difference between Windows and Mac OS (they're both computers, right) a Zune looks iPod-like and people who don't know better could accidentally buy one. Microsoft is not an insigificant presence: they have marketing funds and a monopoly of their own to exploit, so it is not inconceivable that they couldn't propagandize relentlessly and convince more than a few consumers that Zune is just as good as an iPod.

Fortunately Apple has tremendous brand recognition and good support within the retail industry (a recent survey of retailers found that many sales people didn't even know what a Zune was and a huge majority recommended iPods when customers asked about digital music players).

But that can change. Apple needs to be careful. Apple needs to highlight key features of the iPod -- such as the unique scroll wheel -- to differentiate their product from clones like the Zune. If people begin to think that all digital music players are the same, Apple's in trouble.

Don't Underestimate Microsoft
The Zune feels incomplete; it's a rushed product, released to get it in stores in time for the Christmas shopping season. This was a massive mistake by Microsoft. The product now has a sucky reputation and may never recover. Microsoft's not going to sell many players this Christmas anyway; they would have been better off to delay the release of Zune until more of the bugs were worked out and the feature set was more complete. Their greed for Christmas sales has hurt the Zune image.

That said, Microsoft is a huge corporation. They can afford massive losses for an extended period. They've lost billions on the Xbox platform and aren't scheduled to make a profit in that market for a couple more years. Most thought Xbox was a joke before being released: it didn't have a chance against Sony's domination. But Xbox was not a terrible product (not as bad as the Zune, but Zune is a pre-release). Zune, once some flaws are fixed, will not be a terrible product. It does, unfortunately for iPod fans, have potential.

It may be a year or more before Zune poses a real threat to Apple, but with regular improvements it certainly could. It depends on how much money Microsoft is willing to lose and how much they want into the digital music market. My prediction is they want into it very badly -- which means they'll be willing to lose a few billion to get into it. Unless Apple really screws up Microsoft won't dominate the market for many years (if ever), but they could gain a significant bite, say 20%, if they work hard.

To succeed Microsoft needs to move fast -- something I'm not sure the behemoth is capable of -- and fix the most obvious Zune flaws to get it on parity with iPod, and then enhance Zune to be better than iPod.

To stop Microsoft from gaining any momentum, Apple needs to keep improving the iPod. Lately Apple's been making gradual, modest iPod improvements, things like lowering the price, minor software tweaks, the addition of video games, etc. It's now time for some radical changes: I'd like to see some interface improvements and new features. For instance, how about a Front Row interface for the iPod? That would be sweet.

I'd also like to see some hardware improvements: the larger-screened "true" video iPod is of course expected at some point, but I'd like some more radical changes. A touch-screen interface has been rumored (but Apple would need to solve the fingerprinting problem). Why not take Zune on and incorporate a real wireless communication system? Include wireless syncing, less restrictive music sharing, and some other features Microsoft hasn't even thought about (like transparent syncing in the background when you merely bring your iPod within range of your Mac). Such additions would kill all momentum Zune has and send Redmond back to the drawing board.

For years there have been rumors of an iPod satellite radio (either XM or Sirus). Why not announce that at Macworld in January?

And what about this for an idea: build in a AM/FM radio and include recording ability. Of course the music industry doesn't like such a concept and would fight it as piracy, but here's a simple solution: just don't allow recorded radio to be uploaded back to the computer. Thus recorded radio wouldn't be shared and the recording would only be for personal use.

Even better use of this idea is to turn the iPod into a portable Tivo for radio! Simply add in scheduling so your iPod could automatically record shows at certain times. This would be great for talk radio. (As a Tivo user, the lack of pausibility and rewind of radio is my major frustration with that medium.)

Apple doesn't have to introduce these ideas all at once, but I think something needs to be announced in January to knock down any concept of momentum by Microsoft, and Apple needs more tricks up their sleeve to keep competitors away. As always, Apple needs to be it's own best competitor.

Next Time: In Part 2 Marc will look at the threat the music industry brings.

macopinion@designwrite.com

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The Road Warrior Mailbag December 11 ( Plus A Blast From The Past)

MacBook Question
Re: More MacBook musings
Apple Subnotebooks (And My New G3 Is Here!) - From The Road Warrior Archive, 1999

___

MacBook Question

From Scott Newman

Charles,

Sorry to bother you...I know you must be quite busy.

I read pretty much everything you write and I value your opinion.

It's about time for me to replace a Titanium Powerbook, circa 2000. I'm naturally looking at the MacBook (faster white version) and the base model MacBook Pro. I'm eligible for the education discount (I'm an Accounting professor), so I can purchase a base MBP for $1799 plus about 4.5% sales tax. The discount on the MacBook is only $100. Figure on about a $400 net difference for me between the two computers. I would upgrade the hard drive on the MacBook but not the MBP.

On paper, the MacBook should be fine because I don't run any apps that would make use of the separate graphics processor and VRAM on the MBP. The additional screen real estate on the MBP would be great, but it's not a deal killer.

However, do you have any feel for the amount of microsecond delay factor when selecting a menu on the MacBook. I've always hated apps, or computers, where there's any kind of perceptible delay between the time the mouse button is released and the full vertical display of a menu and all the menu items.

Is there such a delay with the MacBook because of its weak graphics processing? I'm not talking about a slowdown because of legacy apps run under Rosetta. I'm talking about universal apps.

Also, what about the speed of a MacBook opening finder windows? That's another hot-button issue for me. Finder windows still don't open as fast under Mac OSX as they did under OS9, assuming the same computer is used. It still bothers me.

I would appreciate any comments you have.

Thanks.
Scott

___

Hi Scott;

Thanks for reading!

I don't think you would have any worries about Finder responsiveness with the MacBook. The Core 2 Duo has the power to make OS X really sing.

I don't own one (yet) but I asked my colleague Marc Zeedar over at MacOpinion, who does, to comment.

Here's Marc's take:

re: microsecond delay factor when selecting a menu on the MacBook.
"Hmmm, I haven't noticed anything like that myself. But then I don't use menus too much -- shortcut's mostly. I'll watch this and see if I notice anything compared to my other Macs."

What about the speed of a MacBook opening finder windows?
"Haven't noticed this either. But then I mostly use Column or List views and rarely actually open windows (I just toggle triangles to view the contents of a folder, not open a new window).
There are third party apps (Tinkertool?) that let you turn off zoom rects that display when Finder windows open (that's where the window seems to zoom into full size from original icon). Turning off the animation would speed window opening."

On the other hand, with your education discount available, I would be very tempted by the MacBook Pro for $400 extra. The extra bells and whistles are nice to have even if you don't use them a lot.

Charles

***

Re: More MacBook musings

From John J. Kettlewell

Charles:

Thanks for all of your advice. The new MacBooks do look great, but I don{t like the idea of running two operating systems on one machine to be able to do what I need to do, so I�ve gone over to the dark side and ordered a new PC laptop. Who knows, I may be back if I can�t stand it over there. But, the things that tipped me over are the marine charting and communication things I can�t do easily on the Apple, the seeming indifference of Apple to the well known MB problems of the G4 iBooks, Apple�s endless updating of operating systems, and the lack of any type of support outside the U.S. and Europe. Every third world nation has guys tinkering with PCs on every other street corner, but forget finding any Apple help or parts. Plus, the latest Windows XP stuff on my son�s PC works really well and I love all the freeware available.

JJK

___

Hi again John;

Bon Voyage. Please keep us posted on how well you like the Windows experience. You make some interesting points, although I think the charting software would probably work fine on a Mac running Windows in BootCamp or Parallels.

Internally, Macs and PC's are so similar hardware-wise these days that service should be less of an issue than it was with the PPC machines, but Apple-specific parts are not as easy to come by off the beaten track as you observe.

Fair winds,
Charles

___

***

Apple Subnotebooks (And My New G3 Is Here!) - From The Road Warrior Archive, 1999

A thin mailbag this week, so I thought I would include a selection from The Road Warrior archives, which are unfortunately no longer available online due to the hard drive meltdown that precipitated MacOpinion’s recent redesign and relaunch.

The article below, originally posted on January 13, 1999, recalls that discussion and debate over Apple’s address of the subnotebook category that was the topic of my The Road Warrior column last week is nothing new.

In early 1999, speculation was rampant about the anticipated “P1” consumer laptop that Apple had in the works. Like many other commentators at the time, I thought that “P1” would be a lightweight and compact machine along lines of the contemporaneous Sony Viao and a bunch of other PC subnotebooks. As we all know now, the iBook, when it was unveiled in July of that year, turned out to be anything but compact or light. So much for speculation.

I also wrote this article just as my new G3 233 MHz WallStreet PowerBook arrived, and you may find my initial impressions of that machine, which is still in daily use by my wife, interesting. I’m surprised at how little I would alter my assessment in hindsight, although I wouldn’t want to be working on an 800 x 600 resolution display any more!

The Road Warrior - January 13, 1999

Apple Subnotebooks (And My New G3 Is Here!)

Road Warrior reader John Metzger had a succinct comment to make about my claim last week that the PowerBook G3 Series is the best portable computer ever -- period.

“Bull pucky....,” said John, “only if you want to lug around a complete desktop replacement machine. If what you want is a very light, thin portable computing device that doesn’t include the kitchen sink (and there for the weight and space of the kitchen sink) you’re flat out of luck with Apple.”

When you’re right, you’re right, and John’s right. There is a big fat hole in Apple’s model lineup right now where a state-of-the-art subnotebook ought to be.

“Have you noticed the HP Sojourn?” John asked, “which is really made by Mitsubishi and their version is called a Pedion, terrible name but...

“It’s less than 3lbs, and .7 inches thin. Yes, there are compromises like
no built in CD-ROM or floppy on the base unit, but it is very light and
small. Much easier to carry around a show floor than the G3 PowerBooks. The sad thing is that if Steve hadn’t stopped cloning, you could buy a
Mac version of the Pedion.”

I have noticed, and there is also the Sony Vaio 505, the new Dell Latitude LT, and the Gateway’s Solo 3100 SE, all under four pounds range and sporting a razor-thin form factor that pushes my aesthetic buttons.

The svelte Sony Vaio 505 weighs in at less than three pounds and is less than an inch thick, yet features a 10.4” TFT display, an almost full-sized keyboard, a 266Mhz Pentium processor, 32 MB of RAM, and a 4 Gig HD -- all for less than $2,000.

Dell’s $2,299 Latitude LT is one inch thick, weighs 3.09 pounds, and also features a 266 MHz Pentium MMX processor, an 11.3-inch TFT screen, 64MB of RAM, and a 4.3GB hard disk drive. Apple’s not the only one with color either. The Latitude LT is powder blue with a magnesium cover.

In my ‘Books (pun intended), these little beauties exemplify the form factor Apple should be shooting for with the new subnotebook P1, and emphatically not something like the late, unlamented and hideous e-Mate tarted up with iMac colors.

The Portable 1 Website [ long since defunct CM] reports that
Apple may release a version of the P1 without a CD-ROM or DVD drive at the thousand dollar price point. That would certainly steal the thunder from the PC compacts mentioned above price-wise. I’m skeptical that it can be done for that price, but would be happy to be proved wrong.

Portable 1 also says that “it is highly likely that the translucent white and bondi-blue mixture will be used with the P1 so that Apple can give its line of computers some sort of conformity.” I’m inclined to agree with that surmise, especially since the Blue G3 desktop introduction at MacWorld SF.

Apple really needs to get the P1 right, both to maintain the roll they’re on, and because competition is fierce in the subnotebook sector.

Mac OS Rumors reports that a PowerBook G3 Series II price cut will probably come in late February or early March, along with the introduction of at least one new speed-bumped model -- likely to 366 Mhz.

The 233 Mhz low-end machine is expected to continue with a price cut to around $2199 (not really enough change to wait for if you’re shopping) while the current 300 Mhz PDQ may drop below $3,000 (by one dollar).

Look for PowerBook DVD-RAM at MacWorld Boston and Lombard by “mid-year” says MacOSRumors.

MY NEW POWERBOOK G3 SERIES II 233 ARRIVED LAST FRIDAY MORNING!

I love it.

As regular Road Warrior readers will recall, I tried out a demo G3 233 Series I (no cache/ STN display) a few weeks ago, and was favorably impressed, but this one with its 12/1” TFT screen and 512k of backside cache is a whole ‘nother dimension.

Some readers emailed to ask why I didn’t go for the 14.1” display. The short answer is $$$$$. The same machine with the 14.1” display costs about $600 Canadian dollars (plus 15% Harmonized Sales Tax) more than the 12.1.”

The other reason is that for the type of stuff I do most -- text crunching -- the 12.1” screen’s 800 x 600 resolution has some advantages. As reader Parker Montgomery wrote on this issue several weeks ago:

“My first PowerBook was (and is) the PowerBook G3 233 with 12.1” TFT
screen -- exactly the model that you prefer. I paid exactly $2250 exactly
two months ago. I am absolutely delighted with it! One reason why I
bought it, instead of one with 14.1” TFT, is that its ‘native’ screen
resolution is 800x600. At 800x600, text on the screen is larger and
easier to read than on a 14.1” TFT at 1024x768. Much better for general
use, IMHO.

“With my main desktop system (a SuperMac S900),” says Parker, “I use the Apple Studio Display, which has a viewable diagonal exactly 15.0 inches long. At its native 1024x768 resolution, text appears slightly smaller than on my PowerBook with 12” screen. But the text size is so close to that on my PowerBook that I can switch my gaze from one screen to another in rapid succession without any eyestrain.”

Someone who can really use a lot of on screen real estate for what they do with their ‘Book would of course be better off with the big, beautiful, 14.1” display. It’s not a matter of which is “better.” It’s what suits your needs (and wallet) best.

Personally, even the 12.1” seems to me like the wide open range, after wrangling in the tiny corral of my PB 5300’s 9.5” grayscale display for the past two+ years!

Speaking of the 5300, my daughter, Deirdre, who has taken it over, is finding it amazingly expansive and powerful compared with the Mac she had been using -- a 1987 Mac Plus with 2.5 MB of RAM and a 20 MB HD, so these issues are partly a matter of perspective! I borrowed the 5300 back for half an hour last evening to transfer some files I’d left on the HD to the new ‘Book, and I still _love_ the compact size and form factor of the 5300. This will sound like heresy to some, but on the balance I think the clean-lined 5300 is still the best-looking PowerBook so far (bring on a slim-line P1, Steve -- please).

However, this new G3 of mine is a great and glorious machine. On Sunday afternoon we had it (Ether) networked with my son, Tristan’s identical machine, listening to Enya, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton through the speakers on one while simultaneously transferring large files to the other and never missing a note.

I am really happy that I finally decided to go with the Series II TFT ‘Book rather than a leftover or refurb. Series I with a passive matrix display like the demo I tested. That was a very nice and capable machine, and the STN display is not nearly as poky as some suggest. I could have been quite comfortable with it. But the 512k of backside cache and the bright, crisp, fast TFT display propel you into another dimension.

I’ve already gotten used to the G3’s large palm rest acreage, and find them quite comfortable -- better than the 5300. The keyboard is not even in the same universe as the one that is the 5300’s worst feature. The scissors-action keys are delightfully quiet and light, and have a silky-smooth feel.

As I mentioned in the Series I review, I’m not enchanted with the G3’s shrunken “command” key that makes room for the new “fn” key and a second “option” key to the right of the space bar and “enter” key. A second “command” key would have been more useful. I’m also not crazy about the minuscule, “inverted tee,” page action keys that some people think are an improvement over the old full size ones, or the dainty function keys which are smaller than the 5300’s none-too-large ones. I also find the volume/brightness/mute/power switches behind the keyboard small, stiff, and awkward to manipulate. I don’t like the G3’s trackpad button either, although the one on my new machine is the best among a half dozen or so G3 ‘Books I’ve checked out lately. I much prefer the 5300’s smaller, light and positive trackpad button, but most of the time I will use my two-button MacAlly mouse anyway.

The G3’s stereo speakers are a _lot_ better than the pathetic mono one in the 5300, but they still leave much to be desired. No bass response, and plenty of distortion when the level is turned up. I’m skeptical about them being upward-facing as well. We heat with wood, which is the nicest kind of heat [ )], but it does tend to create a lot of dust, which of course will inevitably settle through the speaker grilles.

The G3’s internal modem is very convenient and built-in Ethernet is wonderful, especially since this machine has no floppy drive. I’m still not sure that I can live without a floppy, but since that is the wave of the future I’m going to give it a shot. We still have three floppy-equipped Macs in the house for emergencies, and my external Zip drive is more practical for backups anyway.

I got along quite happily with 24 MB of RAM plus RAMDoubler in the 5300, so I initially thought that G3 ‘Book’s standard 32MB would be adequate for starters. It’s not. I have already ordered a 64 MB RAM upgrade, which arrived this morning, and will bring the G3’s memory up to 96 MB. That’s what Tristan has, and he says he could use more (!). I think 96 should be more than sufficient for my anticipated requirements, and probably 64 MB would have been enough for now, but I’ve learned that it seems you can never really have too much RAM.

I will probably make more use of the stack of CD ROM references that I have once I get back into the habit after two years of using a CD-less machine as my daily workhorse. The 20x CD ROM drive works well, even though it sounds like a Boeing 767 taking off and vibrates alarmingly, in contrast to the completely smooth and silent old 2x Sony drive (with caddy) in my ancient desktop LC 520.

The materials and build quality of the G3 ‘Books is extremely good. My new machine was made in Taiwan, and I think the Taiwanese-built G3s have a distinct quality of finish edge over the ones I’ve seen that were built in Cork, Ireland. This has been a limited comparison, but a consistent one. The plastic used in the Taiwan models is a little bit “blacker” and shinier than the Irish models, which may or may not appeal, according to individual taste. I like the slightly more matte texture of the Irish ‘Books, and the inky blackness of the Taiwan ones, so I guess some of us are just picky and hard to please.

The Modem cable door is tricky to open when the PowerBook is sitting on a flat surface, or perversely flops open when you don’t want it too. Once you get it open, the phone jack is mounted too deep inside, making it difficult to unplug phone cables. Minor aggravations, but something for Apple to work on.

I dislike the G3’s screen latch, which is also difficult to operate with the PowerBook sitting on a flat surface. The 5300’s horizontal slider screen latch is superior. The expansion bay and battery release levers work nicely, but they also have an unhappy tendency to hook clothing when the ‘Book is being carried or handled.

You can expect to hear more about my excellent adventures with the G3 ‘Book in future editions of The Road Warrior.

Charles W. Moore

*** cmoore@macopinion.com

CM

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

The End of Office for Macintosh?

by Marc Zeedar macopinion@designwrite.com

A decade ago Steve Jobs famously said, "The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago."

This is still true in most ways, but the present reality is that Apple has made a huge comeback on the back of the iPod and Intel transition and Microsoft is now the "beleaguered" company. (In fact, I recently saw an iPod article that referred to the "Apple hegemony" -- a term that used be to exclusive Microsoft territory.)

Microsoft is being threatened on every level from open source and hungry competitors, and none of their attempts to expand into new markets, from handhelds to game machines to digital music players, show any signs of success. (Microsoft's most successful venture, Xbox, has made inroads against Sony, but even Microsoft isn't expecting profits from it until 2008.)

The new Vista operating system, years behind schedule, is a flop even before release, with few excited about it as so many good features it was supposed to include were removed so it could get released. Corporations aren't jumping for joy at paying big bucks for upgrading thousands of fleet machines with a whole new mess of unknown problems, and most consumers will probably need new machines to be able to run Vista, so it's questionable how many will bother with the upgrade. Even Microsoft isn't predicting Vista to have a huge impact on their bottom line until 2008.

Microsoft's reputation is so bad they actually hide the fact that Xbox and Zune are Microsoft products (the Microsoft name is conspicuously absent or minimalized in advertising and packaging). Can anyone imagine Apple doing that?

Suddenly Apple and Microsoft -- despite the still massive difference in size between the two companies -- are real competitors. Microsoft, despite their problems, has immense resources, and with the bulk of their revenue still coming from software, obscene profits. (To put this in perspective, Microsoft's profits are comparable with Apple's revenue.)

But Apple's got the greater potential of the two companies. Microsoft has leveraged about all they can from their monopoly. Their Windows monopoly itself is strong -- corporations aren't like to replace millions of machines with Macs any time soon -- but bulk sales aren't as profitable for Microsoft as Windows upgrades. Microsoft gets huge profits from their application software (Office) which is often bundled with new computers, using their operating system clout to rule out competitors. But with open source threatening their application software (it's hard to compete with free), Microsoft's hard-pressed to find growth. Even Vista sales will come at the expense of XP sales, so it's just replacement revenue, not growth.

Apple, on the other hand, is poised for huge growth. The iPod phenomena is just beginning -- the recent announcement of iPod connections on airlines is a perfect example of ways the platform can grow in the future -- and Apple has exciting new products looming. Some, like the iPhone, are only rumored, but others, like iTV, have been pre-announced. iTV has massive potential: it could become a whole new platform for Apple just like the iPod. It could also kick-start a new era of digital media where video downloads take off the way digital music did when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store.

Macintoshes are selling at double or triple the growth rate of the industry and most analysts think that will increase even more next year as Apple gains momentum. (Many suspect that with Vista's steep hardware requirements, consumers will just buy an Intel Mac instead of upgrading Windows.)

This is why Microsoft's stock is so low the company's buying it back and why Apple's stock is hitting new record highs every day. Microsoft's size works against it, too. For Microsoft to grow by 15% it would have to sell a lot more product than Apple would to grow a similar 15%. Thus investors are flocking to the company that presents the better growth rate.

Microsoft Feeling the Heat

A decade ago I always got the impression that Microsoft found Apple amusing, tolerated like a best friend's annoying pest of a little brother. There was that much publized Microsoft $150 million "investment" in Apple when Steve Jobs came back, and Microsoft's commitment to Office for the Mac.

But the relationship's different today. Apple is no longer amusing. Like the novelist's wife who becomes a best-selling author, Apple's success caught Microsoft unawares and suddenly the company's a significant threat. With its other struggles, the last thing Microsoft needed was a real competitor, especially innovative Apple, which has always been sort of an anti-Microsoft. No, Bill is not amused.

With the release of the Zune the relationship's leading into a real battle. Microsoft doesn't hesitate to take jabs at Apple in the press or use astroturfing to attempt to plant false and misleading statements about Apple in people's minds.

In fact, I read recently that Microsoft's actually getting petty: apparently they wouldn't give the CompUSA in San Francisco any Zunes to sell because that particular store has a tight relationship with Apple!

That hurts Microsoft more than CompUSA or Apple and it is amusing and revealing of character: Microsoft would rather cut their own nose off out of spite.

All this has got me thinking, how much longer will Microsoft make Office for Macintosh? Granted, Office for Mac does bring in significant revenues -- it was a half billion a few years ago and I'd think it'd be even more today as the Mac market expands -- but with that kind attitude why wouldn't Microsoft axe the product just to hurt Apple?

I'm not saying it'd be a smart move. It'd actually be quite stupid and it would only serve to lessen Office's monopoly hold on the market. Part of Office's reason for success is its ubiquity, especially the fact that it's cross-platform. A single platform solution just reinforces a product's limitation and causes businesses to search for a broader solution.

Mac users would be forced to find other software -- not that difficult considering open source alternatives and conversion utilities abound -- and that would spread over to the Windows side of the equation. No, it wouldn't kill Office for Windows by any means, but would take some of the shine off the product. Besides, with Mac users able to run Windows on Macs now, is Office nearly so critical?

I'm thinking we're reaching a point where Office for Mac is more important for Microsoft than it is for Apple. For one thing, Office for Mac hasn't been updated in too long and is not native on Intel Macs and that's caused some defection from people who used to use it, and those people, once the've found replacements, aren't like to go back. (For those who only need Office occasionally, like myself, the old 2001 edition still works fine.)

For another, the majority of people who use Office are business people who want compatibility with Office on the Windows side: average people are less concerned about that, and that's exactly the market Apple's been concentrating on recruiting for the last few years. As long as there's a word processor program available for Mac OS most people are happy. In the old days it was thought business customers were key to Apple's long-term success and for that Office was crucial, but Apple's demonstrated they can get plenty of growth via regular consumers, so the lose of Office for Mac would not destroy Apple.

But despite all that, there's another ace up Apple's sleeve: their own software suite. Apple has already starting competing against Office with its iWork suite: Keynote is superior to PowerPoint and Pages, though more design software than word processor, is a capable replacement for Word for many. All that's missing is a spreadsheet program and there are rumors Apple's working on that. (There's even a rumor of a photo-editing package that could help those of us stuck running Photoshop in Rosetta.)

Other solutions include open source alternatives like Open Office and commercial third party products. Mac OS X has tons of fanatastic software -- even some shareware products compete well with Office. Then there's always virtualization: being able to run Windows native on your Mac might be enough for people who only need Office compatibility occasionally.

Basically, there are plenty of alternatives now: Office is no longer the only game in town. Microsoft killing Office for Mac wouldn't be good -- certainly the publicity would damage Apple's image -- but it wouldn't put Apple out of business. It would only hurt Microsoft's pocketbook and it would drive more people away from Office and make it less of a standard.

I don't think Microsoft would be foolish enough to cancel Office for Mac. But who knows? If the war gets bitter enough, it could happen. But by the time it does, it might not matter much.

macopinion@designwrite.com

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The Case For A 12” MacBook or MacBook Pro

Apple’s MacBook notebook computer is an extremely nice piece of work for a very reasonable price by historical Apple portable standards, and especially considering its impressive specification. However, a subnotebook it’s not. The MacBook is 7/10 of a pound heavier than the 12” PowerBook G4 it displaced, wider in footprint and depth) although slightly shallower in chord than a 12” iBook) and significantly thinner at a svelte 1.08 inches. Indeed, it’s nearly as big as the erstwhile full-sized Titanium PowerBook, and is indeed only .3 of a pound lighter that the current Core 2 Duo 15” MacBook Pro.

For serious road warriors, that extra pound is a significant issue, and even the 12” PowerBook was on the heavy side for subnotebooks, although the MacBook may fit more comfortably on aircraft seat trays thinks to its lower screen height.

It occurs to me is that there is now room - some might contend a gaping void - in Apple’s portable lineup that needs to be filled with true subnotebook in the size and weight class vacated by the 12” PowerBook and slightly bigger 12” dual USB iBook.

Widescreens are nice. I have one in my 17” PowerBook. However, while the extra real estate is a comfortable luxury, I really don’t find it a hardship going back to working on my 12” iBook and 14” Pismo PowerBook - both of which have 1024 X 768 resolution traditional aspect ratio displays, and I do appreciate the handier dimensions and lighter weight of the iBook especially when road-warrioring.

I haven’t (at least yet) gotten into watching movies on my laptops, and movies seem to me to be one of the more compelling arguments for the widescreen format. For the sort of stuff I do with computers, extra vertical resolution is much more useful than extra width, and it’s what I miss most switching from the 17” PowerBook’s 900 vertical pixels to the older machines’ 768. While a “portrait” orientation screen wouldn’t be practical in a notebook, the traditional aspect ratio screens are a good compromise.

Anyway, that’s a bit of a digression. Apple’s address and support of the subnotebook category has been frustratingly tentative and sporadic over the years. Interestingly, the first-ever PowerBook - the original 100 model that was engineered and built for Apple by Sony and released in 1991, was a “near-subnotebook” weighing in at a moderate 5.1 pounds (partly achieved by making the floppy drive and external module), and measuring 1.8” x 11” x 8.5”. The 100 had a tiny 20 MB hard drive and a 9” monochrome 640x400 passive-matrix screen, which amounted to a sort of “widescreen” aspect ratio that Apple stuck with until the release of the PowerBook 180c in 1993 which went to a “full resolution” 640 x 480 pixels.

The PowerBook 100, while it had its loyal fans, did not sell especially well, and was soon discontinued, to be replaced by Apple’s first serious kick at the subnotebook cat, the PowerBook Duo which was rolled out in October, 1992. But the Duo was more than just a smaller PowerBook.

I thought that the Duo was one of the coolest computer ideas ever when I first heard of it, and still do. The original concept was for the portable unit to function as a normal laptop while on the road, but when you returned home or to the office you could insert the closed Duo into a Duo-dock with a full-size CRT monitor, a full set of ports, a floppy drive, an internal hard drive, and two internal NuBus expansion slots and have it function as a no-compromise desktop computer. This was a particularly compelling concept in the days before large active-matrix color laptop monitors. There were also smaller, portable minidocks that could plug into the 152-pin connector providing a set of standard ports and a connector for an external floppy drive.

The Duo, while outlandishly expensive even in the context of the day, was actually one of Apple’s longest-running laptop models of the ‘90s, eventually being built with 68030, 68040, and 603e PowerPC chips. The ‘o30 Duos come with a 19-mm trackball that was much smaller than the trackballs in the PowerBook 100 series, bumped to 20 mm with the ‘040 models. The Power PC Duo 2300c had a trackpad. The Duo keyboard was slightly smaller (95%) than a standard PowerBook keyboard as well.

In May 1997 the PowerBook 2400c was introduced as the Duo 2300’s replacement, and it began shipping in August of that year for $3,499. Built for Apple by IBM Japan, the 2400c was based on the PowerBook 3400c/180’s PPC 603e motherboard with 256k L2 cache, and also had the 3400’s video sub-system with a built-in VGA connector port. It was small, sleek, and lightweight (at 4.4 pounds, nearly half a pound lighter than the Duo 2300 and the lightest Apple portable ever). It was designed with much smaller than standard sized (87%) keyboard - even smaller than the Duo’s. The good news was that small it may have been, but the 2400’s scissors-action keyboard is smooth as silk, and Apple used the same technology for the superb G3 Series keyboards. Most users reported that they got used to the 2400c’s smaller keyboard quickly.

The 2400 was only sold in the Asian and US markets, which meant that for the rest of the world, Apple had abandoned the subnotebook category. I am mystified as to why Apple did not keep the 2400 in production, and even upgrade it to G3 status, since that would have been dirt-simple to do, given that its processor was mounted on a removable daughtercard, and third-party vendors did offer G3 upgrades for this much-loved machine, which unfortunately went out of production in 1998.

There was considerable speculation that the “P1” Apple consumer-oriented laptop would fill the Apple subnotebook void, but those hopes were dashed when the original clamshell iBook debuted in July, 1999. The iBook had many virtues, but light weight and compact dimensions were not among them. The iBook was both bigger and heavier than the contemporaneous full-size Lombard PowerBooks.

It would be nearly two years before Apple would again have a credible player in the subnotebook (or at least small notebook) category - the now familiar and ubiquitous white dual-USB 12” iBook that remained in production for more than five years in various G3 and G4 models.

In January, 2003, Apple followed up with the aluminum 12” PowerBook, whose engineering owed much to the dual-USB iBook, but was a bit smaller, thinner, and lighter, and included some, although not all traditional PowerBook accouterments, most of which were eventually added to the 12” iBook as well. Advantages the PowerBook retained throughout were a (much) better keyboard and more powerful video support and connectivity. Both machines used the same 12” 1024 x 768 display. Both 12” ‘Books were partly engineered and are built in the same a Asustech facility in Taiwan.

In terms of size and weight, here’s how they stacked up:

iBook with 12.1-inch display
Height: 1.35 inches (3.4 cm)
Width: 11.2 inches (28.5 cm)
Depth: 9.06 inches (23.0 cm)
Weight: 4.9 pounds (2.2 kg)

12” PowerBook
Height: 1.18 inches (3.0 cm)
Width: 10.9 inches (27.7 cm)
Depth: 8.6 inches (21.9 cm)
Weight: 4.6 pounds (2.1 kg)

By comparison, here are the MacBook’s vital statistics:
Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 5.2 pounds (2.36 kg)

So is there a case for a smaller MacBook or MacBook Pro? I would say an emphatic yes. There is a reason why Apple Certified Refurbished 12” PowerBooks are selling for $200 more than ACR MacBooks, just as PowerBook 2400c’s resale value stayed significantly higher than usual for years until the dual-USB iBook and 12” PowerBook came along.

There are an awful lot of notebook users who don’t have a whole lot of interest in watching movies on their road warrioring machines, and widescreens don’t really offer any compelling advantage for Web surfing, email, word processing, and most graphics work (other than the obvious luxury of some extra space that is nice to have, but not worth the trade-off in form factor bulk).

Smaller displays also impose lower power demand, which conserves battery charge life, and when you carry a notebook around all day, every ounce of weight saved is much appreciated.

There are rumors afoot that Apple has a tablet computer in the works, and if so, that would certainly help fill the gap, so long as it can fill the role of a workhorse computer. That remains to be seen. In the meantime, a MacBook Pro in the PowerBook 12” form factor or updated facsimile thereof would be one sweet little package - at least provided they could keep it reasonably cool.

___

Postscript: Just after I put the finishing touches on this column, I ran across scuttlebutt on the Web about a 12” widescreen ultra-thin MacBook Pro purportedly in the works. I don’t usually reference product rumors, but this one dovetails somewhat closely with my ruminative specualtion foregoing, so I’ll make an exception. I would prefer that they didn’t go widescreen in a display as small as 12”, but otherwise, if such a machine really is coming, it sounds like a winner. You can read more about it at Ars Technica:
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/12/4/6162

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*** Charles W. Moore

Provisionally, you can access The Road Warrior Archive to Jan. 16, 2006 by clicking here.

CM

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Sunday, December 03, 2006

The Road Warrior MailBag - December 4, 2006

Server insights....
The New MacOpinion
PowerBook 3400c
iBook woes; MacBook Query

___

Server insights....

From Richard Ford

G'Day Charles,

Hope all is going well for you. As always an avid reader - getting more used to Mac each day. Really glad I made the switch, if I didn't have a million Linux servers (figuratively!) to look after, I would have stuck with Linux - but now I get my fix of both platforms everyday. With X11 installed, my PowerBook is just the sweetest sysadmin thing out there. With my GPRS phone and CDMA card, I an roam China and always be able to fix things in a pinch. Plus my Nokia E61 has SSH for it now - so I can fix anything at anytime - and I put a Mac theme on it for good measure!

Anyway, the reason for the email, server stats; I have many clients and my servers push over 1TB a month of traffic from here in Beijing. I just took this screen shot as a typical pure play amongst my servers when it comes to stat distribution.

For a long time, Mac hovered at about 2-3%, neck and neck with Linux. Firefox would command a steady 8-9%. Didn't look for a while (not my sites and I only care about aggregate and not the details) but while preparing an audit for a clients advertising sales kit, I noticed a major change. Firefox has really increased, Camino (What I use) is now actually visible and the Mac has pushed ahead of Linux to a very healthy 8%.

Most users of our servers are about 30% China and 70% the rest of the world.

Anyway - some stats from the horses mouth so to speak, Feel free to publish the pic.

As to servers, do you know of a way to put a second NIC on a Mac Mini? At their prices I can buy 10 or more of them for the same price as a medium redundant Dell Server and can then use them as front end nodes to protect my USD6K backends from the nastiness that is the net. But I need two NICs.... :-(

Cheers,
RF.

PS: I directly influenced about 7 people now to move to Mac.

___

Hi Richard;

Thanks for the interesting information.

Congrats on the Mac evangelism.

My ignorance of server setup is encyclopedic, so I can't help you with the multiple NIC issue.

Readers may be able to share some insight.

Charles

***

The New MacOpinion

From Richard Houston

Hi Charles,

Fantastic! I'm so glad MacOpinion is still there. I've enjoyed reading your twice weekly columns at MacOpinion for some time. The new web page looks good. I especially like the two "Spare" tabs -- an eye toward the future no doubt. Wish I'd thought of that for my own site.

Richard

PS: I use Freeway for my web design app. I don't know if you are familiar with it, but it's by far the best (IMO) Mac software for the job. Here's a link in case you're curious: http://www.softpress.com/

I'm not affiliated with them, just a happy customer.

***

PowerBook 3400c

From Dara

Hi Charles,

Glad to hear from you, and to see that MacOpinion is on the road to recovery!

"I struck out on these two. The only issue I can think of with the 2400/3400 adapter issue would be possible connector plug incompatibility. Otherwise, it should work."

No worries. I was tempted to get it just to see what was so special, but now that I have a working AC adapter, my curious has mostly abated.

"I hadn't heard of the RAM slot clearance issue before. Maybe one of our readers can shed some light on this question."

I managed to find somebody else with a similar model machine who was willing to test the RAM for me, so I'm pretty sure it's not bad RAM. The fit in his machine was also rather tight, so I'm guessing my machine simple has a bad RAM socket. At 8+ years old, I guess it can be allowed some leeway!

Great little machine though, and I really love how quiet it is now. Just the very occasional noise of the processor fan spinning up once in a while. Very much unlike my old TiBook which could drown out a vacuum cleaner on occasion.

Best,
Dara

___

Hi Dara;

Yes, some hard drives can get pretty noisy.

My silence champion is my G3 iBook with a 20 GB IBM HD. It's been used a lot of hours over nearly four years, and is still whisper-quiet. Speaks well of IBM (Hitachi) drives.

Charles

***

iBook woes; MacBook Query

From John J. Kettlewell

Charles:

I'm beginning to think it must be the logic board. How are the latest MacBooks for problems?

JJK

___

Hi John;

I think mobo is the most likely culprit for the erratic behavior you've previously described, especialy given the dual-USB iBook's history of such issues.

I completely understand why the MacBook has been a sales hit for Apple, but unfortunately, it has had its share of revision A problems - excessive heat buildup, strange "mooing noises", case discoloration and even cracking on some of the very early white models, and a "sudden shutdown" issue that would be have had me tearing my hair had I overridden my instincts and bought a first generation machine.

It's early days yet with the Revision B Core 2 Duo MacBooks that were rolled out last month, but I haven't seen any horror stories so far, and it is to be hoped that Apple has gotten the bugs ironed out with the second-go-round.

The revision B MacBooks have seen a significant value enhancement - that is the two top models have. The base, $1,099 machine gets a 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo with 2 MB of L2 cache, but the rest of its (still impressive for the price) specification remains pretty much as before - 512 megabytes of RAM, 60 gigabyte hard drive, Combo optical drive, and so forth.

The middle, $1,299 MacBook, on the other hand, has a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with twice the amount (4 MB) of level 2 cache as the base MacBook, a gigabyte of RAM, an 80 gigabyte hard drive, and a 6x dual-layer SuperDrive, thus putting more distance between itself and the entry-level model. Well worth the extra $200 I think. If you're smitten with the black livery of the top-end MacBook, it will still cost you another extra 200 dollars for the Darth Vader look, but you do get a 120 gigabyte hard drive as well. In my books, so to speak, the middle MacBook is definitely the value-leader, and I'm partial to white computers anyway

Charles

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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Recipe for Disaster

by Marc Zeedar macopinion@designwrite.com

Recently Playlist Magazine reprinted an interesting article from Computerworld by Mike Elgan. Mike had previously written the absurd Why Microsoft's Zune scares Apple to the core (while I agree that Apple can't ignore Microsoft's hugeness as a competitor and them using their monopoly power to promote the Zune, I disagree with most of Mike's absurd conclusions, like the non-podcast-supporting Zune having more media, the larger Zune screen being better for movies, or Zune having even an ounce of coolness).

But with Zune: So you want to be an iPod killer, Mike really goes off the deep end. The article starts out well, detailing Zune flaws and complaints, and then we have this statement which gets increasingly insane with each sentence:

What isn't inconceivable, however, is that Microsoft could create a Zune that's more desirable than the iPod. After all, the Mac is more elegant than Windows, but most people prefer Windows. And that's how Microsoft can kill the iPod: Make the Zune more like a Windows PC.

Uh, say what?

I can buy the first sentence, or at least Mike's opinion that Microsoft could do that (I'm not convinced they could, but I'll Mike have his opinion).

But the second sentence is completely flawed. Who says people prefer Windows to Macintosh? Since when have people had a real choice? The vast majority of folks don't have a clue what an OS is let alone that there's a choice. The ones who do decide on Windows over a Mac generally do so out of misguided (and often false) reasoning. Very few people actually test out both systems and make a rational decision. And even then I doubt most would choose Windows because they prefer it -- they'd choose it with a reluctant sigh because it was more "compatible" with the software they need for business.

By the way, how many of you are still rolling on the floor busting a gut over Mike's last sentence: That's how Microsoft can kill the iPod: Make the Zune more like a Windows PC.

Isn't that hilarious? What, a Zune would be better infested with 200,000 viruses? A Zune would beat an iPod if it needed to reboot every time you changed a playlist or modified a preference setting? An iPod's too simple so making the Zune incredibly complicated and difficult to use would make it sell?

Come on, please! Making the Zune more Windows-like would be its death-knell! Look at the complaints about the Zune that Mike himself mentions:

Heavy, boxy, awkward hardware
Fake click wheel
Wi-Fi too limited to be useful
Zune incompatible with everything
Zune software is buggy and complicated
Zune interface difficult
No music during Wi-Fi transfer

Don't those problems sound exactly like the complaints about Windows? Awkward; a visual clone of Mac but doesn't actually work like one; incompatibilities run rampant; buggy; difficult to use.

Seems to me Microsoft's done a good job of making the Zune too much like Windows already!

When you look at the good things about the Zune (few as those might be), those things are usually inspired by Macintosh and iPod: simplicity, elegance, and cleanliness.

Mike seems to think the iPod's simplicity's its Achilles' heel:

But all that simplicity comes at a price: Apple�s closed, our-way-or-the-highway approach to locking everything down stifles innovation and customization.

Again, say what? This about a product that's sold over 60 million units and has over 3,000 accessories and add-ons? Just what can't you do with an iPod that you'd want to do? There are add-on radios, speakers, microphones, flashlights, laser pointers, and tons more. Mike points out that hackers love to modify iPods as though that's a flaw because Apple doesn't officially endorse such activity. But Apple doesn't try to stop the hacks (despite Mike's assertion that Apple "bans" such activities). What you do with your own iPod after you buy it is your own problem.

Imagine what would be possible if Microsoft encouraged modification of the Zune.

Yeah, like Microsoft would do that. Their whole point in releasing the Zune instead of continuing with their losing "PlaysForSure" strategy is that it puts them in control.

Microsoft can do all this by creating a free development environment and other tools that facilitate the creation of new Zune options.

This, actually, is not a bad idea. Unfortunately for Microsoft, however, they aren't competing on a level playing field in the music arena: Apple has the market share. Who's going to bother programming an app for a Zune that only has a few hundred thousand users when iPod's approaching a hundred million?

Mike finishes up with a final thought without support:

History shows that the functionality of stand-alone gadgets always gets folded into multipurpose devices. Apple�s instinct to maximize elegance at the expense of extensibility made them No. 1 in the media player market, but the future belongs to customizable, multifunction players.

The dude just doesn't get it, does he. People want simple. Multifunction devices sound neat but generally don't sell well (look at those scanner-printer-fax devices or PDA-phones). Multifunction works in rare occasions when compatible functions combined with decent design (camera-phones come to mind), but it's hard to do simple and elegant.

We can tell what Mike likes:

Give me a wireless keyboard and a Zune version of Pocket Outlook, and I�ll never buy another iPod.

Ugh! Does that sound like something anyone else wants? That sounds to me like a PDA -- which have been around forever -- and nothing like an elegant media player.

Yet I suspect that's the direction Microsoft will go with the Zune. They'll spin it as its own platform and try to build on it, throwing in flashy new features instead of fixing the flaws in the existing ones. That's what Microsoft does -- marketing flash instead of substance.

The genius of the iPod is that it appeals to such a wide range of people, from children to seniors. Everyone loves music. Taking a simple media player and adding in functions only a fraction of people want is a guarantee for product minimalization. Turning a Zune into a mini-PC would be even worse!

Apple does it right by letting third parties customize the iPod. The options are there for those who want such features, but they don't overburden the rest of us.

I have no doubt that some sort of device convergence will happen someday -- but it won't be at the pace companies like Microsoft want. A product must first be integrated into societal consciousness (like TV) and once everyone agrees it's a must-have device, then you can look at merging it with other compatible devices. But forcing the issue will only produce the kinds of horrible products we're used to seeing: jacks of all trades and masters of none, PDA's with phone features that don't fit your ear like a phone or phones with limited interfaces that don't work like a true PDA.

macopinion@designwrite.com

Posted by Charles in • Less Tangible
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Road Warrior Review - Proporta Retractable Headphones, iPod Socks, Cable Tidy, more

Proporta Retractable Headphones
Proporta Mobile Device Socks
Proporta Cable Tidy
Proporta ‘TuneBelt’ iPod shuffle Neoprene Armband Carrier

___

The folks at Proporta continue to amaze with a seemingly endless array of innovative, well-engineered, and reasonably priced small things (more than 1000 products according to their PR Manager) that make one's iPodding and computing experience more convenient and enjoyable. The company's slogan, "Everything Covered," isn't too terribly exaggerated, and it's a great place to shop for Christmas gifts and stocking-stuffers.

Proporta.com, is an up and coming British outfit offering a wide and growing range of accessories for iPods and other digital music players, PDAs, laptops, mobile phones, and digital cameras. The company has jumped into online marketing with both feet, as it were, and will ship smaller items to anywhere globally for just $4.95.

The latest batch of review samples we've received from Proporta is as usual, entertainingly eclectic and lots of fun to try out, so let's go.

Proporta Retractable Headphones

Tired of having your earbud cables get tangled in your pocket, computer case, or backpack? I have little patience with cord tangles.

To the rescue are Proporta's retractable bass enhanced stereo headphones that you can slip into your pocket or wherever without worry about tangles or loops.

These earbud-type headphones with any device that uses a standard 3.5 mm audio jack. and are perfect for use with PDAs, laptop computers and of course MP3 players like the iPod.

The way this earphone set's retractable mechanism works is similar to other retractable cord devices, with a central, spring-loaded ratchet reel onto which the cords load from two directions. Pull the cords out to partial or full extension and the ratchet locks the reel until you give it another tug and the cords retract again. I found that this works fine, so long as you carefully heed the instructions for use on the package and pull both cables (the earphone end and the 3.5mm jack end) simultaneously and evenly. Otherwise there is very real risk of the cord taking up unevenly and snarling.

I'm also happy to report that the audio quality with these 'phones is excellent - comparable to that of the Proporta Coloured Stereo Headphones we tested here previously.

The only real complaint I have about these earphoones is that the retract mechanism is a bit heavy in weight hanging from the earbuds, but it's not a big problem.

At $16.95, they won't flatten your wallet, and you're not giving up high fidelity sound and punchy bass response for the convenience of retractability.

Features include:

• No tangles

• Featherweight 32 g

• Measures a full 105 cm (41") when extended and retracts to just 11 cm (4.3")

• Fits easily in your pocket

$ 16.95

For more information, visit:

http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=690&t_mode=des

___
Proporta Mobile Device Socks

Next up is a delightfully whimsical item; socks for your iPod. These are just plain fun, but also offer light-duty protection against scratches and abrasion if you're carrying your 'Pod in your pocket or loose in your computer bag or backpack instead of in an iPod case (of which Proporta has a selections of really nice ones, especially their real English leather offerings wich look (and smell) just great).

The socks, which have the tactile feel of an actual pair of good socks of the conventional variety, come in a pack of three colours (pink, blue and green), so you can dress your device to match your outfit or mood. Personally, I'm partial to the blue, which expanded to accommodate my somewhat portly by today's standards 1st Generation iPod.

iPod minis and nanos will fit easily, and the Proporta folks say the Mobile Device Sock will fit any iPod and most cellphones and other brand MP3 players, PDAs and games consoles. A shuffle will not really fill them out, though.

Minimum Internal Dimensions - 110 x 45 x 5mm

Maximum Internal Dimensions -120 x 70 x 25mm (approx)

The soft, cable-knit, stretchy fabric looks and feels great, and a set of these socks will make a lighthearted but functionally useful Christmas gift for anyone you know who owns an iPod.

$ 17.95

For more information, visit:

http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=1851&t_mode=des

___

Proporta Cable Tidy

I you're a regular reader, you may recall that I'm not a big fan of wireless computer peripherals, but hard-wired stuff does tend to create a spaghetti chaos of cords. Carrying cables arpound in your computer case also tends to result in tangles, as we discussed in the segment on retractable headphones above.

Well, Proporta has a solution to that annoyance as well - a disarmingly simple little device called a Cable Tidy.

Proporta Cable Tidies come in packs of two rubbery plaastic straps with magnetic clasp closures that snap firmly shut around your coiled cable or bundle of cables and is strong enough to be used through clothes, so you can keep your headphones pinned out of the way while in use.

For cable bundles too large for one Cable Tidy to handle, you can use them in pairs like this.

A pack of two Proporta Cable Tidies sells for $ 4.95

For more information, visit:

For more information, visit:

http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=2473&t_mode=des

___

Proporta ‘TuneBelt’ iPod shuffle Neoprene Armband Carrier

iPod shuffles are easy to carry any number of ways, but Proporta offers a cool one in the form of their Neoprene Armband Carrier

This tough, elastic armband provides a secure fit for your iPod shuffle and a a place to securely store the excess headphone cord so that it doesn't tangle in the arms and a mini storage pocket for your earbuds when they’re not in use. The armband strap is adjustable with one hand up to 50 cm (20").

The shuffle Neoprene Armband Carrier sells for $24.95.

For more information, visit:

http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=1212&t_mode=des

Worldwide shipping $4.95

A Proporta signature touch is that orders ship with complementary packets of real British tea, such as English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey, or Darjeeling by Taylor's of Harrogate (Family Tea Merchants; est. 1886) that came with our review units. Excellent tea!

For more information, visit:

http://www.proporta.com/

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cmoore@macopinion.com

CM

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When Efficiency Fails

by Marc Zeedar macopinion@designwrite.com

I've always been an efficient person. When running errands, I plan my route carefully so I make stops in the correct and most efficient order. When walking the mall I study the mall map and figure out which stores I want to visit and compute the most efficient path to take, even taking into account the stores where I'll possibly buy the most stuff and going to them last so I don't have to lug purchases too far (for instance, I'll make the book store my final stop). I hate it when the grocery store rearranges their shelves because it messes up my efficiently planned route which takes me precisely to the items I am shopping for and in the correct order (i.e. frozen things are purchased last so they don't melt).

Now this might sound complicated, but I scarcely have to think about such things: I just do automatically. It's a natural instinct for me. I'm always looking for the most efficient way to do something.

In school they taught us the famous quote, "Necessity is the mother of invention." I promptly changed it to "Laziness is the mother of invention," because I felt that most inventions were labor-saving and prompted by people like me who wanted an easier way of doing things.

Is it any wonder that I got involved with computers?

Now I always thought efficiency was a positive trait, but last month something happened that brought me a new perspective. I ended up hospitalized for a week with pancreatitis -- that's when the pancreas swells up and stops working -- and found out that I'm now diabetic (my doctors aren't sure if the diabetes caused the pancreatitis or if the pancreatitis caused the diabetes).

I used to not pay much attention to what I ate. I enjoyed good food and certainly ate too much of it, especially considering my main physical activity consists of sitting in front of a computer. But as a diabetic, it's important I eat regular meals in consistent amounts, as well as get daily physical activity. So suddenly I'm tracking carbs and saturated fat, going grocery shopping once a week for fresh vegetables and fruit (I used to be so efficient I only needed to grocery shop once a month), and trying to be more physically active.

Now when I go to the mall I don't follow an efficient route; I window-shop and walk the entire mall. Instead of taking the parking space near the store I'm going too -- efficient -- I park a few lanes away so I'm forced to walk farther. When I ride my bike to the post office, I don't take the direct route, but circle around to make the trip longer, so I get more exercise.

These small things may not seem like much, but they are an anathema to an efficiency expert like me. I really have to work to think of them, and I have to force myself to remember to do them. "Take the long way," I tell myself. Instead of trying to carry all the groceries into the house in a single load, I remind myself the benefits of taking several trips.

It's weird. I used to think efficiency was so good, but now I realize that in some situations, inefficiency's better!

There are, of course, countless examples of efficiency making things more complicated. Like in the past, I'd try to carry all those groceries in one trip and end up dropping the eggs. Not efficient.

Or when I use a computer, I'd come across some boring repetitive task and so I'd spend an hour writing a script or program to do it for me, when the original task would have only taken me ten minutes.

Efficiency comes at a cost. It's not the end-all.

I've seen computer people so focused on doing something on the computer that they force it, even when the task doesn't fit or the effort at getting it to work exceeds the demands of the original task. Haven't you seen people struggling with spreadsheet formulas or trying to get Word to format headers correctly? I have a friend who finally just numbered his pages with a pen -- it saved him a lot of frustration!

The reality is that sometimes a pad of paper is more efficient than a laptop!

Efficiency is all about balance (just like my new diet). A computer can be efficient, if you know how to control it. If not, sometimes it's faster and easier to do the task another way. (For example, computer printing an envelope can be more trouble than just hand-writing an address.)

On the other hand, if it's a task you'll be doing often, sometimes it's worth the extra effort to learn how to do it properly for the future.

Another problem with efficiency is that if you make things too easy (too efficient), it can lead to errors and waste. That's because the user isn't required to think. How many times have you accidentally cleared an error dialog without even reading it simply because you were so used to clicking "OK" that you just did it without thinking? Imagine if that message was an "Okay to erase entire hard drive?" or "Print 10,000 copies?"

When I worked in the printing industry my boss told me about high-end printing presses that were so automated they can print, fold, and cut a job all in one pass and the operator just sits and watches a computer monitor. While that sounded good, he wasn't that impressed because the pressman wasn't required to think. A press like that leads to operator boredom, and with the operator not paying attention some problem would crop up and thousands of incorrectly printed materials would be generated before someone noticed and shut the press down. That's a lot of waste for a little bit of efficiency.

My point is that moving slower, less efficiently, taking time to think about things, can sometimes be the best choice.

Life's moving at a different pace for me now. It used to be cooking a frozen dinner for six minutes in the microwave was an eternity -- now I happily take a half an hour to chop fresh vegetables for a delicious stir fry. It's not as "efficient" -- but it's certainly healthier.

Something we all can think about in our quest for efficiency.

macopinion@designwrite.com

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Monday, November 27, 2006

The Road Warrior Mailbag - November 27, 2006

Powerbook 12” vs MacBook
Email And Browsers For Older Classic Versions
Pismo G4 upgrade and drivers staying installed
MacBook Fast Enough?
RE: Apple iBook clamshell
iBook Mysteries

___

Powerbook 12” vs MacBook

From: Dev Benegal

Dear Charles,

For my office I am looking for a compact laptop and wanted your advice on whether to choose an Apple refurb Powerbook 12inch or the Apple Refurb MacBook?

I do have some Classic programs (Movie Budgeting and Scheduling which alas are not on OSX as yet) but this machine would be largely used by my associate for mail, web and writing and the usual Office- Word and Excel stuff and for running our free 24 hour filmmaking program 24x7Making Movies.

I had thought of a iBook G4 but then felt the Powerbook may be better in the longer run but got confused as it is more expensive than the MacBook!!

Look forward to your suggestions.

regards

dev

___

Hi Dev;

Either could be a good decision. Personally, I struggled with the choice of going with a macIntel or sticking with PowerPC last winter. I opted for the 1.33 GHz 17” PowerBook I’m using right now, and I don’t regret it even a tiny bit. This is an awesome computer, and hasn’t given me any trouble at all in eight months of intensive use. The 12” PowerBook was also on my shortlist, and I think I owuld have been very pleased with one of those too.

That said, MacIntel is the future, and as you noted, if you’re buying refurb. from Apple in the US, you can get a Macbook for $150 less than a 12” PowerBook. The MacBook at $949 has to be the best cost/power/features value in a Mac portable ever.

At this point, I would have to say that I’m probably on my last PowerPC ‘Book, but I expect to be using it for several years to come yet. Go with your heart and gut, and there’s really no “wrong” choice here.

Charles

***

Email And Browsers For Older Classic Versions

From Dara

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the quick response. I wasn’t able to find Mulberry through google, but I did manage to dig it up after e-mailing around. Unfortunately, Mulberry 2.2 doesn’t have SSL support (looks like 3.0.3 does, but it’s OS 9 and above) contrary to what I’d read elsewhere. Eudora doesn’t seem to have gotten SSL until version 5, so that’s no good either. Looks like I may be out of luck on that one.

As for the browser, I don’t think iCab is being updated for anything below OS 8.5 now, which rules out 68K. So far, I’ve found Internet Explorer 4 to be the most compatible, but it certainly does have its limitations, not to mention stability issues.

I agree with you that MacOS has had a number of major changes. It’s just

frustrating that software that runs on a 10-year old Microsoft OS won’t work with a 6-year old Apple one.

On a completely different topic, I’ve been intrigued by the possibility of running a PowerBook off of compact flash (quiet, low power consumption). My Lombard however will not boot from compact flash (using a PC Card adapter). Any ideas which models will work? I’ve been thinking of using a CF-to-IDE adapter, and outright replacing the hard drive, but that might be a little more tinkering than is truly warranted.

Thanks again (and love your Road Warrior column),

Dara

___

Hi Dara;

Thanks for the report.

Incidentally, I was on the iCab Website today, and they do still offer a version 2.9.9 download for 68k machines running System 7.1 or higher.

These folks offer a Ethernet Adaptor,PCMCIA fit II-III,RJ45/BNC for $64.00, but no info on speed or Mac support.

https://www.mc3llc.com/search_result3.asp?txtKeyword=PCMCIA&txtName=PCMCIA%20Cables

I know that any power adapter compatible with the PowerBook 1400 will work with PowerBooks up to the Pismo inclusive, but I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that the PB 1400 used the same connector plug, although my expectation would be that it did. Actually, I’ve converted a PowerBook 5300 adapter to work with a 1400 by splicing on the appropriate connector plug.

Charles

___

Re: Email And Browsers For Older Classic Versions

From Dara

Hi Charles,

I’m definitely seeing the same situation here. I just tried out Eudora 5.1.1 (the last version to run on MacOS 8.1 (PPC). It claimed to support SSL too, but exited with an “error 3” every time I tried to check my messages. Seems like webmail/iCab may be the most likely bet, for secure e-mail.

Ah, perfect! Yes, I actually did get a chance to experiment this week, on a Kanga G3. It definitely does boot from the PCMCIA-Compact Flash adapter. The downside is that performance is somewhat poor (and this was with a flash card that is supposed to have minimum sustained transfers of 10MB/s).

In that case, I could also boot using the CF-IDE adapter. Performance was a good 30% faster than the original 6GB IDE drive that came with the machine. Plus the machine is now completely silent, save for a the very faint whir of the processor fan. Taking apart the Kanga was quite an experience in any case!

Now another question, if you don’t mind. The Kanga doesn’t support Cardbus without modification, and the built-in networking is just 10-baseT. Do you have any suggestions for Mac compatible 100-baseT PCMCIA cards? So far the only one I’ve found is the Macsense MPC-100, which seems to be available just from a few retailers at a rather steep price.

Finally, I’ve been looking for a good small AC adapter. I found some surprisingly cheap ones on eBay, but those all claim to be for the 2400, not the 3400 or Kanga. They do however output the same 45W, 1.875Amp, 24V current that the 3400 supposedly takes. What do you think?

Best,

Dara

___

Hi Dara;

Too bad about the SSL support, but it’s spotty enough even with OS 9. I haven’t had much luck with Gmail and Eudora in OS 9, nor with Outlook Express, although they both are supposed to support SSL.

Thanks for the update on iCab support.

I know some folks have been able to boot PowerBook 1400s from flash RAM cards, and while I can’t say for sure, my guess would be that it should work with any PC Card equipped PowerBook up to and including the WallStreet, which was the last Apple laptop with “Old World” ROM.

Charles

___

Re: MacOpinion The Road Warrior Mailbag

From Dara

Hi Charles,

Thanks as always for the sage advice!

Yes, I saw the iCab website. The only thing is that version 3.0.x, which has reasonably good CSS support) is only for OS 8.5+, whereas 68K/PPC OS7.1-8.1 are stuck on 2.9.x.

Thanks for the link to the PCMCIA ethernet adapter. I hadn’t seen it before (odd that there’s no brand info in the ad.). It’s not noticeably cheaper than the Macsense one though (which definitely does have MacOS support), so I guess the Macsense it probably the better bet still.

I didn’t realize that it was practical to make a DIY AC adapter (actually have an antique 5300 somewhere, if I can ever manage to find it). I’m actually more curious about 2400/3400 compatibility, because of a few dirt cheap 2400 AC adapters I saw on eBay. Seller claims they’re not 3400 compatible, which seemed odd to me, given the similar voltages/current requirements. Oh well, I did manage to find a cheapish original.

I’ve another randomish question regarding the 3400/Kanga. I’m trying to install extra RAM, but the module doesn’t fit well: the PCMCIA cage seems to be blocking the RAM from being pushed fully into the socket (if I push it in as far as I can, the memory part of the card ends up at a slight angle from the horizontal because of this). Worst of all, when I boot up the PowerBook, it claims that the memory isn’t installed properly, (and I should take it to an Apple Certified Technician). Is this a common problem, or is the RAM slot likely just dead on this particular machine. I’ve tried two different memory modules with identical results.

Thanks,

Dara

___

Hi Dara;

I struck out on these two. The only issue I can think of with the 2400/3400 adapter issue would be possible connector plug incompatibility. Otherwise, it should work.

I hadn’t hear of the RAM slot clearance issue before. Maybe one of our readers can shed some light on this question.

Charles

***

Pismo G4 upgrade and drivers staying installed

From: Robert Hallewell

Hi Charles

I am planning a G4 upgrade and for convenience would like to partition my HD for 10.4 and 9.2.1. At the moment it is a 9.2.1 only machine. Do you find that your partitioned, G4 upgraded, Pismo has any problems with the disk drivers staying installed - I gather this is sometimes a problem?

thanks much,

Robert

PS have had problems getting your archive page to load, but could be my poor DSL connection.

Dr. Robert Hallewell

___

Hi Robert;

Not your DSL. After a two-week unscheduled hiatus due to a hard drive failure, MacOpinion is back. The all-new macOpinion Website with a new look will be under construction for a while, but new content is being posted again.

I’ve always partitioned the drives in my Pismo and never had any problems with drivers not staying installed. I keep OS X and OS 9 Systems on separate partitions.

I would suggest updating Classic to OS 9.2.2 for use with Tiger Classic Mode.

Charles

***

MacBook Fast Enough?

From Ernesto

want to upgrade my PB (12” 1GHz G4) to a macintel but cannot make up my mind between macbook and macbook pro. I use my PB a lot for presentations made with Keynote with as many transitions and effects as possible and I rely on its screen for knowing which slide or bullet is next. It certainly pushes the G4 and the nvidia but pulls through. My concern is if the macbook will do the trick for the next 3-4 years.

I really like the size of the 12” so that pushes my decision to a macbook, but it is almost as heavy as the 15”. Furthermore, purchasing a black macbook narrows the gap to the entry macbook pro, which I’m not sure I need but somehow makes me want to spend the extra $500 for the bigger screen and the video card but not so much for the extra speed.

What do you think? Is the macbook enough for what I do?

Ernesto

___

Hi Ernesto;

If you’re satisfied with the performance you’re getting with the 12” PowerBook for presentations, I think the MacBook will be more than satisfactory. Whether it will still be satisfactory in 3-4 years is an imponderable, but with the MacBook’s lower price, you can buy a newer, faster one in a couple of years and probably come out ahead in capital outlay, factoring in the resale value of the first one.

Unless you are *really* in love with black, the middle white MacBook is a better deal.

If I recall correctly, you’re in Mexico, and Apple Certified Refurbished machines were unfortunately not available there the last time we discussed it.

Charles

___

Re: MacBook Fast Enough?

From Ernesto

Charles,

Thanks for your comments. I know white is a better value… it’s just that absurd notion of it not being “serious” for my presentations at the university where I teach. And I needed reassurance that the macbook would have enough performance for what I want.

I live in Mexico, but I have a chance of purchasing through the US store. I think I’ll sell my PB and go for white.

Ernesto

***

RE: Apple iBook clamshell

From Alvin Evans

Hi Charles,

Thanks for all your help. The clamshell is now fully upgraded and working! It now has 20GB HD and 288MB RAM with Mac OS X 10.3.9. The PC133 memory seems to have worked. I can now breathe a sigh of relief that I do not have to open it up again!!

Regards,

Alvin

___

Hi Alvin;

Cool!

Glad to have been able to help a bit.

Charles

***

iBook Mysteries

From John J. Kettlewell

Charles:

My iBook mysteries continue. Today it has been running for several hours with no problems and temperatures seem within limits. It is hard to say what they are when I get a freeze, because nothing works after that.

Today:

Processor bottom side: 44.5 C

Memory bottom side: 43 C

Graphics processor bottom side: 45.5 C

Battery: 36 C (running on battery power)

JJK

___

Hi John;

It sounds like logic board trouble is a possible culprit, especially given the iBook’s known tendencies in that area. The temps. seem well within comfortable range, but with mobo issues behavior can be erratic.

Charles

***

cmoore@macopinion.com

Note: Letters to The Road Warrior may or may not be published in The Road Warrior Mailbag at the editor’s discretion. Correspondents’ email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context.

If you would prefer that your message not appear in The Road Warrior Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message “NOT FOR PUBLICATION,” and it will not be published.

CM

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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Is The MacBook’s Integrated Graphics Fudge Too Much Of A Compromise?

Apple has a history of slightly crippling its entry-level portables. One of the most controversial was the PowerBook G3 Series Series I "MainStreet" 233 MHz with a passive-matrix dual-scan screen, a measly 2 MB. of video RAM, and no backside L2 cache.

Some have accused this machine as being, quote: "dog slow." In fact, the cache-less 233 MacBenched at 445 in processor performance - one third faster than the previous "fastest-in-the-world" PowerBook 3400c 240 (337). Neither was the dual-scan fast supertwist nematic (FSTN) screen as doggy as some reviewers imply. I used one of these machines daily for a couple of months in late 1998, and found the performance reasonably lively in the context of the time, and the FSTN screen quite pleasant viewing, albeit not as crisp and speedy as the TFT units.

Nevertheless, my friend Dan Knight at Low End Mac has declared the Cacheless "MainStreet" PowerBook G3/233 to be a "Road Apple," - one Apple's more compromised hardware designs. "To shave maybe $200 from retail, Apple seriously compromised the performance of this PowerBook G3/233," says Dan.

OK, much as I liked the demo MainStreet, when I purchased a G3 PowerBook myself, I went with the MainStreet's successor in the low-end slot - the "PDQ" model that did have an L2 cache (providing an approximately 70% performance enhancement) and an active matrix TFT display.

Another example of a crippled Apple price leader 'Books is the last of the original PowerBook 100 Series form factor machines - the PowerBook 150 - which was more notable for what it didn't have than what it offered - notably various ports: only one serial port; no Ethernet; no expansion slots; no video-out jack, and it was also the first Apple laptop with an IDE hard drive instead of a SCSI drive - and an oddball one at that, needing a special HD formatting utility. The PowerBook 150 had a decent RAM capacity, and was substantially lighter than the other 100 series 'Books, but seriously compromised - much more so than the later mainStreet was.

Then there was another serious deficit of connectivity ports on the original ClamShell iBooks, which boasted (?) just one, lonely USB port, and Ethernet port, and a modem connector port, but No SCSI or FireWire ports, No PC Card slots, no video out, no microphone or sound-in port. Those deficiencies combined with a (diabolically difficult to upgrade) tiny 3.2 GB hard drive and no DVD support available rendered the original Clamshell, despite it's other charms, beyond consideration as a serious workhorse laptop.

Now we have the MacBook, and while I don't anticipate it ever being tagged a "Road Apple," it does have some resonances of those older low end 'Book compromises. With the new Core 2 Duo MacBooks released a couple of weeks ago, the base model has only half the Level 2 cache (2 MB vs. 4MB) that you get on the two higher MacBook models, half the RAM (still respectable at 512 MB) and a Combo drive rather than a SuperDrive DVD-burner. However, something you don't get in any MacBook is a real, free-standing graphics processor unit with its own dedicated video RAM. Instead, the MacBook uses an Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics system for video support. The downside of this is that the GMA 950 technology expropriates 64 MB of system memory for its graphics buffer plus 16 MB more for general startup (total 80), which means 80 MB less for running programs and tasks. Not the most elegant solution.

How serious a deficiency is this video support fudge? That depends. A new report this week by BareFeats' Rob-ART Morgan calls the GMA 950 integrated GPU a "party pooper".

"Whether you are doing serious apps with Core Image effects or playing your favorite 3D accelerated game, the 13" MacBook C2D is going to spoil your day. Even the PowerBook G4 plays games faster than the 13" Macbook C2D," declares Morgan.

OK, But I, and a lot of other present and potential MacBook users are not gamers, so is this a real concern for us? Yes, Morgan contends: "Games are not just something people do for fun. We include them in our testing because they rigorously test the advanced graphics features like shading, reflectivity, dynamic shadowing, transparency, distortion - features used by the Mac OS's Dashboard, Finder windows, and Video FX in iMovie HD. If OpenGL and Core Image features can't be rendered quickly and accurately, it detracts from the whole Mac experience," and suggests that because of the GMA 950 handicap, the MacBook is only ideal for "light computing." He argues that a MacBook Pro is a better investment, even if it's a refurb.

I'm sure this will be a controversial assessment, but Rob-ART Morgan is a well-respected benchmarker and computer reviewer, and his opinion shouldn't be casually dismissed. He's certainly given me more food for thought in my system upgrade deliberations. Perhaps like him I'm getting "spoiled" by my wonderful 17" PowerBook, and it is nice to use a machine that demands few compromises and has a full feature set, whether you use it intensively or not.

Macworld's Henry Norr also criticizes the MacBook's the graphics subsystem in his generally positive review of the Core 2 Duo MacBooks, noting that "the Pro models' separate ATI Radeon X1600 graphics chip is considerably faster than the MacBooks' integrated graphics processing. That last point is worth considering not only for publishing and video professionals, but also for anyone looking for a good gaming machine."

To be fair, there is a lot of praise for the MacBook out there by reviewers, and in the big picture, the MacBook, particularly the Core 2 Duo revision, packs in a whopping pile of value for the money, especially in the the two SuperDrive-equipped models, which have been kicked up to double-layer 6x drives, 1 GB of standard RAM, their level 2 processor caches doubled to 4MB, and larger capacity hard drives (80GB for the white model and 120 GB for the blackie), and a gaggle of returning good stuff including a slightly unconventional keyboard that most users seem to like and some rave about, a 13.3" 1280 x 800 glossy display that also gets glowing reviews from most for brightness and clarity, Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor and Scrolling TrackPad technologies, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, a built-in iSight video camera, Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter (a new MagSafe Airline Adapter is also available), combination analog and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output port to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

Compromised or not, that feature set won't be too much of a hardship to live with.

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Charles W. Moore

Note: Letters to The Road Warrior may or may not be published in The Road Warrior Mailbag at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context. If you would prefer that your message not appear in The Road Warrior Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published. CM

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Monday, November 20, 2006

The Road Warrior Mailbag - November 20, 2006

PowerBook 100 Series
Email clients and web-browsers for 68K Macs
Re: iBook Mysteries
My old G3 Pismo 500mhz
Compact flash in Lombard or Pismo
Pismo HD upgrade, ATA-6, ATA-7 fine, error on site info
RE: Apple iBook clamshell

___

PowerBook 100 Series

From John J. Kettlewell

Charles:

Two comments:

1. I still love my Powerbook 180 and I periodically fire it up just to see if everything is working. It still does what it did perfectly! And, it lived on a boat for a good portion of its working life - they were well built. I paid something more than $3000 for mine, complete with maxed out RAM, but it soon paid for itself in all the articles and books I created with it. A great machine and super rugged, and contrary to many I loved the trackball and still do. Much more precise than trackpads and easier on the fingers after long sessions.

2. With regard to less fan running after the latest 10.4 update, my overheating problems began almost immediately after the last 10.3.9 update. My fan never runs on my iBook G4 1.2 Ghz and never has. I wonder if it is dead and that could be the cause of my freeze problems (after 30-60 minutes of use)? Is there anyway to turn on the fan manually to see if it works?

John J. Kettlewell

Writer, Editor, Photographer

___

Hi John;

Thanks for the report on that hardy PowerBook 180.

Interesting about the OS 10.3.9/fan issue. My 550 MHz G4 Pismo runs very cool with 10.3.9. Barely gets warm to touch most of the time, and the fan never comes on (unlike with OS 10.4 on that machine).

As far as I know, there is no way to manually toggle the fan. Have you tried downloading Temperature Monitor to get an objective read on how hot things are getting and whether there seems to be a relationship with the shutdowns?

http://www.bresink.de/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html

For my full review of TemperatureMonitor, visit:
http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/06/04/04/index.html

Charles

***
Email clients and web-browsers for 68K Macs

From Dara

Hi Charles,

I’ve a question regarding e-mail clients and web-browsers for 68K Macs. Yes, I know they’re old. But I’m curious to see how far I can get with genuine vintage hardware.

For email, I noticed you mentioned Mulberry, a number of years back, as a decent option. I need something that’ll support SSL and ideally IMAP too, and Mulberry seemed to have fit the bill. Unfortunately, the company disappeared, as have all older versions of the program. Any ideas where one might find Mulberry 2.0.8 or earlier?

For web-browsing, I’m not too hopeful given the situation on the much newer OS 9, but I’m curious whether you have any feelings as to whether IE 4, Navigator 4, or iCab are currently more usable, or if there are any better alternatives. It’s funny that Firefox can run under Windows 95, on an old Pentium, but not on MacOS 7/8/9 (PowerPC or 68K).

Thanks for any suggestions,

Dara

___

Hi Dara;

The good news is that Mulberry is back, and it’s now freeware. The bad news is that it requires OS 10.3 or later. No joy for you.

You could try running a Google search for Mulberry 2.0.8 + download and cruise the returns. Somebody may still have it on a server, although I haven’t a clue what the registration issues might be for the older version.

SSL support for a 68k Mac email client could be dicy. It’s difficult enough with OS 9.

As for browsers, the only one still being developed for 68k Macs is iCab, although I haven’t had any hands-on experience for years. Netscape was always a decent workhorse browser, but email and browsers are in many respects the most compelling reason to upgrade to a later OS version and/or newer computer.

One reason for long backward compatibility with Windows, is that the OS hasn’t had a major upgrade since 2001, while the mac OS has had four.

Charles

***

Re: iBook Mysteries

From John J. Kettlewell

Charles:

I may have to switch to a PC because of several pieces of software that just aren’t available for my beloved Apples: Iridium phone data and email software and providers, and nautical charting programs.

I have to admit my uses are specialized. I’m a marine writer and editor that sails around the world on my own boat. I’ve always loved and used Apples, but I find myself using my son’s Compaq notebook more and more. Here are my problems.

I’ll take the second first. There is a great Apple program called GPS NavX, but the problem is there are very few nautical charts available for outside the U.S. in the proper format. One company, MapTech, has purchased most of the marine chart providers and only makes formats that can be easily read by PCs. Also, boaters frequently exchange charts out here because they are almost unavailable outside the U.S. Inevitably, 99% of the chart exchangers have charts that can only work with the PC programs.

Another key technology I use is the Iridium satellite phone. I use it to send in articles, to receive weather, and to get my email. There is an Apple hack that is supposed to allow the Iridium phone to work with Apples but I have been unable to get it to work. It wouldn’t be of much use to me because I would still need a specialized email provider (like UUPlus or GMN) to create Apple software for email compression that is critical over a slow satellite connection. I’ve asked the providers if they might create an Apple version, but I tend to get sarcastic remarks about the lack of economic viability of creating a product for the three users that have asked.

The same problem exists for those that send email via SSB radio using Pactor modems - nothing for us Apple users. SSB email is a technology I would like to get on my boat some day.

By the way, the marine environment is brutal on electronics. My iBook does appear to be suffering from some sort of motherboard problem and one of my Nikon digital cameras just died.

John J. Kettlewell

Writer, Editor, Photographer

kettlewellcruising.blogspot.com

___

Hi John;

I appreciate your dilemma as a sailor who some years ago now lived aboard yachts ranging from an 85’ ferro-cement schooner to a Fairey Marine Atalanta hot-moulded mahogany aft cabin sloop my wife and I owned in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. That was of course before computer days, at least for me, although my business partner in a sail yacht dealership we owned was a computer services administrator for Michelin Canada in his day job.

I’m also a marine writer, and was a columnist and features contributor for Canadian Yachting magazine for several years, as well as a contributing editor for Spray magazine and have written for a variety of other marine magazines over the years.

Consequently, I’m aware that the marine software subcategory is strongly PC-oriented, and in any case Apple has never built a ruggedized, water-resistant laptop of the type offered by several PC makers. Of course, plenty of iBooks developed motherboard issues without ever going near the water.

I know that some users have made satellite Internet work with Apple hardware. In 1998, John Steele, founder and president of the world-renowned Nova Scotia boatbuilding firm Covey Island Boatworks, took his family on a year’s cruising sabbatical to the Caribbean and then across to Ireland and England via the Azores in their just restored then 106 year old 50 foot original Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Marguerite T.

John is a PowerBook guy, and since he didn’t want to entirely cut the umbilical to his office at CIB, he took his PowerBook 5300 on the voyage, coupled with a Motorola ‘Wave Talk’ M-sat satellite telephone system for phone and email communications.

“The voice line was fine,” John related, “it sounded a bit odd, but also worked well. The email was reasonable CDN$120 contract per month for 2 hours of usage, which generally was all I needed. The catch is images, pictures or graphics. They take hours to download, so you just can not receive them.”

That is all of course probably obsolete technology now. Incidentally, the PowerBook 5300 survived and returned to John’s desk at Covey Island Boatworks, having survived a year at sea.

By the way, a press release for PassagePlus 1.3.4 Passage Planning And Navigation software crossed my desktop last week. Have you checked it out?

More info:

http://www.windvector.com/PassagePlus.html

Best,

Charles

___

Re: iBook Mysteries

From John J. Kettlewell

Thanks Charles.

Things are working better since I managed to delete enough stuff from my File Vault protected home folder to be able to turn off File Vault. That suddenly gained me about 12 GB of space that was somehow trapped in File Vault. Unfortunately, lots of preferences have been changed too. Not sure if my problems are over, but I do get much longer run times (one hour + so far).

Passage Plus is interesting, but it unfortunately only works with the British Admiralty chart format. Still, it might be useful at some point. I own tons of raster charts for all over the world, but I can currently only access most of them using Maptech software.

John K.

***

My old G3 Pismo 500mhz

From Joshua Brock

Charles,

Greetings!

I just came across your article in MacOpinion from way back in April of 2004 regarding my trusty PowerBook G3 Pismo. I have what I guess is the last Apple production iteration of this model, the 500 mhz G3. As I’m sure you know, specs now for most Mac software are looking for G4’s or at least a G3 running at 600mhz.

I’d toyed with just getting a new laptop but this thing is still humming along. In that review from 2004, you mentioned a PowerLogix 1GHz upgrade for the Pismo. I went to PowerLogix’s site (and just about every other “processor upgrade” site I could find) and there’s no mention of anything greater than a G4 upgrade to 550mhz.

Does this 1 GHz not exist anymore? Honestly if I could find something like a G4, 600-700mhz upgrade that’s what I’d need.

Any ideas?

Thanks much!

Joshua

___

Hi Joshua;

PowerLogix discontinued making PowerBook upgrades last year. Those 900 MHz and 1 GHz G3 upgrades tended to run pretty hot.

I’m very pleased with the DayStar 550 MHz G4 upgrade in my Pismo, which is still in daily use having just passed its sixth birthday. I’m running OS 10.3.9, although I had Tiger installed for a while. The real bottleneck with the Pismo is the poky RAGE Mobility 128 GPU with 8MB of VRAM.

That said, I find performance with the 550 MHz G4 reasonably lively, even in Photoshop Elements and iListen.

BTW 550 MHz is the likely ultimate limit for G4 upgrades with the Pismo, as higher clock speed G4 chips are not pin-compatible with the Pismo daughtercard.

Charles

***

Compact flash in Lombard or Pismo

From Stefaan

Hi,

in your article from 2003

http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/03/08/24/index.html your refer to the fact that the Pismo will not be able to boot from its PCMCIA card.

What about the Lombard and the Wallstreet ?

Have you reliable info about them (you said you thought WallStreet might have been the latest model to be able to do this).

I was not sure when reading the article and I’m hesitating to work again on OS 9 for a while...this time with the help of compactflash.

Thanks in advance and waiting impatiently,

Stefaan

___

Hi Stefaan

Actually, I can’t recall the issue ever having come up again since that Mailbag column, and I’m afraid I don’t know any more than the very little I related in my reply to Ryan then.

If you find an answer, please let us know.

Charles

***

Pismo HD upgrade, ATA-6, ATA-7 fine, error on site info

From Gordon

These pages contain a warning about using any HD newer than that which is specified with ATA-5 interface. Perhaps the last firmware update corrected this problem?

http://www.lowendmac.com/pb2/pismo.shtml

http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/04/03/30/index.html

I’m sending you this on a 400Mhz Pismo, made at the end of the run on the G#, that has a 60GB Hitachi 5k120 (last of the longitudinal recording series) with all new ATA-7 spec’d interface. It works fine for me.

Note also, when you do a search on OWC’s site for Pismo HD upgrades, they list drives that are of ATA-5, ATA-6 (most), and Fujitisu of ATA-7.

___

Hi Gordon;

Authoritative answers to this issue remain thin on the ground, but I notece that OWC is currently advertising a variety of ATA 6 drives for even the old WallStreet PowerBook, for instance, with no caveats, so the drive manufacturers my have addressed the problem, whatever it was.

Charles

***

RE: Apple iBook clamshell

From Alvin Evans

Hi Charles,

Well the story continues…

Unfortunately the firmware did not solve the problem, it seems like the memory is not compatible with the machine, even though I was told it was. So after all that I now have to try a different 256mb module, after looking at the one that come out, its 133MHz, so I may try a 133MHz 256mb module. Apart from the memory everything else seems to be working fine.

I am glad the memory is 50x easier to change than the HD!

Regards,

Alvin

___

Hi Alvin;

Sorry to hear of the continued difficulties.

The Clamshell iBook has a 66 MHz system bus, as do the WallStreet and Pismo PowerBooks.

Mac RAM Direct says:

“Most modern Macs allow most mixing. The notable exception being the G5 PowerMacs, these machines require the memory modules be installed in pairs, one module to be installed in each of it’s 2 memory banks simultaneously. As for mixing speeds, you can never install modules with a slower speed than your memory bus is rated. Faster RAM however will give you no problems.” http://macramdirect.com/faq.html#d1

This forum says don’t do it:

http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/badram/topic2125.html

I think I may have a PC 100 stick in one of the slots of my 233 MHz WallStreet (66 MHz system bus). The computer is very stable, but I’m suspicious that the mismatched RAM may be a reason why I’ve never been able to get an OS X installer to run on that machine.

Charles

***

Charles W. Moore

CM

Posted by Charles in • Road Warrior
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Sunday, November 19, 2006

iPod has Cool; Zune has Lame

Now that Zune has launched, the battle lines are clear.

iPod has cool.

Zune has lame.

First, check out the advertising. “Welcome to the social”… what’s this? 1950?

Then there are the geeky animations that look as if they were created by a programmer, not an artist.

Once you have got off to a bad start attracting attention, you’d better be selling something really good.

So far the reviews haven’t been great. I’ve seen user reports of installation failures, involving delving into the Windows Registry to fix them. A few details sound OK, some possibly better than an iPod. But nothing decisive.

So why is this new? Dozens of iPod rivals have appeared with the odd feature (like FM radio) thrown in, but none has come close to dethroning iPod. The WiFi sharing feature isn’t terribly compelling. Rather than allowing sharing 3 times then never, allowing sharing while playing a song but blocking copying would be a lot closer to what people want – the WiFi equivalent to passing one of your ear buds to a friend.

I can’t get excited about subscription. I can listen to as much music as I want for free through the radio. True, I don’t get to choose which to play when, but is that worth $15 per month? Anyway the idea isn’t new, and it didn’t work before. It’s what the music publishers want, not what the customer wants.

Those who see Zune as following the Windows model of being lame and barely usable up to Windows 95, then wiping out the competition are missing the key fact that Apple already dominates its market and understands its clientele in a way Microsoft can’t match. The business market bought Microsoft because it had IBM behind it, and wasn’t ready to take Apple seriously. The music market is driven by a totally different dynamic. Style, cool, a huge range of accessories, working a familiar way – yet with frequent innovation … these are things Microsoft would battle to match even without a lame launch.

Comparing Zune with Xbox needs care. It took some major errors by Sony to give Xbox 360 the edge. Playstation 3 introduced too many new technologies at once – Blu-ray and the Cell processor both needed significant hardware innovation to bring up, as well as new software. Cell also has significant disadvantages in ease of programming – around 20 new titles at time of launch is a very sorry total for a new platform with so much invested in it.

There’s another interesting turnaround: Apple being seen as a success story for Sony to emulate.

If Microsoft can overcome the initial lame launch and Apple makes a major error, this thing has some chance in a future incarnation.

But right now, it’s Apple’s game to lose, not Microsoft’s game to win.

Here’s one more big change: the “Apple will fail” litany has died away. That was starting to get really boring. It may have been a safe bet for lazy journalists 10 years ago, when Apple was in real trouble, but since OS X, they have steadily been delivering, and the Intel switch has taken away Apple’s high cost of independent platform development, with inadequate support from their CPU vendors. It’s levelled the price-performance playing field, making Apple’s advantages in usability and reliability stronger selling points.

Back to Zune: I am not going to buy one anyway, because it lacks 2 key features I need: connectivity to a Mac, and use as an external drive. An iPod buyer doesn’t have to worry about compatibility with alternative platforms.

Funny how Apple gets a bad press for delivering closed platforms, and Microsoft doesn’t. But with all the other changes, we can wait for that to change.

Posted by pmachanick in • Mac Intelligence
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The Road Warrior Review - Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger

The Widescreen Debate

Why Zune is a Threat, Part 1

The Road Warrior Mailbag December 11 ( Plus A Blast From The Past)

The End of Office for Macintosh?

The Case For A 12” MacBook or MacBook Pro

The Road Warrior MailBag - December 4, 2006

Recipe for Disaster

Road Warrior Review - Proporta Retractable Headphones, iPod Socks, Cable Tidy, more

When Efficiency Fails

The Road Warrior Mailbag - November 27, 2006

Is The MacBook’s Integrated Graphics Fudge Too Much Of A Compromise?

The Road Warrior Mailbag - November 20, 2006

iPod has Cool; Zune has Lame