Macopinion

The Road Warrior Mailbag - Monday, March 3, 2008

Compact Flash and Older PowerBooks
Ram Hog - revert!
From The Road Warrior Archive: 12" iBook and 12" Power Book - Brothers Under The Skin

___

Compact Flash and Older PowerBooks

From Ryan;

I have a 4 GB SanDisk Ultra II in my 1400c's PC Card slot at the moment running OS 8.5.  I also have 2 addonics HD CF adapters (Dual) upon which one of them will be transplanted inside the 1400c with a CF Card.  I ordered the addonics because, as mentioned in your article, using one increases the speed of the CF Card versus its performance in the 16-bit PC Card Slot.

Now, I am stepping it up a bit, and buying a SanDisk 8 GB Extreme IV CF Card.  It has UDMA with Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing with up to 40 mb/sec sequential read and write speed.  I believe the Ultra II is rated at 9 mb/sec for sequential write and 10 mb/sec for sequential read.  The Ultra II does not, however, have ESP or UDMA so combining its slower read/write speed with the lack of these performance enhancing technologies, there should be some significant real world performance differences both seen and felt with the new Extreme IV card in the PowerBook.

Now, I have a mint Wallstreet I am going to use, and it has a 60 GB HD inside that I am going to keep in there, but I want to us CF when I can via the PC Card Slot.  However, I am wondering, shouldn't even just the Ultra II perform better in the Wallstreet's PC Card slot than the 1400c's because it is CardBus compliant at 32-bit?  From the limited info I have read on this, the Wallstreet's PC Card slot should allow the Ultra II or Extreme to operate at their full capacities. Here is what I found on Amazon:

CardBus is a 32-bit bus-mastering architecture that operates at PCI local-bus speeds of up to 33 MHz, yielding a peak bandwidth of 132 MB/sec. Unlike 16-bit PC Cards, which operate at slower ISA bus speeds of 8 MHz using an ISA-like asynchronous protocol, CardBus provides a fast 32-bit multiplexed address/data path...

By utilizing internal bus speeds, CardBus can operate at speeds six times faster than a 16- bit PC Card and five times faster than a 100 Mbps PC Card. In addition, CardBus PC cards operate at 3.3 Volts, saving power and conserving your PC's battery life.

Also, what about an SSD hard drive in the Wallstreet?

Thanks,
Ryan

___

Hi Ryan;

I have no direct expereince with using flash memory of any configuration and interface mode in laptops except for USB thumb drives, however Matt Atkinson, who operates the Rabid Wombat blog, has a lot of experience with running PowerBooks off flash drives, so you might find a looksee of his site archives interesting:
http://www.rabidwombat.co.uk

Charles

***

Ram Hog - revert!

From James

Charles,
This letter is in response to the "Ram Hog" article posted by Marc Zeedar.

Marc,

I must confess I don't understand why people are so addicted to running the latest OS. You're machine was wonderful once, right?

I've been using Macs for art, design and music production since OS 8. If I've learned anything, it's to treat the machine like a dedicated piece of hardware. I ONLY upgrade when I absolutely HAVE to run new program that requires it. Even then, I limit upgrades to two OS releases past the version the machine shipped with.

It's not worth trading productivity for the latest bells and whistles. You get locked into a cycle of upgrading which is, I'm convinced, only a waste of time. Furthermore, it's expensive and unsustainable for creative people on a budget / a small business owner.

My advice to you - back up everything and revert to Tiger. Also consider running Onyx once per week, killing widgets, turning off dock animations and reducing monitor colors to thousands for non-critical work.

BTW, I'm still very productive on 10.3.9 and haven't had a compelling reason to change yet. Panther is a real winner in performance bang for hardware buck.

Good luck,
James

___

Hi James;

I partly agree with you. Because of my work, I'm pretty much obliged to stay reasonably up-to-date in terms of what OS I use, but this PowerBook G4 I'm using right now is in most respects a happier camper in OS 10.4 Tiger (which I still have installed on a second partition) than it is running Leopard. I think this model (1.33 GHz, early 2004 vintage) originally shipped with Panther.

On older machines, I stuck with System 6.0.8 on my Mac Plus for production work, although I did install System 7 as well (also on a second partition, of a 20 MB drive, yet!) for its better Internet support. System 6 was a much better and more satisfactory performer on that Mac.

My LC 520, which came with System 7.1, got upgraded through System 7.6, but I eventually downgraded back down to System 7.5.5, although I did retain the Open Transport components from 7.6, again for better Internet support.

My PowerBook 5300 and PowerBook 1400 came with System 7.5.2 and 7.5.3 (I think) respectively. I settled on OS 8 for the 5300 and OS 8.6 for the 1400 as the optimum compromises between features and performance.

I never progressed past OS 9.2.2 on my WallStreet, but my Pismos are where I think your arbitrary limit of two versions past the shipping OS falters. What did the Pismo ship with? OS 8.6? I bought both of mine used, and the older one had some version of OS 9 installed when I got it (the second had Panther). I have run them with OS 9.1, 9.2.1, 9.2.2, as well as OS 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and both are currently running OS 10.4.11. OPtimum speed came with OS 9.2.2, but for all-round performance, stability, and reliability I would say without equivocation that OS 10.4.11 is the best of the bunch. Heck, my "utility" Pismo , which gets two or three hours of use a day, hasn't been restarted since sometime in early January, I'm up to "Untitled 168" in Text Edit Plus documents, and it's still performing happily - and that's with just 578 MB of RAM. That's eight or nine system versions up from the original depending on how you count the OS 9s.

I do have 550 MHz G4 processors installed, but I ran one of the machines with the 500 MHz G3 processor that came in it for a while last spring, and still found Tiger the most satisfactory OS. I'm not planning to install Leopard on the Pismos, however.

As for the PowerBook G4, while OS 10.4.11 is definitely a smoother ride, I'm getting addicted to Panther's Spaces and Time Machine, and now that WindowShade X support has finally arrived, I'm pretty content. Leopard is just as fast as Tiger, generally speaking, and this machine actually runs a bit cooler under OS 10.5.2 than it does in 10.4.11.

I do agree that OS 10.3.9 is a good OS, but I don't think I could live without Spotlight any more. I also agree about running OnyX. I do it frequently.

Charles

***

From The Road Warrior Archive: 12" iBook and 12" Power Book - Brothers Under The Skin

On February 9, 2003, I posted this column comparing the then-current 12" iBook with the 12" PowerBook that had been introduced a month previously, concluding that they were fraternal twins. Both machines had been largely engineered and were built by the same Taiwanese subcontractor, Alpha Top, so the similarities were no coincidence.

When this article was first published the iBook topped out at an 800 MHz G3 and the PowerBook an 867 MHz G4, neither of which was the best version of the respective types. While my 700 MHz G3 iBook is still going strong as my wife's computer, today I would recommend to anyone shopping for a used example of these 12" 'Books go for preferably a 1.33 GHz or 1.5 Ghz 12" PowerBook or a 1.2 GHz or 1.33 GHz G4 iBook. Both machines, and especially the iBooks, were much more sumptuously equipped in their later versions, and should be capable of running OS 10.5 Leopard provided there is enough RAM, although I would suggest that OS 10.4 Tiger is probably the optimum performance OS for these models.

Those qualifications noted. most of the analysis in this article is still relevant for comparing these two excellent little laptops if you're looking for a cheap but capable Mac laptop.

___

12" iBook and 12" Power Book - Brothers Under The Skin [Originally Puplished February 9, 2003]

Is it just me, or is the 1024 x 768 12.1" TFT display Apple has used in the iBook since May 1, 2001, getting more respect now that it's also being used in the 12". aluminum PowerBook, which is turning out to be a smash hit for Apple? I haven't heard many comments about the 12.1" unit being " too small" lately.

Personally, I love this screen in my new 700 MHz "Opaque White" iBook. It's wonderfully bright, razor sharp, and despite its smaller size, I find it no harder to read than the 14.1 in. display in my Pismo PowerBook. In fact, I would say that it's easier on the eyes.

The most appropriate term is "jewel-like," a description I first heard applied in this context to the 800 x 600 10.4" screen introduced in 1995 on the high-end PowerBook 5300ce model, and later used in the PowerBook 2400c, and which had an almost identical DPI count as the 12.1" 1024 x 768. screen. The 10.4 in. 800 x 600 display had a pixel density of 105 dpi. The current 1024 x 768, 12.1" display has a pixel density of 106 dpi. The superb image quality afforded but these displays is attributable to those dense pixel accounts. It's like blowing up a photograph. The larger the print size for a particular negative, the more visible the grain will be.

(For comparison, the first generation iBook's 12.1" 800 x 600 display had a pixel density of 85 dpi, as does the Apple 15" Studio Display. The PowerBook G3 14.1" displays are 91 dpi, as were the first two generations of the TiBook.)

Consequently, the 12.1" screen is an ideal choice for the 12" G4 PowerBooks, but the cool thing is that those of us who opt for an entry-level iBook get exactly the same display -- albeit with more modest video support.

However, the display is far from being the only common factor linking the 12" iBook and the LittleAl book. In many respects, the LittleAl is essentially the G4 iBook that many Mac laptop fans have been pining for. It is apparent that a lot of engineering from the dual USB iBook was incorporated into the 12" PowerBooks. The many configuration similarities have to be more than coincidental. For example, both machines have 128 MB of RAM soldered to the motherboard, and a single RAM upgrade slot, which limits the maximum RAM configuration to 640 MB.

Both machines use a proprietary Composite video out cable dongle to hook up to external monitors. Both machines have pretty much the same array of interface connection ports.

Of course there are some significant differences as well. The LittleAl's aluminum case compared with the iBook's polycarbonate housing is in obvious one. The LittleAl isn't just an aluminum iBook with a G4 processor. It is substantially smaller than the iBook.

The LittleAl has an NVIDIA GeForce4 420 graphics accelerator, as opposed to the iBook's last year technology ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics card, and its combo optical drive is slot-loading, while the iBooks is a tray-loader. And you can get an optional SuperDrive with the LittleAl, while at the other end of the scale, the 700 MHz iBook comes with a plain-vanilla CD-ROM drive. LittleAl also is available with optional 54Mbps AirPort Extreme, and includes Bluetooth support, while neither is offered for the iBook, at least as yet.

LittleAl has a 133 MHz system bus, compared with the iBook's 100 MHz bus; it sports PC 2100 DDR SDRAM instead of the iBook's PC 100 SDRAM; comes with a 40 GB hard drive, while the iBooks have either 20 GB or 30 GB standard; it supports monitor spanning rather than just mirroring with external monitors; it has a real audio-in analog mini-jack, unlike the iBook with which you're stuck with USB audio in, and it comes with a wider selection of bundled software. The keyboard used in the aluminum PowerBooks is superior to the one that graces the iBook.

The LittleAl's G4 processor is of course another major distinction, and in some respects the 12" PowerBook's main raison d'etre. With LittleAl now available, I would not be surprised to see Apple go with at least one more generation of G3 iBooks, which would suit me fine, especially if they bump it up to the 1 GHz IBM 750fx chip. I continue to maintain that the G3 is a better laptop processor than the G4 because of its lower power demands and heat generation, and it's been interesting to note that the main complaint one is hearing about the 12" PowerBooks from early adopter users it is that the little darling gets too hot for some people's comfort. I can well believe it. My G3 700 MHz iBook certainly gets hot enough.

Part of the PowerBook's heat issue is doubtless related to the aluminum case itself. Aluminum is an excellent heat conductor -- much more efficient than polycarbonate plastic, or even titanium. That's why my wife's Lagostina pressure cookers have an aluminum heat sink bonded to the bottom of their stainless steel pressure vessels. I'm not sure what the ultimate solution to this problem will be, as demand for hotter (figuratively and literally) processors in laptop computers will continue. Perhaps water cooling. I understand that my PowerBook G3 2000 is partly liquid cooled, and it certainly runs a lot cooler compared with the little iBook. The old Gauge Pro utility indicates internal processor temperature of about 107 degrees these winter days. Unfortunately, Gauge Pro doesn't recognize the 750fx chip and the iBook for comparison, but the latter is obviously running a lot hotter than that based on "feel." And reportedly, the LittleAl is even hotter.

The dual USB iBook in its various permutations has proved to be an excellent little computer, and indications are that the 12" PowerBook will be as well. It is testimony to the "rightness" of the original dual USB iBook concept and engineering that nearly two years later Apple has been able to utilize it as the basis for a new higher-end machine.

The introduction of the 12" PowerBook (and it's BigAl 17 in. sibling) have deepened Apple's portable line of substantially in what Steve Jobs has declared "The Year of the laptop." Am I sorry that I upgraded to a new iBook just two weeks before the LittleAl was unveiled?. Nope. For me, the iBook is still the best choice. For one thing, the base 12" PowerBook sells for 80 percent more than my 700 MHz, iBook -- too much for my wallet, and I don't really need the G4 or the other AlBook bells and whistles, nice as some of them would be to have. I'm very happy with my iBook so far.

However, if you can afford the extra capital outlay, The LittleAl is shaping up to be a great computer. You can't go wrong either way --PowerBook or iBook.

12" iBook and 12" PowerBooks Specifications And Features Compared
Processor

iBooks
700MHz PowerPC G3; 800MHz PowerPC G3

12" PowerBook
867MHz PowerPC G4

Processor Cache

iBooks
Level 2 Cache: 512K at 700MHz; 512K at 800MHz

12" PowerBook
Level 2 cache 256K

System Bus

iBooks
100MHz system bus

12" PowerBook
133MHz system bus

Memory Config and Support

iBooks
128MB of built in PC100 SDRAM
Single 1.25-inch standard SO-DIMM slot (3.3V) supports up to 512MB SO-DIMM for a total of 640MB of SDRAM

12" PowerBook
256MB of PC2100 (266MHz) DDR SDRAM (128MB built in and 128MB in SO-DIMM slot); supports up to 640MB

Hard Drives (Standard)

iBooks
20GB or 30GB Ultra ATA hard disk drive

12" PowerBook
40GB Ultra ATA/1004

Combo Drives

iBooks

Tray-loading 16x8x8x24x-speed (maximum) Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW); writes CD-R discs at 16x speed, writes CD-RW discs at 8x speed, reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x speed, reads CD-ROM discs at 24x speed. 24x CD-ROM drive on 700 MHz iBook.

12" PowerBook
Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at 10x speed, reads CD-ROM disks at 24x speed. Optional slot-loading SuperDrive.

Display

12.1" iBooks
12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display
Support for millions of colors at 1024-by-768-pixel resolution
Support for resolution scaling to 800-by-600-pixel and 640-by-480-pixel resolution with millions of colors

12" PowerBook
12.1-inch (diagonal) TFT XGA active-matrix display
Support for millions of colors at 1024-by-768-pixel resolution
Support for resolution scaling to 800-by-600-pixel and 640-by-480-pixel resolution with millions
of colors

Graphics Support

iBooks
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics accelerator with 16MB or 32MB of dedicated video memory and AGP 2X support

12" PowerBook
NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32MB of DDR SDRAM video memory for 2D/3D graphics acceleration

Peripheral connections

iBooks
Two 12-Mbps USB ports
One 400-Mbps FireWire (IEEE 1394) port

12" PowerBook
Two 12-Mbps USB ports
One 400-Mbps FireWire (IEEE 1394) port

Video Out Support

iBooks
VGA, S-video and composite video output Video outport for mirroring with an external display or projector [requires included VGA video adapter]; S-video and composite video output to TV through Video output port (requires optional Apple Video Adapter, sold separately). Mirroring only.

12" PowerBook
VGA output using included Apple VGA Display Adapter. S-video output using included Apple Video Adapter. Composite video output using included Apple Video Adapter. Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports up to 1024 by 768 pixels on the built-in display and up to 1600 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors

Audio

iBooks
16-bit CD-quality stereo sound output minijack
Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
Headphone out (minijack)
Support for external USB audio devices such as microphones and speakers

12" PowerBook
Audio line in (minijack)
Headphone out (minijack)
Built-in stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker
Internal omnidirectional microphone
Support for external USB audio devices such as microphones and speakers

Ethernet

iBooks
Built-in 10/100BASE-T

12" PowerBook
Built-in 10/100BASE-T

Modem

iBooks
Built-in 56K V.92 modem

12" PowerBook
Built-in 56K V.92 modem

Wireless networking

iBooks
Built-in antennas and expansion slot for optional 11-Mbps AirPort Card; IEEE 802.11b compliant

12" PowerBook
Built-in Bluetooth 1.1; AirPort Extreme ready (requires optional AirPort Extreme Card

Battery

iBook with 12.1-inch display:
47-watt-hour lithium-ion battery provides up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge

12" PowerBook
47-watt-hour lithium-ion battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 5 hours of battery life

Size and Weight

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) with battery and optical drive installed

Bundled Software

iBooks
Mac OS X, Mac OS 9, QuickTime, iCal, iChat, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, DVD Player, AppleWorks, Mac OS X Mail, Microsoft Internet Explorer, EarthLink (includes 30 days of free service), AOL, Quicken 2003 Deluxe, World Book 2003 Edition, Mac OS X Chess, Otto Matic, Deimos Rising, FAXstf, PixelNhance, and Acrobat Reader; Apple Hardware Test CD

12" PowerBook
Mac OS X, QuickTime, iCal, iChat, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, DVD Player, Mac OS X Mail, Microsoft Internet Explorer, EarthLink (includes 30 days of free service), Acrobat Reader, Art Directors Toolkit, FAXstf, FileMaker Pro Trial,
GraphicConverter, Microsoft Office v. X Test Drive, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, Developer Tools, Apple Hardware Test CD

*** 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