Optical Drives on Way Out, MacBooks Can't Display Millions of Colors, MacBook Air Doomed, and More

General Apple and Mac desktops is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in The iNews Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.

News & Opinion

• Hell Freezes Over: Dvorak's Son Buys a Mac
• Optical Drives on the Way Out
• SD Card Slot Won't Replace the DVD Drive Any Time Soon
• MacBook Pros Still Can't Display Millions of Colors
• MacBook Pro Owners Report Problems with 7200 RPM Hard Drives
• Create a Tab-switching Multi-Touch Gesture Shortcut in Firefox 3.5
• Is the MacBook Air Doomed?
• The Land Between an iPhone and a MacBook Pro
• Apple Could Release Touch Tablet Device as Early as October
• Apple touch Netbook Due in October for $800?
• Look for PA Semi's Chip Designs in Upcoming Apple Tablet
• Apple Tablet Will Have PA Semi Chips, Ship in 'Early 2010'

Reviews

• 13" and 15" MacBook Pros a 'Huge Increase in Value'
• 13" MacBook Pro 'Sets New Standards'
• 13" MacBook Pro Packs a Punch

Tech Trends

• Sprint Offers 99¢ Netbook
• The Subsidized Netbook Rip-off
• Subsidized Wireless Netbooks Come with Strings
• Netbook Shipments to Double Year-over-Year

Products & Services

• RadTech ClearCal Anti-Glare Film for 13" and 15" MacBooks, 24" iMac
• OWC Upgrade Installation Videos Cover Entire MacBook & MacBook Pro Range
• Seagate Momentus 7200.4 7200 RPM Laptop Hard Drives
• Samsung Introduces High-Capacity 250 GB 1.8" Hard Drives

Bargain 'Books

News & Opinion

Hell Freezes Over: Dvorak's Son Buys a Mac

Veteran Apple critic and curmudgeon John C. Dvorak says "it was a somber day for the Dvorak family recently when my son switched to the Mac, likely never to return to the PC. I saw this coming. The family flag is flying at half mast," but concedes that if he was going to buy a new laptop this minute, a MacBook Pro is probably what he'd get, too.

Interestingly, in this instance the tipping point was the superb Mac-only information manager/desktop database (and much else besides) DEVONthink, which John's son needs for a book he's writing, and which Dvorak senior says is about as close to a killer Apple app as anything he's seen since VisiCalc in the late '70s.

Link: My Son Bought a Mac

Optical Drives on the Way Out

Computerworld's Seth Weintraub predicts that SD Card slots should be arriving on the MacBook Air and the regular MacBook in their next updates, and it might replace the DVD drive on the next MacBook.

"What would you rather have on your laptop?," Weintraub asks: "An easily rewritable 32 GB SD card the size of a postage stamp that can hold about the same amount of data as 8 DVDs or a big spinning disk that can scratch easily and takes up about 1/4th of the internal usable area in your laptop?"

"It is a no-brainer," declaims Weintraub, "optical is over."

I think he may be on to something.

Link: Apple's MacBook Strategy: Optical Is Over

SD Card Slot Won't Replace the DVD Drive Any Time Soon

On the other hand, Blogger Thomas Fitzgerald says:

"Computerworld recently published an article suggesting that Apple's decision to add an SD card slot to the MacBook and MacBook Pro range was the beginning of the end for the optical drive in Apple's laptop range. I strongly disagree however. I don't think the optical drive is going anywhere anytime soon."

Link: Why the SD Card Slot in the MacBook Range Won't Replace the DVD Drive Any Time Soon

MacBook Pros Still Can't Display Millions of Colors

Tweaktown says:

"It has been about a month since Apple announced its new line of Mac Book Pros. This new line was supposed to dove-tail in nicely with the release of Snow Leopard and usher in a new era of Mac Book dominance.

"Well there is trouble in Mac land. It seems that some of the trouble that existed with the last line of MacBooks is following the new ones too.

"This trouble is all about the colors man. You see Apple says that its new MacBooks have support for Millions of Colors this is great right? Well you see it is not all good. Apple uses 6-bit panels as such they are really only capable of supporting 262 thousand colors."

Editor's note: This is an old issue that doesn't seem to go away. We've covered it twice (see Apple Sued: Can 262,144 Colors Be Considered 'Millions'? from 2007 and Millions vs. Thousands of Colors: What's the Difference? from 2008). While the Mac OS and graphics hardware both support 24-bit color, the built-in displays are "only" capable of displaying 18-bit color - 6 bits per color channel. When used with an external display that supports 24-bit color, these MacBooks can output millions of colors. Apple specifications don't make it clear that the displays in its MacBooks (and the iBooks and PowerBooks before them) cannot display the full 24-bit range of colors, although anyone would be hard pressed to see the difference. dk

Link: Apple MacBook Pros Cannot Show Millions of Colors

MacBook Pro Owners Report Problems with 7200 RPM Hard Drives

MacNN reports that some owners of Apple's latest MacBook Pros equipped with 7200 RPM hard drives are reporting strange clicking and beeping noises along with performance issues - the cause of the problem as yet unclear, with attempted workarounds suggested to some users by Apple Support failing to resolve the issue and some suggesting that it is caused by an incompatibility between the Seagate's G-Force protection system and MacBook hardware.

The article also cites a staffer at Other World Computing, which resells many brands of hard disks, suggesting that the issue may be with Seagate's Momentus 7200.4 G-Force hard drives, which in the case of MacBook Pros may be creating a conflict, and noting that the proprietary Seagate G-Force technology is essentially irrelevant on Macs, since the computers already have built-in Sudden Motion Sensor technology.

Link: MacBook Pro Owners Report Problems with 7200 RPM Hard Drives

Create a Tab-switching Multi-Touch Gesture Shortcut in Firefox 3.5

Macworld's Rob Griffiths reports that recently-released Firefox 3.5 supports multitouch gestures on newer Mac laptops, at least if you believe the Firefox features page, but these gestures don't seem to be documented in detail anywhere on the Firefox website and there's no apparent documentation on which gestures do what. In order to spare you experimentation, Griffiths outlines the preprogrammed Firefox gestures and explains how to activate gestures to support switching between tabs.

Link: Create a Tab-switching Multi-Touch Gesture Shortcut in Firefox 3.5

Is the MacBook Air Doomed?

The Apple Blog's Charles Jade says:

"What Apple fan of small-and-light computing doesn't remember that Macworld Expo Keynote . . . where, uncovering Apple's then-latest laptop and holding it aloft, Steve Jobs declared it 'the smallest full-featured notebook in the world.'"

"Two years and change later, it was canceled.

"That would be the 12" PowerBook G4 of 2003 that met its demise in 2005* but what happened then seems eerily familiar in 2009. Since the manila-envelope unveiling at Macworld Expo 2008, the MacBook Air has gotten less Apple Event love than the time it takes Yael Naïm to sing 'New Soul.'"

"...that seeming indifference to the Air that led me to ponder the history of the smallest PowerBook in relation to the fate of the thinnest MacBook."

* Editor's note. It was actually discontinued in May 2006 with the debut of the MacBook. cm

Other editors note: Although the 12" PowerBook was discontinued in May 2006, its legacy lives on in the MacBook and 13" MacBook Pro. The 12-incher was Apple's only PowerBook that didn't have a widescreen display, something every Intel-based 'Book has. 13 inches is the new 12 inches. The MacBook Air fills a unique niche in the world of netbooks, subnotebooks, and ultralights - it has a full sized keyboard, a 1280 x 800 display, and a dual-core CPU. It is far more capable and usable than any netbook (which usually has a 1.6 GHz single-core Atom CPU), and Apple is undoubtedly selling enough to keep the MBA alive - and updated on a regular basis. dk

Link: Is the MacBook Air Doomed?

The Land Between an iPhone and a MacBook Pro

Pixobebo's Kate MacKenzie says:

"There is a big, unfilled hole in Apple's OS X product line of portable devices. At the low end is the iPod touch (to a lesser extent, the iPhone). At the high end is the MacBook Pro. Between the two is a lonely, aging, white polycarbonate MacBook. What's missing? What would fill the obvious gap? A new MacBook? A Mac netbook? Or, something else? Something different? An iPad?"

Link: The Land Between an iPhone and a MacBook Pro

Apple Could Release Touch Tablet Device as Early as October

MacFixIt says:

"According to a cavalcade of Mac rumor blogs and Web sites, Apple could be planning on releasing a touch screen tablet device as early as this October, pairing nicely with the expected Snow Leopard release and iPod updates....

"Reports suggest parts requests at Apple's suppliers include a 9.7-inch touchscreen . . . When looking at possible hardware inclusions, expect at least one USB port as well as a dock connector for syncing purposes and third-party device connectivity. Also expect to see the newly adapted SD card slot - a feature which could prove to be the device's most valuable asset...

"Most of the rumors suggest that the tablet will be around $800.00 . . . Look for subsidies in the $200.00 range, bringing the device to a very marketable $599.00."

Link: Apple Could Release a Touch Tablet Device as Early as October

Apple touch Netbook Due in October for $800?

Electronista says:

"Rumors of a touchscreen Apple netbook gained fuel on Monday with a claim by China's InfoTimes that supposedly confirms launch details. Backing earlier claims, the site says the system will use a 9.7-inch touchscreen supplied by Wintek and is due to ship in October...."

Link: Apple touch Netbook Due in October for $800?

Look for PA Semi's Chip Designs in Upcoming Apple Tablet

VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi says:

"Reports surfaced today that Apple will launch an $800 tablet computer in October. But we've dug out something interesting ourselves: the processor chip for the tablet is being designed by Apple's own internal chip team.

"Apple acquired PA Semi in April, 2008 for $278 million. It never said what it planned to do with the chip design firm...."

Link: Look for PA Semi's Chip Designs in Upcoming Apple Tablet

Apple Tablet Will Have PA Semi Chips, Ship in 'Early 2010'

Cnet's Erica Ogg says:

"The Apple rumor mill kicked into high gear again Monday regarding the much discussed, yet still mythical Apple tablet. But a significant new piece of information emerged.

"Tech blog Venture Beat is reporting (above) that PA Semi, the chip company Apple bought last year whose specific function within Apple has thus far been unclear, will be designing the chips for an Apple tablet in house....

"But October is very soon. Reports from Apple analyst Gene Munster, beginning in May, have repeatedly pinpointed a tablet launch in early 2010."

Link: Report: Apple Tablet Will Have PA Semi Chips

Reviews

13" and 15" MacBook Pros a 'Huge Increase in Value'

Tech Radar says that while the mid-2009 unibody MacBook Pros are an incremental upgrade, they also represent a huge increase in value for the money, with new features and benefits that were introduced back in January for the top-of-the-range 17-inch model have filtering down throughout the MacBook Pro range, which also now includes the newly promoted 13-inch unibody MacBook. Yet prices have also gone down.

Link: MacBook Pro 13" 2.53 GHz and MacBook Pro 15" 2.8 GHz Review

13" MacBook Pro 'Sets New Standards'

Tech Republic's Erik Eckel says that Apple's new 13.3" MacBook Pro laptop sets new standards for industry design and performance in a mobile PC with its integrated gigabit Ethernet, wireless-N networking, potent graphics capability and a highly secure native OS, and declares unequivocally that the 13-inch MBP is the best pound-for-pound laptop available - "a dynamic workhorse that can meet the demanding and varied computing needs of everyone from traveling sales executives to graphic artists."

Link: Product Spotlight: Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch notebook

13" MacBook Pro Packs a Punch

Computerworld's Ken Mingis says:

"When it comes to Apple laptops, what's in a name? More specifically, what does adding the 'Pro' moniker to Apple's 13-in. MacBook mean?

"It means that Apple again has three MacBook Pro models to choose from: this newly renamed 13-in. MacBook Pro, the popular 15-in. version and the larger 17-in. model. Best of all, the change comes with price reductions across the lineup - the MacBook Pro line now starts at $1,199 for the basic 13-in. model, with a slightly more tricked out version going for $1,499. That's $100 less than the respective MacBooks that preceded them....

"The 13-in. MacBook Pro is the spiritual successor to the 12-in. PowerBook G4, which was discontinued three years ago when the company moved to Intel processors...."

Link: Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro Packs a Punch

Tech Trends

Sprint Offers 99¢ Netbook

Windows For Devices reports that Sprint is offering a netbook for the friendly price of 99¢ to customers who sign up for two years of data service. The computer is a Compaq Mini 110c-1040DX sold via Best Buy stores, also claimed to be available to AT&T and Verizon customers for $200.

Either price is not bad at all (but consider the cost of the service you're committing to - see the next item below) for a machine with the ubiquitous Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz CPU, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, 1 GB of RAM, a 5-in-1 SD/MMC card reader, a 16 GB SSD, a 10.1" HP BrightView 1024 x 576 display, 10/100 Ethernet. a un2400 3G cellular modem, compatible with GSM or CDMA, 802.11b/g, 3 USB ports, a Webcam, a Microphone, Mic/headphone ports, and a 92-percent sized keyboard

Link: Sprint Offers '99-Cent' Netbook

The Subsidized Netbook Rip-off

TG Daily's Carmi Levy observes that netbooks are the new cellphones - or at least that's what wireless carriers want you to believe, and are now offering them at ridiculously cheap subsidized upfront prices in exchange for a two-year service contract commitment. "We'd do well to be cynical," says Levy - citing the old and accurate truism that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and these purported "bargains" could cost you well into four-figure territory by the time your contract is up.

Link: The Great Netbook Ripoff

Subsidized Wireless Netbooks Come with Strings

Consumer Reports warns that mini-note laptops sold at subsidized prices - or even virtually "free" - in exchange for signing a two-year service contract may not be the good deal they purport to be.

CU examined the netbook deals offered by AT&T and notes that although you pay up to $250 less up front than you would for a straight purchase of the netbook, you're obliged to sign up for either a $40- or $60-a-month AT&T data plan, which adds up to $960 or $1,440 respectively over the two-year contract period, and the $40 AT&T plan's data limit is a measly 200 MB a month, after which the meter will be running to the tune of 10¢ per megabyte. You'll be locked in with that carrier even after the initial two years, because the SIM card enabling your netbook to access the Internet via the company's data network is locked to that carrier (although WiFi access is unrestricted).

Link: Carrier Subsidized Wireless Netbooks Come with Strings

Netbook Shipments to Double Year-over-Year

PR: DisplaySearch expects shipments of almost 33 million mini-notes (netbooks) in 2009 as penetration of these products into the notebook PC market grows to 20% worldwide, according to its Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report. At the same time, DisplaySearch expects the market for traditional notebooks (those with displays 12.1 and larger) to be flat Y/Y for the first time (see Table 1).

In emerging markets like Latin America, the low prices of mini-notes offer a more affordable product. In 2008, 45% of all mini-notes were shipped into EMEA markets. While this figure is forecast to drop to 40% in 2009, this share is well in excess of the region's total share of the notebook PC market.

In many regions, telecom providers have been offering subsidized mini-notes for several quarters, which helped propel growth. In North America, the three largest telecom providers (AT&T, Sprint and Verizon) are aggressively marketing mini-notes. As smart phone penetration continues to increase in North America (and a number of other regions), it will become increasingly necessary for telecoms to find their next revenue stream as the incremental revenue increase from smart phone subscribers slows.

Penetration of mini-notes is one of the primary factors behind DisplaySearch's expectations of flat Y/Y demand for notebook PCs. The other factor is a dramatic reduction in demand from enterprise customers. Businesses responded quickly to the economic downturn by cutting purchasing, especially of expensive IT-related products. DisplaySearch believes that there is significant pent-up demand in the B2B market as many enterprises did not upgrade from Windows XP to Vista. The launch of Windows 7 in late October this year, if combined with economic recovery, could lead to a rapid recovery in enterprise notebook PC demand; however, DisplaySearch does not expect this to occur until 2010.

In its Q2 09 Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report, DisplaySearch analyzes the breadth and depth of mini-note and notebook PCs demand in the major geographic regions, and identifies the key variables influencing changing demand patterns in these markets.

Mini-notes are forecast to continue to be a significant portion of the market. However, as display sizes of these devices have quickly moved from 7.0 to 8.9 to 10.1 , and now with the emergence of 11.6 and 12.0 mini-note products, it is clear that buyers want a lightweight device, but that they also want a bigger display. While these devices have certainly created a new market, our research indicates that they are predominantly used as secondary PCs by consumers, and are not replacing notebooks, said John F. Jacobs, Director of Notebook Market Research and author of the report.

The DisplaySearch Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report is a comprehensive and exclusive compilation of market data from DisplaySearch's industry sources, along with insightful analysis of the state of the notebook PC industry.

DisplaySearch, an NPD Group Company, has a core team of 57 employees, located in Europe, North America and Asia, who produce a valued suite of FPD-related market forecasts, technology assessments, surveys, studies and analyses.

Link: Mini-Note (Netbook) Shipments to Double Year-over-Year

Products & Services

RadTech ClearCal Anti-Glare Film for 13" and 15" MacBooks, 24" iMac

PR: ClearCal Anti-Glare Film for Glossy Displays Significantly reduces glare on glossy glass displays. Easy to apply and remove - leaves no residue. Blemish-healing adhesive layer conceals existing abrasions and scratches.

MacBook Pro display with and without RadTech ClearCal Anti-Glare Film.

ClearCal AG (anti-glare) films greatly improve the viewability of glossy glass displays when used in brightly lit or outdoor environments.

ClearCal films combine a tempered 2-mil matte finished, antireflection layer, permanently laminated to a 3-mil flexible transparent base. A blemish-healing siliconized adhesive provides an optically-correct, yet easily removable bond that conceals existing surface defects like abrasions and scratches. The siliconized adhesive is permanently bonded to the base layer and will never leave any residue behind if later removed.

ClearCal's tempered, optically-correct surface resists scratches and abrasions and is easy to clean. In addition to glare reduction, ClearCal provides a level of impact protection and minimizes the appearance of oils or streaking if the display is touched. Detailed, illustrated instructions included - installation video downloadable.

Features:

• Provides good impact protection for glass displays
• Significantly reduces glare in brightly lit or outdoor environments
• Reduces eyestrain, flares and reflections
• Blemish-healing siliconized adhesive layer conceals existing abrasions / scratches
• Can be removed, cleaned and reapplied several times
• Minimizes the appearance of oils and streaks if touched
• Easy to clean and maintain
• Also available for iPod touch and iPhone

ClearCal Specs:

• Material: Optically-pure PETE
• Film Thickness: 5 mil
• Transmissivity: 94%
• Size & Weight:
  • 13in: 296x188mm / 114g
  • 15in: 341x217mm / 116g
  • 24in: 535x340mm / 204g
• Fits:
  • 13in MacBook (unibody)
  • 13in MacBook Pro (unibody)
  • 15in MacBook Pro (unibody)
  • Apple 24in iMac
  • Apple 24in LED Display

Priced from: $19.95

Link: RadTech ClearCal Anti-Glare Film

OWC Upgrade Installation Videos Cover Entire MacBook & MacBook Pro Range

PR: Other World Computing (OWC) announces that it has completed its series of free, step-by-step online installation videos for all available upgrades for MacBook and MacBook Pro machines. Now owners of the earliest 2006 models to the latest 2009 "Unibody" machines can upgrade memory, hard drive and/or optical drive components in as little as 10 minutes for greater performance over factory configurations.

A Faster Mac In 10 Minutes

The OWC series of free online upgrade installation videos for MacBook and MacBook Pro models are rated from an "Easy" to "Straightforward" level and can be performed at home as quickly as an estimated 10-minute installation time. The complete series of installation videos for MacBook and MacBook Pros, as well as videos for Mac tower, desktop, and iPod battery installs is available.

"One of OWC's founding principles is to maximize the usefulness of existing resources. Whether a customer has a legacy Mac or the latest machine, these videos are an invaluable resource for getting greater performance from their Mac and/or extending its useful life," said Larry O'Connor, CEO, OWC. "With the typical service center charging upwards of $80 for an easy memory install, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners can save both time and money by utilizing this free resource."

Memory Upgrades from $29.79, 7200 RPM Hard Drives from $64.99

OWC Memory Upgrade Kits priced starting at $29.79 are available up to 8 GB for MacBook and MacBook Pro models and are backed with a Money Back Guarantee and OWC's Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty. Additional money savings are also available through OWC's Rebate program, which provides $5.00 Cash Back per 1 GB Apple Factory Standard memory module.

Upgrading the internal hard drive can also make MacBook and MacBook Pro machines faster. Prices start at $64.99 for a 250 GB 7200 RPM drive, with the most popular upgrades including a 320 GB 7200 RPM drive priced at $84.99 and a 500 GB 7200 RPM drive priced at $149.99. In addition, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners that purchase a new hard drive from OWC also enjoy the benefit of keeping their existing drive, which can be used as a temporary backup drive, converted into an external storage solution, or sent to OWC for a cash back trade-in.

For a complete list of upgrades for MacBook and MacBook Pro models, visit <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade>

OWC - The Trusted Name in Mac Memory

OWC memory upgrades are available from 16 MB up to 32 GB for nearly every current and past Apple notebook and desktop computer manufactured during the past twenty years, including Mac Pro Xeon, iMac, PowerMac, Xserve, iBook, and PowerBook computers. By maintaining an active state-of-the-art test lab, OWC can ensure its memory upgrades offer the highest product quality and reliability and backs them with a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty and Money Back Guarantee.

The full OWC Memory line, as well as a compatibility guide which directs customers to the correct upgrades for each specific Apple model, can be found online at <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/>

Link: OWC Install Videos

Seagate Momentus 7200.4 7200 RPM Laptop Hard Drives

PR: The Seagate Momentus 7200.4 drive is claimed to deliver the highest available laptop hard drive capacity, satisfying the need for desktop performance in a notebook computer. All this without sacrificing battery life, because these new 7200 RPM drives draw only slightly more power than a 5400 RPM laptop drive.

Seagate 7200 RPM drives can shut your system down 34 percent faster, and opening big files can be up to 30 seconds faster than a 5400 RPM drive can manage.

The Seagate Momentus 7200 RPM family comes with optional G-Force Protection technology for hard-core road warriors or even aspiring warriors in need of extra robustness. The G-Force Protection feature provides enhanced data protection against shock that may occur while the drive is operating. This feature is designed to decrease the likelihood of data loss by detecting a freefall event and unloading the actuator before a shock takes place in falls of greater than 8 inches (nominal). The drive uses a drop sensor mounted on the printed circuit board assembly to sense this event and protect your data. (Editor's note: for Mac users it may be best to order without the G-Force Protection option, since Apple laptops already have Sudden Motion Sensor technology built-in, and there are reports of possible conflicts).

Available in capacities up to 500 GB with 16 MB of cache and a SATA 3Gb/s NCQ interface, the Momentus 7200.4 laptop hard drive is ideal for mainstream and performance laptops, workstations, small form factor desktop systems, industrial applications and non-mission-critical blade servers.

Key Features and Benefits

• Highest available notebook performance increases productivity in all environments.
• SATA 3Gb/s interface with Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and command ordering
• 16-MB cache on every capacity
• Green features:
  • Leverages Seagate laptop power management technology, delivering the lowest-power 7200 RPM laptop hard drive yet
  • Utilizes ramp load features that remove the head from the disk during idle periods, improving idle power consumption and adding to the durability of the drive
• Optional G-Force Protection feature adds another layer of robustness for road warriors.
• QuietStep technology enables ultra-quiet load/unload acoustics
• State-of-the-art cache and on-the-fly error-correction algorithms
• Fluid dynamic bearing motor for quiet operation
• Support for S.M.A.R.T. drive monitoring and reporting Key Applications
• High-performance and mainstream laptop PCs
• Small form factor PCs
• Workstations
• Non-mission-critical blade servers and industrial applications

Momentus 7200.4 Industry-leading 7200 RPM performance meets extreme green low power consumption levels.

Specifications

• Capacity (GB) 500 and 250
• Interface SATA 3Gb/s NCQ
• Cache (MB) 16
• Spindle Speed (RPM) 7200
• Shock, Operating: 2 ms (Gs) 350
• Shock, Nonoperating: 1 ms (Gs) 1000
• Acoustics, Idle, typical (bels) 2.3
• Acoustics, Seek, typical (bels) 2.5
• Operating Temperature (°C) 0 to 60

Link: Seagate Momentus 7200.4 7200 RPM Laptop Hard Drives

Samsung Introduces High-Capacity 250 GB 1.8" Hard Drives

PR: Strengthening its line up of portable 1.8" hard drives for external storage markets, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its 250 Gigabyte (GB) 1.8 inch hard disk drive, the Spinpoint N3U which incorporates a native USB controller on its printed circuit board. This optimized design results in a smaller foot print, less power consumption and optimized performance, which is ideal for portable external storage devices. The Spinpoint N3U stores up to 125 Gigabytes per platter for a total 250 GB data storage capacity.

Most external hard drives require the addition of a bridge circuit board to convert the hard drive's PATA interface into a USB interface. Samsung's N3U drive, however, uses a native USB interface and as such does not require this bridge board. Note: this drive won't work in the MacBook Air because the Air requires a SATA interface.

"The new high-capacity 1.8" 250 GB drive enhances Samsung's product offerings and is ideal for consumers who require a small form factor, high capacity data storage," said Choel-Hee Lee, vice president of marketing Storage System Division, Samsung Electronics. "It is easy to carry around and it is designed to withstand a free fall drop of up to 50 centimeters and be resistant to a maximum shock incident of up to 1500G."

As a native USB interface device, the Spinpoint N3U eliminates possible points of failure due to loose cable connections and optimizes performance by eliminating the interrupt service time for the bridge board to convert PATA to USB signals. And the N3U 1.8" drive also consumes about 40 percent less power than a 2.5" hard drive of an equivalent capacity.

Samsung now ships industry leading areal density levels for all of its hard disk form factor products with up to 1.5 Terabyte for 3.5" drives, 500 GB for 2.5" drives and 250 GB for 1.8" drives. The Spinpoint N3U comes in 120-, 160-, 200- and 250-GB capacities, the disk rotation speed is 3600 rpm, and it supports a USB 2.0 interface. The drives are equipped with an 8 MB cache memory. Initial shipments to OEMs are scheduled from mid-July with a MSRP at $199.

Editor's note: This drive could potentially make its way into the MacBook Air, giving it more storage capacity than ever. dk

Bargain 'Books

Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible for AppleCare.

PowerBook, iBook, and MacBook profiles linked in our Portable Mac Index.

Factory refurbished units with Apple's full one-year warranty.

• 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80 HD, $999
• 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 SSD, $1,199
• 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/120 HD, $1,199
• 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/80 HD, $1,099
• 1.8 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/64 GB SSD, $1,299
• 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, 2 GB/128 GB SSD, $1,449
• 2.0 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/160/SD, $949
• 2.4 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,099
• 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,349
• 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/128 SSD/SD, $1,449
• 15" 2.66 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,699
• 15" 2.8 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,699
• 15" 2.93 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,949
• 17" 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,799
• 17" 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,999
• 17" 2.66 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,949
• 17" 2.66 GHz MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, antiglare, $1,999

• 2.0 GHz Unibody MacBook, 2 GB/160/SD, $1,024.99
• 15" 2.4 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 2 GB/250/SD, $1,569.99
• 15" 2.66 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 4 GB/320/SD, $1,829.99
• 15" 2.66 GHz Core 2 MacBook Pro, 4 GB/250-7200rpm/SD, $2,144

• Lombard PowerBook G3/400, 256/6/DVD, OS 9, $179
• Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 512/10/no optical drive?, AP, $299
• 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, black, 1 GB/80/SD, $879

- Pismo - G4 iBooks - MacBook

• Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 128/6/DVD, $299.99
• Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 128/6/DVD, $349.99
• Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 256/40/DVD, $399.99
• Pismo PowerBook G3/400, 256/60/DVD, $419.99
• Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 256/40/DVD, $439.99
• Pismo PowerBook G3/500, 256/60/DVD, $449.99
• Pismo PowerBook with G4/550 upgrade, 256/40/Combo, $529.99
• 12" iBook G4/800 MHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $289.99
• 12" iBook G4/1 GHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $369.99
• 12" iBook G4/1.2 GHz, 256/30/Combo, 60 day warranty, $409.99
• 12" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/40/Combo, AirPort & Bluetooth, 60 day warranty, $489.99
• 14" iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 512/60/Combo, 60 day warranty, $499.99
• 14" iBook G4/1.42 GHz, 512/60/SD, 60 day warranty, $529.99
• 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, $594.99
• 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, white, 512/60/Combo, $659.99
• 2.0 GHz Core Duo MacBook, black, 512/80/SD, $719.99
• 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, white Core2 Duo, 1 GB/80/SD, $769.99
• 2.0 GHz Core 2 MacBook, black Core2 Duo, 1 GB/120/SD, $799.99

• 2.0 GHz MacBook, white, 1 GB/60/SD, scratched, $549
• 2.0 GHz MacBook, white, 1 GB/100/SD, $679
• 15" 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro, 2 GB/100/SD, $999
• 15" 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro, 3 GB/500/SD, $1,299
• 17" PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 1 GB/80/SD, $699

For more deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4, iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.

We also track iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.