Notebook Design That’s Just right
Andrew Fishkin at Low End Mac comes up with his criteria for choosing a notebook, or for manufacturers, how to design a notebook just right. His guide is kind of reminiscent of my own “perfect laptop” guide I came up with last April, but Andrew chose to focus on two things: the keyboard and the display.
Laptops are, after all, built for productivity while on the road. And one is at his peak when the keyboard feels just right, and the screen looks just right.
First and foremost for me is the keyboard. Think about it: You carry a laptop for a number of reasons, but unless you view and enter text, most of those reasons could handled with a cheaper and more convenient device. Be it watching movies or playing games, laptops, while adapted to such tasks, were not designed for them from the beginning.
Andrew includes examples of keyboard ranging from the cheap, to the good, to premium, to best, with the ones that use sturdy bases and scissor-spring mechanisms for guiding each key. IBM (now Lenovo) Thinkpads are great in this regard. higher-end Apple notebook keyboards are likewise great.
Next is the screen. It’s a choice between heft and portability. Choose a small screen, and your laptop will be portable at the expense of readability. Larger screens are for multimedia and graphics work–you have to sacrifice portability though, especially when you’re going 17-inches and higher.
In the end, a laptop is still a personal choice. It’s up to you, the end-user, how you intend to use the laptop, and whether the design of a particular brand and model fits your needs.
So the next time you go laptop shopping, do yourself a favor and focus on the keyboard and the screen. Look at the materials and assembly. You’ll not only be more productive, but get a lot more enjoyment from a laptop that satisfies your own subjective standards.
I agree that you should consider build quality and usability of the user interface (screen, pointing device, keyboard) as your primary considerations. After all, it’s your productivity we’re talking about!
Apple Announces Core 2 Duo MacBook
Following the much-anticipated upgrade of the MacBook Pro to Intel Core 2 Duo, Apple has announced that its upcoming batch of MacBooks (non-Pro) are loaded with upgraded specs: double the standard RAM, larger hard disc capacity, better optical drives, and most important, Core 2 Duo processors.
With prices starting at just $1,099, the new MacBook lineup includes three models: sleek white 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz MacBook models, and a stunning black 2.0 GHz MacBook model. With Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo processors, the new MacBook is up to 25 percent faster than the previous MacBook and up to six times faster than the iBook(R), making it even easier for consumers to manage and enjoy their digital content with iLife ‘06.* Consumers will also benefit from the added power in the new 2.0 GHz models, including double the memory and greater storage capacity than the previous generation, as well as a double-layer SuperDrive(TM) for burning professional-quality DVDs.
The new MacBooks sell for the same SRPs as the first-generation MacBooks so if you’re planning on buying a MacBook, it’s best to hold off until you’re sure you get the Core 2 Duo variety. Also, this means there will be cheaper Core Duo (first-gen) MacBooks for sale either on Apple’s refurb store or in the aftermarket.
Mod: Apple Mac Mini Portable - Tablet Edition
Who said Apple had no Tablet portables? Well, by defualt, they don’t. But if you’re on the adventurous side, you can modify a Mac Mini into a tablet Mac, like what Peter Green did with his. He calls it the Mac Mini Portable.
The MMP MkIII is the LIGHTEST Macintosh portable ever made at just 1.9Kg including batteries.
It has a 3 hour battery life, integrated 8″ touch screen tablet, full Blue Tooth, Airport, full SPDIF audio in/out and Front Row capabilities, on screen touch keyboard - no hardware keyboard required!
The MMP MkIII is the same height (or a little slimmer) than the original Mac Mini by Apple, it’s been made a little wider for extra electronics and being ergonomically better to hold.
This mod actually no longer makes use of the Mac Mini’s casing, but only its innards. After all, with a desktop with that small a footprint, you wouldn’t have to wonder whether it’s portable peripherals that Apple has stuck in there, from the logic board, to the hard drive, to the optical drive and more.
[via TUAW]
Sony Aplogizes for Battery Problems
Sony has publicly apologized for the woes consumers and laptop manufacturers have experienced because of faulty Lithium-Ion batteries sourced from the company. Worries over battery packs over-heating and catching fire have led several laptop manufacturers including Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Fujitsu to conduct major recall and replacement programs for affected laptop batteries.
AP reports that Sony seems to have been reluctant to admit its faults. This is apparent with how the company executives acted during the press conference, in which they bowed lightly while seated. In contrast, it is a practice by executives of Japanese companies to bow deeply while standing up when they make public apologies.
In particular, Sony claims that the battery problem is not actually a safety issue, but it has grown to be a social one. The company stands by its earlier statement that the battery packs only overheat in rare cases, and when handled a certain way, and that they have launched the voluntary recall program to show their willingness to ensure the safety of laptop consumers.
Still, for avid laptop users like ourselves, any possibility of danger being caused by potentially flammable parts deserves attention by the manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Sony expects this issue to hurt the company’s bottomline, affecting the Japanese economy in general, too. Sony has offered other concessions, too, such as slashing prices of its upcoming PlayStation3 console in the Japanese market. Analysts predict, however, that Sony will be able to weather this storm and still come out to be a strong player in the portable power industry, especially because there are only a few competitors in that field.
Core 2 Duo Apple MacBook Pro Now Available
The rumors that Apple will not be able to use Core 2 Duo processors on its laptops because of legal issues did not run true, after all. Apple has announced that all its new MacBook Pros now feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
The entire MacBook Pro line of notebooks now includes the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor and delivers performance that is up to 39 percent faster than the previous generation. All MacBook Pro models now offer double the memory and greater storage capacity than the previous generation, as well as a FireWire 800 port for connecting to high-speed peripherals.
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is already shipping, while the new 17-inch version will start shipping next week.
Living With My ThinkPad: Part One
I disconnect my laptop from its adapter and put it in its IBM branded black leather bag. I am getting ready to go show a client the work I have done thus far on a website for them. My ThinkPad beeps as it goes into a standby mode. I put the bag over my shoulder, and get ready to go out.
Before I bought my Lenovo sold machine, I was all excited. The IBM name meant corporate, durability, and made me feel as though I was deserving of a little more respect than those that had gone with a lesser brand name machine. After I bought the laptop, I figured that I had made the best choice possible. There were rumors that Apple was going to release an Intel powered machine, but I assumed that it would be hardware locked to only running OS X, and while I loved the polish of Apple’s operating system, I was not ready to detach myself from the Windows world just yet.
Getting to my appointment, I opened up my laptop and slowly waited for it to come to life. I tapped the touchpad, waiting for it to spring to life any second, so I could show the work I had done. The laptop eventually rose from its slumber and showed me that I needed to log in. I swiped my finger on the fingerprint reader, and the machine went to the default Windows screen saver. My face cringed at my nearly two thousand dollar machine doing the oddest of things. I moved my finger along the touchpad, and the machine asked me again to log in. I swiped my finger again on the fingerprint reader, and it said that it could not recognize my finger. I sighed and tried again.
On receiving my laptop from Lenovo, I opened it like a child does knowing they are getting the exact present they wanted for Christmas, wrapping, and air filled bags flew left and right as I uncovered my black matte machine. I had wanted a laptop for a long while, and even more since I started blogging, but the excitement quickly died down as I realized it was just another laptop.
Sure there were some cool features, like the fingerprint reader, great Wi-Fi connectivity, and a light attached to the top of the screen, allowing me to illuminate the keyboard for work in the dark.
Getting the laptop working, I finally showed off what I had done on the website. My client seemed impressed by the work I had completed, but I only felt embarrassed by my laptop’s performance. I was having a bit of MacBook envy, as my half a gigabyte of RAM filled up, and my machine lagged. Thanks Microsoft for creating such a wonderful operating system.
I can’t say that I dislike my ThinkPad, but I wish it was a little more powerful, in both CPU abilities, and battery life. I don’t mind Windows, but I would love to be given the choice of using any or all operating systems currently on the market.
Living With My ThinkPad will hopefully be an ongoing series where I talk about my problems, and enjoyment in having my laptop, which happens to be an IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad T43 with a 1.7GHz processor, 512MB Ram, 40GB hard drive, and an ATI X300 video card.
Almost Half of all Computers Purchased were Macs
While that subject line might seem misleading, it is the truth for Princeton, where upwards of 45% of all computers purchased were Apple computers.
In 2003, when this year’s seniors arrived on campus, just 15 percent of them chose Macs. The next year, a quarter of incoming freshmen did, and the year after that, 38 percent. These statistics aren’t comprehensive, because some students choose not to buy their computers through OIT. Nonetheless, the upward trend is real. Macs are where it’s at.
Again, I feel that if I had known that Apple was going to shift into Intel CPU’s so quickly and Bootcamp was going to come out, I might have waited on getting this ThinkPad, and gone the Apple route. So it is not surprising to me that the popularity of Apple machines are up. What does surprise me is how fast it went from 15% to 45%. In less than three years they almost have half of Princeton students running around with the Apple symbol. I doubt any other single laptop producer can say that about Princeton.
Source: Daily Princetonian
MacBook Users Planning Class Action Suit for Shutdown Problems
A group of MacBook users is planning to file a class action lawsuit against Apple for intermittent shutdown problems. Apple Insider reports,
While Apple has publicly acknowledged the ongoing issue — asking affected users to contact AppleCare for support — its repair process has caused many users to lose access to systems for exhaustive periods of time. While some affected users in the U.S. have been fortunate enough to have their repaired MacBooks returned to them within a week, those in other regions have been left waiting weeks, and sometimes months, for their systems to be repaired.
Making matters worse, are widespread reports that Apple’s initial solution to the RSS problem — to replace the MacBook’s processor heat sink — does not completely eliminate the random shutdowns. As a result, many affected users have been forced to request a second or third round of repairs, leaving some without access to a computer for even longer periods of time.
If you have been experiencing these problems with your Macbook, you can have your unit sent in for repairs and Apple will replace the heatsink and perhaps other components (like the logic board, in some cases). But with the reports that problems still persist even with repairs, it might be best to ask for a total replacement.
If you would like to participate in the planned class action suit, you can sign up with ClassAction.com, which will facilitate interaction with a law firm that can act on a class action request.
The Black MacBook: The Best Laptop Ever?
T3 UK thinks the black MacBook may be the best laptop yet. Yes, there are more powerful and better spec’d models in the Mac laptop line (and perhaps other brands), but the blackbook trumps the others in terms of size, functionality and even price. Consider the price jump from the black MacBook to the lowest-spec’d MacBook Pro (a $500 difference), and that the Pro is significantly larger in terms of width and height, then the MacBook might just hit the sweet spot.
OK, that this costs £130 more than the next model down – a white ’Book with an identical spec apart from a 20GB smaller hard drive – is ridiculous. But when has buying an Apple ever been about logic?
Most non-high-end users will find this does everything the MacBook Pro range does for far less. Adobe’s software (Photoshop et al) may run a bit clunkily (until Adobe optimises it for Intel’s processors), and Macs are never much cop for TV-viewing (no built-in tuner) or gaming (er, no games), but who cares? There’s nothing better than a Mac for organising your digital life, and there’s never been a better time to buy a Mac.
One major area where the MacBook is lacking is in graphics, since it uses an integrated Intel 945-based chipset, while the MacBook Pro uses a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card. This means you cannot expect to get good performance on 3D and high-end games. Still, if you’d rather spend your time on your mac on productivity applications and work, then the MacBook’s lack of discrete graphics won’t be much of an issue.
Disabling Dashboard in Mac OS X
One of the supposed wonders of Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” was Dashboard, along with those sometimes-useful, sometimes-distracting widgets. Widgets are basically applets that serve simple purposes, which you can call up on your screen in your own organized or cluttered manner.
One problem with Dashboard, though, is that it’s a resource hog. Now if you have the latest MacBook Pro or Mac Pro that might not be much of a problem. But if you’re using an older Mac, like my own PowerBook, then you would surely appreciate any speed improvements, no matter how marginal. And then, of course, there’s the productivity improvement that comes with not having all those distracting pieces of information cluttered on your desktop at a press of a button.
Two steps only
Dashboard is built into the OS X dock, and you cannot just disable it like you would when closing any regular application. Sure, you can just drag Dashboard.app over to Trash, but that might prove to be more problematic, and you would sure find a hard time re-enabling Dashboard when you find the sudden need to use widgets.
Here’s a quick tip from MacWorld. First, you need to open up a terminal session, and then enter the following commands.
- defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
- killall Dock
The first command disables the auto-launching of Dashboard along with Dock. The second restarts Dock–a step necessary so Dashboard would be closed.
If you want to re-enable dock, execute the above commands again in Terminal, but replace the YES with NO.
As the MacWorld article mentions, there may be other reasons you would want to disable Dashboard, such as when it proves to be too much of a distraction, or even for security purposes.
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