Latest Posts in Mobile Mac

Charge it on your AirEx

Savvy road warriors know you can find USB-charging cables for many portable devices—iPods, iPhones, Bluetooth headsets, game systems, you name it—and then charge those devices by connecting them to your laptop’s USB ports or to a “universal” USB charger. (Some vendors even make portable surge protectors with built-in USB-charging ports; I've covered such devices from Belkin and Kensington.) But many laptops don’t supply power to their USB ports if the computer isn’t on and awake, and a USB charger is just one more thing to carry.

If you regularly bring Apple’s AirPort Express Base Station on your travels—say, to create a wireless network in your hotel room—this tip on Mac OS X Hints suggests a clever dual use for the Express: use the Base Station’s USB port, officially designed for sharing a USB printer across your network, as a USB-charging port. Just plug the USB cable for your iPhone, iPod, or other device into the Express while you work (or sleep), and the gadget will be ready to go the next morning.

I have to admit, rather sheepishly, that it never occurred to me to try this, even though, in retrospect, it seems fairly obvious. And although several commenters to the original Hints article seem to have experienced incompatibilities, I tested both 802.11n and 802.11g AirPort Express units with a variety of iPhones and iPods, and each combination correctly charged. (Just to be sure, test out your own Express with your portable devices before leaving your chargers at home.)

Comparing Mac, Windows laptops at $1,000

(This article is reprinted from our sister publication PC World.)

Apple's been criticized a lot lately for charging premium computer prices during a recession. In its defense, though, I hasten to add that Apple generally delivers value with its computers. In my experience, with a few nits aside, Mac laptops are imaginatively designed, well built, and a pleasure to use. Macs aren't subjected to all the viruses and malware aimed at Windows computers. You can run Windows on a Mac. And though Apple laptops slipped a bit in PC World's most recent reliability and service survey, they still get high marks in those areas.

I should also mention that in July 2008, I compared the specs of Mac laptops to those of similar Windows machines and found very little price difference. In some cases, Apple laptops were less expensive than similarly configured Windows laptops.

But with the recession continuing, I took another look at how Apple's laptops compare price-wise to Windows notebooks. This time, I made a different comparison. Instead of starting by comparing specs and then comparing price tags, I flipped the equation. I asked the question: What would I get if I spent $1000 on a MacBook, and what would the same amount of money buy me in a reasonably similar Windows laptop? (In a separate article, I've also looked at what $2000 will buy in a MacBook vs. a Windows laptop.

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Comparing Mac, Windows laptops at $2,000

(This article is reprinted from our sister publication PC World.)

Do you pay dearly for the Apple logo, as Microsoft's Steve Ballmer claims? Or are Apple laptops really a good value, even though they aren't the least expensive models on the market?

To find out, I first compared the least expensive Apple MacBook, the $999 white model, to two reasonably similar Windows laptops costing about the same amount. My goal was to see what you'd get, in terms of features and specs, if you spent $1000 on a MacBook versus the same amount spent on a Windows machine.

As you'll read in that article, the white MacBook's tech specs seem a bit stale in comparison to the two Windows machines I priced online, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr and Dell's Inspiron 13. And your dollar definitely goes further with the Windows laptops.

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Qualcomm CEO: Netbooks may soon outsell notebooks

The following article is reprinted from the Today@PC World blog at PCWorld.com.

Move over, notebooks. Netbooks may soon become the personal computer of choice for millions of end users, according Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs. In a Bloomberg interview at the CTIA Wireless Show in Las Vegas, Jacobs predicted the netbook’s rise could happen “relatively quickly,” although he declined to give a specific timeline.

Qualcomm has a vested interest in the netbook’s success. Its upcoming Snapdragon line of processors, designed for netbooks and other ultraportable devices, will debut in consumer devices later this year. Snapdragon will challenge Intel’s Atom chip, which currently dominates the netbook market and is slated to appear in other mobile Internet devices as well.

There’s little doubt that consumers are taking to netbooks in a big way. Some 21 million netbooks will ship this year, nearly double last year’s total, according to Gartner. Even more impressive is that fact that the netbook’s explosive growth comes in a year when overall PC shipments are expected to fall nearly 12 percent from 2008.

Price is certainly driving the netbook’s success. The mini-notebooks, which are fine for Web-surfing, word processing, email, and a few other basic chores, are relatively cheap, and ISPs like AT&T are now offering netbooks with two-year service plans for as little as $50.

But I wonder if the public’s infatuation with netbooks will be short-lived. I’ve spent hours testing three of the top sellers, including the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9, and the Lenovo IdeaPad S10. My first impressions were very favorable. The machines were small, light, and simple. They were a lot easier to carry than my 17-inch laptop. Plus, they were cheap. I wanted one.

After a few hours of use though, my infatuation faded. The screens were small, the keyboards cramped. My back and fingers began to ache. My eyes were tired. Ergonomically, the devices didn’t cut it. I was happy to return to my full-sized notebook. And I began to wonder if other netbook users shared the same experience.

Of course, larger screens and keyboards would remedy the problem. But then is the device still a netbook? And are these mini-notes just a flash in the pan?

FastMac U-Charge laptop battery charger

Many road warriors carry a spare laptop battery with them so they can extend their work time away from a power source (assuming their laptop uses a removable battery, of course; two of Apple’s recent models do not). But while multiple batteries are useful when working, they present a challenge when charging: You can charge only one at a time inside your laptop, and if you’re actually using your laptop, charging takes longer because the laptop itself grabs a good amount of the power.

This makes a standalone battery charger a useful accessory that ensures you always have a fresh battery on hand. Unfortunately, most chargers I’ve seen are bulky desktop gadgets. FastMac’s TruePower U-Charge, on the other hand, is a portable battery charger that’s about the same size as the current MacBook’s AC adapter and weighs less than six ounces. Two models are available: a 14.4V version that works with batteries for the original iBook, the original iBook 3G, and the Titanium PowerBook G4; and a 10.8V version that works with batteries for G3 PowerBooks (Pismo and Lombard), all other iBooks, Aluminum PowerBook G4s, and all pre-unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros. (It’s important to use the correct U-Charge model. Because Apple has used the same connectors on most of its laptop batteries for the past decade, both U-Charge versions will fit most batteries; FastMac warns that using the wrong U-Charge model can result in permanent damage to both the battery and the charger.)

Each U-Charge includes two cables: one to connect the charger to any standard AC wall outlet, the other to connect to your laptop battery. The 22-inch battery cable has a connector that slides right into the battery’s terminals. Once connected, a light on the U-Charge indicates charging status—red for charging, green for fully charged. (There are also four “charge indicator” LEDs, but these don’t indicate the current charge level…at least not when charging. More on that below.)

In my testing with batteries for a white MacBook and an original MacBook Pro, the U-Charge worked well, fully charging the batteries; in fact, the U-Charge juiced up those batteries noticeably faster than they charged inside the laptop itself, even if I wasn't using the laptop at the same time. And I appreciated the capability to charge one battery while I was using the other, or to charge two batteries simultaneously—one in the laptop and the other using the U-Charge.

The U-Charge also gives you the option of bringing just the charger when traveling, leaving your laptop’s AC adapter at home to lighten your load. In this scenario, you would use one battery while the other is charging—the U-Charge will fully charge the latter in less time than you can drain the other. You just need to be sure to safe sleep before swapping batteries if you want to avoid having to shut down during the exchange.

On the downside, the U-Charge’s four charge-indicators LEDs are a bit confusing. Instead of indicating the current charge level during charging, they work only when not charging. If you unplug the U-Charge from AC power and then connect the U-Charge to your battery, these lights show you the approximate battery level: 0 (no lights) 25, 50, 75, or 100 (four lights) percent. While this approach works as advertised, it’s a hassle to have to unplug the U-Charge from the power outlet in order to check the currently charging battery's level. I usually ended up just waiting until the battery was fully charged (when the main charging-indicator light turned green).

One other limitation is that neither of the current U-Charge models works with the batteries for the latest (unibody) MacBook and MacBook Pro. A FastMac representative told me the company is currently working on a new version for these models. Although the U-Charge’s battery-connection cable is interchangeable—a design that, in theory, lets you change just the cable to gain compatibility with newer batteries—it’s not yet clear if either of the current U-Charge models will work the latest MacBook and MacBook Pro batteries via a simple cable swap.

Notebook keyboard protectors

When I wrote about notebook cleanup and protection, one of the accessories I recommended was a keyboard cover or “skin.” These thin, silicone (or similar material) covers are generally custom-fit for each laptop and prevent nasty stuff—dust, crumbs, hair, liquids, you name it—from getting into the guts of your keyboard. Although covers are also available for desktop keyboards, they’re especially useful for notebooks, given that anything that falls between your keys ends up inside the computer itself. (Plus, with a laptop you can’t just throw your keyboard in the dishwasher and let it dry out afterwards.) As an added bonus, these covers often make typing quieter, which helps ensure domestic tranquility if you tend to be up at night, typing in bed, while your better half is trying to get some shuteye. Finally, keyboard covers can be hand-washed with water and mild soap; after letting them air-dry, they’re as good as new.

(I should also point out that if your keyboard has seen so much use that its key labels have worn off, a keyboard skin is also a relatively inexpensive way to figure out which key is which.)

But not all keyboard covers are equal. Over the past few months, I’ve been taking a few for extended spins on several different laptops. It turns out that despite their apparent similarities, keyboard covers actually differ in a number of ways, including appearance, fit, and the feel of the material itself.

(Note that because Apple has recently settled on a standardized keyboard design for all its products, a keyboard cover designed for Apple’s current MacBook line should fit the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, as well as Apple’s keypad-less Wired and Wireless Keyboards.)

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Timbuk2 Patrol

Longtime laptop- and messenger-bag vendor Timbuk2 recently entered the luggage market with a line of travel bags. Although the line includes rolling suitcases, carry-on bags, and totes, it also includes a unique backpack, the Patrol , designed to carry both your laptop and a weekend’s worth of clothes. I’ve been testing the Patrol for the past few weeks, a period that included a round-trip flight across the country.

At 19 inches tall by 14.5 inches wide and 8 inches deep, the Patrol is a good deal larger than most laptop backpacks—too large for placing under a coach-class seat, though compact enough to easily fit in an overhead compartment. These dimensions make the bag’s main compartment big enough to hold a pair of shoes, one or two changes’ of clothes, and a few other small items. (The bag is soft-sided, so this main compartment doesn’t look very deep. But once you zip it up, you’ll be surprised how much it can hold.) Also inside the main compartment is a large, zippered pouch, attached at only one side so you can flip it between layers of clothes, for storing dirty clothes or other items you want to keep separate. You also get two zippered, waterproof pockets. Four compression straps on the outside of the bag help keep the contents as close to your back as possible.

Behind the main compartment, against your back, is a large, padded laptop sleeve, accessible via a separate zipper on top of the bag, making it easy to remove your laptop at security screenings. The laptop sleeve isn’t rigid, so it’s not as protective as it could be, but it’s got enough padding to keep your laptop safe from most reasonable bumps. Although Timbuk2 says the sleeve is meant for 15-inch or smaller laptops, Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro should fit easily. I was able to fit a 13-inch MacBook along with its AC adapter and a couple small accessories.

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Speck SeeThru Satin

Back in late 2006, I reviewed Speck’s SeeThru Hardshell case for the MacBook Pro. Made of thin, rigid polycarbonate, the SeeThru was a form-fitting hardshell case that provided protection against scratches and minor bumps, as well as layer of bright color, without adding much bulk to your laptop.

Since then, Speck has produced SeeThru models for every Mac laptop (as well as a number of other devices). But with the release of the “unibody” MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, the company has released a new line of shells, the SeeThru Satin. The Satin offers the same protection and general design as the standard SeeThru, but with a less-transparent, matte finish that provides a very different appearance. I tested the black version for the 13-inch MacBook, but the Satin is also available in yellow, pink, red (“cranberry”), and purple.

As with earlier SeeThru models, the Satin consists of two pieces: one that attaches to and covers the laptop’s lid/screen, and another that covers the bottom and sides. Tiny tabs, nine around the screen and four for the bottom, keep the pieces in place while making it easy to remove the shell. A large opening on the left side of the base piece provides access to the MacBook’s ports, while a slot on the right allows you to insert and remove optical discs; the hinge area in the back is also left open. Finally, a small area on the bottom of the case provides ventilation slats.

As someone who strives to keep his laptops in good condition, I’ve always liked the SeeThru line because, for example, it lets you toss your laptop into the security bin at the airport without having to worry that the computer will emerge from the other side with new scratches and scuffs. (I’ll be covering another approach to such protection, NLU’s BodyGuardz, in a few weeks.) It’s also great for people who like to decorate their laptops with all manner of stickers, paints, and other substances they wouldn’t dare apply directly. Finally, by placing a layer of polycarbonate between your laptop and your lap, a shell keeps your legs cooler while using your MacBook.

Compared to SeeThru models for previous Apple laptops, I found the Satin—and, by extension, all current SeeThru models, since the Satin and standard versions differ only in finish—to offer a slightly better fit. Although the differences are admittedly small, everything seemed to line up a bit more precisely, and the case felt more snug and solid overall. I also like that Speck has opted, in recent and current versions of the SeeThru, to leave the entire port area exposed; while this provides slightly less protection, it also ensures that cables, plugs, and laptop locks fit properly.

One advantage of the Satin over the standard SeeThru models is that the Satin’s matte surface provides a slightly better grip than the standard’s glossy plastic. On the other hand, fingerprints, oils, and scuffs—though not scratches—are much more visible on the Satin’s matte finish than on the glossy surfaces of the standard SeeThru.

Other minor drawbacks remain from the original SeeThru: It makes your laptop slightly thicker, and to remove your laptop’s battery, you need to remove the bottom piece of the SeeThru. You’ll also want to make sure your MacBook’s exterior, as well as the interior of the SeeThru, are free of dust and dirt before installation; because the case fits flush against your laptop’s surfaces, you don’t want specks (no pun intended) of dirt grinding against the aluminum. Finally, while the SeeThru does provide ventilation openings, my MacBook did get slightly warmer during use—not enough to cause concern, but it's a consequence worth noting.

Review: Brenthaven Metrolite BP backpack

I’ve been using a laptop backpack from Brenthaven for years now. Not a series of backpacks—a single blue backpack. There’s a photo of me standing on a lava flow on the Big Island with it in May of 2003, so it’s been at least five and a half years, and it’s probably been longer than that.

The author in 2003 with his previous Brenthaven backpack, on a lava flow.

The thing’s been beaten up and has begun to show some serious signs of wear, so I decided to try a new backpack. My desire to keep as much weight off my back as possible has been well documented; it’s why I’ve generally tried to use the lightest laptop Apple makes. Currently that’s the MacBook Air, but before that were a series of small laptops, including the MacBook, the 12-inch PowerBook G4, and the 12-inch iBook. So I decided to try a new backpack that’s specifically designed to be small and light: Brenthaven’s $90 MetroLite BP.

Available in red, black, and silver, the MetroLite BP is small and thin, weighing only 2.6 pounds on its own. Unlike my previous backpack, which offered three large compartments—a front compartment for loose stuff, a padded central section for my laptop, and an expansive rear area for whatever I might choose to carry, from soda cans to hardcover books to digital cameras—the MetroLite only has two. (Both bags offer the usual assortment of small zippered pockets for miscellaneous items, and the MetroLite also has a bottom panel that unzips in order to slide it onto the handle of a wheeled suitcase.) The Metrolite's padded space for the laptop is one half of the larger compartment; on the other side is space for other items, though they had better be thin if you have any hope of fitting them in.

Review: Power Support MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film

While testing the TechRestore-modified MacBook Pro, I thought it’d be interesting to compare that machine’s matte screen with a stock (glossy-screen) MacBook Pro equipped with an anti-glare film. While there are many such films in development, I could find only one shipping right now: Power Support's $35 MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film . (Power Support also makes the film in a 13-inch version, for the same $35 price, to fit the new unibody MacBooks.)

I’ve used a few of Power Support’s iPhone cases that include film screen protectors, and they generally work quite well: They're easy to apply, and I generally end up without obnoxious air bubbles. However, applying such a film to a 3.5-inch screen is a much simpler process than putting one on a 15-inch screen, so I was anxious to see how well the Power Support film worked on the MacBook Pro. If you’ve ever applied a screen film to an iPhone or iPod, the Power Support film for the MacBook Pro looks like a supersized version. The film itself comes adhered to a protective sheet of plastic, attached by the same static-cling force that will eventually hold it to the MacBook Pro’s screen.