Latest Posts in Mobile Mac

Hands-on: Matte-screen MacBook Pro

With the introduction of the 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro at January's Macworld Expo, Apple has moved almost its entire portable product line over to glossy screens. I say “almost” because the 17-inch model is available with an optional ($50) “anti-glare” option—not an actual matte screen, it would seem, but some sort of a screen treatment to cut down on the glare.

My feelings on glossy displays are well known—I despise them. My family actually owns a glossy-screen iMac (it’s the kids’ computer), and when I need to use it, I try to do so via screen sharing from my Mac Pro just to avoid the reflections. I also owned a first-generation MacBook for six months, but I simply couldn’t adjust to life with the glossy screen, so I replaced it with a pre-unibody 15-inch MacBook Pro with a lovely matte screen.

As I wrote in an earlier blog post, Apple’s switch to glossy-only screens in its laptop line appeared to be the end of the line for new Mac laptops in my home. (I’m not interested in a 17-inch laptop, so the anti-glare version of the new machine is out.) But then I visited the TechRestore booth at Macworld Expo to check out its matte-screen replacement program for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. (TechRestore currently modifies only the new 15-inch model, but the company has confirmed that it will soon have a replacement program available for the MacBook, too. So if you’re a fan of Apple’s smallest full-featured—OK, except for FireWire—laptop, but not of glossy screens, you’ll soon have a solution available.)

As detailed in my initial write-up, the end result looked quite good, at least at first glance. So after Expo, we decided to send one of our new MacBook Pros to TechRestore to get some hands-on time with a converted machine.

Just Mobile Xtand Pro

Given that more and more people are using a laptop as their primary computer on the road and at home, laptop stands have become popular accessories. These products let you work more ergonomically at a desk by elevating your laptop screen to a proper height while you use an external keyboard and mouse. By keeping your laptop raised off your desk, they also help the computer stay cooler by increasing airflow underneath.

We’ve covered a number of laptop stands from Griffin Technology, APC, Rain Design, Ergotron, Kangaroom, and Matias. Today’s model, Just Mobile’s $90 Xtand Pro, takes the crown of Most Expensive Desk Stand So Far, but it bests the field in other areas, as well.

The Xstand Pro is a stylish stand made of real aluminum that closely matches the finish of Apple’s latest MacBook models. The oval base is wide (11.8 by 6.7 inches) and sturdy, with rubber feet to protect your desk and to keep the stand from moving. The X-shaped top platform is tilted approximately 30 degrees and has two metal lips, one on each of the front arms, to keep your notebook from sliding off the stand. Six rubber pads, one near the end of each arm and one on each lip, keep the stand’s solid-metal pieces from scratching your laptop and also help keep the laptop in place.

The Xtand Pro includes a choice of two center columns, one approximately 4.5 inches tall in the center, the other just under 1.5 inches tall. You assemble the stand using the taller piece if you want a traditional elevated laptop stand; this option raises the rear of your notebook 6.5 inches off your work surface. You use the shorter piece if your laptop is already on a higher desk or platform, or if your work setup is such that you want to use your laptop’s own keyboard while on the stand. The stand’s screws can be tightened using a coin, making it convenient to assemble, although even when securely tightened, I found that the Xtand Pro’s top platform rotated slightly. However, this never made the stand feel unstable. In fact, the Xtand Pro is the most solid of the laptop stands I’ve tested: Even when using the taller column, typing firmly on my MacBook’s keyboard produced only the slightest bit of shake.

Although it's the most expensive laptop stand we’ve covered (by $10), the Xtand Pro is also up there with Rain Design’s mStand as the most attractive, and it surpasses the mStand in terms of sturdiness. I have only two complaints. First, if you’re using an older Mac laptop with the optical drive in the front, the Xtand’s front lip will block that drive. Second, when I used a MacBook Air with the Xtand Pro, the curved bottom of the Air allowed the center of the Xtand’s platform to touch the Air’s bottom surface. While the stand didn’t actually scratch the Air during my testing, I’d like to see an additional rubber pad in the center of the platform just in case.

Alternatives to MobileMe

Apple’s MobileMe service can be a great deal. It enables you to back up your Mac, read and manage e-mail online, synchronize data between multiple Macs and iPhones (or iPod touches), and publish photos and Web sites.

But MobileMe isn’t right for everyone. Perhaps you prefer to use calendaring, contact-management, or mail apps other than those that come bundled with OS X. Maybe you like other platforms for publishing photos and Web sites. Or possibly you simply balk at the $99-per-year subscription fee.

Whatever the reason, you have many alternatives. None offer the one-stop-shop convenience of MobileMe. But if you’re willing to mix and match services, you can replicate MobileMe’s functionality but get greater flexibility and much lower cost.

Sync Contacts, Calendars

If you want to synchronize contacts or calendars between two or more Macs, access your contacts or calendars via the Web, or both, you have several choices.

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Targus Bluetooth Presenter

Among the myriad uses for a laptop is giving presentations using PowerPoint or, for Mac users, Keynote. In fact, for many notebook owners, it’s a primary use. Those who move around while speaking know the value of being able to control your presentation from across the room or stage, and Apple's recent laptops include an infrared sensor that provides basic remote control of your slides using Apple's Remote. But the Remote, while compact and light, lacks features and works only if you’ve got a direct line of sight between the remote and your MacBook’s infrared sensor.

If giving presentations is one of your primary duties, Targus’s Bluetooth Presenter is a more-capable alternative to Apple’s Remote. At 5.1 inches long, 1.7 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, the Presenter is chunky, but that size makes it large enough to feel solid in your hand, but small enough that even those with small hands should be able to hold and use the Presenter comfortably. The sides and bottom of the Presenter are covered in matte plastic that offers a bit more grip than the glossy finish of Apple’s Remote, and at just under 4 ounces, the Presenter feels considerably heftier without adding much weight to your laptop bag.

The Presenter, a Mac-only product that’s part of the Targus for Mac line, uses Bluetooth wireless instead of infrared, which means better range without requiring a direct line of sight; you can use the Presenter from up to 33 feet (10 meters) away from your Mac, even if there are objects in between. Pairing the remote with your Mac is a simple, one-time process, much like the one you’d use to pair a Bluetooth mouse. Targus claims the Presenter will get up to six months of use from two AA batteries. (I haven’t used the Presenter long enough to test that claim.)

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Bag options abound for Apple’s new notebook

The unveiling of a new MacBook Pro model has inspired a wave of bagmakers to produce carrying cases aimed at the latest 17-inch unibody addition to Apple’s laptop line.

WaterField Designs announced a new SleeveCase that’s custom-fitted to protect and cushion the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The SleeveCase features a nylon outer shell with a 6mm neoprene interior designed to absorb shocks as it cradles the computer. The $45 SleeveCase also features an optional suspension shoulder strap ($18), a simple shoulder strap ($12), and an accessory pouch ($22).

WaterField is taking pre-orders now on the case, which ships January 16.

Tom Bihn also has a wide variety of bags that, while not quite as tailor-made as the SleeveCase, still fit the new design of the 17-inch MacBook Pro. One of them, called the Checkpoint Flyer, is an innovative take on the tired laptop bag. The $220 bag bills itself as airport-checkpoint friendly, and the sleeve that attaches to the outside of the bag is well fitted for the latest revision of Apple’s largest notebook.

In total, Tom Bihn says it has nine different laptop bags that can fit the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

MacCase Flight Jacket

When it comes to style, most laptop bags aim for either techie or chic. MacCase’s Premium Leather Flight Jacket, on the other hand, is designed to appeal to rugged types. As its name implies, the Flight Jacket’s weathered leather looks like it was stripped from a vintage bomber jacket—the bag’s stock leather finish is actually called Vintage—and the overall design similarly resembles a classic messenger bag. (If you’re not a fan of the weathered look, the Flight Jacket is also available in Black or Chocolate, both of which appear to be more traditional in appearance. The Flight Jacket is also available in sizes for the MacBook and MacBook Pro.)

The Flight Jacket is also unique in that it’s essentially a sleeve-style case, but it has storage and carrying options not found on most sleeves. So while it can carry more than just your laptop, it's still slim and compact—enough so that you could put it inside another bag.

The main pocket of the model I tested fit a MacBook Air perfectly; although the Jacket offers no rigid protection, this pocket is lightly padded and lined with soft fabric. Just in front of the laptop pocket is a smaller Velcro-closure pocket large enough to hold cables, an AC adapter, and other non-bulky accessories. A thick, Velcro-closure leather flap covers both pockets; the front of this flap provides its own small, zippered pocket. On the back of the bag is a thin pouch for magazines, folders, and other flat items.

Perhaps my favorite feature of the Flight Jacket is a removable, 6.5-inch square pouch on the front of the bag. Made of the same leather as the rest of the bag and also lightly padded, this pouch is made to fit the MacBook Air’s external SuperDrive; it can instead be used for your laptop’s AC adapter and a few other small accessories. The pouch has a Velcro-closure flap, and attaches to the bag via a sturdy, attractive, stainless-steel buckle. When you want to travel light, you just unclasp the buckle and the pouch slips free. It’s nice to be able to leave some of your weight behind without having to empty part of your bag, and the design is very well done: the bag’s main flap covers the buckle, so when the pouch is attached, you can’t tell that it detaches, and when it’s not attached, you can’t tell something is missing.

The Flight Jacket offers several carrying options. There’s a leather handle on top (attached to the body of the bag, not the top flap—too bad more bag makers don’t get this). There’s also an adjustable-length leather strap with sturdy, rotating clips that can be attached to any two of the bag’s four stainless-steel D-rings—use the two top rings for a vertical shoulder bag, two rings on the same side for a horizontal bag, or rings on opposite corners for a sling-style bag. This flexibility is a nice touch. (For an additional $20, MacCase will throw in a pair of backpack straps.) One complaint: some padding on the strap would have been welcome.

The Vintage model I tested is quite attractive in a, well, vintage sort of way, indeed reminding me of a classic bomber jacket. The distressed leather looks good, and the bag’s white stitching complements that leather well. On the other hand, some people may be turned off by the embossed MacCase logo on the front and name on the back.

The biggest downside of the Flight Jacket’s “sleeve with utility” design is of course that it doesn’t hold much; it’s a bag for bringing your laptop and just a few essentials. And because it’s made of leather, it’s not as light as many other sleeves: the non-backpack Vintage model I tested weighed nearly two pounds when empty. But overall it’s a unique and cleverly-designed bag with a great, rugged look.

Zegari Minimalist

Zegari’s Minimalist is a briefcase-style laptop bag meant to appeal to luxury bag lovers. Luxury usually translates to “high price”—in this case, a not-unreasonable-for-a-high-end-bag $285—but with the Minimalist, it also means a carefully considered, functional design.

This Minimalist is impeccably crafted from leather and a mysterious “innovative material” that looks vaguely like metallic leather. The bag is 14.5 inches wide, 12 inches tall, and 3.75 inches thick, and it incorporates only the most essential features and details. The bag’s petite size limits how much you can cram into it, but I consider that to be a clever back-saving feature more than a shortcoming.

Zegari has included a refreshingly good amount of laptop protection for a corporate-style case. The walls are rigid and the interior is heavily padded on all sides. While the bag fits the 15-inch MacBook Pro like a glove, a 13-inch MacBook or MacBook Air will also stay snugly in place, thanks to smart use of stretchy panels on the sides of the laptop compartment. As a bonus, one side of the bag is made of a breathable mesh material so a warm laptop can cool off in transit.

Inside the Minimalist is a clean collection of compartments. There are multiple pouches for PDAs and cell phones, as well as penholders, a detachable keychain, and a clear ID pocket. There’s also a zippered, shallow section and a roomy document holder that can accommodate a decent amount of reading material. The bag unzips almost all the way around, letting you find exactly what you’re looking for without rooting around blindly. The outside of the bag also has a flat, zippered pocket for quick access to any odd-ends.

You have multiple options for carrying the Minimalist: you can clutch the springy, leather handles, or you can use the removable shoulder strap. The shoulder strap is adjustable and made from quality leather, but it doesn’t provide much in the way of padding.

Perhaps the only controversial element of the Zegari bag is its style. Slick and simple without being boring, the bag is definitely eye catching. However, I can’t get over feeling that the angular design and muted brown/black color combo is a bit dated—better suited for a high-powered businesswoman circa 1987 than a modern corporate or casual environment. Still, I'm sure some people will like the appearance, and a benefit of this design is that it’s simple enough to blend with any contemporary look.

Love or hate the design, The Minimalist is an excellent bag. As long as you leave the shoulder pads at home, you’ll be just fine.

Clark & Mayfield Metro Express

Totes are excellent everyday bags. Large and easily accessible, they’re ideal for everything from loading up on library books to shoplifting Cornish game hens. Clark & Mayfield capitalizes on the format’s wide appeal by taking a typical tote and tricking it out with some laptop-specific interior renovations. The result is the MacBook Pro-ready Metro Express Laptop Tote.

Available in three designs—black houndtooth, red plaid, and brown oval—the Metro is constructed from quality faux-leather and polyester. The bag looks and feels well made, and the trim is convincingly leather-like. One if its more appealing features is that it doesn’t have the appearance of a laptop-specific bag and can easily be used as a regular purse. The bag is 15 inches wide, 13 inches tall, and 5 inches deep, and weighs in at 2 pounds, 12 ounces when empty. It’s made for a 15-inch MacBook Pro; a MacBook or MacBook Air will fit, but will jiggle around inside.

Inside the bag, right in the middle, is a zippered document pouch surrounded by a handful of compartments for your computer accessories, gadgets, and other belongings. Your laptop goes on one side of the middle pouch and is secured in place with a Velcro strap. Unfortunately, the bag doesn’t provide much in the way of cushioning for your computer; the walls of the tote are somewhat rigid, but still thin and completely unpadded. Unless you’re packing extra clothing or decorative pillows in the bag’s ample additional space, taking a hit from the side could be damaging to your laptop. The bottom of the bag is reinforced with rows of padded dots on the inside and metal rivets on the outside, so at least your goods are protected from short drops.

The tote style makes it easy to quickly pull your notebook out of the bag. Unfortunately, the same design means the entire weight of the computer is on just one spot—your shoulder. The 28-inch, tote-style straps are just an inch wide and offer no cushioning, and since the bag lacks a shoulder strap, and offers no clips to attach one, carrying a heavy laptop long distances can be painful. I found myself switching the bag back and forth between my left and right shoulders to even out the stress.

Because of this, the Metro Express isn’t for anyone with back problems or rugged lifestyles. It’s a casual bag meant for carrying your computer short distances (a commute to work or class, for example). If a grab-and-go tote is what you’re looking for and the style is to your liking, the Metro Express is a quality choice.

Targus Chill Mat for Mac

If you spend a lot of time Web surfing on the couch—or on the patio, or in bed, or anywhere else where there’s no tabletop in front of you—you know that one of the biggest liabilities of laptop computing is a burned-out lap. In the past, I’ll confess to making ample use of plump living room pillows to block the considerable heat generated by my laptop, but that’s not the optimal methodology (especially since it actually made the laptop hotter—just not on my legs).

I have now reformed my ways thanks to Targus’s $50 Chill Mat for Mac . The Chill Mat, as its name implies, sits directly on your lap while your furnace of a laptop sits on top of it. The Mat weighs about 1.6 pounds and is constructed of a light piece of rigid-mesh plastic on the top (where the computer sits) and a flexible-mesh screen on the bottom (where it sits on your lap). It comes in a neutral color called lunar gray, which by itself is not appealing, but which looks nice with every Mac laptop available. Inside the Chill Mat’s two layers sit two USB-powered fans that run agreeably quietly. An on/off switch lets you control the fans, so you can still make use of the Mat if you choose not to run the fans. However, there’s no speed adjustment; the fans are either on or off.

Booq Mamba Pack

When it comes to having a laptop backpack that provides loads of room for more than just a laptop—books, accessories, peripherals, and cables—Booq’s $135 Mamba Pack has a lot to offer. This roomy and colorful backpack features a dedicated laptop compartment that can accommodate 13- to 17-inch laptops, an expandable compartment large enough to hold a four-slice toaster, various mesh pockets for discs and gewgaws, a removable accessories pouch for cables, and a couple side zipper pockets that can hold a water bottle, business cards, and a couple iPods and iPhones.

Made of water-resistant polyester, the backpack includes the expected padded back (the area that sits against your backbone) as well as padded straps. (It rides up high enough that a belt strap is unnecessary.) And that padding makes it comfortable to wear. Less expected is the padding on the outer sections of the pack. I’ve been known to place delicate items in my backpacks’ outer pockets so having this extra bit of protection is welcome.

That said, the padding gives the Mamba Pack a distinctive shape—no one will mistake this pack for something you’d use for a long stroll in the mountains. This look, of course, is purely a matter of taste. I prefer backpacks that look like the day-packs of old, but you may have a more modern outlook.

Your sensibilities may also be thrown by the pack’s bright interior. The navy blue Mamba Pack in my possession has an orange interior vibrant enough to fry eggs. At first I was put off by it, but then it dawned on me that the bright interior makes it easier for me to find items in the bag. Nearly all my other laptop backpacks have black interiors, which make it difficult to find darkly colored items in under-lit environments.

Each Mamba Pack has a unique ID number inscribed on a metal plate stuck to the inside of the bag. You use that number to register your backpack with Booq’s Terralinq service. Should you lose the bag, an honest citizen can report its whereabouts to Terralinq and help you recover it.

Booq’s Mamba Pack certainly fits the bill in regard to capacity, organization, and comfort. And the extra padding on the outside and the hope of tracking a lost pack are welcome bonuses. If you also like its look, the Mamba Pack could be a good choice.