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OWC Tips & Deals 6/6/2008
Intro: Greetings from stormy Woodstock, IL! I can not remember a twelve month period with more rain. As I know plenty of regions with the opposite problem, sure wish we could be sending some of this your way. Something not so typical for our area gave us a brief scare when Woodstock's tornado warning siren sounded off. Ended up being a false alarm, but was a wildly severe windy and noisy thunderstorm that rumbled through - glad was just that. Just in time for Memorial Day, our new Flag Pole at OWC was installed and ready. On the Monday the week prior, My Dad and I hoisted the 'Stars & Stripes' up for the first time. With honor and respect, I lowered our flag to half-mast by dawn's first light on Memorial Day to then be returned to flying high full mast at noon that day. Words and acts are little compared to the ultimate sacrifice this day gives remembrance for. It's so easy to take the Freedom and Liberty we do have and enjoy today for granted. Memorial Day and everyday it's important to honor, to remember, and to make sure our children know too - all those who made that ultimate sacrifice, in honorable duty, that we have our Freedoms and Liberty today. This is a land of both Great Freedom and Great Opportunity. Our congratulations to the 'Class of 2008' and best wishes and hopes be the next step one of higher education or the start of a work career. It's amazing how much bad you'd think things must be given all the news outlet's doom & gloom. Negative headlines sell papers and grab eyeballs on the web. The effect of such news is a bit more magnified and some can even cause that which they headline or at least contribute. There are certainly challenges today, but there have been greater challenges certainly at multiple times over the last 30 years too. Facing and overcoming the challenges that be can only make us stronger and better for it... and perhaps appreciate the better days more as well. I promise to be quick through the rest of this. Apple's World Wide Developer Conference is next week.... I'll hit on some of what's rumored, and next week - our next newsletter will do the breakdown of what Mr. Jobs does actually pull out of his hat. :) Apple's WWDC 2008, June 9th There is little doubt that the next generation iPhone is due to be debuted next. From containers of suspiciously routed and market 'consumer electronics' to the many spy photos purporting such. A faster processor, higher storage capacity, built in GPS and some other bells and whistles are the common for the next gen iPhone beyond the incorporation of the higher performance 3G mobile network support. Little new or surprising here... And we already know, cause Apple said so a month ago, what key features - such as the support the licensed for MS Exchange - are due in this month's (next week's?) software updates for all iPhones. I still expect to be surprised... but I'd fall over if Steve 'bit the bullet' as Gary Krakow of 'TheStreet' suggests. I don't think we'll be seeing BlackBerry or Windows CE on iPhones anytime soon..... lol... and sadly, one other point/perspective on such insane news presented like the source is credible - is that there are those that don't realize how far wide from credibility such off the cuff commentary is and, well, might actual be influenced by. Enough down that tangent. We believe new Mac Pros are due this fall... more than just a speedbump too... Small chance these might be previewed next week... very small. An aluminum make over of the MacBook 13.3" has been speculated and is certainly likely, but seems unlikely for next week. Still a possibility, wouldn't be the first time Apple did a speedbump to a model and then only to replace it three months later (last MacBook update was end of Feb). Rumors be swirling of possibility of an Apple Tablet solution. RIP Axiotron Modbook? I'd be shocked - another year or two from now - not so shocked. Very little talk out there about the Macbook Air.... maybe a surprise major update next week for that model? And then there is talk of 'Snow' - Apple OS 10.6 getting a preview. Not a leap like the current Leopard - but said to be with a focus on improving both performance and stability. These rumors also lead to suggest 10.6 could take the stage at Macworld Jan 2009.... Feels like yesterday that I just paid to get 10.5. hmmm. Hey - maybe new minis.... not even going to talk dreaming here... but a new Mac mini with updated video (get that 3+ year old Intel GMA950 bumped to the far ore current GMA X3100 the Macbook received in November). Who knows. The conference is full of possibility and we'll know just what ends up to be in less than 60 hours time. Among several places where you can get the blow by blow from the keynote is the MacResource Forum. A running 'sticky' at the top starting around 11:30AM CST / 9:30AM PST June 9th will share each new bit as Steve shares it + you can even post your own thoughts to it all there too. I'll be back following the event to give a run down of what's what.... Could be some real surprises... with so much focus on the new iPhone, might be some major ace that's about the be played. Psystar still going.... We'd love to be doing something like what Psystar is doing... Then, we also stand here amazed, that two months after a rather questionable beginning, Apple is effectively still allowing them to do this. What is it that they do - well - as covered in our prior newsletter - these guys are effectively shipping a Mac clone. To make software updates work, they effectively have to patch Apple's distributed code - and if nothing else in to doing here, that bit you'd think would have Apple on their front step in a heartbeat. That said - CNET gave it a reasonably good review... in fact gave it a 'Good' rating. Maybe Apple's ok with this whole avenue... And if so, that would be great. Our fingers are crossed... a broadening of Apple's line up might just crop up with legitimacy outside of Apple. Not holding my breath yet though. :) OWC receives Samsung's new 500GB 9.5mm 5400RPM Slim SATA Drives Long announced.. and just now starting to ship, OWC was graciously provided some of the very first units commercially available with the requirement we build them into our external solutions. Later this month we do expect to have units we can sell by themselves, but for now - from $309.99 you can choose between OWC Mercury On-The-Go Portable solution models that have eSATA+USB2, FireWire 400+USB2, or FireWire 800/400+USB2 interfaces. Our solution carries a 1yr warranty and the Samsung drive has a 3yr Samsung Factory Warranty (2yrs beyond the solution) covering. We try to prevent this, but wide spread reports exist of our customers raving the great double upgrade that they achieve by swapping their current notebook drive between their laptop and our enclosure. Hmmm. Highlights: New Clearance postings, Hitachi Rebates, Mac TV Tuners, Memory on edge... Access your Reader Exclusive Special's Page for all your specials. The latest Clearance/GarageSale items just made live Items were loaded into the system earlier today and with a single stroke the selection of Open Box, Refurb, Discontinued/EOL, One of a Kind, Damaged but good, priced to move goodies swelled to nearly 200 different items. Priced to go, they do go pretty fast. Items listed on clearance are available by online web order only and filled on a first come, first served basis. As these products are sold, our site reduces the available quantity as well as delists/prevents orders for items once sold out. OWC Clearance/Garage Sales Specials Page. Some highlights: 2.5" Notebook Drives from 60GB to 200GB, 160GB for $56.75. 3.5" Desktop/Tower Drives, SATA & PATA, up to 750GB - 500GB for $77.00 Huge variety of FireWire, USB2, eSATA, and/or NAS HD Enclosures from $20.00 Genuine Apple Factory Memory: Mac Pro 1GB Kits - $47.50, 2GB Kits $87.50, PC6400 2GB Kits $99.75 1GB PC5300 667MHz MacBook/MBPro/iMac Intel (pre-April/08), mini - $15.75 1GB PC6400 800MHZ *for new April/2008 iMac Models only* - $16.95 PC2700 DDR1 SO-DIMMs, PC3200 DIMMs too G3 & G4 Processor Upgrades from $19.99; G4/1.6GHz for $207.50 ATI PCI, AGP, and PCIe(PCI-Express) Mac Video Cards from $89.99 Also have limited number of the very hard to find Radeon X800 AGP for G5! Check it all out online. New OWC Exclusive Hitachi Rebates now through June 22nd It's not as if the prices aren't good to start with - Hitachi has been a great partner for OWC and as such we're able to provide extremely competitive prices on their drives as well as our solutions which use their drives. These rebates, now available for 58 different drives & solutions, they are just an added bonus IMHO. Prices listed below reflect available rebate. Rebate Offer #1 - SATA 3.5" 500GB Claim $10 on the purchase of up to 5 of these 500GB Drives: 500GB DeskStar 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache 3yr Warranty - $78.75 Rebate Offer #2 - SATA 3.5" 750GB and 1.0TB Claim up to a total of 5 Drives: $20 per 750GB, $30 per 1.0TB back 750GB DeskStar 7K1000 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3 year Warranty $119.99 750GB UltraStar A7K1000 7200RPM 32MB Cache Enterprise w/5yr $167.99 1.0TB DeskStar 7K1000 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3 year Warranty $199.99 1.0TB UltraStar A7K1000 7200RPM 32MB Cache Enterprise w/5yr $279.99 Rebate Offer #3 - 2.5" NoteBook SATA & IDE/ATA Drives Claim up to 5 Drives: $10 on 160GB, $30 on 320GB, $20 on all others: For MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini Intel: 100GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 7200RPM 16MB Cache - $ 67.99 120GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 7200RPM 16MB Cache - $ 84.99 160GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 5400RPM 8MB Cache - $ 62.99 200GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 7200RPM 16MB Cache - $105.99 250GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 5400RPM 8MB Cache - $ 79.99 320GB SATA Hitachi TravelStar 5400RPM 8MB Cache - $102.99 For PowerBook G4, iBook G4, and G4 Mac mini: 160GB IDE/ATA Hitachi TravelStar 5400RPM 8MB Cache - $65.99 Rebate Offer #4 - OWC Mercury Elite 500GB Solutions Claim $10 on the purchase of up to 5 of these 500GB Models: 500GB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FireWire 400+USB2 - $149.99 500GB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FW800/400,USB2,eSATA - $179.99 Rebate Offer #5 - OWC, NewerTech Solutions 750GB & 1.0TB Claim up to a total of 5 Solutions: $20 per 750GB, $30 per 1.0TB back NewerTech miniStack V3 FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA with FW/USB2 Powered Hub 750GB 7200RPM 32MB - $229.99; 1.0TB 7200RPM 32MB - $307.99 750GB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA - $219.99 1.0TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FireWire 400+USB 2.0 Combo - $269.99 1.0TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA - $299.99 Rebate Offer #6 - OWC & NewerTech Dual Drive RAID/JBOD Solutions Claim up to 2 Solutions: $40 per 750GB/1.5TB, $60 per 1.0TB/2.0TB NewerTech Guardian MAXimus FW800/400+USB2 Hardware RAID-1 Mirror 750GB+750GB 7200RPM 64MB - $399.99; 1.0TB+1.0TB 7200RPM 64MB - $579.99 OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FW800/400+USB2 Performance RAID-0 Stripe 1.5TB 7200RPM 64MB - $359.99; 2.0TB 7200RPM 64MB - $539.99 2.0TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro eSATA External JBOD Raid Ready - $459.99 Rebate Offer #7 - OWC Mercury Rack Pro 4-Bay 1U Rack Mount Solutions Claim for up to 1 Solution - $120 for 2.0TB/4.0TB 4.0TB eSATA JBOD 1.0TB x 4 Drives RAID READY - $1509.99 4.0TB FW800/USB2 Configured JBOD (1.0TB x 4 volumes) RAID READY- $1559.99 4.0TB FW800/USB2 Configured HardWare RAID 0 2.0TB x 2 Stripes - $1629.99 4.0TB FW800/USB2 2.0TB + 2.0TB RAID 0+1 MIRRORED STRIPES - $1829.99 Rebate Offer #8 - OWC On-The-Go 7200RPM Bus Powered Portable Solutions Claim up to a total of 5 Solutions: $20 per Solution 100GB 7200RPM Solution with 16MB Cache from $89.99 120GB 7200RPM Solution with 16MB Cache from $104.99 200GB 7200RPM Solution with 16MB Cache from $149.99 Rebate on select FW800/400+USB2, FW400+USB2, USB 2.0, USB 2.0+eSATA models Rebate Offer #9 - OWC On-The-Go 5400RPM Bus Powered Portable Solutions Claim up to 5 Solutions: $10 per 160GB, $20 per 250GB, $30 per 320GB OTG 160GB 5400RPM Solution with 8MB Cache from $ 87.99 250GB 5400RPM Solution with 8MB Cache from $104.99 320GB 5400RPM Solution with 8MB Cache from $157.99 Rebate on select FW800/400+USB2, FW400+USB2, USB 2.0, USB 2.0+eSATA models Something there for just about everyone. Almost too many options to be honest. Each rebate is separately claimable too and doesn't restrict you in any way from a different rebate set. These are easy to claim too - just the form, copy of invoice, and proof of purchase cut out from the drive bag or solution box. ElGato EyeTV 250 Plus Refurb now $109.99, Hybrid $67.99 We are pleased to have been able to not only restock our supply of ElGato Refurb specials, but also offer improved pricing as well. ElGato EyeTV 250 Plus Analog/Digital HD Tuner/Recorder/Encoder now $109.99 ElGato EyeTV Hybird Analog/Digital HD Tuner/Recorder now $67.99 Also available, Miglia's TV Micro Express is a plug and Play via USB 2.0 and lets you tune Analog TV or Cable right to your Mac. A great way to capture A/V from VCRs, and other devices too. Included software converts recorded video to iTunes so you can even playback on your iPod or iPhone too! Requires OS X 10.4 or later, an available USB 2.0 Port, and a Mac with a G4, G5, or Intel processor 1.25GHz or faster. Brand new with 2 year warranty. Reader deal at $35 Forces lining up to move memory up, but not yet.. 4GB for $92.50 The memory device manufactuers at large are not a happy lot. Those little chips that make possible the modules which can really let our Macs pick up their pace have been below real costs for some time now. Whether it's in a burst or gradual over the upcoming weeks - it's all but certain that these prices are going to go up. That said - the best time to buy memory (or almost anything) is when you need it.... and if you need and/or can benefit from the extra speed potential with more memory installed, now's a great time from a price perspective. More memory = fewer, shorter 'spinning beach ball' moments. Depending on what Mac you have, more memory in your current Mac can even provide better performance than stock mem config in a faster processor new Mac! See our benchmarks for Memory config + model performance comparisons. Max your MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac mini that's equipped with a Core 2 Duo processor to 4.0GB Kit - now for $92.50 Up to 32GB for Apple Mac Pro Xeon based systems from $36.25 per Gig. Upgrade PowerMac G5 PCI-X Models up to 8.0GB, iMac G5 1.6GHz/1.8GHz/2.0GHZ Models to 2.0GB - $79.50 for 2 x 1.0GB Module Matched Pairs Find all the reader special memory offers on your Reader Specials Pageand if not there, it's all listed in our online guide. For fun and of interest Talk about an incredible shot. I think this was compared to firing two bullets towards each other on relatively parallel lines with a camera that's aimed perfect and timed perfect to catch a shot of the other bullet as whizzes by. Check it out - photo taken by the Mars Orbiter of the Mars Lander in descent! More than one way to look at Apple's market share. While about a 7% share of the US market overall - when you look just at the systems costing $1000 and up Apple reportedly takes a monster 2/3rds share! That's nearly four times the share Apple had only two years ago too. The loss of the Columbia Shuttle and Crew upon reentry in 2003 was an incredible tragedy. One experiment that was done while in orbit, assumed lost, was recently recovered with the successful recovery of the full data stored from a 400GB hard drive. Closing: Seems that Mondays are Job's new thing. The new April iMacs dropped on a Monday and looks like ought to have some fun stuff drop again at the coming Monday's WWDC Keynote. We'll be watching and I'll be back shortly after with our breakdown of it all. Always the best and thanks for reading our Tips n' Deals Newsletter. btw...Quick Tip Preview: Our AppleTV HD backup/replacement Tip is almost ready:) We Support our Troops The 'fine print': Contact Information+ ++++++++++++++++++++ Sales: sales@macsales.com or 800-275-4576, International 815-338-8685 Customer Service: custserv@macsales.com or 800-275-4576 / 815-338-8685 Tech Support: Online Tech Center or 815-338-8685 Please feel free to e-mail any comments or suggestions to:suggestions@macsales.com You may ALWAYS reply to our OWC Tips and Deals e-mail at owc@macsales.com with any questions or comments as well - PLEASE change the subject to reflect your e-mail question/comment to ensure a speedy reply! Other World Computing div. of New Concepts Development Corp. 1004 Courtaulds Drive Woodstock, IL 60098 815-338-8685 This is an free subscribed E-Mail Newsletter that can be joined via or website. This e-mail is only received if you have joined our list. Notification is e-mailed to your address when you join as well as if you choose to cancel, which you may do at anytime, no hard feelings. :) To change, remove, or add an e-mail address for our newsletter, you can visit our online subscriber page anytime. If you'd just like to unsubscribe, that can also quickly be done by clicking the link at the end of this e-mail. Prices & availability subject to change without notice. New specials go up and old specials updated everyday. We Apologize for typographical errors. This e-mail may be freely distributed in its original form, complete and without any modification, alteration, insertion, or anything else that would make this different from the original intent. If you would like to 'reprint' just a portion you may make a request by e-mail to: larry@macsales.com. All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000-2007, Other World Computing - Since 1988 |