OWC Tips & Deals 01/09/2005

Intro:
Was the day before Macworld, and all through the house, keyboards were clicking while the mouse was moved about. Greeting from your friends at OWC. It's already that time with the Macworld Conferences starting tomorrow and the Expo opening Tuesday. And like every year, it's the rumors preceding the show that everyone's talking about. And that's where much of the fun is, and other part is watching what rumors get announced as real product.

Some of this year's Apple Macworld Announcement Rumors:
$499 G4 'headless iMac' (no display attached/included) computer
New Apple 'iWorks' Suite, significant update to Appleworks
Flash Memory iPod Player
The release of Apple's iLife 2005 edition creative suite
An Apple iPhone (Motorola just released 'one of their own')

It's likely there is truth to at least a few of the rumors. Seems Apple is now suing ThinkSecret.com , who got the scoop and were first to publish on both iWorks and the $499 Mac. Or - is it an Apple misdirection ploy to make us think those rumors are true? The keynote is just two days away. I have every confidence that Mr. Jobs will give another inspiring keynote that answers all with enthusiasm. We'll be seeing.

And.. We hope to see you there! Don't forget you can save yourself $40 and get your Expo pass courtesy of OWC. We have a great presentation schedule right at our booth #2123 - and of course a great opportunity to meet some of us from OWC. In any event, if you're going to the show, please drop by.

Also - don't miss our 'Out of This World' Macworld Party featuring Roger Adler playing music from his new 'the garage album' Wednesday Night. Will be free food, fun, and friends from OWC, Inside Mac Radio, and Macworld out and about at this free event that requires only that you have a Macworld Expo pass to enter. This party event is at 'Club Hide', just two blocks from Moscone Center. Starts at 9pm - AND - you'll have a chance to win Roger Adler's iGuitar too!

ATI Drop Radeon Prices, Announces new Card:
ATI Radeon 9200 Pro MacEdition PCI 128MB was $129, now $124.99
ATI Radeon 9000 Pro MacEdition G4 AGP 128MB was $149, now $129.00
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro MacEdition G4 AGP 128MB was $349, now $249.00
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro MacEdition G5 AGP 256MB was $369, now $297.99
Find these products in our Video Card Section.

ATI also just officially announced their new $499 'x800' G5 256MB Radeon Model. This card supports the new Apple 30" Cinema Display, gives a huge leap in performance over the 9800, support high-definition, & unlike the competing Nvidia 6800 AGP video card - the ATI only takes the space of one card. Although the card is not yet available for order, ATI did seed several units, including one to Mike of XLR8yourmac.com, who has posted this review.

Apple:
Putting rumors aside, Apple last week announced their updates to the Xserve G5 Server line which now has a Dual G5/2.3GHz taking the top spot. With processors up to 15% faster than the prior Xserve G5 lineup, that is ever more so some serious, rack dense server power! Surprisingly, there have been no recent rumors about a faster PowerMac G5... Should be by summer.. Or maybe.. Never know!

The Garage Album by Roger Adler:
Will be officially released on Tuesday, January 11th - this album was created in its entirety by Roger Adler using Apple's Garageband on a PowerMac G4 upgraded with some goodies from OWC. Not to be taken lightly, this is a real work of art, extremely impressive, and fun to listen to. Without the fact of it being touted, you'd never suspect this was album was produced with Garageband. Further, songs on this album would not(will not perhaps) be out of place on the radio. There's something for everyone on this CD as each of the songs represents a different music genre and for sure, I'd be buying if I didn't already have them from the inside connection. :) When this project started several months ago, I thought it was going to be more of just a demonstrative example for Garageband - I had no idea that what would result would be of such a high caliber. You can get the details on the Album as well as the original garageband files on the garage album website. The album, which will begin shipping this Tuesday, can be preordered now for $11.99. The album itself goes on sale next week for $11.99.

PowerLogix News:
A new speed bump for Pre-G3 PowerMac Models is the fastest PCI Mac processor upgrade ever! The new PowerForce 750GX G3/1GHz with 1MB 1:1 Cache for the first time lets your 'old' Mac run OS 8.6 & later at blazing 1GHz Speeds. Immediately available, in stock and shipping for $239.99.

And next week - we'll be officially releasing and showing off a slew of new upgrades from PowerLogix that will include the fastest Single & Dual upgrade options ever. We're talking the total package in terms of not just processor speed (but that will be up there too), also real world performance that matters. Didn't see too much in the way of advances during 2004 - 2005 is going to be quite a different matter.

In case you missed the news - OWC last month agreed to become PowerLogix's exclusive distributor. More than just selling their products, we are also directly involved in production, quality control, and customer support. We've found that in past relationships PowerLogix has suffered not because of poor design, but from poor execution and prioritization. For our part, have corrected those issues for moving things forward and also are making sure all of PowerLogix's past customers are taken care of as well. When you purchase a PowerLogix product from Other World Computing or one of our authorized resellers - you no longer just get a PowerLogix warranty - you also have that warranty backed by OWC as well.

New On-The-Go 100GB Portables:
It took a little longer than we hoped, but we don't mess around when it comes to people's data. Now available are our new FireWire and FireWire/USB On-The-Go 5400RPM 8MB Buffer 100GB 2.5" Portable solutions ready to plug and play with any FireWire or USB equipped computer. Starting from $349.97, these On-The-Go models include all cables, Dantz Retrospect Backup, Intech HD Speedtools, Carrying Case, 1yr OWC Warranty, and may be bus powered or by using the included AC Adapter.

Should Have Used a Mac:
Of course that would defeat Mr. Gates whole purpose with promoting his company's technologies. Of course, the 'blue screen of death' doesn't help that promotion at CES either. Thanks Mike T.

Intro Closing:
That's a few things for ya, and still so much more going on out there. Come on by our Macworld booth and I or one of the team will gladly contribute more. The days are now getting longer, so should mean time for an extra newsletter or two each month. Will be working on it, especially once we get through Expo Week. Thanks for being a Tips n' Deals Subscriber.

Check out our latest Quick Tip, New Reader Exclusive Specials, and Roger's Music on the Mac which follow these 'special messages from our sponsor':

Quick Links
A better Apple/Macintosh ISP at a better price - FasterMac.Net
From $8 a month, get nationwide dial up or DSL just for Mac Users - that includes 24/7 1-800 support, anti-virus blocking, powerfully effective and fully customizable anti-spam tools, web space, 5 e-mail accounts, and more. You get more and pay less with FasterMac.Net.

Just what does OWC do with trade-ins, open box items, discontinued goods, etc.? We put 'em up on our Clearance Deals Page. Goodies added all the time, first come-first served.

Upgrade the Mac you have or get a new one? OWC's exclusive Benchmark Reporting System helps you answer your own question. Compare various stock Macs vs. New Macs vs. Upgrades - you pick the Macs to compare and from up to 15 different tests we've completed.

Use Apple OS 9.2.2 & Apple OS X on Macs Apple doesn't support because OWC does with OS 9 Helper and Xpostfacto!

Quick Tip: PowerBook G4 Titanium 'Battery Adjustment'

Our NewerTech NuPower Batteries for PowerBooks and iPods a like have been quite a growing success. With this growing battery customer base, it's also an opportunity for us to learn a few things that we'd otherwise not come across.

It seems that sometimes the case will become slightly out of position from use over time and that can cause what might first look to be a bad battery.

The good news here, Jamie has a very simple fix that he shares for this week's tip available online.

See past Quick Tip topics online in the Quick Tip Archive

Great Buys and Featured Exclusive Specials for OWC E-Mail Subscribers:

Find all the deals reserved just for Readers on your Tips n' Deals Exclusive Specials Page. What follows next is just a sampling of this week's highlights.

Upgrade to the latest Apple Cat - OS X Panther 10.3.x for just $49.00!
Get the full Apple Panther 10.3.x DVD Installation Set for just $49.00

Save $10 when you purchase this Panther DVD Set and any model OWC Mercury Extreme G4. Checkout online or give your rep coupon code 'EXTREME103'

Processor Upgrades
Mercury G4 Extreme for all PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics/Sawtooth, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, and Quicksilver models. 30 Day Money Back + 3 Year OWC Warranty
Extreme @ 1.0GHz, $215.00
Extreme @ 1.2GHz, $289.00
Extreme @ 1.4GHz, $379.00

Video Card Deals
As noted in the newsletter this week, you can now take advantage of lower prices on all of ATI's Retail Model 9000/9200/9800 Model Video Cards found here.

Another deal, exclusively available from OWC, are for the ATI Radeon 9600s. Faster than the Radeon 9000 AGP, and the lowest end card that supported by Apple's new Motion Video Software, this is the deal if you need a faster video card for OS X, but aren't ready to spend the dough for a 9800 card. ATI Radeon 9600 MacEdition 64MB DDR AGP 8X Enabled for any PowerMac G5 $99.00
Same, modified for G4 Digital Audio, QuickSilver, and MDD models $119.00

Logitech RF Wireless Mouse, Mouse + KB Special
I have been using the mouse happily since August. And have heard great feedback on the Mouse and Keyboard wireless combo to. Logitech Wireless Freedom for an unbeatable price:

Logitech RF Wireless 2 Button USB Mouse w/Scroll Wheel, only $12.99!
Logitech Freedom RF Wireless Keyboard + Mouse Combo is just $23.95

FireWire Hot Buys + Elgato Eye 200 Special
All of our OWC Mercury Elite and Neptune 250GB 8MB Cache models have been in great demand lately and we're pleased to offer our readers the best deals for these top-rated solutions. All of these models include Dantz Retrospect Backup, Intech Speedtools, all connecting cables, preformatted and pretested for Macs, PC compatible as well. Elites Feature a 2yr Warranty, 1yr Warranty for Neptune.

OWC Neptune 250GB 7200RPM FW400 Solution $195.00
OWC Mercury Elite 7200RPM FW400/USB2 Combo $219.00
OWC Mercury Elite 7200RPM FW800/400 Solution $239.00
OWC Mercury Elite 7200RPM FW800/400+USB2 Combo $259.00

ElGato Eye 200 FireWire digital video recorder & TV Tuner $309 or - When you purchase any of the above 250GB Drives, use coupon code '250GATO' at checkout or give to your sales rep by phone for $40 OFF!

Visit www.macsales.com/FireWire to see our full line + Lacie/Ezquest too!

Longest Lasting iPod Batteries, Plug n' Play FM Car Transmitter
NewerTech internal battery for 1st and 2nd Generation Apple iPods:
1800mAh version, 46% more capacity - $29.95; 2100mAh for over 70% more $39.95
NewerTech internal battery for 3rd Generation Apple iPods:
850mAh version with over 30% More capacity vs. Apple's - $25.99

Plug and Play simplicity for listening to that iPod (or nearly anything with an audio out) in your Car. Get the NewerTech 'RoadTrip!' FM Transmitter, holiday special for $15.00 - no other purchase required! Plug it in, tune your Radio to 107.7, and start that tunes! :)

Genuine Apple Superdrives from $75.00
Get the Apple Genuine Pioneer DVR-106 up to 4X DVD, up to 16X CD Burner for $75, Pioneer DVR-108 Dual Layer up to 16X DVD, up to 32X CD Burner from $91.95. Value Bundles with DVD Media, CD Media, and/or Software start from just $79.95 to save you even more! Check out our SuperDrive DVD Section.

Those above install internally - but you can go external FireWire/USB from just $149.99.

Memory Specials & Price Trend Report:
1/09/2005 update: Things are definitely starting to happen in the memory market place. So far we haven't seen prices moving on the 1GB modules, but definitely have upward movement on both SDRam and DDR 512MB and smaller. So far costs are up about 5-10% and you'll see our prices go up as we cost average through existing stock. Memory may go up a bit more as well - but you know what, it's still very inexpensive both historically and with perspective to the added performance a simply memory upgrade can bring.

256MB SDRam for all PowerMac G3 Models and PowerMac G4 'Yikes PCI $25.00

256MB PC133 CL3/PC100 CL2 SDRam for PowerMac G4s AGP Models 350-1GHz & Cube $30.75
Or, top things off with 512MB Modules at $82.50

1GB PC3200 DDR Upgrade Kit (2x512MB) for all PowerMac G5 & iMac G5 Models $167.00
Really hungry for memory? 2GB PC3200 Kits (2x1GB Module) special $405.00
For that 1GB set, that's over $50 less than Apple charges just to change from 256MB to 1GB. And for the 2GB Set, the same 256MB to 2GB from Apple is over $700 more. Get your Mac from Apple and your memory from OWC. Oh, and you'll also have that extra Apple 256MB to spare too. :)

1GB Module for PowerBook G4 AL 12/15/17"; iMac G4/1.0GHz+, iBook G4s $235.00
Get a 1GB from OWC vs. what Apple charges to add just 512MB!

Mac 128MB 5V 168 Pin 60NS Dimms for 7300-9600 Models & Clones, $15.75

Visit our Mac Memory Section to browse the full selection of memory we offer and/or use our online memory guide to get the right memory for the Mac(s) you have.

You'll find more great deals, updated regularly on your Tips 'n Deals Reader Specials Page, check it out!
Music on the Mac 1/09/2005 - In the garage

Greetings from www.macsales.com/music

I thought it might be helpful to give you my overview on the tools available to get musically creative on your computer. The introduction of Apple's revolutionary GarageBand software at Macworld SF 2004 has changed the landscape as far as affordability of music production applications goes.

This software environment gives anyone the tools they need to produce music, but there are a lot of accessories that you need to make it a reality. Of course, you need a fast G4 and our complete line of OWC processor upgrades are just the ticket. As noted in this newsletter recently, I am just finishing production of an entire album made exclusively with GarageBand. It would not have been possible without the OWC G4 processor upgrade, OWC Mercury Extreme FireWire 800 drive and maxed out RAM that OWC provided me to do this album. This technology really makes GarageBand fly.......I have experienced it personally and I am looking forward to sharing the results with all of you.

As always, M-Audio has come out with quite a few low priced, high value pieces if gear that most everyone needs. The Fast Track USB audio interface is a great example. It features an instrument input and a mic preamp with XLR mic connection. It works great and sells just under $100.00 That is a real value and I used one extensively creating my CD thanks to the fine people at M-Audio. They also introduced several new microphones including the Nova, ( also used on the CD) a large diaphragm condenser mic that is a fantastic all around studio mic that sells for, you guessed it, just under $100. We also carry the Pulsar, designed to be used to record instruments such as woodwinds, brass, acoustic guitar and drums. Another new mic called the Aries is designed as a handheld vocal condenser mic and it sounds beautiful and sells for about $120. I highly recommend each of these mics and they are a fabulous value.

If you need a keyboard to play all of the virtual instruments in GarageBand or the popular Propellerhead REASON software, M-Audio once again has the solution for you. They have a full range of keyboard controllers with built-in midi/USB interfaces. From the diminutive Oxygen 8, with it's very own "backpack" case to a full 88 key "piano action controller", we are pleased to be able to bring you their products at fantastic prices. Please see our website for info on all of their products so you can choose one that is the "right fit" for your needs.

May I also recommend that you make a post in our Music/Audio Forum if you need advice on which product is right for you or Mac Music info in general. Why not benefit from what others have experienced and learned already about music and technology. Thankfully, getting all of this music gear to work is incredibly easy these days, especially in OSX.

As mentioned earlier, all music recording applications including the very popular Pro Tools application and GarageBand, suggest using a separate FireWire drive to record your tracks to and play back from. Our Mercury Elite drives and the ultra affordable Neptune series, are used the world over by music and video professionals and home studio owners too.

Speaking of Pro Tools, this application/hardware solution is available in the Mbox for $ 450.00. The cost of admission into the world of professional recording has never been better! Many people have found that they can use a Digidesign MBox with Pro Tools to start a recording project at home and then move to a full blown world class studio to add more tracks or even finish the project. There are Pro Tools equipped studios in virtually every corner of the world too!

So let's review.........applications, drives, keyboards, mics, speakers...oops, I forgot to mention that we also carry studio monitors by M-Audio. The speakers used to monitor and mix your music on are a critical link in the process. I recommend the popular and popularly priced M-Audio BX-5 powered monitors as the perfect project studio solution. Since they are powered, you don't need to buy a power amp. Just plug in the audio from your computer or soundcard and you have a great, yet inexpensive monitor system!

Please visit our Music Dept. for all of your shopping needs.....why not shop online from the comfort your own home and avoid the crowded malls. When these practical and inspiring are put into play, you or someone you care about can get busy creating something of value and exercising their imaginations to make the world a better place. Isn't that the reason many of us invested in a computer in the first place?

Everyone at macsales wishes you a joyous and healthy New Year!

We encourage you to visit our Mac Music/Audio Forum for all your musical needs and to share your questions and info with all!

Check out a Sample from Roger's upcoming GarageBand produced music album!

Also, visit our website to view all of Roger's other OWC Music on the Mac articles online!

About our Music Guru:
Roger Adler is a 4 time EMMY nominated composer/producer/performer. You may have heard his music in his role as Music Director for the A&E TV Series "The BEST of COMIC RELIEF" starring Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. He also appeared in and played on the soundtrack for the hit movie "GROUNDHOG DAY" starring Bill Murray and Andi MacDowell. He is the Music Director for the popular TV Series "WILD CHICAGO" now in it's 15th season on WTTW in Chicago. In 2001, he traveled to Antwerp, Belgium to produce and perform in the annual meeting for Philips Electronics. He recently composed and performed two TV commercials for WRANGLER JEANS, currently airing on ESPN.
Closing:
Right just now, most all of our energies are focused on next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. It's a lot of work, something we here both enjoy and at the same time look forward to the conclusion of. To say the least, the time before and after gives us a bit of tunnel vision with little time to think about much else - I am speaking of the OWC staff and I.

In saying the very least, our hearts do go out to the victims of the Tsunami. That was a horrific event and the toll to human life in the short time it took those waves to sweep ashore is hard to imagine until the pictures of that destruction are viewed. I am proud that we here were able to donate to the relief effort and major kudos to Apple for giving their home page to relief awareness and continuing to support the relief effort. Apple makes it very easy to donate either to one of over a dozen charities they list or to the American Red Cross right via their iTunes store. If you'd like to give, Apple's site is a great place to start.

From every report, this country has been extremely generous. Even beyond actual dollars, the support provided via our military is quite significant. The US was criticized for the initial 15 million dollar pledge that has since been increased to 350 million - but neither was the damage that occurred immediately comprehended nor was included in the criticism the costs of the relief efforts coming by means of our military's involvement. And of course, that final 350 million dollar amount doesn't include the millions more donated by people like and organizations like you in me.

A lot of people affected by the Tsunami have less than positive opinion of the US. Some to an extreme - but that doesn't change the tragedy of what happened and I'm glad that despite any differences this country and our people are able to do what we can to help those in this time of need. To say the least, we are a very lucky people and it's good that we can share to help when other people are in need. We're all people on the same planet with our own hopes and dreams. We have lots of differences, but maybe a greater understanding of what we all have in common will result in more peace.

Anyway - hope you had a great weekend and that we'll see ya next week!

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 with 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 2000-2005, Other World Computing - Since 1988