OWC Tips & Deals 01/29/2005

Intro:
Greetings from your friends at Other World! Macworld was a blast, as always, but even more so this time around. The best part is seeing all of the familiar faces who return each year and especially so many new as well. All year long we write back and forth, or maybe even a phone conversation - but there's nothing that replaces meeting you all in person. It's a lot of fun and almost wish it was Macworld every day. It's also a ton of work, and this show was huge - I'd guess maybe even double as many attendees vs. 2004. Usually the busiest days are Tuesday after the keynote and Friday - this year, everyday was busy and with lines of new attendees waiting to register for entry too. Normally this newsletter should have been out about a week ago, and I apologize for the delay. Unlike the Macs which are virus free, I found my system crashing with the Flu by the Monday after the show. The rest of the week had me out with the first sick days I've taken in years - definitely making me more understanding of others this bug has hit. But all well now, and this Macworld Expo was more worth it all too - thanks to all of you!

Apple:
Say hello to from $499 Mac Mini. It is a good value, but somewhat deceptive in that. Things add up fast when you want more memory, if you need a keyboard and mouse, want wireless, etc. It's also very limited - max memory is 1GB, the hard drive is a slow 2.5" notebook type, the processor has only 512K L2 Cache and no L3 Cache. This is a nifty, great value with a 1.25GHz or 1.42GHz processor - perfect consumer machine in many ways - but, a PowerMac G4 1GHz with 2MB L3 and a fast 7200RPM desktop drive feels snappier. Cool stuff at a great price, but there's always a tradeoff. However, this is going to make a heck of a lot more Mac Users out there. :)

Do the Shuffle, iPod Shuffle from $99 with 120 or 240 songs capacity. To me, this thing is perfect - totally compact, and giving you 6+ or 12+ hours of unique play time - what more could you ask from something that's smaller than a pack of Trident Gum? As easy as it is with iTunes to manage music to this device, personally, I prefer it over a full size iPod any day of the week.

How predictable, iLife '05 is now available - but the price is now $79, a $30 bump. But well worth it, so long as you use at least two of the four apps(not counting iTunes which is free without iLife). iMovie now goes HIGH-DEFINITION! iDVD 5 not only supports nearly all of the DVD write media formats (finally), but also works with our external burners - hacks no longer needed! Both iPhoto and Garageband get taken to the next enhancement level too. iLife is a bargain indeed.

Apple iWorks works great for Word Processing with 'Pages' and incredibly well for presentations with 'Keynote 2' - at a killer price of $79 too. Maybe it's just me, but for some reason the Apple product description with it's 'Redwood' tree report has me thinking our friends in Redmond, WA might just be seeing some red about this. :)

Faster iBook G4s, still from $999. The leading entry level notebook keeps it's low price, but is now available from 1.2GHz to 1.33GHz.

PowerLogix News:
Slowly but surely, a full and brand new PowerLogix line of upgrades is starting to ship. None of this is being rushed as we're making sure today's PowerLogix represents the absolute utmost in quality and it shows. Newly available items now include:

$175.00 PowerForce55 G4/900MHz with 2MB L3 Cache is the lowest cost upgrade ever of this speed to give a PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics/Sawtooth or Gigabit Ethernet some new snap. Plug & Play + with it's own pre-attached heatsink, this is value.

Cube 7457 Upgrades now starting to ship! Right now available is the G4/1.3GHz 7457 w/2MB L3 Cache at $349.99 - soon to be joining are a 1.5GHz at $449.99, as well as 1.3GHz and 1.5GHz Duals - the first of their type.

For $139.99, make your Cube into something more with a new PowerLogix Acrylic Cube Kit Enclosure. Now available in Clear, White, and Black.

Next week - will be pleased to introduce more single and dual PowerMac G4 AGP model options. The best is yet to come as this entire year will be one where PowerLogix innovation leads the way to fastest and best upgrade options we've ever seen. Going to be a fun year for upgrade options. :)

OWC:
New 300GB Mercury Elite Pro FireWire 400/USB2.0, 800/400, and 800/400+USB2.0 models added to the line up from $299.99. We also lowered pricing on the 400GBs as well. Check out all the complete Elite Solutions 40-400GBs and from $129.99.

New 100GB 5400RPM Mercury On-The-Go 2.5" Portable solution from $319.97 gives the most performance ever from 12 ounces! New lower prices on 40GB to 80GB models mean an even better value on the rest of our top rated On-The-Go Solutions too!

NewerTech:
The NuPower PowerBook, iBook, and iPod batteries continue to be all the Rave. As more and more people have them, more and more positive reviews get circulated, it's more and more a challenge to keep them on the shelves! It's hard to go wrong with a better battery that both runs longer and that will last a longer time than that which it replaces.

RoadTrip! FM Gets a new price and a new frequency! Now available in a 107.7MHz as well as 87.9MHz models, the new price is killer at $14.99. The best part is that it REALLY works, and works well! Clean, dynamic sound that smokes similar solutions costing 2-3 times the price. If you're looking for a great way to listen to your Apple iPod - or any device with a headphone jack - in your car/truck/suv - this be it. :)

Get a new iPod battery + a RoadTrip! and save with coupon code 'HighRoad'. Just give that code on the phone or use it at checkout to save an extra $5 off a 3G 850mAh battery or 1G/2G 1800mAh, an extra $10 off a 1G/2G 2100mAh battery when purchased with any RoadTrip! FM Model.

RoadTrip! FM 87.7MHz model is being discontinued - and while supplies last, it's just $9.99! To use this model, make sure your radio is capable of tuning to 87.7 (many stop at 87.9) + make sure you do not have a channel 6 television station in the area, which will interfere. Coupon Code 'HighRoad' is valid with this item too - so might really be the steal. :)

ATI:
This is kinda of a repeat - but still relevant. Right before Macworld ATI dropped prices on their MacEdition Cards and introduced a new card as well.
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.

The new card is the $495.99 x800 for PowerMac G5s- which we and many others now anxiously await. At Macworld, ATI's reps were kind enough to tell people OWC is at the head of the line to get these cards - but perhaps over enthusiastic in advising it'd be just a week or so until we'd have 'em. We are able to accept pre-orders with an ETA that is now February 12th. Worth the wait? Seeing XLR8's pre-review where it smokes the Nvidia 6800 + without blocking a PCI slot - yep, if you are looking for that bleeding edge, this is it. :)

The Garage Album by Roger Adler:
Kudos to Roger! I think his album is great and we're proud to have the opportunity to be involved. Even despite major limitations with the Sound System at our Macworld party - it sounded great live too! Just shows you what comes out of Garageband when combined with hard work and talent too.

Keynotes:
This years MWSF Keynote from January 11th is available to view online here.

Now, for a blast from the past - check out this 'recently recovered' video of Job's introducing the Mac 128 from 1984! And the Mac speaks to introduce Jobs, calls him Father. :)

Intro Closing:
Where to start and where to stop. Hopefully this is enough for the now. There will be a newsletter next week and plenty more in it too. 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 - including new stuff just this weekend, 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: Faster HD = Faster Mac Mini

The MacMini is a gem, but you can make it a better gem with a better hard drive installed. We knew from the show that Apple's 4200RPM drive was certainly not helping system performance, and Jamie has been quick to get his Mac Mini a part and do a nice benchmark series.

Apple official word is that any opening of the Mac Mini voids the warranty... We're kind of expecting that to be enforced only if you break something - With as many people already opening their Minis regardless, I am thinking Apple may be somewhat forced on that issue.

In addition to the hard drive, more memory is a must and with one slot, a 1GB module does make the most sense.... More sense at $189.95 from us, than the $350 Apple wants just to bump the 256MB to 1GB there. You can come to your own conclusions on the hard drive.... But with performance of more than 40% to gain with different notebook drive, never mind more storage capacity - the temptation is strong. :)

Check out OWC Jamie's opened Mac Mini and hard drive benchmark report. Next week, we'll have the take a part, shows all video too!

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.

FireWire Hot Deals
60GB 4200RPM OWC Mercury On-The-Go, Reader Special $150.00

80GB 7200RPM OWC Neptune FireWire 400 Solution, Special $109.00

200GB 7200RPM OWC Mercury Elite 800 Pro 800/400 Solution, Special $225.00

OWC Mercury Elite Oxford911+ 3.5" FireWire 400 Enclosure Kit - $65.00

El Gato Eye200 TV/DVR Deal
Watch TV, Digitally Record, Edit, and playback at will - all on your Mac with this great FireWire Solution! Normally $309.00, $275 just for readers

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 @ 1.2GHz, $289.00
Extreme @ 1.4GHz, $379.00

PowerLogix PowerForce55 for all PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics/Sawtooth & Gigabit Ethernet Models. Reliable, low cost speed bump with 2 Year PowerLogix/OWC Warranty + 30 Day Money Back!
PF55 @ 900MHz, $175.00

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

Listen to your iPod on the Road from $9.99
NewerTech RoadTrip! FM Transmitter really works - and works GREAT. Doesn't cost a lot, but it delivers clean, dynamic audio that smokes products costing 3-5 times as much! Instead of lowering the price, we might have been better to increase it - as a lot of you have a hard time believing something so cheap really works. Well, it really works! RoadTrip! FM 87.9MHZ and 107.7MHz in stock for $14.99

While they last - Discontinued RoadTrip! FM 87.7MHz is $9.99

You can still save when you purchase any RoadTrip FM! and one of our NewerTech Batteries using coupon code 'HighRoad' too. Save $5 with purchase of 3G 850mAh or 1G/2G 1800mAh, $10 with 1G/2G 2100mAh.

Power Up your iPod, PowerBook, or iBook with NuPower!
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

From $119.99, check out the longest lasting NuPower Batteries by Newertech four your PowerBook or iBook too! As much as 50% more capacity vs. others.

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:
1/29/2005 update: A mixed up market it is -and we're doing what we can to consistently bring you the best product and for the best cost possible. In general, DDR pricing is somewhat lower than it was three weeks ago - but PC100/133 SDRam has been pushing upward. The Chinese New Year is next week, and that almost always brings about what is at least a temporary price bump - so we've stocked up to brace against that. Buy memory when you need it and it's almost always a great deal at that moment just for what performance having the memory you need does 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 $32.50
Or, top things off with 512MB Modules at $83.75

1GB PC3200 DDR Upgrade Kit (2x512MB) for all PowerMac G5 & iMac G5 Models $162.50
Really hungry for memory? 2GB PC3200 Kits (2x1GB Module) special $399.00
For that 1GB set, that's nearly $70 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 $237.50
Get a 1GB from OWC vs. what Apple charges to add just 512MB!

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 1/29 - Macworld Synopsis

Greetings from www.macsales.com/music

Another MacWorld Expo has come and gone and the team here is recovering from a very hectic but productive and exciting week in San Francisco. My job at the show was to show all of the peripherals that work in tandem with GarageBand. I showed attendees our audio interfaces such as the wildly popular M-Audio Fast Track and FireWire Solo. These 2 items were selling so fast that we had to restock from our warehouse several times during the show. The REASON they were selling so well is that they are great solutions at a great price! I also did a scheduled presentation on our stage each day where I could demonstrate these products with GarageBand and also discuss using our OWC FireWire drives and processor upgrades to get the maximum from GarageBand. The show was very well attended and our booth and presentations were well received as always. I met many of our customers who stopped by to say hello and to pick up the products they needed.

I also released my "www.thegaragealbum.com" during the show at a party hosted by OWC, MacWorld and Inside Mac Radio. We hosted the party at a club where I performed the CD live and we even gave away a beautiful Brian Moore Guitar donated by Brian Moore's CEO, Patrick Cummings. I encourage you to visit the site and listen to samples of the songs I created using OWC Processor upgrades, FireWire drives and RAM. This hardware made it possible to maximize my GarageBand setup. Thanks again to Larry O'Connor for providing the support and for his enthusiastic response the the project! I hope you find the CD entertaining and that you will purchase a copy too in support of this independant artistic endeavor. Don't forget to download the GarageBand tracks from each song so you can see which instruments, loops and effects I used to create each song!

It was great fun meeting so many people and answering their questions regarding audio on their Mac. There are new products on the way and it should be another exciting year for all things Mac. The new Mac Mini is cute and about the size of a kleenex box. I imagine they will sell tons of these to kids, teens, college students and families. The iPod Shuffle is also a winner in my opinion. It seems to weigh virtually nothing and is at a price that almost makes it an "impulse" buy. We will continue to bring you the best products designed to let you make music on your Mac. As I write this I am about to leave for Washington DC to play for the inaugural ball for President Bush. All the music I have played or created so far has brought me to a very exciting place in my career, with a new album and an inaugural ball too. Just proves that if you stick with it and follow your dreams, good things will happen. I wish all of you success in the pursuit of your dreams, whatever they may be. Stay tuned for more and thanks for reading my contribution to this newsletter!

Roger Adler
Music Product Specialist

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:
Well, that's been a rush. Got lots of neat things we'll be covering in the future. Going to be bringing out some new products discovered at Macworld, we have new products of our own, and hey - we're working on making video we took at the show - as well as a plenty of pictures available for sharing as well.

The show was a huge success thanks to all of you and every Apple fan that made it happen. That enthusiasm spilled out onto the streets as every day there were also more and more people coming through that had never even had a Mac before. Seeing friends of old and making friends of new, that's always the best part of the show for us.

Next year I'll have have my anti-virus app online - not gonna let the flu get me again. Thanks for bearing with me and as always, thanks for being an OWC Tips n' Deals subscriber!

We Support our Troops
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