02/16 Intro

A happy President's Day from all of us at OWC. We be here, doing our part to help you get the most from that paper with some of those past presidents on them. Definitely keeps us busy and moving, which is good to beat that cold outside too! Beautiful blue skies and sunshine would decieve you until the glare and reflection off the snow reminded you of reality outside. Seasons do change and dang if that ground hog didn't see his shadow first before falling over as an ice cube.

Looks like faster G5s are soon to be rolling on out. And they'll contribute less for heating and reduce the need for A/C too! While the first IBM G5 processors Apple is now using in PowerMac G5s are based on 130NM(nanometer) die technology, the next speedbump will come from 90NM technology production. Already in use with the Xserve G5 2.0GHz machines, these 90NM based processors use less power and generate less heat too, which is how they can now use them in the Xserve chassis and likely will later bring about G5 PowerBooks too! IBM is getting full production online and that certainly should bring us the next G5 speedbumb very soon.
One good article on the 90NM Technology & links to several more at The Register.

If you thought Unreal Tournament 2003 was 'unreal', wait till ya get a load of Unreal Tournament 2004! I am really not much of a gamer, but I am guilty of occassionaly guilty of partaking in an Unreal diversion. The graphics and playability are just, well, unreal! Courtesy of our FasterMac.NET service, we've provided a download site just for our Tips n' Deals readers! In addition to the game being unreal, it can be unreal trying to get the 200MB Playable demo due to sheer demand out there for it. The demo is worth the download, and you should have no problem getting a download going at games.fastermac.net/deals.html. Check it out, and then maybe get a preorder going from our games section! :)

And some more about FasterMac.NET TurboMac Service - it REALLY is faster! If you are on standard dial-up, you won't believe the difference until you try it. We have local dial-up numbers in every State and the rates are super low too. TurboMac is even 30% faster than both NetZero and Earthlink accelerated services! I watched the Apple home page come up in less than 6 seconds vs nearly 50 seconds - UNCACHED! It's unreal to watch the difference the TurboMac makes. And for the price, from as low as $10 per month - it's less than all the other accelerated services and less than most basic services! Not everyone can get broadband, but with FasterMac.Net TurboMac, you really do get a broadband like experience for surfing the net!

And once again, something you'll likely never read in regards to a new PC store opening - people breaking in to get an early look and pictures! Wired has an article to today about Apple's new Union Square and issues with people who can't wait for it's February 28th debut. You read about people breaking in comptuer stores to steal stuff - but I've never heard of people trying to break into a computer store to get pictures and a first look! But that is the excitement that Apple brings, an excitement and passion that makes Apple what it is. Read more about it here:Wired Apple SF.

So there's a quick look at some happenings in the land of Apple and now we'll get on with our regularly featured pieces. Another newsletter and with it, another Quick Tip delivered, Reader Exclusive Specials have been updated, and a new Music on the Mac article.

Some Quick Links
Great Deal on 128MB 5V Dimms for PowerMac 7300-9600 & others only $19.50!
And iSkin iPod Covers for 1G, 2G iPods, lots of colors, from $9.99, 75%+ off!
That's just a couple of the many new, first come, first served goodies now
available on our 'Garage Sale' Clearance Page. These items go fast!

Jump right to our site to view online the full list of Reader Hot Deals.
See more specials from OWC available exclusively on the Apple.com Hot Deals Page.
OWC's hardware & software reviews, product testing, & more: Online Reviews Section.

Take part in MyMac's OWC Sponsored Apple Garageband creative contest online here!

'For Macs Only' Nationwide Internet Access from only $8.00/Month!

Stuck at Apple OS 9.1? Maybe not - XpostFacto and OS9Helper support OS X and up to 9.2.2 on models Apple doesn't!

Tired of annoying telemarketing calls? The FTC's Do-Not-Call List really works!
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Quick Tip - Rule of Addresses

I get a lot of reader e-mail, and every so often it's a reader who has a great product that we're happy to spread the word on. Smartbook by Pommsoft, a donationware app, is the latest!

Where Apple iTunes introduced the masses to 'Smart Playlists', Pommsoft gets your address book going with what is essentially smart grouping. Instead of having to manually update and maintain groups, the Smarkbook software adds a feature to essentially create groups by filter parameters. This is good stuff. I encourage you to check out the great intro and Smartbook working example done by OWC's Steve Manke. And further, if you go to the Pommsoft site, get the application, and like it yourself - don't forget to donate so they can keep this stuff coming!

For the record, OWC does not in any way financially benefit from this. We promote stuff like this because its good for the Mac community. We like using this stuff too and definitely want to see the stuff keep on coming.

See past Quick Tip topics online in the Quick Tip Archive
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Great Buys and Featured Exlusive Specials for OWC E-Mail Subscribers:

Feature Deals listed below, visit the Reader's Specials Page for more reader deals!

Bigger, Quieter, FASTER Drives for PowerBooks/iBooks!
FEATURE DEAL! 30GB 5400RPM IBM/Hitachi 5K80 8MB Buffer Only $119.00!
FASTEST Notebook HD EVER: IBM/Hitachi 60GB 7200RPM 8MB 7K60 is now $250.00
New Toshiba MK4026GAX 40GB 5400RPM 16MB in stock, NOW $149.00
NoteBook Tip-Today's latest 4200RPM HDs are faster than a year ago's 5400RPM!
See our full line of Notebook Drives up to 80GB by clicking here.

Memory Specials & Price Trend Report:
02/16/2003 Memory 'Watch': Memory prices continue an up trend - so don't expect that things are coming back down... but for a short time, thanks to a super special purchase, we've been able to bring prices down for our customers on those couple of feature lines. So there ya have it!

OWC Memory Meet/Exceeds Apple Specs+Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty

FEATURE DEAL! 128MB Mac 5V EDO 168 Pin DIMMs just $19.50!
While supplies last - a sweet deal for upgrading those Legacy 54/55/6360/64/65/73-9600 Legacy Mac Models. Read the description for system compatibilty.

Another FEATURE DEAL! 512MB PC2700 DDR333 Only $72.50, PC3200 DDR400 $76.00
These are for PowerMac G4 'MDD' & FireWire800 867MHz-1.42GHz & G5s. Check more-info for compatibility and system requirements - don't forget G5s need pairs!

2GB PC2700 DDR333 Kit (1GB Module x 2) for PowerMac G5/1.6GHz ONLY $375

2GB PC3200 DDR400 Kit (1GB x 2) for ALL PowerMac G5 Models Now from $455

512MB DDR-SO PC2700 for PowerBook G4 AL 12"/15"/17"; iMac G4/1.0-1.25GHz $105.00

512MB PC100/133 SO-DIMM for all iBooks and PowerBook G4 Titanium 15" Models $120.00

256MB SDRam all PowerMac G3 Models and PowerMac G4 'Yikes PCI $49.00

512MB SDRam PowerMacs G4/350-1GHz; G4 Cube; iMac G3/350-700MHz $107.50

Not sure about the memory your Mac needs? With our Online Guide you can order with confidence! Getting the Right Memory for Your Mac is made easy with OWC!

Processor Upgrades Make to Make Your Mac Faster:
New ZIF = Warp Speed for PowerMac G3 Beige, G3 Blue & White, G4 'Yikes'
FEATURE DEAL: OWC G4/450-533MHZ ZIF with 1MB L2 Cache only $149.00! WOW!

Need Faster? Sonnet Encore ZIFs Available G4/700MHz and up to 1GHz from $297!

PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics/Sawtooth, GigaBit Ethernet, Digital Audio, and Quicksilver models can get a new plug and play upgrade to go 2X,3X,4X, even more than 5X Faster!

OWC Mercury Extreme - 2MB L3 Cache, 30 Day Trial, -MacWorld Recommended-
G4/700MHZ $187.99 - G4/800MHz $239.00 - G4/1.33GHz $415.00 - G4/1.4GHz $439.00

Single/Dual G4 Upgrades up to 1.467GHz from Giga Designs, Sonnet, & PowerLogix too!

Sonnet Upgrades PowerMac 4400-9600s & Others up to G4/800MHZ from $179!

Upgraded machines can even Run OS X, and Run it WELL - using XpostFacto!

Why upgrade? Because it's more economical than buying new & since new machines keep getting cheaper and faster, well, if you get just six extra months out of your Mac by upgrading it - a new Mac six months from now will likely be available that is both faster and with a cost that has probably dropped more than what it had cost you to keep that existing Mac going. And even when you get a new Mac, no reason to cast your other Mac aside, right? And to make upgrading an even better deal, when you buy an upgrade from OWC, return your old processor and we even cut you a Trade-In Rebate Check!

Don't see your Mac listed or just not sure? The MyOWC Upgrade Selector will show the upgrades right for Your Mac Model!

Audio/Video Goodies:
Watch TV, A/V In, Record, Burn DVDs & More w/Miglia AlchemyTV DVR Only $120
For any PowerMac G4 AGP with a G4/400MHZ processor or faster, this is the ultimate PCI Card that lets you tune and watch Television, provides A/V In for inputting an external Video Source, Record Video, PlayBack, Even take the video and burn it to DVD or CD! This is your Personal Digital Video Recorder, TV Tuner, Video in PCI Solution that even comes with remote control. Fun, cool Mac product!

ADS Instant DVD USB Audio/Video Capture to Mac + DVD/CD Authoring System $179.99
For any Mac with a USB port, it just doesn't get much easier to bring video in to your Mac from Video Tape, Laser Disc, TV, Video Camera, DAT Video, Etc - and then you can edit and burn video to your own CDs and/or DVDs! Very cool product with its high quality hardware MPEGI/II encoder that saves you processing time too.

DVD-R/W and CD-R/RW:
Hot Dog! Pioneer 'SuperDrive' $129.99! Compatible with Apple iDVD, iTunes, Toast, Etc!

Read & Write CDs FAST with OWC Mercury FireWire+USB2 52x32x52 CDRW *$115.00*
Plug & Play - 100% compatible with Apple iTunes, Roxio Toast, Disc Burner, Etc. Includes Dantz Retrospect Express, DragonBurn, 25 Pieces 52X CD-R Media, All Cables & More.

Read & Write CDs & DVDs with OWC Mercury FireWire/USB DVD-&+R/RW,CDRW $219.00
Plug & Play - 100% compatible with Apple iTunes, DVD Studio Pro, Roxio Toast, Disc Burner, etc. - EXCEPT Apple iDVD which only works with internal DVD Burners like the Pioneer listed above. Includes Dantz Retrospect Express, DragonBurn, 5 Pieces DVD-R 4X Media, 25 Pieces 52X CD-R Media, All Cables & More.

More Storage that's Higher-Performance for Desktop/Tower Macs!
Hot Buy - 120GB Hitachi 7K250 2MB Buffer ATA/6 Hard Drive only $95!
Seagate Barracuda.7-Plus 200GB 7200RPM w/8MB Buffer now $159
Maxtor DiamondMax9 Series 40GB 7200RPM 2MB ATA/133- Special $49.00
All of the above drives will work in ANY PowerMac/iMac/eMac Model that has either built in IDE/ATA or an added in PCI ATA Hard Drive controller.

-Serial ATA and Parallel ATA Mac PCI 3.5" HD Controllers

Use any ATA/IDE Drive up to and beyond 500GBs with SIIG ATA/133 PCI $74
Like the G5, your Mac can use SATA/150 Drives with Firmtek FTST1S2 PCI $63.99

-Deals on SCSI Drives/Controllers too

Apple/ATTO UL3D* Ultra160 DUAL CHANNEL 64 Bit PCI SCSI Controller **$79**
18.3GB WD 7200RPM for Macs with standard Internal 50 Pin SCSI $79.95

Killer deals that keep bad power from killing your Mac!
SpikeMaster 8-Outlet Surge Protector w/RJ11 & $50K Repair/Replace - $19.99
Protect computer, accessories+Modem from Brown Outs, Power Spikes/Surges, etc.
Tripplite 525VA Backup UPS 6-Outlet solution + RJ11 Protection - $55.00
6-Outlet Surge/Spike protection AND keeps your Mac going when Power cuts out!

FireWire:
OWC Neptune FireWire Solutions are 'Value Done Right!
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 80GB FireWire $115
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 120GB FireWire $149.
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 200GB FireWire $235.
Cables, Dantz Retrospect, Intech HD Speedtools,1yr Warranty,& More included.

Special Readers Savings on Top Rated OWC Mercury Elite FireWire 800,400+USB2
OWC Mercury Elite FireWire 800+400+USB 200GB 7200RPM w/8MB Buffer $289.00
OWC Mercury Elite FireWire 400+USB 250GB 7200RPM w/8MB Buffer $295.00
All Cables, Dantz Retrospect, Intech Speedtools, 2yr Warranty and more incl.

Build your own 3.5" or 2.5" FireWire/USB Kits
OWC Mercury Elite 3.5" FireWire Kit Special $65.00
2.5" Enclosure Kit USB 1.1/2.0 $15.99; Express 2.5" FireWire Kit $39.00

Add FireWire & USB ports to ANY Mac with a PCI Slot - Plug & Play!
Orangelink Plus 2-Port FireWire+2-Port USB PCI Card only $45
OWC 3-Port FireWire PCI $15

Browse our full line of FireWire 400/800/USB, hubs, cables, etc. Solutions by EzQuest, Lacie, SmartDisk, and others also in stock.

Great Deals for Apple OS X & OS 9
Apple OS 9.x Installation CD $39-------10.2.x 'Jaguar' Full Install Set $57.50

Have OS X 10.1.x? Get the Apple OS X 10.2.x 'Jaguar' Update Set for $39

Ready for 10.3 Panther? Apple OS 10.3.x 'Panther' Retail Box Version - $115.00

USB Feature Deals:
Memorex USB RF Wireless 5-button Optical Scrolling Mouse $25.00!

USB 4 Port Powered HUB, 2Btn USB ScrollMouse, 8-Button Game Pad **$19.00**
This also includes 2 USB Extension Cables. That + the USB Hub alone cost more than $19 separately and then you get a USB ScrollMouse & GamePad too! $50 Value for $19.

-Find more hot buys and exclusives on the Tips 'n Deals exclusive Deals page
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Music on the Mac 02/16/2004 - DigiDesign MBox & Rack

This week we will take an overview of the Digidesign Pro Tools MBox and 002 Rack. Pro Tools is a very popular hardware/software audio recording product and Digidesign is an industry leader. Many people who are new to recording have not caught on to the fact that when you buy an Mbox or 002Rack, you are not just buying excellent hardware, but also the Pro Tools recording software. This software turns your computer into a fully functioning recording studio and the software has matured and improved consistently over the years. It is also true that there is a significant learning curve with any software that is this powerful. Digidesign has tried to bring the cost down and simplify the process with both the MBox and 002R. Only a few years ago, it would have cost much more (think thousands) to get the kind of capability that an MBox now offers for a selling price of $450. This is truly a price point revolution! When you purchase and MBox, you get Pro Tools LE software. This "lite" version of Pro Tools is very nearly the same as their high-end HD systems. You are limited to 32 tracks (which is not a problem for most people) and there are some significant differences in the audio postproduction capabilities too. Most people recording music do not need those post audio features anyway. The high-end Pro Tools HD systems also allow you to record many tracks at one time... an important difference!

Many people who want to have a "home" or "project" studio only record 1 or 2 tracks at a time, building their song up from midi tracks and then adding vocals. The MBox is a USB audio device and as such, only allows you to record up to 2 tracks at once. This is a limitation inherent in the hardware and of USB. My opinion is that it is an acceptable situation because most people are not even equipped to record an entire group at once anyway. They would have to have lots of microphones and stands, a room large enough and a way to somewhat isolate the sound from each instrument from the other, as is the custom in a proper recording studio. They would also have to have a recording space that was isolated from outside sounds such as phones, traffic and the sound of the teenagerŐs stereo upstairs. Most people are just not set up to record more than one track at a time at home. If you do want to move up to the next level, you could use the 002Rack unit instead of MBox. This is a fire wire audio interface that can easily record 10 tracks at once. It has mic preamps on the first 4 inputs and line level and digital inputs too.

Many people have settled on a strategy of recording certain parts of their projects which require many mics and a good sounding room (such as drums, horn or string sections) at a pro studio on Pro Tools. Then they bring those basic tracks on Pro Tools home and add the finishing tracks and mix on their MBox or 002R. They can then spend as much time as they want without having to pay the hourly rate at a studio! Because Pro Tools is so well known in the recording field, we have had a lot of interest in their products already. As I have said in these pages more than once, learning to wear the many hats of "producer/composer/performer/engineer" is a big task but also very rewarding. I would say that the tools available from Digidesign are comprehensive and deep. Many hit records and movie soundtracks have been recorded on these systems and there are 1000s of engineers and musicians worldwide who own Pro Tools. As an owner myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend Pro Tools to anyone who is serious about their music!

As always, we encourage you to visit our Mac Audio/Music forum to share your questions and comments at our macsales.com site!

***SPECIAL NOTE: Have fun with Apple GarageBand and Maybe win something too - check out MyMac.com's 'Garageband Contest'.

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 travelled 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.
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Closing:
Just cruising along now and already plans for upcoming weeks. We will be doing new ZIF processor testing. Also have some new AGP upgrades to add to our roundup that we are at the same time working on a way to make easier to utilize and sort as well. Some good stuff. And we're having a bit fun too... We put up a public download site for that Unreal 2004 demo and it's really unreal how much demand there's been for it. We are one of many sites offering the download, but that didn't stop our servers from hitting max points as everyone seems to want that demo. But since you're with us on the Tips n' Deals, you should have no problem via the server we set up just for you.

Happy President's Day, Happy Monday, and have a great week. Thanks for being an OWC Tips n' Deals Subscriber! :)

We Support our Troops
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The 'fine print':

Contact Information+
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with any questions or comments as well - PLEASE change the subject to
reflect your e-mail question/comment to ensure a speedy reply!

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