12/29 Intro
Happy New Year -nearly so- from all your friends at Other World Computing! We hope the holidays have been good to everyone and especially wish for a safe and happy conclusion for 2003. It's just a couple more days before yet another year reaches its conclusion, which means it's but a week before MacWorld Expo commences too! How the time flies, but that's how the good time goes and certainly something we are thankful to have.

Our 'holiday' shipping special remains in place. Free Ground for order $149 and higher, $6 capped UPS 2nd Day and $12.50 capped UPS Next Day services for any order under 25 pounds in effect until Midnight on the 31st. You of course pay the lesser of those capped rates or our normal, already highly discounted rates when you order... Can't really beat free for UPS ground though.

Reminding all those last minute MacWorld Expo attendees that you can still get our Macworld Entry Pass and save $35. And for everyone who's gonna make it to MWSF next week, be sure to check our 'OWC Theater' presentation schedule, don't miss out on the chance for information and Q&A on a topic of interest! Really should be a blast! :)

And that's going be it this week, this year, almost... Please read on for the last Quick Tip, Reader Exclusive Specials, and Music on the Mac of the Year! Here's wishing everyone a SAFE and Happy New Year, see ya in 2004! Thanks for being a Tips n' Deals subscriber!

P.S. Thanks for all the feedback on the new format. It's made the difference, especially for specific quirks some e-mail apps have with HTML. Negative feedback yields a positive reaction, that being the squashing of the last bugs(I hope) and a font size increase too. Thanks again and again best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Recent Most Popular Deals&links:
Get first dibs on the latest goodies posted to the clearance page! ...Especially don't miss the 128MB DIMMs for 7300-9600 'Legacy' Macs....

Still units available, and lots of interest too in the Apple Trimedia Prototype Cards for $14.95, cool for collecting while they last.

Burn Music, Video, Data & More with a Pioneer DVD-+R/W,CD-R/W' SuperDrive' now at $133.00! Plug & Play, then burn with Apple iDVD, iTunes, Roxio Toast, Dragonburn, Etc.

OWC Neptune Complete 7200RPM FireWire Solution, 80GB Only $115

PowerLogix G3/900MHZ ZiFs your PowerMac G3 Up to Speed for $223.50

See OWC's hardware & software reviews, Quick Tips archive, & more - online here.
'For Macs Only' Nationwide Internet Access from less than $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 - Quiet & Cool Mirrored G4 Running!

In August of 2002, the new DDR PowerMac G4 'Mirroed Drive Door' models were received with true enthusiasm. Available with Dual 867MHz, 1GHz, or 1.25GHz processors (later to be offered with Dual 1.42GHz), Apple doubled everyone's pleasure making two G4s the base and at a price less than the base single processor G4 Quicksilver 2002 model had been. In addition, these machines were truly appreciated for the ample drive bay space so accommodating for maxing things out!

And then people discovered and began complaining about how loud they were. So much so that Apple did a $19.95 Fan/Power Supply 'upgrade'. While the fan in the power supply was quieter + you got the bonus of a backup power supply to keep, the noise problem still wasn't fully eliminated.

The real problem was the extra fans that kick on/speed up to reduce excess heat. Heat that especially was generated if you had extra hard drives and/or PCI cards installed.

OWC's Jamie came across an article explaining the solution to the problem. It's Apple's processor sluing technology you can find active in today's G5s and PowerBooks - that can be made active on those MDD G4s too! Without measurably affecting performance, processor sluing reduces heat by actively adjusting processor usage to application needs - and as Jamie will explain, it can significantly reduce heat generated and thus the need for those loud fans to kick on.

Jamie, with his very loaded up MDD G4, experienced a HUGE drop in operational temperature resulting in a major drop in fan operation. And with that, he has ENTHUSIASTICALLY documented this week's Quick Tip for everyone's benefit. :)

Remember you can also find our previous 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!

Memory Specials & Price Trend Report:
12/29/2003 Memory 'Watch': Not a lot to talk about. Good demand in the market is keeping prices either up or stable. Small increases in the future costs of both DDR and PC100/133 SDRam likely - except for the 1GB DDR Modules that should continue to slowly come down in cost. That's the our last OWC Memory insight 'report' for 2003. It's new year next week and maybe a new market too. :)

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

1GB PC3200 DDR400 Kit (512MB x 2) for PowerMac G5 1.8GHz, G5 Duals $169.00

2GB PC3200 DDR400 Kit (1GB x 2) for PowerMac G5 1.8GHz, G5 Duals $585.00
That's 2 1GB(1024MB) Modules - 4 Sets of these Max your G5 to 8GB!

512MB DDR PC2700 for ALL PowerMac G4 MDD 867-1.42GHz, G5/1.6GHz 75.00

512MB DDR-SO PC2700 for PowerBook G4 AL 12"/15"/17"; iMac G4/1.0-1.25GHz $109.00

512MB PC100/133 SO-DIMM for all iBooks and PowerBook G4 Titanium 15" Models $115.00

256MB SDRam all PowerMac G3 Models and PowerMac G4 'Yikes PCI $40.00

512MB SDRam PowerMacs G4/350-1GHz; G4 Cube; iMac G3/350-700MHz $108.00

256MB SO-DIMM for all iBooks, all PowerBook G4 Ti's, & iMac G4/700-800MHZ $41.00
This is a BELOW MARKET special - our overstock = your bonus deal!

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!

Bigger, Quieter, FASTER Drives for PowerBooks/iBooks!
FEATURE: 60GB 7200RPM Hitachi/IBM 2.5" 7K60 8MB Buffer 9.5mm HD $259.00

80GB 4200RPM Hitachi-IBM 2.5" 80GN 8MB Buffer 9.5mm HD $225.00

80GB 5400RPM Hitachi-IBM 2.5" 5K80 8MB Buffer 9.5mm HD $279.00
NoteBook Tip-Today's latest 4200RPM HDs are faster than a year ago's 5400RPM!

One of a kind deals and not so one of a kind clearance page deals! The hot deal is 128MB/64MB 5V Mac DIMM for 54/55/64/6500s; 7300-9600 Legacy Macs + Clones ONLY $18.00! Just listed with just over 500 to start... but I promise you, these will go VERY fast!

Add or replace a drive in your Desktop/Tower Mac for more space & Performance
Maxtor 60GB HD 7200RPM ATA/133 2MB Cache just $57.00!
HOT! 120GB 7200RPM IBM/Hitachi Deskstar 180GXP 3.5" only $99 HOT!
Super Size - Super Value 250GB Maxtor 3.5" 5400RPM HD only $189

-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 $67.95

-Deals on SCSI Drives/Controllers too

Apple/ATTO UL3D* Ultra160 DUAL CHANNEL 64 Bit PCI SCSI Controller **$75**
18.3GB WD 7200RPM for Macs with standard Internal 50 Pin SCSI $79.95

DVD-R/W and CD-R/RW:
Hot Dog! Pioneer 'SuperDrive' $133! Compatible with Apple iDVD, iTunes, Toast, Etc!
Need iDVD? Get the Apple iLife Bundle w/iDVD 3 and more for $42.95. At order checkout, enter coupon code 'DVDLIFE' when you buy iLife with the above Pioneer DVR-106 'SuperDrive' and save an additional $15!

Read & Write CDs FAST with OWC Mercury FireWire/USB 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 feature Pioneer we list. Includes Dantz Retrospect Express, DragonBurn, 5 Pieces DVD-R 4X Media, 25 Pieces 52X CD-R Media, All Cables & More.

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.

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!

Audio/Video Goodies:
ADS Instant DVD USB Audio/Video Capture to Mac + DVD/CD Authoring System $195
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.

Contour ShuttlePro USB MultiFunction A/V Control Device **$88.00**

Processor Upgrades Make to Make Your Mac Faster:
Upgrade your PowerMac G4 Fast Again-G4 AGP Sawtooth/Graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, & QuickSilver Models

OWC Mercury Extreme - 2MB L3 Cache, 30 Day Trial, -MacWorld Recommended-
G4/800MHZ $249.99 - G4/1GHz $349.00 - G4/1.33GHz $479.99 - G4/1.467GHz $565.00

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

Hit Warp 9 with a FAST ZIF Upgrade for your G3 Beige or G3 Blue&White PowerMac
OWC G4/450Mhz Now $159! Sonnet G4/500Mhz $199.95 PowerLogix G3/900MHz $223.50
Check out Sonnet G4/700MHz & G4/1GHz for PowerMac G3 Biege, from $347

-Upgrade PowerMac 72/73/75/76/85/86/85/95/9600s, Clones up to G4/800MHz from $149!
For Most PCI Macs: Sonnet G3/500MHz 1MB $169.95, G4/700MHz 1MB $267
Upgraded machines can even Run OS X, and Run it WELL - using XpostFacto!

-When you get right down to it, upgrading an existing machine makes sense for a lot of reasons. Getting a Rebate for your Old Processor just makes it better yet.

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

FireWire:
OWC Neptune FireWire Solutions are 'Value Done Right!
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 60GB FireWire $99.99
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 80GB FireWire $115
OWC Neptune 7200RPM 120GB FireWire $159.
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 $299.00
OWC Mercury Elite FireWire 400+USB 250GB 7200RPM w/8MB Buffer $319.00
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
Express 2.5" USB 2.0+1.1 Kit $25.00 or Express 2.5" FireWire911 $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-Pt 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 Full $39; Apple OS X 10.1.x Full $15; 10.2.x Full Install $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 X 'Panther' 10.3 Retail Box Version - $121.99

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 12/29/2003 - The Year's End

Happy New Year from macsales.com

As we turn a corner and move into 2004, I have had a chance to reflect on the past year here at macsales.com/music and the goings on in the wider world. First, let me say a big thank you to the many of you who have emailed with questions, comments and encouraging words. You, our customers, are the reason I come to work and I will continue to strive to add value to your shopping experience. A few have even written with corrections when the information I publish in the newsletter needed tweaking. To you I sayÉthanks for keeping me on my toes!

It has been an exciting year for Apple with the new products such as the G5 and the new G4 iBooks and OSX.3 to name a few. It is now more true than ever that extreme computing power and the most elegant OS for music , and everything else for that matter, is available for a price that is astounding when compared to just a few short years ago! There is no doubt that OSX Core Audio has become a very easy and stable way to make your computer into a powerful music creation workstation. The multitude of products that transform your new or not so new Mac (many of which we carry) is breathtaking and this is an exciting time in which you should feel empowered and inspired by your choices. As a composer, performer and producer I certainly do! From powerful and popular software such as REASON, Ableton LIVE and Pro Tools LE to convenient and portable tools like the M-audio Oxygen 8 keyboard/midi interface and Pro Tools MBox, the tools are definitely in your hands!

I have been here as Music Product Specialist at macsales.com for 11 quick months and I can say that it has been my pleasure to team up with a great group of people who really do care about providing something extra for you on a daily basis. We encourage you to post your comments and/or questions via our Mac Audio/Music Forum, a free service at www.macsales.com/music, so we can all help each other by sharing information and resources!

With the end of the war in Iraq (at least officially) , the capture of Saddam and an improving economy... hereŐs hoping that things will continue to move in a positive direction for us all in the new year.

P.S. - Hope to see you at MacWorld, maybe at a Mac Music Presentation.

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:
As I close the final Tips n' Deals of the Year of our Lord 2003, just want to wish everyone the very best and say thanks! May you all have a Happy New Year, and may 2004 be healthy and prosperous for you and yours. May it also be the year that finds resolution and positive conclusion to the many threats and conflicts faced by this world we all are a part of. God Bless our Troops and Veterans to whom much we owe for the Freedoms we enjoy this day and protected for tomorrow too. May 2004 truly be a 'Happy New Year'!

We Support our Troops _________________________________________________________________________
The 'fine print':

Contact Information+
++++++++++++++++++++
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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!

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