ProStyle Hardshell Sleeve 1
Company: Brenthaven
Price: $49.95 USD
When I purchased my first MacBook back in 2007, I immediately picked up a sleeve for it. First to protect it from wear and tear as I carried it around the house and elsewhere and also to maintain a bit of secrecy as I used it elsewhere as to what was inside.
Kinesis Freestyle 2 Ergonomic Keyboard
Company: Kinesis Corporation
Version: Freestyle2
Compatible with: Macs; separate version available for Windows
Requires: USB port, Mac OS X 10.4 or later for full functionality
Price: $109.00 for keyboard, $40.00 for VIP3 Accessory Kit
The Kinesis Freestyle2 keyboard is an ergonomic split keyboard that works flawlessly with Macs. It takes absolutely nothing more than plugging it in to set it up. If your brain and hands can wrap themselves around having a split keyboard, this one is wonderful.
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BatMac is no more. Listen to the harrowing story of a MacBook Pro’s last few minutes of life. Tim’s iPhone also attempts a swan dive in an Ikea parking lot to put the Zero Chroma Teatro-S case to the test. Plus, Tim and David look at the iPhone 5 and all-new iPod Nano.
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A huge week of Apple related happenings on both the Macintosh and iOS fronts. Tim and David discuss that, Vizio making a push into the computer market, and the possibility of the XPad!
Links:
TV Maker Vizio Launches First Laptops and All-in-One PCs
Microsoft to Build Its Own Windows 8 Tablet?
Thule Crossover Backpack
Thule
Price: $129.95
The Thule Crossover Backpack is elegantly constructed with lots of storage and a crush proof compartment. The backpack weighs 2.75 pounds which may be the only drawback for daily use. The $129.95 price is indicative of the quality of construction which is consistent with Thule products.
Thule is marketing this backpack for Apple’s 17 inch MacBook Pro and iOS devices. There is an elevated laptop compartment perfectly designed for the MacBook Pro, a sleeve for the iPad, and plush lined pockets for iPod or mobile phone storage. The lockable crush proof SafeZone compartment can be used to store fragile gear like sunglasses. The main compartment is roomy enough for books and bulky items. There is a Shove-it Pocket that provides external storage that is deep enough for a newspaper and Thule claims could accommodate a jacket. In my opinion, a windbreaker may fit but a jacket or sweater would be a tight fit. Other features of the backpack include water resistant nylon fabric with padded shoulder straps and grab handle, a bottom zippered pocket for additional storage of small accessories, a front storage compartment for easy access items, and a side external pocket that can stretch to fit a water bottle.
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Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac
Logitech
$50 US
This new solar-powered wireless keyboard is almost perfect. It works great, but it has some perfectly annoying “features.”
There is no printed manual or full set of Internet instructions. Its web site is incomplete. No built-in indent on the keyboard is provided for storage and travel with its USB dongle. There is no way to know when the caps lock key is activated.
Aside from those four minuses, Logitech has done a stellar job with engineering and design of its new Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac. Solar and ambient light battery charging are effortless. So is power management using a free software download. Battery efficiency is exceptional.
Level8 Backpack & MacBook Protective Sleeve
Company: Level8
Atlas Backpack, 15″ Protective Sleeve
Price: 15″ & 17″ Atlas Backpack – $99.99 USD, 15″ Protective Sleeve – $49.99 USD
As a teacher who carries his MacBook Pro and iPad 2 to school each day, finding a decent laptop bag is a real priority for me. Without a doubt, the readers of this article are fans of Apple’s amazing, yet pricey products. Protecting that investment while maintaining functionality is important for people who want to maximize their productivity. I think I’ve finally found my solution after using Level8′s Atlas Backpack and 15″ Protective Sleeve for the past month. Continue reading »
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Habla Espanola? Never mind. The Gmen talk about some of details of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Guy praises Macs4u.com for their great service regarding his Mac Pro. They dissect the newly released MacBook Pros and talk a bit about some new 2nd generation device that Apples seems to think is SOOOOO important. Some tablet thing or other. We still think it’s just a fad.
Contact info: Drop us a line and let us know you want to be on the show. Gaz and Guy on Twitter, guy@mymac.com and gaz@mymac.com, or our Skype direct number 703-436-9501. Also go into iTunes and leave some feedback.
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David drinks way too much caffeine and runs away with the show. Happy to be lazy, Tim sits back and simply directs traffic. Topics include: XOOM, GameLoft and Tim inserting foot in mouth, Lion Server, and Thunderbolt!
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We had to start twice this time as Tim Robertson called with great news! The MyMac and TechFan Podcasts will be teaming up at the 2011 Macworld Expo on the Main Stage on Saturday January 26th at noon! Andreas Zeitt from the Screencasts Online site joins us to talk about screencasts and how he does them. Guy erases the hard drive in his MacBook Pro and hopes he can get it all together before leaving for the Macworld Expo.
TechFan Podcast!?
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Bill Paterson from Toronto joins Gaz and Guy as a listener invite to talk about his experiences with the Mac and other Apple tech (and the joys of not owning a car!). John Nemo asks the GMen if this is this a good time to buy a MacBook Pro and some first impressions of iLife 11.
Gaz and Guy on Twitter,feedback@mymac.com, or our Skype direct number 703-436-9501.
I’m sure by now you’ve probably read countless reviews about the new line of unibody MacBook Pros. Maybe even drooled a little, were you lucky enough to get your hands on one at a nearby Apple store. I won’t bore you now with details of its long list of attributes, not that some or most of them aren’t true.
Instead, I’m going to give you a working account of how the MacBook Pro stands up in the workplace, and the delights and difficulties of switching from a MacBook to a MacBook Pro.
Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter To HDMI 1080p Video w/ Digital Audio
Company: Kanex, Inc.
Price: $69.99
http://kanexlive.com
Apple’s incorporation of the Mini DisplayPort in its newer computers has produced big changes for people who wish to send video and audio-out signals from the Macs to drive their HD televisions with an HDMI signal. Currently, the Unibody MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and iMac all use Mini DisplayPort.
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invisibleSHIELD for MacBook Pro full body version
Company: Zagg, Inc.
$54.95
http://www.invisibleshield.com
After my laudatory review of the BodyGuardz protective film for iPhone, the Weeks Division of MyMac Labs received an email requesting a review from a competing film manufacturer, Zagg, Inc. requesting a MyMac.com evaluation of their invisibleSHIELD film product. I was curious to see what other film products were like, so a MacBook Pro 15″ full body kit was shipped posthaste to our Tucson laboratory.
At first glance, the invisibleSHIELD film appears similar to the BodyGuardz film, but at 2 millimeters thick, it’s thicker than the iPhone BodyGuardz film.
Zagg says that invisibleSHIELD is made of the same anti-erosion plastic that’s used to protect helicopter blades and the leading edges of propellors. Be that as it may, my first impression was that it looks and feels very strong. Zagg has videos of the material being tortured on their Web site.
Bookendz Docking Station for 13” MacBook
BookEndz Limited
Price: $159
http://www.bookendzdocks.com
Back on Podcast 153, Tim and Owen reminisced about the Apple PowerBook Duo line of computers. These machines were available from 1994-1996, and were very small laptop computers without the usual collection of ports and built-in drives. They could be placed in a separately available DuoDock, that added all the missing ports and devices, as well as a larger hard drive, and of course a fixed power supply and a proper monitor. As such, the concept was a full desktop Mac that allowed the most important parts to be removed and used as a laptop.
Wind forward twelve years, and technological development has certainly caught up with the concept! Today’s portable Macs are as fully featured and functional as any desktop machine – in fact, parts of the Mac desktop line-up have embraced the design and implementation of the portable systems – the Mac Mini is a MacBook in a desktop case! Accordingly, many people have a MacBook or a MacBook Pro as their only Mac.
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A special weekend edition of the podcast looking at Leopard. First up, Tim talks about installing the new Mac OS on both his G5 and Macbook Pro machines. Robert chimes in from his cell phone twice, once about buying Leopard, and again with his first impressions after installing it on an older iBook G4. Finally, John Nemo records four interviews from the Apple store, a really fun segment!
We would LOVE some of your feedback on Leopard. Send us an email here, or simply call 1-801-938-5559 and leave a message.
Sleevz and ScreenSavrz for MacBook and MacBook Pro
Radtech
http://www.radtech.us
Keeping your MacBook or MacBook Pro looking shiny and new isn’t easy. As amazing as Apple’s laptops look when new, the speed with which they get marked and scratched can be equally amazing. Part of the problem is the materials used. The paint finish used on the Titanium-series PowerBooks simply didn’t stick to the underlying metal and plastic, with the inevitable result that paint would scratch or flake away remarkably quickly. Later PowerBooks were better, and the current MacBook Pro series is relatively scratch-resistant, but they can still get marked and dinged if carried about in a rucksack or briefcase. More serious perhaps is damage to the LCD. Again, design is a factor as much as misuse. The sheer thinness of the modern portable computer means that (when closed at least) the gap between the LCD and the keyboard is minimal. Accidental bumps cause the keys to touch the screen, at the least letting grease from your fingers get onto the LCD and at worst actually causing unsightly scratches. Apple is usually reticent about replacing screens that are scratched this way, regardless of whether or not the design of the machine is the cause of the problem, and unfortunately for the owner, removing the scratches is basically impossible short of replacing the screen itself.
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John Nemo kicks off the conversation:
Apple is promoting its MacBook for consumers, which makes sense due to the modest size and price relative to its set of features. A basic MacBook sells for $700 less in U.S. dollars than the least expensive MacBook Pro, or $800 less when you factor in an AppleCare three-year warranty (which MyMac.com strongly recommends).
For buyers over the age of 40, that extra expense can be a bargain. As we age our eyes and brains prefer a larger screen area. Keys that illuminate in low or dark ambient room lighting are a bonus. Typing keys are engineered to a higher standard, with more tactile response. Trackpad and mouse are larger, and palm rest areas are more spacious. Audio playback is better, with larger on-board speakers. A second FireWire port, with faster FW800, is very useful. Weight and size are only marginally larger on a 15″ MacBook Pro than on a 13″ MacBook.
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Got iPads?
In the past, many teachers have brought a laptop of some sort with them to access e-mail, take notes during sessions and access the Internet. For the past several years, the number of people bringing laptops with them to the conference has grown noticeably larger — until this year.
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