Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2005.05.13
This Week's Apple and Desktop Mac News
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. iPod news is
covered in The iNews Review.
News & Opinion
Tips
Tech Trends
New Products
News & Opinion
Apple Ends DIY Repair Procedure
hardmac.com's Lionel
says:
"Though many reports from our readers were very positive, it
appears that several Apple Certified Resellers received Macs
partially repaired, or even definitely damaged.
"This must be the reason why Apple decided to stop this system
with the new revision of iMac. Except for fancoolers, it won't be
possible to get parts directly from Apple. The computer must be
repaired by an Agreed Apple Center."
After the Mac mini, Is There Still a Market for
Used Macs?
mymac.com's Neale Monks
says:
"In a recent Podcast, MyMac.com editor Tim Robertson mentioned
the fact that the introduction of the Mac Mini might well have made
my recent Scroll Down Book "Buying Used Macs" somewhat obsolete.
The argument boils down to this: with the Mac Mini offering
Internet connectivity, enough horsepower to run most home and
office software, and support for all the modern USB and FireWire
peripherals, is there really any need to buy a used Mac at all?
After all, for $500 you not only get a fast, modern Mac that should
work well with the keyboard, mouse, and monitor you already have,
but you also get peace of mind knowing your purchase comes with a
twelve month warranty and compatibility with the Mac OS for at
least the next couple of years.
"Bolstering Tim's argument was his observation that sales of
used Macs on eBay
seem to have been depressed
for a while, with Macs that might have sold briskly a year ago now
sitting around for days without being bid on. But is this
observation really to do with the Mac Mini? Is this really the end
of used Mac market?
"I don't think so."
Buy a Mac mini or Upgrade Your Cube?
ATPM's Matthew
Glidden says:
"Apple recently introduced its new kid on the block, the
Mac mini. The tiny size and
quiet operation immediately recalled my veteran and familiar
Cube, chugging away on the
desktop, a model long since discontinued.
"The Cube's small, silent concept kept it appealing long after
the development of bigger, meaner Macs. 'Sure,' my internal user
would say, 'they're faster, but how about those fans? Imagine the
racket! Ah, peace and quiet.'
"The Mini rattled my smug internal user with its low price and
superior form factor. Was it time to trade in the Cube and shrink
the desktop even further? It was probably an illusion, but my Cube
suddenly felt older and slower. To forestall the inevitable, I let
my internal user shop for upgrade options."
Purple Mac mini Drive and Case Mod
MacMod contributor Adam Eberbach
says:
"When the mini was first released I was kind of disappointed to
learn it had a laptop drive. Slow, low capacity and expensive to
upgrade! I did a little research and decided an adapter was needed.
Since I could find none for sale, I designed one. My first project
was to build a mini server in a PC case with two 250GB drives
mirrored - kind of kludgey, as it used two power supplies and was
way too big and noisy even at mini-ATX size. Shortly after I picked
up a 'mystic' G4 400MHz gig-E machine and since the mini no longer
needed to do server duty I could revise the mini modification. This
is the story of the purple mini."
Mac mini Carputer
Custom truck mods says:
"I had plans to set up the factory kit to accommodate an Apple
iPod. Then I got to thinking, the iPod I'd need to hold all my
songs hasn't been made yet - a 60GB iPod photo would just barely
make it. At that cost, it's actually cheaper to buy a Mac Mini... I
know, there are a lot of additional costs with the latter, but work
with me here. The ideas started to flow; music, movies, GPS, WiFi
browsing and Email, video recording... My mind was made up pretty
quickly. Another nice feature is that I can pull into the driveway
and sync up to the server to download new MP3s via WiFi and a
custom rsync script. As an avid photographer, having some place to
dump tons of images from a Flash Card or Microdrive without worry
of having the laptop handy is icing on the cake....
"Getting the Mac Mini was the easy part. Now for all the other
bits that'll actually make it work in an automotive environment. I
didn't care for wireless transmitters to get the audio from the Mac
Mini to the head unit and amp so something wired was called for -
to get the best quality. Sadly the stock head unit doesn't have
pre-amp inputs which meant the only real option I had was an FM
modulator."
PowerLogix G3 and G4 Upgrades Are
Tiger-friendly
PR: Anyone who already owns or is planning to purchase a
PowerLogix G3 or G4 upgrade will not have to worry whether it is
compatible with Apple Computer's latest operating system OS X
Tiger. The answer is an emphatic yes.
Other World Computing (OWC) is happy to offer completely
Tiger-friendly PowerLogix upgrades
via its website.
"We don't want people to worry that if they are using a
PowerLogix processor they can't upgrade to Tiger, because they
can," said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC. "PowerLogix
processors, whether already installed or being considered, will not
only work with but enhance the performance of Apple's latest
operating system."
PowerLogix's G4 upgrades are available in speeds of 1 Gigahertz
(GHz) to Dual G4/1.8GHz and priced as low as $179. Upgrades are
compatible with PowerMac G4 AGP Graphics (aka Sawtooth), Gigabit
Ethernet, Digital Audio, QuickSilver and Cube Apple models.
PowerLogix's G3 ZIF upgrades are available in speeds of 1GHz and
1.1GHz with 1MB 1:1 L2 Cache from $229, and are compatible with
PowerMac G3 Beige, G3 Blue&White and G4 'Yikes' PCI Apple
models.
A PowerLogix Pismo G3/900MHz Upgrade with 1MB 1:1 L2 Cache is
offered for $349.
Cache enabling software is required for ZIF, Pismo, Lombard,
Wallstreet and PCI upgrades and is available free of charge at
<http://www.macsales.com/PLTIGER>
Tips
iMac G5 Parts You Can Install Yourself
An updated Apple
Knowledge Base article says:
"Think you need a new part? You can replace many of your iMac G5
and iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor) computer's parts yourself.
"The iMac G5 computers are designed to make it easy for you to
install replacement parts if you need to. The parts you can install
yourself are:
- AirPort Extreme Card (original iMac G5 only)
- Memory - DDR 400 MHz (PC3200) SDRAM
- Hard drive
- Optical drive
- Power supply
- LCD display
- Inverter
- Upper fans
- Lower fan (17-inch iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor) only)
"The Mid-plane assembly for the original iMac G5 includes the
main logic board, the G5 processor, modem card, lower fan,
input/output ports, AirPort antenna, built-in Bluetooth module and
antenna (if the computer has Bluetooth capability). If any of these
parts require service, please see an Authorized Service
Provider."
Mad Mac mini Multimedia Machine, Part 1:
Load Linux on the Mac mini
IBM Developerworks'
Lewin Edwards says:
"The Mac mini is an ideal low-cost, high-performance PowerPC
development platform for numerous applications. Learn how to
install and configure Linux on the mini. Future articles will add
the software required to make it into a stand-alone multimedia
appliance.
"This short series of articles shows you how to take a
conveniently inexpensive, high-end PowerPC platform (specifically,
an Apple Mac mini) and build it into a home multimedia appliance
using Linux. At the end of the series, you'll have a stand-alone
device that can play slide shows of images, audio, and movies, and
that is controlled and administered from another machine using a
standard Web browser.
"The PowerPC platform is very well-suited to this type of
multimedia application, and the G4 with AltiVec used in the Mac
mini is an exceptionally powerful and flexible choice. This first
article introduces you to the hardware's capabilities and walks you
through installing and configuring Yellow Dog Linux so you can
delve into some application code in the next article."
Tech Trends
Hitachi Boosts Notebook Drive
Performance to Desktop Replacement Level
PR: Hitachi
Global Storage Technologies has set a new notebook
performance record, announcing today worldwide availability of the
fastest 2.5" hard drive for mobile applications. The 7200 RPM
Travelstar 7K100 is first to market with desktop-class performance
on a 2.5" hard drive for notebook systems such as Dell's Inspiron
XPS Gen 2 system.
With 100 gigabytes(2) of storage capacity, the Travelstar 7K100
is bigger, faster, and stronger than its award-winning predecessor,
creating an industrial-strength notebook hard drive. Hitachi's
second-generation 7200 RPM 2.5" product offers a 67%
storage-capacity increase and a 33% performance improvement
(sustained data transfer rate) over the previous generation. In
addition, a 50% improvement in operating shock tolerance gives
users greater system reliability and data integrity. Within its
class, the 7K100 features industry-leading 300 Gs and 1000 Gs
operating and nonoperating shock specifications, respectively.
"Hitachi created the 7200 RPM notebook hard drive segment in
2003 to give mobile users a performance rush; based on strong
demand, we are now bringing an even more powerful product to the
market," said Bill Healy, senior vice president, product strategy
and marketing, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "We've learned
much about the 7200 RPM notebook hard drives over the past several
years and have applied that experience to create the quintessential
performance product."
Users of notebook systems that employ the Travelstar 7K100 as
the leading-edge storage component will experience a marked
performance improvement in a variety of computing activities:
Windows XP startup, application loading, copying files and general
HDD usage (playing an MP3 file, viewing pictures, browsing the
Internet, etc.). Hitachi's benchmark testing of the 7K100 during
these activities shows a 25% faster performance over the fastest
competitive 2.5" 5400 RPM drive on the market (comparisons were
made to 5400 RPM drives as no competitive 7200 RPM 2.5" drives were
available for testing at time of announcement).
The heightened level of performance, higher capacity and
ruggedness on the 7K100 are intended to give greater mobility to
power users who have traditionally looked to desktop systems for
premium functionality. These include PC gamers, graphic arts
designers, digital video editors, computer-aided-design engineers,
as well as general users who demand the latest and best that
notebook technology has to offer.
The Travelstar 7K100 significantly outperforms competitive
notebook hard drives as well as some 3.5" desktop drives. In fact,
Hitachi benchmark testings have shown as much as a 7-percent faster
performance rate when compared against 7200 RPM desktop drives with
a 2-megabyte cache.
"The leadership attributes that define the Travelstar 7K100 are
indicative of the deep R&D resources we apply to our entire
2.5" hard drive product line," Healy added.
As the architect for the performance-focused 7200 RPM 2.5" hard
drive segment, Hitachi has been working to grow the market and seed
acceptance among users. Since mid-2003 when the category was
launched, Hitachi has seen a notable shift toward higher-performing
notebook systems due to a growing sophistication in the user base
and to the aggressive movement to wireless computing. In response,
Hitachi is actively planning to support this growth trend and
expects to significantly expand its production of 7200 RPM 2.5"
drives by the end of 2005.
"Notebook computer manufacturers are sensitive to the growing
demand for more disk drive performance and capacity, and the
Hitachi 7K100 responds to that demand," said John Donovan, vice
president, TrendFOCUS. "While the 7200 RPM segment for notebooks is
still a relatively small one, Hitachi's continued technology
advancements will do much to accelerate the growth of this
category."
To provide a broader set of options for customers, Hitachi has
increased the number of capacity points in its 7200 RPM offering to
60, 80 and 100 GB. The Travelstar 7K100 PATA model is now shipping
to customers worldwide in all capacities. Hitachi will also deliver
a SATA version with 1.5 Gbits/second interface transfer rate in
July. In addition, an enhanced availability (E7K100) model,
offering 24x7 availability for blade server applications, will
follow later this summer. All Travelstar 7K100 models are ROHS
compliant.
Could be perfect for the Mac mini!
Hitachi, Fujitsu Tout 100 GB
Notebook Drives
IDG News Service's Martyn
Williams reports:
"Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and Fujitsu have both begun
shipping new notebook hard drives that offer more storage capacity
and better performance over previous models, they said this
week.
"Both drives, Hitachi's Travelstar 7K100 series and Fujitsu's
MHV2100BH, are 2.5-inch types and are available with a maximum
capacity of 100GB."
New Products
USB 2.0 Mini Drive Kit Matches Mac mini,
Accepts Standard 3.5" Hard Drive
PR: ADS Tech
has announced a new Mini Drive Kit, the latest addition to its line
of USB products. The Mini Drive Kit is a plug-and-play device that
enables Mac and Windows PC users to quickly and easily increase
their storage capacity by turning the hard drive that best meets
their needs into a portable USB 2.0 drive. Gigabytes of removable
storage can be added by simply plugging an IDE Ultra DMA 33/66 or
ATA-100/133 hard disk drive into the ADS Tech Native Bridge Board
inside the drive kit's enclosure.
Designed with the same sleek look and feel of the new Mac mini,
the stackable ADS Tech's Mini Drive Kit also offers the same small
form factor as the Mac mini - it is just 6.5" square and less than
2" high.
When plugged into the USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port of a computer, the
Mini Drive Kit is instantly recognized; there's no need to
configure the drive or reboot the system.
With a cost-effective solution for adding Gigabytes of removable
storage to their new minicomputer or laptop without opening the
computer case, consumers, students and business people can expand
the capabilities of their Macs and PCs to achieve new levels of
convenience and productivity.
- Users can get started by transferring files from their desktop
system to the drive kit and plugging it into their new minicomputer
or laptop.
- Consumers can turn their minicomputer into a digital
entertainment hub that looks attractive in their living room and
takes up very little space.
- Business users can share data by plugging the drive kit into
the USB port of a co-worker's computer.
- Content developers can edit video on location because the Mini
Drive Kit supports sustained transfer rates up to 35 MB/Sec. Since
digital video only requires 3.9 MB/sec., there's plenty of speed
remaining for other tasks.
- Students can store and transfer volumes of data between their
home computer and the computer they use at school.
All of these users, including mobile users, can use ADS Tech's
Simple Touch(TM) Backup Button on the front of the drive kit to
backup entire folders or selected files with a single click. By
using the Intech utilities for PCs and Macs that is included with
the drive kit, automatic backups can be scheduled.
ADS Tech's versatile USB 2.0 Mini Drive Kit is externally
powered with a power supply that provides both 5 and 12 volts to
the drive. A lighted rear power toggle switch and a hard drive
activity light are included to help users quickly determine drive
access. For security, the Mini Drive Kit offers advanced micro-slot
protection (to keep the drive from "walking away") and
compatibility with both Anchor Pad and Kensington Locks.
ADS Tech's new USB 2.0 Mini Drive Kit can be used with Windows
98SE, Me, 2000, and XP systems as well as Mac OS X systems. A
Windows 2000 or XP system with USB 2.0 drivers from Microsoft is
required for USB 2.0 speeds. The Mini Drive Kit will be available
through ADS Tech's network of online and retail channels worldwide
with estimated street price of US$59. It includes the USB 2.0 Drive
Enclosure, a 9" USB white cable and a 5" USB white cable, a
5-Volt/12-volt Power Supply and a CD with Intech's Utilities for PC
and Mac systems.
MCE 8x DVD±R/RW Dual Layer SuperDrive
Upgrade for Mac mini
PR: The new MCE 8x DVD±R/RW
SuperDrive upgrade with Double Layer Support for the
Mac mini allows users to author
professional-quality DVDs as well as create, store, and share their
collections of videos, music and photography. Plus, the discs
produced by this fast, highly reliable drive are compatible with
most computer and set-top DVD video players and other DVD burners -
so video and data DVDs created using this drive can be shared with
business associates, friends, and family quickly and easily.
Are you looking to share your inspired video creations with
others, but you don't have a DVD burner on your Mac mini? Look no
further... MCE Technologies has made its highest performing
slot-loading CD and DVD burning drive available for the Mac mini.
Replacing your computer's original optical drive, the MCE
slot-loading drive allows you to watch DVD movies, play audio CDs,
as well as burn blank CDs and blank DVDs at the highest speeds
possible. Compatible with iTunes and recording at 24x to both CD-R
and CD-RW media and at 8x to both DVD-R and DVD+R media the MCE 8x
Internal SuperDrive upgrade has true Double Layer support, which
means you now have the ability to record up to 8.5GB of data on a
single side of a Double Layer DVD.
The additional storage capacity of the DVD+R Double Layer disc
enables you to record up to 4 hours of DVD-quality video or 16
hours of VHS-quality video, without the need to turn over the disc.
You can now archive up to 8.5GB of computer files on a single disc,
which almost doubles the storage capacity compared with the 4.7GB
for the single-layer DVD-recordable discs currently available.
You may have the MCE 8x SuperDrive Upgrade for Mac mini
professionally installed into your computer by MCE Technologies or
one of our worldwide Authorized Upgrade Centers, or if you prefer,
you may install it yourself (which is priced higher, but you get to
keep your original internal optical drive).
Features
- 8x DVD-R and DVD+R recorder
- 4x DVD-RW and DVD+RW recorder
- 2.4x DVD+R Double Layer recorder
- Convenient slot-loading mechanism
- 2MB Cache Buffer
- Buffer underrun protection
- Bootable
- Compatible with iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto and Disc Burner
The Double Layer DVD+R system uses two thin embedded organic dye
films for data storage separated by a spacer layer (see figure).
Heating with a focused laser beam irreversibly modifies the
physical and chemical structure of each layer such that the
modified areas have different optical properties to those of their
unmodified surroundings. This causes a variation in reflectivity as
the disc rotates to provide a read-out signal as with commercially
pressed read-only discs. Did you get all that?? It just means that
there are two recording layers inside the DVD instead of just one
. . . two layers means twice the recording capacity! Now
wasn't that easier?
Not every disc is created equal. The MCE 8x SuperDrive Upgrade
implements an on-board liquid crystal tilt/thickness compensator...
the first time ever in a portable form factor. This cutting edge
technology provides accurate, reliable read and write performance
with a variety of disc characteristics, even with irregularly
curved or thick/thin media. This technology is also effective in
recording DVD+R double layer media.
Specifications
- Read Support: DVD DVD-ROM, DVD-VIDEO, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R,
DVD+RW & DVD+R DL*2, CD CD-ROM(Mode 1&2), CD-ROM XA, CD-DA,
Video CD, PhotoCD, CD EXTRA, CD-Text, CD-R, CD-RW
- Write Speed
- DVD-R 8x
- DVD-RW 4x
- DVD+R 8x
- DVD+RW 4x
- DVD+R DL*2 2.4x
- CD-R 24x
- CD-RW 24x
- Read Speed
- DVD Max 8x CAV
- CD-ROM Max 24x CAV
- Data Buffer (size): 2 MBytes
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 128mm x 12.7mm x 129mm
- Weight: 200g
Supported Media:
- DVD-R (Version 2.0 for General), 4x-Speed DVD-R, 8x-Speed
DVD-R
- DVD-RW (Version 1.0, 1.1, 1.2), 2X-Speed DVD-RW, 4x-Speed
DVD-RW
- DVD+R, 4x-Speed DVD+R, 8x-Speed DVD+R,
- DVD+RW,4x-Speed DVD+RW
- DVD+R DL
- CD-R, Multi-Speed CD-RW, High-Speed CD-RW, Ultra-Speed
CD-RW
- DVD-RAM and Ultra-Speed + CD-RW are not supported.
The MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive Upgrade with Double Layer support
is compatible with all versions of Mac OS X, including Tiger, and
is seamlessly compatible with Apple's iApps including iTunes, iDVD,
and iPhoto. In addition, it is compatible with Finder Burning and
DVD Studio Pro, Apple's professional DVD Authoring software.
Once installed, a quick check of Apple System Profiler indicates
that the MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive upgrade with Double Layer
support is already supported natively by the Mac OS. No third-party
drivers to download and hassle with. This native Mac OS support is
your guarantee that your MCE 8x drive is 100% compatible with all
current and future Mac OS updates and versions.
Now you can record up to 4 hours instead of 2 hours of the
highest quality DVD video on a single disc. Or store 8.5 gigabytes,
equaling about 12 fully recorded CD-Rs, instead of just 4.7
gigabytes, on a single-sided DVD. Double Layer recording technology
built into the MCE 8x Internal SuperDrive upgrade makes it
possible.
30 Day Money Back Guarantee
System Requirements: Mac mini running Mac OS 10.3 (or later)
Self Installation or MCE Installation Starting Below $149.
Belkin's New USB and FireWire Hubs Designed to
Match Mac mini
PR: Belkin
Corporation announces new USB and FireWire hubs that offer
additional ports and that are specifically engineered to stack on
top of or below the Mac mini - helping to save valuable desktop
space. The Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-Port Hub and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and
FireWire 6-Port Hub for Mac mini feature front ports that give easy
access to USB devices such as thumb drives and the iPod shuffle.
Both Hubs will begin shipping in North America on July 15,
2005.
This hub allows you to connect
up to four high-speed devices to your Mac mini. Two USB 2.0 ports
located on the front of the Hub provide fast and easy connectivity
for USB thumb drives, media readers, digital cameras, and small
accessories such as the Apple(R) iPod and iPod shuffle.
Benefits
- Adds four 480Mbps downstream ports
- Works with Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 (low- and full-speed)
devices
- Offers compatibility with iPod(R), iPod shuffle, printers,
digital cameras, and thousands of other USB devices
Ideal for the iPod, iPod shuffle, Mac mini, and other USB
devices, this Hub features a total of two FireWire ports and four
USB 2.0 ports. A single USB and a FireWire port are located on the
front of the Hub to give you easy access to USB thumb drives, media
readers, and small accessories such as the Apple iPod and iPod
shuffle.
Benefits
- Provides a low-profile, space-saving platform for stacking your
Mac mini
- Combines FireWire and USB technologies in one easy
installation
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 6-Port Hub for Mac mini -
$49.95
MiniView Micro USB Plus KVM Switch
PR: Introducing the two port MiniView
Micro USB Plus KVM switch from IOGear - the simplest way to
simultaneously run and share audio among two computers with a
single USB keyboard, monitor, and USB mouse.
This self-powered KVM switch features the unique USB sniffing
technology for USB mouse and keyboard emulation to ensure smooth
operation, as well as support for Plug-n-Play monitors and most
wheel mice. Our patented VSE Video Signal Enhancement®
technology provides rich, 32-bit color at resolutions up to 2048 x
1536.
Another big plus is the MiniView's capability to
provide audio support, it allows you to share your multimedia
speakers among the two connected computers.
This switch also offers multi-platform support; it's compatible
with Windows and Mac computers as well as Sun Solaris workstations.
IOGear delivered a huge breakthrough in KVM operation to Mac and
Sun users by enabling functionality for the special keys on these
systems. When using a PC keyboard, a special set of hot keys are
designed to emulate the special keys on Mac and Sun machines.
With 6' long KVM cables molded into the MiniView Micro USB Plus,
all you need to do is to plug it into your computers and you've got
a complete KVM solution from IOGear.
Features
- Use one USB keyboard, monitor and USB mouse to control two USB
computers
- 6' long molded-in cables to simplify setup
- Share your multimedia speakers among the two connected
computers
- Full support for Mac and Sun systems
- Supports special keys on Mac and Sun keyboards
- Port selection through convenient Hot Keys
- USB sniffing technology allows complete USB mouse and keyboard
emulation for error-free boot-up
- Plug-n-Play monitor support
- Support video resolutions up to 2048 x 1536
- No software required
- Built in AutoScan mode
- LEDs allow for easy status monitoring
- 3 Year Limited Warranty
System requirements:
- Computers with a USB connection and HDDB15 VGA connection
- Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP
- Mac OS 8.6 or greater
- Sun Solaris work station
- Linux, UNIX and other USB supported systems
- Additional drivers and support may be needed
- Audio: Only support 2-piece, powered speakers systems
KMremoteControl
PR: If you have more than one PC/Windows and/orMac OS X
computers on your desk, complete with monitors, and ...
- you'd like to always use your preferred keyboard and mouse
(regardless of whether it's PC or Mac)
- you'd like more usable space on your desk
- you're tired of constantly shuffling back and forth between Mac
PC systems
- your systems all have monitors and you can see all the
monitors
... then KMremoteControl
is for you!
Think about it . . . LCD monitors have become real
inexpensive . . . so why waste time futzing with a KVM
switch? Just get another monitor and use KMremoteControl
. . . much more useful.
KMremoteControl delivers the following benefits:
- lets you use your preferred keyboard and mouse
- increases your comfort (may reduce repetitive stress
injuries)
° increases your productivity
- lets you recover the space used by multiple keyboards, mice and
mousepads
- saves you money . . . no need to buy that KVM
switch
- keeps you mobile . . . no need to lug around that KVM
switch
- lets you use your preferred seating position and location
- use the location that provides the best lighting
- stop shuffling back and forth . . . save your
carpet!
- when used in conjunction with ClipCommControl :
- automatically transfers the clipboard when controlling Mac OS X
systems
- especially useful for laptop users
KMremoteControl has the following features and capabilities:
- use the keyboard and mouse on one PC/Windows or Mac OS X system
to "remote control" other PC/Windows and/or Mac OS X systems
- use the keyboard/mouse on a PC to control other PCs and/or
Macs
- use the keyboard/mouse on a Mac to control other Macs and/or
PCs
- remote controlling another system is quickly
activated/deactivated via a "hotkey"
- you define the hotkey you prefer
- the hotkey acts as a "toggle" to both activate, then deactivate
the "remote controlling"
- options can enable "activate and show"/"deactivate and hide" to
keep KMremoteControl available, but out of the way when it's not in
use
- Mac remote controlling another system can be
activated/deactivated via "edge-detection"
- you define the physical arrangement of your systems
- hitting the screen edge with the mouse pointer acts as a
"toggle" to both activate, then deactivate the "remote controlling"
(won't de-activate on PC)
- provides platform-based authentication
- you configure whether a system requires authentication to be
remotely controlled (required by default)
- uses the normal Windows and OS X login mechanisms
- requires no additional user-account setup/maintenance
- encrypts your login password before sending over the network (a
later release will support secure/SSL communications)
- Mac secure communications, via SSL, can be used for all
communications (Mac-to-Mac)
- helps you authenticate on the system being controlled
- during a session, remembers the login and password so multiple
activations with the same controlled system are "painless" and
quicker
- when using a Mac OS X platform to remote control, uses the
Keychain to store and supply passwords for all your controlled
systems
- has a similar interface on both PC/Windows and Mac OS X
- uses each platforms standard user-interface elements
- increases the ease of use
- setup and operation is easy and operation is capable but
understandable
- follow the simple installation and setup instructions in the
ReadMe
- no need to learn a bunch of terms like server, client, and
host
- systems can be remote controlled after restarts
- the networking port number can be changed to avoid
conflicts
- ° some other networking attributes are also adjustable
- Mac supports the use of "hotkeys" (e.g., application switcher
keys) on the system being controlled (note that this is always
supported without any extra capabilities on a PCPC/Windows
system)
- Mac supports single-button mouse operation when controlling a
PCPC/Windows system by allowing a right-mouse to be sent instead of
a control-click
- Mac KMremoteControl's windows can be made transparent when
controlling or the controlling system's screen can be blackened
when controlling
- Mac when used in conjunction with ClipCommControl, will
automatically synchronize clipboards when operating between Mac OS
X systems
And don't worry . . . although KMremoteControl needs
your system to be connected to a network, we'll take care of the
rest:
- you don't need to understand concepts like "servers" and
"clients" and "hosts" . . . oh my! (we don't use these
terms)
- you don't have to be a "geek" to get it working (but, of
course, fellow "geeks" will also find it easy)
System requirements:
KMremoteControl supports both PC/Windows and Mac OS X, including
cross-platform operation.
KMremoteControl runs on Windows 2000/XP and MacOS X
10.2.x/10.3.x
- use the keyboard/mouse on a PC to control other PCs and/or
Macs
- use the keyboard/mouse on a Mac to control other Macs and/or
PCs
KMremoteControl licenses are also cross-platform
- the same license works on either PC/Windows or Mac OS X
platforms
- licenses can easily be moved from one system to another (uses
our LicenseControl capability)
KMremoteControl requires that the computer systems be connected
to a network.
Mac Integration with ClipCommControl product is currently only
supported for Macintosh OS X systems.
New Pooch v1.6 Taps Tiger, Grid, and
Web
PR: Dauger Research, Inc., releases version 1.6 of
Pooch
(Parallel OperatiOn and Control Heuristic application) and Pooch
Pro clustering software today. Leveraging new technologies
introduced with "Tiger", Apple's newest Mac OS X, the Pooch
family introduces new enhancements, including "playlist"-like node
lists and network tools, enriching the user experience of
supercomputer-compatible cluster computing. Long recognized as a
leader in cluster solution providers, Dauger Research delivers an
unmatched combination of powerful tools to manage and maintain
cluster resources, maximizing the power of clusters for its
users.
"While carrying the Macintosh philosophy to
supercomputer-compatible cluster computing, we accomplish many
'first's to adopt the latest in desktop technology, such as
Bonjour, AppleScript, and drag-and-drop, to make clusters as
easy-to-use as possible for users. Leading 'ad hoc' clustering, we
continue that spirit with the new Pooch and Pooch Pro.", said Dr.
Dean Dauger, President of Dauger Research, Inc. "The Pooch family
provides the easiest and most reliable path to parallel computing;
we've just made it even better."
The Pooch family leads the way making grid and cluster computing
easy-to-use and reliable. A new web interface to Pooch increases
the ways users can utilize clustering, making it even easier for
users on other platforms to utilize a Mac cluster. As enhancements
to its network scan tool, the new Pooch introduces user-defined
node lists, much like iTunes' "playlists", in its new Network pane,
allowing the user to switch between subnets of the Internet as well
as define arbitrary groups of computing nodes for the user's
convenience and benefit. Users can access multiple networks of
nodes in the new Network view and evaluate queued, running, and
terminated jobs through Pooch's native interface or via
AppleScript. Pooch's Job window features a new Grid job type,
making distributed launching of many single-processor executables
as easy as point and click. Independent executables not designed
for parallel computing can therefore utilize a cluster through
Pooch's GUI.
Pooch leverages four major Tiger technologies: Pooch includes a
new Automator action that enables workflows to initiate cluster
activity. A new Dashboard widget, shipping with Pooch, reports the
status of and the past, present, and future job activity on the
cluster in an aesthetically pleasing environment. Spotlight can
search Pooch's job data with a new plug-in. Finally, Pooch makes
Xgrid nodes accessible to users through Pooch's award-winning
interface.
These features build on the Pooch family's recognized lead over
other cluster solutions. Pooch and Pooch Pro can have
multiprocessor Macs behave like multiple "virtual nodes". They can
can utilize logged-out machines for parallel computing with
preexisting resources. Pooch supports all execution environments
available on current Apple hardware and supports five distinct
implementations of the Message-Passing Interface (MPI). Pooch Pro
provides the only easy-to-use GUI-based resource management
mechanism, securely encrypting user data about CPU time, job
limits, and even rollover minutes, another feature unique to Pooch
Pro in the cluster world.
Dauger Research, Inc., introduced eight tutorials, three
recently, on the Pooch website, extensively describing how to
develop parallel applications and algorithms. Users can access
tutorials outlining the different types of parallel computing,
detailed MPI information, and descriptions, with example code in
Fortran and C, of the basics of writing parallel code. Website
visitors can download GUI and command-line installers containing a
trial Pooch, sample parallel applications and source code, a Pooch
Software Development Kit, and full documentation. Dauger Research
makes it easier than ever to write, develop, and run your parallel
code today.
Pooch and Pooch Pro v1.6 are available today. Updates are
shipping to Pooch users whose subscriptions are active.
Pooch v1.6 is available for US$175 for the first compute node
then US$125 for each node thereafter. Pooch Pro v1.6 is available
for US$200 for the first compute node then US$150 for each node
thereafter. See the web site for special academic pricing. Users
may order Pooch and other software using the forms on our web site
or online through the Dauger Research Store.
Pooch requires networked Macintoshes and/or Xserves running Mac
OS 9 with CarbonLib 1.2 or later, Mac OS X 10.2 or later,
and/or Mac OS X Server 10.2 or later with 4 MB of available
RAM and 2 MB of disk space. Pooch Pro requires Mac OS X
10.2 or later, and/or Mac OS X Server 10.2 or later.
Desktop Mac
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