Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM 3/23/07 Friday's News: Last Updated: 10:44 PM EST Systems | CPU Upgrades | Video | IDE | Firewire | SCSI | Audio | Tips/Apps/Networking | FAQ Miss a Day? See the previous 3 days' news summary or the Archives. = Recent Articles and Reviews = PriceMac.Com Transintl Memory and Hard Drive weekend Specials - (from sponsor Transintl) Price Compare Site Just for Macs " This is for XLR8YOURMAC readers only for the weekend. -Sid OWC SPECIALS! Transintl.com (click for complete list) Memory and Storage Upgrades for Intel Dual Core iMacs, MacMinis, MacBook and MacBook 200GB Notebook SATA HDs Pro. $226! 3GB Kit (1 X 2GB + 1 X 1GB) DDR2 667 SODIMM $299.00 160GB Notebook HDs from 2GB Kit (2 X 1GB) DDR2 667 SODIMM $148.00 $118! 1GB DDR2 667 SODIMM $69.00 250GB Seagate ATA/100 or SATA $72/$71.50! Also: 500GB Hard Drive from Hitachi 100GB 7200RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $109.00 $129.50! Hitachi 120GB 5400RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $ 89.00 750GB Seagate $275! Hitachi 160GB 5400RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $109.00 " 100GB 2.5" 7200RPM $124! 250GB 7200RPM Neptune More on Apple TV item listings out of order - I don't have an Apple TV to test this but for FW Hard Drive $119.50! owners with TV episodes that are out of order on the Apple TV (but ok in iTunes), can you create ATI RADEON X1900 G5 a playlist of the episodes in the correct order and then use that as a workaround? If you try that, Edition $345! let me know if it works. Thanks. Update - within seconds literally a reader replied it doesn't work: G4 1.6GHz $230! " I created a playlist consisting of the 6 episodes from season 1 and 1 episode from season 2 PL G4/1.2GHz w/2MB L3 $167.50! of the Office, but couldn't get the playlist to sync. Not sure if it only works with music playlists. Dual 1GHz/Dual 1.3GHz I think that the AppleTV is listing the episodes in reverse chronological order. The season 2 w/2MB L3 per CPU episode is at the top of the list, followed by the season 1 episodes in reverse order. My guess $275/$325! is that the system defaults so that the newest movies/episodes/etc. all show at the top and Apple ROM Pioneer DVR-109 are easy to get to, rather than having to dig down a huge list each time you add a new $29.50! episode or podcast of your favorite show and want to watch it. ~Chris " Dual Layer "SuperDrive" for PB G4 $115! 512MB PC-133 SDRAM Another later reply on the subject: $63.75! " As far as Playlists for TV shows: 2GB (2x1GB) DDR400 $164! I can't find under TV shows where it will let you use Playlists - Playlists that are made up from NewerTech Replacement TV Shows do appear in the Music menu (but will not play - Apple TV says "There are no iPod Batteries - From $5.00! songs in this Playlist"), but there's nothing under the TV Show menu - I have no idea how to get the correct order for TV show episodes, or anything else for that matter - it is a bit EliteAL Case Kit $67.50 annoying. XLR8YourMac.com T-Shirts It does the same thing for music albums - they are sorted oddly, and not by album order or $15.99! alphabet. Even music playlists are reordered. Support this site by buying -Brian" a shirt! http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S22555 Page 1 of 8 Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM Notes on QT Pro Exporting 5.1 Audio Movies (but Apple TV not outputting multichannel...) - I can't verify it here, but I've updated the Apple TV feedback page here with a reader's guide to (QT Pro) exporting movies with "5.1" audio. (Source file must have 5.1 audio.) Update - although this does create a "5.1" file, a reader said based on the status info on his surround sound receiver, he's still not seeing multichannel output from Apple TV. (Chris also later confirmed this - only stereo output...) Xlr8YourMac Deals Maybe that's why no mention of surround sound, etc. is found on the Apple TV product pages. MacPro Memory With (The Apple TV page here has been updated with their comments on these tests.) Apple Spec HeatSink 2GB Kit $248, 4GB Kit $528 Apple TV vs MediaCentral on a Mac - (I've posted links to updates to MediaCentral many times but had forgotten about it lately until this mail today) MacBook/MacBook Pro Mac Mini/iMac Intel Core " AppleTV vs. MediaCentral... Solo/Duo I notice the AppleTV interface looks a lot like that of the program MediaCentral. Too much so. DDR2 667Mhz PC5300 I wonder if there will be a lawsuit, and who holds the intellectual property... SODIMM 3GB Kit $299, 2GB Kit I have MediaCentral on my macs, and it works well. It also plays your iTunes library (even $148, 1GB $79 protected music, but not videos). But it also does so much more, like playing movies and music you store elsewhere, including DVDs in the drive or VideoTS folders you put anywhere. G5 Dual/Quad Core, iMac As long as you alias it to the MediaCentral folder, it'll play it, and you can organize it how you G5 want. It also integrates Skype, IPTV, internet Radio, and things like that, though in my DDR2 PC4200 2GB $158, experience, it's not 100% there yet. 4GB $298 It's what AppleTV should be. On a mini, it costs 2x as much, but you do get a real computer PB G4 DDR333 SODIMM out of the deal... ;) 1GB $99 512MB $45 MediaCentral home page. Mike " DDR1 PC3200 1GB $79/ 2GB $158 100GB 2.5in 7200RPM PATA or SATA $119 More Apple TV user reports (Sync/Stream limits, Heat, No Photo Sync, Episode Order 250GB MiniG FireWire400 Issues) - I've created a separate page with new and previous Apple TV user reports, including $115 notes on Sync/Stream limits and impacts (with one user's workaround), Heat, No photo streaming (currently at least), issues with sorting/order of TV Shows (i.e. season/espisode listings not in STORAGE, RAM, correct order as they were in iTunes). Hopefully a later update from Apple will correct some of ACCESSORIES these issues, but as always, buying a 'first model' has its risks. Mac Pro MacBook First Feedback from 7448 CPU Upgrade user (Dual 1.8GHz in Digital Audio) - The Rate Your MacBook Pro CPU Upgrade database has been updated with the first user report on the Newer Tech 7448 CPU Mac Mini Upgrades - a Dual 1.8GHz 7448 in a Digital Audio G4/AGP tower. (Total reports to date: 10,299). PowerMac G5 I've also mirrored a copy of it on a static page. PowerMac G3 If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, send a review with your experience PowerMac G4 (performance/stability/installation, etc.), Mac Model/Upgrade brand info and overall rating (1= worst iMacs to 10=best). Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model before you eMacs buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand). PowerBook G3 PowerBook G4 iBooks More swollen MacBook Pro Battery reports - (Updated with two more this afternoon..) Xserve "on my MacBook Pro CD 2.0 (march 2006) i'm on my 3rd battery, the 1st was a swollen one, immediately replaced by apple, within 24h, the 2nd exchange wasn't swollen but lost power. Mac Help Now! after 4 months it only held 60% of it's original capacity. Freq. Asked -Frederic " Questions (Check First!) I have a friend with a brand new C2D MacBook (not Pro) discover his battery was wedged in Systems Info/Articles (after noticing some odd charge reporting behavior) and had it replaced recently (battery could not be removed without damage to the case so he recd a new system). If you had repeated battery CPU Upgrade Articles problems, the question in my mind is if this is a case of repeated bad batteries (battery fault, not properly reporting full charge, etc) or is it a problem with the notebook (where it's overcharging the Video/Card Articles battery/failing to recognize battery status, etc.) Normally the battery alone is the suspect, but with repeated failures I'd contact Apple support and have the notebook tested. Storage Articles "Just a week ago I heard a pop under my MacBook Pro 17in purchased june 2006, followed Search the CPU Upgrade soon thereafter by a lack of response from the trackpad and keyboard caused by the battery Database swelling. Got a replacement battery under warranty from the local applestore (without first Search Mac Drive http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S22555 Page 2 of 8 Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM noting the sn). It seemed like the machine had been running warmer for about a week in Search Mac Drive advance but the weather was also warmer during that period. Compatibility Database Had the power adapter replaced a couple months back as well due to failure of the strain Search the relief. Game/System Perf. Database I found out I could get the screen replaced because it's at the borderline of being too dim at max brightness. The illumination was also very uneven but changing the resolution and Read Game Reviews setting it back fixed that (as people on the apple discussion forums have found).