17-inch MacBook Pro/2.33GHz
Like its 15-inch counterparts, the 17-inch MacBook Pro gets a processor bump (up to 2.33GHz from 2.16GHz) as well as a new processor entirely. The Intel Core Duo makes way for the Intel Core 2 Duo, a next-generation chip promising better performance with the same battery life. The amount of shared L2 cache has doubled, as has the installed memory — the 17-inch MacBook Pro ships with 2GB of RAM. (You can install up to 3GB.) Hard drive capacity has increased to 160GB from 120GB.
Apple 13.3″ MacBook Intel Core Duo Notebook
(2GHz Core Duo, 512MB DDR2, DVD±RW DL, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 13.3″ TFT – MPN: MA472LLA)
Price Range: $1,349.10 – $1,549.99 from 3 Sellers
Description: What do you get when you put pure Intel Core Duo power, an iSight camera, Front Row, iLife �06, and a 13-inch glossy widescreen display into a sleek case? More than you thought possible for less than you thought possible. Meet MacBook.
Apple 12.1″ iBook G3 Notebook
(800MHz PowerPC G3, 128MB, 30GB, CD-ROM, OS X 10.2, 12.1” TFT – MPN: M8758LLA)
Price Range: $790.00 from 1 Seller
Description: Apple M8758LL/A iBook – This amazing little portable Computer has everything you need while you’re on the go. Right out of the box it includes Software to easily, and intelligently, manage your music, photos, movies – and even your life. Who else but Apple, gives you such amazing software for nothing!? And like all things Apple, this Notebook stands out from the crowd in terms of design & style. Turn heads with it’s elegant snow-white color, while making everyone jealous as you easily slip the lightweight & impact-resistant iBook right into your backpack!
Apple iMac 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo 24″ Desktop
(2.16GHz Core 2 Duo E6400, 1GB DDR2, 250GB, DVD±RW DL, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 24″ TFT – MPN: MA456LLA)
Price Range: $1,856.00 – $1,999.99 from 15 Sellers
Description: The 24-inch iMac provides professional performance along with the convenience of an all-in-one design. Like its 17-inch and 20-inch siblings, it features the 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processor with speeds ranging from 1.83GHz to 2.33GHz. The processor delivers up to 50% more performance than the previous 20-inch iMac. It also doubles the amount of L2 cache, the twin cores sharing 4MB between them. The result? Turbocharged performance, making it easier — and more fun — than ever to work with digital photos, movies, music, and the web.
iPod 30GB
In September 2006, Apple updated its video-capable iPod line, adding a brighter screen and longer battery life. The software has also undergone an overhaul, adding support for 640-by-480 vide, a new search feature, a Quick Scroll feature, and support for gapless playback. The 30GB model costs $50 less than its predecessor, making this the least expensive full-sized iPod ever released by Apple.
Nikon D40 SLR Digital Camera Kit
(6.1MP, 3008×2000, SD/SDHC Slot – MPN: 25420)
Price Range: $527.95 – $599.99 from 22 Sellers
Description: The D40’s high-resolution image quality is made possible by Nikon’s high-performance 6.1 megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive Nikon image processing engine which assures stunning sharpness and color. Intuitive controls make the D40 point-and-shoot simple, enabling even first-time SLR users to capture beautiful memories perfectly. At just over 16 ounces, the beautifully styled and compact D40 makes high-performance digital SLR photography easier and more convenient than ever. The D40 can fire continuously at a speed of up to 2.5 frames per second, capturing high-quality action sequences of children in sporting activities such as soccer, baseball and much more. Playback images are easy to see, and function menus are easier to use with a larger and brighter color LCD monitor. The large 2.5-inch LCD monitor enables image preview at up to 19 times magnification and has large type fonts and easy-to-view menus as well as three all-new display options: Classic, Graphic and Wallpaper. Nikon’s DX format CCD image sensor delivers vivid color and sharp detail, great for making beautifully detailed enlargements of 16 x 20 inches and beyond. High resolution also provides room for creative cropping. Includes 3x 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens. Designed exclusively for use with Nikon DX-format digital SLRs, this ultra-compact 3x zoom offers Nikkor sharpness and versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations
Canon Powershot A540 Digital Camera
(6.0MP, 2816×2112, 4x Opt, SD/MMC – MPN: 1118B001)
Price Range: $159.95 – $220.46 from 24 Sellers
Description: With a full 6.0 megapixels of imaging power and a high-quality 4x optical zoom lens, the super-intuitive PowerShot A540 is ready to produce impressive results right from the start. This camera is packed with value from its high-end specs to its high-performance capabilities, yet easy enough for beginners to use. Compact 6.0 Megapixel digital camera with high-quality Canon 4x Optical Zoom lens. High-performance features include a large 2.5 inch LCD screen, 9-point AiAF and 21 Shooting Modes. New ISO 800 reduces image blur and expands low-light shooting ability. DIGIC II Image Processor and iSAPS Technology for superior image quality, faster operation and lower power consumption. 16:9 Widescreen for full-screen viewing on widescreen TVs and computer monitors. Record high-quality movies with sound up to 60 fps QVGA (320 x 240). Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with Canon CP and SELPHY Compact
Motorola Q
This Windows smart phone makes a fashion statement, but it lacks the software found on competing models.
Like the Razr before it, the Motorola Q clearly aims to make a fashion–and technophile–statement. Slim and stylish, this silver-hued PDA/phone is just 11.5mm thick–thinner than the Razr, and significantly more compact than competing smart phones from HP, Palm, Research in Motion, and T-Mobile,. Unfortunately, the unit lacks some of the features found on the competition, such as a selection of office productivity apps.
The Q is available from Verizon Wireless for $300 with a two-year contract (as of 7/7/06); in the land of PDA phones, that’s a bargain. But that low price comes with some trade-offs. In particular, I found the limitations of the Windows Mobile operating system constraining. These constraints are more noticeable on the Q than they are on the SDA (which we categorize as a standard cell phone), perhaps because I wanted this PDA/phone to be more capable out of the box–more like the for example. The Q’s bundled software includes only a document viewer, so you’ll need to purchase another application if you want to edit office documents. It also lacks a notepad.
With the design of the Windows Mobile 5-based Q, Motorola seems to be attempting to create a new hybrid that draws on the best elements of the latest smart phones from Palm and RIM (maker of the BlackBerry 8700 series). On the upper-right corner of the phone, a BlackBerry-like click wheel let’s you scroll through content. The device also has a five-way navigational control, a QWERTY keyboard, and six menu navigation buttons in the center, just like the Palm Treo series. The menu navigation buttons here are pressure-sensitive and soft, however–a design touch reminiscent of, though not identical to, the flat buttons on the Razr.
As appealing as I found the overall look of the Q–and as impressed as I am with what this phone packs inside its streamlined chassis–I was disappointed by its design in several respects. The keyboard’s lack of a backspace button among the QWERTY keys proved problematic. I also found the click wheel a bit stiff, and the soft-key panel surprisingly tough for my fingers to navigate–in part because of the unit’s width (it’s wider than the more palm-friendly Palm Treo 700). Given the unit’s lack of a touch screen, how your hand responds to the feel of the buttons will determine how much you enjoy using the Q.
Another gripe concerns the position of the mini-USB port. I know I’ve often used a cell phone while it’s tethered to an outlet charging. However, Motorola locates the mini-USB port–which doubles as the power port–in an awkward position on the lower left of the Q. This is inconvenient if you try to use the device in your hands–either for reading content, or putting it up to your ear.
Some things I really liked: I found the keyboard, with its slanted, oblong keys, roomy compared to the Treo’s, and easier to handle than the keyboard on the much-wider BlackBerry 8700 series. The Q has a bright, clear QVGA 320-by-240-resolution display, a miniSD Card slot on the side, and a top-mounted headphone jack. The unit’s 1.3-megapixel digital camera has a reasonably effective 6X digital zoom. The camera has a dedicated access button (lower row of the keyboard, along with dedicated email and speakerphone buttons), but I found saving and changing functions within the camera mode unintuitive. For example, the image preview only occupies the middle section of the roomy screen.
In day-to-day use, I had mixed feelings about the Q. The unit takes longer to start up than I liked, though it wasn’t any worse than T-Mobile SDA. Ostensibly you can use the unit with one hand, but I found the unit much better suited to two-handed operation.
Despite access to Verizon’s high-speed EvDO wireless network, the Q seemed sluggish on the Internet. In our lab tests, the Q’s talk-time battery life scored only Fair, lasting 5 hours and 38 minutes–better than battery life of the Treo 700p and 700w, but worse than on most PDA/phones we’ve tested recently.
If you need a slimline, large-screened companion at a comparatively low price, the Q deserves consideration. But if looks and size aren’t paramount, it may be worth the extra bucks to step up to another device, and gain more functionality.
Canon PIXMA MP600 All-In-One Inkjet Printer
(30 PPM, 9600×2400 DPI, Color, PC/Mac – MPN: 1451B002)
Price Range: $134.00 – $299.99 from 49 Sellers
Description: The PIXMA MP600 can print or copy up to 30 ppm in black and up to 24 ppm in color, and a 4″ x 6″ borderless print takes about 28 seconds. The USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface enables the fastest image transfers and scanning speeds possible today. Plus, with direct photo printing, just connect to any PictBridge compatible digital camera or DV camcorder, and print. You can even download images directly off of CompactFlash, Micro Drive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SD and MultiMedia Cards. It’s IrDA interface provides wireles capabilities as well. Plus, the MP600’s Easy-Scroll Wheel makes operation so much easier, and the new 2.5″ TFT display lets you preview images in high definition before printing.The unit’s 5-color ink system – four dye-based inks plus a pigment-based black ink – produces exceptional photos, along with laser-quality text. Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) uses a high-performance 3,584-nozzle print head that ejects precise and consistent. With that, you get outstanding resolutions up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi and clear, detailed images. When scanning photos, you’ll produce brilliant 2400 x 4800 dpi scans with intense 48-bit color depth. Its copier reduces and enlarges between 25 and 400 percent, while featuring Borderless, AE (Auto Exposure), 4 on 1, 2 on 1, Fit-to-Page, Image Repeat, Auto Magnification, Fading Correction, Multiple Copy: 1-99 pages, Face Brightener and Dual Color Gamut Processing technology. To further increase productivity, the MP600’s built-in 2 sided printing saves time and paper
