the Joy of Macs Recommended Hardware

Recommended

Products:

Note: Amazon offers new & used products from many dealers. New products ordered directly from Amazon typically include free Super Saver shipping. If an Amazon page shows another dealer, click the "used & new" link to find an Amazon-direct page.

Mac mini – lowest-priced Macintosh

If you already have a monitor, a Mac-compatible USB keyboard, and a USB mouse, the Mac mini is your most affordable path to a modern Macintosh.

The basic Mac mini has a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, an 8X SuperDrive drive (read/write CDs & DVDs), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

The Mini DisplayPort supports up to 2560 by 1600 resolution, and the HDMI output connects to a Hi-Def TV.

The Mac mini Server has a faster 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB RAM, two 500 GB hard drives, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a Mini DisplayPort, and HDMI output.

The Mac mini Server comes pre-loaded with Apple's Snow Leopard Server operating system.

iMac – affordable all-in-one Macintosh

The latest iMac has an LCD monitor, an Intel Core 2 Duo or Core i5 Quad-core processor, 4 GB RAM, a SuperDrive (read/write CDs & DVDs), and an iSight camera in one tidy package, plus a wireless Apple Keyboard and Magic Mouse. Software includes Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and iLife '09.

21.5" 3.06 GHz
500 GB HD
NVIDIA 9400M graphics
21.5" 3.06 GHz
1 TB HD
ATI 4670 graphics
27" 3.06 GHz
1 TB HD
ATI 4670 graphics
27" 2.66 GHz Core i5
1 TB HD
ATI 4850 graphics
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MacBook – Mac laptops

Apple's MacBook laptops are the basic MacBook, the super-thin MacBook Air, and the powerful MacBook Pro. Since MacBooks are more fragile than desktop Macs and MacBooks are subjected to a more hostile environment, extending the warrantee to three years with AppleCare is a wise choice.

MacBook
13.3" 2.26 GHz
MacBook Air
13.3" 1.86 GHz 13.3" 2.13 GHz
MacBook Pro
13.3" 2.26 Ghz 13.3" 2.53 GHz 15.4" 2.53 GHz
15.4" 2.66 GHz 15.4" 2.8 GHz 17" 2.8 Ghz

Mac Pro towers

Apple's top-of-the line MacPro towers are high-performance Macs with a 640 GB HD (and three open internal HD plug-in bays), an 18x Dual-layer SuperDrive (and another optical bay), and 3 PCI Express expansion slots.

Mac Pro
2.66 GHz
Quad-Core Intel Xeon
3 GB RAM
Two 2.26GHz
Quad-Core Intel Xeon
6 GB RAM

Mac accessories

— — — — — — — — Wired — — — — — — — — — — Bluetooth Wireless — —

Mini-DVI to DVI-D Adapter

Connecting an iMac's mini-DVI port to a DVI monitor requires this adapter.

DVI-D M/M Cable

This cable connects your monitor to your Mac (perhaps thru an adapter).

DVI-to-ADC Adapter

Mac minis and Mac Pros connect directly to modern (DVI) flat-screen monitors and older VGA monitors.

Apple's earlier flat-screen monitors with an ADC + USB connector require this DVI-to-ADC Adapter.

Apple USB Modem

Modern Macs no longer have a built-in telephone modem.

This tiny external model is essential if you have a dial-up ISP or you'd like to dial phone numbers from Address Book.

FireWire 400-to-800 Cable

This cable connects your FireWire 400 device to a new Mac with only a FileWire 800 port.

Mac Laptop Power Adapters

When your iBook, PowerBook or MacBook is traveling, it's important to have a power adapter for times when the battery runs out. A second power adapter means you can have one in your office and one in your laptop bag – no more packing and unpacking for each trip, which saves a lot of wear and tear on the adapters.

iBook & PowerBook
(65W)
MacBook & 13" MacBook Pro
(60W MagSafe)
15" & 17" MacBook Pro
(85W MagSafe)
MacBook Air
(45W MagSafe)

AppleCare Protection Plan

An AppleCare Protection Plan extends the warrantee for a new Mac from one to three years. AppleCare is recommended for MacBooks because they're more fragile than desktop Macs and are subjected to a more hostile environment.

Although Mac desktops are less likely to have problems beyond the one year warrantee, a screen repair can be expensive. AppleCare for a Mac mini or a Mac Pro covers any Apple monitor purchased at the same time as the Mac. AppleCare for desktop Macs covers onsite repair.

AppleCare extends Apple telephone support from 90 days to 3 years.

AppleCare can be purchased with a new Mac or at any time during the one year warrantee period.

Monitors

Modern iMacs and MacBooks have a display port for an external monitor. A Mac mini can drive two monitors, and a Mac Pro can drive numerous monitors.

The HP 2010i 20" HD LCD monitor is the updated model of the HP 2009m, rated 4 mice by Macworld magazine. Apple monitors are second to none.

Laser Printers

Are you tired of the hassle and expense of ink jet printers? If you don't need color, a personal laser printer is a wonderful alternative.

The Brother HL-2140 Personal Laser Printer prints up to 23 pages per minute at 2400 x 600 dpi. The paper tray holds 250 sheets. The Brother HL-5340D Laser Printer prints up to 32 pages per minute at 1200 x 1200 dpi, with automatic duplex printing (2-sided printing). The paper tray holds 300 sheets.

External Hard Drives (for Leopard's Time Machine)

Automatic backup by Time Machine is a key new feature in Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). Simply connect an external hard drive to your Leopard-ized Mac, and Time Machine starts hourly backup of your entire internal hard drive.

How large a drive does Time Machine need?

The rule of thumb is a Time Machine hard drive should be 1.5 times the amount of data you'll be backing up. Typically, that's 1.5 times the size of your Mac's internal hard drive.

Having more space means a longer backup history. That's because when the backup drive fills up, Time Machine begins discarding the oldest backup files.

USB 2.0, FireWire 400 or FireWire 800?

An external hard drive (HD) can connect to your Mac via USB 2.0 (faster than older USB 1.1), FireWire 400 or FireWire 800. Modern Macs typically support all three connect techniques; older Macs are limited to FireWire 400. USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 are, in theory, roughly the same speed. In practice, FileWire 400 is considerably faster on Macs.

FireWire 800 is twice as fast as FireWire 400 ... and more expensive. This extra speed is important for some applications like video editing. Since Time Machine's backup happens in the background, the additional speed is not important.

N.B. Check the ports on your Mac before ordering a drive.

  • Some recent Macs (e.g., MacBook Air) have only USB 2.0 ports (no FireWire).
  • Older Macs may have only FireWire 400 (no 800).
  • Newer Mac may have only FireWire 800 and USB 2.0.

Pre-configured External HD

Other World Computing offers external hard drives that are ready-to-go right out of the box:

Desktop (larger, powered from a Back-UPS)

Portable (smaller, powered from your laptop)

Assemble Your Own External HD

Assembling an external drive (i.e., installing a raw drive in an enclosure), has several advantages:

  1. Better hard drive: pre-configured external drives typically use consumer-grade components. Assembling a drive allows you to select a higher quality "enterprise" hard drive.
  2. Longer warrantee: pre-configured drives typically have a 1-year warrantee. An assembled drive has a 1-year warrantee on the enclosure and a 3-to-5-year warrantee on the raw drive.
  3. Higher capacity: most pre-configured drives have a maximum capacity of 500-750 GB. An assembled drive can be up to 2 TB (2 terabytes = 2000 gigabytes).

Desktop IDE Enclosures & Hard Drives:

Desktop SATA Enclosures & Hard Drives:

Portable SATA Enclosures & Hard Drives:

APC Back-UPS - Uninterruptible Power Supply

When your Mac loses power, you lose any work in progress. And if a file is being written/copied/saved at that moment, the hard drive is very likely to get corrupted.

An UPS (rhymes with "cups") powers your Mac and selected peripherals (monitor, modem, router) during a momentary power interruption. When the lights blink, your Mac doesn't. In the event of an extended power outage, an UPS gives you time to save your files and do a graceful shutdown.

APC Back-UPS BE350G

Dataline protection: DSL & dial-up

Mac mini + 17" LCD: 6 minutes
iMac 17"/20": 3 minutes

APC Back-UPS BE550G

Dataline protection: Ethernet, DSL & dial-up

PowerChute computer interface

Mac mini + 17" LCD: 20 minutes
iMac 17"/20": 14 minutes
iMac 24": 9 minutes

APC Back-UPS BE750G

Dataline protection: Ethernet, Cable, DSL & dial-up

PowerChute computer interface

Mac mini + 17" LCD: 40 minutes
iMac 17"/20": 30 minutes
iMac 24": 20 minutes
Mac Pro + 24" LCD: 8 minutes

 
APC Back-UPS BR900

Dataline protection: Ethernet, DSL & dial-up

PowerChute computer interface

Mac Pro + 24" LCD: 16 minutes

APC Back-UPS BR1200

Dataline protection: Ethernet, DSL & dial-up

PowerChute computer interface

Mac Pro + 24" LCD: 19 minutes

APC Back-UPS BR1500

Dataline protection: Ethernet, DSL & dial-up

PowerChute computer interface

Mac Pro + 24" LCD: 23 minutes

Use the APC UPS Selector ("PC or Workstation") to find the right model for other Macs + associated peripherals.

Amazon offers a full range of APC products, with Super Saver free shipping (a big saving for these heavy products).

Enter an APC model number in the search box, or simply click the "GO!" button for a complete list of APC Back-UPS products.

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USB Webcam

Video conferencing over the Internet requires four ingredients:

  • video camera
  • microphone
  • conferencing software (free)
    • iChat – Mac-to-Mac
    • Skype – between Mac OS X, Windows or Linux computers
  • DSL or Cable broadband connection

Modern iMac and MacBooks have a built-in iSight camera and micophone. Older iMacs and iBooks have only a build-in microphone. If you have a Mac Mini, a Mac Pro, or an older Mac, you can add an external FireWire or USB "Webcam" (many with a built-in microphone).

FireWire cameras provide the best video quality. Apple's original external FireWire iSight camera/microphone has been a popular choice, but it was discontinued in December 2006; new and used iSights are still available on eBay at a premium price, often $100 (or more) than the original $150 price. There are a few third-party FireWire cameras in the $125 to $200 range, plus $50 or so for an external microphone.

Affordable USB Webcams are a more popular alternative. From the vast array of vendors and models, I've found two Mac-friendly Webcams with good video chat quality and a built-in voice mike.

The new Creative Live! Cam Video IM Pro (VF0415) has an adjustable focus lens and a built-in microphone.

Notes: The like-named earlier model (VF0320) has no microphone.

The video-effects software is Windows-only.

The Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac has an auto-focus lens, which stays sharp when you move around.

USB Webcams may claim USB 1.1 compatibility. However, USB 2.0 is required for iChat-compatibility on Mac OS X. White iBooks, later model flat-screen iMacs, and all Mac minis have USB 2.0. A USB 2.0 PCI card can be easily installed in a PowerMac G3/G4 tower.

iChatUSBCam is a $10 add-on for iChat that adjusts camera settings (e.g., brightness, contrast) and provides support for a USB 2.0 PCI card.

Cable Modem & Routers

When you subscribe to a cable broadband service, you're given the choice of renting a cable modem (for an addition $3 or so a month) or purchasing a modem. (DSL providers typically provide a modem at no additional charge.)

If you have more than one computer, you'll need a router to connect the computers to the modem.

A Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem connects a single computer (or router) to a cable broadband service. A Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Router shares a single Internet broadband connection (cable or DSL) with 4 wired (Ethernet) computers and includes a secure 802.11B/G wireless access point for laptops.
The new Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station supports 802.11N wireless (which is up to 5 times faster and twice the range of 802.11g routers), three gigabit Ethernet ports, and a USB port that turns external hard drives, printers, and other devices into network resources. A Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Router shares a single Internet broadband connection (cable or DSL) with 4 wired (Ethernet) computers and includes a faster 802.11B/G/N wireless access point for laptops.

Or choose the Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router for gigabit Ethernet or the Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router for highest wireless performance.

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