New and updated Products from OWC
Done a lot of detail on Apple stuff, but we've got new stuff going too. :)

OWC now offers a USB2 to Video Display Solution for $99 which allows the connection of additional displays right via an available USB2 Port. It's not for games, but it's a very cost effective way to add additional desktop space with resolution support of up to 1600x1200. Connects to VGA, DVI, and HDMI too (connect to a digital television display). Neat and cost effective option where you don't have a video card/port option for an additional display or display type desired. For Intel processor based Macs running OS X 10.4.x or later, and also PCs (or Mac w/Bootcamp) running Windows 2000 SP4 or later.

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro single bay solutions are now available with up to 2.0TB of capacity.This award-winning, plug n' play line of solutions now starts from $84.99 with available interfaces of FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB2, and/or eSATA. Ideal for just about any storage need from backup (time-machine ready) to music, photography & Audio/Video certified - these solutions provide high reliability and high-performance and are backed with a full 3yr Solution Warranty. The included Prosoft Data Backup, Intech HD Speedtools, and Carbon Copy Cloner software applications add even more value and functionality.

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Dual-Bay RAID Solutions are now available with up to 4.0TB of capacity. Available from $159.99,this award winning line builds upon the feature of the single bay version - but with twice the capacity and with higher performance potential via built in Hardware RAID. This full line is also fully plug n' play and thanks to that Hardware RAID, the eSATA equipped model sustains data rates of over 220 Megabytes per Second (via eSATA) which is fast enough even for live, uncompressed, high-definition video capture. Amazing amounts of performance storage, plug & play, at an amazing value too.

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 Quad-Bay RAID 0/1/5/10 Solutions are brand new and offer up to a whopping 8.0TBs of capacity. Starting from $679.99 for 2.0TB, these solutions feature FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA interfaces for ultimate performance and flexibility options. Hardware RAID modes of 0/1/5/10 and Non-Raid Span are user selectable for your choice of maximum performance/capacity/and redundancy choices. When it comes to high-capacity, high-performance, and maintaining plug and play interface flexibility - these solutions are tops. Included is a either a 3yr Standard or 5yr Enterprise solution warranty.

OWC Mercury Rack Pro Quad-Bay RAID 0/1/5/10 1U Rack-Mountable solutions are new for 2009 and, like the Qx2, also offer up to 8.0TB of capacity. Starting from $799.99 for 2.0TB, these are essentially the Rack version of the Qx2. High performance for demand audio, music, video, high-definition video needs - as well as any application or even backup process where performance is key. Highly reliable design and RAID redundancy options to support both high performance while protecting against data loss even should a physical hard drive fail. Included is a 2yr Standard or 5yr Enterprise Warranty.

New and updated NewerTech Products at OWC

NewerTech miniStack storage + integrated hub solutions are are now available with up to 2.0TB of capacity. These award winning, clever devices provide not just high-performance drive capacity, but also the convenience of built-it, powered USB2 and FireWire Hubs.They can be especially convenient with the latest Mac models that have FireWire 800, but no FireWire 400 - as the miniStack integrated hub can be your bridge to existing FireWire 400 devices, thus negating the need for adapters or adapter cabling.

NewerTech's highly acclaimed Guardian MAXimus Hardware RAID-1 Solution is not only now available with up to 2.0TB + 2.0TB of Redundant mirrored capacity, but also now offers eSATA in addition to the FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB2 interfaces previously standard. Plug and Play redundancy doesn't get any easier or more flexible than the latest GMAX solutions. Whatever interface available for the best performance today + the future is open via any of those quad interfaces to give you use of the best option tomorrow too. And of course, like all our multi-interface solutions - 'feel free to move about the cabin and mingle'... connect interchangeably between different systems and via the different interfaces as needed - your data is safe, sound and there from whatever interface best available. GMAX is used by customers looking to have a backup drive for critical data (photos, music, video, etc) which deserves an additional level of redundancy for their value, those doing regular Photo/Music/Video editing and capture where the failure of a drive during a project could cost significant down time... and also customers who aren't as regular with their backups (and/or not using TimeMachine or the Prosoft Data Backup we include) looking for that backup they don't have to think about in terms of a primary file location.

The NewerTech Voyager Docking Solutions were introduced just a few short months ago and are one of our hottest products of 2009. A great 'external' storage solution, but that you can upgrade by just dropping in a new hard drive... plus that works fantastically for using hard drives for backup archiving, and even to facilitate data transfer during an internal hard drive upgrade process too. It's the easily capacity upgradable solution that has use beyond just that primary storage solution use. In the most recently published review, Macworld UK gives it a glowing 4 Star rating. We rave about it, but it's not just us. :)

Featured new Products and Product lines now available at OWC
We've got a great selection, IMHO, of our own product lines - but we also offer a wide selection well beyond. In general, we seek to bring availability to products of high quality, value, and need fulfilling. In some 'cases' (ok, like iPod/iPhone cases :) there can be hundreds of versions or just different brand marked of the same thing. We work to offer best of breed/value product lines that get the job done/expectations met or exceeded. If it doesn't meet your needs or expectations, that's just an extra headache for us. As we test and even use most all of the items we offer, ideally we've experienced those headache items and not inclusive of what you'll find in our listings. Having said that, we're always looking at new items to add and we gladly accept suggestions via email.

When it comes to the ever growing and expanding line of Music and Audio products, I don't even know where to begin! It's not a product area I have expertise in not often discuss. That's an injustice with respect to the wide selection, competitive prices, and high level of expertise supporting these products at OWC. Need some guidance/advice on anything in this category? Rick Van Dyne is your man and you can email him for free expert info or to discuss by phone too. Like the rest of the products we offer, these music and audio items are just sold by OWC - nearly all of them have been tested or are even in use for OWC's own productions.

In stock, and for less than Apple charges - we've now got mini-DisplayPort to DVI and mini-DisplayPort to HDMI cable adapters for $19.99. All the new Unibody MacBook/MacBook Pro, Mac mini 2009, and Mac Pro 2009 models now feature the miniDisplay port when it comes to hooking up a 2nd display. With the exception of Apple's 24" LED Cinema Display, any other display you can buy or may already have will need to be adapted. Unfortunately, there is no non-Apple option for the Dual-DVI adapter type needed for 30" displays.... and, a quick rant, the pricey Apple Dual-DVI (no problem with the DVI or HDMI) adapter tends to have some issues of flicker. Anyway..... We've got the options in stock now for your DVI displays up to 24", HDMI.

We met the iDowell team at Macworld this year - and came away really impressed with their products. Designed and manufactured in Italy (really, not China!), their line of stylish and Eco-Efficient UPS Battery Backup models keep your Mac running and protected during power outages/brownouts/blips + saves power vs. typically battery backups too. Designed for Macs (with what Macs covered by model) and priced from $219.99, you can count on these products to have the power that's needed when put to the test. Nothing worse than buying a battery backup which doesn't do the job when called upon. I also like their portable USB device Charger - it's built in battery which you charge via USB will power/charge virtually any device that can use USB Power (has the dock connector and tips included). Very nice, high quality products clearly made to last.

iPod and iPhone cases are practically a dime a dozen... Got to see the same cases ten times over, also at Macworld this year. Fortunately, right next to our booth happened to be xGear. Their cases for iPods, iPhones, and even Macbooks are not the same as all the rest. In particular, I've been using their carbon fiber iPhone case (I have a 1st Gen, works fine with that as well as the current iPhones) and couldn't be happier. The case gives huge protection + excellent grip + doesn't pickup dust, etc like many rubber type ones do. Not the cheapest options out there - but, certainly in the case of their carbon fiber options, these are products you'll buy once and not be replacing again and again later.

Alright, while Drobo products are not my favorite - I do have respect for their current products and recognize that they fulfill a niche + that there are a lot of people that swear by them. Although we did not offer them early, after it matured some (bugs out + with FireWire vs. just USB2), we did add the 4-Bay Drobo and DroboShare (NAS option) in late 2008. Brand new, and just introduced this month is the DroboPro. The DroboPro supports 8 hard drives + adds iSCSI support in addition to continuing FireWire 800 and USB2. The DroboPro truly goes after an higher end application while also giving those who don't mind the premium an 8 drive option where before there was just the 4.

New and Improved OWC 'Do-it-yourself' Video Section
For years we've been doing installation videos to show how various upgrades and replacements are done, usually to the effect of showing you how easy such 'professional' service jobs can be done by you, right at home. Now, not every component installation/upgrade is going to be in that do it yourself comfort zone, but our online videos give you the opportunity to be your own judge of this. The vast majority of upgrades and installations a typical service center will charge $80 and on up for (even stuff as simple as a memory upgrade!), these videos offer the clear, step by step instructional - so you can save yourself the cost and that trip. We are currently in the process of a total and complete site redesign... that said, certain pages are getting that future treatment made live a little sooner. While our old videos page was kind of a bear to navigate - you'll find our new page about as easy as it gets when it comes to seeing if we've got the free video guide for your Mac upgrade project.

OWC has a Blog!
Ok - I'm repeating myself with this one, but it's still new and it's really coming along. At some point it's likely that the blog will drive the newsletter more so than the newsletter driving the blog. With lots to share, our OWC Blog just gives our team a great means of doing that sharing. And slowly, but surely - more and more of our team is coming on board to do just that.

Chris writes about it being 'inside that counts' when it comes to, well, what's inside that box you depend on your data being safely stored upon.

Mike writes about an awesome deal we've got on these 'Cellboost' battery products in an ongoing 'repurposing technology' series. Here we have a product for a now obsolete iPod... it's being sold at a fraction of it's original (and current comparable product) price - but it happens to be 100% usable for nearly and iPod or iPhone, including the latest made today... can hardly beat $4.99 for portable, USB rechargeable, battery extension/charger.

This blog isn't just a one way street either. While we started the ball rolling with some initial testing, outside user feedback as well as actual use experiences has made this 2009 Mac Pro Video Cards - Compatibility with 2006-2008 models entry of far greater purpose. Additional user feedback, which continues to roll in, is helpful to anyone looking at the best options for Mac Pro video in general.

And.... if you're not a blog person, but you 'twitter'... well, so do we -and you can follow us via Twitter. :)

Reader Special Deals and Deal Highlights

Brand New Hitachi Rebates of up to $20 per internal hard drive, and up to $80 per OWC and/or NewerTech Solution!
1.0TB SATA 3.5" from $75.00, 2.5" 320GB Notebook 7200RPM HD $55.00, Notebook 500GB HD $85.00
Check out all the available Hitachi rebate options on drives and solutions up to 4.0TB online here. These rebates expire in just 3 days, so don't miss out!

Prosoft Utility Software can save you time and even save your data.... you can get savings on owning these excellent utilities exclusively from OWC. Here's a fun fact for you - the same Drive Genius we offer for sale here is that which, at the Apple Store, customer's pay for the service of having that same application run on their Mac(s) at the Apple Genius Bar.
Buy Prosoft Drive Genius v2.x (latest) for $99 $59.00
Buy prosoft Data Rescue v2.x (latest) for $99 $55.00 or Both of them for $198 $99.00!
Or - Buy Drive Genius v2.x for as low as $25.00 (74% off Prosoft Retail!) with the purchase of a Qualifying OWC or NewerTech Storage Product

Quality LCDs Built by Dell, Tested & Backed for Mac by OWC - Save!
22" LCD w/DVI & VGA connectivity support, up to 1680x1050 Resolution, and featuring High-Efficiency 'Green' LED Technology - $239 $179.00
23" LCD w/DVI, HDMI, VGA with resolutions supported up to 2048x1152, Built-In 2.0MPWebCam + USB2 Hub for $379 $275.00
24" LCD w/DVI, HDMI, VGA with resolutions up to 1920x1080 for $299 $245.00
Backed with a 3 Year Factory Warranty, these competitively priced displays are hugely popular for good reasons.

elgato EyeTV Hybrid lets you Tune/Watch/Record/Playback TV/HDTV and Video right via your Mac for $149 $99 $89.00
These are Factory Refurbished, but in new condition. This '2008' Model Hybrid supports both Analog and Digital TV (including HDTV) as well as Clear QAM Cable too. Plug n' Play with any Mac with 512MB of memory, with available built in USB2 port, and running Apple OS 10.4 or later. Great for transferring video from VCRs, and other video sources too!

See even more of our deal highlights via the latest online version of our Hot Deals Blast e-mail update. You can also subscribe to this weekly 'deal blast' online here.

Even before we our newsletter emails roll out, these deals and many more - just for our subscribers - can be seen on our Reader Specials page.

With a few exceptions, when you want to improve performance or expand capabilities -there are typically multiple areas of upgrade potential and at a cost that is a fraction of purchasing a whole new Mac. Furthermore, and this depends one what you're starting with, it's not uncommon for a simple upgrade to provide better real world performance than that new Mac might offer in its base/standard factory config. Sure you can upgrade that new Mac too (and really should when ROI is considered), but regardless of the current system - you may add months or even years of acceptable usability with the performance gain a much lower upgrade option can provide.

Our free installation videos (viewable via our website, no obligation, etc) show how easy various upgrades are to do. Our newsletter 'Speed bump that current Mac' article goes into real detail laying out just what options might be of consideration for the different Macs. Note - the only part of this article that's really dated are the prices... today's costs for memory and hard drives happens to be a lot lower than it was when this was 'penned' back in October. The upgrades were a deal then - even at twice or thrice the price. A definite must read if you've got that need for more speed, etc. :)

See reviews, articles, and previous Quick-Tips online here.

For Fun and of Interest
I do wonder what passes for a white paper these days. Same goes for some published research articles too. Be it of statistical, analytical, observation, or scientific - the conclusions reached (and data focused upon for such conclusions) is often times highly influenced by the entity funding said research (and that entity's agenda). While it can be hard to judge fact from propaganda with some published works, the 'Apple Tax' paper was acknowleded as propaganda even by those who don't like Apple. Microsoft, who -yes- funded this 'research', seems a little more desperate, more concerned about Apple lately. Given the mammoth difference in market shares (90% Windows vs. 8% Mac), to be lashing out in such ways... perhaps Microsoft fears a real shift in the balance.

Of course, it doesn't stop there.... their marketing with this new this new ad series is attacking hard too. Whether these are actually real or just staged, have to give them credit for message. At the same time, the message seems to be about not buying an Apple rather than any compelling reason to buy something running Windows... they're about buying a PC cause they're cheaper, even if not really comparing comparable hardware (wow look at the giant screen... oh, but we don't need no stinking pixel resolution)... In the three ads, 'regular people' pick PCs over Macs (two times picking a HP, once picking a Sony - nah, they didn't contribute to the ad cost) with hardly even Windows having time in frame. Where it is framed, not exactly sure how 'Windows - Life without Walls' fits either. We'll just have to see.

Short, simple, and more fun too - Apple's latest 'Time Travel' commercial takes the cake. This is definitely, IMHO, one of Apple's best commercials to date. I'm not going to spoil it if you haven't yet seen it. :)

Coming off of all this, Apple just announced yet another blow-out quarter. iPhone sales doubled, and despite a major dip in February Mac sales - with all the new models finally shipping end of February, beginning of March, clearly made back a lot of ground in March with respect to Mac sales only being down 3% for the quarter as a whole. You spend more to have a Mac, but you can expect that Mac to last longer too. There's always cheaper stuff, but that doesn't make it a better buy. More and more people out there seem to recognize the value of Apple products with Apple's continuing on a solid roll, despite the overall economy.

Intro Closing:
Alrighty - hard to keep these things short when so much to write about. Guess the real intent is to make sure there's a least a little something for everyone in these editions. This one in particular, after the 'Earth Day' themed intro, actually covered a lot of OWC, NewerTech, and additional 3rd party offerings you'll find at OWC. There's always something to talk about when it comes the platform at large - but as good as a Mac may be, without the after market support, without the hardware and software that isn't available or practical (or not economical...) from Apple - well, Macs would be potentially a whole lot less appealing. Spending a little time to highlight some of these various products just rolls in theme I'd say.

Earth Day - we've got one planet, one world to call our home. It's amazing all the stumping that goes on out there about various environmental issues and in many cases focused on what the government has to do to make the world a better place. I've always been a believer that individuals, collectively, make the difference and is where any kind of change has to start. Choices we make have a direct impact to the availability and quality of our fresh water supplies, of the clean air we'd like to be breathing. From bottled water vs. tap water (where tap is a safe choice), disposable goods vs. reusable, from products buried in packaging to those more practically packaged (insane how some foodstuffs you find in every day grocery stores are packaged - for the sake of marketing - these days), heck - even type of toilet paper. Automobiles get a ton of attention out there, but in the US and worldwide - livestock has a far greater impact. Who picks and chooses these various 'battles'... and what really drives those choices?

Small changes in our own, individual habits add up significantly. It worries me that some of the loudest advocates for green house gas emission reduction are some of the worst offenders when it comes to their own 'carbon footprint' (using private jets vs. commercial, for example)... Oh, but they buy 'green credits' to make up for that... pay someone else who's actually making a difference, huh.. Do as I say, not as I do? Some of the loudest talkers seem to have their own agendas as the green business is a big business too. They don't walk the walk perhaps cause for them it's just about the talk, but you know what - this isn't a joking matter and it's all made worse when such talkers may have credibility issues from their own practices or even use questionable information to drive their point. When you can question the credibility of the source, that doesn't exactly bolster the credibility acceptance of the information itself.

When OWC needed a new home, the choice was made to see this home be as 'green' as current technologies make feasible. Our new headquarters, which we moved into just a year ago April, not only provides an exceptional work environment to give you, our customer, the best we possibly can - but at nearly four times the prior location's size, the energy saving technologies employed allow it to actually use less total energy to heat/cool and overall operate. We had to make a real investment on the front end to attain such energy savings, but not only does this benefit our planet and help conserve resources for the next generation - it also has long term economic benefits. It's all about looking at the long term and that's what should be talked about out there. Our next green project, the wind turbine, not only makes us a wholly green powered operation - but even will put more than our own power consumption needs on our local power grid. That extra power we produce will potentially cut the use of coal or natural gas that 'peaker plants' use to generate power during peak demand times thanks to that little extra we out there. Every little bit helps.

We have the ability to make smart decisions. We have the technology to implement energy saving methods as well as clean energy production. Special interests on all sides of the issue really cloud things up... A real breath of fresh air, pardon the pun, would be some leadership out there which promoted practical opportunities that all of us can feel a direct part of. Otherwise it always seems like the battle is elsewhere and we're just on the side lines. Then - that's our choice... while politicians and special interests, in the broader picture, really promote for their own ultimate gains - we can make our own decisions for better or worse when it comes to conserving our resources for the goal of tomorrow being as good as today.

A pleasant breeze at your back and a comfortably warm sun shining down - the best always to you and yours. Thanks for reading!

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