OWC Blog - blog.macsales.com

Archive for » April, 2011 «

Testing: RAID 0 in a MacBook Pro using the Data Doubler.

Friday, April 29th, 2011 | Author: OWC Duane

Among the different configuration options available when using the OWC Data Doubler in your MacBook or MacBook Pro is setting both drives to function as a RAID 0 (striped) array. This combines both drives (the one in the Data Doubler equipped optical bay and the one in the original hard drive bay) into a single volume, which provides an increase in data access speed.

Since we’ve had several questions about this, we decided to put this configuration to the test by using different combinations of hard drives and SSDs to determine which offered the best balance of price, capacity and performance.

Our test machine was a 2011 13″ MacBook Pro (MacBookPro8,1) with a 2.3GHz Intel Core 5 processor and 4GB of RAM. Inside, we replaced the optical drive with an OWC Data Doubler to allow us to utilize a second drive.

Article Continues…

This post has 26 comments.
Category: Benchmarking/Performance, Product Spotlight, Tech Tips
Tags: , , , , , ,

10.6.7 Font Problem Follow-Up

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 | Author: OWC Chris S.

You may recall a few weeks ago when we reported a widespread problem in Mac OS X 10.6.7, where documents with OpenType fonts in them did not print or view correctly. At the time, our recommendation was to roll back to 10.6.6 and wait for a fix. Unfortunately for some, this may have caused problems with other OS patches, resulting in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation.

Late yesterday, Apple released a patch to 10.6.7 to address this problem. According to the update’s release notes:

The Snow Leopard Font Update addresses issues displaying and printing certain OpenType fonts and is recommended for all Mac OS X v10.6.7 users.

If you’re running 10.6.7, you can get the patch via Software Update or download it from Apple’s support site.

This post has 3 comments.
Category: Fresh from Apple, Tech Tips
Tags: , , , , , ,

The Other World – Episode 24

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 | Author: OWC Chris S.

One Comment
Category: The Other World

OWC TV – OWC’s April Shuttle Event

Monday, April 25th, 2011 | Author: OWC Erica

OWC Meghan caught up with Cathy Brinkworth of the Last Shuttle Project and Steve Otten, Executive Director of the Challenger Learning Center during OWCs shuttle program commemoration party on April 19 to get their take on the end of the Shuttle age.

With the looming last days of the Shuttle Program drawing closer, the thoughts and memories turned to the entirety of what the program meant, what its contributions were to the world, and what it means for America going forward.

Only two launches remain before the final chapter is written – the next being Endeavor this Friday, the last will be the Atlantis on June 28.  Befitting for the end of an era, I think.

This post has 2 comments.
Category: OWC Unplugged, Random Thoughts & Topics
Tags: , , , , ,

How Earth Day Has Become Everyday

Friday, April 22nd, 2011 | Author: OWC Jon

I thought that in honor of Earth Day, it would be a perfect opportunity to create my first post themed on how you can treat ‘Mother Earth’ with some proactive steps towards a greener lifestyle. Like most of us, I never gave much thought to being more efficient with my day to day power consumption and did things like leaving a room with my computer on, blasting music all day, or leaving the television on and coming back in a few hours to continue finishing a movie.

Now that I’ve got my own house and I’m working on making it a home, I see exactly how much electricity I use and garbage I create monthly. My habits not only affect my wallet, but also our world by using up resources  unnecessarily. Since this realization, I’ve taken complete control of the situation by recycling as much trash as possible and using energy efficient power strips with my computer and media center and turning them off when not in use along with monitoring my monthly power usage. Those efforts have cut my carbon footprint size in half. Article Continues…

Comment on this post.
Category: green, Random Thoughts & Topics
Tags: , , , , , , ,

NewerTech Announces NuGuard GripStand Multi-Purpose Protective Case And Desktop Stand For iPad

Friday, April 22nd, 2011 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Newer Technology, Inc. announced today the NewerTech NuGuard GripStand for safer transporting, easier viewing, and more secure handling of the first generation Apple iPad during mobile or desktop use. Available in black or white, the $29.99 MSRP accessory offers iPad owners one of the most flexible and affordable combination protection/viewing solutions available.

Two Options To Choose From To Get A Grip On iPad Display Needs

The NuGuard GripStand is available as a standalone product or as part of a value priced bundle that includes the GripBase desktop accessory that locks into the GripStand case to provide a fully adjustable viewing angle in landscape or portrait modes along with 360° rotation. The wide, weighted footprint ensures the GripBase will remain stationary on a desk even in high traffic areas. Article Continues…

This post has 2 comments.
Category: New @ OWC, Press Releases
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OWC Has “Shuttle Night” At Challenger Center

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Last night, OWC paid a visit to the Challenger Learning Center in Woodstock, IL to celebrate what would have been the second-to-last Space Shuttle launch. Though the launch itself was delayed until the 29th, it didn’t ruin the mood of the evening, as OWC staffers and their families were given a tour of the facilities by Steve Otten, Executive Director of the Challenger Learning Center, and saw a pair of slide shows presented by Cathy Brinkworth of The Last Shuttle Project that illustrated the work her organization is doing.

After the slide show, there was a brief ceremony where OWC Founder and CEO Larry O’Connor contributed some much-needed storage equipment to The Last Shuttle project, and Brinkworth presented him with a photo print from the Project’s library. Otten, on behalf of the Woodstock Challenger Center, presented O’Connor with an autographed photo of astronaut William Readdy in thanks for all the contributions that OWC has made to the Center over the years. Article Continues…

Comment on this post.
Category: OWC Unplugged
Tags: , , , ,

New OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G Solid State Drive Expert Tested As Fastest SSD On The Market Now Shipping

Monday, April 18th, 2011 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Other World Computing today announced its new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD, the next generation of OWC’s SandForce® Driven™ SATA Revision 3.0 6Gb/s Solid State Drives. By utilizing the highest quality components and design available, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD delivers new heights of drive performance with sustained data rates of up to over 550MB/s – up to 267% faster performance than other leading brands’ 6G SSDs.

Three Capacities Offered Starting At $319.99
The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G, designed and built in the USA, is currently available in a 120GB capacity with limited availability for same day order shipping. Volume availability and fulfillment of all 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB model orders is expected within the next 30 days. Consumers can order with confidence…if the MSRP is lowered before an order ships, OWC will automatically adjust the invoice to the new lower price. Conversely, because the supply of performance flash components is currently impacted due to both growing demand as well as the tragedy in Japan, the drives’ MSRP may be raised, based on cost changes – although existing backorders will be price protected at the level placed. Over the longer term, OWC expects a more normal downward trend in Flash component cost. Article Continues…

This post has 26 comments.
Category: Press Releases
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Entries