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NewerTech Announces NuStand mini XL Acrylic Riser for Mac mini

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 | Author: OWC NewsFeed

Newer Technology, Inc. announced today the NuStand™ mini XL riser. The solid, single-piece acrylic riser safely elevates a display over a Mac mini or levels the height of a smaller, secondary monitor connected to a 27″ iMac.

Save Space While Elevating Display Over mini

The NuStand mini XL’s 3.5″ clearance raises a LCD (up to 30″) or CRT (up to 22″) over a Mac mini to an ergonomically proper viewing height. Its open-design offers easy access to all ports and if applicable, the mini’s optical drive slot.

Great For iMac Too

Although the NuStand mini XL is designed for the Mac mini, it offers a display solution for 27″ iMac owners wanting to use a smaller, secondary monitor.  In addition to leveling the height between displays, the NuStand mini XL also provides the ideal location for an Apple Wireless Keyboard, an external hard drive solution, and  other low-profile devices.

NuStand mini XL Features

  • Enables placement of Mac mini with Airport Extreme or Time Capsule, Apple’s Wireless Keyboard and other low-profile devices below a monitor or all-in-one computer like the iMac.
  • Raises display to an ergonomic viewing height
  • Saves valuable desktop space
  • Solid, single-piece acrylic construction
  • No ports or cooling vents are obstructed
  • No Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal loss

Price, Availability

The Newer Technology NuStand mini XL is available immediately for $49.95 MSRP from NewerTech’s exclusive distributor, Other World Computing (OWC®), and through the retail channel. For more information on the NuStand mini XL and reseller inquiries, visit: http://www.newertech.com/products/nustandxl.php. For more information on NewerTech’s complete line of accessories and upgrades for Macs, PCs, and iOS devices, visit: http://www.newertech.com/products.

 

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Category: Press Releases
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Thunderbolt Display – Data Transfer Speed Testing

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 | Author: OWC Michael

We were pretty exited to receive our first few Thunderbolt Displays yesterday. If you want a closer look – we released some unboxing photos before we started our testing. We set off to see just how good essentially the world’s first Thunderbolt hub performs – not to mention the only way so far to add FireWire compatibility to your MacBook Air.

We’re pleased to announce that for read speeds across the board, whether plugging in via USB or FireWire 800, there is no speed degradation whatsoever.

With FireWire 800 write speeds though, we found an interesting anomaly.

When running a FireWire 800 external drive hooked up to the Thunderbolt display, there was roughly a 3-5MB/s slowdown in write speeds versus the same drive plugged in directly to the FireWire 800 port on the host machine. Admittedly, that 3-5MB/s is quantitatively not that large of a difference, but when the interface itself maxes out at roughly 80MB/s transfer speeds – that 3-5MB equates to a 4-7% total difference, which can seem significant. USB speeds remained constant and did not show any slowdown.

Here’s an example: Article Continues…

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Category: Benchmarking/Performance, Product Spotlight
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Unboxing the 27″ Apple Thunderbolt Display 2011

Monday, September 26th, 2011 | Author: OWC Michael

It is here at last! Our first Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch) we snapped a few photos for your unboxing enjoyment before we sent this along for testing.

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Category: Fresh from Apple, Product Spotlight
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Where’s the Thunderbolt? It’s coming.

Thursday, August 4th, 2011 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Apple shipped its first Thunderbolt-equipped machines (MacBook Pros) in February. The next batch of machines (iMacs) hit in May. And in July, we got treated to minis and MacBook Airs with this port as well.

People were/are excited: Thunderbolt promises fast data speeds, daisy-chaining of displays and devices, and reduced desktop clutter overall.

However, as of this writing, there’s only one Thunderbolt storage device that seems to be available. The only “Thunderbolt” displays you can currently use are the 2011 iMacs in display mode (though you can still connect to mini DisplayPort displays just fine) and Apple’s own offerings. Heck, the first actual Thunderbolt cables themselves were only made available in late June.

So what’s the hold up?

This isn’t just a matter of slapping another port on an enclosure via an Oxford chipset and calling it a day. There are a lot of factors that play into designing a Thunderbolt device.

The main one is Thunderbolt itself. This is a new interface paradigm, the technical details of which only recently became available. So while we knew it was coming, there really wasn’t a whole lot that we could do in the development process until that point.

So where does that leave us now? Sure, we could rush a product out the door based on new technology that’s not widely adopted/deployed. But there’s a big difference between “getting it out” and “getting it right” when it comes to product development. “Good enough” isn’t the way we like to do things here at OWC.

We’d rather take our time and build a solution from the ground up, using the best proven technology. Sure, we may not have the first product out the gate, but if/when we release a Thunderbolt-enabled storage solution, you can be sure it’s going to be the same kind of high-quality product you’ve come to expect from OWC.

And when we do, you can be sure you’ll hear about it first right here on the OWC Blog.

 

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Category: Random Thoughts & Topics
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Apple Stores “Upgraded” to Version 2.0; iPads Pulling Double Duty.

Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | Author: OWC Chris S.

You know those rumors about how Apple had something exciting to showcase on Sunday?

Yeah… well… it really depends on your definition of “exciting.”

Apple “refreshed” its stores into what they’re calling “Apple Store 2.0” Its primary feature… all the paper info sheets that used to stand with the products have been replaced by iPads on little Lucite stands.

I’ll admit, it’s kind of nice to see a “green” alternative to paper cards which become obsolete once one minor specification changes. And, it would seem that several pages on an iPad can convey a lot more info than what I recall seeing on one of those single sheets. However, I’d avoid visiting the iPad display if you’re on any prescription medication – seeing iPads being used to display specs of other iPads might prove to be a bit trippy.

These iPads are running some customized firmware that disables the Home button, and they don’t seem to be powered off of a standard 30-pin connector (which makes it a convenient way to tell the difference between the “info” model and the “demo” model in the iPad display).

However, possibly the most convenient thing about this display is the button to page an Apple Specialist - something that my past experiences at the local Apple Store have shown to occasionally be more difficult than it should be.

So was all this worth the hours we dedicated to speculating on this? No, probably not.

But at least now we have yet another reason for iPad 2’s being so hard to come by.

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Category: Fresh from Apple
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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…

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Category: New @ OWC, Press Releases
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One Week with the iPhone 4

Thursday, July 1st, 2010 | Author: OWC Jamie

I was the first OWC employee to receive their iPhone 4. I was lucky enough to have it arrive the day before the official release (Yay!), at about 9:15 in the morning, thanks to our exceptional FedEx service. And let me tell you, it was a steady stream of people coming to look, see, touch and feel it that day since it was the only one in the office. Everyone had the same reaction—utter disbelief at just how thin and solid it is. You cannot honestly appreciate the beauty it is until you have held it in your hands. The iPhone 4 is easily the finest piece of electronics I’ve ever owned.

How did I get my iPhone 4? I was able to order my iPhone 4 straight from the Apple website at about 9:30 CST the day orders started being accepted. I would have to guess I loaded the order page probably 50 to 60 times before it went through. Three of us were successful in ordering that first day, and all three of us did get our phones the Wednesday before release; I was the only one smart enough to have the phone delivered to the office, though :>) The other 2 employees didn’t get them until they went home that night.

My initial impressions, coming from a iPhone 3G, was that it’s as fast as an iPad, which I use every day, so I was not as blown away by the raw speed of the iPhone 4 as some have been. I’ve done side by side tests and while the iPad is faster, the iPhone 4 is certainly no slouch, it’s right on the heels of the iPad. I really wish that we had iOS 4 for the iPad to make that test an honest “Apples to Apples” shootout, because I have a feeling the iPhone 4 is going to end up winning—more RAM, and actually a smaller screen are definitely in it’s favor. I can honestly say that it’s such a marked improvement over my old iPhone 3G, that I could not go back to using it on a daily basis, that’s for sure. :>)

Article Continues…

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Category: Fresh from Apple, Random Thoughts & Topics
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Get yourself a better view for the new year.

Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | Author: OWC Chris S.

B243HLrecommStudies have shown that having more screen real estate on your computer helps increase productivity. Even laptops and computers with built-in displays usually have an option for connecting a second display, expanding the computer’s desktop and giving you more room to work. And for those of you who don’t generally do “work” on your computer, let me offer up this lightly less-responsible bit of motivation: multiple large displays look cool.

Frankly, I view it from both sides of the coin. I think had only a single display on my desk during my first year or so with OWC. For the vast majority of my time here, I’ve had at least two displays, and I bumped it up to three earlier this year when I got moved to a Mac Pro for video production, so I know about the productivity benefits having lots of screen real estate. Let me tell you, I go crazy when sitting at my favorite beverage dispensing establishment, trying to juggle emails, chats, downloads, and surfing on my MacBook Pro. Even with OS additions like Spaces, there’s nothing compared to the convenience of having everything all visible at once.

But there are also times where a multiple display setup isn’t always convenient. Sometimes you don’t have an available display connector. Other times, you just don’t have the desk space to hold an extra monitor. In that case, the trick is to get the best single monitor you can at the best possible price.

That’s why I’m glad to mention that OWC has a great price on the Acer B243HL bmdrz 24″ Widescreen White LED Backlit TFT LCD Display. This display is a great option, regardless of whether you’re pairing it up with another display (stand-alone or built-in) or using it by itself. Article Continues…

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Category: Product Spotlight, Special OWC Deals
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