There’s no doubt that Apple and their charismatic evangelist, Steve Jobs, have turned their fruit into a serious competitor to PC and Windows. With impressive industrial design that borders on artistic, there’s no mistaking that signature “Mac Look” in a sea of computers. That’s why companies have been trying to come up with ways to appease the fickle Apple market by trying to design their own “Mac Look” products.
Targus has long been a supplier of accessories for PC notebooks like mice, coolers, locks and other tidbits for your mobile lifestyle. Although they do pretty well for themselves in that market, their products often lacked that look that Apple Lovers tend to gravitate towards: Style. That’s why Targus went back to the drawing board and created a series of products that are designed specifically with that “Mac Style” and should be a safe bet for that Apple Fan on your Holiday Shopping List. Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t pick them up for yourself too. Let’s check them out!
More USB Ports For Your Macbook…
Whether it’s a Macbook, Macbook Air or Macbook Pro, chances are the minimal amount of USB ports onboard might make you envious of that PC guy having that coffee beside you. The solution? How about a USB Hub…
Of course, not any USB hub will do and this is why Targus didn’t just make one of their previous products white. The USB Hub for Mac (Model # ACH105US) measures 3.5″ x 1.7″ x .75″ and weighs 1.8 oz, which is thin enough and light enough to toss into one of many more stylish than functional bags that seem targeted directly towards Mac users. The design employs very Apple-Like colors like MacBook Pro grey and iPod White.
Instead of sporting a set of dangly tentacles or being exposed to the elements all the time, the hub sports a unique wrap around rubber cover that doubles as the connection cable to your Mac. Underneath you’ll find four USB 2.0 ports, with the two outer ones being set at an angle giving the middle two a little more room. The only thing that I found a little, well, sorta gross, is how the super sticky rubber cover piece loved picking up pieces of lint and food and other things that might end up dropping into the crevices of your notebook bag.
The USB Hub for Mac will run you about $29.99 US.
A Mac Accessory for that Budding Steve Jobs
As a master of the keynote, Steve Jobs probably has a gold plated presentation wand handmade for him by mystical elves. But for the rest of us, there is Targus and their Bluetooth Mac Presenter.
The Bluetooth Presenter for Mac (Model # AMP11US) measures 5.1″ x 1.65″ x .98″, weighs 3.7 oz. Small enough to tuck into a pocket or easily into your notebook bag. It uses a touch scroll sensor to move the cursor around the screen while intuitively placed buttons are setup to minimize embarrassing mistakes in front of large scary audiences. You’ll also be less likely to drop it thanks to the rubberized grip and the ergonomic design. All primary presentation controls such as previous slide, next slide and laser pointer are easily identifiable and accessible while secondary functions like blank screen and slide show are also available, but tucked out of the way.
Whether you use PowerPoint or Keynote, this “magical wand” will be able to take on both with equal prowess while the Bluetooth gives you 33 feet of freedom if you’ve happen to take a liking to the Steve Balmer rather than Steve Jobs style of presenting. The Bluetooth Presenter for Mac can be found for around $79.99 US.
A Tale of Two Mac Mice…
Although most PC mice out there will work out of the box with a Mac, there really isn’t anything out there that bridges the gap between the look of Apple’s Mighty Mouse while still including that really handy right mouse button. Targus took this problem head on and created two new mice to address those needs…
The Wireless Mouse for Mac (Model # AMW43US) and Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac (Model # AMB08US) are basically twins. Except for a slightly different colored trim for the rubberized portion of the mouse (gray for the Bluetooth version and white for the Wireless version), they look pretty much identical. Measuring 4.64″ x 2.51″ x 1.45″ and weighing 4.7 oz, the mice have a fairly low profile, making it easy to slip it into any notebook bag. Both of them share the same touch sensitive sensor that is used on the Bluetooth Presenter for Mac, but instead of managing cursor movement, it works as a four way scroll wheel instead…without the wheel part of course. The cursor is controlled by a 1200 dpi laser sensor embedded in the belly.
While the Bluetooth version connects easily to most new Macs and Macbooks, the wireless version uses 2.4Ghz wireless technology and a small dongle that can be stored under the top cover when not in use. The dongle is actually small enough to keep plugged in all the time. Both mice use two AA batteries for power and employ manual on/off switches to help conserve power when not in use.
I’ve actually been using the Bluetooth version for a few weeks now, and find the shape of the mouse very comfortable. The mouse movement was also quite responsive. The only thing that takes a lot of getting used to is the fact that there is no physical scroll wheel and you really need to perfect your touch to keep the sensor doing what you want it to do. I’ve found that when not paying attention at times, I’d scroll right past where I wanted to navigate to.
The Wireless Mouse for Mac hits the shelves at $49.99 US while the Bluetooth version can be found for around $69.99 US.
Tis The Season For Sharing Between Mac and PC
If you don’t have your Mac and PC sharing a network, the easiest way to move files back and forth used to be with a USB Flash Drive via the Sneaker Net. Targus has brought forth a product that makes it even easier…
The File Share Cable for Mac (Model # ACC9602US) creates an intimate connection between Mac and PC. Installation is super easy as the software is built right into the product and shows up as a mounted disc image on either Mac or PC. Once you click the setup and install the software, you’ll be greeted by an FTP like interface which is accessible on either the PC side or the Mac side. Your choice. You can then drag and drop files, move files and make it that much more difficult for your Mac and PC to co-exist, or for that matter, keep your PC around if you really planned on switching to Mac in the first place. This is also a particularly useful gadget for people that use a Mac at work and want to quickly transfer files to work on with their Mac, and then right back on to their PC for the office.
The small size of this product at 3.3″ x 1.3″ x .51″ and a measly 1.7 oz makes it easy enough to just carry with you, just in case you run into a friend that you need to poach files from and happens to have a PC. At $49.99 US, the price is also quite reasonable and combined with the ease of use, makes sense for anyone in a Mac and PC environment.
Cool Down That Radiator…Err… Aluminum MacBook
Although the aluminum, or shall I say, “Al-loo-min-ee-um”, unibody construction of the new Macbooks and Macbook Pros are quite the engineering marvel, their propensity to transfer heat to you and your important bits can be quite unnerving. This is also true with previous generation Macbook Pros and the Macbook Airs. Targus decided that something had to be done to protect Macbook users so they came up with this.
The Chill Mat for Mac (Model # AWE41US) is less of a mat and more of a cooling platform for your Macbook of choice. Measuring 15.15″ x 11.22″ x 1.45″, the Chill Mat will accommodate up to a 15.4 inch Macbook Pro and weighs 1.6 lbs. Using two strategically placed USB powered fans aimed at the hot regions of Macbooks, the Chill Mat can be very effective in bringing down the temperature of your Macbook.
Instead of just building the Chill Mat for desktop use, Targus has designed it for use on your lap by employing a cloth mesh that not only provides protection from the spinning fans, but also gives your knees a bit of cushioning. Futurelooks has reviewed their fair share of notebook coolers, but we’ve never seen something like this implemented. It’s so simple and effective and so very Apple of Targus to think of doing this.
The effectiveness of the Chill Mat for Mac is further enhanced by a well perforated top which is discreetly fitted with matching white rubber dots to keep your Macbook from sliding off. Power is supplied to the unit via a USB cable and a manual on and off switch allows you to turn it off when you’re looking for a little bit more peace and quiet, though it’s not noisy by any means. However, you can hear the fans spinning in a completely dead quite room. Even without the fans on, the swiss cheesing will provide added cooling and air circulation under your Macbook. It will also keep the scarce USB ports free for your other peripherals.
The Chill Mat for Mac will set you back around $49.99 US and as you can see, the design and colors are well matched to any Macbook…well…except for the black MacBook.
Targus is Serious About Macs and it Shows…
This latest batch of products from Targus really shows off just how serious they are about breaking into the Apple Cult. Their use of uniquely Mac influenced design along with a great deal of though for both functionality and design makes this latest batch of products a solid alternative to any of the already established Mac accessories out there. As a new Mac owner myself, I really enjoyed using these products with my new MacBook Pro and I hope to see more of the same caliber of quality from Targus in the near future. If any of these ended up under the tree for me on Xmas Morning, I’d be pretty happy.
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