The 2003 Archive

• Panther, Microsoft, and missing Virtual PC updates, 12.19. Virtual PC 5 has problems under Mac OS X 10.3, but Microsoft's only solution is to upgrade to VPC6.
• The next generation iMac and Newton's missing successor, 12.12. Apple is working to reduce cost of the iMac, but will they ever produce a tablet computer?
• Repairing an older Mac: Worth the price?, 12.05. As your Mac ages, some repairs and upgrades just might not make sense.
• Is Apple's $99 iPod battery replacement fee fair or a rip off?, 11.21. Considering the size and value of older iPods, isn't it better to just buy a new one?
• Panther, iTunes for Windows, and G5 drawing people to the Mac, 11.14. Apple must be doing something right - more and more Windows users are asking about Macs.
• Panther on slot-loading iMacs and a 12" PowerBook, 11.07. The Finder is faster, and there are some small-but-nice improvements, but buying more RAM might be a better choice.
• OS X, the classic Mac OS, and customizing your Mac's appearance, 10.31. Although Kaleidoscope doesn't exist for OS X, there are ways to personalize your Mac's look and feel.
• Is the Panther upgrade worth it?, 10.24. Does Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) really offer enough improvements to justify the $129 price?
• Dell takes on Apple's iPod and iTunes Music Store, 10.03. Can the king of copycat computing succeed by following Apple's vision?
• G3, G4, CPU speed, screen size, and the future of the iBook, 09.26. Why rumors of a 15" 500 MHz G4-based iBook just don't make sense, and how Apple might best evolve the iBook.
• Macs, Windows viruses, and shutting down the school computer network, 09.19. The Nachi/Welchia worm forces a school to shut down their entire network - even Mac users.
• Music downloads, the RIAA, and the future of the iPod, 09.12. If the RIAA is successful in reducing the amount of music sharing on the Internet, it could cut into iPod sales.
• No Virtual PC for the G5? Try WinTel, 09.05. Just because Microsoft may not update Virtual PC for a year doesn't mean G5 owners have been left out in the cold.
• The wireless Internet is popping up everywhere, 08.29. AirPort and other wireless solutions aren't just for home, school, and the workplace these days.
• OS X and Western Digital hard drive adventures with a blue and white G3, 08.22. After pulling the G3 out of storage, it was time to install OS X - and then a bigger hard drive.
• Macs, making music, and crashes in OS 9, 08.08. Buggy sound software hilights one of the worst points of the classic Mac OS - the whole computer can be crashed by a buggy program.
• The growing integration of Internet and operating system, 08.01. As the Internet has become part of the computing experience, the OS evolves to make more and better use of it.
• The many failings of BuyMusic.com, 07.25. It doesn't work with Macs, iPods, or non-Microsoft browsers, and it restricts you to a single Windows computer.
• Goats in Toyland: Recording your own album with your Mac, 07.18. Using the Mac to digitally record your music - and then burn it to a CD using iTunes.
• Tips for getting the best from tech support, 07.10. You hear lots of complaints about tech support, but cases where they get the job done are rarely mentioned. How to get the most out of your calls to tech support.
• Panther: Time to pull the plug on the beige G3, 07.03. If Apple won't fully support the old beige G3's hardware, it's time to leave the machine behind when OS X 10.3 ships.
• Newton: Too much, too early?, 06.27. "Not that the Newton wasn't a good product; it was just a little bit ahead of it's time."
• Does Mac OS and Windows convergence threaten innovation?, 06.20. As Windows and the Mac OS borrow from each other, will both companies lose the ability to innovate the interface?
• How Apple software (and not just iTunes) could improve the Windows experience, 06.13. How Apple could use iTunes and other iApps to penetrate the Windows market and help create more switchers.
• Macs more flexible, more friendly than Windows PCs, 06.06. Unlike Windows, the Mac OS lets the user decide which applications should be the default, not the OS maker.
• Mac software: Different strokes for different folks, 05.30. Microsoft Word vs. AppleWorks, Internet Explorer vs. Safari, AIM vs. iChat - it's mostly a matter of personal preference.
• 12" PowerBook G4 an improvement over 15" Titanium in most respects, 05.23. Replacing a 15" 400 MHz titanium PowerBook G4 with a 12" 867 MHz aluminum PowerBook G4 produces great satisfaction, few regrets.
• Don't confuse a pretty interface for an easy or efficient operating system, 05.16. Are Apple and Microsoft sacrificing simple functionality as they attempt to create flashier operating systems?
• The dark side of software upgrades, 05.09. New features are great - but what about those who have to use an older version of the program on another computer?
• Apple, music, and the iTunes Music Store, 05.02. Is the iTunes Music Store a great idea at a great price or is it too limited to really pay off?
• Is it worth it to upgrade your older Power Mac?, 04.25. As your Power Mac ages, are you better off upgrading it or replacing it with something newer?
• Apple design helps older Macs retain their value, 04.18. The evolving visual appearance of Macs is one of several reasons that older Macs hold their value much longer than Windows PCs.
• Count Apple out of the low cost desktop market, 04.11. Knowing Apple, even if they chose to make a "low cost" monitor-less desktop computer, it wouldn't be low cost.
• Replacing a 15" titanium PowerBook with a 12" aluminum one, 04.04. Why buying a 12" PowerBook G4 instead of a newer, faster 15" model makes sense for one TiBook user.
• Six dead 'Books in six years: Is Apple quality control slipping?, 03.28. "Quality control doesn't seem to be an issue with some computer manufacturers, but judging from my experiences with their laptops, Apple has a bit of work to do."
• Death of the G3 iMac? The G3 ain't dead yet, 03.21. Apple may be phasing out the G3, but those old G3 desktops and 'Books have plenty of life left in them.
• Fuel cells: Better batteries mean better portables, 03.14. Fuel cells could provide power for a full day of computing and reduce the weight of laptops. Are there any drawbacks?
• Macs: Beyond multimedia and megahertz, 03.07. "Maybe a day will come when processor speed will lose its importance and people will buy computers based on their abilities."
• The pros and cons of automatic software updates, 02.28. Automatic software updates make it easier to keep your OS and applications up to date, but what are the drawbacks?
• How Microsoft could improve Virtual PC, 02.21. By acquiring Virtual PC for Mac, Microsoft could make it an even better solution for Mac users who sometimes need Windows.
• Windows, Macs, OS X, and real world performance, 02.14. As Mac OS X improves and hardware gets faster, complaints of sluggishness will become nothing but a memory.
• Macs, megahertz, Safari, and growing the market, 02.07. Safari's speed helps offset the Mac's MHz deficit, but 1 GHz iMacs aren't going to bring in a lot of switchers in the age of 3 GHz PCs.
• The music industry needs to embrace the digital age, reduce CD prices, and avoid copy cat artists, 01.31. The record companies need to stop blaming file sharing for their woes and offer buyers good music at good prices.
• The long term value of low-end Macs, 01.24. If your Mac is good enough for your needs, what does it matter if someone else considers it low-end?
• Webmail: The end of email clients?, 01.17. Is webmail ready to replace traditional email client software? It does have some advantages.
• The new PowerBooks, iLife, and pros and cons of Safari, 01.10. Initial impressions of the 12" and 17" PowerBooks, the $49 iLife bundle, and the current state of Safari.

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