Recycled Computing

Macintosh Remote Control with Chicken of the VNC

- 2009.10.06

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Short link: http://bit.ly/1FTK6d

Before I started writing for Low End Mac, I was a loyal reader. And as a reader, I happened to catch Dan Bashur's Teaching an old iMac Some New Tricks.

Dan is taking his old G3 iMac and attaching it to his home stereo. This is an excellent repurposing of a classic Mac. But he also had a problem similar to the one I have: When he put the iMac next to his entertainment system, there was no room for a keyboard and mouse.

iMac as part of home entertainment center I have the same problem in my setup. Dan rejected a wireless keyboard and mouse and mentioned Chicken of the VNC. This is a VNC (virtual network computer) application for Mac OS X, and it allows you to control another computer from your computer. Dan claims it allows you to do more things than Leopard's screen sharing.

Since I am limited to Tiger on both the iMac and my Pismo, Chicken of the VNC fills the bill.

I had been using Apple's Remote app on my iPod touch to control my iTunes library remotely. However, occasionally I would have to run an update on the old iMac or run Disc Permissions in Disc Utility. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Now, from the comfort of my couch, I can control the iMac and even turn it off when I am done listening to my iTunes library. Ultimate coolness.

I plan on opening up my other users on my home network so that (lazy me), I can take over their computers remotely and fix whatever problem is bedeviling them - all from the comfort of my recliner. Life is great. Maybe heaven is a place where there is a remote control for everything.

If you happen to see an old iMac sitting in the recycle bin or trying to hitch a ride on a major highway, adopt it. I run Mac OS X 10.4.11 "Tiger" on mine. It is connected to my wireless network and functions as a jukebox for my home stereo. You could do the same with yours - or turn it into an emailer or just let the kids play with it.

Don't let the express train of progress throw these colorful computers on to the ash heap of history.

Pismo SuperDrive Update

slot-loading drive with no cover cover for slot-loading drive Last week, I wrote about replacing my Pismo's DVD-ROM drive with the burner I salvaged from a broken iBook G4 (see Upgrading a Pismo PowerBook with a Slot-load Drive Salvaged from an iBook). It was an easy swap, but I was left with a Borg-like module that lacked a face plate. Kinda of ugly looking. I happened to have a face plate from the Zip drive module that came with my Pismo. After hacking it up with my wife's Dremel tool and salvaging a bit of the old iBook's CD mounting, I believe that I can make it look much better.

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Recent Recycled Computing Columns

Adventures in Intel Mac Land, Part 2, 2012.01.09. One big advantage of an Intel Mac is the ability to run Google's fast and easy Chrome browser.
Adventures in Intel Mac Land, Part 1, 2012.01.06. With its dual-core Intel processor, the MacBook rips music and video far faster than a G4 ever could.
Blackbird MacBook, 2012.01.03. The PowerBook G4 is dead. Time to go with a black 13.3" MacBook and enter the Mac's Intel Age.
More in the Recycled Computing index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Macintosh IIcx, introduced 1989.03.07. The first compact modular Mac, essentially a 3-slot Mac IIx, was a big hit.
February 9 in LEM history: 2000: Think choices - Promoting the Macintosh - 2001: Apple vs. Mac clones - 2005: Apple and the $100 laptop - Yojimbo - Core Duo vs. G5 - 2007: The story behind After Dark - Microsoft Office 2007
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