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Mac Spectrum
Macs Are Where I Want to Be
- 2008.07.28 - Tip Jar
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As a child of the 1970s (albeit by only two months), I grew up when computing was at its ripest. I started my computing venture with the likes of a Commodore 64 and Acorn 3010.
I bought an old 486 from my employer when I first started work, and it was my first step into the Windows world. A colleague built me a Pentium 133 machine (which at the time was top of the range), and it went through many upgrades until I sold it to buy a laptop for portability.
It wasn't until 2001 that I entered the Mac world. After years of owning a PC, I knew there had to be something different. Progressing through each version of Windows, I knew there had to be a better alternative. I had been a keen observer of Macs for a while, but they were way out of my price range.
I began my professional career on an old Mac Quadra in a publishing house. A year later I blagged a free Beige G3 333 MHz tower running OS 9. I then upgraded to an iMac G3, slot loading 450 MHz model packed with 384 MB of RAM running OS X. I had this for a few years, until the call of a G4 became too much and I bought my first eMac, a 1 GHz G4 and my first brand new Mac.
From the heady days of OS 9 on the Beige G3 through to the fantastic OS X 10.5 "Leopard", I know Macs are amazing and where I want to be. Compared to Windows, the simplicity and cleanness is amazing.
I needed a laptop and bought an old PowerBook G3 Lombard, which of all my computers is the one I miss the most. I upgraded to a G4 PowerBook, which I sold for a Clamshell G3 iBook. After only days of using it, I sold it and bought an old PowerBook G3 WallStreet, but it didn't cut it, so I sold it and left the laptop market in favour of a smartphone/PDA - my Nokia E61.
I recently picked up another PowerBook G3 Lombard to restore, and it has gone very well.
I sold my G4 eMac and moved straight to a 1.83 GHz Core Duo Intel iMac (skipping the G5), which I have today.
I have had over 15 Macs in such a short time, ranging from iMac G3s, eMacs, Power Mac G3s and G4s, PowerBook G3s and G4s, iBook G3s, LC IIs, Classic II, SE/30, and even a Newton 2000.
I have used every version of both Windows and the Mac OS since the early 90s and versed myself well in them. I have strayed even further from the confines of Microsoft by delving into the weird world of Linux.
I have ripped open every computer I've owned (except my Intel iMac - I am so tempted). Most Macs aren't supposed to be "user serviceable" according to Apple, but that doesn't stop me. From building a PC from scratch, replacing hard drives and optical drives in iBooks, fitting new hard drives in eMacs, or logic board replacements in iMacs - to name but a few - I have developed a wealth of knowledge.
I've never been content with just using a computer; I have to know how everything works and how to fix it in both software and hardware terms, whether it be installing an operating system (Mac, Windows, or Linux), setting up a small network (wired or wireless), or resolving a software or hardware conflict.
More recently I have been learning HTML and CSS and using it to build my own Mac specific website.
I have earned the reputation of nerd and am proud to live up to it. To people I know, I am a one-stop-shop for computer problems and questions. I have made it my mission to preach the benefits of Macs and the Mac operating system.
From a professional angle, I have been a business journalist and
graphic designer for 10 years. I am taking a career break and an
opportunity to spend time with my wife and three children; I am looking
for a change of direction. A future in computer repair may be my new
direction and also the basis for this column on Low End Mac, one of my
most visited websites - and now an opportunity to write and share my
experiences with others.
Recent Columns by Simon Royal
- Back to My Comfortable Place with OS X, 03.09. After 10 years on Macs, switching to Windows and Linux only highlighted the elegance and consistency of the Mac experience.
- A Place for the Classic Mac OS in the Age of Snow Leopard, 10.19. Mac OS 9 has been out of production for nine years, but for basic tasks, such as word processing and email, it provides plenty of power.
- Adding USB 2.0 to a Titanium PowerBook G4, 08.20. TiBooks have built-in USB 1.1, but with a compatible USB 2.0 CardBus card, you can go 2.0. Problem is, not all cards work.
- 'Snow Leopard' and the End of PowerPC Macs, 08.14. Mac OS X 10.6 will be the first version of OS X without PowerPC support. That marks the beginning of the end for G4 and G5 Macs.
- More in the Mac Spectrum index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Mac mini G4, Jan. 2005 - Apple does small: At 6.5" square and 2" high, it was one of the smallest PCs ever.
- Group of the Day: 1st PowerMacs is for pre-PCI Power Macs.
- March 10 in LEM history: 00: Where Mac games are going - Honest speed - 03: 9 free POP3 services - AGP video in Sawtooth - 05: Classic Mac OS features revived for OS X - 06: Core Solo mini not so good? - 08: Pixelmator 1.1.3 - Macs and non-Apple WiFi hardware
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Apple Now Sees Microsoft as Less Evil than Google, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 03.10. With Android threatening the iPhone's dominance, Apple views Microsoft and Windows 7 Mobile as the lesser threat.
- MacBook vs. HackBook: You Get What You Pay For, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 03.09. You can buy a used PowerBook or a hackable netbook, or you can buy a notebook with enough computing power to do real work.
- The iPad as Your In-between Mac, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 03.09. Apple's iPad will have a place as the in-between Mac that can do a lot of the light duty tasks typically done on a notebook.
- Apple vs. HTC Will Delay iPad Competitors, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 03.09. By filing suit against HTC, Apple may slow adoption of the Android platform while giving Windows 7 Mobile an unexpected boost.
- Shiira Browser Is Lightning Fast, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.08. "...I'm finding myself not in any hurry to stop using Shiira 2.3 and go back to Safari 4 as my WebKit browser pick."
- Apple's Almost Netbook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 03.08. No, Apple didn't really make a netbook, but the 12" PowerBook G4 certainly came close - and with far less compromises than a real netbook.
- G4 'Book vs. Hackintosh Netbook: Which Makes More Sense?, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 03.08. Comparing a used 12" G4 iBook or PowerBook with a netbook running Snow Leopard, which is the more practical choice?
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best iPod nano Deals, 03.10. Refurb 4G/8 GB, $99; 16 GB, $119; 4G/8 GB, $129; 16 GB, $139; new 5G/8 GB, $134; 16 GB, $160. Shipping included.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, 03.10. 1 GHz Combo, $400; 1.25 GHz, $460; 1.33 GHz SuperDrive, $539; 1.5 GHz, $550; 1.67 GHz, $589; hi-res, $800.
- Best iPod shuffle Deals, 03.10. New 3G/2 GB, pink, $53; other, $55, 4 GB, blue, $71; other, $73. Shipping included.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 03.09. 867 MHz Combo, $400; SuperDrive, $469; 1 GHz Combo, $430; SD, $479; 1.5 GHz Combo, $489; SD, $529.
- Best 17" PowerBook G4 Deals, 03.09. 1.0 GHz, $639; 1.67 GHz, $699.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 03.09. Used from $1,200; refurb 2.66 GHz 4-core, $2,149; new 2.66, $2,299; refurb 2.93, $2,549; new, $2,899; refurb 2.26 8-core, $2,799; new, $3,045; more.
- Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, 03.08. OEM version, $79; full version on DVD, $140; 5 user family pack, $370; 10-user Server, $299.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 03.08. 500 MHz dual, $60; 733 single, $70; 800, $80; 933, $115; 867 dual, $125; 1 GHz, $150; 1.25, $225; 1.42, $469 shipped.
- Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 03.08. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $48; Mac Box Set, single user, $136; 5 users, $151; Server, $429.
- More deals in our archive.
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Museum
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ramseeker
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the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
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Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
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