Low End Mac Editorial Archive
August 2007
- Charles W. Moore, Low End Mac columnist and news editor, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.31. An interview with Charles W. Moore, who has been a Mac user since the early 90s and began writing for Low End Mac in 1999.
- PC war losers, Mac 'just works', $68 802.11n for older Macs, a free font manager, and more, Mac News Review, 08.31. Also DVD region locking, the iMac's glossy screen, Mac mini powerful enough, Chromac iMac housings, SanDisk's 8 GB flash drive, and more.
- Apple #3 in laptops, 5 802.11 options below $100, Dell's color laptops not available, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.31. Also rendering of a possible MacBook Lite, Sonnet delivers FireWire/USB 2.0 and 21-in-1 memory card reader for ExpressCard/34, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,599, and more.
- Apple squeezes Mac clones out of the market, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.30. Apple started to license the Mac in 1994, the first clones arrived in 1995, and they quickly into Apple's profitable high-end market.
- iMovie 08 and G4 Macs, DVD-RAM support, iSub works with Intel iMac, Home Page alternatives, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.30. Can iMovie 08 work with a G4 Mac? Can an old Apple DVD-RAM drive be upgraded? How can you connect an LC 575 to an OS X Mac? Coda and Rapidweaver recommendations.
- A Quadra with ClarisWorks and Mathematica: All you need for a thesis, Rick Lawson, My First Mac, 08.27. With a thesis deadline approaching and no desire to learn Windows, the author picked up an inexpensive used Quadra 605 system, which has all the power and tools needed to complete the project.
- iBook unreliability, iBook G4 AirPort problems, RAM for a PowerBook 1400, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.27. Pismo vs. iBook as the more reliable portable, catastrophic iBook failure, and a Pismo that won't recognize new hardware.
- Replacing Home Page, more reasons to keep a G3 iMac, don't forget iLife 08, Command Line Mac, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.27. Also the Macard Project, a possible G3 All-in-One solution, printing to a LaserWriter over AirPort, and downloads for a Power Mac not connected to the Internet.
- Maintaining Your Mac: Fixing Mac glitches and sluggishness, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 08.24. If you're Mac is acting oddly or seems slower, here are several steps you can take to fix glitches and reduce or remove sluggishness.
- A longtime Mac user reflects on 8 months with Vista, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 08.24. After eight months using Vista on three different laptops, the author finds it better than Windows XP even on older hardware and more secure out of the box. But it's still Windows.
- One drive to boot all Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.24. Thoughts on creating a universal boot drive for SCSI, FireWire, and USB 2.0 Macs, Compact Flash speed vs. CD-ROM, disk imaging and partitioning, the demise of BeOS, and more.
- Macs roar to #3 in US, 'one amazing iMac', 3 GB upgrade for Core 2 Mac mini, and more, Mac News Review, 08.24. Also aluminum iMac reviews, aluminum keyboard "packed with improvements", and QuickerTek's antenna array for AirPort Extreme.
- Apple owns 17.6% of notebook market, save $100 with refurb iPhones, first 320 GB notebook drive, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.24. Also MacBooks transform PC sales, li-ion battery design is flawed, 24/7 fuel cell power pack, a forced air laptop cooling stand, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,599, and more.
- Murder on Macintosh Row: Happy Mac, 1984-2002, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.23. The Happy Mac was killed on August 24, 2002, and although there are suspects, this cold case may never be solved.
- Connecting a LaserWriter to ethernet and the TiBook that wouldn't boot, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.23. The importance of an AAUI ethernet adapter, the cost of PowerBook PRAM batteries, and booting old Macs from SCSI drives.
- Adium: One instant messenger to rule them all, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 08.22. Adium can replace all of your Instant Messenger clients with a single program and handle all of your threads in a single tabbed window.
- KompoZer 0.7.7: Getting Closer to a Replacement for Claris Home Page, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.22. KompoZer is a free, open source WYSIWYG webpage editor that has some rough edges but works well enough for full-time use.
- Gigabyte confusion, big letter keyboard wanted, G3 All-in-One problem, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.22. Also alternative printing solutions for older Macs and missing AppleWorks.
- Macworld's Jason Snell on Apple's fervor for great products, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.21. "Apple has a fervor, a belief that a good product should be a pleasure to use."
- iWork can replace AppleWorks, Classic a best feature of OS X, and Apple II AppleWorks on a Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.21. Also AppleWorks lives on, an AppleWorks holdout, what killed AppleWorks, and AppleWorks R.I.P.
- Are the white iBooks still a good bet or should you steer clear of them?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.20. The dual USB iBooks have the worst repair record in Mac history, yet some are exceptionally reliable. Should you consider buying one or avoid them?
- VMware Fusion a good alternative for fusing Windows with OS X, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 08.20. Fusion has a few advantages over Parallels, including multiprocessor support, the ability to work with 64-bit operating systems, and less drag on the system when you're using Mac apps.
- Restoring PowerBook batteries, MB/GB confusion, upgrading a Performa 6300, Road Apples, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.20. Also information on Mac128k.com, the market for a midrange Macintosh, iBook reliability, an alternative to Name Munger, and thanks from a reader.
- Slingbox lets you watch TV on your Mac or Windows PC - anywhere, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 08.17. Slingbox transmits video from your television or DVR so you can watch it from any computer on your network - or over the Internet.
- Name Munger 1.5 makes renaming files even easier, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 08.17. Web servers may have problems with uppercase characters, spaces, and certain characters. Name Munger (for Mac and Windows) can quickly and easily fix those problems.
- The Hats and Feets Uprising, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.17. Are vintage Mac users crazy enough to riot over Hats and Feets? It seems so.
- Macs 'more enjoyable' than PCs, end of the G4, enthusiastic aluminum iMac reviews, and more, Mac News Review, 08.17. Also Apple's USB 2.0 keyboard, business looks a iMacs, Core 2 Mac mini benchmarked, miniStack NAS server, Virtual PC update improves security, and more.
- MacBook Pro 'a dream machine', wanted: MacBook with TrackPoint, MacBook power alternative, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.17. Also the MacBook as a back-to-school option, a lemon of a MacBook, software update for Santa Rosa 'Books, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,599, and more.
- Project Macard: Compact Flash, USB, and WiFi for pre-PCI Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.15. BlueFlash gives Apple II computers USB, Compact Flash, and Bluetooth support. How a similar device for older Macs could be created.
- Chillin' out with the Cool-It USB Beverage Chiller, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.15. This simple device does one thing - and does it very well. It plugs into a spare USB port and keeps your drink cold.
- AppleWorks: The death of a great program, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.15. Readers share their love of AppleWorks, iWork compatibility, the origin of 'Works' programs, and a plea to keep AppleWorks alive as an open source project.
- Apple kills another great app, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.14. Since it was released as ClarisWorks in 1991, AppleWorks has epitomized simple elegance and provided enough power for millions of Mac users. No longer.
- Is the Mac mini dead?, the formatted capacity myth, G3 iBook quality, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.14. Also missing the 17" iMac, prepping a hard drive for sale, user feedback on Apple's USB 2.0 keyboard, end of an era in WallStreet upgrades, and more.
- A light touch keyboard, PowerBook 520c questions, moving a G3 iBook from 10.2.8 to 10.3, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.13. Also running QuickBooks on Intel-based Macs, 'Book magnets causing CRT problems, and wondering about the $150 Linux laptop.
- Aluminum keyboard complaints, scope of iceBook problems, 2007 iMac value, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.13. Also more on Newton's virtual keyboard, additional info on USB with Beige G3s, and preparing a hard drive before you sell your old Mac.
- Truth in terabytes: Why your computer says a 1TB drive is missing 90 GB, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.10. As drives become bigger, advertised capacity increasingly diverges from reported capacity.
- Dan Knight, founder of Low End Mac, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.08. A talk with Dan Knight, who started Low End Mac over 10 years ago.
- No junk from Apple, Mac mouse dies after 18 years, time to cut the gigabyte BS, and more, Mac News Review, 08.10. Also new iMac and Mac mini models, Apple's aluminum keyboards, new NAS drive looks like a Mac mini, first software update for aluminum iMacs, and more.
- Titanium PowerBook to the rescue, laptop component shortage, 2007 'Book performance comparo, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.10. Also cooling the MacBook Pro, hi-res MacBook Pro suitable for color work, new batteries for G3 and G4 'Books, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,599, and more.
- The 2007 iMac value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.09. A faster bus, faster CPU speeds, and a new look. Are close-out 2006 iMacs good values?
- The 2007 Mac mini value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.08. Faster, more efficient CPUs, more RAM, and bigger hard drives, but how do blow out prices on 2006 minis compare?
- PowerBook 100: How Sony perfectly miniaturized the 16 pound Macintosh Portable, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 08.08. The PowerBook has the same speed, power, memory capacity, hard drive, and screen resolution at the Mac Portable, but it weighed less than one-third as much.
- iBook 'Road Apple' debate, new iMac looks horrible, Apple's new keyboards, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.08. Also how one user rescued a SCSI drive his Mac could no longer mount, troubleshooting an LC 575, and USB issues with the Beige G3.
- Charge your iPod with Griffin's $30 PowerBlock, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.08. Griffin's PowerBlock is a well designed, simple power brick especially made for charging your iPod.
- What's at stake in the iPhone keyboard lawsuit?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.07. A look at prior art, US Patent 6784873, and whether it might apply to the iPhone keyboard.
- Mac mini (August 2007), 08.07. The refreshed mini has faster Core 2 CPUs, twice as much RAM, and larger hard drives than last year's model.
- New Mac speculation, G3 iBooks as Road Apples, hard drive warranties, and touch screen iMacs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.07. Thoughts on what Apple may introduce today, the pros and cons of G3 iBooks, a touch screen iMac, and the realities of OEM hard drives.
- A great, free OS X text editor? Look no further than TextWrangler, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 08.07. BBEdit may have everything anyone could imagine needing in a text editor, but TextWrangler may have all the tools you really need - and it's free.
- TextSoap 4.5: Powerful text cleaning tools, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 08.06. If you have to clean up text - smarten or dumb down quotes, remove or add line feeds, prepare text for use on the Web - TextSoap may offer all the tools you need.
- Discover the power of iWork with The Missing Manual, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.08.06. Since not much has changed between iWork '05 and iWork '06, the 2005 edition should be plenty to get any iWork user up to speed quickly.
- G3 iBooks 'Road Apples', drive warranty may outlast Mac warranty, G4 in a G3 iMac, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.06. Also thoughts on a Mac mini replacement for the workplace, a Mac docking system, running a Lombard from Compact Flash, easy window capture, and the possibility of using a touchscreen LCD with an iMac.
- iText: Solid, lightweight, free word processing for the Classic Mac OS, OS X, and Windows, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 08.03. If you want a fast, easy-to-use word processor that's consistent across platforms, look no further than iText.
- Free software for the creative Mac, Daniel Andrés Prieto García, My Turn, 08.03. "It's not the tool, it's the way you use it." Free software for creative Mac users.
- Pigs fly, snow in Death Valley, and Dvorak uses a Mac, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 08.03. What has the world come to when John Dvorak, founding member of the Axis of Macevil, walks into the temple of All Things Macintosh?
- Better screen captures in OS X with free Screenshot Helper, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 08.03. Mac screenshots tend to have a lot of clutter in the background. Screenshot Helper puts a tablecloth over your busy desktop for cleaner captures.
- AirPort and screen problems affecting MacBook Pro models, Apple stripped of Energy Star label, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.03. Also a steampunk PowerBook, After Effects CS3 on OS X vs. Windows, a vertical notebook stand, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,199, and more.
- New Macs expected August 7, Apple keyboard repair tutorial, Linux vs. Mac vs. Widows, and more, Mac News Review, 08.03. Also new Apple keyboard inspired by MacBook?, Logitech's new Wave keyboard, iNeck lets G5 and Intel iMacs pivot, TechTool Pro updated for latest Macs, and more.
- Quickly fix ill formed file names with Name Munger, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 08.02. Web servers can have problems with uppercase characters, spaces, and reserved characters. Name Munger (for Mac and Windows) can quickly fix those problems.
- 2 pizza box Macs: An original LC and an LC III, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 08.01. Pushing an LC III to the limit and dealing with a dead Macintosh LC.
- iPhone profits, dead ethernet, PowerBook 1400 software, and more on the Mac mini, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.01. How to work around a dead ethernet port in an eMac, finding older software for an old PowerBook, and more suggestions on improving or replacing the Mac mini.
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