Low End Mac Editorial Archive
September 2007
- 'Think Different': The ad campaign that restored Apple's reputation, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 09.28. After Steve Jobs' triumphant return and before the debut of the iMac, Apple had to do something to change people's opinion of the beleaguered company.
- 3.2 Gbps FireWire, 4.8 Gbps USB coming, Macs cost less to use, a Core Image-based image editor, and more, Mac News Review, 09.28. Also wireless USB to hit 1 Gbps, Mac sales are surging, aluminum iMacs have great image quality, 802.11n WiFi for most modern Macs, and more.
- iPhone proved better, iPhone mods void warranty, iPod touch screen fault, wireless bicycle speaker, and more, iNews Review, 09.27. Also taking notes on the iPod touch, Ringtonator music-to-ringtone converter, cassettes modded for use as iPod nano cases, restoring iPhone battery life, and more.
- Interchangeabilty and compatibility of Apple 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drives, Sonic Purity, Mac Daniel, 09.26. Apple used two kinds of high-density floppy drives on Macs, auto-inject and manual inject. Can they be swapped?
- 8 MHz forever? Apple's Macintosh Classic was no faster than the first Mac, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 09.26. A successor to the 1986 Mac Plus and 1987 Mac SE, the 1990 Mac Classic was slow, limited, and barely enough for basic tasks like writing.
- Mac OS X 10.1: The first mature version, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.25. After several Developer Previews, a Public Beta, and five versions of OS X 10.0, Mac OS X was finally ready for prime time with the release of version 10.1.
- My PowerBook pilgrimage, 1996 to present, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.09.24. Starting with a grayscale PowerBook 5300 bought of-life in late 1996, the author has used six different 'Book models over the past 11 years
- Introduction to ripping your DVDs into video files, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2007.09.24. How to use the free HandBrake program to rip your DVDs so you can watch them from your hard drive or store them on your iPod.
- Tips for Linux users coming to Mac OS X, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 09.24. Things work differently in OS X: In most cases, differently means better, and in all cases, more consistently.
- 'Obsolete' computers belong in homes and classrooms, not sitting in storage, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 09.21. A lot of school systems have piles of "obsolete" computers in storage that should be used in the classroom or loaned to students with no computer at home.
- Effective backup strategies for Mac users, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 09.21. How to backup your important data and your entire hard drive before a catastrophic drive failure turns you into a backup zealot.
- 'I will switch from Apple', AMD's 3-core CPU, Carbon Copy Cloner 3.0 released, and more, Mac News Review, 09.21. Also new 24" iMac disappoints, new driver does not improve iMac GPU performance, aluminum keyboards "atrocious", QuickerTek WiFi antenna for Mac Pro, free 3D home interior software, and more.
- No looking back after MacBook switch, 8x SuperDrive upgrade for MacBook and MacBook Pro, and more, The 'Book Review, 09.21. Also $100 laptop now $188, iBook logic board repair service, metal jacket for MacBook, MoGo mouse lives inside notebook, bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,688, and more.
- The ultimate writing machine: Quiet and free of interruptions, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 09.20. For creative writing, turn off messaging, use a quiet computer, and reduce clutter on your screen. An old computer may be your best choice.
- iPhone features missing in iPod touch, $100 iPhone credit, DVR would benefit Apple TV, and much more, iNews Review, 09.20. Also new iPods now work with Linux, reviews of 2007 iPods, another iPhone unlocker, PowerPoint support for the iPhone, 3 new FM transmitters for iPods, several new iPod cases and covers, and more.
- Macintosh IIx: Apple's flagship gains a better CPU, FPU, and floppy drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.19. 20 years ago Apple improved the Mac II by using a Motorola 68030 CPU with the new 68882 FPU. And to top it off, the IIx was the first Mac that could read DOS disks with its internal drive.
- Tips and options for digitizing analog video and burning DVDs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.19. Software and hardware suggestions for getting videotape content onto a DVD, and more on USB 2.0 for a beige Power Mac G3.
- Vintage Macs provide a less distracting writing environment, Brian Richards, Advantage Mac, 09.18. A Mac OS X user finds an old Macintosh IIsi and discovers the joy of writing undisturbed by music, messaging, and streaming content.
- How does the MacBook compare to Sony, HP, Toshiba, and Lenovo offerings?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.18. Ars Technica compares four Windows notebooks in the same price range as Apple's MacBook. How does the $1,299 MacBook hold up against them?
- Importing video into iMovie, jumping the gun on G3s and Leopard, interference robustness, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.18. Also, Intel Macs support 802.11a WiFi alongside b, g, and n, and USB card options for beige G3 Power Macs.
- Tiger on G3s, Leopard won't run on a Blue and White G3, iMac video devolution, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.17. Also why Leopard would be a bad choice on G3 Macs, has Apple gone insane?, Leopard works on a Cube, and more.
- Feeling like an iChump, Lombard and Pismo praise, being a late adopter, Classic mode, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.17. Also the 'Road Apple' x200 series, Apple's biggest hardware price cut, iBook video chip repair, data exchange with a PowerBook Duo 2300, and more.
- The future of G3 iBooks in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.14. All of the G3 iBooks can run Mac OS X, but which ones run it well? And which version should you use?
- Apple's consumer Performa line, 1992 to 1997, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.14. Apple decided to pursue the average consumer by renaming existing Macs, bundling them with software, and putting their colorful boxes in regular retail outlets.
- AirPort Extreme interference robustness explained, 1 GHz G3 upgrade, new OS X image editor, and more, Mac News Review, 09.14. Also picking the right Mac, Microsoft's wireless mouse with 1 GB of flash memory, Revolabs wireless microphone with iListen, Opera 9.5 for Mac reaches alpha 3, and more.
- Gold plated MacBook Pro, Seagate's 250 GB notebook drive, Hawking 108G WiFi card for OS X, and more, The 'Book Review, 09.14. Also TechRestore partners with FedEx, Logitech's compact notebook speakers, keyboard remapping for MacBooks, a new case for the 17" MacBook Pro, and bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,688.
- The future of G3 iMacs in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.13. From August 1998 through December 2001, G3 iMacs were Apple's hot consumer computers. Which ones are best for OS X, and which should be avoided?
- iPods that never passed beta or focus groups, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 09.13. "What most Apple fans don't realize is that there were a few iPod variants that never made it out of beta testing and the focus group stage."
- Tiger on a G3 iMac and Pismo, running OS 9 from a flash drive, 7200 rpm drive heat, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.13. Also iMac upgrade advice, iBook G3 video chip resoldering, and how to get your website indexed by Google.
- 1st million iPhones, iPod touch crippled, best ever screens for iPod nano and classic, and more, iNews Review, 09.13. Also iPhone unlock on sale, Canadians to wait for iPhone, video out on new iPods not compatible with some existing docks, Panther support for iPod classic, and more.
- What a waste! Some schools would rather store old computers than put them to use, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 09.12. Denver Public Schools is one example of a school district so ready to buy new computers that it has tens of thousands of old, usable computers sitting in storage.
- AppleWorks may be discontinued, but it's far from dead, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 09.12. AppleWorks combined word processing, spreadsheets, and more in a single lightweight app, giving many users all the tools they needed.
- The future of G3 Power Macs in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.12. There's no G3 support in Leopard. What does that mean for those with a Beige G3 or a Blue and White G3?
- iPod touch and AirPort Express, iPod touch a real PDA?, Apple's marketing formula, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.11. Also cooling a MacBook, IBM used Apple's AAUI interface, and partitioning drives for tray-loading iMacs.
- The future of G3 PowerBooks in the Age of Leopard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.11. There's no G3 support in Leopard. What does that mean for Kanga, WallStreet, Lombard, and Pismo PowerBooks?
- iWeb a great tool for quickly creating an attractive website, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 09.11. Apple's iWeb software isn't just easy to use, it also integrates nicely with .mac and other programs in the iLife bundle.
- New Apple drive supports Blu-ray and HD DVD, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill, 09.11. Tired of being second-guessed and sometimes outmaneuvered by Microsoft, Apple has embraced both next gen DVD formats with its new SuperDrive Extreme.
- Choosing and upgrading a 12" PowerBook, too much about Windows, the blue iMac blues, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.11. Also the pros and cons of running Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' on a blue and white G3 and one more tip for burning CDs that will work on old Macs.
- The costs and dangers of being an early adopter, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.10. I guess somebody has to go first - but not me, if I can help it.
- Region free DVD viewing on Macs and Windows PCs, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 09.07. There are three ways to get around region restrictions on your computer's DVD player: software, hardware, and extraction.
- My Newton: Why I won't buy an iPhone or iPod touch, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 09.06. The iPod touch and iPhone sound wonderful, but I love the handwriting recognition, fax support, and email abilities of my Newton MessagePad.
- Maintaining Your Mac: Solving Mac disk and hardware problems, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 09.07. Dealing with damaged directories, messed up file permissions, PRAM problems, and stuck discs.
- Mac mini overpriced, iMac outpaces PCs, switching to Mac a waste of time, and more, Mac News Review, 09.07. Also adding an eSATA drive to a Mac mini, cost of replacing an iMac's glass face, drives with 1 GB cache coming, reviews, and right-click software for 1-button mice.
- 2 apps every MacBook should have, right-click with Apple's 1-button trackpad, micro flash drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 09.07. Next year's notebooks worth waiting for, MacBook and MacBook Pro reviews, SanDisk's multicard ExpressCard adapter, and bargain 'Books from $130 to $2,688.
- Apple seduction: The iPhone and iPod touch, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.06. They're not the kind of thing a lot of people need, but they are the kind of thing a lot of people want. Including me. This may be Apple's most seductive product ever.
- Why I don't want an iPhone - and really want an iPod touch, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 09.06. The iPhone offers a lot of capabilities, but at too high a cost for someone who doesn't need a mobile phone or doesn't want to change carriers. The iPod touch is nearly perfect.
- A history of the iPod: 2005 to present, Tom Hormby and Dan Knight, Orchard, 09.06. How Apple changed the iPod with flash memory, tiny screens, video support, touch technology, and OS X.
- Upgrading a Power Mac G4, used Mac dealers, Tiger on a blue and white G3, and AAUI, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.06. Questions about upgrading a Mirrored Drive Doors G4, dependability of used Mac dealers, and the wisdom of installing Mac OS X 10.4 on a blue and white G3. Also comments on AAUI.
- Apple intros iPod touch, iPod classic, video iPod nano, slashes iPhone price, and more, iNews Review, 09.06. Also Apple teams up with Starbucks, $200 iPhone outrage, an AIM client for the iPhone, a mini jukebox for iPod and iPhone, and more.
- Comparing Apples and Dells: Only you can make a fair comparison, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 09.05. Sure, you can configure a $400 Dell so it costs more than a Mac mini, but would you really buy it that way?
- 12" PowerBook G4 reliability, iMac slowdown blues, PowerTools Mac clones, cooling a MacBook, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 09.05. Also Pismo as the king of PowerBooks, burning a CD for Macs with System 7, and thinking about a small Mac Beowulf cluster.
- PowerBook 540c: Still the king of notebook computers, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 09.04. The PowerBook 500 family introduced a curvy new design, the trackpad, intelligent NiMH batteries, drive bays, PCMCIA expansion, and 16-bit stereo sound to the world of notebook computers.
- Apple's first subnotebooks: The PowerBook Duo family and the PowerBook 2400c, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.04. With rampant rumors of a subnotebook MacBook Pro, it's a good time to look back at Apple's earlier attempts at subnotebook computers.
- Apple's AAUI ethernet connector, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 09.04. From 1991 through 1995, Apple used a proprietary ethernet connection. Why they created AAUI and where to find adapters.
- A brief history of the iPod, Tom Hormby and Dan Knight, Orchard, 09.04. Apple's most profitable division grew from one man's vision for a small, easy to use, hard drive-based MP3 player linked to a content delivery system.
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