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Editorial Index

Low End Mac's Editorial Archive

This page links to the most recent editorials on the site - and there's a link to older archives down near the bottom of the page.

If you know who wrote an article you don't see listed here, visit our Editorial Columns index. Your other option is to use the search box at the top of the page and look for relevant terms.

2 wireless alternatives to Apple's Magic Mouse, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.27. Whether you prefer buttons to buttonless, are still using Mac OS X 10.4, or don't like Bluetooth, Targus has mice to consider.
Jumpcut, a free clipboard manager for OS X, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.26. PTHPasteboard, once a free clipboard manager, has gone commercial. Jumpcut has stepped into the gap and works very nicely.
My Windows 7 launch party, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 10.23. "The final surprise was that things started to slow down during my demo. I had XP Mode running, several open windows, and a half dozen other apps running."
MacBook best selling Mac ever, new MacBook disassembled and reviewed, new notebook cases, and more, The 'Book Review, 10.23. Also Apple ignores netbook market and thrives, resurrecting a dead 'Book, seamless dual display from Samsung, new drives, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
OS X beats Win 7, record Apple profits, new iMac and Magic Mouse, Mac mini updated, and more, Mac News Review, 10.23. Also iFixit dissects the new Magic Mouse, Samsung's energy efficient external 3.5" hard drive, Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac, and more.
No Verizon iPhone any time soon, but Verizon may have another Apple opportunity, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 10.23. Put simply, the iPhone is a GSM device that Apple would have to re-engineer for Verizon's CDMA network. But Apple's tablet could benefit from Verizon's 3G network.
iTouch and iPhone sales up, no 'public performance' royalties for ringtones, grocery app, and more, iNews Review, 10.23. Also living in App Space, car controlled by iPhone, women ignore ads on iPhone, free flight tracking app, two new safety apps, and more.
The Late 2009 iMac value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.21. With larger 16:9 displays, the new iMacs bring a lot of value to the table, but there are some close-out bargains.
The Late 2009 Mac mini value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.21. We called the Mac mini 'the best value in desktop Macs' two months ago, and the refreshed Mac mini only improves that value.
The Late 2009 MacBook value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.21. The redesigned consumer MacBook uses unibody construction, gains LED backlighting and battery life, but loses FireWire.
A useful Eudora feature, FireWire ports in Apple displays, having enough RAM, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.21. Also upgrading from Panther to Leopard, Low End Mac's new PC swap list, and reasons to avoid QuickPADs.
iMac (Late 2009), 10.20. Bigger displays with 16:9 ratio, 3.06 GHz standard, 2.66 GHz quad-core i7 option, similar pricing.
Mac mini (Late 2009), 10.20. Speed boost, more base RAM, bigger base hard drive, same base price.
MacBook (Late 2009), 10.20. Polycarbonate unibody design, faster CPU, built-in 7 hour battery, no change in price.
Free Mailsmith Is the BBEdit of email clients, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.20. If you're looking for an efficient, powerful, flexible, scriptable plain text email client for POP3 email, Mailsmith could be for you.
A place for the Classic Mac OS in the Age of Snow Leopard, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 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.
Preview in Snow Leopard supports scanners and screen shots, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 10.19. The newest version of Preview can even use a remote scanner, creates compact PDFs, and includes three screen capture options.
Windows 7: Bait for Windows XP and Vista users, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 10.19. While Win 7 is competing with OS X in features, it's target audience is Windows users, not Mac users.
Using Tex-Edit Plus and AppleScript for HTML markup, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.19. Tex-Edit is a great writing tool in its own right, but thanks to AppleScript support, it can be extended far beyond its initial scope as a word processor.
How to connect some VGA Macs to analog HDTVs, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 10.16.
How Apple will beat Sony and Nintendo in handheld gaming, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 10.16. The iPhone platform has more users than Sony's PSP, and it will pass Nintendo's DS platform within two years.
Living with a 'MacBook Nano', netbook users 'not that satisfied', lightest notebook, and more, The 'Book Review, 10.16. Also nVidia halts new chip development, fix for iBook G4 kenrel panics, world's lightest notebook, matte display options, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
Macs #4 in US, Windows 7 'nearly equal' to OS X, don't use Windows for online banking, and more, Mac News Review, 10.16. Also Gene Roddenberry's Mac nets $8,260, Apple loses trademark on Mighty Mouse, Snow Leopard: The Missing Manual, Google Quick Search Box, and more.
iPhone tops in reliability, iPhone OS 3.1.2, iGMail, 3G 802.11n travel router, and more, iNews Review, 10.16. Also iPhone OS dominates mobile Web usage, Lotus Domino gets iPhone support, 32 GB iPod touch giveaway, and more.
WallStreet CPU upgrades, Buffalo WiFi problems, long power outages, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.14. Also wireless broadband, culprit behind MacBook insomnia, EU iPod volume limits, and QuickPAD connectivity.
Windows 7 vs. MacBook, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 10.14. A free copy of Windows 7 leads to installation problems and two days of frustration, like no 64-bit Boot Camp Utilties.
Free TextWranger 3.0 a steal, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.13. For editing plain text, TextWrangler 3.0 is fast, very powerful, free, and may be all you need in a text editor.
Unibody MacBook works with 4 GB RAM, laptops fair game for border search, bigger netbooks, and more, The 'Book Review, 10.08. Also 13" MacBook Pro 'what I wanted', netbooks sales to soar for holidays, 1 TB of internal MacBook or PowerBook storage, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
Macs in 12% of US homes, 35 apps for better browsing, BlackBerry Desktop for Mac, and more, Mac News Review, 10.08. Also 5 of 6 Mac homes also have Windows PCs, best open source Mac apps, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 SSDs, MacSpeech for Snow Leopard, and more.
AT&T allows VoIP, Adobe Flash Pro iPhone apps, Bell Canada gets iPhone, Vonage app, and more, iNews Review, 10.08. Also iPhone OS dominates mobile Web usage, Lotus Domino gets iPhone support, 32 GB iPod touch giveaway, and more.
Re-imagining the Mac Cube for the Intel Era, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 10.07. The Power Mac G4 Cube was one of Apple's most beautiful computers. Here's how Apple could resurrect the concept - and succeed this time.
Eudora 8 beta, Bible study software, one reason to choose an Apple display, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.07. Also questions about the Plantronics Voyager Pro and finding contentment with a cheap USB 2.0 PC Card.
Sauce for the goose, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.07. EU regulators are forcing Microsoft to offer Windows users a choice of browsers. Apple ought to offer Mac users the same thing.
Reflections on my first month with broadband, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.06. Moving from 26.4kbps dialup to 15-60 times faster wireless broadband changes work habits - and turns the Pismo PowerBook into a bottleneck.
Macintosh remote control with Chicken of the VNC, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 10.06. Sometimes you want to or need to control another Mac remotely. The free Chicken of the VNC program is a great tool for doing exactly that.
Thinking different about the next consumer MacBook, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.05. The white MacBook design is old, and the market is clamoring for smaller, lighter, and more affordable. Here's how Apple could provide it.
No 12" MacBook Pro, but Dell has an intriguing notebook, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 10.05. As 12" MacBook Pro would just muddy Apple's notebook line, and Dell's new 16" Latitude Z show what a business laptop should be.
Palm Pre: Cutting off business customers, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 10.05. Palm contines to shoot itself in the foot by making the Pre increasingly unattractive to business users.
Oops: A Macintosh undelete odyssey, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 10.05. Accidentally wiping a drive is recoverable, but it's a long, slow process. A bit of creativity will help with files that lose their names.
Moving data at the speed of Light (Peak), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 10.02. Intel's new Light Peak data transfer protocol is designed for 10 gibabits per second, with plans to push it to 100 Gb/s in the future.
Teaching an old iMac some new tricks, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 10.02. Using a G3 iMac as part of your home entertainment center with remote control, audio out to your stereo, and video out to your TV.
i7 Mobile the fastest laptop CPU ever, new MacBook line expected soon, check warranty status, and more, The 'Book Review, 10.02. Also $800 MacBook anticipated, Newton designer returns to Apple, FireWire 800-to-400 adapter, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
MMS for iPhone, wireless charging, 10 photo apps, 'safe' EU standards for MP3 players, and more, iNews Review, 10.02. Also backing up your iPhone, transfer songs from iPod to Mac, complete guide to jailbreaking the iPhone, Apple launches 'Apps for Everything', and more.
iMac and Mac mini constrained, first USB 3.0 hard drive, iWork '09 updated, and more, Mac News Review, 10.02. Also Apple loses Psystar ruling, gaming mouse updated, Cocktail (Tiger Edition) is now freeware, and more.
Upgrading a Pismo PowerBook with a slot-load drive salvaged from an iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 10.30. Starting with a spare DVD-ROM module and the SuperDrive from a G4 iBook, the author ended up with a SuperDrive in his Pismo PowerBook.
'Snow Leopard' MacBook insomnia, webmail vs. desktop email, penny a minute dial-up, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.30. Also death of a G3 iMac, end of Flash 9 support on the Internet, Pismo Target Disk Mode failure, and sanitizing keyboards.
Blu-ray playback in Mac OS X: Will it ever happen?, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 09.30. Today's Macs have the power to support Blu-ray, but not the software. And as far as PowerPC Macs are concerned, we'll probably never see Blu-ray playback.
Goldtouch Go! Travel Keyboard: Ergonomics for the road warrior, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 09.14. Ergonomic keyboards designed for mobile use are few and far between. This one from Goldtouch is compact, solidly built, and very flexible.
2 Macs, 2 operating systems, 1 mouse, 1 keyboard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.29. We've made the move to 'Leopard' at Low End Mac headquarters, but we also need 'Tiger' and Classic Mode. Teleport makes it easy to use two Macs side-by-side.
Why the 20" iMac is perfect for home or school, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 09.29. The aluminum iMac has plenty of power and screen space, yet it's small enough and light enough to tote from place to place.
Automount OS X home directories using OpenLDAP and Linux, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 09.28. It's possible to get an OS X Mac to automatically mount a Linux server using OpenLDAP. The tricky part is finding all the steps needed to make it work.
Free ToyViewer image editor gets major update, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.28. ToyViewer 5 is the first version designed for Snow Leopard, but the Tiger and Leopard versions seem to suffer in the process.
The best sub-$1,000 Mac notebooks for gamers, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 09.25. We have a tie for the best Mac gaming notebook below $1,000, and also four 'Books that almost made the cut.
5 best sub-$1,000 Mac notebooks for gamers, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 09.25. Good Mac 'Books for gaming start below $300 and cover the G3, G4, and Intel eras.
iPod era ending?, case reduces cellphone radiation, free app allows free calls, and more, iNews Review, 09.25. Also Mariner Calc 2.0, Laridian PocketBible, Earn-O-Meter, Pantone, Peter Rabbit, and other apps, a microcell from AT&T, and more.
Extended coverage for MacBook Air hinge, Mac Portable Retrospective, iBook as netbook, and more, The 'Book Review, 09.25. Also building a Pismo from 3 dead ones, upgrading RAM, buyers interested in Apple tablet, first USB 3.0 ExpressCard adapter, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
New iMacs and MacBooks soon?, Blu-ray on Macs, looking back at Lisa and Mac Plus, and more, Mac News Review, 09.25. Also 'Snow Leopard' sales data, using FreeHand and AppleWorks with Snow Leopard, affordable Pentax K-x DSLR even comes in red, and more.
Second class software: Now it's Windows' turn, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 09.24. After 20-some years where the Mac version lagged behind the Windows one, if it even existed, the shoe is now on the other foot.
The welcome to wireless broadband letters, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.23. Charles received a bunch of "welcome to broadband" emails in response to "Charles Moore Finally Gets Broadband!"
Do you trust your email to the Cloud?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.22. Webmail is great if you want to access it from more than one computer, but regular email clients have advantages of their own.
5 best desktop Macs for gaming for under $1,000, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 09.10. You can have a decently configured gaming Mac for as little as $300 - and the ultimate for under $700.
The best desktop Mac for gaming and 3 runners up, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 09.10. The ultimate desktop gaming Mac for under $700 plus three low-end budget contenders.
Cheap USB 2 CardBus solution, OS 9 and Kanga, mobile Mac value, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.09. Also a look at several options for using an old LocalTalk printer with a Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'.
Microsoft vs. Linux, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.09. Although Linux has just 1% of the market, Microsoft perceives it as a great threat. Why doesn't Redmond see Linux as an opportunity?
OS X 10.5.8 update provides incentive to get 10.6, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 09.08. Installing the 10.5.8 update was unproblematic, but one old bug reared its ugly head. Maybe 'Snow Leopard' will fix it....
Wake on demand in 'Snow Leopard', extended repair policy for MacBook Air hinges, big drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 09.04. Also Windows 7 great on a MacBook Pro, gScreen preparing dual display notebook, free OS X 10.6 deal from QuickerTek, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,294, and more.
100 apps incompatible with 'Snow Leopard', Mac mini and SuperDrive firmware updates, and more, Mac News Review, 09.04. Also August market share changes, retrieving a stuck disc, anti-malware in Snow Leopard, USB 3.0 certification begins, and more.
Sept. 9 iPod event, Whoopi and the iPhone, FoodGauge helps with nutrition, eco-driving, and more, iNews Review, 09.04. Also Apple expected to go with multiple carriers in 2010, solar charging case for iPod touch, Vonage coming to the iPhone, and more.
Blue clamshell iBook ready for action, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 09.03. Introduced nine years ago, the first iBook with FireWire is sturdy, a decent performer, and looks like no other laptop.
Competing visions: Apple, AT&T, Google, the FCC, and Google Voice, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 09.03. Apple wants to sell hardware, Google wants to sell advertising, and AT&T wants to sell you minutes. Some conflict is inevitable.
Windows 7: MIcrosoft still copying Apple's cats, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 09.01. Microsoft has been copying Mac features since Windows 1.0, and Windows 7 will be no exception to this copycat behavior.
'Snow Leopard' vs. LocalTalk, new vs. close-out MacBook value, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.02. Also LC III usability in the 21st Century, Pismo upgrades, and more on Pismo FireWire Disk Mode problems.
Why is it called Windows 7?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.02. Ever since Windows 1.0 shipped in November 1985, Microsoft has maintained a consistent version numbering scheme. XP was 5.1, Vista 6.0, and 7 comes next.
PowerBook 180 reincarnated, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 09.01. The dead PB 180 had once been king of the PowerBook line. Thanks to a PowerBook 165 and some part swaps, it was brought back to life.
Affordable, ultralight 13" laptop case perfect for MacBooks, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 09.01. Thin and light $40 notebook sleeve fits MacBook, 13" MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air like a glove.
'Snow Leopard' isn't just an upgrade, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 09.01. Apple is using Mac OS X 10.6 as a tool for selling new Macintosh hardware, since most older Macs can't support all of its features.

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