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Computers and I go way back. My first machine was an RCA 1802
COSMAC ELF built from a kit. With 256 bytes of RAM and a 64
x 64 pixel video card, later upgraded to 1.2K RAM, it was a state
of the art machine in 1976.
I followed this screamer with a
Sinclair ZX80 when Clive Sinclair was still selling them as
kits.
Bought a Radio
Shack TRS-80 when I worked there in 1977. A boatload of cash
got me 4K of RAM and a cassette deck.
As PCs came out, I got on the bandwagon of store-bought
computers and slowly crawled up from a Sanyo XT with 256K RAM, a
single 360K floppy, a 320x200 green CGA display for only $2,600. in
1985 - all the way to a maxed out 486DX66 by 1993.
I hated and still loathe and despise Windows, but it seemed a
good idea at the time.
My older brother followed a similar muse, but in 1985 he chose
to go the Mac route. I couldn't afford his level of machine, so I
plodded along with PCs until he gave me a Mac IIx in 1994.
Within six months it had two monitors, a couple of external 40
MB drives, a CD-ROM drive, and a full complement of software.
Cool!
I retired it to go to a IIcx
with a 21" two-page display for preparing blueprints using KeyCAD
Mac. I later swapped the IIcx motherboard out for a IIci, now with two CD-ROM drives, a SCSI
scanner, a GCC laser printer, and 32 MB of RAM. This was an amazing
machine - much faster than the 486 machine I used at work, and a
whole lot easier to tinker with.
In 1996 I broke down and bought my first Power Mac - a
secondhand 6100 DOS Compatible.
Fully maxed out with 72 MB on the Mac side and 32 MB on the DOS
card, it was so cool I had to paint it. I customized in 1969 AMX
Javelin trim: purple paint with white racing stripes and Hotrod66
in chrome script across the CD bezel. Never one to leave well
enough alone, the monitor, mouse, and keyboard had to be finished
to match.
Firmly convinced on the worth of low-end Macs, my menagerie now
consists of a Duo 230, a Duo 2300 and DuoDock, a 6200 with the Apple TV/Tuner setup, a
630CD, a 580CD, an SE-FDHD, and a 660AV. All get at least a little
use, and some get a lot of use.
My 12 year old son does his schoolwork on another 6100/66
tricked out with a 300 MHz Sonnet G3 upgrade and a 9 GB drive.
Combined with an Apple QuickTake 150 camera and an HP 550C colour
printer, he has a faster, more versatile, and better system than
anything at his school. (I got this machine for $120 from a PC
dealer who didn't know what the funny-looking purple processor card
was.)
A couple of nephews have yet another 6100/66 and a Quadra 650 with a PowerPC upgrade
card.
To be blunt, low-end Macs work better, longer, and cheaper than
anything in the Wintel world. I've completely forgotten my old DOS
commands, and I haven't had to set up batch files and configure IRQ
settings for almost a decade.
The most I've paid for any machine was $700 for my first 6100,
and I don't regret any of the purchases. Every Mac I've ever used
worked well, even some of the Road Apples I still own.
Remember - new doesn't always mean better.
Share the story of your first Mac experience by emailing with "My First Mac" as your subject.
Mac LC III Still a Most Useful Machine, 07.30.
A love affair that will last as long as they make Macs began with a used LC III in 1997, and it's still being used today.
Hooked on Macs, new and old, 07.15.
Starting with an old Quadra in 2000, Royal left behind Windows and began acquiring his own stable of Macs.
Mac of the Day: Umax SuperMac C500, Nov. 1996 - The smallest, least costly Mac clone had two PCI slots.
List of the Day: Mac Video Group covers digital video hardware and software for Mac users.
October 11 in LEM history: 99: Kihei revisited - 00: Bring back beige - AT&T proposes extortion - 01: Mimio for the Mac - 02: Of docks and roadblocks - Reasons not to switch - PowerBook G3 repair - 04: Virtual PC 7 puts Windows on your Mac - Modem Magic - 05: Why we oppose any iPod tax - Trash shortcuts - 06: 30 days of old school computing - Firefox and Safari chipping away at Microsoft
Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,799; new, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 shipped; 8-core, $2,599 shipped; 3.0 $3,399 shipped; 3.2, $4,099 shipped.
Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $294; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 10.09.
If your old Mac is too slow, too noisy, too plain looking, or has too little room for expansion, you might want to mod it.
Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $269; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz, $390; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $529.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $995; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,400 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,699; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
DVD upgrade from 10.3, $75; upgrade bundle with 10.3, $118; full version, $129; family pack, $200; 10-user Server, $350; unlimited, $400.
Migrating My Law Office from Windows to Macintosh, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 10.08.
By switching to Leopard Server, everyone in the office will be able to move to a Mac - but which ones will best meet their needs?
Low End Mac Needs Help Moving to Joomla, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.08.
We've settled on Joomla as the content management system that should work very well for Low End Mac, but we're running stuck with templates.
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