10 Years Using Low End Macs
- 2007.04.06
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MacBook/MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO DDR2 667Mhz 4GB Kit $84, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40 1GB $20. Click to Maximize your Macs...
It was 10 years ago that Dan Knight turned his personal web space into Low End Mac. It wasn't originally called Low End Mac; it was called The New Low End User, and it had profiles for Macs from the Plus (1986) to the Performa 460 (1994). It didn't support Quadras, Power Macs, or PowerBooks (or the 128K through 512Ke for that matter). It didn't have any editorial columns, just computer profiles and outside links.
I first discovered Low End Mac in April 1999, when I first got online. I remember thinking how cool Low End Mac was - not only did it have specs on every Mac ever built, it also had really cool editorial columns, email lists, and helpful information on how to do just about anything on an older Mac
If it weren't for Low End Mac, I wouldn't know what I know about Macs today. Low End Mac has always been very informative, and it always has been one of the best online resources for older Macs.
I wasn't online when Low End Mac first started, but some of my favorite articles are from 1998 through 2001. Here is a short list:
- Gullibility virus spread over Internet!, anonymous, 2001
- No $500 PCs this year, Dan Knight, 1998
- Y2K: Mac owners beware, Dan Knight, 1998
- "I" in iMac = Intel?, Dan Knight, 1999
- One to many: Building a computer lab from scratch, Jeff Adkins, 2000
And that's just my short list.
Back in '01 when the Internet bubble burst, Low End Mac almost went under. Thanks to the generosity of our readers, Low End Mac managed to stay afloat. It really is amazing how many people visit Low End Mac - and how many people care about it.
And now Low End Mac is 10 years old. This makes Low End Mac one of the oldest Mac-related websites on the Internet. It's hard to imagine that Low End Mac almost didn't make it.
Here we are, 10 years later, and stronger than ever.
I've become a fairly well known writer for Low End Mac, and if it weren't for Low End Mac, I doubt if I would know nearly as much about Macs, much less be writing for the Mac Web.
I've only been writing for Low End Mac for the past two years, and it has been really fun. My latest article, Using Apple's Lisa for Real Work (published this past Monday), was read over 40,000 times - that's a record for me. I guess people really must enjoy my work.
Not only is this Low End Mac's 10th anniversary, it's also been 10 years since I got my first computer, a Mac IIcx. (Small world - not only Did LEM start in April of '97, I got my first computer in April '97, which was also Apple's 20th anniversary!)
I want to wish Low End Mac a very happy 10th birthday, and hopefully
we'll have another 10 great years ahead of us!
Recent Vintage Mac Living articles
- If a Mac Plus can run System 7.5.5, why can't an 800 MHz G4 run Leopard?, 10.19. Apple supported the Mac Plus for over 10 years after its introduction. Why should Leopard cut off support for Macs released 4-6 years ago?
- 60 Mac models left behind: The ridiculously high cost of Leopard, 10.17. Mac OS X 10.5 officially doesn't support any G3 Macs, most G4 Power Macs, most titanium PowerBooks, half the G4 iMacs, early eMacs, or the first 12" G4 iBook.
- What a waste! Some schools would rather store old computers than put them to use, 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.
- More in the Vintage Mac Living index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- US Customs Can Seize Any Laptop, Aluminum and Ultraportable MacBook Rumors, and More, The 'Book Review, 08.08. Also thoughts on the next generation of MacBooks, "I want to marry the Apple MacBook Pro", do it yourself MacBook Pro hard drive replacement, bargain 'Books from $490 to $3,069, and more.
- iPhone Could Reach Vermont, Huge Demand for Original iPhone, 19 Bible Translations for iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 08.08. Also tethering your computer to your iPhone, BlackBerry vs. iPhone for smart phone lead, ColorWare colors the iPhone, $1,000 'I Am Rich' iPhone app, and much more.
- New Life for Old Macs, 4 of 5 Businesses Using Macs, 5th Annual Mac Mod Challenge, and More, Mac News Review, 08.08. Also tips for switchers, time saving tips for Leopard users, Logitech's new Mac keyboard, NewerTech updated miniStack, Ukelele keyboard layout editor, and more.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.08. Used 500 MHz DVD, $480; 667 MHz Combo, $530; 867 MHz, $550; 1 GHz, $678; SuperDrive, $839.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.08. 500 GB Time Capsule, $279; 1 TB, $459; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $156; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $79.
- Best Xserve Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.08. Used G4, $1,250; G5 from $1,700; refurb 3.0 4-core Xeon, $2,299; new 2.0 4-core, $1,900; 2.8 GHz, $2,888; 8-core, $3,299; 3.0, $4,059.
- Mac of the Day: Power Mac 7500, Aug. 1995 - This workhorse introduced a new desktop case and CPU daughter cards.
- List of the Day: Mac-N-DOS is for those who use Windows and the Mac OS.
- August 8 in LEM history: 97: Confessions of a Microsoft user - 00: My perfect PowerBook - 01: CD-ROM and system problems - 02: PayPal insecurity - Astronomy, Macs, and Windows PCs - Macs in the workplace - 03: Macs, making music, and crashes in OS 9 - USB Memory Mouse - 05: WorkStrip: Much more than a Dock replacment - 06: Quad-core 64-bit Mac Pro and Xserve - 07: 2007 Mac mini value equation - PowerBook 100: Sony miniaturizes the Mac Portable - Apple's new keyboards - Charge your iPod with Griffin's $30 PowerBlock
- Creating Classic Mac Boot Floppies in OS X, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 08.07. Yes, it is possible to create a boot floppy for the Classic Mac OS using an OS X Mac that doesn't have Classic. Here's how.
- Apple Could Sell 20 Million iPhones in 2008, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.07. Apple sold 2.4 million iPhones in the first half of the year. How can it even hope to sell the 10 million it predicted?
- Is Wirecard a Real Alternative to PayPal?, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 08.07. PayPal has an established worldwide presence, but Wirecard is offered by a real bank and has lower fees. Any drawbacks?
- Best iBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.07. Used 12" 800 MHz Combo, $350; 1.2 GHz, $390; 14" 1 GHz, $450;1.33, $520; SuperDrive, $550; 1.42 GHz Combo, $530; SD, $625.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.07. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $279; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz $390; 17" 800 MHz SD, $429; 1.25 GHz, $449; 20", $569.
- Best iPod shuffle Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.07. Refurb 2G/3G 1 GB, $39; new 3G, $46; refurb 2 GB, $59; new, $68.
- More links in our archive.
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