Vintage Mac Living

10 Years Using Low End Macs

- 2007.04.06

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!

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Recent Vintage Mac Living articles

What a waste! Some schools would rather store old computers than put them to use, 2007.09.12. 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.
My incredible $110 Lombard and Power Mac G4 deal, 2007.07.11. Sometimes pawn shops can be a great source for older Macs, such as turning up a Lombard PowerBook and a very upgraded Power Mac G4 Digital Audio for just $110!
Too stressed to even think about computers, 2007.05.16. "I've been so preoccupied that I haven't been able to think about computers, much less write about them."
More in the Vintage Mac Living index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, introduced 1990.03.19. This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
February 14 in LEM history: 98: A perfect compact Mac - 00: Extended computer warranties worth the cost? - Making your PC work with your Mac - 01: Customize Microsoft Word - 02: Quadra revives a passion for computing - 03: Real world performance - DIY Pismo screen replacement - Best Mac for writing - 03: Fastest browser on the Mac - 06: 15" MacBook Pro - Impressions of a newly acquired Lisa - Finding and using free WiFi - Apple should liberate OS 9 - 07: New Mac mini cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac - 08: Falling in love with OS X
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Vintage Mac Living articles copyright ©2005-07 by Ted Hodges. Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2012 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
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