The Zen of Mac
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- 2006.06.07
This column builds on the concept I explored in my previous article, Does Technology Improve Our Lives or Just Complicate It?
Simplicity, smooth lines, elegance - all these things can describe a Mac.
One of the reasons you bought a Mac is probably simplicity. Macs are very simple in their user interface and design. There is no clutter of computer components, and the user interface is so intuitive - almost Zen-like.
Most of us already know this, but how close are Zen and Macs related really?
Zen
I'm no Zen master or anything even close, but I know that one important teaching is simplicity. Monks who live in monasteries have lives nowhere near the complication of most of ours. They are there to reflect on their own personal problems and help other people, not ignoring these duties by spending time, well let's say, fixing a computer.
Macs give us the most productive and simple usefulness that other computers never come close to. Because of this, we can live more simply with less complication leading to less stress.
The Macintosh Computer
Almost all of us reading the material on Low End Mac need our computers for something, whether it's for your job, to write books, do schoolwork, or something else. All of us want a computer that will give us the least amount of hassle and doesn't end up complicating our lives. We don't want to be up all night installing virus software that is "taking forever" when we should be doing our work.
Macs and Zen relate because we want something easy and simple so we can do what we need to do, have a blast doing it, and then be done with no complications. This allows us to get onto more important matters like spending time with family or being able to earn more money.
Have a Nice Day
Macs have simplicity. They help us be more productive, and they do it with minimal sacrifice.
I wanted an easier computer - something simple - so I bought a Mac. I was tired of spending countless hours in front of a screen trying to do something I should have finished a long time ago. For most, Macs allow us to live more Zen-like with less stress and complications.
In my previous article, I explained how technology affects us. In this article, I'm more specific, because there are some important issues that those of us who use a computer should look at again.
First, we need to look at why we bought our computers. Do they still do what we need them to do? And is there something even simpler that still gets our required task done?
We should all evaluate our current computer situation to see what we can do to lead a more stress-free life.
Spread the joy, and show your friends and family so we can all
be a little happier. 
Recent articles by Matthew Jay
- Save those old Macs, 12.19. When friends, neighbors, schools, and businesses are ready to dump their old Macs, save them from destruction and give them new life.
- Forming the next Macintosh generation, 12.12. We've been hooked by the Mac. Now we have a responsibility to bring the experience to others and create a new generation of Mac users.
- Nintendo and Apple, industry leaders, 09.13. Both Apple and Nintendo remain committed to providing the best platform in their market, and neither company is afraid of innovation.
- Is the G3 still a practical choice?, 08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
- More in the Macs to the Max index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Outbound Laptop and Notebook, Sep. 1989 - The best known among the early Mac clones.
- List of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- August 20 in LEM history: 98: Unplanned obsolescence - 99: Open Link Policy - 01: Video editing on low end Macs - Picking a PCI video card - 02: iTunes 3 review - 04: Bad RAM can crash your Mac - Dual-core G4s coming - 07: White iBooks still a good bet? - VMware Fusion good for fusing Windows with OS X - Restoring PowerBook batteries
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- An RSS News Reader with the Power of Google, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 08.20. Unlike browser-based RSS readers or dedicated news reader apps, Google Reader lets you access your favorite feeds from any computer and browser.
- Pismo Won't Start, Spotlight Finds Too Many Files, and Panasonic SuperDrive in Pismo, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.20. Resetting a dead Pismo, an alternative to Spotlight gives better results, and success with the Panasonic UJ-850 drive in Pismo PowerBooks.
- Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Refurb 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,888; 2.8 8-core, $2,399; new 2.8 4-core, $2,124 after rebate; 8-core, $2,605 a/r; 3.0 $3,399 a/r; 3.2, $4,169 a/r.
- Best classic iPod Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 40 GB, $140; 60 color, $170; 30 video, $150; refurb 80, $179; new, $230; refurb 160, $279; new, $330.
- Why Linux Isn't Mainstream, Used PowerBooks a Poor Value, the iMac G3 Legacy, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.19. Also installing Leopard on a PowerPC Mac from an Intel installer, NeoOffice opens WordPerfect files, emulating old Macs, and where to download an iMac manual.
- What's the Best Mac OS for Your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $279; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz $390; 17" 800 MHz SD, $439; 1.25 GHz, $449; 20", $569.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $999; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,450 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,649; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.19. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, $70; DVD, $90; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $72; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $130.
- Snow Leopard, Windows 7, Midori, and the End of Windows (UPDATED), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.18. A look at some of the technologies planned for Mac OS X 10.6, Windows 7, and Midori, Microsoft's future OS that could be the end of Windows.
- Using Low End Macs for Internet Radio, Gordon R. Brown, My Turn, 08.18. When the local public radio station moved classical music to HD radio, it was time to find another way to listen. An old iMac with iTunes solved the problem.
- PCs Not Like Macs, Claris Home Page Fan, iMac G4 Upgrade Tips, iBook Prices, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.18. Also using PC3200 RAM in a Mirror Drive Door G4, cloning the classic Mac OS to a new hard drive, and thoughts on a Windows App Store.
- REALbasic Growing to Include Cocoa, Mobile, and Web Development, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 08.18. REALbasic is a cross platform development tool for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The company is working on expanding that to the Web, mobile devices, and the Mac's Cocoa.
- Best Mac mini Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Used 1.25 GHz G4 SD, $549; 1.42 Combo, $409; new 1.83 Core2 Combo, $569 after rebate; 2.0 SD, $769 after rebate.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Used 867 MHz Combo, no APX, $490; 1 GHz SuperDrive, $625; 1.33 GHz, $611; 1.5 GHz SD w/o APX, $660; w/APX, $675.
- Resetting the iPod's Display Language When You Don't Know the Language It's Using, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.18. If you've ever set your iPod's language to one you can't read, there is a way to reset it.
- iPod 'Missing Manual' Grows but Drops Coverage of Older iPods, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.18. The 6th edition of iPod: The Missing Manual has extensive coverage of all the current iPod models, but at the cost of dropping coverage of all earlier models.
- Best Apple TV Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.18. Refurb 40 GB Apple TV, $199; new, $224; refurb 160 GB, $279; new, $322 - prices include free ground shipping.
- More links in our archive.
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