Mac Daniel's Advice

Surfing with Low RAM Macs

Manuel Mejia Jr - 1999.11.09

Q. My old Mac has the maximum RAM in it (or the maximum that I will install). I have 4-14 MB. What options do I have for Internet access?

A. As pointed out by Julie Fugett in her Oct. 26, 1999 Mac Daniel article on Web access, 16 MB is the tolerable minimum that one can have for graphical Web browsers (ones that display images). While it is nice to look at pretty pictures, it can be somewhat of a distraction when one is doing archival research. In some cases, people will shut off the graphic viewer portion of Netscape or Internet Explorer to speed up the information transfer process.

For a number of low end Macs like the 68000-based compacts and monochrome screen PowerBooks, the Web browser of choice is Lynx. Lynx is a text based browser that allows one to select topics of interest through a number of menus.

Lynx can be downloaded from sites such as the Lynx site. Lynx is useful for those who are setting up a BBS (Bulletin Board Service) where one dials in.

Most of the time, classic Mac users do not have to download Lynx in order to use it. In most cases, Lynx is the standard browser that is used for Unix shell based "Freenets" that have been set up around the country and other parts of the world.

Freenets are the great equalizers for Internet access. As the name implies, it costs nothing (other than an occasional small donation) to join. For those individuals that use second hand computer equipment with older modems or otherwise lack access to a high speed data link, the Freenets are one of the few ways to access to the Internet. This is especially true for rural parts of the US or the developing Third World.

Best of all, Freenets do not require much in terms of computer power for access. A 1 or 2 MB Mac Plus with a modem and a terminal emulation program like Red Ryder or Z-Term will suffice. LEM

Manuel Mejia Jr is familiar with Mac IIs, LCs, and older PowerBooks. He uses his Mac LC, PowerBook 145B, and PB 100 with System 7.1 on a regular basis and recently added a Mac Plus running System 6 to his collection. He's quite familiar with both System 6 and System 7. He also owns the Pina books on repairing compact Macs from 128k through the SE. You can read more about Manuel's computers in Manuel Mejia Jr's Four Old Macs.

Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Links for the Day

Recent Content on Low End Mac

Recent Deals

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

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.
  Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.

Custom Search

Share

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Quantcast

TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Poker Mac Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Quantcast

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
Cult of Mac
Shrine of Apple
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac Museum
DealMac
Deal Brothers
Mac2Sell
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay

Low End Mac's Amazon.com store

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link