Mac Musings

Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. He's been sharing his musings on Low End Mac since July 1997.

Kill Caps Lock, but Leave the Rest of My Keyboard Alone (Mostly), 2012.02.03. It's too easy to hit Caps Lock by accident, but why change a keyboard layout that billions of users are comfortable with?
Is This RIM's Macintosh Moment?, 2012.01.25. In 1996, Apple was in dire straits, but Steve Jobs redefined the company. Now it's do or die time for RIM.
Saying Good-bye to Inkjet Printers, 2012.01.18. Apple has discontinued its $100 printer rebates, but even a free inkjet printer is false economy.
Monitors: Bigger Isn't Always Better, 2012.01.17. Megawide cinematic displays are all the rage, but sometimes you want a monitor that's taller, not wider.
The iPad Is a PC, 2012.01.13. Although tablets are a different kind of computer, they are definitely a type of PC.
USB 3: Time for Apple to Make the Right Choice, 2012.01.10. Thunderbolt is great, but the PC world is embracing USB 3. Time for Apple to support USB 3, especially on iDevices.
It's All About the Upgrades, 2012.01.09. Whether you're dealing with an old PowerPC Mac or a modern Intel machine, too little memory and a small, slow hard drive can limit performance.
When Is Your PowerPC Mac Too Old?, 2011.12.08. Apple abandoned PowerPC Macs with OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in mid 2009. How much longer will they remain useful?
Firefox to Drop Leopard Support. So What?, 2011.12.02. Firefox is likely to drop support for OS X 10.5 Leopard next year, but will it really matter?
$70 Discovery Wonderwall Projector May Disappoint, 2011.11.23. This video projector sounds like a steal, but you may end up with a lot less than you expected.
Firefox, Chrome, and Version Number Bloat, 2011.11.09. Firefox 8, Chrome 15, Internet Explorer 8, Safari 5 - have version numbers become meaningless?
Death of the Mac Pro? I Think Not, 2011.11.01. The week began with rumors that Apple is considering ditching the Mac Pro. I don't think that's going to happen.
iOS 5: The Missing Features, 2011.10.31. Even at version 5, Apple's iOS lacks some basics we take for granted on traditional desktop and notebook PCs - and most competing tablets.
The Late 2011 MacBook Pro Value Equation, 2011.10.25. Faster CPUs, bigger hard drives, improved graphics - but how do they compare to close-out pricing of Early 2011 models?
Everyone Wins with Today's iPhone Announcements, 2011.10.04. The iPhone 4S is a step forward, but the real news is the free iPhone 3GS and the $99 iPhone 4.
The Beginning of the End for Netflix, 2011.09.20. Spinning off its disk-by-mail service to a completely separate company is the dumbest thing Netflix has ever done.
Android Is the New Windows, 2011.08.04. Sure, Android is growing market share, but its going to result in the same low price death spiral we see in the PC world.
Death and Rebirth of a Power Mac G4, 2011.07.28. One week ago, a power outage killed my production Power Mac. A week later, it's running again. The story behind it.
The 2011 MacBook Air Value Equation, 2011.07.27. The i5 CPU doubles processing power, Thunderbolt provides more expansion options than ever, and the backlit keyboard is back.
The 2011 Mac mini Value Equation, 2011.07.27. The i5 CPU doubles its processing power, Thunderbolt provides more expansion options than ever, and Apple has reduced its price.
Lost Apple Designs from the 1980s, 2011.07.19. One early Mac prototype looked like a cube, a notebook concept was know as a MacBook, and the Bashful tablet predated Newton.
Four Weeks an iPhone User, 2011.07.15. Although iOS is OS X under the hood, the iPhone experience is very different from using a Mac.
Why I Expect the Next iPhone by Mid September, 2011.06.08. Apple consistently releases new iPhones and iOS versions at the same time, and the new iPhone has to be out before the next iPod touch.
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Brings Back Useful Features from Apple's 1983 Lisa, 2011.06.07. As I read about Resume, Auto Save, and Versions, one thought kept coming to my mind: Lisa lives!
Why FireWire Failed and Thunderbolt Won't, 2011.05.24. FireWire failed because USB 2.0 was good enough and Apple made some mistakes. That won't happen with Thunderbolt.
Mac Panic, 2011.05.11. My wife was not happy. She'd double-clicked her Excel budget spreadsheet, but everything looked different after installing Snow Leopard.
6 Years with Tiger, 2011.04.29. Introduced on April 29, 2005, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has a great legacy and remains the last and best choice for many PowerPC Mac users.
Mouse Design: 1963 to 1983, 2011.04.29. Invented in 1963, the mouse became a standard input device with the 1981 Xerox Star and Apple's 1983 Lisa.
Creating a Workstation That Meets Your Needs, 2011.04.26. Whatever your hardware setup, you may find that something other than a traditional desk best suits your workflow.
Working Around a Glitch in Teleport, 2011.04.25. Due to a glitch in the Teleport System Preference, you lose the modifier keys on a Tiger slave when using a Snow Leopard host.
My First Intel Mac, 2011.04.05. Low End Mac headquarters has its first Intel Mac, a 2007 Mac mini running Snow Leopard. Initial impressions and future plans.
Thunderbolt Delivers on a Promise Made with the First Macintosh, 2011.03.10. Apple promised a high speed serial expansion bus with the Macintosh 128K, but Thunderbolt is the first technology to fully deliver on that promise - and more.
Steve Jobs, the Wow Factor, and Apple's Stellar Growth, 2011.03.09. From the Apple II through the first Mac and on to today's products, Apple has grown by showing people new things they can do.
The Early 2011 15" and 17" MacBook Pro Value Equation, 2011.03.03. The new quad-core i7 models have a lot to offer, but how do they compare with close-out and refurb 2010 models?
The Early 2011 13" MacBook Pro Value Equation, 2011.03.03. The new i5 and i7 models have a lot to offer, but how do they compare with close-out and refurb 2010 models?
First 2011 MacBook Pro Benchmarks: How Much Better?, 2011.03.01. The first benchmark results are in from Primate Labs and Macworld Labs. How do the new MacBook Pros compare to last year's models?
Time to Wave PowerPC Good-bye?, 2011.02.23. Is it time to wave good-bye to your reliable old PowerPC Macs, or do they still have a lot of life left in them?
Too Much Focus Means Too Few Mac Expansion Options, 2011.02.16. From too many models in the 1990s to too few at the turn of the millennium, Apple is still missing some niches.
MacBook Pro: Five Years of Goodness, 2011.02.15. Apple's first Intel notebook shipped five years ago and showed that the new Intel Macs were up to pro standards.
Chinese Greens Would Rather Point the Finger at Apple than at Their Own Countrymen, 2011.01.21. Criticizing Apple is a great way to draw a lot of attention to your cause, but in this case the problem stems from Chinese greed and poor Chinese oversight.
25th Anniversary of the Macintosh Plus, 2011.01.17. 25 years ago, the Mac Plus changed the Macintosh from a closed box into an expandable computer system.
8 Years with Mac OS X, 2011.01.13. Until January 2003, I continued to use the Classic Mac OS, but after a week with OS X 10.2.3 Jaguar, I made the switch.
CDMA iPhone 4 Opens New Markets for Apple, 2011.01.12. It's not just for Verizon, the top US wirleess carrier. Other CDMA carriers around the world can now embrace the iPhone as well.
Low End Macs and the Mac App Store, 2011.01.10. The Mac App Store is a great idea moving forward, but at present it leaves a majority of Mac users behind.
SSDs for Legacy Macs: Three Cheers for OWC!, 2011.01.06. OWC has announced SSDs for PowerBooks, iBooks, G4 Mac minis, as well as pre-G5 iMacs, eMacs, and Power Macs.
Does 'Bad Grammar' Have Anything to Do with Apple's Success?, 2011.01.04. A couple pundits have recently called bad grammar a key to Apple's success. The sad thing is, they're all wrong about the grammar.
Telcos Seek to Bill Apple, Google, and Facebook for Wireless Network Improvements, 2010.12.08. Although smartphone users are already paying for the bandwidth they use, telcos are proposing a double-dipping system where content providers would also pay for bandwidth.
Where Dancing with the Stars Went Wrong, 2010.11.18. Week after week, the lowest rated dancer knocks off a better dancer because of flaws in the program's voting system.
The Times Paywall Pays Off, 2010.11.02. A lot of us thought Rupert Murdoch was nuts for putting The Times behind a paywall, but four months on, the model seems to be working.
Open Software, Closed Minds, 2010.11.01. Free software fanatics violate the spirit of GPL when they force Apple to remove free, open source software from the App Store.
SSD: Why the 2010 MacBook Air Is So Fast, 2010.10.27. The 2010 MBAs benchmark better than expected because their system board SSDs are so much faster than hard drives.
The 2010 MacBook Air Value Equation, 2010.10.26. How do the new 11.6" and 13.3" MacBook Air models compare to last years, the MacBook, and MacBook Pros?
Tomorrow's Macs, 2010.10.18. The technologies and changes we may see in the next generation MacBook Air, MacBook, and Macs of the future.
Information Wants to Be Free, 2010.10.13. Although information 'wants to be free', it has costs and value. How do we pay for it?
WallStreet Series II: A Dozen Years Later, 2010.09.01. The original WallStreet had a few problems. Series II ironed out most of the wrinkles.
The 2010 iPod Value Equation, 2010.09.01. A new design for the iPod nano, back to a tested design for the iPod shuffle, and the new iPod touch is more like the iPhone than ever.
Open Source Will Never Displace Closed Platforms, 2010.09.01. Although open source is emotionally appealing and free, there are only two markets where it dominates.
Practically Perfect Design: The iMac G5, 2010.08.31. Six years ago, Apple introduced the current iMac 'slab' configuration with the iMac G5. The iconic design has barely changed since.
Do You Want FM Radio with That?, 2010.08.17. The RIAA and NAB want the government to require that your next cell phone and MP3 player include an FM radio. Huh?
The 2010 Mac Pro Value Equation, 2010.07.28. New and improved Intel CPUs including 12-core build-to-order options are tempting, but how much power do you really need?
The 2010 iMac Value Equation, 2010.07.28. The 2010 iMacs have Intel Core 'i' CPUs, HyperThreading, and Radeon graphics across the board. But what about close-out prices on 2009 iMacs?
Best Mac Quarter Ever, 2010.07.21. Lots of hype about Apple's record income, record profits, record iPhone 4 launch, and hot iPad sales, but don't ignore the Mac.
Most Windows Users Still Satisfied with Windows XP, 2010.07.14. Over two-thirds of Windows users are still using XP, which is nearly nine years old, but Mac users prefer a new OS.
iOS and the Future of Mac OS X, 2010.06.24. Rumor has it that Apple is preparing to replace OS X with iOS on the Macintosh in the near future. Nonsense.
The Mid 2010 Mac mini Value Equation, 2010.06.16. More power, lower profile, better graphics, and a built-in SD Card reader - why would anyone choose a close-out 2009 model?
The Spring 2010 MacBook Pro Value Equation, 2010.04.21. Where are the best values among the new MacBook Pro models, and when are last year's a better buy?
Apple's 10 Worst Products, 2010.02.23. Low End Mac reconsiders PC Authority's list of the 10 worst Apple products ever.
Apple's 10 worst products (Part 2), 2010.02.23. Low End Mac reconsiders PC Authority's list of the 10 worst Apple products ever.
Firefox 4 Drops Tiger Support: So What?, 2010.02.08. Firefox 3.6 is the last version to run under Mac OS X 10.4. Is not being able to run version 4 really a big deal?
MacBook Pro a Revelation, 2010.02.08. After using G4 Macs for over a decade, spending a weekend prepping a first generation MacBook Pro was a real eye opener.
Is the iPad Apple's True Successor to the 12" PowerBook?, 2010.02.02. The iPad has the same 1024 x 768 display as generations of G3 PowerBooks, iBooks, and the 12" PowerBook G4 - but it offers a whole lot more than any laptop ever has.
iPad priced from $499, 2010.01.27. The 9.7" iPad has a custom 1 GHz Apple CPU, runs iPhone apps, ships in 60 days, and defines a whole new category of products.
Record Mac Sales Culminate Five Years of Growth, 2010.01.26. Mac unit sales have tripled since 2005, led by MacBooks - but don't count out desktops just yet.
Maximizing the Mac mini, 2010.01.21. If Apple won't offer a midrange Mac, someone should offer a replacement chassis for the Mini with two 3.5" drive bays.
Sick and Tired of Windows, 2010.01.20. It says a lot about Windows reliability that a restore partition has become a standard feature. Apple, the door is wide open.
3G Wireless: The Next iPod touch and the Apple iSlate, 2010.01.12. Don't expect me-too hardware from Apple. The tablet and next generation iTouch are bound to include 3G wireless, but beyond that, expect surprises.
2 More Strikes Against PayPal, 2010.01.07. PayPal is living in the past, requiring a landline phone or snail mail to verify your address and a printed form to notify it of a double-charge.
Should Overused Tech Terms Be Banished?, 2010.01.05. Every year Lake Superior State University releases a new list of misued, overused, and seemingly useless words and phrases.
The Mac Value Equation Revisited, 2010.01.04. The way Low End Mac has traditionally calculated the Mac value equation is somewhat simplistic.

More Mac Musings in the archive: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Guest Editorials

Color Classics on eBay, Bill Brown, 2001.07.09. Observations on Color Classic sales on eBay, along with some good general advice.

Interviews with Dan Knight

Dan Knight, founder of Low End Mac, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.08.08. A talk with Dan Knight, who started Low End Mac over 10 years ago.
Interview: Daniel Knight, Low End Mac, Muzamil Akram, ATPM, 2001.09.11. "If anything, the importance of good writing . . . will be a stronger asset in the 21st century than it was in the last decades of the 20th century."
Interview with Dan Knight, Ian Sidle, MacWrite.com, 2001.03.13
Low End Mac's Dan Knight, MacMilitia, 2000.01.14
Dan Knight, publisher and webmaster, Low End Mac, Mac Daily, 1999.11.10

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