Top Links: March 2001

Mac News Today

The Low End Mac Link Archive, March 2001

External news links are listed below by the date of publication with the most recent articles listed at the top, older ones below them. Other monthly archive indexes are linked on the right. Links were correct when originally posted. However, we cannot guarantee that these links are still active.

Analysis: Is the free Internet dead?, John Farr, Applelinks, 03.30. "...more and more sites are actively soliciting funds from readers...."
Benchmarks: FireWire RAID + Granite Digital bridge = nose bleed speed, Bare Feats, 03.30.
AAPL: Good news abounds, but AAPL closes lower, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 03.30.
Hands on: Titanium PowerBook Report #5, Marc Zeedar, Applelinks, 03.30. Word for the day: fast.
Opinion: I hate OS X, Ceolaf, Applelust, 03.30. "There are simply too many things which I find objectively bad, in addition to the departures from 9 which are very difficult to get used to."
Consumer: Week's best PowerBook, iBook deals, PowerBook Central, 03.30.
OS X: New XLR8 OS X cache enabler for upgraded Macs, Applelinks, 03.30. Software enables backside cache on Macs with XLR8 upgrades.
Low End: Mac Plus/Syquest hybrid. Betcha didn't know you could put a Syquest drive inside a Mac Plus!
Software: QuicKeys X to be Cocoa, MacCentral, 03.29. CE Software developing invaluable Mac utility for OS X.
Hands on: Titanium PowerBook Report #4, Marc Zeedar, Applelinks, 03.29. "...the first step to customizing my laptop was to completely erase the hard drive and partition it."
AAPL: Value investors start to go Apple (Computer) picking, Pui-Wing Tam, Wall Street Journal, 03.29.
Advice: Insurance for your laptop, PowerBook Central, 03.28. After my wife's PowerBook met a Diet Coke (and lost), I'm sold on the idea.
Opinion: Looking at OS X through bifocals, Nancy Carroll Gravley, Mac Observer, 03.28. "...the bottom line is if you like to experiment and play around with your computer, you may want to install OS X."
Analysis: Mac OS X is only for programmers - not!, Marc Zeedar, Mac Opinion, 03.28. "Apple released Mac OS X as it is - unfinished - because they had to."
Opinion: A BSD for your PHB, Joseph Mallett, osOpinion, 03.28. Mac OS X is built on BSD Unix.
Virus: Virus hits both Linux and Windows, Reuters/ZDNet, 03.28. "W32.Winux" a world's first, but still ignores the Mac OS.
Firmware: Apple (informally) acknowledges RAM problem with firmware update, Mac Observer, 03.28. Still no official word from Apple.
Oops: OS X, "Classic," and newest Macs, Macworld UK, 03.28. OS 9.1 CD included with OS X will not install on PB G4, G4 (133 MHz bus), or 2001 iMacs.
OS X: TurboMax ATA/33 card not compatible with OS X, Accelerate Your Mac, 03.28. Card must be replaced; it cannot be upgraded.
Hands on: Titanium PowerBook Report #3, Marc Zeedar, Applelinks, 03.28. "Within minutes of booting I'm already sighing with contentment at how enjoyable writing is going to be on this system."
Opinion: Not everything peachy in Apple land: OS X alienates one Mac faithful, Alan R. Houtzer, Daily Mac, 03.27. "I am still running MacOS 9.1, but disappointedly resigning myself to an eventual move to Windows."
AAPL: Apple investors ebullient, stock rises 5%, Bryan Chaffin, Apple Stock Watch, Mac Observer, 03.27
Opinion: OS X converts Linux, Unix, Windows users to "the church," Rodney O. Lain, Mac Observer, 03.27. "OS X will ultimately do for Apple software what the iMac did for Apple hardware."
Tech: IBM announces world's largest mobile hard disk: 48GB, PowerBook Zone, 03.27. 5400 rpm drive moves data at up to 30 MB/sec.
Consumer: Outpost.com to change shipping policy, MacNN, 03.27. No more free overnight shipping effective 03.28.
OS: How does Unix = Mac OS X? The Unix family tree, Mac Observer, 03.27. The linked chart is positively mind-boggling.
Opinion: Titanium PowerBook report, #2, Marc Zeedar, Applelinks, 03.27.
Opinion: More on the RAM-sabotaging Apple firmware upgrades, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 03.27. "...sometimes it seems like Apple has a corporate death with, or a perverse desire to test the patience of its loyal fans to the limit."
Firmware glitch: MacFixIt reports (3:27) that slower 3-2-2 RAM seems to always work with the recent firmware updates, but faster 2-2-2 RAM is the problem.
Tech: IBM announces 48 GB laptop drive, 03.27 [MacNN]. 5400 rpm drive is sound dampened, will be available second quarter.
OS: Installing Mac OS X on PCI Power Macs, Ryan Rempel, 03.24. Hack appears reliable, requires two spare partitions.
Ezine: Mac OS Journal, March 2001.
Alert: Latest firmware upgrades disable some RAM, Dave Hamilton, Mac Observer, 03.24. Some non-Apple RAM will not work after firmware upgrade installed.
Alert: Recent firmware updates: Proceed with caution, MacCentral, 03.24. Some Macs using third party RAM are no longer able to recognize the installed RAM.
Alert: New Apple firmware released: memory disappears; firmware less tolerant of some third-party RAM modules, MacFixIt, 03.24. "...no foolproof way for users to test RAM modules before applying the update."
News: Next generation Oxford FireWire bridge chip to hit 45MB/s, FireWire World, 03.23. That's 360 Mbps, almost enough to saturate FireWire.
AAPL: Mac OS X hype helps push Apple 7.4% higher, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 03.22.
Web: MacFixIt's 5th anniversary. Congratulations to one of the Web's finest Mac sites.
Opinion: Mac OS X: The power to be my best, Bryan Chaffin, Back Page, Mac Observer, 03.23. "As much as I like the original Mac, I love Mac OS X all that much more."
Web: Mac OS X beta list becomes Mac OS X user list, The Macintosh Guy, 03.23.
History: Remembering 1990 with Classic, LC, IIsi brochure, Mac Observer, 03.23.
Consumer: Week's best PowerBook, iBook deals, PowerBook Central, 03.23.
Opinion: OS X: It's easy as, well, a Mac, Leander Kahney, Wired News, 03.22. "This contrasts favorably to Windows 2000, Microsoft's next-generation operating system...."
Opinion: Why I invested in titanium, Marc Zeedar, Mac Opinion, 03.22. "When the Titanium PowerBook was unveiled at MacWorld I tried to be cautious, but I knew I wanted one."
Analysis: Apple creating its own version of MCSE, Rodney O. Lain, Mac Observer, 03.22. What's an MCSE? A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.
Advice: iTunes: Making your digital hub work for you, Daniel J. Lyons, MacBC, 03.22.
OS X: Jobs confirms no CD-RW for OS X, says updates on the way, Mac Observer, 03.21. Oops.
Opinion: Mac users need to support the Cube, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 03.21. "...it's past time that the Mac community got behind the Cube and started enthusiastically evangelizing it, or even buying it."
Opinion: Anti-spam hysteria could ruin email, Charles W. Moore, Applelnks, 03.21. "Email is the best thing about the Internet. However, scum-sucking, bottom-feeding spammers are threatening to ruin it."
Opinion: How fast can you close a window?, Steve Sobek, The Daily Rant, 03.20. Steve hates popup ads. Do you?
News: Intel switches to 802.11b for wireless, MacNN, 03.20. Intel ditches HomeRF for IEEE standard we know as AirPort.
Hands on: XLR8 MPe Dual G4/500 upgrade for beige G3, Accelerate Your Mac, 03.19. CPUs can be upgraded, and you can even start with a single CPU and add a second later. Clever.
Advocacy: Should our schools have Macs or PCs?, John Droz. In the face of this, how can any school choose Windows?
Benchmarks: Dual G4/500 upgrade rocks, Bare Feats, 03.20. Old beige G3 breathes fire with XLR8's latest upgrade.
WallStreet hotrodding project: Phase V, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 03.20. The old WallStreet gets FireWire.
AAPL: Techs up, Apple rallies 4.7%, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 03.19.
Benchmarks: How fast is the new 16x Que! Fire CD-RW?, Bare Feats, 03.19. In a syllable, very - nearly twice as fast as Apple's internal CD-RW for burning.
OS X: Native OS X applications, HyperJeff.net. Site lists 558 applications as of 03.19/01.
Opinion: What makes a good Mac site?, David Schultz, Applelust, 03.19. While we disagree with parts of this article, it is an excellent thought piece looking at the Mac web.
Review: Apple's PowerBook G4, Dorian Barrett, CNN.com, 03.19. "Sleek, stylish and stuffed full of supercomputing power - Apple's new PowerBook G4 just may reshape the laptop."
Opinion: Mac OS X on Intel: Let's give it a spin, Michael Munger, 03.19. "...Mac OS X should never be available for Intel-based machines."
Review: Z-Write 1.2, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 03.19. "Z-Write 1.2 is an evolutionary upgrade, and has a more polished, developed, look and feel...."
SETI: Why SETI@Home 3.0.3 is so much slower, Go2Mac.com, 03.17. New client does twice the work, takes twice as long to complete a work unit.
Spam: Goodlatte, Boucher want to fry Web spam, Todd Jackson, Roanoke Times, 03.17 [Slashdot]. Anti-Spamming Act of 2001 seeks to punish senders of unwanted and unsolicited emails at $15k or $10/email plus up to 12 months in jail.
Opinion: Second (and third) thoughts about TiBook, Charles W. Moore, MacJunkie, 3/16. "...beyond the wide screen, the G4 chips, and the pretty case, the TiBook is essentially everything that Pismo was and a bit less."
Opinion: I will be vindicated. Apple retail store, revisited, Rodney O. Lain, Mac Observer, 3/16. Some good arguments for a stronger Apple retail presence.
Opinion: Great Mac sites, Tim Robertson, MyMac.com, 3/16. A humorously abortive list of the five best Mac sites. Kinda glad LEM didn't make #5.
Ezine: Family Mac March ezine available.
Low end: Kaleidoscope on an SE/30, The MacArchaeologist. Yes, as these screen shots demonstrate, it does work on an SE/30!
Consumer: Week's best PowerBook, iBook deals, PowerBook Central, 3/16.
Rights: Scientologists force comment off Slashdot, Slashdot, 3/16. DMCA used to have first comment removed in Slashdot history. Unlike most religions, Scientology does not want itst teachings out in the open.
Opinion: The secret Mac burial grounds, Tristam Perry, osOpinion, 3/16. "...as legend has it, somewhere in the Utah desert there is a pit filled with tens of thousands of Apple Lisa computers."
Opinion: Is Apple giving up on the Cube?, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/15. "...the Cube is the most interesting desktop computer that Apple makes, and ... it represents the future much more than do the iMac or the G4 Power Mac towers."
News: Spammers face felony charges, The Register, 3/15. I wish they'd hunt down all spammers and do the same to them.
Analysis: What exactly is PowerSchool and why did Apple buy them?, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/15. "PowerSchool offers Apple the opportunity to not only make money from sales of the software, Apple can sell schools complete data management solutions."
News: Apple kills AppleCare on refurbished products, PowerBook Zone, 3/15. "According to our sources, Apple has removed the option of purchasing any AppleCare plan for a refurbished unit."
News: Apple and Sears terminate reseller agreement, MacNN, 3/15. Sources indicate business relationship will end on May 31.
Deal: Refurbished Cubes, $1,099, The Apple Store, click on "Special Deals." Also Pismo/400 for $1,799, Ruby iMacs for $749, indigo iBooks for $1,249, and more.
AAPL: Dow below $10K, but Apple up 4% to close over 20, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/14.
News: Apple to acquire PowerSchool, Apple, 3/14. PowerSchool is "the leading provider of web-based student information systems for K-12 schools and school districts."
Opinion: Apple must increase market share, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/14.
Opinion: Helpful REALbasic, Marc Zeedar, REALbasic University, Applelinks, 3/14. "...even if you've never programmed ... you'll find learning RB isn't difficult."
News: Indigo selected as "colour of the year," Macworld UK, 3/14. Can Steve call 'em or what?
Advice: More on CD-RW and some browser tips, Nancy Caroll Gravley, Mac Observer, 3/14.
Opinion: Why Mac zealots need to chill, Charles Haddad, BusinessWeek, 3/14. "The true believers among us are too quick to hunt down dissenters and then extinguish them with the blowtorch of righteousness."
Opinion: Let Mac users join in by trading up, John Holmes, osOpinion, 3/14. "It's time to let go. Introducing The Great Mac Trade-In Offer: send us your old Mac and we'll send you a new one."
Advice: Should you buy an extended warranty? Probably, Rodney O. Lain, MacSpirit, Applelinks, 3/14. "Murphy's Law often proves that when you do need it, you will not have purchased it."
Opinion: Enough with themes already, Adam Barr, osOpinion, 3/14. Too much interface tweaking destroys years of learning - whether skins or Aqua.
AAPL: Markets rebound, sky doesn't fall, Apple gains 5%, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/13.
Opinion: Design matters, Joel Davies, iMaculate Conception, Applelust, 3/13. "What is design? Unfortunately, I don't have a cute little answer to this question."
Review: Three FireWire adapters, Charles W. Moore, Applelust, 3/13. A look at cards for PCI slots and CardBus slots.
Huh? Pig Latin encoding may defeat Napster filters, Charles W. Moore, 3/13. Anyone for a cut by Etallicamay? Octorday Edray? :-)
Opinion: Now that MacWeek is gone, wanna be a Mac columnist?, Rodney O. Lain, Mac Observer, 3/13. "There is just no way that the standard news operation can transfer itself over to a Web presence...."
OS X: Mac OS X is really shipping, Michel Munger, On the Flip Side, Mac Observer, 3/13. "Now that we have preemptive multitasking, multithreading, superior virtual memory and symmetric multiprocessing, can we also get small interface changes that would make the difference?"
Interview with Dan Knight, Ian Sidle, MacWrite.com, 3/13. The history of Low End Mac, favorite Macs, and ideas on computers in education.
Consumer: Time for a new Mac?, John H. Farr, Applelinks, 3/12.
Deal: Apple Store drops iSub 40% to US$59, MacCentral, 3/12. Give your slot-loading iMac or G4 some sonic oompf.
Review: Back to the Future trilogy on VCD, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/12. Movies available on video CD for $7.88 each plus shipping from CoolVCD.
News: PowerBook 5300 trade-in extended to Canada, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/12. March, 11.30 a.m.
News: Next OS X Server due "shortly after" OS X, MacCentral, 3/12. Next version of OS X Server apparently abandons pre-G3 processors supported by older OS X Server.
Benchmarks: Does the Flower Power iMac have more graphics power, or is it just a deeper snow job?, Bare Feats, 3/9. New CPU, more video memory - but better performance?
Advice: Weeding your System Folder, Tristan Moore, Applelinks, 3/9.
Advice: Why do I get "out of memory" errors after installing lots and lots of memory?, Ask Al, Alsoft, 3/9.
Consumer: Week's best iBook, PowerBook deals, PowerBook Central, 3/9.
Opinion: Where can the iMac go from here?, Anne Onymus, osOpinion, 3/8. "If Apple thought there really was a market for a 17" iMac, you can believe they would have introduced it sometime in the past few years."
AAPL: Markets rally, Yahoo warns, Apple closes lower, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/7.
Dark side: Intel vulnerable to competitors, MacNN, 3/7. Vulnerable? Shoot, AMD is taking them to the cleaners with Athlon and Duron.
Advice: The ins & outs and does & don'ts of CD-R media, Nancy Carroll Gravely, Mac Observer, 3/7. CDs may not be archival as you'd think.
Low End: Review: Macintosh 128K, Tim Robertson, MyMac. "What is amazing, really, is how similar everything is on the 128k compared to the latest Macintosh."
Opinion: Apple launches best TV commercial since 1984, seriously, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/6. Musicians demonstrate how easy it is to burn a custom CD with iTunes.
Advocacy: Sell your iMac-edited movies to HBO, Apple. "Brad Schaffer, a 14-year-old from the small town of Benton City, WA, just sold his first movie - to HBO."
AAPL: Apple adds another 5%, stock closes over 21, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/6.
Opinion: An iMac never changes its spots, eh?, Garry Barker, Mac Man, I.T., 3/6. Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian could open new markets for Apple.
OS X: The reality of Mac OS X: A common sense perspective, Dave Schroeder, Xappeal.org, 3/5. "No product will be perfect at ship time."
Opinion: What price Apples?, Stanislav Kelman, osOpinion, 3/5. A more realistic comparison on Apple and Wintel prices.
News: Apple offers trade-up program for 190, 5300, MacCentral, 3/5. Send in your old PB 190 or 5300, get a 400 MHz Pismo for US$1,599 (through March 23).
Advocacy: Consultant offers tips to prevent schools going Wintel, MacCentral, 3/5. "Assume that the school district's head MIS person is Windows oriented, and not experienced with, or too interested in, Macs."
News: AirPort v1.3 released, Apple, 3/5 [Macs Only!]. Supports PPPoE and scripting, now WiFiô certified.
AAPL: Retail rumors send Apple up 5.8%, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 3/5.
News: Apple owners most loyal, Business Wire, 3/5 [MacSurfer]. Survey shows 53% of Mac owners stick with Apple. Windows brands lag behind.
Opinion: Mac user illusions exposed, Michel Munger, On the Flip Side, Mac Observer, 3/5. Our initial assumptions as Mac users can lead us astray. A very good read.
Opinion: Opera's browser rocks Mac, Macinstein, 3/5. Opera is fast - and it's just a preview release.
Analysis: What good is a server OS without server hardware?, Paul Shields, Business Mac, 3/5. OS X Server due 3/24, where's the server hardware?
OS X: What to expect when you're expecting, Brett Larson, Macworld, 3/2. Old habits will be replaced easily under Mac OS X.
Low End: It's all about the Macintosh TV
Benchmarks: Which is faster, G4/733 or dual G4/533?, Bare Feats, 3/5. Dual 533 looks like the better buy at $600 less with comparable performance.
Web: Mac Publishing drops MacWeek, moves MacCentral.com to Macworld.com, Mac Observer, 3/2. "...it no longer makes sense for us to spread our resources among three news products."
Web: Requiem for a magazine, Andrew Gore, MacWeek, 3/2. Good-bye, MacWeek. We'll miss you.
Benchmarks: Which is faster, G4/733 or dual G4/533?, Bare Feats, 3/2. Testing still in progress, but some benchmarks are remarkably similar. Page will be updated as more results are available.
Opinion: Arrrgh! Sabotged by MS Word again, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/2. "I also don't accept the rationale that 'everybody uses Word, so you might as well go with the flow.' If I agreed with that philosophy, I would be using a Wintel box - are not a Mac."
Consumer: Refurbished Cubes, US$1,099, Apple Store, click on Special Deals button. Also, 400 MHz Ruby iMacs available.
Web: MacCentral assimilated. <http://www.maccentral.com/> now goes to <http://www.maccentral.com/>
History: Looking back at 1984 with an original Mac brochure, Mac Observer, 3/2.
Consumer: Week's best iBook, PowerBook deals, PowerBook Central, 3/2.
Advice: Four popular Mac email clients compared, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 3/2.
Opinion: Belief brands, Christian Science Monitor, 3/2. "When they buy an Apple computer, they buy into the company's philosophy...."
Software: DiskWarrior 2.1CD updated for new Mac, MacNN, 3/1. Update supports Mac OS 9.1, TiBook, new Power Macs.
Software: MouseWorks 5.60 supports OS 9.1, Virtual PC 4, Kensington [MacInTouch].
TiBook: ColorSync profile for PowerBook G4, Berg Design. Try it - your PowerBook G4's screen will look better.
Low end: Macintosh SE Support Pages, Chris Adams. Good info for SE, SE/30 owners.
Rights: Privacy at work? Be serious, Jeffrey Benner, Wired, 3/1. "Experts say companies are under increasing pressure to monitor employees electronically, and workers should assume they are being watched."
Benchmarks: Ripping with iTunes, Macs Only, 3/1. Tests show iTunes 1.1 rips MP3s fast - very fast.

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