Top Links: November 2003

Mac News Today

The Low End Mac Link Archive, November 2003

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.

Advice: Faxing in Panther, Wei-Meng Lee, O'Reilly Network, 11.26. How to set up and use the faxing capabilities built into Mac OS X 10.3.
Virus: Decades after creation, viruses defy cure, Robert Lemos, Cnet, 11.25. First computer virus appeared 20 years ago.
Hardware: Hands-on review - PowerLogix PowerCube, Macs Only!, 11.25. Larger aluminum replacement case for Cube's acrylic enclosure permits larger video cards, faster CPU upgrades, better heat management.
Virus: Nachi worm infected Diebold ATMs, Kevin Poulsen, The Register, 11.25. Who in their right mind would run an ATM with Windows? Someone more concerned with convenience than security.
Review: Contour MiniPro Mouse, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 11.25. "As with all Contour products I've used and sampled, the MiniPRO Mouse is well constructed out of first-rate materials."
Opinion: Apple death knell #34: Four tech execs agree that Apple will soon be dead, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Net Journal, 11.24. "The panel also agreed that if it didn't run on the x86 architecture, it was likely gone."
Rights: Master/slave, Snopes.com, 11.24. Political correctness run amok. Los Angeles County bans use of terms "master" and "slave" - even for hard drives.
Opinion: Is your computer fast enough?, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.23. "The bottom line is that you may be paying for performance you will never need, really."
Opinion: What do you do for fun, Dr. Mac?, Bob Levitus, Dr Mac: Rants & Raves, Mac Observer, 11.21. He paints - and you'll probably be impressed with the results.
Opinion: Filling product gaps, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.21. "What's left? A cheap Mac at the low end."
Opinion: The Cupertino community playground (or, why Apple owes me nothing), Kirk Hiner, Applelinks, 11.20. "Apple's kind of big on strong-arm tactics, you see, and if they don't like something that's going on, they'll let you know about it."
Web: Around the Mac Web in 80 clicks, Rothenberg, eWeek, 11.20. "If you want to gauge the enduring vitality of the Mac, just take a look at the wellspring of Web sites focused on Apple Computer and its computing platform."
Rights: Local teen singing the blues after being sued for downloading music, Joe Furia, KOMO 1000 News, 11.17. The RIAA is at it again, suing yet another minor - 15 year old Megan Dickenson of Seattle.
Advocacy: A renewed pitch for the low end, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.19. A . . . person on a budget needs lots of persuasion . . . to believe that spending $799 for a Mac is better than shelling out a couple of hundred less for the latest cheap [Windows] boxes...."
Opinion: Apple Death Knell #33: Apple may run out of steam, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 11.19. "...iTunes for Windows has met with great success in the Windows world, and that is earning Apple good will."
OS X: Panther pounces, part one, Marc Zeedar, Less Tangible, Mac Opinion, 11.19. "Apple should have included a bright red sticker on the package that screams 'Your video card may not be supported by this upgrade!' with links to more information on the web."
Software: XPostFacto 3.0a8, Ryan Rempel, 11.18. Version 3 (now in alpha) allows installation of Panther on unsupported hardware.
Advice: G4 iBook or titanium PowerBook - which is the best choice? (For you), Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 11.18. New iBook G4? Discontinued TiBook? New AlBook? Each has its advantages and drawbacks.
News: Apple unveils 20-inch iMac, MacCentral, 11.18. "The new [US$2,199] iMac joins the 15-inch Combo Drive and 17-inch SuperDrive models in Apple's consumer line-up."
OS X: Interface and performance anomalies, Gene Steinberg, The Panther Report, Mac Night Owl, 11.18. "When you configure the Print & Fax preference panel to send you faxes via e-mail, it simply won't work."
News: Apple offers dual-processor 1.8GHz Power Mac G5, MacCentral, 11.18. "The new dual-processor system replaces the single-processor 1.8GHz G5 previously available, and costs US$2,499 - only $100 more than the 1.8GHz system it replaces."
OS X: Can a G3 Deliver the goods with 10.3?, Gene Steinberg, The Panther Report, Mac Night Owl, 11.17. "Under Jaguar, the [600 MHz] iMac seemed sluggish . . . Panther brought the nearly instantaneous responses that were hallmarks of Mac OS 9."
Analysis: Apple Death Knell #32: Apple must move to Intel to generate demand, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 11.17. "There's just nothing of substance behind his prediction that Apple will need to move to Intel. Nothing at all."
Upgrade: MCE offers iBook G4s with DVD-R/RW + DVD-RAM drives, Dennis Sellers, MacCentral, 11.17. One up on Apple's SuperDrive, which isn't an iBook option, this drive also supports DVD-RAM.
Opinion: Panther, Andy Ihnatko, Mac Observer, 11.14. "...Mac OS X finally has aspects which I honestly despise."
Forum Hypothetical: The longevity of your Mac, Mac Observer, 11.14. "If Apple closed shop tomorrow and all the remaining Macs in the world were gobbled up by frenzied buyers . . . how long do you think your Mac would last...?
News: Sony launches 0.4in thick notebook, Tony Smith, The Register, 11.14. Gee, that makes the 1" thin PowerBook look thick.
Review: Miglia's AlchemyTV, Pierre Igot, Applelust, 11.14. "Lustworthy" $109 PCI card gives G4 Power Macs (400 MHz or faster, OS X 10.2.4 or later) ability to record TV and FM radio to your hard drive.
.mac: Impending OS 9 iDisk hitch, Macworld UK, 11.14. "If you're using Mac OS 9 and AFP you'll need to download and install software that enables WebDAV for your operating system in order to maintain full access to your iDisk."
News: Apple offers iPod battery replacement service, MacMinute, 11.14. "...Apple is now offering a US$99 battery replacement program for iPods that are more than a year old."
Opinion: Is Apple giving independent dealers the boot?, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.14. "The small independent retailers that supported the Mac all these years may eventually be supplanted by the marketing muscle of huge retail conglomerates."
Advice: Panther Internet Sharing, Wei-Meng Lee, O'Reilly Network, 11.12. How to share an Internet connection - even using FireWire.
Benchmarks: iBook G4 versus other Apple laptops, Bare Feats, 11.11. MHz for MHz, the PowerBook G4s are faster than the iBooks G4s.
OS X: The dust settles rapidly, Gene Steinberg, The Panther Report, Mac Night Owl, 11.11. The 10.3.1 Update "is clearly a very limited, precisely targeted update that only fixes those few pressing issues."
OS X: The dust settles rapidly, Gene Steinberg, The Panther Report, Mac Night Owl, 11.11. The 10.3.1 Update "is clearly a very limited, precisely targeted update that only fixes those few pressing issues."
OS X: Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, John Siracusa, ars technica, 11.10. "Is it worth it, or is a major OS upgrade every year simply too much, too often?"
Humor: Never click on "Print Jobs", Joy of Tech, 11.10. Why you should never select the "Print Jobs" function.
OS X: Mac OS X v10.3.1 improves FileVault, FireWire 800, more, Peter Cohen, MacCentral, 11.10. This should address most of the problems users have had since switching to Panther.
Benchmarks: Power Mac 7300 with Sonnet 700 MHz G4 upgrade - How fast is it?, Macs Only!, 11.10. The old workhorse really shines with 700 MHz of G4 horsepower - and the upgrade only cost US$269.
OS X: Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, John Siracusa, ars technica, 11.10. "Is it worth it, or is a major OS upgrade every year simply too much, too often?"
Humor: Never click on "Print Jobs", Joy of Tech, 11.10. Why you should never select the "Print Jobs" function.
OS X: Mac OS X v10.3.1 improves FileVault, FireWire 800, more, Peter Cohen, MacCentral, 11.10. This should address most of the problems users have had since switching to Panther.
Benchmarks: Power Mac 7300 with Sonnet 700 MHz G4 upgrade - How fast is it?, Macs Only!, 11.10. The old workhorse really shines with 700 MHz of G4 horsepower - and the upgrade only cost US$269.
Rights: Penn State students revolt against Napster, DRM invasion, Ashlee Vance, The Register, 11.07. "Students can download - or stream - all the songs they like for free but can only use or play the tunes while at Penn State."
Analysis: iTMS beats Napster 5:1 in head-to-head sales, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 11.07. "Late yesterday, Apple announced that during the first week of Napster's launch, the iTMS had some 1.5 million downloads."
Apple: Your 99¢ belong to the RIAA - Steve Jobs, Andrew Orlowski, The Register, 11.07. At this point, Apple isn't even breaking even selling music at the iTunes Music Store.
OS X: Panther two weeks later, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.07. A few teething problems, but all in all, Panther is a worthwhile upgrade.
Review: Charles Moore reviews Mac ARA Modem Magic 5.7, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 11.07. "...the Modem Magic scripts do seem to hold onto connections more tenaciously, and dropped connections have been extremely rare since I started using them."
Macinschool: Apple corners Canada schools market, Karen Haslam, Macworld UK, 11.06. "In the last quarter Apple Canada won 46 per cent of the Canadian education market, putting the company in first place."
Macinschool: Apple laptop program costs school board members their jobs, Bryan Chaffin, The Back Page, Mac Observer, 11.06. Anti-Mac computer consultant elected to school board on anti-iBook platform.
OS X: Panther bug: Is it really dead?, Leander Kahney, Wired, 11.06. "...it looks like Apple's problems with FireWire - a technology the company invented - go back several years."
Apple: .mac renewal rate: 87%, dotmac.info, 11.06. Very impressive renewal rate.
Advice: Five reasons not to buy an iPod, Eliot Van Buskirk, Cnet, 11.05. Five reasons the iPod might not be the ideal portable MP3 player for you.
OS X: FireWire 400 data loss culprit remains a mystery, Jim Dalrymple, MacCentral, 11.05. "...users of FireWire 400 drives have been reporting symptoms very similar to the ones initially found with FireWire 800."
OS X: Panther bitten by second data damaging bug, Tony Smith, The Register, 11.05. "Mac OS X 10.3's FileVault system, which protects each user's home folder with on-the-fly 128-but AES data encryption, has been found to contain a data-damaging glitch, Apple has admitted."
OS X: The Panther FireWire bug: Prosoft says you can get your data back!, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 11.05. "As you might expect, Prosoft is getting an avalanche of orders for its drive recovery program."
Opinion: WallStreet redivivus - and laptop heat issues, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 11.04. "In which the author's WallStreet rises Phoenix-like from the ashes of a processor meltdown."
OS X: Panther security update addresses Terminal issue, Dennis Sellers, MacCentral, 11.04. Latest security update "addresses a potential vulnerability with the Terminal application in OS X 10.3 and OS X 10.3 Server that could allow unauthorized access to a system."
OS X: Run Panther run, Daring Fireball, 11.03. One site's logs show that 6 of 10 visitors using Safari are already running Panther.
Benchmarks: Panther (Mac OS X 10.3) on G3 Macs - How fast is it?, Macs Only!, 11.03. "The G3's show the same speed increases as did the G4s, maybe even more so."
Opinion: Mac.Ars takes on Apple's quality control, Eric Bangeman, ars technica, 11.03. "...bugs such as the Panther/Firewire drive and the Windows 2000/iTunes installation issue come at a particularly inopportune time for Apple."
Opinion: Why open standards are better, Marc Zeedar, Less Tangible, Mac Opinion, 11.03. "...the only way Macs (and other platforms) have a chance to survive in this world is if they are given equal footing to Windows boxes."

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