The Mac Is Back
- 2002.04.16 - Tip Jar
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available.
Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: NewerTech miniStack FireWire/USB 2.0 HD & Hub Up to 1.0TB of Performance Storage + FW/USB2 Powered Hubs - convenient & sleek 6.5" x 6.5" x 1.5" Featured: 500GB $169.99; 750GB $209.99; 1.0TB $339.99
Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.
New MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $104 / 4GB $172 / 8GB $338. Click to Maximize your Macs...
This week's edition of eWeek has a surprising article by Peter Coffee. I have enjoyed Peter's writing over the years, in a number of publications. This most recent article explores another side of Mac OS X: Its friendliness to programmers in general and Java programmers in particular.
The article opens with, "After years of being infamously unfriendly to casual programmers, the Macintosh has suddenly become the machine of choice for out-of-the-box programmability - with tools that not only generate great-looking Macintosh applications but that also generate them in Java so you can take them anywhere." The author is referring to the Apple Project Builder development suite. The suite is included free with OS X, though it is not installed by default, not even on a new Mac. It is also available for download as part of Apple Developer Tools. This is a free download for Apple Developer Connection (ADC) members.
Apple receives highest praise indeed in the following excerpt from the article:
- Apple has done a tremendous job of making Java code run well - really well - on the Mac, supporting such refinements as hardware graphics acceleration and anti-aliasing in a way that's completely transparent to the programmer. Like the very first Macintosh, which gave priority memory access to the built-in ROM Toolbox user interface code, the Mac OS X Java implementation gives developers a lot of leverage. Don't be surprised if a Java application on Mac OS X - especially one with a lot of graphics - appears more responsive than a native-code application on a Windows machine with twice the clock speed.
I began using DOS somewhere around version 2. Even the early versions included some sort of development environment for writing programs in BASIC. With the arrival of Windows 95, Microsoft began to scale back on this practice, until it finally disappeared altogether in Windows 2000. Kudos to Apple for taking this practice and running with it in OS X. They have given Mac programming a tremendous shot in the arm by including these tools with their OS.
In a previous column, I noted how quickly Unix applications were being ported to OS X. I see the same thing happening with Java apps.
I have great respect for Sun in their development of the Java environment. The promise of "write once, run anywhere" is an admirable goal that ultimately benefits the entire computing world. The openness of the system is a refreshing contrast to another notable company's policy of proprietary, closed technology.
Mac OS X is much more efficient at running Java applications than the Classic Mac OS. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on the download page for the popular Gnutella client LimeWire, which is written in Java. The size of the download for various operating systems are listed:
Macintosh (OS 8.1 or later w/ 64 MB RAM req.) 11.20 MB Mac OS X 2.33 MB Windows (NT, 95, 98, Me, XP, 2000) 3.78 MB Linux w/ Installer 2.54 MB
Mac OS X wins the contest for "smallest download." But look at the whopping size of that download for the Classic Mac OS!
What was inconceivable as recently as two years ago now looms as a real possibility: The Mac could become the preferred platform for software developers. With Mac OS X and the Apple Developer Tools, the Java promise may become, "Write on the Mac, run anywhere!"
Mac Challenge Update
The Mac Challenge is nearing
the halfway point of part 1. I have been Windows-free and using the
iMac DV+ exclusively
for two weeks now. "Uneventful" might be the most accurate term to
describe the Challenge thus far. I will provide a short recap at the
beginning of part 2: The switch to the Dell and Windows XP exclusively
for one month. 
Steve Watkins is the Vice President for Information Technology for a mid-sized bank and also an attorney. He has been a Mac user for about ten years. He has owned some PCs along the way - but always came back to the Mac. If you find Steve's's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent Practical Mac Articles
- 5 things Apple is doing right in 2008 - and 5 it could do better, 03.24. Apple has made great strides in the past five years, but there are still a few areas that need to be addressed.
- MacBook Air a compelling option for the true road warrior, 02.22. Although it's not intended as a desktop replacement and has a few shortcomings, the lightweight MacBook Air with its 13" display could be the perfect field computer.
- Mailsmith a simple, powerful, spam fighting alternative to Apple Mail, 04.23. Mailsmith is bundled with SpamSieve, integrates with Address Book, and has very flexible scripting tools combined with elegant simplicity.
- More in the Practical Mac index.
Recent Content on Low End Mac
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- 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.
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- 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
- Snow Leopard, Windows 7, Midori, and the End of Windows, 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.
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- 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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