Welcome to Macintosh

is 25 years old and lives in the Upstate of South Carolina. He says, "I'll save the long version of my bio for another time, but I guess you're wondering what it was I liked about the Mac, what drew me to it? Well, I've been using the Mac since 1999 and full time since 2000. I loved the simplicity of the Mac OS. I loved how it just works, no questions asked. Sure, even Macs need troubleshooting every now and then, but I've found that it's a rarity.

"I've found that to be especially the case with the compact Macs. Yes, the little bitty all-in-one Macs with 9" black and white screens (10" color for the Color Classic and Color Classic II). The original design of the Macintosh. What a neat, simple, elegant, clean, efficient, you name it design. It has such a simple, elegant look to it, it just makes you wanna go up and hug the little buggers! ;-)

"This column, Welcome to Macintosh, will be about these little Macs that captured my heart since the first moment I saw one. There will be different articles about those wonderful Macs that started it all!

"As the startup screen tells us each time we boot up, 'Welcome to Macintosh!'"

You can listen to Tommy on the RetroMacCast, where he is inteviewed by James and John. You'll know very quickly that you're listing to a Southerner. :-)

• Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, 2008.05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
• The greatest comeback, 2008.05.02. Apple's comeback 10 years ago pales in the face of surviving stage 4 cancer.
• Psystar and dreams of a Mac 'for the rest of us', 2008.04.28. Whether Pystar's Open Computer is legitimate or a hoax, it brings issues of licensed Mac clones and a midrange Mac to the forefront.
• After Windows and Linux, the Mac floored me, 2008.03.24. Lee Farrell cut his teeth on the Apple II, moved to Windows, and later to Linux, but it was the Macintosh that blew him away.
• Remembering my first Apple and Macintosh experiences, 2008.02.08. Some things we never forget, especially firsts - like the first time you used an Apple II, the first time you used a Mac, and the first Mac you owned.
• How the G3 iMac crumbles, 2008.01.18. The green light of death, failing powerboards, and crumbling plastics are some of the problems old CRT iMacs face as they age.
• iCab 4 abandons support for the Classic Mac OS, 2008.01.17. The last browser developed for the 'classic' Mac OS was finalized at the end of December. With version 4, iCab requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
• Netscape is dead, but its children live on, 2008.01.07. Netscape Navigator dominated the browser market into 1998, but it was bludgeoned into oblivion by Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
• The tables have turned as Apple grows market share, 2007.12.24. Ten years ago, the PC world was ready to write off Apple as the beleaguered company struggled for existence. Now Apple is number 3 in the US market.
• An indigo iBook: My first modern notebook Mac, 2007.12.04. The clamshell iBook majors in ruggedness, has a handle to increase portability, and can even run OS X (slowly) with just 128 MB of RAM.
• A (Mac) classic spookfest, 2007.10.31. How to set up those old compact Macs with screen savers to enhance your Halloween experience.
• Reasons for sticking with the Classic Mac OS, 2007.10.30. Whether it's the simplicity, elegance, speed, or desire not to replace lots of expensive hardware, there are lots of good reasons for sticking with Mac OS 9.
• Making the case for a truly modern, up-to-date browser for Mac OS 9, 2007.10.25. Mac OS 9 is alive and well on a lot of older Macs, but it has fallen behind in the area of browsers. iCab and older versions of Mozilla are about it....
• Simple Macs for simple tasks, 2007.10.19. Long live 680x0 Macs and the classic Mac OS. For simple tasks such as writing, they can provide a great, low distraction environment.
• Days of shock and hope, 2007.10.01. When a friend is fighting for her life, your priorities change - and you want to do all you can to help.
• 'Obsolete' computers belong in homes and classrooms, not sitting in storage, 2007.09.21. A lot of school systems have piles of "obsolete" computers in storage that should be used in the classroom or loaned to students with no computer at home.
• Charles W. Moore, Low End Mac columnist and news editor, 2007.08.31. An interview with Charles W. Moore, who has been a Mac user since the early 90s and began writing for Low End Mac in 1999.
• Murder on Macintosh Row: Happy Mac, 1984-2002, 2007.08.23. The Happy Mac was killed on August 24, 2002, and although there are suspects, this cold case may never be solved.
• Macworld's Jason Snell on Apple's fervor for great products, 2007.08.21. "Apple has a fervor, a belief that a good product should be a pleasure to use."
• The Hats and Feets Uprising, 2007.08.17. Are vintage Mac users crazy enough to riot over Hats and Feets? It seems so.
• Chillin' out with the Cool-It USB Beverage Chiller, 2007.08.15. This simple device does one thing - and does it very well. It plugs into a spare USB port and keeps your drink cold.
• Dan Knight, founder of Low End Mac, 2007.08.08. A talk with Dan Knight, who started Low End Mac over 10 years ago.
• Charge your iPod with Griffin's $30 PowerBlock, 2007.08.08. Griffin's PowerBlock is a well designed, simple power brick especially made for charging your iPod.
• iText: Solid, lightweight, free word processing for the Classic Mac OS, OS X, and Windows, 2007.08.03. If you want a fast, easy-to-use word processor that's consistent across platforms, look no further than iText.
• Core Case: Solid protection for your iPod, 2007.07.31. Solid aluminum construction, a soft liner, dock port protection, and a screw-free design make the Core Case a winner.
• My great new writing machine: An old Newton eMate 300, 2007.07.27. The instant-on Newton eMate 300 can be a great writing machine. It can also handle email, browse the Web, and synch to your Mac or Windows PC.
• iPhone backlash: Apple is deliberately limiting the size of the iPhone market, 2007.07.20. The iPhone appears to be a wonderful device and a sales success, but Apple could do more to create an even larger market for the revolutionary device.
• The gaping hole in Apple's desktop line, 2007.07.13. $599 for a Mac mini with very limited expadability, $999 for an iMac with limited expadability, or $2,200 for a the very expandable Mac Pro.
• Apple's iPhone isn't the mobile phone 'for the rest of us', 2007.06.29. The iPhone will be an iFlop because it's too expensive, limits users to a single carrier that offers no prepaid plans, and is too costly for most people to operate.
• Apple IIe nostalgia: A reunion 15 years in the making, 2007.06.18. Sometimes nostalgia is all you remembered, like when you get to recreate your first computing experience from the Apple II era.
• Hat trick: 3 top quality iPod accessories from Matias, 2007.06.14. A look at Matias' aluminum Armor for iPod nano, slim USB power adapter, and 100-year belt clip.
• iPogue: David Pogue on Macs, music, and what's really important, 2007.06.01. "Look for the holes. That is, look for projects that nobody else is doing, or that nobody else is doing well."
• Andy Ihnatko on Macs, writing, innovation, and the Macquarium, 2007.05.22. "And as any writer will tell you, most of the work you do is preparing the soil, so to speak, so that when you sit down to write, Good Things Will Happen."
• Tough iPod protection: YoTank's iTank Nano 2 case, 2007.05.18. This iPod case is made from machined aluminum, held together with hex bolts, and has a Lexan cover to protect the screen.
• Low End Mac readers weigh in with suggestions to improve the site, 2007.05.15. Suggestions include splitting off newer Macs, more photos, search and sort by feature, and adding a comment system.
• New ideas for Low End Mac?, 2007.05.08. Have an idea for making Low End Mac even better? Send us an email.
• Low End Mac: A wealth of information for 10 years, 2007.05.04. Looking back at a heritage of low-end Mac support - and a surprise in the near future.
• Griffin TuneBuds 'a vast improvement' over Apple's earbuds, 2007.03.23. Where Apple's earphones lack bass, the TuneBuds provide plenty. A great replacement for the iPod's earbuds at just $30.
• Tripping the light fantastic with Griffin's disko iPod case, 2007.03.07. Griffin's disko nano case not only protects your iPod nano - it gives you a light show as well.
• After Dark Reborn? Bringing back the darkness, 2007.02.19. As After Dark approaches its 20th anniversary, perhaps it's time to resurrect the greatest screen saver of all time.
• How After Dark came to Windows,2007.02.13. Interview with Bill Stewart, one of the programmers behind the Magic ScreenSaver and After Dark for Windows.
• On Mighty Toaster Wings: More After Dark history, 2007.02.12. Interview with Patrick Beard, one of the programmers behind the After Dark screen saver.
• Aggressively Stupid: The story behind After Dark, 2007.02.09. Interview with Jack Eastman, the man who dreamed up After Dark and its ubiquitous flying toasters.
• IBM Model M and Apple Extended II among best computer keyboards ever, 2007.01.29. Interview with Brandon of clickykeyboards.com, who discusses keyboard design and why two (IBM Model M, Apple Extended II) stand apart from the crowd.
• The Macintosh is dead, 2007.01.19. Many of the things that made the Mac what it was are gone. Shouldn't Apple come up with a new name to reflect that?
• Taking the 'Mac' out of the Macworld Expo, 2007.01.12. Apple TV, iPhone, the iTunes Store, 802.11n AirPort - but where's the Mac?
• Good-bye PowerPC and Classic mode, hello Intel and the road ahead, 2006.12.22. After 22 years, Apple has retired the Classic Mac OS. After 12 years, Apple left the PowerPC behind. The future belongs to Intel and Mac OS X.
• Avant Prime: Rebirth of the legendary Northgate OmniKey keyboard, 2006.12.13. Although Northgate went out of business in the 1990s, their justly famous OmniKey keyboard is now produced by CVT - and it's as good as ever.
• More features of Apple's Extended Keyboard II, 2006.11.13. The earlier article on the Extended Keyboard II overlooked some useful features. Readers explain what we missed.
• 10 years on AOL: Feast and famine, 2006.11.03. America Online offered a sense of community something as big as the Internet simply can't provide.
• System 7 Today's Dan Palka on OS X, Windows, and Linux, 2006.10.27. Microsoft and Linux just don't get the user interface, but OS X very nicely moves the classic Mac interface into modern times.
• System 7 Today, advocates of Apple's 'orphan' Mac OS 7.6.1, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 and PowerPC Macs than System 7.5.x.
• Prep your classic Mac for a spooktacular Halloween, 2006.10.25. Five cool programs and lots of tips for giving your classic Mac OS computer a Halloween theme.
• Apple's Extended Keyboard II: Sequel to a legend, 2006.10.19. A look at Apple's slightly smaller Extended II keyboard with slightly softer key action - but still built like a tank.
• The legendary Apple Extended Keyboard, 2006.10.13. Introduced in 1987, this extended keyboard was well designed and very solidly built. It remains a favorite of long-time Mac users.
• 68KMLA on Microsoft, Mac OS X, the Classic Mac OS, and Linux, 2006.10.06. Members of the 68k Mac Liberation Army share their thoughts on Windows past and present, the classic Mac OS and OS X, and Linux and the Open Source movement.
• Saving old Macs from retirement: The 68k Macintosh Liberation Army, 2006.10.05. The goal of the 68KMLA is that no working Mac be stuck in a closet or sent to the landfill. Instead, they work to help keep vintage Macs running and productive.
• Of mice and, well, hockey pucks, 2006.09.29. Some mice don't get no respect, but now Apple's round USB "hockey puck" mice have organized to tell their side of the story.
• Jag's House, where older Macs still rock, 2006.09.25. Over a decade old, Jag's House is the oldest Mac website supporting classic Macs and remains a great resource for vintage Mac users.
• Jag's House on the future of the Mac, 2006.09.26. "I'd much rather have the stability and features of Mac OS X and lose a couple of old odds & ends than still be using Classic. Time marches on, and so does innovation."
• A $25 Mac, growing up Macintosh, and a complete Mac addict, 2006.09.18. Three Mac users recount what drew them to the Mac in the first place - and what keeps them with the platform.
• The good old days of computing, 2006.09.05. There was a time when you didn't need GHz CPUs, multi-GB hard drives, or hundreds of megs of RAM to computer - and it was more fun.
• Death of a Mac Plus and refurbishing old Macs for students, 2006.09.01. A funeral fit for a Mac, and how one person has refurbished hundreds upon hundreds of Macs and given them away to students.
• Productive at the low end: 3 Mac users share their tales, 2006.08.29. Whether it's using WordPerfect 3.5ep on a PowerBook 1400, writing and surfing on a clamshell iBook, orplaying around on a Power Mac 9500, these users find old Macs the right solution.
• Discovering the Mac after learning to hate Windows, 2006.08.23. The obsession started with an Apple IIe, survived a detour through DOS and Windows, and came full circle with discovery of the Macintosh.

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