What a Long Strange Trip Back to Pismo
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.
Other World Computing has the Upgrades, Enhancements, and Accessories for getting the most from your Mac. Quality Products, Competitive Prices, Expert Support Staff - www.macsales.com
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...
- 2004.03.29
Hello LEM fans!
For those who don't remember me, I was a semi-regular contributor until this previous year slowed me down. Growing kids and new jobs will strip away your time at the keyboard. I thought I would let you in on a little secret that I have slowly been realizing over the last few months: I seem to be a Luddite when it comes to PowerBooks.
Maybe it's simply that certain models remind me of better days, or maybe it's the fact that OS 9 is now a rebel, unsupported OS (cool huh). Since we last spoke, I have continued my trend of flying through computers like they were jogging shoes (bad analogy, but I am out of practice).
When we last spoke, I had grabbed a great titanium PowerBook 667 on eBay and was set for the foreseeable future. True to form, I traded that machine in on a revision A 12" aluminum PowerBook. I loved the machine's compact form factor, and it has one of the best keyboards since the 1400s were released.
The problem was that as great as this machine was, it never captured my fancy.
Maybe it is
something about "cold" metal exteriors (actually scalding hot, but
you get the point) that makes the machine hard for me to love. I
just never felt as great about this machine as I have about others.
I began to long for my all time favorite PowerBook, the Pismo. The lovely wet suit look and the
bronze keyboard make the machine a stunner. The upside down Apple
and the yo-yo power adapter are great. (Wait, that adapter
stinks.)
The Pismo is still considered a wonderful machine almost five years since its initial release. The machine holds value because it expandable, durable, and has some important technology (FireWire especially). When I hit the local Starbucks and see a Lombard or Pismo, I make it a point to talk to the users.
As I do many Friday nights after the kids are asleep, I jumped on eBay while drinking some "daddy juice." I am not a lush, but that combination has been responsible for at least five computer purchases in the last three years. As I searched the listings, I noticed large groups of Pismos were coming off of corporate lease. This seemed like a golden opportunity to recapture the spirit I seem to have been lacking of late.
I grabbed a machine with a low RAM and hard drive count (by my current standards) in order to keep the initial costs down. I was planning to replace both the current drive and add RAM, so this was the best choice.
The machine arrived in excellent condition and passed all of my initial checks. The screen showed no pink tinge, the hinges were good, and all of the pieces were in place. I picked up a new drive, some new RAM, and in 20 minutes I had a Pismo 500 with 1 GB of RAM and a 40 GB hard drive.
Then I grabbed an AirPort card from the box under the couch, and I was in Pismo heaven.
My first installation was OS 9, which I have spent little time in since migrating to OS X on its release three years ago (on my old Pismo!). For grins, I spent the weekend running OS 9, just as I had when I bought my first Pismo in 2000. I had a blast revisiting that time in my computer life. I have written many articles about this, but let me say it again - the Pismo is one of the greatest machines Apple ever built. The blend of form and function is second to none.
As I have grown older and work has required more of my attention, I spend less time using my computer to explore technology. I don't have time to continue my experiments in Unix or to make use of all of the things that make OS X cool to the technologists. If you look at what I do, it consists of browsing the Web, listening to music, writing emails, and a few other very pedestrian tasks (by today's standards).
The Pismo seems to be the perfect level of computer for me at this time, neither too much nor too little. I like the ability to run OS 9 and OS X, FireWire for my peripherals (iPod is a must), and the large screen. I will install Panther in the next few days, as I have about two years worth of emails I need to access, but I am enjoying this week in OS 9. It reminds me of the joy of first learning about the OS and Apple's portables.
Thanks, Apple, for making the Pismo. Now take that machine, add
a G5 and 64 MB of VRAM, and you will sell them through the roof.
Kevin Webb spent the last seven years selling technology consulting services. Of that time, at least two years have been devoted to trying to convince the world that the Macintosh is the pinnacle of the computing experience. He is the proud owner of eight Macs, ranging from a new iBook to a Classic. You can read about his newest computer in Kevin Webb's PowerBook G4.
Recent articles by Kevin Webb
- How Macintel could spell trouble for Windows, 06.15. "Apple has been working to change the game from simply a hardware discussion to an integrated system approach - the digital hub."
- Tech junkie swears off new hardware for one year, 07.14. "This is the day of the big freeze. I am going to choose my personal infrastructure and freeze those products for one full year!"
- What a long strange trip back to Pismo, 03.29. The 15" and 12" G4 PowerBooks were nice, but the old Pismo is the PowerBook that seems just right.
- Switching from a PC to a pair of Macs, 01.23. Friend buys a Power Mac and an iBook -- and uses FireWire Disk Mode to tie them together.
- More in the Mac Webb index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Outbound Laptop and Notebook, Sep. 1989 - The best known among the early Mac clones.
- List of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- 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
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- An RSS News Reader with the Power of Google, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 08.20. Unlike browser-based RSS readers or dedicated news reader apps, Google Reader lets you access your favorite feeds from any computer and browser.
- Pismo Won't Start, Spotlight Finds Too Many Files, and Panasonic SuperDrive in Pismo, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.20. Resetting a dead Pismo, an alternative to Spotlight gives better results, and success with the Panasonic UJ-850 drive in Pismo PowerBooks.
- Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Refurb 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,888; 2.8 8-core, $2,399; new 2.8 4-core, $2,124 after rebate; 8-core, $2,605 a/r; 3.0 $3,399 a/r; 3.2, $4,169 a/r.
- Best classic iPod Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.20. Used 40 GB, $140; 60 color, $170; 30 video, $150; refurb 80, $179; new, $230; refurb 160, $279; new, $330.
- Why Linux Isn't Mainstream, Used PowerBooks a Poor Value, the iMac G3 Legacy, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.19. Also installing Leopard on a PowerPC Mac from an Intel installer, NeoOffice opens WordPerfect files, emulating old Macs, and where to download an iMac manual.
- 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.
- Snow Leopard, Windows 7, Midori, and the End of Windows (UPDATED), 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.
- PCs Not Like Macs, Claris Home Page Fan, iMac G4 Upgrade Tips, iBook Prices, and More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.18. Also using PC3200 RAM in a Mirror Drive Door G4, cloning the classic Mac OS to a new hard drive, and thoughts on a Windows App Store.
- 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.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
