Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore, Freeware Forum, 2012-02-10.
Safari is adequate on Mac and great on iOS, but the range of good alternatives is stunning. LEM writers share their favorites.
LogMeIn: Remote Screen Sharing for the Rest of Us, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2012-02-09.
Configuring the Mac's built-in screen sharing to work over the Internet can be difficult or impossible. LogMeIn makes it easy.
We've phased out the WebTV version of Low End Mac, which accounted for less than 10 page views per day. Links now go to the normal pages on our site.
Around the Web
Opinion:
Spelling: A Rebuttal from Wired's Copydesk, Lee Simmons, Wired, 2012.01.31.
"No, it doesn't matter how we spell any given word; what matters is that we agree on some particular spelling. Standards are what make communication possible...."
Benchmarks:
USB 3.0 Roundup #2: 3.5" Drive Enclosures, Bare Feats, 2012.02.03.
6 GB/s SSD tested in various USB 3 enclosures shows it can be 55-60% as fast as Thunderbolt - and far more affordable at that.
Advocacy:
Kill the Caps Lock, Matthew J.X. Malady, Slate, 2012.02.01.
Why Caps Lock should be eliminated, the em-dash should be added, and the exclamation point should be moved.
Analysis:
Is Apple's Thunderbolt Truly Lightning-Fast?, Glenn Derene, Popular Mechanics, 2012.01.31.
With real hard drives, Thunderbolt is only 3x as fast as USB 2.0 and FireWire - and no faster than USB 3.
Analysis:
iOS web browser shoot-out: alternatives to Safari on the iPad, Charles W. Moore, AppleTell, 2012.01.29.
"...Safari may be the best of the iOS browser pack, ahead of my other favorites Dolphin, Diigo, and Terra, especially now that the iOS 5 version has real tabs."
Opinion:
Our Time Is Now, Stephen Hackett, 512 Pixels, 2012.01.25.
"In this new world, we are not the weird hippies holding on to our obscure computers and even more obscure software titles. Talking about iPad apps in line at Starbucks isn't weird anymore."
Analysis:
Apple's Massive Numbers and Some Context, MG Siegler, TechCrunch, 2012.01.24.
"Apple's profit of $13.1 billion was equal to their revenue in Q4 2010 . . . To be clear, that was just a year and a quarter ago. That's how quickly Apple is growing."
History:
Old Mac of the Month: The PowerMac 8100/100 AV, Erik Schmidt, 512 Pixels, 2012.01.19.
"...the springboard for my entry into the world of professional web development. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time with the right equipment."
Advice:
Copy a Bootable Mac OS 9 Install Disc, PPC Luddite, 2012.01.18.
Most tools won't burn a bootable CD from your Mac OS 9 install, but good old Toast will.
Advice:
Going Google-Free: The Best Alternatives to Google Services on the Web, Whitson Gordon, Lifehacker, 2012.01.17.
"What you may not realize is that, despite the quality of Google's products, someone else is doing it better - and placing all your eggs in Google's basket isn't necessarily the best thing."
Software:
Mozilla slows pace of Firefox 9 upgrades, Gregg Keizer, Macworld, 2012.01.17.
"Firefox 9's slow upgrade appears to conflict with Mozilla's rapid-release schedule that ships a new version every six weeks."
