Low End Mac Editorial Archive
February 2006
- Intel-based Mac mini, 02.28. Intel Core Solo and Core Duo CPUs, Front Row with remote control and Bonjour support, vampire video with Intel GPU, and a higher price.
- Dvorak: Will Microsoft adopt OS X?, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 02.28. John Dvorak does a 180-degree turnabout, suggests Microsoft will switch to Mac OS X, not vice versa
- Tips for Pismos, 10.3.9, resetting a stuck modem, using widgets without Tiger, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.27. More advice on dealing with Pismo modem problems, OS X 10.3.9 as the best OS for Pismos, and two utilities Panther users should know about.
- Extending your range and reducing WiFi interference, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 02.28. There are several simple things you can do to improve your WiFi range and reduce interference from other devices.
- Dvorak adoption notice, tips for Apple's Yo-yo power supply, old iMac a good value?, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.27. Also a 'Pismo up in smoke' update, Lombard up in smoke, iBook G3 logic board problems, Wangwriter appreciation, and more.
- FM transmitters: How good a choice for listening to your iPod on your car stereo?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.24. An FM transmitter makes your iPod compatible with any car stereo, but how good is reception? How good is sound quality?
- MacBook battery life and performance, MacBook teardown guide, longer life PowerBook batteries, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.24. Also iTab, an iBook turned into a tablet; end in sight for 12" and 17" PowerBooks; QuickerTek Automator antenna switching software; bargain 'Books from $390 to $1,849; and more.
- First OS X malware in the wild, will Apple adopt Windows?, WiFi fears at Canadian university, and more, Mac News Review, 02.24. Also limitations of ClamXav for detecting viruses, possible Intel iBook and Mac mini next week, making music with the Mac, and more.
- Control 2 or more computers with one Mac, one mouse, one keyboard, and no KVM switch, Neil Reicher, Mac Daniel, 02.23. Freeware and ethernet let you share one mouse and keyboard among multiple computers without the tangle of a KVM switch and myriad cables.
- 'Hammer' exploits Mac user vulnerability, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 02.23. There's a new threat to your Mac on the Internet that could result in serious damage to your hardware.
- Olympians love iPods, beware iPod slurpers, iShirt for iPod shuffle, iPod Universal Dock, and more, iPod News Review, 02.23. Also lossless compression and the audiophile, Logitech Wireless Music System reviewed, u-Link nano adapter, iKitty iPod toy and protector, and more.
- Apple vs. OSx86, what Intel transition means to Apple, Linux running on Macintel, and more, The Macintel Report, 02.23. Also Intel to phase out parallel ATA, Intel pushing for 3G wireless on notebooks, and Microsoft testing fix for Core Duo power drain bug.
- Growing Apple with the Macintosh: The Sculley years, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 02.22. With the Mac ascendant, Apple grew to become the biggest personal computer maker on the market in 1990.
- Quick and easy disk maintenance and backup for your Mac, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, .02.22. Open source and freeware maintenance and backup utilities for your Mac. Your only cost is for the backup media.
- Windows, PowerPC Macs, or Intel Macs for the law office?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 02.21. The Mac vs. Windows decision is the easy one, but choosing between the tried-and-true PowerPC models and the new Intel Core Duo models takes more thought.
- Would you believe I picked up a decent old PowerBook for just $26?, Thomas Ahart, The Productive Mac, 02.21. If you're looking for a low-cost, low-power laptop for light use, there are some real steals out there. Like this Powerbook 520c....
- VNC, Basilisk II, and SheepShaver: 3 ways to run Classic on an Intel Mac, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 02.20. The new Intel-based Macs don't support Classic mode, but there are hardware and software solutions that will let you access some or all of your old Classic apps.
- Back to the future: downgrading my Pismo to OS X 10.3.9, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.20. With Spotlight and Tiger's Find refusing to work on the Pismo, it was time to backtrack to OS X 10.3.9 - which actually seems faster and more stable on this PowerBook.
- Control hard drive spindown with Apple's free CHUD Tools, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.17. Energy Saver can spin down your hard drives, but it gives you no control over the spindown delay. CHUD Tools gives you that control.
- Faster MacBook Pro shipping, iBook replacement in April?, world's smallest external hard drive, and more, The 'Book Review, 20.17. Also Windows will be welcome on MacBooks, 1.92 GHz and 2.0 GHz PowerBook G4 upgrades, Acer takes top spot in notebook sales, bargain 'Books from $230 to $1,699, and more.
- OS X 10.4.5 fixes Front Row video glitch on Intel iMac, Mac mini inside an SE/30,'I'm not buying a Mac', and more, Mac News Review, 02.17. Also, iMac Core Duo sometimes over twice as fast as iMac G5, Intel iMac 'simply the best', tech reviews gone bad, NewerTech improves miniStack enclosure, and more.
- Apple and the enterprise: Ignoring the market or biding their time?, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 02.16. Mac OS X Server, Xserve, and Xserve RAID are incredible values, but Apple is putting the focus on the consumer market. Will that change when Xserve goes Intel?
- What going Intel really means for Apple, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.16. ZDNet's Paul Murphy argues that going Intel is a disaster that cheapens the Mac brand while producing slower computers. Here's why he's wrong.
- More Address Book foibles, tips, and add-ons, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 02.09. Readers weigh in on Macintel, Apple's Address Book, and Yojimbo. Questions and tips on becoming a more efficient Mac user.
- MacBook Pro: What's up with bumping the speed when Apple can't even meet demand?, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 02.16. More speed for the same price is nice, but why not concentrate on meeting demand first? And what's with that $300 premium for the 2.16 GHz model?
- Custom painted iPods, iPod nano scratch lawsuits, wireless and 'true video' iPods coming?, and more, iPod News Review, 02.16. Also Microsoft to challenge iPod's dominance, RIAA says erase your iPod before you sell it, using the iPod's sleep timer, new software, and more.
- MacBook Pro ships, graphics problems with Intel iMacs, future Intel CPUs, and more, The Macintel Report, 02.16. Also USB 2.0 power management problems with Core Duo and Windows, OS X 10.4.4 hacked to run on Intel PCs, Windows virtualization on Macintel contest, and more.
- MacBook Pro value equation revisited, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.15. The MacBook Pro is shipping at higher speeds than expected. But is it time for you to go Intel, or should you stick with PowerPC a while longer?
- System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: The beginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new features and greater modernity while staying within reach of most early Macintosh models.
- Retro computing: First impressions of a newly acquired Apple Lisa, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 02.14. Saved from the trash and given a new home, this old Lisa is a slow, friendly computer.
- Finding and using free wireless Internet access, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 02.14. There are lots of free WiFi hotspots out there. Here are the tools you need to detect them and make the connection.
- If Apple won't support Classic on Intel Macs, it should liberate OS 9, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 02.14. Although a lot of Mac users depend on Classic mode in OS X, Apple has seen fit to drop it on their newest hardware. That being the case, they should declare it unsupported and give it away for free.
- Apple, IBM, and Intel: The choice was clear, and the transition says a lot about Apple, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 02.13. Apple's history is full of change, and when it became obvious that IBM was pushing power while Intel was switching the focus to efficiency, the time was right to move Apple to Intel.
- Tiger 10.4.4 update cripples Pismo's internal modem, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.13. Pismo's internal modem works flawlessly under OS 9 and OS X 10.3, but it's grown less reliable under 10.4, becoming unusable with the most recent update.
- How Apple could extend music sharing to your iPod and your stereo, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.10. iTunes makes it easy to share music with other iTunes users. Why not expand the idea so iPod users can share or so you can access your iTunes library from your stereo?
- TopXNotes Classic: A powerful, easy to use, low cost information organizer for OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 02.10. TopXNotes goes far beyond replacing Apple's Notepad and allows you complete organizational control of your notes.
- MacBook Pro 'perfect form factor', Rosetta close to PB G4 speed, Core Duo Dell $1000 less, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.10. Also the modemless MacBook Pro, notebooks pass desktops in sales, Apple 9th in portable sales, fixing a broken PowerBook latch, iLap solves 'Book user's problems, bargain 'Books from $390 to $1,849, and more.
- Much praise for Intel iMac, Core Duo keyboard problem, PPC emulator adds Classic to Macintel, and more, Charles W Moore, Mac News Review, 02.10. Reasons to wait on buying an Intel Mac, Apple top brand in European education, new hard drives, and the SheepShaver emulator brings PowerPC Mac emulation to Intel-based Macs.
- Yojimbo: A powerful, easy to use information management tool, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 02.09. Yojimbo "offers a good balance of powerful capabilities and simple user-friendliness that will fit the needs of many."
- If iPod/iTunes Music Store is anticompetitive, Microsoft's PlaysForSure is even more so, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.09. If Apple can be sued over the iPod/iTunes/iTMS connection, surely Microsoft's PlaysForSure initiative is worse because it ties you to the Windows platform as well as PlaysForSure players and services.
- Hearing loss 'beside the point' in lawsuit, iPod updater asks for FireWire on USB-only iPods, new cradles, and more, Charles W Moore, iPod News Review, 02.09. Also Apple intros 1 GB iPod nano, Royal Navy preps iPod-ready warship, forensic access to iPod's hard drive, high capacity battery for iPod nano, 'impossibly cute' cases, and more.
- Intel Core Duo vs. PowerPC G5, time to buy Macintel? Adobe apps coming to Intel late, and more, Charles W Moore, The Macintel Report, 02.09. Benchmarks compare Macintel to G5 models, when is it time to switch?, Apple's ads make things awkward for Intel, and Adobe in no hurry to support Macintel users.
- NewerTech miniStack: A great drive even if you don't own a Mac mini, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 02.08. Although it's designed to match the Mac mini, the miniStack hard drive can add USB 2.0 and FireWire ports to any Mac while keeping your fast external hard drive cool.
- Computer benchmarks and other baloney: Don't expect 2-4x performance from Intel Macs, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 02.06. The Intel Macs are faster than the models they replace, but only with software written for them. With older software, they're actually slower than last year's Macs.
- Tips for shopping online and avoiding problems, Joe Rivera, Mac Fallout Shelter, 02.07. Do you really know who you're dealing with and what your buying on the Internet? Tips on protecting yourself online.
- The story behind Apple's Newton, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 02.07. The people, problems, and events that shaped Apple's Newton MessagePad.
- Pismo up in smoke, Macintel ends virus-free Macs?, G3 iBook a risk with logic board problems?, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.06. Also the great value of a refurbished 20" iMac, booting OS X on WallStreet with an external CD drive, and ramblings about the MacBook name, the usefulness of old Macs, and working with Windows Mobile.
- New tech parallels and perils: PowerBook 5300 and MacBook Pro, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 02.06. Ten years ago, Apple's PowerBook 5300 was known for flaming batteries, sluggish performance, and underperforming emulation. Has Apple learned their lesson, or will the MacBook Pro repeat history?
- Microsoft's monopoly makes it slow and vulnerable, which Apple, Google, and AOL love, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.03. Internet Explorer 7 beta security bug found the first day, Windows Vista delayed again and again, also-ran search and messaging give others an opportunity to chip away at the Microsoft monopoply.
- Netscape 7, Internet Explorer 5, iCab, MacLynx, WaMCom, WannaBe, MachTen, and more movies made on Macs, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 26.02.03. A look at favorite and unfavorite browsers for the classic Mac OS and three other movies produced on Macs.
- More PowerBook defects, why 'MacBook' instead of PowerBook?, 1.9 GHz PowerBook G4 upgrade tested, and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 02.03. Also MacBook battery life as good as you'd expect from Apple, monitor spanning makes sense, battery firmware update for 15" PowerBook G4, bargain 'Books from $330 to $2,149, and more.
- 20" iMac G5 price cut, hands on Intel iMacs, one keyboard and mouse to rule them all, and more, Charles Moore, Mac News Review, 02.03. Also the Universal Binary future of Mac software, widescreen trend just getting started, adios IE5 for Mac, 1.8 GHz dual G4 upgrade, and more.
- 36 ways to tweak Tiger with TinkerTool, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 02.02. One freeware app lets you control 36 different features in OS X 10.4.
- Mac sales sluggish or strong?, does Intel mean Macintel badware?, WinXP on Macintel contest, and more, Charles W Moore, The Macintel Report, 02.02. Also when to move to Macintel, the "Intel nativeness" monkey wrench, OS X 10.4.4 printer drivers, Intel's 45nm success, and more.
- Expert replaces iPod battery blindfolded, Belkin's stereo iPod mic, 8-hour add-on iPod battery, and more, Charles W Moore, iPod News Review, 02.02. Also charging your iPod's battery, smart headphone slippter with volume control, iPod renewal kit from NewerTech, top 20 iPod CityGuides, and more.
- What's a good, inexpensive, useful, older Mac? The PowerBook 1400, Thomas Ahart, The Productive Mac, 02.01. Relatively compact and not especially heavy, the PowerBook 1400 is a great low-cost way to run the classic Mac OS - and it's portable.
- Thoughts and advice on replacing a two-year-old iBook G4, Dirk Pilat, Down But Not Out, 02.01. This iBook G4 has taken a beating. Does it make more sense to buy a new iBook G4, wait for the Intel models, or look at the used market?
- Using a shared Windows printer from your Mac with OS X 10.4, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 02.01. Step-by-step instructions for getting your Mac with 'Tiger' to see and print to a shared printer on a Windows computer. It's not perfect, but it does work.
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