Low End Mac Editorial Archive
August 2006
- New Mac mini imminent?, Mac Pro beats Dell prices, Intel improves Mac appeal, and more, The Macintel Report, 08.31. Intel diminishes differences between Macs and Windows PCs, Core 2 notebooks debut, Merom Core 2 benchmarks, and more.
- Switch from Internet Explorer, RIP MacHome, and more thoughts on replacing Claris Home Page, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.29. Internet Explorer continues to lose its share - and should. Good-bye to MacHome magazine, and suggestions for replacing the greatly loved Claris Home Page.
- Lisa repaired, now preparing for 30 days with black and white Macs, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 08.30. Inspired by "30 Days" on FX, Ted Hodges will spend 30 days using just 1-bit black & white Macs.
- Nvu and SeaMonkey can supplement, but not replace, Claris Home Page, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.30. You'd think it would be easy to create a low-end WYSIWYG webpage editor that surpassed 9-year-old Home Page 3.0 - and you'd be wrong.
- Productive at the low end: 3 Mac users share their tales, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 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.
- Lions Gate's iTunes movie deal, MS Zune detailed, secure wireless, direct from vinyl to CD, and more, Ed Eubanks Jr, Tech Tracker, 08.29. Also teens don't see duplicated CDs as piracy, Windows Vista 'the last of its kind', and laptops in the marriage bed.
- PowerPC vs. Intel, Leopard on G3s, LEM broken in IE6, and big drives in older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.17. Thoughts on PowerPC efficiency vs. Intel's dual-core CPUs, how well OS X 10.5 might run on G3 Macs, how Internet Explorer breaks good design, and putting a huge hard drive in an older Power Mac.
- You Might be a Mac fanatic if..., Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 08.28. You might be a Mac fanatic if you named your Mac's hard drive some cute name like 'Froggy Bottom' instead of 'C:'.
- Apple's product line: Hiding complexity behind elegant simplicity, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 08.28. Consumers are not well served when model after model comes from Apple with the exact same product name but very different configurations.
- The PowerBook 5300 turns 11: A reminiscence, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.28. The first PowerPC PowerBook was a mixed bag with a new design, some very nice new features, some shortcomings, and a few serious problems.
- Writely, Google's free word processor: What's the catch?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 08.25. Writely isn't going to replace Microsoft Word for high-end word processing, but for most users most of the time, this free program should be plenty good enough.
- The Apple vs. Microsoft GUI lawsuit, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 08.25. In an ironic twist of fate, John Sculley gave away the farm to get Microsoft to develop Word and Excel for the Mac.
- PowerBook/iBook battery recall, Sony battery woes, MacBook cooling fix always runs fans, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.25. Also AirPort Express exonerated in WiFi hack, MacBook RIP, Apple tops in tech support, Lapinator insulates user from notebook heat, bargain 'Books from $119 to $1,400, and more.
- G3 support in Leopard, 512 MB inadequate for Tiger, free battery recycling, vintage and obsolete Macs, and more, Mac News Review, 08.25. Also one Ubuntu switcher is now a 'Macboy' again, security costs make Windows more expensive than OS X, Mac Pro tips and reviews, hand carved iPod stands, and more.
- Who cares about Apple's market share?, Paul Brierley, The 'Book Beat, 08.24. Market share and installed base are not only nebulous, but ultimately unimportant as long as Apple continues to turn a profit.
- Embed a Blogger feed in your web page, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 08.24. Instead of linking to external content, here's a way to display it within your page.
- Merom too hot for 'Books - or coming in September?, Apple grows notebook market, classic Mac OS on Macintel, and more, The Macintel Report, 08.24. One Windows user almost ready to go Mac because of Mac Pro, Boot Camp updated, and two vendors working on Intel support.
- Discovering the Mac after learning to hate Windows, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 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.
- Save the G3s: The case for G3 support in OS X 10.5 'Leopard', Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.22. The last G3 Macs were still on the market three years ago. Cutting off all G3 support in Leopard just doesn't make sense.
- 'Twice as fast': Did Apple lie or just carefully select its truths?, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 08.21. Yes, some CPUs are more efficient than others, but by carefully choosing which benchmark results are reported, you can make one chip look a lot better than its competitor.
- Apple's Intel transition hurts elementary education, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 08.21. While dual-core Intel CPUs may be a plus in many ways, their lack of support for the Classic programs widely used in education makes them a bitter pill for some schools to swallow.
- Clamshell iBook viability, problem reading CD-R, OS X unstable with video compression, iCab 3.0.3, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.21. Also possible solution for booting into OS 9, WallStreet upgrade value, Power Mac no longer jinxed, MacTV value, AIM for ancient Macs, and more.
- Merom and the MacBook, Apple's original Duo laptop, Dell battery woes may impact Apple, iBook G3 SuperDrive, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.18. Also MacBook a back-to-school recommendation, MagSafe patent may block third-party power adapters, wrist rug and trackpad film for MacBook and Pro, bargain 'Books from $119 to $1,699, and more.
- Apple II greatest PC ever, Apple #1 in consumer satisfaction, Mac Pro security patches, and more, Mac News Review, 08.18. Also Classic gone with nary a whisper, Mac Pro 'everything the Power Mac G5 should have been', Dell twice as costly, USB keyboard with iPod dock, and more.
- OS X keyboard shortcuts, movie downloads, new Segway models, Google coupons, and more, Ed Eubanks Jr, Tech Tracker, 08.18. Also the death of Classic, TechTV reborn, electric sports car a sellout, Mac Pro vs. PC pricing, and more.
- PowerPC vs. Intel: Has Apple been lying to us?, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 08.17. From the 1997 introduction of the G3 through 2005, Apple claimed PowerPC was much faster than Intel's Pentium family of chips. Today they claim Intel's Core chips are twice as fast as PowerPC. What gives?
- G5 vs. Mac Pro, Macs in Poland, an optical mouse for ADB Macs, replacing Home Page, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.17. Also comparing dual G4 Power Macs, problems booting WallStreet from Compact Flash, lithium battery drain, where to find Mac OS 7.6, and the New Standard Keyboard.
- Mac Pro vs. G5 Quad, Mac faithful 'more impressed by form than function', Mac Pro configuration, and more, The Macintel Report, 08.17. Also Core vs. Core 2, new horizons for the Macintel era, Mac OS Forge launches, and more.
- The Mac Pro value equation letters, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.16. Tips on memory, G5 vs. Mac Pro, Final Cut Pro benchmarks, and the downside of soft modems.
- The optical ADB mouse letters, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.15. Thoughts and analysis of an optical ADB mouse, discontinued optical ADB mice, and an existing optical mouse for ADB Macs.
- Free Desktop Manager reduces clutter, improves work flow, Brian Richards, Advantage Mac, 08.11. Instead of cluttering your desktop with every program you're running, Desktop Manager lets you cut the clutter to focus on your work.
- Getting the most out of the clamshell iBook, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.14. "'Unique' is an overworked adjective, but in the case of the clamshell iBook, it's justified. There's never been anything quite like it before or since."
- Clamshell iBook still a fun and practical notebook, Charles Webb, PowerBook Beat, 08.11. "Granted, this iBook isn't a speed demon in any way, but its amazing what a 7-year-old Apple notebook can do."
- What a Legacy: The Origin of the IBM PC, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 2006.08.11. IBM introduced its PC on August 12, 1981, shaking up the entire personal computer industry. Today even Apple makes its computers IBM compatible.
- Apple quality slipping?, 160 GB notebook drives, SiesMaCalibrate calibrates SMS, PowerBook retrospective, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.11. Also Washington high-rise offers MacBook with lease, carry handles for MacBook and 17" MacBook Pro, new ExpressCard developments, NewerTech battery recycling, bargain 'Books from $230 to $2,149, and more.
- Mac Pro take apart, Mac Pro vs. Quad G5, no Virtual PC for Macintel, MacMice updates, and more, Mac News Review, 08.11. Also first Mac Pro security update, online Mac backup, an iPod cover featuring the first Mac, and more.
- The Mac Pro value equation: Where's the sweet spot?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.10. Four Intel cores, three CPU speeds, three hard drive sizes, three video card options, G5 trouncing speed with universal apps. Is it for you? Where is the best value?
- Is the G3 still a practical choice?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 08.10. Although the G3 is several generations old, it has enough horsepower for most of the things we do on our computers.
- Apple Remote Desktop easily worth the price, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 08.10. "What's impressive isn't the number of features, but how easy they are to use. There is no printed manual, and I didn't even look at the PDF one."
- Love OS X but need to use Windows? FlyakiteOSX may help, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 08.09. FlyakiteOSX lets you overhaul Windows XP so it looks and acts more like Mac OS X. It's not perfect, but it is more like using a Mac.
- Education the key to killing spam, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 08.09. The only reason spam exists is because it works. If we could only teach people not to respond.....
- Preparing your Mac's hard drive for Linux, Larry Stotler, Linux on the Low End, 08.09. Before you install Linux, you have to partition your hard drive. A look at three different hard drive strategies for Mac Linux.
- Quad-core 64-bit Mac Pro and Xserve, MacBook Pro Core 2 rumors, VMware for Macintel, and more, The Macintel Report, 08.08. Apple has completed its Intel transition with quad-core Xserve and Mac Pro models, which have 64-bit support lacking in earlier Macintel models.
- MacBook repair saga: Botched and botched again, but third time's the charm, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 08.07. After 2 weeks at Apple, the MacBook came back running hotter than before. The first replacement MacBook ran cooler but had its own issues. The third MacBook, however, fulfills all expectations.
- Is Apple's one-button mouse useful or hopelessly outdated?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 08.07. It's all a question of how many buttons you need to do your work. For most Mac users, one button is still enough.
- InforMac: A free and better replacement for Apple's System Profiler, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.07. "InforMac works great, is very quick (except for loading the Applications pane, which takes a while), and is a lot more fun to use than System Profiler."
- Apple's Keynote 3 impresses, Brian Richards, Advantage Mac, 08.04. Keynote is far more than a PowerPoint replacement. It's a much more flexible, easier to use program.
- MacBook Pro battery exchange, MacBook reliability, strangest MacBook hacks, DIY laptop case, and more, The 'Book Review, 08.04. Also Apple admits MacBook issues, more on palmrest issues, powering the $100 laptop, another Dell notebook bursts into flames, repairing your AC adapter, bargain 'Books from $300 to $2,149, and more.
- Value of AppleCare, iMac your car, $500 1.6 GHz dual G4 upgrade, zero tension mouse, and more, Mac News Review, 08.04. Also WiebeTech's ToughTech drive gains eSATA and listening to your iPod underwater.
- Optical ADB mouse wanted, but who will build it?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.03. Low-end Mac users with ADB mice simply don't have an optical mouse option. We'd like to change that, even if it means distributing it through Low End Mac.
- Icons, status symbols, and the MacBook, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 08.03. The MacBook combined the best of PowerBook and iBook designs in a fresh new way that's nearly perfect.
- Core 2 'world's best processor', but when will it come to the Mac?, The Macintel Report, 08.03. Intel's Core 2 CPUs begin shipping this month, and the PC world is bound to have Core 2 desktops and notebooks by the end of the month. How soon will Apple make the move?
- Which Macs for 10.5?, Mac minitower thoughts, success with FireWire disk mode OS X installs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 08.03. Readers weigh in on which Macs should work with "Leopard", what Apple should put into a midrange desktop Mac, AIFF files and metadata, Web page editors, frequent battery replacement, external USB drive problems, and more.
- How many Macs are too many Macs?, Matthew Jay, Macs to the Max, 08.02. Has your obsession with the Mac gone too far? Do you have Macs sitting around that you don't use for anything any longer?
- OS X features for OS 9, Opera as default browser, MacTV value, jinxed Power Mac, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.02. Also an unexpected iMac G3 startup problem, where to find older versions of AOL Instant Messenger, and a homemade digital Rolleiflex TLR.
- The case for a Macintel minitower, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.01. For some the Mac mini is too little, the Power Mac too much. Apple should make a "just right" model that fits between them.
- Customizing Mac OS 9, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 08.01. Fiddling with themes, picking a browser, and making the Classic Mac OS work just the way you want it to.
- Switching from Windows to OS X a pleasure, Brian Richards, Advantage Mac, 08.01. "If someone has used nearly all the Windows operating systems, why would he ever switch?"
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