Low End Mac Editorial Archive

February 2008

Copycat Microsoft has its own Reality Distortion Field, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 02.27. The typical computer user could happily switch to the Mac, but the Microsoft Reality Distortion Field has them believing Macs are overpriced and don't have software.
Mac again: Picking the right MacBook, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 02.27. The 5-year-old PowerBook needed replacing, but is the MacBook Air or the regular MacBook the better choice?
Mac remote control options built into Leopard, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 02.29. Apple has four tools for Macintosh remote control built right into the Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' operating system.
Jaguar or Panther on Pismo?, Mac 128K corrections, installing OS X from an iPod, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.29. Also an old iMac, an optical trackball for ADB Macs, internal or external hard drive for an eMac, and Leopard on a 500 MHz PowerBook G4.
New MacBook and MacBook Pro models, MacBook Air design 'wasteful', Penryn benchmarked, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.29. Also hands on with the new MacBooks, MagSafe issues, MacBook Air temperature tests, cooling stands and notebook cases, bargain 'Books from $170 to $2,349, and more.
PC Magazine calls Leopard best consumer OS ever, looking back at the Mac Plus, and more, Mac News Review, 02.29. Also OS X install tips for "somewhat broken" Macs, 1984 quote in keyboard update, MetaRAM quadruples DIMM capacity, Hello Kitty wireless mouse, and iFreeMac for OS X.
House bill could unlock iPhone, nanotech to power iPods, Britannica Mobile, and more, iNews Review, 02.29. Also Apple posts 1.1.4 iPhone update, $6 disposable battery powers iPod for 8 hours, iPhone can replace computer mouse, free phrase books, and more.
The 2008 MacBook value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.28. Comparing close-out prices against the new white MacBooks, it's pretty close. But if you want a black MacBook, there are deals to be had.
What's the best version of OS X for my Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
Mac again, thanks to Microsoft, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 02.27. It was Microsoft Exchange Server that drew me away from the Mac, but now Office: 2008 lets me back into the Macintosh world.
Apple products: Better by design, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 02.27. "Mac users have come to trust Apple to make things simple but not underpowered."
The 2008 MacBook Pro value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.27. "Perhaps the best thing about the new models is what they've done to prices of last year's MacBook Pro line."
Megapixels, noise, image quality, and fixing photos in software, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.27. Also iMac vs. Mac mini, a possible fix for failing optical drives, optical mice for ADB Macs, and where to buy Macs in Philly.
14 years of useful service from a Macintosh LC III, Mark Shipp, My Turn, 02.26. Purchased in 1993, this LC III has been used as a multimedia center, word processing machine, mail server, Internet router, and print server.
$18 USB WiFi adapter, AirPort flaw in last gen iBook, SuperDrive failure in MacBook, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.26. Also DVD-RAM for MacBooks, the quietest MacBook, aluminum PowerBooks and Mac OS 9, and expansion slots in affordable Macs.
Apple design in the MacBook Air era, John Muir, My Turn, 02.25. The MacBook Air represents Apple's first fully new Macintosh design since the Mac mini was introduced, and it's destined to shape the look of Macs to come.
Test driving Eudora 8 beta 3: Better but not ready for prime time, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.21. The Penelope team has improved some things, but problems with multiple SMTP servers, messages over 50 KB in size, and stalling mean that it's still unusable.
MacBook Air a compelling option for the true road warrior, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 02.22. Although it's not intended as a desktop replacement and has a few shortcomings, the lightweight MacBook Air with its 13" display could be the perfect field computer.
Mac users are snobs, Mac freeware, 5x the range with AirPort Extreme, and more, Mac News Review, 02.22. Also make room for 4 more drives in the 2008 Mac Pro, basic ethernet for PCI Express, MacSpeech Dictate software shipping, problems installing Leopard when SideTrack is present, and more.
MacBook Air selling poorly?, Macs benchmarked with Leopard, MacBook Air reviews, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.22. Also Travelstar 7K200 a great replacement drive, keyboard update restores first keypress, MBA ethernet adapter works with other Macs, bargain 'Books from $170 to $2,849, and more.
iPod sales drop expected, 2 GB iPod shuffle, iPhone love stumps mobile experts, and more, iNews Review, 02.22. Also living without an iPod, Land Rover LRX controlled by iPhone, webcomics for iPhone and iPod touch, wide-angle lens for iPhone, privacy screen for iPhone, new cases, and more.
High megapixel compact digicams may be worse than we thought, Dan Knight, Digigraphica, 02.21. In the rush to squeeze more megapixels into a tiny image sensor, manufacturers are sometimes making compromises that result in fuzzy, grainy, washed out images.
Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
Restoring a crashed Mac with an install disc and Time Machine, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 02.06. Thanks to Leopard's Time Machine backup feature, it's easy to restore your Mac to an earlier setup if you've inadvertently deleted essential files.
Idiot proof: It isn't good enough to make things intuitive, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 02.20. "Good design isn't about making things intuitive; it's about making them idiot proof."
What is a 'reconditioned' laptop?, finding Tiger for an iBook, Pismo burning through CPUs, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.18. Where to find a copy of OS X 10.4 for an iBook, 'reconditioned' vs. 'refurbished', Pismo problems, and political discussion on the Mac Web.
Recycle old computers by repurposing them, not retiring them, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 02.12. Old computers, especially Macs, may have a lot of life in them when we're done using them. What if we reused them for those who otherwise would have no acces to computers?
Software to remotely control and reboot your Mac, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 02.15. Commercial software to control your Mac over a network or the Internet. Also how to restart a remote Mac.
Installing Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL on Leopard, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 02.15. The combination of Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL is a powerful and popular development environment. Here's how to get both running under Mac OS X 10.5.
Safari 3.1 will be 'crazy fast', OS X 10.5.2 update, 20x SuperDrive from $35, and more, Mac News Review, 02.15. Also Security Update for Tiger, Graphics Update for Leopard, Mac mini "as powerful as a larger desktop", TechTool Deluxe update, and more.
Reinstall OS X on MacBook Air, going from MacBook to Eee PC, high capacity batteries, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.15. Also thoughts on the next MacBook Pro, more MacBook Air reviews, updates from Apple, Windows XP almost ready for OLPC, and bargain 'Books from $170 to $2,599.
Consumers worldwide flock to iPhone, portable iPhone dpeakers, Bruce Lee cases, and more, iNews Review, 02.15. Also software that lets your iPhone or iPod touch remote control your Mac, translation software, iPod-to-Mac music copying, and more.
Falling in love with Mac OS X, Germán Rotondo, My Turn, 02.14. Helping a friend get an iMac up and running was the author's first exposure to Macs. Today he only wishes he'd discovered Mac OS X sooner.
Apple a pro at building buzz for new products, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 02.14. The recent introduction of the MacBook Air is just one example of how the whole world is paying attention to what Apple is doing.
I needed to find an older Mac, Nick Sava, My Turn, 02.13. Getting nostalgic for old Mac games that don't work under Mac OS 9.2.2, the author decides to find an old Mac to play them on.
Apple Stores near Philly, iSub works 'most of the time', the Mac vs. PC debate, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.13. Why Apple doesn't have a store in Philadelphia, iSub issues, looking at used iBooks, and irritating Mac lovers.
Cursed with options: Too much software choice is not a blessing, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 02.12. Wouldn't you rather have a small selection of quality programs than a vast array of copycat software?
A month with Windows: One Apple fanboy's experiment, Ben Zalutsky, No Windows for Me, 02.12. Is the Mac really that much better than Windows? To find out, this Apple lover is spending a month with Windows XP and a couple of PC notebook.
iSub issues with Intel Macs, no Apple Store in Philly, Gainsaver problem, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.12. Also more on why Macs are better than PCs, a CPU upgrade that doesn't like Tiger, and an unsupported Leopard report on an 800 MHz Quicksilver Power Mac.
Could a wireless dock be in the MacBook Air's future?, John Hatchett, My Turn, 02.11. The MacBook Air is too limited in terms of connectivity, but what if Apple thought outside the box and created a MacBook Dock that connected by WiFi?
PowerBook 3400c and Pismo: Two of Apple's best notebooks ever, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.11. Two PowerBooks celebrate birthdays this week, and each was the fastest laptop on the plant when it was introduced.
Feb. 10, 1993: Apple rolls out 6 new Macs at once, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.11. What was Apple thinking introducing six new Macs in February 1993? Looking back at Apple's broadest product rollout ever.
YouTube tips, Mac users who bash Windows, iSub broken in Leopard, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.11. The importance of expandable computers, ways to improve YouTube viewing on older Macs, frustrating with losing iSub support in OS X 10.5, and Windows bashers.
Remembering my first Apple and Macintosh experiences, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 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.
11 reasons to choose Macs? I don't think so, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.08. Readers weigh in pro and con on 'The top 11 reasons to choose Macs over PCs'.
Mac's record market share expected to double, Safari 'solid third' in browsers, and more, Mac News Review, 02.08. Also the future is "Apple, open source, and green", the fastest Mac ever, and SuperDuper upgraded for Leopard support.
Solid state drive vs. hard drive in MacBook Air, Mac drivers for Atheros WiFi cards, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.08. Also MacBook Air reviewed, Intel offers new CPU to all, MacBook Pro update imminent, MBA teardown, 8x SuperDrive for MacBooks, bargain 'Books from $180 to $2,599, and more.
Microsoft's plans for Yahoo, dead pixels, YouTube on old Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.06. Also hard drive upgrade advice for a notebook computer, Apple's USB ethernet adapter, Loepard on another Digital Audio G4, and thoughts on Low End Mac's latest logo.
16 GB iPhone, 32 GB iPod touch introduced, iFob social networking for iPhone users, and more, iNews Review, 02.07. Also developers prepare for iPhone SDK, iPhoneDrive software, Polk Audio iPod accessories coming to Apple Store, and more.
3 ways to better YouTube viewing on older Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.06. Watching YouTube videos in your browser on G3 Macs can be painfully slow, but there are several ways to improve your YouTube viewing experience.
Is the MacBook Air too lightweight for serious users?, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 02.06. Apple's slim, ultralight notebook incites lust, but with so many compromises it may not be your ideal field computer.
The top 11 reasons to choose Macs over PCs, Frank Fox, My Turn, 02.06. The 11 most important reasons for choosing a Mac over a Windows PC.
Better YouTube viewing on older Macs, too many dead pixels, Safari problems in Panther, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 02.05. Also picking the right used G4 iBook, Quartz Extreme support for PCI video, problems with Mac OS 9.x on G4 Power Macs, open firmware problems with 667 MHz PowerBook, and more.
Acquiring Yahoo: Microsoft is playing the same old game, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.04. Microsoft has a long history of copying others, leveraging its dominance, and acquiring other companies when it can't take over a market on its own.
MacBook Air upgradable enough?, Lombard cache problem, and more on the liberal-conservative debate, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.04. Another go around on whether Mac users are liberal or conservative. Also looking for an OS X driver for the Netgear WG511T.
Remotely control your OS 9 or OS X Mac, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 02.01. With the right software, some of it free, you can remotely control your Mac from another Mac or a Windows or Unix PC.
Boosting an old Power Mac with NewerTech's 1.8 GHz G4 upgrade, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 02.01. Got a faithful old Power Mac that's reliable but feeling sluggish? A brain transplant well beyond the 1 GHz mark can make a world of difference.
MacBook Air reviews, Modbook interview, cracking open the Clamshell iBook, and more, The 'Book Review, 02.01. Also info on the Solid State Drive for the MBA, Intel's custom MBA CPU, MBA Developer Note, MacBook User Guide, bargain 'Books from $200 to $3,079, and more.
Leopard on a PC without hacking, KDE comes to OS X, new Mac Pro benchmarked, and more, Mac News Review, 02.01. Also saying good-bye to .mac, a review of Apple's aluminum keyboard, and how to disinfect your keyboard, mouse, and trackpad.