Low End Mac Editorial Archive

June 2008

Leopard makes it easy to share your Mac's screen locally and over the Internet, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 06.30. Mac OS X 10.5 makes it easier to remotely access a Mac's screen on a network or over the Internet with more options than ever before.
Political profiling of Mac users, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.30. Both liberals and conservatives choose the Mac, so it's not fair to typify it as 'the liberal's computer'.
Can Linux replace OS X on older Macs?, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 06.30. Looking at Ubuntu 8.04 on a 1 GHz PowerBook and Kubuntu 5.04 on a clamshell iBook.
What Snow Leopard means for Macs in the enterprise, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 06.25. With Exchange and Active Directory support coming in Mac OS X 10.6, two of the big obstacles to Macs in the workplace will be swept away.
Snow Leopard may be the most important OS X release ever, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 06.25. "With just the few new technologies that we have been given a glimpse of, it is plain to see that Snow Leopard will be a huge step into the future."
Pismo slow running OS X from Compact Flash, Leopard DVD Player on G4 Pismo, and more Linux tips, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.25. Pismo runs Mac OS 9 quickly from Compact Flash, but OS X is slow. Also how to hack Leopard so DVD Player works in a G4-upgraded Pismo, and more tips on using Linux on Macs.
Run Linux on my Mac? No thanks, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 06.24. Macs have a zen-like synergy of hardware, software, and operating system. Why would anyone want to give that up?
Win the depreciation game by buying on the low end, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 06.24. The worst depreciation afflicts high-end models. By buying a less powerful version, choosing certified refurbished, or picking up a used computer, you'll come out ahead.
PowerPC's last chance: The Mac's history with the G5 CPU, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 06.24. The introduction of the G5 Power Mac in June 2003 promised a bright 3 GHz future, and failure to achieve that paved the way to today's Intel Macs.
The PowerBook G5: Long rumored, never produced, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 06.24. Five years ago Apple introduced the G5 Power Mac, but the new CPU never made it to the PowerBook. Apple called it 'the mother of all thermal challenges'.
PowerPC support in Snow Leopard, Linux growing more user friendly, old Macs never die, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.24. Also Migration Assistant failure, Toast 6.1 improves burn speed for a Blue and White G3, and working with a G4-upgraded Power Mac 7200.
How a heavily upgraded Power Mac G4 pulled me back from the Dark Side, Ben Zalutsky, No Windows for Me, 06.23. Seduced by a quad-core Windows gaming rig, it was a 9-year-old Power Mac that brought him back to the Mac.
'Snow Leopard' and the death of PowerPC support, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 06.23. It looks like Mac OS X 10.6 will only support Intel Macs - and possibly only 64-bit ones at that. Should G4 and G5 owners start looking at Linux?
SteelSeries S&S Pro Gaming: Can a mouse pad really be worth $30?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.23. Once you've used a SteelSeries mouse pad for a while, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
Linux still not friendly enough, widescreen and pivoting monitors, Mac 512K restoration, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.23. Also the utility of Apple's old Studio Displays, questions about ViewPowr video card for PowerBook 1400, and 9-year-old predictions that came true.
Mac sales up 50% in May, OS X on any PC with USB dongle?, share up to 5 USB devices, and more, Mac News Review, 06.20. Also intimidating people with a Mac, CherryPal's inexpensive green 'cloud' computer, quad-core G5 YDP PowerStation, Radeon HD 3870 announced, and Nolobe Iris claims to be 'the ultimate image editor for OS X'.
MacBook vs. MacBook Pro, 500 GB drive for MacBooks, Toshiba intros lightest laptop, and more, The 'Book Review, 06.20. Also 17" MacBook Pro 'best desktop replacement', 15" MacBook Pro vertical stripes and off-color screen, solar power for the MacBook Air, magnesium shell for the MacBook, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,749, and more.
iPhone fingernail problem, huge market for 1st gen iPhones, all about 3G, and more, iNews Review, 06.20. Also United Airlines adds iPod/iPhone support, solar charger for iPod and iPhone, MLB At Bat and GolfFlyover coming to iPhone 2.0, e-book to MP3 software for Windows, and more.
What about the iPod touch?, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 06.19. With the iPhone 3G retailing at $199, what does the future hold for the $299 iPod touch?
Falling for the Sony Alpha α200 DSLR, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 06.19. "Once I picked up the α200, I was sold. It just felt perfect in my hands. It had so many features found in more expensive cameras . . . and it was such a joy to use."
No widescreen display for me, accessing MacWrite files, Fedora Linux for G3 Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.19. Why monitors need more height, not more width; using MacWrite files, unleashing old Macs with Linux, and using badram to work around bad RAM in LInux.
Old Mac restoration is sometimes one frustration after another, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 06.10. Old Macs can be lots of fun when they're working, but getting them to that point can be a frustrating experience.
Hard drive problems with Rev. 1 Blue & White, can't burn DVDs at 16x, .mac to MobileMe, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.18. Also 802.11g WiFi and G4 upgrades for slot-loading iMacs, printing to a QMS PC 410 from OS X, and scrolling with a Pismo trackpad.
Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.18. Also the use of 'compleat', booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8" drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
Mac OS X 10.2 'Jaguar' can unleash the power of G3 iBooks, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 06.17. After pulling a bad stick of RAM, the Dual USB iBook didn't have enough memory for Tiger or Linux. But even with just 128 MB of RAM, Jaguar did the job.
16:9 computer displays: Let's not go there, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 06.17. "...there's no reason our computer displays should match the proportions of our television displays."
Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the 17" PowerBook, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 06.10. The world's first 17" notebook had a spacious 1440 x 900 display, was just an inch thick, and ran at an impressive 1 GHz.
Xubuntu on Pismo: It works, but it's not as easy as the Mac OS, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 06.16. Linux runs well enough on this old PowerBook G3, but something as simple as switching to another WiFi network can trip you up.
Opera 9.5 good enough to 'ruin you for other browsers', Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.16. The reviewer has long considered Opera the best among a solid collection of Mac browsers, and the latest version makes it even better.
Environmentally responsible retirement for old Macs, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 06.13. After you've scavenged what useful parts you can from your old Mac, what's the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of the rest?
Powerful classic Macs: Performa 5400 and Blue and White G3, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 06.11. Two useful old desktop Macs, a Performa 5400 and a Blue and White Power Mac G3, are a great complement to the Vintage Mac Network.
Tales of old Mac data retrieval, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 06.13. Getting apps and documents off 400K floppies, old disk images, and a Mac running System 5.
iPhone 3G launches worldwide July 11, AT&T 3G service makes new iPhone more expensive, and more, iNews Review, 06.13. Also new iPhone only available in stores with service contract, tiny iPhone power adapter, Free iPod + iPhone Book, iPhone 3G accessories, and more.
5400 rpm 1.8" drive, Apple grows notebook share by 61%, MacBook Air attracts, and more, The 'Book Review, 06.13. Also poor WiFi in MacBook Pro linked to Real Player, how to dim the Penryn MacBook Pro's sleep light, low-end notebook sales taking off, 2-finger scrolling for older 'Books, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,749, and more.
Apple previews 'Snow Leopard', intros MobileMe, announces free iPod offer for education, and more, Mac News Review, 06.13. Also Macs one-third cheaper to run than Windows, Psystar released 10.5.3 update, Data Rescue II and Drive Genius 2 Leopard boot DVDs, and Pixlemator updated.
Adobe InDesign version history, Matt Pearce, Mac Software Guide, 06.12. A historical overview of Adobe InDesign for the Mac.
iPhone or iPod touch?, more Linux on Macs, Mac resale value, Blue and White frustration, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.12. The big difference between a $199 iPhone and a $299 iPod touch, more Linux discussion, finding a price for old Macs, troubles with a Blue and White G3, and Leopard on Sawtooth.
Linux on PowerPC Macs: Debian runs nicely on a G3 iBook, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 06.06. Mac OS X 10.3 felt sluggish on a 700 MHz G3 iBook with 384 MB of RAM, but Debian runs very comfortably on the same hardware.
My compact Macs: Macintosh SE/30 and Classic II, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 06.11. Apple only made two 16 MHz black and white models in the classic compact Mac form factor, and they're both great computers.
Skip 867 MHz 12" PowerBook, iBook sleeps when touched, Netscape 7.0.2 keeps crashing, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.11. Also getting a copy of the Mac OS for a Power Mac ONE, and whether it can run Linux.
Mac 128K demo, Leopard adequate on unsupported Macs, booting an iMac from a Ubuntu LiveCD, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.11. Two new unsupported Leopard reports, Linux for PowerPC is far from dead, and Mac OS X trumps Linux and BSD for features and performance.
Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the 15" PowerBook, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 06.10. The 15" PowerBook G4 gained speed, better graphics, faster WiFi, and much more with the transition to aluminum.
Glimmers of innovation in a world of copycat PCs, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 06.10. Everyone can't play Follow the Leader - someone has to be the first to try something different.
Stocking your Mac museum: Where to find classic Macs on the cheap, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 06.10. eBay is the most obvious source for old Macs, and often the most expensive. Here are a half-dozen other sources for obtaining used Macs at little to no cost.
PowerPC Linux, old Macs not up to the modern web, new iMac nightmares, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.10. The state of Linux PPC, the difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu and Xubuntu, BSD better for old Macs than Linux, and teething problems with Leopard on a newly purchased iMac.
Supporting a classic Mac 'habit' on the cheap, Rick Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 06.09. Mac nostalgia leads to a year-long rediscovery of the pleasures of old Macs and the classic Mac OS.
Kensington Ci70 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse excellent for field and desktop use, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.09. Slim, light, and small of footprint, Kensington's wireless Ci70 mouse and keyboard are great for desktop Macs and easy to take along for use in the field.
SSD prices to dive, MacBook heat, solid state drives for MacBook and MacBook Pro, and more, The 'Book Review, 06.09. Also Scorpio 7200 rpm 300 GB notebook drive, USB 2.0/FireWire Blu-ray drive, Acer's tiny, low-cost Linux laptop, bargain 'Books from $180 to $2,699, and more.
5 business essentials for 'The Switch', Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 06.06. If you're planning a migration from Windows to Macs, these five steps will help you succeed in making the switch.
The iPhone redefines the mobile phone and mobile computer markets, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 06.06. Smart phones are cell phones with extras. Notebooks are desktop computers with less. And the iPhone is a handheld computer with a built-in phone.
5 reasons Macs are right for business, 10.5.3 improves GeForce 8800 performance, and more, Mac News Review, 06.06. Also 3.06 GHz iMac 'packs a wallop', convertible keyboard for Macs, free open source virtualization software, hard drive rescue software, and more.
BlackBerry gains share while iPhone loses, free VoIP app, iPhone replacement battery, and more, iNews Review, 06.06. Also free legal music, WWDC guide for iPhone and iPod touch, compact FM transmitter perfectly complements 3G iPod nano, charge multiple iPods/iPhones with PowerDock, and more.
With a 600 MHz iBook running circles around a 2.8 GHz Celeron, it was time to switch, Jason Dill, My First Mac, 06.05. The author now has a MacBook, along with a couple of older, cheaper Macs for use around the house.
Left behind by Mac OS X or up to date with Linux?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 06.04. If you wanted up-to-date software, you may need to run the latest version of Mac OS X. But what if it won't run on your hardware?
Getting Xubuntu Linux up and running on your aging Mac, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 06.04. It took some doing, but the author's Pismo can now boot into Mac OS 9, OS X, and Xubuntu Linux."
Leopard on old Macs, Leopard nightmares, bargain Macs for kids, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.04. Also getting the right version of Mac OS 9.2.2 for Mirrored Drive Doors Power Macs, using PC disk images with Macs, and using an ImageWriter II printer with Mac OS X.
Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the 12" PowerBook, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 06.03. The most compact PowerBook ever is very portable and has enough power to run Leopard decently.
Some G4 Macs not sweet enough for Leopard, low cost notebooks, SE/30 repairs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 06.03. Also upgrading an AGP Power Mac, formerly broken iSub and Time Machine work after 10.5.3 update, and the story behind IBM compatibles.
Upgrading a Digital Audio G4 to work better in Leopard, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 06.02. In its original configuration, the dual 533 MHz Power Mac G4 was slow with Mac OS X 10.5, but add the right upgrades, and it runs Leopard quite nicely.
Make your own custom greeting cards with Sophie's Cards, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 06.02. Design and mail customized greeting cards using your own words and photos - or ones that come with the software.