After the project: Using a modified 2006 24″ iMac in 2023

From one configuration to another, 2 processor transitions apart. It’s been a month since the 24″ 2006 iMac in my possession has been modified, being turned into a sort of CustoMac. With an external display modified into the Mac itself, along with a newer graphics card, operating system, and all of the smaller components required […]

Using the Hi-Res PowerBook G4 in Late 2023

Nearly 20 years ago in October 2005, Apple released the Hi-Res PowerBook G4, in a 15″ and 17″ variant. These were named as such, as the base screen resolution which shipped with PowerBooks were increased dramatically. On the 15″ PowerBook G4, the screens jumped from (1280 x 854) to (1440 x 960), and for the […]

Super-Charged “Hybrid” 2010/2011 Mac Mini

Introduction and Background A little over 5 years ago I wrote about the mid-2010 Mac Mini being an outstanding Low End Mac for using as a media server in my article titled “Mid 2010 Mac Mini: The Perfect Low-End 1080p Media Center“.  It checks many of the key boxes given the fact that it can […]

Before Apple’s SideCar – There was (and still is) Luna Display

In fall 2019, Apple announced their 16th major release of macOS, version 10.15 Catalina. This was the one which shipped with Apple SideCar, a system function/extension which allows you to use your iPad as a second display for your Mac. This means until October 7th 2019, there was no such analogue to the feature.. or […]

Adding PCIe (Yes, PCI-Express) to your AGP/PCI-Based PowerPC Mac

The Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, aka PCIe, is a longstanding serial computer expansion bus standard created in 2003. The Late 2005 Power Mac G5 was the only PowerPC Mac which took advantage of this technology, which had a production run of October 2005 – August 2006. As a result, AGP/PCI-based Macs received 1-2 years lesser […]

SSD in a PowerBook: KingSpec PATA PA25-64 SSD.. yay or nay?

The first generation MacBook Air was the first ever Apple computer to ship with a Solid State Drive as a factory option for internal storage, in January 2008. Prices have come down dramatically over the years for SSD’s, making them a more viable option for faster, silent, and low power consumption operation. In the case […]

A PowerPC Gem: TenFiveTube for OS X Leopard

There was a time not too long ago in the past where one could simply open Safari on a PowerPC Mac, and be able to browse YouTube with relative ease. As web standards changed, resources required became more intensive, and the PowerPC platform was depreciated. Adobe Flash player was still in its hey day then, […]

A Forgotten Gem: Apple FireWire SDK

Once upon a time (for those somewhat new to the Mac platform), there was this innovative connection that showed up in the late 1990s – early 00s called FireWire that came around shortly after the advent of USB (at least in terms of the consumer world – FireWire had been in development since the mid […]

Opinion – In defense of the 15″ 2018 MacBook Pro

There are objective standards to judge technology by, by how well they perform in relation to how much they cost, their longevity, repairability, etc; but how much they impact you are subjective. As a technology enthusiast, I understand this a result of having a few different Macs from various eras. And there’s a saying I […]

Minecraft 1.8.9 for PowerPC Macs

Officially, Minecraft 1.5.2 was the last version playable on any PowerPC Mac, as it was the last version playable on Java 5. The release date of 1.5.2 is May 2nd 2013, around the same time retina MacBook Pros just started shipping. Minecraft 1.8.9 was released December 9th 2015, adding several features and new textures over […]

Maximizing the GPU in your MXM-based iMac

Between 2006 and 2011, many iMacs shipped with a removable internal graphics card known as an MXM GPU. MXM (Mobile PCI EXpress Module) is an interface pioneered by Nvidia around 2004, originally intended for laptops, which had gone through several iterations before slowly phasing out as a platform interface connection standard. As our Macs age, […]

Full eGPUs and PCIe GPUs in Early 2006 to Early 09 iMacs

The 2007 iMac has been around for a while, falling by the wayside, as it’s internal hardware doesn’t have many upgrade paths… or does it?   A little known secret is hidden inside every early intel iMac made by Apple prior to their 21.5″/27″ transition.. they all have a Mini-PCIe slot! While many upgrades have […]

Envisioning the Mac Pro 8,2 “Dream Machine”

Some History on the Best Mac Value Ever: The Mac Pro 4,1 and 5,1 The Mac Pro has went through many iterations over the years and with the advent of Apple Silicon, things have certainly come to a crossroads. The Mac Pro 4,1 from 2009 and the slightly revised Mac Pro 5,1 (sold from 2010 […]

Mac Pro GPUs by Era

Mac Pro Evolution Each design of the Mac Pro over the years has had its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to overall system architecture and design, including the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) options available.  Many factors are at play when determining what kind of graphics card you can run with your Mac Pro as […]

Starting Over: A Low End Mac Legacy

Dear Low End Mac friends: Apologies for the very long hiatus on new articles on the website. Things haven’t been easy for a while. Over the summer/early fall, our founder Dan Knight decided to step away after around 24 years of running Low End Mac and its day to day operations as Editor in Chief.  […]

The Mac OS news roundup #3

I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. We’re a bit late on our Mac OS news update – the first for 2021. That’s because I was busy, busy, busy – sorry! But lots of activity in the (retro) Mac OS scene and many exciting projects we need to talk about! Sherlock is back. No, […]

GPU Madness in the Mac Pro 5,1: Early 2021 Edition

This is a bit of a throwback to my article from May of last year – Tri-Booting a Mac Pro 2,1 – not long before I had just procured my Mac Pro 5,1 (well technically a 4,1 that was flashed to a 5,1 with dual Intel Xeon 5680 CPUs with 12 cores at 3.33 GHz).  […]

Best Modern Alternative to the Mac Pro 5,1

It’s safe to say that the Mac Pro 5,1 will reach the end of the line at some point in the next few years – even in terms of user base extended support such as patching tools that have allowed Catalina (and now Big Sur) to be installed keeping these Macs up to date for […]

The Mac OS news roundup #2

Hello and welcome to our Mac OS news roundup #2. Christmas isn’t too far off and we’re all looking forward to the holidays, aren’t we? I’m especially curious about the new Mac OS related projects that are going to surface! SCSI2Ethernet board This is one exciting news! If you’re among the hordes lurking around ebay […]

Mac Media Hub Evolution Part 1: The 480i and 480p Era (2000-07)

Hello Low Enders! It’s been a while, so I’m going to enlighten all of you with a great new series on using the Mac as a media hub and how it has evolved over time. As we have gotten newer Macs throughout the years to integrate into our home theater setups, serving as our digital […]

The Mac OS news roundup #1

It has been almost 10 years since I published my article Back to Mac OS 9, Because It’s All I Need on Low End Mac. Lots of things changed in my life since then – I got married, became a dad of three kids and I changed my job. But one thing remained in my […]

Dear Apple: Your Services Are No Longer Required.

Anyone who knows me knows that I was among the biggest Apple Evangelists to ever live. Apple was in my DNA.  I believed in Apple’s products, Apple’s services, and Apple’s mission (or at least what they said their mission was).  I was an Apple employee for nearly 13 years, and I loved helping people get […]

Snow Leopard and the Mid 2009 MacBook – Just Like PB&J

Hi Low End friends! Gather around! It’s time for another late night campfire story!            Just like the camping trips you might enjoy with family and friends, and gathering around the fire, sometimes you need a late night snack and reach for a delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly out of the […]

To Sell or Not to Sell – That is the Question

Hi Low End friends! Let’s call this article part of a “new take” category of Low End Mac.  Welcome to Low End Mac Campfire Discussions.   Now relax and think of yourself in your backyard with family or friends, enjoying your favorite beverage and wondering where all the time has gone surrounding our favorite Low […]