Miscellaneous Ramblings

Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2004 Archive

• Replacement 'Book batteries, Classic install tip, Mac SE on Net with DSL, and more, 2004.12.20. Also PowerBook 145 troubles, Gmail and Outlook Express, a recalcitrant B&W G3, and backing up to multiple CDs.
• Mac OS 9 compatibility, upgrades, hacks, and resources update, 2004.12.13. Which Macs can boot into Mac OS 9, where to buy a copy, and how to obtain and install the various OS 9 updates.
• Mac Bible software, POP3 Gmail access, Eudora 5.2 and SSL, OS 9.1 on NuBus Macs, and more, 2004.12.06. Also dwlindling support for older Macs, archiving Jaz to CD, ethernet on a Mac SE, WMA to MP3 conversion, and Apple II software.
• Support for modern Internet services dwindles for older Macs, 2004.11.29. Slower CPUs, less memory, and older versions of the classic Mac OS sometimes leave Mac users unable to use the latest things on the Internet.
• DigiTools Productivity Suite: Jack of many trades, master of few, 2004.11.22. Free word processor, image and movie viewer, font viewer, calculator, and more is a good beginning but has room to improve.
• Surfing with a Mac SE, Power Mac 8100 hard drive woes, iCab vs. Camino, Windows Media Player, and more, 2004.11.15. Also problems downloading from Apple's site, unsupported CD-RW drives, and optical drive friction fixed.
• Digital editions of classic Rolleiflex and Leica cameras, 2004.11.08. Are these tiny digital versions of classic film cameras cute toys or good enough for serious photography?
• Fishy sounding repair plan, more digital minis of classic cameras, info manager advice, and more, 2004.11.01. Also optical drive friction, new to Panther, iBook Tote and Tilt, G3 vs. G4 upgrade, Office alternatives, and more.
• Hopeless iMac, cause of iBook board failures, legacy Macs and OS X, info managers, and more, 2004.10.27. Toyviewer redux, AirPort Express incompatibility, FireWire enclosures, legacy Microsoft apps under OS X, why Linux, and more.
• ImageJ: Advanced image editing at a low-end price (free), 2004.10.18. Free image editing tool good for working with bitmap images.
• Modem Magic, AirPort, Base Station repair, ToyViewer vs. GraphicConverter, and why Linux, 2004.10.11. MacaRa Modem Magic kudos and questions, the ColorIt! OS X beta, ToyViewer speed, PowerBook 5300 troubleshooting, repairing an AirPort base station, extending WiFi with AirPort Express, and how Linux differs from OS X.
• ToyViewer, a cool free graphics tool for OS X, 2004.10.04. "...ToyViewer has won me over, and it's now one of the applications that I keep running all the time, even when I'm using Photoshop Elements or Color It!"
• Modem Magic boosts reliability, speed for those with less than ideal connections, 2004.09.27. If you're plagued by slow or flaky dialup connections, Modem Magic could be just the ticket for a faster, more reliable connection.
• More on Pismo upgrades, dead pixels, price comparisons, combo drives, The Message, and a digital Rolleiflex, 2004.09.20. Reader feedback on CPU upgrades, a dead pixel software, Mac vs. PC comparisons, third-party combo drives, and more.
• SteelPad 4S and SteelPad 4D high performance mousepads, 2004.09.13. Designed for gaming, how well do these clad aluminum and plastic mousepads work for general computing?
• Dueling Pismo CPU upgrades, 'Book vs. Windows laptop prices, blue and white G3 upgrade tips, and more, 2004.09.07. Also using Spymac's free email, installing OS 9, third-party DVD-ROM blues, Roamabout card problem, and a low-cost wireless iTunes transmitter.
• Review: Fix a Troubled Mac, 2004.08.23. Ebook provides lots of useful information for troubleshooting a Mac running either OS 9 or OS X.
• SCSI-to-ethernet adapters, cheesy WallStreet hinges, a dying iBook, and Blue & White G3 upgrades, 2004.08.16. Sources for SCSI-to-ethernet adapters, PB G3 hinge replacement, an unstable iBook 500, and upgrade options for the B&W Power Mac G3.
• 16 free POP3 email services, 2004.08.09. Want free email but don't want to use a browser to read it? Here are sixteen options that support POP3 email clients.
• Serial MIDI on a WallStreet with 10.3, SCSI-to-ethernet adapters, WallStreet hinge repair, and more, 2004.08.04. Also more on the cranky blue and white G3 and Radeon Enabler software.
• A low-end digicam, sleep of death, GV modem software, 9.2.2 and 10.3 on WallStreet, and more, 2004.07.26. Also troubleshooting G3 Power Macs, Radeon Enabler on iBooks, and the dead iBook lives again.
• Concord Eye-Q 3040AF 3.1 megapixel digital camera, 2004.07.21. A 3 MP Mac-friendly digital camera for just US$129 - what's the catch?
• A dying modem, more on the dead iBook, burning DVDs in OS 9, refurb quality, and more, 2004.07.12. Also more on WallStreet screen swaps, DVD burners the work with Panther, and getting OS 8.6 on a blue and white without an 8.6 CD.
• A dead iBook, WallStreet screen swap, broken iBook ethernet port, a B&W G3 boot problem, and more, 2004.07.07. Also Pismo screen problems, ColorSync profiles, iDVD for OS 9, refurbished cosmetics, Sawtooth boot problems, and more.
• Scanned image size, Pismo screen problems, WallStreet upgrades, iDVD for OS 9, and more, 2004.06.30. Also iBook heat, OS 9 and X install issues, SCSI card drives, and Jaguar on the WallStreet.
• VueScan 8 makes quality scanning easy, 2004.06.21. VueScan supports dust removal, grain reduction, color restoration, and sharpening with most scanners, as well as batch scanning, autofocus, infrared channels, and multiscan on scanners that support these features.
• Apple PCI Radeons for $35, iBook G4 questions, iBook G3 heat, PB G3 upgrades, and more, 2004.06.14. Hot deal on Mac PCI Radeon cards, iBook preservation, 'Book of fire, OS 9 on newer Macs, G3 vs. G4 upgrades, OS X partitions, and distributed computing projects.
• Contour RollerMouse Station a great alternative to traditional mouse, 2004.06.07. "If you suffer from mousing pain or would prefer not to develop it in the first place, the RollerMouse is worth considering."
• Faster G3 vs. slower G4 upgrade, PB 1400 manuals, OS 9 after SETI@home, and more, 2004.06.01. Also power plug problems on the clamshell iBook, using Modem Magic with OS 8, media organizer programs, and SCSI drives failing to mount in OS X.
• Two cool optical mice from Contour, 2004.05.24. One is designed to fit your hand nearly perfectly, while the other is intended as a perfect complement to your 'Book.
• Pismo CPU upgrades, Mac OS versions, and printers; WallStreet troubles with OS X, and more, 2004.05.17. Several Pismo issues, solving WallStreet problems, deals the Apple retail stores, and PowerBooks as DVD players.
• SightFlex adjustable iSight stand, 2004.05.12. Can't get your iSight in the right location using Apple's mounting hardware? SightFlex could be just the ticket.
• 2 GB RAM in an eMac, iBook repair issue, Pismo and WallStreet questions, and more, 2004.05.03. Also password protection, file security, and OS X; using a StyleWriter under OS X, and a corrupt software download.
• Maximum eMac RAM, PB 1400 offspring and boot solutions, a nice IE feature, and password protection in OS X, 2004.04.26. Lot of praise for the PowerBook 1400, how to boot the 1400 from a CD, booting from Compact Flash, working around password problems in OS X, and more.
• Nisus Email, free email, spam sentinels, password problems, Internet Explorer, WaMCom, and RAM disks, 2004.04.21. Configuring email clients, what is Nisus Email, fighting spam, unknown boot password, one IE for Mac advantage, more on WaMCom, and RAM disk questions.
• iTunes and logic board replacement, Apple laptop quality, battery questions, and the PB 1400, 2004.04.20. iTunes deauthorization, superior or inferior 'Books, Pismo at sea, replacement batteries, and the wonderful PowerBook 1400.
• Mail Beacon and POPmonitor: Spam sentinels for Mac OS 8, 9, and X, 2004.04.12. Hate downloading and wading through spam? These two shareware programs let you delete it from the server before you download.
• iCab strengths, WaMCom tips, importing bookmarks into Safari, and print preview, 2004.04.09. More on alternatives to Inernet Explorer on both the classic Mac OS and OS X.
• Migrating files to a newer Mac, RAM compatibility, Firemail.de, and more, 2004.04.05. Tips on moving files to a newer Mac, comments on RAM compatibility and Firemail.de, iBook failures, and Acard problems in older Power Macs.
• Upgraded Pismo or 14" iBook, more thoughts on Pismo and Lombard G4 upgrades, and more, 2004.03.31. Weighing the pros and cons of a new iBook and upgrading an older PowerBook G3 with a G4 processor.
• Mozilla for the classic Mac OS and more reasons Mac users still use IE, 2004.03.29. WaMCom brings Mozilla to Mac OS 8.6-9.2, and sometimes Internet Explorer is the only solution.
• Why are Mac users still surfing with Internet Explorer?, 2004.03.24. With Safari, OmniWeb, Opera, iCab, and three Mozilla projects available, it's time to leave outdated IE behind.
• Lombard RAM and CPU upgrades, Panther upgrade CDs, 10.3 on a G3, and more, 2004.03.15. Getting 512 MB in a Lombard, a forthcoming G4 upgrade for Lombard, Panther on a G3, Panther upgrade CDs, Power Mac G4 upgrades, and LaserWriter problems.
• Thoughts on Panther upgrades, music production on a PowerBook G3, and CPU upgrades, 2004.03.08. Benefits of upgrading from Jaguar, upgrade vs. full install CDs, music software for older 'Books, and Pismo upgrade makers and vendors.
• Pismo, Lombard, and WallStreet CPU upgrades; quiet hard drives; Panther upgrades; and more, 2004.03.01. Lots of PowerBook G3 questions and some Color Classic issues.
• WallStreet and Pismo processor upgrades: Do they make economic sense?, 2004.02.23. A faster clock speed always helps, but should you choose a G3 or a G4 processor?
• WallStreet kudos, new vs. used batteries, what's on my 'Book, best 'Books ever, and more, 2004.02.16. Also thoughts on 'Book repairs, the Power Mac 6500, navigation software, OS 9 booting, iTunes libraries, and PCI audio cards.
• Nothing else is a Mac: Marketing the Mac as BMW at a Buick price, 2004.02.12. "The best strategy Apple could pursue would be to pitch the Mac as a premium product for just a bit more money, which is what is - or at least what it should be - a BMW, but at a Buick price."
• Pismo G4 upgrade, display spanning, keyboard spills, OS 9 booting, Panther, and more, 2004.02.02. Also Linux on a 'Book, moving iTunes from an iPod to a Mac, Bible Software, 6320 upgrades, and more.
• iceKey redivivus: Bringing a liquid-damaged keyboard back to life, 2004.01.26. Just because you spilled your drink into your keyboard doesn't mean all is lost.
• Upgrading PowerBook CPUs, going Dell, PCI Power Mac value, 6320 upgrade tips, and more, 2004.01.19. Also free email using gawab.com, AppleCare alternatives, a dark screen solution, and PaperPort problems.
• Living Microsoft free; iBook, Pismo, WallStreet, and PB 5300 issues; AppleCare alternatives; and more, 2004.01.13. Also Mac OS 9 on G3s, the value of XPostFacto, Bible software for Macs, freezing mice, iMac CD-ROMs, and more.
• DEVONthink and Boswell: Two information managers for the Mac, 2004.01.06. Two very different information managers for the Mac that you can try for free. Which will best meet your needs?
• more in the Miscellaneous Ramblings archives: 1999-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010