Low End Mac reviews are subjective - they are the reviewer's response to software and hardware that we've worked with. If we haven't tried a product or don't think it merits a review, you won't find it reviewed here.
Rating: 
Beginning in April 2003, Low End Mac began using a ratings system with some product reviews. Reviewed products will receive from zero to four LEMs. The scale goes something like this:
- Buy this and you will want your money back.
- Possibly useful if you are in need of a product of this specific type, but it may not be worth the cost or effort.
- Okay, but has a few shortcomings or deficiencies.
- A solid, capable product that performs as advertised.
- Wow! A truly stellar, impressive product.
Products might receive ratings with "1/2" increments from time to time.
In keeping with the focus or this website, when rating products which are for use directly with or on a Mac, a factor in our evaluation will be how well it works with lower-end Macs and the Classic Mac OS.
Links on this page are to reviews published within the past year. Full indexes are available for:
- Hardware
- Software
- iPod/iPhone Accesories
- Books
- Accessories (such as cases, desks, notebook risers, and mousepads)
Hardware
- Portable Fujitsu ScanSnap S300M hits a home run, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 2010.01.07. If you need a quality portable scanner, take a serious look at the small, light, bus-powered ScanSnap S300M.
- $5 USB Bluetooth dongle for Macs, Dan Knight, 2009.11.11. Low End Mac begins testing low cost USB Bluetooth dongles for Mac OS X compatibility. The first one costs $5.07 and works with 10.4 and 10.5.
- Razer Orochi: One of the nicest mice I've ever used, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.11.03. The author detests the trackpad on the 17" PowerBook. This notebook gaming mouse is an absolute pleasure to use.
- 2 wireless alternatives to Apple's Magic Mouse, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.10.27. Whether you prefer buttons to buttonless, are still using Mac OS X 10.4, or don't like Bluetooth, Targus has mice to consider.
- Goldtouch Go! Travel Keyboard: Ergonomics for the road warrior, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.09.14. Ergonomic keyboards designed for mobile use are few and far between. This one from Goldtouch is compact, solidly built, and very flexible.
- Creative's Vado pocket camcorders now work with Macs, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2009.09.16. Until now, Creative's Vado camcorders didn't play nice with Macs. With the release of Vado Central for Mac, that has finally changed.
- Kodak Zi6 compact hi-def video camera, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2009.08.31. Selling for under $150, Kodak's Zi6 is light, compact, and produces good quality video for a low-end device.
- Targus USB 2.0 4-Port Bend-a-Hub with Mini USB Adapter, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.04.20. This clever, flexible, inexpensive 4-port unpowered hub is light and includes a switch-hitting mini-USB port.
- Boosting a 'Digital Audio' Power Mac with a 1.53 GHz dual G4 upgrade, 2009.03.11. Got a faithful old Power Mac that's reliable but feeling sluggish? A fast dual-processor upgrade can make a world of difference.
- 4-way Touch Scroll in Targus mice more than just a cool gimmick, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.02.02. Instead of a scrollball or scroll wheel that moves sideways, Targus uses an optical sensor that works like a champ and won't gum up.
- Pinnacle Video Capture for Mac an easy way to digitize videotape, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2009.02.02. Pinnacle's USB 2.0 device records video to iTunes, and from there you can put it on your iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, etc.
- 2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
- Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth Keyboard complements modern Macs, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.08. Logitech's diNovo Edge isn't just a well built Bluetooth keyboard. It brings some new features to the Mac and looks great next to glass and aluminum hardware.
- Free alternatives to Microsoft Office, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 11.17. Microsoft Office is powerful and expensive. OpenOffice provides a full alternative, and Bean and AbiWord are excellent options for word processing.
- Cruz browser introduces useful new features, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.11.17. Although only a 0.1 release, this new WebKit-based browser has several clever new features that just might hook you.
- DLO Action Jacket for the SanDisk Sansa, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.11.17. Want to protect your SanDisk Sansa MP3 player on the go? The DLO Action Jacket does a great job.
- Kensington Ci95m Wireless Mouse: Great battery life, smooth performance, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.11.13. Kensington's slim wireless mouse is well built, works smoothly, has great battery life, and avoids Bluetooth pairing and wake-up issues.
- Targus USB 2.0 High-Speed File Transfer Cable helps offset loss of FireWire, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.11.10. Although it can't replace Target Disk Mode, Targus' $40 cable makes it easy to transfer files quickly between two Macs, two PCs, or one of each.
- NewerTech 11 Piece Portable Toolkit for servicing and upgrading computers, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.11.03. NewerTech's $20 toolkit may have all the tools you'll need to repair and upgrade your computers - and classic iPods.
- Nikon D40 provides lots of quality at a nice price, Brian Gray, Digigraphica, 2008.10.28. For most photographers most of the time, Nikon's D40 DSLR has all the features and quality necessary and an affordable price.
- Distraction free writing on the go with the Laser PC6, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.10.27. Sometimes you just need a keyboard and screen instead of a full-fledged computer. The Laser PC6 could be what you're looking for.
- TruePower battery can run WallStreet PowerBook past the 5 hour mark, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.10.10. If you have a rugged old PowerBook but its battery is losing capacity, TruePower can give you plenty of time in the field.
- MacBook Air makes a convert, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.09.24. Apple's thin, light MacBook Air makes a great field computer for someone who already has a desktop system up and running.
- SimpleTech SimpleDrive: Fast and stylish, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.23. With attractive design by Pininfarina, an illuminated capacity meter, and plenty of 7200 rpm storage space, SimpleDrive is a great backup drive.
- Connect any drive to USB with the $25 XLR8 AnyDrive USB 2.0 drive adapter, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.09.16. This handy device lets you connect a 2.5" or 3.5" IDE or SATA drive to any Mac with USB support. Windows drivers are also included.
- TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apple's track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
- 8 hour runtime realisitic with TruePower batteries for Lombard and Pismo, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.05. Apple's original batteries could keep you going for up to 5 hours when they were new; these high capacity replacement batteries improve that by 60%.
- Kensington Portable Power Outlet a great accessory for the road warrior, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.07.22. With three AC outlets and two USB charging ports, this compact device is a great way to have extra power outlets when you're on the go.
- SanDisk Sansa Clip MP3 player has lots of features at a sub-shuffle price, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.07.22. The Clip has 1-2 GB of storage, a screen, iPod-like navigation, excellent sound, an FM radio, a built-in microphone, and a price that beats the shuffle.
- SanDisk Sansa Clip a low cost alternative to iPods for Mac users, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.07.01. There's no video or photo support, but the Sansa Clip works with MP3 files and includes an FM radio and a microphone.
- SteelSeries S&S Pro Gaming: Can a mouse pad really be worth $30?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.23. Once you've used a SteelSeries mouse pad for a while, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
- Kensington Ci70 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse excellent for field and desktop use, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.09. 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.
- 13 ports in a USB 2.0 hub means never having to unplug a device, Dan Knight, 2008.03.18. If your computer doesn't have enough ports and your 4-port hub is full as well, this 13-port powered hub could be the solution to your problems.
- Boosting an old Power Mac with NewerTech's 1.8 GHz G4 upgrade, Dan Knight, 2008.02.01. 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.
- More in the hardware index.
Software
- Burn: A Free Alternative to Toast, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2012.07.12. It's not as sophisticated as Roxio Toast, but Burn does a great job burning data, music, and video discs - and it's free.
- Free Glide OS: Computing in the cloud, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2010.01.25. Hands on with Glide OS, a free cloud-based operating system and apps that you access from your browser.
- 2 freebies for switchers, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2010.01.07. Windows users are used to a maximize button and a Start menu. Two free apps to bring these features to OS X.
- VMWare Fusion 3.0 vs. Parallels Desktop 5.0, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2010.01.05. Both programs support Snow Leopard and Windows 7 while improving graphics performance. Which is better?
- Jumpcut, a free clipboard manager for OS X, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.10.26. PTHPasteboard, once a free clipboard manager, has gone commercial. Jumpcut has stepped into the gap and works very nicely.
- Free Mailsmith Is the BBEdit of email clients, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.10.20. If you're looking for an efficient, powerful, flexible, scriptable plain text email client for POP3 email, Mailsmith could be for you.
- Free TextWranger 3.0 a steal, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.10.13. For editing plain text, TextWrangler 3.0 is fast, very powerful, free, and may be all you need in a text editor.
- Free ToyViewer image editor gets major update, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.09.28. ToyViewer 5 is the first version designed for Snow Leopard, but the Tiger and Leopard versions seem to suffer in the process.
- Default Folder X: An old friend rediscovered, Dan Knight, 2009.07.08. I've used Default Folder with the Classic Mac OS since 1992, but only tried the OS X version recently.
- Paintbrush: A fast, free, MacPaint-like bitmap editor for OS X, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.07.06. Macs no longer ship with a free paint program, but the freeware Paintbrush program replaces MacPaint nicely.
- Smultron: A fast, free text editor that's great for organizing information, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.06.22. NotePad Deluxe didn't fully survive the switch to an Intel Mac, and Smultron became the replacement of choice.
- Vertus Fluid Mask 3: A powerful image masking tool for cleaning up image backgrounds, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.03.30. If you need to do sophisticated image masking, Fluid Mask provides lots of powerful tools for getting the job done.
- Vertus Bling! It: Affordable image masking software for casual use, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.03.24. Bling! It can be a useful tool for removing busy backgrounds from product photos used online or in print.
- Pixelmator 1.3.2 gains some cool enhancements, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.22. "Pixelmator works so well now that I've been finding myself using it more and more instead of Photoshop Elements 6."
- Virtualization shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 2008.11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Seashore: A free, basic image editor for Mac OS X, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.08. Seashore is an open source image editing program for Mac OS X that uses parts of the GIMP but also integrates will with the Mac OS.
- CrossOver strikes out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2008.08.27. Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
- Free mEdit text editor excels at handling and combining multiple documents, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.28. Most word processors are designed for office work and short documents. mEdit is designed to work with multiple documents and multi-part documents.
- Superior dithered images with HyperDither, Dan Knight, 2008.07.16. HyperDither reintroduces the dithering alogrithm intoduced by Bill Atkinson and creates better dithered images than Photoshop.
- New Iris 1.0 image editor not quite ready for prime time, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.14. Compared to Photoshop Elements 6, Pixelmator, and even the low-end Acorn, the first release of Iris doesn't seem to offer comparable value.
- Master of Orion on the Mac, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 2008.07.01. The DOS version of this vintage game broke with Pentium or Windows 95, but the Mac version still runs very nicely in the Classic Mac OS.
- Opera 9.5 good enough to 'ruin you for other browsers', Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.16. The reviewer has long considered Opera the best among a solid collection of Mac browsers, and the latest version makes it even better.
- Make your own custom greeting cards with Sophie's Cards, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.06.02. Design and mail customized greeting cards using your own words and photos - or ones that come with the software.
- Pixelmator 1.2 closing the gap with Photoshop Elements 6, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.27. Photoshop Elements 6 has raised the bar for affordable image editing software, and Pixelmator is coming closer to being able to replace it.
- Free Time Machine Editor does one thing and does it well, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.05.12. If Time Machine's habit of backing up every hour is impacting your work flow, this free utility gives you control options that Apple didn't build into Time Machine.
- Opera 9.5 beta add innovative features, better integrates with Mac, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.28. Already a speedy browers, Opera now launches faster, has a fully searchable history, and looks more like a standard Mac app than earlier versions.
- Social networking on the Mac: net4mac shows promise, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.14. In contrast to huge social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, net4mac is limited to Mac users with OS X 10.4 and later.
- At play in the garden of OS X browsers: Safari 3.1, Opera 9.27, and iCab 4.01, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.07. "In some respects, the browser wars are over in the sense that just about all of the alternatives are now satisfyingly fast and stable...."
- At play in the garden of OS X browsers: Firefox 3 Beta 5, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.07. "I've not traditionally been much of a Firefox fan, but Beta 5 is the slickest, most polished Firefox browser ever, not to mention the fastest and prettiest."
- Office 2008 a mixed bag for Mac users, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.04.02. Office 2008 is more convetional than the Windows version and runs smoothly on Intel Macs, but it's slower than 2004 on PowerPC Macs.
- Interarchy 9: Smooth, fast, and reliable, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.03.17. Interarchy was already a powerful program - far more than an FTP client - and the changes in version 9 make it even better.
- More in the software index.
iPod/iPhone Accessories
- A tale of two cases, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 2010.01.11. The OtterBox iPhone Defender and iPod Classic Defender cases provide excellent protection, but each has a significant drawback as well.
- Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.08.17. This Plantronics Bluetooth headset is lightweight, comfortable, and has good sound quality.
- InvisibleShield great protection for iPods, notebooks, cell phones, PDAs, and more, Tommy Thomas, The Review Vault, 2009.04.15. The InvisibleShield is nearly invisible and adds virtually no size or weight to your electronic device.
- Listen to just the music with the V-Moda Vibe earbuds, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2008.09.05. Well built, the noise reducing earbuds will let you hear all the nuances of your music without letting through background noise.
- Charge your iPod with Griffin's $30 PowerBlock, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.08.08. Griffin's PowerBlock is a well designed, simple power brick especially made for charging your iPod.
- Core Case: Solid protection for your iPod, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.07.31. Solid aluminum construction, a soft liner, dock port protection, and a screw-free design make the Core Case a winner.
- Hat trick: 3 top quality iPod accessories from Matias, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.06.14. A look at Matias' aluminum Armor for iPod nano, slim USB power adapter, and 100-year belt clip.
- 2 earbuds and 2 headsets for music and gaming, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.06.11. Colorful, good sounding earbuds, retractable earbuds, and a pair of gaming headphones that include built-in microphones.
- More in the iPod accesories index.
Books
- My New Mac: Snow Leopard Edition is a great introduction to the Mac, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.12.08. If you're new to the Mac or know someone who is, this project-based book can help you get up to speed with OS X quickly.
- 'Mac Migration' an excellent resource for Windows users moving to the Mac, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.04.13. "'Mac Migration: The Small Business Guide to Switching to the Mac' manages to a pretty much cover all of relevant bases inside of 350 pages."
- Wikipedia: The Missing Manual available as book and wiki, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.29. If you're at all interested in contributing to Wikipedia, this book should teach you everything you need to know.
- iPod 'Missing Manual' grows but drops coverage of older iPods, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.18. The 6th edition of iPod: The Missing Manual has extensive coverage of all the current iPod models, but at the cost of dropping coverage of all earlier models.
- Social networking on the Mac: net4mac shows promise, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.14. In contrast to huge social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, net4mac is limited to Mac users with OS X 10.4 and later.
- FaceBook: The Missing Manual a very useful resource, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.04.15. There is so much to Facebook that you almost need a book to take full advantage of it. This is that book.
- Get more out of Leopard and Vista with these helpful volumes, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.03.31. Today's operating systems come with minimal printed documentation. These books will help you get a lot more out of Mac OS X 10.5 and Windows Vista.
- Discover the power of iWork with The Missing Manual, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.08.06. Since not much has changed between iWork '05 and iWork '06, the 2005 edition should be plenty to get any iWork user up to speed quickly.
- More in the book review index.
Accessories
- Targus Chill Mat for Mac, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2010.01.18. Updated Chill Mat does a great job of keeping your 'book (and your lap) cool.
- Retro clamshell iBook case returns for modern 'Books, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.09.14. Originally designed for the clamshell iBook, the Classic Case from MacCase is back - and just right for 12in and 13in iBooks, PowerBooks, and MacBooks.
- Affordable, ultralight 13" laptop case perfect for MacBooks, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.09.01. Thin and light $40 notebook sleeve fits MacBook, 13" MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air like a glove.
- Laptop sleeve shootout: RadTech Tekstyl Omni Case, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.08.10. The Tekstyl Omni Case is compact yet very flexible while protecting your 'Book on the go.
- Laptop sleeve shootout: iSkin SOHO Sleeve Portfolio, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.08.10. iSkin's SOHO Sleeve Portfolio protects your 'Book while adding a minimal amount of weight.
- Proporta Protective Laptop Bag capacious and affordable, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.07.08. "I really like this bag. It's a clever, sensibly practical, and amazingly capacious designed, considering its light weight, svelte dimensions, and clean styling."
- Targus Velos Messenger Case: Versatile, attractive, and modestly priced, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.12.04. The Velos Messenger Case is solidly built, had pockets for lots of extras, and could even handle a second 15in notebook computer.
- Laptop Laidback computer stand, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2003.07.28. When you don't have a desk or table to work at, the Laptop Laidback could be your perfect solution.
- Contour Design UniTray, 7/29/00.
- Contour UniRiser, 12/10/1999
- Ambassador Desk, 3/30/1999
- More in the accessories index.
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