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Mac Spectrum

Macs Are Where I Want to Be

- 2008.07.28 - Tip Jar

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As a child of the 1970s (albeit by only two months), I grew up when computing was at its ripest. I started my computing venture with the likes of a Commodore 64 and Acorn 3010.

I bought an old 486 from my employer when I first started work, and it was my first step into the Windows world. A colleague built me a Pentium 133 machine (which at the time was top of the range), and it went through many upgrades until I sold it to buy a laptop for portability.

It wasn't until 2001 that I entered the Mac world. After years of owning a PC, I knew there had to be something different. Progressing through each version of Windows, I knew there had to be a better alternative. I had been a keen observer of Macs for a while, but they were way out of my price range.

I began my professional career on an old Mac Quadra in a publishing house. A year later I blagged a free Beige G3 333 MHz tower running OS 9. I then upgraded to an iMac G3, slot loading 450 MHz model packed with 384 MB of RAM running OS X. I had this for a few years, until the call of a G4 became too much and I bought my first eMac, a 1 GHz G4 and my first brand new Mac.

From the heady days of OS 9 on the Beige G3 through to the fantastic OS X 10.5 "Leopard", I know Macs are amazing and where I want to be. Compared to Windows, the simplicity and cleanness is amazing.

I needed a laptop and bought an old PowerBook G3 Lombard, which of all my computers is the one I miss the most. I upgraded to a G4 PowerBook, which I sold for a Clamshell G3 iBook. After only days of using it, I sold it and bought an old PowerBook G3 WallStreet, but it didn't cut it, so I sold it and left the laptop market in favour of a smartphone/PDA - my Nokia E61.

I recently picked up another PowerBook G3 Lombard to restore, and it has gone very well.

I sold my G4 eMac and moved straight to a 1.83 GHz Core Duo Intel iMac (skipping the G5), which I have today.

I have had over 15 Macs in such a short time, ranging from iMac G3s, eMacs, Power Mac G3s and G4s, PowerBook G3s and G4s, iBook G3s, LC IIs, Classic II, SE/30, and even a Newton 2000.

I have used every version of both Windows and the Mac OS since the early 90s and versed myself well in them. I have strayed even further from the confines of Microsoft by delving into the weird world of Linux.

I have ripped open every computer I've owned (except my Intel iMac - I am so tempted). Most Macs aren't supposed to be "user serviceable" according to Apple, but that doesn't stop me. From building a PC from scratch, replacing hard drives and optical drives in iBooks, fitting new hard drives in eMacs, or logic board replacements in iMacs - to name but a few - I have developed a wealth of knowledge.

I've never been content with just using a computer; I have to know how everything works and how to fix it in both software and hardware terms, whether it be installing an operating system (Mac, Windows, or Linux), setting up a small network (wired or wireless), or resolving a software or hardware conflict.

More recently I have been learning HTML and CSS and using it to build my own Mac specific website.

I have earned the reputation of nerd and am proud to live up to it. To people I know, I am a one-stop-shop for computer problems and questions. I have made it my mission to preach the benefits of Macs and the Mac operating system.

From a professional angle, I have been a business journalist and graphic designer for 10 years. I am taking a career break and an opportunity to spend time with my wife and three children; I am looking for a change of direction. A future in computer repair may be my new direction and also the basis for this column on Low End Mac, one of my most visited websites - and now an opportunity to write and share my experiences with others.

Recent Columns by Simon Royal

Why Run Leopard on Slow G4 Macs?, 03.15. Tiger has lower demands and runs more smoothly on low-end Macs, but Leopard gives you access to more up-to-date software.
OS X 10.4 Tiger Still Very Usable on a 500 MHz G3 Mac, 03.11. For writing and basic Internet access, a 500 MHz G3 provides sufficient power and Tiger provides fairly up-to-date software.
Back to My Comfortable Place with OS X, 03.09. After 10 years on Macs, switching to Windows and Linux only highlighted the elegance and consistency of the Mac experience.
A Place for the Classic Mac OS in the Age of Snow Leopard, 10.19. Mac OS 9 has been out of production for nine years, but for basic tasks, such as word processing and email, it provides plenty of power.
More in the Mac Spectrum index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: 17" MacBook Pro Core Duo, Apr. 2006 - The top-end MacBook Pro includes a 1680 x 1050, 2.16 GHz Core Duo CPU, and supports Apple 30" Cinema Display.
Group of the Day: PCI PowerMacs covers pre-G3 Power Macs and clones with PCI slots.
March 18 in LEM history: 02: The case for a 'Book - More on living Microsoft free - Prep your low-end Mac for Linux - 03: How good a value is a WallStreet? - 05: How the iPod trounced the Walkman - 08: 13 port USB 2.0 hub
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