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Mac Spectrum
What Is a Low-End Mac?
- 2008.09.30 - Tip Jar
Popularity: 
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del.icio.usI've been an avid reader of Low End Mac for a number of years and have recently shown my appreciation and become a writer. But what exactly is a low-end Mac?
Different people have different ideas.
I have owned a wide range of Macs - from ancient LCs and pre-G3 PowerBooks to G4 eMacs and Intel iMacs - and used them all to their maximum potential before moving on to a higher machine.
There are some Mac users who will use nothing but the latest hardware, and even my original Intel iMac (now nearly three years old) would fit into their idea of a low-end Mac. There are others who still use System 7 on a daily basis.
As much as I love old Macs, for my everyday use a Mac has to run Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger", so this limits me to at least a G3.
Even a modest 300 MHz G3 will run Tiger comfortably with enough RAM. My everyday machine is a 400 MHz Pismo PowerBook G3 with 1 GB of RAM, and it handles Tiger like a dream. If Tiger isn't for you and you want a machine to run Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard", then a used PowerBook G4 from 2002 (867 MHz and faster) will officially handle it - and set you back about one-third the price of a new MacBook.
Different people have different requirements. A low-end Mac by definition would be a basic, bottom of the line machine that allows a user to perform the tasks they require on that Mac comfortably.
Recently
my wife had a PowerBook 1400cs.
In an age when clock speed is measured in GHz rather than MHz, this 117
MHz PowerPC 603e computer was no speed demon, but it performed the
tasks she required at a suitable pace. Running Mac OS 8.6, kitted out
with 32 MB of RAM and a 2 GB hard drive, it was a good little word
processing machine.
She outgrew this when she wanted to browse the Web. Mac OS 8 or OS 9 just doesn't cut it in the online world anymore, and the 1400 range only had ethernet via an add-on card or PCMCIA card. I did get it to run with a wireless card, but the older software just didn't keep up with today's web standards.
Did she go out and buy a new MacBook?
No.
Did she look at a powerful G4 PowerBook?
No.
Instead, she picked up a 12" iBook G3 800 MHz. This
six-year-old machine may have been a very old portable in most people's
eyes, but it really was more than enough for her needs.
A lot of the time we upgrade to newer machines because we feel we
have to. We are told we need to. However, most of these Macs have many
more years of usage left in them. I guess this is the whole premise of
Low End Mac, for those users who want to get the most and get the best
out of their aging machines. [Editor's note: I just set a nephew
up with an $30 400 MHz
G3 iMac 
with Mac OS X 10.3.9, and he's quite happy with it.
My production machine at Low End Mac headquarters is a six-year-old
dual 1 GHz Power Mac G4
with Tiger. We try to live the Low End Mac philosophy, not just preach
it. dk]
Software is the biggest problem facing low-end Macs. If you plan to use them every day, they need to be compatible with the latest trends and the rest of the computing world. Apple itself and software developers develop new versions of their products, with new features requiring more power. This slowly pushes older machines out. Okay, most of us can work using versions of software that aren't the very latest, but how old is too old.
Is Mac OS X 10.2 a good enough operating system? Does Photoshop 7 have enough features? Will Office X still function in the modern office?
Some people will answer yes to these questions, and if so, then a low-end Mac may be perfectly suited to your needs. However if you answered no to any of these questions, maybe it's time to upgrade - and this is where you will come unstuck: it might require a newer machine, rendering your low-end Mac obsolete for you.
The next time you sit in front of your Mac and think I need a new one, have a second thought. Think it over carefully. Would upgrading some of the components, adding some more RAM, or installing a newer operating system save it from the Mac scrapyard? If it is already maxed to the hilt, ask yourself is there anything wrong with it? Ask yourself does it still do what you want it to do?
Only then should you consider buying a newer Mac - and the final
question is does it have to be brand new? 
Recent Columns by Simon Royal
Royal also has his own Mac specific website.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- Free Alternatives to Microsoft Office, 11.17. Microsoft Office is powerful and expensive. OpenOffice provides a full alternative, and Bean and AbiWord are excellent options for word processing.
- The Future of PowerPC Macs and Software as 'Snow Leopard' Approaches, 11.13. Apple phased out Classic Mode and G3 support with 'Leopard' last year, and next year's OS X 10.6 won't support any PowerPC Macs. Will other developers abandon PowerPC as well?
- Is Running Leopard on a Sawtooth Power Mac G4 Worth Doing?, 10.27. There are several ways to get Leopard running on an AGP Power Mac G4, but a slow CPU, limited RAM, a slow hard drive, and an old video card can bog it down.
- More in the Mac Spectrum index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'Sawtooth' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - Available in speeds from 350-500 MHz, 'Sawtooth' introduced AGP video to the Mac.
- Group of the Day: G4 List is for those using Power Mac G4s or G4 upgrades.
- November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- The Long Term Value of a High End Mac, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 11.21. Low-end Macs are more affordable up front, but the flexibility and upgrade options of a top-end Mac can make it the better value in the long run.
- iPhone #1 Worldwide, Google Voice Search for iPhone, iPhone 3G Battery Pack, and More, iNews Review, 11.21. Also British accents throw off Google voice search, lots of new iPhone apps, universal USB car charger, new protective cases, and more.
- 15 Reasons Macs Are Better, Quad-core iMac in January?, USB 3.0 Spec Finalized, and More, Mac News Review, 11.21. Also 25 years of Macs, 'Snow Leopard' in Q1?, SimpleTech's faster and greener hard drive, Hyperspaces, StarOffice for OS X, and more.
- DisplayPort Copy Protection, Trackpad Update, Netbooks Not to Be Taken Lightly, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.21. Also Apple set for record sales, 4-finger gestures on original MacBook Air, MacBook Apple's best consumer notebook to date, Cricket laptop stand, bargain 'Books from $490 to $2,299, and more.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 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.
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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