Low End Mac's Editorial Archive

This page links to the most recent editorials on the site - and there's a link to older archives down near the bottom of the page.

If you know who wrote an article you don't see listed here, visit our Editorial Columns index. Your other option is to use the search box at the top of the page and look for relevant terms.

• 140 million copies of Vista sold (yawn), Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.09. It sounds like a lot, but over 85% of Windows users are staying away from Vista. 20% of Mac users have embraced Leopard in one-third the time.
• Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
• More G4 upgrade advice, secure disk wipes, 500 MHz iMacs with Tiger in action, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.09. The importance of securely clearing your hard drive before you pass on your Mac, Pismo and closed lid mode, G3 iMacs in the classroom, and more thoughts on upgrading G4 Power Macs.
• Apple tops in tech support, Penryn iMacs and Psystar Open Computer reviewed, and more, Mac News Review, 05.09. Also the iMac philosophy, OpenOffice 3.0 going Mac, MozyHome backup comes to Macs, weather in the Dock, and more.
• MacBook sales explode, MacBook Air reviews, several new hard drives, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.09. Also silver-zinc batteries may outlast lithium-ion, Bell Aliant bundling MacBook with Internet access, notebook drives benchmarked, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• $199 iPhone coming?, iPod not a Walkman, crosswalk danger, iPods taking over cars, and more, iNews Review, 05.09. Also the iPhone is a second-rate phone, iPhone 2.0 may introduce handwriting recognition, Kensington battery pack and chargers, new iPhone apps, and more.
• Boomerang: The Blue and White Power Mac G3 that kept coming back, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 05.08. Over its nine-year lifespan, this Power Mac had at least five owners before it finally gave up the ghost.
• Why one Mac user chose BlackBerry over iPhone, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 05.08. The advantages of OS X, Safari, Mail, and iSync don't outweigh the familiarity of BlackBerry, its excellent software, easily replaceable batteries, and a camera-free option.
• 500 MHz iMac with Panther great for Internet, watching video, and more, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 05.08. At $65 with upgraded RAM and a bigger hard drive, it was too good to pass up, and it works very nicely with Mac OS X 10.3.
• Xserve: Power and value in a 1U server, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 05.07. Often overlooked, Apple's Xserve is powerful, flexible, and anything but overpriced, making it perfect for the enterprise.
• Dinosaur desktops, lid closed mode, G4 upgrade advice, death of a WallStreet, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.07. The greening of Apple, benefits of WiFi cards that use AirPort drivers, deleting files from a Performa, drive enclosures, and Leopard on a 466 MHz Power Mac.
• Pismo battery and screen problems, Zip vs. hard drive for backup, and MacBook Air packaging, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.07. Diagnosing battery problems and a fuzzy screen on a Pismo, backup options for Power Macs, and the small size of the MacBook Air's packaging.
• Perfect timing: The iMac's introduction in May 1998, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 05.06. Apple was in dire straits in 1997, but Steve Jobs had a vision for an Internet Macintosh. 10 years ago he unveiled the iMac.
• Where's the best MacBook value: Top, bottom, or middle?, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 04.29. When it comes to MacBook and MacBook Pro value, the top-end model is usually the worst value, but which model holds the sweet spot?
• Pros and cons of using Linux on a WallStreet PowerBook, Larry Stotler, Linux on the Low End, 05.06. The old PowerBook G3 Series notebooks aren't without a few quirks when running openSUSE Linux, but for the most part they are good performers.
• Prosumer Mac suggestions, bring back the 12" 'Book, Pismo displays, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.06. Readers offer more thoughts on a midrange Mac, the need for a new 12" 'Book, using F-keys as F-keys in OS X, and lid closed video mode for Pismo.
• Fossil WallStreet PowerBook G3 still useful after 10 years, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 05.05. The PowerBook G3 Series had a magnificent keyboard, supports two long-life batteries, and runs the Classic Mac OS with aplomb. It's great for writing writing, email, and even surfing the Web.
• Maxed out WallStreet runs Tiger quite nicely, Brian Deuel, My Turn, 05.05. It's no speed demon, but with a 300 MHz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and a newer hard drive, it's a cheap way to have a notebook Mac.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the WallStreet PowerBook G3, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 05.05. Introduced 10 years ago, the PowerBook G3 had a whole new design, a faster system bus, 2 expansion bays, 2 PC Card slots, and plenty of options.
• 50% Mac sales growth is only the beginning, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 05.02. Apple has a great line of computers and an awesome operating system, but a prosumer model could make last quarter's growth seem normal.
• The greatest comeback, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 05.02. Apple's comeback 10 years ago pales in the face of surviving stage 4 cancer.
• Mac growth 4x PC rate, USB power famine, Montevina chips not in new iMacs, and more, Mac News Review, 05.02. Also reducing energy waste from peripherals, fixing the Mac's shortcomings, Open Computer shipping and reviewed, why Apple bought PA Semi, 5x the range for Time Capsule, Mac gaming mouse, and more.
• MacBook Air overheating, MacBook Pro vertical striping, flash vs. hard drive, and more, The 'Book Review, 05.02. Also the 2008 econo-Mac stimulus plan, MacBook Air 'most attractive laptop ever', low latency RAM put to the test, combo notebook/monitor stand, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• iPhone a bandwidth hog, 3G iPhone rumors, Rogers to bring iPhone to Canada someday, and more, iNews Review, 05.02. Also PA Semi deal won't change iPhone for some time, new iPhone and iPod nano cases, remote with FM radio for iPod and iPhone, and more.
• Vista just one reason for growing Mac market share, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 05.01. With 200 million PC owners replacing their computers this year, Apple has a real opportunity to increase its growth rate.
• Macintosh peace of mind, PA Semi and the iPhone, $40 802.11g PCI card, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.01. Also Power Mac vs. Mac mini, more on DVD User Op Patch, 12" vs. 14" iBook, and VGA for a Power Mac 6100.
• Troubleshooting Eudora, backing up a Beige G3, and why Macs are green, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.01. Problems getting help with Eudora, backup options for a Power Mac G3, and how the long-term usefulness of Macs makes them environmentally friendly computers.
• A very Pismo Christmas in April, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 04.30. Everyone maintaining a vintage Mac should have a parts donor, and sometimes the parts machine may have upgrades for your old Mac.
• Online answers for ailing computers, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 04.30. "...most of the time someone has had the same problem as you and posted the solution online."
• Mac value, the Hackintosh market, unsupported Leopard, and USB 2.0 for older PowerBooks, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.30. High-end Macs cost less than comparable HPs and Dells, the need for a Mac minitower, a Leopard installation tip, Leopard on an 800 MHz iBook, and which PC Cards work with Mac OS X drivers.
• The 2008 Penryn iMac value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.29. Comparing prices, features, and performance, three of four new models are value champions, and there are some surprising refurb values as well.
• The Mac's 'troubling low' market share, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.29. If Apple has such 'troubling low' market share, how does it keep outpacing the industry and see such incredible stock growth?
• In praise of the refreshingly different Clamshell iBook, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 04.29. After seven years of faithful duty, the rugged notebook with a handle remains a favorite field computer.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Titanium PowerBooks, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 04.29. Between January 2001 and November 2002, Apple went through four revisions and eight models ranging from 400 MHz to 1 GHz.
• Penryn iMac, 04.28. Updated aluminum iMacs use more powerful Penryn CPU, faster system bus, and higher clock speeds. Top-end iMac gains GeForce 8800 BTO option.
• Opera 9.5 beta add innovative features, better integrates with Mac, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 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.
• Psystar and dreams of a Mac 'for the rest of us', Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 04.28. Whether Pystar's Open Computer is legitimate or a hoax, it brings issues of licensed Mac clones and a midrange Mac to the forefront.
• Firmware 1.5 screen blanking, air travel notebook stand, battery calibration, and more, The 'Book Review, 04.25. Also aluminum MacBook rumored, PowerBook converted to desktop, Apple IIgs converted to notebook, new battery tech may end explosions, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• Apple #4 US PC vendor, IT and Macs in business, NetWare for Leopard, and more, Mac News Review, 04.25. Also still using old Macs, 200 Mbps powerline networking for Macs, Macintel firmware restoration, hot swap SATA drives, and more.
• Apple buys chip designer, fixing send mail on iPhone and iPod touch, portable iPhone power, and more, iNews Review, 04.25. Also SuperSync updated with TiVo MP3 support, apple shaped 3G iPod nano case/frame, 3G iPod nano sport case, and more.
• Advice for Dell and HP: Innovate, don't imitate, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.24. HP and Dell may lead the market, but they will decline unless they stop building boring Windows PC or trying to copy Macs.
• Why Eudora fans are 'doggedly faithful', Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.24. The power and flexibility of the classic Eudora email client - and how to make it more stable in Mac OS X 10.5.
• Overpriced Macs, 4-core Mac Pro value, USB for G3 PowerBooks, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.24. Also reader feedback on running a keyboard through the dishwasher, tips for using external DVD drives, and 8 GB partition issues with the Classic Mac OS on the beige G3.
• OS X on other hardware, missing midrange Macs, and no Leopard yet on Yikes, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.23. The pros and cons of Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware, the need for more intermediate models, and the question of OS X 10.5 on the PCI Power Mac G4.
• Picking the right 'Book, clamshell iBook memories, and alternatives to SCSI-to-USB, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.23. Choosing a good used 'Book for Classic, remembering the clamshell iBooks, and alternate options to avoid spending $99 on a SCSI-to-USB adapter.
• EmpowerBook, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 04.22. The goal: distraction-free writing on the go. But which PowerBook or iBook is best for the job?
• Using the aluminum iMac: Color me impressed, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.22. A MacBook is a wonderful thing, but an iMac with a 20" display can really spoil you.
• OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
• Odysseus cometh: The real successor to Eudora, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.21. Eudora was a 'best of class' email client, and Infinity Data Systems hopes to build on that with its forthcoming Odysseus mail client.
• Restoring a half dead PowerBook 100 to full functionality, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 04.21. The old PowerBook was working from a floppy, but the hard drive simply refused to mount.
• 6.6 percent Mac market share, OS X safe but not secure, still using older Macs, and more, Mac News Review, 04.18. Also IBM letting some employees switch to Macs, iMac vs. Gateway One, hacks for Macs and iApps, USB-to-UltraSCSI converter, personal television software, and more.
• Graphic glitches plague Penryn 'Books, MacBook Air reassuringly solid, 3D Notebook mouse, and more, The 'Book Review, 04.18. Also adding RAM to a MacBook Pro, notebook buyer's guides, falling in love with the MacBook Air, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
• Racetrack memory could mean 2 TB iPod/iPhone, iPhone killing the 'Net, iPod tops survey, and more, iNews Review, 04.18. Also no Good Housekeeping seal for the iPhone, use an iPod touch as a phone, hacks for iPhone and iPods, lamps with iPod docks, and more.
• Clamshell iBooks reconsidered, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 04.17. Back in 2000, it was about time to replace the WallStreet PowerBook. Would a clamshell iBook be a better value than a newer PowerBook G3?
• Mac security a result of diversity and smart planning, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.17. "You can't fault the better gardener for spending less time weeding and more on growing."
• Mac mini with HDTV, Lucida Grande on Low End Mac, the Open Computer, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.17. Also using a computer display with HDTV and cleaning your keyboard in the dishwasher.
• Open Computer: The first Macintosh clone in a decade, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 04.02. Whether Psystar survives Apple Legal remains to be seen, but the Open Computer does point to the market for a lower cost, expandable Mac.
• The secret of Mac security revealed, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.16. Whether Macs are secure because of obscurity, scarcity, or design, growing popularity is making security more of an issue for Mac users.
• 18 bits can't display millions of colors, today's magic is different from yesterday's, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.16. Also more feedback on Mac browsers, slow dial-up Internet, and a SCSI-to-USB 2.0 solution.
• A $99 PC, a $399 hackintosh, and growing the Mac market, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.15. There is a low-end market, which now includes a $99 bare bones PC and a $399 computer designed to run Leopard.
• FaceBook: The Missing Manual a very useful resource, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.15. There is so much to Facebook that you almost need a book to take full advantage of it. This is that book.
• Graphite Clamshell iBook still a real eye catcher and useful tool, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 04.15. This one stood out from a batch of indigo iBooks for its color, extra processing power, and DVD-ROM drive.
• HDTV vs. computer monitors, Windows XP vs. Mac OS X, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.15. Also SynergyKM vs. Teleport, Outlook Express and the classic Mac OS, and Mac OS 9 vs. OS X.
• Social networking on the Mac: net4mac shows promise, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 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.
• Windows XP is faster, but Mac OS X is superior in many ways, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.11. Although Photoshop runs faster under Windows XP, the Mac's stability and better user experience give it the advantage.
• Add a second display, overlooked Leopard features, Nehalem chips hits 3.2 GHz, and more, Mac News Review, 04.11. Also Apple and Canada, firware updates, Kensington keyboard with 3 USB ports, Magic Mail Folder, Newton Connection software, and more.
• Mac benchmarks, firmware updates for all MacBooks, sleep-and-charge USB ports, and more, The 'Book Review, 04.11. Also troubleshooting the MacBook Air, keyboard protectors and sleeve cases for the MacBook Air, bargain 'Books from $150 to $3,099, and more.
• 3G iPhone teardown preview, iPhone users tech savvy, iPhone antenna booster, and more, iNews Review, 04.11. Also merge 2 or more iPod libraries with Misu, edit iPod text and images on your Mac, iPhone unlockers strike again, and more.
• Bringing a PowerBook 100 back from nearly dead, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 04.09. One of the PowerBooks is dead, and the other one has battery and hard drive problems.
• Apple sues Big Apple for use of apple in logo, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.10. It may seem wrong for Apple to sue GreeNYC for using an apple in its logo, but the lawyers are just doing their job.
• That old Mac magic isn't gone, but it is fading, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.10. With Apple's adoption of Intel architecture and a growing market share, the Mac is becoming more mainstream, and the mainstream isn't magic.
• Apple QuickTake digicam found, but how can you use it?, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 04.10. The old IT guy never threw away anything, the new IT guy found a QuickTake 150 while cleaning, and it won't work with modern Macs.
• Intel mini vs. Power Mac, best keyboard ever, uses for old Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.10. Also using Classic with Intel Macs, problems with Classic Mode, and collective nouns.
• Apple's MacBook hits a home run, Ryan Nelson, My Turn, 04.09. It's beautiful, it's fast, it runs Mac OS X, and it's the best laptop under US$1,500.
• The Apple Store, Intel Macs, and classic apps, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.09. Visiting the Apple Store to drop of an eMac for repair provides an opportunity to lust after today's wicked fast Intel-based Macs and muse about the future.
• 18-bit video inadequate, restoring AppleWorks speed, Macintosh display info, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 04.09. Also problems importing AppleWorks drawings and a damaged, unfixable mail database in Outlook Express 5.
• Frustrated with Opera and Firefox, classic form factors, 18-bit color, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.09. Problems with Mac browsers, the sufficiency of 18-bit color, design classics, and the magic of Macs and baseball.
• Apple and baseball: The magic lives on, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.08. Major League Baseball and Apple have changed, but the magic hasn't disappeared.
• A vintage Mac network can be as useful as a modern one, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 04.08. Old Macs can exchange data and share an Internet connection very nicely using Apple's old LocalTalk networking.
• Used Intel Mac mini vs. 867 MHz Power Mac G4 dual, Mark Garbowski, My Turn, 04.07. Can a dual processor Power Mac hold its own against a Core Duo Mac mini?
• At play in the garden of OS X browsers: Safari 3.1, Opera 9.27, and iCab 4.01, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 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, 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."
• Millions vs. thousands of colors: What's the difference?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.07. Once again Apple is being sued over a Mac that can display 'only' 262,144 colors per pixel, not the millions it claims. Does it realy matter?
• 7 years on, Macs still 'just work', Dan Usmar, My Turn, 04.04. "The thought of buying another Windows machine had never even crossed my mind."
• Apple's growing market share, iMac color lawsuit, updated Mac Bible software, and more, Mac News Review, 04.04. Also the rate of Leopard adoption, Adobe launches free Photoshop Express, Mac mini media center, and more.
• Atom CPU runs cooler and longer, MacBook Air a supermodel, 2008 MacBook migration tips, and more, The 'Book Review, 04.04. Also MacBooks for earthquake detection, 802.11g for G3 and G4 PowerBooks, upgrades for Pismo PowerBooks, CPU Speed Menu Switch software, bargain 'Books from $150 to $3,099, and more.
• Apple vs. RIM, iPhone user profile, Canadian iPhone petition, iPhone SDK updated, and more, iNews Review, 04.04. Also using two Gmail accounts to manage email, Unity coming to iPhone, cell phone wallpaper software, iPDA turns iPod into a PIM, and more.
• Mother of the MacBook Air, Ruffin Bailey, My Turn, 04.03. The original clamshell iBook was a runaway success despite a single USB port, no SCSI or FireWire, no PC Cards, no video out, and no DVD support.
• Apple takes the blame, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 04.03. In the Windows world, everyone plays the blame game, but when things go wrong with the Mac, there's only one company to take the blame.

Editorial Archives

2008 Mar., Feb., Jan.
2007 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2006 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2005 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2004 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2003 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2002 Dec., Nov., Oct., Sept., Aug., July, June, May, Apr., Mar., Feb., Jan.
2001 Nov.-Dec., Sept.-Oct, July-Aug., April-June, Jan.-Mar.
2000 Sept.-Dec., May-Aug., Jan.-March
1999 July-Dec., Jan.-June, 1998, 1997 �

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