Mac Community Loses an Icon, David G. Wood, but Not His Legacy
Low End Mac Reader Specials
TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how
to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full
Tilt Poker Mac.
Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.
- 2006.05.15
If you've been using Macs for any length of time, especially older ones, you probably stumbled across Dave Wood's site, Resources for the Older Macintosh, and were compelled to bookmark it instantly. The site had a wealth of good information and a vast collection of links for users of older Macs.
I'm sad to report that David Wood has passed away. When this happened and under what circumstances is unknown. [Update: His former son-in-law reports that Wood passed away on January 5, 2003 from complications from hemochromatosis, a blood disorder he had lived with for many years.]
I first noticed that
Resources was missing early this month. Google had only three out
of more than 20 of the pages archived, and without images at
that.
With some creative searching, I was able to determine that the Wyoming Casper Star-Tribune server, which had hosted David's site for years, had set up a new hosting company www.tribcsp.com. When I added David's site directory to the new domain, I found his pages.
I used his old email username to the new domain, sent a message, and got an automated response. It simply said that David had passed away and no-one was taking over his websites.
I tried to find any of his next of kin, with no luck. I couldn't find an obituary or any other record of his passing.
A person's website says a lot about them. You get acquainted with the author through their words and even the way they arrange the information. Very often we don't know what the webmaster looks like, but we feel like we know them nonetheless.
Resources for the Older Macintosh was clearly a labor of love. David had gone to great lengths to collect the best, most useful, and most interesting resources for vintage Macintosh users and arrange them in one easy-to-access place.
In recent years, many of the links became broken and the updates stopped. Now the reason is apparent. We still have his site, but we have lost the real resource and one of our own.
A New Beginning
After discussing the situation with Dan Knight, we agreed that the site appeared to be in danger and needed preserving and updating.
I archived the site using the iCab browser. Unlike some browsers, notably Firefox, iCab creates an exact mirror of the pages complete with the supporting files in their correctly named directories. It doesn't add anything to the pages or create new directory names. The iCab archive files can be opened with older versions of Stuffit Expander and a site can be mirrored very quickly this way.
I spent some time eliminating the email forms and adding email links so that the few SHTML pages would work as HTML. Next, I changed the absolute page links to relative ones, so that the site could work independently of any particular host. Finally, I created a new sub-domain for the site and uploaded the pages, which still looked nearly the way they did when I started.
The Work Ahead
In the coming months, we'll be updating the broken links and cleaning up the code to conform more closely to HTML 3.2. This won't change the look of the site, and I plan to leave Dave's images and commentary intact. You will still be able to enjoy his words about MacFixIt and more.
You may view the work in progress at http://oldermac.hardsdisk.net
If anyone has any verifiable information regarding David Wood's passing, please let me know so I can add it to the site.
I am also seeking new links to add to the renewed site. Dave
depended on the community to keep the site current. I hope I can
count on your help as well.
Recent Empowered articles
- One year with my 'free' Mac mini, 11.20. "For something the size of a fruitcake, the mini is a powerful little computer."
- Add desktop Trash and a classic Apple Menu to OS X for free, 11.13. Two favorite features from the classic Mac OS have never been part of OS X, but that doesn't mean you have to do without them.
- Deodorizing a stinky old iBook that smells like sweat, 10.19. Different ways to mask and otherwise attack the problem if your G3 iBook suffers from Stinky Keyboard Syndrome.
- A stinky old iBook that smells like sweat, 10.13. You just don't expect an iBook to smell like strong perspiration, but this problem seems to afflict a number of G3 iBooks.
- More in the Empowered index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, Mar. 1990 - This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
- Group of the Day: Mac mini List is for anyone using or contemplating a Mac mini
- March 19 in LEM history: 90: Mac IIfx - 99: Fool me twice? - 01: Add FireWire, USB to older Macs - Time to replace your iMac? - 02: The Mac Challenge - Installing Linux on a low-end Mac - 03: Value of the Lombard PowerBook - Your portable should have WiFi - PowerBook 1400 upgrades - 04: The video iPod - 07: Troubleshooting an iMac - 08: Intel Mac mini value
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Could iPad Replace the Mac?, Mac Sales Up in 2010, Avoiding Windows 7 'Whenever Possible', and More, Mac News Review, 03.19. Also why your next Mac may be an iPad, science blogger abandons Apple, the benefits of standing while working, and more.
- The Mobile System Stampede, Lithium Battery That Can't Explode, Affordable SSD Options, and More, The 'Book Review, 03.19. Also June 2007 MacBook Pro external display issue, laptop stands, 1 TB ultraportable hard drive, Mini DisplayPort/HDMI adapter, and more.
- CardBus WiFi, the Shiira Browser, Ridding the Web of Flash, and Macs vs. PCs, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.18. Mac longevity, Shiira speed, ambidextrous Mac and Windows use, and how Flash benefits Apple.
- How to Zoom Your Browser for a More Readable Web, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 03.18. Instructions for zooming text and pages in Safari, Firefox, Camino, and Opera.
- How Ad Blocking Hurts Your Favorite Websites, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.18. Ad income keeps the Web free. Blocking online ads hurts your favorite websites.
- Taking Apart the 12" PowerBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 03.17. There are a lot of steps involved in disassembling a 12" PowerBook. Proceed with caution.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Intel iMac Deals, 03.17. Used 17" from $600; 20" from $750; 24" from $825; refurb 21.5" nVidia, $999; new, $1,099; refurb Radeon, $1,299; new, $1,399; refurb 27" 3.06, $1,499; more.
- Best G5 iMac Deals, 03.17. 17" 2.0 GHz, $380; 1.9 GHz iSight, $479 shipped; 20" 1.8 GHz, $509 shipped; 2.1 GHz iSight, $549 shipped.
- Best Time Capsule Deals, 03.17. Close-out 500 GB, $140; new 1 TB, $279; used 2 TB simultaneous dual-band, $400; new, $455. Shipping included.
- Best iPad Deals, 03.16. 16 GB iPad, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699; 16 GB with 3G, $629; 32 GB 3G, $729; 64 GB 3G, $829. Free ground shipping.
- Best iPod classic Deals, 03.12. Used 20 GB, $119; 40 GB, $139; 60 GB, $159; 30 GB video, $129; 60 GB, $159; 80 GB, $169; refurb 120 GB, $189; new, $214; 160 GB, $228 shipped.
- Best G3 iBook and AirPort Card Deals, 03.12. 366 MHz 12" clamshell, $89; 466, $125; 500 white CD, $100; 600, $199; 800 Combo, $239; 14" 900, $225.
- Best Xserve Deals, 03.12. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $499; 2.0 dual G5, $599; 2.3, $749; refurb 2.26 4-core Nehalem, $2,499; new, $2,699; 8-core, $3,449; refurb 2.66, $4,299; new, $4,799; more.
- More deals in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Video Cards
Email Lists
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Mac Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com
