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- Tip Jar Low End Mac Reader Specials Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $154 / 2GB kit $94, New 2008 iMac 2GB $46. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 / 1GB $23--Free shipping available. Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here. OWC: Mercury Elite FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA up to 2.0TB TOP-RATED Solutions offer High Performance, Reliable storage for all your data storage needs. 500GB $159.99, 750GB $199.99, 1.0TB from $299.99 Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac. Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs. Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you. New iMac 800Mhz Memory 4GB $90, 2GB $45 - Click to Maximize your Macs... Feedback on PayPal - 2001.03.14 As with most things in life, the Mac included, PayPal isn't perfect. After last week's article, I received some helpful feedback from PayPal users. Let me preface the negative comments by noting that feedback was overwhelmingly positive, but for U.S. and international users. Buyers and sellers alike really appreciate the speed with which payments are processed, allowing them to ship sold items more quickly. International Fees PayPal works exclusively in U.S. dollars, which has got to really simplify bookkeeping. In the U.S., they can process both credit card payments and transfer money directly from your checking account. One of the biggest complaints among international users is that PayPal requires most of them to pay for their purchases with credit cards. (Users in Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom can pay from a checking account.) In addition, "A small fee applies to payments charged to non-U.S. credit or debit cards." This fee is 30¢ plus 2.6% of the amount processed. Some users get around all of this by setting up U.S. bank accounts or using credit cards issued in the U.S. It's Not Always Free The biggest complaint from Americans is that PayPal is no longer free, which isn't precisely true. PayPal has promised that free service will always be available. During the years PayPal has been available, they have put limits on their free services, but they have not eliminated them. Credit Card Buying Limit? I've heard from some PayPal users that they can only purchase up to $250 per month using a credit card if they're signed up for PayPal's free service. I've checked PayPal's terms of use, and don't see it. There is a $250 spending limit for unverified users; you must verify your email address and checking account to become a verified user. "There are no limits on how much Verified users can spend." Loss of Credit Card Benefits A few PayPal users noted that they might lose some benefits they would otherwise have with credit card purchases, such as doubling the warranty. At the same time, we have to remember that many people using PayPal to accept credit cards would not accept credit cards at all without PayPal. Danger of Fraud Fraud is a double-sided danger: You may be defrauded by the person selling you an item, particularly when dealing with individuals on auction sites. You may not get what you expected. And if you're selling, the buyer may fail to pay you. Worse yet, one reader tells of a friend who closed a $425 sale on eBay. The buyer paid with Billpoint, eBay's competitor to PayPal. Upon confirmation of payment, the seller shipped the goods. About 20 hours later, Billpoint reversed the payment due to fraud (apparently a stolen or borrowed credit card), which is allowed by the user agreement. This is far from the norm, but it is always a possibility. Should anything like this ever happen to you, contact the carrier (UPS, Post Office, FedEx, etc.) to see if you can stop the shipment. If not, contact the police in the locale where the item is being shipped, letting them know the name and address the item is being shipped to, as well as the carrier. Shipping Address One user writes, "The only problem I have with PayPal is their (relatively new) insistence that you must have items paid for via PayPal sent to a credit card billing address. If you can't pick up packages reliably at that address (you're gone during the day, for instance) you're stuck. This can lead to ugly misunderstandings with sellers who think that the fact that PayPal lets them 'reject your payment' means that it's OK for them to do this and not ship - even though PayPal explicitly states that you have paid them." Conclusion Like most users, I remain satisfied with PayPal. I haven't run into any problem yet - and the comments above should better prepare you for some of the situations you may run into with their service. Links Sign up for PayPal <this article available in a printer-friendly version> Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986, sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar. Recent Mac Musings Looking for a Content Management System That's as Easy as Mac, 08.29. Low End Mac needs to move to a content management system, but the few we've tried just don't cut it for people used to the simple elegance of the Mac. MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, 08.27. The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year. The iMac Legacy: After the G3, 08.15. The G3 iMac influenced the whole industry, but Apple continued to move forward with innovative designs using G4, G5, and Intel processors. The iMac Legacy: The G3 Era, 08.15. 10 years ago today, the original iMac went on sale. One of the most popular lines of computers ever, the G3 iMac would be Apple staples for nearly five years. More in the Mac Musings index. Links for the Day Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line. List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone. August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support Recent Content on Low End Mac First 3 Million Mac Quarter, Skinny on Mac mini Pricing, Mac-like gOS, and More, Mac News Review, 08.29. More plan to buy Apple products than ever before, complete reset can fix MobileMac synch problems, Apple boosting computer and smartphone share, and more. New 'Books Likely in September, 17" PowerBook Display Fault Site, SSD Security, and More, The 'Book Review, 08.29. Also 6 ways to speed up your MacBook, next generation MacBook Air CPU, MacBook Air Update, LapStrap carrying solution, rise and fall of ultraportables, bargains from $220 to $2,699, and more. iPhone 3G Reception 'Completely Normal', AT&T International Data Plans for iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 08.29. Also longer life for iPod earbuds, an alternative to MobileMe, new cases and apps for iPhone, AppStoreGems website launched, and more. Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575. Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400. Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29. Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179. 10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28. A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard. Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28. Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac. Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r. Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700. Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28. System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more. CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 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. Resurrecting a Dead Pismo, Spotlight Search Tip, and EasyFind a Good File Finder, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 08.27. Lots of tips on bringing a comatose Pismo back to life, a Spotlight file name search tip, and EasyFind as an alternative to Spotlight. Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more. Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800. Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. 500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98. 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