Being in the Navy, I find it hard to muster the financial strength
to go out and purchase new Apple products after they hit the showroom
floor. Most people will probably agree with me that Apple is the
flagship computer maker and can charge more because the quality and
longevity of their products is next to none. Still, Apple would rather
you purchase new units every few years. This brings me to a sore spot:
Apple support for older Macs.
Support for older Macs (pre-1998) is almost nonexistent, except for
downloads and the knowledge base. Most companies will charge you for
support of older units and get a pretty penny for that service. Yes,
support for old units is not a moneymaker for Apple. Pre-G3 machines
are not even supported for Mac OS X. From a business standpoint
there is no real advantage to expending the finances to support older
equipment. Others must now bear the burden.
That is where Low End Mac comes into
play. LEM is taking over for the lack of support provided by the
manufacturer. It is a guiding light into the depths of Macintosh
through the ages.
If you are using a Compact or a pre-PPC Mac, do you really think
that Apple has the resources to help you if you are having problems
finding the right browser or would like to know what memory to use? I
don't think so; most PC users don't have to deal with machines 5-10
years old, because they were obsolete the day they were purchased, and
require frequent upgrades. So PC companies don't even think about older
unit support.
Mac users, on the other hand, can go on using the same machines for
years without ever having to upgrade. Apple having to support older
equipment is a financial burden and keeps them from their core business
of new unit sales and development. That is why Apple cannot afford to
keep support around for older units.
Dan Knight and the team at Cobweb Publishing (the publisher of
LEM) have filled the gap. They would like to see 
that Plus stay a
usable computer for whomever. There are people out there who would love
nothing more than to be given a Performa 630 CD. For a new user this
might be the perfect machine. Without guidance on what to do for
upgrades, where to go with problems, or just simple system facts about
the computer, the new user might never know what they can or can't do
with their older machines. LEM has taken over the job of tech support
when others have stopped.
LEM currently gives away what other companies charge for. With the
information they provide you may no longer have to spend money having
others do your upgrades. With the assistance of LEM you can do the job
yourself for the most part. Whereas before you might have paid labor
fees in a computer shop to get your memory and hard drive upgrades, you
can do it yourself to avoid all of the extra costs that you might incur
due to labor.
Finding out what software works the best or what hardware is
compatible is another LEM specialty.
LEM has stated numerous times that ad income has fallen short in
these Internet hard times. I say that $2-5 a month would be a small
price to pay for a wealth of knowledge not given out anywhere else.
When the subscription charges start (if that is the route chosen), I
will be standing outside the door six hours early - like at a new OS
release. I want to keep a Mac user's "must" online and in business.
I say great job, Dan and crew, and keep up the good work; we are
here for you.
Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.
