Low End Mac's Link Archive

Recent inks are listed below. Archived links are stored by the month they appeared on Low End Mac and are linked on the right.

Low End Mac News Roundups

• The Mac News Review
• The 'Book Review

Past 7 Days on Low End Mac

• 10 cult Macs adored by collectors, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 05.13. Macs are not only noted for their longevity, but also by the passion which collectors have for some of the most interesting models ever made.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the Lombard PowerBook G3, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 05.13. With the Lombard PowerBook, Apple abandoned the legacy ADB and serial ports for USB, trimmed 20% from WallStreet's weight, and hit 400 MHz.
• Free Time Machine Editor does one thing and does it well, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 05.12. If Time Machine's habit of backing up every hour is impacting your work flow, this free utility gives you control options that Apple didn't build into Time Machine.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6 years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to version 9.2.2.
• From Mac tinkerer to full time Mac user, Mike Tessitore, My Turn, 05.12. It started with buying old Macs on eBay and tinkering with them. But when the Windows PC died, the author learned that Macs could do everything he needed.
• Value of old Power Macs, old computers in school, Panther or Tiger on Pismo, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 05.12. Also new 20" Penry iMac vs. 24" Santa Rosa and great results with a low-cost external SuperDrive.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Around the Web

• Huh?: Existing USB ports may face trouble powering new breed of peripherals, David Berlind, ZDNet, 08.17. All USB ports supply 5V of power, but not all supply the standard 500mA things like external bus-powered hard drives require.
• Tech: All USB ports aren't created equal, Jason D O'Grady, The Apple Core, ZDNet, 05.09. "It seems that only the front USB port on the MacBook offers a full powered, full speed bus. On the MacBook Pro the magic USB port is the left one...."
• News: Hitachi delivers 7200RPM 2.5-inch Travelstar drive, Joshua Fruhlinger, Engadget, 05.07. 320 GB, 7200 rpm, same power draw as a 5400 rpm drive. $219 retail price. Get in line.
• Software: ixMicro Drivers, , 05.06. Drivers for the long discontinued Twin Turbo 128, Road Rocket, ixTV, and more.
• Opinion: Why I switched to a Mac after 20 years of Windows PC, Greg Wilson's Ramblings, 04.30. "Overall, I'm glad I made the switch. I do think it's a better OS for most things."
• Opinion: Extended II, Sven-S. Porst, Quarter Life Crisis, 04.30. "And after getting the iMate I eventually picked up my dad's good old Apple Extended II keyboard. And it's just wonderful."
• Review: Macessity LowKey Stand, PC Fastlane, 04.28. This aluminum stand is designed to perfectly complement iMacs and includes a 4-port USB 2.0 hub.
• AAPL: pple 2Q Revenue up 43 Percent, Jeff Gamet, Mac Observer, 04.23. Best quarter ever for Apple with Mac sales up over 50% of holiday quarter and year-ago quarter, 10.6 million iPods sold, and 1.7 million iPhones.
• Low End: Mac Modder Transforms Old PowerBook Into Sleek Desktop, Bryan Gardiner, Wired, 04.22. "Fashioned from two sheets of white acrylic and lined with perforated steel, this desktop system was once an old and busted Apple PowerBook . . . before Richard Hunt worked his modding magic."
• Opinion: History's 5 Best Interface Designs, Charlie Sorrel, Wired, 04.22. The best user interfaces ever: manual camera settings, the computer mouse, the record player, the manual transmission, and the lowly knob.
• News: Microsoft Kills PlaysForSure Song Keys, Jeff Gamet, iPod Observer, 04.23. "[Microsoft] is shutting down the servers that manage MSN Music PlaysForSure licenses. The servers will shut down on August 31, 2008...."
• History: April 23, 1940: Batteries Included, and They Don't Leak, Randy Alfred, Wired, 04.23. Prior to this, batteries tended to expand and leak. Ray-O-Vac engineer Herman Anthony used better quality manganese to reduce swelling and clad the battery in steel.
• Opinion: Apple's 'Free' Word Processor May Be All You Need, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 04.18. "With the Leopard release of Text Edit, many users may find that it meets all of their practical word processing needs without the necessity of buying Pages, Microsoft Word, or...."
• Opinion: Frankenmac! What's in a Mac clone?, Rob Griffiths, Macworld, 04.18. "While Apple has an excellent selection of laptops, entry-level Macs, and high-end machines, it doesn't offer anything at all in the way of a moderately powerful expandable tower model."
• Opinion: Apple and the homebuilt Mac community, Rob Griffiths, Macworld, 04.18. "One approach - which appears to be the approach Apple's taken thus far - is to simply ignore these hobbyist hackers . . . fighting the hobbyists may be more trouble than it's worth."

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