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We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser. Still Waiting for the Tipping Point Low End Mac Reader Specials Memory To Go Special: New 2008 iMac 2GB $42 / iMac Intel Core2 DUO & MacBook Pro 2GB $36 - 1GB $20. MacPro 8 Core Memory 8GB kit $286 / 4GB kit $143 / 2GB kit $93 -- Free shipping available. LIfetime warranty. 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: NewerTech miniStack FireWire/USB 2.0 HD & Hub Up to 1.0TB of Performance Storage + FW/USB2 Powered Hubs - convenient & sleek 6.5" x 6.5" x 1.5" Featured: 500GB $169.99; 750GB $209.99; 1.0TB $339.99 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. Stephen Van Esch - 2004.01.07 By all accounts, the goodies unveiled at Macworld will satisfy most Mac user's cravings for new and better hardware and software. The new iPodMini should maintain if not extend Apple's dominance of the portable music player market. Updated iLife applications have finally arrived. The G5 Xserve will bring more power to enterprise customers. While I'm happy to see such great products from a great company, the cynic in me wonders how much of an impact this will have on Apple's market share. Of course, market share is hardly the end all and be all of a successful company. After all, Apple posts consistent quarterly profits and has a hefty chunk of change in the bank. All well and good. It seems, though, that Apple still hasn't been making inroads when it comes to market share. While it's clear that many companies exist just fine in niches (BMW anyone?), market share equals security for Apple. It almost seems like a hopeless job to increase Apple market share. No matter what Apple does or which cool hardware and software products it produces, it can't seem to attract a mass audience. For example, iDVD was designed to take advantage of the fact that there has been a tremendous uptake in the DVD player market. Has the simple and user-friendly iDVD boosted Apple market share? No. Apple seems to be taking another kick at the can with GarageBand. Jobs sees a good market for this product. However, are vast numbers of people going to purchase a Mac because of Garage Band? Most likely not. Apple is still trying to replicate its success with desktop publishing. However, the market has changed drastically since then. Windows users can now purchase inferior products that compete with Apple's software. There's little compelling reason to make the switch to Mac when no product Apple produces can get past the "it's good enough" attitude of people who use PC software. To be fair, Apple's computer market share matters less now than it did even a few years ago. The iPod, for example, generates scads of cash for Apple and dominates its category. However, Apple is able to research and develop new products based on its profits from its computer line. The more successful it is there, the better off Apple will be. While market share may not have grown as expected over the last few years, there are still some encouraging signs. Apple continues to gain respect in the enterprise and consumer market. Its brand remains strong. Its innovative edge is still sharp. But I'm still waiting for the tipping point. Stephen Van Esch is the founder and president of the E-learning Foundry, an online training resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual, since he's also fluent in Windows and French. Recently on Mac Scope Connecting with the broader Macintosh community, 04.06. "But beyond the very minor celebrity status that came with being published on Low End Mac, it gave me a real opportunity to participate in the Mac community." Hardware failure, that rare Mac headache, 07.09. Macs are usually pretty reliable, but a hardware failure after just two-and-a-half years is still disappointing. Still waiting for iTunes Music Store Canada, sort of, 06.23. While the pay-per-tune model makes sense, Apple's post-purchase copy management flies in the face of Canadian copyright law. PearPC's slow Mac emulation - What's the point?, 05.26. "For all those Windows folks who are gussying up Windows to look like OS X and getting excited over PearPC, please just buy a Mac." More in the Mac Scope index. Links for the Day Mac of the Day: DayStar Genesis, Oct. 1995 - The first 'Mac' with multiple processors, technology Daystar licensed to Apple. List of the Day: SuperMacs is for those using Umax SuperMac clones. October 6 in LEM history: 98: USB is a good thing - Can Apple save Emailer? - 99: Kihei iMacs - 00: Advice about PDS Power Macs - 03: A replacement PowerBook battery - 04: AirPort Express - 05: The Apple Lisa story - 06: Don't ignore battery recall - Use any networked computer as an additional Mac display Recent Content on Low End Mac Mac Netbook Coming?, $179 64 GB SSD, Apple Owns 20% of US Notebook Market, and More, The 'Book Review, 10.03. Also head of Norton AntiVirus team uses a Mac, Toshiba demos new battery technology, 1 TB notebook drives due in 2010, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more. Apple Drops iPhone NDA, Defecting to Android, Auto Performance Apps for the iPhone, and More, iNews Review, 10.03. Also more research needed on cellphone cancer link, file sharing app for the iPhone, three new power accessories from Macally, several new iPhone apps, and more. Getting the Most from Your G3 Mac, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 10.03. Most G3 Macs can be upgraded so they can run Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' quite nicely. Here's how. OS X and Safari Shares Grow in September, Toxic Mac Pro?, Green Hard Drives, and More, Mac News Review, 10.03. Also Vista terrible as Mac market grows, CrossOver Mac Pro reviewed, SimpleTech Pro Drives, and a new toolkit for working on computers. Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.03. Used 450 MHz, $75; 500, $99; 733, $150; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, C$349; 867 MHz dual, $225; 1 GHz, $349; 1.25, $499; 1.42, $600. Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.03. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 500 CD, $149; 800, $190; 600 CD-RW, $240; 800 Combo, $300; 900, $399; 14" 600, $360; 900, $469. Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.03. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $65; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150. Why I'm Switching from Windows Small Business Server to Leopard Server, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 10.02. Windows SBS 2003 has served very well, but with SBS 2008 just around the corner, it's time to reconsider that choice. Leopard Server has a lot to offer. The Unwritten Rule Behind Apple's App Store Rejections, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 10.02. "If you want to work with someone, don't attack or try to take over part of what they think of as theirs." The Best Browsers for Older Macs Running Tiger, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.02. A dial-up user's overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed. CodeWeavers Brings Google's Chrome Browser to Intel Macs, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 10.02. Google's new Chrome browser uses separate processes for each tab and brings other changes to Windows users. Now Mac fans can try it as well. Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.02. Used 1.83 GHz, $649; 2.0 SD, $750; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 2.4, $1,204 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r. Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.02. Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $450; 2.0 SuperDrive, $500; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $550; 2.0, $600; 2.1 iSight, $650. Best iPod touch Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.02. Used 1G/8 GB, $160; refurb, $179; new, $198; used 16, $200; refurb, $219; new, $265; refurb 32, $319; new, $345; 2G/8 GB, $229; 16, $280; 32, $380. Tiger Great on Old G3 'Books, Maximum RAM for 867 MHz PowerBook G4, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.01. Also why 4 GB of RAM in a 32-bit Vista PC wastes most of the last gigabyte and system profile software for Windows PCs. Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.01. Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.0, $949; 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; 3.06, $1,899; rebates on new. Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.01. Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $560; 1.33, $580; 1.5, $596;, 1.67 SuperDrive, $690; hi-res, $800. Best Apple TV Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.01. Refurb 40 GB Apple TV, $199; new, $224; refurb 160 GB, $279; new, $322 - prices include ground shipping. More links in our archive. Mac Scope articles copyright © 2000-04, 2007 by Stephen Van Esch. � Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .   LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.   Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.   Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. 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