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News & Opinion
News & Opinion
Combine the Power of Multiple Macs
PowerPC Liberation says:
"If you're like me then you have several systems because of how
affordable PowerPC Macs are these days. The issue many PowerPC users
have in 2012 is not having enough power to do something with heavy CPU
use and still be able to multitask effectively. These CPU hungry tasks
could be anything from a script heavy site to playing video and it's
nice to be able to do other things without holding back something that
needs to use a good chunk of the resources.
"It's nice to be able to browse the web or do whatever while you
wait for some heavy lifting to finish up. Whether you have a G3 or a
Quad G5 having spare
CPU cycles at your disposal is what will really make any computing
experience all it can be. If you have another system you can use it to
take excess load and tasks off your main system.
"The easiest way to do
this is with two screens but one is enough thanks to VNC/Remote Desktop
technology. I use a combination of two screens and the built in
'ScreenSharing' app in [Mac OS X
10.5] Leopard and I do this on a daily basis with my two main
Sawtooth systems.
This allows me to offload anything I want...."
"In certain ways the VNC option is actually more efficient because
it keeps everything on one screen while still offloading work to other
systems. The ScreenSharing window gives you a Mac within a Mac somewhat
similar to virtualization but better. What makes this method better is
the other OS isn't running on the same computer like it is in a virtual
machine so the two are not slowing each other down besides a tiny bit
of resources to keep drawing the remote window."
"...I keep the second Sawtooth at 1024 x 768 which doesn't take up
too much room as a remote window. None of the apps [I use on it] really
need higher . . . and that size window fits well into 1920 x
1200 while not hogging too much space."
"Not on Leopard?
"If you're running [Mac
OS X 10.4] Tiger then you don't have the built in
ScreenSharing app and will need a third party alternative. When I'm
running Tiger I prefer an app called 'Chicken' which is a
side project from 'Chicken of the VNC'.
Chicken is better and was last updated in 2011 but Chicken of the VNC
is the only [Mac OS X] 10.3
Panther option from these developers. It has not been updated since
2006."
Publisher's note: An alternative to screen sharing is to share your
keyboard and mouse between two or more Macs, something Teleport does for Mac
OS X 10.4 and newer. Be aware that version 1.0.1 runs on PowerPC Macs,
1.0.2 and later on Intel. We use it at Low End Mac headquarters daily,
as explained in 2 Macs, 2
Operating Systems, 1 Mouse, 1 Keyboard - but nowadays with 3 Macs.
dk
Link removed at the request of PowerPC Liberation.
More Browsers for Mac PowerPC
Mac PowerPC notes:
"In this post we will introduce you to some browsers that we did not
check out before. They're very promising and will help you in your
day-by-day browsing."
- OmniWeb
(5.11.2). Free - OS X 10.4.8 and later. "...light to run. It's very
powerful, it's fast and the most important thing is that they are still
doing all the updates for either PowerPC and Intel."
- Leopard
WebKit. Free - OS X 10.5 and later. Leopard WebKit forces Safari to
use the latest version of WebKit, not the outdated one included with OS
X 10.5 Leopard.
Publisher's note: We've been using Leopard WebKit for some time now
and really like it.
Link:
Browser for Mac PowerPC (Re-revisited)
PPC Linux: Claim Your Computing Freedom
PowerPC Liberation's Zen writes:
"Too many technologies today force you to be locked into certain OS
or hardware. The only reason the industry gets away with all this is
because regardless of people's displeasure with things they still
continue using them. This is a habit that too many practice and the
only way any of us can change this is to change our habits and the
devices and/or software we grow attached to.
"The only thing that I have attached myself to is the PowerPC
architecture and this is for no reason other than reliability and
longevity. When you have used something for 18 years and it has never
failed you there is no reason to stop using it as long as it can still
achieve all you need it to. In terms of OS X everything after Snow
Leopard is covered in horrible. Since 10.5 is so similar to 10.6 I find
it a capable OS option for PowerPC while still not needing Intel
hardware. As a Mac tech I have no faith in 95% of the Intel hardware
Apple has produced. The early stuff in 2006-07 is still to this day the
most reliable...."
"People need OS and software selection whether they realize it or
not. You never know what needs will come along over the years so having
hardware that lasts and offers software flexibility is ideal looking
forward.
"All the people still running PowerPC hardware would all be very
wise to start adopting Linux into their computing world. This is the
best thing for all of us looking forward because the more of us that
use Linux the more the OS will grow on the platform. Apple dumped the
[PowerPC] architecture 7 years ago now so it's time for those of us
still using it to pave our own computing path at least in regard to
achieving new abilities we don't get from old Mac software. There is no
reason to abandon the Mac OS versions our systems can run but in terms
of modern secure software Linux is the most logical choice...."
"It's obvious that anyone who writes PowerPC related content in 2012
does indeed care about the architecture but most of them deal with
things in a way which is influencing the reader to stick to this dead
end Apple path. Mac PowerPC and
My Mac Collection are
good examples of this . . . because all they do is point
their readers to solutions for making their way in a dwindling market
rather than point them to liberating and forward thinking options such
as Linux."
"If you intend on continuing to use your old Macs you need to think
outside the box and learn how to adapt without giving up capability. We
all need to stop adapting methods to keep being a slave to something no
longer supported and focus that energy on true alternatives which often
use different technologies but produce the same end result."
"From what i see around the web only PPC Luddite, iFix Old Macs, PenguinPPC and myself ever deal with true
alternatives and future thinking options like Linux."
"All of us in the PowerPC community need to focus on what can move
our hardware forward and Open Source OS is the best way to do that
while still keeping Mac OS around for other needs where security isn't
a concern. Linux and BSD are the only OS still developed for our
platform and the more of us that embrace it the more it will grow."
"I've got a fever and the only cure is Linux growth on PowerPC."
Publisher's note: We love old Macs here at Low End Mac, and we've
fiddled with BSD and Linux from time to time, but I take just the
opposite perspective here. Windows is huge. Macs are big. Linux is
small, maybe 2-3% of the desktop market, and most Linux software is
compiled for x86 PCs, not old PowerPC Macs. Further, going from the
Classic Mac OS or Mac OS X to Linux is a giant step backward in
ease of use. Sure, it may be more secure, but we're Mac users because
we love the Mac experience. Ditching the Mac OS for Linux is like
taking a luxury car and replacing the automatic transmission because
you want more control. I'd rather enjoy the smooth ride and the scenery
than think about shifting gears, so even though I do have a Linux box
here at Low End Mac headquarters, it's not a bastardized Mac. My
2¢. dk
Link removed at the request of PowerPC Liberation.
Leopard Security in 2012
Zen at PowerPC Liberation says:
"A large majority of people still running PowerPC hardware from
Apple use 10.5 Leopard as their primary OS. This is understandable
since it is the final version to run on PowerPC hardware. Although it's
security technology like socket layers and sandboxing is still up to
modern standards there are other areas where it is not cutting it any
longer unfortunately. These would be Java and Flash. Java is halted at
1.5 forever on it, which is very insecure now, and Flash stopped
PowerPC development at version 10.1. The good news is that it is
totally possible as well as beneficial to live without both on
Leopard."
"In Leopard [Java is] actually very easy to disable. Simply go to
the Utilities folder within Applications and open 'Java
Preferences.app'. Then deselect any version selected in the
General pane. After this click on the Security pane and
deselect 'keep temporary files for fast access'. For the sake of being
thorough click the 'Delete Files' button at the bottom for any that may
already exist.
"The next and final step is to open all the browsers you use and
deselect 'Enable Java' which is how most word it. Although you have
already disabled it at the system level this is just an extra measure
so that your browsers tell sites right away not to bother with any
Java."
"[Flash] is a technology that will likely never die because of
people's tolerance of it. PowerPC users for example should see Flash as
the plague and avoid it at all costs. I personally wouldn't use it even
if there were a modern secure version for PowerPC. In my opinion the
Flash alternatives like MacTubes or similar apps make the experience
more organic at least where YouTube is concerned."
"Other than the Java and Flash shortcomings Leopard is actually
quite a secure OS compared to WinXP or Vista or any Mac OS before it.
The people still running Tiger or older should consider upgrading if
you have a G4/G5 (no G3 support)...."
"Tiger and Panther were great versions of OS X but they both really
lack all the advances that started in Leopard like socket layers and
sandboxing. Leopard has more security built in than you could ever add
to Tiger/Panther. As I mentioned in my pervious post I encourage people
to use Linux also these days but for all your Mac OS needs Leopard can
serve you much better."
"Another real advantage to Leopard is that it has a lot more
unintended natural compatibility with devices from the x86 market like
WiFi and Bluetooth dongles and PCI expansion cards."
Link removed at the request of PowerPC Liberation.
Make OS X's Green Resize Button Work Like Maximize
in Windows
My Mac Collection says:
Maximize with the green button.
"As a former PC user, one of the biggest gripes I had when switching
to a Macintosh was OS X's inability to 'maximize' a page when pushing
the green '+' button on the top of a window. Well, that problem is no
more thanks to a simple program called 'RightZoom.' This free program
allows you to maximize any window simply by pushing the green '+'
button. Also, you can choose specific apps that will not be altered by
RightZoom. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, hit
the link below and give RightZoom a shot."
Download RightZoom 1.72
(requires OS X 10.4.11 or later)
Publisher's note: It is a common misconception that the green button
in OS X is a maximize button. Ever since the first version of
the Mac OS (which was out long before Windows 1.0 shipped), the resize
button has been used to toggle between the current window size and the
minimum window size required to display everything, so long as it's
smaller than the Mac's display. If you would rather have a maximize
button, RightZoom will give it to you. dk
Link:
How To: Make OS X's Maximize Button Function Like Windows
MacNote3: A Great Notepad App for Mac PowerPC
Mac PowerPC writes:
"If you've been searching for a great notepad for a long time and
have yet to find the right fit for your needs, I think your search is
about to end right here. MacNote3 is a very
complete product that goes beyond the capabilities of a simple notepad.
It's fast to use and has a very clean interface. One very interesting
point is MacNote3 is similar to Notepad or Scrapbook (applications
familiar to users of Mac OS 9). This is such a powerful app, and I
highly recommend it to all of you!"
The writer goes on to share eight reasons MacNote3 is such a
wonderful program.
MacNote3 is demoware. You can try it for 30 days free of charge.
Registration is $15.
Link: MacNote3
for Mac PowerPC
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