Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com

Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full Tilt Poker Mac.

Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.

The Mac Webb

The Fully Utilized Computer

- 2001.12.31

I know I am not the only one who packed up his PowerBook and associated gear and brought everything they needed with them on Thanksgiving day, although I may be the only one who did it to travel only a half hour.

We buy portable machines to make sure we have access to our data and applications when and where we need them. If you are like me, you may pull your machine out to check email or surf the Web, but you really find it a reassuring piece of home. It makes you feel comfortable. Although you rarely do anything that could not wait until your return, you like to carry the gear with you just in case a need arises.

This Thanksgiving I was able to put my setup to good use and impress the family with the computing capabilities of my PowerBook G4. As we left the house, I grabbed my Targus case, which happened to have my entire outfit loaded from the last day at the office. I was not planning on using anything but my computer, but did not bother to unpack anything.

My rig

PowerBook G4
Canon N650 U Scanner: small, USB powered
MCE lucid CD-RW drive: small, bus powered

Additional gear

Canon Elura DV camera (my brother's)

My brother arrived and brought his Canon Elura DV camera for us to play around with. As the day progressed, we had accumulated a good deal of footage of my children and the rest of the clan.

As we sat down to watch the Dallas Cowboys game, I pulled out my PowerBook for my brother to play with. He is a casual computer user who is running an older HP notebook I gave him last year. The stylings of the PowerBook impressed him quite a bit, and he was having fun with my MP3 collection.

While we were playing, my mother was watching some of the video we had taken while she was preparing lunch. She wanted copies of some of the video of the kids, and my brother promised he would send her a copy of the film. It suddenly dawned on me that we could take care of that on the spot.

I grabbed the AC adapter, the burner, and the scanner, and I moved to the dining room table, long since cleared of any debris. We connected the DV camera to the PowerBook, and, as you would expect, the files were easily transferred to the computer.

I started iMovie, and we began to edit the raw footage into something a bit more polished. I keep about 20 GB of my 48 GB drive free for video, although I must admit that may be silly - this was the first movie I tried to edit on this machine. We edited the raw footage and created a good summary of the day's events.

Once the file was complete, I used the MCE burner to create a CD of the QuickTime file. Once the disc image was ready, it was simple to make a copy for the entire family. Everyone was thrilled, although I am certain I will have to spend time helping the non-Mac folks figure out QuickTime.

Flushed with our computer success, my brother and I grabbed a batch of family pictures and began running them through the scanner. I chose the Canon scanner based on its small size and the fact that it draws power from the USB cable. We eventually distributed the pictures on CD as well, giving everyone a thrill and making many understand the power of a fully utilized computer.

I made made the point to all who were impressed that they should constantly look for new ways to use computers. They are one of the most expensive purchases we make, and to let capabilities sit idle or unexplored is a waste of funds.

Kevin Webb spent the last seven years selling technology consulting services. Of that time, at least two years have been devoted to trying to convince the world that the Macintosh is the pinnacle of the computing experience. He is the proud owner of eight Macs, ranging from a new iBook to a Classic. You can read about his newest computer in Kevin Webb's PowerBook G4.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, Mar. 1990 - This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
Group of the Day: Mac mini List is for anyone using or contemplating a Mac mini
March 19 in LEM history: 90: Mac IIfx - 99: Fool me twice? - 01: Add FireWire, USB to older Macs - Time to replace your iMac? - 02: The Mac Challenge - Installing Linux on a low-end Mac - 03: Value of the Lombard PowerBook - Your portable should have WiFi - PowerBook 1400 upgrades - 04: The video iPod - 07: Troubleshooting an iMac - 08: Intel Mac mini value

Recent Deals

Best Intel iMac Deals, 03.17. Used 17" from $600; 20" from $750; 24" from $825; refurb 21.5" nVidia, $999; new, $1,099; refurb Radeon, $1,299; new, $1,399; refurb 27" 3.06, $1,499; more.
Best G5 iMac Deals, 03.17. 17" 2.0 GHz, $380; 1.9 GHz iSight, $479 shipped; 20" 1.8 GHz, $509 shipped; 2.1 GHz iSight, $549 shipped.
Best Time Capsule Deals, 03.17. Close-out 500 GB, $140; new 1 TB, $279; used 2 TB simultaneous dual-band, $400; new, $455. Shipping included.
Best iPad Deals, 03.16. 16 GB iPad, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699; 16 GB with 3G, $629; 32 GB 3G, $729; 64 GB 3G, $829. Free ground shipping.
Best iPod classic Deals, 03.12. Used 20 GB, $119; 40 GB, $139; 60 GB, $159; 30 GB video, $129; 60 GB, $159; 80 GB, $169; refurb 120 GB, $189; new, $214; 160 GB, $228 shipped.
Best G3 iBook and AirPort Card Deals, 03.12. 366 MHz 12" clamshell, $89; 466, $125; 500 white CD, $100; 600, $199; 800 Combo, $239; 14" 900, $225.
Best Xserve Deals, 03.12. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $499; 2.0 dual G5, $599; 2.3, $749; refurb 2.26 4-core Nehalem, $2,499; new, $2,699; 8-core, $3,449; refurb 2.66, $4,299; new, $4,799; more.
More deals in our archive.

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2010 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. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.