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
Readers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area are familiar with the works
of longtime Sports Writer Blackie Sherrod. Blackie was in his prime
shortly after the founding of the original 13 colonies, but continues
to be a fixture with the Dallas Morning News. Over the past decade,
he has been subjecting us to articles which have no coherent theme or
ideas. He simply scattershoots, throwing out random thoughts as they
come to him. He was the model from which Larry King based his own
disjointed writing style, referred to as "dot.dot.dot".
I like to contribute to Low End
Mac on a monthly basis and have found that my mind will remind me
to contribute by throwing an idea for an article to my conscious
approximately every three weeks. This time I find that I have a group
of small ideas, which although extremely important to the community,
are a bit lean. As such, I will pay tribute to Blackie and submit
these scattershots.
New Releases for Macworld?
I was talking with some of the employees at the local Apple store,
and we began speculating on possible releases to coincide with MWNY.
We threw out the usual rumors of G4 iBooks and G5 Power Macs and
tried to base our speculation on the current product life cycles. If
you examine the current product map, it is difficult to see where any
major changes could be made.
On the portable side, the
PowerBook has just gone through a wonderful revision in the past
60 days, and the iBook specs
were raised to keep the two machine relatively close to the previous
capability gap. In the desktop
arena, the Power Mac specs were
just raised, and the iMac still
has the new computer smell. The eMac
machine is both brand new and dangerously close to hurting the value
of the new iMac. The Xserve is a
brand new product, and the iPod was recently upgraded to offer a
higher capacity drive.
In the hardware arena, the employees and I decided that a
Quicksilver case update and a possible iMac upgrade were about all
that seemed realistic. It seems this summer will again be the
platform for highlighting software with heavy emphasis on 10.2.
I was able to come up with one upgrade I would love to see and
that no one else in the group had given much thought: AppleWorks 7.0.
After my switch to OS X early last year, I made a concerted
effort to keep my PowerBook Microsoft free. I did this for a few
reasons, but most important in my mind was the stability of my
system.
Anyone who has used Office or Explorer knows that these products
are a leading cause of instability for an otherwise stable platform.
As none of the major Microsoft products had been carbonized at that
point, I took the opportunity to make the switch. When examining my
computer usage, three of the top five tasks (word processing, email,
browsing) had been traditionally handled with a Microsoft product.
With the arrival of OS X, I began to use AppleWorks as a primary
application for the first time since Claris was absorbed.
In my mind, the AppleWorks application accomplishes about 80% of
the tasks I need an office suite to handle - at a quarter of the
cost. The failings for me are the same well-documented limitations:
The inability to have multiple worksheets in each spreadsheet is a
tremendous liability for the spreadsheet application, and the lack of
PowerPoint translators is another factor that, if addressed, could
greatly improve interoperability.
Additionally, the application needs a redesign to better conform
to the OS X interface standards. A new revision would be a boon
to both the consumer and education markets, and it seems Office's
stranglehold still keeps many users from switching completely.
I Hate the New Ad Campaign!
When I first heard of the "switch" campaign, I thought it would be
a wonderful way to show Macintosh computers in the real world. I
pictured an ad showing John Smith carrying his PowerBook into a
corporate setting, trading files with PC users, connecting to PC
networks, working wireless, etc. Or Mike Admin, firing up his iBook
to manage his Unix network remotely. A real study in the way Mac
machines interact well with the rest of the computer world.
Instead, we get a collection of people who are quite frankly a bit
strange - and not one computer on the screen. I understand that it
may be a bit passé to actually show your product in a
commercial, but wouldn't you prefer seeing OS X screen shots to
this group:
http://www.apple.com/switch/
I must agree with Andrew Orlowski in his concern for the image the
ads promote. To quote the author, "The bad news is that Apple
couldn't have picked a starker collection of life's losers with which
to promote the Macintosh."
What happened to the simplified product grid?
One of the best things that Steve Jobs did when he rejoined Apple
was to simplify the Apple product grid. At the time, Apple had an
absolutely silly number of units available to the public, all of
which varied only slightly from the next. It was difficult for the
channel, difficult for Apple procurement, and untenable to consumers.
Apple was losing a fortune in inventory issues and was on the verge
of collapse.
Steve brought the company under control by building a simple
product grid. He offered both a desktop machine and a portable
machine for both the professional user and the consumer. Moving to
only four basic computers lowered costs, allowed for just in time
inventory, helped clear the channel, and pulled Apple out of a
terrible mess.
Fast forward to 2002, and we see that the professional still has a
PowerBook and Power Mac, and the consumer still has an iMac and an
iBook. The complications arise when you are now faced with two
form factors on the iBook and an additional machine, the eMac. Are we
going to see the rumored "iBook LE" with a G4 to complicate
matters?
The additional units and products are not a problem as of yet, but
if I see a Performa G4 this fall, I am going to have a fit.
Thanks for the iPod Service
Kudos to the Apple store in Dallas for the good service in helping
with my five month old iPod. My trusty player had suddenly started to
exhibit horrible battery life, with a best-case time of around 1.5
hours. Now this machine is 5 months old and long past the 90 day
warranty.
I took the machine in to talk with a Genius about ways to
recondition the battery or any other thoughts on the problems with
the machine. Instead, I was given a replacement machine on the spot
with only a few signatures on a repair order. It would seem the iPod
warranty period has been adjusted without much fanfare.
I did not probe further as I wanted to get out of the store
quickly to ensure no one reclaimed the new machine. I recommend users
take problem iPods into a local Apple store rather than calling
support.
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.
Recent articles by Kevin Webb
How Macintel could spell trouble for Windows, 06.15.
"Apple has been working to change the game from simply a hardware discussion to an integrated system approach - the digital hub."
Mac of the Day: iMac G5 (iSight), Oct. 2005 -Apple built an iSight webcam into the last version of the G5 iMac.
List of the Day: The iPod List The iPod List is a forum to discuss the iPod, it's accessories, the iTunes Store, iTunes, and related topics.
October 12 in LEM history: 98: Beyond HFS+ nightmares - 99: iMacs for all - 00: The future of low-end gaming - 01: Tips on buying a new computer - 05: iMac G5 (iSight) - Simple backup strategies - 06: Bring back flexible, easy to upgrade 'Books - 07: Road Apple nominations - PB 150 boots from Compact Flash - Leopard to slow down PowerPC Macs?
Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,799; new, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 shipped; 8-core, $2,599 shipped; 3.0 $3,399 shipped; 3.2, $4,099 shipped.
Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10.
Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $294; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 10.09.
If your old Mac is too slow, too noisy, too plain looking, or has too little room for expansion, you might want to mod it.
Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $269; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz, $390; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $529.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $995; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,400 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,699; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09.
DVD upgrade from 10.3, $75; upgrade bundle with 10.3, $118; full version, $129; family pack, $200; 10-user Server, $350; unlimited, $400.
Migrating My Law Office from Windows to Macintosh, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 10.08.
By switching to Leopard Server, everyone in the office will be able to move to a Mac - but which ones will best meet their needs?
Low End Mac Needs Help Moving to Joomla, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.08.
We've settled on Joomla as the content management system that should work very well for Low End Mac, but we're running stuck with templates.
Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed
price quotes and advertising information, please
contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number
is for advertising only.
desktop
arena, 
