In addition to lowendmac.com and our communities on Google Groups, Low End Mac has had a presence on Facebook since December 2008 – and we’ve had requests to create new Facebook groups for similarly low-end interests.
We don’t manage all of these groups. In some cases, people have asked for our blessing to start a group in another area that supports the low-end philosophy of getting the most for the least in the long run. Although I’m a member of all of these groups, I only post in a few. The dates in parentheses are when we launched the group. Membership numbers are for Late October 2018.
Apple Related Groups
Low End Mac (Dec. 2008) covers all things Mac and also covers iOS. Macs are the primary focus, regardless of age, but there’s a lot of support for those using iPhones and iPads as well. Over 6,300 members.
Low End iPod, iPhone, and iPad (Jan. 2018) exists because a lot of iPhone and iPad users are not Mac users, so we wanted to create a place for all iPhone, iPad, and iPod users. 197 members.
Color Classic Club (Apr. 2018) is for those who love the color compact Macs – the original Color Classic and the Colour Classic II – as well as those who love to mod them.
PowerBook Duo and 2400c Club (Aug. 2018) is a small niche group for the beloved PowerBook Duo line and its successor model, the PowerBook 2400c. 17 members.
Mac Rejuvenators (May 2014) has a special focus on restoring older Macs. 294 members.
Mac Pro Forever exists mostly to steer Mac Pro users to two other popular Mac Pro groups. We would rather do that than create a competing group.
Low End Hackintosh (Jan. 2018) is about getting Mac OS X (a.k.a. macOS) running on non-Apple PC hardware. We subtitle the group Hackintosh for Humans because we want this to be the most user-friendly Hackintosh group. 370 members.
Linux on PowerPC Macs (Jan. 2018). Getting Linux on PowerPC Macs can be a hit-or-miss affair, so we have gathered together people who have made it work. The group primarily focuses on G3, G4, and G5 Macs. 750 members.
And then we have our geographic “swap” groups: LEM Swap USA, LEM Swap Canada, LEM Swap UK (and nearby), and LEM Swap Australia (and nearby).
PPC Gaming Lounge (Apr. 2018) has a very specific focus: Multiplayer gaming on PowerPC Mac, especially G4 and G5. Intel Macs are strictly forbidden. The group members have several servers up and running. This group is associated with Low End Mac because the group admins are friends of LEM, but it is not run by Low End Mac. 225 users
Other Computers
The 8-Bit Era (July 2017) looks back at the early days of personal computing (1976 up to 19cc when the Commodore 64 left the market). Mostly a pointer to other Facebook groups looking at specific families of personal computers.
Low End PC (May 2012) puts to focus on older x86 PC hardware – desktops, laptops, and netbooks among them. Focus is split between Windows and Linux. With Windows XP losing support from Microsoft in April 2014, this group is more important than ever for getting value out of old PC hardware. 2,080 members.
Chromebook User to User (Oct. 2018) is an open group that we hope to see grow into the Chromebook equivalent of Low End Mac – the best place to go for good advice from other users. New.
Low End Printers (Aug. 2014). 71 members.
Other Mobile Devices
Low End Android (June 2013) covers the spectrum of Android smartphones and tablets. 330 members.
Palm OS Users (July 2016) is for people using the old Palm OS on Palm, Handspring, and other brands of hardware. 266 members.
Low End Mobile USA (July 2014) is all about finding the best deals on mobile service in the United States. 31 members.
Entertainment
Low End Gaming (Jan. 2014) is for fans of gaming, whether on computers and consoles. 314 members.
Low End TV (Jan. 2014) looks for ways to save money vs. the high prices of cable and satellite television. I’m a huge fan of Netflix and Roku, and Prime Video is a nice bonus for Amazon Prime members. Whether you use Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, a smart TV, or some other streaming solution, this is your group. 95 members.
Low End Audio (Jan. 2014) is very new. Way back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I sold high-end audio and built my own speakers. Today it’s much more a low-end thing for me, and there are some great values on the used market. 108 members.
Lifestyle
Low End Living (Nov. 2016) puts the focus on living frugally. 100 members.
Low End Cars (Dec. 2012) is all about getting the most out of your affordable, aging car. As with Low End Mac, there is no definition of exactly what is low-end. 122 members
Low End Bike is for bicyclists of all persuasions. It is not a Low End Mac group per se but is run by a long-time friend of Low End Mac.
Photography
Low End Photography (July 2014) is for photographers, whether you’re a film lover, a digital maven, or just want to get better photos from the smartphone. 55 members.
Fujica SLR Users (Oct. 2018) is for users of Fujica ST and X series 35mm SLR cameras since there was no existing group covering them.
If you have an idea for another low-end community, let me know.
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