Low End Mac Archive for February 27

February 27 in Apple and LEM History

Apple pulls the plug on Newton, the innovative handheld computer that created the PDA market. Read Apple's press release, where they promised they would "be serving this market with Mac OS-based products beginning in 1999."

Apple's Internet strategy: Reorganization in progress, Jake Sargent, iThings Considered. Apple's unique Internet services such as iTools give it a real advantage.
I was roundly unimpressed, Daniel Usmar, My First Mac. "If I wasn't a compulsive geek, I would have run away."
Bigger ads, better ads?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. The Internet Advertising Bureau is proposing several monstrously large formats. Is this a good thing?

More thoughts on professional elitism and gatekeeping, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. More on journalistic credentials, the consensus of the competent, and the Internet.
Korin's Power Mac and PowerBook, Korin Hasegawa-John, Tools of the Trade. One tricked out Power Mac - and a PowerBook for school and other field work.

Fighting spam with Bayesian filtering, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report. Smarter email filtering could be used to both fight unwanted spam and point out potentially important messages.
Creating an RSS news feed with PHP and MySQL, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal. How we use our publishing database to automatically create the Low End Mac RSS newsfeed.
Recovering from the FireWire hot swap fiasco, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. It took a little while, but everything is working as it should again. Also, deals on FireWire cards for desktops and PowerBooks.

What gets bigger as it gets smaller? The hard drive, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive. Remember those old 20 MB 5.25" hard drives? The iPod mini stores a whole lot more on a drive so small that it can be used in a Compact Flash slot.
Faster G4 'Books possible, new life for old 'Books, new online 'Book comparisons, and more, Charles W. Moore, The 'Book Review. New iSight holder, iBook logic board fiasco, TimeLeft, screen polish, 8x DVD burning, bargain 'Books from $50 to $2,199, and more.

Dvorak adoption notice, tips for Apple's Yo-yo power supply, old iMac a good value?, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. Also a 'Pismo up in smoke' update, Lombard up in smoke, iBook G3 logic board problems, Wangwriter appreciation, and more.

Lisa emulator released, allows OS X and Windows users to experience Apple's Lisa, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living. Nearly a decade in the making, the Lisa Emulator Project now has a working Lisa emulator for Windows PCs and OS X Macs.
Use your Bluetooth phone to control your Mac? Maybe, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report. Salling Clicker software turns many Bluetooth phones into remote controls for Bluetooth-equipped Macs.

Mac again, thanks to Microsoft, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job. It was Microsoft Exchange Server that drew me away from the Mac, but now Office: 2008 lets me back into the Macintosh world.
Apple products: Better by design, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz. "Mac users have come to trust Apple to make things simple but not underpowered."
The 2008 MacBook Pro value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. "Perhaps the best thing about the new models is what they've done to prices of last year's MacBook Pro line."
Megapixels, noise, image quality, and fixing photos in software, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag. Also iMac vs. Mac mini, a possible fix for failing optical drives, optical mice for ADB Macs, and where to buy Macs in Philly.

Linux on netbooks is no threat to Microsoft, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz. Because computer makers have to bear the cost of supporting Linux, it could be less costly to install Windows.
Safari 4 fastest browser, Apple tops in user satisfaction, Macworld Canada launches, and more, Mac News Review. Also 15 free Mac apps for graphic designers, 7% of Firefox users on Macs, two video ports likely on next Mac mini, 8x external Blu-ray drive, and more.
Unibody MacBook makes old MacBook Pro look old, MacBook cracks, OptiBay for Unibodies, and more, The 'Book Review. Also netbooks don't doom Apple, an Apple netbook won't just be for cheapskates, 12,820 mAh battery in 17in MacBook Pro, bargain 'Books from $170 to $2,999, and more.
Apple rethinks iPhone pricing, offline Gmail app, 25,000 Saudis buy iPhones, and more, iNews Review. Also Japanese newspapers use iPhone apps to reach audience, satallite phone almost as cheap as iPhone, Bailout Bonanza app, mini microphone for iPhone 3G and current iPods, and more.

More iOS Devices Sold Than All Macs Ever, Half of Kindle Fire Owners Want an iPad 3, and More, iOS News Review. Also iPad owner demographics, Dropbox-enabled text editor, Tubi iPhone sound amplifier, and more.