Low End Mac Archive for March 31

March 31 in Low End Mac History

The carpenter's trade in the computer age, Manuel Mejia, Mac Daniel. A carpenter, a block of wood, an R/C battery, and a resurrected PowerBook.
End of the Mac Web as we know it, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill. "Effective April 1, 2000, the anniversary of their incorporation, Apple will be celebrating their anniversary in style - by shutting down the vast majority of Mac sites on the internet."

Quill gripless ergonomic mouse, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. Uniquely designed mouse reorients hand, greatly reduces stress on wrist and fingers.
Switching to Windows, angry about OS X, upgrade pricing, Kanga, Apple and Intel, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag. Readers weigh in on leaving OS X for Windows XP, the cost of OS X upgrades, the existence of a Jaguar upgrade CD, the original PowerBook, and a Jobs-Intel relationship.

One free iTune from Pepsi, but which one to choose?, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side. Winning one of the 100 million free songs raises the big question - which one do you want from the iTunes Music Store?
Is Apple up or down these days?, Stephen Van Esch, Mac Scope. There's a real mix of good news and bad news about Apple these days. Should we be encouraged?
Upgraded Pismo or 14" iBook?, more thoughts on Pismo and Lombard G4 upgrades, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. Weighing the pros and cons of a new iBook and upgrading an older PowerBook G3 with a G4 processor.

Risk of meteorite impact assessment for your Macintosh computer, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side. Worried about a Mac virus? You may be in more danger from meteorites than from viruses.
'Ear different', rename your iPod, iPod case from space, an iPod-ready chair, and more, iPod News Review. Also iPod escapism, using the iPod as a hard drive, new iPod cases, new iPod-related software, a new FM transmitter, and much more.

Thanks for 30 strange years: Bumper snickers, rumor generators, the Dell Dude, and more, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side. Waxing nostalgic for the Apple II, dot matrix printers, Road Apple Macs, and other events in Apple's 30-year history.
Class action madness: Applying common sense to the iPod battery and volume level cases, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. Class-action lawsuits make lawyers rich regardless of how many members of the class actually benefit, and settlements usually cost companies a lot less than they should. Here's how to fix that.
MacBook beefs, Vodafone supports Mac with 3G wireless, one keyboard and mouse to rule them all, and more, The 'Book Review. Lots more positive MacBook press, how not to lose your job if you lose your laptop, software to warn you when you AC adapter is unplugged, bargain 'Books from $100 to $2,199 (first refurb MacBooks), and more.
Apple tops BusinessWeek 50, many G3 Macs now considered vintage, a tiny 6 GB pocket drive, and more, Mac News Review. Also touchscreen-enabled iMacs, an AirPort amplifier for iMacs, and new 17" and 19" monitors from Westinghouse Digital.

Major League Baseball and the Macintosh: Has the magic faded?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. Good business decisions show MLB and Apple for what they are, and there's no magic to business.
It's not the iPod's fault, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz. Don't blame Apple because it doesn't support moving your music library from your iPod to your computer. Apple never claimed it could do that.
Get more out of Leopard and Vista with these helpful volumes, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac. Today's operating systems come with minimal printed documentation. These books will help you get a lot more out of Mac OS X 10.5 and Windows Vista.

Microsoft doesn't get it, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. The PC world rejoices at Apple's February sales drop, celebrates Lauren's $699 laptop, and says we pay $500 for the Apple logo. They just don't get it.
Are PC users losers?, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz. Microsoft's new ad takes on Mac pricing while Steve Ballmer claims Mac buyers pay a $500 premium for a logo.
My Apple laptops: Past, present, and future, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value. Looking back at the WallStreet, Pismo, and PowerBook G4 while moving ahead with a Unibody MacBook.

Flash makes Macs hot, thermal paste blues, benefits of old technology, and more, Charles W Moore, Charles Moore's Mailbag. Also missing Windowshade, Tiger vs. Leopard on G4 PowerBooks, Apple's new ad technology, and a broken G5.
Apple power adapter tips, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation. Apple uses thin coaxial wire with its AC adapters. Tips on preventing damage - and repairing broken ones.
Pagehand is a nearly perfect Mac writing tool, Jason Walsh, Mac Life. Jason Walsh has been looking for the ideal word processing program, and Pagehand "strikes an almost perfect balance between simplicity and features."

Lion breaks older installers, Apple charging for Xcode, desktop lifecycle in business, and more, Charles Moore, Charles Moore's Mailbag. Also another Pismo resurrection story and the future of browsers for PowerPC Macs and OS X 10.4 Tiger.