2007 – “What’s happened to Low End Mac lately?” It’s a question I hear from readers and staff members. “What’s with the spate of pro-Windows articles? Why do you let your writers advocate for Windows?”
Author Archives: Daniel Knight
Everyone it talking about the Zune, Microsoft’s attempt at an iPod killer. It adds one neat new feature to the product mix, but otherwise it pales in comparison to the real thing.
A long, long time ago – back in the days when Outpost.com had an affiliate program – I got my first laser printer. The HP LaserJet 2100TN was fast for its day (10 pages per minute), solidly built, and sharp (1200 dpi output). I used it for about 8 years, and it probably would have […]
Low End Mac contributor Tom Hormby posted an article on OSnews examining Apple’s Worst Business Decisions. Hormby’s histories are some of the most popular pieces we’ve ever published, but I’m have to question some of his analysis.
Microsoft has done some stupid things in the past, and we’ve taken our pot shots at their PlaysForSure initiative. Microsoft is a big, easy target. But now they’ve taken the next step and created an MP3 player that’s not compatible with their own PlaysForSure standard or DRM protected WMA and WMV files (see Microsoft’s Zune Won’t Play […]
The truth is out there. Or perhaps in there is a better way of putting it, at least as far as batteries for laptop computers are concerned. The truth is that those expensive (and sometimes exploding) batteries are little more than repackaged Li-Ion* AA cells. And generally not the high capacity ones at that.
We’ve been predicting it for weeks, and Apple updated both the iMac and the Mac mini today. Because the iMac has a bigger change in features, size, and performance, we’re looking at it today. Come back tomorrow for a look at the updated Mac mini.
When Apple made the switch from PowerPC CPUs to Intel in 2006, the state-of-the-art CPU was Intel’s Core Duo processor, which was based on Intel’s 32-bit Pentium M architecture, which was originally designed for mobile use. The Core Duo was Intel’s first dual-core mobile processor, and it was used in all first generation Intel Macs […]
We’ve been predicting it for weeks, and Apple updated both the iMac and the Mac mini today. Because the iMac has a bigger change in features, size, and performance, we’re looking at it today. Come back tomorrow when we’ll look at the updated Mac mini.
Apple has done something really different with the Mac Pro, and it’s taken a few days to put it all in perspective.
The Mac Pro group is for those using Mac Pro computers. The group was begun on 2006.08.08.
2006 – “The clueless shall inherit the earth, because there are so many of them.” The latest example of that truism comes from Mike Langberg in his Monday column in the Mercury News. In Apple’s iTunes Solo Act Is Getting Competition (free subscription required), he explains both the Windows monopoly monoculture and the closed iPod/iTMS system.
Low End Mac’s Panther group is for those using Mac OS X 10.3. Panther Group was begun on 2006.04.08.
Low End Mac’s Jaguar Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.2. The group was begun 2006.03.29.
2006 – It seems that you can’t win for trying. Apple and Microsoft have each developed DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) technology that provides enough security for the recording industry to allow online music sales.
2006 – What’s the better value, a 2.7 GHz dual processor Power Mac G5 or a 2.3 GHz Power Mac G5 with dual cores? With both currently available refurbished for the same US$2,149 price from the Apple Store, that’s a good question.
Charles W. Moore’s essay on copyright law (see Copyright Bullies May Win Some Battles but Must Lose Their War) raised a lot of good points about the way vested interests (such as the RIAA and MPAA) have changed the nature of copyright from something that serves the public interest into something that only serves publishers.
February 2006 – A good mattress isn’t cheap, most cheap mattresses aren’t very good, and waterbeds remain a popular choice for people who loathe spring mattresses or can’t afford a good conventional mattress.
There are pros and cons to working with an external hard drive. On the plus side, you can easily move your operating system, applications, and work files from one computer to another. And you can pick as big and fast a drive as fits your budget. And you can avoid having to open up a […]
The MacBook group is for anyone using a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air. The group was begun on 2006.02.11.
Judge James Ware of the US District Court of Northern California says a lawsuit against Apple for “tying” can go ahead. The suit alleges that Apple’s iPod and iTunes Music Store are tied together in such a way that it violates the Sherman Antitrust Act.
I don’t own a Mac mini, and I don’t plan on buying one, so why in the world would I be interested in the NewerTech miniStack? For those not familiar with the miniStack, it’s one of many “zero footprint” drives designed to sit under the Mac mini and match its design.
January 2006 – During my separation, I lived alone in a one bedroom apartment, and my electric bill never hit $10 a month. How’s that for frugal?
The Mac mini group is for anyone using a Mac mini, whether the G4 or an Intel-based model. Group begun 2006.01.11.
The Macintel group is for those using Intel-based Macs. The group was begun on 2006.01.11.
The first Intel-based iMac changes the value equation for the entire realm of desktop Macs.
A few weeks ago, a kind reader asked if I’d be interested in his old PowerBook 1400, a 1997 laptop that he didn’t use any longer. As the publisher of Low End Mac and someone who remembers the 1400 fondly, I couldn’t resist.
Can I put a 160 GB or larger IDE hard drive in my iMac, eMac, Power Mac, iBook, or PowerBook? The short answer: Yes, you can. The long answer: Yes, you can, but you may not be able to use more than 128 GB without some third-party assistance.
Apple will begin migrating to Intel CPUs next summer, but the PowerPC isn’t dead yet. Nowhere is this more evident than with the new Power Mac G5 models, all of which use IBM’s new dual-core CPUs.
Already this month Apple updated the iMac and introduced the video iPod. And yesterday they introduced the first Macs ever with dual-core CPUs and improved PowerBooks. We’ll look at the new PowerBooks today and save the Power Macs for tomorrow.
