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Welcome to Low End Mac

We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.

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Category Archives: Low End Mac

Analysis, advice, editorial, opinion, and commentary.

  • 'Book Value 
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  • iBasics 
  • iBasics Classic iBasics articles for the Classic Mac OS
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  • iOS & iDevices Articles about iOS and iOS devices: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
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  • Low End Campfire Discussion Campfire style storytelling of Apple finds, exciting discoveries and more.
  • Low End Mac FAQs 
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  • Low End Mac Round Table Low End Mac round table discussion.
  • Low End Mac Tech Journal 
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  • Mac to Windows Articles about using Macs and Windows PCs together.
  • Mac UK 
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  • MacInSchool 
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  • MacPaint and Its Children 
  • Matt's Macs 
  • Maximize Your Mac Jason Schrader's tips on getting the most out of your Mac hardware.
  • Bluetooth & Wifi Upgrades 
  • Memory Upgrade Options 
  • Menagerie of Macs 
  • Miscellaneous Ramblings 
  • Moore's Mailbag 
  • My First Mac 
  • My Turn 
  • Older G4 Macs in the Age of Leopard 
  • One More Thing 
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  • Plays Well with Others 
  • PPC Linux 
  • Printer Reviews 
  • Reality Check 
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  • Second Class Macs 
  • SETI on Mac 
  • Software FAQs 
  • Stop the Noiz - Frank Fox tries to cut through the static and get to the facts.
  • Taking Back the Market - Tim Nash on how Apple can retake its markets.
  • Tangerine Fusion 
  • Tech Spectrum 
  • Tech Stuff 
  • The 'Book Page 
  • The Efficient Mac User 
  • The Lite Side 
  • Bumper Snickers 
  • The Low End Designer 
  • The Mac Pack Rat The every day adventures of a Macintosh Pack Rat. Repairing and using lower end machines for productive daily work.
  • The Mobile Mac 
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  • Things Macintosh 
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  • Unofficial SuperMac Support Site 
  • Using WordPress - Tips on using WordPress, particularly as deployed at Low End Mac.
  • View from the Classroom 
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  • Vintage Mac Living 
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  • Welcome to Macintosh 
  • In House with Low End Mac 
  • Working with Vintage Macs 
  • Zis Mac - Alan Zisman on Macs, iOS, and other tech.

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A Forgotten Gem: Apple FireWire SDK

Dan Bashur,  Apple History, Low End Mac, Mac USB & FireWire, Tech Stuff - 2023.09.20 - Leave a comment -

Once upon a time (for those somewhat new to the Mac platform), there was this innovative connection that showed up in the late 1990s – early 00s called FireWire that came around shortly after the advent of USB (at least in terms of the consumer world – FireWire had been in development since the mid […]

Contour Unimouse Version 4 Fits Your Hand Like It Was Designed for You

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac USB & FireWire - 2017.12.09 - Leave a comment -

Way back when Apple made fruit flavored iMacs and round, one-button mice, Contour Design introduced a multi-button USB mouse colored to match the fruit-flavored colors of Revision C and D iMacs.

Logitech Cordless Elite Duo Wireless USB Mouse and Keyboard

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac Accessories, Mac USB & FireWire, Reviews - 2002.10.10 - Leave a comment -

The latest thing in laptops is using them as desktops. Devices such as the Lapvantage Dome and forthcoming Oyster Laptop Dock let you move your ‘Book off the desk to position the screen at a more comfortable, more ergonomically correct height.

Acer Aspire 6511-AH USB Keyboard

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac Accessories, Mac USB & FireWire, PC Accessories, Reviews - 1999.12.14 - Leave a comment -

I couldn’t believe it – a US$19 USB extended keyboard! At that price, it was worth a try. From the photo (below), it looked like a match for the Apple Extended Keyboard layout, or at least very close.

Macally iKey USB Keyboard

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac Accessories, Mac USB & FireWire, Reviews - 1999.10.25 - Leave a comment -

Supporting a over 80 Macs in three locations, consistency is very important. Most of the Macs at work are still running System 7.5.5. Newer ones are generally on Mac OS 8.1 or 8.6. We use the Apple ADB Mouse (in its various incarnations) almost exclusively, along with the Contour UniMouse on Macs without ADB ports.

Adesso Nu-Form USB Keyboard

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac Accessories, Mac USB & FireWire, Reviews - 1999.10.04 - Leave a comment -

First, thank you to Adesso for supplying a keyboard for this review. Since the advent of the Power Mac G4, we have to find a new keyboard we can use at work – the G4 has no ADB port for our old Apple Extended, Apple Adjustable, MicroSpeed KB-105M, or Adesso Nu-Form ADB keyboards.

The Ethernet Alternative to USB Drives

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Low End Mac Tech Journal, Mac USB & FireWire - 1999.09.08 - Leave a comment -

1999 – USB is slower than promised, providing at most two-thirds of the expected speed based on its 12 Mbps bandwidth (see The Truth About USB Speed). But the iMac, iBook, and Lombard PowerBook don’t have any other option, do they?

The Truth about USB Speed

Daniel Knight,  Low End Mac, Mac USB & FireWire - 1999.08.30 - Leave a comment -

Until May 1998, the Mac world was pretty much oblivious regarding the Universal Serial Bus (USB) found on many Windows computers.

Low-Cost USB Removables Compared

Paulo Rodrigues,  Low End Mac, Mac USB & FireWire, Tangerine Fusion - 1999.04.13 - Leave a comment -

So you have an iMac or Blue & White G3, and you totally love it – but you need to buy a low-cost removable-media drive. What should you get? With this criteria, you have three options: a Zip drive, a SuperDisk (a.k.a. LS-120) drive, or a standard floppy drive.

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