In 2005, I decided I needed a laptop computer. After using a Mac for a number of years, my first choice would have been an Apple laptop, but funds were tight, so I opted for a Windows machine. However, using Windows on a daily basis got the better of me, and I decided I had […]
Category Archives: Tech Spectrum
Is it important to used matched memory? This question has intrigued me for a while. When cramming as much memory in a Mac as you can, should you use the same size and speed and brand to ensure maximum compatibility and stability?
I first started looking into alternatives to the Apple AirPort Card when a friend of mine had a slot-load iMac G3 and the original 802.11b AirPort Card was the only option to go wireless – other than USB dongles. Original AirPort Cards are expensive nowadays. Ever since Apple stopped selling them, there are less and less of them around […]
2009 – I have had so many arguments with people stating that Apple deliberately geared Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard to perform much better on Intel machines so as to pull people away from the PowerPC platform. I thought it was about time this myth was laid to rest.
Is it worth maxing the RAM in older computers? This has been a long-asked question, one I see on mailing groups regularly.
I’m a keen follower of Mac web browsers, so when Apple released a new version of Safari – even a beta – I had to try it. Most owners of low-end Macs know they are for basic uses and browsing the Web, so finding a good browser that performs at a reasonable speed is vital […]
2009 – I recently left the G3 market and stepped up to having only G4s, and last year I wrote about whether G3s are still viable in the workplace (see Getting the Most from Your G3 Mac), but what about the G4?
There is a lot of rumour and speculation about Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard at the moment. Let’s looks at the future of Apple and Microsoft OS offering.
2008 – You might think this is a rather old topic to examine, but with recent movements in both the Mac and PC worlds, it is more relevant than ever. OS X 10.5 Leopard is the Mac equivalent of Windows Vista. How do they compare?
2008 – I just acquired an 867 MHz PowerBook G4. This is the slowest Mac officially supported by Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. For anyone wondering whether running a such a high spec modern OS on an older Mac works well, I say go for it. You will be surprised. I was.
Apple announced the next version of Mac OS X, code named “Snow Leopard”, about six months ago. Information regarding it has been vague – even the official 10.6 Snow Leopard site doesn’t really tell you much.
I’m not a conformist. Being a Mac user puts me in the minority of computer users. But I could go one step further. With my foot firmly in the door of Open Source software, would an Open Source operating system be the next step forward – or would it be a step back?
2008 – There has been lots of talk on various Apple discussion websites and Mac mailing lists that I subscribe to about how Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is not geared towards PowerPC Macs and was developed with Intel Macs in mind. I disagree with this.
As with operating systems, Microsoft also has the market cornered for office suites. Microsoft Office has long been the de facto standard in offices across the world – and in homes too – probably because it follows having Windows. There are good alternatives for Mac users – and for Windows users too.
The future of PowerPC Macs has been in question since Apple moved to Intel processors in 2006.
My latest main Mac (since my Intel iMac died) is a Power Mac G4 Sawtooth that is way under Apple’s minimum requirements for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, but I set out on a mission to get it installed. At Low End Mac, we pride ourselves in getting the most out of our Macs. I use G3s running […]
I have a lot of Macs similarly spec’d, and I began noticing a lot of difference between them, so I set about benchmarking them and comparing the results. I thought I would share my findings with you.
A mate of mine who has only been using Macs for a few weeks has been using a PowerBook G3. We installed Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger on it, and then he got a larger hard drive. He was about to reinstall OS X when I suggested cloning.
I love G3 Macs, but I’m no fool. A G3 machine in its original Apple-shipped state won’t cut it in today’s computing world – but with a few upgrades and additions you can easily get a little extra usage out of older Macs.
I’ve been an avid reader of Low End Mac for a number of years and have recently shown my appreciation and become a writer. But what exactly is a low-end Mac? Different people have different ideas.
As a user of older Macs, especially G3s, lightweight apps make your day-to-day usage a lot easier, and this extends to web browsers.
I have been in several discussion with people who claim that all operating systems are rubbish these days, whether Windows, Mac, or Linux. In this day and age of cross-platform computing and the Internet, does it really matter what OS you are running?
We have had time to get used to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. How does it compare to the legendary Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger?
Everyone seems to want portable computing, but are laptops now considered too big? Could a smartphone be a suitable replacement for a laptop?
I am a firm believer in getting the very most out of older hardware – part of the reason I like and write for Low End Mac. With the move to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Apple cut out a lot of older computer users and began a slow death for the G3.
This article aims to show which Mac browsers are best, in terms of stability, speed, general features, and compatibility.
This article aims to show which Mac browsers are best, in terms of stability, speed, general features, and compatibility. This article was superceded by 11 Mac Browsers Compared on 2008.09.03.
I purchased a Lombard PowerBook G3 in 2005 and started upgrading it, adding everything from more RAM, and a bigger hard drive to a DVD-RW.
This guide shows you how to replaced the optical drive in both the Lombard and the Pismo PowerBook, which uses exactly the same drive bay modules.
Getting your PowerBook online wirelessly can be tricky. I take a look at which cards work.
As a child of the 1970s (albeit by only two months), I grew up when computing was at its ripest. I started my computing venture with the likes of a Commodore 64 and Acorn 3010.
I’ve been into computing for over 15 years, but I didn’t see the Apple light until 2000. I had always liked Macs, but they were way out of my budget. I started working for a publishing house and was using an old Quadra. Even though it was old, it was amazing. It was my first experience […]
