One of the greatest features added to Mac OS starting with Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" has been
one of the simplest to use and yet one of the most useful.
Front Row was introduced in late 2005 with the "iSight" iMac G5. The iSight
iMac was the first Mac that utilized Apple's remote control, and to
this day the Apple Remote continues to add convenience and
functionality to those using a Mac as part of their home entertainment
solution. Front Row allows you to quickly and easily control your
iTunes and iPhoto libraries as well as watch your own iMovie projects
or watch an inserted DVD.
After doing some research on the subject, the opportunities were
obvious for Macs that supported Front Row but lacked a built-in IR
receiver. It's a wonder that the 1.67 GHz hi-res PowerBook G4,
which I'm writing this article on on, didn't include an IR port and the
Apple Remote for use with Front Row, since it was released at the same
time as the iSight iMac G5.
The Aluminum PowerBook G4 line and earlier also lacked built-in
iSight, but that's a story for another day.
What About the Pismo's IR Port?
Pismo's IrDA port is on the lower right in this photo.
For many reasons, the Pismo PowerBook is a favorite
among readers and writers of Low End Mac due to its expansion options
and serviceability. The Pismo is the earliest portable Mac that
supports Tiger without a hacked install. Even more intriguing is the IR
port built into the reliable, now decade-old machine. Unfortunately,
the IR port on the Pismo is predominantly for data transfer, which was
a common way to move small files wirelessly between two devices before
Bluetooth. The same holds true for the early 400/500 MHz Titanium PowerBook
G4 units.
I've searched near and far, but I haven't come across any
applications that would enable the Pismo (or early TiBooks) to use the
IR port to receive commands sent from Apple's remote control. Simply
put, the Apple Remote won't work with these machines.
It's too bad - it would have definitely added yet one more thing for
Pismo owners to brag about, aside from numerous upgrade and expansion
options.
Nonetheless, Front Row can be installed on G3 machines such as the
Pismo, but I would strongly suggest against it (at least without a G4
upgrade), due to the fact that Front Row seems to rely heavily on
AltiVec. With the
lack of AltiVec on the G3 chip, the result is flaky performance. Here
is an older
report of using Front Row on a Pismo running a 500 MHz G3
processor. It explains some of the issues Pismo users may experience
while attempting to run Front Row.
Getting the Most out of Front Row at a Value Price
Here at Low End Mac, we are all about obtaining and using Apple gear
at the most reasonable price. With that said, you can still have
trouble-free, remote use of Front Row on PowerPC machines that don't
have integrated IR. There's no need for a shiny new Intel machine,
unless you feel compelled to buy one to run Windows apps or to run
Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow
Leopard".
A good starting point for a capable Front Row machine is a G4 that
is officially supported by Mac
OS X 10.5 "Leopard". The last TiBook, available at
867 MHz and 1 GHz (with 32 MB or 64 MB of VRAM respectively) and newer
will do just fine, and so should any G4 Mac mini and Aluminum
PowerBook. You can always upgrade any older Mac tower or Cube with the
necessary components for satisfying performance as well. Just remember,
for iTunes video, a Mac must meet or exceed the 1 GHz G4 minimum
with at least 32 MB of VRAM.
Speaking of upgrading a G4 Cube: With 1 GB of RAM, a
1.5 GHz PowerLogix processor upgrade available from
Other World Computing, and a flashed GeForce 6200 (found on
eBay from
Applemacanix), you could have a nice Front Row machine (and very
useful computer), as well as a stunning showpiece hooked up to your
flat panel HDTV within your home entertainment center.
A Cube still turns heads today, even though it wasn't the best
possible solution at the time it was released. With the aforementioned
upgrades, it certainly is much better than it was at its release and
still is contained within an 8" cube. The biggest drawbacks to using an
upgraded Cube for your personal enjoyment and productivity are the
location of the ports and the lack of USB 2.0. You can bypass the port
location issue with a powered USB hub, although you will still be
limited to USB 1.1 speeds. Too bad there wasn't an expansion bay. (See
Re-imagining the Mac Cube
for the Intel Era for a vision on what the Cube could be like if
Apple were to reinstate that product line today.)
Controlling It All (a Couch Potato's Dream)
Since G4 Macs don't have support for the Apple Remote, someone had
to come to the rescue so you could operate Front Row remotely. You owe
your thanks to the folks at Logitech and Keyspan for the best solutions
available today.
Enter the Logitech
diNovo Edge Mac Edition keyboard, currently available from
Amazon.com for $88.99 shipped, and the Keyspan
Front Row Remote Control, currently available through Amazon.com
for $26.47
This is not a product review, so I won't rate the products, but I
can tell you that you get what you pay for. The Keyspan remote simply
lets you access Front Row features using a USB receiver attached to
your Mac. Just launch Front Row, and you control the rest remotely with
this RF solution.
The diNovo Edge, on the other hand, is a fully functional command
center, rather than a simple keyboard, with its built-in touchpad and
scroll wheel. The diNovo Edge operates via Bluetooth and has built-in
hot keys for instant access to Front Row and other common Mac Apps
(iTunes, iPhoto, Safari). If your Mac is not Bluetooth equipped, simply
add a Bluetooth
dongle so you can use the diNovo Edge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you don't have to go Intel or use an iSight iMac G5
to enjoy Front Row remotely. With most G4s, Front Row can be fully
utilized with the right equipment. Stick with smaller form factor Macs
for enjoyment within your home entertainment setup.
The only challenge that remains for Mac users is in the sound
department. There are many available 5.1 channel solutions for PC
users, but you really have to look if you're a Mac user. We'll look at
that in my next column. 
Dan Bashur lives in central Ohio with his wife and children. He uses various PowerPC G3 and G4 Macs running Tiger and Leopard. Besides finding new uses for Macs and other tech, Dan enjoys writing (fantasy novel series in the works), is an avid gamer, and a member of Sony's Gamer Advisor Panel. You can read more of Dan Bashur's work on ProjectGamers.com, where he contributes regular articles about the PSP, classic gaming, and ways you can use Sony gaming hardware with your Mac.
