Apple, Tech, and Gaming
lives in the suburbs of
Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Amie, and two children, Matthew and
Courtney. He bought his first Mac, a 600 MHz "Summer 2001" G3
iMac - just four months before Apple introduced the iMac G4. He says:
"This was the first Mac I purchased on my own, and the only one I
ever purchased new at full retail price before becoming a dedicated
low-end Mac buyer through eBay
auctions and local sellers. I paid $1,299 for my iMac G3 just 4 months
before the $300 price-drop on this model - and the surprising release
of the iMac G4 flat panel (grrrr . . . bad luck)."
Although a bit disappointed at first, Dan's old-fashioned CRT iMac
G3 has proven to be a wise investment with no hardware failures in a
decade of operation. It served him well as his workhorse for seven
years (through college and beyond) and has been outfitted with several
peripherals and upgrades over the years. It is currently running
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger as a
back-up machine, and finally took a back seat in 2008 to a 1.42 GHz eMac G4 purchased for
just a fraction of the original price tag of the iMac G3, while
providing several times the performance.
Dan's main production machines include the above-mentioned eMac and
an off-lease 12" 1.5 GHz
PowerBook G4 acquired in January 2011. Both are running Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard. The eMac has
been maxed out with 2 GB of dual channel DDR PC-3200 RAM,
significantly boosting Leopard performance, and is connected to a 22"
AOC 1080p HD monitor via mini-VGA-to-VGA connection. It is also running
in extended desktop mode courtesy of Screen Spanning
Doctor. The PowerBook gets along just fine with the 768 MB of RAM
it was configured with, although maxing out at 1.25 GB would be
ideal.
On acquiring his first 12" PowerBook G4, Dan says:
"In April 2009, about a year after purchasing the eMac, I had
purchased an off-lease mint-condition Hi-Res 15" 1.67 GHz
PowerBook G4, and then sold it in December 2010 for roughly what I
paid for it initially in 2009! The sale was prompted out of desire for
a Sony Playstation 3 60 GB backward compatible launch console. I had
also been eying a 12" PowerBook. Due to the amazing resale value of the
Hi-Res PowerBook G4, I was able to nearly have both items without
adding any additional cash and have not regretted it since!"
On slightly downgrading to a smaller 1.5 GHz machine from a faster
1.67 GHz machine with more (faster) memory, a much larger
high-resolution screen and twice the VRAM:
"Needless to say, 'slightly downgrading' (while gaining amazing
portability with a 12" unit) was one of the best decisions I have ever
made. Although I really enjoyed the additional features of the 15"
Hi-Res (especially the stunning 1440 x 960 screen), the 12" 'Book runs
much cooler, and the portability has proven to be a worthwhile tradeoff
for the extra power (in addition to gaining a PS3 in the process). I
can't see myself moving to an Intel Mac in the near future, but at some
point I plan on upgrading to either a 17" Early 2008 MacBook
Pro with a 1920 x 1200 matte display or a 17" Early 2011 MacBook
Pro, which can still run Snow Leopard and is also equipped with
Thunderbolt."
Dan's other Macs include a 400 MHz Pismo PowerBook, which
he currently uses as a wireless file and print server, along with a few
project machines.
Dan enjoys creative, instructional, and informative writing. He is
working on a series of fantasy novels as a side project, plays various
recreational sports (golf, skiing, bowling, etc.), and has been an avid
gamer since the days of the Atari 2600, owning
countless games and a wide variety of handheld and home game consoles
since.
He was an 8-year member of Sony's (former) Gamer Advisory Panel,
providing insight and advice to developers and enthusiasts alike. He is
also a member of the Vintage Mac Consultants
Association, an alumni member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, and a
2003 graduate of The Ohio State University, possessing a Bachelor of
Science in Consumer Affairs with a Minor in Economics.
He says, "Most notably, I am a Mac Fanatic!"
Why a Mac? "I love everything Apple and Macintosh related, and Macs
allow you to you feel more connected to your machine and workflow due
to the 'personality and attitude' given to them through unique design
and an attractive interface. I began using Apple computers in the
mid-80s with an Apple IIc+."
"My late father (and Accredited Public Relations entrepreneur)
George Bashur, was in journalism, graphic design, and the PR business
throughout his entire professional career, and he always used a Mac,
since they were tools of his trade. I had the privilege of using his
numerous machines growing up (beginning with an LC and a Performa 476, followed by a Power Mac 6100/66 DOS Compatible,
a Beige G3 266, and
several others). Needless to say, Dad's collection of Macs and
peripherals gave me much of the inspiration I have today for the Mac.
As I began to learn more and more about the hardware, upgrades, Mac OS,
and the applications Dad used, it gave me an incredible thirst for
knowledge that I could only quench through an incredible amount of
research and hands-on learning."
Besides my passion for Macs, gaming, and writing, I also appreciate
repurposing older technology that was once too costly for the average
user but has become accessible due to its age. My Sony LocationFree
base stations are a testament to that. I own two of them, with a
total of five devices connected. Although they once would have cost
over $500 combined, I purchased the units for less than $50 each
shipped to my door - a savings of more than 80%! Why replace something
if it works just fine and still has a purpose or can be reused for a
different purpose? Those LocationFree base stations can still utilize
analog connections to send an acceptable picture over the Internet to
my PowerBook or PSP. It's certainly come in handy at places with WiFi
to help entertain our children by bringing up my connected devices
(including my digital cable DVR),"
Maybe you own an older Mac that's just sitting around that you were
thinking about letting go of and buying a brand new model. Think about
what its capable of without any upgrades, and then think about what
some used software that is now a fraction of its original cost, coupled
with potential upgrades, adapters, or additional peripherals, could
unleash. If it's cost effective and can still meet your needs. go for
it! Low-end Macs and low-end accessories cost much less than new, and
you can still be just as productive, while investing that money into
other passions. For me, that other passion happens to be gaming, and by
being a low-end Mac user, I am able to have the best of both
worlds!"
Dan Bashur has been writing for Low End Mac since July 2009 and also
has content published on projectgamers.com, a website
dedicated to the use of Sony's PSP. Updates to this site will be on the
way soon, and new Project Gamers articles will be posted within Apple,
Tech, and Gaming under Sony Handheld News going forward. The upcoming
release of the PlayStation Vita will
surely reinvigorate Sony's handheld gaming business and will give us
plenty to talk about for years to come!
