Low End Mac Editorial Archive

September 2004

Good things and bad things about the iTunes Music Store, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.29. Apple's iTunes Music Store has a lot going for it, but there's still room for improvement.
Modem Magic boosts reliability, speed for those with less than ideal connections, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.27. If you're plagued by slow or flaky dialup connections, Modem Magic could be just the ticket for a faster, more reliable connection.
eMac, iMac, or PowerBook?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.27. The eMac is inexpensive and the PowerBook is portable, but does the G5 iMac have what it takes to be the best choice of the three?
Calibrate your 'Book's battery, Capacity Meter 1.0, FireWire 400/800 CardBus card, Maxtor OneTouch backup, and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 09.24. Also aluminum notebook protection, BetterRAM.com, triple interface hard drives, a new iPod FM transmitter, and bargain 'Books from $50 to $2,599.
With Word 2004, Microsoft finally gets everything right, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 09.24. Previous versions of Word were frustrating for taking notes, but Word 2004's Notebook feature addresses that - and then some.
Killing Quark: Three layout alternatives, Jason Walsh, The Low End Designer, 09.24. Quark Xpress may be the long-term standard, but InDesign, MLayout, and Ragtime give Mac users some good alternatives.
More on Pismo upgrades, dead pixels, price comparisons, combo drives, The Message, and a digital Rolleiflex, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.20. Reader feedback on CPU upgrades, a dead pixel software, Mac vs. PC comparisons, third-party combo drives, and more.
Problems with cable modems and home built Windows PCs, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 09.20. The joys of losing your Internet connection - and of getting Windows PCs to work as you want them to.
Extreme Networking: Why 802.11g is for you, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 09.20. Wireless networking is fast, affordable, and easy (once you know the basics). Sometimes it even makes sense for desktop computers.
Portable wireless routers, first 100 GB laptop drive, 8 hour batteries, a new palmtop, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 09.17. Also iBook vs. PowerBook comparison, iBook G4 screen tint, QuickerTek wireless booster, a solar jacket, bargain 'Books from $275 to $2,599, and more.
Apple's new Click Wheel Mouse, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill, 09.17. Just like the G5 iMac, Apple's new mouse is inspired by the iPod - but this time it's the click wheel that takes center stage.
Four shareware programs every Mac designer should try, Jason Walsh, The Low End Designer, 09.15. GraphicConverter, PDFCompress, Art Directors Toolkit, and TypeStyler: What they do and why they are so useful.
Mac OS X Panther Hacks, Alan Zisman, 09.15. "I suspect most Panther users will find enough of these hacks valuable to justify the purchase price."
Writing in Microsoft Word an excercise in frustration, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 09.15. Powerful. Complex. Frustrating. Convoluted. Overkill. All describe Microsoft Word as a writer's tool.
SteelPad 4S and SteelPad 4D high performance mousepads, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.13. Designed for gaming, how well do these clad aluminum and plastic mousepads work for general computing?
PB G4 motherboard upgrades, 16x DVD+R burner, fuel cell laptop shown, the Microsoft tax, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 09.10. Also users keep Newton alive, new iPod cases, 12" leather 'Book bag, IBM's power adapter recall, and bargain 'Books from $275 to $1,699.
Macs ready to be productive right from the box, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 09.10. Not only do Macs come ready to use from the factory, but they don't include a lot of the second-rate extras that come with Windows PCs.
The significance of the 512K Fat Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.10. "512 KB was enough to turn the Macintosh from a cute proof-of-concept machine into the computer that would revolutionize the publishing industry."
Why the slot loading iMac Is a good choice for OS X, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 09.10. With prices starting at just over US$200, a tray-loading iMac can be a great choice for running OS X.
Dueling Pismo CPU upgrades, 'Book vs. Windows laptop prices, blue and white G3 upgrade tips, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 09.07. Also using Spymac's free email, installing OS 9, third-party DVD-ROM blues, Roamabout card problem, and a low-cost wireless iTunes transmitter.
Is the tray loading iMac a good choice for OS X?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 09.07. With prices starting under US$200, is a tray-loading iMac a good value for running OS X?
'Books price competitive with Dells, sunflower oil fuel cells, VESA laptop LCD standards, and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 09.03. Also "pro" USB flash drives, Kanguru's battery powered burner, new iPod accessories, bargain 'Books from $275 to $1,699, and more.
The Ericsson T610, Bluetooth, and Mac OS X 10.3, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 09.03. Ericsson's T610 isn't just a great phone, it also works very nicely with the Mac using Bluetooth and iSync.
Is ATIcellerator worth trying?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.03. This freeware utility promises to unlock the speed of ATI Rage 128 and Radeon video. Does it work? What are the risks?
The iMac G5: iPod success or Cube fiasco?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 09.01. The iMac G5 is undeniably cool and seems to be a good value, but will consumers flock to it or ignore it?
Peering through Windows: Why the Mac OS alone isn't enough, Jason Walsh, The Low End Designer, 09.01. For production, using a Mac is fine, but you also need to know how your Windows-using client is going to view things.