Low End Mac Editorial Archive

July 2009

Beige Power Mac G3: Maximum power then, great value now, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 07.27. The world's most powerful personal computer when it was introduced in November 1997, the beige G3 still has a lot to offer anyone looking for a very low cost, powerful Mac.
iPhone platform takes over from the Mac, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 07.31. With 45 million users, the iPhone/iPod touch platform is bigger than the Mac platform - and more profitable.
The last PowerBooks have plenty of life left, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 07.31. Introduced in 2005, these were the last PowerBooks before Apple went Intel, and they remain useful in the age of Leopard.
iPod touch as netbook, $49 refurb iPhone, Google Voice banned from App Store, MobileMe iDisk app, and more, iNews Review, 07.31. Also Yahoo Mobile updated, iPhone Missing Manual updated, use any headset with 3G iPod shuffle and Belkin's new adapter, and more.
Reviving a PowerBook with software, OS X netbook compatibility chart, Mac tablet rumors, and more, The 'Book Review, 07.31. Also Microsoft revs 'Laptop Hunter' ad, FireWire may charge devices when Mac is off, WD ships first 1 TB notebook hard drive, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,144, and more.
Downgrading to Tiger, Apple a feminine brand?, first USB 3 chips, $20 to switch to iBank, and more, Mac News Review, 07.31. Also Apple arrogance, MacSpeech accuracy, Unix at 40, master digital black and white photography, TwitterPod updated, Drive Genius 2 ready for Snow Leopard, and more.
MacTablet could run both Mac OS X and iPhone OS, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.30. What if Apple's anticipated tablet computer could run either Mac OS X or the iPhone OS - or both concurrently.
Enduring Pismo still king of the Mac laptop hill, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 07.28. Nearly a decade after its introduction, the Pismo PowerBook remains a great choice and great value.
Microsoft announces Cash for Clunker PCs, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill, 07.29. Beleaguered Microsoft, with declines in profits and market share, is offering cash for old computers to boost sales of new PCs with Windows Vista installed.
iPhone 3GS an even better computer, but not a better phone, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 07.28. The lastest iPhone is faster, less expensive, and has a better camera, but "phone performance remains, at best, so-so".
Apple's tablet: The iTouch cometh, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 07.28. Apple's long rumored tablet is likely to have a 10" screen and run the iPhone OS rather than Mac OS X.
The enduring value of the Pismo PowerBook, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 07.27. The most expandable G3 PowerBook ever is nealy 10 years old, yet it remains a great value for someone looking for an affordable field computer.
Texting kills: Cell phone use impairs drivers more than alcohol, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.27. Driving while talking on your mobile is more dangerous than driving drunk, and texting is even worse. So why is it socially acceptable?
iPhone outsells Macs 2:1, AT&T turning off potential iPhone buyers, fiery iPod incidents, and more, iNews Review, 07.24. Also the true cost of a smartphone, battery saving tips, cop denounces speed trap/traffic cam apps, lots of new and updated apps, and more.
Apple's best non-holiday quarter ever, BlackBerry Desktop for Mac, Project Macsimum Impact, and more, Mac News Review, 07.24. Also tips for using Faces in iPhoto, WWDC sessions on iTunes, changing the short user name, Pagehand word processor saves to PDF, and more.
Sorry, Henry, Apple's Mac business is not shrinking, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.23. Henry Blodget finds a dark cloud behind Apple's silver financials - and pigs can fly.
Medical marijuana: Yes, there's an app for that, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.23. Medical marijuana laws have been passed in 13 states. These apps are intended to help those with a prescription obtain Cannabis.
DEVONthink power, blocking content in Opera, USB 2.0 to Ultra SCSI adapters, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.22. Also refurbished Macs are covered by Apple's Hardware Up-To-Date program and Craigslist postings are too easily deleted by others.
Finding the best values in Apple's MacBook matrix, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 07.21. With prices ranging from $999 to $2,499, speeds from 1.86 to 2.8 GHz, and sized from 13 to 17 inches, what's right for you?
The death, salvage, and resurrection of old Macs, Leo Titus LeBron V, Collection Spotlight, 07.20. Over the past two years, several Macs have died or been retired, often donating parts to more modern replacements.
Of bamboo bikes, notebooks, and other things, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.20. Bamboo is strong, light, durable, grows quickly, and making its way into bicycles, laptops, autos, and more.
Free coffee with iPhone, 3GS regret, iDrive Lite spams Gmail contacts, best apps ebook, and more, iNews Review, 07.17. Also $79 iPhone refurbs, Apple wrecking mobile industry, 'mystery' mail bug, Designated Driver app, machined metal iPhone cases, and more.
Optical drives on way out, MacBooks can't display millions of colors, MacBook Air doomed, and more, The 'Book Review, 07.17. Also problems with 7200 rpm drives, more iTablet speculation, the subsidized netbook rip-off, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,144, and more.
SSD in Mac Pro, Mac cloner opens store, Ubuntu vs. OS X, new Nvidia drivers, and more, Mac News Review, 07.17. Also Classilla brings Firefox to OS 9, slow networking in OS X, iMac vs. Mac Pro, URL shortening software, Quicken update finally coming in 2010, and more.
The rise of Google: Beating Yahoo at its own game, Tom Hormby, Orchard, 07.16. Google started as a project by Stanford grad student Larry Page, who envisioned a better way of evaluating pages on the Web.
Optimized builds make Firefox 3.5 and 3.6a faster and more responsive, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.16. Mac builds of Firefox 3.5 and 3.6 alpha are available for G3, G4, G5, and Intel Macs. Each is optimized for speed.
XMenu: One of my favourite things for OS X, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 07.15. "The first thing I add to my Macs is XMenu from DEVONtechnologies." Best of all, it's free.
New 'Books have better displays, digital vs. analog audio I/O, Craigslist restrictions, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.15. Also three browsers - Opera, Stainless, and Cruz - compared, and installing Mac OS X from DVD on a Mac that can't mount DVDs.
Are close-out MacBooks a better value than the new models?, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 07.14. There are great prices on previous gen MacBooks, new and refurbished, but the June 2009 models have lots to offer as well.
VirtualBox 3.0: Free virtualizer is almost grown up, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 07.13. With version 3, VirtualBox has become a serious alternative to Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.
Safari 4: 'I actually like Safari now', Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.13. After fixing the looping dialog bug from Security Update 2009-002, Safari is working over dialup - and it's fast.
iPhone 3GS tops at Consumer Reports, replacing an iPhone screen, inconsistent WiFi, and more, iNews Review, 07.10. Also iPhone vs. Pre deathmatch, iPhone 3GS battery life, speed trap app now free, triple field time with external battery, and more
MacBooks propel Mac growth, MacBook Pro shortage due to 250 GB drive, $5,000 Stealth MBP, and more, The 'Book Review, 07.10. Also MacBook Air cooler with Nvidia graphics, notebook battery warning, 5 hour external battery for MacBooks, USB 2.0 to ExpressCard adapter, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,100, and more.
20 year old Mac IIci dies, Mozilla for Classic Mac OS, USB 3 on Mac this year?, and more, Mac News Review, 07.10. Also picking a Mac over a PC, which Macs can boot from SD?, GrandReporter automates searching the Web, an online image editor, and more.
2 promising browsers: Opera 10 Turbo and Stainless, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.09. Opera Turbo really does turbocharge the Web, even over slow dialup, while Stainless is building a multi-process browser using Apple's WebKit browser engine.
Default Folder X: An old friend rediscovered, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 07.08. I've used Default Folder with the Classic Mac OS since 1992, but only tried the OS X version recently.
Proporta Protective Laptop Bag capacious and affordable, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 07.08. "I really like this bag. It's a clever, sensibly practical, and amazingly capacious designed, considering its light weight, svelte dimensions, and clean styling."
New browser for classic Mac OS, Safari 4 and OS X 10.4.11, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.08. Also Mac apps for searching Craigslist and less known options for controlling iTunes and iPhoto behavior.
The Microsoft model isn't working for smartphones, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 07.07. Already in fourth place in the smartphone market, Windows Mobile is outdated and simply isn't attracting the developers needed to grow the platform.
Paintbrush: A fast, free, MacPaint-like bitmap editor for OS X, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.06. Macs no longer ship with a free paint program, but the freeware Paintbrush program replaces MacPaint nicely.
Low end G4: Migrating to an older Power Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.06. To use the fastest G4 upgrades, you may have to move to an older Power Mac.
Apple tops in satisfaction again, slim profits on Mac mini, ultimate photo setup, and more, Mac News Review, 07.02. Also tips for cloning hard drives and moving files from old Macs, Clickfree Transformer turns USB drive into a backup drive, maximum Mac Pro RAM, and more.
MacBooks top Amazon sales, EFI 1.7 problems, pros and cons of built-in batteries, and more, The 'Book Review, 07.02. Also make a bootable SD Card, Leopard on a 9in Dell netbook, MacBook Pro and Air reviews, triple WiFi range, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,300, and more.
iPhone 3GS overheating, battery life app, 240 GB upgrade for 5G iPod, Total Baby app, and more, iNews Review, 07.02. Also low cost international calls, U-verse remote DVR control, Sync Blocker USB-to-Dock cable, Rocket Taxi improved, and more.
Amazon.com v. interstate sales tax: Everyone loses, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.01. Amazon.com is standing up to states that are trying to have it collect sales tax on interstate commerce, which most see as a violation of federal law.
Refurb MacBook Pro deal, fastest Mac browser, 256 MB modules for WallStreet, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 07.01. Also more Safari 4 feedback, praise for Camino, MacBook cracks, looking for Craigslist software for Macs, and more.
Introduction to autofs in Mac OS X, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 07.01. "Autofs is often used in enterprise environments to set up network-based home directories and other network mounts for users at login."