Low End Mac Editorial Archive

January to April 2000

SETIonMac: SETI@home weekly update, 04.28. The latest report on the Top 20 SETI@home club teams - and those who hope to reach the Top 20.
Mac Daniel: Follow Up on the 6100, 7100, and 8100, Adam Robert Guha, 04.27. A look at upgrade options.
SETIonMac: Mac Observers gaining on gnomes, Dan Knight, 04.27. We've already chipped 2,250 units off their lead.
Improving the user experience?, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 04.26. Apple claims automatic updates (when they work) somehow improve the user experience. Yeah, right.
The iMac and hot-swappable expansion bay modules, Stephen Van Esch, Mac Scope, 04.26. Why Apple should adapt this PowerBook technology to the iMac.
Is the Mac a gaming machine?, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 04.26. Brian provides a very thoughtful answer to this question.
Gnomes shoot past Mac Observers, SETIonMac, 04.26. In an unexpected development, Team Lockergnome gained over 10,000 units on Monday to zoom past Team Mac Observer.
Netscape 6 and other betas, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 04.25. "It's always good to have the latest released version of programs. What's even better is getting the latest prerelease version of programs."
A look at SETI Checker, SETIonMac, 04.25. This freeware program lets you follow your favorite SETI@home teams.
The tech support dance, David Schultz, Virtuality, 04.24. "A tech support call is actually an intricate dance of conflicting interests and viewpoints."
Old Mac, new Mac, Kel Taylor, Mac to the Future, 04.24. A new computer is no reason to retire your old one.
From Road Apples to Golden Apples, Mark Looper, My First Mac, 04.24. "...I realized that I had always had a soft spot in my heart (or maybe in my head!) for the old all-in-one compact Macs."
Team Mac Observer passes Team Lockergnome, SETIonMac, 04.22. Team Mac Observer has moved to #18 in club standings.
Weekly update, top 20 teams, SETIonMac, 04.21. Whose in first, whose climbing, whose falling behind. Team Mac Observer is now #19.
Speeding a 7200 on the Web, Julie Fugett, Mac Daniel, 04.21. How to speed up a sluggish Power Mac 7200.
Apple's second quarter, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.21. The game's far from over, but the first two quarters have been fantastic.
Archive: PowerBook bargains and other ramblings, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.22/99. A look at how the cache improved the PowerBook G3 and the value of used PowerBooks.
Now that's different!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.20. A new one-pound portable PC; how can Apple respond?
Team Mac Observer Passes Team BeOS, 04.19. Thanks to an infusion of work units on Tuesday, Team Mac Observer reaches #19 in club standings.
The Mac Library, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 04.19. Evan shares the books he finds invaluable when working with Macs.
The AppleSeed Project: "Clustered" Power Macs outperform Cray Y-MP Supercomputer, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 04.19.
Eccentrica Gallumbits gone, Team Mac Observer returns to #20, 04.18. Cheating team disqualified from SETI@home, moving almost everyone up one spot in team rankings.
Rodney "Outs" Outlook for the Mac (not Outlook Express), Rodney O. Lain, Things Macintosh, 04.18. "I scoff the veracity of his claims, but he swears that there is a Mac version of the Outlook client."
Going Wintel for a month: conclusion, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 04.18. "In short, I'm obliged to do most of my computing one month a year using Windows compatible machines."
Eccentrica Gallumbits blows past Team Mac Observer, Team BeOS, Mac Musings, 04.17. Upstart team zooms into Top 20 during first week.
MacExpo and other miscellaneous ramblings, 01.8/99. The first MR published after MacOS Daily closed its doors in 1998.
SETI@home Weekly Update, Mac Musings, 04.14. A look at the Top 20 teams, and those who would join them.
Surfing large, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.14. Internet Explorer 5, big screen fonts, and another reason Macs are better.
Mac games in development, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 04.14. A look at eight games currently being developed for the Mac.
Choosing a good printer, Chris Lawson, Mac Daniel, 04.12. "What's a good printer for a vintage Mac, one you can still get toner or ink cartridges for?"
Dutchmen sneak past Team Mac Observer, Mac Musings, 04.12. They came out of nowhere, pushing Team Mac Observer to 20th place.
A road not taken (by Apple), Scott Atkinson, Mac Musings, 04.11. "Unlike Macs, there's nothing here to make you stop and admire the craftsmanship."
Macs get the job done, Todd H. Cheong, My First Mac, 04.11. "My first Mac was an SE. It had 1 MB of memory, no hard drive, and no printer."
AOL@school, Evan, iMac Musings, 04.11. "AOL will be soon releasing a new version of their software specifically for schools...."
Team Mac Observer dealt major setback, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.10. Defection costs team several thousand work units, drops back to #19.
Low End Mac at three, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.10. A look back at Low End Mac's first three years.
Troubleshooting My Mac IIfx, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 04.10. The trials and joys of bringing a Mac IIfx back to life.
Apple Tech Support or pop psychology?, David Schultz, Virtuality, 04.07.
Team Mac Observer expands, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 04.06. No sign of ET yet, but new members have closed the gap between Team Mac Observer and Team Lockergnome.
Picking an older Power Mac, Adam Robert Guha, Mac Daniel, 04.06. First generation Power Macs can be quite a value.
AppleShare IP woes, Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 04.05. "...in the last few weeks I have had many problems with just getting AppleShare IP (ASIP) running."
Bulldozing for a faster drive, Paulo Rodrigues, Tangerine Fusion, 04.05. It takes some time, but here's on inexpensive way to speed up your old hard drive.
Web design, part 4: Site graphics, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 04.05. Choosing the right image format and file size.
SETI@home: Team Mac Observer reaches #18, Low End Mac, 04.04. We need your help to catch Team Lockergnome and reach #17.
How can I burn a CD?, Chris Lawson, Mac Daniel, 04.04. Explanation of CD, CD-R, CD-RW, plus advice on choosing a drive.
Burning CDs on a Mac, Scott Barber, Online Tech Journal. Setting up a CD burning system.
Daylight saving time?, Dan Knight's Soapbox, 04.04. We save energy and increase our evening hours, but at what cost?
Michigan time: Why Michigan should be in the Central Time Zone, Dan Knight's Soapbox, 04.4.
Going Wintel, Week 2, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 04.03. "It only helps a little that the computers I'm using are Macintoshes with Orange Micro PC cards in them."
Amazing IE 5.0, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 04.03. "My faith in Microsoft has been restored."
End of the Mac Web as We Know It, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill, 03.31.
The carpenter's trade in the computer age, Manuel Mejia, Mac Daniel, 03.31. A carpenter, a block of wood, an R/C battery, and a resurrected PowerBook.
Going Wintel - for a month, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 03.29. Once a year he has to use Windows. Good thing it's only once a year.
Are Aqua-skeptics luddites?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.29. "I have no interest in change for the sake of change, or in putting form before function, and I really have no time for change that makes things worse."
Complete PC nut goes Mac, Fred Forney, My First Mac, 03.29. "I played around with [an LC III] for a couple days, and I was hooked."
Problems with floppy disks, Chris Lawson, Mac Daniel, 03.29. They're not quite obsolete, and different Mac floppy formats can cause problems.
SETI@home: Join a team, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.29.
Designing a computer room, part 3: The desk, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.27. "The key is designing the computer desk and office layout that meets your personal needs and fits the available space."
Dealing with dead pixels in TFT displays, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.23. Detecting and dealing with dead pixels on PowerBooks.
Macs and digital video, Charlie Ruggiero, Mac Daniel, 03.22. Starts out looking at video editing on Macs, then examines various video formats. A good read if you're at all interested in video editing or buying a camcorder.
iMac sites reviewed, Dan Knight, iMac Channel, 03.21. An iMac webmaster looks at other iMac sites.
The compelling Mac, Sean C. Cunningham, My First Mac, 03.21. "I've finally become a Mac person. It feels pretty good."
Adobe isn't making many friends, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 03.20. Adobe's upgrade up InDesign mirrors the way Acrobat 4 users were treated.
More PowerBook & iBook sites, Dan Knight, The 'Book Page, 03.20. A couple more sites and feedback on one from the first review.
Raising the dead, part 3, Manuel Mejia, Mac Daniel, 03.20. Ongoing work resurrecting a Mac II, plus the start of a PowerBook 100 project.
Web Design, Part 3: Cascading Style Sheets, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 03.16. How Cascading Style Sheets control the appearance of a site.
Macs and AOL 5.0, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 03.15. "Even though AOL 5.0 adds many nice new features, I believe it still has many shortcomings."
G4 insignificantly superior to G3, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 02.13. From the hype, you'd think the G4 blew away the G3. Don't believe the hype.
A Mac IIcx for a friend, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 02.13. Some donated hardware allows Steve to help out a friend.
A look at PowerBook & iBook sites, Dan Knight, The 'Book Page. The half-dozen best PowerBook and iBook sites on the Web.
Rolleiflex embraces digital revolution, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.13. Ancient, respected camera manufacturer makes digicams and digital backs.
Where Mac Games Are Going, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 03.10. Incredible 3D graphics, more first-person views, and a blurring of genres.
Honest speed, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.10. Despite all the discussion of cutting edge performance, you can have enough computer speed.
Finalists chosen in iMac Channel banner contest, 03.09.
Honesty, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.9. Who is to blame for the lack of faster G3 and G4 computers?
DSL lines and Cupertino Apples, Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 03.09. Eric gets DSL, networks his computers, and makes a pilgrimage to Apple HQ - I'm jealous!
Designing a computer room, part 2, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.08. Making your computer, desk, and room work together.
AirPort Works!, Rodney O. Lain, Things Macintosh, 03.08. "I'd like to take back every nasty thing that I'd ever said about Apple during the last few weeks."
Older PowerBook, iBook prices crowd $1,000-1,500 range, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.08.
Web Design, Part 2: Site Organization, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 03.07. "I learned web design and site organization on the fly. One lesson I learned early on is that you don't want to move things around...."
Hard drives: bigger and cheaper, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 03.06. Even huge drives have become affordable.
A rescued Fat Mac, Jonathan Wise, My First Mac, 03.06. "I found my first Mac in the garbage...."
G4 debacle not all Apple's fault, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.04.
Who is self serving?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.03. Apple is calling Real Networks self serving? If the shoe fits....
Don Crabb, I truly never knew you, Rodney O. Lain, Things Macintosh, 03.02.
Politics and the Mac web, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 03.01. "I appreciate the readers who wrote to tell me they wouldn't visit Low End Mac again because of my political views."
A boy and his Mac, Glenn Dawes, My First Mac, 03.01. "From 1988 to 1992, I knew nothing other than my Mac Plus."
Good design, bad design, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.29.
Is Microsoft's business plan obsolete?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.29. While Linux challenges Windows, free suites also challenge MS Office.
Upgrading an LC 575, Julie Fugett, Mac Daniel, 02.29.
Aquard, Gerard Bagwin, 02.28. "A back to basics OS is what we need, not inconsistent icon sizes and photographic toolbar icons that mean nothing."
Rumor? iCube aims for trade shows, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 02.28. "The key component in the iCube isn't the computer inside the box, but the Apple Cinema Display."
Games for '040s, Low End Mac Gaming, Brian Rumsey, 02.25. This week Brian looks at games to play on 68040-based Macs.
The growing iBook & PowerBook market, Dan Knight, The 'Book Page, 02.25. Apple is well positioned to take advantage of the growing portable market.
Macs play MP3, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 02.24. What MP3s are, how to use them on the Mac, and how to find them.
How MacCain won Michigan, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.24. Not only how he won, but why it matters for November.
Web design: Using include files, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 02.24. Low End Mac's webmaster shares tips on efficient site design.
Praises, complaints, news, and more, Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 02.23. CompUSA, Mac OS 9, the SuperMac S900, Microsoft-ware, and even more.
Absolutely essential, Hans Echterbecker, My First Mac, 02.22. For Hans, his LC 575, Volvo, and Estwing hammer are absolutely essential.
Online with a Performa 636, Julie Fugett, Mac Daniel, 02.22. Advice about getting online with a Performa 636.
The Internet is social, Patrick Griffin, Mac Musings, 02.21. "I have also studied community development, also from a Web perspective...."
From pencil to PowerBook: One writer's Mac odyssey, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.21. Fourteen years of writing progress.
Has Apple ceded the education market?, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 02.21. It's not just price that's moving teachers to Windows PCs.
Colorado vs. spammers, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.21. "Any individual in Colorado may sue the sender for $10 per incident...."
The social Internet, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.19. "Rather than fearing the Internet, the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society should look at how people interact socially because of the Internet."
Apple's retail problem, Paulo Rodrigues, Mac Musings, 02.17. "Apple's computers and other products have been grossly underrepresented by PC reviewers...."
New PowerBook, iBook, Dan Knight, The 'Book Page, 02.17. Are the new iBook and PowerBooks good buys?
The new Macs, Mac News Today, 02.16. Quick overview of iBook SE, Power Mac G4/500, and the new PowerBook G3.
Apple abandons Motorola, IBM, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 02.16. Apple throws in the towel over G4/500 problems.
Rumor or speculation?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.15. Why Apple can but won't release Pismo or a faster iMac until the G4/500 is available.
The long and winding road, Mike Butler, My First Mac, 02.15.
Are extended computer warranties worth the cost?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.14.
Making your PC work with your Mac, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 02.14. Cross-platform software and a way to mount Mac disks on Wintel machines.
Surfing the iNet, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 02.14. Evan lists some interesting, fun, and useful sites for Mac users.
Setting up a Mac web server, Charlie Ruggiero, Mac Daniel, 02.11. Practically any Mac can serve up web pages.
Home, small network backup solutions, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 02.11.
Back to the G3, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.11. To pass 450 MHz, Apple should go back to the G3.
The iMac G4?, Dan Knight, iMac Channel, 02.10. The pieces seem to fit together for a 17" iMac G4 this summer.
Plain old email, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.10. "Every day I receive blank email. There's a subject and a sender, but no text. Nothing."
Rumor? Apple, Nintendo collaborate on MacBoy, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 02.10. Not only that, but it will also run the Palm OS!
Think Choices, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.09. Apple needs to offer consumers more model choices.
Promoting the Macintosh, Jerry Rogers, iMac Musings, 02.09.
Feedback on "Killer PowerBook," The 'Book Page, 02.09. Several readers wrote to say that they, too, want PowerBooks with bigger screens.
Graphics and game play, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 02.08. Our newest columnist looks at gaming issue on new Macs and old.
Pismo or Graphite iBook?, Dan Knight, iBook/PowerBook Page, 02.08. A stunning image of what a future black & graphite portable could look like.
A knowledgeable Mac bigot, Kevin Thomas, My First Mac, 02.08. "Along the way, I have gone from being an ignorant bigoted Mac user to a knowledgeable bigoted Mac user."
The dubious economics of processor upgrades, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.07. Even if you can upgrade the CPU, should you?
Wanted: A killer PowerBook, Dan Knight, Low End Mac, 02.07. To replace my desktop, I just want a PowerBook with a screen that shows more.
Performa 575 to Power Mac 575, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 02.07.
Where's the G4/500?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.21. "Remember how Steve Jobs announced the Power Mac G4 on August 31, 1999?"
The World Wide Web, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.20. It's grown to over one billion pages with no end in sight.
Macintosh 2000 revisited, Dan Knight, Low End Mac, 01.19. Eight years ago Henry Bortman guessed what today's Mac would be. Today we're evaluating his predictions.
Mac shopping at CompUSA, Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 01.18. "All I have to do is go into the Macintosh section of a CompUSA and all the loser salesmen will leave me alone."
PC to Mac and back and back, My First Mac, 01.18. "I still love and use my original Mac Plus - I would never get rid of it for anything."
Compubrick 160, CustoMacs, 01.18. Would you believe a PowerBook 160 converted to desktop use with plastic blocks?
SAM, the Sixteenth Anniversary Macintosh, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 01.18. Cross a Color Classic with a G3 and what do you get?
The main difference between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Rodney O. Lain, Things Macintosh, 01.17. "...there is one redeeming trait that Steve Jobs has over Bill Gates: Steve Jobs is a loser."
Using the right rodent helps reduce wrist pain, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Rambling, 01.17. A look at ergonomics and real-world mouse use.
Preying on innocents, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.17. "Over time, you develop a sense for those you like, those you tolerate, and those you mistrust."
Skin off Apple's nose, Dan Knight, The iMac Channel, 01.14. "...Apple should be flattered."
Installing OS 8.1, Online Tech Journal, 01.14. With over two dozen 6100s to update, there had to be a faster way to install the OS.
Stealth Macs coming soon, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 01.14. What, is Apple thinking beige? Looks like it....
PDS, the processor direct slot, Online Tech Journal, 01.13. What is the processor direct slot? And why are there so many different ones?
iReview reviewed, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.12. "Maybe I shouldn't be disappointed that Low End Mac didn't make the cut at iReview. I'm in very good company."
Ten Years with an SE, Matt Wolanski, My First Mac, 01.12. "I got nearly ten years of use out of my Mac SE and about 5 years use out of the Performa...."
PowerBook 1400, a good buy, Low End Mac, 01.12. This solid performer even has a G3 upgrade option.
Insidious Microsoft Virus, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 01.11. "The virus exists as several separate components strewn through the Microsoft application...."
Beyond the box?, Paulo Rodrigues, iMac Musings, 01.10. Apple talks about going beyond "the box," but does any of the anticipated hardware do that?
Older Macs, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 01.10. "I received a phone call last night from an excited first-time owner of a Mac."
The bronze SE/30, CustoMac, 01.10. A look at a "bronzed" SE/30 customized by Gary Thornton.
The S900 Chronicles, Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 01.07. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my SuperMac S900."
Unbelievable!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.07. Mac OS Rumors claims to have served over 900,000 pages in twenty-four hours. I don't believe it.
Egg on my face, Dan Knight, Low End Mac, 01.07. I rate my hardware predictions. At least I was right about "something unexpected" and Steve Jobs not leaving.
Apple, FileMaker joint announcement, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 01.07.
The New Apple, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.06. By not showcasing hardware, Steve Jobs is trying to teach us something important.
Macworld 2000 Keynote Address Special Report, Mac News Today, 01.05. We couldn't be there, but caught it through the miracle of QuickTime 4.
Macworld prediction scorecard, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.04. Rate my predictions from late December against the reality of Macworld.
PowerBook 540c, a best buy, Low End Mac, 01.04. The Blackbird series was Apple's best pre-PPC machine, and the 540c the best value among them.
MegaCase solves blue G3, G4 woes, Anne Onymus, The Rumor Mill, 01.04. "Where is that fifth card going to fit?"
1999 at Low End Mac, Dan Knight, 01.04. The publisher looks back at a very busy year for Low End Mac.
The Best Macs Ever, Dan Knight, Low End Mac, 01.03. "Apple has a tradition of great computers...."
Adoption notice for an SE/30, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 01.03. The short tale of an abandoned SE/30 brought back to usefulness.