Mac Musings

Mac Musings 2010 Archive

• Telcos Seek to Bill Apple, Google, and Facebook for Wireless Network Improvements, 12.08. Although smartphone users are already paying for the bandwidth they use, telcos are proposing a double-dipping system where content providers would also pay for bandwidth.
• Where Dancing with the Stars Went Wrong, 11.18. Week after week, the lowest rated dancer knocks off a better dancer because of flaws in the program's voting system.
• The Times Paywall Pays Off, 11.02. A lot of us thought Rupert Murdoch was nuts for putting The Times behind a paywall, but four months on, the model seems to be working.
• Open Software, Closed Minds, 11.01. Free software fanatics violate the spirit of GPL when they force Apple to remove free, open source software from the App Store.
• SSD: Why the 2010 MacBook Air Is So Fast, 10.27. The 2010 MBAs benchmark better than expected because their system board SSDs are so much faster than hard drives.
• The 2010 MacBook Air Value Equation, 10.26. How do the new 11.6" and 13.3" MacBook Air models compare to last years, the MacBook, and MacBook Pros?
• Tomorrow's Macs, 10.18. The technologies and changes we may see in the next generation MacBook Air, MacBook, and Macs of the future.
• Information Wants to Be Free, 10.13. Although information 'wants to be free', it has costs and value. How do we pay for it?
• WallStreet Series II: A Dozen Years Later, 09.01. The original WallStreet had a few problems. Series II ironed out most of the wrinkles.
• The 2010 iPod Value Equation, 09.01. A new design for the iPod nano, back to a tested design for the iPod shuffle, and the new iPod touch is more like the iPhone than ever.
• Open Source Will Never Displace Closed Platforms, 09.01. Although open source is emotionally appealing and free, there are only two markets where it dominates.
• Practically Perfect Design: The iMac G5, 08.31. Six years ago, Apple introduced the current iMac 'slab' configuration with the iMac G5. The iconic design has barely changed since.
• Do You Want FM Radio with That?, 08.17. The RIAA and NAB want the government to require that your next cell phone and MP3 player include an FM radio. Huh?
• The 2010 Mac Pro Value Equation, 07.28. New and improved Intel CPUs including 12-core build-to-order options are tempting, but how much power do you really need?
• The 2010 iMac Value Equation, 07.28. The 2010 iMacs have Intel Core 'i' CPUs, HyperThreading, and Radeon graphics across the board. But what about close-out prices on 2009 iMacs?
• Best Mac Quarter Ever, 07.21. Lots of hype about Apple's record income, record profits, record iPhone 4 launch, and hot iPad sales, but don't ignore the Mac.
• Most Windows Users Still Satisfied with Windows XP, 07.14. Over two-thirds of Windows users are still using XP, which is nearly nine years old, but Mac users prefer a new OS.
• iOS and the Future of Mac OS X, 06.24. Rumor has it that Apple is preparing to replace OS X with iOS on the Macintosh in the near future. Nonsense.
• The Mid 2010 Mac mini Value Equation, 06.16. More power, lower profile, better graphics, and a built-in SD Card reader - why would anyone choose a close-out 2009 model?
• The Spring 2010 MacBook Pro Value Equation, 04.21. Where are the best values among the new MacBook Pro models, and when are last year's a better buy?
• Apple's 10 Worst Products, 02.23. Low End Mac reconsiders PC Authority's list of the 10 worst Apple products ever.
• Apple's 10 worst products (Part 2), 02.23. Low End Mac reconsiders PC Authority's list of the 10 worst Apple products ever.
• Firefox 4 Drops Tiger Support: So What?, 02.08. Firefox 3.6 is the last version to run under Mac OS X 10.4. Is not being able to run version 4 really a big deal?
• MacBook Pro a Revelation, 02.08. After using G4 Macs for over a decade, spending a weekend prepping a first generation MacBook Pro was a real eye opener.
• Is the iPad Apple's True Successor to the 12" PowerBook?, 02.02. The iPad has the same 1024 x 768 display as generations of G3 PowerBooks, iBooks, and the 12" PowerBook G4 - but it offers a whole lot more than any laptop ever has.
• iPad priced from $499, 01.27. The 9.7" iPad has a custom 1 GHz Apple CPU, runs iPhone apps, ships in 60 days, and defines a whole new category of products.
• Record Mac Sales Culminate Five Years of Growth, 01.26. Mac unit sales have tripled since 2005, led by MacBooks - but don't count out desktops just yet.
• Maximizing the Mac mini, 01.21. If Apple won't offer a midrange Mac, someone should offer a replacement chassis for the Mini with two 3.5" drive bays.
• Sick and Tired of Windows, 01.20. It says a lot about Windows reliability that a restore partition has become a standard feature. Apple, the door is wide open.
• 3G Wireless: The Next iPod touch and the Apple iSlate, 01.12. Don't expect me-too hardware from Apple. The tablet and next generation iTouch are bound to include 3G wireless, but beyond that, expect surprises.
• 2 More Strikes Against PayPal, 01.07. PayPal is living in the past, requiring a landline phone or snail mail to verify your address and a printed form to notify it of a double-charge.
• Should Overused Tech Terms Be Banished?, 01.05. Every year Lake Superior State University releases a new list of misued, overused, and seemingly useless words and phrases.
• The Mac Value Equation Revisited, 01.04. The way Low End Mac has traditionally calculated the Mac value equation is somewhat simplistic.

More Mac Musings in the archive: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010