Time and things move slowly in the Hatchett computer universe. I have recently moved from using my trusty G3 Pismo PowerBook (from 2000) to a 12″ PowerBook G4 from 2003. Since the 12-incher has an 867 MHz processor, I was able to install the Leopard (OS X 10.5) operating system, and after a small period of time, I […]
For the first time since the G4 Mac mini was introduced in January 2005, Apple came up with a new form factor for its smallest desktop. Where all previous Minis had been 6.5″ square and 2.0″ tall, the new model measures 7.7″ square and just 1.4″ high. It also uses unibody construction like Apple’s notebooks. […]
This is the first and only update to the white unibody MacBook. The CPU speed gets a bump from 2.26 GHz to 2.4 GHz, it now has the same Nvidia GeForce 320M GPU as the current 13″ MacBook Pro, and its rated battery life jumps from a very good 7 hours to an impressive 10 […]
As someone who works with classic Macs (Macs that can boot the Classic Mac OS), I get contacted occasionally by people who still have files on the hard drives of their old Macs but aren’t sure how to move them to a newer machine. These are typically SCSI-based systems with floppy drives. They might also […]
The 15″ and 17″ Mid 2010 MacBook Pro models have lower clock speeds than the models they replace. However, because they use the mobile Intel i5 and i7 CPUs instead of the older, less efficient Core 2 Duo chips, they are more powerful despite lower clock speeds. These CPUs brings something new to Apple’s portable […]
The 15″ and 17″ Mid 2010 MacBook Pro models have lower clock speeds than the models they replace. However, because they use mobile Intel i5 and i7 CPUs instead of the older, less efficient Core 2 Duo chips, they are more powerful despite lower clock speeds. These CPUs brings something new to Apple’s portable line, hyperthreading, […]
Apple introduced redesigned MacBook Pro models in April 2010. They all use new Nvidia GPUs and claim to increase battery life – in the case of the 13″ model, from 7 hours to an impressive 10.
I held out. I waited until I could actually pick up an iPad and handle it. I had to wait until a couple of mall rats stopped playing video games on it. Then it was mine.
With its color graphics, the Apple II had changed the world of personal computing. With its graphical interface and mouse, the Macintosh had further changed the computing world. With its massive storage and ease of use, the iPod had changed the MP3 market. With its touchscreen, the iPhone had changed the smartphone market. And then […]
Regular readers will know that I have been searching for the perfect Macintosh word processor for some time. I have almost found it.
Not too long ago, I was using one of my son’s old PlayStation Portables (PSP) to view videos, since it has a larger screen than the iPod touch. Last Friday, I took the plunge and traded both boy’s (I have twin sons) PSP 1000s – as well a bunch of games they didn’t want – […]
As my regular readers will know, I am searching for the perfect writing tool. Much as I prefer to write with a good pen, I want to find writing software that is ideally suited not only to my needs but also my temperament and taste. Frankly, it’s a tall order.
Leopard officially requires an 867 MHz G4 – but that doesn’t rule it out – and then there is Tiger. Depending on your needs and depending on your level of expertise, you will choose either Tiger or Leopard. It is time to revisit the options for low-end G4 users.
2010 – At Low End Mac, we don’t scoff if you are still using a G3. We don’t laugh if you are still using Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. We embrace these and ask you to share your experience. This is why I am writing about how Tiger handles on my 500 MHz G3 iBook.
I have been out of the Mac world for a few months. But I am back, where I belong, using a Mac.
Complaints about modern software being bloated and overpowered are a penny a dozen, but there is some truth in the idea.
Words are my life. They are, of course, the way I make my living, but they mean so much more to me than that. I’m no postmodernist, but Umberto Eco’s joy in language is something that speaks to me – I challenge anyone with a love of words to read The Name of the Rose […]
In the Mac world, netbooks exist on the Windows side of the fence. Until the recent unveiling of the iPad, Apple hadn’t throw its hat into the subnotebook arena. Even at that, the iPad is a tablet. For those of us who have become enamored with netbooks due to their size, real keyboards, and minimalistic functionality, […]
General Apple and Mac desktops is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV news is covered in The iNews Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
As a longtime Apple user – I cut my computing teeth on an Apple II+ circa 1979 – I get a kick out of reading articles about the 10 best or 10 worst Apple products of all time. The latest of these, Top 10 Worst Apple Products of All Time, appeared on the Australian PC […]
Can we please stop talking about “game changers”? The iPad is the future of computing. No, wait, it’s a waste of money and typically crippled product from Apple.
I have been mulling over getting a new computer for some time. It’s not so much that I needed one, more that I was dissatisfied with my current setup. Once I decided I was going ahead with the purchase, it crossed my mind more than once that I was doing this at precisely the wrong […]
The October release of Microsoft’s Windows 7 brought a flurry of activity on the Mac2Windows front – new versions of both of the major virtualization programs for the Mac platform: VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop. While both have offered relatively straightforward ways to run Windows and other PC operating systems on an Intel Mac with […]
2010 – I had some interesting discussions last week with a new Mac user. He raised some interesting issues regarding value that got me to rethink things.
It’s getting late, but it’s not too late for some last-minute gift shopping.
There are those clever Mac vs. PC advertisements that Apple runs, but let’s talk about the big differences between computers.
2009 – My first Pismo PowerBook, acquired in October 2001 in an even trade for a six-month-old Power Mac G4 Cube, has gone through many transformations during the eight years and a bit that I’ve owned it.
Clinky-plink! That’s the sound of the precursor to the ever-popular, ever-clicky IBM Model M keyboard – the Model F. All that plinky-sounding goodness is being heard letter by letter as I write this article.
Those of you who wanted to spend good money on the Late 2009 27″ iMac should note that you can use Mini DisplayPort input to display a video signal on the iMac’s screen – a first for Apple. What you may or may not be aware of is the fact that the video signal must […]
These days many people have some or most of their music libraries on their computers, and that is often managed with Apple’s free iTunes software. It’s very nice to have such quick and easy access to your music library, but by default this plays back only in the room where the computer is located. Wouldn’t […]
