While compiling what was to be my latest article for Low End Mac, a column detailing my media center project, I was simultaneously testing a program for review. I’m sure my adventures setting up a Mac media center are positively engrossing and will be sorely missed, but TopXNotes Classic has proven itself a helpful addition to […]
Judge James Ware of the US District Court of Northern California says a lawsuit against Apple for “tying” can go ahead. The suit alleges that Apple’s iPod and iTunes Music Store are tied together in such a way that it violates the Sherman Antitrust Act.
I don’t own a Mac mini, and I don’t plan on buying one, so why in the world would I be interested in the NewerTech miniStack? For those not familiar with the miniStack, it’s one of many “zero footprint” drives designed to sit under the Mac mini and match its design.
How many functions does your favorite software package perform? Most of the time, we’re happy to pay for an app that has one or two core functions, as long as it does those functions well. How about a freeware package that sports about three dozen different functions? Unbelievable, but it’s true in the form of […]
2006 – At our local Mac Users Group in Kansas City, I lead a small class called the New User’s SIG. It’s basically a big question and answer session about anything Mac-related.
Each version of OS X has done a better job than its predecessors of “playing nice” with Windows networks. OS X 10.0 didn’t have Windows networking at all; as with the classic Mac OS, 10.0 users needed a third-party program like Thursby’s Dave to connect to shared Windows folders.
2006: Last week, I had the chance to view a fantastic short anime film that absolutely blew me away. To think, I almost passed on the opportunity because the hour was late and my eyes were droopy.
Will we ever be able to live with just one web browser on our Macs? It seems unlikely for a number of reasons.
January 2006 – During my separation, I lived alone in a one bedroom apartment, and my electric bill never hit $10 a month. How’s that for frugal?
A very good day to all of you, still reading this adopted Stepmother-in-Law of all Mac sites. I have been rather silent over the last 26 months since writing my previous columns, but as I recently had my own “Elvis is in the building” moment, I thought that I’d better get back to writing for […]
As expected by the Mac rumor community and several big-name technology analysts, Apple introduced the first Intel Macs at Macworld San Francisco last week.
2006 – Although I have been disabled for over a decade and a half and am usually strapped for cash, I have a good life – maybe even better than it was when I was healthy.
2006 – I broke in my fifth pair of Kodiak boots last winter. Kodiaks are not the cheapest work boots on the market by a long shot, but they offer superior comfort and last a long time, which in my books equates to true low end living value. A good analogy is Apple computers. They […]
2006 – January 16th marks the 20th anniversary of the Mac Plus, the first Mac with a SCSI port, LocalTalk networking, and several other things. It’s hard to believe this machine is 20 years old – the one I use still works fine, and at times I almost find myself using it more than my newer […]
The Mac mini group is for anyone using a Mac mini, whether the G4 or an Intel-based model. Group begun 2006.01.11.
The Macintel group is for those using Intel-based Macs. The group was begun on 2006.01.11.
The first Intel-based iMac changes the value equation for the entire realm of desktop Macs.
Like many Mac users, part of the reason I started using a Mac was the graphical interface and not having to use a command line. It was a big selling point for Apple in the early days of the Mac, with their literature often belittling Unix and DOS/Windows systems for their reliance on “obscure commands”.
Apple refers to these as iMac (Early 2006), but we also call them iMac Core Duo, the first iMacs based on Intel’s Core Duo processor.
To the pleasant surprise of the Mac community, Apple began shipping the MacBook Pro (MBP) the week of 2006.02.14 – and with faster CPUs than originally announced. The US$1,999 MBP ships with a 1.83 GHz CPU instead of 1.67 GHz, and the US$2,499 MBP has a 2.0 GHz CPU instead of 1.83 GHz. For those […]
A few weeks ago, a kind reader asked if I’d be interested in his old PowerBook 1400, a 1997 laptop that he didn’t use any longer. As the publisher of Low End Mac and someone who remembers the 1400 fondly, I couldn’t resist.
January 2006 – I’m going to tell you some things that you should already know. You might already know these things somewhere in the back of your mind.
January 2006 – Welcome to the inaugural issue of Low End Living and my inaugural column. While the primary focus here is living smart, be it in terms of money, health, or relationships, all three of those things can be improved by taking other stress out of your life.
We all know that Mac OS X is a good citizen in mixed networks. Connecting to Windows shares, Linux NFS mounts, and FTP/SFTP servers is a snap. And the Sharing system preference panel makes it even easier for these other operating systems to connect to your Mac.
If you were around when the Macintosh was released, you were probably intrigued by it – and maybe even a little skeptical. I mean, computers were machines that you lay flat on a desk, take up a lot of space, and cost a lot of money. How in the world could a computer fit into a […]
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered in The ‘Book Review. General Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. News about Apple’s transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is covered in The Macintel Report.
Last week in Getting Ubuntu Linux Up and Running on a PowerPC Mac, I looked at what I considered to be the best current Linux distribution for PowerPC (PPC) hardware, Ubuntu Linux. At just over a year old, Ubuntu’s relatively easy installation, use, and maintenance have made it a top pick not only for PPC, […]
2005 – In my previous article, we looked at 68k Mac browser and email options. Now we’ll look at options for PowerPC (PPC) Macs running the classic Mac OS.
Can you really get a Mac mini for free? The short answer is: Of course not! Here’s the long answer.
In last week’s column, I outlined the requirements for setting up a useful and fast PowerPC (PPC) Linux desktop, and I’m going to start with what I consider the best of the bunch. Ubuntu Linux has done some of the best work in the open source community at making Linux palatable for the average end […]
2005 – If you still like using vintage Macs and want to get decent performance out of them, you either have to use older software that demands less of your computer or upgrade your hardware.
The Macintosh was released to the public in 1984 and changed the way we interact with our computers. The Macintosh operating system gave the Mac a competitive edge in the computer market.
2005 – Much has been made in recent weeks about the dearth of acceptable Web solutions for legacy Macs. To some extent, I agree with the position taken suggesting older Macs are in fact limited by their software in an increasingly connected, global community.
Got an elderly Power Mac that’s feeling a little suffocated by the ever-increasing demands of Mac OS X? The beautiful Aqua interface, with its rolling sheets and minimizing and zooming effects has always taxed lower-end G3s and G4s. Provided your needs include no Mac-specific apps, Linux can provide a snappy user experience, along with modern stability, […]
One of the most widely used and well known Macintosh upgrades of the 680×0 era is the venerable DayStar Digital Turbo 040. Later versions of this card have 128 KB onboard cache memory, while older ones have a socket to accept a cache upgrade. 25, 33, and 40 MHz versions were created, and the slower […]