Using Outlook Express 5, Part 1

2001 – Outlook Express (OE) 5 is the default email application for Macintosh when you install any recent Mac OS. Despite the fact that many folks choose Eudora, Claris Emailer, PowerMail, and other capable clients, many stick with OE since it is free and it satisfies them.

Zero Click Web Surfing

How many clicks or keystrokes did it take you to get to Low End Mac? I used to do nine clicks and keystrokes to get to Low End Mac. One click on iCab on my launcher program called Malph. One Cmd-L to open a URL, and then six keystrokes to type “www.lo” – at which […]

One Faster Brain or Two Slower Ones?

2001 – This article was posted about three weeks before Mac OS X 10.0 first shipped, so it reflects the reality under Mac OS 9.1. OS X has far better multiprocessor support, which Bare Feats demonstrated in an October 2001 comparison of single- and dual-processor G4 Power Macs using OS X 10.1.

Free Internet for Mac Users

Q: I’ve been using many different free Internet service providers, but it seems that more and more free Mac ISPs are either closing their services or dropping support for Macintosh users. I still want free Internet access for my Mac, but I can’t find it anywhere. Are there any more free Internet access services left […]

400 MHz iMac G3 (Early 2001)

There were four different G3 iMacs that ran at 400 MHz: two introduced in 1999, one in 2000, and one in 2001. The 400 MHz iMac DV and 400 MHz DV Special Edition were introduced in October 1999. These included a DVD-ROM drive and were the first iMacs with built-in FireWire. They have RAGE 128 […]

iMac G3 DV Mid-2000

This model, available in Indigo and Ruby, replaced the earlier iMac DV. Both models share a 400 MHz processor. Other than colors, the biggest difference between the new iMac DV and the previous model with the same name is the use of a CD-ROM drive instead of DVD. The Summer 2000 iMac DV sells for […]

600 MHz iMac (Early 2001)

The 600 MHz iMac 2001 SE (for special edition) sat at the top of the Early 2001 iMac family. It was the fastest iMac when released and came in graphite, flower power, and blue Dalmatian (really – see the picture!). This model replaced the 2000 iMac DV SE at the same price while adding CD-RW, […]

500 MHz iMac (Early 2001, International)

The 500 MHz iMac 2001 is the middle member of the iMac 2001 family. It is Apple’s least expensive computer with CD-RW capability and comes in indigo, flower power, and blue Dalmatian (really – see the picture!). This model replaces the 450 MHz Mac DV+ at a $100 price reduction while adding CD-RW and a […]

500 MHz iMac (Early 2001, North American)

The 500 MHz Early 2001 iMac is the middle member of the Early 2001 family. It is Apple’s least expensive computer with CD-RW capability and comes in indigo, flower power, and blue Dalmatian (really – see the picture!). This model replaces the 450 MHz Mac DV+ at a $100 price reduction while adding CD-RW, improved […]

Speed Up Internet Explorer on the Classic Mac OS

2001 – Since the release of version 5, Internet Explorer became the Mac world’s number one browser, with many Netscape users dumping the Navigator or Communicator 4.x in order to get Microsoft’s latest offering. In any case, Explorer is very popular in the Mac crowd, and a few of you may want to maximize its […]

Introduction to Unix: The Buzz Words

2001: I am sure that people are getting tired of hearing about multithreading, symmetrical multiprocessing, memory management, and preemptive multitasking. How is it really going to affect you, the Macintosh user, under Mac OS X, when you just want to read Low End Mac, check your email, and write a document.

Mac Network Appliance: Make Your Own MP3 Server

Computers are supposed to make life easier, right? It seems like if I have a faster computer, I should be able to get things done more quickly and have more free time for important things – like talking to my fiancé or getting some exercise. But often that isn’t the way it seems to work […]

Fixing the Trackpad

2001: The trackpad was launched by Apple in May 1994 as a replacement for the much-lauded trackball in its PowerBooks. It has been implemented in every subsequent Mac portable. It was used in lieu of a mouse in the Twentieth Anniversary Mac and is also used by the majority of PC notebooks now in production. […]

My TiBook, Part 6: Nearly Perfect

2001: Thanks to several readers who emailed to suggest I pick up one of those plastic fish tank thermometers to measure the temperature of various parts of my PowerBook G4. Unfortunately, we had freezing rain overnight, so I don’t know when I’ll be venturing out to find one, but it sounds like it should work […]

My TiBook, Part 5: A Portable CD Burner

2001: Monday morning, I received a Podium CoolPad from Road Tools. It’s a compact device measuring 11″ wide and 8.7″ deep. The base has a swivel, so you can easily turn a laptop from side to side. It also comes with adjustable risers, which let you raise the back of your notebook computer from 0.5″ […]

My TiBook, Part 2: Migrating Everything

I got my PowerBook G4 on Wednesday afternoon, spent a couple hours getting it ready, and shared my initial impressions Wednesday evening. Then I got to work moving all my files from my aging SuperMac S900 (a 1996 Macintosh clone with many upgrades) to the new TiBook – it took hours.

Blame It on Mac OS

2001: A friend and I were having a “Mac OS stinks” discussion one day when, for once, he brought up a valid point on why the Mac OS does, in fact, stink: When you hold down the mouse button, the whole operating system comes to halt. Should anything interactive be running when you do that, […]

Using ProTools Free 3.4 with Older Macs

ProTools v3.4 Digital Audio Workstation software was released on CD-ROM free of charge by Digidesign as a promotional effort in 1997. It is an older but fully-functional 16-track version of the program. Pro Tools v3.4 was only approved for use with some PCI-based Power Macs, but it is possible to run the program on many […]