Small and Stylish PCs Are Hot, So Bring Back the Cube

2004: The small form-factor PC finally makes its debut. Apple is, without a doubt, the computing industry trendsetter. Most computer users admire Apple’s stylish hardware designs. Even if people don’t want to use a Mac, they’re hard-pressed to find a problem with how they look.

eMac USB 2.0 (2004)

Incremental improvement were the name of the game for the 2004 eMac. This edition gets a 25% speed boost for both the CPU and the memory bus compared with the 1 GHz 2003 eMac. The G4 CPU used in this model also has a larger level 2 cache (512 KB vs. 256 KB), which further improves performance.

1 GHz eMac (Education)

Based on the 1.25 GHz 2004 eMac, the education-only model includes a 1 GHz G4 CPU that was available either with a CD-ROM drive or no optical drive at all. The education eMac also lacks the built-in modem of the consumer model.

Is Apple Up or Down These Days?

2004: Apple has been doing well, as usual. Or has it? If I turn one way, I see a great number of reports that indicate that Apple, which by most accounts looks good, is slowly but surely losing the battle to remain relevant.

Build Your Own Planetarium

As part of our ongoing efforts to build a small classroom planetarium at our school, we have opted not to go with a package deal from a single vendor and instead assemble components from different vendors.

iPod mini a Success Despite Pundits

2004: I generally stay far away from speculating on new products. There are simply too many variables at work for one person to come up with a reasonable prediction. For example, the original iMac was doomed to fail because it didn’t have a floppy drive and wasn’t expandable. PC pundits trashed the little machine, while […]

Apple’s Success and Steve Jobs’ Succession

2004: Few would argue that much of Apple’s success over the past six years can be attributed to Steve Jobs. He gave Apple a strong mandate, pared down the product line, and really helped focus the company on delivering Mac OS X. Without these three things, it’s entirely possible that Apple wouldn’t be in as good […]

Still Waiting for the Tipping Point

2004: By all accounts, the goodies unveiled at Macworld Expo will satisfy most Mac user’s cravings for new and better hardware and software. The new iPod mini should maintain – if not extend – Apple’s dominance of the portable music player market. Updated iLife applications have finally arrived. The G5 Xserve will bring more power […]

Original iPod mini

Apple introduced the compact iPod mini at Macworld Expo in January 2004. The iPod mini incorporates a click wheel, which eliminated the need for 4 separate control buttons and allowed Apple to make a more compact music player.

Xserve G5 (Early 2004)

Nearly a year after the Xserve G4 hit 1.33 GHz, Apple unveiled the Xserve G5 with single or dual 2.0 GHz G5 CPUs and a 1.0 GHz system bus (vs. 167 MHz on the  G4), providing over 40% more overall processing power.

Macworld Expo: Christmas for Macheads

2003: Everyone is no doubt caught up in the full swing of the holidays. Presents to give and receive, festivities to attend, and delicious meals to digest. But for most Mac fans, the real Christmas season starts with Steve Jobs taking to the stage at Macworld Expo on January 6th.

The Online Music Bubble Is Getting Bigger

2003: Man + dog seem to be getting into the online Music industry. Coca-Cola is the most recent entry in a parade of iTunes Music Store wannabes. Who’ve we got so far? Let’s see. BuyMusic.com, Napster, Puretracks, Dell, and the list goes on. Even the mighty Walmart is apparently getting into the act.

eMac II Brings Apple to the Gates of Dell

2003 – Just when you thought it was safe to recommend an eMac, Apple thows another wrench into the works, the eMac II, or so our anonymous janitor at One Infinite Loop leads us to believe based on reconstructions of shredded documents and late night visits to the design labs while in a drunken stupor.

20″ iMac G4 (Late 2003)

The biggest iMac to date, the 20″ model has a 1680 x 1050 display – and due to the weight of the screen, the base has to be heavier to counterbalance it. At 40.1 pounds, this is the heaviest iMac G4 yet. Except for the screen size and weight, the 20″ iMac G4 is identical […]

First Impressions of the 14″ iBook G4

Dearest readers out there in the digital void! I am sure you actually don’t have the time to read this, as you are probably already hasting through toy stores, lingerie boutiques, and Martha Stewart shops to get your Christmas shopping done (what? on Stansted Airport the Christmas decoration has been up since late September), because […]

Enjoyed the Music Appetizer? Try the OS Main Course

2003: With hell freezing over and all, I’m hoping that Apple will be able to introduce another cold front in the Windows world. Windows users like their iTunes. They really like their iTunes. Really. Some have even toyed with the possibility of buying a Mac just so their whole computing experience can be as simple […]

Apple Shines after a Poorly Timed iBook Order

Bonjour, mes amis! You will remember my usual incoherent rambling about me trying to buy a new portable Apple computer from my last article. Well, after a bout of unsuccessful stints onto the highstreets (the machines I wanted to have were never in stock or only available as demo-models with faults), I fell into a […]

A Cult Classic: The Colour Classic II

2003 – The Color Classic, introduced in February 1993, was one of the earliest Macs to merit the Road Apple label. Road Apples are defined as Macs that were less than they should have been, models crippled for the sake of marketing or to keep costs down.

Proteron: Tilting at Windmills

2003: With the recent release of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, Proteron has made a bit of a stink about the inclusion of an application switcher that is, apparently, a “near pixel duplication” of Proteron’s LiteSwitch X.

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther was released on October 24, 2003 and was last updated on April 15, 2005, when the 10.3.9 update was released.

iBook G4 (Late 2003)

With the introduction of the G4 iBooks in October 2003, Apple phased out the last Macs with G3 processors, which had been in use since November 1997. Although these G4 iBooks use a G4 CPU, it’s not the same version used in the PowerBook G4 – this version only has a 256 KB level 2 […]

14″ iBook G4 (Late 2003)

With the introduction of the G4 iBooks in October 2003, Apple phased out the last Macs with G3 processors, which had been in use since November 1997 – and brought the iBook past the 1 GHz mark. Although the G4 iBooks use a G4 CPU, it’s not the same version used in the PowerBook G4 – […]

12″ 800 MHz iBook G4 (Late 2003)

With the introduction of the G4 iBooks in October 2003, Apple phased out the last Macs with G3 processors, which had been in use since November 1997. Although the G4 iBooks use a G4 CPU, it’s not the same version used in the PowerBook G4 – this edition has only a 256 KB level 2 […]