Setting Up a Cable or DSL Router

There are several ways to attach a group of computers to the Internet. At work, we have a Cisco router, an ISDN connection, and a range of 128 IP addresses. At home, I’ve used IPNetRouter on my SuperMac J700/180, which also acts as a mail and list server. The $89 shareware program does a great […]

Macs and Digital Video

2000 – I am interested in doing digital video (DV) editing – as shown in the new iMac commercials. Is there any way I can do it with my older Mac by buying a FireWire card? If not, what Mac do you suggest for digital video editing?

Raising the Dead, Part 3

2000 – When last I wrote, I was in the process of testing out my refurbished Mac II. In my quest to revive the MacDead, I discovered that one needs to have the correct RAM for the machine. I now need to install four 1 MB SIMMs in Bank A to get the beast going.

Macs and AOL 5.0

2000: One problem that bugs AOL users who use Macs is the fact that the Mac version of their software is always the last to be updated. AOL for Windows will be released, and the Mac version will be released three months later. Finally, after many months of having AOL 5.0 for Windows out for […]

G4 Insignificantly Superior to G3

I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. The G4 is insignificantly superior to the G3 unless you are running AltiVec-enabled software. It’s not a claim I make lightly, since Apple is hyping the G4 as the greatest thing since, well, the G3. Truth is, the G4 is little more than a G3 with a […]

DSL Lines and Cupertino Apples

2000: This week my DSL line is being put in. It has been a very long wait for me to get high-speed Internet service at home. This couldn’t be happening at a better time because when I quit my MIS Director’s job I gave up my T1 exploitation rights.

Getting a Modem for an Older Power Mac

2000 – I recently got a Power Mac from a friend (it’s a 1994 model PowerPC). It was apparently on the network before I received it. It says it has an internal modem, but all I see is a modem port on the back of the computer without the RJ-11 (phone line) connector. How can […]

A Rescued Fat Mac

2000: Jonathan Wise shares: I found my first Mac in the garbage. It was a Mac 512K (Fat Mac) and had been the office computer at my church for about 5 years. It had developed the vertical line disease (for those of you who don’t know old Macs, when they get too hot, the insides […]

A Rescued Fat Mac

I found my first Mac in the garbage. It was a Mac 512K (Fat Mac) and had been the office computer at my church for about five years. It had developed the vertical line disease (for those of you who don’t know old Macs, when they get too hot, the insides start to melt a little […]

Macs Play MP3

2000: MP3s are the latest fad in the computer world. Many people use this file format to play their favorite songs. However, there have been many shortcomings to this new file format. With today’s tips, you’ll be able to get up and running with MP3s faster and easier than you’d ever thought possible.

iBook SE (366 MHz)

The iBook has been the best selling portable computer since it began shipping in late September 1999. It’s also been picked on for having too little memory, too small a hard drive, and garish (some say “girlie”) colors. The iBook Special Edition (SE) solves those problems: It ships with 64 MB of memory, a 6 […]

Are Extended Computer Warranties Worth the Cost?

2000: Apple Computer has revamped and enhanced it’s AppleCare Protection Plan extended warranty, which now provides two extra years of service and support for your Mac at a flat rate price, including telephone support, bundled third-party diagnostic tools, Apple-certified repairs, and 24-hour-a-day Internet support. But are extended warranties like AppleCare worth what they cost?

Raising the Dead, Part 2

2000 – Welcome back to the surreal. Over the past few weeks, I have been visiting the library and the local Radio Shack seeking out parts and information that would help revive my comatose 1988 vintage Mac II. According to the book Macintosh II Repair and Upgrades Secrets, there are two lithium cells that should be […]

Surfing the iNet

2000: You do everything with your Mac: You do your banking, talk to your friends, do your shopping. You do almost everything – well, now you can even send Mac-oriented cards to your friends! Apple has unveiled it’s free service to any computer users (not just us people with superior computers). This service is called […]

Pismo PowerBook

a.k.a. PowerBook (FireWire), PowerBook (2000), PowerBook (Pismo) The last G3 PowerBook (just PowerBook, no longer PowerBook G3) was announced on February 16, 2000. It’s the same size and weight as the Lombard PowerBook G3, but the new model has FireWire ports instead of SCSI, room for an AirPort Card, and a 100 MHz motherboard. In the […]