x86? Apple Has Other Plans!

2002 – Aren’t you sick to death of everyone on the other platform telling us how Apple has to adopt “x86” (i.e., the same Intel and AMD processors used for Windows and most Linux boxes) to survive? I know I am.

Using an iBook Cart in the Classroom: Training

2002 – This week’s Mac Lab Report is an annotated outline based on the presentation I did two weeks ago for our school. We have purchased several iBook laptop carts, and my job is to configure the carts for classroom use and train teachers on how to use them. Only teachers who have received the […]

Waiting for the Knockoffs

2002: The new iMac G4 is a hands-down winner. No one questions there. From the gushing reviews in the Mac press to the gushing reviews in the PC press and to the gushing reviews in the non-tech press, Apple has pretty much wowed everyone. Even absolute Luddites I know have seen pictures of it and […]

PowerBook 5300: The Real PowerBook

The concept of Luddite Mac appeals to me at the gut level, because I am temperamentally resistant to change. When I have found something that works well for me, I’m happy to stick with it and reluctant to move along to the next big thing.

Peak Performa

It’s not often I get to write anything but groundless rumors for Luddite Mac, but the opportunity to look back at one of Apple’s finest computers ever got my interest.

I’m Not Moving to GS/OS!

Everyone is talking about how great the GS/OS is for the Apple IIGS. Sure, it looks good, and it’s rock solid, but I think I’m going to stick with ProDOS for a few reasons.

The SE/30 Is the Perfect Mac

The first Mac didn’t quite cut it. With 128 KB of RAM, a single-sided 400K floppy, and no native support for a hard drive, it was a proof of concept machine…

Why the Mac Plus Is Best

Q: My Dual 450 MHz G4 keeps crashing when I try to load one of my daughter’s games. I recently upgraded to OS X, and I believe the problem is occurring when classic mode is booted. Can you help?

The $299 2 GHz iMac ‘040

2002 – The G4 has finally reached the 1 GHz mark. This comes even as chips from Intel and AMD surpass the 2 GHz level. Will Apple ever catch up, let alone surpass its PC counterparts in MHz? The answer may lie in revisiting a decision made over eight years ago.

The March on Redmond

It all started with the keynote. The lucky few who were there, the invitees in the stores and the streaming video downloaders all knew…

Getting the Most from Your Older Mac

Luddite Mac is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek celebration of vintage Macs — and even Apple IIs. The point we always try to make at Low End Mac is that until it dies no computer is ever less capable than it was when you bought it, so try to make the most of it. Our other focus […]

Playing the Game of Hype

2002: Apple is one of the few companies that can really get the hype machine working overtime. Both hardware and software have received the treatment as Apple has released each new product as the one thing that will bring world peace, alleviate famine, and abolish old age. The problem is that the sizzle-versus-steak ratio can […]

Improving AppleWorks

2002 – AppleWorks is a fine Office suite. As it is, I like how well integrated the suite is and the fact that it runs smoothly in Mac OS 9 and OS X. Additional features, such as the slide presentation module (added since version 5), have been most welcome. However, I still feel the need to retreat […]

Configuring an iBook Cart, Part 2

2002 – This is one part of a multi-part series on setting up laptops for use with Apple’s iBook laptop cart. Today’s article deals with mechanical issues and configuring the AirPort base station.

Why I Live Microsoft Free

I didn’t always shun Microsoft software. Indeed, for half of my decade as a Mac user, Microsoft Word (first version 4, then version 5.1) was the application I used most in those pre-Internet years.

Configuring an iBook Cart, Part 1

2002 – In a few weeks, I have to train my colleagues how to check out, use, maintain, and return one of several iBook carts our school has purchased. In the meantime, the carts have to be prepared with certain multiple user settings, passwords, site licensed software, and network settings.

Bring Back the Cube

2002: My recent articles have focused on the need for Apple to somehow convince consumers that they are playing in the personal entertainment realm as well as the computer business. There are several problems with Apple’s current strategy. For those who haven’t been tuning in regularly, the main one is that a computer, in the […]

4 Apps for Your Science Class

2002 – Here are four free (not shareware) programs you might find handy when teaching math, physical science, astronomy, or biology. Everything works under Mac OS X either natively or in Classic Mode except as noted. Enjoy!

Apple’s Digital Hub Disadvantage

2002: As mentioned in my previous article, Apple has been attracting the attention of the mainstream press with its latest iMac. The gushing is much deserved, and hopefully, more people will see Apple in a different light.