Apple’s NeXT Direction

1999: A reader got me thinking when he wrote, “I find myself more and more bothered by Apple’s current direction and am curious to know what you think. “Here’s what has me agitated: shutting out Be, shutting down involvement in mkLinux, the rumored ‘no G4 upgrade’ bomb in the G3s, OS X not compatible with […]

An iBook as Your First Mac

1999: One-third of iMac owners bought their iMac as their first computer. For those of us who have been computing nearly forever (I got started in 1979), it’s weird to think that some people don’t even have their first computer yet. But it’s true – a lot of people have yet to take the personal […]

iBook Makes Its Debut

July 1999: The suspense is over! In one of what has to be the longest-anticipated and one of the most eagerly awaited product introductions in its history, Apple computer unveiled its new compact iBook consumer notebook on Wednesday at Macworld Expo New York.

The Depreciation Game

July 1999: One of the baneful things about computers is that they depreciate on a curve whose trajectory resembles that of a falling rock – even worse than cars. I hate depreciation. That’s the reason I have never bought a new car and never will. Unfortunately, while a 10-year-old automobile can still be excellent, no-compromise […]

The iBook Market

1999: Admit it, Mac fans, you’d love one. Sure, it may not be the right Mac for you, but the iBook (like the iMac) calls out to be embraced. Buy me. Use me. Show the world your colors.

iBook: The Price Is Right

1999: I’ll admit it right up front: I was expecting the iBook to come in at about $1,400, not $1,600. But then, I was expecting a different computer. A lot of us were expecting something smaller and lighter than the Lombard PowerBook G3.

Enter the iBook

1999 – Many people have tried to copy Apple’s idea of a cool translucent plastic space age looking computer. Well, now Apple’s done it themselves. Enter the iBook.

Original iBook

Apple’s first consumer portable since the PowerBook 150 was discontinued at under US$1,000 in late 1995, the $1,599 iBook was available in blueberry and tangerine. Apple billed it as the world’s second fastest portable computer – only the Lombard PowerBook G3 outperforms it.

No Email Tax

1999: The United Nations has proposed an email tax to subsidize internet connectivity in the two-thirds world. The latest rumor is that the United States government also wants to tax email. From the perspective of the taxman, email has got to look like one incredible revenue opportunity.

How Fast Is Fast?

One of the cardinal rules of computers: Things keep getting faster. There are a lot more parts to the speed equation than processor speed, although the CPU is certainly part of the equation. This article looks at how fast the computer moves data.

Avoiding Wintel Nightmares

I first came into contact with Apple Macs back in the early 1990s when my friend’s father purchased a Mac LC II. At the time I thought it was a load of rubbish (hey, I’d only ever used Nintendos and an Amstrad 6128+).

My Last Mac: Maybe Not

1999: Walter writes, “I have used Macs since 1993. I have three at home. My first one was a Performa 200 (Classic II). I have always loved the Mac, and I have actively encouraged people to buy them. I have ‘forced’ one on my wife who works in a PC environment – with all the […]

USB Is Enough

1999 – When the iMac first came out, you either loved it or you hated it. Most of the people who loved it, loved it because of its all-in-one case design, low price, good software, and really cool color. Most of the people who hated it, hated it for two reasons: It’s a Mac, and […]

Third Voice Revisited

1999: Third Voice is a plugin for Internet Explorer for Windows that allows Third Voice users to append comments to pages on the world wide web. These comments are available to anyone who uses Third Voice. The biggest objections have come from webmasters. We really don’t like the idea of people putting notes on our […]

Third Voice: One Voice Too Many

1999: Who would have thought that a PC software product could make such waves in the Mac community? But that’s what is happening: The appearance of Third Voice has caused quite a stir, prompting articles, emails, and long threads in various forums.

Convergence: Count On It

1999: Convergence is the coming together of separate streams. In this case, the streams of personal computers and television. In Why Convergence Won’t Happen, Rabbe Sandelin says that it isn’t going to happen.

iMac Talks to PowerBook, Part 2

1999 – You have an iMac, you have a PowerBook, and you have a few ways to connect them (see Part 1) – but none of them seem fast enough or cheap enough, so you want more options. Never fear, there are plenty more ways to connect Macs.

Tomorrow’s iMac

1999.06: No, this article isn’t about C2, the second-generation iMac expected Real Soon Now. This is about where computers, including the iMac, are going over the next few years.