As an incurable computer collector, I rarely claimed one particular
machine as my main computer. That all changed earlier this year when I
decided to slim down my computers to the bare necessities (see The Simplified Mac Life). After selling off my
entire collection, I used the proceeds to outfit myself with one
computer to serve as my main machine.
After many years of PowerBook use, I long since came to the
realization that a PowerBook is one of the few portables which can
serve as my main computer. To that end, I bought a Titanium PowerBook G4 in
mid-October. I am a big fan of buying machines at the end of a life
cycle, and after lusting over the Titanium PowerBooks all of 2001, I
took the plunge this October. By waiting until the new revisions were
announced, I was able to save a significant amount of money and buy a
machine that suited my needs at savings of at least 35% over its
initial price.
Hardware Setup
As this was going to serve as my main computer, I used the savings
to increase some of the TiBook's features. The 
first addition was to bump the memory up to 512 MB, a number
which only last year seemed ludicrously large (but has since become
passé). With the increase in RAM, I am able to use OS X in
all of its glory.
My next major purchase was a 48 GB IBM hard drive. This wonderful
drive cost a bit more than I was initially willing to pay, but the next
step down was a full 18 GB smaller. As when buying a house, it is
always a good idea to stretch yourself, as you will grow into the
space. This is especially important when using a laptop as a primary
machine. I would hate to make another change soon after realizing I had
bought too small a drive.
Once these additions were made, I moved to peripherals. I purchased
a Sony Espressa FireWire CD-RW, which is a bit large but does not
travel with me. This is the first CD-RW drive for me, and I do enjoy
the ability to mix CDs, make backups and easily transfer files via
CD.
My next purchase was a Canon N-656u scanner, which I bought on the
cheap (end of life again). I chose it because of its small size and the
fact that it does not require a separate power supply.
I carry the machine in a Kensington Saddlebag which has served me
well through a few laptops. To increase my protection, I purchased a
wonderful sleeve from Waterford
Designs that fits the machine like a glove and makes me feel
comfortable that the exterior will not be scratched while riding in the
bag.
Software
After making sure my hardware was in order, I focused on a few
additional software titles to make the machine my primary driver. The
first thing I installed included a variety of word processors. I
installed AppleWorks as it was the only office suite available for X at
the time. I have always liked the suite, but it has given enough
problems over the years to make me nervous about using it is a primary
application.
Next I installed BBEdit, which is a wonderful text/html editor. I
have used a variation of this product for years and use it quite often
as a light word processor.
When it became available, I purchased the Office:X upgrade, as
sometimes you simply must conform with the rest of the world. I have
yet to decide if I prefer it over Office 2001, which was one of my
favorite suites.
After the word processors were addressed, I moved to some of the
other apps I use regularly. Photoshop 5 , Dreamweaver, and VPC 4 are
all installed, although only VPC will be upgraded to an X version, as I
simply dabble with those programs. I grabbed GraphicConverter and
Limewire for X, Fire for my messaging client, and last, but not least,
was the X versions of Starcraft. Combine those apps with iMovie and
iTunes and I am set.
My Other Mac
Although Dan correctly pointed out that the
PowerBook G4/400 is now "low-end," I cannot accept that this machine
really qualifies as such. To that end, I still run a trusty Performa 475 with 32 MB of RAM and a 160
MB hard drive.
That machine runs Word 5.1, Claris Works, and Claris Emailer. It is
the machine I use to write the majority of my Low End Mac articles. It just feels like the
appropriate machine. I bought mine for $5 last months, which included
an ethernet card - a much better price than the $1,999 I paid in 1994
when I purchased a 475 as my first Mac.
