Low End Mac Archive for May 6

Low End Mac Archive

The iMac

21 more uses for a 68K Mac, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report. Lots more suggestions for using those old 680x0-based Macs on today's networks.
Obsolete 2-year-old computers, Andrew W. Hill, Aquatic Mac. Why bureaucrats find it easier to replace computers than keep them up to date.
Last week in review, Eric Schwarz, The Power of Mac. The eMac, TiBook updated, deals on iPod and DVI-to-ADC adapter, the H-Paq merger, and other topics.

eMac (2003) introduced at 800 MHz and 1 GHz. Includes 133 MHz bus, AirPort Extreme support, and Radeon 7500 video.
Mail trouble a-brewin', Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac. There's something wrong when the standard OS X email program can't reliably send attachments.
Future advertising blunders by Microsoft, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side. After the "butterfly backfire" and "fake switcher," what will the folks in Redmond come up with next?

The iMac legacy: A focus on essentials, Dan Knight, Mac Musings. By sticking to what users really needed and avoiding a shopping list of things people would like, Apple created one of the most popular computers in history.
The X-keys Desktop programmable input device, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report. Looking for a programmable input device that's easy to configure and use? The X-keys Desktop may be for you.

Tiger: Not yet for me, but bound to draw attention of Windows users, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive. The old G3 Macs don't have DVD drives, so Tiger will have to wait, but it should tempt Windows users.
7 years of iMacs: The more things change..., Dan Knight, Mac Musings. Introduced seven years ago as Apple's entry-level computer, the iMac has changed quite a bit over the years.
Tiger tips; legacy PowerBooks; PowerBook decay; FlashPoint Share Drive for car, camera, and computer; bargain 'Books; and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review. Also Daystar upgrades Tiger compatible, PowerBook reviews, QuickerTek antennas for new PowerBooks, bargain 'Books from $500 to $1,750, and more.
Tiger migration guide, AppleTalk change in OS X 10.4, gorgeous wood iMac G5 kiosk, tiny Zipper Pro hard drive, and more, Charles W Moore, Mac News Review. Also Tiger on the Mac mini, OWC and Daystar Upgrades 10.4 Compatible, Mac mini makes converts, XtraDrive turns flash cards into flash drives, and more.

Perfect timing: The iMac's introduction in May 1998, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils. Apple was in dire straits in 1997, but Steve Jobs had a vision for an Internet Macintosh. 10 years ago he unveiled the iMac.
Where's the best MacBook value: Top, bottom, or middle?, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value. When it comes to MacBook and MacBook Pro value, the top-end model is usually the worst value, but which model holds the sweet spot?
Pros and cons of using Linux on a WallStreet PowerBook, Larry Stotler, Linux on the Low End. The old PowerBook G3 Series notebooks aren't without a few quirks when running openSUSE Linux, but for the most part they are good performers.
Prosumer Mac suggestions, bring back the 12" 'Book, Pismo displays, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag. Readers offer more thoughts on a midrange Mac, the need for a new 12" 'Book, using F-keys as F-keys in OS X, and lid closed video mode for Pismo.

Lombard, the forgotten PowerBook, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum. Sitting between the legendary WallStreet and the widely known Pismo, Lombard provides great value and handles OS X nicely.
WiFi hotspot insecurity, iBook longevity, and WallStreet value, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings. The dangers of WiFi hotspots, reliability of the 500 MHz iceBook, and the value of a used WallStreet PowerBook.

A Mac user tries out Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing. Brian Gray installs the latest version of Ubuntu on his first generation MacBook Pro and finds a lot to like.