Low End Mac Editorial Archive

January 2005

How to change copyright law so it once again serves the public interest, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.31. "Not only would this better serve the public interest, but it might cost Disney and others a lot less than lobbying for ever-increasing copyright terms while still protecting their works from pirates."
No, kids aren't born knowing how to use computers, save files, or burn CDs, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 01.31. Sure, some students breathe technology, but a lot of kids need to be taught how to launch programs, where to save files, and how to copy their work to a disc.
Is 'The Mouse' from DVForge the multi-button mouse Apple should have built?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.31. "Appearance-wise, it pays more than a little homage to Apple's USB optical mouse, but in my estimation it's a nicer mouse to use."
iLife '05 not for clamshells, iBook hard drive upgrades, Mac mini price protection, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 01.28. Also iBook ruggedness, roaring laptop sales, no Maxtor laptop drives, inside the Mac mini, 9V-battery-to-USB, bargain 'Books from $99 to $1,759, and more.
More than thermal issues hold up the PowerBook G5, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 01.28. People are lusting for a G5 PowerBook, but would they buy it if it had to be big, heavy, and have a short battery life?
The Mac mini, price reductions, and the road ahead, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.27. Price reductions on Mac mini upgrades aren't due to poor sales or gouging early adopters. They are due to the mini's success and other market factors.
Make a bootable OS X emergency CD with BootCD, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.26. Donationware app makes it easy to create a bootable OS X CD with your favorite Mac utility software.
The New Standard Keyboard: What were they thinking?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.26. "Despite the garish color scheme and the bizarre choice to put keys in alphabetical order, the New Standard Keyboard is innovative."
How Apple's iPod/iTunes combo could demolish Microsoft's 'Play For Sure' initiative, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.25. Apple is reinventing itself as the 'choice' company, and that's the key to maintaining the lead in the digital music world.
PowerBook G5 and PPC 970GX, iBook resolder repair, best keyboard opinions, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.24. Also OS X on a tray-loading iMac, the importance of testing your RAM, and a dead PowerBook battery.
G5 'Books coming soon?, Mac mini take apart, mini auto installation, TuneJuice for iPods, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 01.21. Also Apple production numbers, mini memory specs, first mini case, mini colocation, bargain 'Books from $280 to $2,399, and more.
Mac mini vs. cheap Dell, Gateway, HP, and Compaq PCs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.21. Surprisingly, HP and Compaq - not Dell or Gateway - have the most price-competitive models. How do they compare with the Mac mini?
Is the Mac mini worth more than a low cost DIY Windows PC?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 01.21. If you're already using a PC, you can probably build a new computer for a lot less than the Mac mini costs, but that doesn't doom the mini.
Is the Dock a hopeless kludge or just in need of a few tweaks?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.20. Tog things the Dock is a mess. I like it, but I think there's definitely room for improvement.
The GUI Fruits and the Dark Angel of the Dell, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 01.20. The true tale of the Gates of Greenbacks, the Angel of the Dell, and the Fruits of GUI and of Music.
Cool new stuff from SteelPad: A cure for slippery mice and a really big mousepad, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.19. Steelgrip keeps your mouse from slipping, and SteelPad QcK+ gives your mouse plenty of room to maneuver.
Jef Raskin, the Visionary Behind the Mac, Jason Walsh, Apple Before the Mac, 01.19. "I avoided the supposed "visionaries" in the company who could not understand my idea but presented a business case: People would buy a product that they could readily and happily use."
Favorite keyboards, keyboard design flaws, memory speed, Classic II mail server, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.17. Also bluetooth mouse support in Panther, clamshell iBook ruggedness and performance, NewerTech recommendation, and a possible iTunes glitch.
Should I buy a used G4 or a new Mac mini?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 01.17. Does it make any sense at all to buy a used Power Mac G4 these days when the Mac mini offers so much value?
Why the Mac mini may be perfect for college students, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 01.14. Affordable, compact, and transportable, the Mac mini is perfect for students who live away from home.
PowerBook hinge problems, 'Books have solid fan base, the PowerS future, 3 battery monitors, and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 01.14. Also new laptop cases, PodBuddy, 75 million Toshiba laptop drives, ThinkPad future, bargain 'Books from $280 to $2,409, and more.
Beyond the Mac mini: The accessories market, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.13. When it comes to accessories designed for it, the Mac mini could become the iPod of the peripherals market.
20 reasons the Mac mini will fail and doom Apple, Dan Knight, The Lite Side, 01.13. No mouse, no keyboard, no monitor, no scroll-wheel, no colors, too little software, and no floppy are just a few of the reasons nobody will buy the Mac mini.
The overpriced Mac in 1989, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.12. Were the Macintosh SE/30, IIcx, IIci, and Portable overpriced in comparison to the PCs of 1989?
Macs in space (er, astronomy), Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 01.12. More and more astronomers are discovering the Mac. Let's hope that leads to better Mac support from manufacturers.
The impressive value of the Mac mini, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.11. The $500 headless Mac isn't some stripped down, barely usable computer. You just might want to buy one for yourself.
Mac mini, 01.11. Wow, Apple really did it. The $500 headless Mac is a reality.
Macworld Expo 2005 Keynote, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.11. Point-by-point overview of the Macworld Exp 2005 Keynote Address.
Lombard/Pismo battery replacement, webmail problems with OS X, OS X on an iBook 300, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.11. Also adding FireWire to a G4, the recalcitrant blue & white G3, Rodney Lain, Classic II mail server, and more.
The overpriced Mac in 1986-87, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.11. Comparing the Mac Plus, SE, and II to the 80286 and 80386 PCs of the era.
The best Mac keyboard? I beg to differ, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.10. Praise of the Apple Extended Keyboard and Matias Tactile Pro is far from universal.
The top Mac design applications of 2004, Jason Walsh, The Low End Designer, 01.10. What are the best new Mac design programs released or updated in 2004?
The overpriced Mac in 1984, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.10. Looking at the personal computing world of 1984 to determine whether the original Mac was overpriced.
The headless Mac as an upgrade path for low end Mac users, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 01.07. The rumored $500 headless Mac could be just the thing to turn long-time Mac users into new Mac buyers.
Apple to market 79¢ sMac, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 01.07. "The sMac will be available in Snow White, Golden Delicious, Sour Apple Green, Candy Apple Red, Mac-genta, I've Got the Blues, and Steve Jobs' Mock Turtleneck Black."
iLife and Tiger and Macs, oh my! What we might see at the Expo, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.06. Flash iPods, headless Macs, new software, faster 'Books - what should we expect from next week's Macworld Expo?
The ill-fated Apple III, Jason Walsh, Apple Before the Mac, 01.05. "...not only was the Apple III was mind crunchingly expensive, it was made with none of the passion of the Apple II or Macintosh."
The headless iMac: Once again ahead of my time, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 01.04. Calls for a "headless iMac" have a long history with Mac Lab Report.
Does Apple want to sell a $500 Mac?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 01.03. The question isn't whether Apple can sell a headless Mac for $500 - they can - but do they want to?
Has the best keyboard Apple ever made been resurrected?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 01.03. Matias claims to have remade Apple's Extended Keyboard II for the USB era, but is it as good as the original?
APOD, EPOD, iPod, oPod, uPod, yPod and more, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 01.03. Apple is far from alone in creating names that end with "POD".