Low End Mac Editorial Archive

February 2005

Jef Raskin, creator of the Macintosh, 1943-2005, Jason Walsh, Mac News Today, 02.28. Obituary: Jef Raskin, the visionary behind the Macintosh and a leading authority on interface design.
Interarchy a fast, powerful FTP Client for OS X, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.28. Fast, flexible, feature-laden, and familiar, Interarchy integrates tightly with the Finder and text editors.
"Creaky Operating Systems" good enough for millions, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.28. For tens of millions of users, the classic Mac OS and older versions of Windows are all they need.
Trustworthy computing, untrustworthy customers, and Windows activation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.25. Microsoft fights piracy by making it more of a pain to reinstall Windows XP by requiring phone activation.
PB 100 best gadget ever, 17" PB the ultimate laptop, Apple overhauls iPod line, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 02.25. Also SideTrack trackpad driver, 15" and 17" developer notes, Macs and music, bargain 'Books from $499 to $1,499, and more.
They just don't build laptop computers like they used to, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.25. Today's 'Books may be smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever, but that comes at the price of long-term reliability and ruggedness.
Mac mini switcher's guide, Mac mini dock, iDash, mini opens world to Windows users, new digicams, and more, Charles W Moore, The Mac News Review, 02.24. Mac switcher never going back, Daystar Apple authorized service, Samsung 16x DVD burner, SmartDisk FotoChute, and new digicams from Concord, Rollei, and Olympus.
Why I bought a low end iPod, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.24. Most people buy an iPod so they can listen to music. I had two other reasons for buying a used iPod.
Apple does us a favor by not shipping a better mouse, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.23. Instead of trying to come up with a one-mouse-fits-all multibutton mouse with a scroll wheel, Apple lets those who want a better mouse make their own choice.
A diehard OS 9 user makes the big leap, Beverly Woods, Acoustic Mac, 02.23. Mac OS 9 "ain't broke" yet and is in some ways superior to OS X, but the best browsers require OS X.
The 10 most important Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.22. Which models have been the most important in the 21 year evolution of the Macintosh?
PB 3400 opinions, dual-core G4 beats G5 for 'Books, Mac minis as servers, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.21. Also external DVD burning with OS 9, Opera 8 features, free POP3 service, thoughts on trackpad scrolling, and more.
Can I install the hard drive and CPU from my Power Mac G4 in an iMac?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 02.21. The iMac uses a standard IDE hard drive, but you can't plug in a G4 pulled from a Power Mac. However, there are other CPU upgrade options.
Mac OS X and the Cell processor: A marriage made in heaven?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.18. Apple is the company best positioned to create an operating system that will help the Cell processor succeed beyond Playstations and workstations.
The iPod shuffle is overpriced and underfeatured, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 02.18. Small, stylish, and popular, the iPod shuffle isn't worth the price of admission.
Trackpad scrolling for older 'Books, battle of puny Mac servers, new clamshell battery, and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 02.18. Also more on PowerBook motion sensor, Battorox battery monitor, an iPod earbud accessory, iPod protection, bargain 'Books from $449 to $1,800, and more.
Low end G3s and G4s: Macs really do last longer, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.17. The low end keeps moving as Apple keeps introducing new models and older Macs continue to remain in use.
Slow Mac mini supercomputer cluster, Mini-to-the-max upgrades, first 1.8 GHz G4 upgrades, and more, Charles W Moore, The Mac News Review, 02.17. Also a blue-glo Mac mini skirt, Contour's RollerMouse Pro and RollerWave, Wacom's 21" LCD tablet, and QuickerTek's half-mile wireless antenna.
The Apple IIGS, Apple's home computer for 1986, Jason Walsh, Apple Before the Mac, 02.16. Believing Apple II users demanded color and would avoid the Macintosh, Apple created a 16-bit version of the popular Apple II computer.
Napster's math doesn't account for the extinction factor, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 02.15. If Apple goes extinct, you still have the music you bought. But if Napster goes extinct, you have nothing to show for the money you've spent.
Sp@mX: Fighting back against the spammers, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 02.15. Tired of receiving and deleting spam? This program lets you fight the problem at its source - ISPs who allow it onto the Internet in the first place.
Opera 8.0 for Mac: The promise finally realized?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.14. Earlier version of 'the world's fastest browser' weren't so fast, crashed a lot, and weren't very Mac-like. Has Opera 8.0 fixed everything?
What's the fastest browser on the Mac? Across platforms?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 02.14. Comparison of browser speed for many different browsers on Mac OS X, OS 9, Linux, and Windows XP. What's fastest?
Four kinds of iPods, six storage capacities: Which is best for you?, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 02.11. Choosing between the iPod, iPod mini, iPod photo, and iPod shuffle made easier.
PC enthusiasts willing to consider a Mac, Mac mini tips, Dell clueless to home market, and more, Charles Moore, The Mac News Review, 02.11. Also Mac mini as a low-cost server, C-Station's Relaxation Station, new Kanguru Quicksilver hard drives, computing's silent revolution, and more.
'Books tops in reliability, support; replace or repair; PowerBook G5 still a ways off; and more, Charles W Moore, The 'Book Review, 02.11. Also hopes for a lighter PowerBook, stainless steel replacement hinges for TiBook, bargain 'Books from $280 to $1,739, and more.
The key to Apple's success: If you make it easy, they will come, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.11. All Apple needs to do to succeed is keep producing easy-to-use products that people want to buy.
The ultimate spam email, Dan Knight, The Lite Side, 02.10. Low rate mortgages, murdered chiefs, international lotteries, cheating housewives, OEM software, online meds and more form the backbone of today's perfect spam email.
Apple and the $100 laptop, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.09. "Apple could leverage their technology to create a $100 handheld computer because they've already paid the cost to develop so much of the technology."
Dell's 'out of whack' memory pricing scheme, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 02.08. Eschewing the concept of one price for all, Dell offers different RAM prices to different classes of buyers. Really.
Revolution in the Valley: The people and stories behind the Macintosh, Alan Zisman, Low End Mac Reviews, 02.08. Andy Hertzfeld and other members of the Macintosh development team share the stories behind the computer.
DEVONthink, a powerful information collection, organization, and analysis tool, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.07. DEVONthink helps you collect and discover connections using text, images, Web pages, bookmarks, and other types of data.
I have a new hard drive, but how do I move everything from the old one?, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 02.07. How to use an external drive enclosure and freely available software to duplicate your old drive on your new one.
Apple's mini support page, emperor's new mini, DoubleCommand for PC keyboards, mini overclocking, and more, Charles W Moore, The Mac News Review, 02.04. Also Plasticsmith mini accessories, IOGear mini connection products, SoundBite very portable speakers, and Drive Genius software.
Laptop security, PowerBook G5 delayed, SoundBite portable USB speakers, iPresent It, and more, Charles Moore, The 'Book Review, 02.04. Also the Mac/ThinkPad shuffle, 8x dual layer PowerBook G4 SuperDrive, Negroponte's $100 laptop, bargain 'Books from $319 to $1,739, and more.
How to make it harder for someone to steal and sell your PowerBook, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 02.04. Laptops computers are popular with thieves. Some tips for making your iBook or PowerBook harder for a thief to sell.
Napster and the $10,000 iPod, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.04. Napster is going on the offensive to position their music rental service against Apple's iTunes Music Store - and they're not being realistic in their comparison.
Apple's future is with the consumer market, not just pros, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.03. Why Apple has declining sales of "pro'" products. How this prepares Apple to grow in the future.
Two-fingered trackpad scrolling could give Apple an excuse to build a two-button mouse, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 02.03. With the scrollable trackpad, the new PowerBooks can now do something Mac users can't do with a one-button mouse. Could two-fingered scrolling be done with a two-button mouse?
Jaguar for $28, solid PowerBook 3400, Panther WallStreet video fix, Office 98 on OS X, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 02.03. Also adjusting Apple's optical mouse, alternative to BootCD, skeptical about PowerBook G5 info, and more on the iceKey keyboard.
Which iMac is it? A quick guide to differentiating CRT G3 iMacs, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 02.02. Two form factors, nine CPU speeds, and fifteen different colors. How can anyone keep this straignt?
Jobs shows PowerBook G5s, units to ship April 1, Anne Onymus, Rumor Mill, 02.02. "We told people we could rise to the thermal challenge. All we had to do was think different about compact, lightweight, powerful PowerBooks."
How to add memory, replace the hard drive, and use a second display with your eMac, Evan Kleiman, Mac Happens, 02.01. Three low-cost ways to upgrade your eMac for better performance and greater flexibility.
The 2005 PowerBook G4 value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 02.01. As always, the new PowerBooks offer more for the dollar, but how do they compare to close-out prices on last year's models?