December 2008
- Apple and
Microsoft: Best friends forever?, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 12.24.
Shocked that Microsoft has an iPhone app? Microsoft has been working
with Apple nearly forever.
- Apple hopes for
2009, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 12.24. Things I'd like
to see Apple do in the coming year.
- Unbuntu Linux and
Boot camp make it easy to create a triple boot Mac, Alan Zisman,
Mac2Windows, 12.24. Boot Camp makes it easy to install Windows on Intel
Macs, and Ubuntu now makes it easy to install Linux to a virtual
Windows drive.
- Evidence of next iMac and Mac
mini with Nvidia graphics, consumer Macs ready for business, and
more, Mac News Review, 12.24. Also the beginning of the end for the
iMac?, OS X 10.5.6 speeds up graphic performance, the Ultimate Guide to
Mac OS X, and more.
- More Walmart iPhone evidence,
iPhone users prefer WiFi, SimCity for the iPhone, and more, iNews
Review, 12.24. Also iPhone 3G dukes it out with BlackBerry Storm, food
software and 'Live TV' for the iPhone and iPod touch, chocolate bar
case for iPhone 3G, and more.
- OS X on netbook guide, fast Intel
X25-M SSD benchmarked, Woz joins Axiotron board, and more, The
'Book Review, 12.24. Also multi-touch trackpad update for Boot Camp,
Nvidia's 'Intel-thrashing' netbook GPU, Toshiba launches first 512 GB
SSD, bargain 'Books from $170 to $2,299, and more.
- Why DisplayPort is the
video connector for the future, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 12.23.
DisplayPort supports multiple displays, combines audio and video on one
cable, and costs nothing to use.
- The iPod touch will
outsell the iPhone, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 12.23.
Analysts predicted weak iPod sales, but the iPod touch is taking off.
Here's why it's a great alternative to the iPhone for a lot of
people.
- Notebooks and
blackouts, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 12.23. When the power goes
out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep
working for hours and hours.
- New MacBook trackpad
takes some getting used to, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 12.22. The large
glass trackpad is a joy to use in many ways, but it can be frustrating
for longtime notebook users and has issues with Boot Camp.
- Pixelmator 1.3.2
gains some cool enhancements, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous
Ramblings, 12.22. "Pixelmator works so well now that I've been finding
myself using it more and more instead of Photoshop Elements 6."
- Practical iMac G3
applications and upgrades, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 20.12.22. Used
G3 iMacs are going for a song these days, but are they worth spending
money on, let along upgrading?
- Using a different kind
of keynote address to drive Apple retail sales, Tim Nash, Taking
Back the Market, 12.19. Apple won't be exhibiting at Macworld after
January 2009, but it could harness the power of a Steve Jobs keynote in
a different way.
- iPhone economics, iPhone at
Walmart Dec. 28?, Christmas iPhone apps, and more, iNews Review,
12.19. Also how the iPhone changed the mobile industry, Television app
for iPhone, aluminum case for 2G iPod touch, and more.
- Macs #1 in reliability and
support, why Apple can't stop the clones, Apple mudflaps, and more,
Mac News Review, 12.19. Also new Mac mini expected at Macworld Expo, 10
ways Windows is better, cleaning the Mighty Mouse trackball, ecofont
saves ink, and more.
- 4 GB RAM problem persists after
firmware update, TriBook concept MacBook, DIY Mac netbook, and
more, The 'Book Review, 12.19. Also using third-party monitors with
'Late 2008' MacBooks, MacMagSaver protects MagSafe cord, $25 802.11g
USB adapter, bargain 'Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
- Picking up a used
Power Mac G3 or G4: Is it worth it?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings,
12.18. In some cases, shipping can cost more than the computer itself.
Where are the best values?
- Love my MacBook Pro, excellent
upgrade advice, unexpected Opera 10 Alpha behavior, and more,
Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.18. Also Firefox 2 and 3 as
processor hogs, almost no chance of Snow Leopard for PowerPC Macs, and
Eudora withrawal woes.
- Vista can offer
comparable performance and reliability to Mac OS X, Andrew J Fishkin,
Best Tools for the Job, 12.17. Windows PCs are usually hobbled with
inefficient antimalware apps and crapware. Remove them, and Vista can
hold its own against Mac OS X.
- The Psystar drama
continues, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 12.17. A look at what is at
stake for Apple's reputation and bottom line if Psystar and others are
allowed to sell Macintosh clones.
- Why Macs cost more than Dells,
leaving the Mac for Dell and Ubuntu, and using both platforms,
Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.17. Readers weigh in on what
Apple would have to do to compete with Dell on price, the joys of
Ubuntu on an Inspiron, and Dell on the go with a Mac at home.
- 50 million OS X
users and counting, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 12.16. When
you add up all the Mac users, the iPhone users, and the iPod touch
users, there could easily be 50 million OS X users by year-end.
- The 'better safe than
sorry' guide to installing Mac OS X updates, Charles W Moore,
Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.16. Most users encounter no problems using
Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater
means far less chance of trouble.
- Leopard on an
867 MHz G4 trounces Vista on a 2 GHz Core Duo notebook, Simon
Royal, Tech Spectrum, 12.16. Apple makes sure that each version of OS X
runs well on the minimum supported hardware, while PCs well above
minimum spec struggle under Microsoft's latest version of Windows.
- MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook
Air teething problems and firmware updates, The 'Book Review,
12.16. Also Apple notebooks strong in weak market, CoolBook controls
CPU frequency and voltage for cooler running, Logitech's new Comfort
lapdesk, bargain 'Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
- The 1 GHz Pismo, the
fastest G3 notebook ever, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 12.15. Apple
never shipped a G3 faster than 900 MHz, but the PowerLogix BlueChip
upgrade could bring the Pismo PowerBook to 1 GHz.
- How Steve
Jobs would save Microsoft from itself, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz,
12.12. Steve Jobs brought focus back to Apple and would do the same if
he ran Microsoft. Let's be grateful that he is running Apple.
- Lowdown on Macs and malware,
OpenCL spec released, first secure USB Flash Drive for Macs, and
more, Mac News Review, 12.12. Also Mac OS 9 still in productive
use, OpeniMac clone from Argentina, MacUpdate's $50 holiday software
bundle, a hard drive giveaway, and more.
- iPhone at Walmart soon?, best
way to unlock iPhone, file storage for iPhone, and more, iNews
Review, 12.12. Also half of iPod owners could face hearing loss,
anti-radiation chip for mobile phones, Santa software, battery doubles
iPhone 3G life, and more.
- iMac Rev. B nightmares, thousands
vs. millions of colors performance, and unsupported Leopard, Dan
Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.11. Problems restoring a Rev. B iMac,
color depth and graphics performance, and more unsupported Leopard
reports.
- The best alternatives to Apple's USB
keyboards, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.10. There are
a lot of USB keyboards out there, even for the Mac, but these two have
great keyboard action, are solidly built, and have features Apple's
keyboard don't include.
- Keeping those old Macs useful,
David Passell, My Turn, 12.10. Long a fan of old Macs, the author
oversees a computer recycling project that can repurpose most older
Macs.
- 8 GB partition issue impacts OS 9,
RAM for G3 iMacs, success with Open Firmware hack, and more, Dan
Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.10. Partitions over 8 GB can cause
problems in the classic Mac OS, more unsupported Leopard reports,
another vote against the iPhone, and millions vs. thousands of
colors.
- Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3
Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 12.07. Tips on
hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3
iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
- Why I can't buy an iPhone, and
what I did about it, John Hatchett, My Turn, 12.07. Thanks to
Apple's exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T and no local AT&T
wireless coverage, the author had to find a different solution.
- iPods, notebooks, and other
modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, Adam Robert
Guha, Apple Archive, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a
broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a
broken electronics device than repair it.
- Working with vintage Macs,
Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 12.07. Tips for dealing with dead PRAM
batteries, failed drives, connecting monitors, networking, swapping out
parts, and more.
- Weak AirPort Extreme, Open Firmware
hack, deleting old Systems, and spacing problems in Pages, Dan
Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.07. Fixing a weak signal in AirPort
Extreme, thoughts on the Open Firmware Leopard install hack, when it's
safe to delete an old System, and line spacing issues in Pages.
- MacBook Pro 'absolutely flies',
not just for pros; mobile 'Penryn' to debut in January; and more,
The 'Book Review, 12.07. Also 8 steps to buying a MacBook, MacBook nano
"short of a sure thing" at Macworld Expo, more LED backlighting
expected from Apple, Hitachi vs. Seagate 7200 rpm drives, bargain
'Books from $200 to $2,688, and more.
- Mac hits 6.8% share on Net,
Intel iMac screen problems, Classic on Leopard, and more, Mac News
Review, 12.07. Also adding hierarchical menus to the Leopard Dock,
speeding up Leopard with less colors, a new OS X email client, and
Parallels Premium Edition.
- Faking out the Leopard
installer with Open Firmware, Dylan McDermond, Unsupported Leopard,
12.06. You don't have to hack the installer to make the Mac OS X 10.5
installer run on sub-867 MHz G4 Macs by using this simple Open Firmware
trick.
- The Swiss Army knife of notebook
Macs, John Hatchett, My Turn, 12.06. The 2000 Pismo was the high
point of PowerBook design and flexibility with a great keyboard,
expandsion bays, two PC Card slots, and a wonderful curvaceous
design.
- AT&T's $39 iPhone exchange
fee, Juice Pack double's iPhone time, unlocked iPhones, and more,
iNews Review, 12.06. Also PC Magazine finds iPhone 'full of
contradictions', using the iPhone in Canada, color earphones,
iPhoneDrive updated, translation software, and more.
- Fast, compact, light, quiet,
cool, long battery life, large screen, affordable: You can't have it
all, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 12.05. Notebook
design involves trade-offs. Small, light, and quiet means a smaller
screen, lower capacity batteries, and a slower, cooler running
CPU.
- Info-Mac reloaded, Rick
Lawson, Pioneers in Mac Development, 12.05. The oldest online Mac
community and software archive is back after a two-year hiatus.
- Old Macs are practical, not just
nostalgic, Chris Kilner, My First Mac, 2007.12.05. 10 Macs, five
monitors, and two printers off for recycling, but still a dozen Macs at
home for fun, nostalgia, and troubleshooting.
- From the familiarity of Windows to
the power of Mac, why 867 MHz for Leopard, and more, Dan Knight,
Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.05. Also the DAV connector on the Power Mac
8600, really old Mac System software, Aperture and vampire video, using
an ImageWriter printer with USB, and more.
- Why we acquire Macs, John
Carlson, My Turn, 12.04. Mac users are an odd breed - we tend to buy
new computers without ever tossing out our old Macs.
- An indigo iBook: My first modern
notebook Mac, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 12.04. The
clamshell iBook majors in ruggedness, has a handle to increase
portability, and can even run OS X (slowly) with just 128 MB of
RAM.
- MacBook replaces PowerBook: The name
grows on you, Trevor Wale, One More Thing, 12.04. A PowerBook by
any other name would be as sweet, but it took a while to get
comfortable with the new MacBook name.
- Mac approaching 25th birthday, OS 8
on Performa 630, Mac Classics in use 24/7, and more, Dan Knight,
Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.04. Also more thoughts on vampire video,
realigning the Road Apple label, the fate of DropStuff, and an
unidentified cable in a Power Mac 8600.
- Switching to Mac tripled my
productivity, Ted Bragg, My First Mac, 12.03. Tired of losing work
and tech support, Bragg bought an iMac, switched to Mac versions of his
apps, and tripled his output the first year.
- Leopard on a G3 iMac (with a G4
upgrade), flashed video card problems, the cheapest G4 Mac, and
More, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 12.03. More unsupported
Leopard reports point to the importance of a good video card, success
on a CRT iMac with a G4/550 upgrade, and whether Sawtooth or
Quicksilver is a better buy.
- Cooler laptops, a G4 recording
studio, a fast Unicode text editor, and phantom email, Charles
Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.03. Quieter, cooler running
notebooks, a Power Mac G4-based recording studio using Mac OS 9, a fast
text editor with great Unicode support, and phantom email in Mail in OS
X 10.3.9.
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1997 �
