Low End Mac Editorial Archive

November 2009

Handing off my 17" PowerBook G4, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 11.30. Over the weekend, Charles Moore swapped his 17" G4 PowerBook for a G4-upgraded Pismo - in many ways, a step forward.
Developer dreams, the App Store, and Apple, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 11.30. The iPhone App Store may not work as quickly as developers would like, but it's an essential component to Apple's iPhone success.
iPhone makes you feel smarter, iPod buying guide, virtual Christmas carols, cowhide case, and more, iNews Review, 11.30. Also changing your iPod touch/iPhone language, Day-Timer productivity apps, Bheestie Bag to prevent or reduce water damage, antimicrobial iPhone 3GS case, and more.
Apple Tablet delayed?, OS X 10.6.2 hack for netbooks, easy SSD upgrade kits, and more, The 'Book Review, 11.27. Also MacBook and MacBook Pro reviews, Apple extended repair programs for 'Books, portable USB-powered subwoofer for MacBooks, and more.
i7 iMacs arriving DOA, Late 2009 iMac and Mac mini reviews, first wireless USB hard drive, and more, Mac News Review, 11.27. Also Seinfeld gets new iMac, Macworld keyboard and mouse guides, Mac mini Server a great value, 2 TB external drive from Samsung, and more.
The enduring value of Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.25. There's something anti-consumption about using your Mac as long as you practically can.
4 things everyone should know about Apple, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.25. Mike Elgan's 'Four Things' article includes three truths about all businesses and one lie about Apple. Here are four truths about Apple.
Pismo WiFi networking issue finally solved?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.24. It turns out the problems wasn't the Pismo, the Buffalo WiFi card, or Mac OS X 10.4. It was the Wireless G router - Linksys to the rescue!
Mini VGA to S-video adapter a no go for eMacs, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 11.24. You might think that Apple's Mini VGA S-video adapter is a cheap way to connect your eMac or G4 iMac to your TV. You would be wrong.
Google Calendar with iPhone or iTouch is great for scheduling, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.24. Web-based Google Calendar allows access and updates from any computing platform, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and iPhone OS.
Why Spaces is my favorite Leopard (and Snow Leopard) feature, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.23. Spaces, a feature introduced with OS X 10.5, is like having several monitors on your Mac without the cost and space of using multiple displays.
Apple's Tablet an end run beyond netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
NASA chemical sensor for iPhone, smartphone death match, iPhone earrings, and more, iNews Review, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
Apple #4 in reliability, Apple Tablet a gadget for all?, HP's i7 notebook outdoes Mac rivals, and more, The 'Book Review, 11.13. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
i5 iMac benchmarked, Mac mini 'shouldn't be overlooked', Twitter client for Classic Mac OS, and more, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
IBM Model F: A great old keyboard with an outdated layout, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 11.19. Although it used a different technology than the revered IBM Model M keyboard, the Model F was a great keyboard in its own right.
Replacing the hard drive in a Clamshell iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.19. Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
Soft touch keyboards, wireless mouse options, loving SeaMonkey 2, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also the future of browsing with PowerPC Macs and the multiple mouse input bug introduced with OS X 10.5.8.
Thoughts on downsizing from a 17" 'Book to a 13" MacBook, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 11.17. With its big screen, the 17" PowerBook was a real workhorse, but the smaller, lighter, faster MacBook is just about the perfect notebook computer.
Why Is Apple ditching netbook support now?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.16. Mac OS X 10.6.2 deliberately removes Atom support. What does Apple have to gain by doing so?
Psystar joins ranks of dumb criminals, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.16. The judge has ruled, and Psystar has been found guilty of illegally using Mac OS X on its computers.
4 Mac browsers updated recently, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.16. A look at the release version of Safari 4.0.4 and preview versions of Firefox 3.6, Chrome 4.0, and Opera 10.10.
DVI-to-Mini DisplayPort converters: A ray of hope for the 27" iMac, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 11.13. The new iMac accepts DisplayPort input, but it won't work with the usual DVI-to-Mini DisplayPort adapters. It requires a more expensive converter.
iPhone worms, Android vs. iPhone, Radio Shack to retail iPhone, Sticky Stand for car, and more, iNews Review, 11.13. Also iPhone owner personality survey, newspapers on your iPhone, breathalyzer app, first iPod/iPhone projector, and more.
OS X 10.6.2 breaks Atom netbooks, 320 GB MicroDrive, Adamo XPS world's thinnest laptop, and more, The 'Book Review, 11.13. Also Mini DisplayPort now a VESA standard, Modbook price drop, Litl Webbook Internet appliance, 3G USB device from AT&T, and more.
Quad-core iMacs shipping, OS X 10.6.2, Safari 4.0.4, internal Blu-ray drive for Mac mini, and more, Mac News Review, 11.13. Also new iMacs up to 46% faster with more RAM, upgrade a Mac mini in 6 minutes, a new ergonomic mouse, x86 emulator for PowerPC, and more.
$5 USB Bluetooth dongle for Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 07.11. Low End Mac begins testing low cost USB Bluetooth dongles for Mac OS X compatibility. The first one costs $5.07 and works with 10.4 and 10.5.
More Mighty Mouse alternatives, wireless safety, switching to ClipMenu, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.11. Also Apple's AirPort Card as the best solution for Pismo, Color It and Snow Leopard, and later revision Mac OS X install discs.
Putting the SeaMonkey 2.0 Internet suite through its paces, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.09. SeaMonkey is the successor to Netscape Navigator with its browser, email and news clients, and HTML editor. Version 2.0 puts it on par with Firefox 3.5.
iPhone the world's worst phone, Apple TV 3.0 released, Christmas apps, Logos 4, and more, iNews Review, 11.09. Also iTunes 9.0.2, e-reader for iPod classic, C@ards Master app, The Opera Project app, new cases, and more.
Quad-core CPU makes sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing overheating, overseas power, and more, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
Dumping Macs for Google apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac performance problems, and more, Mac News Review, 11.06. Also pros and cons of the Magic Mouse, Late 2009 Mac mini reviewed, Parallels Desktop 5 for 64-bit OS X and Windows, and more.
WiFi paranoia, iMac-o-lantern, Magic Mouse does click, free clipboard managers, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
QuickTime X in Snow Leopard imports, trims, and publishes video quickly and easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
IDE is dead; long live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
Razer Orochi: One of the nicest mice I've ever used, Charles W Moore, 'Book Value, 11.03. The author detests the trackpad on the 17" PowerBook. This notebook gaming mouse is an absolute pleasure to use.
Multiroom audio with iTunes, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 11.03. Apple's iTunes software makes it easy to stream audio to another room. All you need is the right hardware and sometimes an extra app.
The future of personal computing: Personal servers and low cost portables, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.02. With WiFi everywhere, virtual network computing, and remote access, your iPhone, iTouch, iTablet, or MacBook Air becomes a gateway to your home or office computer.
Google Chrome Mac Preview has made a convert, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.02. Officially a developer preview, Google's Chrome has finally made it to Intel-based Macs. It's fast, elegant, and could be your next browser.