Miscellaneous Ramblings

Low End Mac is pleased to publish Miscellaneous Ramblings by Charles Moore . He has been a freelance journalist since 1987, began writing for Mac websites in May 1998, and has been writing for Low End Mac since September 1999, oversees our weekly news reviews, and writes the 'Book Value column. His Road Warrior column is a regular feature on Mac Opinion, he writes The 'Book Mystique for PowerBook Central, and he is a news editor and columnist at Applelinks.com.

Moore lives and works in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, on the shore of Indian Harbour Lake and in sight of the Atlantic Ocean. His newspaper columns are syndicated across Canada, and he writes regularly for several magazines, as well as doing Mac website journalism. Moore has also contributed to MacToday magazine.

His current stable of Macs includes a Mac Plus, an LC 520, a PowerBook 1400, a PowerBook 5300, and a PowerBook G3 Series II/233 (a.k.a. WallStreet), a PowerBook G3 (Pismo), and a 700 MHz iBook, as well as a Umax SuperMac S900. You can read more about his old WallStreet in Charles Moore's WallStreet PowerBook.

• OS X more efficient than Linux, Snow Leopard and PowerPC Macs, and Eudora woes, 2008.12.03. A user reports both Panther and Leopard run more smoothly and use memory more efficiently than Linux. Also thoughts on PowerPC abandonment in Snow Leopard and replacing Eudora in Leopard.
• Apple could buy Dell, and Linux is no threat to Mac OS X, 2008.12.01. Apple has the cash to buy Dell outright, and the idea has some merit. Also, why Linux still isn't ready to displace the Mac OS.
• Another way to run WeatherBug, Aspire One runs OS X, 17" MacBook Pro hi-res display, and more, 2008.11.25. Also finding that 'just right' notebook computer, car, or truck.
• 3 WeatherBug options for Apple users, 2008.11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
• Love my refurb MacBook Pro, Eudora forever, and the lightest AA batteries, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.11.18. Also questions about nVidia GeForce 8600 problems in earlier MacBook Pro models and importing Eudora mailboxes into Eudora successors.
• Cruz browser introduces useful new features, 2008.11.17. Although only a 0.1 release, this new WebKit-based browser has several clever new features that just might hook you.
• Refurb MacBook Pro value, MacBook too big to replace 12" PowerBook, Pismo noise, and more, 2008.11.12. Also installing OS X using FireWire Target Disk Mode, running Virtual PC under Leopard, and how to use filters in iCab.
• Checking out the latest Eudora replacement betas, 2008.11.11. The two contenders to replace classic Eudora are improving with each beta release, but both are missing crucial features and still fall short of replacing Eudora 6.2.4.
• Targus USB 2.0 High-Speed File Transfer Cable helps offset loss of FireWire, 2008.11.10. Although it can't replace Target Disk Mode, Targus' $40 cable makes it easy to transfer files quickly between two Macs, two PCs, or one of each.
• Best refurb MacBook Pro value, AirPort Card thermal issues, Opera vs. iCab, and more, 2008.11.05. Also more thoughts on the lack of FireWire on the Unibody MacBook.
• NewerTech 11 Piece Portable Toolkit for servicing and upgrading computers, 2008.11.03. NewerTech's $20 toolkit may have all the tools you'll need to repair and upgrade your computers - and classic iPods.
• Attractive and ugly Macs, discontinued MacBook Pro value, and writing with TextEdit, 2008.10.30. Readers weigh in on the good, the bad, and the ugly of Macintosh design over the past 24 years.
• No FireWire on MacBook a deal breaker, getting Pismo working with AirPort, and Pismo screen replacement, 2008.10.29. For those with FireWire peripherals, the Unibody MacBook falls short. Also fixing a Pismo that won't recognize AirPort and replacing its display.
• 3 reasons to use a Mac, and Pismo troubleshooting, 2008.10.15. Why one Windows user is also a Mac user, a Pismo that can't see its AirPort card, and sources of kernel panics.
• The good, the bad, and the ugly of Apple design, 2008.10.15. Apple has produced some beautiful computers and iPods over the years, but also a few of the ugliest and most ungainly computers ever seen.
• The power of older Macs, why Vista only sees 3 GB of RAM, Wangwriter supplies, and more, 2008.10.08. Also the end of an era as MIT HyperArchive shuts down and another suggestion for profiling Windows computers.
• $19,800 Bentley Ego laptop remarkably similar to 1999 clamshell iBook, 2008.10.06. Granted, Apple's iBook didn't have white gold trim, a padded leather exterior, or come in colors to match your Bentley automobile.
• The best browsers for older Macs running Tiger, 2008.09.25. A dial-up user's overview of browsers for Mac OS X 10.4 puts the emphasis on reliability, downloads, and speed.
• Tiger great on old G3 'Books, maximum RAM for 867 MHz PowerBook G4, and more, 2008.10.01. Also why 4 GB of RAM in a 32-bit Vista PC wastes most of the last gigabyte and system profile software for Windows PCs.
• What's so great about a Mac? Plenty!, 2008.09.25. Alex Gallegos doesn't understand why anyone would choose a virus-free, just-works Mac instead of the far geekier Windows.
• Car seats for computing, ThinkPads vs. Mac 'books, power outages, and more, 2008.09.24. Also Time Machine and hard drive failure, more on early portable PCs, UPS for the Mac mini, IMAP and dial-up, and more.
• SimpleTech SimpleDrive: Fast and stylish, 2008.09.23. With attractive design by Pininfarina, an illuminated capacity meter, and plenty of 7200 rpm storage space, SimpleDrive is a great backup drive.
• Portable Mac as primary vs. secondary computer, looking at ThinkPad design, and more, 2008.09.17. Also learning from the Mac Portable, upgrading a PowerBook 5300, another free app to assure maintenance routines are run, and more.
• Does constant Time Machine activity compromise disk longevity?, 2008.09.15. Time Machine is a marquee feature of Mac OS X 10.5, but isn't all of that disk activity likely to wear our your drive prematurely?
• In praise of rugged Mac notebooks of the past, POP3 vs. IMAP email, and buying glasses online, 2008.09.11. G3 PowerBooks were the high water mark for ruggedness, expandability, and reliability. Also the benefits of POP3 email for dial-up users, and another article praising online eyewear.
• Routine maintenance tasks still run inconsistently in Leopard, 2008.09.10. Apple has been trying to get routine maintenance scripts to run consistently since the release of Mac OS X 10.4, but users are still reporting problems under 10.5.4.
• Antique Macs are still useful computers, 2008.09.09. Charles Moore's first online article looks at the utility of compact Macs - and foreshadows his longterm affection for PowerBooks.
• Seashore: A free, basic image editor for Mac OS X, 2008.09.08. Seashore is an open source image editing program for Mac OS X that uses parts of the GIMP but also integrates will with the Mac OS.
• Only Leopard runs routine maintenance tasks after startup or waking from sleep, 2008.09.04. Mac OS X 10.5 runs routine system maintenance scripts as soon as possible after starting up or waking up your Mac. Earlier versions of OS X do not do this.
• Another free POP3 provider, recharging a dead PRAM battery, current Kanga value, and more, 2008.09.03. GMX email now available in US, Panasonic UJ-841S drive won't burn discs, restoring a dead PRAM battery in a Pismo, and thoughts on Kanga value today.
• Resurrecting a dead Pismo, Spotlight search tip, and EasyFind a good file finder, 2008.08.27. Lots of tips on bringing a comatose Pismo back to life, a Spotlight file name search tip, and EasyFind as an alternative to Spotlight.
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly - but can't if your Mac is off or asleep.
• 8 free POP3 email options, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.25. In recent years, a lot of free POP3 email providers have started charging or left the field. Here are 8 choices you may want to consider.
• Pismo won't start, Spotlight finds too many files, and Panasonic SuperDrive in Pismo, 2008.08.20. Resetting a dead Pismo, an alternative to Spotlight gives better results, and success with the Panasonic UJ-850 drive in Pismo PowerBooks.
• Resetting the iPod's display language when you don't know the language it's using, 2008.08.18. If you've ever set your iPod's language to one you can't read, there is a way to reset it.
• iPod 'Missing Manual' grows but drops coverage of older iPods, 2008.08.18. The 6th edition of iPod: The Missing Manual has extensive coverage of all the current iPod models, but at the cost of dropping coverage of all earlier models.
• Using Word 5.1 files with later versions of Word, keyboard marks on a MacBook screen, and more, 2008.08.14. Also the value of Panasonic's UJ-850 for older PowerBooks and shipping concerns about the SteelPad mousepad.
• Apple after Steve Jobs: What about the vision thing?, 2008.08.11. "Jobs is arguably unique in the extent to which his identity and fate are intertwined with those of his company."
• Why choose OS 9 today?, OS 9 WiFi security, mousing with Parkinson's, and more, 2008.08.06. Limitations of using OS 9 today, putting a Panasonic SuperDrive in a Pismo, and the best pointing device for those with Parkinson's.
• How concerned should we be about computers and phones as disease vectors?, 2008.08.04. Your computer's keyboard and mouse may have 30-60 times as many germs as a toilet seat. Time to pull out the antiseptic wipes?
• A use for bad RAM, WiFi security for OS 9, Steve Jobs' health, and more, 2008.07.30. Also tricking out your notebook, Belkin's portable power hub with USB, and upgrading to Mac OS X 10.2.
• Free mEdit text editor excels at handling and combining multiple documents, 2008.07.28. Most word processors are designed for office work and short documents. mEdit is designed to work with multiple documents and multi-part documents.
• The compressed air keyboard repair, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn't working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
• Buying glasses online, iCab on G3 iMacs, USB adapter for WallStreet, long term support, and more, 2008.07.16. Also whether a 1.67 GHz PowerBook is a sensible choice, midrange or top-end the best value, Opera can change the way you work on the Web, and more.
• New Iris 1.0 image editor not quite ready for prime time, 2008.07.14. Compared to Photoshop Elements 6, Pixelmator, and even the low-end Acorn, the first release of Iris doesn't seem to offer comparable value.
• Leopard best OS for G4 PowerBooks, support expectations from Apple, back to Opera, and more, 2008.07.09. Leopard features worth a little performance compromise, depreciation and the best value Macs, voice dication software for PowerPC Macs, and more.
• Depreciation game a gamble, best OS for 12" PowerBook, Opera 9.5 fast with unique features, and more, 2008.07.02. The depreciation game requires educated guesses, Tiger the best OS for a 12" PowerBook, why Opera rocks, and a Mac using sci-fi writer who loves the free market.
• Political profiling of Mac users, 2008.06.30. Both liberals and conservatives choose the Mac, so it's not fair to typify it as 'the liberal's computer'.
• SteelSeries S&S Pro Gaming: Can a mouse pad really be worth $30?, 2008.06.23. Once you've used a SteelSeries mouse pad for a while, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
• Praise for Opera, low cost iBook mobo replacement, IrDA and IRtalk, WaMCom recommended, and more, 2008.06.18. Also the use of 'compleat', booting from CD, new Toshiba 1.8" drives too thick for MBA, and PowerPC support and Snow Leopard.
• Opera 9.5 good enough to 'ruin you for other browsers', 2008.06.16. The reviewer has long considered Opera the best among a solid collection of Mac browsers, and the latest version makes it even better.
• Skip 867 MHz 12" PowerBook, iBook sleeps when touched, Netscape 7.0.2 keeps crashing, and more, 2008.06.11. Also getting a copy of the Mac OS for a Power Mac ONE, and whether it can run Linux.
• Kensington Ci70 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse excellent for field and desktop use, 2008.06.09. Slim, light, and small of footprint, Kensington's wireless Ci70 mouse and keyboard are great for desktop Macs and easy to take along for use in the field.
• Make your own custom greeting cards with Sophie's Cards, 2008.06.02. Design and mail customized greeting cards using your own words and photos - or ones that come with the software.
• Netscape 7 for OS 9, Compact Flash faster than hard drive in PB 1400, MacSpeech Dictate, and more, 2008.05.28. Also using VNC over a network so two Macs can share one monitor and the VTBook graphics upgrade for Pismo.
• Pixelmator 1.2 closing the gap with Photoshop Elements 6, 2008.05.27. Photoshop Elements 6 has raised the bar for affordable image editing software, and Pixelmator is coming closer to being able to replace it.
• 1 display with 2 Macs, flash memory for file transfer, Quicksilver or TigerLaunch?, and more, 2008.05.21. Also running a PowerBook 1400 from Compact Flash, format=flowed for email, and OS 9 nice for browsing without Flash.
• Charles Moore's top 10 freeware list for Mac OS X, 2008.05.19. Top choices in free browsers, text editors, image editors, search utilities, system maintenance, and more.
• Mac OS 9 still nice, anticipating Odysseus, PowerBook 1400 upgrades, and more, 2008.05.14. Also rebuilding PowerBook batteries, FastMac vs. NuPower replacement batteries, and only one G4 upgrade left for WallStreet PowerBooks.
• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to Mac OS 9, 2008 edition, 2008.05.12. Declared dead by Steve Jobs 6 years ago, Mac OS 9 remains fast and stable, but Classic software hasn't kept up with Web changes. What Macs support OS 9, where to buy it, and how to update to version 9.2.2.
• Pismo battery and screen problems, Zip vs. hard drive for backup, and MacBook Air packaging, 2008.05.07. Diagnosing battery problems and a fuzzy screen on a Pismo, backup options for Power Macs, and the small size of the MacBook Air's packaging.
• Troubleshooting Eudora, backing up a Beige G3, and why Macs are green, 2008.05.01. Problems getting help with Eudora, backup options for a Power Mac G3, and how the long-term usefulness of Macs makes them environmentally friendly computers.
• Opera 9.5 beta add innovative features, better integrates with Mac, 2008.04.28. Already a speedy browers, Opera now launches faster, has a fully searchable history, and looks more like a standard Mac app than earlier versions.
• Why Eudora fans are 'doggedly faithful', 2008.04.24. The power and flexibility of the classic Eudora email client - and how to make it more stable in Mac OS X 10.5.
• Picking the right 'Book, clamshell iBook memories, and alternatives to SCSI-to-USB, 2008.04.23. Choosing a good used 'Book for Classic, remembering the clamshell iBooks, and alternate options to avoid spending $99 on a SCSI-to-USB adapter.
• Odysseus cometh: The real successor to Eudora, 2008.04.21. Eudora was a 'best of class' email client, and Infinity Data Systems hopes to build on that with its forthcoming Odysseus mail client.
• 18 bits can't display millions of colors, today's magic is different from yesterday's, and more, 2008.04.16. Also more feedback on Mac browsers, slow dial-up Internet, and a SCSI-to-USB 2.0 solution.
• FaceBook: The Missing Manual a very useful resource, , 2008.04.15. There is so much to Facebook that you almost need a book to take full advantage of it. This is that book.
• Social networking on the Mac: net4mac shows promise, 2008.04.14. In contrast to huge social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, net4mac is limited to Mac users with OS X 10.4 and later.
• That old Mac magic isn't gone, but it is fading, 2008.04.10. With Apple's adoption of Intel architecture and a growing market share, the Mac is becoming more mainstream, and the mainstream isn't magic.
• Frustrated with Opera and Firefox, classic form factors, 18-bit color, and more, 2008.04.09. Problems with Mac browsers, the sufficiency of 18-bit color, design classics, and the magic of Macs and baseball.
• At play in the garden of OS X browsers: Safari 3.1, Opera 9.27, and iCab 4.01, 2008.04.07. "In some respects, the browser wars are over in the sense that just about all of the alternatives are now satisfyingly fast and stable...."
• At play in the garden of OS X browsers: Firefox 3 Beta 5, 2008.04.07. "I've not traditionally been much of a Firefox fan, but Beta 5 is the slickest, most polished Firefox browser ever, not to mention the fastest and prettiest."
• Fading magic at Apple, Major League Baseball's rebound, and an iMac that won't boot from a CD, 2008.04.02. Reflections on Apple's success as a business, CD-ROM problems in a G3 iMac, and Pismo processor problem solved with thermal paste.
• Major League Baseball and the Macintosh: Has the magic faded?, 2008.03.31. Good business decisions show MLB and Apple for what they are, and there's no magic to business.
• Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0: A TLR for the digital age?, 2008.03.24. The traditional Rolleiflex TLR design is back, but in a much smaller package with an LCD finder and a 5 megapixel sensor.
• Newer iPods not compatible with Panther, iCab great with OS 9, and backing up to Eudora 6.2.4, 2008.03.19. Newer iPods require recent versions of iTunes, QuickTime, and OS X. Also iCab may be the best browser for Mac OS 9, and stepping back from Eudora 8 to 6.2.4.
• Interarchy 9: Smooth, fast, and reliable, 2008.03.17. Interarchy was already a powerful program - far more than an FTP client - and the changes in version 9 make it even better.
• Maximum MacBook RAM, booting PowerPC Macs from USB, Eudora 8 'different', and more, 2008.03.12. Also possibly replacing a 1.33 GHz PowerBook with an Intel-based 'Book and recent iPod incompatibility with Panther.
• Pixelmator 1.1.3: A serious challenger to Photoshop Elements?, 2008.03.10. Visually arresting, Pixlemator keeps improving, but Adobe is raising the bar with Elements 6 for Mac.
• Solid State Drive experiences, OS 9 browsers, Tiger install problems, and more, 2008.03.03. A longtime SSD user weighs in, browser options for Mac OS 9, problems installing Tiger using Target Disk Mode, Odysseus to replace Eudora, and Office 2008 questions.
• Test driving Eudora 8 beta 3: Better but not ready for prime time, 2008.01.21. The Penelope team has improved some things, but problems with multiple SMTP servers, messages over 50 KB in size, and stalling mean that it's still unusable.
• What is a 'reconditioned' laptop?, finding Tiger for an iBook, Pismo burning through CPUs, and more, 2008.02.18. Where to find a copy of OS X 10.4 for an iBook, 'reconditioned' vs. 'refurbished', Pismo problems, and political discussion on the Mac Web.
• PowerBook 3400c and Pismo: Two of Apple's best notebooks ever, 2008.02.11. Two PowerBooks celebrate birthdays this week, and each was the fastest laptop on the plant when it was introduced.
• MacBook Air upgradable enough?, Lombard cache problem, and more on the liberal-conservative debate, 2008.02.04. Another go around on whether Mac users are liberal or conservative. Also looking for an OS X driver for the Netgear WG511T.
• Picking a lapdesk, MacBook Air the new Cube?, Pismo won't start, and Entourage vs. Mail and Eudora, 2008.01.28. Looking at pads for notebook computers, why the MacBook Air is the new Cube, a Pismo that stopped working, and whether Entourage is a good alternative to Mail and Eudora.
• Liberals, conservatives, and Mac users, 2008.01.28. Readers weigh in on whether Mac users are liberal, conservative, green, or socialist.
• Thinking different about liberal vs. conservative Mac users, 2008.01.21. Yet another study had concluded that Mac users are more liberal. Where do conservative Mac users fit into the picture?
• DRM in Mac OS X, Ubuntu and BSD as alternatives to OS X, the power of Eudora, and more, 2008.01.14. More thoughts on Apple's digital rights patent and OS X, free non-DRM alternatives to OS X, Eudora and dial-up, and adding AirPort to a white iBook.
• Could DRM in Mac OS X drive users to Linux?, 2008.01.07. Apple has applied to patent software similar to Windows Genuine Advantage. Should they implement it, is it feasible to switch to Linux or BSD?
• Dialup fix for Leopard, scripting for cooler laptops, the Griffin iMate battery, and more, 2008.01.02. Also Eudora as the 'correct' email client, a fan of the Mozilla version of Eudora, and another text processor for Mac OS X.
• More in the Miscellaneous Ramblings Archive: 1999-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• Also see the Best of Miscellaneous Ramblings.
• Charles W. Moore, Low End Mac columnist and news editor, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.08.31. An interview with Charles W. Moore, who has been a Mac user since the early 90s and began writing for Low End Mac in 1999.

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