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I'm sure that there are people running 10.4 on 500MHz or lower G4 machines.

As a Mac developer, I can tell you now that I'm developing using Tiger on a 533MHz PowerMac G4, and that other (testing & personal) machines in the office are running Tiger on 450MHz PowerMacs. I've got a 450MHz Cube that's been running anything I throw at it since I bought the thing in September 2000 (although the GPU died recently). Oh, and the testing machine on my desk is a 350MHz G3 iMac, which also runs Tiger happily.

Granted, they don't show all the funky graphical CoreImage/CoreVideo stuff in Tiger, but they're five year old machines, or more importantly, they're using five-year-old graphics cards. I could update the GPUs to get that stuff working.

Macs keep going quite a long time. And while there are certain features of new Mac OS X versions which benefit from newer, faster hardware, the majority of the new features are just software, which will pretty much run everywhere. Being able to type a function name into Spotlight and have it give me a list of all headers, source files, PDF & HTML documentation files relating to that function within ten seconds is marvellous, especially since it'll rank the results by relevance. New hardware doe sthe same thing in under a second, but that's just added convenience. Getting the list at all is the important bit, regardless of the amount of time.

-Q

Portable video player: what's battery life, which are the supported formats and does it have tv-out and how much memory will it have?
My use of portable device playing video is limited to my Sharp Zaurus 5500(ARM 206MHz 32MB RAM, 32MB storage expandable by CF and SD cards 240x320 idsplay) I have a 1GB SD card to I can store about 2hrs of video. The limiting item is the memory, usually have about 16mb free, not enough to watch a 22min tv eps at 200+MB.
Here are the specs of every ipod made so far:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/consumer_ele ctronics/index.html
the higest performance is the 3G/5R 90MHz x 2 32MB for skip free buffer. That would have to be at least doubled to ensure uninterrupted playing of anything larger than a 20MB file.
It will probably be used like that cell phone in that commercial with the guy in the elevator, for movie trailers, sports clips and commercials, not tv eps and movies as I'm sure most of us would like. But that won't prevent those who will be able to afford it from spliting shows into a series of smaller files, similar to the ipod photo video clip "trick" of exporting a clip as frames and hitting the next botton as fast as their thumb will go.

1. PCs that finally boot from USB and FireWire...My Mac laptops have had this for many years -- a decade already?

How quickly they forget.. In 1996 Apple.com had this baby on the front page. I guess it *may* boot from usb, but I'm not sure how you would get it to, as I can't figure out where to put the plug in.

it has a standard PCMCIA slot which will accept an ethernet or wireless card - drivers available online, but you'll likely still need a machine that can connect over serial to do the initial install. there's a number of shareware and open source apps for pc, mac and linux that you can use to sync data, contacts, etc. links below

i have a 2100 that i sync up over my 802.11 network at home.

for that matter, you may be able to save your documents on the a pc flash card, and pop that into your laptop or other device that accepts such cards. i'm doubtful of this, tho, since the newton os stores everything in "soups" instead of a traditional filesystem - built from the ground up to use flash memory instead of spinning media.

anyhoo, specs for the emate are here:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/messagepad/s tats/emate_300.html

emates for $50 here:
http://macsruscomputers.com/apple-newton.html

nsync software here:
http://homepage.mac.com/nowhereman77/hacks/newton/

another similar package here (tho it may be defunct now)
http://www.everchanging.com/newton/

if you've got one, subscribe to newtontalk for a very active and helpful community of newt users:
http://www.newtontalk.net/

Apple eMate

Basically a robust plastic drop-proof word processor running NewtonOS, with built-in IRDA wireless uplink. Ran for 24hrs on AA batteries. Horrendously overpriced (got ours free through a school, natch), but quite visionary and functional. I often wish I still had it.

I also worked for a company (well, several) that made these:

VTech Postbox Express and Companion

Our products pretty much sucked (sorry), but there were a number of s'okay competitors in the market. Rather than search for portable "word-processor", you probably want to look for "email/web appliance". It's a rich market, and there are some decent deals out there for $100.

Along those lines, it should also be noted that Apple has used the StrongARM in their Newton Message Pads. The 2000 and and the 2100 used the StrongARM 110 @ 162MHz.

Not that I'm suggesting that Apple would be bringing the Newton back, I'm just pointing out the connection. A 400MHz Xscale Newton would be neat but I would rather have a tablet Mac.

Huh. Out of curiousity, was it an updated/upgraded Knowledge Navigator, or was it a precursor to the eMate? Or something else entirely?

The ones referred to as pizza boxes were the LC and its descendants, the one he used is about twice as large.

When I saw that link, I figured he'd removed the center front panel and basically created a port replicator in the 610/660, so that one could slide an unmodified Mini into it kinda like the Duo. Now *that* would be cool.

And after reading that, I couldn't help but wonder why you wouldn't just cut a single hole in the back of the Mini (yeah, blasphemer, whatever) and hang a rounded IDE cable out of it encased in white acrylic, sort of like a ponytail. Then you put a nice, fast hard drive and optical drive into an external case and sit the Mini on top of that.

The ones referred to as pizza boxes were the LC and its descendants, the one he used is about twice as large.

When I saw that link, I figured he'd removed the center front panel and basically created a port replicator in the 610/660, so that one could slide an unmodified Mini into it kinda like the Duo. Now *that* would be cool.

And after reading that, I couldn't help but wonder why you wouldn't just cut a single hole in the back of the Mini (yeah, blasphemer, whatever) and hang a rounded IDE cable out of it encased in white acrylic, sort of like a ponytail. Then you put a nice, fast hard drive and optical drive into an external case and sit the Mini on top of that.

The ones referred to as pizza boxes were the LC and its descendants, the one he used is about twice as large.

When I saw that link, I figured he'd removed the center front panel and basically created a port replicator in the 610/660, so that one could slide an unmodified Mini into it kinda like the Duo. Now *that* would be cool.

And after reading that, I couldn't help but wonder why you wouldn't just cut a single hole in the back of the Mini (yeah, blasphemer, whatever) and hang a rounded IDE cable out of it encased in white acrylic, sort of like a ponytail. Then you put a nice, fast hard drive and optical drive into an external case and sit the Mini on top of that.

We all know Apple invented the TabletPC, Media Center PC, PocketPC, XBox, ...

Okay, how about these? eMate (1997), MacTV (1993), Newton (1993), Pippin (1995)

Apple has been producing Dual processor computers since 1996. Don't beleve me?v
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/sta ts/powermac_9500_180mp.html/
Also, when was the last time you used OS X? I am guessing never or when it was out 4 years ago. My iBook g3 900 is very speedy with x.3.9 and the use of built in excelleration of video processes with the OS really speeds things up.

Some of the current Powermacs have PCI-X. The 2GHz and 2.5GHz do but both 1.8s don't.

I'm concerned that they will cut PCI-X from the 2GHz systems like they did with the 1.8DualProcs.

The older 1.8DP had 8GB max RAM and PCI-X (1x133,2x100). When they "upgraded" them in July '04, the new ones had 4GB max RAM and 3 plain ol' 66MHz PCI.

Apple will want everyone to go for the top end so they will probably cripple the mid range. Look for the 2GHz systems to be missing something.

Some of the current Powermacs have PCI-X. The 2GHz and 2.5GHz do but both 1.8s don't.

I'm concerned that they will cut PCI-X from the 2GHz systems like they did with the 1.8DualProcs.

The older 1.8DP had 8GB max RAM and PCI-X (1x133,2x100). When they "upgraded" them in July '04, the new ones had 4GB max RAM and 3 plain ol' 66MHz PCI.

Apple will want everyone to go for the top end so they will probably cripple the mid range. Look for the 2GHz systems to be missing something.

I was hoping someone would do an Apple Studio 17" CRT model.
http://www.everymac.com/images/monitor_pictures/ap ple_studio_display_17clr.jpg

See:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/ stats/mac_plus.html/

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112 165/

Oh yeah, the PowerMac 4400 (Introduction Date: November 15, 1996, Discontinued Date: October 11, 1997). What a babe!

Sorry, my Performa 550 which was relased before the 7100/66 (Codename Sagan) had Sosumi as a sound choice.

Sorry, my Performa 550 which was relased before the 7100/66 (Codename Sagan) had Sosumi as a sound choice.

sosumi the system sound was included in system 7, several years before the 7100 was ever created (that shipped with 7.5)

The 7100 originally shipped with System 7.1.2 the first version of Mac OS that supported PowerPC. However, Sosumi did premier in System 7 which predates the introduction of the first PowerMacs by a couple years.

Mac OS History or EveryMac will tell you this. If you have any doubts, a 7100 runs around $50 nowadays and 7.1.2 is free from Apple on their FTP server.

I think the last one was this one.

There actually was a four-processor Mac once- The DayStar Genesis clone. It had 2-4 604e processors, and required a special asymmetric multiprocessing library and software written for it (this was back in the days of System 7.5).

just two colors ("on" and "off", as it would happen)

The mono iPod has four shades at least. The borders between the days in the calendar are a light gray; and the back of the cards in solitaire are a darker gray. Add "on" (black) and "off" and you have four colors. (Incidentally, the Gameboy uses a four-color grayscale display as well.)

EveryMac has some very detailed tech specs about the iPod; the fourth generation model has dual 80MHz ARM processors and 32 megabytes of RAM, which I would imagine is more than enough to emulate the Gameboy's 8MHz with 64k RAM. The button limitation would require some creativity, but it wouldn't be impossible.

Well... this one did.

I think it begs to be done. http://everymac.com/systems/apple/network_server/s tats/networkserver_700_200.html Tons of space for HDs, and with the drawers replaced with minis that swap, some custom inteface they could plug right into, there's no need to tear the mini apart...

But a 600 mhz G3 iBook was not exactly state of the art. The top of the line x86 chips you mention would better be compared to, say, a dual Powermac G4. Compare the iBook to something more reasonably consumer-focused. A Dell Latitude laptop from 2001 was likely to come with a 1.0 GHz PIII mobile (a news announcement of this product) That Dell isn't looking so powerful, is it? Probably fine for web surfing, word processing, etc, but your comparison was not quite fair. The iBook is hardly a smoker by today's standards, but you can't compare it to a 2.0 GHz P4

I'm sure they didn't sell many of them, but a couple years later people figured out how to install linux and netbsd on them, so I imagine there are a few of them still humming along somewhere. Probably not too many of them still running AIX though :)

No mention of the eMate, which was Apple's attempt at giving every kid in school a personal computer...

The first computer I was ever introduced to was the Macintosh Plus and it was very hi-tech for it's time in 1986. It was there I learned the very important nature of computers, gaming. Though brickles and load runner were fun, I was eager to learn more about this powerful machine and what it could do. I quickly discovered text-editing programs. We purchased an additional computer, similar to the Mac Plus, but the name eludes me for whatever reason. I believe for the christmas of 1996, we bought an 'upgrade' from that no longer hi-tech computer. Very sophisticated for it's day, the Macintosh Performa 6400/180 entered my life. This computer was a dream! It was a huge leap and it could actually multitask. I learned about the internet on this machine and how it works, utilizing the local freenet in my town (back then, 28.8k was remarkable!).

Although I've forgotten specific dates, the computers that entered my life after that included a Toshiba Laptop (first introduction to windows!) and many dell computers. Still to this day, I own a dell and I love them to death.

I believe introducing children to computers is best at a young age, as early as kindergarden! Schools these days have kids doing research projects in the 3rd and 4th grade! Introducing them to educational software at first is best, as they can learn from it and get the correct motor skills to utilize computers, as they will only get better from now until eternity.

Wish I still had that box, bet it would fetch some bling-bling on Ebay :)

Much to my surprise, I find myself seriously considering buying one of these $500 Macs.

I have wanted a Mac since I got to use one of the originals which was on display at Science North in Sudbury, Ontario the summer after their commercial release in 1984.

Price has always been the major sticking point. When I was thinking of upgrading my Commodore 128, I had a few choices. In the Time Before the Internet (for us home computer users), I wrote Apple and got brochures back for their two new models, the Mac SE and the Mac II. According to the price list that came with them, the cheaper Mac SE cost more than three times as much as a similarly equipped Commodore Amiga or Atart ST. Remember, all of these computers were roughly equivalent at the time.

In the 1990s, I started buying the horrid, commodity IBM PC clones, starting with 486s, and I have not changed since then. If Apple were to release a cheap Mac, I would be seriously tempted to buy it.

Why? Because my recent brushes with Apple hardware and software have been positive. I used iTunes on my PC to convert my CD collection to MP3s. Later, I bought a used 10GB second-generation iPod, and have been pleased with it too. After the front-page articles on Slashdot, I even have downloaded and run Mac OSX on my 2.5GHz 32-bit PC using Pear PC. The emulation was slow (the two times I tried it), but it did give me some idea of what a Mac is like.

So, now to my question: I have a favourite keyboard, an IBM Model M. What kind of keyboard port is standard on Macs these days?

From my limited knowledge, I would guess that this new headless Mac would take a USB keyboard, in which case I would need some kind of USB to PS/2 converter.

Does anyone have any experience with present-day Macs using IBM PS/2 keyboards?

Much to my surprise, I find myself seriously considering buying one of these $500 Macs.

I have wanted a Mac since I got to use one of the originals which was on display at Science North in Sudbury, Ontario the summer after their commercial release in 1984.

Price has always been the major sticking point. When I was thinking of upgrading my Commodore 128, I had a few choices. In the Time Before the Internet (for us home computer users), I wrote Apple and got brochures back for their two new models, the Mac SE and the Mac II. According to the price list that came with them, the cheaper Mac SE cost more than three times as much as a similarly equipped Commodore Amiga or Atart ST. Remember, all of these computers were roughly equivalent at the time.

In the 1990s, I started buying the horrid, commodity IBM PC clones, starting with 486s, and I have not changed since then. If Apple were to release a cheap Mac, I would be seriously tempted to buy it.

Why? Because my recent brushes with Apple hardware and software have been positive. I used iTunes on my PC to convert my CD collection to MP3s. Later, I bought a used 10GB second-generation iPod, and have been pleased with it too. After the front-page articles on Slashdot, I even have downloaded and run Mac OSX on my 2.5GHz 32-bit PC using Pear PC. The emulation was slow (the two times I tried it), but it did give me some idea of what a Mac is like.

So, now to my question: I have a favourite keyboard, an IBM Model M. What kind of keyboard port is standard on Macs these days?

From my limited knowledge, I would guess that this new headless Mac would take a USB keyboard, in which case I would need some kind of USB to PS/2 converter.

Does anyone have any experience with present-day Macs using IBM PS/2 keyboards?

Apple once made a Network Server that ran AIX.

> What if they ported AIX to the PowerMac?

They did.

Also, I got the 13.4 inch figure for the T40 screen from a review that came up in Google. That may be a mistake or there may be multiple revs with the smaller screen you mentioned. I don't know where you get 15". Mine has a 14.1 inch screen, as the IBM spec and most reviews have it. My bad.

That brings me to the 15" TiBook in my lap right now. It has a 15.2" screen (which, I realize doesn't translate into as much area as it would in the deeper ThinkPad), weighs 5.3 lbs, 0.4 less than the Thinkpad before you get to its lighter power supply, is 1.1 inches thick and 9.5 inches deep. You can argue about width, but when I'm working on a tray table in coach, that extra inch-plus (in two dimensions!) is all I care about.

As far as performance -- like I said, I don't doubt that the ThinkPad would fly under Linux, and its setup under XP could perhaps be improved. But it's a work-provided, heavily-locked down, leased from IBM (as I understand the stickers, anyway) laptop that I'm using in the configuration they gave me. If someone here wants to fix my computer, they're welcome to come by and take a look at it. I'll open a My Computer window with a CD in the slot and then you can go tell the IT people what they're doing wrong. But I can only judge the computer I have.

I'm curious, how or why did the IPX influence the Performa? It's just a box, a donut box instead of a pizza box perhaps. Was it really a radical design back then?

And in the 1990's:

Performa 5400

I don't think apple are afraid to get fruity either...

And in the 1990's:

Performa 5400

I don't think apple are afraid to get fruity either...

You're completely wrong. In the last revision rounds, both the iBook and the Powerbook used the Motorola 7447a.

Dual monitor setup, cool!

Enter the Macintosh II, introduced in 1987, it was capable of driving up to 6 monitors at a time.

• But, they've gone more and more to things like PCI and AT disk drives lately, which mitigates that to a large part.

• But, they've gone more and more to things like PCI and AT disk drives lately, which mitigates that to a large part.

If you are going to make it like a TV... they should have gone all the way and put a TV tuner in there - this is the killer app to beat microsoft on and to complete the iLife suite. An Apple (with all the associated easiness) TV center with maybe a grey one for corporate use with no TV.

Yep. We all know how well the Mac TV sold.

Sidenote - IBM should bring out said headless box, black alu case like the NeXT with a single G5 in it clocked a 2gighz and a 100% linux compat mobo.... That would soon become a cult item I imagine - but apple would have a fit because it would encorage all the unix geeks on their platform to swap and it would encorage a strong user base of a ppc linux to get going. So, like I say, not going to happen. Actually, can someone enlighten the thread as to who *owns* the G5? Could IBM do this?

I'd even be happy to be able to buy a generic ATX board with a G3 on it.

It wouldn't be a lost sale to Apple, because I'm never buying new Apple hardware again.

LK

The now End-Of-Life apple Emate would be PERFECT for what youre talking about. It was basically an Apple newton in a small laptop form factor. If I remember correctly Apple marketted them to schoolkids for this exact purpose. Here's a nice synopsis at everymac.

It can at least sync back to a mac, getting it to sync back to a PC shouldnt be a problem. They're SUPER cheap on ebay.

Except Apple did license the Mac OS to companies. And they nearly went bankrupt because of it. UMAX, Motorola, PowerComputing, Radius. They all had licenses. Apple's share just decreased even more rapidly.

Don't forget Daystar. The first (and to my knowledge only) company to make a 4-Way SMP Mac OS machine.

Problem is that Apple didn't start licensing the machines until after they had lost the battle for supremecy. Had Apple licensed 10 years earlier they may have had better results. By the mid-1990s people had chosen their sides. The availability of clones meant that people who were unwilling to pay top dollar for Apple branded upgrades had the choice of buying a clone instead of going over to a Win-PC. They didn't bring many new users over from the windows world because it was too late.

LK

How about for relatively recent [emphasis added] Apple hardware that will run OS X poorly, like my aging 350MHz iMac? ... just last night I was looking into converting the little blue gumball to Linux.

According to EveryMac, your computer was released 10/5/99 - that's five years give or take a few weeks. How is that relatively recent when Apple only started selling Macs 20 years ago?

The list price was $999 which means you have gotten core computer usage for ~$200 a year, or less than $0.55 a day. Perhaps it is time to upgrade to a system that DOES run OS X.

Did you know about this or this? Both are in the range of your existing investment - AND YOU GET A NEW APPLE COMPUTER!

You want battery life in a laptop? A Newton eMate 300 got 28 hours of regular use on four AA's. Beat that!

Sorry, bad link. this

As for a better screen, if you're talking about the 12" models, I doubt there's any difference.

As for a better screen, if you're talking about the 12" models, I doubt there's any difference.