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The Source for Mac Performance News and Reviews
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Mac HW/Software | Mac OS | Expos | Columns | Tips Best Of | Scanners | Networking/Misc. Hardware (Note: for Pwr Supply, CPU, Graphics card or Drive articles, | |
| (Jan 2010) Page with replies to a reader's request for feedback on Remote AC power switches (for his company server) in the Jan 5th, 2010 news page. | |
| (Nov 2009) Mac user reports on Parallels Desktop v5 for Macs, including Tips/Fix for the BSOD problem many upgrading from version 4 had. | |
| Reader feedback on Lightscribe burning in Snow Leopard - including a tip/fix for problems someone had after SL upgrade. (Labeler app has to be in Apps folder w/Snow Leopard.) | |
| Peacekeeper benchmark test results comparing scores/relative performance of iCab 4.6.1, Safari 4.0.3, Firefox 3.6 alpha, Firefox 3.5.2 and Opera 10.0. Reader's test system was a PowerMac G5 1.8GHz running OS X 10.4.11. (Also includes a sample score from an 8-core 2009 Mac Pro w/Safari 4.0.3.) | |
| This page is has OS X (host) user reports on freeware VM VirtualBox, a free alternative to Parallels Desktop and Fusion 2. (Used to run Windows or Linux in a window in OS X on Intel-based Macs.) | |
| iLife 09 user comments, complaints and tips - including iPhoto Face Detection Training Tips. Also includes info on iMovie 09 edits for running on a G4 Mac and workaround for GarageBand 09 lessions with PPC Macs. (Bottom of page also has a listing of links to iLife 09 related Apple support/How-To/Troubleshooting docs.) | |
| Parallels Desktop 4.0 (VM for running Windows OS under MacOS) noted improved performance and features but many upgraders had problems - this page includes feedback from those that upgraded as well as a listing of tips on upgrading, tips for problems with Desktop v4 Tools and comparions to Fusion 2.0. | |
| A page with reader reports on using Toast 9's optional Blu-Ray/HD authoring support Plugin. If you've used this plugin to burn at video disc (either to BR disc or HD video on a std DVD disc), use the email link on the page to send a report. Thanks! | |
| A MacBook (running OS X 10.4.11) owner sent results of a series of Mac Excel 2008 vs Excel 2004 tests and notes "I have found that creating and editing charts is over four times slower in 2008 as opposed to 2004!". (Excel 2004 runs under Rosetta, Mac Office 2008 apps are Native/Universal.) | |
| Info, reports and tips on Apple's $49 thin Aluminum Keyboard first intro'd with the 2007 iMacs. | |
| Catch-all page with iPhone owner notes and tips on converting DVD/Videos for use on the iPhone. (Includes notes/links on software like Handbrake and VisualHub as well as using Quicktime Pro.) | |
| Reader tests of ElGato's Turbo.264 USB 2.0 Hardware Encoder vs standard Quicktime H.264 export speed with an iBook G4, Quad G5, Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo. | |
| Reader feedback on Apple's Safari 3.0 public beta for Mac and Windows. | |
| Catch-all page of Apple TV user reports, tips, issues, mods/hacks, drive upgrades and listing of over 40 Apple docs on Apple TV setup, networking and troubleshooting. | |
| Reader comments on Adobe LightRoom vs Apple Aperture, which they prefer and why. Some commented on Photoshop CS3 also. | |
| Reader Feedback on Alsoft's DiskWarrior v4, the first Universal Binary version that also includes other new features. | |
vs CS2/Rosetta Performance |
A reader w/Mac Pro 2.66GHz (2GB RAM) compared filter/function performance tests of the Dec. 2006 CS3 Public Beta vs CS2 running under Rosetta. |
User Feedback |
PowerBoost for iChat AV is a 3rd party addon to allow using iChat video conferencing on Macs that don't meet Apple's iChat video requirements. Initial user reports on it were postive. |
User Feedback/Tests |
CoolBook (registered version) allows an Intel CPU Mac (MacBook Pro, MacBook, etc.) to change the CPU's core voltage setting for cooler running and less CPU Throttling. But there's some doubts about the claims and test results (and who they actually were from...) |
| Including notes on Mac Pro/FX-4500/Rosetta use, Quad G5/FX-4500, Alias' Maya 8.0 Graphics card issues listing, etc. | |
| Reader reports on the iTunes 7.0/7.01 update (requires new QT 7.1.3) and 3rd party plugins, album cover art info and more. | |
| Including notes on DVD burns/playback limitations, image/audio quality, download times, etc. | |
| Reader reports, guides on using Sheep Shaver for Classic OS support for Intel CPU Macs. | |
| Reader reports and tips on Apple's free "Boot Camp" utility to run Windows XP (SP2) on Intel CPU Macs. | |
| Reader reports and tips Parallels Virtual machine software to run Windows in a window under Mac OS X on Intel CPU Macs. | |
| Reader reports and tips on using the free "Q" PC Emulator to run Windows on Macs (including Intel CPU Macs). | |
| Reader report on using Apple XGrid (clustering software) | |
| Info and tests of the G5 optimized Firefox browser builds. (Includes comparison tests to std Firefox and Safari.) | |
| Drive Genius owner feedback on this disk utility, including defragger. | |
| Reader reports on using Prosoft's Data Rescue utility to recover files from damaged disks. | |
| User feedback on AppleJack, a repair/troubleshooting tool for OS X 10.2.x and 10.3.x. | |
| Reader feedback and tips on using Apple's iWork (Pages and Keynote 2 bundle) | |
| Reader feedback on using Apple's iLife 05 (iPhoto5, iDVD5, iMovie HD, GarageBand2). | |
| Reader comments on using iDefrag disk optimizer for OS X. | |
Linux on iPod |
Detailed review of installing and using Linux on the iPod. Covers audio, games, file browser and more. |
Roxio Popcorn (DVD copy/compression app.) |
Reader reports and tips on Roxio's Popcorn for Mac (released late 2004). |
| Reader Reports on Toast 6.0.7 Dual Layer burning w/DVR-108 Drive | Toast 6.0.7 update added dual layer drive/burning support for several drives including the Pioneer DVR-108. This page has reader feedback, tips, and notes on firmware updates for the DVR-108 drive. |
| Reader reports on Patchburn II for Panther (burn support mod utility) | Download link and reports by drive brand/model on using Patchburn II for 10.3.x unsupported drive (burner) utility. (Reports indexed by drive brand - also search the drive database here for over 10,000 mac owner reports on drives of all types and brands.) |
| Reader mini-review of Elgato's EyeHome digital media player. | |
| Reader reports on these updates typically notes much improved speed compared to previous versions. | |
| Adobe's comments on why some filter/actions are much slower in PShop CS vs PS 7. Also includes links to my tests of the two versions using a PowerMac Dual G5. | |
| Feedback on Airport Base 7.3.1 firmware & Airport/Time Machine Update 1.0 | Feedback on the Airport Extreme 7.3.1 firmware update (that added Time Machine Airdisk Support) - also includes tips for initial Time machine backups to USB drives connected to the AE base. |
| Airport 3.3 update added WPA support for original Airport cards (as well as Airport Extreme cards). Reader reports include notes on using non-apple adapters and bases. | |
| iLife4 Feedback/Tips/Notes (GarageBand, iDVD4, iMovie4, etc.) | Reader feedback and tips (such as noise fixes for iSub) on Apple's iLife04 software apps. (See the Audio topics page for more audio/garageband related articles.) |
| Reader comments on their favorite Photo Printers for use with OS X. | |
| Reader reports on Alsoft's updates to the popular disk repair utility. | |
| Reader reports on Micromat's Techtool Pro 4. Includes tips, notes on use and problem reports from various mac model owners. | |
| Ryan answers questions on current and future features of his Xpostfacto utility for installing OS X on 'unsupported'/legacy Macs, programming on the Mac and other topics. | |
| Mike answers questions on current and future features of his very popular Carbon Copy Cloner, OS X 10.3/panter and other topics. | |
| Guide to Bluetooth connections with T-Mobile Sony Ericsson T610 phone | Reader Step-by-Step guide to Bluetooth connections using the T610 bluetooth phone. |
| Reader reports and Tips on Apple's Bluetooth firmware update (from Oct. 2003) | |
| Reader report on the changes in 10.3/Panther (dev. release) for support of recordable optical drives. (Unlike 10.1.x and 10.2.x, there are no individual "brand" device-plugin files. For info on editing 10.2/10.1/OS 9 burn support plugin files, see this older article. | |
| Sources and comments/tips on OS X Jaguar drivers for PCI TV Tuner cards (TurboTV, Formac ProTV, Haupage WinTV, PCTV Rave) | |
| A reader's comments and OpenOSX's programmer replies regarding X86 (PC) emulators for OS X. | |
Encoding/Quality |
Reader reports/tips on AAC encoding sound quality. |
DVD backup/compressor |
Reader reports on DVD2one for OS X (DVD backup and compressor utility) |
Mac DVD Player |
Reader reports on the Interactual DVD player for Macs included on the Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets DVD. |
| Reader reports and tips for iDVD3 installs/use with retail Pioneer DVR-105, DVR-104 and DVR-103 drives. (I.E. not a superdrive shipped from Apple) | |
| Reader reports on iMovie 3.0.1 and iPhoto 2.0 - includes tips/problems reports. | |
with PB G3 w/Linksys 802.11g PCCard |
PowerBook G3 Lomboard owner tips for getting a Linksys 802.11g PCcard to work with the Airport Extreme base station. |
| OS X 10.2.3 was said to have OpenGL 1.4, this page has notes/links to more info on OpenGL 1.4 and the added features/extensions. (note that OpenGL Frameworks in 10.2.3 still reports v1.2.1 however.) | |
ADS Instant USB for Macs |
A consultant/DVD expert comments on the ADS USB Instant DVD mpeg encoder (and software) for Macs. |
PixeDV and CaptyDVD (incl. w/ADS USB Instant DVD for Macs) |
Reader review/feedback on Pixela's iDVD-like software and Capture software (included with ADS's USB Instant DVD for Macs). |
| Reader feedback on using Apple's free iCal (Calendar) software for OS X 10.2. | |
on PCI Radeons |
Reader feedback on the hack to enable Quartz Extreme support for PCI Radeons in OS X 10.2/Jaguar. |
| Download links, reader reports on non-Apple DVD players for OS X (Mplayer and VideoLan). Includes reports from owners of systems/graphics chips not supported by the Apple OS X DVD player. | |
| Download link, reader reports and apple programmer notes on the developer tools/benchmarks for OS X. | |
Upgraded Older Macs |
Reader reports on Final Cut Pro running on older (Pre-G3) PCI Macs. |
| Reader report on Final Cut Pro 3 script tweaking for improved Real-Time Effects performance. (Interesting) | |
| Some owners of new Quicksilver 2002 systems reported problems installing Final Cut Pro 3 in OS X. This page has reader reports and tips that may help. | |
For OS X |
A reader's comments and experiences using FWB's 3.0x Backup Toolkit for OS X. He noted he was backing up to DVD (using Superdrive). |
For OS X |
A reader's tips and tweaks for Limeware for improved performance and appearance with OS X. |
"Lost RAM" Issues/Tips |
A page with feedback on the spring 2001 Firmware updates from Apple that caused some DIMMs to not be recognized. Includes links to a utility that may be able to fix the problem. (Reprogram the SPD chip on the dimm to add CL3 timing that is required by the firmware update, even for CL2 dimms.) |
Photoshop 5.5 Performance |
If you're curious about how a PowerBook G4/400 compares to the 500Mhz model in Photoshop, or how it compares to say a dual G4/450, single G4/500 or 1GHz Pentium III, I've ran the 21 filter PSBench tests comparing them |
Editing Guide |
Reader guides to getting Discburn/iTunes to work with various CDRW drives with Apple's iTunes/Disc Burner software by editing the support/plugin file. (Some OS 9 editing info also down the page at another older discburner tips page) |
| Customize your Virtual PC's Windows System Properties logo with your own - here's how. | |
(OS X 10.1.5/PB G4) |
Reader tests comparing VPC 5.04 to v5.03 running on his PowerBook G4. (Includes links/notes on VPC 5.04 update also.) |
(OS 9 and OS X) |
Reader reports and performance tests of Virtual PC version 5 in both OS 9 and OS X. Tests with single and dual CPU systems are included. (For a copy of the full readme file from VPC 5, click here) |
versus VPC 3.0 |
First test results with Connectix's Virtual PC 4.0 shows impressive (up to 3x) faster benchmark performance with both G3s and G4 cpu based systems. |
| Connectix replies to my questions of why 3D hardware acceleration support for 3dfx Voodoo1/Voodoo2 cards was removed frrom Virtual PC v4. They also comment on Altivec (G4) performance improvements in version 4. | |
| Reader test results using Photoshop 5.5 under Connectix's Virtual PC 4.0 vs Virtual PC 3.0 vs. a Pentium II 350MHz PC. | |
| Before buying read the complete readme doc with the VPC 4.0 upgrade, which includes compatibility notes, known issues and more. | |
iMovie 1 vs iMovie 2 QT 5 vs QT 4 Performance Tests |
Using dual G4/500 and single G4/500 systems, I test iMovie 1 vs iMovie2 performance, as well as Quicktime 5 preview vs Quicktime v4.1.2 on both systems. Interesting results. QT 5 was more than 50% faster on both systems! |
| Reader article comparing iMovie to the process of movie making using conventional film. | |
| An industrial designer & instructor sent a detailed comparison of these two Mac 3D software packages. | |
| Bill Reising comments on the modeling, rendering and animation features and includes links to online support and resource pages. | |
| Mike Abbott wrote a well illustrated review of the features of Form-Z version 2.9.5.5 | |
| Although a bit dated now, this page comparing Lightwave 3D performance with a variety of platforms may still be of interest. | |
| Matt Snider's guide to the RedHat 6.1 Linux install under Virtual PC. | |
| User submitted install tips on Linux under Virtual PC. (Not for the inexperienced). | |
| User submitted review of Connectix's Virtual PC 2.0. | |
| User submitted performance tips for RealPC. Also lists gripes and bug reports (*Note* reports were from the early version of RealPC - later versions exist now). | |
| Applescript to quit the finder to help boost VPC speed. | |
| Tips on making bootable CDs with Adaptec's Toast. | |
| Michiro Isobe's Utility reports if your G3 CPU is Copper or Aluminum based. Available exclusively at www.xlr8yourmac.com. | |
| Illustrated Guide to the RaveBench Benchmark. | |
| 1998 article with a workaround that solved the problems I was having with backups on PowerForce G3 and XLR8 G3 CPU cards in Retrospect. (In early 1999 all the CPU card control software included 'virtual firmware to resolve this issue.) | |
| Notes on finder memory usage reported when allocating 100MB or more of RAM to Photoshop 4 or 5 in OS 8.x | |
Performance tests |
Tests between MRJ 2.1 and v2.0, along with Symantec's and MS's JIT compilers. See the dramatic difference, but some java compatibility issues also noted. (1998 era) |
1MB vs 512K Cache |
Photoshop filter tests show surprising results in some cases. |
| Readers tests with the freeware Rom-in-RAM utility on various Macs. Does it really work? | |
| User feedback about LibMoto. LibMoto seems to boost benchmarks only. | |
| No difference in these Benchmark Boosters. | |
| A undocumented feature that allows booting from Apple's Ramdisk. | |
| Step-by-Step checklist to best Rave Quake performance from ATI. Includes console commands for best speed. | |
MaxPowr G3 Control |
Is the 60ns memory setting faster? Should I Disable my motherboard cache? Those Questions answered in this test. |
Real-World Apps Tests |
REAL WORLD applications tests with a variety of G3 CPU cards at various speeds that show bus speed does not really matter in most cases. NOTE: The CPU Upgrade reviews have more up-to-date apps test performance including G4 upgrades. |
| Feedback on Snow Leopard 10.6.2 update, including Pros and cons (some software compat. issues) readers have seen. Includes links to download (delta and combo) updaters and related apple docs. | |
| Info/Reports on Problems, Tips and fixes related to OS X 10.5.8. | |
| Info/Reports on Problems, Tips and fixes related to OS X 10.5.7. | |
| Info/reports on Problems, Tips (including Time Machine error fix) from OS X 10.5.6 users. Includes downloads of OS X 10.5.6 updaters (Combo, delta and server) and notes on specific issues with some addons and configurations as well as installation tips. | |
| Info/tips/reports from older Macs with CPU upgrades (and other addons) on runnning OS X Leopard (10.5.x) | |
| Info/reports on Problems/Driver Bugs with OS X 10.5.3 - UPDATED with notes/tips on OS X 10.5.5 and game updates. | |
| Info/reports on Problems/Driver Bugs with OS X 10.5.3. | |
| Downloads, Apple Docs, Compatibility notes, tips and reports from readers that installed the OS X 10.5.2 and Leopard Graphics Update 1.0 for 10.5.2. | |
| Compatibility notes, docs, tips, reports on OS X 10.5 Leopard. Includes reports from PPC and Intel-based Mac owners from an 8-core Mac pro to a 400MHz G4 tower, as well as CPU Upgraded G4 tower owners. Bottom of page includes a listing/links to Apple docs on Installing/Using OS X 10.5, tips/issues with syncing and OS X 10.5/BootCamp 2.0 related docs. | |
| Compatibility notes, docs, tips, reports on the OS X 10.4.10 update. Includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters and apple docs related to 10.4.9. | |
| Compatibility notes, docs, tips, reports on the OS X 10.4.9 update. Includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters and apple docs related to 10.4.9. | |
| Compatibility notes, tips, reports on the OS X 10.4.8 update. Includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters. | |
| Compatibility notes, tips, reports on "lost ram" and more with the OS X 10.4.7 update. Also includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters. | |
| Compatibility notes, tips, etc. on the OS X 10.4.6 update. Also includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips and performance reports on the OS X 10.3.9 update. Also includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters, later security updates, DST updates, Java updates, etc. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips and performance reports on the OS X 10.3.8 update. Also includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips and performance reports on the OS X 10.3.7 update. Also includes links to downloads of the standalone and combo updaters. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.3.6 update including some specific conflicts/causes of problems. As usual, includes links to downloads of the combo updater also. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.3.5 update. As usual, includes links to downloads of the combo updater also. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.3.4 update. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.3.3 update. | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.3.2 update. (with Tip/fix for Slow Boot Times with 10.3.2) Also includes download links to updater and Apple knowledge base docs related to 10.3.2 | |
| Reader Feedback/Tips/Problem reports on the OS X 10.2.8 update first release. Includes download links to updaters. Includes links to the later 10.2.8 Build 6R73 reports page (2nd release of 10.2.8 for network and battery status fixes) | |
| Reader feedback on the OS X 10.2.2 update. Includes download links to updaters. | |
| Reader feedback on the OS X 10.2.1 update. | |
| Reader feedback iBook/Powerbook battery run-time in OS X 10.2/Jaguar. | |
IDE Card Problems with OS X 10.2 |
Reader reports on Sonnet ATA/100, ATA/133 and Trio IDE controller card problems with OS X 10.2/Jaguar. (These are the Promise chip based cards - not the Sonnet cards based on the Acard boards.) |
on PCI Radeons |
Reader feedback on the hack to enable Quartz Extreme support for PCI Radeons in OS X 10.2/Jaguar. |
| Reader comments on the OS X 10.1.5 update. | |
Loading Tip/Mods |
Reader tips, install util for PB G3 Lombards and comments on the OS X 10.1.5 RagePro 2D/QT driver not loading. |
| (*Update* - many readers noted the 10.1.5 update may solve this issue.) Reader comments on OS X 10.1.3 and DVD Playback (includes problem reports on dual card/dual monitor setups with tips to solve that.) Reports are organized by Mac model. For non-DVD specific comments/issues/tips on OS X 10.1.3 - see the above below. | |
| Reader comments on OS X 10.1.3 (includes SCSI CDRW support notes, USB Cardreader driver tips, etc.) For DVD specific comments/issues/tips - see the above article. | |
| Reader comments and performance tests with various Aqua replacement OS X themes. | |
| A summary of tips to increase performance in OS X (most useful for slower speed systems.) | |
(To add support for B&W G3, etc.) |
Notes on mods to the OS X 10.1 DVD player to enable use on B&W G3s, G4/PCI (yikes), etc. that have Rage128 or later Graphics cards. (OS X DVD Player does not support those models normally and does not use any hardware DVD decoders) |
| A 9600 with several SCSI devices (CDRW, MO drive, Scanner) sent a long detailed list of comments on OS X install/operation on his "unsupported" Mac. | |
| Reader reports on Epson inkjet printers in OS X. | |
| Comparing the final OS X 10.1 release to OS X 10.0.4 performance in several areas (booting, disks, applications, games) on a dual G4/500 system. | |
| Comments and screenshots from the OS X 10.1 DVD player, a comparison of Sony FW900 (widescreen) CRT resolutions with a retail Radeon AGP card (many more modes than 10.0.4), notes on the new Disk Utility, Burning CDs, Compatibility, Interface improvements and burning support for a Toshiba R1102 CDRW/DVD combo drive. | |
| Tests of Portable and AC powered Firewire drives for mounting and wake from sleep issues in OS X 10.1. Includes a link to Apple's TIL on the issue also. | |
| How I used Norton Systemworks SpeedDisk (latest version) to optimize OS X 10.1 volumes. Includes warnings to check for data errors and tips on using Firewire Target Disk Mode for the process. | |
| A reader's beta tests comparing OS X 10.1 preview (Build 5F24) to 10.0.4 show impressive gains. (Tested with a G4/733 and a G4/533 Dual processor system.) Tests include application launching, booting and Quake3. | |
| Using the reader's custom startup item from the article below, I noted only a small (84MB) swap file was created on the dedicated swapfile partiton. This article has reader comments on OS X swap file use/sizes including developer comments and links to more info on OS X virtual memory. | |
| Although a dedicated swap file partition can improve OS X performance, several readers wrote with warnings about possible issues. One reader noted a tip/workaround. | |
| Reader comments on an unofficial modified serial driver that is reported to solve the problems many have seen in OS X 10.0 with PPP/internal modem use. | |
on PowerBook G4 |
Comments on performance, compatibility and other tests on a PowerBook G4 running OS X 10.0 release. |
PowerBook G3/Wallstreet |
After one PB G3/250 Wallstreet owner reported problems with the initial release CD install, several other Wallstreet owners sent their comments and system configs. Most seem ok, but one noted the onboard SCSI was not recognized. |
Owner Reports |
Owner reports on OS X 1.0 and PCI IDE cards (Sonnnet/Acard/VST) regarding support for attached drives. Originally posted 3/24/2001. |
for 7300-9600 Macs |
Reader Ryan Remple has a page with details on installing OS X 1.0 on these "unsupported" Mac models. (The CD installer will not run on these Macs. Officially OS X 1.0 requires a Beige G3 or later Mac.) NOTE: for Older Mac owner reports on OS X - see our Discussion Forums OS X on pre-Beige G3 Macs area. |
unsupported Macs/Cones |
Reader guide/tips/references on how he installed OS X Public Beta on an 'unsupported' Mac Clone (Umax S900) |
(System and ATI/Nvidia/OpenGL) |
Also includes a listing of all the new modes available on my GeForce3 after the update. |
| Reader tips/tricks on getting OS 9.2.1 to install on unsupported (pre-G3) Macs. Also includes reader comments on trying these tricks. (Read the warnings on trying these tricks and backing up your data first.) | |
| Reader feedback on OS 9.2.1 compatibility issues and more. | |
OS 9.0x/OS 9.1 |
OS 9.0-9.04 included 4 Altivec support extensions (noted in the G4 cpu upgrade reviews here) that were removed in OS 9.1. A reader sent a note on tests in Altivec aware apps with and without the extensions enabled in OS 9.04 and OS 9.1. |
| Reader feedback on OS 9.1 - includes links to software updates, OS 9.1 related Apple Tech Docs, compatibility issues, tips and reader reports. | |
| Reader feedback on OS 9.0 compatibility. Includes links to Apple TILs, software updates and tips on specific compatibility issues you may see in OS 9. | |
| Reader feedback on OS 9.04 - read the OS 9 feedback page (above) first if you're considering upgrading to OS 9 | |
| Reader feedback and summary List of OS 8.6 Compatibility Reports & Solutions | |
| Reader feedback on Audio issues, disk damage and more. Most 8.5 upgrades go fine but some Macs (esp. clones) were not so lucky. Includes tips and workarounds where available. | |
| General MacBench CPU/FPU/DISK/Video scores in MacBench 5.0 on the same Mac, before and after a OS 8.5 upgrade. | |
| MacBench 5.0's Detailed Graphics/Text primitives scores comparing OS 8.1 to 8.5, with onboard video and a PCI Card. | |
| Comparison between OS 8.5 beta and OS 8.1 on a 604E/200mhz. | |
unsupported Macs |
Reader feedback on the early OS X Developer version installs on 'unsupported' Mac models and G3 upgraded Macs. Note: For up-to-date reports see the OS X Beta section of our Forums and this OS X Beta Install on Clones article |
| Matthew Culmore's best and worst products from Macworld San Francisco 2004. | |
| Info & articles on the new Quicksilver G4 line, OS X 10.1, iDVD2, images and movies from Macworld New York 2001. | |
| Main page with links to articles on the new PowerBook G4, PowerMac G4s, iTunes and iDVD. | |
| Reader pictures of products and the Macworld Expo in February 2000 at Toyko Japan. | |
| Reader pictures of products and the Macworld Expo in January 2000 at San Francisco, CA. | |
| My pix from the New York 1999 Macworld Expo. Even see my ugly mug with some real Mac heros like Duane Johnson (Descent 3dfx, Descent III) and Mark James (Softraid) along with booth/exhibit photos from Apple to XLR8. | |
| Ryan Tanka sent a large series of photos that gives you a real sense of being there. Many shots of the new Macs and vendor's displays. Check it out. | |
| Ryan Tanka sent a large array of photos from THE hot gaming show of the year. Check out the EidosGirls, 3dfx's Beetle, new PSX machine and much more. | |
| PB G3 steals the (PC) show! | |
an AMD/Intel CPU system running OS X? |
Opinion piece on my thoughts on a version of OS X for the huge numbers of X86 compatible computers. |
the OS X Support Issue |
Pros and Cons of the Limiting OS X support to only G3 or later Macs. |
| Area of the site that will feature 3D news, tips and reviews (Reader contributions). | |
| Regular columns of news and tips on Mac Audio software and hardware. | |
| Area of the site with commentary on BeOS, Linux, and others. (Needs moderator/volunteer to run - interested?) | |
| Column by Alex Koyshman on Macs and PCs working together. | |
| Area of the site that lists Gaming related reivews (hardware/software), tips and guides. | |
| News on Mac Gaming, Tips, and related reviews and guides. | |
| Darin Ames writes an analysis of his Upgrade a 9600/350 or buy a New B&W G3 decision. | |
| Articles with sometimes controversial topics. | |
| My picks of the best products for the Mac in 1999 by category. | |
Products of 1998 |
My pick of the 10 best/most important products of 1998. |
| My personal 10 favorite products of 1997. (Based on products I reviewed or used.) | |
| Highs and Lows of the site's 1st Year (1997-1998). | |
| PB G3 steals the (PC) show! | |
Info on Twain SANE Drivers |
Feedback from OS X 10.5 users on scanner support (including some working despite not being listed by Canon as 10.5 supported), and troubleshooting tips and notes using the alternative "Twain SANE" drivers for OS X. |
Canon N1220U USB Scanners |
Reader report comparing these two popular scanners. Includes important information for those needing to scan 3d objects, not just flat originals. |
(See Networking section for Airport/Networking Tips) | |
| Reader's Illustrated article on how he modified a Plaintalk microphone to be a univeral adapter for stereo Mics. | |
| Illustrated article on how I added padding for fan isolation on my G4 dual processor system to reduce noise. (Blue & White G3s also use the same fan/bracket design.) | |
| Read this before you spend a lot of money on upgrades! (Old article but still applies today.) | |
| Check the Troubleshooting page before sending mail for tips that may answer your questions. | |
| Database of Answers to Common Questions on Upgrades, CPUs, Troubleshooting, SCSI, IDE, Memory and More. Check here first for answers. | |
| Over 4,600 (and growing daily) Owners rate their G3/G4 CPU Upgrades. Searchable by Mac Model and/or Brand. Includes speeds obtained, comments and more. Includes reports from owners of everything from the Apple systems to older Nubus and Performa models, Clones (PowerComputing and Umax) and even PowerBooks. Now also containing owner reports on new Mac models like the Cube and iMac. | |
| Mac owner's reports on hard drive, CDrom, CD recorders, Tape drives, Firewire drives and removable drives. Search this database before considering a drive upgrade. If you've added or replaced a drive in your Mac - post an entry in the database. | |
| Tips on getting the most out of your PowerBook from Chris Martin. | |
| Tips on making bootable CDs with Adaptec's Toast. | |
| This page has tips for owners of PowerCurve (Catalyst) motherboard based Macs (Powerwave, Powertower (not pro), PowerCenter/Pro) installing a PowerForce G3 card. A must read before you upgrade. | |
| This page has owner feedback and tips for 7500 owners installing a PowerForce G3 card. A must read before you upgrade. | |
| Page with a reader submitted patch for running Carmageddon 3Dfx game on Voodoo1 cards with more than 4MB of memory. *Does Not* work with 3dfx Voodoo 2 cards (neither does Carmageddon) | |
| Tips on connecting Macs to a NT network. | |
| Hack to fix the menu color issues when using Emailer 2.0 under OS 8.5 | |
| MacGurus warnings on mixing these products. | |
Affects Performance |
Reader study on the effects of disk cache size on performance. |
Open Firmware Issues |
Reader suggestions regarding no video and starup problems with Rhapsody on certain Macs. |
| (Feb 2010) Reader reviews/feedback on various PowerLine network adapters and includes my short review of Netgear's XAVB1004 "Home Theater Internet Connection Kit" that includes a 4 port Ethernet switch. | |
| Feedback on the March 2009 Airport Extreme/Time Capsule 7.4.1 firmware update. Some of us have seen problems with this update, with some users reverting back to the previous firmware version. | |
| Feedback on Airport Base 7.3.1 firmware & Airport/Time Machine Update 1.0 | Feedback on the Airport Extreme 7.3.1 firmware update (that added Time Machine Airdisk Support) - also includes tips for initial Time machine backups to USB drives connected to the AE base. |
| First reader feedback on using the $59 (site specials page) Edimax 802.11n PCI card in Macs. These cards are RAlink chip based with OS X 10.4.x and 10.3.x drivers and utility available. Utility also shows signal strength of the 3 antennas used for MiMo (Multiple-In, Multiple-Out). | |
| Mac user reports/performance tests/tips/info on 802.11n Base/routers (Apple Airport Extreme 802.11n, Linksys and D-Link 802.11n models), 802.11n enabler, chipset info on new Macs 802.11n adapters, 3rd party 802.11n adapters (one with mac drivers promised) and more. Also has links to Apple tech docs on 802.11n/Airport Extreme, USB drive support and more. (Includes link to Airport Extreme 802.11N take-apart/internal photos.) | |
| Mac user feedback/tips/performance notes, features, etc. with many brands/models of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. | |
| Apple's 7.2.1 firmware update for the Airport Extreme 802.11n base adds Draft 2.0 support and security fixes. This page also has user tips, feedback and performance notes on the update. | |
| Now that there's OS X 10.3.x and 10.4.x drivers for RAlink 2800 series 802.11n adapters, here's a few examples of PCI cards and USB 2.0 adapters based on their chips. One of the PCI cards has a nice triple-antenna "pod" that allows the antennas to be positioned for better reception (not limited to being attached to the PCI card). These are also priced at up to 1/2 the cost of rebranded cards sold as "Mac" models. | |
| A G4 sawtooth (first model G4/AGP tower) owner wrote a short report on using the Quickertek PCI 802.11n card in OS X 10.4.10. (Their card looks to be a rebranded RAlink chip based import.) | |
| Reports on the Airport Extreme 2007-002 update (Mar. 2007) for Intel-based Macs. Includes notes on firmware updates included for mac 802.11n cards (including those that used a Dell 1500 card to upgrade their Core Duo Macs, as well as Mac Pro N card kit user upgrades and more). Many noted improved performance with this update. | |
| Reader comments on using the 'iSoftPhone' (iPhone for your desktop) and other alternatives that readers liked better - many free. | |
| | Reader comment on different security modes - includes link to extensive tests with various wireless modes/bases/Macs with WPA vs WEP vs no wireless security. |
| A ReadyNAS (Network storage) user's report on pros and cons he's seen in use. | |
| Review of the Canon Pixma MP800R (w/Ethernet+Wireless support) | Reader review of the All-in-One Canon Pixma MP800R with Wireless/Network support. (Updated for notes on 2 infant failures.) |
| A ReadyNAS (Network storage) user's report on pros and cons he's seen in use. | |
| Reader reports and tips on the Apple BLuetooth 1.5 update that added support for Bluetooth printers and Headsets. Also includes reports on non-apple bluetooth adapters. | |
| Reader feedback and performance tests on apple's free "Broadband Tuner" software utility. | |
| Review w/photos of Airport Exress and links for esp ghostscript and hpijs printer drivers a reader used to share his HP Deskjet 3325. (Most USB printers should work with existing OS X drivers.) | |
| Airport Exress owner reports and step-by-step setup guides for Airtunes and WDS with 3rd party bases like Linksys 56G models. Also includes a listing of Apple kbase docs on Airport Express setup and troubleshooting. | |
| Powerbook owner reports/setup guides for OS X and OS 9 with Novatel PCcard/Sprint PCS wireless net access. | |
| Reader reports PCI network cards that work in OS X (and those that don't work). Includes links to driver downloads for several low-cost 10/100 Ethernet cards. | |
(10/100 vs Gigabit, OS 9 vs OS X) |
Reader reports on performance tests with 10/100 vs Gigabit ethernet and various OS versions. |
Quantum Snap 1000 vs AppleShare |
VAR Rod Paine of ASTEC sent a comparison test report of AppleShare versus Quantum's Snap! Server 1000 (NAS). (See links in the article to later updates on performance as well as a 2nd opinion on other than the low end 1000 model of Snap Servers.) |
| Reports and Tips on the Airport 4.1 update and included firmware updates for base stations. | |
with PB G3 w/Linksys 802.11g PCCard |
PowerBook G3 Lomboard owner tips for getting a Linksys 802.11g PCcard to work with the Airport Extreme base station. (NOTE: Linksys later changed the chipset on their PCcard (Deja-Vu!) See the FAQ's Networking section for later reports on Airport 3.x compatible PCcard and PCI adapters. |
and OS X |
Reader reports on using the wireless/cordless Logitech keyboard/Mouse with OS X. |
| Reader review/comments on the EyeTV PVR for Mac. | |
| A reader sent photos on how he installed an internal 4-port USB hub in the ZIP bay of his B&W G3 system. | |
| Review with Photos of the Zero Z5 aluminum case for PowerBooks. Includes pros/cons, many photos, feature list and much more. | |
| A reader with a PowerBook G3/400 (Firewire) comments on improvements in OS X 10.1 (DVD player and more). | |
| A reader's comments on the Apple iPod MP3 player, including pros and cons. | |
| Review of the world's smallest optical mouse. | |
| Listing of site articles related to L2 cache (backside and older L2 cache dimms). | |
Floppy Adapter |
Mini-Review of the Sony Floppy Adapter for their Memory Sticks. Tested for performance with my PB G3/250 and a PC PII/366 notebook for file copy performance. Includes comments on use, software and value. |
Installation |
Step by Step Photo Illustrated Guide in installing a modem in a Beige G3 Mac. |
& Modem Script Tests |
1999 page with B&W G3 and other internal modem owner feedback and alternate modem scripts feedback |
Login Script |
Step by Step Guide by Kent Kanja. |
Cheap/Fast ADSL for the Mac |
Darin Ames of Boston writes how he got 384/384 DSL for his Mac at $59/Month... |
Reader Feedback |
Readers write with cost/speed comparisions of several ADSL providers. |
| Robert Tynda sent some impressive results with his new Cable Modem. I'm green with envy! | |
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Reader Feedback Wireless Services |
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Reader Feedback on SmartPorts 5.0/Portjuggler. |
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Reader Feedback on AppleTalk connection problems. |
| The Pros and Cons of accelerated bus speeds with 604 CPUs and why they are sometimes possible. Reprint from my 4/5/98 news page. | |
| The amazing SpaceOrb 360 controller now works with the Mac thanks to Vivistar's extension and cable. | |
| A detailed explaination from Newer Tech on why a faster bus does not help performance in older Macs with G3 CPU cards. (Thanks Kent Kanja!) | |
| Reader comments and specs from Jan 99 debate on Copper CPUs, temperatures and performance. | |
| UCLA Tests show 400MHz G3 outperforms PII 450MHz and approches a $53K SGI machine. | |
| Reader submitted performance tests between the Orange Micro's PCfx (IDT Winchip/no L2 cache) and the more expensive 660 Model (AMD CPU/256k L2 cache). | |
| Reader article on converting the PC versions of 2940/3940 SCSI Cards to Mac models for PC2940 cards that have too small ROM chips to hold the Mac firmware. | |
| TennMax's 3Dfx Voodoo 3 Graphics card heatsink/fan combo. Reader article on the install. | |
| TennMax's innovative 3Dfx Voodoo II graphics card cooler. Review includes illustrated installation instructions and test results. | |
| Review of the low cost PCI USB card for older Macs by Chris Martin. | |
| Active Cooling with peltiers and ducted fans on the Apple G3 | |
Mac vs Unix |
Reader submitted white paper. |
of the PowerPC G3/750 |
Temperature/Cooling Tips, results and thermal specifications. |
| Reader comments on Ramdisk speeds and a comparison to a Raid array. | |
| About this Site | |
| See what readers have to say about AccelerateYourMac | |
| Listing of Awards the AccelerateYourMAC! has won. | |
| About Computer Resources | |
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Questions? Email your questions or comments. | |
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