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    Mac OS X Tiger is Running


    2009 - 11.20

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    I know I’ve been saying “thank you” a lot lately, but that’s because there’s been some serious thanking to do!

    As I mentioned before, my good friend Al Noyes recently gave me his eMac since he was moving on to a laptop computer.  He benefited from a portable computer and I now have the opportunity to gain some invaluable experience on a different platform.

    The only downside was the operating system.  It worked but it was rather outdated, which resulted in limited functionality and a complete lack of available resources from those snooty folks over at Apple.

    This is where Liz Michel stepped in.  She mailed me the copy of Mac OS X Tiger from her former computer (she’s since moved on from that particular Mac) in hopes that I might have some success installing it on mine.  The DVD arrived earlier this Thursday afternoon, though it wasn’t until about 11pm that I got around to trying it out.  The installation went without any hiccups or issues at all!  Approximately fifteen to twenty minutes after popping the DVD into the drive on the eMac, the new operating system was up and running.

    Now I can finally use that “Check for Updates” feature to keep the system updated.  I now also have the opportunity to use one of the newer versions of the Safari browser, rather than the 1.0 that I had before.  Additionally, I can now download and use free software from the Apple Web site that simply wouldn’t install before.

    So, once again, THANK YOU AL and THANK YOU LIZ!

    Now I am a PC and I am a Mac… and it’s pretty cool…

    Popularity: 67%

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    Here Comes the Tiger


    2009 - 11.12

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    As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, my new (to me) eMac is in desperate need of an operating system upgrade.  Considering the G4 processor it’s incapable of running the newest Mac OS X “Leopard” (10.5) as that’s written for the newer Intel based lineup.  However, the eMac is fully capable of running the just-prior OS X “Tiger” (10.4) which was written for the G3, G4, G5 and Intel processors.  With that all figured out, next came the issue of obtaining a previous or somewhat outdated OS.

    I was browsing Amazon and a number of other sites and was, quite literally, taken aback by the seriously high cost associated with purchasing the software.  The least expensive price I could find on a reputable site was somewhere in the area of $150 for an open box (used) copy.  A sealed box was running about $100 more.  Holy crap.  Not only are the computers expensive, but so’s the software that makes them run.  I remember reading somewhere that Steve Jobs said that Apple couldn’t make a system for under $1,000 because of their quality and how everything “just works”.  While I think it’s actually more of a monopoly on the architecture and their resistance to licensing that’s kept the prices ridiculously high, I’m finally getting to understand what Mac users must go through.  In the end, Apple must make one hell of a slamming system for their loyalists to be so damned loyal at such a high cost of ownership.

    Here, again, is where I am amongst the VERY fortunate few.  First I was given the actual computer by my friend, and fellow Freemason, Al Noyes.  Now my friend, and former high school classmate, Liz (Elizabeth) Michel is sending me her original copy of OS X “Tiger” from the Mac she used to own.  She’s mailing it to me from Portland, Oregon sometime as early as tomorrow!

    Once the OS X “Tiger” software arrives I’ll only have the Superdrive left to upgrade for just about $100.  Replacing the 512MB of memory to max out at 1GB isn’t that big of a deal as PC133 memory isn’t all that terribly expensive, currently about $60 total for two 512MB chips.

    I am very excited, first at the prospect of being that much closer to my upgrade goals and, second, at the fact that I have the kind of friends that are ready and willing to do what they’re doing or have done for me.  Thank you so very much, Liz!  You are as awesome as you ever were!  In fact, you just keep getting that much more awesome in my book…

    THANK YOU AL and LIZ!!!

    Popularity: 56%

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    Now I’m a Mac and I’m a PC…


    2009 - 11.11

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    Posted in Al Noyes | 1 Comment »

    I would like to extend a very personal and heartfelt thank you to my good friend and companion in Capitular Masonry, Al Noyes, for being so kind as to gift to me his eMac in all of its self-contained splendor and glory.

    Al recently moved from this standalone system to a laptop computer which he could use wherever he would like around his home.  His new laptop uses Windows Vista Home Premium and enables him to do all the things he had hoped to be able to do with the eMac.  Now he can browse the Web and handle emails while in the company of his family without having to isolate himself in his office at the end of the hall… unless he so chooses to.  Also, by moving out the eMac Al now has room to hook up his new printer so that he can print out more than the cool photos his 4×6 photo printer allows him to do.  Considering that I had REALLY wanted to obtain a Macintosh computer for some time now, but was restricted by my need to invest in technologies related to my work and existing technological infrastructure, this turned out to be a winning solution for the both of us.  This is one of those rare instances where everyone walks away happy and I walk away with a cool new computing platform.

    Aside from the mobility afforded by the new laptop (for a significantly lower price than to be expected for a comparable Mac laptop), Al was having problems with performance on the eMac.  This turned out to be partially remedied by upgrading the 128MB of included RAM to a more reasonable 512MB.  I had the 512MB laying around in my office since the chips were of the standard PC133 188 pin variety.  I’ll eventually get out and upgrade the memory to the maximum 1GB capacity indicated in the system specs.  Another issue that impaired operability turned out the be the OS X 10.2 operating system, which was (and still is) in need of an upgrade to OS X Tiger (10.4).  Once that’s complete I’ll get around to the last upgrade.  The eMac came with a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive which I intend to replace with a CD-RW/DVD-R Superdrive.  I was suprised to find that the system is compatible with a Blu-Ray burner, though the $500+ price tag is downright retarded and, therefor, not going to happen.

    Over and over again I can’t help but keep on thanking Al for his generosity.  While, for him, he may have been simply been clearing up space while passing on the system to someone who would appreciate it, for me it’s the opportunity to gain experience with the Mac OS that I’ve been so desperately wanting.

    Companion Al Noyes: you are cool, you are awesome, you are da bomb, you are the cat’s meow, you are super fly!

    Thanks to you… I’m a Mac AND I’m a PC.  How cool is THAT?!

    Popularity: 100%

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