This Mac is not worth bothering with?That is true ONLY if you need the latest
and greatest for audio, video, or some
other high-powered use. Internet use is
one of the things that the older Macs don't
work very well for, but they will work, albeit
not well, even there for most web access.
For run-of-the-mill uses, even including
heavy-duty uses like publishing, his Mac
will work just fine, and if my experience is
any indication, a lot longer and with fewer
problems than a PC.
I have been using Apple products for 26
years and my newest Mac (this one) is 10
years old and is running OS9. I also have
several others in daily use all running
OSs from 7.1 thru 9.2.
I also have used several PCs during that
same period, and in fact have one
running 24" to my left as I write, but I
HATE them. The only reason I have ever
used them at all is that for some jobs they
are the only ones that can do the job in a
timely manner due to the paucity of
software for the Mac. And as long as the
job can get done using a PC as opposed
to me writing a program for a Mac, the PC
is used.
Programs are not very available any
longer for any of my Macs, but I pretty
much have everything I need already. If I
don't have a program to do a certain job, I
write a FoxPro program to get the job
done, or sometimes use a PC.
My Macs are currently used for internet
access, bookkeeping, picture editing,
letter writing, mailing list management
and output, writing web pages using a
FoxPro program I wrote, managing
inventory, writing techical manuals with
hundreds of pages of double-page
spreadsheats, generating and
maintaining hundreds of eBay pages,
writing/debugging FoxPro programs,
writing/maintaining/printing hundreds of
in-house catalogs which are eventually
destined to be put on a website, and even
playing games when all of the other work
burns me out.
The only major programs that I have had
to buy for my Macs were Quark Express,
FoxPro, and Framemaker, all heavy duty
top end programs and all in the $600-700
range ten years ago. Quark and FM are
used for publishing books. FoxPro is a
topend database program used for
almost everything else.
Except for accessing the internet, my
machines do a very good job for me. And
as long as they keep doing that, I see no
reason to spend lots of money (probably
$20,000 or more) upgrading everything to
work on a later machine. And if one
keeps his eyes open, software &
hardware is readily available and cheap.
For example, last year I was able to buy
36 Macs (OS 7.5.3 thru OS 9.2) from a
nearby University for $5 each. Most of
them work and all are around 10 years
old. Even though they were that old the U
had upgraded most of the hard drives to 4
gigs each, with some of the computers
having 3 of these drives in them.
Basically, I have enough parts and
computers to last the rest of my life for the
jobs I need them to do. I may have to buy
a more modern computer soon to access
the internet, but I see no other reason why
I would need to move into the 21st century
for most of my jobs.
The single biggest negative for me
upgrading to OSX is that NONE of my
FoxPro programs will work as they
should. Neither will my copies of FoxPro
run. And neither can i get a later version
of FoxPro because Bill Gates quit making
it for the Mac over ten years ago. To
upgrade would mean buying a different
database program, learning how to use it,
then spending ten YEARS just getting the
programs written and the data converted.
And of course I would soon be ten years
behind on inputing new data. To my way
of thinking, that is plain unacceptable. If I
don't keep up with my industry, I would be
out of business before I could get
everything rewritten and converted.
Best part with a Mac is that everything is
plug & play, usually up and running in
under 5 minutes as opposed to 5 hours,
or 5 days, or 5 weeks, etc on a PC.
If internet access is the goal for your
computer, forget it. You will be VERY
disappointed with it. To access the
internet with a Mac you need as a
MINIMUM OS9 and IE 5.1, the latest IE
browser that will work with OS9. IE 5.1 is
the minimum needed to access the net
on a Mac.
The latest NS browser that works with
OS9 is NS 4.7, but it will NOT work very
well with about half of the webpages on
the net, including eBay pages. I use NS
4.7 because I prefer NS over IE, but I keep
IE 5.1 running at the same time so when
NS won't work I just switch windows and
use IE instead. FF will not work with any
Mac OS before OSX, so even though it is
the best browser available, I can't use it.
Now to answer your questions. There are
two ports on your keyboard, one to hook
the keyboard to the computer, and the
other to plug the mouse, or some other
input device into. It does not matter which
port is used for what as they are identical.
On the keyboard on my LC III, the ports
are on either side of the keyboard. When
I want to change which hand uses the
mouse I just swap the mouse cable to
the opposite side and likewise the cable
to the computer. This particular keyboard
I found 6 months ago in an original
UNOPENED box and paid $3 for it. I think
it amazing that I found a brand new
keyboard that had been in storage for
over ten years.
The button is for starting up and shutting
down. It is easier to use than using the
mouse and the menu. Turn computer on,
push button and wait. When you want to
quit, push button, wait for message, hit
<return>, wait for message, then turn
computer off.
I have seen some USB to ADB adapters
supposedly allowing one to hook an
optical mouse into an ADB keyboard port.
I haven't tried one yet, but since I prefer
optical to mouse balls, when I get some
extra change I will get one. If it works like
it is supposed to, I will convert all of my
computers to optical mice.
