I've got a basement full of Macs in various states of repair, which shouldn't surprise you. One of my hobbies is re-purposing those old machines. For instance, there's a G3 All-In-One on my workbench which runs iFixIt.com when I've got a project. Additionally, I use a G4 iMac as a Daylite server.

I've also had a G5 iMac for a while, but nothing for it to do. Earlier this week, I gave it a fresh install of Mac OS 10.4 and thought I'd use it for blogging and other writing. No web browsing, Twitter, iPhoto or the like. Call it a "Writing Mac." Here's how I set it up.

Reduce distractions

The Dock and drives are hidden from the Finder. No Twitter clients are installed, and only a few bookmarks are in place. The home folder contains only the default items and there's no music in the iTunes library. In other words, there's nothing to compete for my attention.

Streamlined for work

I've populated the dock with apps that support writing and nothing more. I've moved it to the lower left-hand corner by choosing "Position on screen > Left" from the Dock preference pane and this little bit of command line editing from Shawn Blanc:

defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string end

Now I can have the dock tiny yet accessible as I run my writing software. Speaking of which ...

The software

You'll see a few icons in my Dock. After the Finder and Mail, is Scrivener. If you've got a large writing project to complete, Scrivener is the companion you'll want on your side. Research, outlining and organization is a pleasure with such a great application.

I've also got Apple's Dictionary in the Dock because, believe it or not, 'ol Dave isn't so good with the spelling.

Next is Yojimbo (I had to upgrade to 10.5.7 to get this to run. D'oh!). I only started using this app recently, but I can see the appeal. When running, it puts a small tab on the edge of the desktop. It's easy to drop bits of text, images or URL's in there to use as reference. The good stuff, once reviewed, gets moved into Scrivener.

Finally is my beloved ImageWell for editing images for use here on TUAW. It runs on 10.4 and is just the tool for quick-and-dirty cropping and resizing.

At last, iTunes streams Radio Paradise, my favorite Internet radio station.

The best part is that there's almost nothing to back up (other than Scrivener projects, which I drop in my Dropbox). If this machine's HD croaked tomorrow, I'd be able to pick up where I left off with minimal fuss.

So there you have it, my Writing Mac. Aren't legacy machines fun?

It's not news. It was just less than a year ago that we initially announced that Snow Leopard would likely be Intel-only. Still, it was a report based off an initial developer's release of the software, and PowerPC users prayed that maybe it was a mistake. Maybe Apple would change its mind and toss a bone at these faithful users of Macs-gone-by.

But, the emerging reality showed that Apple has left its PowerPC days behind. In February, we reported on how GarageBand's new Learn to Play feature was Intel-only. In addition to that, not every feature in iPhoto was available to PowerPC users. During that same month, we reported that even more G4 systems were being added to Apple's vintage and obsolete lists.

Now the writing is fully on the wall for PowerPC users. The official release of tech specs for Snow Leopard indicates that it is an Intel-only release, meaning that if you do want to go past Leopard, you'll have to upgrade. There are still a lot of PowerPC users out there, and they're still very good machines... but are owners of older Macs going to be satisfied without the latest OS?

Answer our poll or let us know in the comments: what does Snow Leopard mean to PPC owners?

As Apple continues a march toward all Intel-based computers, those hanging on to perfectly good G5 and G4 computers are left to watch features slowly bleed off.

In the recently released iLife '09 package, iPhoto has left some owners of older Macs wondering where their slide show transitions have gone.

Apple has now released a support document detailing what is missing:

The number of slideshow themes available in iPhoto '09 depends on your Mac's processor and, in some cases, available vRAM:

• Intel-based Mac computers, PowerPC G5 with more than 64MB of vRAM: All iPhoto '09 slideshow themes are available.
• PowerPC G5 with less than 64MB of vRAM: Only Classic, Ken Burns, Scrapbook, Sliding Panels are available.
• PowerPC G4: Classic and Ken Burns are available.

Apple has also changed the minimum specs on Garageband '09, noting that one of the apps most desired features is Intel only: GarageBand Learn to Play requires an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.

It is also rumored that the next version of OS X, Snow Leopard will completely drop support for PowerPC processors. Last year, iMovie dropped PowerPC support, so it looks like the handwriting is on the wall. Apple's push to get consumers and businesses to change to the newer Intel platform will get less and less subtle as time goes on.

If you think Firefox could run a little faster on your Mac, then you might want to download one of BeatnikPad's custom builds of Firefox 3. "Minefield" (previously known as BonEcho for pre-3.0 releases) is Neil Lee's custom build of Firefox. He is currently offering custom builds for:

• Minefield (Firefox) 3.0 for Intel
  
• Minefield (Firefox) 3.0 for PowerPC G5
• Minefield (Firefox) 3.0 for PowerPC G4

Neil Lee has been offering custom builds of Firefox for many years now. They can make Firefox run a bit faster and smoother on older Macs. You can download them for free (though donations are accepted) from the BeatnikPad website.


[via IGM]

It's common knowledge that Mac Pro is one of the most powerful pre-configured desktop computers out there, but who knew it was hung? With a little help from Sonnet Technologies, your Mac Pro or PowerMac G5 can hang elegantly from under your desk instead of taking up valuable floor real estate. The MacCuff Pro is made of solid steel and retails for a pricey $129.

While the idea of hanging a tower is cute, I'd be cautious to try it on anything but the sturdiest desks, and definitely only those made of solid wood instead of particle board.

[via CrunchGear]

Earlier today Apple announced their The Power Mac G5 Repair Extension Program which applies to Power Mac G5 systems that have "power-related issues as a result of a specific component failure within the computer's power supply." In other words, if your G5 isn't starting up and your serial number falls conveniently within ranges indicated, Apple will fix you up on the house. Apple says there are no known safety issues caused by this component failure. Having a G5 for a paperweight is overkill, however, so you might as well let them fix it.

From the info page:

The affected Power Mac G5 models were sold between approximately October 2005 and August 2006 and feature Dual 2GHz, Dual 2.3GHz or Quad 2.5GHz PowerPC G5 processors.
If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) determines that your Power Mac G5 computer is eligible as part of the program, the power supply repair will be covered by Apple for up to two years from the original date of purchase even if your Power Mac G5 is out of warranty. This worldwide Apple program does not extend the standard warranty coverage of the Power Mac G5.

Affected systems will exhibit one of the following power-related symptoms:

• System will not start up after the power button is pressed
• No LED activity
• Note: If your Power Mac G5 is not experiencing any of these symptoms, you do not have to contact Apple or any Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The affected Power Mac G5 computers have serial numbers where the first 5 digits fall into the ranges noted below. The Power Mac G5 computer's serial number is located inside the case directly below the air deflector, along with other configuration information.

Serial Number Ranges

CK539xxxxxx - CK608xxxxxx
G8539xxxxxx - G8608xxxxxx
YM539xxxxxx - YM608xxxxxx
RM539xxxxxx - RM608xxxxxx

By the way, if you've been bitten by this bug and already paid for out of warranty repairs that would now qualify under this program, Apple or the AASP that did the repair should be contacting you about starting the reimbursement process - but you might want to contact them first to get the ball rolling.

If you're a G5 owner, leave us a comment and let us know if your system is one of the ones affected!

The CRT iMacs will always hold a special place in my heart since my first Mac was a 'Blueberry' iMac (yes, I know the picture accompanying this post isn't a Blueberry iMac, it is an Indigo iMac) which is still being used today by my decidedly non-technical mother.

However, does a five year old 400mz G3 iMac, that sports a processor that is three generations behind current offerings (G4, G5, and Core Duo) still cut the mustard for a casual user of OS X? According to Eugenia Loli-Queru, of OS News, it sure does. Tiger isn't as slow as you might think it would be (though that sentence is as horrible as you think it is) and for surfing the web and checking email the G3 iMac is a solid machine.

So, dear TUAW readers, anyone out there have a G3 with OS X on it as their main machine? How is it holding up?

[via Digg]

Neil Lee has once again gifted the Mac community with optimized builds of Firefox 1.5.0.4. There are builds for G4s, G5s and Intel Macs. Bless you, Neil.

As if that weren't enough, Neil went ahead an applied Firefoxy to both the Intel and G4 builds (sadly you G5'ers will have to suffer with OS X form widgets only).

The downloads are free, but Neil suggests you call  your Mom and Dad instead of donating to him.

Ok, just one more TV rig, we promise.* Flickr user beenester asks, "Is it overkill to use a 1.8GHz Powermac G5 as a TV computer?" We say, "Heck, no!"

"Overkill?" posted by beenester.

If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We select one image to highlight each day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays.

*Probably. Most likely.

Remember the dude that proposed via Apple's time lapse video outside the new Fifth Avenue Apple Store? Kottke.org received an email from his fiancé, Uschi Lang. That's right, she said yes! James, that's the name of the man in the photo, had been meaning to drop the big question for months before he had an idea when he was waiting with Uschi outside the Apple Store.

He sneaked back whilst she was sleeping and stood in front of the camera for 15 minutes with his proposal signs to ensure that the time lapse would pick him up. A few days later James led Uschi down a row of candles leading up to his G5 and showed her the video and of course, she said yes. Congratulations you two!

Now, about that row of candles leading up to his Mac. Is it normal to do that when you're not proposing? What?! I'm just asking...

This is fantastic. Flickr user Zennifer has mounted her G5 iMac on a swiveling arm, allowing it to "float" above her desk. I applaud the uncluttered, minimalist beauty of this solution.

"Floating iMac" posted by Zennifer.

If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We select one image to highlight each day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays.

Oh, the poor Power Mac G5. Apple's "Big Kahuna" now looks downright elderly, being the only Mac that isn't sporting a rockin' Intel chip. I'm guessing that Apple's pro level machine won't make its Intel debut until January's Macworld Expo, but it's fun to speculate on what could be in store for that machine.

Perhaps an all-new case design? Will the name "Power Mac" be replaced? Maybe an as-of-yet unreleased Intel processor(s) will power the beast. The mind boggles.

Have at it, TUAWers. Configure the successor to the Power Mac G5.

What's a big news day without a little bit of a hardware smack down? Call me crazy, but I just found this Gear Live site through diggdot.us, and these guys posted a video podcast in a variety of formats of a MacBook Pro with a (comparatively) measly 1 GB RAM making mince meat out of a Dual 2.0 GHz PowerMac G5 with 4 GB RAM in a Java compile test.

While it isn't a comprehensive rundown of a variety of tasks and apps these two systems can run, it's still pretty impressive to see how well this next generation hardware can perform.

Could you put together a sweet holiday DVD for grandma and grandpa with this set up, or what? Flickr user and TUAW reader trancepriest shows off his Power Mac G5, two huge Cinema Displays, iSight, video editing keyboard, a couple of cameras and other cool looking stuff that I can't even identify.

"hi8-to-dvd closeup" posted by trancepriest.

If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.

It's just another day at the office. That is, an office that houses two racks bulging with Xserves. Here you'll find Flickr user el frijole standing next to 42 Xserve G4s, 5 G5 Xserve cluster nodes and 1 Xserve G5. We'd call that a pretty decent rig, wouldn't you?

"Me and The Cluster" posted by el frijole

If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.