Mac and Linux Side by Side Simon Royal, Low End Mac, 8/18/10. If Debian would only fix alsamixer running on a G4 PowerMac (digital audio) I would switch to it from OS X Tiger.

Why Did You Buy Your Specific Mac Model? Alexis Kayhill, Mac360, 8/17/10. Ah, that old Color Classic... I still have it.

The Macalope Weekly: Trying too hard Michael Slack, Macworld, 8/14/10. A little reminder of why we used Macs in the first place.

Hooked on Growth - Meet the Filmmaker Janaia Donaldson, Peak Moment, 8/11/10. Will buying another sweatshop-produced gadget really make your life happier and more complete? Maybe you should keep that old Mac running and working for you. Just a thought.

now for some good news Johann Hari, The Independent, 8/6/10. Sadly, if Apple doesn't get the deal it wants from Foxconn, it will just shift its gadget production from China to sweatshops in Vietnam unless you, the consumer, grow a conscience and say no.

How cheap technology is costing us dear Gary Marshall, TechRadar, 7/30/10. "As technology becomes increasingly fashion-driven, this year's must-have gadget quickly becomes unwanted – and the move to mobile-based computing means things are speeding up."

New U.S. Law Requires Electronics Makers to Disclose Conflict Mineral Use Jaymi Heimbuch, Tree Hugger, 7/29/10. Steve Jobs says, "We require all of our suppliers to certify in writing that they use conflict [free] materials. But honestly there is no way for them to be sure. Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it's a very difficult problem."

Reading PowerBook 2.5" SCSI Hard Drives Adam Rosen, Vintage Mac Museum Blog, 7/18/10. Adam's solution isn't beautiful but it works just fine.

Apple IS NOT paying worker subsidies, says Foxconn Jonny Evans, 9 to 5 Mac, 7/16/10. "The intention of these payments was to end a wave of suicides among Foxconn workers, reportedly unhappy at long hours, low wages, anti-social working conditions, and authoritarian management practices." Bad Apple.

Apple's launched Is Anti-Unix Keith Winston, Low End Mac, 7/13/10. One more voice in the rising chorus of complaints about Apple's OS X strategy that leaves older Macs in the dust... and in our landfills.

PowerBook 180 Still Useful at Nearly 18 Years Old Austin Leeds, Low End Mac, 7/6/10. Austin discovers the wonders of early 1990s Powerbooks.

Solar Powered MacBooks May be in our Future Jack Purcher, Patently Apple, 3/25/10. Sounds more like "Back To the Future" to me. My old PowerBook 1400 had a solar panel that not only slid into the top cover, but detached so that you could affix it to an airplane window or other remote sunny place while remaining in the shade and actually able to see what was on the screen, a much better idea.

Buying a Mac for Less and Spreading Apple Joy Dan Bashur, Low End Mac, 3/3/10. Dan details the false economy of buying a cheap netbook vs. finding a good used iBook or PowerBook.