[Ham-Mac] how low tech can you go?

[Steve Hellyer]

Hi Byron,

Tangerine also very nice! And at 15$ how can you go wrong!!!!

Certainly tough choices. For my operation (currently I am off the air  
as I moved house and haven't had a chance to get tower, antenna and  
radio together) I liked a larger screen on the home front.  When you  
get the PSK going with waterfall and then run MLDX for logging, plus  
typically other HAM software. I just found the bigger the better.

Notebooks are great on the go but you paying extra for small screen  
(relatively) and battery.  But these are more physical personal  
choices based on space and operation.

I think the current Mac mini is tough to beat.  Dual Core Intel means  
I get current OS with it current update to keep fast and protected  
against Internet abuses. It as built-in WIFI b/g/a/n to complement  
your Airport extreme.   Connect it to a big display with a USB  
keyboard and mouse and away you go. I use mine for other things as  
well like family photos, a lot of web browsing, email etc...

If you performing serial communication to a packet TNC you need very  
little CPU power.  This is because the TNC is perform all the audio  
encoding and decoding for packet.  If however you having the computer  
encode and decode as in PSK, Audio RTTY (AFSK), or other audio modes  
like MFSK modes then getting something fast will pay off in the end.

Another place to pick up a new Mac is in the refurbished area on the  
Apple store. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/

Mac Mini's are rarer as they get gobbled up quick.  Note... there is a  
strong rumour that new one maybe close around the corner in time for  
Christmas. Don't know if rumours are true but it going around the Mac  
news web sites currently. Think it's been a year since they were last  
updated so seem ripe for a update.

Let us know how it goes, but it sounds like your in good shape in any  
case.

73
Steve - VA3SPH

On 2009-10-15, at 5:58 PM, Byron Watson wrote:

> Thanks for the helpful replies and input....the imac is a tangerine
> color! very stylish....i already have downloaded the appropriate
> earlier version of CocoaModem compatible with my OSX 2.8....really  
> this
> will be a temporary setup because the imac is downstairs and my modest
> little shack up in the loft....bought a airport extreme base station
> and will be wireless with whatever laptop i purchase to dedicate to  
> ham
> radio...i am really leaning towards a G4 of some sort...the MacLogger
> DX software sure looks sweet, i'm coming away from using MixW....in  
> the
> FWIW category i have been quite active in all the digi modes and have
> even made a few psk contacts on 160m with 10 watts!!! I really do miss
> psk and the like and am itching to get back into some this fall and
> winter.....Again thanks for the replies and i welcome any others (also
> inexpensive laptop recommendations)....73 and thoroughly enjoying the
> Mac community!
> Byron
> N4TIZ
>
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