From a sig on the PPC603 Performa mailing list:
The package said "Windows 95 or better" so I bought a Mac.
And:
"DOS Computers are by far the most popular, with about 70 million
machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may
note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and that
numbers alone do not denote a higher life form." (New York Times)
Macintosh Tutoring and Consulting Services
If you or someone you know (in the Northwest PA/Northeast OH area) needs help with a Mac, please email me or fax me at (412) 932-3248. My rates are very reasonable as my goal is to help you learn to use and love your Mac. Some issues may be solved via email or phone and there is no charge for that as long as you pay for the call.
5-Minute Mac Consulting will provide more wide-ranging assistance to Mac users in the western PA, eastern OH area
Problems?
Now that telephone support from Apple is expensive to get, you may still get free help from experienced Macintosh users from No Wonder.
If your curiosity or previous access to this page lead you to wonder why I mention Mac problems, email me for the gory details which I have removed from this site now that my Performa 6300CD is relatively stable.
If you own a Performa Model 52xx, 53xx, 62xx or 63xx and you experience frequent crashes, check out Apple's Mac Repair program. Apple will send someone to your home or business to replace your logicboard if it is faulty. The repair program has been extended beyond the one year warranty period so check it out even if your initial warranty has expired.
If you really need help debugging your Mac, check out Macintosh Freeze & Crash Troubleshooting Tips. This site will give you lots suggestions for routines and utilities to either get your Mac healthy or at least track down the problems. Fortunately, much of the software recommended is relatively inexpensive shareware.
There is a very helpful mailing list for people who own Power PC Macs with 603 processors. That's why it was started but we have built an online community which now tries to help regardless of the Mac. The traffic is heavy so you would have a lot of reading to do. If you would like to subscribe, email me.
See also MacFixit. In fact, read it regularly. You can search their archives for help.
And don't forget Apple. It takes some navigating to get to the page you need. Once you do, bookmark it so you don't have to wade thru all those pages again. I haven't found the people who read that list very helpful. Easy problems get lots of answers. Really sticky ones don't get answers. And you have to go back and manually scroll often. But I guess it's better than nothing.
There are many links to helpful Mac sites and mailing lists on the web. I've listed only a few below. Keeping up with them would be a full time job. I have many bookmarks that I haven't investigated thoroughly yet. Please don't be offended if I haven't included yours. Please email me if you find a link that doesn't work or has other problems.
Macintosh News links:
MacCentral - the news site I always check first
Macintouch - another dependable news site
Go2Mac
As the Apple Turns - the Macintosh soap opera - well, their take on Mac news - love it!
MacRumors - keeps us as up-to-date as possible on Apple gossip but comes and goes
MacFixit - news and searchable archives of Mac problems and solutions
MacNN - Mac News Network
Apple Recon - a little radical sometimes?
MRP News
Insanely Great Mac
AppleInsider - still there but rarely updated
MacOpinion
Headliner - links to Mac and other tech news
MacsOnly - rates CompUSAs, among other stuff
Mac software links:
MacWorld - large reliable source for Mac software
The Apple Orchard - links to download all Mac internet software
Buyer's Links:
PriceScan - look for hardware, software by name, type, etc.
PriceWatch
deal-mac - looks for bargains, presents them in news format - not easy to use if looking for something specific
Price.com - prices for lots of stuff including Macs
CNET Shopper
Links to links:
SiteLink - reliable collection of Mac links for everything
The Ultimate Macintosh - more links including a list of Mac newsgroups
Mac's Diner - loads of freeware, shareware and what-have-you but takes far too long to load
Help and Problem-Solving Links:
5-Minute Mac Consulting will provide assistance to Mac users in the western PA, eastern OH area
Inform Init - a guide to all those Mac extensions, control panels, etc.
Macintosh Freeze & Crash Troubleshooting Tips - old and getting older
No Wonder - free technical help from Macintosh consultants - now expanded to include other platforms
Mac Magazines:
MacAddict - magazine and website
Macworld - Macworld magazine online - check their buyer's guide
Miscellaneous:
MacDirectory - growing reference site
Finally:
If you download shareware from any source, PLEASE PAY FOR IT!
Much of the most helpful software comes from individuals who develop it in their spare time. The minimal amount they charge doesn't cover their expenses. If the creative geniuses among us are to continue solving our problems, they need our support.
For more information, email me.