The Mac Observer

Monday's Mac Gadget

Want to Experience Mac History?  Check Out Mactracker!

TMO Talk (3)

Product Link : Mactracker 5.0.6 (Freeware)

Most people know that Apple helped start a computing revolution, with the introduction of the Mac in 1984. Part of the intrigue of these early machines was the decidedly nonstandard hardware, much of which offered features beyond the competition. If you'd like to take a walk down memory lane, there has been much written about the early Macs, and you can even look up the specifications via the Technical Specifications section of the Apple Support site. This can be a bit tedious via a browser, but not with Mactracker.


Mactracker Shows Apple Hardware and Software in a Variety of Ways

Mactracker can show Mac hardware and software in a variety of ways. You can choose to view All Models (the software currently has 480 models on file). You can view specific pieces of hardware via the Desktops, Notebooks, Servers and Devices categories. You can also view Apple software, from System Software 2.0.1, all the way to Mac OS X 10.5. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, and see the progress Apple has made over the years, you can choose the Timeline view, showing what products were introduced each year.

If you click on a specific computer, via one of the aforementioned categories, or via the This Mac tab, which will try to identify your machine, you'll be presented with a wealth of information in the General, Memory/Graphics, Expansion/Ports and History tabs. There's also a Notes tab, where you can take specific notes on your machine, and even add it to the My Models category, which can keep track of your machines and warn you when they are about to go out of warranty. The Notes tab also contains links to relevant articles in the Apple knowledgebase.

Some nice additional touches are that, if the machine in question has a Startup Chime, or in some cases, a Death Chime, you can click on a button and hear it. Finally, if you note an inaccuracy in the machine information, or have some additional information to provide, you can do so by clicking on a bug icon and entering the data.

So experience a blast from the past, or check the stats of your current Mac goodies, and give Mactracker a try! Have any other Gadgets that help you understand more about your Mac? Send an email to John and he'll get with the program.


John is a software engineer with over 20 years of development experience, and has AS, BS and MS degrees in various computing disciplines, so his friends and colleagues are somewhat surprised that he’s a Mac enthusiast.  Having worked in an environment comprised largely of PCs, and watching others wrestle with the horror that is Windows, he’s glad to come home to a MacBook Pro and PowerMac G5 at the end of the day.

Post A Comment or Log-in. Need an account? Register here.

3 Observer Comments

Mactracker is a fantastic little piece of software! It’s really handy to have this richly detailed history of Apple products in one centralized location. For example, this year I’ve referenced it twice - when selling an iPod and a G5 - to get exact specs on ads that I’ve written.

Some of the more unusual startup sounds can be found in the Performa 5000-6000 series. Check ‘em out!

   Actions tonyinosaka said on December 22nd, 2008 at 7:30 PM:

A great little app for looking back, especially as the year ends and Apple seems on the verge of another major shift. Thanks, John.

   Actions trucklover said on December 25th, 2008 at 2:02 PM:

I have used Mac Tracker to find a top of the line graphics card for my June 2004 PowerMac G5 desktop computer. I searched forums and forums for an AGP card that was Mac compatible and offered me the specks that I was looking for. I quick reference to this app showed me the graphics cards that were available to the G5. I went on ebay and bid on the card and won it shortly thereafter. This app should be on every Mac users computer.

Post A Comment or Log-in. Need an account? Register here.
 

Recent Headlines - Updated February 14th

Tue, 12:45 PM
In-Depth Review - Bookle: A Friendly EPUB Reader for the Mac
11:30 AM
Apple Stock Watch - Reminder: Apple Streaming Tim Cook Speech Today
10:39 AM
News - BYOD Trend Could Open Door to More iPhones, iPads in Workplace
9:54 AM
News - DOJ Also Approves Patent Acquisitions By Consortiums Involving Apple
9:36 AM
News - DOJ Signs Off on Google’s Motorola Acquisition
8:55 AM
Rumor - Apple Said to Be Testing Smaller iPad, 4G-Capable One
Mon, 10:30 PM
News - Apple to Live Stream Tim Cook’s Goldman Sachs Speech
8:14 PM
News - Chinese Authorities Seize Apple iPads in Trademark Dispute
6:26 PM
News - Apple Tops Harris Reputation Poll with Record Score
5:33 PM
Mac Geek Gab Podcast - MGG 381: Mac Internet Recovery, HTML on iPad, iDevice Syncing, More!
5:04 PM
Apple Stock Watch - Apple’s Stock Sets New Closing High of $502.60
1:50 PM
News - A Great 3-Minute Video Look at Macworld|iWorld 2012
 

The Mac Observer Reader Specials

  • TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.
  • Mac RAM Upgrades: MacBook Pro 16GB kits $475, 8GB Kits for $119.99! iMac 16GB RAM Kits (4x 4GB) for $229.99! Mac Pro Memory 32GB Kit for $399.99, 64GB Kit for $889.99! Mac Hard Drives 2TB Seagate SATA II for $249.99! Click Here!
  • Poker Mac If you're using a Mac, then you've gotta check out Online Poker Mac. This mac poker and online casino mac site actually does the unthinkable, it actually rewards!

Apple Stock Quote (AAPL)

Loading...

Hot Topics

TMO Express

Join the TMO Express Daily Newsletter to get the latest Mac headlines in your e-mail every weekday. Find out more!

Top Deals From DealBrothers.com

Recent Features

Support The Mac Observer

We noticed you may be running AdBlock on your computer. It takes real money to run this site and to deliver the news, tips, and opinions you love to read.

If you wish to block the ads that pay for the creation of our content, we ask that you instead support TMO Directly, either with a $5 monthly recurring contribution, or a one-time donation of any amount of your choice. Thanks!

Subscribe with Paypal Donate with Paypal