Andy's Un-Official Unsolicited Mac Advice Thread [Sitemap] - Page 17

cmason

Jan-28-2010, 03:01 PM

Well, remember the iPhone had tons of missing features (no 3G, cut and paste, camera, etc) when it launched. Hasn't stopped it much.

This device looks like a good solution to me. I do not want an iPhone, as I am issued a Blackberry by my work, and can't justify $2400 commitment for a second phone. the iPod touch is tempting, since getting the apps would be killer, but I haven't been convinced.

I find I spend as much time web surfing as any other entertainment, and often doing it in front of TV or with family. This would be a great solution for that use, but too expensive for that use alone.

However, I travel alot, and have seriously considered a kindle, to pt of almost ordering one, but it was too single tasking. iPad offering books nearly seals the deal, as the capabilities add up to a good device. The iPad seems to provide a good mix: a kindle replacement, cool iPod touch/iphone apps, music and nice web browsing. Looks like a great travel companion and general surfing tool.

Combine iPod touch and netbook money, or perhaps kindle money, and this is an easy purchase. I don't really want 3G except for rare occasions where I won't have wifi (get wifi at airport and on plane for example), and since I travel internationally, its too pricy anyway. I don't need a laptop replacement, I have one of those (from work). I have an iMac, where I do photos, etc. This would be a good device for all the other times, basically what a netbook would do.

RogersDA

Jan-28-2010, 03:14 PM

Well, remember the iPhone had tons of missing features (no 3G, cut and paste, camera, etc) when it launched. Hasn't stopped it much.That's right - people complained and the 2G and 3G phones came out pretty quickly. Why wasn't this stuff included (or enabled if that's the case) right from the start? It's not like Apple didn't know...and it's not like cellular 4G is going away.

This device looks like a good solution to me. I do not want an iPhone, as I am issued a Blackberry by my work, and can't justify $2400 commitment for a second phone. the iPod touch is tempting, since getting the apps would be killer, but I haven't been convinced.

I find I spend as much time web surfing as any other entertainment, and often doing it in front of TV or with family. This would be a great solution for that use, but too expensive for that use alone.

However, I travel alot, and have seriously considered a kindle, to pt of almost ordering one, but it was too single tasking. iPad offering books nearly seals the deal, as the capabilities add up to a good device. The iPad seems to provide a good mix: a kindle replacement, cool iPod touch/iphone apps, music and nice web browsing. Looks like a great travel companion and general surfing tool.

Combine iPod touch and netbook money, or perhaps kindle money, and this is an easy purchase. I don't really want 3G except for rare occasions where I won't have wifi (get wifi at airport and on plane for example), and since I travel internationally, its too pricy anyway. I don't need a laptop replacement, I have one of those (from work). I have an iMac, where I do photos, etc. This would be a good device for all the other times, basically what a netbook would do. I am always in areas that do not have WiFi - so the 3G/4G solution would work for me. And with the iPhone and/or laptop I am doing several tasks at a time. So this was looking like a great alternative. What I really need is multitasking with 3G (4G would be better once it hits the DC area).

DavidTO

Jan-28-2010, 03:36 PM

However, I travel alot, and have seriously considered a kindle, to pt of almost ordering one, but it was too single tasking.

I think that's a strength. I have enough things to distract me from reading. Plus, I like reading the e-paper more than a backlit display. But that's me. Plus, the larger Kindle and the iPad are both too large for my taste, I like the smaller, cheaper Kindle just fine.

DavidTO

Jan-28-2010, 03:53 PM

No Multitasking. Only one application runs at a time according to official documentation.

I'd be fine with this, but I just can't quite believe you can't listen to music and do other things. That simple level of multi-tasking seems like a no-brainer and a big step back from the iPhone/iPod Touch.

RogersDA

Jan-28-2010, 03:59 PM

I'd be fine with this, but I just can't quite believe you can't listen to music and do other things. That simple level of multi-tasking seems like a no-brainer and a big step back from the iPhone/iPod Touch.What about just running a program, game, or whatever - having to quit that when you go check your mail or instant messages (vice pausing it or pushing it to the background/minimizing the app)? I do not like having to quit the a program just to read and reply to an email like I have to do on the iPhone 3G.

DavidTO

Jan-28-2010, 04:03 PM

cmason

Jan-28-2010, 04:17 PM

What about just running a program, game, or whatever - having to quit that when you go check your mail or instant messages (vice pausing it or pushing it to the background/minimizing the app)? I do not like having to quit the a program just to read and reply to an email like I have to do on the iPhone 3G.

you can listen to music and other things at the same time, but only music within itunes (or iPod as it is called on iPhone). What you can't do, and some folks are griping about, is play music from Pandora and work at same time.

I don't have an issue with multitasking, provided it is managed correctly. the iPad, and iPhone avoid presenting multiple windows, which is critical on the small screen,and makes the device much simpler...no need to minimize, move or dismiss windows. So, since there is no ability to view two or more apps at once, multitasking is only a technical issue, or would only come into play if in quitting an app, it lost its context. So if you are playing a game, and say need to jump to a stock quote app to check a stock price, if when returning to that game, it was not where you left it, but started over, then indeed, single tasking would suck dramatically. But if singletasking preserves context, you won't notice the difference. In my experience, this is exactly what the iPhone does. If you leave Safari, and do something else, when you start Safari again, it is on the page you were on when you left...but of course the iPhone doesn't multitask, right?

David: right you are regarding the Kindle. it is good because it is a multitasker. I will be thinking this thru for some time to come, and likely handle an iPad before I decide. Reading on a backlit screen is not something you can do for long periods of time.

RogersDA

Jan-28-2010, 04:23 PM

I think, no matter what, SmuMug should get a few for us.:D:wink

DavidTO

Jan-28-2010, 05:56 PM

David: right you are regarding the Kindle. it is good because it is a multitasker. I will be thinking this thru for some time to come, and likely handle an iPad before I decide. Reading on a backlit screen is not something you can do for long periods of time.

The other thing is the swipe to turn pages. I read on the iPhone as well as the Kindle, and I much prefer a button. My finger never moves, just clicks. It's much less distracting.

colourbox

Jan-28-2010, 10:48 PM

It's far from the most important thing Jobs has done, no matter what he says.

It might be, though, eventually. Just not this first one. Which I am not buying. Probably not the second one either.

I did have the reaction, after looking at the iPad site, of turning back to my laptop and saying "Hey!! That's just an old-school mashup of a typewriter and a TV." The tablet as human media device goes back thousands of years. After Apple perfects the iPad, which won't happen for a few years, it may become the standard form (again) and laptops may be seen as the short-lived historical aberration, from the time when the only reason you had to access your computer through a keyboard and "pointing device" was because our technology was too primitive.

Richard

Jan-30-2010, 03:18 AM

After Apple perfects the iPad, which won't happen for a few years, it may become the standard form (again) and laptops may be seen as the short-lived historical aberration, from the time when the only reason you had to access your computer through a keyboard and "pointing device" was because our technology was too primitive.
Yeah, maybe. If and when all the actual computing and storage is done in the cloud, all we really will need is an I/O device with very fast, universal, reliable and affordable connectivity. But we're years away from that and a hundred different companies could build a device like that. Apple might just be a little too far ahead of the curve on this one: think Newton.

I have to say, I find the iPad fairly lame in its current configuration. When the obvious faults are corrected and the price comes down, it might be appealing to some but it won't be compelling without a complete ecosystem like Apple built with the iPod/iTunes Store. I don't underestimate Apple, but I wonder whether they are powerful enough to put together a proprietary content delivery system that's going to make the iPad as appealing as the iPod/iPhone.

cmason

Jan-30-2010, 07:32 AM

I think the iPad is not revolutionary in form, and when viewed as a traditional computer, it looks like a huge flop.

But, that is the problem here: we, computer users, are trying to view this as a traditional computer. it is not, and hopefully, it never will be.

I, like many of you reading this, probably act as IT administrators (what i call Dadministrator) for your family and perhaps friends. I personally manage 11 computers among family and friends (oh and I recommend the free Logmein (http://www.logmein.com), but thats another post). And THIS is the problem: computers are just TOO HARD. Normal, otherwise very smart people (think doctors, lawyers and such) just can't figure out their computers. Its not just viruses and other threats, though that is a significant part of it: they can't figure out how to send a photo to a friend, or where the Word doc they just wrote is on the hard drive. If you don't get computers and their file system and workings, then its really hard. And this includes Macs. Granted Mac makes things simpler, but when things go wrong, better break out Terminal, right?

But WHY should we humans have to GET computers to use them? What went wrong? This doesn't really make sense: computers should make things easy to do. Why can't taking and sending photos be TOASTER simple? Why should I have to know that my photo is in the C:/My Documents/My Photos/2009-01-14/Graduation directory? And why should I have to know that if it is a large JPG that it will be HUGE on Grandma's old monitor, so I need to reduce the image size before sending? And when I get a photo, that I need to download the attachment, save it to a new directory, and then make sure my photo viewing tool has put it in its database? Who came up with this?

I can not tell you how many phone calls I get from these family and friends that go like this: "Ok, so click on Start, then Programs. Now you should have Picasa because I put it there over Christmas. No?. Ok. Click, Start, Accessories, Windows Explorer. Ok, what do you see? Desktop? Ok, now, go to My Documents. No, in Windows Explorer, on the left hand side...should be under Desktop. Oh right, it is called Documents in Windows 7, I forgot...." . And so on. These are smart people, people with masters degrees, and who have owned computers for 10+ years.

I think this is the problem the iPad is trying to solve. This in fact is what the iPhone did solve: it eliminated file systems, attachments, directories, file types, data mode, etc etc. When you download a map, or a photo from an email...where does it go? Does it matter? No, it goes where it should, and that isnt for the user to know or care. When sync'd or docked, there is no data or files to drag: they just sync and go onto your PC (yep the one you don't get). This is truly RADICAL, don't underestimate it. Folks who don't get their computer or Blackberry, understand and use their iPhone almost immediately.

The iPad is a large iPhone, but this is exactly what it should be. It isn't a computer that us computer users are familiar with (and want), but one for EVERYONE else. It doesn't require you to learn the computer, it only asks you to do, what you do. Write an email, attach a photo. Don't worry about where the photo is, because it is where is should be. This is how the iPhone works: each app has its own directory for data storage. There is no common storage. If data is to be shared, this is published and shared internally. So if you should be able to email a photo, the email app knows about the photo app storage. In other words, photos are where they should be, no where else.

Now, this is achieved by essentially closing the system. But in fact, I think it is closed more to computer users way of thinking than anything. Sure, I can't add an app without Apple's permission, and that does chap my ass a bit, but the result is remarkable.

So, (wow this is long), in the end, I think the iPad is a completely new kind of device, one that provides the kinds of things one does on a computer, without having to LEARN or USE a computer, in the traditional sense. This is, for lack of a better term, the closest we have gotten to the computer as a toaster.

And that is a good thing.

Is it a computer for me? No, because I am a computer user that GETS computers, so it doesn't answer all my needs, and never will. My only complaint about it currently is that it still essentially requires you to have a computer: it depends on syncing. I think for some it can be their only computing device, but truly syncing photos and other docs will have to wait for future versions, that can allow more connection options.

RogersDA

Jan-30-2010, 08:44 AM

So, (wow this is long)...That took me half an hour to read on my iPhone.

Richard

Jan-30-2010, 08:52 AM

That took me half an hour to read on my iPhone.

See...you really do need a bigger screen. :rofl

mgdoc

Jan-30-2010, 09:02 AM

So, (wow this is long), in the end, I think the iPad is a completely new kind of device, one that provides the kinds of things one does on a computer, without having to LEARN or USE a computer, in the traditional sense. This is, for lack of a better term, the closest we have gotten to the computer as a toaster.

And that is a good thing.

Is it a computer for me? No, because I am a computer user that GETS computers, so it doesn't answer all my needs, and never will. My only complaint about it currently is that it still essentially requires you to have a computer: it depends on syncing. I think for some it can be their only computing device, but truly syncing photos and other docs will have to wait for future versions, that can allow more connection options.

I agree, computers should be as simple as gettin beer from the fridge. They should bend to our will, not the other way around. http://www.dgrin.com/images/smilies/baldy.gif
When that happens, then the revolution in computing, really begins.
http://www.dgrin.com/images/smilies/mwink.gif

RogersDA

Jan-30-2010, 09:07 AM

No Flash Support on the browser. Too many sites (SmugMug included) run flash-based components. Will it be able to upgrade to html5? Probably not a big deal on that as html5 is not being pushed anytime soon.So I read online yesterday that this thing is html5-ready. Great - that solves the flash problem. Unfortunately - the rest of the world is not ready (yet).

Out of curiosity (and mostly ignorance on my part) - are there going to be a lot of changes needed to SmugMug's backend and our front end to comply with html5?

RogersDA

Jan-30-2010, 09:17 AM

Lightning bolts - Steve Job's next enhancement...

http://www.bigfatwhale.com/archives/bfw_444.png

cmason

Jan-30-2010, 10:13 AM

So I read online yesterday that this thing is html5-ready. Great - that solves the flash problem. Unfortunately - the rest of the world is not ready (yet).

If you have Safari, or Google Chrome, you are good to go. Firefox supports HTML5 as well, but doesnt have full support, so things like this don't work yet:

http://www.youtube.com/html5

Out of curiosity (and mostly ignorance on my part) - are there going to be a lot of changes needed to SmugMug's backend and our front end to comply with html5?

The only Flash on my site is the Slideshow, there is no other Flash for galleries etc. For what it is worth, the iPhone Smugmug app is pretty slick, though no Flash slideshow of course. My guess is jfriend or one of the wizards will publish an update to the slideshow that leverages HTML5, since it is nothing more than updated CSS and Javascript.

RogersDA

Jan-30-2010, 11:06 AM

If you have Safari, or Google Chrome, you are good to go. Firefox supports HTML5 as well, but doesnt have full support, so things like this don't work yet:

http://www.youtube.com/html5

The only Flash on my site is the Slideshow, there is no other Flash for galleries etc. For what it is worth, the iPhone Smugmug app is pretty slick, though no Flash slideshow of course. My guess is jfriend or one of the wizards will publish an update to the slideshow that leverages HTML5, since it is nothing more than updated CSS and Javascript.Thanks - I was kind of curious if other areas would need to be updated; e.g., html-only pages, due to code/feature deprecation. Looks like most stuff will be o.k.

colourbox

Jan-30-2010, 02:17 PM

goldenballs

Jan-31-2010, 04:49 AM

And that is exactly what to tell people when they ask why the iPad is any better than a nice Tablet PC that can run full Windows 7.
I am excited by the Ipad. It is not going to replace anything in my line-up but is going to be a brilliant addition - Christmas 2010 is my goal. It will be my travel companion - books, music, browsing, films, podcasts, email, photo album.

My light weight notebook will likely be the last I buy - ever tried actually using a 10.4 in screen with keyboard in the economy class of a modern jet? Or while waiting in the airport, or riding the train? I might have to take a BT keyboard for serious typing in the hotel, but the total package will still be lighter than my current state-of-the-art Portege.

I'm relying on Apple to sync all my media between my different platforms. And seeing that I only live once, I won't be waiting. Even with a few starter bugs the Ipad is a dream machine for my lifestyle.

Moogle Pepper

Jan-31-2010, 07:28 AM

I am excited by the Ipad. It is not going to replace anything in my line-up but is going to be a brilliant addition - Christmas 2010 is my goal. It will be my travel companion - books, music, browsing, films, podcasts, email, photo album.

My light weight notebook will likely be the last I buy - ever tried actually using a 10.4 in screen with keyboard in the economy class of a modern jet? Or while waiting in the airport, or riding the train? I might have to take a BT keyboard for serious typing in the hotel, but the total package will still be lighter than my current state-of-the-art Portege.

I'm relying on Apple to sync all my media between my different platforms. And seeing that I only live once, I won't be waiting. Even with a few starter bugs the Ipad is a dream machine for my lifestyle.

I find typing on the virtual keyboard a royal pain. There is no way I will buy the keyboard dock just so I can type my blog entries when I am on the go. If I did, why not just buy a good netbook, let alone bring my MBP? It would equal the weight if I brought the iPad and a keyboard dock, so for that, iPad loses its advantage.

And one of the biggest disadvantage I see, is there is no way to store photos on the go. If I were to travel and not photograph anything, than I can possibly see myself getting one. But it doesn't so, it certainly loses its appeal that way. I like to travel light, but I like to travel logically light. I would need to bring a portable storage along with the iPad (and keyboard :rofl) when traveling, which certainly does not beat a netbook (and portable storage :rofl:rofl)

Though one thing I do like is that it is probably better as a portable portfolio, along with prints.

All in all, I am going to wait till the 3rd gen to decide.

RogersDA

Jan-31-2010, 07:57 AM

I find typing on the virtual keyboard a royal pain. There is no way I will buy the keyboard dock just so I can type my blog entries when I am on the go. If I did, why not just buy a good netbook, let alone bring my MBP? It would equal the weight if I brought the iPad and a keyboard dock, so for that, iPad loses its advantage.

And one of the biggest disadvantage I see, is there is no way to store photos on the go. If I were to travel and not photograph anything, than I can possibly see myself getting one. But it doesn't so, it certainly loses its appeal that way. I like to travel light, but I like to travel logically light. I would need to bring a portable storage along with the iPad (and keyboard :rofl) when traveling, which certainly does not beat a netbook (and portable storage :rofl:rofl)

Though one thing I do like is that it is probably better as a portable portfolio, along with prints.

All in all, I am going to wait till the 3rd gen to decide.I mentioned something like that in a recent smugchat. With the new wireless transmitters from Canon I am sure an app can be developed to retrieve the images from the camera to the iPad. It would be cool if there was an app to then port those images to your smug account; e.g., to a password-protected hidden gallery, too. Of course - shooting raw would me needing SmugVault, and color management would probably not allow for great editing/critiquing, but I may be wrong on that.

Moogle Pepper

Jan-31-2010, 08:25 AM

I mentioned something like that in a recent smugchat. With the new wireless transmitters from Canon I am sure an app can be developed to retrieve the images from the camera to the iPad. It would be cool if there was an app to then port those images to your smug account; e.g., to a password-protected hidden gallery, too. Of course - shooting raw would me needing SmugVault, and color management would probably not allow for great editing/critiquing, but I may be wrong on that.

RAW would definitely be an issue. I would need to have the iPad on and with me too.

Richard

Jan-31-2010, 08:36 AM

RAW would definitely be an issue. I would need to have the iPad on and with me too.
Yeah, you would certainly want to transfer as you shoot, not in batch. Otherwise you are limited by the WFT-E5A's limited bandwidth (802.11g, which has a realworld throughput of about 27Mbps.) If I haven't screwed up the arithmetic, that would translate to about 40 minutes for an 8 GB card. Since you can't multitask, you better bring a book along. :lol3

Actually, I believe they are offering a docking port to USB dongle, so you could do it the old fashioned way. :thumb

Moogle Pepper

Jan-31-2010, 09:03 AM

:rofl

Then I would be doing the same thing if I brought a netbook. Well also assuming that you can only dock one thing at a time.

RogersDA

Jan-31-2010, 09:53 AM

Yeah, you would certainly want to transfer as you shoot, not in batch. Otherwise you are limited by the WFT-E5A's limited bandwidth (802.11g, which has a realworld throughput of about 27Mbps.) If I haven't screwed up the arithmetic, that would translate to about 40 minutes for an 8 GB card. Since you can't multitask, you better bring a book along. :lol3

Actually, I believe they are offering a docking port to USB dongle, so you could do it the old fashioned way. :thumbFor the life of me I can't figure out why product manufacturers do not include industry standard, adopted, and commonly used protocols; e.g., 802.11n, in addition to 802.11a/b/g. :scratch It's not like 802.11n is new.

cmason

Jan-31-2010, 10:45 AM

For the life of me I can't figure out why product manufacturers do not include industry standard, adopted, and commonly used protocols; e.g., 802.11n, in addition to 802.11a/b/g. :scratch It's not like 802.11n is new.

802.11n is backward compatible with a/b/g. anything that is 'n' is also 'g'

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

By the way, the ipad also offers a camera connecton kit to connect via USB, as well as an SD (boo) card adapter. Not sure how this helps all that much, since your basic iPad is only 16GB. I have 32GB of camera memory, so the iPad isnt a big help here.

Richard

Jan-31-2010, 10:56 AM

By the way, the ipad also offers a camera connecton kit to connect via USB, as well as an SD (boo) card adapter. Not sure how this helps all that much, since your basic iPad is only 16GB. I have 32GB of camera memory, so the iPad isnt a big help here.

It will be interesting to see how this works. I might be wrong, but I'm thinking that card readers look like hard drives to a computer, and that wouldn't really fit with the toaster concept. I guess Apple could supply an app that downloads pics from a card while hiding the rest. Maybe you will only be able to connect directly to those cameras that supply an iPad app. How you would get the pics out of the iPad is another unknown.

RogersDA

Jan-31-2010, 11:21 AM

802.11n is backward compatible with a/b/g. anything that is 'n' is also 'g'

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
But anything that is "g" (or "b" or "a") is not "n". My somewhat vague comment was more directed to the new Canon Wireless transmitters which operate only on the "a/b/g" standards , but not "n", so that they can't get the full potential of the "n" transfer speeds.

cmason

Jan-31-2010, 11:51 AM

It will be interesting to see how this works. I might be wrong, but I'm thinking that card readers look like hard drives to a computer, and that wouldn't really fit with the toaster concept. I guess Apple could supply an app that downloads pics from a card while hiding the rest. Maybe you will only be able to connect directly to those cameras that supply an iPad app. How you would get the pics out of the iPad is another unknown.

I believe the photos load into the Photo app, and then they synch back to the base computer, much the same way they do in iPhone. You can email photos to iPhone now, and put them in the Photo app, then sync them to iPhoto via iTunes. The only diff here is that you can also get photos over USB, rather than just email.

Moogle Pepper

Jan-31-2010, 12:04 PM

Imagine syncing raw photos! :rofl

colourbox

Jan-31-2010, 02:39 PM

Imagine syncing raw photos! :rofl

I am excited at what we will be doing with the iPad when we get to buy a 256GB/3G/USB3/multitasking version for $399 in a couple years. Just toss in a choice of cleverly written iPhone OS apps for tagging and syncing with Lightroom and Aperture, and that will probably be the field photo DAM to beat.

Moogle Pepper

Jan-31-2010, 02:47 PM

I am excited at what we will be doing with the iPad when we get to buy a 256GB/3G/USB3/multitasking version for $399 in a couple years. Just toss in a choice of cleverly written iPhone OS apps for tagging and syncing with Lightroom and Aperture, and that will probably be the field photo DAM to beat.

You almost got me until I read the price at $399! :rofl

colourbox

Jan-31-2010, 04:03 PM

You almost got me until I read the price at $399! :rofl

I'm completely serious. I watched the $500 iPhone get introduced, and said to myself "That's not for me until I can get it for $199 with a video camera." Then, last summer...

CatOne

Feb-02-2010, 10:34 AM

I'm completely serious. I watched the $500 iPhone get introduced, and said to myself "That's not for me until I can get it for $199 with a video camera." Then, last summer...

The iPhone is subsidized by the phone carriers.

I don't see a model where the iPad is carrier subsidized. Of course, you could always just buy the iPad with a credit card and pay $50/month for it… call it a "data plan" :D

CatOne

Feb-02-2010, 10:38 AM

That's right - people complained and the 2G and 3G phones came out pretty quickly. Why wasn't this stuff included (or enabled if that's the case) right from the start? It's not like Apple didn't know...and it's not like cellular 4G is going away.

Why wasn't it included at the start? How about the fact that it takes time to develop? Sure, you could slap a 3G radio in there, but battery life (as you've seen) is poor with 3G (still), and the 3G chipset in the iPhone 3G was MUCH more efficient than the 3G radios that shipped a year previous.

Technology is on a constant march with progress, and it takes time to develop applications and SDKs and all that. It's not that Apple is releasing "hobbled" devices so they can have stuff to release in coming years… it's that everything takes time to develop and so they ship the best they can come up with, at the time.

I mean, an extreme case if your question is "Why didn't the iPhone 3Gs ship in 1983?"

CatOne

Feb-02-2010, 10:42 AM

If you have Safari, or Google Chrome, you are good to go. Firefox supports HTML5 as well, but doesnt have full support, so things like this don't work yet:

http://www.youtube.com/html5

The problem with Firefox is larger than HTML5.

The issue is there are two video codecs that are under consideration for HTML5. There is H.264 video, which is pervasive (everything on YouTube is already available as H.264), and there is Ogg Theora (a freeware codec, which has little to no hardware acceleration available, and is based on an old On2 codec). Firefox has elected to go with Theora, and I don't know many if any of those.

So if you want HTML5 and its video support for what is out there today, you can use Safari or Chrome. I don't know when or if (ever) Firefox will work with H.264.

RogersDA

Feb-04-2010, 08:18 AM

Nice discussion on HTML5 at Gizmodo yesterday...

http://gizmodo.com/5461711/giz-explains-why-html5-isnt-going-to-save-the-internet

Richard

Feb-06-2010, 01:51 AM

Nice discussion on HTML5 at Gizmodo yesterday...

http://gizmodo.com/5461711/giz-explains-why-html5-isnt-going-to-save-the-internet
Another discussion of the standards wars here (http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=2775&blogid=14). Keep in mind that while some parts of HTML 5 are being implemented today, the full standard is not expected to reach W3C Recommendation status till 2022, at which time we will all be arguing about HTML 6. I don't follow these things very closely but it looks to me like it's going to take several years before Flash is supplanted by H.264 or Ogg Theora or anything else. There's too much disagreement among the major players about technology, licensing terms and DRM to successfully challenge the incumbent.

BradfordBenn

Feb-06-2010, 05:19 PM

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to chose from ;)

RogersDA

Feb-07-2010, 12:34 PM

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to chose from ;)Pretty standard response there...:D

RogersDA

Feb-07-2010, 12:38 PM

DavidTO

Feb-07-2010, 03:46 PM

Mac Mini or iMac or MacBook?

Spouse is finally going to convert. She does not use processor-intensive apps.

Her Gateway Vista POS is causing troubles. I like the idea of the Mini, but the MacBook may be nice to unattach from the monitor and sit someplace else.

Is there a big performance hit using the Mini or MacBook vice an iMAc?

Only she or you know if a laptop is going to beneficial, but I'd say 13" MBP rather than the straight up MB. So much nicer, and the same price as the iMac.

If you're just going for lower cost for someone who's doing simple stuff, then the Mini.

RogersDA

Feb-07-2010, 03:54 PM

Only she or you know if a laptop is going to beneficial, but I'd say 13" MBP rather than the straight up MB. So much nicer, and the same price as the iMac.

If you're just going for lower cost for someone who's doing simple stuff, then the Mini.Thanks David... Cost is not so much as we just do not want to get stuck with a cr*ppy system. I do not know anyone who actually owns (or owned) a Mini. Personally - I am thinking the MBP for her. However, she is the one to decide.

DavidTO

Feb-07-2010, 03:55 PM

Thanks David... Cost is not so much as we just do not want to get stuck with a cr*ppy system. I do not know anyone who actually owns (or owned) a Mini. Personally - I am thinking the MBP for her. However, she is the one to decide.

Well, me, neither, but the specs do look the same as the lappy, just minus the battery, display, keyboard and trackpad, eh?

W.W. Webster

Feb-07-2010, 03:56 PM

I do not know anyone who actually owns (or owned) a Mini.I do. I wouldn't ignore it as an option in the appropriate circumstances.

RogersDA

Feb-07-2010, 10:33 PM

Thanks - maybe off to the Apple store this weekend.

Twisted Image

Feb-19-2010, 12:58 PM

ok...fairly new to the i-Mac world...I have a 24" Imac where i upgraded the ram to 4mb.

I only have a few thousand photos on the drive...
5 thousand or so on Iphoto and a few hundred on Aperture 2.

My hard drive is completely full???

I don't have a ton of programs just Aperture 2, Elements 4 and 8
Along with Iwork. The rest came with the computer.

The the hell is going on?

catspaw

Feb-19-2010, 01:03 PM

What's your harddrive size?

as an aside, I've 5 external drives - which include back ups for each, so really two extra drives, 1 T each. They're getting full, but it'll probably be worse once I get around to scanning in 20+ years of negatives :D

colourbox

Feb-19-2010, 01:14 PM

My hard drive is completely full???

Download this free utility (http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/) and look for the biggest squares.

BradfordBenn

Feb-20-2010, 03:52 PM

DavidTO

Feb-20-2010, 05:04 PM

Howdy All-

So let me explain what I am trying to do and see if anyone has an application that they can recommend. I have two 500MB hard drives, one is portable the other one stays at home. What I would like to do is easily keep them in sync (more backed up from the portable than anything else). I realize I can do the drag copy from one to the other, but well that takes a while. And to be honest the mac drag copy is not as clean as I would like; it replaces folders not interleave them.

So does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

Chronosync, SuperDuper? You've tried those?

At work I have a Automator script that I like a lot. I have a back up folder on the server that I want to keep older stuff in, and I want to be able to back up my local folder, but not keep all the archival stuff, just the current stuff. This Automator script will back up folders to the destination, but leave older folders there, untouched. You can configure it to delete folders on the destination, as well. It works great: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/automator/syncfolders.html

colourbox

Feb-21-2010, 01:42 AM

I use this (http://www.softobe.com/products/flsy/pp.html) to mirror my main photo drive to its backup drives.

Its options can be kind of complicated, but I like them. I can filter, make presets, and I often leave the Preview option (http://www.softobe.com/products/flsy/snst/snst10.html) on so I can get a window that shows me exactly which files will be replaced before letting it go ahead.

BradfordBenn

Feb-21-2010, 10:43 AM

Thanks for the the suggestionsguys that helps a lot. I did a google and apple site search and found lots of programs, but figured I would ask the "collective hive mind" for suggestions rather than try less than useful solutions. I am off to download the three recommendations to try them out.

ErinnA

Mar-05-2010, 07:48 AM

how do i disable online services? apparently it is the cause for bridge crashing?

please explain as if talking to a first grader... thanks!

Richard

Mar-05-2010, 08:30 AM

how do i disable online services? apparently it is the cause for bridge crashing?

please explain as if talking to a first grader... thanks!

Hi Erinn and welcome to Dgrin :wave.

I have the Windows version, but I'm betting it's the same. Open Bridge and go to its preferences panel. On Windows, you get to it from the Edit menu, but I think the Mac way would be from the Bridge menu at the left. Once you are there, click on Startup Scripts, then uncheck Photoshop Services and click OK.

HTH.

ErinnA

Mar-05-2010, 08:37 AM

thanks, but i can only keep bridge open for about 10 seconds!

Richard

Mar-05-2010, 08:42 AM

thanks, but i can only keep bridge open for about 10 seconds!

Have you tried holding the shift key down when you launch Bridge?

I see that you have posted in the other thread about the uploader issue. AFAIK, that's the best information we have to date on this problem. Perhaps you have a computer geek friend who can help you follow the instructions listed there. :dunno

ErinnA

Mar-05-2010, 09:42 AM

I finally got it figured out and i did get rid of those files and it seems to be working now. I don't have the online services anymore, but it was more important to be able to use bridge!

I also had the same problem on my pc.. and for that one.. holding the shift key down and deleteing cache and reseting preferences worked.

Well, if my posting that information helps someone esle.. I'm glad to be of help!!:clap

Have you tried holding the shift key down when you launch Bridge?

I see that you have posted in the other thread about the uploader issue. AFAIK, that's the best information we have to date on this problem. Perhaps you have a computer geek friend who can help you follow the instructions listed there. :dunno

RogersDA

Mar-06-2010, 06:55 AM

Can one actually change a feed URL in Mac Mail? Or - do you have to delete the feed and redo it? I could use another feed reader - but it's not that critical....

DavidTO

Mar-06-2010, 07:11 AM

Can one actually change a feed URL in Mac Mail? Or - do you have to delete the feed and redo it? I could use another feed reader - but it's not that critical....

I don't know, I've never used it, since I love the feed integration with Safari so much.

Speaking of Safari, I'm really liking Glims (http://www.machangout.com/), which adds functionality to Safari. The reason I got it was so that I could add ecosia.org as my search engine, but it does a lot more:

Adds thumbnails to Google.com search results
Adds thumbnails to Yahoo.com search results
Adds search engines to the default Google search tab
Adds full-screen browsing capability
Adds Favicons to tab labels
Adds keyword search from address bar
Undo "Close Tab" (cmd-z)
Re-opens last session when Safari starts
Auto-Closes download window
Adds new tab position option (right/left/leftmost/rightmost)
Adds tab closing using middle mouse button
Focus last selected tab
Always open links in a new tab
Type-ahead support (auto cmd-f)
Sets the focus on the search field when opening a new window
Adds Amazon's information banner on Google.com search results
Adds Amazon's information banner on Yahoo.com search results
Adds a "Max Window Size" menu item to resize the Safari window
Forms autocomplete always on
Autocomplete search phrase
Adds bookmark separator
Adds bookmark actions
Dated download folders
Localized to Japanese, French, Polish, German, Spanish, Italian, and Korean

RogersDA

Mar-06-2010, 07:42 AM

Thanks David - for some reason the SmugBlog Pro Releases and SmugBlog Release notes feeds no longer work.:scratch

Mitchell

Mar-08-2010, 07:24 AM

The wait for the new MacBook Pro is killing me. I'm a PC guy, but my wife wants to try her hand at a Mac. I'm told the release date for the new MacBook Pros is imminent, but I heard that over a month ago.

The only way the new computeres will get released is if I go and buy one of the existing models. Without a doubt, the new models will be released the following day! :rolleyes

CatOne

Mar-08-2010, 08:08 PM

Seamus

Mar-09-2010, 12:20 PM

I use word 2003 in work and have been using office 2003 via fusion on my macs when I needed to do something at home. I downloaded NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) a week ago and it is very good. If anyone is looking for Office 2003 compatability, give it a try.

Valve are releasing their games on the mac so I could be deleting fusion soon :)

RogersDA

Mar-11-2010, 09:00 AM

cmason

Mar-11-2010, 09:01 AM

Why Why Why does the Western Digital External Drive keep "ejecting"? Mac keeps popping up a warning message that the drive was improperly ejected. After a few moments it remounts. It is USB-connected to the back of the Mac (it was firewired - but that was having the same issues so I switched to USB).

hmm, my two WD drives are rock solid, no issues

Richard

Mar-11-2010, 09:14 AM

RogersDA

Mar-11-2010, 09:28 AM

Yeah - it started after SL - but it didn't seem to start right away (at least I do not recall it happening right after SL upgrades). I have upgraded the firmware on the drives, too.

All drives are set to not sleep. I'll try toggling that as stated in that thread and see what happens.

Pupator

Mar-13-2010, 12:27 PM

Anyone else pre-order an iPad? I did - the 32GB wifi version.

I recognize all of the things it can't do - multi-tasking, flash, camera, etc. So I'd rather not debate those things.

I think it's going to be an excellent laptop replacement for me. I do about 95% entertainment or reading on my laptop and about 5% work. This is going to do the 95% better than the laptop does. Smaller, lighter, triple the batter life, a great book-reading experience, awesome screen (incredible for photo albums, I'll bet), etc. I think for web browsing, reading, and keeping up with e-mails this is going to be great. Since my Palm Pre can broadcast a wifi signal, I'm always connected.

For the 5% work that I need to do I can get a bluetooth keyboard and use google docs. I've also got an old beat-up Dell laptop that I can pull out for the rare occasion when I really need it.

The iPad will replace my Macbook Pro and my Sony e-reader, both of which I've already sold.

cmason

Mar-13-2010, 12:56 PM

I am strongly considering one to replace a netbook, and my previous desire for a Kindle. I also do not own a iPhone, since I get a company Blackberry. Would love to, but don't want to carry two phones.

So I see the iPad as a device that provides ebooks, iPhone apps and as you said basic "laptop" function. However, when I actually looked at the pre-order prices, I was a bit shocked, as they are not cheap. I suppose I was thinking it was going to be $499, but the mid-range 3G is considerably more.

At this point I am going to wait till they are in store, and the crazyness has subsided. And then I will probably wait for v2.0

DavidTO

Mar-13-2010, 01:43 PM

Not in the least.

I'm happy with the Kindle. Last thing I need is more things to distract me from actually reading. I also think the display would be a step back for reading. I like the e-paper.

Next on the list of reasons why not is that I have a laptop to do stuff on. It's easier and more powerful than the iPad. Yes, it's bigger. Smaller is not always better (although smaller is a plus when it comes to the Kindle, in my book).

The iPad falls between the cracks of usefulness. I just don't see any reason for it, whatsoever. A toy, maybe. Something I actually need enough to spend money on? Not at all.

Pupator

Mar-13-2010, 01:59 PM

The iPad falls between the cracks of usefulness. I just don't see any reason for it, whatsoever. A toy, maybe. Something I actually need enough to spend money on? Not at all.

It's a niche product, that's for sure, but I disagree that it "falls between the cracks of usefulness." I had a Sony e-reader that I used and loved so I'm well familiar with the advantages there and with e-ink. I do a ton of reading (I'm a pastor, after all) but it's rarely for long, long stretches. (And getting distracted from reading isn't an issue with no multi-tasking and self-discipline.) The ability to read for half an hour, check in on e-mail, jot down some quick notes (etc.) all on one device seems perfect for me. It can sit in my wife's lap in the car and she can watch movies/tv shows while we're traveling. I can use it with friends and family to show off baby pictures.

I think what determines its usefulness is whether or not you need/want a content creation device as your mobile PC or a content consumption device. For me, it's nearly all consumption. The iPad is small enough to go everywhere and when paired with my Pre seems like a great fit for my needs. When someone starts speaking in terms of "more powerful" or "multi-tasking," etc., it's immediately obvious to me that the iPad is not for them.

Yes, "smaller is not always better," but when it means I can carry this device and do 98% of what I was able to do on the much bigger and heavier laptop (that I also needed to lug around a power cord for), I'm a big fan of smaller. That's where I see this device fitting - 98% of what I do with my laptop (again, subjective) and a great deal more portability.

re:Price

Yep - it's not cheap. I don't need the 3G version so that saved some cash. I'm not sure I even needed the 32GB but I was afraid I'd regret running out of space. In my case though, it's replacing a Macbook Pro and a Sony Reader. I sold both for $1200+ so the iPad is right at half the cost. If you want to factor in the $150 I paid for the "beater" Dell notebook (for that nagging 2% of the time) I still came out far ahead.

Richard

Mar-13-2010, 02:00 PM

The iPad falls between the cracks of usefulness. I just don't see any reason for it, whatsoever. A toy, maybe. Something I actually need enough to spend money on? Not at all.

It's for people who either don't need a computer or for people with enough money that they can have real computers as well. I don't fit into either category. If I wanted a toy, I'd much prefer an iPod Touch, which at least fits in your pocket.

RogersDA

Mar-13-2010, 06:57 PM

Anyone else pre-order an iPad? I did - the 32GB wifi version.
I think Baldy ordered a few...dozen.

RogersDA

Mar-13-2010, 06:58 PM

If I wanted a toy, I'd much prefer an iPod Touch, which at least fits in your pocket.Get bigger pants.

RogersDA

Mar-13-2010, 06:59 PM

Did it start after upgrading to Snow Leopard? Long (but not conclusive) thread here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2138946&tstart=0Turn on sleep mode and the drive no longer disconnects. Thanks for that post, Richard. :thumb :clap

Richard

Mar-14-2010, 12:03 AM

Get bigger pants.

I hear Apple is teaming up with Banana Republic to come up with a new line featuring iPockets™. :rofl:rofl

RogersDA

Mar-15-2010, 06:13 AM

I hear Apple is teaming up with Banana Republic to come up with a new line featuring iPockets™. :rofl:rofl

Woot!!!

http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/02/14/ipants-ipad-pants-igotabigasspocket/

Richard

Mar-15-2010, 06:20 AM

Woot!!!/ (http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/02/14/ipants-ipad-pants-igotabigasspocket/)
:lol4

RogersDA

Mar-23-2010, 07:18 AM

aquaticvideographer

Mar-23-2010, 09:06 AM

Meh.

Western Digital 1TB drive is kaput I believe. Power is on, but the drive does not spin-up. Unplugged/replugged - no luck. Power button on back of drive does not turn off the drive at all.

It is under warranty, though. Now - should I get it "repaired/replaced", or simply upgrade. WD has a loyalty program. I can get a 2 TB My Book Studio for $177.00 (and I get to keep the broken drive, too).

How old is it? I've returned a couple of WD externals that failed while still in warranty, and in general they have given me larger, nicer replacements for no extra charge. I believe their warranty policy says that they reserve the right to give you something of equal or greater value when returning failed products under warranty.

RogersDA

Mar-24-2010, 09:17 PM

How old is it? I've returned a couple of WD externals that failed while still in warranty, and in general they have given me larger, nicer replacements for no extra charge. I believe their warranty policy says that they reserve the right to give you something of equal or greater value when returning failed products under warranty.It's still under warranty for another year - so I have a bit of time.

I put it onto my laptop, and it still wouldn't go and wouldn't repair.

Plugged it back on the MAcPro, and zeroed-out the drive (it did, in fact spin-up, but OSX wouldn't recognize the drive). 10 hour later, and resetting the partition, and it seems to be up and running again. :clap I'll keep an eye on though. Still, most images are backed up to SmugMug and Backblaze. So loosing the data on this backup was of no real concern.

Richard

Mar-25-2010, 12:30 AM

Plugged it back on the MAcPro, and zeroed-out the drive (it did, in fact spin-up, but OSX wouldn't recognize the drive). 10 hour later, and resetting the partition, and it seems to be up and running again. :clap I'll keep an eye on though. Still, most images are backed up to SmugMug and Backblaze. So loosing the data on this backup was of no real concern. David,
I would be wary--disk drives don't often get over damage the way we get over colds. While it's possible that a stray cosmic ray flipped a bit in some key table (a freak event) it's more likely that the controller is faulty.

Western Digital drives usually ship with a manufacturer's diagnostic program. If you don't have it, you can download it from WD's Web site (which is pretty good, BTW). I would strongly recommend that if it passes the SMART test, you run the full-blown torture test. It will probably take all night to complete, but it may save you grief in the future.

RogersDA

Mar-25-2010, 06:42 AM

David,
I would be wary--disk drives don't often get over damage the way we get over colds. While it's possible that a stray cosmic ray flipped a bit in some key table (a freak event) it's more likely that the controller is faulty.

Western Digital drives usually ship with a manufacturer's diagnostic program. If you don't have it, you can download it from WD's Web site (which is pretty good, BTW). I would strongly recommend that if it passes the SMART test, you run the full-blown torture test. It will probably take all night to complete, but it may save you grief in the future.Well, disconnected on me today. Got an RMA number, and a new drive is being shipped to me soon.

aquaticvideographer

Mar-25-2010, 10:23 AM

Well, disconnected on me today. Got an RMA number, and a new drive is being shipped to me soon.

Let us know if you get a bigger/better HD in exchange.

RogersDA

Mar-26-2010, 07:30 AM

Let us know if you get a bigger/better HD in exchange.Bigger/better - no. Looks like the shipping invoice is for the same unit. Should be here in a few days.

aquaticvideographer

Mar-26-2010, 03:31 PM

Bigger/better - no. Looks like the shipping invoice is for the same unit. Should be here in a few days.

Ah well...worth a try, anyway. :D

RogersDA

Mar-27-2010, 07:01 AM

Now - should I drop some $$ and get an eSATA card for the MacPro? I have used Firewire and USB to hook the external drive, but not eSATA (which the bad drive had, and the new drive will have, too).

Richard

Mar-27-2010, 07:46 AM

Now - should I drop some $$ and get an eSATA card for the MacPro? I have used Firewire and USB to hook the external drive, but not eSATA (which the bad drive had, and the new drive will have, too).

Well, it all depends on what you want to do with the external drive. If it's only for backups, you probably don't need that much speed, assuming you're running them at 0 dark hundred. OTOH, with eSATA, you could use the external drive for PS swap space. If you don't have two internal drives--and you're hitting the swap drive often--this would give you a nice performance boost. :dunno

RogersDA

Mar-27-2010, 07:51 AM

Well, it all depends on what you want to do with the external drive. If it's only for backups, you probably don't need that much speed, assuming you're running them at 0 dark hundred. OTOH, with eSATA, you could use the external drive for PS swap space. If you don't have two internal drives--and you're hitting the swap drive often--this would give you a nice performance boost. :dunnoTime Machine is the primary use for the one external drive I have - and it runs every hour. I may get additional drives later on for additional storage. All data is also backup to BackBlaze, too (at 1:00am).

RogersDA

Mar-30-2010, 09:31 PM

New drive is up and running, and Time Machine is doing its thing again. :clap

RogersDA

Apr-01-2010, 05:56 PM

Should go well with the BagAssPocket pants.

http://consumerist.com/2010/04/giant-pocket-now-available-for-your-ipad.html

Richard

Apr-02-2010, 12:04 AM

Should go well with the BagAssPocket pants.

http://consumerist.com/2010/04/giant-pocket-now-available-for-your-ipad.html

I've been saying for a long time that you can't do satire anymore, because reality will trump you every time. :rofl

Pupator

Apr-03-2010, 12:01 PM

Mock the iPad all you want fellas. It's here, and it's awesome.

Now the clothing line... ;)

RogersDA

Apr-03-2010, 12:59 PM

Now the clothing line... ;)...waiting for a photo of you with your iPad and the BigAssPants/BigPocketVest ensemble. :D:D:D

Pupator

Apr-03-2010, 04:56 PM

...waiting for a photo of you with your iPad and the BigAssPants/BigPocketVest ensemble. :D:D:D

Lol. Probably not any time soon.

goldenballs

Apr-04-2010, 05:21 AM

Anyone got one yet?

Andy

Apr-04-2010, 09:06 AM

Anyone got one yet?

Scoble got his: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14814960?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

:lol3 so cool

Pupator

Apr-04-2010, 12:46 PM

Anyone got one yet?

Yes. :thumb

ivar

Apr-05-2010, 03:26 AM

Scoble got his: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14814960?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

:lol3 so coolNice camera strap :D

Richard

Apr-11-2010, 02:11 PM

Yes. :thumb OK so you've had a week. Has it changed your life? :lol3

Seriously, what works and what doesn't?

Moogle Pepper

Apr-11-2010, 04:21 PM

Nice camera strap :D

love the smugmug advertising he has on!

Pupator

Apr-13-2010, 05:54 AM

OK so you've had a week. Has it changed your life? :lol3

Seriously, what works and what doesn't?

--there are several typos in the response below, which I left to provide a more honest representation of the typing experience--

Some background on my situation: I have a home desktop for heavy computing tasks, photo editing, music library, etc. I have a desktop at work (the church) for editing bulletins, using spreadsheets, etc. I've always had a laptop because I'm out of my office quite a bit and need to be able to work on sermons, to read, to keep up with email, and when I'm at home, to surf the web in the family room rather than being antisocial back in my office.

So - here we go.

Since the iPad arrived my laptop has been in a desk drawer and hasn't come out even once. It's now nearly completely unnecessary, which is exactly what I'd hoped. The iPad display is beautiful - showing off pictures of my son and our vacations is a treat. Smugmug looks good, the built in photos app looks good, and there is a good application for brewing my smugmug galleries quickly.

Its great for reading. I've heard that the weight bothers some people, but it hasn't been a problem for me. I read a lot, but not usually more than 30 minutes at a time.

Email is very good, though i wish there was a unified inbox. Still everything works as it should and I have no problem working through large groups of emails when I'm on the road.

Web browsing is phenomenal. This is how the web is meant to be explored, on a big beautiful screen with multitouch. There are lots of good apps for reading news, rss feeds, and its fun to be able to watch video podcasts while I'm eating lunch or waiting for my oil to be changed.

The built-in keyboard isn't bad - probably as good as you can get for on screen. Its fine for web browsing, posting to forums (I'm using it now), email, and other light text entry tasks. Writing a sermon on it is something I'd never try. And I wouldn't have to. Between the wireless keyboard that I can pull out when I need it, and Dragon Naturally Speaking (which works great) my bases are covered.

When I have the keyboard (which, thankfully is very small and quite portable) I can do sereious document editing. I was stuck at the mechanic for several hours the other day and was able to get quite a bit done using the Pages app. Spreadsheet work is not good - the Numbers app isn't cross comparable with my excel stuff, but that's okay. If I really need to edit a spreadsheet I use the logmein app (awesome) to have remote access to one of my desktops.

All in all, I'm really pleased with thr device. I would suggest to someone considering it that, if you don't have a mobile hotspot, wait for the 3G version. The device loses much of ite appeal when it's not connected to the Internet.

Almost everything I could say about the device is positive (streaming MLB and Netflix!). My only criticism at this point is that the lack of multitasking occasionally becomes annoying (probably not as often as I expected) and that this thing will suck every penny out of your wallet. After you've paid for the device itself you really need the Apple case (the third party cases are not even close, unfortunately) which is an astounding $40. The Apple blueooth keyboard (necessary if you're going to do any real work on this thing) is $60. I've spent about $100 on apps (logmein was $30, MLB was $15, Pages was $10, Scrabble was $10) and though I wouldn't return any of them, that's still a lot of money.

Overall, I'm very pleased. For my purposes this is the perfect device. I can justify the cost only because it replaces my laptop entirely. I take it everywhere and so there's always something to read and something to do.

W.W. Webster

Apr-13-2010, 12:25 PM

Email is very good, though i wish there was a unified inbox.
I thought that was a feature Steve Jobs specifically demonstrated at the release event! :scratch

DavidTO

Apr-13-2010, 12:39 PM

I thought that was a feature Steve Jobs specifically demonstrated at the release event! :scratch

In iPhone OS4, not yet released.

W.W. Webster

Apr-13-2010, 12:47 PM

In iPhone OS4, not yet released.D'uh! :D

Richard

Apr-13-2010, 12:58 PM

In iPhone OS4, not yet released.
And in Win95 IIRC :rofl

Don't want to start a flame war, but I just couldn't resist. :evil

DavidTO

Apr-13-2010, 01:07 PM

And in Win95 IIRC :rofl

Don't want to start a flame war, but I just couldn't resist. :evil

There's always a trade off, eh? :deal

Pupator

Apr-13-2010, 05:43 PM

There's always a trade off, eh? :deal

Since the iPad OS is essentially a cell phone OS, I've been comparing it to the OS on my Palm Pre (WebOS). There are certainly a few things the Palm does better. The "card" multi-tasking is awesome. A unified inbox. The ability to choose icons for desktop shortcuts (of webpages). There are probably a dozen little things I prefer about the Pre.

But, the Pre is laggy. The iPad zooms. The Pre crashes and locks up - the iPad may have an app crash but it doesn't restart on me. The Pre has memory leaks and gives memory errors. The iPad (partially because it doesn't multi-task) doesn't.

So yeah, there are trade offs :)

RogersDA

Apr-17-2010, 08:39 AM

Our house will be fully Mac-compatible (except for the work-provided/required Dell laptops) by the beginning of May.

:barb:barb

Just ordered the wife a MacPro 15" i7 to replace her Gateway Vista POS.

colourbox

Apr-17-2010, 11:55 AM

...There are certainly a few things the Palm does better. The "card" multi-tasking is awesome. A unified inbox...

Those won't be trade-offs anymore when iPhone OS 4.0 (http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/) comes out this summer! :thumb

Pupator

Apr-17-2010, 02:18 PM

Those won't be trade-offs anymore when iPhone OS 4.0 (http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/) comes out this summer! :thumb

Eh. Don't get me wrong, I'll be glad for the update, but the kind of multitasking apple is adding isn't quite ad nice as the card system on webos.

W.W. Webster

Apr-17-2010, 02:39 PM

There are certainly a few things the Palm does better.Unfortunately, running a profitable company that one can be certain won't be out of business within 12 months, isn't one of them! :D

RogersDA

Apr-21-2010, 07:00 PM

I was always rebooting my wife's Windows POS. I didn't realize I could get McAfee to do it for me automagically. :D

McAfee Update Glitch Takes Down Windows XP Computers

A bad McAfee update on Wednesday created some problems for users running computers with Windows XP.

The incorrect malware alert, issued today at 9am Eastern, resulted in computers with Windows XP Service Pack 3 to shut down and start on a continuous reboot cycle.

"McAfee is aware that a number of corporate customers may have incurred a false positive error due to incorrect malware alerts," McAfee said in a statement. "McAfee is working to address the problem with continuous customer communication and a new signature update. McAfee apologizes for any inconvenience to our customers."

The update has since been removed from McAfee download servers for corporate users, and issued a fix.

McAfee did not provide specific information on how many people were affected, though a reader from the University of New Hampshire said that the update has affected the campus' whole IT infrastructure. Twitter is also awash in updates from users twiddling their thumbs until the issue is fixed.

"Sittin at work ALL day while #mcAfee screws our computers," wrote one Colorado-based artist.

"Computers in the FLC lab were also frozen due to #McAfee #Antivirus acting up," wrote an Ohio teacher. "Had to cancel class or move rooms."

W.W. Webster

Apr-21-2010, 07:03 PM

I was always rebooting my wife's Windows POS. I didn't realize I could get McAfee to do it for me automagically. :DA case of where the cure is worse than the disease? :D

Richard

Apr-21-2010, 11:18 PM

I was always rebooting my wife's Windows POS. I didn't realize I could get McAfee to do it for me automagically. :D

:rofl

This one was unforgivable--their brilliant heuristics identified svchost.exe as a virus. If you know anything about Windows internals you will understand immediately how much mischief this causes. Jeeze...:rolleyes

Richard

Apr-22-2010, 01:25 AM

I need some Mac software advice. My wife's ancient, comatose iPod mysteriously came back to life, three years after we had given it up for dead. :scratch In the meantime, she has become a YouTube addict. What I am looking for is a simple to use program that can rip the audio of any YouTube clip and save it as an MP3 file so that it can be transferred to the iPod. Mostly, she will be using it to practice foreign languages, so we don't need very high quality sound. Freeware is definitely preferred. I have been able to find a number of candidates, but I thought I might save myself some time and grief by asking about personal experience first. :ear

BradfordBenn

Apr-29-2010, 04:54 PM

What I am looking for is a simple to use program that can rip the audio of any YouTube clip and save it as an MP3 file so that it can be transferred to the iPod.

My wife has been using TubeSock to do this and it works well. http://stinkbot.com/Tubesock/

Richard

Apr-30-2010, 12:02 AM

My wife has been using TubeSock to do this and it works well. http://stinkbot.com/Tubesock/

Thanks, Brad. I'll give it a try over the weekend. :thumb

drcarl

May-08-2010, 10:22 AM

i ran that speed test again (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/145693) and my results were 19 seconds. down from i think 119 on my 2yr old sony single processer 2.4ghz with 1.5gb of ram :clap

Hi Andy, I ran across that speed test and ran it on my new PC. First time was 5 seconds. Having now learned what to watch for (a spinning circle instead of a progress bar) I tried to be more accurate with my stopwatch timing. Second time was 4.81 secs. (Open programs: a few browser tabs open in Chrome, Outlook 2007, real-time antivirus, etc.)

CPU: i7-920 (not over-clocked), OS: Win 7 x64, RAM: 6 GB DDR3 RAM, GPU: Sapphire Vapor-X HD5750 1GB GDDR5 PCIe, HD: 80 GB Solid State Drive, DATA: 1 TB RAID-I Data drive...

It takes PS3 less than 2 seconds to fully open.

Finally, a computer that waits for me instead of the other way around!

RogersDA

Jun-01-2010, 06:01 PM

In case you all missed this:

Worst Phone Ever
(http://www.worstphoneever.com/)

Reported on various news sources such as Consumer Affairs (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/05/iphone_worst_site.html).

DavidTO

Jun-01-2010, 06:08 PM

Hyperbolic stupidity, IMO.

RogersDA

Jun-01-2010, 06:17 PM

yeah maybe... anything with Albritton's name attached to it is somehow quirky.

DavidTO

Jun-01-2010, 06:25 PM

I think the current combo of ATT and the iPhone can cause problems in certain cities, I don't doubt that people in SF are frustrated, for example. But I'm not seeing any difference between my iPhone and any other phone I've had with numerous carriers as far as dropped calls.

BradfordBenn

Jun-01-2010, 06:51 PM

It is more an AT&T thing than iPhone. I am having same problem with my Crackberry in "metropolitan" areas on AT&T service

RogersDA

Jun-01-2010, 07:47 PM

I may still upload just to see what kind of "drops" I have.

No matter- just FYI that's all.

RogersDA

Jun-02-2010, 05:35 AM

Nice interview summary with Jobs on CNBC.com

http://www.cnbc.com/id/37460012

Just sharing....

Richard

Jun-02-2010, 05:39 AM

colourbox

Jun-02-2010, 05:58 AM

If I can keep my iPhone data usage under 200MB/month (quite doable) I will actually save $15/mo under the new metered plan.

Richard

Jun-02-2010, 06:01 AM

If I can keep my iPhone data usage under 200MB/month (doable) I will actually save $15/mo under the new metered plan.
Yeah, according to the article, ATT claims that 65% of their customers will save money. Somehow, I always end up in the group that has to pay more. :rolleyes

:rofl

RogersDA

Jun-02-2010, 06:09 AM

It may be of interest to some that ATT is dropping its unlimited data plan in favor of metered service (http://www.pcworld.com/article/197755/atandt_pulls_the_plug_on_its_unlimited_data_plans. html). Sounds like a huge opportunity for Verizon/Android to me, but what do I know? :scratch
The spousal-unit sent me that link yesterday but I hadn't had the chance to look at it. Thanks for the reminder Richard! We will have to look at our data rates and see how we stack up.

I also installed the TextFree app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textfree-unlimited-send-text/id305925151?mt=8) which is actually free now (shows some ads, but they are ignored). I will be getting the wife's phone set-up tonight and then we will drop our text messaging plans from AT&T and save that $/month/phone.

Pupator

Jun-02-2010, 11:10 AM

Anyone who uses 2GB or less of data a month will save money with the new AT&T plans. It's clear that with iPhone 4 coming next week - AT&T is very concerned about the strain that tethering will put on their network.

For those of us who already have the unlimited $30/month plan - we can keep it. If you had the 250MB/month $15 plan - you can keep it. For the people who want a new plan, they can have 2GB/month for $25. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not that would work for me, but overall I don't think this is a bad change.

RogersDA

Jun-02-2010, 11:10 AM

So - worstphoneever stats:

total logs parsed: 1114
remaining logs in queue: 0
Call data from Jun 23, 2009 to Jun 01, 2010 (343 days)
Total dropped calls: 344

Your personal dollar value of dropped service: $672*

Not that I will ever see the $672.

RogersDA

Jun-02-2010, 11:33 AM

Pupator

Jun-02-2010, 11:37 AM

Checked my and my wife's usage at ATT.com. She is well under 200MB per month. I have an occasional usage over 200MB per month. It will save us to both go to the 200 MB per month plan.

Excellent - I remembered that my response above is only related to iPads. Most people, with iPhones, will save a bunch of money if they think to make the change.

Andy

Jun-15-2010, 04:02 AM

Sooooooo, who has preordered their iPhone 4?

Pupator

Jun-15-2010, 06:30 AM

Since getting my iPad, I quit using my smartphone. So, last week, I went to Best Buy, bought a Verizon dumbphone for $50, and switched my ESN. No sense paying for two data plans if I'm only going to use one.

The hardware looks pretty sharp though.

DavidTO

Jun-15-2010, 07:39 AM

Sooooooo, who has preordered their iPhone 4?
I'd like to, but AppleFAIL stands in the way. Error after error.

CatOne

Jun-15-2010, 11:50 AM

I'd like to, but AppleFAIL stands in the way. Error after error.

I hear people are getting through with the new Apple Store iPhone App.

Andy

Jun-15-2010, 11:58 AM

I'd like to, but AppleFAIL stands in the way. Error after error.

Bummer - had no problem w/ ATT site this morning, took all of about 5 minutes.

W.W. Webster

Jun-15-2010, 01:44 PM

Bummer - had no problem w/ ATT site this morning, took all of about 5 minutes.Is that 3Gs worn out already? You must be tough on phones! :D

Andy

Jun-15-2010, 02:28 PM

Is that 3Gs worn out already? You must be tough on phones! :D
Nah. But who wouldn't want the iPhone 4? The screen resolution and clarity alone is worth it.

RogersDA

Jun-15-2010, 02:37 PM

Nah. But who wouldn't want the iPhone 4? The screen resolution and clarity alone is worth it.They told me there is a $36.00 "fee" to upgrade both phones. Like AT$T doesn't get enough money already. :rolleyes

W.W. Webster

Jun-15-2010, 02:47 PM

... who wouldn't want the iPhone 4?It's a very impressive beast, of that there is no doubt! :nod

BradfordBenn

Jun-16-2010, 10:37 AM

If anyone wants to give me their 3G iPhone I would be happy to take it as a gift. The corporate leash is still Blackberry so that is my smartphone. On the plus side they did assign me an iPad.

trucksrfun

Jun-17-2010, 06:40 PM

Nah. But who wouldn't want the iPhone 4? The screen resolution and clarity alone is worth it.

Give me a Nexus One any day. The screen may not be as good but the software can do so much more.

Andy

Jun-22-2010, 09:33 AM

Give me a Nexus One any day. The screen may not be as good but the software can do so much more.

Cool, I'd love to learn more - what does that software do that iOS can't?

BradfordBenn

Jun-22-2010, 09:58 AM

My iPod just "auto updated" to iOS4. So far other than the background I see no difference. Then again I am at work and it is just playing background music for my office.

I can tell you that looking at the Android smart phone OS, our developers have said that the development kit is much friendlier and allows for more development tools. I was also surprised that last month supposedly was the first time in a long time that Win, Android, and iOS were tied for sales, each selling 1/3rd of smart phones.

Andy

Jun-22-2010, 10:05 AM

My iPod just "auto updated" to iOS4. So far other than the background I see no difference.

Lots of new stuff in it:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/

DoctorIt

Jun-23-2010, 03:41 AM

Lots of new stuff in it:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/Yeah, I thought so too until I read the fine print (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4204)... all the good stuff is for 3GS! Why the heck can't multitasking work on my 3G?!? :bluduh

Andy

Jun-23-2010, 05:14 AM

Pupator

Jun-23-2010, 11:05 AM

Yeah, I thought so too until I read the fine print (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4204)... all the good stuff is for 3GS! Why the heck can't multitasking work on my 3G?!? :bluduh

Lack of RAM, lack of processing power, lack of hardware architecture design to ever support it. How many years into the future should a company have to support additional major features for old hardware?

Now, those of us who bought ipads with no retina display...we have a reason to gripe. :wink
:rofl

DoctorIt

Jun-23-2010, 12:59 PM

Lack of RAM, lack of processing power, lack of hardware architecture design to ever support it. How many years into the future should a company have to support additional major features for old hardware?
Yeah, yeah.

Not all gripe, I'm really liking the new consolidated mail - I knew the mailboxes would be lumped but the threaded replies was a nice unexpected surprise!

Andy

Jun-23-2010, 01:04 PM

First of the Smuggers has already received her iPhone 4, a day early :D

W.W. Webster

Jun-23-2010, 01:18 PM

First of the Smuggers has already received her iPhone 4, a day early :DNot you? :dunno

Andy

Jun-23-2010, 01:19 PM

Not you? :dunno
No, Mine's on Fedex truck :)

W.W. Webster

Jun-23-2010, 01:21 PM

No, Mine's on Fedex truck :)Phone's in the mail. :D

Andy

Jun-23-2010, 01:40 PM

Aaaaaaand iPhone 4 portrait-oriented vids upload just fine to Smuggy :thumb

Andy

Jun-23-2010, 01:54 PM

http://twitter.com/baldy/status/16876167711 A bunch just arrived at SmugMug HQ :D

http://www.schmootography.com/photos/911404685_3rXbF-L.jpg

RogersDA

Jun-24-2010, 09:26 AM

http://twitter.com/baldy/status/16876167711 A bunch just arrived at SmugMug HQ :D

Ahhhhh...the wonders of version 1.0

http://gizmodo.com/5571143/some-iphone-4-screens-have-yellow-bands-and-spots

http://gizmodo.com/5571171/iphone-4-loses-reception-when-you-hold-it-by-the-antenna-band

Hopefully you all are not affected.

CatOne

Jun-25-2010, 09:45 AM

Cell phone antennas primer:

http://www.antennasys.com/antennasys-blog/2010/6/24/apple-iphone-4-antennas.html

CatOne

Jun-25-2010, 09:47 AM

Ahhhhh...the wonders of version 1.0

http://gizmodo.com/5571143/some-iphone-4-screens-have-yellow-bands-and-spots

Hopefully you all are not affected.

I've heard the spots go away in time. The LCD is bonded to the glass, and the bonding agent has to "cure." I think the yellow indicates the thing was produced and shipped out so fast that the bonding agent hasn't completely cured yet.

That said, you can count on Gizmodo to write articles with a negative slant toward Apple. I mean, given they've been blackballed and everything, and no longer get invites to legitimate press events, they have to lash out somehow :D

RogersDA

Jun-25-2010, 10:31 AM

I've heard the spots go away in time. The LCD is bonded to the glass, and the bonding agent has to "cure." I think the yellow indicates the thing was produced and shipped out so fast that the bonding agent hasn't completely cured yet.

That said, you can count on Gizmodo to write articles with a negative slant toward Apple. I mean, given they've been blackballed and everything, and no longer get invites to legitimate press events, they have to lash out somehow :DYeah - pretty much agree. Gizmodo is still a fun read though. Interesting article on the antenna you posted, too. Still - that's why I never go out and order the first items of a new device. We wait for the bugs/deficiencies to be identified and worked out - then go get the thing.

So - the spouse and I sit on the sidelines waiting to see if Verizon get's into the iPhone business, too. Maybe we'll upgrade if that happens.

catspaw

Jun-25-2010, 11:49 AM

a local photographer and scientist did an in-depth analysis of the 'retina' aspect of the new iphone - slashdot picked it up today and crashed the site, but it's back up now :) awesome info:

http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/2010/06/apple-retina-display/

RogersDA

Jun-27-2010, 08:17 AM

So after trying the --standard way-- to go to iOS 4.0 I had to do an alternative method. Just installing 4.0 causes a backup to be performed. Like many others this got stuck at about 5%. Canceled, resynced, restore to factory (which then installed 4.0), and then finally a resync to resinstall all the apps.

So far 4.0 goodness is working well on the 3G. I am digging the folders and the all-in-one email inbox.

Andy

Jun-27-2010, 08:42 AM

Ahhhhh...the wonders of version 1.0

http://gizmodo.com/5571143/some-iphone-4-screens-have-yellow-bands-and-spots

http://gizmodo.com/5571171/iphone-4-loses-reception-when-you-hold-it-by-the-antenna-band

Hopefully you all are not affected.

? I have no issues - no yellow spot nor any antenna issues. Got 5bars in my hand as we speak.

DoctorIt

Jun-27-2010, 12:04 PM

So far 4.0 goodness is working well on the 3G. I am digging the folders and the all-in-one email inbox.Are you enjoying how painfully slow and laggy it is as well? I am! I can send out smoke signals faster than I can type a text message now. :rolleyes

DavidTO

Jun-27-2010, 12:27 PM

Maybe you need to do a restore?

RogersDA

Jun-27-2010, 02:45 PM

Actually mine is no slower than before (and there was no real lag at all before).

DavidTO

Jun-27-2010, 02:49 PM

? I have no issues - no yellow spot nor any antenna issues. Got 5bars in my hand as we speak.
I definitely have the reception issue. Just touch the seam on the lower left as you look at the screen and in moments I'll drop bars or lose the signal altogether. Every single time. It's not a huge deal for me, since I don't really hold it that way, but I pass the phone to someone else I have to give a tutorial on it. I am getting the bumper, which will eliminate the issue, assuming I like the bumper. I wanted to try it, anyway.

Also, I hear that a goodly portion of the issue is how the software handles the changes in frequency and reception, or whatever, and that a fix is on the way. We'll see.

Otherwise, I really really love this phone. I was a little hesitant on day 1, but the more I use it the more I like it.

RogersDA

Jun-28-2010, 08:41 AM

I will also state that the wife's 3G phone was substantially laggy after the 4.0 upgrade and resyncing all of her apps. i shut the phone down and then restarted it. The lagginess seems to have gone away.

DoctorIt

Jun-29-2010, 08:35 AM

Maybe you need to do a restore?I've tried it all: reset, sync... everything short of backing up to a previous point. Ah well. The lagginess comes and goes, always present when first waking up after more than a few minutes. I guess it's just old and needs it time to get going! :lol3

RogersDA

Jun-29-2010, 08:42 AM

I've tried it all: reset, sync... everything short of backing up to a previous point. Ah well. The lagginess comes and goes, always present when first waking up after more than a few minutes. I guess it's just old and needs it time to get going! :lol3Consider it a "feature", implemented by ATT, to get you to buy the new iPhone 4 and the associated contract that goes with it. :thumb

RogersDA

Jul-01-2010, 06:55 PM

I got a chuckle on this one

http://i.imgur.com/LVR9s.jpg

http://consumerist.com/2010/07/how-to-fix-iphone-4-death-grip-issue.html

Pupator

Jul-08-2010, 07:53 PM

How about some iPad App recommendations? I'm really curious to hear what apps you guys have found that are worth buying.

Here are my favorites:
Instapaper - for marking articles to read later. Also has a built-in URL shortener for twitter postings
MLB At Bat - combined with the MLB.TV subscription = live TV of all my Braves games
SugarSync - $50/year gives me access to all of my files on the cloud. Integration with DocsToGo allows docs to be pulled down from and saved back to the cloud
Simplenote - for quick, easy notes
AirVideo - streams my videos from my home desktop. Really, really cool.
GoodReader - best app for opening all kinds of documents
DocsToGo - I tried Pages, QuickOffice and this - DocsToGo is the one that stuck. I've still got lots on my wish-list though.
LogMeIn - remote access to PCs (I use this to give tech support to others or for a task that I need my desktop's power to accomplish)
and of course - Smugmug!

There are a few others that I use but those are the ones I really wouldn't want to do without.

Suggestions...?

cmason

Jul-09-2010, 07:08 AM

I'll bite. First, let me explain why I bought the iPad: I have Macs at home, and a PC for work. Also, work provides me with a Blackberry that is brilliant for work/email/calendar, but stinks for everything else. I travel quite a bit, and spend many hours in planes. Given my Mac has all my personal info, music, movies, contacts, etc, and my work PC does not, I would love to have a 'portable' version of my Mac info.

iPhone would be great, but I already have a phone, and don't see the need to have a second phone
Macbook: again brilliant, but lugging around two laptops is not ideal or even feasible in airports (TSA, chargers, weight, etc).
iPod touch: my kids have them, and they are every bit as good as the iPhone, except for 1)no 3G data for checking travel plans, plane schedules, looking up phone numbers on road, 2) not GPS. If iPod touch had GPS and 3G, it would be a done deal.

So for me, iPad fits perfectly: sync's with the iMac, is lightweight and portable, offers 3G and GPS, and for me is the CHEAPER alternative. Cheaper? Yep:

Macbook: minimum $1100 and thats the basic one (no plastic one is not an option here). Wifi will be extra charges at airports, hotels etc.
iPhone: $300 to purchase, plus $100 per month or $2700 over two year contract
iPad 32GB 3G: $750 to buy, $15 per month data. Even if I buy data monthly, which won't happen, my cost is still $1100 over two years, or about the same as the Macbook, and it includes data (no data in the $1100 Macbook)+ it includes a Kindle ($189-$389 value)

So, the iPad is the ideal device for me, fits perfectly in my needs, AND offers video, plus book reading (always lusted after a Kindle). So included in my 'bargain' is a Kindle as well! Granted, it Apple shipped an iPod Touch 3G, that would be a very close call for me.

Here are apps I recommend:
() free, ($) up to $2, ($$) up to $6, ($$$) $9 and above

My current Top 5:

Reeder: RSS feed reader, sync's perfectly with Google Reader. Cache's for offline viewing, perfect for catching up on blogs while in the air ($$)

Instapaper: As Paul mentions, the perfect app for reading those longer articles. Reeder integrates with it, so you can send articles to Instapaper from Reeder: Joy! ($$)

Taska: nice to do list app, great interface, and syncs with Toodledoo, so I have access to my to dos from all my PCs. ($$)

Weatherbug: gotta know the weather, great single page view, and location aware ()

NPR: brilliant app that shows news, finds live streams of NPR shows, and plays any NPR program, even archives. Needs connectivity, but this is a huge winner. ()

(Ok maybe Top 6/7: I can not leave our iBooks and Kindle app: I love, love, love, ebooks now. I have the Kindle plus so much more!)

Other recommended apps:

News:

USA Today: ok mindless drivel, but it has a nice layout and give a good overview of top stories.()

NY Times Editors Choice: it could be so much more, if NY Times could figure out a sensible business model ()

Financial Times: dramatically better content than NY Times, with finance focus ()

Bloomberg: stocks and financial news ()

NASDAQ QFolio: stock ticker/tracker...its cool just to watch the numbers go fast ()

Photo stuff:

Smugmug app: nice addition, easier than web page ()

Guardian Eyewitness: Awesome app featuring amazing photos from Guardian staff ()

Observatory: its a very fancy clock, BUT brilliant for photogs, because it shows the Golden hours, sunrise, sunset for your current location. Cool to look at too ($)

Games:

FlightControl HD: similar to iPhone version, bigger and better. Great game for downtime ($$)

RealRacing HD: awesome auto racing simulation, you probably have seen it in the Apple store. Love it, but not so good in an airplane, where your elbows tend to hit folks nearby ($$$)

Crosswords: brilliant on the iPad, works like 'real thing' plus hints and lookups. i suddenly like crossword puzzles again. ($$$)

Plants vs Zombies HD: if you haven't played...don't. Its like a drug, you want more and you can't stop. ($$$)

Travel:

Google Earth: just like the embedded Maps app, but Google Earth also sync's with your My Maps, and other Layers for additional overlays of info ()

Gowalla: cool to let friends know where you are and find cool places when traveling ()

Beat the Traffic: awesome app to fire up once at rental car place, can tell you what road NOT to take.()

Point Inside: iphone app, but great info for airports etc ()

Tripit: iphone app too, but I use and love Tripit ()

Other cool things:

powerone LE: if you are an RPN calculator nerd, this one's for you ()

Weatherstation: another weather app, but simple and cool look like a weather station()

Wundermap: i love Weather Underground, this is the full screen view showing radar and temps on your local map()

Kindle app: mentioned it before, worth saying again()

Adobe Ideas: cool drawing app, works great in trying out and idea. Essentially turns iPad into an electronic paper napkin ()

Dropbox: great to sync with Mac, but since I don't yet have Pages or Docs to go, limited value just yet. ()

Andy

Jul-10-2010, 09:16 AM

I've said it before but I'm saying it again! AppleCare (http://www.apple.com/support/products/) rocks. My 11-year old son's 13" lappy had a broken down-arrow key, and the battery cover underneath wouldn't stay latched. I called AppleCare on Wednesday, shipping box arrived Thursday morning, Fedex picked up said shipping box with the lappy in it on Thursday afternoon, and it all arrived back to me this morning, Saturday, 10am - back to perfect condition.

:thumb :thumb

BradfordBenn

Jul-11-2010, 03:36 PM

cmason

Jul-11-2010, 04:10 PM

I too have AppleCare, and have used it to replace the video card in my iMac. However, this is little different than every other PC I have ever owned. I have had IBM Thinkpads that needed keyboards, logic boards, harddrives and video cards. Dells that needed harddrives and soundcards. And home-made PCs that have needed everything: motherboards, video card, drive interface cards, powersupply, etc.

So I don't know if Apple is any better, or worse in terms of computer componentry lifespan, especially since they buy from same suppliers as everyone else. Where Apple Care really comes into play is the fact that almost nothing on a Apple is user serviceable. In this case, they blow Dell out of the water in services and timeliness, and are more friendly, and accessible than IBM.

RogersDA

Jul-11-2010, 05:37 PM

Judge okay's a class action suit going forward against Apple and AT&T.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/38194091

Andy

Jul-11-2010, 05:50 PM

I agree with AppleCare being worth it; but I am also scared with how much I have used it. I have replaced a battery, replaced a logic board, and now replaced an Airport (yes, if you but the airport when you buy the machine and AppleCare it is covered). It does very much rock and I have saved a bunch of money cause I have it. I have it on every Apple item I have. I wonder if that is a bad sign that I feel I need it on everything from Apple.
I own many Apple devices and products, over the years. Never used AppleCare much. But when I have, very glad I have it!

I am working on 1000s of shots from a shoot right now on a 4year old Mac Pro that has never been shut off intentionally since I got it - and it's not once had any problem. Never had any probs with my lappys, airport, ipods, etc.

They did replace a phone with a broken screen on an iPhone 3G a couple years ago.

Apple stuff has performed superbly for me.

goldenballs

Jul-13-2010, 02:41 AM

Another vote for AppleCare. I used it twice so far:

1) installing a Time Machine which would not work. They told me which channel to try in my areas to make it work, and it works!
2) my daughter crashed her MacBook after using Limewire. AppleCare talked me through the steps to clean up and no problems since.

In the PC world I would not know where to go for this kind of expert and effective advice.

BradfordBenn

Jul-14-2010, 05:28 PM

I wonder if I am just harder on laptops than most people, the wife's iMac is fine, her iPod has outlasted mine by a year+... hmmm.

colourbox

Jul-14-2010, 06:20 PM

I've owned 4 Mac laptops and none died before the 6 year mark
(though all but one required AppleCare service, but once fixed they were golden)

RogersDA

Jul-27-2010, 09:32 AM

Sooooooo...

Anyone going to order the pending 27" display from Apple (http://www.apple.com/displays/)?

Andy

Jul-27-2010, 09:39 AM

Sooooooo...

Anyone going to order the pending 27" display from Apple (http://www.apple.com/displays/)?
Not me, quite happy with my 3yr old 30" Dells.

RogersDA

Jul-27-2010, 09:46 AM

Not me, quite happy with my 3yr old 30" Dells.I am still stuck at 21". :D

BTW - thanks for response on the IR. I have no P&S. So I may decide to mod the 50D.

Andy

Jul-27-2010, 09:48 AM

I am still stuck at 21". :D

BTW - thanks for response on the IR. I have no P&S. So I may decide to mod the 50D.

I wouldn't.

RogersDA

Jul-27-2010, 09:50 AM

I wouldn't.
Not good for that body or not worth the time/expense? I have not yet looked into the costs. Just ideas in my head...

Andy

Sep-01-2010, 03:57 PM

http://don.blogs.smugmug.com/2010/09/01/what-the-appletv-should-have-been/

Snowgirl

Sep-02-2010, 04:39 AM

http://don.blogs.smugmug.com/2010/09/01/what-the-appletv-should-have-been/

Good analysis. Pity about that, she said posting from her iPad while roasting on the deck in anticipation of the arrival of hurricanes Earl and Fiona.

BradfordBenn

Sep-02-2010, 09:59 AM

My PS3 & Wii work better than Apple TV. It is a pity that it isn't better as I am still looking for a better solution. So close and yet so far.

Pupator

Sep-09-2010, 10:34 AM

My PS3 & Wii work better than Apple TV. It is a pity that it isn't better as I am still looking for a better solution. So close and yet so far.

[Warning - this post has nothing to do with Apple]

I've got a PS3 with PlayOn and Windows Media Center installed on my desktop. WMC allows us to stream our divx files direct to the TV. PlayOn gives us Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, and MLB access.

Last week I added a Roku to the mix. I'm very impressed so far as the interface is nice and clean and easy to navigate. It is much better than PlayOn for Netflix and it adds Amazon VOD access (that was experimental and temperamental on PlayOn).

Now I'm not sure what to do. I was going to use the Roku in my office, but it does such a good job with Netflix and Amazon VOD that I hate to remove it from the main TV. PlayOn is pretty much redundant now, so I won't be renewing that. I wish the Roku could handle the streaming of local divx files as well as the PS3 does, but even if it did I'd still have to keep the PS3 in there for Blu-ray. *sigh*

I'm with you - still looking for a better solution.

esc2476

Sep-09-2010, 11:39 AM

So, I will be in the market for a new laptop soon and I am thinking of abandoning the PC and going for the MacBook pro.

I only read back a few pages, but is everyone happy with theirs? Should I get the extended warranty?

For me using LightroomPhotoshop Elements, iTunes, opening a Word document, and surfing the web at the same time, which processor you think would meet my needs? Would the i5 be sufficient (or maybe too much)?

Andy

Sep-09-2010, 11:42 AM

esc2476

Sep-09-2010, 11:44 AM

i5 is fine, get 8gb ram if you can afford it - buying the ram from crucial.com will save you a couple hundred bucks and it's dead-simple to install :)

Yes, get applecare.

Thank you for your suggestions Andy. I did see your posts about applecare, so I will factor that into the cost...though I always buy the warranties for laptops anyway because they can be expensive to fix.

If I open the case of the Macbook myself, that wouldn't void any warranty? I certainly do not mind doing that to save the $$$.

Andy

Sep-09-2010, 11:47 AM

If I open the case of the Macbook myself, that wouldn't void any warranty?

No.

esc2476

Sep-09-2010, 11:51 AM

Great, thanks for the quick responses Andy. I appreciate everything you do. :thumb

DoctorIt

Sep-12-2010, 05:43 AM

Funny, Applecare wouldn't cover this:

http://www.erikm.net/Photography/misc-2010/DSC2803/1001915316_dqoRV-L.jpg

:cry

In all fairness, phone support was very helpful. They told us (when we can afford it), we'll get free Applecare if we buy a replacement, and the genius noted our account so that we get a $100 discount when we're ready to buy another. Yeah, only 10%, but better than "sorry, tough luck".

DavidTO

Sep-12-2010, 08:19 AM

In all fairness, phone support was very helpful. They told us (when we can afford it), we'll get free Applecare if we buy a replacement, and the genius noted our account so that we get a $100 discount when we're ready to buy another. Yeah, only 10%, but better than "sorry, tough luck".

Man, that stinks. Looks pretty gnarly.

I'm pretty sure that's the same as the educational discount, which you'd get anyway. :D

But free Applecare is nice!

RogersDA

Sep-14-2010, 03:23 PM

I now have an iPhone 3G with broken wireless radio.

$199.00 to repair vice $299 for a new phone = new iPhone 4. :D

esc2476

Sep-19-2010, 10:26 AM

DavidTO

Sep-19-2010, 11:08 AM

Looks like B&H has lower prices on the MacBooks. I have ordered photo gear from them plenty of times (especially when I worked in Manhattan and could walk over there), but has anyone order Macs from them before? If so, is your experience any different?
They're reputable. Period. Doesn't matter what you buy there.

I will say that I pay the premium and buy direct from Apple. I do this for one reason only: I had a MBP that failed in the first week I had it (bad I/O on the motherboard). Apple would have exchanged it on the spot for a brand new one if I had bought from them, but since I had purchased 3rd party they said "it's a different return protocol." Meaning they can't accept returns on Amazon sales. Makes sense. I had to either return it to Amazon or send it in for repair and be without it. I sent it in for repair, but if I had bought from Apple would have only had the downtime of restoring my backup. :deal

colourbox

Sep-19-2010, 03:33 PM

I will say that I pay the premium and buy direct from Apple.

I buy direct from Apple while always trying to not pay the premium, in two ways. If I need Apple hardware, I will check the Refurbished section of their online store, knowing that buying refurbished Apple is as good and as fully warranted as new. Then, I will compare that price to the discount I get from my NAPP membership (photoshopuser.com). I'll take whichever deal is better, never paying full price.

B&H is rock solid reputable too, though, if their deal is better.

esc2476

Sep-19-2010, 08:18 PM

Thank you both!

I am having trouble deciding.....

I am looking at the base 17" which is $2090 at B&H. (Link (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/684525-REG/Apple_MC024LL_A_17_MacBook_Pro_Notebook.html))

I am also thinking about the 17" with the faster hard drive and hi-res anti-glare screen which is $2398: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/685886-REG/Apple_Z0GP_0001_17_MacBook_Pro_Notebook.html

Or a refurbished model from the<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEric%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsoht mlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEric%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsoht mlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CEric%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsoht mlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"> Apple Store which is the same as the one above, but with the faster i7 2.66 processor for $2169: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC665LL/A?mco=MTgxNTExNzE

I guess my question is if you see a huge difference in the screens. This will be my primary screen for editing photos. Because I am not a pro, I am okay with that.

I can spend the money, but I would rather not and if there really is no difference between the refurbished and new, I may go with the last option.

DavidTO

Sep-19-2010, 08:22 PM

Thank you both!
if there really is no difference between the refurbished and new, I may go with the last option.

There is none. Same warranty. The only caveat with refurbs is that sometimes, especially when they've just announced new machines, you'll get the previous generation if you're not careful. Just pay attention to what you're getting and refurb is fine.

esc2476

Sep-19-2010, 08:29 PM

There is none. Same warranty. The only caveat with refurbs is that sometimes, especially when they've just announced new machines, you'll get the previous generation if you're not careful. Just pay attention to what you're getting and refurb is fine. Great-thanks :thumb

This is definitely the latest generation because it has the i7 processor.

esc2476

Sep-24-2010, 08:02 AM

So, this long decision process is almost over. I am deciding between two refurbished models and I would appreciate everyone's input.

This model (http://store.apple.com/us/product/G0GP3LL/A?mco=MTgxNTExOTc) is a 17" with anti-glare and the 2.53 i5 processor. It has 4GB RAM which I would probably upgrade to 8GB myself.

This model (http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC665LL/A?mco=MTgxNTExNzE)is $170 more and is the same in all respects, except it has the 2.66 i7 processor.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I will be using the computer for photo editing in LR and PSE (maybe PS), some video editing, word processing for work (going to buy Word for Mac), iTunes, etc. - much of it at the same time (hence the desire to upgrade the RAM).

I just want to confirm that the i5 will be sufficient. My worry is that I plan on having this laptop for at least 4 years and if LR becomes more feature rich then the i5 will start to lag. Anyone have any thoughts? Right now, would I notice a difference between the two with the tasks I am running? If so, what would that difference be?

I appreciate everyone's help.

esc2476

Sep-24-2010, 05:06 PM

I decided to listen to Andy's advice from a few weeks ago and went with the i5. I will use the money I save for the RAM.

Ordered! Can't wait until it comes.

DavidTO

Sep-28-2010, 09:31 AM

Optimize images for the web (http://imageoptim.pornel.net/). Easy. Sure you can use PS, but if you do it a lot, this might be just the thing. :thumb

esc2476

Sep-28-2010, 08:36 PM

Just got my new (for me) MacBook Pro. It is wonderful!

esc2476

Sep-28-2010, 08:37 PM

Any suggestions - must haves - are appreciated.

DavidTO

Sep-28-2010, 08:41 PM

Just got my new (for me) MacBook Pro. It is wonderful!
Awesome!

DavidTO

Sep-28-2010, 08:58 PM

Any suggestions - must haves - are appreciated.
I like Keyboard Cleaner (http://jan.prima.de/~jan/plok/archives/48-Keyboard-Cleaner.html), which disables your keyboard so that you can clean off the peanut butter that you got on it.

I just got Alarms (http://www.grandtotal.biz/Alarms/), which I like. Adds to-dos to iCal with awesome interface (I like it, anyway).

I love LaunchBar (http://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html). App launcher and more.

DropBox (https://www.dropbox.com/) Sync files with web and other devices/users.

TextExpander (http://smilesoftware.com/TextExpander/) auto-expand shortcuts into text (good for posting things on Dgrin, or code, etc.

SMARTReporter (http://www.corecode.at/smartreporter/) shows SMART status of your drive in your toolbar

Adium (http://adium.im/) multi-protocol chat

1Password (http://agilewebsolutions.com/onepassword) strengthens your passwords, but keeps it simple

Evernote (http://www.evernote.com/) local/online notes

Skitch (http://skitch.com/) LOVE THIS ONE screen grabs on steroids. Hosts your images, too.

Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) Finds related files when you delete an app and prompts you to delete them, as well.

Disk Warrior (http://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior/) Repairs your disk directory better than any other utility.

AppleJack (http://applejack.sourceforge.net/) runs shell scripts from single user mode to improve performance (under the hood stuff)

SuperDuper (http://www.shirt-pocket.com/superduper/superduperdescription.html) awesome backup app

Tweetie (http://www.atebits.com/tweetie-mac/) twitter client

Sneak Peak Photo (http://www.code-line.com/software/sneakpeekphoto/) fantastic add-on for quicklook in the finder.

ONYX (http://www.titanium.free.fr/index.php) free and awesome system utility thingy

That should keep you busy for a bit!

colourbox

Sep-28-2010, 10:05 PM

In addition to agreeing with DavidTO's list, here are some more, most of these are free:

iStat menus or MenuMeters as a quick dashboard in your menu bar (CPU, disk, network rates, etc). Good way to spot problems.

Cameras (http://www.flexibits.com/) - control which app opens when you plug in a specific camera, so you can have a different app import from your phone vs your DSLR, or prevent unwanted app launches

coconutBattery - more detailed battery info

DiskInventory X - what's taking up all the room on my hard disk?

Flip4Mac and Perian - if you have both, you'll be able to play almost any Mac or Windows video format you encounter on websites

FunctionFlip - Choose which function keys work as function keys while the rest work as hardware keys

Growl - if you want more detailed notifications for various events

CyberDuck - free great FTP (although I paid for Transmit)

VirtualBox - run Windows on your Mac for free (plus cost of Windows license)

iStumbler - identify all local wireless networks and their signal strength over time

PhoneDisk and Phone View - if you want access to the contents of your iPhone beyond what iTunes shows you

PhotoRescue - retrieve deleted/damaged photos off of cards

TextWrangler - my favorite tool for editing CSS and JavaScript for Smugmug customization

VueScan - to run all my scanners

Pref Setter - search, read and edit all your apps' preferences files

TinkerTool - access hidden preferences including some Onyx does not

Zipeg - inspect Zip archives

David_S85

Sep-28-2010, 11:11 PM

New in here, so be kind and easy on this Mac n00b. Finger is on the button for a Mac Pro. Any day now. Got a couple Q's.

1. I have a perfectly working ViewSonic 23" VP231wb IPS 1920x1200 monitor that I love. About 4.5 years old. Has an accurate sRGD built-in profile that is, AFAIK, spot on. I have never bothered to calibrate it on the Win box because it just worked. If this is hooked up DVI-style to the new Pro's 5770 graphics card with OSX 10.6, what can I expect in the way of accuracy? (I do know to use gamma 2.2). Other than that, what else? Some Mac voodoo setings in pref's? Or do I just park in OSX default mode and do all my adjustments with the monitor hardware buttons?

2. Wireless connection for the Mac Pro. They can put something in it at Apple (not in their configurator, though). Should I just let them do that, or get a wireless something or else at Amazon, etc.? Really clueless on this one, since we've connected, um, somehow else lately, or by stealing waves from neighbors on our lappy's, which I will not admit to unless I'm tortured. (will be ordering up a real broadband service too, since we've got enough use for it now).

Thanks!

colourbox

Sep-28-2010, 11:40 PM

1. I have a perfectly working ViewSonic...If this is hooked up DVI-style to the new Pro's 5770 graphics card with OSX 10.6, what can I expect in the way of accuracy? (I do know to use gamma 2.2).

The operation should be the same as having any other LCD monitor connected. There may be model-specific issues, but you'd have to search for those. On the whole it should just work as long as it's a standard DVI monitor. One of the monitors on my Mac Pro is an old CRT connected via a VGA adapter and it works...

2. Wireless connection for the Mac Pro. They can put something in it at Apple (not in their configurator, though). Should I just let them do that, or get a wireless something or else at Amazon, etc.?

That's up to you. Mine does not have wireless because I use Gigabit Ethernet cabled. I have heard that using the official internal Apple AirPort wireless card may not get the best reception, and since it isn't doesn't need to be mobile like a laptop, you have the option of getting one of those standalone Ethernet wireless adapters, sometimes marketed as wireless gaming adapters. They are just a wireless box with an Ethernet plug, you plug it into any device that supports Ethernet (like one of the Mac Pro's two Ethernet ports) and it would bridge the Ethernet port to Wi-Fi.

David_S85

Sep-29-2010, 12:03 AM

The operation should be the same as having any other LCD monitor connected. There may be model-specific issues, but you'd have to search for those. On the whole it should just work as long as it's a standard DVI monitor. One of the monitors on my Mac Pro is an old CRT connected via a VGA adapter and it works....

CRT? Really? Ha. Well, good to know some things are really really backward compatable. I was drooling over the Dell 30" U3011. Man oh man. And how Apple can't even see fit to include HDMI inputs into a spanking new 27" LED CS, that can only hurt them in the long run. Haven't read anywhere how one can calibrate it either. So I can wait a while. The wife wants the 23" VS for her laptop. Can't blame her, as sh uses InDesign to do newsletters for her job, and 1024x768 is just unusable for that. I would like to think that with 1GB of vRAM, the MP can be hooked up to one ginormous 2560x1600 AND a 1920x1200. Just in case I go totally nutz.

That's up to you. Mine does not have wireless because I use Gigabit Ethernet cabled. I have heard that using the official internal Apple AirPort wireless card may not get the best reception, and since it isn't doesn't need to be mobile like a laptop, you have the option of getting one of those standalone Ethernet wireless adapters, sometimes marketed as wireless gaming adapters. They are just a wireless box with an Ethernet plug, you plug it into any device that supports Ethernet (like one of the Mac Pro's two Ethernet ports) and it would bridge the Ethernet port to Wi-Fi.

Thanks. Wired is impossible in our 100-year old house unless they drill holes through the outside walls and bring cables up the siding. If you think I'm kidding I should shoot a pic of our phone wires. :wink Also, our estate is so huge that any one computer, at its absolute farthest, could be up to 20 feet away from a wireless router. My bigger decision is between Comcast, ATT and WOW for providers. They all suck equally. The forum in my hometown has hundreds of pages on them all that prove that sad fact daily.

aquaticvideographer

Sep-29-2010, 12:34 AM

Any suggestions - must haves - are appreciated.

Don't forget BackBlaze!

colourbox

Sep-29-2010, 12:38 AM

Wired is impossible in our 100-year old house unless they drill holes through the outside walls and bring cables up the siding....our estate is so huge that any one computer, at its absolute farthest, could be up to 20 feet away from a wireless router.

My office is at the far end of my home. I cannot run cables, wireless won't punch through the walls, so I have resorted to powerline networking (http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-PLK300-PowerLine-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B001J2ZSL4/) to get data from the router all the way to the office. The Gigabit Ethernet branch is only among the office computers.

cmason

Sep-29-2010, 05:49 AM

Here are some links to info that were very helpful to me as I transitioned to Mac from Windows:

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514?viewlocale=en_US

http://lifehacker.com/software/mac/hack-attack-a-guide-for-switching-to-a-mac-224674.php

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/

And two good lists of all sorts of Mac software:

http://bestmacsoftware.org/

http://mactech.ca/freemacapps/

Oh and if you think you will use Windows for a while, I highly recommend VMWare Fusion, which lets you run MS Windows in a...er...window on the Mac. Even cooler, is that you can attach your Windows pc to the network, and VMWare Fusion will simply copy the entire thing to the Mac, allowing you to basically run your existing Windows and apps from the Mac.

esc2476

Sep-29-2010, 06:30 AM

I like Keyboard Cleaner (http://jan.prima.de/%7Ejan/plok/archives/48-Keyboard-Cleaner.html), which disables your keyboard so that you can clean off the peanut butter that you got on it.

I just got Alarms (http://www.grandtotal.biz/Alarms/), which I like. Adds to-dos to iCal with awesome interface (I like it, anyway).

I love LaunchBar (http://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html). App launcher and more.

DropBox (https://www.dropbox.com/) Sync files with web and other devices/users.

TextExpander (http://smilesoftware.com/TextExpander/) auto-expand shortcuts into text (good for posting things on Dgrin, or code, etc.

SMARTReporter (http://www.corecode.at/smartreporter/) shows SMART status of your drive in your toolbar

Adium (http://adium.im/) multi-protocol chat

1Password (http://agilewebsolutions.com/onepassword) strengthens your passwords, but keeps it simple

Evernote (http://www.evernote.com/) local/online notes

Skitch (http://skitch.com/) LOVE THIS ONE screen grabs on steroids. Hosts your images, too.

Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) Finds related files when you delete an app and prompts you to delete them, as well.

Disk Warrior (http://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior/) Repairs your disk directory better than any other utility.

AppleJack (http://applejack.sourceforge.net/) runs shell scripts from single user mode to improve performance (under the hood stuff)

SuperDuper (http://www.shirt-pocket.com/superduper/superduperdescription.html) awesome backup app

Tweetie (http://www.atebits.com/tweetie-mac/) twitter client

Sneak Peak Photo (http://www.code-line.com/software/sneakpeekphoto/) fantastic add-on for quicklook in the finder.

ONYX (http://www.titanium.free.fr/index.php) free and awesome system utility thingy

That should keep you busy for a bit!

In addition to agreeing with DavidTO's list, here are some more, most of these are free:

iStat menus or MenuMeters as a quick dashboard in your menu bar (CPU, disk, network rates, etc). Good way to spot problems.

Cameras (http://www.flexibits.com/) - control which app opens when you plug in a specific camera, so you can have a different app import from your phone vs your DSLR, or prevent unwanted app launches

coconutBattery - more detailed battery info

DiskInventory X - what's taking up all the room on my hard disk?

Flip4Mac and Perian - if you have both, you'll be able to play almost any Mac or Windows video format you encounter on websites

FunctionFlip - Choose which function keys work as function keys while the rest work as hardware keys

Growl - if you want more detailed notifications for various events

CyberDuck - free great FTP (although I paid for Transmit)

VirtualBox - run Windows on your Mac for free (plus cost of Windows license)

iStumbler - identify all local wireless networks and their signal strength over time

PhoneDisk and Phone View - if you want access to the contents of your iPhone beyond what iTunes shows you

PhotoRescue - retrieve deleted/damaged photos off of cards

TextWrangler - my favorite tool for editing CSS and JavaScript for Smugmug customization

VueScan - to run all my scanners

Pref Setter - search, read and edit all your apps' preferences files

TinkerTool - access hidden preferences including some Onyx does not

Zipeg - inspect Zip archives

Don't forget BackBlaze!

Here are some links to info that were very helpful to me as I transitioned to Mac from Windows:

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514?viewlocale=en_US

http://lifehacker.com/software/mac/hack-attack-a-guide-for-switching-to-a-mac-224674.php

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/

And two good lists of all sorts of Mac software:

http://bestmacsoftware.org/

http://mactech.ca/freemacapps/

Oh and if you think you will use Windows for a while, I highly recommend VMWare Fusion, which lets you run MS Windows in a...er...window on the Mac. Even cooler, is that you can attach your Windows pc to the network, and VMWare Fusion will simply copy the entire thing to the Mac, allowing you to basically run your existing Windows and apps from the Mac.

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I can't wait to go home and try them out :bow

ian408

Sep-29-2010, 07:22 AM

2. Wireless connection for the Mac Pro. They can put something in it at Apple (not in their configurator, though). Should I just let them do that, or get a wireless something or else at Amazon, etc.? Really clueless on this one, since we've connected, um, somehow else lately, or by stealing waves from neighbors on our lappy's, which I will not admit to unless I'm tortured. (will be ordering up a real broadband service too, since we've got enough use for it now).

Thanks!

If you want the Apple one, it has to be installed at purchase (at least by Apple). They won't sell it to you later so that you can install it. This is important if you're thinking about stuff like a wireless keyboard of their new touchpad.

David_S85

Sep-30-2010, 03:22 PM

If you want the Apple one, it has to be installed at purchase (at least by Apple). They won't sell it to you later so that you can install it. This is important if you're thinking about stuff like a wireless keyboard of their new touchpad.

Thanks, Ian. Wireless keyboards and small peripherals don't much interest me. I just need to connect to the router wirelessly.

ian408

Sep-30-2010, 05:33 PM

Thanks, Ian. Wireless keyboards and small peripherals don't much interest me. I just need to connect to the router wirelessly.

The BT module is part of the wireless card.

ian408

Sep-30-2010, 05:37 PM

BTW, if you bought any of a number of machines with an Nvida GPUs in them, including 15 and 17 inch MBP's, you may receive a notice of proposed settlement. If you're not sure, hit the settlement site (http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/) for more info.

BradfordBenn

Oct-01-2010, 05:41 PM

Thanks Ian. Mine might be effected.

Richard

Oct-02-2010, 04:43 AM

I'm surprised that Lenovo is not included, but maybe they have a separate suit going. I'm pretty sure that the failure I had on my ThinkPad was due to the NVIDIA GPU. Lenovo replaced the motherboard for free, no questions asked, but like the other manufacturers, they have been rather quiet about the whole issue.

ian408

Oct-02-2010, 06:42 AM

Or maybe IBM/Lenovo reached some kind of arrangement before the trial started?

I'm surprised that Lenovo is not included, but maybe they have a separate suit going. I'm pretty sure that the failure I had on my ThinkPad was due to the NVIDIA GPU. Lenovo replaced the motherboard for free, no questions asked, but like the other manufacturers, they have been rather quiet about the whole issue.

David_S85

Oct-02-2010, 01:12 PM

I've noticed on a few Mac forums that MBP's from a year or so ago have had unusual failures with non-Apple bigger displays like the Dell U2711's. Connected?

ian408

Oct-02-2010, 01:58 PM

I've noticed on a few Mac forums that MBP's from a year or so ago have had unusual failures with non-Apple bigger displays like the Dell U2711's. Connected?

Don't know. In my case, it's not related at all.

David_S85

Oct-07-2010, 01:24 PM

Mac Pro ordered just now. I secured a steal of a 1 month-old (or less) refurbished unit from the online Apple store. Basic unit - 4-core, 2.8GhZ, 3GB RAM, 1TB drive for $380 below normal price w/ free shipping. I will add a second 2GB drive myself and boost up the RAM later. For now, Apple sells extra RAM below what Crucial sells it for, which shocked me, so I held off until prices settle down more.

Off to Amazon next for a DVI-I to mini DVI connector for my Viewsonic monitor to Mac.

Andy

Oct-07-2010, 01:26 PM

DavidTO

Oct-07-2010, 01:30 PM

Mac Pro ordered just now.

Nice!!! :clap

David_S85

Oct-13-2010, 11:36 PM

ian408

Oct-14-2010, 06:48 AM

That's OK David. I ordered an AppleTV box a month ago (knowing it would take a while to get). They sent a notice saying it would arrive on Oct 18th. On the 8th, I got the shipping notice and on the 11th, I had it in hand.

DoctorIt

Oct-14-2010, 12:39 PM

DavidTO

Oct-14-2010, 12:45 PM

You'll have to report back on that. The tv box, not the shipping.
I ordered one, and cancelled the order. You can only stream content you've rented. Anything else you have to download and then stream from your computer. Too much hassle. Amazon VOD on the Roku lets me stream anything, rented or purchased. I don't have cable or satellite, so the few shows I want to keep up with I do through Amazon VOD. Any improvement in interface the Apple TV has is completely overrun by this PITA.

DavidTO

Oct-14-2010, 12:46 PM

Apple isn't starting off on a good footing with me. After ordering and paying for the thing a week ago, and Apple promissing 3-5 days shipping, I find out tonight that it never left their warehouse until this morning.
3-5 business days is what they'd tell you. And with a weekend in there, sounds like they met their commitment.

ian408

Oct-14-2010, 02:33 PM

I ordered one, and cancelled the order. You can only stream content you've rented. Anything else you have to download and then stream from your computer. Too much hassle. Amazon VOD on the Roku lets me stream anything, rented or purchased. I don't have cable or satellite, so the few shows I want to keep up with I do through Amazon VOD. Any improvement in interface the Apple TV has is completely overrun by this PITA.

I had a Roku; it bit the dust and to be honest, their product support was crappy (and they're in Saratoga--about 20 minutes away). I used it mostly for Netflix. The Roku's picture quality wasn't as good as the AppleTV's seems to be either.

I was disappointed with the ATV setup. I would have figured Apple would have a small utility (like Airport does) to get it going. If you use strong passwords, setup is a FPITA because you have to scroll with the remote. I mean it's OK to use the box/remote to setup if you're a Windows user as you're already used to that :lol3

I tried the YouTube stuff as well. It's OK but not really something I'll use. Same with the Flikr stuff.

It's a shame you can't use your ATV in the same way you could the Roku. Seems easy enough to enable. I've also asked for the ability to stream stuff not on the list--like SmugMug--you can do Flikr but not SmugMug.