Category Archives: Hardware

With Apple having released several fantastic new products within the last few months, the holiday season, and the end of the year quickly approaching, many of you may want to make purchases in the next few weeks. AppleMatters recently published the following tips on getting the most Apple for your money:

• Look at the store, but buy online :: The best deals are always on the web. Now, you have to wait for your order to ship to you and so you must buy early, but that is a small price to pay for saving a few hundred bucks as you will see below.

Source: “5 Tips For Getting The Best Deal on Apple Purchases” by James R. Stoup published at AppleMatters.

Time magazine recently released its list of 2006 Gadgets of the Year. One of the two Apple products to make the list was the MacBook Pro, with the other being the Nike + iPod Sport Kit. Time reviewed the MacBook Pro as follows:

This ‘iMac on wheels’ has built-in iSight camera and remote for Front Row media manager. It features illuminated keyboard and brighter screen plus magnetic breakaway power cord. With the Intel Core Duo it’s easy to watch the highest-definition QuickTime movie trailers.

Congratulations to Apple for receiving such praise about its great products. You can read the MacBook Pro article or view all the winners by clicking HERE.

Yesterday, Apple released their upgraded MacBook laptops, which feature the Intel Core 2 Duo processors.  The new MacBooks are reported to be up to 25 percent faster, and they feature a built-in iSight video camera, a glossy 13-inch widescreen display, and dual-display support. 

Three base models are offered:  White 1.83 GHz processor @ $1,099; White 2.0 GHz processor @ $1,299; and Black 2.0 GHz processor @ $1,499.  The available options allow you to increase memory from the standard 1 GB up to 2 GB and increase the hard drive from 60 GB up to 200 GB.  The features of the MacBook appear to compare favorably to the MacBook Pro at a considerably lower price.

I am seriously considering upgrading my 17″ PowerBook G4 for one of the new MacBooks in the coming weeks/months.  If you are interested in learning more about these upgraded laptop family, you can click HERE to learn more.  Of course, if you just can’t wait, you can order one online or pick one up at your local Apple Store.

From the weird but effective department, I present an unusual method of reviving a dead hard drive. If you find yourself with an external hard drive that will run and spin, but not mount, you might want to try the following method:

1. Enclose the naked drive in a plastic bag to keep out moisture.
2. Put the drive and bag into your freezer and leave it overnight.
3. The next morning, let the drive warm up for several hours.
4. Plug it in and let it runfor about an hour to get it warm again.
5. Attempt to mount the drive as normal.

The theory at work here is that the freezing caused parts to contract and the rewarming caused them to re-expand and this release the stuck parts (probably the read/write arms). I am not sure that I would try this as my first approach, but if all else fails it might be worth a try.

Source: “Freeze a Dead Hard Drive To Copy Its Data” by Doc Swift, published at the Mac OS X Hints blog.

Yesterday, Apple announced its upgraded MacBook Pro notebook computers, which now feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Performance is significantly improved in the new models, with the new machines reportedly 39 percent faster.

The new models also offer twice the standard memory, greater storage capacity, a FireWire 800 port for high-speed peripheral connections, and a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing. The MacBook Pro is still offered in both 15 inch and 17 inch models, with several configuration options and prices start at $1,999 and $2,799 respectively.

You can pick one up at the Apple Store online, Apple’s retail stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. You can also read much more about these new models at:

• Apple :: “The New MacBook Pro. Seatbelts Sold Separately.“
• AppleInsider :: “Apple Introduces Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro Notebooks“
• Switch to a Mac :: “Apple Updates MacBook Pro Line to Intel Core 2 Duo“
• MacMerc :: “Apple MacBook Pro — Now With Intel Core 2 Duo Processors“

As you are no doubt aware, legal marketing guru Larry Bodine recently published an article at Law.com slamming Macs. As I previously posted, his article was full of half-truths and inaccuracies. MacDailyNews published a comprehensive rebuttal to the allegations made by Mr. Bodine, and I believe that it is worth republishing here:

Rather than rip the poor guy, as he obviously has been ruined by years of being shackled to Microsoft’s upside-down and backwards Windows OS and their Office software, let’s just make some points and realize that Apple has a lot of work to do in helping personal computer users to unlearn bad Windows habits and learn how to properly use Macs:

• Mr. Bodine bought a Power Mac G5 at pretty much exactly the wrong time. That’s unfortunate. If he had not purchased a PowerPC Mac (and why did he get a Mac tower, when he was replacing an IBM laptop?) and instead purchased an Intel-based iMac, Mac mini, MacBook or MacBook Pro (all of which were available on May 21, 2006), he would be able to run Windows for applications he can’t figure out how to use on Mac or that don’t meet his requirements.
• Whoever sold him that Power Mac G5 did him more than a bit of a disservice by not anticipating his needs or informing him about the Intel transition. If he bought it himself without asking a Mac savvy person for advice, he made a mistake.
• He certainly bought way too much Mac and the wrong Mac model for his needs. He spent far too much; an inexpensive Intel-powered Mac mini would have sufficed.
• So, to make it absolutely clear: all Macs purchased today run Windows. Buying an HP, Dell or other OS-limited PC now makes no sense whatsoever.
• Mr. Bodine may indeed be “smart,” but he ignorantly seemed to expect a Mac to work like Windows. It doesn’t. He should have actually read his “Dummies” book, it would have helped immensely.
• Macs, including the Mac he bought, all ship with a multi-button, scroll ball Apple Mighty Mouse. If his didn’t for some reason, he could have easily and inexpensively purchased one or any multi-button USB scroll wheel mouse and it would work just fine with Mac OS X.
• That a Mac such as his was “slow” and “hanging up” is a warning sign that something was wrong. That Mac should have been blazingly fast for the basic tasks he describes. That he used so much Microsoft software is also a warning sign and could be a contributor to those issues.
• When he talks about “Finder” he is really talking about Spotlight. It sounds like he didn’t take 5 minutes to learn how to use it properly.
• Microsoft makes Word for Mac, not Apple. If you don’t like something about it, that’s a Microsoft complaint, not an Apple Mac complaint.
• To delete a file or files on a Mac, select the file(s) in the Finder and hit Command-Delete to move them quickly into the Trash for quick deleting.
• Microsoft makes PowerPoint for Mac, not Apple. If you don’t like something about it, that’s a Microsoft complaint, not an Apple Mac complaint.
• Apple’s Keynote presentation program makes better presentations than PowerPoint, by the way.
• You can do things as quickly or more quickly with a Mac than with a PC, but the Mac won’t magically remove your bad Windows habits and explain the proper way to do things. He should have used his Mac’s built-in help system, read his “Dummies” book, and asked a Mac user for some help.
• To make a new print setting with a Mac, save a preset in the Print dialog box with your desired settings. Choose that preset to quickly print however you’d like.
• Mac’s screenshot ability is unmatched by Windows:
  • ⌘-Shift-3 (Command-Shift-3): Take a picture of the entire screen and save as a file
  • ⌘-Control-Shift-3 (Command-Control-Shift-3): Take a picture of the entire screen and copy to the clipboard
  • ⌘-Shift-4 (Command-Shift-4): Take a picture of the dragged area and save as a file
  • ⌘-Control-Shift-4 (Command-Control-Shift-4): Capture dragged area and copy to the clipboard
  • ⌘-Shift-4 then Space bar (Command-Shift-4 then Space bar): Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and save as a file
    

  • ⌘-Control-Shift-4 then Space bar (Command-Control-Shift-4 then Space bar): Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and copy to the clipboard
    

  • You can also take pictures of the screen using the Grab application (in the Utilities folder).
• iCal or Mail do not require a .Mac account. It’s too bad he didn’t try the applications.
• Third-party software complaints are for the companies making the software, not Apple. Oftentimes, the features Windows users want within Mac versions of software are there, they just can’t seem to shed their Windows ideas of how to accomplish them and/or explore the Mac program’s features.
• If you short-sightedly limit your Web sites by developing only for Microsoft IE, it is not Apple’s or any other browser’s fault that you “can’t operate your own Web sites with the Mac.” There are Web standards for a reason. Follow them and any browser will work correctly. Mr. Bodine has no right to complain about this issue.
• Hard drives fail. Even in Macs. Backup regularly. Apple did replace it for free.
• Mr. Bodine should not be recommending people don’t buy Macs. He knows very little about how to use a Mac. However, articles of this stripe are informative and should give Apple and the Mac community the impetus to figure out ways to better help such users.
• Some Windows users have a huge mountain overcome when it comes to shedding bad habits and learning how to use a Mac properly. Hopefully Apple and all of us who are so inclined can help new Mac users to acclimate better.
• Mr. Bodine should sell that Power Mac and get himself a MacBook or MacBook Pro. He should install Windows for applications he needs and take the time to learn about the Mac while still accomplishing his work. Over time, he would realize that the Mac is a far superior personal computer.

Source: “Legal consultant can’t figure out how to use an Apple Mac” published at MacDailyNews.

One last thought on my post yesterday about Larry Bodine’s recent article slamming Macs, I direct your attention today to “Would You Trust A Lawyer Who Can’t Run A Mac?” by Kate MacKenzie, published at Mac360.com, which asked the following questions:

• Would you trust your case to a lawyer who admits that a Mac is just too difficult to learn?
• How stupid is the lawyer who will admit he’s unable to make a Mac work?

She opines that Mr. Bodine is “more stupid than most elementary school students, who have little trouble operating a Mac” and that he “has provided the single longest list of idiot, jackass remarks ever recorded in a single article.” Ouch!

Maybe Ms. MacKenzie is a little heavy-handed in her criticism of Mr. Bodine, but perhaps as I suggested yesterday, he wrote that article with the intent of drawing the ire of Mac users and creating a flood of web traffic in the process. My suspicion is that Mr. Bodine is crazy like a fox on this one, but you can make your own determination.

In an article posted today at Law.com, Larry Bodine lists the many ways that he finds Macs (cough) inferior to (cough) PCs. He refers to his Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7GHz as a “boat anchor” and a “silvery box of frustration.” Unfortunately, his article is somewhat hard to believe for anyone that has used a Mac for anything other than a very short period of time. His article is full of half-truths (at best) and outright inaccuracies (at worst), such as:

• Mr. Bodine claims that one must “buy an @mac.com address” in order to use Apple Mail. Of course, this is completely false, and you can use Mail with all of the popular email formats.
• He complains about the one button mouse and lack of a scroll wheel — all the while totally ignoring the dual click and scrolling features provided by the Mighty Mouse.
• He claims that “doing a simple screen capture was an immense chore” and that one must “download and launch special programs” in order to accomplish this basic task. Of course, Mac OS X allows you to use Cmd-Shift-3 to capture your whole screen and automatically save it on your desktop as a PNG file.

Mr. Bodine complains that his Mac was so difficult to use that he “had to buy a ‘Dummies’ book on how to operate it.” Since I enjoy reading his LawMarketing Blog, I will pass up what may be a potentially obvious joke lurking somewhere in his quote. Maybe I am just overly skeptical, but I am somewhat suspicious that Mr. Bodine’s article was written with the intent of driving traffic to his blog. After all, he is a marketing guru, and what better way to prove it than to be able to claim that he was able to create a firestorm resulting in X,000 visits to so-and-so’s website in a single day! To further support my theory, I direct you to his post this afternoon in which he says

Thank you my Mac friends for making this blog one of the most popular in the marketing field! Since midnight last night, 5,066 unique visitors have come to the blog. You guys are the best traffic builders a fella could want!

Don’t take my word for any of this. Read his article, “Commentary: Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree“, and judge for yourself.

Experts say that Apple plans to update both its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines of Intel notebook computers in time for the holiday shopping season. AppleInsider reports that development of Core 2 Duo versions of all three models (the 13-inch MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 17-inch MacBook Pro) are now complete and all that’s left is for Apple marketing to pull the trigger.

The updates are expected to arrive sometime between now and late November, but it is unclear whether Apple will launch the new consumer MacBooks and professional MacBook Pro models simultaneously, or if it will space the releases to assure it maintains enough of Intel Corp.’s Core 2 Duo processors to properly facilitate each launch.

“Apple to Update MacBook Lines in Time for Holidays” by Kasper Jade, published at AppleInsider.