Something Sounds Fishy about Wegener Media's
Plan
From Anonymous
Charles,
In this article you mention
Wegener Media's plan of replacing everything for $50. It sounds way too
good to be true, since most places typically not only charge $99 for
repair, but also the cost of buying the part needed for repair. A 17"
screen alone costs $690, a 17" body frame another $560.
I've sent them an email inquiring if everything means everything
including parts. Because if it does, then I'll finally be able to
repair one part that I wasn't when I had my screen repaired from an
accident. I've also asked they edit their website to make it clear
whether or not parts are included in the plan.
Sincerely,
anonymous
Hi A,
I was pretty certain that the $50 charge referred to
labor only, but thought I should check directly with David Wegener to
make sure.
He replied:
Yes the $50 refers to labor, and it's fully
explained on our service page.
http://www.wegenermedia.com/service.htm
It's basically $50 + parts. We don't install
other folks' parts, as we can't guarantee them at all, but the total
cost is $50 + parts for diagnosis, installation, and testing, with a 60
day guarantee.
Hope this clarifies things.
All the best.
Thanks,
Dave
Thanks to Dave, and I trust that will dispel any
confusion.
Charles
Digital Miniatures of Classic Film Cameras
From Walter J. Ferstl
Hello Charles,
This little Rolleiflex is really a wonderful piece.
In my eyes, the following does have an even higher "must have"
factor, the Digital Classic Camera Leica M3, by Minox, featuring 4 megapixel (3.2 megapixel
hardware resolution):
Minox also has some more (mostly non-digital)
mini versions of classic cameras (the scale is 1:2.5 in all of
them), like some tiny Leicas, a Hasselblad, and a Contax.
Thanks for covering such non-computer topics from time to
time as well.
Referring to the little Digital Leica M3 by Minox, I just found the
following system requirements on the Minox page (in English this
time):
System requirements
- Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
- Pentium-Prozessor or later
- 64 MB recommend
- Video with 2-MB-RAM for displaying at least 16 Bit (High
Color)
- CD-ROM with 4x velocity
- USB-port
:-(
Oh well...
Of course, technically, this camera might work perfectly with a Mac.
But then, the symbolic value of not being properly addressed as a Mac
user on a company's website isn't completely neglectable, either.
Regards again,
Walter.
Hi Walter,
Thanks for bringing this camera to my attention. It's
not a twin-lens reflex, but I do love the Leicas as well, and this
replica appears to be more of a serious camera than the Rolleiflex
MiniDigi, which is way cool looking but only has a 2 megapixel CMOS and
doesn't even support USB.
This Minox "Leica" replica has 4 megapixels, a
5-element glass lens, and USB support. Look on the Web page in the
specifications under "Support" and it says:
"Support: WINDOWS 98/SE/ME/2000/XP/MAC compatible"
That's what it says on the Web page for my Digital
Dream l'Espion mini digital camera, and it works just fine with my
Macs.
And of course Minox is a classic and respected name in
small camera design and engineering.
Charles
Optical Drive Friction
From Eric Fauss
Hi Charles,
I saw your column on Low End Mac and have found it very helpful and
entertaining.
I have an issue with my iBook 600 DVD. My optical drive,
a tray-loading one, seems to be off-kilter in its slot. The bezel (I
guess the piece on the outside that is supposed to be flush with the
edge of the computer) sticks out by a slight margin, and when looking
at the side of it, it appears that the right edge is farther away from
the top of the slot than left side, making me think that either
something I did put it out of whack or it was installed incorrectly.
When I play some CDs and DVDs, I hear the sound of friction, with some
part of the disc hitting something. Is there anything you think I could
do with this? I am adventuresome and would even try opening my
machine.
Thanks,
Eric Fauss
Hi Eric,
You want to be sure you're really adventuresome before
opening up a G3 iBook.
Something is evidently out of whack, and if it's
misalignment it can probably be remedied, but this is not a job for the
faint-hearted. For a detailed walkthrough of what you would be up
against, make sure to check out the PBFixIt teardown instructions before
digging in.
Good luck, and let us know how you make out.
Charles
New Panther User
From Glen Warner
Charles,
I am currently in the middle of migrating from my blueberry clamshell iBook to
the brand spankin' new G4 iBook, but there are some apps that I need to
replace in the new environment. Since you have your finger on the pulse
of the Mac Internet (not to mention those laptops), I thought you might
be the one to ask.
My old email client is Green. Since Mic seems to have disappeared
without a trace (last I heard, he was trying to get work at Apple, but
that was about two years ago), I need a client that will allow me to
import my Green mailboxes. I did hear of a tip at (I think)
ResExcellence about changing the type and creator code of the Green
mailboxes to Eudora's, but once I do that, which mail client do I use?
I am not sure if Mail will import mailboxes (not clear in Robin
William's Big Book o' Panther), nor in the manual that came with my
iBook.
Next app: Wabbit.
You probably know already, but Wabbit is/was a Web/FTP/email address
manager. You can read about it here:
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=01048
I have about 20 pages stored in my copy, and it would be great to be
able to find something that works just as well.
So. Any suggestions?
TIA
-gdw
Hi Glen,
I don't know of any email client that will import
Green Mail mailboxes directly, but here's how to convert them to Eudora
mailboxes using ResEdit by changing the File Type and Creator Code
info. Just drag a mailbox to ResEdit, and when the window opens (it
will be blank) select "Get Info For -" from the File Menu. That will
bring up a dialog box with the File Type and Creator Codes.
File Type:
Green - micO
Eudora - TEXT
Creator Code:
Green - micF
Eudora - CSOm
Change the Green codes to the Eudora ones, and the
mailbox will convert when you save the operation.
Then just download Eudora and drag your converted
mailboxes into the Mail Folder in the Eudora application folder (stored
by default in the Documents folder). Start up Eudora and they should
appear in the Mailbox Menu.
Personally, I'm a Eudora fan from way back, so that's
as far as I would go, but most email client applications can import
Eudora mailboxes.
I've never used a URL manager, but a couple of
shareware apps. you could check out include:
• URL
Manager Pro bookmark manager
• iURL
Charles
iBook Tote and Tilt?
From: Sam
Hello Charles,
A few years ago you wrote a short piece on the iBook Tote and Tilt. Based on your
recommendation, I picked one up for my girlfriend's new 12" iBook
(which was a replacement for an orange clamshell).
Fast forward to today: I've just replaced her 12" iBook with a 14".
I started searching for a new Tote and Tilt, and I found nothing. Are
there any alternatives out there for those that still miss the
handle?
Thanks for any info.
-sam
Hi Sam,
Unfortunately, as far as I've been able to discover,
there has never been a 14" iBook Tote and Tilt, and I'm not sure that
even the 12" version is still being produced, although it's still
available from some online resellers.
:-(
Charles
Re: Info Manager Advice
From: Jim Scolman
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the reply. Since I wrote
last, I have been using a trial demo of StickyBrain,
which I thought was going to get the job done. In searching for some
resources to learn StickyBrain, I came across MacJournal, which uses the
notebook metaphor and seems to fill my bill just right. It is
donationware to boot! Thanks and keep up the good work.
Jim Scolman
Hi Jim,
Cool! Glad you found an app that suits.
Charles
G3 Upgrade or G4?
From Seb Payne
Hi Charles,
As well as a new iBook G4, I also have a Blue and White G3 that I bought
for £250.00 two years ago. Anyway, I am wondering
- Should I get a Sonnet 1 GHz G4 Upgrade, more RAM, and an Ultra ATA
Controller
- Buy a Sawtooth AGP
Power Mac G4 and get a G4 upgrade next Christmas :-)
I'll be using it for website design, graphics, photo editing, and
music.
Seb
Hi Seb,
I think either would do the job for you, but
personally, for the sort of use you describe, I would lean toward the
newer machine. You could sell the B&W, and apply the proceeds
toward the purchase of its replacement.
Charles
Re: Running Old Microsoft Apps in OS X
From Tim Larson
Charles,
Thanks for the advice. Maybe you are right. My efforts to find a
solution for my existing apps are coming up short. I suppose I have to
bite the bullet - again. I will be looking for some TFO reviews to see
how it stacks up to Abiword, OO.o, and the other alternatives.
Tim
More on Running Old Microsoft Apps in OS X
From Dylan McDermond
You wrote: "I'm wondering if a more satisfactory solution to your
problem might be ThinkFree Office. It's cheap ($50) and includes Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint substitutes. I've found M$ file compatibility
pretty good (but not 100%), and your wife would probably find it
user-friendly."
I'm surprised you did not mention OpenOffice. It's free and runs
under X11 for OS X.
Anyways, just something else to mention.
Dylan McDermond
Hi Dylan,
Good suggestion. Tim notes that he has considered
OO.o.
However, a note Friday on the OO.o site says:
October 29, 2004: OpenOffice.org 2.0 Aqua port slows.
With lack of a dedicated X11 team, 2.0 doesn't even compile "out of the
box" for X11, and Cocoa development has slowed as well. The only
current Mac OS X non-X11 development is the NeoOffice/J [neooffice.org]
fork of OpenOffice.org 1.1.2.
Charles
Re: Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse vs.
AirPort
From Zack Smith
The 2.4 GHz band is a very commonly used frequency, and most modern
devices are engineered for minimum interference. A wireless mouse
shouldn't affect AirPort signal. Interference if someone else has the
same mouse might be a problem, though.
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