We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
The 2010 MacBook Air value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2010.10.26. How do the new 11.6″ and 13.3″ MacBook Air models compare to last years, the MacBook, and MacBook Pros?
The 64-bitness of Mac OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.19. Although Apple is promoting ‘Snow Leopard’ as a fully 64-bit operating system, it defaults to running in 32-bit mode.
Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac’s CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
Fresh Air: Why a MacBook Air is my newest notebook, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2009.06.16. In the end, the light weight and close-out pricing made the MacBook Air the right complement to my ThinkPad T400.
Low End Mac’s Safe Sleep FAQ, Dan Knight, Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.15. What is Safe Sleep mode? Which Macs support it? How can you enable or disable it? And more.
The Safe Sleep Mailbag, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.06.15. Safe Sleep mode is enabled by default on modern MacBooks. How it works, and how to change how it works.
Mac ‘Book Power Management Adventures, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.05.19. If your ‘Book won’t power up, shuts down while your working, or has other power issues, resetting its internal power manager may clear things up.
Making the switch from a G4 PowerBook to a Unibody MacBook, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.03.17. The transition to an Intel-based Mac hasn’t been without its problems – slow dialup performance, incompatibility with Eudora, and no real gain in speed with standby apps.
Apple won’t ever make a Mac netbook, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.02.23. Netbooks are small, cheap, and underpowered. Apple should offer a subnotebook, but not something underpowered or cheap.
No high definition iTunes video for you, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
How netbooks impact Microsoft and Apple, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 2009.01.07. Netbooks are keeping Windows XP alive, which may slow adoption of Windows 7, and perceived value keeps the Mac market share growing at the expense of Windows.
No, an overgrown iPod touch is not a netbook, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.01.06. BlackBerry pretends its Storm is a netbook, but a netbook needs to be big enough for a typable keyboard.
Apple’s half-baked support for DisplayPort, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2009.01.06. The DisplayPort specification supports audio, so why does Apple use USB to route sound to the LED Cinema Display?
New MacBook trackpad takes some getting used to, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.12.22. The large glass trackpad is a joy to use in many ways, but it can be frustrating for longtime notebook users and has issues with Boot Camp.
The ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
Software to keep your MacBook cool, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.11.25. Heat is the enemy of long hardware life. Two programs to keep your MacBook running cooler.
Netbooks tempting, cry out for Mac OS X, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.11.24. Netbooks are light, cheap, compact, and underpowered. One with OS X and a real Core 2 Duo processor would fly.
Just right: Papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear MacBooks, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
Debunking the Apple Tax, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2008.10.31. “…no one else is offering the quality of computer construction that Apple offers in the same price range.”
One OS to rule them all, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2008.10.29. With Fusion or Parallels letting you run Windows at full speed, Mac OS X gives you the best of both worlds.
Apple’s new production technology: Is it worth it?, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 2008.10.27. Carving MacBook bodies from a block of aluminum simplifies production, increases assembly automation, and gives Apple a leg up on the competition.
How to clone Mac OS X to a new hard drive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.07. Whether you want to put a bigger, faster drive in your Mac or clone OS X for use in another Mac, here’s the simple process.
MacBook Air makes a convert, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.09.24. Apple’s thin, light MacBook Air makes a great field computer for someone who already has a desktop system up and running.
Tomorrow’s solid state drives and notebooks, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.09.04. Flash drives are great but have some shortcomings. Some thoughts on building better SSDs and notebooks to use them.
Tricking out your notebook for superior desktop duty, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.07.29. For desktop use, you don’t need to be limited by the built-in trackpad, keyboard, and display or a notebook’s compromised ergonomics.
Free VirtualBox for Mac now a virtual contender, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.07.21. A year ago, the Mac version of VirtualBox lacked some essential features. Over the past year, it’s grown into a very useful tool.
Time Machine can now backup to a shared hard drive, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.07.08. Earlier versions of Leopard didn’t seem to allow backup to a shared drive on another Mac, but the 10.5.4 update allows it.
Win the depreciation game by buying on the low end, Charles W Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.06.24. The worst depreciation afflicts high-end models. By buying a less powerful version, choosing certified refurbished, or picking up a used computer, you’ll come out ahead.
16:9 computer displays: Let’s not go there, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.06.17. “…there’s no reason our computer displays should match the proportions of our television displays.”
SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.
Millions vs. thousands of colors: What’s the difference?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.04.07. Once again Apple is being sued over a Mac that can display ‘only’ 262,144 colors per pixel, not the millions it claims. Does it realy matter?
Apple design in the MacBook Air era, John Muir, My Turn, 2008.02.25. The MacBook Air represents Apple’s first fully new Macintosh design since the Mac mini was introduced, and it’s destined to shape the look of Macs to come.
MacBook Air a compelling option for the true road warrior, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 2008.02.22. Although it’s not intended as a desktop replacement and has a few shortcomings, the lightweight MacBook Air with its 13″ display could be the perfect field computer.
Could a wireless dock be in the MacBook Air’s future?, John Hatchett, My Turn, 2008.02.11. The MacBook Air is too limited in terms of connectivity, but what if Apple thought outside the box and created a MacBook Dock that connected by WiFi?
Is the MacBook Air this road warrior’s dream machine?, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2008.01.24. A longtime ultraportable user and 12″ PowerBook G4 fan looks at the compromises in Apple’s lightweight notebook. Will it become his next ultraportable?
The MacBook Air makes a statement, Frank Fox, My Turn, 2008.01.23. Apple’s MacBook Air isn’t designed to be all things to all users. It’s designed to tell the world “this is all I need when away from my desk.”
MacBook Air: What do you do when there’s no WiFi?, John Hatchett, My Turn, 2008.01.22. Every modern PowerBook had ethernet and a modem, but how do you connect the MacBook Air when there’s no WiFi service?
We need more than 2 USB ports in MacBooks, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.01.14. There’s something wrong when you can’t plug a flash drive, mouse, and printer into a notebook computer at the same time.
Macintel stumbling block: Sometimes you need Classic, Jeff Adkins, Mac Lab Report, 2006.01.25. As nice as the new Intel Macs seem to be, the lack of any Classic environment makes it impossible for some people to upgrade.
