Improving AppleWorks

2002 – AppleWorks is a fine Office suite. As it is, I like how well integrated the suite is and the fact that it runs smoothly in Mac OS 9 and OS X. Additional features, such as the slide presentation module (added since version 5), have been most welcome. However, I still feel the need to retreat […]

Configuring an iBook Cart, Part 2

2002 – This is one part of a multi-part series on setting up laptops for use with Apple’s iBook laptop cart. Today’s article deals with mechanical issues and configuring the AirPort base station.

Configuring an iBook Cart, Part 1

2002 – In a few weeks, I have to train my colleagues how to check out, use, maintain, and return one of several iBook carts our school has purchased. In the meantime, the carts have to be prepared with certain multiple user settings, passwords, site licensed software, and network settings.

4 Apps for Your Science Class

2002 – Here are four free (not shareware) programs you might find handy when teaching math, physical science, astronomy, or biology. Everything works under Mac OS X either natively or in Classic Mode except as noted. Enjoy!

iPhoto Is Missing One Important Feature

2002 – I agree with most who’ve tried out Apple’s new iPhoto software: It has an intuitive interface that’s easy to learn, can manage large numbers of photos easily, and meshes nicely with iTunes and iMovie, Apple’s other digital hub software for consumers.

Educational Standards and Benchmarks on the Web and in the Classroom

2002 – The communication gap between teachers and software companies is hindering the adoption of technology by “technology resisters” and the adoption of standards by veterans waiting for the latest fad to expire. Apple knows a little about this, probably more than any other computer vendor, but even they don’t get it in a fundamental […]

Macworld Expo Wrap-up

Macworld San Francisco 2002 has come and gone, and the new flat-panel iMac has finally arrived. The iWalk was shown to be a Photoshop daydream, and the 1.0+ GHz Power Macs predicted by the rumor sites are still in the future.

The Digital Hub Is Incomplete

2002 – On the face of it, Apple’s digital hub strategy seems to be progressing well. At Macworld San Francisco 2002, I saw how iPhoto nicely complements iMovie’s intuitive design. I got to touch an iPod for the first time – boy, it sure is tiny – and as I reported yesterday, I got to […]

Macworld and the New iMac

2002 – I’m sitting in one of the lobbies at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, having made a pass through the entire exhibit hall, up and down every aisle. This is my first Macworld, and I’ve learned a few things, seen some things, and talked to a bunch of people.

Remotely Control Your Macs: Timbuktu vs. Apple Network Assistant

2002 – One of the difficulties of working in a lab full of Macs is that students sometimes wander off and do things they’re not supposed to do. Our district has filtering software, but as several news reports have recently pointed out, no filtering software is perfect. Teachers simply have to be aware of what […]

Office Politics: ‘Rassling with Word 2001

2001 – This is the first Mac Lab Report I’ve submitted for a while, primarily because I was working on a grant proposal for my school, and it absorbed all of my time. It absorbed my time not just because it was a lengthy proposal (approximately 20 pages of text and charts) but because it […]

Time to Go with Point One

2001 – Back in January, I wrote in Never Go with Point Oh that I was conservatively waiting to switch to Mac OS 9 until Apple brought out OS 9.1 or greater, because by then most of the bugs would be eliminated. I also tend to run about one OS version behind the rest of […]

Hands On: iBook Carts in the Classroom

Our school is one of many that purchased some of Apple’s “iBook mobility solutions” this summer, but unlike some well-meaning souls in various spots around the country, we decided not to just roll the computers into classrooms right away. We’re going to field test the technology before it is placed in classrooms (gasp!).

11 Things You Might Not Know Your Mac Can Do

2001 – I find that casual users of the Mac OS do not investigate the features of the operating system as thoroughly as necessary to achieve the greatest efficiency. Perhaps that is because Mac users tend not to read the manuals for their computers (if there is a manual to read), or maybe it is […]

Things They Don’t Tell You about the New iBook

2001 – There have been many excellent reviews of the new snow-white dual-USB iBook detailing such interesting features as the dropdown hinge, the integrated FireWire port, the keys that pop off too easily, the beautiful scratchable surface, the nice software included (such as iMovie2), and the bright high-resolution screen. This is not one of those […]