My view of our favorite fruit company

Look Ma, I can Play.

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:34:08 -0700

I scored the 50 buck MAudio keyboard from the shop, and decided it was time to play with the new GarageBand. All the stuff about learning an instrument made me decide it was about time to dip my toes.

First, let me make this abundantly clear, I am not a musician. I have had a little musical training, but that was way back in High School and earlier. For the most part that makes me a beginner to novice.

The software will now give basic lessons for both Guitar and Piano. The software loads both of the first lessons for each instrument, for the additional lessons, eight more for each instrument, they are free to download.

Not having a guitar or immediate access to one I only played with it for a few minutes. The part that was worth a laugh, at least for my daughter, was the guitar tuning. Did I mention I don’t have a guitar? To test that I made guitar noises with my voice going up and down. Don’t tell me you have never made guitar noises to “Smoke on the Water,” yeah, I thought so. And yes, my voice is out of tune. Regardless, you can tune your guitar with the intro lesson.

It doesn’t seem like you really need a guitar to plug in to the computer to make it work, but it would definitely be helpful. Griffin makes a little cable to accomplish just that feat if your guitar has the input.

The lesson looked pretty basic, but helpful. It shows how to hold the guitar, standing sitting, names all the parts talks about strumming and picking. And thankfully, the teacher guy, Tim, is not annoying.

Piano I went a little further since I had the keyboard. I completed the first lesson and downloaded and completed the second. Have to say I kinda liked it. With the instrument plugged in the sound is played through the computer speakers, which makes it easier to hear when you screw up.

At the end of each lesson you get to play a song with a full orchestra. Granted tapping one to three keys on a keyboard is pretty simplistic, but it makes you feel like you are really helping to create something. If you feel uncomfy with the timing, like it is going way too fast, you can slow it down to a more manageable rate.

Have to admit, I am not an accomplished enough pianist that I wanted to blow the five bucks to have one of the pro musicians show me how to play their music. I have watched a few minutes of each and they look.... interesting, if that is your schtick.

The only other thing I use GarageBand for is to create the occasional pod cast. You can see that is very occasional based on the number of company podcasts on our accompanying site.

I think the best thing about the lessons is the hook it can give. If some one really wants to learn the basics of either instrument to get free lessons for a month or so this is a great way to go. For kids to learn there are other things out there that are better. Piano Wizard comes immediately to mind. A game that tricks kids in to learning, but that is another topic.

I gotta vent one pet peeve before I end this mindless rant. Technology is great, heck that is what I do, but people have an inherent blind spot with technology and this will be no different. When we see a program with the ability to do something cool we think, “Wow, I am going to play the piano like Norah Jones.” GarageBand can start some one out playing very basically, but the computer, even a Mac, can’t make you play like Norah Jones. You actually have to do the lessons and (gasp) practice.

I still dig the program, and plan to finish all nine lessons on the piano cause I’m gonna be a rock star.

Web for the Rest of Us.

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:42:55 -0700

With all the updated/new features in iLife I thought it appropriate to mention the things that caught my eye, and hopefully spark some conversation.

Since this blog is made using iWeb I thought this a good place to start. Not that much has changed.

Some people wonder what iWeb can be used to do. Well, it’s to create your own websites, duh. In the vein of all things Apple it is pretty simple and straightforward. Open it and start using. This blog area is a basic example of the, “this is so easy a caveman can do it.” I didn’t really do much more than open a template and start throwing in photos from the media browser and typing away. Pretty much any media from iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie can drag and drop to add for your site.

I have to admit, my use is pretty straightforward and easy, but I have seen some really amazing things done by my friends and co workers with iWeb. A great way to stay in touch with distance family and friends, or blabber. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t Dreamweaver or any other major program of complexity, but it really holds it’s own, and certainly gives more control than Blogspot, Facebook, or Myspace.

The two things that were changed/added are.... well one is pretty useful and the other kind of fun.

The first deals with where your site lives. It seems natural that iWeb uploads to a Mobile Me account, which is what I do, but I’m not silly enough to believe everyone wants a Mobile Me account. The default uploads to Mobile Me, but now it is easy to select your own site through the built in FTP server. Simply select the site of your choice in the left column within the iWeb, in the central pane the a “Publish To:” pop up menu let’s you select FTP and then enter the data from your ISP. That is much more simple than previous iterations. I have to say, I like it.

The other is the “Widgets.” Not really a fan of the feature, yet. It certainly looks as though they are setting it up to be so much more, and it may be still. It certainly makes it easier to add HTML snippets. Stuff like counting down to our company’s 20 year anniversary.

Not nearly as much change as with the other iLife apps, except for maybe iDVD, but still some good stuff. Can’t wait to play with the other programs. I have already been doing some things, very addicting things, with iPhoto, but that is for another blog.

To HD or Not To HD...

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 15:15:05 -0700

Several years ago Apple made the big switch from OS 9 to OS X (That is pronounced “ten.”) And I? I was that guy who kept booting my system in to 9. I could manipulate and do things in 9 that were just so alien and foreign in ten. I was pretty unhappy about the whole thing until about 10.1.5 or 10.2. Then out of necessity for the job stayed in ten from then on. Don’t tell anyone, but I still have a folder that was the basis of my last OS 9 partition on my computer.

Having that out of the way I want you to picture those annoying commercials on TV talking about the change to digital. You know, the ones with news folks from all the local station describing how if by February you don’t make the switch, either by converter box or new TV, you and your beloved idiot box will be left in the dark?

I have procrastinated. In fact, my father had ordered a couple of the converter boxes months and months ago then promptly stuffed them in a closet. A month or so ago I went scavenging and found one. I decided it would be an interesting novelty to play around and hooked it up to one of the TV’s at the house.

Still I wasn’t ready to make the switch. Crap I bought my TV only a couple of years ago.

Then Christmas came. My kids have been bugging me for a while about a bigger screen, but it was finally the wife that pushed me over the edge. The room was really crowded with the entertainment center and then there were the DVDs. We usually get a few for Christmas and for some reason my younger kids can’t seem to put them away. A couple of years ago the dog chewed up both Batman Begins and Fantastic Four. So enough was enough for her.

Digital we are going, and as long as I was bitting off a huge chunk I thought to myself, “Self, you ought to make a video blog of this.” Because you see, the Mac is the center of our digital lifestyle, with the Apple TV thrown in the mix and all the cool things that can be done it was time to show how it all comes together, and why this is something just about anyone can do.

Stay tuned.

MacWorld

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:22:29 -0700

In recent years folks have, tongue in cheek, called MacWorld, iPodWorld. Ok, maybe not so much tongue in cheek, but this past week a bomb was dropped on the Macintosh world. Steve Jobs will not present the keynote address, and oh yeah, Apple will no longer participate in future MacWorld Expos.

Rumors have flown as to why, and back in July I wrote a bit about Mr. Jobs health. That’s one theory about why he is bailing on the keynote this year, but until Apple says something a little more concrete, or Jobs personally, no one will really know. Your guess is as good as mine.

My wife says I am way too nostalgic, and I suppose that is true. When I heard the news I regretted passing on attending this year. Then I started the trip down memory lane.

My first MacWorld was in 1994, dates me a wee bit, but that was one of the more memorable. Back in them there days the show really was for resellers and large corporate customers to meet and chat with people about all things Macintosh. It was before the dot com bubble burst and Apple’s lean time. People gave away lots o’ “schwag.”

If you don’t know Mark Oberg he was the guy for Mac stuff back in them days and watching him work vendors at a show was something to behold. We would have contests to see who could come home with the most stuff, mainly tee shirts, but really, it was no contest. If you have known our company for more than the past nine years you may remember there was a wall of classic and rare Mac related shirts hanging on the wall. Mark’s gift to Utah Macindom. Alas, I know not the fate of those shirts. Besides, after a few years my wife began to threaten me about bringing any more tees home.

The next few years melt together. There were a few things that stood out, but for the life of me I couldn’t put them chronologically.

I’m a bit of a football fanatic. Not as much as a Mac fanatic, but close. One of those mid nineties years I got a chance to hear Bill Walsh, the legendary Forty Niner coach speak. It was really great. Another year Dick Enberg the very longtime football commentator spoke at an event. I think I got a little football at that one.

I don’t know if they still do this, but I used to go to User Group Breakfasts every year. Adobe would sponsor one, Apple and some companies that don’t exist anymore. They would usually have a presenter and give away a piece of software. At least it wasn’t a tee shirt.

One year I actually won an all expense paid trip to the big event. The memory for that one? I got sick and spent most of the week in a very nice hotel room.

Then there was the one where Steve Jobs returned. That may have been my first actual keynote. The board had just ousted Gil Amelio, and Jobs had no official title, except board member. For a few years Apple had been bleeding dollars higher than I can count. I was sitting next to a guy named Bryant as we, like little children, were riveted to every word from king Steve’s mouth. When he announced Apple had turned a profit for the first time in many moons for the proceeding quarter Bryant and I both jumped to our feet applauding. I still remember that deer caught in the headlight moment looking around and realizing we were pretty much the only geeks standing.

It was that same year of the “deal with the devil.” Microsoft sunk some millions of dollars in Apple for non voting stock and agreed to write Office for the Mac again.

And one more thing, Steve took the title “iCEO.” The “i” supposedly for interim. We all know what happened to the “i.”

Perhaps my favorite all time MacWorld was the year I took my oldest son. He was fifteen at the time. I’m not really a party type person so missing all the cocktail hours that year was no big thing. I know he was bored at some of the meetings we attended, but seeing all the games and just Mac stuff was really something. He is kind of a picky eater, but he actually liked the “Stinky Rose” restaurant. What is that you ask? In a word, garlic.

So here I sit in a bit of a funk. Something that has been such a part of my life for the past two decades will fade in to history after this January. And I don’t even get to go. At least some one won’t get angry about the tee shirts anymore.

Light and Speedy

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 10:45:05 -0700

With all the Apple ads touting the new notebooks as being completely recyclable I thought it was about time to comment on the latest portables. To help I asked a few of the guys at the shop for some input.

The service guys seem happier with the design in general. Starting back with the very first iBook Apple made the take apart very difficult. It seemed to reach a climax of complexity with the white G3 and G4 iBooks. In the last iteration of the MacBook the HD and RAM were very accessible and required minimal skill to swap, but some of the internal parts were more processor intensive. Never the less, steps in the right direction as far as the service guys are concerned.

We also expect to see fewer broken latches, since the new Pros finally don’t have one, but catch up to the 98 iBook and close like a jewelry box. Gotta love that one.

The new MacBooks and Pros are a significant leap forward in work ability. Most internal parts were described as a “snap.” The only exception being the keyboard. So for all of you who are prone to eat or drink over your computer thinking you can just get the keyboard replaced, think again.

Some of the users have mixed feelings.

For me, personally, the glossy screen is still a bit of a hang up. I definitely see the positives, easy to clean, tougher to scratch or damage, greater tensile strength in case of drop. But here I sit, and every few minutes my watch catches the light and reflects across the screen drawing my attention away from what I am really doing. The glare is not my friend. I have to admit, others love the gloss and claim there is a greater color saturation.

The performance doesn’t seem to be significantly better than it’s predecessor, but then again I’m not doing heavy Photoshop or Final Cut work. I am thrilled with the better video card in the Pro models. In fact, when people ask I frequently recommend video card being a more valuable upgrade than raw processor speeds.

The trackpad takes a little getting used to. The many things it does is like rotating, multi-finger gesturing and the like haven’t caught up to me yet. It is funny when I use an older system and try to two finger scroll. Still, the new trackpad without the button is a little touchy for me. I frequently click something I hadn’t intended. And yep, I click at the bottom as if the button were still there even though I can click anywhere.

I saved my biggest gripe for the end. It really is more about the MacBook and not the Pro, but as long as I am whining. I can sum it up in one word, Firewire. Apple invented a great data transport method and doesn’t use it on everything. I can see catering to Windows users and opting for USB 2, but really, removing it from the MacBook was a big mistake. It has become a real hassle transferring data from an older CPU to the new model. If you have ever tried, we have, see how long it takes to transfer data from a USB Hard Drive, and from a Firewire 400 Hard Drive. Theoretically, it should be about the same. Theory is nice, in theory.

From a service stand point we use FireWire Hard Drives as a tool to diagnose problems. Problemo.

The Pro’s are better, but now they only have the 9 pin 800 connector for Firewire. I should be grateful they kept that, but all my older devices have only 400 connectors. It really is trivial to get a 6 pin to 9 pin cable, but still a hassle, and crap, I can’t use my computer as a Firewire hub.

Last gripe. Where is the 17 inch model?

Don’t get me wrong. There is plenty to love about the new stuff. They are lighter sleek and sexy, all the stuff that makes a Mac a Mac. And in the final analysis, would I rather have this new one or the previous model? The new one for sure.

Questions are Easier Than Answers

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:10:04 -0700

It is becoming more common to have folks come in tired of Windows. Tired of the viruses, tired of the pop-ups, tired of the spyware, tired of the crashes. I imagine some of it is a little exaggerated. The whole I’m a Mac, I’m a PC commercial helps.

Speaking of the commercials, what’s up with the ones Microsoft is running to counter the Apple ads? Yeah, I am biased, but are they kidding? Everyone in the ads, with the exception of Eva and Tony, only make the PC image look..... more geeky. People talking into their webcams?

I digress.

When people come in with their concerns we really need to get to the bottom of what they want their new Mac to do. A lot of people have pretty basic needs.

At the near end are people who do nothing more than surf the internet, get email, mess a little with their digital photos and store their music. Those folks are the easy ones. Music for most, even on PCs, is already in iTunes. ITunes gives people the shoe in. The metaphor in iTunes is similar to all of Apple’s applications including the Finder. Once people understand this, showing the actual computer makes the change easy. These folks may be the most likely switchers.

The second group are those who maybe once had a Mac, oh, say 10, 15 years ago, but for some reason switched. The reason, usually, “because the whole world went PC”. But whatever, they want to give it one more shot because the pendulum is swinging. The problem is they have that one program they have to have. This one takes some diggin, because on occasion there is an alternative program on the Mac that will do the job, and sometimes better. Or, the program itself is already written for the Mac. Another possibility is that it isn’t a program at all, but simply some sort of internet app.

A last resort for this group is to run it under some sort of virtualization. Parallels and VM ware are actually pretty darn good for this scenario. If it is just one app this is a really good solution. Or lest we forget Apple’s own Bootcamp, which allows the Mac to run Windows just like any other PC. Bootcamp I suggest is only for those few apps that must be run by a full PC. Strange as it sounds I had one client who bought a Mac a few years back, installed Bootcamp and runs it purely as a windows box. The really odd part is that every application he ran was written for Mac. Go figure.

Last are people deep into some sort of office that all but ban the use of Macs, but they really want to make the leap. In all honesty I usually tell these folks it may be a bad idea. I know it sounds odd, but it really could be a big disservice in the long run. The problem for them really lies in their corporate IT, and trust me when I say that that is a whole blog all by itself.

We have helped numerous people make this change. Truthfully, some have been an overwhelming success, others not so much.

The “not so much” category usually is with the group that is running some specialized Windows program in virtualization. They just expect it to be a Mac experience running a PC. If that sounds like a contradiction to you, it is. When expectations aren’t met, well you know the rest.

Here is the one thing I tell anyone making the big switch. You have to give yourself a little time. The biggest problem PC users have once they get their Mac is thinking it is a PC. They usually make things much more difficult than they are. In my experience it takes.... about two months, sometimes three, but then the real switch happens between the ears. The comments after that are something like, “Wow, I can’t believe how easy this really is.” and, “What was I thinking all those years, I should have done this a long time ago.”

Is the switch for everyone? Probably not, but it could be for most, and if it is for you we are happy to help you through.

Letters, Letters Everywhere

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:51:30 -0600

Since I began playing this game a couple of decades ago there seems to be one aspect of the Mac that haunts most, if not all users. In fact it really is the first thing that made a Mac a Mac, other than the graphical user interface.

What is it you may ask? I’m glad you asked, it’s fonts.

Huh? No seriously. If you are old enough to remember how PC’s worked prior to the Mac, say when you had to type that college English report, it took all sorts of gyrations to get the formatting correct. That didn’t even touch if you wanted (gasp) a different font. Then along came Adobe and Apple and suddenly you could load font families not specifically for a program that could be used across all applications. Really, that sounds kind of ridiculous now, but way back when that was a biggie.

You have probably heard that every time a problem is solved it creates ten others? Fonts kind of did that. The issue became how do you manage the critters? Frankly, the answer still isn’t crystal clear, but it is much better.

In the old days of pre system Seven on the Mac you needed to use a nifty little tool called Font/DA mover to get the fonts (or Desk Accessories) loaded. Font Libraries were pretty small back then for the average user and output required a printer font beside the other half screen font.

If you’re still reading you can see that this became very difficult to follow. Attempts at changing the fonts to True Type and Open Face have provided some relief. The OS itself has given more, but still this can be a night mare.

The solution has become some sort of Font Management program. The 2000 pound gorilla in this arena is Suitcase. It has been around for a lot of years, and has been bought and sold numerous times. There are several others out there from different companies, and before OS X, Adobe tried with ATM, which actually was pretty good. If there wasn’t a problem still, after 20 years, there wouldn’t be a half dozen programs on the market to solve the problem.

I don’t want to dump on Suitcase too bad, but it really has become..... a so, so program. It does the job alright, but I have found something I like a whole lot better. Font Agent Pro has certainly become my favorite.

Back in the early nineties I was sent on one of my first service calls to organize some one’s font mess. I was asked to put everything in alphabetical sets. Needless to say that was a long and tedious process. As a side note the client really didn’t want it alphabetical, but rather in font families, another huge chunk of time.

Why am I whining again about the “good ol days?” It’s because I had an opportunity not too long ago to do this for another client, but this time I had Font Agent. Guess what? Font Agent does this very organization for you. If you have a mess of fonts in a folder you can add them to Font Agent and it will do the alphabetical, by family ordering for you. And, like all good font management packages this one will auto activate fonts from within programs like Photoshop, Indesign and even Quark. Wait! There’s more. It will even tell you if fonts are damaged, or if you have more than one font with the same name what the probability based on a percentage scale which one you really want to use.

In the immortal words of Steve, there’s one more thing. Recently they added a server version to the mix. A few years back I set up a few Suitcase Font servers, the process wasn’t awful, but it required a lot of double entry of users on the server. Font Agent server uses the open directory standard so all the users on the OS X server, are already users for Font Agent.

You can guess that a little blog about typefaces is sorely inadequate to describe the in’s out’s and grief’s about fonts, but hopefully you can see there is the possibility of some relief.

Form Follows Function

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:25:38 -0600

When I was a kid my family had motorcycles. You could say I grew up on a bike. I remember before I could reach the peddles my older brother would let me control the throttle and steer. (Sounds a little risky even to me now) I learned to ride by myself on a Honda Trail 70. I always imagined the song “Little Honda” was about that little 70. Of course I eventually out grew the bike and dreamed of something a little bigger. The time arrived when I was fourteen. I had been delivering newspapers for two years and had managed to save a little. My older brother also was looking for a new bike and the two of us went off to find the right ride.

Now you’re asking why the autobiography, and what does it have to do with my computer. Patience, I’m just about there.

At the Honda dealer I was so excited I could barely stand myself. In situations like that I usually get tunnel vision and don’t remember much, but there was a poster hanging on the wall that I will never forget.

I had already learned to ask the question, “Will you throw in the helmet with the motorcycle?”

The poster was the reply. It simply stated, “If you have a ten dollar head, wear a ten dollar helmet.”

Nearly everyday when some one picks up their new Mac notebook computer we are asked, “Will you throw in a bag with the computer? Because the, corporate store, mail order catalog, your competitor will.” To be honest, we have had the opportunity to give a few bags away with notebook purchase, but the reality is, they are the least expensive bags possible.

I know if you are actually reading my blog you are most likely a Mac user, which means you at least have an inkling of quality. In initial expense Mac’s are a little more expensive. Not necessarily in the long run, but that is fodder for another blog. So it amazes me when a Mac user asks for the cheapest alternative to protect their investment. Or, when they choose not to protect their investment at all.

A good motorcycle helmet is fitted for your noggin. Too frequently people who come in decline the bag on the premise, “I’m just going to use the old bag I used with my Gateway.” I suppose it is better than nothing, but nothing works as well as a custom fit. That’s why we only carry bags specifically made for Macs. No generic, one size fits all, rather specifically sized and fitted for your new bundle of joy.

Just like you should be pre-qualified for what type of motorcycle you should use, you should also have the same criteria for your laptop and it’s bag. Will you be riding in the dirt? Or mainly on the road? Will you be traveling cross country or just back and forth to the office?

Is the protection you need for a unit that really is more of a desktop and doesn’t really move? If so, Speck makes a hard case shell that is transparent. You can even get them in shades of red or blue for the die hard Ute and Cougar fans. Still too heavy? Back in June Alex wrote about the invisible shield product that can be applied to your book. Both methods will keep it from getting scratched, and still will fit in a larger bag. Admittedly a little tight with the Speck case, but still works well.

How bout if you simply carry it from one location at work to another? There are several great sleeve products available. The Incase line, the Tuscano line, or there is a local manufacturer called Isis. Isis makes their sleeves with memory foam giving a little extra shock protection. The downside, besides the lack or protection, is that the sleeve only carries the book itself, no power adaptor extra cables, Airport Express, nada. That is why I suggest it be used in short carry areas, like within a larger office where you have a power adaptor at two desks or areas. Or a sleeve may be great in tandem with a larger bag.

There are dozens of messenger, over the shoulder, bags, brief case style and back packs available. We have really liked the bags from Brenthaven and STM among others.

The anecdotal story about the Brenthaven line and why we started carrying them goes something like this. Our long time very trusted Apple rep, Phil Hunter, brought one of the bags to the shop several years ago with his own computer. He had just been in a meeting with the owner of Brenthaven. He described the beginning of the meeting with the Brenthaven guy throwing his computer up against the wall. Yes, it was in the bag. He then removed it and showed that the computer was in perfect condition.

I would never advocate throwing your computer against the wall no matter how good the bag, Just like I would never suggest crashing your motorcycle just to test the helmet.

Next is the hard core heavy duty traveler who is very concerned with protection. The hard shell metal cases survive quite a bit of punishment.

Personally, I have carried a varied of Brenthaven and STM bags. They have all gone through their own ordeals. I can still remember when my youngest was about three. He couldn’t quite reach something on the table and my computer in it’s bag were handy. He dragged the bag across the floor and promptly stood dead center and reached. I freaked. But, never fear, not a dent or a scratch.

Usually the most expensive repair for a notebook computer is screen replacement. I have seen many a grown men bit their lower lip at the service counter lamenting their lack of protection. That can be caused by an accidental drop, a clumsy doorman, or a height challenged child, but adequate protection can go a long way to diminish the possibility of damage.

If you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro now, or are about to buy one. ask yourself, “If you don’t have a ten dollar laptop, why would you buy a ten dollar bag?”

Data Back Up

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 09:34:46 -0600

Bryan takes the pen in hand.

Imagine this scenario: 7AM on Friday morning. You’ve been up all night working on that project that’s due, “by noon tomorrow or you may as well look for another job!!” as your boss puts it. You’ve got your project finished, and just as you go to print the file...your computer freezes!! (I know, that doesn’t happen on a Mac, but indulge me if you will). You try everything to get it working again, but it’s frozen. There’s no getting past it. So you resort to the unthinkable...a hard shut down. Holding in the power button and praying that the computer gods will smile upon you for a brief moment, you stare into the blank LCD screen as if willing it back to life...nothing. No power, no chime, nothing. What happens next!?

Well, in a perfect world, you’ve realized that this is the most important project you have worked on ever, that your job and livelihood depend on this single file, and as such you have been backing up to an external hard drive or a flash drive throughout the creation of the project. If this were the case, all of your problems are solved, the day is saved, and your family can survive on your income another day! Hooray! But let’s hypothetically say that it’s not a perfect world, and you haven’t remembered to back up on your own. What now? Well, you have a few options. One, you’re off to Mexico or Canada never to be heard from again, or two you can bring the computer to MacDocs. We can often run data recovery on a hard drive and pull the file that you need. We’ll even email it to your boss for you if needed!

“Well what if my hard drive is the reason the computer won’t boot?”, you say. MacDocs can still attempt data recovery, but sometimes a drive dies and software recovery utilities just won’t cut it. There are professional data recovery facilities that you can send the drive to, but you don’t have 3 weeks or an extra couple thousand dollars to spend. Let me get to the point now that you have this lovely picture painted in your minds.

BE PROACTIVE ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR DATA!! There is nothing more important in the computer world than data backup. I talk to multiple clients every week who are devastated when I have to deliver the news that their hard drive has failed and software data recovery will not be an option. There is NEVER a reason not to have a backup of your data if it is important to you. There are many backup options out there. Apple offers it’s MobileMe package which includes online data backup options. If you’re not too keen on storing your personal files online, the Leopard operating system makes it easier to backup to an external drive than ever! All it requires is about a 2 minute setup with the program Time Machine, and an external hard drive. I am never more relieved than when I call a client to deliver the bad news, only to hear them tell me in a proud voice, “I have a Time Machine backup, so don’t worry about the data.” (Are there any sweeter words?). PLEASE, back up your data.

You can never have too many backup plans. If your company has you working on files directly from a server, that’s great, but make sure they have a backup solution (i.e. Some sort of redundant RAID) set up for that server. If possible, keep a backup copy on the server and make a backup for yourself on an external hard drive or flash drive (we like flash drives as they are less prone to failure than hard drives. Too bad they’re so expensive to get in the large sizes. For your really important data, family photos, personal documents, taxes records, etc., you may want to do the following: leave a copy on your computer, keep a backup on an external hard drive, burn a copy to DVD, and if possible, store one of your backups in a safe place like a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. We actually offer off site back up options for a fee that are stored in fire proof safes. I know it sounds a little extreme, but imagine how happy you’ll be when, after the devastation of a fire or natural disaster, you still have a copy of your most important documents safely tucked away.

The moral of this story (in case it hasn’t been clear already): BACK UP often and if possible, to multiple backup locations. We care about your data almost as much as you do, and we mourn with you when it gets lost. Please, please, please, back up!

Up Yours

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:50:01 -0600

When you are thinking about purchasing a new computer, what is generally the reason? Because your current computer is slowing down, you have a new program that your system can't support, the computer has stopped working, or you just want that shiny new iMac. But before you rush off and burn through some of that cold hard cash, take a moment to think about what your needs really are. Sometimes a new computer isn't the answer to your problems at all. Sometimes all you need is a few upgrades and your computer, while not new, will be able to handle all the tasks that you are hoping to accomplish.  When your computer appears to be slowing down on you, its probably due to the fact that the programs are requiring more of the system. Even web based programs might cause a slight lag in the system. A quick solution to this is upgrading your RAM. Think of RAM like short term memory. The more things that your computer can be thinking about at once, the faster it can do things like switch between or load programs. Another thing that can be slowing a computer down is lack of hard drive space. Lets say you have an 80GB hard drive and you have less than a gigabyte of free space left. Lack of disk space slows the computer down because many programs require a certain amount of disk space for what is called 'scratch memory'. Additionally, think about the programs that you are running. For example, if you are running Microsoft Office as your production suit, you might want to consider switching to iWork, as it takes less system resources. This holds true for a variety of programs.  So if your computer is slowing down, look at these things and consider upgrading the RAM, hard drive or look into changing your programs up a bit.  If it's a fancy new game or editing program thats got you looking at new computers, check the system requirements on the program. Lets say it requires a 1GHz processor, OS X 10.4 and 512MB of RAM. You have a 1GHz processor, OS X 10.3 and 256MB of RAM. Instead of buying a whole new machine, simple upgrades like RAM and an new OS can go a long way in lengthening the usability of your machine.  Next up is the big one, you have a problem with your machine. Its stopped booting, has lines across the screen, its not charging, ect. Most times people think that the machine is toast. This is often not the case and a simple repair with fix it. If your machine is having issues, take it into a service facility and have them take a look at it. Usually you will find that the problem is generally not a severe as you might have thought, and certainly a cheaper alternative to a new machine.  Now sometimes upgrades and repairs are not going serve your purpose. At a certain point machines are truly beyond their usable life and you need really do need to look at buying a new machine if you want to stay current. But there is no reason to do this before you absolutely need to.