Apple stuff - Mac, iPad, iphone

[The Nr Fairy]

Two schools of thought here. First is to reinstall everything from scratch on the new laptop and migrate only the data across.

Second is to use the Migration Assistant. Worked for me with a whole bunch of software including VMware and some more esoteric stuff.

[ZEEBEE]

I have a 3 year old MBP 17" which I want to swap for the latest model.

Does anyone know if I restore from Timemachine backups whether my Parallels 5 + WINDOWS + MS Office applications will be restored perfectly? What about the Mac MS Office programs?

Yep, worked perfectly for me.

But you have to boot from the Mac OSX disks that came with the machine, I'm assuming you were using Mac OSX 10.6 before.
Then select utilities when the system disks boot up on your new machine.
Then select RESTORE from there.
I do that between my IMac 24 and my MacBook Pro whenever there's a big change between the two (happens when I go away).

Time machine has saved me months of time and both my computers are absolutely synched.
If you use the method above your Windows programs carry on as if nothing happened.:ok:

[Bell_Flyer]

Thanks Nr Fairy and ZEEBEE.

Timemachine is a godsend indeed!

[Sprogget]

Seems all is not well with the ipad...

iPad launch marred by technical glitches - Times Online (http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article7088268.ece)

Not anti Apple in particular, although I do think their gear is horrendously overpriced, but it does add weight to the argument that being an early adopter is a risky thing to do...

[Ancient Observer]

Yup. When I worked in the IT world, our CIO was very keen not to be on the bleeding edge. His head of development loved the bleeding edge, but loved his bonus even more.

On the pricing issue, Apple i-whatevers seem to have created a new "aspirational pricing ceiling", to which all the other bl**dy manufacturers aspire. Top-end Nokias used to be not too far over UKP100, now they are up there with bl**dy Apple.

They've also learnt from Mont Blanc, and trips to Sin and Hkg don't yield much cheaper prices, unless one is happy with the knock-offs.

[Simonta]

I've had a Mac Book for some time and have almost stopped using it. I've come to find Windows 7 just easier to use, especially when dealing with a lot of file operations. OSX has always had, and still has, all kinds of annoying bugs and one that gets me often is it's habit of barfing over a single file in a large copy or move operation then ditching the entire process. Have to drop to a terminal prompt! Safari is simply a dog in most respects and iTunes is a terrible piece of software IMHO.

Then Mrs T got an iPhone. Seems to be riddled with bugs also (it's a 3G 2.2 firmware). In three days of usage:


The email inbox has screwed up showing just a black screen with none of the buttons operational - needs a soft reset
The SIM contact import simply doesn't work - it says "importing" for about 2 seconds then stops with no message or feedback and no contacts copied from the SIM
Auto-redirect on web pages doesn't work at all
Safari has crashed several times
On O2, have had to switch to Edge and back to 3G once to get HSPDAMy next phone will probably be HTC running Android and I won't be hurrying to spend a lot of pennies on another Mac PC....

[Simonta]

To expand on the horrendously overpriced hardware topic, I'm mulling over buying Snow Leopard to run on a standard PC. I have seen many conflicting statements on the legality of this but the majority concur that it's verboten.

Can anyone comment authoritatively? If I buy a full retail copy of Snow Leopard, can I run it on my own hardware?

Thanks for any insights.

[mcdhu]

Help please chaps.

Got the nice new iMac sitting on the desk here so I thought I'd set about transferring all the iTunes music so put all 20Gbs on a big 30Gb iPod from the Windows PC iTunes and had a look at iTunes on the Mac expecting the library to be blank. Yup, you 'Macficionados' will already know - it was already there!! How did it do that?

The setup is the Win Xp SP3 PC hard wired to a Netgear Wireless Modem Router with all the family iTunes music on it (circa 20GBs)

The iMac has connected to the wireless network. PC and Mac on iTunes 9.1.
The Mac has the library but not the playlists. Is there any way I can 'import' the playlist structure to save me redoing them on the mac. Home sharing?

Any help is gratefully received.

Cheers
mcdhu

[Jet II]

To expand on the horrendously overpriced hardware topic, I'm mulling over buying Snow Leopard to run on a standard PC. I have seen many conflicting statements on the legality of this but the majority concur that it's verboten.

Can anyone comment authoritatively? If I buy a full retail copy of Snow Leopard, can I run it on my own hardware?

Thanks for any insights.

You can run it - I loaded Snow Leopard onto a Dell Mini for travel - But by doing so you violate the End User Licence Agreement (EULA), which everyone installing Leopard is supposed to read and accept, says:

"This Licence allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so."

I actually have an Apple logo sticker on the Dell - although I'm not sure that this is what Apple had in mind when they talk about an 'Apple-labeled computer' ;)

[Simonta]

Jet II, thanks for the definitive reply.

[Aspen20]

Just got myself a Macbook air. I have office mac 2008 installed. My logbook is a excel spreadsheet, which is now converted to an xls.x file. The file can't be opened on a windows based pc now. Anyone with any idea how the file can be reconverted to a xls file for windows to open. thanks in advance

[Senior Pilot]

Either update your PC Excel, or save your Excel files in .xls format: the same will apply to Word docs and Powerpoint. Office:Mac will default to the .xlsx, .docx and .pptx file format.

Go to Preferences for each programme, 'Save' tab, then change the preferred "Save .... files as" to the 97-2004 option.

Resave your logbook file and it should now be in .xls format.

[Bushfiva]

Microsoft has a compatibility pack that will let older versions of Office open the new file formats. Google will find it: Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack

[Aspen20]

None of my airbus CBT discs work on the Mac. I don't know what language the discs are written in.

My only option at this stage is to make the mac a dual boot system. Are there any better ideas out there?. Thanks in advance.

[AppleMacster]

Aspen 20,

You could try using Crossover (http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/). It may or may not work. However, there's a free trial before you buy it, so give it a go and see what happens. It lets you run Windows applications without having to install Windows. A cleaner, leaner way of running Windows applications.

Applemacster

[ZEEBEE]

Aspen20

It may or may not work with CrossOver (probably not).

However, I'll take a bet and say that it will definitely work with Parallels5
You can download a fully working trial copy and run it for a month. I believe they have a special going at the moment for about $69.

For what it does, it represents awesome value. Lets you run any of the Windows OS's and in many cases gives you more control over the Win programs than a native Windows installation.

I try to use the Mac OS for as much as is possible, but when I have to soil my hands with Win32 software (as is inevitable) then Parallels5 makes it do-able.
There's no doubt that there must be some programs that won't run under it (Geosoft Montaj V7 is supposed not to, but I have found a way to do it and it's not difficult) but there's often a solution even then.

[Jet II]

I use Parallels to run my CBT programs - works like a charm :ok:

[Mac the Knife]

Parallels requires a true-blue copy of Windows which it runs in a virtual machine on the Mac.

CrossOver does NOT require a copy of Windows but seeks to emulate the Windows environment that programs expect.

They are thus very different animals.

Parallels will pretty much run any Windows program (as expected)

CrossOver (and Wine) is getting better and better, and a lot of Windows programs will run under it, some more successfully than others.

But MS keeps moving their proprietary goalposts so CrossOver/Wine will always be a few steps behind in terms of compatibility.

Mac

:ok:

[Aspen20]

I think here is a case of serious finger trouble. Parallels 5 seems to be loaded. Cant find the cd rom with the CBT disc in. Other times I get the following message. Can't open 16 bit programme. I have windows 7 installed

[ZEEBEE]

Aspen

It's possible that the CDRom drive isn't allocated to your virtual machine.

You should select "Devices" from the parallels menu and ensure that the CDROM is ticked.

Also, if you haven't done so, please ensure that Guest Services are installed under your virtual machine.

It provides a much greater access to the system resources than those without.

Good luck...Z

[Aspen20]

ZEEBEE

Your'e a star. Got it to work from the cd rom. Is there a way to save the discs to the MAC and then open when necessary. I've saved one of the discs to the desk top, but then it won't open. I get a message. Cant find cdrom

[mcdhu]

Nice new iMac, but I haven't yet managed to make it print anything!! It's getting embarassing!

The config is that a Canon MP520 is connected via USB to a Dell Dimension running Win Xp SP3 which is itself connected to a netgear DG834G V3 Wireless modem Router so that various devices and laptops can access the network and also print. The nice new iMac is also happily connected to the wireless network.

The iMac seems to recognise the printer, but when I press print, nothing happens. There appears to be drivers installed (10.26.0.0) and the printer icon comes up ok although it is unable to provide printer information which seems to me that the iMac is not 'talking' to the printer.

Am I missing something? Indeed, am I asking the impossible for a Mac to print via a printer connected to a Win Xp PC. Do I need the 'sharing' button pressed?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

mcdhu

[ZEEBEE]

Aspen20.

Thanks, it's good to hear that it worked.

I think that you can save the CD as a .IMG using "Disk Utility" found in the utilities folder in your applicatons.

I haven't tried it but I'm told that it's the way to go when you don't want to keep inserting disks.

You'll need to put in a place that's accessible to your Win virtual machine.

I'll give it a try and come back.

Nice new iMac, but I haven't yet managed to make it print anything!! It's getting embarassing!

mcdhu

I suspect that this is more to do with your Dell spooling than it does with the mac.

Does the document appear in the spooler of the Win printer queue ?

If not, then I would revisit the printer sharing settings on the Dell.

[mcdhu]

ZeeBee, thanks. Stopped and restarted the print spooler service on the Dell.

Tried to print a test page twice. It is shown on the iMac Canon icon as 2 jobs waiting but nothing happens.

I also notice that there are no flashing lights on the router when I hit print so presumably the signal is not leaving the iMac to the router.

Any settings I need to make here?

mcdhu

[Saab Dastard]

Indeed, am I asking the impossible for a Mac to print via a printer connected to a Win Xp PC. Do I need the 'sharing' button pressed?


No, it's not impossible, but you need to ensure that some things are in place and configured correctly.

Here's a useful guide:

Printer Sharing - Windows XP Printer Sharing With Mac OS X 10.5 (http://macs.about.com/od/macwindows/ss/sharewinprinter.htm)

More via google (share windows printer with apple mac).

SD

[mcdhu]

Thanks SD. Tried once - didn't work!! But, as you say, there is a fair amount there if you Google specifically enough!

I only bought this thing because everybody says it takes the pain out of it all; I can see how this might be - potentially.

mcdhu

[The Nr Fairy]

There may be pain - but it will be about learning to do things differently, not about frustration with unexplained oddities, which IMHO is better.

[mcdhu]

Still no joy - the darn thing recognises the printer, but will not print. No 'winking of router lights', no ink details, and yet it knows it!! Mac website instructions followed to the letter and all that it said should happen, actually happened ie various dropdowns etc.

I see from the support website you can arrange a 'phoneafriend' - that's the next port of call!!!

Grrrrr
mcdhu

[mcdhu]

Even 'phonafriend' - aka Applecare - couldn't fix it, meanwhile demanding a faxed copy of the receipt!!

4 weeks on - no printing. Could be back to Windows soon! Looks pretty - doesn't work!

mcdhu

[le Pingouin]

Hmmm, have you considered the possibility that it's a Windows problem you're blaming Apple for?

If there's a setting on your Windows system that's causing the problem no amount of poking or prodding your Mac will make it work. Windows is notorious for not playing nicely with anything but Windows.

[mcdhu]

i am finally told that it is not possible to print from the iMac to a printer that is wired to a PC that is itself not wireless even although the PC is connected to a wireless modem router. Apparently, in this case, the printer should be connected to the router, but no USB on the router!

Perhaps the answer is to buy another printer and wire it to the iMac!!

Anyway - sorted!!

mcdhu

[WeatherJinx]

i am finally told that it is not possible to print from the iMac to a printer that is wired to a PC that is itself not wireless even although the PC is connected to a wireless modem router. Apparently, in this case, the printer should be connected to the router, but no USB on the router!

Whoever told you that, told you a load of nonsense. Printer sharing is perfectly possible between Macs and PCs, no matter whether the printer is connected to the PC via USB or it is connected via the router.

There's just something wrong somewhere in your case, that's all (possibly something related to port setup, or 'print services for Unix' not being enabled on the PC).

But if you've managed to sort it another way, then fine.

[BOAC]

If you all promise not to scream with hysterical laughter, 'Windows' BOAC is giving serious consideration to 'dabbling' in the Apple world. Not wishing to fork out too much of his hard-earned dosh for a 'look-see' he is looking at the Apple Store 'refurbished' laptops. Any views?

[BOAC]

Thanks Cesco - I have been looking online.

[rgbrock1]

BOAC:

So are we to understand that you are make the first small steps away from the Dark Side?!!!!!!

[BOAC]

Not yet - my torch batteries are flat................................

[The Nr Fairy]

BTW, mcdhu, this may be of interest (Mac general, not printing, sorry):

Ten free apps to install on every new Mac ? (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/05/13/ten_essential_freeware_mac_apps/)

[mcdhu]

Many thanks Nr Fairy.

mcdhu

[mcdhu]

OMG - it's me again!!

Anyone else's online banking been upset by the recent upgrade to Safari 5?

Cheers
mcdhu

[The Nr Fairy]

No. Swapped to Chrome from Firefox a few weeks ago.

Never used Safari in anger.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I upgraded a week ago and it seems to be a bit 'jumpy' at times, though only on certain websites and perhaps because of various plug-ins showing featured content etc. It also appears to be slower than Safari 4 in loading pages so far. I realised that after reading what has happened to many other users, that my niggles are small and i should be thankful :hmm::8

As always the first versions are 'buggy', so as the previous poster did, maybe switch to Firefox/Chrome for the next few weeks until they sort out the bugs. Chrome, although good leaves me uncomfortable with the amount of info that the "do no evil" company uses from browsing.



SHJ

[ExXB]

I've got a couple of external HDs connected via USB to my airport. Neither Disk Utility nor Diskwarrior can see the drives - although they both see Firewire drives.

Neither USB HD are bootable.

I'd like to do a disk verify / repair if needed.

Any ideas?

[MacBoero]

Disk Utility will only access locally connected drives if memory serves.

Also, why do you believe that you should be able to boot from a drive remotely connected to an Airport Basestation?

[ExXB]

Does that mean that I would be able to access them if they were connected to my iMac, rather than the airport? I've got them connected to the airport so both my iMac and my wife's Powerbook can access them (when the other is turned off or asleep).

I know I can't boot from them - I just wanted to make clear that they were for data storage only, i.e. didn't include system files.

[MacBoero]

If you need to do anything using disk utilities like repair permissions or repair the disk, then it would need to be connected directly to the machine running the disk utilities. In a way this makes sense, as during the repair you wouldn't want someone else trying to use it anyway.

[ExXB]

Much appreciated, will give it a go!

Worked perfectly - rebuild the directories on each partition using DiskWarrior - and they needed doing1 :ok:

[Gentleman Jim]

I travel all over the place and before I found the wonders of VLC I had on several (well 5 to be exact) occasions used DVDs from different regions and had reset the 'region' when prompted to do so. I have now run out of options to reset this facility.

The question is can I reset it back to '5 resets'? Is there software or a trick up your sleeve that will help? Macbook Pro OS X 10.5.8

Thanks
GJ

[MacBoero]

It is my understanding that the five allowed region changes is something built into the optical drive itself. Once the OS has changed the setting 5 times it remains fixed at the last chosen region. The only way to get another 5 changes is to replace the drive.

Some earlier drives could be reflashed with different firmware that overcame the limit, but I think these are about as common as rocking horse poo at the moment.

[Unhinged]

The 5 changes limit is built into the optical drive. The only practical way to reset it is to change the whole drive. Google will give you other options which depend on your level of desperation ...

[sprocket check]

Handbrake

A work around only though...

[Argonautical]

I recently had a flash drive that literally made a "crack" type of noise and all my stuff was gone.

Being loathe to lose the photos on it and pay for a commercial package to get them back, I came across a free open source utility called PhotoRec :-

TestDisk Download - CGSecurity (http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download)

You have to run it from the OS X terminal but it did "exactly what it says on the tin" so it may come in useful for people in the future because flash drives or usb sticks are not 100 percent dependable. There is also a PC version which one runs from the command line (DOS prompt).

It is a bit "geeky" but is straightforward to use, mostly selecting options with the arrow keys and then pressing the return key. Despite its name, it attempts to recover all types of files.

[Mac the Knife]

Anyone familiar with the problem of System Preferences stalling/failing to start in OSX/Snow Leopard?

Suggested solutions found on Web include deleting assorted cache files from the user Library but this only cures it for a while.

Only on the MacMini, not the MacBook.

Damned irritating.

:sad:

Mac Mac

[crewmeal]

I'm hopefully buying a Mac pro in the next few days and was wondering what the best way was to transfer Outlook emails over. Also is there any way of converting word docs to the Mac format without having to spend a fortune on software?

Thanks in advance.

[Mac the Knife]

For Outlook emails O2M is well worth the $10 for ease of use - Little Machines (http://www.littlemachines.com/) - though you'll probably only ever use it once. But there are lots of other free solutions out there.

As for Word files, NeoOffice - NeoOffice Home (http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) - is a free Mac specific port of OpenOffice that handles most MS Office files with aplomb (better compatibility than later versions of MS Office) and can read and save in a variety of formats.

:ok:

[mixture]

Also is there any way of converting word docs to the Mac format without having to spend a fortune on software?

From experience with people trying to do things on the cheap with OpenOffice and the like...... your time is more valuable then finding ways to open MS Office documents without MS Office. A MS Office license would be a wise investment.

[Mac the Knife]

"A MS Office license would be a wise investment."

Alas (sic.) no.

MS Office for Mac is less compatible with MS Office for Windows than NeoOffice/OpenOffice - as I have found to my disgust.

NeoOffice/OpenOffice isn't cheap, it is free - an excellent cross-platform office suite used by all the people in my practice with much satisfaction.

Try it, if you don't like it you have lost nothing and you can then shell out much bucks for Microsoft's bug-ridden, insecure, overpriced and proprietary file-format effort.

Mac

(or get Apple's excellent iWork - if you get it with your new machine it'll be cheaper [and better] than :yuk: MSOffice for Mac and it'll read/write and import MSOffice for Windows files nicely)

[mixture]

Depends what you do with it I guess.

Writing letters and simple spreadsheet... then yes, fine,who cares what you use.

Anyhow, each to their own. Not interested in bringing up the old Microsoft debate. I am very much a mac user, but I'm not a fanboy and know it's hard to avoid Microsoft products 100%.... sooner or later you're going to have to concede you'll end up using it (e.g. there will be a need for Windows in VMWare/Parallels/BootCamp because some moron of a web developer thinks Internet Explorer is the only browser out there).

p.s.

NeoOffice/OpenOffice isn't cheap, it is free -

You know very well what I meant when referring to people doing things "on the cheap" ...... 0 < 1 ∴ free=cheap. :ugh::ugh:

[Gummer Bump]

Can anyone recommend a website for good MacPro deals in the UK?

Apols for slight thread drift.

GB

[crewmeal]

I'm buying mine off ebay and saving around £250. You never see Apple macs in any sales, I wonder why?

PC World, Comet, Curry's are all the same price as the Apple shop.

[TwinAisle]

Another thought.... if anyone collects frequent flyer points, many of the schemes have a shopping function, and the online Apple store is featured often. Buy online from them and fill your boots with miles....

TA

[Icarus]

You never see Apple macs in any sales, I wonder why?

For the same reason you never see a sale at Louis Vuitton. There is a significant market for quality and thus there is never a need to put anything on sale.

[aviate1138]

If quality costs a little extra then the example of my new iMac 27" certainly made me enjoy every moment of unpacking and setting up.
Just peeling the clear protective sheets off even the Magic Trackpad was very satisfying!

Having opted for the i7 Core 2.93 GHz quad chip and the ATI 5750 graphics and added 8GB of RAM [12GB total] I can honestly say that the iMac is a joy to use and having had Macs since 1984 this one is not without its missing items [blu ray for one] and I should have gone for the 256 SSD plus 1TB HD instead I chose the 2TB HD option. Cheaper but having tried a pals SSD HD iMac I realise how slow mine is by comparison in startup and accessing big apps.

In all the time I have had Macs I have only ever had a problem with the 22" Cinema Display and that was replaced foc. Now it is my second screen and having two screens is very handy.

Although Apple are a little overbearing on some issues I am one satisfied customer. I guess its horses for courses but I do see my associates having problems with their PCs that I have never encountered with my Macs. Retrofitting SSD HDs is not easy but I will inevitably do it when the prices drop on top quality SSD drives. Till then.......... :)

[TwinAisle]

^ Insanely jealous..... Enjoy!

[crewmeal]

Although Apple are a little overbearing on some issues I am one satisfied customer.

Me too!! I got my Macbook pro from an ebay seller brand new. I paid around 250 pounds less. It has a full 12 month warranty. I bought iwork for a great deal less.

[Farrell]

Bought first MacBook in 2007.

Actually feel physically averse to using PCs now.

Farrell

[sk61bulldog]

Hi,

I purchased a copy of Pilots Pal for Mac a few months ago. Since then I haven't been able to convert my old PC datafile to the sqlite format required for the Mac version. I've tried to e-mail the Pilots Pal support 3 times now and have after 2 months still not received a reply. I tried to call the phone number on the webpage but it seems as if it's been disconnected. Needless to say I'm rather frustrated as I've paid quite a bit of money for a license I cannot use.

As I've started giving up on ever getting a reply from the support I'm now asking here. The problem I get is that my license for my PC version has expired and I cannot update to the version required for being able to export to sqlite because of that. If I try to activate with the license I have for my Mac it says it's already been used and if I try to download the latest version of Pilots Pal PC from the webpage and replace the data file, the whole application crashes.

Has anyone here had any similar problem and reached a solution? Or is there any program that can convert a data file into an sqlite file? Any thoughts or suggestions are more than welcome. The flight records are piling up....

[Simonta]

Hi sk61bulldog

I have a lot of experience in data conversion. If you don't mind sharing your log, PM me and I'll take a look at it.

Cheers

[Evening Star]

Have searched and could not find anything, although am sure this is not the first time the question has been asked.

Trying to install XP sp2 on a Leopard (10/5/8) iMac. Have managed to partition successfully. However, when I start the XP installation, I lose the keyboard and cannot select the disk to install. Quick trawl through Google suggests disconnecting the mighty mouse before getting to the XP installation stage or using a keyboard from a Windows machine. Tried both and getting nowhere. Has anybody met this and found a way around the problem?

[m_cudin]

HI all, it's the forst time I post in this section, so let me introduce myself. My name's Marco, I'm a 28 years-old italian guy and I'm an fATPL holder. Oh, yes, and of course I'm a Mac user since I was born!!! :E

Just a question: I'm thinking about to buy a couple of softwares from jeppesen like Flitestar and Jeppview, but those are not available for Macs. Do they work with bootcamp or parallels?

Any kind of advice will be much appreciated!

Happy Landings....with Mac!! ;)

Marco

[ORAC]

Evening Star, see here: Apple - Support - Discussions - Boot Camp Installation of XP freezes in ... (http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=3897422)

It is a simple fix, i had the same problem then thought it through.
make sure you are ready to install windows after you do this.

Go to System Preferences - Keyboard And Mouse.

Then it says, 'Use the F1-F12 Keys to control software features' etc
Click the box next to that then do the set up.

make sure you uncheck that after the set up because while that is checked you will not be able to use the volume,brightness or keyboard brightness.

[aviate1138]

New thing available from Apple which seems really useful [unless one is a geek].




" In an attempt to put more troubleshooting know-how in the hands of its customers, Apple has created Express Lane, a simple to use resource for locating issues and solutions to common problems with all of Apple's products.
The site is incredibly easy to navigate, using a simple three-column approach to determine the general scope of the issue you are having. Once you've narrowed down the topic, you can select one of the thousands of helpful articles available directly from Apple about nearly any documented problem--including information for many older Macs and previous generation iPhones and iPods.
But Express Lane isn't just a way to surf troubleshooting articles. If you enter your Apple ID in the My Products tab, you can get a full overview of all the Apple stuff you've registered. That tab also provides a streamlined way to access articles that relate directly to the products you own.
The third function of Express Lane includes the capability to look up any active cases you have on your products as well as any support functions--phone support, in-store repairs, or AppleCare repairs--you've used in the past.
We urge everyone with an Apple product to head on over to the Support pages on Apple.com and check out what Express Lane is all about. Be sure to register all your products and fill out your "My Support" profile. You can even enable VoicePass, a service that lets Apple see that you are calling them and immediately pull up your information.
(Credit: uncarved.prometheas.com)
All-in-all, Express Lane is extremely useful and well worth exploring should you encounter an issue with one of your Apple devices. It could even save you a trip to your local Apple Store or a call to AppleCare." From cnet

[Evening Star]

Evening Star, see here: Apple - Support - Discussions - Boot Camp Installation of XP freezes in ... (http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=3897422)

It is a simple fix, i had the same problem then thought it through.
make sure you are ready to install windows after you do this.

Go to System Preferences - Keyboard And Mouse.

Then it says, 'Use the F1-F12 Keys to control software features' etc
Click the box next to that then do the set up.

make sure you uncheck that after the set up because while that is checked you will not be able to use the volume,brightness or keyboard brightness.

Sorted. Knew there would a simple solution. Many thanks.:ok:

[Ascend Charlie]

Yesterday while surfing Safari on my 4-year-old MacBook Pro, the screen froze, a grey shadow rolled down from the top, and it told me I had to shut down and restart.

I did so, and on restart the same thing happened.

I tried removing the battery for a while, but the same shadow descended.

Once, instead of a shadow, the screen came up bright white, it beeped at me 3 or 4 times, and stayed white. Turned it off again.

Left it overnight, now it won't even start, just the whir of the hard drive, no gong, no screen action, and a steady light on the lid-release button.

Any ideas?:{

[ExXB]

Have you tried booting in safe mode? (Hold down the shift key). It takes quite a bit longer, but it does some tests etc. while it's booting.

Also - If you don't have Disk Warrior, you should. Insert the disk, and hold down the C key while booting. Again long time to get started, but rebuilding the directory may work!

[MacBoero]

Might be worth reseting the System Management Controller (SMC). Guidance is available here : Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964)

[fmgc]

I had that.

The HDD was knackered.

Have you got an install disk, if so do a disk check using that.

[cavortingcheetah]

Probably the wrong place to post as I probably don't know what I'm talking about. However some advice would be much appreciated. The question might easily have been asked before although I have not found it.

If one were to buy a Mac Pro what extras would be the favoured ones? I note for example that a solid state hard drive is available in various options, all of which are quite expensive. Would this be a favoured option for a travelling man? One can spec up a 15" Mac Pro to a prodigious amount of money.
When I ask at the Apple store near where I stay in England I am always asked what I'm going to do with the computer. It was on that basis that I specked (?) my last Sony PC. However, after two years I find that that that machine is not capable of running Total War for example, so I need to plan ahead for the dotage. Any advice would be appreciated including software suggestions.
Thank you.

An added thought. The same specification Apple Mac in the States is much cheaper than in the UK even when you add 7% sales tax to the on line prices. Extras are considerably cheaper in the USA as well. A solid state drive over there is in $ to £-as usual! Any downsides to buying an Apple Stateside with extended warranty and one to one for use in Europe and other areas where there are Apple shops?

[MacBoero]

The only benefits I can think of for having a solid state drive are:


Faster booting, and application loading.
Longer running time.
Less prone to shock damage.


Well...


I rarely shut my MacBook Pro down, if ever. I simply close the lid, in which case the machine is ready to go in a few seconds, so a faster boot up time is not really going to be much of a benefit. Most of the applications I use are already loaded as well, so no real gain there either.
My elderly MacBook Pro runs for quite long enough for one sitting, 2 to 3 hours, it will play music with the screen blanked for over 5 hours. Even on the longest flight I wouldn't use it continuously anyway. Travel power adapters help anyway.
I try to protect the whole machine from shock damage anyway. So a rugged drive is of no benefit, especially considering I keep a Time Capsule backup anyway at home, and replacing a drive is an easy job.


The price differentials between solid state and mechanical hard drives is so wide the strongest argument has to be on cost at the moment. A mechanical laptop drive is about 10GB/£ at the moment, whereas solid state is only 0.5GB/£, and to be honest I prefer having the space rather than any potential performance boost.

[The Nr Fairy]

If I were allowed to spec my work Macbook, then a 250Gb SSD would be top of the list, with 8Gb Ram.

But then running 4 - 6 VMs at various times is a bit of a performance drag and the SSD would help enormously.

Other than playing "Total War", cavortingcheetah doesn't tell us what sort of use the lappy would be put to so it's difficult to advise more.

[cavortingcheetah]

Thank you and sorry for the paucity of information. Any computer I bought would be way head of my capabilities. I only use a computer for browsing and for filing e mails on Outlook Express. I have hundreds of business e mails on file and store a lot of music on my machine as well. I do a lot of travelling but would not usually be so addicted as to have to use a computer sitting in economy on a long haul. Any little Acer with a bit of speed would do me quite well actually. What I was really after finding out was what well informed chaps would specify in an ideal world with especial emphasis on the two expensive options, solid state drives and extra RAM.

[Booglebox]

SSDs are really good, but the price difference isn't worth the performance benefit at the moment unless you are doing crazy stuff with your comp.

RAM is always good. You should be fine with 2GB but 4GB will set you up for a few years to come.

[Boxkite Montgolfier]

Is anybody experiencing Safari site hijacks?
Briefly when clicking to go to another site perhaps from an existing one, a redirection to another advertising site occurs. I have investigated Help sites and found many pleas for assistance. Some 'cogniscenti' have concluded some malware is either present in the machine or is even presented by the
ISP. In any event it is irritating and I would dearly love some solution.
Any Clues?

[Mac the Knife]

BlueHarvest - DS_Store, ._Resource Forks, .Folders. Keep it clean. | zeroonetwenty (http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest4/)

"BlueHarvest is the easiest way to keep your disks and file servers clean of Mac “dust”. BlueHarvest automatically removes DS_Store and ._ AppleDouble files from your USB keys, SD cards and file servers, etc. BlueHarvest removes these items as they’re created so you’ll always be “dust” free"

I like it. Keeps my servers and removable drives clean. Worth the $17. Try it.

Mac :ok:

[Airclues]

My MacBook, my new iMac, and taken on my iPhone. I'm now a MacMan!

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc193/Airclues/IMG_0454.jpg

Dave

[redsnail]

Welcome. :D

Have you seen the new 11" Macbook Air.? :ok: I want....

[ORAC]

Also FaceTime for Mac and a new Mac App Store opening up (http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/208423/first_look_116inch_macbook_air.html). :p

[redsnail]

Macbook Air 11" ordered. Will write a report when it's here. :ok:

[Unhinged]

Jealous :) Very jealous !!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Java no longer supported on MAC

Way to go! - hope Windows and Linux aren't too far behind!

[SpringHeeledJack]

Are you sure Gertrude, i could have sworn that i downloaded an update of java only yesterday for OS 10.6.4.......:confused: Or do you refer to the iPad or somesuch ?



SHJ

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Got it from El Reg:

Apple threatens Java with death on the Mac ? The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/21/apple_threatens_to_kill_java_on_the_mac/)

They're not in the habit of printing stuff that's factually inaccurate.

[mcdhu]

Can Somebody please help me?

When I put a contact into my iPhone 3G and then plug it into my iMac via a USB cable, that contact does not transfer to my Address book during the synch process. It seems to work the other way ie from iMac to iPhone.

Should it, if so, is there a setting in the Address Book, iTunes or the iPhone that I have missed.

Regards
mcdhu

[SpringHeeledJack]

Help needed macsters!

I'm just about to hook up an external HD to my MBP to do a backup using Time Machine for the first time. Straightforward.....but i'd like to partition said HD so that one partition deals with TM and the other with various other stored items. Any pointers appreciated. Thanks



SHJ

[AppleMacster]

SHJ,

You can use Disk Utility to partition the disk. Just open it up, select the disk you want to partition on the left and then click the the "Partition" button and choose the size(s) you want.

Applemacster

[SpringHeeledJack]

Thanks Mr AM!

I'm happy that it was as simple and straightforward as that....



SHJ

[redsnail]

Mac Air up and running. It doesn't seem small but when I compare it to the Macbook it does become obvious.
Any one who has used a late model Macbook will feel right at home.
I am still getting used to the keyboard, mainly the return and shift keys are causing a minor irritation but then again, used to happen on the Macbook.

Screen very nice.
Had to download flash but that didn't take long at all.
Flash drive nice and fast. Appears to boot up/start quite quickly.

Ease of transferring info from one Mac to another, simple. Uses wifi.

Very quiet too.

It's passed the ease of use in bed test with flying colours. :ok:

[mcdhu]

Jeez! It's still getting to me!! Can anyone please recommend a multi function printer that I can plug into the back of my Mac that will print/scan docs and photos - nothing special - but which will print duplex - either auto or manual. Canons, which I like, will not do duplex using Snow Leopard - according to the Canon website, HP has a bad reputation when it comes to drivers and I don't know anything about any other makes. T'internet is short on info and PC World/Staples are next to useless.

Apple publish a list of 'compatible' printers and say it will all be fine, but it isn't. No expert can make my Mac print to the Canon printer via the router which is connected to a Win Xp PC on the other side of the room!! Yes, I have tried all the advice on Apple support and even got a 'professional' in. No joy! So I've given up - hence the need for a printer to plug into the Mac.

First hand info would be greatly appreciated and then I could perhaps bin the trusty but 4 year old Dell laptop - which will print wirelessly to the Canon via the PC!

Might it be that the Canon drivers do not permit Duplex (manual or auto), but that the Apple drivers for Canon products might?

Hopefully,
mcdhu

[AppleMacster]

mcdhu,

Don't write off HP. My HP laser printer is duplex and does A3 as well as A4. It is compatible from Mac OS 8 (introduced 1997!) to 10.6.4, and it still works fantastically well. HP do a pretty good job of keeping the drivers updated.

Applemacster

[flapsforty]

iMac, OS X, HP deskjet F4190

How do I print selected text instead of the whole page?

Can´t figure it out.



Nice office AC! :ok:

[mcdhu]

..........isn't it just - and what sort of printer is that tucked away and will it do Duplex??!!

[aviate1138]

Anyone fitted non Apple SSDs into their bit of kit? I have a 2010 27" iMac i7 core and I have an OWC kit to replace the optical drive with an SSD. I am aiming at 256GB Crucial 300 but could be persuaded otherwise. Prices are beginning to drop a little.

Update....

Settled for an OWC 240GB Mercury Extreme Pro SSD. It arrived from the USA in 48 hours via FedEx at shipping cost of £12.00 [with discount]. SSD itself was £337.00

Now all I have to do is unzip my 27" iMac and remove the 5" Optical drive and ........

Anyone know of a good Mac engineer in the Farnham/Basingstoke/Reading triangle?

Found a really helpful place - Irepair - Apple Repairs - Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, London, Kent and South (http://www.irepairsystems.com/) in Basingstoke, :)

[Senior Pilot]

iMac, OS X, HP deskjet F4190

How do I print selected text instead of the whole page?

Can´t figure it out.

My HP Photosmart C7200 does that when I highlight the text and select the button: "Print Selection".

Wirelessly, duplex, etc etc. Much as I hate HP, it does actually work ;)

[redsnail]

I have a new 11' Mac Air.
Snow leopard OS.
1.6G chip
4Gb ram
160 Gb memory.

Only a few weeks old and been working fine.

While it was asleep, I plugged in a USB rechargable battery + the cable LAN dongle and then woke the machine up.

All was fine for 30 seconds or so. I went to switch off the wifi when that top right part of the screen's icons disappeared. ie wifi, time etc.

I thought I'd restart it.

It shut down (after telling cyberduck to shut up) and then it "hung" at the white screen, Apple symbol and the little bars in a circle going around.

Tried shutting it down and leaving it for a bit and restarting it.

I have done the Hardware diagnostics check, all ok.
I have tried the repair diagnostics (looks like a "DOS" (I know!!) screen)
and tried rebooting from there, didn't work. Back to the "hung" start screen.

I don't have the rescue USB with me, I am not at home. Any other thoughts?

ta
:ugh: :{ :mad:

[ExXB]

Start in 'safe' mode: Hold down the Shift key when booting. It will do a number of checks while starting up so it takes longer than usual. You should see a progress bar (boring grey on grey) though.

[aviate1138]

redsnail, try

MacFixIt - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/macfixit/)

Is usually on top of most mac problems and is bang up to date on new model troubles.

[redsnail]

ExXB, tried that, same result, as in, it didn't go further than the grey screen with the progress bars.

Aviate1138, thanks, will have a look.

So far it's all looking like I will need to have the OS USB stick that came with the computer to sort it out. That's at home. I am a couple of thousand miles away...

Thanks again. :)

[aviate1138]

redsnail - you have zapped the PRAM?

When to reset the PRAM and SMC/PMU | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10330118-263.html)


I have now fitted a 240GB OWC Mercury Extreme SSD drive. The iMac boots up in about 12 seconds and a programme that usually takes a good minute or so comes up in around 18 seconds. No whirring sounds and less heat. Took an hour to fit and set up. I am a happy bunny. Will run my Optical Drive externally - when I need it.

[redsnail]

Aviate!!!! *MWAH*

That worked!!!!!!!!!!
I had tried that previously but hadn't let it cycle through several "chimes".

YESSSS so pleased!

Ahhh all is now right with the world. :ok:

[L337]

Never thought I would post in this division of PPRuNe......

I am a died in the wool PC man of many many years. Very happy to tinker and do my thing in Windows and the PC. Just like a comfortable habit.

I am about to embark on a career change and that change will require me to use the Apple Mac. In the classroom, 25 of them all lined up. So I have no option but come to terms with the beast.

The Apple will be used for photography. Running Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc etc. Looking at the Apple store, apart from recoiling in horror at the cost, I was a little confused. It did seem to me that the Laptops are very overpriced, and as you move up the scale, the value element improves. The Mac Pro is fairly equivalent to a PC of similar spec.

The iMac looks to me like a large laptop mounted on a plinth... However it is very pretty, and will it get the job done? Quickly and efficiently?

If I go for the Mac Pro, do I have to buy a monitor from Mac, or will any monitor do?

.. all that a a billion other questions that I do not even yet know that I need to ask.

[AppleMacster]

L337,

The Mac vs PC debate has being going on for decades. The main difference is that Apple produce both hardware and software, whereas Microsoft try to cover all the bases in terms of hardware and have ended up with a (still) DOS-based system which essentially has to be all things to all men; it will always be a compromise as a result. Apple have complete control over the hardware-software combination and can ensure operability in a way that Microsoft continues to find a challenge. Add to this the fact that the software is more intuitive to use, there's no need for antivirus software, and that Apple system updates actually become leaner and faster through its development, and you have a computer which is made as much as possible to have the maximum resources available to the user.

The iMac will more than do the job you describe. iMacs are used all the way from simple word processing to architectural 3D design. The Mac Pro is really more specialist for those who need ultra-fast rendering for their video projects, for example, where uber-performance really matters. However, in 9/10 cases, the iMac will be more than capable. Many web design businesses use iMacs because they are very powerful and look great at the same time. They will be running Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Xpress, Final Cut Studio, Logic.

If you get a Mac Pro, you don't need to use an Apple monitor.

Applemacster.

[Saab Dastard]

Microsoft try to cover all the bases in terms of hardware and have ended up with a (still) DOS-based system

This may have been true 10 years ago, but is certainly no longer the case! Not since Win 2K (some might argue since Win 95, but that was still 16-bit at heart). Just because there is a command line available doesn't mean that it is DOS-based.

SD

[AppleMacster]

Saab,

Of course, you're right. I'll be more circumspect with my DOS abuse.:O

[Kelly Hopper]

Any advice please?

I have a MacbookPro less than a year old and have been very pleased with it. Last week however it suddenly decided to act like a PC and slow up. Every web page or app I open I have to wait and wait for.
I have run 2 virus detectors through it and nothing found. Also done a big clean up and deleted many unwanteds but it has made no difference.

Any suggestions?

[AppleMacster]

Kelly Hopper,

If you have any antivirus software on your MacBook, I would strongly recommend that you remove it. There is no need for it, and it might itself be causing the problems.

If that doesn't work, try repairing your permissions. Open Disk Utility, select your Hard Drive on the top left and click "Repair Disk Permissions".

Check that all your system is up-to-date using Software Update in the Apple menu, too.

Applemacster

[Kelly Hopper]

Thanks for the advice Applemacster but the virus software was installed AFTER the problem arose in order to check if I had been infected. It was then removed. Disc repair has also been affected with no appreciable improvement.
Plenty of disc space available too so it's not a case of being too full.
All updates have been done.
?????

[ishe]

Hi All

sorry if this has been posted before, I prefer google to any other search engine, however when in arabic countries the search results end up on the right side of the screen, anyone know how to stop this from happening. I have posted in mac stuff because i have one.
regards

[L337]

I have a bookmark saved for UK Google (http://www.google.co.uk/) "http://www.google.co.uk"

When down route I click on the link, and the local Google page is avoided...

[MacBoero]

Kelly Hopper, you need to allow the Mac to do some routine cleanup operations every now and then. For some reason these "CRON" jobs are scheduled to run by default at between 3am and 5am. Some every day, some once and week and others once a month. You can download free utilities to schedule these jobs to run manually when you want to, just in case the jobs haven't had a chance to run for a while. I use MacJanitor (http://personalpages.tds.net/~brian_hill/macjanitor.html).

Or simply leave the machine on over night every now and then.

Another thing that can help sometimes is to run the built in program called "Disk Utility" and run "Repair Disk Permissions". You should really do this before and after installing new software, apparently, but I tend to just run it once a month or so. It can take a while though, so why not set it running on one of the nights you going to leave the machine on to run the cron jobs, it'll be done by morning.

Occasionally it is a good idea to run the "Verify Disk" option in the disk utility. This also takes a while, and if it does find something, you'll need to boot the machine from the Mac OS X install disk in order to enable the "Repair Disk" option.

[Telstar]

My 13" white Macbook gave up the ghost on me this week, the motherboard was faulty according to the chaps at two computer shops. I am the proud owner of a new Macbook Pro.

The HD is still intact on the old machine and I would like to use the Migration assistant application to bring over all the data as my time machine back up was a very out of date. The old machine powers up, is that enough to connect it to the new machine for a transfer of data? If I need to take the hard disk out what equipment cables do I need? Thanks.

[vulcanised]

I would think a cheap hard drive caddy would be the easiest option.

Plug it into the USB port of your new machine and it should recognise it straight away.

[Mad Monk]

Depends how dead the 13" is. If it can boot then do so in Target mode [Cmd + T] having connected via Firewire to the new m/c. Old m/c will be seen as an external drive. A mother board fail makes this unlikely but I will do anything!


All comments are purely personal and generally based on my experience.
What I state is an opinion; I may well be wrong.

[foresight]

Kelly Hopper, you need to allow the Mac to do some routine cleanup operations every now and then. For some reason these "CRON" jobs are scheduled to run by default at between 3am and 5am. Some every day, some once and week and others once a month. You can download free utilities to schedule these jobs to run manually when you want to, just in case the jobs haven't had a chance to run for a while. I use MacJanitor.

Versions10.6 and later this does not apply. Tasks run automatically when waking from sleep mode. I believe there isa Dashboard widget that keeps track of them if you need confirmation that they have run.

[FullOppositeRudder]

It would be nice if you could still use the old machine, however as MM suggests, it would seem that if the mother board no longer wants to co-operate, then it probably won't be able to provide you with the data path to the new 'puter.

Vulcanised's advice seems to be the good option. An external HDD caddy or docking device should do all you require.

However it needs to be able to work with the data port used by your old HDD (SATA, IDE - or something else perhaps), and of course it needs to be able to operate with the Mac operating system in use in the new machine. Such devices seem to be readily available in Australia (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=XC4690&keywords=xc-4690&form=KEYWORD) (at least with SATA connections), so I'm sure you would be able to source them elsewhere.

Good luck,
FoR

[Background Noise]

I have a couple of these - your old hard disk should be SATA and this works with just a usb lead, no external power required:

Extra Value USB2.0 Caddy for upto 2.5" 500GB SATA.. | Ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158386)

Pop the old hard disk in it, then you can either migrate things or just copy them across to the new machine. Once you have retrieved everything you want, you will have a handy external hard drive.

[Argonautical]

Don't know if it has been mentioned before but as an alternative to BootCamp, there are virtual solutions (VM Ware and Parallels) but there is a free open source program called VirtualBox. With it you can have Windows XP and/or 7 or even Linux machines running in the Mac environment. It is easy to setup but you will need the Windows installation media. Here is the URL:-

Downloads - VirtualBox (http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads)

[Eureka Pete]

I have just installed the snow leopard upgrade operating system on my i Mac which had tiger OSX originally but now it seems to be very slow.

Any hints?

[SpringHeeledJack]

Do you have much free capacity on the HD ? How much RAM do you have ? Also if the CPU is an older version it 'might' struggle with the processing compared with Tiger. More knowledgeable answers will be along shortly :8



SHJ

[Bell_Flyer]

You need approx 10-15GB of space for Virtual Memory Paging, Systems Files, things that get "wired" at start. If you have less than this, the Mac slows down. Lots of I/O operations to/from disk to keep Virtual Memory going. You can see this with the performance manager in utilities.

[NRU74]

Santa brought me an I Pad
Can anyone explain how/if I can get the free version of Spotify onto I Pad ?
I've had the free version on my PC [Windows XP] for well over a year and can download it on to another computer but not the I Pad
[I know Google's my friend but it's not been friendly enough so far]

[Out Of Trim]

I've never used Spotify - However, for any App you wish to install on your Ipad, you tap the Apple App Store Icon and do a search for Spotify, or whatever app you are interested in. Some apps are free and some you need to pay for via an Apple Itunes Account. There is a Free Spotify App. You tap on install and the ipad will download the app after you tap in the Itunes Account Name and Password.

It would appear that you also need to have a spotify subscription to use it though!

Hope this helps

OOT.

[MacBoero]

The iPad will use the iOS application which is the same as that for the iPhone. The app whilst free to download, will only work with paid subscription accounts for Spotify. Only the desktop OS versions of Spotify have the free advert supported mode of operation.

[NRU74]

OOT & MacB
Many thanks
NRU

[mutt]

Apple - App Store - Buy, download, and install apps made for Mac. (http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store) might be of interest to some...... its appears that they are now bringing the ease of Iphone/Ipad purchasing to the Mac.

Mutt

[Jet II]

Apple - App Store - Buy, download, and install apps made for Mac. (http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store) might be of interest to some...... its appears that they are now bringing the ease of Iphone/Ipad purchasing to the Mac.



Yes.......But


If you buy through the itunes store then your consumer rights are severely curtailed, part of the T&C's make Apple not responsible for the software they sell so if you have any problem you end up arguing with a company who you have no direct relationship with. This is just an irritation for apps that cost $10 but if you are going to spend hundreds I would be inclined to deal direct.

[BusyB]

Strange problem being unable to send to some gmail and hotmail addresses. Also on occasion Mail arrives without its subject showing. All works perfectly through mobile me online site so problem is with Mail App.:confused:

[aviate1138]

use macfixit to seek a solution.

MacFixIt - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/macfixit/?tag=mfiredir)

It has answers to most Mac problems

[BusyB]

Thanks, I've put the problem there.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I was wondering if any of the mac users here had switched to other music players after getting fed up with the very bloated iTunes these days ? It used to be simple, yet every upgrade makes it more 'whistles and bells' than ever before and i've decided that i want to go back to a player that.....just plays music. So, any user experiences from the panel ? Thanks.



SHJ

[Algy]

Anyone else seen this: using (one year old) MacBook Pro on home wifi (Virgin). Airport shows max strength connection. Family all round me happily using PCs on same connection. But even with Airport still showing max strength the web connection keeps dropping out. Firefox browser.

(Not yet tried any other wifis, but on the road today and will see how it goes.)

Any thoughts???

[BusBoy]

Algy

do you have
DECT house phones?
Baby Monitor?
Wireless transmitter for AV?
Bluetooth devices?
Garage Door Openers?

To a greater or lesser extent all supposedly interfere with signal. I have had wifi drop out with Wireless AV transmitter and Baby Monitor.

[fly12345]

My problem is that everytime I use the telephone my wifi connection drops for a couple of minutes, BT are investigating but no remedy yet.
MacBook Pro.

[Capt Chambo]

My problem is that everytime I use the telephone my wifi connection drops for a couple of minutes, BT are investigating but no remedy yet.

I had a similar problem and it was the filter/splitter. Changed it, and all has been well since!

[Fokkerwokker]

For some reason it lies vertically instead of horizontally. Help menu not particularly helpful.

Any ideas?

More: Having looked at it further it is do with the size of the bars at the top of the page. I need to find an original default setting. <groan>

[fly12345]

Thank you Capt Chambo!!!
Changed a filter and now working ok without interruptions.

[MacBoero]

I'm surprised BT struggled to find that solution. Whenever I have called them, it one of the first things they ask me to check!:ooh:

[fly12345]

MacBoero,
I guess it is partly my fault but I just discovered that by using my old Sky Internet filters with the newly supplied BT ones caused the problem, a BT engineer even visited my property and could not find any faults (being the filters very similar) and assumed that the fault was due to the BT Exchange.:=

[Booglebox]

FokkerWokker,

By vertically, I guess you mean the Formula pane in the bunch of menus down the side?

From memory, Excel for Mac 2008 (I assume you're using this) doesn't show the formula bar by default. You will need to go View > Formula Bar and then drag it where you want it. You can't dock it in the main window of Excel, and yes this is incredibly annoying (used it for years).

Hope this helps.

[Rush2112]

We've had an iMac for a while now and I recently bought Mrs. R a Mac Book Air so she could bin her old Dell. Our router is a Linksys of some sort, had it a while and I cannot recall the model, but it's fairly basic. I'm thinking of getting a better router and the choice seems to be something like the AirPort Extreme, another Linksys or a D Link 655.

We live in a small apartment here so wifi range is not an issue, which I have seen cited as a problem with the AirPort, and we haven't yet had cause to plug anything into our existing router, so the lack of ports also cited as a problem may not affect us.

So the question is ladies and gents, have you used an AirPort? What do you think?

Thanks :ok:

[le Pingouin]

I've used an Airport Express (as opposed to Extreme) & found it has reasonable range, is easy to configure & works seamlessly with Mac (a G4 Powerbook), Windows (Vista laptop) & a Linux netbook.

What do I think? Relatively expensive, runs fairly warm, but a nice small package & easy to use. Good for portable use - BYO wireless access point.

[Rush2112]

Thanks le Pingouin

[Akrapovic]

Hi all,

Quick Q.

I have iwork installed on my Mac, and have recently bought a Macbook Pro - is the software able to install onto the laptop, or do I have to buy another copy?!

Thanks in advance
5

[AppleMacster]

Akrapovic,

If you have the single-licence version of iWork, then you can put it on both iMac and MacBook, but you are only supposed to use it on one computer at a time.

Applemacster

[Akrapovic]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I'll give it a go then and see what happens - I'm pretty sure I've got the basic version . . . :ok:

[Bell_Flyer]

When I get an email with an .ics attachment, I click it and it opens up iCal, then nothing.

I can add events manually but can't import Events from Mail. Running OSX 10.6.6, Mail 4.4 and iCal 4.04.

Odd thing is that my iPhone and iPad works OK with receiving events into iCal. Is this another Apple Bug??

thanks
bf

[Booglebox]

Have you got your iCal calendar set up right?

[Bell_Flyer]

Yes I have. I read thru the Apple Support Forums suggestions of ticking the box in iCal Preferences/Advanced to say auto retrieve events from iMail and so on.

What am I doing wrong?

[John James]

also dont drop your visor - of which i still use the ebay replacement- will go the ipod? some day I guess
also dont put your coffee on a ledge next to it ..sniff
I freaked , drained the mac book,and used a heat gun to melt some of the keyboard the buttons off
brilliant
ˆ I next opened it up and sprayed elec contact cleaner in
brilliant again
I vacuumed it with a shop vacuum and lost a few more buttons off top
I hung it over the stove for two days
upshot the mac dealer sold me a new imac computer and said mine was shot and an insurance job- so we went that route and my premiums shot up to the moon
got curious and it would boot somewhat but no screen so took it apart and discovered the dealer had disconnected the screen and had told me it was a write off and needed a 1500 buck logic board
I dont deal there anymore
my macbook looks a bit troubled but works fine
an aside-my lg cell was under the snow for 2 mos last winter after scooping roof snow- I dried it out and worked- then I left it in the wash- dried it out and it works- a miracle yet and I hope the last time
ps thanks for the software tips on this thread- I dwnldd gimp
j

[Loerie]

I bought a new one in Miami at the Apple store in South Beach.I am not a lover of the Mac keyboards and I see that the unit has to run by wireless as it has no telephone (VPN) plug which can be a pain,but it is very fast,very light and is obviously well made.Oh,it is also not possible to change the battery as it is" integrated" and that has to be done by Apple.
I peronally hate the way that Apple do these little tricks.......very irritating.
But it is nice,is light,has lots of apps etc----but has no drive,of course....If I had to buy again I would buy a bottom end Mac pro 13"for very little extra money.....

[mixture]

Given that the last MacBook Air refresh was only in October 2010, you could be waiting a while.....

See also...

Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Air)

[Eddie_Crane]

Ok, it says Macbook Pro just updated (yes I received Apple's email with the update items), but I thought it would have been a much bigger update such as thinner frame (a` la Macbook Air) with SSD and no more HDDs with mechanical moving parts... so no major re-design in the pipeline then?
Been waiting a year now to commit to a purchase...

[mixture]

Macbook Pro ...... such as thinner frame (a` la Macbook Air)

As the name implies "Pro" is intended for a more demanding customer base. Therefore I suspect you will find the reason the MBP chassis is the size it is due to technical or mechanical constraints (e.g. CPU, heat generation etc.)

Somehow given their trend, I don't think Apple would deliberatley miss out on an opportunity to go "smaller & lighter" if they could.


with SSD and no more HDDs with mechanical moving parts.

You obviously haven't visited the online Apple store in many years. The option of a SSD HDD custom option has been there for a long time now, well before the current refresh.

The reason it is not there as a standard option is for the very good reason of keeping the price point down.

The issue of SSD being more reliable than mechanical is debatable by the way.

[Eddie_Crane]

Cheers mixture,
indeed I haven't snooped around the Apple Store in a while.. better take a look soon then! Re. SSD being better or not, I haven't read enough about it to really make an objectively informed decision, I was just impressed by how quiet, slim and fast the Macbook Air was when I tried it out at a duty-free shop in LGW...

MBP QuadCore sounds *very* enticing :O

[mixture]

MBP QuadCore sounds *very* enticing

Indeed ! Don't suppose I can interest you in an old MBP ..... one careful owner ... although quite well travelled laptop. Need to start saving the pennies. :cool:

[Booglebox]

Mixture: how old, what screen size? :cool:

[Peter Fanelli]

So....
Just how do you remove the old version of Bonjour on a PC so freaking Itunes will update?????
Fecking Apple :mad:

[Booglebox]

I'm not a fan of Apple software for Windoze either... :(

I assume you've tried add/remove programs (or "programs and features" in vista / 7)?

[Peter Fanelli]

yep, tried the usual removal procedures
Even tried installing a newer version of bonjour, but it will not do that if it can't remove the old one.
I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to edit the registry manually to remove every instance of bonjour, but it's like cancer in there.
Never done that before, does one just remove the lines it appears in or what?

Boldly going where no-one has gone.....

I guess the other alternative is just buy or build a new computer just to put iTunes on.

grrrr

[Old Speckled Aircrew]

PF have you tried google. This is from the first link

How To Uninstall or Remove Bonjour mDNSResponder.exe | Raymond.CC Blog (http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/02/10/how-to-uninstall-or-remove-bonjour-mdnsresponderexe/)

[Peter Fanelli]

Yes I've tried several methods obtained by google.
The problem is when uninstalling it it needs the original installation file bonjour.msi and in my case that file seems to have become corruted and keeps coming up as an invalid file. I've even tried installing a later version of bonjour and even that wants a valid old installation package.

It's beginning to look a lot like format c: and reload everything unless someone cares to volunteer to tell my wife she can no longer have iTunes.

Even apple says that you have to remove in the following order

iTunes
Quicktime
Apple Software Update
Apple Mobile device Support
Bonjour
Apple Application Support.

THEN you should be able to reinstall iFeckingTunes.

I hate computers.

[le Pingouin]

Give the free version of Revo Uninstaller a go: Download Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems (http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html)

[Peter Fanelli]

I'll give it a whirl.

WOOHOO!

That did the trick,

EXCELLENT!

Thank you very very much.

[le Pingouin]

Bewdy! Better than banging your head against a reformat that's for sure.

[crewmeal]

What's up with the new version of Firefox 4. It won't load the news section of BBC.co.uk? I went back to 3 and its playing up now. Can't even do online banking now. Oh well back to safari.

[Booglebox]

Have you tried starting it in safe mode i.e. no extensions etc?

[Senior Pilot]

crewmeal,

No problems at all with FF4: banking, BBC News all work fine for me on two different Macs :ok:

But it will take a while before I get used to the tab bar being at the very top, and the Bookmarks where the tabs used to be :hmm:

[crewmeal]

Tried everything still didn't work so I dumped it via app cleaner and reinstalled FF 3. Yes I did remember to export my bookmarks!!

Thanks everyone for your help.

[Booglebox]

Senior Pilot, I think there is an option in FF4 to change to tabs in the old position :)

[On the beach]

MacKeeper

Apologies if this has been asked before, but couldn't find any mention.

Does anyone have any experience of this freeware?

Is it any good?

On the beach

[The Nr Fairy]

FF4 on Mac OS 10.6 - 32 bit versus 64 bit mode.

I found an email from our work IT support about this - I right-clicked on Firefox.app in the Applications folder, chose "Open in 32 bit mode", then retried it.

Result - some stuff which hadn't worked then worked, e.g. the Audi model configurator, Webex . . .

[Saab Dastard]

While FF has been released as a 64-bit application for Mac and Linux, there are still many plug-ins that are not yet available for the 64-bit version.

Sd

[crewmeal]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but couldn't find any mention.

Does anyone have any experience of this freeware?

Is it any good?

I downloaded it yesterday and for me it works well. It found 28gb of duplicates and freed up the hard disk accordingly.

I also use 'CleanMyMac' which is also very good. There again it's personal choice.

[On the beach]

crewmeal,

Thanks for that. Will check out "CleanMyMac". :ok:

OTB

[Skylark58]

Have a problem with the DVD superdrive on a MacBook Pro; It plays CD and DVDs which are recorded, recognises blank DVDs but if I put in a blank CD, it fails to recognise it and spits it out. I am assuming the drive is on the way out. Anyone had this?

[Mike-Bracknell]

I've seen this on other drives on PCs as well. It's usually to do with the writer and/or the media rather than the reading drive. Try switching media (Verbatim are good, supermarket own brand are bad), and try writing from a desktop drive if possible - I found sometimes laptop writers had poor writing performance.

[hellsbrink]

Seems to be a common issue, but here's one "solution" if you want to risk it.

http://eatmyrandom.b log spot.com/2010/06/macbook-pro-superdrive-wont-read-any.html (you know what to do with the website address)

Oh, the thread on the Apple support forum.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Drive won't read any dvd-ejects it ... (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1918925&start=0&tstart=0)

[Booglebox]

I had a similar but intermittent problem on a 2006 Macbook - it was because of frequent travel the metal slot that holds the mouth of the drive open had bent and was trapping the disc slightly. I carefully bent it back. On Unibody-era MBPs this shouldn't be a problem though.

[BusyB]

Can anyone advise how to deselect this when using Skype. My broadband connection is so slow it can't give audio and video so I need to lose the camera. At the moment a bit of black tape does the job but would appreciate a more sophisticated method.:ooh:

[Algy]

Why not just deselect video in Skype?

[BusyB]

It doesn't offer me that in Skype preferences under audio/video. Where do I deselect it?
Version 5.1.0.914:confused:

[Algy]

I just downloaded that version, and the way it works is that you have the option of selecting make a video call or make an audio call - the camera icon or the phone icon. But I think you can also select and deselect video during the call. Oddly, I don't find that having video on or off actually makes much difference to a poor quality line, but perhaps it does at the extremes.

[BusyB]

On my macbook selecting audio call still leaves the camera working. No facility to deselect video during call available. Skype help line says its not their problem, its a Mac problem. Can't find any Mac facility to deselect camera. ?????

[Algy]

OK, sorry, no more ideas.:sad:

[Booglebox]

Cover the lens with blu tack? :E

[Senior Pilot]

Have you tried Preferences/Calls/deselect "Start Video automatically at the beginning of a call"?

[BusyB]

Thanks for the thought SP but its already deselected. Black tape seems to be the only current solution:sad:

[Senior Pilot]

Checking on a number of sites gives the same answer that I gave you, so maybe your Skype installation is faulty: have you uninstalled and reinstalled Skype?

Apple Support (http://www.apple.com/support/isight/) on iSight may help, otherwise you may even be looking at deeper resets.

[Daria]

It doesn't offer me that in Skype preferences under audio/video. Where do I deselect it?
Version 5.1.0.914

Uh- oh, I just recently downloaded this version, and am NOT going to like it if the video is on by default.:eek: I'll have to try it out, to see what happens.

Actually, I'm not very fond of this version; wish I hadn't downloaded it. There are two many annoying, unneeded features, in my opinion.

[flyingsolo]

Hi!

I am a new mac user and have a mac book air. Whenever I try to empty the trash, it gives the following message

“.Trash” can’t be opened right now because it’s being used by another task, such as moving or copying an item or emptying the Trash. Try again when the current task is complete.

How do I empty out the trash. Could not find anything on the net, maybe I am searching the wrong sites.

Thanks in advance.

FS

[Senior Pilot]

Use the Command key as you Empty: stuff here (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=216845) about it.

[PPRuNe Towers]

The Mac OS can generate individual .pdf files left, right centre and apparently from every available orifice. Back in the early days of OSX they even described the screen display as a cousin of pdf.

Any top tips on finding a cheap and effective way of parceling up individual .pdf's as grouped .pdf documents?

Rob

[TwinAisle]

Crazily easy - open a PDF using Preview, and you can copy and paste (and delete) pages in and out to your heart's content, using the page icons on the right hand side. Make sure you save the final document under a new name though ;)

TA

[PPRuNe Towers]

Thanks TA but I think you severely underestimate what you're dealing with here.

I may have run the site for the past 14 years but I am still no further up the evolutionary ladder than a demented bumblebee. Time permitting could you manage a bit of fold tab A and place in slit B? My Mac is about to go through the window trying to accomplish what you see as simple:mad:

Rob

PS Ahah! Just discovered the 'New from Clipboard command. There could possibly be hope for me yet!

PPS Sadly, no there isn't. Bunch of separate windows opened with the paste.

PPPS - Nope. Total failure. Looking forward to the Fisher Price approach.

[Jet II]

Is this what you are after?

merging pdf files (http://classroom.leanderisd.org/webs/wms.tech/upload/pdf_merging.mov)

[PPRuNe Towers]

Delighted! Used print to PDF for years but hadn't selected and grouped the desired files before.

Simples!

Rob

[TwinAisle]

I am indebted to JetII - I was just in the middle of trying to write a demo when I saw the link - saves me a job. Really very easy - but in typical mac style, not massively intuitive! When you see it there is a real sense of D'OH! :D

Hope you are sorted, Rob!

TA

[Telstar]

My 13" MacBook Pro 2010 is causing me some problems the last few days. At random intervals after startup the mouse freezes, the mouse timer comes on after some time some text on the screen turns pixelated and then I get the above screen. It was happening occasionally but now it is happening within two minutes of startup everytime.

Any ideas?

[ORAC]

The reports I can find suggest a link to incompatible RAM. have you added more memory lately?

[Senior Pilot]

Apple Support (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573) has a couple of bland responses, but I have had success a long time ago with a PRAM Reset (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379) on an earlier MacBook :ok:

[mixture]

Have you tried the Apple Hardware Test ?

See here : Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1509)

Could be a logic board issue.

[Telstar]

Thanks for the help

1. No I haven't added any ram.

2 Tried the ram reset but it didn't fix the problem

3. Just moved house and can't find the disks, request permission to say oh cock"

[Jet II]

Found this on another forum:


here is a a breakdown of screen issues.

Vertical Lines - Bad LCD or LED Screen
Dim Screen - Bad Inverter, Backlight, or (unlikely) Motherboard
Garbage On Screen (symbols) - Bad Video Card
Horizontal Lines - Bad LCD or LED Screen or Video Card
White Screen - Video Cable not connected, but inverter cable is still connected
Black Screen (No signal) - Video cable (Motherboard Side) not connected or (unlikely) both video and inverter cable not connected
Partial Black Screen - Bad Screen or Video Card

[Bell_Flyer]

Gents,

I am certain that many of you would have received the following email from Apple. Does it mean that iCloud will at least have everything that MobileMe use to provide? Does anyone have any more news?

Thanks
B_F

Important information for MobileMe members.
Dear MobileMe member,

We'd like to share some exciting news with you about iCloud — Apple’s upcoming cloud service, which stores your content and wirelessly pushes it to your devices. iCloud integrates seamlessly with your apps, so everything happens automatically. Available this fall, iCloud is free for iOS 5 and OS X Lion users.

What does this mean for you as a MobileMe member?

When you sign up for iCloud, you'll be able to keep your MobileMe email address and move your mail, contacts, calendars, and bookmarks to the new service.

Your MobileMe subscription will be automatically extended through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge. After that date, MobileMe will no longer be available.

When iCloud becomes available this fall, we will provide more details and instructions on how to make the move. In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about iCloud.

Sincerely,

The MobileMe Team

[John Eacott]

I am so impressed, having had my MobileMe automatically renew 2 days ago, now paid until the 6th June 2012 http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wibble.gif

And what happens to all the url links for MobileMe?

:oh: :ugh:

[crewmeal]

Wasn't it Mobile Me the software that discovered the stolen Macbook in California recently that was highlighted in the press?

[SpringHeeledJack]

Wasn't it Mobile Me the software that discovered the stolen Macbook in California recently that was highlighted in the press?

I believe that the software was called 'Hidden' and this company purports to be able to track and locate wherever the stolen device is, together with photos of the user and what they have viewed whilst using the stolen device. Getting the boys in blue to nab the miscreant that stole the device is probably another matter.


SHJ

[MacBoero]

SpringHeeledJack is right. The MobileMe find service only works for iOS devices. When everyone is migrated to iCloud, then I believe Mac OS X Lion will have a similar function for Macs. I doubt it will have the capabilities of Hidden though. The current service simply gives a location and allows you to send message to the iOS device, sound the ringer, lock it or wipe it remotely. I would expect the Mac OS X version to be the same, and not have the picture taking ad activity recording features.

Better than nothing though.

[Tim00]

As someone who has experienced similar screen issues (on three machines: old iBook G3, G4 and current Macbook), this is likely to be a main logic board problem IMO, & replacement of the board the solution. Apple may be sympathetic if it's our of warranty/Applecare (make an appointment at an Apple store if you can, be nice to the Genius etc.)

Video boards also fail, although you're more likely to get screen flicker.

[Bell_Flyer]

Video boards also fail, although you're more likely to get screen flicker.

A good news story. My 3.5 year old 17 inch MBP video screen died (screen just turned black). I took it into an Apple store, it was out of warranty, and they quoted $2,200 to replace the video board BUT fixed it for FREE. And they did it in 3 days over a long weekend.

This is my second video failure and it is related to the fact that I also use a 32" cinema screen plugged into the aux video port.

Amazing service!! Thanks Apple.

[M.Mouse]

This is my second video failure and it is related to the fact that I also use a 32" cinema screen plugged into the aux video port.

?????????????

[crewmeal]

Anyone downloaded Apple's new operating system? It was released yesterday and seems faultless - so far!! I like the mission control and launchpad features, and yes I believe its a lot faster than previous systems.

Your thoughts please!!

[Akrapovic]

Downloaded mine yesterday too - first impressions are it's no different with the exception of the odd gimmick I'm never going to use!

That said, I've just synced my iPhone to the updated iTunes and it's the first time in a long time it's synod without flashing up some kind of error . . .

[SpringHeeledJack]

I updated my Safari today, to I'm guessing, halfway between Tiger and Lion and it has some new and nifty little extras, but.....try as I might, the AdBlocker feature that has served me very well is now not doing what it should and even here on pprune my eyes are assaulted with loads of flashing adverts from all sides. :hmm: That's progress for you :}


SHJ

[foresight]

Address Book and iCal have gone all naff, like on the iPad, with faux leather. Yuk.

[Rush2112]

I saw some user comments that Word will not work with Lion - that could be a deal-breaker for us! Both the mem-sahib and I work for MS companies so if we take stuff home it's got to work on the Macs.

[crewmeal]

Word Excel and Powerpoint work fine on my Macbook pro. What I don't like is at start up some apps open automatically, which means I have to quit or force quit them.

[mutt]

I like it so far, but I couldn't find where it stored the download prior to installation, so now in the process of downloading another 4 gig for my Macbook.......

Mutt

[Shunter]

Trick is to create a DVD from the download *before* you install it:

How to create an OS X Lion installation disc | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/how-to-create-an-os-x-lion-installation-disc/8301-13727_7-20080989-263.html)

[aviate1138]

So far so good with some handy features. Booting up takes around 12 seconds. Cheap as chips at 20.99 squids.

I too am a Macfixit user. Handy info. :)

[JSCL]

Sigh. I use Opera on my Mac and the update doesn't seem to like Opera or vice versa. Crashing constantly.

[The Nr Fairy]

crewmeal:

You should be able to control what apps open when you log in.

Go to the Apple menu, top left, choose "System Preferences", then select "Accounts." Click on your login name - if necessary clicking the padlock bottom left on the Preferences Pane first - and putting in your password. Then select the "Login Items" tab, and you can remove / disable apps which get started when you log in.

See also How to Turn Off Startup Programs on Your Mac (OS X) (http://www.switched.com/2009/02/19/how-to-turn-off-startup-programs-on-your-mac-os-x/) for more info.

[ORAC]

FYI,

Lion broke the Amazon Mac Kindle application. It won't sync and, if you deregister and try to register again it fails. They're working on it.

However, if you remove the Amazon application and down the Kindle App from the Apple Mac AppStore - it works fine.

Go figure.....

[SpringHeeledJack]

It looks as if Apple are calling the end of the optical drive in computers with the announcement that new editions of the Mini Mac and MacBook Air will have no DVD/CD drives and it seems like the rest of the line might well follow. It feels a bit premature, but in honesty I rarely use the drive on my steed.

Apple bids goodbye to the DVD - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8661978/Apple-bids-goodbye-to-the-DVD.html)



SHJ

[mixture]

MacBook Air will have no DVD/CD drives

Erm, since when did the McBook Air have an internal optical drive ?

[MacBoero]

Apple did the same with the floppy disk, and that didn't do them too much harm! :o

[mixture]

Address Book and iCal have gone all naff, like on the iPad, with faux leather. Yuk.

Untested and strictly at your own risk... (straight from a google search)

http://macnix.********.com/2011/07/change-mac-os-x-107-lion-ical-skin-to.html

grr... I hate PPRune..... replace the stars with *b*l*o*g*s*p*o*t* (without the stars, obviously !)

[Akrapovic]

Well, after almost a week of using Lion - it will not not connect to my local wifi network!

Actually, it will for around 5 seconds, then bin me off with a 'connection timeout occurred' message . . . .

Anyone else had this problem, or better still, have a solution!

Brgds
Akrapovic

[MacBoero]

Well, after almost a week of using Lion - it will not not connect to my local wifi network!

Actually, it will for around 5 seconds, then bin me off with a 'connection timeout occurred' message . . . .

Anyone else had this problem, or better still, have a solution!

Brgds
Akrapovic

Try deleting your network from the saved networks in the networks control panel. And also removing the auto-login details from the password keychain, and then re-adding the network.

[Algy]

Highly speculative, but also try connecting with ethernet cable to your wifi router, then disconnect cable and go back to wifi. This has cleared a couple of inexplicable wifi access issues for me in the past, absolutely no idea why.

[Akrapovic]

Thanks guys.

It appears it's a problem with the Modem - so I take back my Lion-related rant!

Cheers

[crewmeal]

ou should be able to control what apps open when you log in.


The Nr Fairy - it seem Lion remembers the apps that you were using when you shut down, and reopens them when you next log in!! Cool for some but not me.

Quit apps without Lion remembering their open windows - Mac software - Macworld UK (http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?olo=email&NewsID=3293931)

[MrWomble]

I'm about to receive my first ever Mac, a MacBook Air and while I know there are lots of "invaluable Mac app" lists, I know things move on.

Therefore, could people advise on their thoughts for:

anti-virus software
virtualisation software to run Windows in a VM
DVD ripping and watching software

Thanks in advance.

[DuneMentat]

I'm about to receive my first ever Mac, a MacBook Air and while I know there are lots of "invaluable Mac app" lists, I know things move on.

anti-virus software
virtualisation software to run Windows in a VM
DVD ripping and watching software

Congratulations of making the move - once you go Mac you never go back :}

Having made the move fairly recently myself here's my take on the software.

For Anti-virus i use Virusbarrier Plus (can be found in the Mac App Store for around 8€)
For visualization I use Parallels Desktop even though VmWare Fusion is just as good - I just got a good offer on Parallells but have used the VmWare trial with just as good results.

For ripping dvd's I own so i can watch them on the move without having the dvd drive with me I use MacTheRipper 4.0 (MTR). For watching DVD's I use the build in DVD Player which can also play the ripped folder or you can convert them into any format you like to save space for which I use DVDRemaster or Turbo 264.HD

DM

[mixture]

anti-virus software

Personally, I've never run anti-virus software on my mac. But then I don't run a WiFi network etc, which may theoretically increase your risk. You have to be a bit of a muppet to get a virus on your mac (even more so if you use it logged in as a standard user), and the "viruses" out there for OS X are not really true viruses like the nasty things you get on Wind-blows.

However, I have heard good things about intego's products, so will happily second the recommendation of the DuneMentat. If you're just an average consumer user, then some AV software won't do any harm (although make sure you set exclusions on your VMWare/Parallels disk files... run AV in the VM, not on the disk image).

For visualization I use Parallels Desktop even though VmWare Fusion is just as good

Personally I've always been of the impression that Parallels is always playing catch-up with its elder brother. VMWare Fusion has always seemed to be more stable and focused on getting the job at hand done than Parallels which just wants to have a long feature list for marketing purposes, most of which you'll never use. The network stack implementation is also much better in VMWare.

If you have not done so already, you should probably max-out your RAM too. RAM is cheap, and you can never have enough of it.

[AppleMacster]

Womble,

Welcome to Macintosh!

Forget antivirus software. You don't need it, and it will only slow down your Mac. I've not used any antivirus in 24 years using Macs and have never had any problems. It's *still* not an issue. Don't waste your time and money.

Parallels is good, and I've always had good customer service from them.

Ripping DVDs makes more sense if you use Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr), which means that you don't have to fight with encryption and you get away with using a lot less disk space. If you have a collection of mixed-region DVDs, it won't ask you to reset the region on your DVD drive all the time either. A typical DVD movie will take up around 1.2Gb, whereas ripping the whole DVD will take up around 4Gb. It also has settings for iPods, iPhones etc. You can use VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html) to watch them, or use an App like Boxee (http://www.boxee.tv/download) as a media interface to access things with a bit more style.

[mutt]

I traded up to a Macbook Pro with the Intel 2.7 Ghz i7 core and 4 GB memory about a month ago. I expected this to be super fast in comparison to the 2.0 Ghz machine that it replaced, but the opposite is happening, the new machine is giving me lots of spinning wheels, and in general is just slower.

I'm not in a country with real Apple dealers, so can anyone tell me if there is any known issues with the I7 core?

Also, what is the Apple replacement policy in the USA and/or UK? Will they swap internationally purchased machines?

Rgds

Mutt

[AppleMacster]

Mutt,

As long as the machine wasn't a grey import, the warranty is an international one on the laptops, for a year if no AppleCare purchased, a total of three years if you bought AppleCare.

They will ultimately swap machines within warranty if they can't be fixed, but they will try to fix them first.

Are there any Apple Authorised Service Providers where you are? They are listed here: AASD/AAD list (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1434)

[mixture]

You can review the terms and conditions of the standard (non-AppleCare) warranty here (http://images.apple.com/legal/warranty/docs/cpuwarranty.pdf).

[Background Noise]

Womble,

Do you need to have windows in a VM - ie running at the same time? Lion will come with bootcamp which allows you to selectively boot into Windows on Lion (in either case, you will need a copy of Windows to install).

Lion will include a DVD player. As for ripping, I've used Mac the Ripper but find handbrake better.

[mutt]

Lots of stores selling Macs and offering repairs, but none are AASD. I spilled cleaning fluid on the keyboard of previous MacBook, repair took 7 weeks due no parts. So I have no interest in giving them the new MacBook Pro to repair.

But your comment does sound as if you expect the new MacBook pro to be blistering fast.

Mutt

[WillDAQ]

anti-virus software
Ignore the "head in the sand" crowd, Sophos for Mac is free.

virtualisation software to run Windows in a VM
VirtualBox

DVD ripping and watching software
Handbrake
VLC