Archive for October, 2008

I’m thinking about buying a macbook for personal use, can you advise please? Thanks.

That’s great news! We’re going to be having lots of conference video chats now! It’s really nice to be able to see Mom and Dad often!
It’s a great time to buy a macbook now as Apple just released brand new models with a sturdy and radical new design. They’re a single piece of Aluminum that feels so solid when you hold it or type on it.
I’ve always bought the base model of Macs and been very happy with them, so the $1299 MacBook is what I’d buy today if I went to the store. I myself have a MacBook Air, which is $1799, and for me, biking around all day, it’s worth the $500 premium over the $1299 model even though the $1299 MacBook has more power and features.
A lot of people (Which Apple Retail must love) go for the MacBook Pro model for $1999 over the $1299 MacBook model, only for the fact that it has a 15inch screen compared to the 13″ of the $1299.
Historically, tere were huge reasons to buy a PRO model over a standard model, the graphics capabilities were much better, the PRO models were built out of metal instead of plastic, the keyboards were backlit and PRO laptops could work well with huge external displays.
Now though, All Macbooks from $1299 have metal enclsures, can power big displays, and feel very similar, so you can feel comfortable buying the $1299 model and being happy, I’ve tested it and it’s very powerful feeling.
If a Backlit Keyboard is important, then spring for the $1599 backlit keyboard model of the $1299 model, which has other things that make it worth the money.
Remember to buy from Amazon for a nice price and a tax free purchase


or shop Apple’s refurb section  for a good deal on a refurbed Mac, these are supported by the same warranty Apple provides to new machines, are eligible for Apple Care (extended warranty) and they’ll let you return them too, any I’ve ever seen are immaculate condition!
There’s good deals on Amazon and Apple for the last generation of MacBooks, they’re fantastic deals, like $1499 down from $2499 for a really strong macbook pro, but, just know that when you buy the mew models, you’re buying a new generation in the sense that the last generation had a legacy of 5 years, and you’re getting in with the first of a new generation, hopefully meaning they’ll hold there value both to you and in resale for a longer time. Last years MacBooks are going to look very old fashioned within 24 months I’m sure…
Good Shopping…
Brendan

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Set up the Minolta 2300DL printer on OS X

To print to the QMS magicolor 2300 DL via Ethernet:

Download and install the Magicolor 2430DL drivers from Minolta’s website.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are running Mac OSX 10.2 then you will first need to download and install Ghostscript from http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/macosx.php3 (espgs-7.07.1.ppc.dmg is a precompiled version, so you just run it and install from the ESP Ghostscript.mpkg file).

1. Make sure that the printer is powered on and connected to the network via Ethernet and is in the same IP range as your network. My network is using DHCP on 192.168.1.xxx, so I have assigned 192.168.1.248 to the Minolta as a static IP address using the menu on the printer.
2. Reboot the Mac system if the printer was connected after the last reboot.
3. Open Print Center.
4. Click the “Add” button while holding the ALT key.
5. From the pop-up menu choose Advanced.
6. From the second pop-up menu that appears, choose “AppSocket//HP JetDirect”. You will then need to provide a meaningful name (eg Minolta Magicolor 2300DL) in the Device Name field below the menu. After that insert the IP address of the printer after the text “socket://” in the “Device URl” field below that. (Mine reads socket://192.168.1.248)
7. From the “Printer Model” pop-up menu choose “KONICA MINOLTA”
8. From the list of models that appears below the Printer Model selection choose the “KONICA MINOLTA magicolor 2430DL” driver, then click the “Add” button at the bottom of the dialog.

You should then be able to print OK.
I have tested this myself on a Mac G4 450DP and a Powerbook G3 300 (both running OSX 10.2.8) with the Minolta Magicolor 2300DL through my home network connection. The print quality is as good as it is on a PC with the genuine Minolta 2300DL drivers, although the images are printed slightly darker on the MAC (only noticeable when the prints are side-by-side).
I have also tested this on a Macbook 2.2Ghz running OSX 10.5.2. I have been using this setup on various Macs on my home network for over 3 years now.

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twit fstream setup

Setting up Fstream  on your  iPhone to   listen to   twit  is no    easy   feat.

Using Fstream is quite simple, click on favorites in the lower  part of the  screen, then click the   small label tagged “preset” in the upper right  corner.

 

Now to get Twit.am on our  iPhones… and click the Edit button in the   upper right   hand side  of  the favorites menu screen.

 

Click the  Add Webradio  station button, Give your new favorite any  name you  want, and the  URL http://twit.am:8000/listen

 

Click save  in  the   upper  right.

 

Clcik Done in the  upper left

 

Return to your “Play”  Screen and tap the   station name  you  just dcreated.

 

Enjoy Leo, and  Merlin when he’s around! Where’s his  Fstream?

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Exchange business cards between iPhones

Handshake 1.0 
New free iPhone app lets you exchange contact cards over the air with other Handshake users. Should be a built-in iPhone feature.

 

Via Gruber

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Apple earnings climb 26%, iPod, Mac sales rise

Key points:

 

Apple sold more phones than Rimm (makers of the Blackberry)

Apple now has $25 BILLION in CASH sitting in the Bank!!! and NO debt

Mac Sales are up 21% over the same quarter last year, that sort of growth is unheard of!

More at Marketwatch

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1Password for iPhone now available for FREE in the App Store1

The great and wonderful password manager 1Password by Apple Design Award winning Canadian developers Agile solutions (switcher Developers) is Free from the app store for a limited time, go get it!

 

 

1Password for iphone image

1Password for iphone image

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omnimailmessageserviceenabler

Updating to the latest nightly builds of Omnifocus is neccesary for us who want to sync our iPhone’s and iPod Touch’s with our task management lists.

Everytime the new omnifocus is dragged into applications under Leopard, the error message omnimailmessageserviceenabler is in use, pops up, here’s how to solve it.

 

Quit Mail

 

and try again! That’s it!

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