Display by Label: Mac

I'm struggling with a bit of the sleepiness this morning. Maybe because I took an allergy pill a couple of hours ago. Those things kind of put me out. Even the non-drowsy varieties. Especially the non-drowsy varieties. But the itchy scratchy eyes, the peppery nose, the sneezing at regular intervals . . . well, it finally got the best of me. And it was worth dealing with a bit of the sleepy to stop the madness. I don't know what it is that's wreaking havoc on my head, but man I want to shake it's hand for a job well done.

Or it may be that I'm sleepy because C and I did our regular Tuesday morning 5 am trip to the train station so C could be at her office in New Jersey by nine. Admit it, C has the kind of commute you cross your fingers and wish for all your life, doesn't she? Lucky girl. On these mornings, the dance goes like this: 4 am alarm. C gets up and showers. She dresses and prepares her suitcase, using the light from the hallway so I can put in another 45 minutes of semi-snoozing. I roll out of bed about 4:55. Cold water to take the stick out of my eyes. Throw on warm clothes. Wool socks. Crocs. Take C's packed suitcase downstairs. Meet in the kitchen for a quiet bite together. Then it's a 5-minute ride to Penn Station. Out of the car. Taxis, florescent lighting. Morning commuters catching the train. Zombies, most of them, on their way to DC. Suitcase out of the back. Kiss goodbye. Car door closed, and one exit north on 83 and I'm back home, where the kitchen clock radio reads 5:35 am. Some mornings I put out the lights and put my head back on the pillow. Other mornings, like this one, I take care of some busywork because, for some reason, I seem to mind it less before the sun rises. I focus best in the dark. And I guess it doesn't really matter if the dark is late at night or early in the morning. But if I do this — if I fight the urge to go back to bed — I inevitably have to take an hour's nap before noon. Which is what I did this morning. Around 8:30.

So yeah. Take your pick: allergy pill or early rise. One of the two, or both, put me in this sleepy state.

And the busywork this morning? It was a much-needed cleaning up of my Mac. A deleting of files. An installing of updates. I've been putting off all of this because I've had a project on my plate. But I launched phase one of that yesterday. And so there's a bit of a breather. I still haven't installed Leopard, but I've gotten all the other stuff done so as to make way.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon on the phone with Western Digital's tech support so they could help me figure out why the My Book Terabyte drive I bought for backups was having Mac configuration trouble. And that was, as you might expect, about as great a way to crash back to reality after a holiday as you can finagle. With extra points for style.

Four separate calls. Each with a hold time of 30 minutes or more, followed by a conversation that seemed to be in English, though if you really broke it down and tried to identify a particular word, you'd be hard pressed. There was a lot of guessing involved. We each repeated syllables in patterns that made sense to each of us in our mind, but as they entered the ether of phone line, all meaning got lost. So each of us made what we could of it.

One particularly frustrating exchange — which took place after about 32 minutes on hold listening to music that I'm pretty sure was designed to make you commit suicide before anybody actually picked up — went something like this:

"Hello, this is . . . indecipherable . . . Please . . . indecipherable . . . serial number or case number."

"Yes, I have a case number. It's 123-XYZ."

Pause . . . then, "Hello?"

"Yes. Yes? I'm here. Case number 123-XYZ. Did you get it?"

"Hello? Is there anybody on the line, please."

"Yes! There is most definitely somebody here! Hello, hello!? Can you hear me? Please, please don't hang up!"

"Hello?"

"Please, I don't think I can handle another 30 minutes on . . . "

Click. Silence.

It's times like these I'm thankful to be one of those liberal gun-control types. Because if I weren't, my house might be a far more dangerous place to hang out on Monday afternoons.

Actually, I don't know if it was the recent holiday break, or my new goal of keeping my blood pressure down, but I was remarkably able to sluff all this off. Maybe it was the Valium and Dewars that did it. Come to think of it, maybe that's what's got me feeling sleepy.

Whatever. It's working, I guess. And so is the My Book Tera drive, by the way. But if you have a Mac, you might think twice before getting one of these. They're not very "plug-and-play" with Tigers or Leopards.

But maybe, just maybe, you're the kind of person that likes that sort of thing. I mean plug-and-play is kind of boring, right? Sometimes plug-and-fight-like-hell is much more fun. A little clawing and tearing. A vigorous slap across the face. Because the greater the work, the greater the reward. Or something like that. And dammit, I'm subscribing to that shit now, brother. Believe it. I am the warm fuzzy center of the world. I am the zen caramel filling.

Bite me.

link to this | comments (2) | File:  Ho_Hum  Mac 

I've been waiting for Gmail to enable IMAP connectivity and it's finally here. There are still some things to work out, though, like the imperfect way "labels" get handled (by placing messages in multiple folders). I'm definitely not ready to give up on using the Google web client just yet. But this article gives some excellent guidance on configuring Apple Mail for IMAP-ing to Gmail, if you're interested. Be sure to read through the comments, as there are some extra pearls of wisdom in there.

link to this | comments (2) | File:  Mac  iPhone  Google  Gmail 

The guide of this tour is eerily fashioned in the likeness of Mr. Jobs himself only slightly younger, fitter, and, let's be honest, handsomer. But his smug attitude is really annoying and sort of makes me want to punch him. You know what, though? Sigh. My copy is still in the mail, to arrive on the 26th, hopefully. Oh Apple, my love for you is tainted with angst and self-loathing. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

link to this | comments (2) | File:  Apple  Mac 

There's been much hype and chatter over the new release of iPods. I have to admit I kind of dig the new look. I've had my 4th-gen, non-color-screen, 20-gig iDooDad since fall of 2004. I did not feel compelled to trade it up for a 5th-gen number last year, or the year before that, but this year I'm definitely intrigued by Gen, the 6th. My battery is beginning to show it's age so it might be time for a new music delivery device, only this time I'll be able to venture into the world of video, as well. The 160GB "Classic" is looking mighty fine. Of course, so is the 80GB at $250. Not necessarily pocket change, but certainly much better value than previous models. Apple is actually driving down its own prices by releasing other "cooler" models like the iPod Touch. This is good news for me. The Touch is definitely nifty, and I like the Wi-Fi ability they've integrated into it, but 16GB just doesn't cut it for me. So I can benefit instead from the bigger muscle and smaller price tag of the new Classic models.

The real entertainment in all of this has been the fact that Apple dropped the cost on the 8GB iPhone a whopping $200 from it's initial price in June of $599, which—it's worth pointing out—was just two months ago. This lead many early adopters to protest that they paid too much. Then there was a backlash of articles from people who think these guys should essentially "quit their whining." On the one hand, I agree with this sentiment. As Michael correctly points out, "Bottom line, if you don't want to pay the early adopter premiums, don't buy 1.0 products. From anyone." Right-O! I am most definitely NOT an early adopter, and I'm damn proud of that fact. Give me 2.0 or 3.0 products, please. I like them cheaper and less buggy.

But even though I agree that you have to have an iron stomach to be an early adopter, there's definitely something fishy to me about a $200 price drop in just 67 days. What it tells me is Apple took advantage of their most loyal, dedicated—and let's be honest—wealthy group of customers by inflating the price on a product that was worth less to begin with. They knew these people would buy the thing no matter what it cost. Now, as a sign of goodwill, Apple has given the people who bought the 8GB iPhone a $100 gift card which they can use to buy, you guessed it, more Apple products. Whoa. Apple's really bending over backwards on this one! Meanwhile, the people getting refunds are bending over, too. The other way. For a supposedly media-savvy and cynical generation, we blissfully have our blinders on when it comes to Apple.

Oh, Apple, you know us so well. You know that even when we're angry at you, we're really just angry at ourselves. Because all we really want is ever more of your iGoodness. Thank you for watching over us. Give us this day our daily iTunes. And forgive us of our debts of $200 too much for over-valued products, as we forgive those who give us $100 to spend in their own stores. And lead us not to anything un-hip, but deliver us from Microsoft. For thine is the iKingdom, and the iPower, and the iGlory forever. Amen.

link to this | comments (1) | File:  Apple  iPhone  iPod  Mac  Tech 

Okay . . . another Mac post. I'll switch subjects eventually. Previously, I had been complaining about keying wrong combinations after switching from the PC. The problem is even worse when I'm using my PC-oriented external keyboard. Well, to make things right, there's a neat utility called DoubleCommand. I just installed it and I now have CTRL-C and CTRL-V back! It's easy to use and appears in your 'System Preferences' pane after installation. Go get you a copy. Yee-haw!

link to this | comments (0) | File:  Mac 

Cough, cough. Sputter. E-hem. Wow. The last week has been a whirlwind of computer configuration, file copying, and hardware fixing. One disadvantage of being self-employed is dealing with hardware downtime. It's not that I haven't prepared for the possibility. I've backed up my files. I've set aside money for new hardware and software. But it's the lost time that's killing me. From now on, I think I'm going to keep a back-up computer, with all the necessary software loaded on it and ready to go. Because going through the troubleshooting process with any computer vendor is not the quickest thing. It requires a pretty snazzy patience cap. My PC issue is still not completely resolved with HP. I'm close, but now I've got a completely new hard drive, no software installed on it, and the built-in wi-fi card isn't working. And even though my MBP, which finally arrived Monday, is set up and (for the most part) ready to go, it's taking some getting used to.

Which brings me to the topic at hand. Over the past several days, I've noticed there are a lot of blog posts written by people who have switched from PC to Mac and who have written about their 'switching pains.' There seems to be a common thread to all of these posts and I've noticed that PC users seem to go through five distinct stages of transformation when moving from their old PC to their new Mac. I thought I'd document those here, and in the process describe a few of my own personal switching pains.

Stage One:
This is the 'Oh, wow it's so shiny and cewl - I absolutely love it' stage. It begins when you first take it out of the box and lasts through the initial boot where you check out all the nifty programs and the slick interface. Theoretically, it's possible to remain in this stage indefinitely, making funny faces in front of Photo Booth, laughing hysterically, and wondering why your eyes are all dried out. And while this seemed like a perfectly reasonable option, I'm a long way from college, and there's projects that need doing. I needed to get down to brass tacks. And coming to this realization is probably where Stage 2 begins for most people.

Stage two:
I call this the 'Oh shit, what have done - this was a huge mistake' stage. To hell with the slick interface and shiny exterior! You're quickly discovering things which used to be easy to do on your PC, which are actually harder to do on the Mac. A-ha! The ads lied! And even though you knew this going into the whole thing, you're now faced with the cold reality that there are certain beloved PC programs you used to have on your PC which are not available for Mac. Two important examples for me: Note Tab Pro - a great and simple text editor which I used for, among other things, writing blog posts - and Picasa. And for all you long-time Mac users who go on and on about iPhoto, let me tell you: Just taste of the Picasa goodness and you'll be convinced. A taste is all you need. It's faster, has more functionality, and simply put, it's better. Hopefully a Mac version is coming soon. Google? Mac version of Picasa? Can you get on that please? Snap, snap.

Stage two is also marked by finger cramps and furious cursing at the keyboard. You're constantly doing things like hitting the CTRL key instead of the Command key for functions like copying and pasting. In this way, you begin to understand that the advertising for the Mac was actually spot-on - it really does make you more creative! You know this because you're finding ever more imaginative ways to use the word 'fuck' in a sentence.

Stage Three:
This is the 'I'm really enjoying using this here Mac despite the fact that I can't use certain software on it - and, oh, I found out how to do such and such, and even though it's a little convoluted, it's really not that bad' stage. (Pretty catchy, eh?)

One thing I used to do on my PC all the time is alter my 'hosts' file so that I could do development work on a client's server and be able to direct my browser to a domain of my choosing without having to mess with entering any new values into a DNS server. I know there are several of you who read this blog who might not know (or care) what this means, so I'm not going to go into it. But I'll just say this: it was simple to do on WinXP. On Mac OS X, it's a little harder. (JP, if you know an easier way, which I'm hoping you do, please let me know what it is.) For one thing, it seems you have to learn a little Unix command-line voodoo. And for another, it's more than just a single edit to a single file. I don't really mind learning the Unix stuff. In fact, it's kind of interesting. And eventually this is something that'll be just as easy as what I used to do on WinXP. But it's just an example of how there are some real differences between PC and Mac, and sometimes those differences don't always spell 'e-a-s-y' like the Mac commercials lead you to believe.

Stage Four:
This is the 'Okay, I'm getting the hang of this stuff now - I'm learning the shortcuts and the interface - even a few Unix commands - and you know what? I kind of friggin' like it' stage. I'm sure I'll get here soon, but it hasn't happened yet. The most important aspect of this stage is that normal productivity resumes.

Stage Five:
Generally referred to as the 'Microsoft who?' stage. Your friends begin to notice that you are dressing cooler, eating healthier, and generally living better. Every morning, your spouse prepares a full breakfast, which is followed up by some toe-curling morning sex. You are never tired. Or bored. You are constantly riding the crest of a morphine high. Your house cleans itself and, amazingly, your shit stops smelling. For some reason, you find yourself putting the letter 'i' in front of everything, most notably, your life. You begin decorating your house in a modern, unornamented style. Lots of whites, blacks, and straight lines. You begin to speak of time in terms of 'pre-Mac' and 'post-Mac.'

Stage Six: (shhhh!)
I know I said there were five stages, but I think there's actually a sixth, which most Mac people don't talk about, mainly out of The Fear (with a capital 'F.') If you ever hear a Mac person say they're getting 'The Fear' don't worry, it's got nothing to do with drug use - at least not the usual drug use we've come to expect. Man, I'm really putting myself out on a limb even talking about it, but here it goes: Stage six has been known to occur after an extended camping trip or some other vacation where you're out in nature and away from civilization for an extended period of time. You come home and look around at all your iCrap and realize that you're still drinking kool aid, only it's a different color (metallic blue) and it doesn't come from Redmond. It's Cupertino's finest blend and it tastes pretty damn good. Here you were thinking you were shunning the corporate monster, only to find he's right here in bed with you, giving you sweet caresses in the middle of the night.

It's a harsh, glaring reality. You feel 'The Fear' begin to set in and you begin to shake. You could probably get help, but you're really not interested in any of that. Instead, you pour yourself a big glass of that yummy blue cocktail, load up iTunes, and watch some iTV. By the time your friend calls you on your iPhone, you've forgotten all about that big corporate giant controlling your thoughts. It's cozy in here. That's all that matters.

Bottoms up!

link to this | comments (15) | File:  Mac  NoteTab  Picasa 

Dear Apple: Why o why must you keep making things that are so damned cool? Please stop. At least for a little while. So we can replenish our wallets. Or you could make your cool things be free. You know, like Google does.

link to this | comments (1) | File:  Mac  Tech 

I intended this post to be a somewhat thoughtful reflection on the past year, and possibly a statement of resolutions for the coming one. I also intended to post a photo album or two from the holidays. But this was last week - before The Fall. And what is it they say? Something about best-laid plans of mice and men? I'm surely one of those.

It started last Thursday when I came back from the gym to find my PC had gone to a black screen, upon which the words 'Non-system disk error' were written, innocently enough, at the top left. I tried rebooting. It took about 25 minutes. Excruciating. Gnashing of teeth. Biting of nails. Windows finally came back up, only to generate further cryptic errors like this one. Then it blue screened. I did some fancy windows ninja tricks - stopped unnecessary services from running, rebooted into safe mode, restored to a previous state. But no matter what I tried, the results were pretty much the same. Painfully slow processing followed by abrupt system failure.

Data loss was not a concern. Thanks to the backup routine I began last Spring, I had a fresh backup of all my files. Hardware and support costs? No worries there either. As luck would have it, I'm on the last month of a three-year extended warranty from HP. The timing really couldn't be better, in that sense.

But lost time and productivity? This may be a problem. I've already spent a few hours on the phone with HP trying various troubleshooting methods, all of which I was fairly certain would not work even as they were being offered to me. I think what this comes down to is a hard drive failure. I'm not sure what gave it away. Probably the scratching and grinding noises which began the morning of that first breakdown. Today, I can't even boot into windows anymore, but while I still could, the error logs read 'disk error' and 'atapi error,' both of which seemed to point to a disk problem. And when I tried to run a disk check outside of windows, it told me the drive 'did not support it,' which doesn't even make sense. But I guess all those clues are code for 'You need to try to re-install windows,' which is what the HP support staff recommends I do. They're sending me updated system disks in the mail. My guess is shortly after I try those, HP will be sending me a new hard drive. But I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm willing to go through the troubleshooting process. In the meantime, however, I've got two active Web projects and a couple of other pending ones and no computer with the right software on it to do the work. That's got me a little on edge. Just a little.

Now, I'll probably get the windows laptop back up and running eventually, but I decided that, despite this, I needed to heed the signs being hailed at me by the quarterbacks of computing: It's time for a change. Damn all the uncertainty. Damn the new software I'll have to buy. It's time to take the plunge. It's time to switch to a Mac.

So last Saturday night, on the brink of a new year and all the promise and anticipation a time like this holds, I ordered a MacBook Pro. And come Thursday, I'll be a part of the family. I'll be able to play with the cool kids. And thanks to Parallels, I'll still be able to drink the Redmond kool-aid from time to time, if I really really really need to, which I might just have to do so I can use my favorite photo application, at least until Google wises up and makes a Mac version.

As some of you know, I've been wanting to go Mac for a while, and had always prepared to do it right around this time, anyway. We bought an iBook last February, which C uses, and I've been envious of her OS X tricks ever since. But as the time approached, I began to get cold feet and I wound up ordering this. Then, despite my best attempts to sabotage the effort, I managed to send it back because it really wasn't what I wanted. Now I'm following through with the original plan - get a Mac - and it feels good. But there's still a lot of work to do: Configurations to implement. Files to convert. Lots of exporting and importing. New software to order and install. New shortcuts and work-flows to learn. When your entire life is in digital, switching platforms is no easy task. There'll be a period of dust and noise around here, which I hope you will excuse. But when it's all over, I should come out on the other side renewed, reborn. And at the start of a new year, what more can you ask for?

link to this | comments (7) | File:  Mac  Tech  Work 

I was talking with somebody just last week about how Apple is in a good position to make a serious move into the office. I think Microsoft and PC companies are somewhat in denial about this. Of course, the day Apple becomes a corporate machine is probably the day they lose some of their 'cool,' which is why they need to do this in just the right way, with just the right demographic. Strategy will be key. But this shouldn't be a problem, as Apple does not seem to be wanting for strategic thinkers.

link to this | comments (0) | File:  Mac  Tech 

A footnote to my previous post about backing up. For Mac users who get Leopard, the upcoming release of OS X, due out in Spring 2007, it will soon get a whole lot easier. Welcome, Time Machine.

link to this | comments (0) | File:  Mac