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Text Clippings. Storing Bits of Text.

Monday, August 20th, 2007 | Tips | No Comments

Mac OS X is known for its ease of use.  One such feature that makes storing bits of text easy is called text clipping.  I’ve mentioned this feature before in a list of drag-n-drop features.  But I think its worth highlighting it again.

What’s the Use?
Most will find this feature helpful when surfing the web and reading online articles or blog posts.  Say you come a cross a great quote or a piece of information that intrigues you.  You have a couple of options, you can copy the text and paste it into TextEdit or another word processing program, or you can use the text clipping feature built right into Mac OS X.

How Does it Work?
Select the text you wish to store for future reference.  Click on the selection and wait one second.  Then drag the text onto the desktop.  This creates a small file called, “text clipping.”  You can open this file, copy and paste the text somewhere else, or keep it store in a folder.

It’s a handy feature when you need to quickly store short bits of text for use at a later time.  In a similar way you can store links to web pages on your desktop or in a file.  Highlight the URL and drag it a desired destination.

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Preserving the shine of your Mac notebook

Monday, July 23rd, 2007 | Mac Accessories, Mac Resources, Tips | No Comments

Well, its been several weeks since I last wrote on this blog.  I’ve just finished the final paper for another class.  It’s been a busy summer for me.  I’ve actually completed three graduate courses in a span of 12 weeks.

Aside from the personal stuff, what I really want to talk about is protecting that newly purchased Mac notebook.  I don’t mean protect it from thieves.  Although, that is important.  I’m referring to protecting it from scratches and dents.  I don’t know about you, but I want to make sure that my MacBook Pro remains looking shiny and new for as long as possible.

So, when I purchased my MacBook Pro a couple of months ago, I immediately invested in a reliable notebook sleeve.  I even made sure that my new notebook did not leave the house until my sleeve arrived.  You may think I’m paranoid, but hey, I’m really lovin’ my Mac.

There are a number of notebook sleeves that you can purchase.  The price will vary depending on the brand you choose.  I went with Marware notebook sleeves.  I like Marware sleeves because they are made specifically for the Mac.  They make one for the MacBook and the MacBook Pro (both 15″ & 17″).  The sleeve fits very snug over my MacBook Pro and doesn’t add unnecessary bulk.

Regardless of the brand you choose, make sure that the the sleeve is made for the specific Mac notebook model that you own.  This way you’ll ensure that it fits properly, provides the most protection and keeps the bulk at a minimum.

This is yet another useful tip from your friends at Gustacci.com.  Enjoy your Mac.

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Becoming familiar with the Mac

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 | Tips | No Comments

If you’re new to the Mac or in the process of switching, you may have questions about how things work. You may need to know how to move your files from a Windows machine.

If that’s the case, you’re in luck. I’m sure a buddy who’s been using a Mac for a while will be more than willing to help. But if you don’t have a friend who can assist you, there are other ways to learn about your new Mac. Apple has some materials to help you become familiar with your Mac and also to assist you with moving files from a Windows machine or another Mac.

The Support section of Apple’s web site can be a great resource for many of your questions. However, for beginners there are two sections that can be of greatest value. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t make them very easy to locate. One of these sections is called Mac 101. Here you will find an overview of the Mac OS X interface, learn about connecting peripherals and how to tweak preferences. Second section is called Switch 101. In this section you will learn how to move files from a Windows machine to your new Mac. You will also learn about Apple software and some of the other things covered in Mac 101.

Although, Macs are the most user friendly computers, it may be interesting and helpful to get some beginning pointers from the experts at Apple. Visit Apple’s Support site and begin learning more about your shiny Mac.

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Discounted Mac Software

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 | Free Stuff, Mac Resources, Mac vs Windows, Software, Tips | No Comments

As you’re thinking about switching to the Mac, you may be asking yourself, “how in the world will I afford to replace all of my Windows software?” Well, if you’re a student or work for an educational institution, you’re in luck.

First, Apple provides generous discounts to students and educational employees. This is true for both computers and software. When you’re at the online Apple store look for the section labeled “More Stores” in the right sidebar and click under the heading “Education.” That will take you to a special store that will display educational discount prices.

Secondly, you can purchase hundred’s of software titles at a discount from AcademicSuperStore.com. In addition to software, this store also sells a number of peripherals.

And lastly, don’t forget that there’s lots of free software for the Mac. Some time ago I wrote about a program called MacLibre, which helps you download and install a number of open source (free) software titles on the Mac. In addition, you can visit MacUpdate.com for an extensive list of free and shareware titles. Furthermore, you can find free or shareware software on Apple’s own website in the Downloads section.

Don’t believe the myth that there’s no free software for the Mac. In many cases the free or low cost software available for the Mac is much better than what you’ll find for Windows. Software availability shouldn’t be a reason to keep you from switching to the world’s most advanced computing platform.

I hope you chose to use a Mac. I did. And loving every moment of it.

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SuperDrive firmware update

Thursday, June 28th, 2007 | Apple News, Mac OS X, Tech News, Tips | No Comments

My new MacBook Pro has been having issues with the SuperDrive.  It refused to play certain media and didn’t always burn discs on the first try.  Today my software update prompted me for a new update.  It happened to be the SuperDrive Update 2.1.  I haven’t been able to test my optical drive extensively after loading the update, but have see some improvement.  I have a disc with me that didn’t play prior to the update but plays after the update.  That sounds like good news to me.  I suppose that these firmware updates to make a difference.  I’ll do some further testing at a later time when I have access to more variety of media.

If you’ve been having issues with your optical drive on a MacBook Pro, fire up the Software Update on your machine and load the SuperDrive Update 2.1.  It should improve your drive’s performance.

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