appleJAC Macintosh Users

What a Difference a Couple of Years Makes

Years pass and consumer electronics continue to get smaller.  A case in point is shown in this photo.  These items are USB power adapters from Apple.  Two years ago, the one on the bottom was the standard.  It was small enough to travel with and provided enough power to charge anything.  Last year, the iPhone came out and provided the middle one.  Much smaller but performed the same charging function.  Today, Apple provided the top one with the new iPhone 3G.  Smaller yer.  At this rate, next year, the iPhone will likely charge by static in the air and not require a power adaptor. 

You thing??

What has happened to Apple Support?

This evening I have been setting up a brand new MacBook Air with an Apple MacBook Air Superdrive.  The Macbook Air is a beautiful thing to behold.  Sleek, thin, and very fast.  It really makes you appreciate Apple's industrial design.  Unfortunately, while Apple has remained a leader in design, they seem to be letting their support go to hell.

I plugged in the superdrive to begin installing software and that is where I ran into a snag.  It seems the drive is DEAD OUT OF THE BOX!  Yes that is right, not going to work.  Well, I have no concerns as the machine was brand new and purchased with AppleCare.  Oh, but my odyssey only begins here.

So I call apple, wait 5 minutes on hold (not bad for a computer company) and get a nice tech support guy.  Now, I have been doing this for quite a while... I know when a drive is dead.... but it seems I know more than the tech support person.  We troubleshoot this drive for over an hour.  Try this, try that, reboot, check this, do that, reboot..... you all know the routine.  FInally, after I just tell him they need to replace it.  Simple, right?  Oh no, he tells me i need to take it to an Apple store to be tested.  But the nearest Apple store is 2 1/2 hrs from me..... and the drive is BRAND NEW!!  Just replace it......

No can do!  I get transfered back to apple sales that want me to ship them the drive before they send another one.  Not only that, but it may take 48 hours to generate the labels for me to ship it back. Then I need to call them to tell them the FedEx number and they will ship me the replacement merchandise for 3 to 5 day delivery. 

Ridiculous you say..... Amazon will cross ship for defective merchandise... but not Apple.  I think I just read that Apple was tops in customer satisfaction?  Well not with me.... not today!

Wake up Apple!  Is a defective $99 part worth making a long time customer so frustrated?  An Apple Advocate.  A User Group Leader?  An Apple User Group Regional Liaison?

So here I am, 2 1/2 hours on the phone..... A drive to FedEx tomorrow, a call back to Apple and a wait for a replacement all because they don't trust me to send the drive that does not work back. 

Somehow, apple, and the Apple on-line store needs to be told that this is absolutely unacceptable!  Told that people expect much more from them.  Told that were mad as hell and..... well you know the rest.

At least, I had time to right this post.... while waiting on hold.

Update:  Cooler heads at apple seem to work the day shift.  This morning I got the fedex labels, re-boxed the drive, and ran it out to fedex.  Called Apple back and they said 'we would be happy to overnight the replacement to you'.... huh.... last night it was 3 to 5 days?  Go figure

Perhaps Apple support is better in the mornings.....

Second Update:   Then again, maybe not..... got the shipping notice and they shipped it ground.... 7 day delivery! 

Final Update:  Drive arrived 7 days after I started this entire process.  Worked fine out of the box.  It should not have been this hard to get a DOA part replaces.... but it was.

Favorite Podcasts - TWIP

Last month we discussed Podcasts at the appleJAC meeting.  One of my favorite podcasts is called TWIP.  This Week in Photography is a lively podcast about mid level to high end photography.  It discussed photo concepts, methods and equipment.  If you are a photographer trying to learn digital photo concepts, this is a great hour per week listen. 

One great part in this podcast is that when it becomes necessary to show something, the developer puts out a video version showing what they are talking about.  Really cool!

Apple Releases iPhone SDK... Late and not Complete

Today, Apple released the iPhone Software development kit.  What could be wrong with that?  Apple promised us this would be out in February, right?  They told us this at least 6 months ago.

Look at the date of this post..... looks like March to me.  Some of you might say, were only a week into March, what's the big deal of being a week late?  Lets look at the rest of the information.

First off, the SDK released today is a BETA.... not the final release.  Wow!  A week late and not even a final release... that's pathetic.  Come on Apple, tell us the truth.  If you can't do it, let others do it.  I have held off jailbreaking my phone for 9 months now to do apps the right way but it really is getting old.

So when will we really see applications on the phone?  Not soon, that's for sure!  June!  June!! An entire year after the phone has been released. 

Don't get me wrong, I still love the iPhone and believe it is the best phone I have ever used, but it could be so much better.  Apple, quit dolling it out in tiny pieces to keep us on the string.  This is getting ridiculous.  And don't even talk to me about the miserable EDGE network.  Where is my 3G iPhone? 

But most of all Apple, quit the spin control (or down right lying to us).  Tell us the truth and do a better job of anticipating what people want... or you will definitely not see those iPhone sales growing.

We are off to MacWorld Again!

It's that time of year!

This year, Tom Piper, Mark Snell, and myself will be joined by MacWorld new comer and appleJAC member Steve Mays. 

I will do my best to make posts about what we see and do at MacWorld .  If you have any questions or things you are looking for, let me know by posting a comment on this post and I will see what we can find out.

View the MacWorld Expo News here on the Expo news blog  Click Here for news

Happy Holidays from appleJAC

Apple.... Give me more USB!

Dear Apple;

Everyone in the industry know that you have provided world changing technology that always leads the industry.  In many cases you wrote the book for technology inclusion in your products.  We all remember SCSI ports that allowed Mac users to have additional disk space long before PC users could take advantage of it.  We also know you invented firewire and after a few mis steps allowed the industry to join you in using this fast bus technology.  Unfortunately, we also know you at times show just hoe hard headed you are.

Apple, I am writing today to ask why you seem to be the only PC maker that believes users will not attach lots of stuff to your machines.  I have a MacPro and this machine has only 3 USB ports on the back.  Yes you give me two on the front but who would make such a beautiful machine look so ugly as to plug cables into the front of it?  Keep in mind, I love the front ports for using memory drives, plugging in cameras, and the occasional hard disk for copying but the issue is more the need for more ports on the back.

Learn from your competitors!  I am decommissioning a four year old Dell at work and noticed t had 6 USB ports on the back (and two on the front).  IF Dell can figure out the need, why can't you.  And don't tell me about the two on the keyboard.  Those don't have enough power for anything more than a memory key.  I don't consider those to count.  Anyway, who wants their printer connecting to their keyboard?

I would not complain if I could add those ports, but you make it nearly impossible these days.  In the days of my G4 tower, I plugged in a PCI card and added 5 ports.  With the PCI Express bus in a MacPro (and the tendency for PC vendors to provide lots of USB ports) it is nearly impossible to buy a card and make it work.  I know because I purchase two different ones and the Mac Drivers don't work correctly.

Apple, please, add these ports to the back of our machines!  Give us at least 6 ports on a desktop and 4 on a laptop.  One day, all peripherals may have ethernet ports but today is not the day.  Save me from USB Hub hell!  Spend the $2 and give me the ports.

Sincerely;

Port-less Mac User

Great Photo Seminar....

Last weekend, Mark Snell and I attended a great Photographic seminar in St Louis.  It was put on by Palm Beach Photographic Center.  The instructor, Fatima NeJame did a teriffic job describing the ins and outs of digital photography to a group of 60 or so attendees.  I recommend these seminars if they come back to town again.  Very worthwile refresher and I picked up a few new tricks to boot.

Every body needs to make time to Sharpen the Saw once in a while.

Here was the seminar content....

Digital Cameras Made Easy
Day One

After basic camera skills, such as proper camera handling, care lens selection and use, auto focus and exposure are covered, you will move on, learning how to use the instant feedback of the digital camera to improve your photography. Color balance and histogram use in the field and in the lab will be covered. We will wade through the swamp of color space and color depth. Should you use jpeg or RAW files? In this full-day lecture seminar, you will learn how to take your pictures from the camera to the computer. This class opens the door to all aspects of digital photography. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the pros.

Topics Include:
• Digital camera features & proper set-up
• Pixel resolution for different end uses
• File formats and compression
• Advantages of Raw files
• Getting the most from your digital camera
• Digital media, card readers & storage devices
• Image acquisition to the computer

The Digital Darkroom
Day Two

In this full-day digital darkroom seminar, you will learn to work with digital photographs or digital scans of existing film images to enhance, manage, color correct and print your images. This seminar covers in more depth, aspects of digital imaging that you will need to know to make the most of your photographs once they are in your computer.

Topics Include:
• Image acquisition to the computer from digital cameras and card readers
• Scanning film
• File size, formats, and resolution
• Enhancing digital and scanned images
• Using pressure sensitive tools
• Color balancing your monitor
• Color correction techniques in Photoshop™
• Using the basic tools of Adobe Photoshop™
• Selection and masking techniques
• Working with color correction layers and masks
• Digital retouching techniques
• Printing tips, tricks and techniques
• Fine art and archival printing

iMovie 08: Ignore the complaints and just try it

I am sure you have seen people writing long discussions on how IMove 08 is inferior to iMovie 06.  I will admit there are a few (mighty few) features it doesn't include but the additions it includes and the easy of use in my opinion completely make up for this.

If you never tried iMovie 06, or tried it and were frustrated, iMovie 08 will be a breath of fresh air.  It provides an easy to use method to create truly stunning videos without needing to become a professional editor.  I contend, that those people writing of how iMovie 08 s not very good, were iMovie 06 users (or maybe even Final Cut users).   

You see, we were forced by iMovie in the past to learn a methodology called a Time Line to layout a video project.  That is how all the pro's do it and the previous belief was amateur needed to do it too.  But I contend that using the clips and the timeline really makes more sense.  People who want to make a video really want to just lay it out and the method of 'skimming' through the video makes it easy to see what point you are in.  In fact, they ability to put in the transitions and have them automatically render in real time allows to be be much more creative with the transitions.

In fact, iMovie 08 has really caused me to rethink video.  Where before, I fely that while video was cool, it was hard and tedious to work with.  With the changes in iMovie 08, I now have renewed interest in trying video again. 

So don't count iMovie 08 out yet.  Apple will (and already has) make additions to add back features.  Just try it and also try to forget the need for the timeline and I think you will like what comes out in the end.

When should you Upgrade?

Leopard is coming!  Many of us can't wait for the new release.  If you are one of those, stop and consider a few things before inserting the DVD in your drive.

What is it that you want from the new release?  Are there features hat will make your work or life easier? There are good reasons to move to the new release but as with any new software, you need to be prepared for the worst, and hope for the best.

Are all your critical applications certified to run in Leopard.  If not, when will they be ready?  There is nothing worse than installing a new operating system only to find that some of the things you depend on, no longer work.  This is very common in new software releases.  This can be an issue for any applications but it is much more prevalent in add on extensions to the apple applications.  In fact, you should go into the upgrade telling yourself that they will not work.

In general, I would recommend that even the most interested users who want to get the new features should wait at a minimum one week.  Many people, including some of the software developers, will get it instaled and in that first week, there will be a flurry of releases of updates to fix issues.

The other thing to consider as you make the decision to upgrade is what the upgrade will cost in terms of update costs for your applications.  If you run current releases of software, you can figure on getting a free point release that will make the current release compatible with Leopard.  But if you are running old releases, you may need to upgrade the software just to get it to work with Leopard.

Again, let others deal with the pain.  In the first week after release, others will try it and report what the issues are.  This week will allow all this testing to happen.  Set the REAL date for your upgrade to be November 2nd rather than October 26th ans save yourself allot of grief.

Google Releases Desktop for Mac but do you really need it?

Google sure has some nice free applications.  With products like Google Earth and Google Sketchup, many people look forward to new products they release.  But this may be one you want to pass on.

Google Desktop on the Mac silently installs an Input Manager whose function appears to be to load bundles of code into applications targeted by Google. The Input Manager is installed in a location where it will be loaded into every application run by any user of the Mac. The fact that it loads other code on demand is worrying as it could be used for malicious purposes. Moreover, it is odd that Google installs this software without requesting the user's permission given the recent controversy on this very topic. Hopefully Google will fix the issues outlined in the article in upcoming revisions of their software."

Google Desktop is intended to index your hard disk and make it easier to find things but with Spotlight, what is the point on a Mac?

Happy New Year!!

Here is a New Years Celebration for you....

Happy Holidays from appleJAC

TomTom GPS GiveGive Event

As I have blogged before, I really love my TomTom GPS.  TomTom has made getting one of these even easier this holiday.

It's the GiveGive Event. You give a TomTom and we'll give you $100 off any model online or at any retailer. So give the best portable everyday navigation solution: TomTom. Now through Jan. 6, buy any TomTom GPS device and get $100 off. Get more info at the TomTom official site.

Or check out TomTom's YouTube Channel.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons.

Please spend time with your family if you can and keep in mind all of the things you are thankful for.

New Apple Commercial

Apple has some new commercial spots and this has to be one of the best I think they have had in this series.  It is called Better Results (guest-starring Gisele Bündchen)

Check out all Three:

1. Counselor
2. Better Results
3. Self Pity

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen's involvement had been rumored since May, when her official website reported that she had been photograph for an ad campaign concerning the Mac.

And you can see them all, right here.

Come on Adobe, don't let us down

Adobe has been a premier Macintosh developer for years.  Ever since Pagemaker in 1985, Adobe and Apple have been joined at the hip for the mutual benefit of both companies.  So what is the deal with Adobe and the Intel transition?

Adobe has an official statement on Intel based Macs.

Adobe said it would not deliver native Intel versions of currently shipping professional products and that customers would have to wait until future major releases--which could be more than one year away--for native Intel Mac support. While noting an upcoming release of a native Intel Mac beta of Lightroom, its newly introduced professional applications for photographers, Adobe refused to provide additional release dates on the native Intel versions of its applications, except to say it was moving its development to Apple's Xcode development platform to help ease the Intel transition and was focused on the next major releases of its professional, which due to planned development cycles would delay the release of any native Intel Mac support.

The company, however, reiterated its support for the new Intel-based Mac platform, noting that at last year's Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, Adobe CEO Bruce Citizen expressed "strong support" for Apple's transition plans: “We think this is a really smart move on Apple’s part and we plan to create future versions of our Creative Suite for Macintosh that support PowerPC and Intel processors."

Ok, but what about all the other applications and why no patches to make them work in Rosetta.  I am a Contribute user (a product Adobe got from Macromedia) and it does not work in Rosetta.  This is ridiculous.  The least Adobe should do for paying customers is to fix the problems to allow us to get by until they release the real deals.

Other developers have done this, it is time for Adobe to get in gear and make it right.

Intel Macs: What Apps are we missing?

If you have had the opportunity to use an intel based mac you can see that Apple has done wonders with the transition.  Not only are the new machines fast but they are Macs through and through.  As with any transition, there are applications that either take forever to be converted to the new technology or may never make the cut.  One of these, called Drop Drawers I talked about the other day.

So what, in my opinion what are we missing on the application front?  Keep in mind, these are applications I use so some make no difference to you but here is my list:

• Drop Drawers - My application launcher application of choice
• SnapZ Pro - The utility I use everyday to make screen shots ( the developer says they are working on this one)
• Microsoft Office - We know this is being worked on but in reality, the applications run just fine in Rosetta so this is not a high priority to me (and Microsoft, while I have you hear... add the new Office 2007 formats and call it good.  We don't need the 100 new features that no one will use)
• Adobe (don't get me started...) - Photoshop and the like are holding the Pros out of the intel revolution.  And the guts to release Photoshop Elements 4 as a non-universal this late in the transition..... plus, I hear Contribute 4 will still be released as non-intel.  Get with the program guys.
• FilmLoop - Loved it at Macworld but we need an intel release... or at least a release with a 1. in front of the number.

Believe it or not, that's about all I need.  Looking in my applications folder, most all the others I use, even on a weekly basis, are Universal. 

Are there applications you use that are not yet Universal?  Let me know by commenting to this post and lets see the list.

Apple Mac Pro is VERY Competitive!

Seeing the Mac Pro announcements this week, I must admit that the first thought I had was about the price.  Gone are the professional tower configurations for less than $2000 and replacing them is a single configuration that prices at $2499.  Kind of a high entry level don't you think.  But upon reflection, you have to realize that these machines are intended to be just what apple calls them, Professional Machines.

Apple said that this machine was very price competitive with Dell so I decided to go and configure a Dell and see.  I started with a Dell 490 workstation.  This was the lowest end Dell that would accept both the dual processors and the Woodcrest chip.  I added the second 2.66 GHZ processor, DVD-RW drive, Firewire, and came up with a nice Dell workstation configured very much like the Standard Mac Pro at a cost of $3540.  Now to be fair, Dell provides an entry level 3 year warranty on a workstation machine like this so to make the two machines the same, I need to add the $249 Applecare to the Standard Mac Pro price of $2499 for a Mac Price total of $2748.

It looks like Apple is telling the truth.    In this configuration, the Dell workstation is 29% more expensive.   

The one item I believe Apple needs to address is that of a machine somewhere between the Mac Pro and the iMac.  Many people want larger displays and tower machines rather than an all in one form factor.  Apple needs a single processor dual-core machine in the $1500 price range for all these people.  It is really a Mac Semi-Pro  that people who need more expansion than an iMac could go for without needing to go all the way to the Pro hardware.  Perhaps Apple will see that.  With the use of Intel component system board designs, it becomes easier for Apple to provide many form factors that it could previously not make.  Only time will tell.

Take a break and smell the gunpowder

After a recent trip to Boston, this Independence Day strikes very close to home for me. While back east, I visited a number of the sites where this countries revolution began and I must say, I am impressed by the risks these founders took to make where we live today America.

As I write this short entry for today, I think how these people took a leap of faith to start our country. We may not always believe in the direction, policies, or the roads that our leaders are taking us down, but we need to keep the faith that our founders today, as it was in 1776, are doing the best things they can for our country. We may not always agree, but we all need to try to understand.

Take a minute today, in between the barbeque, pool parties, and fireworks to smell the gunpowder in the air and be thankful for the gunpowder used by our founders to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.