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<title>Apple Mac Stuff</title><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/index.html</link><description>Updates on Mac Stuff</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2008 Richard Meyer</dc:rights><dc:date>2008-12-11T09:29:38-08:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:34:57 -0800</lastBuildDate><item><title>Easy Batch</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-12-11T09:29:38-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f5ba00707c50eab9723e0868f14c9d3e-126.html#unique-entry-id-126</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f5ba00707c50eab9723e0868f14c9d3e-126.html#unique-entry-id-126</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I am always grabbing images off the Web to use in my BLOGS and I prefer to use JPEG images for Rapid Weaver.    Recently I had a folder of over 80 images in GIF format and wanted to convert them all to JPEG's but didn't want to spend a lot of time doing it.    I downloaded Easy Batch and tried it out and within a few minutes I knew that I had found a winner.     All you have to do is select the folder with your images and select a target destination for your new images and within seconds Easy Batch will convert all your images to to the file of your choice.    You can even scale all your images as once.    Great program and on sale for $18.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple rules</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-12-02T08:42:04-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2f6ef020f9bafa029fa8f746d6ea0aed-125.html#unique-entry-id-125</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2f6ef020f9bafa029fa8f746d6ea0aed-125.html#unique-entry-id-125</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Dell is learning that making cheap PC's and cutting costs is not a good business model in this economy and is now looking to sell some factories that it had just built and set up.     Well that's what happens when you market a product based on price rather than quality.    Apple in the meantime is so full of cash that people are asking if Apple should purchase Dell?


Apple is profitable for one primary reason: their products are made better than any other computer and their OS is better than Windows.    Steve Jobs has refused to market any "cheap" Apple products because he knows once you start down that path you lose control of your market and your products become commodities.    Granted Apple has been helped by Microsoft's failure in the OS market but when you make a quality product word gets out and in the end quality drives price.


Since I left the corporate world 4 months ago I have been a 100% Mac user and I could not be happier.    I will remain loyal to Apple and although their products are expensive compared to Dell entry level PC's, you get what you pay for and I want something that works really well for me.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Has Apple lost touch with the needs of consumers?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-10-15T08:09:02-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3dcb839dd51304b5459b40d721f8fc37-124.html#unique-entry-id-124</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3dcb839dd51304b5459b40d721f8fc37-124.html#unique-entry-id-124</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[People who currently have Mac Books are not going to go out and buy a new one and a $999 price point is a tough nut to crack in this market.     A growing body of statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests that demand for televisions, computers, cameras and other electronics is falling sharply &mdash; portending extra discounts for customers in coming months but a very unhappy holiday season for retailers, electronics makers and component suppliers.


...The street was expecting Apple to launch a laptop at the $899 price point but Apple has a history of launching with high prices then coming down if needed to meet sales projections.    Although most Apple followers have been largely immune to the economy Apple's growth has been coming from people who are switching to Mac's from Windows.  

...On the iPod front even former Apple executives are saying that the iPod has had a good run and now maybe nearing its decline in the product life cycle.    With so many iPods out there I could see this happening but the classic marketing of tech products says that when this happens you find new uses for the product.  

...It takes a long time to bring new computers to market and along with the sales and economic models there are contracts that have to agreed upon with suppliers.  ...  I am sure Apple would be glad to see its share decline while they continue to rake in the money and stay extremely profitable.


...Well in this economy that is going to be hard to do with ANY new product.    However knowing Apple like I think I do I can assure you that in the coming years you will see new products that will knock your socks off.  ...  I also think we'll eventually see the addition of Blue Ray drives as prices come down and HD DVD's increase penetration.


...There currently is a gaping hole for a decent screen sized video iPod but in order to attract people to the product it has to do more than just play movies and music.  ...  On the laptop front I believe Apple will enter the tablet PC market but rather than follow they will lead with new features, like a touch screen, that will set standards.  

...Anyone that bets against Apple is making a huge mistake but in order to stay on top the expectations get higher and the competition more fierce.    Apple has proved people wrong before and I believe they will do it again when the time is right.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fusion a better choice to run Windows</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-10-08T08:16:10-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d57b0c31fcef556cd44eb703e6f13e01-123.html#unique-entry-id-123</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d57b0c31fcef556cd44eb703e6f13e01-123.html#unique-entry-id-123</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Last week the Wall Street Journal ran an article on VM's Fusion, WIndows emulation software and Walt Mossberg said that Fusion was a better choice to run Windows than Parallels.    Well I decided to download and test Fusion and I have to say that it is in fact a better choice to run Windows than Parallels for several reasons.


One of the things that I didn't like about Parallels was that when you downloaded new versions either tools or your copy of Windows had to be reinstalled.    This was getting to be a pain in the neck and frankly I kept putting off downloading and installing new updates.    I also noticed that when I ran Parallels my CPU and memory would max out slowing my Mac to a crawl.    When I saw the offer to download a free trial for 30 days I figured what the hell.    After using Fusion for a week I quickly deleted my version of Parallels and became hooked.


The interface for Fusion is much like Parallels but with a more friendly user experience.    You can go to full screen with a quick click of a button and go back to screen within a screen just as quickly.    Dragging and dropping files between Windows and Mac was easy and I didn't need to tell Fusion that I was using a wireless connection for the Web and my keyboard and mouse.


At $79 Fusion is not inexpensive but it is a great alternative to Parallels for those of us who need to run Windows every once in awhile and right now a better program as it does not hog resources like Parallels does.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Webify</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-09-25T12:42:31-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fe2094543c66a6d5f57d88bc81a7ad08-122.html#unique-entry-id-122</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fe2094543c66a6d5f57d88bc81a7ad08-122.html#unique-entry-id-122</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why Mac&#x27;s are a great platform</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2008-09-25T12:22:33-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/13b2573725863a3191b7739a0e85d920-121.html#unique-entry-id-121</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/13b2573725863a3191b7739a0e85d920-121.html#unique-entry-id-121</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New wireless options for iPods</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPod</category><dc:date>2008-09-25T12:00:17-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3a79a3da8ddde5eebd1a36e418029dd6-120.html#unique-entry-id-120</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3a79a3da8ddde5eebd1a36e418029dd6-120.html#unique-entry-id-120</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>WIX: Build a website really fast</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Sites</category><category>Web Software</category><dc:date>2008-09-22T12:20:20-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/4635081a91c50bdd517ec80ce4f8eb71-118.html#unique-entry-id-118</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/4635081a91c50bdd517ec80ce4f8eb71-118.html#unique-entry-id-118</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Custom CSS Signatures</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-09-21T08:25:22-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3e07dacdba1aaeb068d328a3f5b941c0-117.html#unique-entry-id-117</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3e07dacdba1aaeb068d328a3f5b941c0-117.html#unique-entry-id-117</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[From Mail&rsquo;s top menu, select &lsquo; Mail > Preferences &lsquo; and go to the Signature pane. ...  In this example I cleared all my previous signatures for the purpose of clarity but this is not required. 

...TextEdit can be used for this, just make sure save as HTML and not rich text.   If you want to use my signature style, just download my html sample file and use it as a starting point.


UPDATE: After publishing this, some of you have discovered that GMail will not display any of the CSS unless it&rsquo;s inline.   So here&rsquo;s a new revised sample file that has all the CSS inline including the image as an img file instead of a a background css attribute. 

...If you are starting one from scratch check out A List Apart&rsquo;s article on CSS in emails. 

...You can do this by dragging the actual file icon into the Safari icon in your dock. 

...To save this as a web archive, from Safari&rsquo;s top menu select &lsquo; File > Save As&hellip; &lsquo; and save the signature as a Web Archive by selecting &lsquo;Web Archive&rsquo; on the Format pulldown menu. 

...Since I only have one signature in Mail, there&rsquo;s only one &lsquo;.webarchive&rsquo; file in this folder.   If you have more than one signature, you need to find the one we created on step 1.   Open the web archives in Safari to find the one we created in step one.   Copy the file name of the archive file and paste the name in the new archive file on the desktop to rename it. 

...Launch Mail and select &lsquo; Mail > Preferences &lsquo; from the top menu then go to the Signatures tab. ...  Notice that Mail will not properly render the html in this Signature window but it will render it properly in the compose window.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple Mac Desk?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>MAC Accessories</category><dc:date>2008-09-21T08:18:17-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/eddcb9b1d837e00ff71954767563d128-116.html#unique-entry-id-116</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/eddcb9b1d837e00ff71954767563d128-116.html#unique-entry-id-116</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mossberg&#x27;s review of Chrome (New Google Browser)</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Browsers</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T15:41:53-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bf1a5c7da3edd61a55836f07b99201da-115.html#unique-entry-id-115</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bf1a5c7da3edd61a55836f07b99201da-115.html#unique-entry-id-115</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>PageOnce is a great tool</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Portals</category><dc:date>2008-09-01T10:20:35-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/53369d451d65e1254b4da9f4f38f76dd-114.html#unique-entry-id-114</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/53369d451d65e1254b4da9f4f38f76dd-114.html#unique-entry-id-114</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>News Life RSS Reader</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>RSS Readers</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T11:43:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d86d101057694f4cc59513db80256281-113.html#unique-entry-id-113</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d86d101057694f4cc59513db80256281-113.html#unique-entry-id-113</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mac market share continues to climb</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>OS X</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T11:27:12-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/ded59ac8854c9205e7896ad2745ec151-112.html#unique-entry-id-112</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/ded59ac8854c9205e7896ad2745ec151-112.html#unique-entry-id-112</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Apple should send the people in Redmond a nice big gift basket for their failure with Vista surely has to be a big reason for a lot of people switching to Mac's.    Not that I am shortchanging the Apple development team for producing the best OS in the world, but when you can't find what you want at home surely you will outside.


Recently a colleague of mine switched to a MAC and he loves it.    He is using is Mac to do some video podcasting to support his BLOG.    This author had stated awhile back that I thought more people would switch to the Mac as a result of the new iPhone and iTunes and in fact that is happening as well.    What surprises me is that even in a down economy more and more people are still laying out big bucks for Macs despite $499 deals for entry level Vista PC's.    What Microsoft hasn't learned is that people want quality and are willing to pay for quality not mass market products that have more bugs than the KGB !


Rumors are persisting that Apple is going to introduce new Mac Books, iPods and iMac's (faster chips) in a couple of weeks.    The iPhone, despite it's problems, still rocks and there is also rumors of a new iTunes on the way.    Microsoft has lost their way and is in desperate need of a CEO who can both lead, be passionate and is a visionary.    Hey, maybe they can offer the job to Steve Jobs?    Nahh..why should he take a step down??]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New iPods and iTunes on the way?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>New Products</category><dc:date>2008-08-23T06:14:50-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f7df49be54937b7889e91f584aa92bba-111.html#unique-entry-id-111</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f7df49be54937b7889e91f584aa92bba-111.html#unique-entry-id-111</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple planning to make 40 million iPhones?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPod</category><dc:date>2008-08-22T06:49:02-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/c8ff94fe556a29269ea5b9888633a802-110.html#unique-entry-id-110</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/c8ff94fe556a29269ea5b9888633a802-110.html#unique-entry-id-110</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Make no mistake about it 40 million phones is a LOT to sell for anyone.    Even though Apple has updated the firmware this week users are still reporting problems and one Atlanta woman has brought a class action suit against Apple for &ldquo;false promotional messages&rdquo;.


The iPhone is revolutionary in every way but the dropped calls, slow keyboard and wandering 3G connections can downplay the iPhone&rsquo;s features and make it more of a toy than a tool.    After upgrading to the new firmware I had two dropped calls this week and when I was responding to an eMail I was typing faster than the display.     I have an old L&G phone that I actually might start using again because my iPhone is just not dependable enough to rely on.    That is a HUGE issue...


So what happens when the products don&rsquo;t live up to the hype?    Well in an era of social media people will start to spread the word.    Of course Apple loyalists will push aside any bad comments about their beloved Apple but customers who are mass market may start to ask &ldquo;so what&rsquo;s with Apple products, they&rsquo;re not all that great&rdquo;?  


I really don&rsquo;t by the 40 million story myself, I think it&rsquo;s pure bullshit.    Apple has a habit of controlling the media so this is great hype to keep sales going.    When someone asks me if they should get an iPhone I answer honestly and tell them to wait till all the problems are resolved.    The way things are going that could be next year and the 3rd generation of iPhone..if it works.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How fast is the 3G iPhone (really)?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-08-19T13:33:41-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/0f81a516cf7bcd13a6e520805ebc4724-109.html#unique-entry-id-109</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/0f81a516cf7bcd13a6e520805ebc4724-109.html#unique-entry-id-109</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[My iPhone 3G has some difficulties living up to the promised speed boost, which AT&T says should "typically" range from 600 to 1400 kilobits per second on its 3G network.   You also can use AT&T's EDGE service with any iPhone--that network delivers average data speeds between 75 kbps and 135 kbps, with "bursts of speed reaching 200 kbps."


...Based on the outpouring of complaints on blogs, forums, and message boards across the Web--and based on my own experiences--a broad range of speeds exists, and few users report experiencing near-Wi-Fi performance. 

...I get the sense that AT&T is still tuning the 3G network, but they shouldn't be making us pay considerably more (on a percentage basis) for service that isn't much of an improvement or which remains inconsistent."


...The data speeds I saw using my iPhone 3G in tests in five different U.S. metro areas--Chicago, Dallas, New York, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco--fell far short of AT&T's claims. ...  The purported 1400 kbps that 3G can deliver would indeed approach the Wi-Fi-like speeds you can achieve on the iPhone, as Steve Jobs promised in his Worldwide Developers' Conference keynote introducing the device in June.   Wi-Fi performance on the iPhone can actually exceed 1400 kbps; I experienced 1663 kbps using my iPhone and an airport lounge's T-Mobile HotSpot, for example.  


...In the New York metro area--on a stretch of Long Island that was clearly denoted as 3G capable on AT&T's coverage maps--I averaged around 200 kbps--about on a par with what I achieved using EDGE in that same area. 

...While they wouldn't provide specifics, AT&T did say that after I left the Long Island region, the network technicians made a few tweaks to the network in that area that should have improved performance.


Here in San Francisco, I average about 325 kbps on my iPhone 3G--still a far cry from AT&T's purported "typical" 3G speeds. 

...In various locations in Pittsburgh and at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, for example, 3G data transfers with my iPhone took place two to three times as fast as using AT&T's EDGE network.  


...Some of the problems may be credited to the nascent, still maturing nature of the network (the company says it offers 3G access in 305 "major metropolitan areas" and expects to add 45 more by the end of 2008).   AT&T remains ahead of fellow GSM mobile provider T-Mobile, which will officially launch its 3G network in 20 cities this October, at initial promised speeds of only 200 to 300 kbps.   


...My experience has been mixed: Performance has shown moderate improvement--by about 100 kbps on average--but I'm still well below the "typical" 600 kbps speed.  


...Network coverage varies, of course, and it's reasonable to expect the iPhone 3G's performance will vary too, depending upon what region you're in and even down to which street corner you're on or how deep into a building you are.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Don Corelone on business</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><dc:subject>Apple Mac Stuff</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-08-17T12:56:51-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/9ec0b60f53f6a2bcdb63e09b2acec53c-107.html#unique-entry-id-107</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/9ec0b60f53f6a2bcdb63e09b2acec53c-107.html#unique-entry-id-107</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[10, 2004, Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs had a strained conversation with Tim Bucher, one of the company's engineering executives. 

...He's spearheading an ambitious plan at Dell (DELL) to break Apple's dominant hold on the digital entertainment market.   He won't challenge Apple head on, with iPod knockoffs or a Dell version of the iTunes music store.   Instead, Bucher's 120-person team is trying to create a potent alliance among Apple's many rivals, from cell-phone makers and record labels to online music sites.


...The idea, which Dell plans to unveil as early as September, is to create a broad standard, more open than Apple's, that will give people greater choice in how they buy and consume music, movies, and podcasts.   Dell will give other companies the software to help establish the standard and will make its money selling PCs and other hardware.   "Customers want access to content from a broad variety of sources&mdash;how, when, and where they choose," says CEO Michael Dell.


...Today, record labels grumble about Apple's tight grip on their business, and many consumers are frustrated because the iPod works only with iTunes, at a time when there are many ways to get digital content.   Imagine if you could download a song from Amazon.com and send it to the mobile phone of a friend or the car stereo of someone who has satellite radio. ...  "Apple wants to lock you in," says Robert Enderle, a consultant who has been briefed by Dell. 

...Central to Dell's plan is software acquired a year ago when it bought Zing, the company Bucher founded after leaving Apple. ...  Dell hopes to announce the Zing software as a feature on small, cheap laptops expected in September and to have the software installed on all of its consumer PCs by the end of the year. 

...Dell fielded a portable music player in 2003, two years after Apple introduced the iPod, but Dell's device attracted so few buyers that the company killed it. ...  The company made its name selling bare-bones PCs, and it hasn't proven capable of developing the software necessary to deliver compelling services. 

...He first worked with Jobs in the 1980s at NeXT, after Apple's founder had been ousted from his own company, and says he has tremendous admiration for the Apple CEO. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Download You Tube videos</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-08-13T06:49:48-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/10fcedd46bf1cb20ebcaf88fb1a2ea39-102.html#unique-entry-id-102</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/10fcedd46bf1cb20ebcaf88fb1a2ea39-102.html#unique-entry-id-102</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Just enter the URL of the YouTube video into TubeTV (or use the Search field) and click on the "Download movie" button, and TubeTV saves the video to your Mac.


TubeTV can also convert the video for your iPhone, Apple TV, or iPod, as well as import the video into your iTunes library.


In order to use TubeTV, you need to to install Perian 1.1, a free open source QuickTime component that will let you use QuickTime to watch Flash video files.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Field test of 3G iPhone</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-08-10T16:23:55-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/64c757996c233e9145a01126939f2d40-99.html#unique-entry-id-99</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/64c757996c233e9145a01126939f2d40-99.html#unique-entry-id-99</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Here is a summary of my field test of the iPhone this weekend on a trip to New York from Los Angeles.


...As such I tended to use my iPhone to surf the Web and check eMail and found that the battery drained very quickly (in 3G mode).    I also took my iPhone to a concert to New York where I had front row seats and the battery once again died half way through the show as I was taking pictures.    I continually charged the phone while I was in the hotel but the short battery life is a real problem for power users.


...The great shots that I took on top of Rock Center was decent but did not do the view justice.    In addition the concert pictures that I took with only stage lights were blurry and looked horrible.  

...GPS- I downloaded several dining guides to try and find some good restaurants but the iPhone could not find my location no matter where I went in Manhattan.  

...eMail-In responding to eMails the character keys were very slow to respond on the screen and often I was words ahead before the screen caught up with me.   I am not sure if it is a hardware or software issue but this is very annoying.


Internet Access- the 3G Internet access is indeed faster than my old non 3G iPhone but on average it was taking 15-17 seconds for pages to load.    At the United Airlines Red Carpet club you had to sign onto the Wi-Fi with an ID number and every time I wanted to check out the Web I had to re-log on whereas people with computers did not.


...There is nothing worse than purchasing a product with high expectations only to have it fail to deliver to those promises.    If you HAVE to have an iPhone than nothing here I write will deter you from purchasing this product.    But if you are a power user who needs a lot of features and uses them and does not have time to constantly search for a power outlet the iPhone is NOT for you.    Apple and AT&T had better fix the issues with the iPhone and one has to wonder why Apple would have released a product that performed this badly without a thorough field test.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A great community</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Rapid Weaver stuff</category><dc:date>2008-08-04T10:32:30-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/da08768f0a9e5e326197ef916aa6bbcd-98.html#unique-entry-id-98</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/da08768f0a9e5e326197ef916aa6bbcd-98.html#unique-entry-id-98</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I consider myself an advanced Apple user but even I get stuck once in awhile with problems on my Mac.    Usually I can diagnose most problems but occasionally I have to go online to ask for help and the Rapid Weaver forum is great a getting answers quickly.    There are a lot of people who post on the RW forums and the forums are grouped logically by Announcements, Mac Chat or Questions.    If you have a question you can check some boxes that send responses directly to your eMail if you&rsquo;re a registered user.    The ability to ask for help and get people to reach out is great and one of the reasons that I continue to support the lads across the pond.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Code Collector Pro</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Blogging </category><dc:date>2008-08-03T15:11:49-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bd404cc6650513d6a9c9361a199c6482-97.html#unique-entry-id-97</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bd404cc6650513d6a9c9361a199c6482-97.html#unique-entry-id-97</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[iTunes helps you keep your favourite music together, iPhoto puts all your treasured photographs in one place.   But as a programmer all the useful bits of code you&rsquo;ve written are scattered over your hard disk (possibly several hard disks).   Code Collector Pro puts all your code snippets in one place.   The Lite version is free and the Pro version is $20 but well worth it.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>When it rains.....</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-07-30T09:42:34-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/03ee86a576fc08471e6444941f9edf1d-96.html#unique-entry-id-96</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/03ee86a576fc08471e6444941f9edf1d-96.html#unique-entry-id-96</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It costs 5X as much to win new customers as keep loyal ones.    Apple is about to find out the reality of this rule as 3G iPhone owners are now reporting cracks in their iPhones.    The cracks are said to be hairline but thy are enough to send people back to stores to ask for a replacement.   

...What is going on is that Apple is becoming an electronics company and is experiencing growing pains associated with any company that changes the direction of its core business.     However I did not expect that so many problems would surface.    Leopard has at least 5 major updates, Mobile Me is still not working like promised and now people with new 3G iPhones are reporting hardware and software problems.    What does this mean for Apple?    Well it should be a major warning to executives within Apple.    It&rsquo;s better to wait to release new products to get them right than to release products to continue to gain the media and investor spotlights.    The continued problems are also one of the reasons that Apple stock continues to tank.


Now don&rsquo;t get me wrong Apple products at 75% are still better than anything Microsoft has done but Apple&rsquo;s reputation as a flawless product innovator has taken a major hit.    I am loyal to Apple products and will continue to be loyal but all it takes is one major screw up to lose me as a customer and they have come pretty damn close.


Steve is probably the best CEO out there..he is a driven and passionate person but to balance out his passion Apple needs a senior executive to ensure flawless execution and that products live up to the promise to consumers.    With OS X not scheduled for a major update for at least another 2 years (not counting Snow Leopard) Apple is giving competitors a chance to take shots at them and point fingers.    Steve needs to kick some ass to get Apple back on track and polish the brand.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mobile Me continues to give Apple a black eye</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Mobile-Me</category><dc:date>2008-07-29T08:47:35-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a86975f2c11d66e3cc606bfe53181bb4-95.html#unique-entry-id-95</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a86975f2c11d66e3cc606bfe53181bb4-95.html#unique-entry-id-95</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Mobile me does not work as advertised even for those people who are lucky enough to get push eMail.    Calendar subscriptions are not showing up on Mobile me or iPhones and a lot of people, including this author, have lost some eMails that I wanted to archive.     So not only has the media been beating up on Apple but now a new site called fail me has mimicked Apple&rsquo;s Mobile me site.


As you can see the site looks just like Apple&rsquo;s site but it is not complimentary at all.    It is designed to poke fun at the arrogant part of Apple which feels that they can do no wrong and no everything about how we use our computers.     The BLOG answer is like trying to stop a lead with a toothpick and does nothing at all to keep customers happy or more importantly secure that their eMails is indeed working.    Right now I am looking for a new job and every eMail I get is important so I was very alarmed when my iPhone said I did not have any eMail and yet when I came back to my desk my iMac had 3 very important eMails waiting for me to answer.


Apple needs to do a hell of lot more here to show that it can rise above this mess and that means dolling up some vouchers for free music or movies on iTunes or giving people a substantial discount on some software via the online store.    I am very worried that Apple is trying to do too much too quickly and in doing so is losing focus.    Steve needs to bitch slap someone at HQ and get this right NOW and then tell people how much they are sorry and pony up with some goodies to keep all of us happy.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Ouch</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-07-25T06:59:44-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3545a74b64ad4a72c5e551864772856f-94.html#unique-entry-id-94</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3545a74b64ad4a72c5e551864772856f-94.html#unique-entry-id-94</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mossberg calls Mobile Me &#x22;ragged&#x22;</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Software</category><dc:date>2008-07-24T06:58:50-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/326f0f9c60df20031adce3aabe59bd8e-93.html#unique-entry-id-93</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/326f0f9c60df20031adce3aabe59bd8e-93.html#unique-entry-id-93</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have been using the 3G iPhone for over a week now and both the hardware and software are NOT ready for prime time.    There are major issues with the sync of calendars and mail and not users are complaining that 3G coverage is unreliable.    AT&T is blaming Apple hardware and software and Apple is blaming servers and Outlook.    Add it all up and you&rsquo;re getting a lousy customer service experience and the first major stumble that this author can remember for Apple.


Yesterday after I charged up my iPhone I noticed that I was not getting push eMail.    After powering off and powering on again it started to work and I missed some really important eMails that had to be answered ASAP.    According to the boards this is a problem that is well known.    Then there is the sync issues with iCal.    Adding items to iCal is no guarantee that they will show up on your iPhone or Mobile Me and forget subscribed calendars.


When you have people camping out for your new product you had better ensure that it works OK and in this case Mobile Me is NOT ready for prime time and is in beta at best right now.    Apple products and software have always worked to perfection and this setback has to be worrisome to ALL Apple customers because this represents a potential pattern of quality issues which has NEVER been associated with any Apple product.


Here is the link to Mr Mossbergs video]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Only one push account per .Mac or Me</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-07-17T12:24:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3c9cb39cf2f906e06500d212763a08a2-91.html#unique-entry-id-91</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3c9cb39cf2f906e06500d212763a08a2-91.html#unique-entry-id-91</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have two eMail accounts in my .  Mac account.    One I use for business and one for personal contacts.    In my account preferences one of my accounts lists me as an individual and one as an eMail only.    I was not able to get eMail only to push to my iPhone and after a number of calls I learned that Mobile Me does not offer push eMail for eMail only accounts.    Wow was I surprised!!    What&rsquo;s the point??    You want me to pay another $99 for another account to get push?


I am not sure why Apple decided to do this but they should offer an option to push all eMail only accounts to users as there are a lot of us who use several eMail accounts for different reasons.    Talk about bummed.....]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple does a solid</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-07-16T07:40:04-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/ee8680f986bc643aeef55d3253faa5ed-89.html#unique-entry-id-89</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/ee8680f986bc643aeef55d3253faa5ed-89.html#unique-entry-id-89</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It&rsquo;s easy to provide a high level of customer service when your don&rsquo;t have as many customers as competitors.    A lot of companies have found that, as business expanded, they could not continue to provide a high level of customer service as it required a lot more people and expense dollars.   

...When I purchased my 3G iPhone yesterday, without standing in line at all, I was amazed at how crowed the store was with people looking at iMac&rsquo;s and Mac Powerbooks.    These were not the young early adapters they were in some cases older people who realize that they want to do more online and have probably had enough of Windows and Microsoft.


As more and more people migrate over to MAC OS X there is sure to be a need for more technical help and customer service support.  ...  In the past when I have called Apple Care&rsquo;s for help I have been connected to people in Texas and Canada.    I am sure that they have a checklist screen in front of them for diagnosing problem and if they can&rsquo;t answer your questions you&rsquo;re usually referred to another level of support.    This is a hell of lot better than talking to people in India when you call Microsoft&rsquo;s support line.


So now that Apple has sold 1,000,000 new iPhones in the first week of launch it is apparent that the plan to diversify the business is working.  ...  A visit to Apple&rsquo;s career website shows the need for more engineers in ALL areas and this is scary to me.    Like a lot of Apple people I am always looking to the Web for the next big Apple product.  

...Alas in order to sustain the Apple junkies Apple will need to keep coming out with new products and eventually they will have to slow down.    The new Intel chips announced yesterday surely mean that iMacs will be getting upgrades to the new technology in a year.  ...  Microsoft in the meantime has said that the next version of Office for the Mac will be out in 2009 as well as a new version of a Microsoft program to run Windows on Mac OS X.


...Well the free extra month of Mobile Me is a great start and I am sure that they will investigate the causes of the launch to determine how to avoid this trap next time.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Want a 3G iPhone?  You&#x27;ll have to wait </title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-07-15T06:31:27-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b4c1ca0ebba4060e2655494812338862-88.html#unique-entry-id-88</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b4c1ca0ebba4060e2655494812338862-88.html#unique-entry-id-88</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[There are a lot of people, rationale people, who refuse to wait online for a new iPhone, especially when those lines can translate to hours of valuable time.     Evidently Apple didn&rsquo;t care that they would inconvenience people as they knew that they had a winner on their hands and could treat people like nothing more than sales revenue expenses.    This was apparent when on the first day of the iPhone launch a lot of people had trouble activating their iPhones because of the &ldquo;single point of failure&rdquo;.  

...What I don&rsquo;t like however is the &ldquo;smugness&rdquo; in which Apple treats their customers.    Yes they are ranked high in customer service but if one calls Apple Care support for a real bad problem you will usually get the checklist of steps to diagnose the problem that you can get from any Apple support site.     When I had a problem earlier this year with my Finder disappearing the only fix was to do a complete erase and reinstall which resulted in a whole day of reinstalling all my programs.


Surely Apple had to know that people would be stupid enough to line up for the new iPhone and that they would flying out the door.    They had a lot of time to prepare for the demand yet today most Apple stores and all AT&T stores are sold out.    Translation to customers:  If you didn&rsquo;t wait on line when the iPhone was released than you have to wait for iPhones to get back in stock.     Believe it or not there are people who have better things to do than wait online for cell phones and because their priorities are family or work first they are being told &ldquo;that&rsquo;s too tough&rdquo;.


There should be some warning signs to long time Apple customers that are of concern: first, Snow Leopard is equivalent to a Service Pack for Leopard and one has to wonder why these improvements will take a full year to develop.    Second, Apple needs to spend more resources on social medial application development as iChat and iWeb pale in comparison to third party programs like Adium and Rapid Weaver.    Finally, the screw-up on Friday for iPhone activation is an indication that Apple needs help with strategic planning and doing such basic things as predictive load testing.


...I am worried that the Apple that I love and respect is becoming too big and losing its focus.  ...  Steve Jobs is a genius and a man of passion but he needs to install an operations executive who can make sure that Apple continually lives up to its promise on world class customer service and part of that means making sure people don&rsquo;t have to wait in line for products and not agreeing to activate iPhones in stores if it means longer lines and a lot of time doing nothing.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Meltdown is shameful for Apple</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Customer service (or lack thereof)</category><dc:date>2008-07-11T12:45:33-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/9908a3a724e061eb445b1c0307c696e8-86.html#unique-entry-id-86</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/9908a3a724e061eb445b1c0307c696e8-86.html#unique-entry-id-86</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[&ldquo;There are certainly lessons in preparedness,&rdquo; said Richard Doherty, a consumer electronics industry consultant who is president of Envisioneering Group in Seaford, N.Y.   &ldquo;The acid test for many years has been Christmas morning where customers contact companies in droves after opening presents,&rdquo; Mr.   Doherty said, adding that he had still not been successful in activating his own phone after upgrading.


In addition to long waiting times for iPhone 3G purchasers at Apple and AT&T stores, current iPhone users found that their phones were made inoperable when they tried to upgrade their phones to the latest iPhone software.   The iPhone now requires an authentication step in which the phone must connect to Apple servers through its iTunes software application before it will function again after a software upgrade.  


Anyone and I mean ANYONE who could not see this train wreck coming is either naive or stupid.     There has to be accountability here for current and new customers but one has to wonder if Apple really cares?    I mean after all people are stupid enough to waste time and wait in line for a cell phone and Apple knows this.    When I went to my local outdoor mall for some lunch I was astounded at the line in front of the Apple store which was at a 3-4 hour wait.    This on a beautiful Friday afternoon !


Now every major media website has the headline about the activation problems and I get a sense that a lot of people are glad that Apple has finally made a mistake.    I personally love Apple products but I have to say that I can call a spade a spade when I see mistakes like the one that happened today, the Apple Hi-Fi and Mac Book Air.    Apple had more than enough time to prepare for this launch and to have activation problems is inexcusable plain and simple.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Oooops</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><dc:subject>Apple Mac Stuff</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-07-11T09:48:14-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d2a97c2b4c4be4e81e416591069f014a-85.html#unique-entry-id-85</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d2a97c2b4c4be4e81e416591069f014a-85.html#unique-entry-id-85</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Well Apple is human after all but one has to wonder how the hell they could have screwed this up so bad?    They had enough time to get things right and they had to know, based upon sales of the first iPhone, that they were going to run into a lot of people who were going to want their iPhones activated right away.  


The .  Mac service was supposed to go down for 6 hours and was down, at least via the Web, for over 24 hours and went down first thing this morning.    For those who may not be aware of such things there are ways to load test servers but either Apple didn&rsquo;t do this or didn&rsquo;t anticipate the number of people who were going to purchase a new iPhone the first day on sale.    Personally I find it hard to believe as Apple has been great a getting people up to a fever pitch in anticipation of the launch.


Still one has to wonder why in the world Apple agreed with AT&T to have the phones activated at stores.    Right now there are a lot of pissed off people who have new iPhones and can&rsquo;t get them to work.    In other cities people are really upset after waiting online only to find some stores only received a shipment of 20-30 phones.


Does it matter?    Well to the zealots who think Apple can&rsquo;t ever do anything wrong no.    To the people who may be coming over to Apple for the first time..yes.    Apple has had a habit of giving people that it is a &ldquo;privilege&rdquo; to be an Apple customer which has worked because their products work so great.    However with headlines like iSnafu on a lot of websites Apple could find that they have a nick in their shiny armor.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New iPhone gets great reviews</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-07-09T09:34:21-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/132038cdbe8282e36ac85811c67d7688-84.html#unique-entry-id-84</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/132038cdbe8282e36ac85811c67d7688-84.html#unique-entry-id-84</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[On Friday, Apple is launching a second-generation iPhone, called the iPhone 3G, which addresses both of those problems, while retaining the look and feel of the first model's hardware and software.


...And there's a new online store for third-party iPhone programs that Apple hopes will make the device usable for a wider variety of tasks, including gaming and productivity applications. 

...In particular, I found that doing email and surfing the Internet typically was between three and five times as fast using AT&T's 3G network as it was with the older AT&T network to which the first iPhone was limited.


...First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G's battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. 

...In my tests, I was able to connect the iPhone 3G to my company's Exchange servers in a few minutes, and my corporate email, calendar and contacts were replicated on the phone. 

...The new iPhone and upgraded older iPhones also will be able to use a new Apple consumer service, MobileMe, which offers synchronized push email, calendars, photos and contacts.


...But the addition of 3G cellular capability makes the new model more useful for Web surfing, email and other data tasks when you're not in Wi-Fi range. ...  By comparison, the original iPhone, tested in the same spots at the same time, mostly got cellular data speeds between 70 and 150 kbps on AT&T's old EDGE network. 

...While AT&T now has 3G networks in 280 U.S. cities, and aims to be in 350 by year end, it is converting its cellphone towers gradually, so not all areas of included cities have 3G coverage. 

...In my test of voice calling, I got 4 hours and 27 minutes, short of Apple's maximum claim and nearly three hours less than what I recorded in the same test last year on the original iPhone.   In my test of Internet use over 3G, I got 5 hours and 49 minutes, better than Apple's claim, but far short of the nine hours I got using Wi-Fi in last year's tests.


More important, in daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day. 

...I tested a game that used the phone's motion sensors to control the action, and I tested several programs from America Online, including AOL Instant Messenger; AOL Radio, which streams music from the Internet; and AOL's Truveo video search engine. 

...Bottom line: If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. ...  But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it's worth getting the new hardware.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Another 2 million Mac&#x27;s sold</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-07-08T14:45:08-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/8a774e3269f1817f2818c58d97e1d31b-83.html#unique-entry-id-83</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/8a774e3269f1817f2818c58d97e1d31b-83.html#unique-entry-id-83</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In marketing we hear of how poor execution can cause new products to fail and companies to lose millions of dollars.    Apple has managed to do everything right and with the release of Snow Leopard next year they are going to improve on an operating system that is already the best in the industry.


Windows 7.0 is over two years away and regardless of what you read in the media Vista has been a flop.    In the meantime Apple has successfully diversified their business generating a lot of revenues from the sale of music and movies.    Apple strategy should be required reading for ALL business students as they continue to turn the electronics and computer industry on it&rsquo;s ears.  


I really had to laugh a week ago when I read an interview with Michael Dell who laughed at Apple stating &ldquo;they have what only 3% market share?&rdquo;.  ...  What a dump thing to say, especially when your company is losing money and your laying off people.    Mr Dell is truly clueless and has a lot to learn.    In the meantime people are wondering if Apple can continue to innovate without Mr Jobs.    Steve has been the driving force at Apple and I am not sure that anyone can replace his vision and passion but until the day arrives when he says goodbye Steve will continue to captain the ship.


In the meantime Bill Gates has said goodbye to Microsoft at a time when his passion and leadership are direly needed.    True Microsoft stole most of the technology for Windows or bought it cheaply, but still they took and idea and made it into the PC market we have today and someone has to step in to take his place besides the leadership that is there now.    Sure Bill has made his billions but so has Steve and with Steve it&rsquo;s plainly not about the money as it is doing something that he loves to do.


So on Friday morning people will be lining up at the Apple stores for the new iPhones.    As soon as the dust settles from the iPhone launch people Mac&rsquo;s will still be selling because frankly they are the better product and the best product wins in the end.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple lowers price of Mac Book Air</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-07-03T13:12:06-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fd53bb518b4f89c92ca21deb1c9bbf5e-82.html#unique-entry-id-82</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fd53bb518b4f89c92ca21deb1c9bbf5e-82.html#unique-entry-id-82</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I love Apple products !    I have about everything they have ever made but when the Mac Book AIr came out I felt, much to the annoyance of Mac diehards, that the MBA was undervalued and overpriced.    I had a chance to use the MBA for two week on loan from my agency and was quite annoyed at its lack of features and short battery life.    In back to back meetings, when I was using the MBA to take notes, I ran out of power and had to carry the AC adapter with me to continue using the laptop.


Most trade writers loved the size and compactness of the MBA but also thought it was short of features.    In this BLOG I predicted a price drop by summer and alas that has come true.    I am sorry I just don&rsquo;t buy the price decrease as a result of lower component costs.    Components on the iMac have surely been decreasing but the prices have remained pretty high for the 20 and 24&rdquo; models.


The MBA is good for what it does...allows road warriors to take a lightweight presentation tool with them on the road but it has way too many shortcomings for the rest of us.    Has Apple received the word?    My guess is that by next year the MBA will be history.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Another option for Windows Apps</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Running Windows</category><dc:date>2008-06-19T14:02:02-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6b2439f1cded752c13de43b245bc0953-81.html#unique-entry-id-81</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6b2439f1cded752c13de43b245bc0953-81.html#unique-entry-id-81</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Sometimes when I am working on Power Point decks for work I prefer to use Office 2007 for Windows as I am really comfortable with the program and can make changes really quickly ( I am still learning Office 2008 for the Mac).     I was sick of using Parallels as when I opened the program and Power Point almost all my memory was allocated (I am using an iMac 4GB of RAM).    Then I learned of Cross Over Mac and decided to take them up on the offer of a free 30 day trial.


When I first installed Cross Over for the Mac I decided to install Office 2007 for Windows.    Although the program did crash at first I just reopened and installed the Office 2007 CD and like clockwork it installed.   Now when I want to run Office 2007 I simply go to the Cross Over folder and click on one of the Office apps.    It works really well although I understand that there are some little bugs still being worked out.


You manage the programs by choosing an install from the Cross Over Mac list drop down box.    There are even a host of Windows games that you can install and run on OS X.    The programs are installed in folders called bottles and it&rsquo;s easy to delete them whenever you want.    I also found that when I launch Cross Over it doesn&rsquo;t use as much memory as Parallels or Fusion.


There are two versions available.    A Pro version for use in the office and an basic version which is $39.95.    I will be testing it a lot during the upcoming weeks and I&rsquo;ll let you know how it works.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>iPhone in store activation is needed</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-06-17T18:10:45-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7cc628cb01aa5dc3a5608b243add38a6-80.html#unique-entry-id-80</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7cc628cb01aa5dc3a5608b243add38a6-80.html#unique-entry-id-80</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A lot of people are predicting lines on July 11th at 6PM when the new iPhone is released.    Now that certain sources are reporting that in store activation is necessary to purchase an iPhone the people on the back of the lines could find themselves waiting for hours and hours just to part with their hard earned money.


Apple has always rated high in customer service and I am not sure why they would agree to this provision with AT&T but I have to believe that they have something up their sleeve that will allow people to get in and out quickly rather than wait and wait for activation.    Just think of the process:


-First you have to tell the sales person that you want an iPhone


-He will ask you what color and what model


-When he brings it out he then has to take it out of the box and hook it up to a computer to activate


-Then he has to ask you some questions: Do you have an existing AT&T account? ...  What is you mobile phone number?   What plan do you want? 


As you can imagine the people standing in line while this process is going on are going to get pissed when people ask the Apple store employee &ldquo;well what are the costs of the plan?&rdquo;   and &ldquo;can I pay with a credit card&rdquo;?   


I just don&rsquo;t get it?    Please Apple tell us that you have thought of way to expedite the process for the idiots who are going to wait on line to part with their hard earned money??    Please tell us that customer service is still important to you and that you can get people in and out of the store as fast as swiping their credit cards?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mobile Me</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>eMail</category><dc:date>2008-06-15T07:22:27-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7e861078639fa4d727e471a6dd12190b-79.html#unique-entry-id-79</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7e861078639fa4d727e471a6dd12190b-79.html#unique-entry-id-79</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The onslaught of cellphone calls and e-mail and instant messages is fracturing attention spans and hurting  productivity. ...  But now the very companies that helped create the flood are trying to mop it up.   Some of the biggest technology firms, including Microsoft, Intel, Google and 


I.B.M., are banding together to fight information overload.   Last week they formed a nonprofit group to study the problem, publicize it and devise ways to help workers &mdash; theirs and others &mdash; cope with the digital deluge. 


Their effort comes as statistical and anecdotal evidence mounts that the same technology tools that have led to improvements in productivity can be counterproductive if overused.   The big chip maker Intel found in an eight-month internal study that some employees who were encouraged to limit digital interruptions said they were more productive and creative as a result. 


Intel and other companies are already experimenting with solutions.   Small units at some companies are encouraging workers to check e-mail messages less frequently, to send group messages more judiciously and to avoid letting the drumbeat of digital missives constantly shake up and reorder to-do lists. 


A Google software engineer last week introduced E-Mail Addict, an experimental feature for the company&rsquo;s e-mail service that lets people cut themselves off from their in-boxes for 15 minutes.    I know that when I am working on a Power Point for work the eMail notifications that pop-up are often a huge distraction so I have started to turn off the notifications when I really want to get work done.


I only check personal eMail when I am home and frankly don&rsquo;t feel the need to have my iPhone tell me that I have mail when I am driving somewhere or running errands.    I will be interesting to see if Apple evolves Mobile Me to add new features to increase the value. ...  Mac team but I guess those days are gone.     I think though that eventually a lot of people are going to say &ldquo;enough is enough&rdquo; and start leaving their cell phones and PDA&rsquo;s behind to escape the 24/7 wired world and get some peace.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What is Apple going to do with the lines of people that want to buy an iPhone?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-06-13T14:50:56-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d673c1e9d878779140c23016ae6fed68-78.html#unique-entry-id-78</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d673c1e9d878779140c23016ae6fed68-78.html#unique-entry-id-78</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I plan on purchasing a new iPhone but I won&rsquo;t wait on line to do it.     I was surprised when I read reports that all iPhones are going to have to be activated at the store.    I&rsquo;m not sure why Apple agreed to this but things could get ugly real quickly at stores in big cities like New York and Boston.


I am hoping that Apple will allow people to purchase an iPhone online and that they can then pick up their activated iPhone at the store using ID and a receipt.    The availability date is still over a month away and there is time to think about the experience of purchasing an iPhone and how to make it pleasant but the stores could get overwhelmed very quickly when people who currently have AT&T accounts and iPhones try and upgrade.


Activation of my first iPhone was quick and easy and took less than 10 minutes but having people do it at stores where data has to be entered from scratch could take some time.    I am sure Apple and AT&T has thought of this challenge and will make the purchase as painless as possible but if they are just thinking that people are going to have to wait Apple could take a hit on their gold service standards.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple: We have the best OS&#x2c; now let&#x27;s make it better</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>OS X</category><dc:date>2008-06-11T05:50:05-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b6d600c46480de9fc59985e91b4cf43a-77.html#unique-entry-id-77</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b6d600c46480de9fc59985e91b4cf43a-77.html#unique-entry-id-77</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[&bull; 64-bit: To accommodate the enormous amounts of memory being added to advanced hardware, Snow Leopard extends the 64-bit technology in Mac OS X to support breakthrough amounts of RAM &mdash; up to a theoretical 16TB, or 500 times more than what is possible today.   More RAM makes applications run faster, because more of their data can be kept in the very fast physical RAM instead of on the much slower hard disk.


&bull; Multicore: "Grand Central," a new set of technologies built into Snow Leopard, brings unrivaled support for multicore systems to Mac OS X.   More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today&rsquo;s processors.   Grand Central takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors.   Grand Central also makes it much easier for developers to create programs that squeeze every last drop of power from multicore systems.


&bull; OpenCL: Another powerful Snow Leopard technology, OpenCL (Open Computing Language), makes it possible for developers to efficiently tap the vast gigaflops of computing power currently locked up in the graphics processing unit (GPU).   With GPUs approaching processing speeds of a trillion operations per second, they&rsquo;re capable of considerably more than just drawing pictures.   OpenCL takes that power and redirects it for general-purpose computing.


&bull; Media and Internet: Using media technology pioneered in OS X iPhone, Snow Leopard introduces QuickTime X, a streamlined, next-generation platform that advances modern media and Internet standards.   QuickTime X features optimized support for modern codecs and more efficient media playback, making it ideal for any application that needs to play media content.   Because Snow Leopard delivers the fastest implementation of JavaScript to date, web applications are more responsive. 

...&bull; Microsoft Exchange Support Snow Leopard includes out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 built into Mail, Address Book, and iCal.   Mac OS X uses the Exchange Web Services protocol to provide access to Exchange Server 2007.   Because Exchange is supported on your Mac and iPhone, you&rsquo;ll be able to use them anywhere with full access to your email, contacts, and calendar.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Steve: Please get well</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Steve Jobs</category><dc:date>2008-06-10T15:35:59-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d7207168c72a1caaf615639448437513-76.html#unique-entry-id-76</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d7207168c72a1caaf615639448437513-76.html#unique-entry-id-76</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I admire Steve a lot even though I don&rsquo;t agree with the way he intimidates his employees.    Before his return to Apple the company had become the laughing stock of the industry and the stock was more valuable as napkins than in a portfolio.     He has been portrayed as having a huge ego and demanding more and more for the people who work for him but I believe very few people could have done what he did at Apple.


He transformed the music business and caught all the electronics companies with their knickers down.    He has taken the Mac platform to be the industry standard in the computer business and has Apple making money hand over fist.    Yes the routing of the jeans and black mock tee is getting tired but then when you deliver like he has you can wear whatever you want.


Passionate people can burn out as their passion drives them and I don&rsquo;t want that to happen to Steve.    I hope and believe that he needs to take some time off, a month or two, so that he can relax and enjoy the impact he has had on consumers.    This would also be a great opportunity to start training his successor to see if he, or she, can lead with the same passion that Steve has. 


The people on Wall Street will be looking at Jobs health as an asset that could make the stock go down or up...  I look at Steve as a person who may be really sick whom I admire and want around for a long long time to come.    Please Steve get better.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Genius...PURE GENIUS</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Mac Stuff.com</category><dc:date>2008-06-10T06:44:15-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/1f5c44b74923c12de5234ef77691cb61-75.html#unique-entry-id-75</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/1f5c44b74923c12de5234ef77691cb61-75.html#unique-entry-id-75</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[There is no doubt that Apple, and Microsoft, see the computer becoming the central media hub of households.     The days of the computer relegated to the home office are quickly becoming a thing of the past as people use their PC&rsquo;s for movies, music and entertainment hubs.    Microsoft tried it with their media PC version of Windows but alas it was way to early for it to be successful.    Apple on the other hand has realized that you need to get more devices into people&rsquo;s hand first to drive conversion.    Apple TV and now the iPhone are great platforms to convert more people to Mac&rsquo;s.


Just think Apple is well on the way to selling 10 million iPhones.    If just 10% of those people convert to Mac that is 1 million new Mac users !    Judging from the crowd in the Apple store yesterday the economy has not hurt Apple sales and when the economy bounces back I believe that there will be a hell of a lot of people looking for more Apple products.     Remember the so called analysts who said that iPod sales should be slowing down because of saturation?    Well in the first quarter of this year iPod sales were still strong but what really drove Apple&rsquo;s growth was the Mac and this caught a lot of people by surprise.


...Have you taken a look at Dell&rsquo;s problems recently?     Microsoft is their own worst enemy and people are coming to realize that Apple people know something they don&rsquo;t: OS X is a vastly superior system to Windows.     Now with a hell of a lot more iPhone users and apps out there people are going to want to integrate all these into a single platform to really leverage the products benefits and what better way to do that than on an Apple Mac?    Oh sure they can stick with Windows but eventually many will come to realize that it simply works better and more intuitive on a Mac.


So as the realization of Apple&rsquo;s back door approach comes more into focus I am again awed at the genius of Apple and Mr. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Restart your Mac at least once a week</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>MAC OSX secrets</category><dc:date>2008-06-07T13:04:33-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bd01dd4119e4b90250cc757ab9593456-72.html#unique-entry-id-72</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/bd01dd4119e4b90250cc757ab9593456-72.html#unique-entry-id-72</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The solution is to periodically restart your Mac; this frees up RAM, purges virtual-memory swap files, and regenerates some cache files.   Alternatively, simply shut down at night or when you know you won&rsquo;t be using your Mac for a while&mdash;an approach that conserves energy, too.   (You can even use OS X&rsquo;s Energy Saver preference pane to schedule automatic shutdowns and startups.)


How Often Restart your Mac once every week or two, or whenever you&rsquo;re experiencing slowdowns.   (If you shut down your Mac every night, you&rsquo;re already set.)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>&#x24;449 speakers from Audioengine</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>ITunes Essential</category><dc:date>2008-06-07T12:46:31-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/acd87d70eec81b9f067fb9fe23ec21f4-71.html#unique-entry-id-71</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/acd87d70eec81b9f067fb9fe23ec21f4-71.html#unique-entry-id-71</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When you decide it&rsquo;s time to get a real good pair of speakers for your Mac you need to ask  yourself a lot of questions;


...Is sound quality that important for the type of music I listen to?


If you answered yes to any of these questions than perhaps it&rsquo;s time to start thinking about some great speakers for you Mac.  

...The low end from the Audioengine 5 is real bass, very near to the originally-recorded music.   From rap to classical to movies, you'll get tight, punchy bass with an awesome growl that will make you smile - regardless of the volume level.


Audioengine 5N (A5N) - All of the simple but useful features and same signature sound of the award-winning A5 wrapped in rock solid and beautifully hand-finished bamboo.


Bamboo is an excellent alternative to hardwoods and the dark bamboo used for the Audioengine A5N cabinets is not a stain, but achieved through a specialized heating process.   As the wood is pressure heated, the sugar compounds inside the bamboo are "carbonized" which in turn darkens the bamboo to a rich caramel color. 

...We had all these great adjectives written up to describe the midrange and highs (buzz phrases like "tonal accuracy with transparent clarity, excellent detail and harmonic correctness"), but they all just seemed overused and sort of lame. 

...Kevlar woofers for powerful bass, silk dome tweeters for smooth highs, built-in power amplifiers, truly useful connections, and a clean industrial design all allow the Audioengine 5 to integrate perfectly in your living room, bedroom, or desktop.   Custom-designed and handcrafted wood cabinets with high-gloss professional piano finish make the Audioengine 5 a true work of art.


...Even if you're not an audio enthusiast, we guarantee you will still hear a difference!


...Purchase the Audioengine 5 from our online store and try it out in your home or office.   If you're not completely satisfied with the great sound, simple setup, and excellent looks, just return both speakers in the original packaging in like-new, undamaged condition within 30 days of purchase and we'll give you a full refund of your purchase price.


Here is the chart for M-Audio speakers that I believe are a great buy.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Making PDF&#x27;s smaller</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>MAC OSX secrets</category><dc:date>2008-05-25T12:45:20-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f870d58f8a3424aaab02b788ac51762d-70.html#unique-entry-id-70</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f870d58f8a3424aaab02b788ac51762d-70.html#unique-entry-id-70</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If you open the PDF in Preview, you can reduce the file size by doing a &ldquo;Save As...&rdquo; and choosing, appropriately, Reduce File Size from the Quartz Filter menu. ...  But the way that it reduces the file size is by saving all images as JPEGs of middle quality. 

...The answer, it turns out, is in ColorSync Utility in the Utilities folder off of the Applications folder.   ColorSync Utility can create new Quartz filters.   Open up ColorSync Utility and switch to the &ldquo;Filters&rdquo; pane.   This will list all of the filters that you currently have available.


...Give the filter a name, and press return.


To the right of the filter&rsquo;s name, choose the down arrow.   A menu will pop up.


From the pop-up menu, choose &ldquo;Add Image Effects Component&rdquo;, and from that menu choose &ldquo;Image Compression&rdquo;.


Adjust the image compression Mode to JPEG.


Adjust the image compression quality however you prefer.


The next time you use Preview to &ldquo;Save As...&rdquo;, you'll have a new option under Quartz filters.


...This comes in very handy when you need to reduce the files for download on a website.    Preview also lets you delete pages within the PDF as well.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>iPhone 2.0</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-05-25T08:36:46-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/acadc298b23a3a4c38d4470380279c47-69.html#unique-entry-id-69</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/acadc298b23a3a4c38d4470380279c47-69.html#unique-entry-id-69</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I am one of the people who has an iPhone.    I did no wait on line for it I ordered it from the store and was happy when it arrived at my doorstep.    I am more excited about the software than the new iPhone itself.    The new software means that I will be able to use my iPhone for work via the built in active sync that my company uses.    I have to say that the keyboard for the iPhone is more difficult to use than the keyboard on my PDA.    Apple needs to look at the usability of the built in keyboard a lot more and it would be nice if they offered a small foldable portable keyboard to use with the iPhone.


Now back to the "buzz" around Apple's products.    Apple likes to keep its customers in the dark about new products supposedly for fear of tipping its hand to competitors.  ...  Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone long before it was available and competitors today are still trying to play catchup.    Apple hides new products because they can and they know it creates a buzz among Apple loyalists.    I mean when people post pictures of the "unboxing" of Apple products you know that there are an awful lot of people out there who are in dire need of social integration !   


Unfortunately I have to admit that I am one of those people.    I recently upgraded my iMac from a 2.8 MHz to a 3.08Mhz and I probably will get a new iPhone when they come out.  ...  Because Apple, among all its faults makes damn good products that work a hell of a lot better than the competition.    I just wish they weren't so smug about it. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>M-Audio AV40</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>ITunes Essential</category><dc:date>2008-05-23T16:53:32-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b154adb6a99033ad359c3f93a11a283c-68.html#unique-entry-id-68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b154adb6a99033ad359c3f93a11a283c-68.html#unique-entry-id-68</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Custom cabinets with dense wood construction deliver more accurate bass response than you could ever get from plastic multimedia speakers.   And for the highest possible fidelity, the Studiophile AV 40 speakers also feature OptImage III wave-guide technology and a 20 watt-per-channel internal amplifier that utilizes Class A/B architecture.   The Studiophile AV 40 reference monitors are the perfect solution for traveling musicians or anyone who wants top-notch sound from their desktop multimedia system.


After hooking up the speakers to my iMac I was blown away by the sound of these speakers.    The louder they are turned up the better they sound.    For $140 I feel they are the best speakers I have ever heard for computer speakers.    The bass is deep and rich and with iTunes you can even hear some of the limitations of "compressed" audio on your iTunes.   Now some people would think this is bad but while you can hear the limitations of compressed audio on some songs you can also hear the wonderful music in others.  


I listened to Led Zeppelin's remastered CD of hits called Mothership and was impressed with the remastered audio quality.    However, listening to the first Yes album led to a disappointment..not in the music but in the poor recording quality.    Switching to a new channel listening to some John Coltrane, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Cross had me begging for more downloads.


Now the question will come: Should I spend $140 on a pair of speakers for my Mac?     My answer is this: if you don't listen to much music on your Mac or don't care about music quality than by all means pass on these beauties.    If however you do some serious listening on your Mac while you continue to explore the great OSX then by all means purchase these speakers.    They are excellent for the price and to tell you the truth I don't think they are going to stay at this price much longer.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Alesis M1 Active 320</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>ITunes Essential</category><dc:date>2008-05-23T16:48:08-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fca302ff8b0a86daadfc9882073cff2d-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/fca302ff8b0a86daadfc9882073cff2d-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Physically, the Alesis speakers are 7.5 inches high, 6 inches deep, and 5 inches wide, making them small enough to carry and place in a convenient location. 

...If these specs mean little to you, all you really need to know is that the audio from these boxy speakers is nothing short of superb, especially compared to the sound typically emitted from built-in speakers.   Play your favorite song on ordinary options, and then play the same song on the Alesis models and the quality will be so startling that even the most untrained ear will notice the superiority of Alesis' efforts. 


The front of the device provides a volume control knob with the added touch of a rubberized grip, making it easy to grasp and turn. ...  Turn it on when you want to emphasize bass frequencies, which can useful for playing music in a large room or when you want to hear a richer sound. 


...Just take the included USB cable, plug one end into the back and the other end into any USB 1.1 port, and you&rsquo;ve connected the speakers to your computer without the need for any special drivers. ...  After the speakers are hooked up, you just need to configure your OS to redirect sound through the USB port, and then you&rsquo;re ready to go. 


(Although you must plug the speakers into an electrical outlet, there&rsquo;s still a chance that it might overpower a USB port.   Alesis recommends that you plug the speakers directly into a USB port on your computer, rather than to a USB hub.) 


If you don't want to play sound out loud, a headphone jack accepts any set with a 1/8-inch plug.   Another handy feature is the AC voltage selector switch, located on the back of the unit; if you&rsquo;re moving to another country with different power standards, this switch lets you choose between 220-240V or 100-120V. 


...The left and right RCA inputs allow you to plug in the likes of turntables, and the left and right TS inputs, meanwhile, allow you to connect musical instruments such as keyboards. 

...To elaborate, you could plug a CD player or turntable into the speakers, and then record the output to digital files on your Mac.   If you play a keyboard, plug that into the speakers and you can record your own music. 

...Toss in the Bass Boost switch and the variety of inputs for recording audio, and you have a bargain set of speakers that just might teach you new appreciation for your music collection.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mail Fx</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Mail Apps</category><dc:date>2008-05-17T13:45:23-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b28ff660c76d63a21677cbfd0b665b74-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b28ff660c76d63a21677cbfd0b665b74-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[There are so many additions to Mac Mail like Stationary pack and Dock Star that I have to wonder why Apple has not incorporated more bells and whistles into Mail.    Well I guess it doesn't matter because there are enough third party developers to write small apps for Mail and when you come across a gem like Mails FX, specially when it's free, you want to spread the news.


You control Mail FX from the Mail preferences pane.    You have the options of icons, themes and the duration the icon appears on the screen.    I have to admit that I didn't need this program but it's a lot of fun to use and a welcome addition to Mail.    You can visit the site here and download Mail Fx which is Leopard ready.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A serious test of the iPhone</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-05-10T09:07:40-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f38f1e77b4c26f8e1030018d366d62a6-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f38f1e77b4c26f8e1030018d366d62a6-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The first thing that I noticed is just how fast the battery wears down when you use your iPhone to watch a movie or surf the Web.    While waiting for flights I decided to watch a Star Trek episode along with a movie I had downloaded.    Much to my surprise when I was done watching the movie I received a low battery warning even though the phone had been charged prior to arriving at the airport.


...OK..the bottom line here is that if you have a Wi-Fi connection the iPhone can be a great tool to keep up with your favorite websites.    However if you don't have a high speed connection and have to rely on AT&T then you can really age waiting for pages to load.     It's interesting to note also that a lot of airports (Logan in Boston) charge for Wi-fi as do some hotels (Hyatt).  ...  Other airports like Sacramento International Airport have free Wi-fi which makes for a great experience.    Also I love the fact that LAX has several areas within terminals to charge your portable devices free of charge.     The new iPhone with the 3G chip should make the web surfing experience a lot more fun and fast but I will be interested to see what this does to the battery life.


...Wherever we went in Napa or Sonoma we were able to pinpoint our location and get directions for our next winery via Google maps.  

...The camera works very very well and I was able to store 128 pictures plus a movie and some music on my iPhone without any problems.    One annoying problem is that because the camera is so far up in the corner when you hold the camera horizontally and try and steady it with both hands you often get a finger stick in the picture.  ...  I just could barely read an outline of the image and pressed the shutter button in hopes that I took a great picture.


...There are some quirks but that might be my big clumsy fingers rather an issue with the iPhone.    Still I would not give up my iPhone for anything and compared to other products that I have used it truly is a work of art.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Third party apps maybe nice but can come at a price</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-05-04T07:23:16-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d819eb0312d3cd567d60f35ea854a03d-64.html#unique-entry-id-64</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/d819eb0312d3cd567d60f35ea854a03d-64.html#unique-entry-id-64</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After working in Internet marketing for over 10 years I know that before and changes to a Website can go live there is something that IT needs to do called testing and validation.    This tests the new content or application to ensure that it is working well in a variety of platforms and environments.    A good testing and validation program can save users a lot of grief later on when they download programs or go to your website.


After downloading some applications I have noticed that my iMac has been acting funny and a little over a month ago I had to do an erase and install of OSX which caused me to lose a weekend as I had to download, again, all the Apple updates, my files and programs.


It's pretty easy to write applications for OSX thanks to Apple's developer resources but some applications may not be updated as Apple updates OSX or as you add new applications which can cause a conflict within OSX.    When I run into a problem like this I remove the third party apps until the problem is resolved and now I only load the apps or utilities that I really need.     For me, for example. the utility One Password has created havoc.    Every time I install it I seem to have boot issues with OSX and recently had to do another install and archive of OSX because my machine would not boot.


It's always wise to keep a record of the programs you install and when you installed them.    When a problem occurs part of the diagnostic criteria is to go back remove the last program you installed as it maybe responsible for issues with OSX.    Finally when you install programs and then want to delete them make sure you use a program like App Zapper to delete all the hidden files associated with that program.    Dragging contents to the trash may not always do the trick.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New RSS Reader-Times</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>RSS Readers</category><dc:date>2008-05-03T07:38:08-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/cc29e1d576f79f3b538ba2e1f736f35f-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/cc29e1d576f79f3b538ba2e1f736f35f-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have several Websites bookmarked that I visit regularly but like most people I don't have time to visit all the sites that I would like to.    That is where a good RSS newsreader comes into play.    With a simple click I can load headlines from as many websites as I want, scan through them and read the ones that interest me.     Now there are a lot of news readers out there and the one  you use is often a matter of personal taste and a user interface which makes you comfortable.    When I first read about Times it seemed interesting.   I downloaded and tested it on my Mac and although it has some quirks that annoy me the concept is interesting but it is often difficult to scan which is the point of RSS feeds isn't it?


Times presents the RSS feeds in a newspaper format with "sections" on top.    If you want to read the story further it then goes to another page within Times just like you would in a newspaper.     There is also a "table" that allows you to add articles for future reading just like in a library.


Times is a nice gimmick but for now I think I'll stick with Net News Wire for free rather than pay $30 for Times.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is Apple care or .Mac worth the money?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Software Essentials</category><dc:date>2008-05-02T14:09:39-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2828605d8a6b2160e9e6d544016beb77-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2828605d8a6b2160e9e6d544016beb77-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If you Google Mac troubleshooting you will find a checklist of the same steps that the people at Apple Care use when you call them.    It involves the usual verify and repair disk permissions along with eventually reinstalling your OSX as either a clean reinstall or archive and install.     When I had a real serious problem of having my Finder disappear I was on the phone with Apple Care for over an hour and wound up just doing a reinstall and erase.    Well for my money I could have figured this out myself, I mean DUH.     When my new iMac arrives next week I am not going to sign up for Apple Care but rather will use the Leopard book I purchased on Amazon.com.


...I have been using a .mac eMail account ever since I got my first Mac 6 years ago.    At the time it seemed like a deal as they offered special software and a nice backup plan but the value is just not there anymore.    Yes you can publish website but you have to publish to a funky long domain that is not easy to find.    If you want to publish an iWebsite to your own domain you have to make several changes which could take some time.    Now with free eMail services like Yahoo!   and Gmail .mac does not seem like it's worth the money.    Now there is a rumor that Apple is planning an upgrade of the .  Mac service but I have heard this for awhile now and will believe it when I see it.


The bottom line is that you can save some money to use for more RW themes and other programs or external hard drives rather than sign up for Apple care or .mac but to each his own.    I have noticed that more and more people are choosing not to sign up for either one and that could be a signal to Apple it's time to put some value back to get more people.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Performance test of new iMac&#x27;s</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Hardware</category><dc:date>2008-05-01T15:16:30-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b7debe449d574cabe1c063c893d6e029-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/b7debe449d574cabe1c063c893d6e029-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[How long should you hold onto your Mac and when is it time to upgrade?    Well that depends on a lot of things but basically it depends on both how well your Mac is performing and how pleased you are with your Mac.    I am extremely happy with my 24" 2.8 Mac and right now do not see a compelling reason to upgrade.    Yeah it would be nice to get a faster processor but I am not sure that most people would notice the modest bump in speed.


As for future iMacs here are some things I would like to see:


-Option of glossy or matte screen: I like the glossy but a lot of people have issues with the glossy screen.


-More USB inputs:  There just never seems to be enough on the iMac


-Enhance the keyboard: I want to see more one touch keys not control-option-escape.    Also how about integrating the mouse into the keyboard?


-Blue ray drive option although personally I think this is waste as most DVD's look really great on the iMac.


There isn't much else that they can do with the iMac.   Sure they can make the enclosure thinner but that is not something I really need.    So should you upgrade?    Well the top of the line iMac with 4MB of memory and a TB drive tops out over $2600.    My advice is to wait another year IF you are happy with your Mac and it performs well.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Erase and clean install of OSX</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Hardware</category><dc:date>2008-05-01T13:03:26-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/76f6ba85cb07142e0bc5103bf841aa18-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/76f6ba85cb07142e0bc5103bf841aa18-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[First make sure you have a list and serial numbers of all your third parry apps so that you can reinstall.    I keep a list of all my serial numbers in a program called Wallet and it has proved to be a real handy application.  

...I have a Western Digital external drive that I use to back up all my iLife files (photo's , iTunes, iWeb websites).  

...After installation i completed and you reboot  your Mac go to software update and install all the software updates.  ...  If not the next step is to selectively import Library files from your external back-up.    DO NOT just import the whole Library folder this could cause a lot of problems and leave you exactly where you were before.    For example, I imported my mail settings file and a Rapid Weaver file located in Application Support folder of my library and mail remembered my settings as did Rapid Weaver.


...If you don't have the serial number most have help in the FAQ area or are glad to send you an eMail with your purchase information including the serial number.    Rather than do a bunch of reinstalls I downloaded them one by one, registered and then checked my Mac to ensure it was still operating as I wanted.


...The last step is to import your documents, music and image files and anything else you might have downloaded (don't forget Rapid Weaver themes etc...)


If you do this correctly you can have all this done in 1/2 a day and will be rewarded by a better performing Mac.     I had to do this because my I had lost my Finder and could not get it back but in reality my Mac is operating better than ever now and there are some applications which I will not install (Overflow, Cocktail) as I believe they slowed down my system.    By the way I am using a 2.8 Mghz 24" iMac with 4MB/RAM with an a premium video card.


Yes this could be a lot of work but with all the developers out there you are bound to run into some apps that are not tested and validated very well and could cause your Mac to slow down and become sluggish.    By ensuring that you back-up your most important files though a new and clean install can go a long way in a performance boost for OSX.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RapidoStart</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-05-01T07:22:11-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/61f1365b7536e37d8089c8168df36e8f-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/61f1365b7536e37d8089c8168df36e8f-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When RapidoStart is installed, a discreet icon sits in the corner of your screen,and you can click to activate it.   A palette slides onto the screen, to which you can add your favorite applications (with a simple drag and drop), or of course, select them to launch them.


The RapidoStart palette shows multiples applications at a time; however, you can search for applications


in its palettes or browse for them in multiple page]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Wallpapers &#x26; Icons</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-05-01T07:12:12-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/382a5356ff11504418c9a35e13721e0c-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/382a5356ff11504418c9a35e13721e0c-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The new wallpaper that comes with Leopard is nice but I like to change my wallpaper every once in awhile to suit my moods.    After a search of several sites I came across interfacelift and what a great site it is.    For wallpaper you can download images based upon the resolution of  your screen, select add image to desktop and there you go.    These are very high quality images and with each image you'll see a description of where it was shot and what equipment the author was using.    The landscapes are really well done and I recommend them highly.


The site is easy to use and includes thumbnails of each image
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Video Box</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-04-27T07:49:34-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6716cf3aa39d23884b8b5ee6929984ff-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6716cf3aa39d23884b8b5ee6929984ff-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I love the Blues and recently I came across a rare video, in FLASH, of some great blues artists at a show in Chicago.    The 10 minute video was wonderful and I wanted to save it but soon found there was no easy way to do this.    I then did a search for apps that would make it simple to record video from the Web and came across Video Box.     I downloaded the trial and sure enough in a few minutes I had the blues show on my desktop and could save it and watch it whenever I wanted to watch it !


I have since downloaded some Laurel and Hardy videos as well as some great Monty Python animations.    It's a neat application to have and I highly recommend it.     Here is the link]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Free Stuff you should have</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Menu Bar Apps</category><dc:date>2008-04-27T07:34:39-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/97abc304cfea969325d28f248feef686-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/97abc304cfea969325d28f248feef686-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Without a doubt, the one freeware application that is at the top of my list, and my menubar, is&hellip; iStat Menus: http://www.islayer.com


...You just will not believe the amount of information about your Mac that iStat Menus can provide with just a glance at your menubar. iStat menus monitors your entire system with 8 separate and highly configurable menu extras. ...  There are temperature readings, fans speeds, Bluetooth status, and of course, my favorite, you can make the date and time look just the way you want them to look like. 

...I like to know the current weather conditions without opening the dashboard, so I use, Meteorologist: http://heat-meteo.sourceforge.net .


It allows users total control over their weather viewing, including simultaneous interlaced weather reports from multiple weather locations, weather alerts, and much more. 

...The next application you&rsquo;ll always find on my menubar is, SoundSource: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies.  ...  SoundSource is a tiny tool for OS X enabling you to switch your audio input and output sources with a single click, and even adjust their volume settings. ...  If you use more then one recording device or output thru more then just your Mac built in speakers, you need Sound source.   Of course, I&rsquo;d be remiss in not telling you that RogueAmoeba gives us SoundSource free of charge, and that RogueAmoeba is one of the Mac community&rsquo;s greatest assets.   Make certain you visit their Web site and support all their efforts by purchasing some of the great shareware they offer us.


Here&rsquo;s a new application I discovered that works with my Apple Mail program.   It&rsquo;s called, Mail Unread Menu: http://www.loganrockmore.com/MailUnreadMenu Mail Unread Menu is a simple menu bar application which can provide you with a quick and easy way to see how many unread email messages are in Apple&rsquo;s Mail.   Unlike other menu bar notification applications, Mail Unread Menu is actually a plugin for Mail, which means that the count is instantaneously updated whenever you receive new email or change the status of a message.   You can use it&rsquo;s preferences to see the inbox or all your email folders.   You can bring the mail application to the front, check for new mail or compose a new email with just a click of the menubar icon.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Web Snapper</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Must Have</category><dc:date>2008-04-20T07:41:55-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a5ab5d067b82ade83b407095e94f2b7a-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a5ab5d067b82ade83b407095e94f2b7a-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Web Snapper integrates seamlessly with Safari.    A little camera icon goes on the toolbar and with a click you hear a sound of a camera and then a little box opens up and asks where you want to store your PDF.    I send a lot of articles from the web to coworkers and this is a great application for doing that.    In my tests it works with the latest version of Safari as well as older versions.  


You just drop the URL in the box and Web Snapper does the rest.


Or just click the camera icon to take a PDF picture of any webpage.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Yes there is a new iPhone coming</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>iPhone</category><dc:date>2008-04-20T07:24:24-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/e47aebd19ad5cf41c2716c818321d034-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/e47aebd19ad5cf41c2716c818321d034-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It integrates perfectly with my Infiniti EX and about the only problem I have with it is the fact that Web access is painfully slow.    The new iPhone is rumored to have the new 3G chip which will hopefully improve the online experience and the iPhone software 2.0 will finally allow people to connect to corporate networks that mostly use Microsoft Active Sync. 


Am I upset that a new iPhone is coming out and that mine will be outdated in 2 months?  ...  Apple has such a loyal following that it can obsolete products in a year and not hear the backlash that most companies hear when they replace products with new and improved model.    Apple has never been one to cuddle its customers and let them know what's coming they prefer to spring at shows so Steve can get on stage and stroke his ego with his trademark jeans and mock shirt.


...They may but certainly not like they did before as right now money is tight and the early adapters may not have the willingness to lay out $400 and up unless the new iPhone has some radically new features other than the 3G chip.    It's interesting to note that the iPhone has not taken off in Europe the way Apple, and investors, thought it might.    That's because Europeans have a lot of choices that are a hell of lot more inexpensive compared to the iPhone.    Europeans you see are not as swayed by trends as we are here in the US.


As someone who works in marketing I can say that any company would kill to have the brand equity that Apple has achieved.    I mean people post pictures of people opening up the packages of new Apple products for God's sake !    Still when you're on top it gets harder to stay on top and the way that Apple treats is customers may someday come back to haunt them, however with Microsoft mired in turmoil of launching an operating system that has been a failure Apple will continue to pick up share in the PC market.


So there is a new iPhone coming and the speculation is rampant about what it will look like and what features it will have.    I'll guess we'll just have to wait for Steve to take the stage and demonstrate the new iPhone.    It is what he does so well as he takes the credit for one of the most successful and innovative companies in the world today. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Safari 3.11</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Software Essentials</category><dc:date>2008-04-18T18:13:49-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/98db45c5a16c7bdce27bc928037088b0-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/98db45c5a16c7bdce27bc928037088b0-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I use Safari as my primary browser but I have to admit that I am impressed with the beta version of Firefox 3.0 which has a lot of improvements and is a really fast browser.     Apple's Safari is a great product but there have been some issues with Safari regarding security as noted in PayPals concerns about customer data using Safari.    Over the past few weeks I have downloaded a bunch of browsers and found that there are some great alternatives to Safari.


Firefox 3 Beta 1 is based on the new Gecko 1.9 Web rendering platform, which has been under development for the past 27 months and includes nearly 2 million lines of code changes, fixing more than 11,000 issues.   Gecko 1.9 includes some major re-architecting for performance, stability, correctness, and code simplification and sustainability.   Firefox 3 has been built on top of this new platform resulting in a more secure, easier to use, more personal product with a lot under the hood to offer website and Firefox add-on developers.


Another browser that is making some inroads in both performance and market share is Flock.    What I love about FLock is that is built for the social web with built in blogging software that can add posts to any Blog (except RW).    There is also a great interface for other sites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as a way to integrate Gmail and Yahoo!   mail.


What's even better is that both of these programs are free and that is a price everyone can afford.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Back up without Time Machine</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Hardware</category><dc:date>2008-04-18T17:50:45-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f8a2b02bda0ba46f652880e543af7c27-52.html#unique-entry-id-52</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/f8a2b02bda0ba46f652880e543af7c27-52.html#unique-entry-id-52</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Well it started for me when I was trying to open one of my iWeb sites.  ...  "No big deal" I said, I have TIme Machine and will just do a restore..well after going back 1 week, then 2 weeks then a month the site was still nowhere to be found.    Frustrated I decided to turn Time Machine off and erase my external drive and do a backup using iBackup of Apple's backup.  

...The first thing I noticed was that the icons for my hard drive disappeared and then the Finder menu bar disappeared.   

...I spent an hour on the phone with Apple Care tech support and then I heard the words that I didn't want to hear "you're going to have to do an erase and install of the OS".    Luckily for me I had another older Mac that I could network and transfer my old files although the tech rep on the phone told me not to copy my old Library settings into the Mac after I reinstalled Leopard.    Well the good news is that it worked and actually my iMac is working great now, the bad news is that after going through a host of Apple support sites the issue of a disappearing Finders seems to be more widespread than one would think.


So I spent a lot more time reading a bunch of forums at various Apple sites and from loyal diehards, who have been Mac users for many many years, I heard a cry for help.  ...  They complain of lack of "focus" since Apple has become more of a consumer electronics company than a computer company and some will not install new operating systems until they have been on the market for at least six months or longer.


I can't say that I disagree but the first version of Leopard, with all its faults, is still 100% better than then any version of Vista.  

...I am using a Western Digital drive now as the G force drive got tossed  into my pool when I had to reinstall everything.    Some safeguards can go a long way to ensure that you spend a whole weekend, plus some, reinstalling software and support files.    A life saver for me was the program eWallet in which I save all my serial numbers of purchased programs.    I was able to reinstall with minimal pain and when I move my Rapid Weaver files back RW even remembered my log in information.


The more we depend on our computers the more we need to ensure that we have back-ups to handle the crisis that sometimes happens.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Will Apple stock come back to &#x24;200?</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-02-17T12:31:30-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/e544747be7e26144c2bd4164539a8242-51.html#unique-entry-id-51</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/e544747be7e26144c2bd4164539a8242-51.html#unique-entry-id-51</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Go to an Apple store and you're likely to see a lot of people checking out Mac's.    Microsoft's Vista has been a failure with consumers because of ongoing problems, endless software updates and vulnerability to viruses and trojans.     Right now Leopard is a much better OS then anything else on the market and people are anxious to learn about the Mac OS and how it can make their lives online simpler and better.


...After all you can only sell so many iPods and just adding new interfaces and bigger hard drives is not going to drive sales.    Once you have an iPod or two you're usually good for at least 2-3 years of use unless there is a "gotta have feature" that has you pulling out the plastic for a new toy.     Price drops on the iPhone are because of serious competition and because a lot of people just don't want to give up their current phones.    I have an iPhone and although I like it a lot the internet connection is painfully slow when you are outside a wifi spot.     However now that there are millions of iPhones and iPods out there Apple is going to have a nice revenue stream from people who download music and pay for iPhone service.


The recent Mac Book Air is for niche markets and the new faster chips should be available later this year for the entire Mac line.    So I can see where analysts on the street would be looking at Apple and saying maybe this is the peak of innovation.  ...  Remember that Apple created the iPod market and iTunes market by making it easy to download music.    Although Apple TV has some nice new features it is still a hassle for most people to set up and a lot of cable systems are now offering movies on demand.


...Well Apple's market share has increased dramatically over the last year and Microsoft has just announced that its new version of Windows won't be available until 2011 at the earliest.    That gives Apple a major opportunity to pick up some more share on the evil giant and I expect at least 2 or 3 major OS releases within this time from Apple.


...If you want instant gratification then spread your money elsewhere but if your looking for a stock that will pay you back big time then I suggest Apple.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Easy iWeb Publisher</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Software</category><dc:date>2008-02-17T12:21:35-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/aaf6c2aeaa1786008fae80f73f11f939-50.html#unique-entry-id-50</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/aaf6c2aeaa1786008fae80f73f11f939-50.html#unique-entry-id-50</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[On the surface it looked simple enough; just drag and drop your files to the Easy iWeb interface and the files are uploaded.    The problem was that even when I did this, uploading both the file folder and the separate HTML file my website had not changed online?     So I went into the preferences and checked a box that said "replace all files" and tried it again and still the changes had not been made to my website?     Well time is money today so rather then continue to troubleshoot this problem I simply used my old friend "Cyberduck" to upload the files.


Easy iWeb Publisher is a free and I have sent an eMail to the developer to ask for his suggestions on what might be wrong.    It's a great program but if this one issue is not fixed it could be short lived.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>iWeb</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Sites</category><dc:date>2008-02-17T12:09:42-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/5f3d375a992963c5ff0e3a6dbf67f907-49.html#unique-entry-id-49</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/5f3d375a992963c5ff0e3a6dbf67f907-49.html#unique-entry-id-49</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[iWeb will only publish to a ....  If you want to publish to your own URL you have two options; the first is to publish the site to your desktop and use an FTP client to upload the site the second is redirect your site to your ....  Why Apple continues to insist that people have to publish to a .  Mac account is beyond me.    It would be much more user friendly and easier if you had a built in FTP client with iWeb like Rapid Weaver.


Adding web snippets is a snap with iWeb.    You simply cut and paste the code for your snipped on your website wherever you want.    There is even a built in interface for adding Google ad words and maps.    What I really like about iWeb however is the templates.    You have your choice of professional looking clean designs or more colorful designs for the kids or posting travel and family photos.


iWeb is part of Apple's iLife suite and Apple has recently added new video tutorials on how to get your website on the Web quickly and easily.    I found the interface to be both quick and easy to learn and use.    Rapid Weaver is still a great site builder for iWeb is quickly catching up on the lads from England.    There have been rumors of major iWeb upgrades soon as Apple starts to dive deeper into social media applications.    I hope future releases allow you to "one click" publish to your own URL rather than a .mac account.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Random thoughts...</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Sites</category><dc:date>2008-02-13T06:49:54-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/8afb59b32bacb448e2eb4038ef86a138-48.html#unique-entry-id-48</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/8afb59b32bacb448e2eb4038ef86a138-48.html#unique-entry-id-48</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If anyone likes to play Hearts I suggest that you avoid at all costs a website called "Harwood Hearts".     I was a member of Harwood Hearts for almost a year but it seems that if you call somebody a name the hosts have the option to "ban you".     Now keep in mind that you can't use bad language on the site because all of those words are not allowed to be used but as someone who likes to play hearts I was taken back when I was informed that I was permanently banned?     So if I pay $30 to join you have the right to keep my money and not let me play?    What's wrong with this picture.    One of the problems with websites like these is that they get to play God and determine, like a corrupt power official, who will play and who will not play.    A sad state of affairs and I advise all who read this BLOG to avoid this site at all costs.


What is about Apple users that makes some of them such zealots?     I am referring to the "Apple can do no wrong and is God" syndrome that a lot of Mac users exhibit.    Recently, with the release of 10.5.2 some people were saying praising Apple for upgrading Leopard while there were a vocal minority who felt that 10.5.2 should have been part of the original Leopard release and that this was just some fixes to catch up.     For me it doesn't matter, Leopard has worked flawlessly in original release and 10.5.2 update but one has to wonder if Apple has its priorities straight.    The Mac OSX is picking up share and with that comes the responsibility to maintain quality releases.    Leopard was delayed due to allocation of resources to the iPhone and with the delay of Windows 7.0 till 2011 Apple has an opportunity to continue to make inroads in share if they can prove that they are a better company that Microsoft and release better products.    With increased share also comes the responsibility of maintaining their excellent customer service and to be sure this is no easy challenge.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Image Lobe</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Image Programs</category><dc:date>2008-02-07T06:09:32-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/cf81522379385c8522a2b4383d90303d-47.html#unique-entry-id-47</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/cf81522379385c8522a2b4383d90303d-47.html#unique-entry-id-47</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Image Lobe is a great little program and is $20.    It's a must have if you like to simple programs to change the appearance of some of you images.     In addition it's fun to use...  I highly recommend it.


it]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>X Scope</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-01-31T05:36:07-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3bde9dacb0342023537b13a18c9a5868-46.html#unique-entry-id-46</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3bde9dacb0342023537b13a18c9a5868-46.html#unique-entry-id-46</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Created for designers by ARTIS Software & The Iconfactory, xScope is a powerful set of tools that are ideal for measuring, aligning and inspecting on-screen graphics and layouts.   Quickly available via the Mac OS X menu bar, xScope's flexible tools float above desktop windows and UI elements making measuring a breeze.


xScope is really seven tools in one that will help any designer do their job faster and produce more accurate result but it's not inexpensive at $26.95.    It can however make Web projects a hell of a lot easier and so that you can spend more time creating and less time making things fit.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sticky Windows</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-01-31T05:29:54-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a96a681be66d6f64b05ec4919684e6b2-45.html#unique-entry-id-45</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/a96a681be66d6f64b05ec4919684e6b2-45.html#unique-entry-id-45</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The tab can be created by dragging a window to any edge of the screen (Sticky Windows also supports multiple screens).   When the mouse reaches the margin of the screen a tab will appear. 


To remove a tab, simply drag it away from the screen edge.   If the window is not currently visible when the tab is dismissed, the original window is re-displayed on the screen. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Blueball Design</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Rapid Weaver stuff</category><dc:date>2008-01-30T18:08:05-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7f2aebf0eeede989c17912c5cadb4f27-44.html#unique-entry-id-44</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/7f2aebf0eeede989c17912c5cadb4f27-44.html#unique-entry-id-44</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[One of the great things about Rapid Weaver is that there are tons of themes and add-ons but in addition to that you can usually contact the developers directly through eMail if you ever have a question or problem.     The Rapid Weaver community tends to be very tight and people are always helping each other on the boards with any issues newbees might be experiencing.    I love Blue Ball templates and I think he is the only theme developer in which I have used every one of his templates.    What I like about them is that they are clean and very easy to customize.    The prices for most themes is very reasonable but it's easy to get carried away and purchase all the templates that Charlie has to offer.


Before you purchase a template make sure that it's going to fit your site and that you can customize it the way you want.    Unsure?    Just contact Charlie and I am sure he would be happy to answer any and all of your questions.    All Blue Ball themes have recently been updated to work with RW 3.6 and you get  updates as the fellows from across the pond update RW.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Thrift Mac</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Sites</category><dc:date>2008-01-30T17:59:40-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/75ba5d33227100dd348e2d7750604daf-43.html#unique-entry-id-43</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/75ba5d33227100dd348e2d7750604daf-43.html#unique-entry-id-43</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Purchasing software for your Mac can quickly add up.    Twenty dollars here, ten there, before you know you know it you have spent a lot of money of great software but aren't there more options?   You bet there are at thriftmac.com.     I go to this website at least once a day to see what goodies are available and the best part is that most of the software they list is free.     It's one of the great things about being in the Mac OSX community, which tends to be a very tight brother and sisterhood.  


At least a dozen of my small apps have come through Thriftmac.com and they all work great.     It's fun just to browse the categories to see what's new or my favorite is to see what the must have applications that are listed by Mac experts.    This is another great site and free is always good !
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Apple Matters</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Web Sites</category><dc:date>2008-01-30T15:38:59-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2f95bbf9e8ee1d5548f903646a943b65-42.html#unique-entry-id-42</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/2f95bbf9e8ee1d5548f903646a943b65-42.html#unique-entry-id-42</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Mac people can be real zealots and to them Apple is sacred ground and can do no wrong.    This writer, however, feels that Apple, although a great company, can and does make mistakes as the recent introduction of the Mac Book Air indicates.     Apple Matters recently ran a story about how horrible a product the Apple Mac Book air actually is and frankly it's about time that somebody told the king that he has no clothes.     The MBA is a horrible overpriced product that is all show but you would never know this by going to sites like Mac Daily News that continue to talk about how great the MBA is.      That's why Applematters.com is such a great site.    They have no reservations about calling out Apples shortcomings.     A recent story for example just ran on why .  Mac is not such a great value and how users could find alternatives for a lot less money.


We need these fair balanced sites because Apple people are demanding and we hold Apple up to very high standards.    They can and do make mistakes (Apple hi-fi for example) and they have done this by continually raising the bar higher with new products and product updates.    Check out Applematters everyday and you will get a fair and balanced look at great and not so great things from Apple.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Dock Star</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Utilities</category><dc:date>2008-01-30T15:29:49-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/1b799ad021b750fb331f3b9de41642ea-41.html#unique-entry-id-41</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/1b799ad021b750fb331f3b9de41642ea-41.html#unique-entry-id-41</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[With the default settings on Mail you know when Mail arrives but it doesn't tell you which account has received the mail.     With Dockstar you can assign different notifications for each eMail account so that the second eMail arrives you know which account it's from and thus you can let it sit or open it right away.    In addition to the notifications in the dock Dockstar also posts the same notifications in the menu bar.    You can also assign notifications for RSS feed updates, notes and to do items.    Dockstar is only $9.95 and it's one little utility that will pay for itself time and time again.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What I want from Apple</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-01-26T07:40:03-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6e578f7ff0d54027b40272d09cfa3fba-40.html#unique-entry-id-40</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/6e578f7ff0d54027b40272d09cfa3fba-40.html#unique-entry-id-40</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Video iPod:  The iPhone and iPod touch are nice but I want a bigger screen when I watch a movie.    On a recent flight I was envious of a person sitting in front of me who had a really nice Sony portable DVD player with a decent sized screen.    It made my iPhone screen look pale in comparison.


Newton Device:  One thing we are learning about portable devices is that people want their devices to be rich with features.    I want a 5x7 device that will allow me to take notes (write instead of using a keypad) allow me to check eMail and my calendar and surf the Web.     Then I want to open the device to find a keypad.    ...  I don't know but if anyone can do it right Apple can.


More Social Media Applications:  I read a recent article from a former Apple employee who was a developer of social media applications.    He left the company because he felt that Apple executives were not interested in social medial app development and one would tend to believe him given the late introduction of iLife.   iWeb is a nice app but Apple just does not understand that people do not necessarily want to use a ....  Yes you can publish you iWeb website to your URL but it requires you to publish to screen and use a third party FTP application to upload.    This is unacceptable.   iChat is OK but let's face it, apps like Adium put it to shame.


I have no doubt that the iMac's will be upgraded to the new 3.17 MHz chips but in a recent test of Mac Pro's comparing the new chips to the 2.8 MHz there was not that much of a speed increase and certainly not enough to justify a lot of people upgrading.    I would like to have more than 4MB of RAM for my iMac but for now that is OK.      The key question is can Apple continue to innovate the way they have in the past?     Well I wouldn't bet against them but the clock is ticking and competitors are always waiting in the wings to play catch up.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why Apple stock fell</title><dc:creator>rmeyer52@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Apple Marketing</category><dc:date>2008-01-23T06:41:05-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3e1690e599526c989bd5b4a8971dbc89-39.html#unique-entry-id-39</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.applemacstuff.com/files/3e1690e599526c989bd5b4a8971dbc89-39.html#unique-entry-id-39</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The Mac has been gaining in market share over the last 12 months and why not?    Windows Vista is a major disappointment and a lo