Archive for October, 2007
October 27, 2007 at 8:55 am · Filed under Mac OS X
Well, coming from the Windows camp I’ve always had a nightmare experience when upgrading to a new OS version… so forgive me if I’m a little hesitant to upgrade to Leopard so soon.
As I approach my one year anniversary as a “switcher”, I will admit that this has been the most enjoyable computing year of my life. My MacBook Pro has been a trooper and has never failed me yet. Software programs install and uninstall exactly how they should and anytime I have to use a PC, it actually frightens me.
So having said that, I would expect the Leopard upgrade to go as smoothly as everything else has for me. But I want to get some opinions first… what do you think. Wait, or upgrade right away?
October 27, 2007 at 1:09 pm · Filed under Mac Software
For years I’ve used Camtasia by TechSmith to create screencapture videos on my PC, so lately I’ve been trying to find a Camtasia replacement for my Mac.
From the research and reviews I’ve read, Snap Pro X and iShowU seem to be the best software programs for creating screenshot videos on a Mac. After quite a bit of reading I decided on iShowU and at $20, it’s a bargain.
I’ll be sure to post an iShowU review after making a few videos with it…
October 27, 2007 at 4:20 pm · Filed under Mac
If your MacBook Pro keyboard is starting to show the effects of heavy use, it’s time to clean it up. So what is the best way to clean a MacBook Pro keyboard?
Well, I decided to try a Magic Eraser (by Mr. Clean). I have to admit, it worked like a charm and my MBP looks as good as it did the day I first booted her up.
Here’s the best way to go about it:
- Lightly dampen one end of the Magic Eraser.
- Be sure to wring out any excess water.
- Lightly run the Magic Eraser over the keyboard and any other part of your MacBook Pro that needs cleaning. Take care not to press too hard, which will release any left over excess moisture in the Magic Eraser and possibly damage your notebook.
October 27, 2007 at 4:36 pm · Filed under iPod
Well, my old iPod Nano bit the dust. It was still under warranty so I returned it to Best Buy and it was replaced with the next generation iPod Nano (4GB with Video). Here’s my review of the newest iPod Nano:
Pros: The screen is drop dead gorgeous and the display is much brighter than the previous generation. Video, although small, is very clear and quite impressive. Cover flow rocks.
Cons: I’m not a fan of the chrome backing as it scratches easily and shows fingerprints. Also, I wish that the scroll wheel on the new iPod Nano was a little more “substantial”.
Overall, I like the newest version better than the previous model. It’s not perfect and there are definitely a few things that I would change if I had it my way, but overall it’s a step up.
October 30, 2007 at 9:11 am · Filed under Mac
Props to Apple for their AppleCare program…
I opted for the AppleCare protection plan last year when I bought my MacBook Pro and it’s so much more than just an extended warranty.
Included with Applecare is the ability to call a live customer support rep (on a toll-free number) and get an instant answer to just about any question in the world related to your Mac.
As I mentioned the other day, I picked up a copy of iShowU and have been toying around with that and iMovie. I ran into a problem with iMovie this morning, so I picked up the phone and got an answer in 2 minutes from a helpful AppleCare support rep.
If you’re buying a new Mac computer, I highly recommend paying the extra couple hundred dollars and going with the AppleCare extended warranty and support program.
October 30, 2007 at 9:39 pm · Filed under Mac, Mac Software
After playing around quite a bit with iShowU, I decided to import my first video into iMovie HD.
Unfortunately no matter what I seemed to do, there was always a loss of quality after I imported the clip into iMovie. Thanks to the guys at iShowU, I found a hack that seems to work great.
Instead of importing the video directly into iMovie, open up the project folder and drop the video file into the “Media” folder. Then, simply open the iMovie project and drag the clip from the trash into iMovie when it prompts you. No loss of quality whatsoever!
Also, I stumbled onto a very cool QuickTime Embed WordPress plugin that makes posting video to your blog a snap…
