Tag Archive | Macintosh

What does it take for a developer to earn your trust?

Jun25

1password.pngOne of the first applications I purchased when I switched back to the Mac fulltime in 2006 was 1Password (known as 1Passwrd back then).

I had been using RoboForm on the PC (still do for my IE-only sites that I get to from Windows XP on VMWare Fusion) and I had hundreds of logins and saved secure notes that I didn’t want to lose. 1Passwrd worked in both Firefox and Safari and imported those saved logins. In fact, I’d say this application was one of the reasons I was able to move back to the Mac as easily as I did.

I paid $29.95 for that software. It was buggy, and didn’t work nearly as well as RoboForm did on the PC. But it was the best option of what was available on the Mac so I stuck with it. And it was updated. And updated. And updated. The developers actively responded to questions, complaints and feature requests in their forums. They respond to tweets and emails promptly. Their license card scheme was a little funky and an online version didn’t quite work out. But the software was updated again. And again. And again. They introduced a new keychain format which lets me keep my copy of 1Password in sync on both my laptop and desktop computers. It works beautifully.

I was never asked to pay another dime (until the upcoming 3.0 version).

So they introduce an iPhone app, and there’s some confusion. And if you read the comments, some folks are upset and feeling ripped off.

Not me.

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Living in Safari in a Firefox world

Jun20

I’ve had it with Firefox 3. It’s slow, crashy, a resource hog and did I mention it’s slow? Not quite IE 7 slow, but not nearly as fast as I wish it was. Yes, it could be add-ins slowing it down, but I really don’t run that many as you’ll see below. I don’t even use Greasemonkey.

At least until Firefox 3.5 (which I know is as soon as next week) or a release version of Chrome for Mac comes along, I am trying to run with Safari 4 as my default browser. It’s tons faster, especially for heavy sites I live in like Salesforce and Fever. And while it can be as much of a resource hog as Firefox, it takes a lot longer to get to the must-quit-and-restart-this-beast point than Firefox does.

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That's the way the WWDC crumbles

Jun8

specs_display_13_20090608.pngYou spin the wheel and take your chances. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t. I bought a 13″ MacBook 10 days ago, and this afternoon Apple announces a brand new 13″ MacBook Pro.

This isn’t the first time I bought something close to an Apple keynote where products are typically announced. It’s the first time the gamble didn’t work out for me. Oh well. And worse, even though my computer is less than 2 weeks old, because I had my MacBook customized by Apple with 4 GB RAM I don’t think I can return it.

Comparing the specs of the new vs. the old, I’m not that disappointed. Yes, my computer was $1,699 with 4 GB when I could have spent $1,499. It’s not like I bought one of those round iMacs a week before the new design came out. I have no interest in the SD slot. No need for the Firewire port. My MacBook is 2.4 Ghz while the new one is a slightly faster 2.53 Ghz. Same L2 cache. Same hard drive. Same video and graphics. Same lame 2 USB ports. Same case. Same keyboard and trackpad. Same connectivity. Same software.

The big difference is the new built-in battery, and I’m torn on that. Yes, 7 hours of life sounds nice. I imagine the reality is less than that. My MacBook gets 3.5-4 hours of normal use out of the promised 5, so I would imagine the new computers see around 5-6 hours on average. Then again, I always have the option of a 2nd backup battery. Not that I’ve ever actually purchased a 2nd battery, but the option is there.

cut-copy-landscape-20090608.jpgNo plans for a new iPhone. My resolve is much stronger this year. As nice as the iPhone 3GS looks, I’m happy enough with my iPhone 3G to sit this one out. I’m most looking forward to the software update coming next week, and can live without the rest.

It’s strange the way AT&T is doling out the upgrade pricing. We have a 5-line family account (Eric, our girls, my Mom and me). Eric and I got our iPhones on the same day last July. I am entitled for an upgrade discount on July 13, 2009. Eric isn’t eligible until December 13, 2009. My guess is that I’ve simply upgraded my phone more often over the years than he has, so my upgrade date rolls around faster as thanks for being a good little customer. Seems arbitrary, no wonder folks are upset.

The world gets smaller with digital magazines

May31

I’ve long been a fan of digital magazines. No clutter, no waiting until the mailman decides to deliver the latest issue. Most of my personal subscriptions are through Zinio if it’s an available option.

The big downside to Zinio is their ridiculously draconian DRM. For example, if I download a magazine to my iMac, I can’t read the same file from my laptop. I have to re-download the issue, even if I used the same login/account from both computers.

Zinio recently improved the experience of reading magazines online to the point that I rarely download new issues anymore unless I’m somewhere that my internet connection is slow. I’m able to read my subscriptions in a browser window, using the same keyboard shortcuts as the downloaded version. If I want to revisit an old article, Zinio’s site has a copy of every digital magazine I’ve ever received, all 532 of them so far, going back to August 2003.

I recently discovered that MacUser UK has a digital subscription designed for those of us in the United States. A new issue every 2 weeks with no advertising (what’s the point of marketing UK-only retailers to us?) for less than $2 per issue. No offense to anyone reading this who either works for or is a fan of Macworld or Mac|Life, but I think MacUser UK is much better than any of “our” Mac publications. Maybe I like that they more thoroughly cover a wider range of Mac products, while being less fanboy about it. They give full page attention to products that would at best get a paragraph in a US publication.

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I never understood why some international publications charged so much for digital subscriptions in US$, given the distance no longer matters. I think MacUser gets it right with this model. They have to be saving a fortune on printing and mailing expenses, while expanding to a new audience that their advertisers wouldn’t reach anyway. The only time when I know we’re not in Kansas anymore is when a price is listed in Euros.

Yes, you can get most if not all of the same content online or by reading blogs. For me, there’s still something about a magazine that blogs and random articles can’t replace, whether it’s on paper or not.

My new MacBook

May30

Yesterday, I bought a 2.4 Ghz 13″ MacBook with 4 GB RAM to replace my 2.5 year old 15.4″ MacBook Pro. I wanted to stretch the MacBook Pro out to the full 3 years, but it was not to be. For starters, take a look at the keyboard to get an idea of the kind of use that computer has seen:

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For about 2 years the MacBook Pro was my sole computer, getting at least 10-12 hours of solid use a day. Now its second battery is wearing down, the drive is getting slower and slower and frankly, it’s heavy.

It served me well. Now it’s been handed down to Emily, who is needing a computer more and more for school. She enjoys making creations with iLife and it’s nice that she has her own space to do it.

The MacBook is the 5th Mac portable I’ve owned, (PowerBook, iBook G3, iBook G4, MacBook Pro) and it looks to be the best yet. The keyboard feels great (let’s hope the letters don’t get worn away like on my previous laptop). I love the new trackpad gestures. The display is gorgeous and it’s about a pound lighter.

I calibrated the battery last night and it now shows that I can get approximately 4-4.5 hours per charge. What’s it like to walk into a room and not immediately hunt for the power outlets?

Was it crazy to buy a MacBook days before WWDC, where new product announcements are often made? Maybe. If a new model comes out in the next 2 weeks I can always exchange this one except for a restocking fee. It was a chance I was willing to take.

Apple FAIL whale?

Nov2

I’m here at Terminal C at the Philadelphia Airport, waiting for my flight to San Francisco.

The airport normally has nice bright displays showing all the departing/arriving flights. Not today.

Folks are usually quick to point out a random BSOD on displays as an example of Windows FAIL, so it’s only fair to show that it happens to the best of ‘em.

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Truth be told, I don’t know what part of the display is Apple software or hardware.

iPhone owners: Anyone solved the multi-Mac dilemma?

Nov2

When I’m home, I sync my iPhone with my iMac, and life is good.

But when I’m traveling, I only have my MacBook Pro with me. I use Spanning Sync to keep iCal and Address Book on the laptop in sync with iCal and Address Book on the Mac (and in sync with Google Calendar and Gmail). I use DropBox to make sure I have important files with me (and to hold my 1Password keychain file so my login passwords are automatically synced). LogMeIn (free) if I really do need to “call home.” Foxmarks to sync bookmarks, and now ReadItLater to sync my reading list. Not to mention all the Google, Salesforce and Box I can eat in the cloud.

The one problem I haven’t been able to solve in my dual-Mac life is my iPhone. When I travel, I can’t sync. Sure, I can charge my phone, but I have to be careful not to let iTunes sync, because it insists on only syncing to one iTunes Library at a time. I’m not looking to sync the whole Library. I want to sync address book/calendar from the MBP when I’m traveling, and then go back to the iMac when I’m home. Maybe update podcasts for the flight home if it’s not too much trouble? The parts I choose not to sync from the road (Music, Movies, Photos, etc.) should be left alone.

I see 3 possible solutions here:

  1. Wait for Apple to come up with a new version of iPhone/iTunes that allows for multi-iTunes syncing. I don’t really see this happening, although rumor has it that there will be some over-the-air syncing of podcasts which will solve some of the problem.
  2. Use one of those hacks that let you sync to multiple Macs. Maybe, but not ideal. There’s nothing I want to exclusively sync to the MBP as Jason Snell describes, because I’m not on the MBP every day.
  3. Find over-the-air solutions for syncing address book and calendar. This is something I still miss about the BlackBerry. Google provided an OTA solution for calendar syncing that I’m dying for them to provide for iPhone. On the other hand, I really like Spanning Sync and don’t want to give it up simply because it’s not ideal when I travel, which isn’t all that often.

So for now, I’m heading out this morning for 4 days in San Francisco and this last sync has to hold me for a while. On November 17, I leave for 3 days in Austin, TX followed by 2 days in DC. While I’m gone, no new podcasts. I’ll meet folks on my trip, enter their contact info into my phone and have no way of transferring that info to my laptop until I get home. I’ll read email on my laptop, enter appointments in Google Calendar and have no way of transferring that info to my phone until I get home. Annoying.

How much would you pay for an iPhone dock?

Sep20

Today Eric and I were in Best Buy, shopping for a HDTV for our new basement.

Now Best Buy sells iPhones and accessories. I’ve been meaning to get an iPhone dock for my desk. I saw some on a rack and grabbed one, assuming that Best Buy was selling Apple products for the same price that Apple was selling Apple products. There was no price card near the docks.

I check out with my other purchases, hand over my credit card and honestly didn’t pay that much attention to the exact amount I was charged for the dock.

Our next stop was an Apple Store to pick up a Mac Mini for the girls (their 3+ year old Mini was getting quite creaky). Eric’s iPhone sync cable is worn out, so he picks up a new cable and a dock. In the Apple Store, the dock was $29.00. I check my Best Buy receipt and I was charged $49.99 for the exact same item.

It’s not a mistake. Best Buy’s site:

bestbuy-dock2.png

Apple:

apple-dock.png

Identical box. Identical Apple model number.

I called Best Buy and was told that they do have price matching. I should “bring in the ad” and they’ll match the price. I said, “it wasn’t an ad. You’re simply charging $20 more than the manufacturer’s everyday price for no apparent reason.” He answered, “you have to bring in something on paper in order to get the match.” “So you’ll easily match a sale price that’s cheaper, but not everyday pricing?” “You have to show something.”

Oookay. We’ll be heading back to Best Buy with a copy of the receipt from the Apple Store, both boxes (the one from Best Buy and the one from Apple Store to show it’s the same product) and the hope that Best Buy will credit me back the $20.

Thinking about a desktop Mac again

Sep5

We’re slowly settling in to the house. I would guess that we have maybe 15 boxes left to deal with, give or take.

Emily started school this week and loves it. I learned my lesson and I won’t make early judgments on educational value, but socially she is very happy. The school is beautiful and every faculty member I’ve talked to has been friendly and caring. It’s about 1/2 the size of the school we moved from, although her class size is about the same. Laini starts on Monday.

I so love my new home office in the basement. It’s quiet, spacious and very comfortable.

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In a couple of months, my MacBook Pro will be 2 years old. Which means, of course, I’m starting to think of what’s next.

I definitely need a portable for when I’m traveling, but for day-to-day use, the MacBook Pro doesn’t pack enough punch. No matter what I do, I keep having trouble with memory use.

After only a day of uptime:

activitymonitor.png

I shut down Word & Excel after use because I find the system really drags when they’re running in the background. Otherwise, the biggest RAM hogs that I have running all the time are VMWare Fusion, Firefox and Twhirl.

I’m thinking it’s time to switch back to a desktop Mac, leaving the MBP for when I travel only.

I can’t justify a Mac Pro. I’m leaning towards the 24″ iMac with 500GB drive (over 4x the space I have now) and 4GB RAM. I wish the RAM ceiling were higher, but it’s better than what I got.

iPhone first impressions

Jul13

I’ve owned a smartphone on just about every platform except Symbian…Palm, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and now OS X.

The iPhone is by far the most fun I’ve ever had with a new phone. It’s also the first time as a Mac user that I’ve had a phone that works seamlessly with my operating system. That adds a lot to the experience.

I tried the iPhone keyboard many times over the past year and found the experience maddening. I was very concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get comfortable with the virtual keys.

I’m happy to say that while I’m not nearly as fast on the iPhone as I was on the Blackberry, it’s not bad. I love that when you enter text in a password field, you briefly see the last letter you entered. Maybe not as secure, but makes it easier to enter text accurately.

Battery life is going to be a concern. Before leaving the Apple Store yesterday, I bought 2 car chargers (one for Eric in his car, one for me in mine). That will help. I got in the habit of always charging my Blackberry while driving, and if I do the same now I should be able to manage. Not quite ready to spend $100 on the Mophie juice pack.

I originally dismissed the iPhone because it relies so heavily on Apple desktop applications (Mail, iCal, iPhoto, Safari etc.) which I don’t use. All my email and calendars are in Google, bookmarks are in Firefox, tasks are in Remember the Milk.

No problem thanks to Spanning Sync. This wonderful $25/year utility automatically syncs Google Calendar to iCal and Google Contacts to Address Book. From there, the data is easily synced to the iPhone. I entered my 4 Google email addresses in the iPhone using the built-in Gmail wizard, bypassing Mail on the desktop completely. RTM has a nice iPhone optimized site.

Since I use Firefox as my default browser, I’ve been keeping Safari open just so I can add iPhone-friendly bookmarks as I find them so they’ll sync to the phone. Is there a better solution for adding bookmarks from the desktop without using Safari? I don’t like the Foxmarks mobile interface much. 1Password, my long time password manager of choice, works great with iPhone Safari with a native app coming soon.

The iPhone mail application is okay, but of course here’s where Blackberry shines. For starters, how lame is it that you can only have one default signature for all accounts? I want one for C3, one for GigaOM and one for personal email. No go. I don’t like that I get one total unread email indicator on the home screen with no way of telling which box the unread email is in until I click all over the place. I can’t believe there’s no way to select multiple messages and mark them read at once. This isn’t advanced email…these are basic no-brainers.

I will say that one productivity application that is fantastic on the iPhone compared to Blackberry is the calendar. The iPhone calendar app is exactly what I hoped for in a mobile calendar.