"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." Mark Twain

I have many students that come to my classes that use Macs. They ask about classes on Apple products and I tell them realistically there is very little chance I could ever do it. The reason is simple. Apple is a minority in the computer world and Windows is the majority and to this we offer both computers and classes on windows machines. It does make sense. But what about the Apple people then? First off if a student is taking a class about something on the web or even some Microsoft products then it frankly doesn’t matter because they are basically the same. OK fine but what about learning the system and its applications? Well I have an answer but it is not free but still good nonetheless. Apple features a service called OnetoOne training. It is a $99 bucks for a year’s worth of training. What you get for you money is a once a week session with an Apple rep* for 52 weeks. You just make a reservation online and you walk in. They teach you pretty much anything you might have an interest in. They do have a curriculum if you want to follow it but it seems fine to go off topic at anytime. I have recommended this to both friends and family and it has really reduced the phone calls I get. The one joking question I get after a class is “Do you make house calls?” Training is so very necessary especially with programs becoming more and more powerful. People try earnestly to learn this stuff but when they go home they often feel they have been left on a raft to drift in the sea of computer problems. This is the reason why I have a “Ask a question feature on the site. I recommend this OnetoOne service because I believe the price is right for a solo tutorial when you want it. I should also mention they have free classes as well that have multiple students in them. So if you have a Mac and you don’t see the class you want for free then give this a try.

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie

Everywhere I go I see people with MP3 players. People are listening to more through their headphones than ever before and it is not just music. The listening public are listening to news, talk shows, radio programs, concerts, etc. Some are even having their RSS feeds and emails read to them. (Subject for another post) At this point the most popular player is the iPod. I get many questions about the Apple player. I usually refer students to the Apple store where they can ask questions with their iPod in hand and that seems to work out well. However what happens if you do not have a store near you or they cannot seem to answer your questions? Then it is time to head to iLounge. iLounge has been around for quite a while now and offers everything iPod. They have all the news you could want about the iPod. They also sell items related to the player but the real reason I send you here is the forums and help section. Every time I have a strange question about how to do something with my iPod I head to those sections and do a search. They have recommendations to find free legit music and video plus concerts and music blogs as well. I know I am mainly focused on music when it comes to iLounge but it is a music player after all. The site is very user friendly and helpful. Give it a try.

“Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you [Steve Jobs] stink, and we're not going to buy your product [the Apple Computer].” Joe Keenan

Being a Mac user has always been a two edged sword. The positives usually outweigh the negatives by a large margin. I have been a Mac user since 92 and since then the question has always been should I buy a new model now. Historically the moment you purchase a new Mac a new cheaper one with extra stuff will be released and so you wait. The problem is that if you get into this mindset you will never purchase a new model ever for fear of making a poor choice. Generally there are a couple of rules that I live by for general sanity when it comes to the company that is Apple. One is never ever purchase anything the first year out from Apple no matter how cool it is. The early adopters will over pay and will find all the glitches. Once that period is done they will come out with a way better one. This goes for operating systems as well. The second rule is to understand that just because something is new does not mean I need to purchase it. A Mac has a long shelf life. This is why even an older one still fetches high prices while similarly aged products drop like a stone in price. Recently I came across a great site that helps to make Apple purchasing decisions a bit easier. Mactactic takes into account Apple’s replacement schedule plus anything going on in the Mac world and gives you advice on whether you should purchase. As an example the Mac Mini has not been replaced and is overdue for a new model so this is a good time to wait on that one while a new iMac is a recommended purchase. They do have a blog as well but it is not updated much because of the space between new official product info. If you are considering switching to a Mac definitely give this one a try.

“I worked with a wild leopard, who bit me. But I kept on working with him, because I have a wild side." Bai Ling

Recently a new operating system came out for Macintosh computers and it is entitled Leopard. I have heard great things about the new features like spaces and time machine and how long it takes to install However I will say what I said when Vista came out. WAIT! Give it several months to a year to let someone with multiple computers work out the bugs. No matter who puts out a new OS there are always glitches that need to be addressed right away. I know the desire is there for a whole new OS because it has new features and abilities but it is not worth losing your data because someone forgot to correct a small bug. This is one I have to say give it a try…um….eventually.

“You really can't beat that. Having some good friends and going out to eat some good barbecue.” Andrew Ray

So I am home and I am with a bunch of friends trying to decide where to eat. Nobody can remember all the places and we are just waiting for someone to make a decision. Enter Dine-o-Matic, my favorite widget. Widgets are small programs devoted to one specific action. Unfortunately they are only for the Mac operating system. Windows has something similar in the Vista OS. Dine-O-Matic is my personal favorite widget. You type in all the restaurants that you frequent and then choose the type of cuisine it is like Italian or Chinese. Once setup it is just a matter of clicking and it will randomly choose a place to go and show you with an accompanying picture specific to the cuisine. It is a beautiful design and simple and best of all it works. So if you have a hunger, indecision, and a Mac give it a try.

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” J.K. Rowling

Yesterday I wrote about the Mac software you can buy but what about those who just need a word processor and like the feel of Microsoft Word? NeoOffice is a great alternative choice. Firstly it is easy if you come from Word and second it is free. Most replacement programs, including this one, are very compatible. So if you create a resume in NeoOffice and you send it out anyone with a word processing package should be able to open it. If you would like to give it a try download it here.

“In the circle in which I travel, a dumb man is more dangerous than a hundred rats.” Joe Valachi

Sometimes I am looking for a discussion on particular tech subject. Now I am not looking for dry details but a fairly lively discussion with real opinions. I sometimes turn to Lab Rats. They are two guys who sit down and record episodes on certain specific subjects. They go from the basics to an advanced level and they bring you along with them. When you go to their site you need to pick a show and then pick a format. I find the flash versions are the easiest. I recently watched an interesting discussion of all the different platforms and which one is best. They talked about Windows, Linux, and Macintosh and I must say they were very careful in this episode not too throw their biases too much around. The only let down is the advertisements but they are quick and go to support the shows. Also I really like the little pop up add-ins that show up on the screen with a "pop".If you are confused on a subject give it a try.

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. Douglas Adams

Instead of posting in Monday I thought I would talk about something rather pressing. This weekend is the new updated daylight savings time. Unfortunately the computer industry has been a bit slow to react. They created patches and updates but some are causing problems. At the time of this posting the Microsoft call in help centers have been crushed under the weight of calls. Instead Microsoft has created an online chat that is taking on the job. Try their page or chat for help on this problem. Now if you are on a Mac using 10.4 or 10.3 just download the update but if you have an earlier version follow the instructions here. However I don't think it is going to be a huge headache for the average person but I would definitely call ahead for people I am meeting with or it might be a nice excuse not to go.

“It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off” Mark Twain

To continue from yesterday is a list of a few more good podcasts.

• Mugglecast is the podcast if you want to hear about all things Harry Potter from books to movies.
  
• President's Weekly Radio Address
  
• Mac OS KEN for all your Mac news. I listen everyday to this one.
  
• Craft Magazine is a great podcast for those that like hobbies
• ChinesePod for those wanting to learn to speak Mandarin. There are tons of podcasts devoted to languages.
• Wired Magazine has some nice chosen bits from it's magazine.

I have only listed a few of the thousands that are out there. Listen to a bunch and subscribe to your favorites. I like this better that then radio, no static. Give it a try.

“My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be invented so he could hate that too.” Peter De Vries

I have already mentioned the software iTunes before but today I want to focus on getting new podcasts. First off the software is free and is available for Mac and Windows machines. Once the program is installed in your computer you can open it up and click on the right hand side where it says podcasts. If it is your first time opening this than it will ask you if you would like to go to the podcasts directory. You can click yes or at the bottom right you can click the link for podcast directory as well. At this point you will have many options like the top 100 podcasts or some categorized choices as well like sports or foreign language. Click on any of these and if you find something interesting give it another click. You should then see a description of the show and a list of past episodes. If you would like to test drive one of the episodes double click it and give a listen. If you like it you can get just the episode you are listening to by scrolling to the right and clicking on get episode. However if you decide you want to receive this regularly, near the top it should say subscribe, click that button. From now on you will get these in your podcast section of iTunes. If at any time you decide you don't want it anymore click on the podcast and hit the backspace button to delete it. I like iTunes for its ease of use. Think of this program like the ultimate jukebox of audio. Give it a try.

“If I look confused it's because I'm thinking” Samuel Goldwyn

As the last post of the Mac week I leave you with an easy one. Understanding computers does not always take years or countless manuals. Many times it is what questions you ask and where you ask them. In the latest version of the Macintosh operating system, Tiger, there is an easy way to get your answers. Click on the system preferences on the dock and then click at the top right in the oval search box. Now ask it any question you like. As an example, I want to know what button to click on to change the brightness setting. Type in something like brightness, as you do it will immediately start to gray out buttons that have nothing to do with your question. A list will pull down that will be more specific to the question. Choose from the list and it will show you which button to choose in the future. It will also bring you to the settings that you want. Read more and worry less. Give it a try.

“When the music changes, so does the dance”

This one is not just for Macs. Even though I find iTunes a good piece of software I do find some features missing. If need more for your music try Beatunes. It is an application for both PC and Mac that gives you features like library inspection, or knowing each song's tempo. If you want to analyze your music, then this is for you. You can download a trial for a week and then they want you to pay for it, around $20 bucks. The second part of this post is about problems with an iPod. Sometimes you will need to replace a battery or fix a screen. I have done a little of this from text instructions but I would have liked a video to watch first to know what to expect before cracking the case. These video are neat and clean and easy to understand. Before throwing an expensive gadget away check the site and maybe it can be saved. Give it a try.

People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like. Abraham Lincoln

Many people leave their computer just the way they received it. I always need to fiddle with everything. As I go through different windows on the Mac I realize each folder has its own needs. What am I talking about you ask? Well if a folder has pictures in it I would like to see a preview of the picture to save me time or if I have trouble reading things, they should be printed in a larger text size. This is easy to do. Click on view and then view options. You can increase the icon size so they are easily distinguishable or increase the text size. If you are a neat freak try snap to grid to force your icons into position. Item info is nice if you like to see how large a file is or what dimensions a picture is all the time. If you have a lot of pictures outside of iPhoto then choose icon preview to see icon sized pictures. Lastly you can quickly organize your icons by having them sorted by name, size or whatever you feel like. One mistake I made when changing this stuff is that I forget about the choice at the top that says all windows or this window. Make sure you choose the one you want. If you want to change all at once choose "all windows". Give it a try.

“Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done.” Andy Rooney

More Mac today! Lets look at the system preferences by clicking the button on the dock at the bottom of the screen. Click on the Dashboard & Expose button to see your options. Many people don't use this but it is a favorite of mine. You will notice around the small screen a bunch of minus symbols. Click on any of these and a list will pull down, then choose all windows. Now what the heck does this do? Well, if you bring your mouse to the same corner that we changed it, it will shrink your current window and show all the other windows that are open at the same time. You can now click on any of the windows to see it in actual size. This is a great way of juggling many open applications and windows like jumping from Safari to iPhoto or whatever. The other choice is desktop. I usually put this one in the bottom right on my computer but put it wherever it is convenient. This is a quick way to get to your desktop when you have a bunch of stuff you are working on. Give it a try.

“Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.” Fields

Safari is the Mac Internet browser. It works well and has lots of good features but it can be made to be a little better. To begin, open Safari and the click on the Safari menu at the top left. There you can set it to block pop ads. This does a decent job although not 100%. Click on preferences to adjust more stuff. Here you can change your homepage and other basics but there is an essential option to change as well. Unfortunately there is a potential danger because of the "open safe files" after downloading setting. Turn this one off to stop any potential malicious junk from activating by itself. I also go to the tabbed browsing setting and enable it. This allows different web pages to be displayed in a single window but under different tabs. It is an easier and faster way to surf the Internet than having more than Safari window open at a time. Give these a try.

“The Macintosh is not a computer, it's a way of life.” Don Rittner

Now I know I concentrate mainly, when it comes to software, on PCs but I would, for at least a week, like to focus on the Macintosh. First off, I am a Mac fan and have been for a very long time. But I teach on PCs because they are the majority of the market. To begin with I wish to highlight the Apple store for my students who want more maccentric teaching. They offer free classes to anyone on the products that come with your computers. This is the link for classes at the Providence Place Mall. Also for other learning possibilities there is a great site called TeachMac.com. The idea here is that let's say I know something about the Mac or a program and I think I could teach that. Well they help you to record the lesson and post it on the site. They do a nice job because it is audio and visual. Also it is a la carte so choose what you want to learn. Now there is a cost but to try it go on a Tuesday and you can download a module for free. Learn something new and give it a try.

“Only thing worse than watching a bad movie is being in one” Elvis Presley

Let's say a friend sends you a video and you get it on the computer. Now you try to play it but it keeps saying that file is not recognized or it just doesn't seem to play. One program many turn to is VLC. It can play MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, as well as DVDs, and VCDs. Now if some of these are foreign to you, don't pay any attention to them but know this: if it is video, VLC most likely plays it. If it does not automatically work, you may have to right click on the file and choose open with and then click VLC. Now to download choose either PC or Mac. Once this is installed you will be able to watch all sorts of great media. Many times I rent a DVD from the library and pop it in and watch it using VLC. This is really one of the programs to put on a computer right away. Give it a try!