Posts tagged with "mac"

Should Lion Be Distributed On USB Keys?→

Should Lion Be Distributed On USB Keys?

A Redditor wonders if Apple is going to ditch the CD for the new OS distribution:

The new MB Airs ship with their restore software on a USB key, as they have no optical drive. Obviously those machines will need a way to upgrade to 10.7, and the remote disc stuff, while it works, doesn’t seem very Apple-ish. We know next to nothing about Lion at this point, and I’m not convinced that Apple is out to kill the optical disc. But I wonder: Will the next version of Mac OS X ship, not on a DVD, but on a USB key?

Obviously DVDs are cheaper and faster to print. But if you think about Apple and the “dangerous” decisions they made in the past, this kind of makes sense.

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Alarms for Mac Updated With Better Timeline, Bug Fixes

Alarms is a Mac app developed by Media Atelier we previously reviewed here. For those who missed the review:

Alarms is a fast and lightweight reminder app for Mac that lives in your menubar. It’s not a GTD application, yet it’s a perfect companion for softwares like Things or OmniFocus. I basically use Alarms to save little things I need to do later that aren’t worth creating a new entry in OmniFocus.

Getting stuff in Alarms is simple and takes seconds. Once you install the app a new icon is added to your menubar. Click on it, or drag an item over it, and a white horizontal panel slides down (great animation) letting you choose in which part of your working day should the new entry go.

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The Value Of “Pro”→

The Value Of “Pro”

I say ‘Pro’ makes more sense only if you develop an app that has two versions, one free and one paid and the free version is made to be a scaled down version that can stand on its own (meaning you don’t run out of “levels” as you would in a game). You are in effect giving away a full version of your app for free, and selling a version with more features as a ‘Pro’ level which is in line with what the consumer mind expects.

Either route you go I doubt you will get rid of the rude comments that plague the App Store.

Game developers won’t stop using the “Lite” tag. But I also can’t picture an “OmniFocus Pro”. The Mac App Store is going to be an interesting subject.

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“The Mac App Store Isn’t For Today’s Mac Developers”→

“The Mac App Store Isn’t For Today’s Mac Developers”

But a huge new market is about to open next door. And yes, it’ll probably be dominated by Angry Birds and other inexpensive, often trivial apps. When this happens, a lot of traditional Mac developers are going to look down on it. But those with a bit of free time to develop their own inexpensive, often trivial apps might have a different viewpoint entirely when they see their sales numbers.

Marco Arment nails it.

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BulletTrain Express Keyboard: MacBook, Meet Desktop Mac

I bought an iMac about a month ago. It’s a great machine, it’s sexy and it’s powerful. Still, when I’m working on it I do miss one thing: they keyboard and trackpad configuration of the MacBook Pro. Having a full-size keyboard above the trackpad is undoubtedly more comfortable than having to constantly switch from the keyboard to a Magic Trackpad on its side. Placing the Magic Trackpad under the keyboard doesn’t help either as it’ll end up moving and sliding on your desk.

So what we have here is possibly the coolest gadget we’ve covered on MacStories in a while: the BulletTrain Express Keyboard is a solid aluminum platform that can embed a Magic Trackpad and an Apple keyboard, all in one single and ergonomic surface. Read more

The Importance Of AppleCare→

The Importance Of AppleCare

Others will tell you they’ve owned several Macs, without AppleCare. This is the same lot who never purchases “extended warranties,” which they consider “scams.” To them I say that AppleCare is an exception, especially since Macs are increasingly difficult or impossible to get into. Still others will say that Apple ought to include 3 years’ worth of protection with every Mac they sell. Perhaps, but the world as it exists is often disappointing compared to the world as we wish it existed.

And Stephen Hackett’s reply, who worked as Lead Mac Genius at Memphis’ Apple Store:

I know all of this, and I buy AppleCare for my computers. Why? Because stuff breaks. And when Apple stuff breaks, it can be expensive. Unlike a PC that might use a separate board for everything, Apple’s all-in-one logic board approach makes for expensive out-of-warranty repairs.

Computers break. Like it or not, buying AppleCare would be a wise move.

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The Most Awesome Screensavers for Mac→

The Most Awesome Screensavers for Mac

While the hype about screensavers has certainly died down, mostly due to iOS coolness, people still use them. I agree, they’re wasteful, but still nice to look at. Yesterday, internet superstar Steve Streza asked his followers for screensaver recommendations. I tuned in to his mentions, and then did some digging around on the interwebs, and here’s a few that will definitely keep your screen occupied.

The Polar Clock one is a thing of beauty. Check out Steve’s bundle here.

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Phone Disk: Mount & Browse Your iPhone In The Finder, No Jailbreak Required

They say one of the biggest advantages of jailbreaking your iPhone ( or iPad) is that you gain root access to the device. By root access they usually mean that the filesystem becomes visible to the end user, thus allowing people to play around with the device’s system files and modify stuff. From graphical modifications to file browsers available in Cydia to extra functionalities granted by access to hidden folders, root access is one of the most important aspects of jailbreak.

But it turns out, jailbreak isn’t required to access the iPhone’s internal files in the way most people would need: Phone Disk, a Mac (and Windows) app gone free until December 1st, lets you mount and browse your iDevice directly in the Finder without the need to jailbreak anything. Read more