• apple,  apple store,  imac,  macbook pro

    Apple 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina Display

    Today is both a sad day and an exciting day.  I’m a little bit sad, because my favorite Mac to date, the Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch is entering retirement after having been my Mac of choice since 2009.

    Today is also an exciting day, because in a few short minutes, I’m rounding up the family, Dad and Katie, and we are heading down to the Trumbull Apple Store to purchase my new Mac – the 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display!  I can’t wait!  Now to get my Apple Trumbull t-shirt and hit the road!

  • apple,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  macintosh,  yosemite

    Photos App Rolls Out in Yosemite 10.10.3 Public Beta Seed

    Yesterday, Apple released the Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 public beta.  The 10.10.3 public beta also includes the new Apple Photos app for OS X.

    If you are currently enrolled in the public beta seed, you will see the new update appear in your Updates tab.

    One word of warning: Photos, just like OS X 10.10.3, is pre-release beta software.  That means that there are going to be bugs and you should not install either of these updates on your main, production, Mac that you use daily.  To be a beta tester, you must be prepared to delete everything, applications and data (including family photos).

    My recommendation is that you make multiple backups before you install OS X 10.10.3 and Photos on your Mac.  Time Machine, BackBlaze or event a Finder data copy to an external USB hard disk drive or flash drive is a good idea.

    The complete list of updates to OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 updates are as follows:

    Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 public beta seed can be installed on any Mac that is currently running OS X Yosemite.

  • apple,  imac,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  yosemite

    Apple Releases Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 Update

    Earlier this week, Apple slipped out the latest security and enhancement update for OS X Yosemite.

    OS X 10.10.2 includes the following enhancements and fixes:
    General content
    Resolves an issue that might cause Wi-Fi to disconnect
    Resolves an issue that might cause web pages to load slowly
    Fixes an issue that could cause Spotlight to load remote email content when this preference is disabled in Mail
    Improves audio and video sync when using Bluetooth headphones
    Adds the ability to browse iCloud Drive in Time Machine
    Improves VoiceOver speech performance
    Resolves an issue that could cause VoiceOver to echo characters when entering text on a web page
    Addresses an issue that could cause the input method to switch languages unexpectedly
    Improves stability and security in Safari
    For enterprise customers
    Improves performance for browsing DFS shares in the Finder
    Fixes an issue where certain Calendar invitations could be displayed at the incorrect time
    Fixes an issue for Microsoft Exchange accounts where the organizer of a meeting might not be notified when someone accepts an invitation using Calendar
    Addresses an issue where Safari could continually prompt for credentials when accessing a site protected by NTLM authentication
    Adds the ability to set “Out of Office” reply dates for Microsoft Exchange accounts in Mail
    Security Content
    For detailed information about the security content of this update, see Apple security updates.
    I’ve been testing a prerelease version of this update for about two weeks now and it is looking pretty good.  The Wi-Fi disconnects had been driving me a little more nuts than usual which was masking the slow web page load issue.  (Huh, why aren’t these pages loading faster?  I’ve rebooted all my networking gear…eye roll.)
    This update is available now from the Updates tab in the Mac App Store app.  
    It’s always a good idea to plug in your MacBook and backup your Mac before installing any new software like OS upgrades and patches with Apple’s Time Machine or with a third-party solution like the fantastic BackBlaze service.
  • apple,  imac,  mac,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  yosemite

    Looking Forward To My Trip to Yosemite

    Earlier this month at Apple’s WWDC developer’s conference, Craig Federighi, introduced us to the future of the Mac OS – OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

    Yosemite User Interface

    With Yosemite, the Mac user interface remains familiar to long time Mac users and yet, have a clean new look.  Long time and new Mac users will be able to walk up to the Mac and begin using it very quickly.  OS X Mavericks was a nice upgrade from Mountain Lion, but the user interface across all of Apple’s stock apps and icons looked disjointed.  Some icons didn’t change at all, such as Contacts, and then new apps, like iBooks, used the design language from iOS 7, and used the round orange ball with a white book.  Similarly, apps like the aforementioned Contacts and Reminders apps just looked or functioned terribly.

    With Yosemite, Apple goes back under the direction of Jony Ive, and created a new cleaner, flatter, less cluttered design language for Mac OS X (1) and I think it looks really fantastic!

    Simulated Yosemite screen running on a MacBook Air

    Yosemite screen capture from the Apple WWDC ’14 presentation

    As you can see from the above images, take from the Apple website, Mac OS X still looks like Mac OS.  All of the interface elements look like they belong together as a whole.  The dock icons take on three clean shapes: round, square, and rectangles.  (They are suggestions, however, developers can use their own icon design, so for example, Office 2011 3D stylized icons are OK in Yosemite.)

    And, for the first time in a long time, Apple will be including a sort of theme for OS X.  You can chose from the standard “light” theme which looks much like the stock Mountain Lion and Mavericks theme with it’s translucent or solid white menu bar or the new dark theme which uses a darker menu bar styling.

    Softpedia screen captures of Yosemite’s dark mode

    I’m really excited to get my hands on the first public beta later this year and install it on my Mac. (2)

    Supported Macs

    For Yosemite, Apple has elected to keep the current list of compatible Macintosh hardware as it’s predecessor, Mavericks.  Essentially, any Macintosh that has a release date of “Mid 2007” or later will be able to run Yosemite.  Well.  That’s a pretty generous range of hardware and means that my five year old 17-inch MacBook Pro will still be supported and will be able to run Apple’s latest Mac operating system.

    Now there will be a catch, as with everything in life.  Not all of Yosemite’s features will be available on every Mac released since mid-2007.  For example, my MacBook Pro won’t support the new Handoff feature in Yosemite.  That’s because my Mac lacks the Bluetooth LE 4.0 hardware.  That may chance by the time Yosemite is released this fall, but you get the idea.  The take away here is that if you want all of the bells and whistles, you had better be running on the current or previous generation of hardware.

    At some point, I’ll need to upgrade to a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, but for now, there’s no need since my Pro’s hardware is still in great shape.  The question is, will there be a cool feature in Yosemite that requires a hardware upgrade that will push me to buy a new Mac this year?  The answer is probably not, but when the next MacBook Pro or MacBook Air hardware refresh comes around, it will be time to upgrade. (3)

    Upgrade Path

    Most customers will be installing Yosemite directly over the top of Mavericks or Mountain Lion.  The software will be delivered over the Internet to your Mac via the Mac App Store.  Just download the update installer (which, can take a long while) and you’re off to the races.

    For this upgrade though, I’m thinking about doing a clean install of Mac OS X.  Since getting my MacBook Pro, every OS upgrade has been an “over the top” upgrade.  This time around, I want to do some house cleaning, so I’ll be making a backup of my Macintosh HD with Carbon Copy Cloner, and then creating a bootable DVD of the Mac OS X Yosemite installer (a USB flash drive also works), and then erasing my disk and installing Yosemite “cleanly”.

    It will be a little bit of extra work, but I think my Mac will run a little bit faster after clearing out the years of left over garbage that can build up over time.

    Conclusion

    Over all, Yosemite looks like it will be a great upgrade for both customers and OS X software developers alike.  Apple has made a lot of under the hood changes that will benefit everyone.  Customers running on the newest Apple hardware should see all of the new features, while older Macs will enjoy most of the new features, but maybe not all of them.  (Handoff and AirDrop, at the time of this writing, are still not confirmed to work on all the Macs that Yosemite can be installed on.)

    For more information on Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, check out the Apple OS X Yosemite preview website.


    Footnotes

    (1) Yes, I keep calling “OS X” by it’s old name, “Mac OS X”.  Some old habits die hard and this is no exception for me.  I really don’t care that Apple is trying to make Mac OS X sound more like iOS by dropping “Mac” or “Macintosh” from their desktop operating system’s name.  I’m a Mac guy, the computer is a Macintosh, and so it’s still Mac OS X for me.

    (2) OS X Yosemite is still in prerelease software development cycle know as “beta”, which means it’s up and running, but still has lots and lots of bugs in it.  You’re not going to install buggy beta software on your Mac’s primary partition as your everyday OS are you?  I’m not.

    (3) I just really, really don’t want to give up the 17-inch display, even if newer Retain MacBook displays have a higher resolution.

  • apple,  ios 7,  itunes,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook pro,  windows

    Apple Releases OS X, Windows, and iOS Software Updates

    Earlier today, Apple released maintenance updates for OS X 10.9 Mavericks, iTunes 11.2, Safari 7.0.3, and the iOS Podcast app.

    The OS X Mavericks update, available now from the Mac App Store, is recommended for all customers running OS X 10.9.  For Mac Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display customers using 4K displays, Apple has added improvements for the new hi-resolution monitors.

    The update also includes Safari 7.0.3, bringing with it security improvements.

    Apple also rolled out iTunes 11.2 for Mac OS X and Windows PCs.  The latest maintenance release of iTunes brings with it enhancements for finding, playing, and managing podcasts.  In addition to iTunes 11.2, Apple also updated their iOS Podcast app to version 2.1.

    iTunes 11.2 and Podcasts 2.1 are available now from the Mac App Store (Macintosh), Apple Software Update control panel (Windows PC) and the App Store (iOS).

  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone,  ipod touch,  mac,  mac os x,  mac os x server,  macbook air,  macbook pro

    Apple Continues SSL Security Fixes, OS X Patch Coming “Soon”

    Apple is continuing their push to deploy patches for their iOS and OS X operating systems to plug a hole in the way their devices handle SSL security.

    Late on Friday evening, an update appeared on my third-generation Apple TVs presumably to address the same SSL patch.  After applying the update, both of Apple TVs now show as having OS version 6.0.2 (6646.81.1) installed.

    In a statement to the Reuters news agency yesterday, Apple indicated that there would also be an updated made available for desktop and laptop computers running Mac OS X software.

    “We are aware of this issue,” said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller,  “and already have a software fix that will be released very soon.”

    The defect in the security software could allow unauthorized access to documents, email, and other personal information stored on iOS devices and Mac OS X computers.  The revelation that these publicly unscheduled software updates shows how serious the SSL software defect really is and how responsive Apple is to ensuring their customer’s safety.

    Apple’s second and third-generation Apple TVs run a version of the company’s iOS software.  As previously noted, Apple deployed over-the-air updates to iOS 7.0.6 to current model iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners, while iPhone 3GS and iPod touch fourth-generation owners received iOS 6.1.6.

    There also has been talk that these security vulnerabilities and/or weaknesses had be intentionally left in iOS and Mac OS X as a kind of “back door” for government agencies to use to snoop on American citizens.  I for one believe Apple CEO Tim Cook’s statements from earlier this year when he said that Apple has not worked with U.S. government to compromise the computer security of their customers.  I think the speed at which Apple has made these patches and rolled them out to customers confirms that.

    Apple’s latest security patch information can be found on the Apple support website.

    [Via Reuters.com…]

  • apple,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  mavericks

    Apple Release Updates for Mavericks Mail, iBooks

    Yesterday, Apple released an update for their OS X 10.9 Mavericks Mail and iBooks applications.

    The update to the Mail application is a welcomed relief to customers who use the Mail appellation with Google’s Gmail email service.  With the introduction of OS X 10.9 Mavericks on Oct. 22, customers have been reporting a number of usability bugs with the Mail application.

    iBooks received a minor update to squash a few bugs an to improve stability.

    Both updates are available in the Mac OS X App Store’s updates section.

  • apple,  ilife,  iphoto,  mac,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook pro

    Briefly Noted: Apple Releases iPhoto 9.4.3 Update

    Yesterday afternoon Apple released a minor update to their iPhoto software for Mac OS X.

    iPhoto 9.4.3 gains the ability to now delete photos directly from the My Photo Stream, export photos directly from My Photo Stream, and allows you to edit RAW photos that have been manually imported from My Photo Stream.

    In addition to the My Photo Stream enhancements, Apple also fixed a number of bugs related to Facebook photo syncing, stability improvements and fixes related to making your own books, calendars and cards.

    The iPhoto update is free to customers who purchased it from the Mac OS X App Store.  If you don’t have a current version of iPhoto, it can be purchased for $14.99.

  • apple,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  mac pro,  macbook pro

    Apple Releases Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 Update

    Earlier this week, Apple released Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3.  This maintenance upgrade is recommended for all Apple customers running Mountain Lion on their Macintosh.

    You can upgrade your Mac by clicking on the Mac App Store icon in the Dock and then clicking the Updates icon on the top right of the App Store toolbar.  If you are running the upgrade on a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, it is strongly recommended that you plug in your power adapter before starting the upgrade.

  • apple,  laptop,  macbook pro,  seagate,  upgrade

    Seagate’s Hybrid Disk Drives Are An Excellent Upgrade

    Recently I started looking around at ways to upgrade my mid-2009 MacBook Pro 17-inch to extend it’s life another 12-18 months before I have to “upgrade” to a smaller 15-inch model.  Last year I upgraded my MacBook to 8GB of RAM and this year it was time to do something about the pokey 5400-RPM stock disk drive.

    I started looking a purely solid state flash memory disk drive option and they turned out to be too expensive for anything over 400GB.  750GB and larger traditional disk drives are cheaper, but was a speed bump from 5400 to 7200-RPM really going to help get rid of the annoying spinning beach balls that we all hate to see on our Macs?
    I ended up settling on the Seagate Momentus XT 750GB 2.5-inch disk drive.  This drive met my requirements for installation into my MacBook Pro.  They are:
    • 2.5-inch form factor would fit into the stock drive bay
    • At less than $150 the price was right
    • 250GB of additional storage space
    • 1,800-RPM improvement in platter rotation speed
    • 8GB of flash storage on the drive’s controller board
    It’s that last point that gives a hybrid drive like the Momentus XT it’s edge.  The disk drive is presented to the Mac, or a Windows PC, just like a standard SATA disk drive.  But internally to the disk drive, the controller board is monitoring which data you access most frequently, and moves that data off the traditional disk platter and into the 8GB flash storage.  As your computing habits change, the Momentus drive continually reevaluates what data should be moved to the flash space to boost performance.
    Editor’s Note: Seagate has recently upgraded their line of hybrid notebook hard drives.  You can learn more about them on the Seagate website.
    Upgrading your MacBook or Windows PC will vary by manufacturer and model, but the physical upgrade to my MacBook Pro took about 20 minutes.  Apple publishes memory and hard disk upgrade guides on their support website.
    To “clone” or copy the contents of my stock Apple hard drive to my new Seagate Momentus XT drive, I used Carbon Copy Cloner, which sells for $39.95.  The round trip copy job took about 3 hours.  (Two hours to an external disk drive, and one hour from the external to the new drive.)
    Overall, I’ve noticed an significant boost in performance on my MacBook Pro.  I immediately noticed that spinning beach balls show up far less than they used to.  There has also be a significant improvement in application launch times.  Launching iTunes, iPhoto, or any of the Microsoft Office 2011 apps was a painful go-get-another-can-of-Diet-Coke-while-the-app-launches experience.  Not so after installing the Momentus XT.
    If you are looking to extend the life of your MacBook or MacBook Pro that uses a traditional spinning disk drive I strongly recommend that you consider upgrading to a hybrid disk drive. (Doubling your RAM is also recommended if your hardware will accept it.)
    The bottom line for me is that Seagate has long been a trusted brand for me, and the Momentus XT 750GB drive is no exception.  For the cost of the drive there has been a significant boost in performance that will allow me to put off having to purchase a new MacBook Pro for at least another year.