I have a late 2008 MBP, 8GB RAM, with an SSD, running Lion without problems. Should I upgrade to Mountain Lion right now? Have the battery life and other issues been resolved? I'd like to upgrade because I've finally encountered a program that requires Mountain Lion and I'd like to use it.
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posted by michaelh
on Mar 18, 2013 -
6 answers
A few minutes ago, my macbook pro (OSX 10.6.8) played what I think was the Skype incoming call chime. I didn't think Skype was running, and as I was Cmd-Tabbing through applications to see if I'd accidentally left Skype turned on, the webcam light briefly flashed. Skype wasn't running, but I double-checked by starting Activity Monitor, and didn't see any processes with Skype in the name.
I'm not totally sure it was the skype chime, because I don't use skype often. I do have google chat running in gmail with video chat enabled, but there were no visible notifications in the gmail window. I suppose it could've been a deceptive flash ad in a browser tab, but it's the webcam light that creeps me out. Any ideas what might have happened? Should I find a malware scanner? Is that even a thing? The last ask.metafilter match for "osx malware" is almost 2 years old.
posted by moonmilk
on Mar 14, 2013 -
4 answers
MPB late 2011, Thunderbolt native running 10.8.2 will not light up Thunderbolt display I bought today at the Apple Store.
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posted by digitalprimate
on Feb 24, 2013 -
7 answers
I have a Mac with OSX Mountain Lion. My university uses Oracle Calendar 9.0.4. In the past, I have set up syncing to my iCloud calendar using my iPad with SyncML pro, so I know I can do this, in principle. What I'd like to do is find a way of syncing to my iCloud calendar
without an iOS device - preferably an OSX application. Why is this so hard to figure out how to do?
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posted by Philosopher Dirtbike
on Feb 18, 2013 -
4 answers
I'm desperately trying to become an adult (finally!), but I can't wrap my head around 'classic' budgeting software. Suggestions and tips to find what I really need?
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posted by hanov3r
on Feb 14, 2013 -
28 answers
OS X has spaces. I can assign programmes to different spaces. What I can't have (it seems) is one of those spaces/second desktops show up on the external monitor, it is always an extension of the desktop I am using. So I get a double-wide desktop A (Mac + monitor), then swipe across and get a double wide desktop B (Mac + Monitor) when I go to a different Space. I want A on my Macbook and B on my monitor.
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posted by Brockles
on Jan 24, 2013 -
4 answers
I have an iMac desktop running OS X 10.6.8 and a newly acquired MacBook Air running 10.8.2 and I want to make them be as friendly with one another as possible. Can you hope me?
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posted by broadway bill
on Jan 17, 2013 -
6 answers
Why is Time Machine trying to backup 35 GB of data every single day when I'm only using 300 GB of my 500 GB HD and I know I have not changed or added that much in the time since my last backup?
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posted by pwb503
on Nov 29, 2012 -
12 answers
I can't make Spore run on my Macbook Pro. My 9 year old is nonplussed. Please help...he's getting pouty....
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posted by digitalprimate
on Nov 20, 2012 -
12 answers
Development on OSX. I lots of kiddie-pool programming experience, but I'm starting to do learn web dev and working with frameworks is leading to a lot of confusion regarding paths, dependencies, permissions, and file structure. What's a good resource that lays out the "how & why"?
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posted by victory_laser
on Nov 14, 2012 -
10 answers
I've got an old Mac font suitcase (OS 9) containing fonts I'd like to use on my OS X (10.7) Mac. I'm not sure what format they're in but copying the file over to my new Mac results in a 0-byte file. I think I have to convert them to TTF on my OS 9 iMac, but not sure what to do it with. Any suggestions? Free would be great, since I don't plan on doing this again, but cheap would be okay.
posted by tommasz
on Nov 4, 2012 -
2 answers
I am using an iMac with Mountain Lion as my desktop, and an iPhone 4S with iOS6 as my cell phone. I use OSX's and iOS's native apps for email, contacts, and calendar, which are provided by Google Apps.
What I need is a GTD (to do) application for the Mac, which a) has an iOS version, and b) supports syncing to iCal or Google Calendar.
I currently own Omnifocus, but as of Mountain Lion, it no longer supports iCal sync. I want to be able to sync deadlines and tasks to my calendar, this really is a pretty basic feature that seems to be missing from a lot of GTD applications.
Wunderlist doesn't support this. I've looked at Things, but it doesn't seem to support it either.
Any recommendations?
posted by Unhyper
on Nov 3, 2012 -
4 answers
I have a early 2008 Macbook Pro that has just now come down with the
dying logic board problem. I bought it outside the 4-year period (so no free replacement) and have a new MBP anyways, so how can I get rid of it such that maximize my return value?
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posted by RyanAdams
on Oct 27, 2012 -
7 answers
OSX comes with Apache and MySQL pre-installed. Why does MAMP exist? Is there any reason to prefer it to the native installations?
posted by ook
on Oct 22, 2012 -
6 answers
After the OSX 10.8.2 update several days ago, my laptop freezes on wake from hibernate (at least, it only does it when it has been asleep for a while). I posted on the Apple support forums
here, but no one has responded. There are excerpts from my system log there.
Things I've tried: fixing permissions, SMC reset, turning off my gmail calendar updates (I saw a lot of errors in the log having to do with that) but no luck. Any ideas?
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike
on Sep 23, 2012 -
7 answers
I need a recommendation for a wireless gamepad for my late 2008 iMac running Mountain Lion; OR advice/troubleshooting on how to get a PS3 wireless Sixaxis working.
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posted by curious nu
on Aug 18, 2012 -
8 answers
Mountain Lion iCloud question: I know iCloud stores files locally on my Mac, somewhere. Generally I use two document editors — iA Writer, which syncs to iCloud, and Notational Velocity, which doesn't. Can I set Notational Velocity to save its notes in iA's iCloud folder, so that it automatically syncs to iCloud and I can use iA's mobile apps to edit my notes on the fly?
posted by Rory Marinich
on Jul 31, 2012 -
6 answers
Some tech blogger - probably one with a Mac focus - wrote a post about leaving TextMate for a different text editor, in the style of someone addressing a person with whom they were ending a romantic relationship. Can you help me find it?
posted by Egg Shen
on Jul 27, 2012 -
4 answers
What is the best way for me to restore my Macbook Air to full functionality, given that the it won't boot due to a corrupted file?
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posted by Philosopher Dirtbike
on Jul 24, 2012 -
5 answers
My 2009 Macbook Pro has grown a little too much hair and is in need of a trim and some general cleaning. Could you tell me if my proposed scenario sounds reasonable or is it overkill?
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posted by Rewind
on Jul 17, 2012 -
12 answers
I have an early 2011 Macbook Pro. I am installing a 64GB SSD (for OSX Lion and applications) and and then repurposing my stock HDD as my drive for my Home folder (documents, etc) using an OWC Data Doubler (installed in my optical drive spot). I have a bootable SuperDuper backup and many Time Machine Backups (on external drives). Once everything is installed, how can I transfer everything from backups to their new locations without losing all my preferences, bookmarks, etc.
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posted by 4ster
on Jun 19, 2012 -
3 answers
I need to go through text files, each containing hundreds of lines, and copy a specific part of each line, and then add all those parts together into one long line, each part separated by a comma. But how?
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posted by Unhyper
on May 9, 2012 -
13 answers
Looking for a decent flatbed scanner compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) under $100. Will be scanning mostly photos but some documents and drawings as well. Available at Amazon preferably.
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posted by 6550
on May 7, 2012 -
10 answers
Is there a reliable way to determine exactly on what date I first installed a copy of Mac OS X?
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posted by melorama
on Mar 27, 2012 -
3 answers
Mac question: how can I convert a 3ga audio file to mp3 or other friendly format?
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posted by treepour
on Mar 9, 2012 -
6 answers
Is there an app, combo of apps or app/email combo where I can send a calendar event from my mac to my wife's iPhone - and then the event is added to a calendar app on her iPhone?
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posted by lalochezia
on Feb 24, 2012 -
10 answers
I have a late 2010 Macbook Pro (MacbookPro6,3) running Lion (10.7.3) and an iMac of indeterminate vintage (iMac11,3) running Snow Leopard (10.6.8). I have a Thunderbolt cable. Neither mac supports Thunderbolt; both have MiniDisplayPort connectors. I want to run the iMac in Target Display Mode as a second display for the MacBook Pro. Can I make this happen?
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posted by Alterscape
on Feb 21, 2012 -
6 answers
Staff member's MacBook (four years old or so, probably running osx 10.4 to 10.6, I'm not sure on this) has a dead screen. I have a back-up machine for them, and want to migrate them to the new machine... The old computer boots,
I can JUST barely see the screen enough to log in, but after that, can't see enough to do anything. I can attach an external monitor (I've tried two different monitors, the result is the same), it boots to the initial starry background, and although I can log onto the computer as noted above, the external monitor never changes from that background. No windows, no menu bar, no dock, just that background and the cursor arrow.
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posted by HuronBob
on Feb 18, 2012 -
7 answers
Why does my Mac Pro (desktop) get half the the wireless Internet speed of my MacBook Air, on the same network?
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posted by mark7570
on Jan 27, 2012 -
13 answers
PDFs on Firefox for Mac: No matter what hacks I try, it seems that I cannot get the
PDF Plugin for Firefox on Mac OS X to work with either Firefox 9 or Firefox 10 beta. I feel like I must be doing something wrong because evidently other folks have gotten it to work. Would be grateful if anyone could walk me through the best way to get this extension working again.
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posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell
on Jan 16, 2012 -
4 answers
Boxee is leaving the PC platform (Mac / Linux / OSX) after the current release (which drops a bunch of features). What should I migrate to?
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posted by jenkinsEar
on Dec 27, 2011 -
7 answers
Need specific mac buying advice: I marinated my 2008 MacBook in coffee this morning and will likely need to replace it after work today or tomorrow.
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posted by midmarch snowman
on Nov 30, 2011 -
19 answers
Can anyone who has one tell me how much disk space OSX Lion plus Developer Tools leaves free on a 128Gb SSD MacBook Air? I'm no longer sure I ever had any google-fu (or else the spam answer sites are strong on this one...) - thanks in advance!
posted by cromagnon
on Nov 7, 2011 -
6 answers
Following a power shortage, Mail has "forgotten" everything, and greets me with the Welcome to Mail set-up assisting prompt.
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posted by progosk
on Oct 13, 2011 -
9 answers
What's the best strategy to do a clean install of Mac OS X and then restore ONLY iTunes/iPhoto libraries, and ensure iOS devices still sync properly?
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posted by kidbritish
on Oct 10, 2011 -
3 answers
What is the easiest, most affordable way to mac system troubleshooting and maintenance on another Mac over the internet?
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posted by konig
on Oct 4, 2011 -
5 answers
I'm having trouble getting my Macbook to reliably communicate with, well, anything else on my network, and not having a spare router or laptop is not helping the troubleshooting process.
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posted by Tomorrowful
on Sep 20, 2011 -
11 answers
What's a good program for making simple animations synced to music on OS X (10.6.8)?
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posted by No-sword
on Sep 20, 2011 -
10 answers
OSX 10.6.8 on MBP doesn't seem to be playing well with Motorola SurfBoard SBG901.
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posted by cmoj
on Sep 15, 2011 -
4 answers
