Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with macbook and computers

Suddenly erratic touchpad on MacBook Pro

Navelgazer — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:00:32 -0800

My MacBook's touchpad went wrong this morning. Everything I do is suddenly like fighting with a ghost. Mac forums are useless. No problems (of this nature) with the machine before, had it since January of 2012. Running Lion. As of this morning, the touchpad acts extraordinarily erratic. moving my cursor, the pad seemingly cannot tell whether I am using one, two or three fingers, leading to unintentional swiping and pulling up the dashboard, etc. But it does this when nothing is touching it or nearby as well.

This problem comes and goes, so for a few minutes at a time things seem fine, and then become completely unusable. I have cleaned the touchpad, reset the PRAN, done everything the forums say to do, and while some of it might seem to solve the problem for, like, literally one minute, it keeps coming back.

Time and finances are tight, so unless I absolutely have to take it to the store I'm not going to. FWIW, I'm in DC, and it's pretty damn hot and humid here, but this has never happened before.

Thanks!

Which MacBook model is right for me (your typical suburban middle-aged dude)?

AgentRocket — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:19:02 -0800

Should I (a regular old computer user) get the Retina MacBook Pro? Or will the regular old MBP be sufficiently futureproof? My family has a four year old iMac that we are ready to replace, and we are going to get a MacBook Pro. We use the computer for average everyday type stuff, like Office applications, internet browsing, Quicken, etc. Our media editing/storage is through iPhoto and iMovie. We stream movies and music from iTunes to our Apple TV. Pretty basic stuff - no Photoshop, or hardcore gaming, or true video editing (outside of a piano recital or two).

We are deciding between the Retina model and the regular model. I don't like to unnecessarily spend money but assume that the budget is not important. In favor of the Retina model: (a) I want this computer to last me at least four years if possible, so the more advanced the better, (b) I am already going to drop over $2K on the thing so what's another few hundred bucks, (c) it is more lightweight I think the HD is more reliable, and (d) all reviews say that it is really really great. In favor of not: (a) the new MBP is sufficiently sophisticated that it should get me through four years no trouble, (b) the Retina display is supposedly gorgeous but I don't do enough high-resolution stuff on the computer to justify the premium, (c) an optical drive is a nice thing to have, particularly for ripping the kids' DVDs for easy travel/streaming, and (d) a few hundred bucks is a lot of money.

Some part of me feels like I'd be stupid to buy anything but the most advanced option if I am not coming back for several years. But some other part of me feels like I'd be stupid to buy the Retina (and give up the DVD drive) if the only real benefit is that it looks prettier. Your advice is much appreciated.

Pushing on the "Pull" door.

madred — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:51:03 -0800

Ugh. The "list view" in Finder (Macbook OS X Lion 10.7.2) is no longer showing the collapsible triangle to the left. It only shows a triangle to the right, which isn't collapsible/expandable. What gives? I'm sure there is an easy solution to this, but I'll be damned if I can find it! I want to see all the sub folders in multiple top level folders at the same time. I've been able to access this view before, but no matter what I check or uncheck, I can't get it back. My Google skills are sharp, but I can't seem to find an answer. Am I just the gifted kid pushing on a door labeled "pull" here or what?

Windows to the soul, or time for something new and Airy?

DoubleLune — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:10:34 -0800

Should I get a MacBook Air or stick with Windows? I may be getting a new laptop for school and I want to get the best, most portable one... but I have never had a Mac. What should I get? My 4-year-old laptop is adequate, but on the slow side and not remotely portable (it's a 17" widescreen HP). I may be getting a new laptop ASAP for the new semester. I will be walking/biking/public transporting 1-2 miles each way, 4 days a week at a minimum and want to have a laptop I can take with me to class for notes and recording lectures. I want something fast and capable. I am an English major (creative writing), so I want something I can take with me and work on my stories in a comfy chair at a cafe. I also want something powerful. I want to be able to play Minecraft and TF2 (my current laptop can barely handle MC, and can't keep up with TF2 or Portal, for ex.). I want to be able to stream TV shows without skips (again, my current laptop isn't so hot at this anymore, though it was HP's Entertainment PC).

From what I've heard about the MacBook Air, it's the best for the size and weight. But I am so completely unfamiliar with and scared of the unfamiliar OS. The last time I used a Mac was in 2001 -- and it was so user-unfriendly! I am so familiar and used to Windows... I don't want to end up with something I hate, have trouble navigating, don't know what to do to speed up, etc.

Also I am concerned about the screen size -- I really like my 17". Has anyone gone from big to little and made the transition OK?

If I get the Air, which version should I get (I saw 4 on Apple's site and oh-so-confusing).

Picking between two Macs - epitome of first world problems.

hepta — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:21:20 -0800

Do I want an May 2010 MacBook Pro or a new MacBook Air? I'm the luckiest! My mother and her partner, for Christmas, have given me two options. One is ownership of his "old" MacBook Pro which as far as I can tell is: 15' display, 500gig hard drive, immaculately cared for. Not using Lion, but that's easy to update if I want to. The other is a new MacBook Air (or any $1200ish Mac laptop).

I am currently using a 4.5 year old MacBook, that overheats, has a cracked rim, but is generally too faithful to die completely so I have been putting off getting a new one.

I am a grad student. I write, fairly regularly. I use the internet, quite a bit. I stream tv and music (netflix, 8tracks), use iTunes, torrent music. I keep my photos on my computer, Skype, and play a lot of Freecell. I have no idea which laptop would be better for me!! Would one be a more student-y computer? Is one far superior to the other?

Also, any tips on how to prepare to transfer my whole life to a new computer (itunes?) appreciated. I realize how lucky I am for such a nice Christmas present, I just want to make the most logical choice here :)

Help me minimize the hassles of getti g a new computer

JoannaC — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:50:09 -0800

I think my MacBook has died. Help me minimize the cost/trauma/hassle of replacing it! My 2.5 year old MacBook seemed to be doigg okay- a little sluggish sometimes, but absent a ram upgrade, not too bad on the specs. I was ready to go another year, and then tonight it just died on me.

It froze. I tried restarting it and got the greybscreen with the folder and blinking question mark. Googles the problem, tried everything. It would not boot in safe mode and when input in an install disk, it began making ominous bleeping noises and did not seem to recognize a hard drive to install on. Disk utility only read the boot disk in the cd drive and when in tried to reinstall the system, there was no hard drive listed to put it onto.

So I have a few questions.

1) Most of my files, iTunes music etc. Are backed up to Drop Box. Can I just install drop box onto the new machine, tell iTunes where the library is and it'll be business as usual on the new machine? I don't have a ton of music, but I would hate to have to redo all the metadada.

2) Any hope of getting a few not backed up yet files off then old machine? It is not a huge deal if no because there is not that much stuff as I use drop box a lot, but it would be nice to have a poke around one last time and just make sure.

3) Last time I bought a slightly nicer than bottom level MacBook I hopes ofngetting another year or two out of it. That clearly did notmwork. Mostly all I do is store media and ebooks, manage my iPod, so e light word processing. I am not a powernuser. Any advantage to a middle-end model or will a low end one probably suffice?

4) What about my iPad and iPod Touch? Indon't want iTunes to erase them the firsts time I plug in, and I would love to be able to log I to iTunes and have it bulk download all my apps for me so I don't have to go through and find them one by one. Options?

Basically, I have a mall gift card and get an education discount so I am prepared (although not happy) to buy a new one. I just want my ebook reader, iPad and files to work as they did before and it would be nice to go into the old machine for one last file rescue.

hook me up.

violetk — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:13:55 -0800

what is a fair price for a used macbook pro? say you want to sell your used (about a couple of years old) 17" macbook pro to a good friend of yours. you own a design studio and have a few lying around that aren't being used anymore and your friend desperately needs a new computer but can't afford a brand new one. in fact, your friend can barely afford a used one now but in order to do work, your friend needs a new computer.

what would be a fair price to charge, or fair-to-generous with the friend discount?

Just Buy It for Her Already!

Danf — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:02:03 -0800

Should I go ahead and buy my wife a MacBook Air? We want to get rid of our old desktop (after I finish this year's taxes on it) and I want to replace it with a laptop for my wife (we currently also have an aluminum MacBook).

For better or worse, I want to have an all-Mac house, and since my wife only uses a computer for writing, emailing, and surfing, I figure that she would not miss the superdrive, and would like the lightness of the Air. She loves the illuminated keyboard on the MacBook as well, and that is another reason I would be going with the Air.

I would get a refurb one from Apple and get AppleCare.

For a "light" user, is there a downside to this plan? Also how to distinguish between "generations."

How do I remove a recalcitrant HD from a Macbook?

mandrake — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:51:41 -0800

macbook hard drive problem OK, so here's the deal: a while ago I had to replace the keyboard and topcase on my macbook (due to some faulty keys). I found some tutorial on youtube and put the new one in without too much trouble. the battery also needed replacing (the thing's about 2.5 years old now).

Anyway, for a few weeks it worked perfectly until one day it abruptly turned itself off. I tried to restart, and would hear the hd start to spin briefly and see the screen flicker, and the sleep light would stay on constantly. I looked on forums and tried all the usual stuff like zapping PRAM and whatnot but nothing worked.

Then I tried opening it up again and checking the ram wasn't loose. Fine. Then I tried the hard drive. Here's the tricky part: you know how there's a kind of ribbon you can use to pull the hd out? I mean like this:

I then realised I had no way out getting my new upgraded hd out (tweezers didn't work). I gave it a bit of a jiggle though, and then tried my computer again. It got all the way up to the apple screen before crashing! Then back to square one.

The most success I've had is by putting a folded up bit of cardboard under the hd (that is, looking at the laptop upside down). It booted and was running for about 15 minutes. I was so taken aback I didn't really do anything. Then I thought, to be sure, I should give it a little shake just to make sure it was really fixed. I went over the top and it turned off again. Now the hd doesn't even start to spin and the sleep light just flickers when I turn it on. Grrr.

So I think it must be to do with a dodgy hd connection, but how to I get the damn thing out short of taking the whole thing apart again?

How can I tell if someone is trying to hop onto my wireless signal?

invisible ink — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:46:16 -0800

I have a MacBook Pro running OS 10.6.1, and an Airport Extreme Base Station. Is there a user-friendly way to see if someone is trying to use my internet connection or hack into my network? I live in a large apartment building, and am curious to see if anyone has tried to hop onto my wireless signal. Thanks in advance:-)

Learning about firewalls and general computing

dicetumbler — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:09:46 -0800

I allowed perl access past my firewall (Am I even saying that right?). Should I be worried? And how do I learn more about the subject so I'm not so clueless in the future? I got a popup message on my Macbook about allowing perl access past my firewall (I think). I was downloading and installing Gnucash through Macports at the time, and I figured, must have something to do with the perl program that fetches finance quotes and prices, and I clicked "Allow." Immediately after I wondered if I'd made a mistake, and so I went to the firewall log and saw this:

Jan 8 00:27:40 ***** Firewall[39]: perl is listening from 0.0.0.0:62703 uid = 0 proto=6

(Computer name ***ed out.) I shouldn't be worried, should I?

And now that I'm on the subject, I feel like I need to know more about the basics of computer technology. I get the suspicion that to many people, my above question must sound like one of those questions you come across on lists of ridiculous tech support questions, like where the "any key" is or whether the program "Linux" is supported on XP.

I know perl is a program that people use (usually for network communications? right? right?) and that the 0.0.0.0 ip address probably tells someone who knows better that I have nothing to worry about. (Uh ... right?)

I'm not totally computer-illiterate, and I'm not particularly timid when it comes to messing around (for better or for worse). I've run Ubuntu in the past, and I spent a few days getting wireless to work with my old USB wirless adaptor using ndiswrapper, to give you some background. But ask me what a "driver" is and I couldn't really tell you the details, beyond the fact the fact that you need it to make hardware work. Same with "firewall," "ip address," "perl," "ssh," and so forth.

Like they say, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life. I want to learn more about the fundamentals of networking security and computing in general. But how do I go about it? Where do I even start? The superficial approach has got me so far, and at the same time I'm assuming that learning assembly language won't really help me here.

You have been disconnected.

synecdoche — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:17:09 -0800

We're having some problems with our wireless network, and I can't figure out what the problem is. We're using a D-Link DI-524 Router, with the most up-to-date firmware, and are both running Macbooks, both with up-to-date versions of OSX.5. One of these (mine) was also having trouble with another router (an Inexq), too, but I don't want to go back to that anyway as it has little in the way of security.

On the D-Link, we have WPA2 security enabled on the router, SSID is being broadcast. Currently the channel is set to Auto Select, but I've also tried selecting one manually, as far away from all the other channels I can pick up with iStumbler as I can, and the problem persists. I've also tried setting the router to Mix Mode and to G-only. No difference.

The basic problem is that the connection gets cut quite frequently. Usually, the little Airport monitor won't register any disconnection; it still says full-strength. However, no websites are accessible, and accessing the router's configuration utility through the web browser (ie by going to the router's IP address) doesn't do much either. At this point, the connection can usually be restored by turning Airport off and turning it back on again. However, a few minutes later, another disconnection.

There doesn't seem to be, that I've noticed, any specific factor that is influencing when the disconnections occur. It happens running on battery and when the laptops are plugged in.

I'm starting to think that maybe I need to just get a new router, but before I do, I want to make sure I've tried everything.

(I've seen this and this, but nothing seems to help, and they are for an older version of OSX anyway.

Could the fact that iTunes skipping be a sign that I need a new hard drive?

phr4gmonk3y — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:22:50 -0800

I just got my Macbook back from the Apple Store today after they replaced the logic board on the unit. I've noticed that every song I play in iTunes seems to skip. Finding this odd, I opened up the Activity Monitor and looked at disk usage. It seems like whenever a read to the disk is made, iTunes seems to begin skipping. Furthermore, I have the same problem after trying to play mp3's via mpg123. I'm worried that the skipping could be a sign my hard drive might be failing. I recently installed a brand new 250 GB hard drive from Newegg about a month and a half ago, so I'm somewhat skeptical. Is it a reasonable concern?

Macbook Pro must be exhausted from lack of sleep

jk252b — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:20:53 -0800

How to make my Macbook Pro sleep? I am have a ~6 month old Macbook Pro that I use constantly. I'm very afraid of it wearing out before I finish my grad school program in a year. That being the case, I would really like my hard disk to go to sleep when I walk away for more than 10 minutes, especially when running on battery power. Currently I have the display set to sleep after 1 minute, the computer to sleep after 3 minutes, and the disk to sleep after 5. The reason I have it set so low is because it doesn't work. I can leave my computer unplugged and idle for an hour, but when I come back it responds instantly (none of that disk noise it should make when it's restoring itself to it's pre-sleep state). Furthermore, I have it set to ask for a password when I wakes from sleep, but it never asks after these long periods of time when I should've been asleep.

There are a number of programs I have constantly running in the background, and I assume one of these is constantly writing to the hard drive so that it can't be inactive for the necessary amount of time. The non-system background programs include:
* Quicksilver
* Missing Sync (Monitor, Crash Reporter, and Listener)
* Google Updater
* Google Notifier
* Slim Battery Monitor
* Spanning Sync
I also recently intalled Little Snitch as well as a second monitor, but this was an issue before either of those.

Also I am usually constantly connected to my school's server through OpenAFS and Kerberos Agent.

So how do I figure out what is preventing my computer from sleeping, and make it stop??

Folding@Home and nowhere else

mccarty.tim — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:39:04 -0800

I want to run Folding@Home on my MacBook Pro, but I want it to only fold while plugged in. Is there a way I can do this? I like to run Folding@Home on my MacBook Pro, version 6.10 beta 2. I remember when I ran F@H on my old PC, it had an option in the console version to stop the program when the computer was running on battery power. Presumably, it would start it back up when the computer was plugged back in. My old PC was a desktop, so I never really knew how well that option worked. Now, on my Mac, I want to conserve battery power when I'm on the go, but I'd like to run F@H when I'm at my desk. I can't find any option to do this in the pref pane or on F@H's site. Is there any script or program I could do to automate this? Also, could I possibly have F@H stop at a certain time of night so that I can sleep without having to hear my fans running full blast (Sometimes, I keep my laptop on to download stuff at night, but that's a fairly quiet procedure.).

Thanks for your help, guys. I really want to contribute to F@H and I feel like I'm always wasting my dual core processor in Mac mode. And if I should be running a different version, let me know and I'll change it.

Macbook External Speaker Buzz

benji — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:58:32 -0800

Why do my speakers randomly begin to hum/buzz? I have a MacBook Pro 15" 2.15 Dual Core 2. I plug in, via 3.5mm cord in the headphone port, a JBL Creature 2.0 set of speakers.

Every so often a barely audible hum/buzz (lowish frequency), begins to increase in volume. It starts off really quiet, and gets pretty loud.

The weird thing is, when I hit the volume button to make it louder or softer, the sound completely stops. It seems as if any output of noise through the speakers stops the buzz. For example, if I play a song in itunes for a second and then pause it, the hum is gone.

Please help me! What is causing this and how do I prevent it? It is really weird.

MacBooks and Windows, still duking it out!

ijoyner — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:02:43 -0800

MacBook running XP has major "SYSTEM" issues. Why? I work in corporate environment and we have a few MacBooks. A particular MacBook that was purchased less than a year ago that has Boot Camp with Windows XP loaded onto it is having severe issues.
It has the standard Windows, Office, anti-virus stuff that all the other macbooks have, however this laptop will log into windows and then consume itself on the "SYSTEM" process. The fans will start kicking up to full bore and the "SYSTEM" process with user "SYSTEM" will consume 25% and up of the processor steadily, without retreat. I have reinstalled both from driveimage xml disk images and freshly installed windows on the system numerous times, so it is not an issue with the windows install instance.
The last time I experienced the issue, I changed what port the computer was connecting to back at the switch and it seemed to fix the issue.

The problem came back up today and now it does not matter if it is plugged into the network or not, it will go crazy crunching numbers for nothing! Firefox will not open up, the system will not shut down and turn itself off when you choose 'shut down' from windows.
I'm going to run an Avast BartCD virus scan on it in the morning, but want some ideas of what could be causing it. None of the other MacBooks have this issue and this one is really pushing my last nerve. Any ideas?

Combination laser pointer + presentation mouse?

NucleophilicAttack — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:28:26 -0800

Can anyone recommend a wireless presentation clicker/mouse + laser pointer for Mac OS X? Would need decent range (say, 30 feet), and be able to control (at minimum) PowerPoint and KeyNote.

The device will be paired with a MacBook Pro.

Switch. And Switch back, you know, whenever you damn well please.

Tikirific — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:17:17 -0800

This may be slightly premature, but would it possible to install Windows onto one of the new Macintel platforms and so have an OS X/XP dualbooting machine? I realize the computers in question aren't exactly released to the public yet, but if anyone is familiar with the hardware inside (and hence are aware of Windows' ability to drive those components) I would really like to know whether it's possible. It being Intel architecture, I would assume that it's at least feasible, but since Apple is preventing OS X to be used on generic PC systems by way of a hardware security block, I was wondering if anyone had heard of a similar restriction on running other OSes on a Apple box (or, whether the use of proprietary components inside an Apple would prevent this anyway).