I need a better browser for my Mac. I use a MacBook Pro 17". For the past year, I've been using Safari as my default browser. I like it swell except that it crashes all the frickin' time. I've installed SAFT, which allows me to restore my browsing sessions, but still -- it's a pain. Last weekend, I moved over to Firefox in the hopes that things would be improved. That's not going to work. What's with the delays for nearly every action? Ugh. (No extensions installed.) I don't yet have Leopard, but am willing to upgrade if Safari 3 offers a marked improvement in performance. What can I do to improve my web browsing experience? (Session restore is a must. Undo closed tabs is nice.) [more inside]
posted on Nov 1, 2007 - 66 answers

I recently purchased a 23" Apple Cinema Display for use with my 12" Powerbook G4. It's great. It's a boon to productivity. However, sometimes when I plug or unplug all of the monitor cords to my laptop, the system becomes unresponsive. This is Immensely Frustrating. The laptop's screen goes black and does not respond. (The keyboard still works — I can get the Caps Lock light to turn on and off.) Why does it do this? What am I doing wrong. What's the correct way to be moving to and from this display? The manual is no help, nor is Apple's web site (surprise, surprise). [more inside]
posted on Nov 18, 2006 - 23 answers

My computer is driving me insane. Please help. My 1.8gz Macintosh g5 has developed several annoying quirks, the cumulative effect of which is to make browsing the internet an exercise in frustration. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Here are the three things that I believe, individually and/or in combination, are causing the slow-downs. I have no idea how to fix any of them: [more inside]
posted on Mar 22, 2006 - 31 answers

Inspired by this question and a whim, I'm considering dance games as a possible path to improved fitness. I have a modern Macintosh, but no PC and no game consoles. Though I can't find any commercial dance games for the Mac, I have found StepMania. Based on this info, what is my best option? Should I buy a console, a dance game, and dance pad? Can somebody recommend a good Mac-compatible dance pad? Are there other inexpensive solutions? This really sounds like a fun way to exercise, but I don't know where to start.
posted on Jan 25, 2006 - 14 answers

A question for a friend: How can one improve the display resolution on an iMac beyond the options in the System Preferences? (My friend is a writer, and she needs the on-screen fonts to be sharp and clear and easy on the eyes.) [more inside]
posted on Jan 5, 2006 - 12 answers

How can I prevent iPhoto from auto-launching when I plug in a card reader? When I plug in a card reader, iPhoto assumes that it is being summoned and auto-magically launches itself. I don't want this to happen. I don't want iPhoto to ever launch without my permission, which I might grant once a year or so. Yet, every day I have to cope with it launching multiple times as I attempt to transfer photos to my hard drive. It is a minor annoyance, true, but it is an annoyance. My question, then, is how can I make iPhoto stop doing this? I've searched its settings high-and-low, but to no avail. I've searched the System Preferences high-and-low, but to no avail. There must be something I'm missing.
posted on Nov 22, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm using BBEdit to type a long weblog entry. I'm deep in the process of writing, so I don't save for a long time (so no lectures). Finally, when I'm nearly done, I save. I get the spinning beachball of death. I sense trouble, so I try to close other open applications via the dock. No go. The first app I try to close hangs the rest of the system. It's been five minutes now and the spinning beachball of death keeps spinning, but nothing else is happening. I can move the cursor, but mouseclicks do nothing. I have a feeling that the computer will stay like this until I power down or until you, my dear fellow mefites, help me to recover my precious writing. [more inside]
posted on Sep 11, 2005 - 19 answers

Having recently finished Getting Things Done (and after following 43 Folders for some time), I'm inspired to organize my life. I've gathered supplies and plan to organize my physical life this weekend. My on-line life (based on a Mac) needs help, though. How do you stay organized on your Mac? Do you use iCal? (It still seems so buggy to me.) What e-mail program do you use? Is Microsoft's Entourage all that? I know about Quicksilver, but can you recommend other little apps to keep my digital life organized and worry free? (Tips on physical GTD organization are welcome, too.)
posted on May 20, 2005 - 26 answers

I am a Macintosh user who has just acquired a Nikon D70 digital SLR. Most of my photography experience is with film-based equipment; I have no experience maintaining a collection of digital photos. The software bundled with the camera seems questionable, and iPhoto drives me nuts. What do other amateur (or professional) photographers use to manage their photographs? Will iPhoto do the job? What habits should I develop? What software should I use? Any tips or tricks to help ease me into the world of digital photography?
posted on Mar 14, 2005 - 28 answers