My old (10+ years) Apple PowerBook G4 won't shut down properly. When I click the apple icon and then click 'shut down' and 'shut down now' (or rather their Dutch-language equivalents), it will remove all icons and other elements from the desktop except the desktop background, and it will darken the background, but it won't shut down. Eventually the screen goes black, but something (a fan?) keeps audibly running. It won't start up in this state. If I unplug it, wait until every activity has died down and the computer doesn't make any sound anymore, plug it back in and wait until the battery has fully loaded again, it will start up as usual.
[more inside]
posted by rjs
on Jun 16, 2013 -
9 answers
I wrote a polite email to an App seller advising him I would be posting a 1-star review of his app on Apple's App Store. He replied,
"Electronic postings of defamation, libel and slander are now well covered under English and European law. My litigation solicitors are [redacted] of London, who have looked after my interests for over twenty years now, nor have ever lost me a case, from individuals to a nation-state. Put up any post and it'll cost you several thousand pounds for each day it stays up; I do hope I make clear..." Can he do this, can I reliably protect myself, and has he violated any Terms and Conditions as a seller on the App Store? Specific reference to English and European Law and Apple App Store Terms and Conditions would be very helpful. Thank you.
posted by falcon
on Jun 4, 2013 -
22 answers
Reinstalled Snow Leopard but ejected my external drive before this. Then, when done, plugged back in via USB as my usual custom....and Time Machine still shows up, but the External Seagate drive does not. I made sure that in Finder/Preferences that the external disc box as others was checked. I tried a different cord, and different port. I opened up Disc Utility and the External HD's partioned Time Machine is available but the other part, now renamed something else (a default name from manufacturer?) is greyed out and I cannot touch it.
Any thoughts? Should i now go to the boot disc of Snow Leopard? Not sure why TM shows but the rest does not.
posted by chicaboom
on Mar 31, 2013 -
11 answers
Need some iPhone games that are as engrossing as Civilization, SimCity, and Age of Empires. (Yes, I already have Civilization Revolution and SimCity DLX.)
[more inside]
posted by Afroblanco
on Mar 28, 2013 -
19 answers
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.
[more inside]
posted by michaelh
on Mar 18, 2013 -
6 answers
I've retired my old Windows laptop and sprung for a new Mac Pro Retina with a 13.3 screen. It is gorgeous and fast. But my experience with Apple is limited to using an Itouch and Ipad 2. Is there a great detailed Pro Retina for Dummies guide, or especially great website for navigating what this machine can do? And what apps or tricks or tips would be especially helpful to install or learn as I explore this machine? Many thanks, all you Mac users.
posted by bearwife
on Mar 12, 2013 -
9 answers
MPB late 2011, Thunderbolt native running 10.8.2 will not light up Thunderbolt display I bought today at the Apple Store.
[more inside]
posted by digitalprimate
on Feb 24, 2013 -
7 answers
So, I've made the fatal mistake of performing several upgrades at once, and I could do with some advice on where to go now... is my problem with charging time and battery life my new SSDs, my new OS, or something else entirely? Generic snowflake details to follow:
[more inside]
posted by running order squabble fest
on Feb 24, 2013 -
7 answers
I was having trouble with my iMac computer lagging and one of the things I did was restart in Safe mode (holding down shift). It now seems to be ok. I also have mediocre vision so have resolution at 1280 x 800 as my usual preference. The Issue: since the safe boot, Chrome pages go to a white screen after a few seconds on most sites such as Facebook and Amazon among others. I see old posts on Google but no real fixes. I looked at many google help links like
this among others. Has anybody else had this problem? (Chrome does this when I change the view back to a more usual setting like 1344 x 840, for example. Any thoughts?
posted by chicaboom
on Feb 23, 2013 -
3 answers
Where can I find a good, clear explanation of the functions of iTunes and its offshoots (the App Store, Music, Podcasts, iTunesU, etc.) and how to use them correctly?
[more inside]
posted by not.so.hip
on Feb 19, 2013 -
2 answers
I have an older MacBook I use when travelling (four or five times a year), and then the odd occasion when I am away from my office desktop. The battery on the MacBook died a few months ago, and I am guessing partially because I haven't been using it frequently enough. I am hesitant to replace the battery, figuring the same thing will happen again, is that right? Is there a downside to not having a working battery on the computer itself? And lastly, is there a problem with leaving the dead battery in the computer?
posted by nanook
on Feb 15, 2013 -
7 answers
Time for a new (to me) laptop! I know this isn't that complicated, but I hate computer shopping. Please give me your wise advice on what to get and where to get it.
[more inside]
posted by aka burlap
on Feb 11, 2013 -
16 answers
I'm in the final stages of my PhD and writing up my dissertation. The prospect of losing my analysis and written work is petrifying. Can iCloud be used to save documents like an external hard drive?
[more inside]
posted by DorothySmith
on Jan 29, 2013 -
20 answers
Macbook Pro, running 10.6.8 seems to render any USB flash drive unreadable, be it new or used.
[more inside]
posted by tim_in_oz
on Jan 14, 2013 -
8 answers
My old PC laptop runs perfectly as do any tablets on my apt public wi-fi. The iMac computer (Snow Leopard), slows to a halt and won't get to pages after a few times. I have done several things such as reset PRAM, gone to /Library/Preferences and moved all the files in the System Configuration folder to the Trash, and restarted Mac...The second bit helped for a week and now it is doing it again, no matter what browser. MacKeeper says the computer is alright, and airport utility just tells me I am connected to the internet. (I've done the reconnecting and assistant and diagnostics but nada...) I cannot figure this out and I have scoured the net. If somebody was downloading a ton on it, I would at least understand but any other devices work fine. My husband wants throw it out the window. Any ideas?
posted by chicaboom
on Jan 4, 2013 -
18 answers
I just got a friend's ancient Mac with a copy of HyperCard 2.4 on it, and I've gone through the tutorial but I can't figure out how to actually make stacks and write scripts. Anyone know where I can find the HyperCard reference manual or a good tutorial? (I'd prefer the manual.)
posted by glass origami robot
on Dec 30, 2012 -
6 answers
Where is a good place to repair a broken mute switch on the iPhone 4 in Springfield, MO?
[more inside]
posted by rmttws
on Dec 28, 2012 -
3 answers
iPhone 4S users: have you updated to the latest iOS6.whatever in the last couple of weeks? Did it go without a hitch? Or have you experienced problems that would make you advise me not to update?
[more inside]
posted by tel3path
on Dec 18, 2012 -
19 answers
I am writing some documentation for an app that runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. I need a consistant way to refer to these devices and am looking for something better than "iPhone/iPod/iPad". For example:
"Hold your iPhone/iPod/iPad's camera so that the QR code is centered in the brackets."
I've come up with either
"... iPhone/iPod/iPad (referred to as iPhone from here on)"
or
"IOS device"
Anyone have a better idea?
posted by cosmac
on Dec 16, 2012 -
12 answers
Need advice on how to update an older MacBook Pro with a new hard drive. I have a late-2008 MacBook Pro: 2.53 GHz, 320GB hard drive, 8GM RAM (4GB in two slots). My drive is getting full and I don't have the cash at the moment for a brand new laptop. Should I replace the optical drive with a SSD? Or just upgrade the regular hard drive with a new one with 750GB or 1TB?
[more inside]
posted by barnone
on Nov 23, 2012 -
15 answers
I can't make Spore run on my Macbook Pro. My 9 year old is nonplussed. Please help...he's getting pouty....
[more inside]
posted by digitalprimate
on Nov 20, 2012 -
12 answers
Apparently, I didn't keep the answers to my iTunes security authorization questions. I think I can guess my answers with a few more tries, but I might get locked out before I get there.
Will the wrong answer count reset back to zero after a wait time? Meaning, can I try again tomorrow, or will I still get locked out?
[more inside]
posted by p3t3
on Oct 17, 2012 -
4 answers
I have an iPhone 4. It is not jail broken or anything and I have no plans to do so. Is the upgrade to ios6 worth it? I understand that applemaps is pretty awful, and I'm not sure if the rest of ios6 is worth the loss of google maps. If you have ios6, what else does it do?
[more inside]
posted by Weeping_angel
on Oct 4, 2012 -
21 answers
How many AA batteries would it take to run a 3rd-gen iPad for one hour?
posted by Egg Shen
on Sep 5, 2012 -
7 answers
So Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Let's assume this is final, and ignores appeal, etc. How would this actually happen? I can't see it being a big check delivered on stage. Bank transfer? Scheduled payments over the course of XX years? (Freightcars loaded with pennies delivered in spite?)
posted by turbogeezer
on Aug 28, 2012 -
15 answers
GTD Question for Apple users: Is anyone using the baked in notes and reminders apps successfully for their GTD workflow? I've used a lot of third party apps, but with Mountain Lion it now seems worthwhile to use the apps Apple syncs automatically. Thoughts? Links? Suggestions? Thanks.
posted by letstrythis
on Aug 10, 2012 -
4 answers
Can I play Bioshock on my Macbook Air? Will it be a pleasant experience? Will I have problems with overheating or with a less-than-ideal interface?
[more inside]
posted by OrangeDisk
on Aug 9, 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
Now I've signed up to iTunes Match, the only thing my iPhone and iPad sync with iTunes for is apps. Is there any point in me continuing to do this? Or can this be turned off and the apps deleted? What are the downsides if I do this?
[more inside]
posted by Richard Holden
on Jul 17, 2012 -
8 answers
What is the source of this half-remembered myth/folk-tale about an apple which grew when stamped on?
[more inside]
posted by unSane
on Jul 3, 2012 -
3 answers
I'n seriously thinking of upgrading my 7-yr old Sony Vaio Notebook for the new MacBook Pro with retina display. Unless you think it's a really bad idea? Details of my computer usage and a question or three within.
[more inside]
posted by Kronur
on Jun 29, 2012 -
22 answers
With her black MacBook on its last legs, my sister is going to be getting a new 13" MacBook Air soon. The stock 256GB model includes a 1.8GHz Intel Dual-Core Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz processor and 4GB of (1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM) memory. The build-to-order options are a 2.0GHz Intel Dual-Core Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz and 8GB of RAM for $90 each (Education Store prices). Knowing that processor and memory upgrades aren't possible later on, would either of these options make a big difference in performance? She uses it mostly for Office documents, some CS5 work, streaming video, web browsing and music and is hoping to keep it as her main computer for at least 4 years. Thanks for any input.
posted by jroybal
on Jun 18, 2012 -
15 answers
I want to buy a new Macbook Pro as soon as they come out. Today I saw some reference online to "advance booking." What is this and how do I do it? I feel like I'm missing some secret that everyone else is in on...
[more inside]
posted by ootandaboot
on May 28, 2012 -
6 answers
I've got a Canon 5D, an iPhone, and an iPad. What's a good on-the-go solution for uploading photos while bike touring?
[more inside]
posted by mathowie
on May 22, 2012 -
10 answers
How can I access a perfectly functioning Macbook hard-drive in an otherwise not perfectly functioning computer?
[more inside]
posted by taltalim
on Feb 16, 2012 -
22 answers
Help me find a reason to exchange my iPhone 4s at the Apple Store.
I've got an iPhone 4s for Verizon and I love it. Last month it started making a vibration or rattle in the receiver earpiece. It is noticed when on a phone call and the other person is speaking. It's a pretty annoying vibration.
[more inside]
posted by Jackie_Treehorn
on Feb 14, 2012 -
17 answers
In what order should I make my Apple purchases? Any advantages or disadvantages to buying an iPad now and waiting on an iPhone 4s till July? Should I swap the order?
[more inside]
posted by SNWidget
on Dec 21, 2011 -
18 answers
