Apple’s recently introduced mid-2009 MacBook Pros sure do look nice! I am definitely tempted to trade up my late-2007 model, leveraging the excellent resale value that Mac hardware commands. But two of Apple’s trick features for 2009 are already present on my old workhorse: An integrated SD card slot and up to 7 hours of [...]
Panic! Green Light and MacBook Pro Keyboard is Half Dead!
December 2, 2008 By 5 Comments
A brief moment of panic today: I open up my MacBook Pro and can’t log in. The left half of the keyboard doesn’t seem to work, and there’s an odd green light on under the function keys. Turns out, it’s just Num Lock, which I’ve never used. Thanks, Apple, for making an entirely inscrutable Num [...]
How I Get 7 Hours of MacBook Pro Battery Life
October 28, 2008 By 11 Comments
Shortly before landing in San Francisco the other day, the MacBook Pro-using guy in the seat next to me leaned over and asked, “how did you manage to use your Mac all the way across the country? Is that some special battery you have?” For a minute, I was tempted to make something up, as [...]
SanDisk ExpressCard Flash Media Adapter: Nifty MacBook Pro Accessory!
October 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment
The SanDisk ExpressCard flash media adapter converts a notebook’s ExpressCard slot into a versatile flash media adapter, takes most versions of SD and Memory Stick, and works in both OS X and Windows without a hiccup or even a driver install
Switch Day 1: This Mac is Hot!
June 14, 2008 By 3 Comments
So the Mac has joined my replacement work Dell – two new computers in two days! Here are my first thoughts on the hardware: This post is part of my series focused on switching from PC to Mac. How To Buy Discount Apple Computers Got Some AppleCare For Cheap Switch! or How the Mac (Finally) [...]
Not Good: My MacBook Pro’s nVidia 8600M Video Failed
December 5, 2009 By 3 Comments
The nVidia 8600M GT graphics chip in my late-2007 (Merom/Santa Rosa) MacBook Pro has failed. Apple has promised to repair affected machines for three years regardless of warranty status, but that doesn’t make it any easier to live with. Let’s hope everything goes smoothly and my trusty notebook is back in action quickly! I’ll be updating this post with the status of my nVidia repair adventure.
Switch! or How the Mac (Finally) Won Me Over
June 12, 2008 By 14 Comments
It’s official, I am a switcher. A splitter. An ex-Windows user (at home, at least). Today I bought my first Mac since the SE that still haunts our basement storage room in its cute gray carrying bag. Come Friday, I will be an official Mac user! How did it come to this? It’s not really [...]
