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SSD Information

Today the SSD is slowly replacing the HDD in computers. Not only is the SSD faster, it is of particular benefit in laptops, where moving and jarring a laptop won't bother an SSD but could be disastrous for a spinning HDD. If you'd like to learn more about SSDs, here and here are two excellent articles from ArsTechnica. The first article discusses the need for TRIM (a wear-leveling technique) in SSDs. The second article gives an in-depth discussion of SSDs and how they function. Both articles are for technophiles. Casual users need not read (unless, of course, you want to).

While I enjoyed both articles, I must admit my understanding of the second article left something to be desired.

Jim Hamm

PMUG membership -- is it worth it?

Do you feel like you’re getting nothing out of your PMUG membership? Are the presentations going over your head or not addressing your concerns? You’re not alone! The purpose of giving presentations at our meetings is to educate our members about possibilities. It’s like planting seeds. To actually get into details about any given topic would convert the meeting into a workshop, and workshops typically require hands-on by all students with a lot of special attention from the instructor. We prefer to scatter seeds at our meetings rather than get into digging up weeds. The meetings are then a field of possibilities, not a full service educational endeavor. We are also akin to a social club where people meet new friends and nourish old friendships.

Hence, to get anything out of the meetings, it is necessary to take notes and then go home and do research and practice. The presenter’s notes are always posted on our website and are available to all members, so it really isn’t necessary to take notes during the meeting unless you want to do your research while it is fresh in your mind.

For others like myself, we enjoy the opportunity to share what we know. If we’re not effective in teaching, it’s because we’re not trained educators. But that won’t keep us from trying.

If what you are looking for is something more like a workshop, there have been times when OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) has provided classes that are more like a workshop.

If you need personal training on any given topic, there are a few people in the area who are available to come to your home for one-on-one mentoring for a fee. And there are hundreds of short video tutorials for free online an any subject imaginable.

The real problem regarding computers is the terminology. If you don’t understand the terms, nothing will make sense. So learning computer terminology is important no matter what task you want to do. What is a Dock? What’s the difference between a browser and a search engine? What’s the difference between a Window and a Desktop and a display? How can I find what I know is on my computer? That all comes under the heading of Computer 101. So maybe we need to offer workshops or spend a little more time in our presentations just about computer terminology and how things work together.

My take on not coming to meetings is like not going out to the garden. You have no idea what will germinate if you don’t pay attention to it.

When I go to a meeting (any club that I belong to), I might go home with only one new piece of information. And for me to spend two hours listening to the same stuff over and over to get one new idea is worth it to me. Because my friends are there.

John Carter

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Avast Antivirus

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For your possible interest, here is a current review of the Avast Antivirus program. Jim Hamm has used the free version of Avast for years on both his PC and Mac. He likes it, but it does occasionally do a popup, asking you something, or possibly to upgrade to the paid version. Often enough to be noticeable, but not aggravating -- at least for him. Whether one needs to run an AV program or not, especially on a Mac, certainly has proponents both ways. For Jim, the possible added protection is desirable. Your mileage may vary.

Snow Leopard update

Mouse Problems?

Does your mouse seem like it is sticking and not responding to your hand movements? Try putting a piece of plain paper under the mouse. If the mouse now responds to your hand movements, the solution is to get a new surface for your mouse to move on. The older surface just wore down to something so smooth that there is no irregularity in the surface for the mouse to interact with. The surface that mouse is on needs to have sufficient irregularity in color, and the fibers in plain paper seem to work. Even a brown shipping envelop works. An extremely effective mouse pad is a smooth metal plate with a dense pattern of small, white dots all over a steel grey background.

Or, the surface that you’re working on has a lot of sludge on it and needs to be washed down. The bottom of most mouse devices has a soft plastic or rubber footing that wears off onto the surface below the mouse, or it catches dust and grinds it into the surface that eventually looks like black smudges on the surface. Just keeping that surface and the bottom of the mouse clean may be all that is needed.

John R Carter Sr

Apple TV Cheat Sheet

If you own an Apple TV, there are some hidden features on how to use it that aren't found in the User Guide that comes with the Apple TV, and they are not even mentioned in the online manual that Apple provides. Take Control Books has a handy one page cheat sheet that reveals all the tips. Three handy tips include 1) resetting your Apple TV (without doing a power cycle), 2) putting your Apple TV to sleep (without waiting for one hour), and 3) quickly getting back to the main menu from deep into the menu layers.

http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/resources/0157/TCoAppleTV-CheatSheet.pdf

If you want the full 197 page booklet by Take Control Books, there is a link in the cheat sheet to take you there. Don't forget to use the discount code.

John Carter

Looking to sell 5k iMac from Dec 2014 4.0GHz 27" unboxed, w AppleCare for 2 years remaining

For your possible interest, here is an offer from a member of a Forum I belong to at the Arizona Macintosh Users Group (AMUG). I don't know Jak Kevser, so any questions should be directed to him. Jim Hamm

I want to sell an unopened boxed late 2014/mid 2015 iMac 5K 27” 4.0 GHz __ 1TB SSD __ 32GB (4x8GB) OWC RAM separately and included (iMac bought w 8GB) __ fastest graphics card at the time-- AMD Radeon M295X with 4GB video RAM __ extended warrantee included (has two years left) __ new extended USB keyboard (w numeric keypad)

It is all still unboxed due to being out of town a lot this past year and other extenuating circumstances. I never got the box even opened let alone set up. (I am wanting to sell it so I can get the new 2015 version for it’s 64GB RAM capability and slightly larger color gamut)

I’d rather first entertain an offer from an AMUG person than sell on Amazon or eBay. I realize I’m taking a hit on this seemingly minor upgrade attempt, but it’s what I’d like to try to do.

This is one screaming machine, often beating the most recent Mac Pro plus a gorgeous 5K display and really fast 1TB SSD root drive.

Cheers, Jak Keyser

Info on original payments below —

Apple at list was around $4516 (w 32GB RAM) plus $383.86 sales tax for 32GBGB RAM at the time = $4,899.86 plus shipping (unknown).

I got a good discount from Adorama which saved on extended warrantee (saved $118), no taxes ($383.86) and free shipping. OWC memory saved $206 ($600 Apple - $394 OWC = $206 saved), plus you can sell the 8GB that shipped in the iMac.

DETAILS I paid $4,192.00 ( Adorama with discounts at $3,798 plus OWC 32GB RAM at $394 = $4,192) as follows — copied and pasted from invoice:

Apple 27" iMac with Retina 5K Display, 5120x2880, Intel Core i7 Quad-Core 4.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Flash Storage, AMD Radeon M295X, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite (Late 2014) 1 $3,749.00 $3,749.00Apple AppleCare 3 Year Extended Protection Plan for iMac 1 $118.00 $0.00 Apple USB Extended Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, USA 1 $49.00 $49.00 Subtotal: $3,798.00 Shipping & Handling: Free Taxes: $0.00 GRAND TOTAL: $3,798.00

I also have 32 GB of RAM from Other World Computing for: OWC1600DDR3S32S 32GB DDR3L PC12800 1600MHz Kit (8GBx4) 1 1 $394.00 EA $394.00

iMac 5K w keyboard, warrantee, plus 32GB RAM Grand grand total: $4192.00 Info on cost if purchased through Apple earlier this year Without discounts, ordered from Apple would have been approximately $3798 + $118 warrantee + $600 (for 32GB RAM) = $4516.00 + $ 383.86 sales tax (Phx @ 8.5%) if purchased through Apple $4,899.86 plus shipping

(I don’t think custom configuration had in-store pickup at the time)

Why You Should NOT Just Walk into the Apple Store to Buy Your Mac

Are you looking for a deal on a new Mac? This article at BradsDeals.com will help you look around. http://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/best-place-to-buy-a-mac-online

A few places that aren't listed are Amazon.com, Costco, and Sam's Club. Used iPhones can be purchased online at Glyde.com.

Don't forget to search for refurbished or used Macs.

John Carter

E-waste problem and solution

The headline grabbed Elaine Hardt's attention because her granddaughter, Joy Hardt started an orphanage in Ghana, Africa, in 2007--HardtHaven--so she was interested in  news about Ghana.http://www.cultofmac.com/390495/ghana-global-problem-e-waste-consequences/

At the Cult of Mac website a serious problem and a helpful solution are described, “In the West African nation’s capital of Accra, particularly the slum known as Agbogbloshie, large landfills are strewn with decades’ worth of discarded electronics. It’s one of the most concentrated e-waste sites in the world.

"Enterprising locals have created a booming second-hand market around the (questionably legal) influx of old printers, TVs, computers and whatnot. Upon landing on Ghana’s shores, these devices enter into a vibrant network of repairmen, resellers and middlemen who pass them on to locals, who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford such products."

The article goes on to say, “That’s one of the aims of Cult of Mac’s buyback program: By partnering with electronics recycling company MyPhones Unlimited, we’re making it easy (and lucrative) for you to send your old electronics to a service that will refurbish and return the gadgets to the market or properly dispose of them if that’s not possible.” P.S. Joy is an R.N. and has now completed her contract in the Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone. At the first of the year she plans on going back home to Spokane where Elaine's son and daughter-in-law live.

Google Drive

If you'd like to try 15 GB of free 'Cloud' storage, you might take a look at Google Drive. Here is a guide that will be helpful.  Personally, I have not used Google Drive yet, but plan to look into it. I do use and appreciate the convenience of Dropbox, which I use a lot. Maybe, for me, Google Drive could be a backup to Dropbox. For any 'Cloud' storage there's always the potential risk the vendor will change their mind and drop the service, or the contents hacked. I never store any sensitive data in the 'Cloud', and keep a full backup of my computer's storage drive to an external drive. A belt and suspender is what I prefer.

Jim Hamm

Hoopla

I was aware that one could download eBooks from the library, but wasn't aware of an app titled "Hoopla". Perhaps you were. Here is a notice I just received from the Scottsdale Library about the streaming of books, movies, music and comics from their library using the program "Hoopla". I read some of the reviews on using the app for an iPad or iPhone, and the reviews were mixed. Here is the Hoopla website. Sent to you FYI, and in case you might want to try it at your library. I plan to do a bit more research on Hoopla myself. The idea, as one thought, of streaming a movie from the library right to my iPad has a certain appeal to it.  Just a thought for consideration.

Jim Hamm

John Carter added:

Hoopla does not seem to have the Prescott public library in its domain. All the libraries it lists are for the Phoenix area. Searching for Prescott returns nothing. So unless one signs up for one of the Phoenix area libraries, I don’t think it is possible to use Hoople up here.

Flash RIP

Perhaps one day we will be rid of Adobe Flash. Read more here. Ironically, the short video on the website doing the announcing is using -- you guessed it -- Flash. It's about time to see the demise of Flash. Hackers love Flash as it is easy to get into for malware. Wonder what Pandora (the music site that requires Flash) is going to do about that? I listen to Pandora frequently.

Jim Hamm

Apple P2P Mobile Payment

Here is an interesting article speculating (rumor) that Apple might be considering getting into the P2P (Peer to Peer) mobile payment service. Of course, Apple has the program "Apple Pay" presently, which links payment to your credit card. This P2P payment system would presumably link payments to your debit card which debits your bank account directly. I'm not a fan of anyone, or business, having direct access to our bank account via a debit. I like the idea of a middlemen -- like a bank -- where my exposure is limited to $50 for fraudulent use. I would need a lot more understanding about this mobile payment service from Apple, if it should come to fruition, before using it.

Nonetheless, technology changes and progresses, and it will be interesting to see if this concept does, in fact, materialize.

Jim Hamm