The Pink Mac

The Pink Mac

Diary of a Mac Chick 08/02/09.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
It has been nearly two months since I purchased my new Aluminum 13″ Macbook Pro, and yet I am still in possession of my white Macbook. In fact, I am typing this post on my old Macbook. I don’t know why, but for some reason I do not want to part from this computer. I have had it over 3 years now, it was my first Mac, and I suppose some sort of sentimental attachment keeps me coming back to it. It still runs Tiger, I never upgraded it to Leopard, although I have upgraded things like the hard drive and the memory, but the lack of modernity doesn’t bother me one bit. The white of the hand rest is still white (thanks to the Magic Eraser), the chiclet keys still retain their old bounce; nothing about this computer really seems old or outdated to me. The same things that drew me to the computer years ago still seem to have the power to mesmerize me today.
I thought buying a new Mac would be like buying a new car; you’ll remember all the good times but then you remember the break downs and cold starts that forced you to buy newer and you get over it pretty quickly. I have been completely obsessed with my new aluminum Macbook, it’s not like I don’t use it- I sleep with it in bed with me- but I still keep this old white one around and use it from time to time. Actually, I have sublet this mac to a family member who uses it every once and a while for their minimal computing needs, but I still retain ownership of it and the computer stays in my room to prevent a loss.
Everyone thinks I should sell the white Macbook, turn a profit on it, since I did spend a good amount on my new Macbook Pro, but I can’t bring myself to list it on eBay. I have had a few family members offer to buy it from me, but for some reason that seems worse. To me, that would be like giving a child up for adoption to the family across the street. The pain of seeing it everyday would make you regret your decision to give it up in the first place. To me, I would rather it be out of sight, out of mind, but I am not ready for that step yet. No, for now I will just hold onto it. It is still in perfect working condition, and since I preformed the erase and restore on it, the computer seems faster, unweighted down by a hard drive full of files.
So, I was just wondering, does anyone out there reading this have a similar story, or maybe some tips on how I can get over my fear of loosing this white Macbook long enough to sell it and make some money off it? I would appreciate any advice.
The Pink Mac

Time is Money, or Rather Time is Less Money.

In traditional Apple fashion, yesterday Time Capsule received a quiet speck bump and price drop. The new high end model, a 2TB wireless storage system is now $499, and the lesser 1TB model is $299. If I have figured my math correctly, that means I have a 57% higher chance of purchasing the 1TB model for myself, after all, it would make such a nice addition to my new set up!
Solutions The Pink Mac

A Good Idea.

A few months ago, my house was broken into at 2 in the morning when the garage door was accidentally left open. The thief was only in the house for about 10 minutes while we slept upstairs, unaware of what was going on downstairs, until an odd noise woke someone in the house and when they went downstairs to see what was the matter, the thief ran out of the house. They only had enough time to grab a few things, but they ended up taking an HP laptop and an iPod as well as a purse and a container full of change. When I think about that night, I always go back to the question of why we felt safe enough to just leave the laptop sitting out on a table. Had we tucked it away in a desk drawer or someplace of out sight, it most likely wouldn’t have been seen, and therefore wouldn’t have been taken. Since then (although the stolen gadgets weren’t my own) I have learned my lesson and I keep my own tech gadgets hidden away when not in use. I think, however, accessory manufacturers need to come up with some good solutions beyond the traditional heavy wire Kensington locks that are just not practical for everyone.

There was one accessory I found though, that did a good job of being functional and I thought I would share my thoughts with you. The Belkin Laptop Hideaway seems like a great little hiding spot for a laptop. It appears to be nothing but a simple magazine and book holder that a family would keep next to a desk or sofa, but it actually has enough room for a laptop, books and accessories as well. What I like about the design is that it does not draw attention to itself, it seems like a common enough addition to a family room that could hide your tech goodies from strangers who are unfamiliar with your home and no one would think to bother with it. Of course, this hideaway isn’t a sure bet to prevent your laptop from being stolen, but I think it is a good start for a family who can easily tuck their computers away out of sight when not in use. Perhaps this accessory would be a good solution for you, perhaps not, but I just wanted to put it out there that I think people need to do something to protect their gadgets because you never know when you could have a bad situation of your own and loose valuable electronics.
The Pink Mac

Diary of a Mac Chick 07/30/09.

iPhone SDK

I recently decided that I wanted to learn how to create iPhone (or rather, ipod touch) applications myself. For some reason I have been very interested in software development and I though that being a mac user I would go ahead and download the iPhone SDK and give application development a try. Of course, as of right now, I know minimal about what to do or how to start. I have begun a few first timer projects, but haven’t been able to complete them successfully yet. I went on Amazon and bought a book on iPhone application development, and hopefully once that arrives I will have a better understanding of what the heck I am trying to do! I am not sure yet, what exactly I hope to achieve from this little hobby I have undertaken, but for now I just want to successfully create a basic application that I can use and perhaps distribute myself. Nothing amazing, mind you, just possibly an application that runs an RSS feed of my blog or something simple that is at least applicable to my general life. I know right now after poking around the iPhone SDK it seems impossible that I would ever be able to create anything useful, but I know I am a smart cookie and if I have the right information at hand, I should be able to come up with something. Wish me luck… I am gonna need it!
Solutions The Pink Mac

Designing the Perfect Deskscape.

For the past few days I have been working on creating a desktop image that would help me to enter a creative mindset whenever I used my mac. Since I am a sucker for interior design and I love images of desk setups, I decided to create my own fantasy Deskscape filled with elements of my design taste as well as some of my favorite things. The image includes a white tulip table desk, hanging lotus lamp, inspiration board with some of my favorite images, a monthly calendar, my Macbook Pro and an ipod touch. I think this Deskscape is a successful example of my personal style and design influences, and I am very pleased with the affect it is having on me already. I love the idea that my desktop image is a desktop set up itself, so that wherever I take my mac, so goes my fantasy desk top.
I have the full Deskscape image available for download on my Flickr, here. Enjoy and I would love to hear your feedback! I will be making a video on this Deskscape so keep an eye out for that as well!
Solutions tech The Pink Mac

Edit Image Colors with Photoshop or Gimp.

So this is a short how to video on how to quickly and easily change colors of images, icons or pictures by using photo editing software like Photoshop or Gimp. I use this quick trick to change the color of images I use for my desktop, but it can come in handy for a variety of projects.
The Pink Mac

Some Great News.

You know, sometimes dreams really do come true! MacLife reported yesterday that the iPhone will not remain exclusive to AT&T, as reported by the company’s CEO, Randall Stephenson. “There will be a day when you are not exclusive with the iPhone,” he told CNET, so now the question remains of when a change will actually occur. For me, this is expected but great news. I think we all knew that AT&T would not be able to hold onto an exclusive iPhone contract forever, but I am now beginning to worry if Verizon (the carrier I use) will actually ever see the iPhone. I know that Verizon’s lack of a sim card system could possibly be a problem, but hopefully that won’t keep the iPhone away. Apple would be smart to branch out into another carrier like Verizon since it represents another large chunk of the cell phone using population in the U.S. At the end of the day, although the iPhone saw many people switch to AT&T for the popular device, many were still bound by contracts they didn’t want to buy out and expanding carriers would certainly increase iPhone sales.

For me, the fact that the iPhone was not a Verizon device really held me back from switching. I am lucky enough to get away with needing only the smallest talk plan Verizon has because all my friends and family use Verizon as well. So the switch to AT&T would have meant I would have needed an unlimited iPhone talk plan (yes, I talk on the phone a lot) which would cost me $150 a month. Right now, with a discount I get at work I pay $45 for my monthly phone service. The iPhone would triple my phone bill, and that is an expense I am not sure if I can sustain for a two year contract. At least if the iPhone came to Verizon, I would be able to keep my minimal amount of monthly minutes, relying on IN Calling to keep my bill at bay. I project that if this were to occur I would be paying $75 a month with a plan that works better for me! So, please Apple, expand your horizons and see other carriers, like, ahem Verizon!
{Images via Apple}
The Pink Mac

Macs of a Feather.

Gadget case manufacturer Incipio has just released a hard shell case for the new Macbook Pro line called Feather. Made of ultra light but durable polymer materials, this hard shell boasts a light weight design in a matte finish with your choice of 7 colors (although, only 6 are published on the site). With a model made for the new 13″ Macbook Pro’s, Incipio seems to be the second major hard shell manufacturer to produce a new case specifically for the 13″ Pro, begging the question “where is Incase?” I would really like to know what Incase has up it sleeve if it has taken the popular case provider over a month and a half to come up with… nothing! I mean, all they had to do was cut a few new ports into their existing shell designs, nothing major. Well, for now, we can all focus our attention on Incipio and their newest creation. I have never used one of their hard shells before, and I hope I get a chance to test one out!