[SwitcherX]

osxprivacy.com

fix-macosx.com

[Palomine]

Yup, that's a nice-looking keyboard. Will wait until I can get it on clearance though since I am an avowed cheapster

Just came across this collection of hints and tips for newbie Mac owners:

reddit: "Apple Tips"

The Apple keyboard that gonZo linked to http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB110LL/B/apple-keyboard-with-numeric-keypad-english-usa?fnode=56 is nice in that the upper half of the case/body is actually made of aluminum and not plastic, so it has a bit of weight (more than you'd expect given how thin it is) and feels good in hand. However, though I know it's stylish, I for one am NOT that fond of the totally flat surface (the body/keycaps aren't 'contoured' to make the fingertip reach to the upper rows easier) OR of the very modest keyswitch travel (I'm assuming they use laptop-style keyswitches, if not an actual laptop mechanism).

Don't get me wrong: it's a good looking keyboard... a very good looking keyboard in fact, and more than adequate for regular use... and I do know people who type a lot who use and love it, but IMO, it's not really that well-suited for serious typists/typing. Or maybe I'm just a curmudgeon who insists on mechanical keyswitches and more travel. A brief skim online shows there are heavy typists who both love it and hate it, but then again you can pretty much find the same polarized viewpoints for any keyboard, even the vaunted IBM Model M. Some tout the slim, low-profile design and gentle inputs of the Apple A1243 (and its smaller sibling without the nav/num keypad) as promoting a more relaxed and natural hand position, reducing fatigue. In the end, it's whatever feels good to the user of course.

I don't begrudge you your thrift Zook.... though $49. seems a pretty fair price given the aluminum, the design and (of course) the Apple logo, I'm sure you can get it via eBay for less... from folks who barely used theirs before replacing it with a different keyboard... the way you can find little/lightly-used OEM/factory alloy wheels from folks who promptly modified their cars with aftermarket wheels.

I hadn't planned on getting rid of mine, but as mentioned I do have one of those Apple model A1243 keyboards that I don't use much (I'm down to only one working Mac in the house now, and it's a laptop and doesn't need an external keyboard) and I'd be happy to trade it for used but usable example of any of the following keyboards:

IBM Model M
IBM AT keyboard (I don't know the model number offhand, but you know the one I mean: like the Model M but bigger)
Any reasonable reproduction of the Model M such as some of those made by Unicomp (or possibly Lexmark or MaxiSwitch).
Any lesser-known but interesting mechanical keyboard that I can get to work, especially if it's got buckling-spring keyswitches. I'm a fan of weird.

Interface not vital: USB preferred of course, but I can use it with PS2 or even the big old DIN connectors from the 1980s. Of course, I'll be happy to make up any value difference with other gear (your should see my stash ) or $ if necessary.

Just putting it out there.

Apropos of not much, the attached graphic is a nice little cutaway diagram of a buckling spring keyswitch. Now I'm off to assemble a whole room-full of steel shelving so as to better organize some of my accumulated bits and pieces.

[TheZookie007]

Yeah, I need a Model M too. Those keyboards they used for the IBM PS/2 -- greatest ever! Nice and tactile and springy.

[gonZo]

The Apple USB keyboard we're discussing has chiclet-style keys that travel down about 3/32" when struck. Although the aluminum frame is a modest wedge to elevate the key-rows farthest from you, the key surfaces are all parallel to the wedge, so the key-rows aren't "stepped"; the top surfaces of all of the keys are on the same (slightly tilted) plane.

[TheZookie007]

Anyone know of any free alternatives to SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner?

[SwitcherX]

I'm in a rush

http://alternativeto.net/software/clonezilla/?platform=mac


http://alternativeto.net/software/chronosync/?platform=mac

[TheZookie007]

It turns out that there actually is a free version of Carbon Copy Cloner (version 3.4.7, available here). I think version 3.5.7 is also free, if you can find it (it may be here). The most recent version of CCC (version 4) is $39.99, with a 30-day free trial.

ChronoSync isn't free; although it does have a 30-day free trial, it costs $40.

[TheZookie007]

Update, five years later:

2. Getting one of them keyboard covers; will it leave imprints on my screen when I close the lid, and if so, how can I prevent that from happening?

I got a Moshi keyboard cover for every MacBook Pro I own. Paired with one of these, I have no fear of any imprints on my screen.

[tdotter]

 

[gonZo]

PHONE RINGS

ME: Hello?

HER: Hello sir, I'm calling from Computer Services because our systems tell us there are several problems with your computer.

ME: You can tell all that from wherever you are?

HER: Yes sir.

ME: Wow. Can you please tell me what operating system I'm running?

HER: What?

ME: If you know there are problems with my computer, then you must know what operating system I'm running. It should be near the top of your screen. Just tell me which operating system I'm running.

HER: (silence)

ME: Would you like to take a guess?

HER: (silence)

ME: How about two guesses?

HER: (click)

[TheZookie007]

Least-competent scammer ever

[TheZookie007]

If you don't want to shell out the money for software like Carbon Copy Cloner, it is possible to clone your Mac OS X bootable drive onto an 2.5-inch drive via an external case, using just the built-in Disk Utility software. This video shows how:

[TheZookie007]

Oops, forgot to add the link to the video

Miss Penny Worth: "Copy Your Hard Drive to an SSD with StarTech Docking Station on an Apple Computer / Macbook"

[TheZookie007]

If you were stupid enough to install macOS High Sierra on your machine as soon as it came out, sucks to be you right now. Now, sure, they've come out with a patch for this huge security hole, but this is just one more example of how far OS X has fallen.

I have to ask along with this tech vlogger: "Why Does macOS High Sierra Suck?"

[andrat2000]

If you were stupid enough to install macOS High Sierra on your machine as soon as it came out, sucks to be you right now. Now, sure, they've come out with a patch for this huge security hole, but this is just one more example of how far OS X has fallen.

I have to ask along with this tech vlogger: "Why Does macOS High Sierra Suck?"

Just set a password for root, like every good Linux Admin does, or when buying a preconfigured SAN device ....