The confusion of working with files in Mountain Lion

If there's one thing the last two versions of OS X, Lion and Mountain Lion, have shown us, it's that the iOS-ification of a desktop operating system comes with a few bumps along the road. Having worked on Mountain Lion for several weeks now, it's clear that working with files is an area of confusion. Something that Apple has largely removed from the mobile computing experience is still somewhat awkward in the desktop arena. I like Mountain Lion, I do. As I did Lion. Each had their issues at the…

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Built to not last

Interesting read [http://www.subtraction.com/2012/06/19/built-to-not-last] — and follow up [http://www.subtraction.com/2012/06/20/follow-up-to-built-to-not-last] — from Khoi Vinh. I agree completely. The two concepts at play here are planned and perceived obsolescence. The former is defined as creating items that are designed to malfunction after a certain period of time, forcing the consumer to make another purchase. The second is the idea that the producer will create new models or options…

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Configuring your mail setup to use iCloud email with different sending addresses

Since Apple announced that iCloud would bring free email, calendar and contact syncing, I started counting down to when I could cut my ties with Gmail. I don’t trust Google with my data, haven’t for quite some time. I considered a few other options like Fastmail [http://www.fastmail.fm/] and Atmail [http://atmail.com/], but the simplicity that Apple offers in both cost and setup kept me waiting. When it comes to trust, Apple has earned mine, simply because I am the customer, not the commodity.…

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Beginning to end: a tale of good support

There are a few reasons I like Apple and use their products and services. A primary one is the experience: beginning to end, Apple has crafted a culture that makes for a positive interaction between them and the customer, whether it's online or in a retail store. They seem to understand that our culture offers too much choice and gives little regard for how you get to the end point (taking out your wallet). Here's a recent sequence of events in our home: * Thursday, March 17 6:30 PM — my wif…

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iTunes movie rentals - a good alternative

I've had the opportunity to rent a few movies off of the iTunes store now. For the most part, the experience is smooth and user friendly. For those who have not yet ventured into the world of online movie rentals, iTunes is a good alternative to the brick and mortar alternatives. Here is a quick list of my likes and dislikes (no apologies for the bulleted list—I loves me a good bulleted list): The good Convenience: An obvious attribute, but important enough to be mentioned here. The ability to…

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Making the most of iTunes

If you've read some of the content on my site before, you'll know how much I love the third party software available for OS X. They really enhance my enjoyment of using a Mac. But it's also important to remember how good Apple themselves are at making software. You only have to look at the operating system itself (OS X) to see that. But over the years they have produced great software applications like Keynote, Final Cut Studio or GarageBand. Or applications that came packaged with the operatin…

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Communities

As a frequent user of two of the major computing platforms of the current day - Microsoft's Windows XP and Apple's OS X (10.5) - I feel I can speak with some authority on the differences between the two. Unlike some on either side of the fence who throw out their strong opinions without any actual experience using one of these operating systems, I can say I spend a good deal of my time on both. And although I have a preference for one of these platforms over the other, I'll do my…

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