Everything Apple (the Mac heads thread)

That just isn't going to work Ed.

Griffin Elevator - Computer Laptop Stand: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

laptop stand that elevates the mac a few inches - good for your neck + cheap insurance if you spill on the table

• a keyboard
  Hmm - i like the idea of not bending my neck and the cooling this kind of stand would enable but then I can't type in bed with it or with my arms resting on my desk unless I got another keyboard.
  

my apple ipod classic has died today
+5400 songs - 42GB music :((

I lost 10,000+ off an iPod just before summer last year. You get that horrible feeling in your chest when you think you've lost your keys as you check again and again for signs of life.. How dead is it? I could plug mine in and view the songs as meaningless file names, then went through each one and got the song again.

any chance someone out there can help me? i cant find a list of explanations of icons after half an hour of google trawling and i'm fucked off. i have a first generation mac mini, had the hard drive replaced a couple of years ago and os x put on at the shop. used daily until about a year ago when i buy a little net book for work so now pretty much its my dvd player about once a month. anyway, i just turn it on and i get an icon ive never seen before. its a small folder shaped icon and inside alternating is a question mark and the mac smiley face, flashing up one then the other. i found my os x install disc and put it in, shut it off then restarted holding down c but lt did nothing. any ideas? im gettting that angry feeling in my chest.

like this? http://images.brighthub.com/0c/d/0cd201239dca74979a147995c2b449ceaa2da940_large.jpg

yep like that just that the question mark flashes alternately with the mac smiley face. and i think the tab of the folder is on the other side at the top. doubt thats important though...?

I think it's pretty bad... HD failure... think it means it can't find a boot volume... I may be wrong though... I wouldn't stake my life on that.

Possible solution might be to start the computer in single user mode. (I am only getting this from wesbites)
From http://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/apple/mac-os-x/threads/7694
Or

• Restart the computer. You may need to perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer.
  
• Immediately after the startup tone, press and hold both the Command (Apple) and "s" keys on your keyboard. The computer will displays a series of text messages, at which time you may release these keys. When startup is complete, the computer will display a command line prompt (#).The computer is now in single-user mode.
  
  

How to Use fsck From the Command Line

Once you have reached a command line, follow these steps to use fsck:

• Type the following at the # prompt: fsck -y
  
• Press Return.The fsck utility will go through five "phases" and then return information about the disk's utilization and fragmentation. If fsck alters, repairs, or fixes anything, it will display the message:
  
  

***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****

Important: If this message appears, repeat the "fsck -y" command until this message no longer appears. It is normal for your computer to require several "passes" of fsck, because first-pass repairs may uncover additional errors.

• When fsck reports that no problems were found, type the following command at the # prompt: reboot
  
• Press Return.
  
  

The computer should start up normally and allow you to log in.

Or http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1892

nice one for that. somehow whilst force ejecting the disc it booted up. prior to that i couldnt do single user mode so i did afterwards. ran the bizniss and it told me everything was ok. weird. now its doing everything normal, rebooted a bunch of times but cant seem to reset the pram as i was told by someone else. ah well, at least i can watch a movie tonight. sweet as.

cheers forum, someone always comes through in the end. much obliged.

So...

13" Macbook Air, or the 13" Macbook Pro? Was originally really tempted by the Air but I'm moving to Senegal and may not be working in European-standard conditions (i.e. no wifi, may need a CD drive etc) and whilst this can be covered with peripherals for the Air, seems to make sense to have all that stuff in one place. But the screen on the Air is much higher resolution...

I'm not a 'power-user' but will be using Aperture, bit of Photoshop etc

Would appreciate any experiences or thoughts!

it's great for anything that doesn't require a network cable, cd or high performance. for normal work it's great, and the difference in portability makes quite a difference.

When you need any of these though, it's useless. Our office wifi dropped out the other day, leaving 2 pm's without email

^ Yeah that's what I'm concerned about! Having to carry all the peripherals (ethernet adapter - which is only 10/100) and CD drive etc. I think it might just be too 'high-end' for where I'm headed! If only the MBP had a higher-res screen though!

i have the 13mbp, i think it's perfect. portable enough whilst having screen enough for day to day usage and the odd stint of work

^ Thanks a lot for the input! I am definitely veering towards the MBP, and will prob spend the money I save (compared to the MBA) on upgrading RAM and a monitor for anything that requires more pixels.

MBP.
Sounds like it would be crazy bring to reply on peripherals... and then there is HD space, obv a lot bigger on the MBP and you won't need internet to do recovery if god forbid something goes tits up.

Ok, so sorting out a second HD in my 2011 Macmini... anyone have and ideas where to get the HDD flex cable from? Not having any luck finding any on UK Ebay..

looking for some torrent software...any reccomendations?

Transmission is better than utorrent, IMHO...

The good lady's 13mbp touchpad seems stuck down. This started after
Installing updates. Coincidence or a known problem? Any tips would be great.
Still under warranty so I,m not going to attack it with a screwdriver. Would like
to visit mac shop with a little knowledge (a dangerous thing, I know)...

Work colleague of mine is looking for a secondhand apple laptop, needs to be in good working order.
Preferably 13" macbook but open to whats available.
Any sellers around?

sorry to chip in but I have a 2010 mac book pro and the disk drive has packed up. Any advice would be helpful

Have had this problem @ work, Cheapest fix is one of these:

Work iMac just died. Shut down and won't turn on.
Holding the power button, you can hear the disc drive turn over once, then nothing.

Any suggestions?

Lick the screen clean.

Have you checked it's plugged into an electrical socket?