Everything Apple (the Mac heads thread)

ipad 3

meh

Fancy screen. WANT. Because I really only have my iPad to show clients my photos.

Is it bad for a laptop to be left on in your bag? I've always done this before but someone was giving me an earful about laptops being in a bumpy bag being bad for the hard drive.

^ would've be the case before, but nowadays hdd's have a lock mode that locks the 'tone arm' (correct term?) so it can't scratch the disks

Just bought a Thunderbolt display on eBay for (relative) peanuts... Let's see how this pans out...

Apparently this is arriving tomorrow, if it does I will be amazed... The listing looked too good to be true but all the seller's feedback is top notch...

Could be worth a punt in the future, 20% off brand new Apple stuff... Watch this space...

^ would've be the case before, but nowadays hdd's have a lock mode that locks the 'tone arm' (correct term?) so it can't scratch the disks

Good stuff.

Good stuff.

its the overheating you need to worry about.. ;)

^ would've be the case before, but nowadays hdd's have a lock mode that locks the 'tone arm' (correct term?) so it can't scratch the disks

As a computer scientist, I can tell you that this is rubbish.

If you had a SSD, then fair enough.

But the distance between the reading head and the magnetic layer on the platter is so small, and the arm so thin, that even if the arm is secured against movement, a knock can very easily wipe out your hard drive.

If your computer doesn't have a SSD: Show caution, always.

You may be right, but it's not what I wanted to hear...

That gap between the reading head and the magnetic layer on the platter is about 0.06mm according to my old MSc notes.

There's no way you're able to prevent it destroying the disk if you knock it sufficiently enough.

Unless it's fully powered down, you really don't want to knock it.

Buy a SSD and gloat at the virtual indestructibility of your machine :)

Not that I'm knocking (har har) SSDs (early adopter meself) but surely, like a tone arm lock, couldn't a "traditional" HDD's reading head be "made safe" by rotating it away from the platter, negating vertical movement? And if this isn't possible, why can my Lacie 2.5" HDD enclosure repeatedly take a fall of over a metre without issues?

I carried my old pre-unibody MBP around in a satchel on sleep mode for years, and never had a HDD failure.

I suspect, a bit like bitrot on SSD's, it's evidenced only on paper, and affects very few, if any, people IRL.

I threw out 2 old HDDs this week. They had financial stuff on at some point so I took it upon myself to 'disable' the platters with various tools after opening them up. Those platters are very very tough but the head itself so delicate.

If the computer is on (the scenario given), then something is probably still reading and writing from disk.

If you've ever watched a low-level disk monitor program you'll see that you not doing anything, and no programs running, does not mean that nothing is happening to the disk.

No lock will be enabled when the disk is in use. The platters will still be spinning, the head still moving around. If you knock it, at even 5,000rpm (cheapest, slowest disk) the head can score a groove in the entire magnetic layer on the platter.

It is possible to lock the arm away when not in use (powered down), and then it's a hell of a lot more durable. But that wasn't the scenario given. If it's on, a HDD is in danger.

Anecdotes are great, but they don't protect you from data loss or cost. I don't have a laptop horror story, but I have seen many people with them. My only HDD data losses have all been power supply related (sags and surges in power), but laptops (because of batteries) tend not to suffer those.

Apparently my new 27" Thunderbolt monitor has been lost by TNT, of course the eBay seller can't provide me with a working TNT tracking number or a pick-up receipt from TNT... WAC...

Thing is, I don't see how this scam can work, I'll be getting a full PayPal refund and he'll get fuck all...

Very dissapoint...

I'm off to the states for 3 weeks with a lot of travelling about. I'm thinking about getting a new iPad when I'm there as they are a bit cheaper. Should I just plump for the 64gb storage or is it unnecessary? Not sure what I'd need 64gb for

I'd go for the cheapest one. For me it's either everything or having to swap stuff around anyway. So either I'd have a 500gb iphone / ipad with all my music and videos, or I'll go for the cheapest one and add content to it for each trip. 64gb isn't enough anyway.

16gb is all you need

get the 3G though.

+1

was driving with my sister a while ago, it's incredible for city navigation

nah, tether it with your phone 'innit

16gb is all you need
I'd get the 64Gb Bainbridge. I mean when did you ever not fill a hard drive?

I'd get the 64Gb Bainbridge. I mean when did you ever not fill a hard drive?

When all of the content is being accessed via the internet.

I just bought a 64GB 3G iPad2 for my dad, looking forward to having a play on it...

In other news... Dodgy eBay seller refunded me the whole amount for the monitor overnight... The quest for a new panel continues...

http://www.nec-display-solutions.com/p/uk/en/products/details/dp/Products/LCD/Current/LCD-PA271W/LCD-PA271W.xhtml

Best monitor on the market (if you care about colour)

I've got this one: http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop%20-monitors/lcd2690wuxi2-bk?type=support

But it's been replaced by the one above.

So I'm importing music to Itunes restarting my computer (well turning it off) next day the imported music has disappeared. What on earth is going on?

I'm typing this on an iPad... Really like it... Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!