Messages

1

Community / HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO TECHSURVIVORS!

« on: September 24, 2010, 08:54:05 AM »

Happy Birthday TS, glad to see you are still alive and doing well. Don't get here much any more, semi retired now and spend my free time in the garden or riding a bike.

2

2004 / One "Consumer,"; Two "Reports"

« on: January 29, 2004, 11:16:08 PM »

In my experience over the past six months if you are dealing with Earthlink and SBC and you feel someone is lying I would be willing to bet it is Earthlink. I have 90 clients using SBC DSL who never have any trouble to speak of. I have four Earthlink clients that have had nothing but trouble for the past several months and their response is pathetic. I have already changed three of the four to SBC and told Earthlink to take a flying leap.

3

2004 / Graphite iMac DV's Internal CD/DVD has died.

« on: January 26, 2004, 11:29:33 AM »

I have two Graphite iMacs with bad logic boards in my junk pile, both have slot loading drives, I know one of them is a DVD, think the other may be a CD-RW. If interested contact me directly and I will pull the units, identify and give you a price.

[why]

4

2004 / CoolPix vs iPhoto

« on: January 05, 2004, 02:39:37 PM »

QUOTE(RHPConsult @ Jan 5 2004, 7:45 PM)

That's it, Bruce.

But, I wonder why iPhoto offers the option, since I've also heard (from somewhere) that to do so - -- in the Mac - - can really screw over the card.

What's that really all about, I wonder?

 Hi Dick

Remember curiousity killed the cat and may kill your card as well.


I would hazard the guess that most cards have the PC market as their target (least you forget Macs are still a tiny minority) and the card is probably formatted in some PC format that is totally incompatible with Macintosh. I have read the same things and advise my clients to follow the manufacturers recommendation. What does the Nikon operators manual say? I know who reads the manual but I figured with your current limited mobility it might fill your free time. I did have a client that tried it and sure enough the card was junk. But he did not have a Nikon, think it was a Kodak.
Perhaps if you have a small inexpensive card that you don't care about you could blaze a path and prove them wrong?  
Myself if the information is not in the manual, I would send an email inquiry to Nikon tech support or check their web site for relevant information.

Are we going to see you hobbling around on the cane (or even better walking slow without the cane) next week at MWSF?  

Cheers Dale  

5

2003 / Scam(s) of the Week/Month

« on: October 14, 2003, 10:08:14 AM »

•  EBay has no phone numbers and none of the “fraud” alternatives on its website allowed reporting this kind of scam . . . another form of Ho Hum.

Dick EBay actually has a means for reporting this it is just buried several layers deep on the web site. Just forward the email related to EBay to address below and they will process and quickly reply.

spoof@ebay.com

6

2003 / Macintosh online training

« on: September 29, 2003, 10:18:09 AM »

The tortoise heartily recommends looking at this!!!
   
Do you have a new Macintosh and find yourself feeling somewhat lost with the
unfamiliar interface of OS-X. Or have you mastered the basics of OS-X and
just wish there were and easy way to learn more about the hidden power of
OS-X. Or how about all the great new parts of the digital hub; iTunes,
iMovie, iPhoto, iSync, iDVD, iCal, and of course the iPod? Do you wish you
knew how to use them or get better at using them to derive the full power
they offer? Perhaps you are a Windows user thinking of switching to
Macintosh?
I have good news, there is now a site devoted to inexpensive and easy to use
online training on all of the above subjects and more. Click on the link
below and try out the free sample course that will give you a sample of the
course structure and content. If you like it then check the course catalog
to see what courses might be of interest to you and try one out and see if
you don’t agree these are wonderful and useful training aids. Each course is
only $29.95 and bundles save you even more.
If you decide to purchase a course when you fill out the registration page
there is a box for a referral code, please enter the code DMAA (I receive a
small credit towards courses for myself thank you).

http://www.itutoronline.com/samples.html

I have been getting a lot of positive feedback and seen considerable
improvement in the skills of those that have taken some of these courses.
Take a few minutes and see to see if they might offer some relief from the
learning curve of all the new Macs have to offer.
--
Cheers, Dale

Dale Magner & Associates
Computer Consultant Mac & PC
A+ & Network+ Certified
Office  707-747-1527
Cell    707-689-2209
dmagner@mac.com
dmagner@silcon.com
dmagner@pacbell.net

7

2003 / Converting from OS 8-9 to X

« on: September 06, 2003, 10:14:52 AM »

New online training product offers another option. Take a look at the course offerings (including OS-X beginning and intermediate) at
 
http://www.itutoronline.com/

they are well done and being computer based many have found them more useful than books. I am affiliated with this venture and if you use the reseller code DMAA when you order I get a small credit. A free course sampler is provided to allow a preview of the format and style. I have been getting very positive feedback from my clients that have used the service. Individual courses run $29.95 and bundles are available for additional savings.

8

2003 / The tortoise took in a stolen G4

« on: July 23, 2003, 10:15:18 AM »

Updating on the final outcome, my most recent post on the original DealMac thread that has turned into a rather interesting thread on human behavior. Glad I posted, it has been very revealing, I even sent a link to the owner of the laptop, she might even add her own views on the subject.

Update on the case; police informed me the laptop is being returned to the rightful owner. My client called and rather sheepishly backtracked a bit on the story, his wife bought it at maybe a garage sale or flea market rather than a DEA auction, he was a bit fuzzy and evasive at best on the exact details. He also admitted that the purchase price was $250 to which I replied anyone thinking they can buy a $3000 computer with a bag of related accessories for $250 should remember the old saying about “if it sounds too good to be true”
I did not belabor the point, and I think it is fair to say he got caught in an act of bad judgement at the very least. Apparently the police feel there is not a strong case for receiving stolen property, but they did inform him that if he has the paperwork they would happily assist him in following the money trail in a backwards progression as was suggested above and he might even recover his $250 investment. Does not sound like he is interested in pursuing the issue which again confirms my initial assessment of his role in all of this.  
In our discussion he put most of it on his wife and said that I did the right thing and he had no hard feelings. He even said that if his work laptop (the legit CompaQ that is here awaiting a replacement HD) was ever stolen he would hope someone would do the same for him. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt, but I also feel his demeanor has two primary motives. One is to cover his ass with the police and two to see to it that I finish the repairs on his CompaQ before he might express any displeasure with my actions. Perhaps I am too cynical but the changing stories make me suspect of any statements at this point.
On a final note to leagle, your comments and analysis were concise and interesting. I guess I owe you an apology for my blanket condemnation of the legal profession and government employees as a whole. That’s the trouble with generalizations and I know there are always exceptions and even good moral people who practice law. It is just so hard to remember when one looks at the collection of lawyers in Washington DC that we all affectionately refer to as our government of the people.

9

2003 / The tortoise took in a stolen G4

« on: July 22, 2003, 03:03:21 PM »

Thought you guys might enjoy the controversy I stirred up over at DealMac, my original post and link to the thread below. Most agree I did the right thing, but a small minority think differently. No matter I know my own conscience and I sleep fine at night.  

Never a dull moment in this business; established PC client I have done work for in the past and I am currently replacing a failed HD in his CompaQ Laptop. Meanwhile he brings me a G4 titanium that he says his wife purchased at a DEA auction and he is locked out because of the password on the OS-X side will not let him in.  Wants me to get in and wipe it clean and do a fresh install of everything. So I get inside and find the information on the previous owner, some nice Buddhist activist mother of two that hardly looks to be a drug dealer type. Just on a hunch I call her and she tells me it was stolen about six weeks ago and she would love to get it back, and if that is not possible at least recover her data from the machine before I wipe it. Told her to call her local Police and I did the same, waiting for an officer to arrive as I write this.  Should be very interesting to see the outcome, at best I will see them both end up happy (presuming his story of the DEA auction is true), otherwise I will end up with one very happy owner and one very unhappy client

http://forums.dealmac.com/read.html?f=1&i=...80930&t=1280930

10

2003 / New trick for Safari

« on: July 16, 2003, 08:58:17 PM »

Discovered this by accident, similar to the old days of putting URL’S of favorite web sites in start up folder but even better. Most of us have several to many favorite sites we automatically open every day. Well if you make a folder and put it on the bookmarks bar, and then put all the favorite sites you visit every day inside that folder. Once that is finished do a command click on the folder and all your sites will open in their individual tabs automatically. Great time saver.  Enjoy.

11

2003 / Portable ink jet printers

« on: June 18, 2003, 08:41:36 AM »

Good Morning Dick
I have a client that has been using the Cannon BJ for over three years; first with a Lombard and now a TiBook and he has never had any trouble with it. Can?t comment on use under OS-X as he is a businessman and does not trust OS-X yet so he only uses OS-9.22.