Author: Joe

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How To Mod an iPad 2 Case

The Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is by far more advanced than the original iPad Case with its slim design, magnets, and an auto sleep mode. It’s crazy that the cover for the iPad 2 is as much a marvel as the device itself. I’m actually surprised Apple didn’t brand it with its logo. Yet the one area where the iPad Case beats the Smart Cover is in providing full protection for the iPad. The Smart Cover lacks a back. It’s easy to see why this is so, and until a third party vendor comes up with something, your options are limited.

However, with a second cover and an X-Acto knife, you can have the best of both worlds. The TPU Thermoplastic Polyurethane Resin Skin Cover from Hand Held Items is a flexible, yet protective back cover. It’s advertised as a special type of material that won’t crack. That property can be used to combine it with the Smart Cover. Once you have the TPU cover, place it on your iPad 2. Mark on it where the magnets of the Smart Cover will attach to the iPad’s left side. Then, using the X-Acto knife, cut out the marked lines. The top hole will be the easier of the two, since for some reason, there is already a hole there. Snap the Smart Cover on and check how it fits. Adjust as necessary.

iPad 2 with Smart Cover and TPU case

The beauty about this mod is that the Smart Cover’s functionality is not imposed upon at all. It still folds nicely for propping the iPad 2 and will put it to sleep when placed across the screen. The iPad 2’s slim design is not compromised at all with a bulky case. The only downside is that you might need to pull the Smart Cover’s edge slightly to make it perfectly line up with the iPad 2’s side (though that might not be the case with some fine tuning). For those wanting to mod the TPU even further, a standard hole punch tool will provide a nice opening for the iPad 2’s mic on top.

The TPU comes in a variety of colors, though it looks like clear and a couple of other varieties are out of stock as of the publishing of this article. For $5.99, the price can’t be beat.

Take fully protecting your iPad 2 into your own hands.

Special thanks to Lorie Lee for the idea.

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How To Buy A Mac: The Real Mac Genius Guide

So you’ve decided you’re either going to buy a Mac for the first time, or you want to upgrade to a newer one. Good show! But believe it or not, there’s actually an art to it. Following just three steps will help you find the Mac that’s right for you without any buyer’s remorse later.

1. Set a purpose

It’s one thing to want a Mac. It’s another to want it for a specific reason. You’ll most likely spend more money than if you bought a PC, so you want to make sure you’re meeting a specific need. What will you want to do with it?

If you’re looking at doing heavy duty tasks such as graphic design, movie editing, or audio mixing, then the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro can definitely handle your needs. The iLife suite alone is a great answer to why you’d want to buy a Mac. If you’re looking for a computer for more casual use, then there’s a range of options from the MacBook to the iMac. Road warrior? MacBook Air.

And what good is the hardware without the software to complement it? Make sure to check out which software you need, especially if you’re going to an Apple Store. I don’t think I’ve been to one yet that wasn’t always crowded. Your first concern should be an office suite. The two main options are iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) or Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). There’s something to be said for going with all Apple software, considering how well they work together. Also, they can open Microsoft files and save as them. However, if you mainly work in a PC environment, Microsoft Office would be the way to go.

2. Do your homework

Please promise me you won’t be one of those people who buys a computer, only to learn that there’s a newer model the following week. Here’s a tip: OS X 10.7 Lion is just around the corner. You can catch a sneak peek at it in our previous article. Basically, wait until the summer.

Checking the different Mac sites should help you get an idea of what to expect. Sites like Cult of Mac, Apple Insider, Mac Rumors, and us of course can give you a fair idea of what might be up and coming. The best approach is to get a broad view of the news, considering that sometimes Apple will intentionally release false information, or sometimes someone will post something just to be stupid.

You can also try to look at the trends of previous Apple product releases. New iPhones come out in June, new iPods in September, but the notebooks and desktops aren’t so easy to predict. A general rule is that Apple will release revisions to a model each every eight to twelve months. In August, Apple tends to do their iPod promotion for students and teachers. Show that you’re with an educational institution when you buy your Mac, and get a free iPod Touch.

3. Don’t buy AppleCare

Never buying a warranty is a good rule of life. AppleCare is no exception. Here’s the deal: dropping a computer and water are the two main causes of damage. AppleCare covers neither. It gives you 90 days of phone support and a one year limited warranty for hardware.

Phone support is okay, but the Genius on the other end of the line is just looking at a slightly more advanced Apple KBase. There are also plenty of discussion boards out there for free. As for the hardware, definitely keep an eye on your computer for the first year. Follow up immediately if you see any signs for concern. If you can make it past the first year, chances are you’re good. AppleCare just extends the phone and hardware support to three years. It does not add three years. You have to buy it when you buy your Mac.

Take time when evaluating whether or not to buy a Mac, and what options would it open for you. It is a great investment that will last you for the long haul. You’ll be getting a great piece of equipment with software designed to be comfortable for the user. Following these three steps will put you on the right path to the right Mac.

Buyer’s remorse be gone!

[Image Source]

 

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Going Retro With a PowerPC

Last year I went to my school district’s surplus warehouse, looking to pick up a Mac. I hoped to find a Power Mac G4 in order to relive my college days of cutting video on them. Sure, there are certainly faster Macs available for doing that, but certainly not at the cost of a used classroom one.

I found a pallet full of Mac desktops, but it only took a glance to tell they weren’t G4’s. The boxes were the same shape, but colored a light blue; something I hadn’t seen before. My friend who was with me told me it was a G3. I had no idea what specs it had, but all I knew was that I wanted it.

We fired it up there in the warehouse and found out that the hard drive worked, it had OS 9.2, and it clocked in at 300 MHz. I still wanted it. My friend told me how Tiger could be installed on it, despite its lack of a DVD drive. Forty bucks later, and the box and monitor were mine.

And so the obsession began.

I went from knowing little about Macs before the age of Intel chips, to scouring websites and discussion boards about Power PCs. Sites like Low End Mac and Other World Computing showed me that not only is it possible to keep an old Mac alive and kicking, but parts for upgrading it are still available.

In just a few months I installed OS X 10.4.11 Tiger, maxed my G3 out on 1GB of memory, installed a wireless card, a DVD drive, and a ZIF chip that took it from 300 MHz to 500. Thanks to Circuit City going out of business, I also got a Bluetooth dongle for only $20. Amazingly, what I found made the biggest difference was getting a new Radeon video card that bumped the video memory from 8 MB to 32 MB, which made a dramatic effect on the bus speed.

What at first I thought would be a hobby turned into a reliable workhorse. I write every morning on it, actually opting for it over my MacBook Pro. There’s a rewarding feeling about working on a desktop that I fixed up. Also, the fact that browsing the web or checking e-mail takes a little longer than usual helps keep me focused on just writing.

The G3 marked Apple’s turning away from beige boxes. Even ten years later, the G3’s exterior is a thing of beauty. Inside, it’s solid and reliable. I would highly recommend buying a PowerPC to any Mac fan who doesn’t already have one. As long as you get rid of the expectation to use anything past Tiger on it, and are willing to spend some money to upgrade it, you can own a reliable piece of Apple hardware. I can’t see Cover Flow in iTunes, and YouTube is more of a waiting game, but I’d take my 10-year-old G3 over a 10-year-old PC any day.

Macs age the way Harrison Ford does–improving as they get older. PCs tend to age like Carol Channing.

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Average Joe's Tips

Part Three Traveling with the iPad: Economical Accessories

As promised I am going to give you five economical travel accessories for the iPad. These accessories are less expensive, but do not have the same quality put into them as the products in the previous article. Not to say that they are not good because they are great products.

The first item is a case and I have selected the Incase Origami Sleeve. This is a great product because it is protective of the iPad and you can fold the sleeve up to make a stand for your iPad! This catch will only cost you $35. The next item up to replace the Tumi bag is the Golla G366 backpack. This backpack has many pockets perfect for fitting anything you want a a very protective spot to put a computer or iPad for only $90. Up next is the PortaPro by Koss. Like it’s name it is very portable and easy to carry making this perfect for international travel for $50. Very nice and reasonably priced is the iPad Keyboard Dock by Apple for $73. At first glance the Kensington adapter looks like the Tumi Adapter but no its about $30 less and its still great. This is clearly a great choice in these hard economical times to replace more expensive items.

Stay connected at my new twitter handle to stay updated 24/7 @TRMGaveragejoes and @realmacgenius

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section.

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Update 3/21/11 iPad 2 Shortage, AT&T + T-Mobile, AT&T Tethering Warnings

Learn about the iPad 2 shortages around the US and delayed launches around the world, AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile, and AT&T warning iPhone customers using unwarranted tethering applications and plans.

Do you need to run windows applications on your Mac? CrossOver, by CodeWeavers can help! Learn more about how to use CrossOver and CrossOver Games to run windows applications on your Mac . No need to reboot, no need for a virtual machine AND no need for a window’s license!