Allen Approved v3.0!

ByMike Moffit

I recognize on a daily basis how time flies while I’m working on the showroom floor here at our South Burlington Retail Showroom, but it always amazes me how quickly the seasons and years rush past. This must be how back-to-school snuck up on me so quickly this year -or maybe it’s because I’m not going back-to-school this year! (Where did those four years at UVM go anyway?)
For a lot of students and their families, back-to-school means its time to look at making a new computer purchase. Small Dog has a ton of great deals for students, including white MacBooks starting at only $999.99 and black MacBooks as low as $1,279.99 -all Small Dog customers also qualify for a free printer (after manufactures rebate) with any computer purchase!
One of the reasons Apple Computers are generally very reliable and easy to use is because one company, Apple, designs the computer, the operating system and a lot of the software that users work with every day.
There are several free (or fairly inexpensive) applications that make a great addition to every new Mac! Here are my favorites:

coconutBattery: This handy application (or dashboard widget) is like Get Info for your Apple portables internal battery! (Modern Apple portable batteries don’t require much maintenance from the user, but following the notes on this site from Apple can help you enjoy the longest life possible for your new device.)

MenuCalendarClock: One of my favorite little menu-bar enhancers, this drop-down menu lets you easily glance at a calendar without launching iCal.

Google Earth: Its like Google Maps for your Applications folder!

Firefox: Visit those pesky websites that don’t play well with Safari and even add or create your own skins!

Free .Mac Trial: Create with iLife, share and backup with .Mac! Once you’ve tried .Mac, you’ll wonder how you lived without it!

Chax: Tabbed iChats (and more)!

VLC media player: This application allows you to watch a variety of video formats full-screen without buying QuickTime Pro.
Update: Apple has released an updated version of QuickTime, which supports full screen viewing in QuickTime Player!

Flip4Mac: Work effectively and efficiently with Windows Media files on your Mac.

AppZapper: Simply deleting an application icon from the Applications folder won’t remove all of the files that may have been installed onto your machine. AppZapper will help delete all those ghost files.

iStat: An aesthetically pleasing method to monitor the activity and status of your hardware and software.

Skype: Call other computers or even traditional land-line or cell phones anywhere in the world for free (or at very low prices) with this advanced and enhanced instant messaging utility.

Small Dog Classes: Small Dog offers two classes in Mac Basics and one in iPhoto as well as iMovie. There’s no better way to get to know your Mac and to get the most out of its built-in power!

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