This article is a little more geared to our Tech Tails readers, but I thought I would pass it on. If you manage Mac OS X based servers, did you know about osx.topicdesk.com and their great OS X Server-related newsletters? If not, you should definitely check them out.

Osx.topicdesk.com features free software tools for enhancing Apple’s Mac OS X Server, step-by-step tutorials, and a FAQ section that answers many common questions about OS X Server. In addition to being an important resource for the open source community, server administrators can also turn to the site’s developers for consulting services.

Apple’s OS X Server is a powerful tool for businesses of any size. OS X Server puts UNIX into the reach of non-UNIX experts. Osx.topicdesk.com helps many non-UNIX experts make the most of OS X Server, offering tools and information for beginners and seasoned professionals that extend the stock functionality of Apple’s Server software.

One of the site’s most popular consulting options is the Mail Server Checkup. For a flat rate of $50, the site’s developers will run a full diagnostic of a mail server, report on its status, and make recommendations for improvements. Readers of Tech Tails, Kibbles & Bytes, and Small Dog’s blog Barkings will benefit from a 50% discount on the Mail Server Check or a 15% discount on standard consulting fees until Sep 15th 2009.

Dear Friends Tax Free day is coming up this Saturday and most of the staff is busy making preparations for what will likely…

Every so often, a call comes through to our tech support department about a pop-up window saying that the computer is infected with a virus or some other malware. A larger and larger chunk of the Mac community is recent Switchers, those who’ve made the switch from Windows to Mac. If you have a computer running any variant of Windows and you see that message, there is cause for alarm in most cases, especially if you click through the link. But, if you have a Mac, there is absolutely nothing to worry about! There are no known viruses or malware for Macs running any variant of OS X. There were a handful of viruses for the classic MacOS, but because that operating system hasn’t been updated in about ten years there is little cause for alarm there.

Search engines do a reasonably good job at filtering out “scareware” web sites, but if you’re a frequent user of the Internet you should expect to see one of these messages at some time or another.

It should be noted that Macs running Windows through Boot Camp or emulation software like Parallels and VMWare will need virus protection on the Windows side. If your boot camp partition or virtual machine becomes infected with a virus, your Mac will not be affected. Small Dog offers Symantec AntiVirus for Windows, which is widely recognized as the best AntiVirus protection available for Windows. It’s a necessary add-on for any Windows or Parallels purchase.

True story: a few years ago, a school had purchased fifty brand-new iMacs with the LCD display on the swivel neck. Soon after they were set up in the computer lab, a well-intentioned but misinformed maintenance person used a strong ammonia-based cleaning product on them. Unfortunately, this permanently marred the displays with an opaque, cloudy haze. Lesson learned: don’t use industrial cleaning products on a brand new LCD monitor. And thus concludes our Mac Treat for this week. Just kidding.

I’ve recently transitioned to all-glossy display Macs at home (more on that below). Here are some tips I’ve picked up (and tested) for cleaning those displays. Fortunately, cleaning a glossy display is pretty much the same as cleaning a matte display.

First, before cleaning any display or monitor, it’s best to let it cool down. Multiple sites report that “you cannot effectively clean a glossy TFT screen when it’s hot or has been in use for an extended period of time.”:http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1127

Second, I recommend using “iKlear”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/39155 to clean any display (matte or glossy). iKlear comes in several different packages, including one with “a bulk spray bottle, microfiber cloth, and 12 travel iKlear singles,”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/39155, and another with “20 iKlear singles packs”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/41154.

If iKlear isn’t available, I will use a barely damp microfiber cloth (or paper towel) to clean the display. In my experience, iKlear does a better, less-streaky job of cleaning a glossy display than a damp cloth. iKlear is non-toxic, anti-static and doesn’t contain ammonia, alcohol or other solvents. It can be used to clean the display and body of a Mac, and can also be used on eyeglasses, sunglasses, HD televisions, iPhones, iPods, etc.

With iKlear it’s best to clean small areas at a time (rather than using broad swipes). Then go back and polish the entire screen so it’s streak-free. When cleaning a notebook display, use one hand to support the back of the display while polishing with the other. If you’re using iKlear in the spray bottle, be careful not to spray any liquid into your Mac’s ports or vents. In fact, it’s a good idea not to spray your Mac at all; instead, spray a little iKlear onto the included cloth (or other microfiber cloth) and then use the cloth to clean the machine.

To use water to clean a glossy display, simply dampen a microfiber cloth (or paper towel in a pinch) and swipe in broad strokes. Again, especially if you’re using water, the cloth should be barely damp.

Apple has a very limited support article on cleaning Apple products “posted here.”:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3226?viewlocale=en_US

I recently traded up from an older 15-inch MacBook Pro to a new 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro. I wanted to get a faster machine with better graphics capabilities, in order to get the most out of the new version of Final Cut Studio. That ruled out getting a “13-inch MacBook or MacBook Pro”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_13in (though I love the design and small size of those machines), along with the “$1699.99 MacBook Pro with 9400M graphics”:http://burlington.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_15in. I went for the model with the GeForce 9600M GT graphics plus NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, in order to have extra oomph running Motion.

So far I’ve been very impressed with the machine (especially its speed), though a couple of features left me puzzled or with mixed feelings. Rather than get into detailed clock speeds, etc (there are many great sites for that, including “Barefeats.com”:http://barefeats.com, “Macworld.com”:http://www.macworld.com, even the Apple section of “Arstechnica.com”:http://arstechnica.com/apple), I’m going to focus on the day-to-day experience of using the new MacBook Pro.

First, I love the “new” (as of October 2008) unibody MacBook Pro case, which is famously milled out of a solid block of aluminum. The machine truly feels solid and robust. It feels like a well-designed, truly professional machine, which makes it inspiring to use (not unlike using any other well-made tool.)

I also really like the square, recessed keys on the keyboard. I can type faster and more comfortably with this layout. I don’t miss the old keyboard at all.

On previous PowerBooks, iBooks, and MacBook Pros, I preferred using the trackpad to an external mouse. At first I was excited to try the new buttonless multitouch trackpad on the new MacBook Pro, since multitouch on the iPhone works so well. However, that’s not quite the case with the trackpad on the new MacBooks. I occasionally accidentally resize webpages with the new trackpad, and the secondary click option does not always work as expected. Also, if you have the trackpad configured to “click to select” (rather than tap to select), not only do you have to push down rather hard, the clicking sound is loud. I admit that I simply have to get used to a new input technique, after years of old habits. I see lots of potential in the new trackpad. But for now, I miss the old trackpad. Ask me again in a year – I bet I’ll dislike the old version.

The glossy screen is another area of contention. It looks awesome, with vivid bright colors. I really do like the way it looks over a matte display. However, I find it disconcerting to occasionally see myself reflected in my work. Like right now, as I write this. I am used to a glossy display on my iMac, so I don’t find the glossy display as offensive as many others seem to. But all things being equal, I would probably have preferred the matte option. I do appreciate that the display is LED vs LCD, as it was on my previous MacBook Pro.

I questioned the idea of the new built-in battery, but so far battery life has been excellent, and I have to admit I never in three years of use did I ever remove the battery in my previous MacBook Pro. Likewise I never used the Expresscard slot, which was also removed in this generation MacBook Pro.

I do use and very much appreciate the addition of the SD card slot. I take dozens of photos a week and always seem to loose my SD card reader. It was great of Apple to finally have added this. I don’t know why it took so long; maybe Steve Jobs just got a digital camera.

I also appreciate the standard 4GB RAM (first time in a decade I’ve purchased a Mac and didn’t immediately upgrade the RAM), and will hopefully upgrade all the way to 8GB RAM when prices drop in the future.

I plan on selling my iMac or putting into a different task in the near future. My main desktop setup at home will then be this new MacBook Pro with the newish 24-inch Apple LED display. The 24-inch Apple LED display only has Mini DisplayPort connectivity. Some people have complained that the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros also only use Mini DisplayPort video out; however, in this case, that works for me. If I want to use a projector or any other monitor, I’ll have to buy a $29.99 adaptor.

So, in short, I am delighted with the new machine. It’s so close to perfection it hurts. I can live with the minor quibbles (still adapting to the new trackpad, glossy display is more reflective than my tastes) since everything else with the machine is so great. Speed, reliability, ability to breeze through Final Cut Studio files — all there. This is a machine I truly look forward to using for the next few years. I think it’s up for it.