__**Apologies in advance for how excited we are about Mountain Lion! We’ll be featuring more information about our hands-on experiences with the new OS in the next few weeks. The following account includes links for official Adobe CS compatibility and a tutorial to bring ‘Save As…’ back to the menu.__

When Mountain Lion was released last Wednesday, I downloaded it immediately, like any Apple fangirl would. However, I did my research before jumping in blindly.

I opted to install it on my home computer, a *27″ iMac running Snow Leopard,* and not my work computer just yet (a *2.66GHz i7 MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM also running Snow Leopard*). To be safe, I wanted to make sure all of my apps would work as they should after the install. __And lemme tell you, I have a lot of apps.__

While I have never been disappointed with an Apple OS release, I have learned that if I have tight deadlines and can’t afford for my computer to give me the business, it’s best to be as sure as possible that an update wouldn’t disrupt my workflow.

Here are some of the main factors I took into account when making the choice to update (or not):

* I’m running CS6 on my work computer, namely Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and InDesign, so I wanted to wait to hear more about any potential bugs and overall compatibility. So far, “*here’s the official word*”:http://blogs.adobe.com/vikrant/2012/07/adobe-creative-suite-and-mountain-lion-mac-os-x-10-8/ from Adobe.

* We have an extensive, powerful, all-encompassing database at Small Dog that has not yet been cleared by IT for use with Mountain Lion. Should be “officially” good-to-go soon, but why mess with “*Rebecca*”:http://www.smalldog.com/rebecca and crew in the meantime?

So, without further ado, here are some of my first impressions of Mountain Lion, some hyped, and some that I didn’t expect:

*Pros:*

* *IT. IS. FAST.* — There is a noticeable speed difference between Lion and Mountain Lion on my machine. Overall, my iMac is pretty pared down, so there aren’t any extra apps to account for slowing it down before.

* *Unified Safari Address/Search Bar* — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally __searched__ for something in the address bar, so I welcome this unification. (There’s a glaring con, though, but I’ll get to that below.)

* *Window-wide Tabs in Safari* — It’s just a visual change, but I like that each tab now stretches across the browser window.

* *Auto-complete/Auto-correct* — In a few tests (and by that I mean, typing hastily with the intent to misspell words), both features seem much smarter. Fewer words just auto-corrected on their own, so “*quick typists can breathe a little easier.*”:http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/

* *Automatic List Formatting in Notes* — I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make a quick list while taking notes; now, all you have to do is press the “-” button and then add a space for it to auto-format.

* *Image Support in Notes* — Now, with the Notes application on my desktop, I can use it much like I would Text Edit, except with better syncing and sharing abilities. That includes adding an image, which I’ve found to be crucial when I want to add a screenshot reference.

* *iCloud Syncing and Organization in Notes* — Overall, this is really seamless. Any note written on my home computer (as this was when I was writing the article) is synced through iCloud. Additionally, via an updated interface, categories can now be added within an email account, so browsing notes is much easier.

* *Desktop Reminders* — I love having reminders on my desktop machine–the app looks gorgeous on my 27″ screen when I stretch the window into full vertical mode. It’s completely integrated with iCal, with the list of calendars on the lefthand side.

* *Sorting in Messages* — Now out of beta, Messages feels more stable and easier to use. You can now sort your messages manually–before, it would just pop your most recent message to the top. Not being able to designate where my messages were in the window was one of my biggest gripes with the beta version–it was almost enough to make me switch back to iChat!

* *Overall Aesthetics* — The dock and the menu bar are now more opaque with a brushed metal-slash-frosted glass look. It’s cleaner overall. (I had used a hack to make the formerly transparent menu bar and dock in Lion more opaque before because I found it distracting.)

* *Save As… Is Back (Sort Of)* — I never got __quite__ used to the Duplicate option (technically, I would always use Duplicate and Revert since my goal most often was to use a document as a template and then save a new version), so I was psyched to see that I could get this back if I wanted. You’ll find it via *System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts,* and can “*read more here.*”:http://www.cultofmac.com/181989/bring-back-save-as-to-mountain-lion-weep-with-joy-os-x-tips/

*Cons:*

There wasn’t much that I’ve found to be negative thus far, though it’s fair to say that I could discover more with further use. These are a couple of idiosyncrasies I noticed right off the bat–because they’re just that annoying.

* *Network Dementia?* — Mountain Lion doesn’t seem to remember network settings very quickly when waking it from sleep (Disclaimer: I seldom shut it down, but for once a week or so.) It’s taken *minutes* on several occasions to find and connect to my wireless network and I’ll often have to use Network Diagnostics jog its memory. (I haven’t tested this with ethernet, but I’m guessing that wouldn’t be a problem.)

* *Snap Back!* — I miss the snapback drop down history of my Safari web searches (you know, the orange little arrow icon). I can’t easily get back to my search term like I could with a dedicated Search field. Unless it’s a setting I haven’t found, my guess is that they’d have to update that really soon.

* *Dragging Blues* — In Mail, I can’t seem to drag multiple emails anywhere–to other folders, to the trash, etc.–it now just tries to move the first email my mouse lands on. This is very annoying when trying to mass-delete multiple spam messages.

There has been a lot of talk about the Apple TV recently thanks to the addition of AirPlay Mirroring functionality to Mountain Lion. For those of us who do not have one of the computers that are compatible with this feature “*(see this issue of Tech Tails for more details)*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/tt830/ there is still something new: Apple has quietly added new functionality to the Apple TV itself by adding access to “*Hulu Plus.*”:http://www.hulu.com/plus For those of you who don’t know what Hulu is, here is the description from their website:

bq. __”Hulu Plus is the only online premium video subscription that streams current and classic TV programming on demand from hundreds of content partners, including top broadcast networks ABC, NBC, FOX, The CW and Univision. Hulu Plus subscribers can watch on any enabled devices for $7.99/month with limited advertising. For many popular shows on our service, Hulu Plus offers every episode of the current season. Hulu Plus subscribers also have access to back seasons and full runs of some of TV’s greatest shows, including many that were not available online before, in HD whenever possible.”__

You can sign in using your current Hulu Plus account or you can pay using your Apple ID right within the Hulu Plus app. Unfortunately, Hulu’s free service is not currently available, but I am hoping that this is added in the future. There are a fair amount of ads, so Hulu and Apple will still make money!

“*Click here to get the app in the iTunes Store!*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hulu-plus/id376510438?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30

With three months to go until the presidential election, the two major candidates are doing everything they can to get the message out. In 2012 the state of the union is such that releasing an iPhone app is __de rigueur__ and both the Obama and Romney campaigns have in fact done so.

“*Mitt’s VP*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mitts-vp/id544919187?ls=1&mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 is an extremely basic app. Its only significant function is to alert the user when the Romney campaign picks a vice-presidential candidate. The app claims that if you enable push notifications you will “get the exciting news before the press and just about everyone else (except maybe Ann).” I like that they are suggesting that it is only a “maybe” that Mr. Romney’s wife will know the vice-presidential candidate before it is electronically transmitted.

“*With Mitt,*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/with-mitt/id530869133?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 which got a lot of press for its (now corrected) major typo “A Better Amercia,” is the Romney campaign’s other app. This app allows you to take a picture using your iPhone and then tweak the photo with “a variety of Mitt-inspired artistic frames, add personalized messages, and then share with your friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter.” We are not suggesting that you use this feature to take prank photos, but if you do, please share them with “*marketing@smalldog.com!*”:mailto:marketing@smalldog.com

“*Obama for America*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/obama-for-america/id547687124?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 is a much more comprehensive app. It includes information that is customized to your location (as long as you allow Location Services when you first launch the app) including links to your local campaign office, volunteer sign-up, and how to register to vote. It also has plenty of detail on President Obama’s positions on the issues and his accomplishments while in office.

My favorite thing that I found within the app was a “*link to a video*”:http://youtu.be/_W2pjZGRr_c showing Mr. Obama donating to his own campaign using his “*MacBook Pro*”:http://www.smalldog.com/Macs/MacBook_Pro (customized with the Presidential Seal over the Apple logo) and “*Magic Mouse.*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74731/ Thanks to federal law, he has to disclose his employer and and occupation (“United States of America” and “President” for those of you really not paying attention.)

Download these apps for free and stay informed!

The latest operating system for Mac, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, was released last Wednesday, so if you haven’t downloaded yet, “*get it here for $19.99.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-mountain-lion/id537386512?mt=12%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30

If you have purchased a new Mac between June 11, 2012, and July 25, 2012, you may qualify for a free upgrade via “*Apple’s Up-To-Date Program.*”:http://www.apple.com/osx/uptodate/ In addition, Apple is supporting new Macs purchased on or after July 26 that don’t include Mountain Lion with the Up-To-Date Program; just make sure you participate quickly, as they haven’t announced an end date.

“*Click here*”:http://www.apple.com/osx/uptodate/ to visit Apple’s website to see if you qualify, or “*click here*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/apple-s-up-to-date-program/ to read more about the Up-To-Date Program on our blog.

_Dear Friends,_

August is one of my favorite months. Though we’re in the dog days of summer, it is also the time of year that most of the local vegetables are ready to eat. Nothing is quite as good to eat as fresh tomatoes off the vine or really fresh picked sweet corn. Sweet corn is my current excuse for a motorcycle ride, although as the season progresses, my ride shortens. The last couple of weeks I have had to ride over to the banana belt in Essex to the Mazza Farm, but recently I spotted some farm stands close by. I saw our neighbor Elwin Neil picking sweet corn for our local grocery store as I drove home the back way last night.

This August features a blue moon. Whenever there are two full moons in a single month, the second one is the blue moon. This is pretty rare, hence, the “once in a blue moon” saying. I’ll have to convince Dawn to do some sort of special Blue Moon sale later this month. Speaking of sales, all this summer we are feature an amazing special on Parallel Systems. If you buy any Mac from us we will give you a copy of the premier Windows emulation software for only $9.99–a $60 savings. This will allow you (with the addition of Windows software) to run Windows in a separate window on your Intel-based Mac.

We are developers at Small Dog and as such, I have access to the beta version of iOS 6 that is coming out this fall. I am very impressed with the integration using Mountain Lion. One of the features that I find very handy is that whatever windows I have open in Safari on my Mac are already open and ready for me to continue reading on my iPad. While Apple makes a lot of really neat hardware and leads the industry in design and innovation, we should never forget that Apple’s software as represented by OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and iOS 5 (6) is just as innovative and ground breaking. It is that combination of the hardware and software that has made Apple into the dominant player they are today.