Author: Mike Moffit

I am a very busy full-time consultant for Small Dog. Sometimes I help clients at our Vermont retail stores, but most of the time, I am on the road visiting our clients at their locations. My employer provides me with a modern MacBook Pro, and my ten most-used workday apps, in order of usage, would be:

Safari, Mail, Finder, “*Apple Remote Desktop*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fapple-remote-desktop%2Fid409907375%3Fmt%3D12%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30, iCal, “*Server*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fos-x-server%2Fid537441259%3Fmt%3D12%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30, “*AirPort Utility*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fairport-utility%2Fid427276530%3Fmt%3D8%26uo%3D4%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30, Console, Address Book, and Terminal.

I didn’t plan this out, but in writing out this list, I notice that all these top ten apps are from Apple. While working with Apple products all day long, and using them at home, I do not consider myself an Apple fanboy. I will not buy every new product just because it comes from Apple. However, I agree with most of Apple’s design decisions, and it is interface functionality that earns my loyalty. I can get more done, faster, with less annoyance when I use Apple’s products. I also love many third-party applications and hardware, as long as they demonstrate that design and interface are important.

I find that “*MacBook Pro*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Pro?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mbp and “*MacBook Air*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Air?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mba computers are perfect for my mobile business clients, and the newest “*Retina*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search?search=retina&page=1&refinecat=Apple|MacBook_Pro machines are unbelievable for graphic quality. “*iMacs*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/iMac?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-imac make excellent home machines with great displays and minimal mess. However, in my patient progression between future-proofed Apple computers, I find none carry as much long term value as the “*Mac mini*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/Mac_mini?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mm.

Let me reiterate — for mobile users, the “*MacBook Pro*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Pro?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mbp and “*MacBook Air*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/MacBook_Air?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mba cannot be beat! And for home users, the “*iMacs*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/iMac?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-imac provides the most computer and display in the least space. I write this opinion as someone whose mobile needs are met by my employer! Anything else I use is for fun and ease of support!

For the hobbyist, of which I consider myself a professional, the “*Mac mini*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Apple/Mac_mini?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-mm provides an amazing semi-modular platform from which to satisfy both our cleverness and our thrift. While we must live with our choice of processor and graphics card, we mini owners can freely upgrade our RAM and not just one, but two hard drives. I am currently running on a special-order Mid 2011 Mac mini Server, which came with a 2.0 GHz Quad-Core i7, and 2 x 750GB 7200 RPM drives, which I have upgraded from 4GB to 16GB of of RAM. The newest Mac minis are even faster and come with a better video cards. The server version now comes with 2 x 1TB 5400 RPM drives, for even more storage, faster processors and graphics, better power usage, and just slightly less storage speed. I think an extra $100 maximizes the processor.

However, when you get a mini, you have a chance to take advantage of third-party pricing for RAM and hard drive storage. When I bought by Mac mini, I knew I needed more than 4GB of RAM, but I saved money by buying my extra “*RAM*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/RAM?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-ram from Small Dog, and I put my original RAM into upgrading my wife’s design workstation iMac. Soon I will upgrade my main Mac mini hard drive to an “*SSD*”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/Storage_and_Backup/Solid_State_Drives?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-ssd (Solid State Drive), with a matching clone drive, and move my original 2 x 750GB drives to an external case for video production.

I run my Mac mini not just as a personal machine, but as a media and web server for my family’s entertainment and hobbyist needs. I use it as something to experiment on and not be hampered by the limitations of other operating systems or user interfaces. For my business clients, I run around forty servers, most of which are Mac minis, and I am always happy to do support work for our Mac mini Server clients. They use so little electricity for so much Mac-based power. While I dream of a perfect maxed-out Retina MacBook Pro, the newest Mac mini Server remains on my thrifty wish list year after year.

Love it or hate it, “*iTunes 11*”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-itunes is here to stay. This is one more step in the slow transition over to total touch interfaces that we’ll likely see in the next decade. There is no real reason to despair however — you can get your old interface back.

The first thing to do is to set iTunes up to sort by songs instead of albums. I happen to like the new album view, but it does limit how much music can be shown on the screen at once. I have over 24,000 tracks in my library and even on a 27″ screen, it can be a chore to go through the library by album cover. If you look across the top of the information section of the iTunes window, just under where it shows what song is playing, you’ll see a tab for songs. Just click that.

Step two is to bring back the side bar. To do this, click on the View menu and choose Show Side Bar. This will change the library navigation from the drop down menu style to the full list style. This will also give you access to the playlists from all file types, not just music.

Step three will bring back the status bar at the bottom of your window. Again, go to the View menu and click on Show Status Bar.

Step four is to open iTunes preferences and make sure that Podcasts has a check mark and “Use custom colors for open albums, movies, etc.” does not have a check mark.

This should bring you as close as is possible to the old view of iTunes.

Here are a couple of tips for people who are trying the new interface. The first one is that your iDevice will now be listed as a button on the upper right hand side of the window, right next to the new iTunes Store button. Second, to quickly create playlists, just click on the files you want in the playlists and begin to drag them on the window.

As long as your side bar is hidden, a playlists window will slide out of the right hand side and allow you to drop those files into a new playlist. The window will disappear once you’re done. To see the playlists, choose Music from the drop down menu and then click Playlists.

You can see all the other new new features on “*Apple’s website*”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/whats-new/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailblast&utm_campaign=tt-whats-new-apple

Hello all,

The weather has been up and down again, with snow one day, rain the next, but always something. I understand there are places where there really isn’t weather as I understand the term…rapid shifts in temperature, precipitation, and the extremes of seasons. I can’t decide if that would be great or horrible.

Anyway — this week, two of our consultants have contributions. David gives us a blow-by-blow of his experience with an extremely difficult repair, and Jason rediscovers that unique product the Mac mini. And Carl has some tips on reclaiming iTunes, if, like me, you were shocked after upgrading to iTunes ’11.

Of the events in Connecticut, I must say that as a parent (and human being), I am stunned by the whole thing. I have been deeply saddened and I have been hugging my kids a lot the last few days. To anyone reading this who was directly affected, you have my deepest sympathy and sincere condolences.

Thanks for reading.

Liam
“*liam@smalldog.com*”:mailto:liam@smalldog.com