Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Featured Rebates: February '11

    “**iWork ’09**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/72887/apple-iwork/at_bis
    Buy any Apple computer with iWork ’09 and receive a **$30 Mail-in Rebate**.

    “**MobileMe**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76874/apple-mobileme-single-pack-new-renewal-1-year-for-mac-pc-iphone-ipad/at_bis
    Buy any Apple computer with MobileMe and receive a **$30 Mail-in Rebate**.

    “**HP Printers**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=HP
    Add an HP printer over $69 and get a **$40 Mail-in Rebate**.

    Check out all of our current rebates “here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/rebates

  • Closeout Deal: February '11

    iMac closeout

    *SAVE over $200:*
    *$1,449.99* (introduced 10/09)

    * iMac 27in 3.33GHz
    * 1TB Hard Drive
    * 4GB of 1066MHz RAM
    * ATI 4670 w/256MB
    * Mac OS X v10.6 and iLife ’09
    * BT Keyboard
    * BT Magic Mouse

    “Click here”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77483/imac-27in-3-33ghz-4gb-1tb-4670/at_bis to order now or come into the store to check it out!

  • Classes: February '11

    *Mac Basics*
    _South Burlington Store_

    Sunday 02/13/2011
    5:15 to 6:45pm

    Sunday 02/27/2011
    5:15 to 6:45pm

    “Click Here”:http://www.smalldog.com/classes or come into the store for more details
    about the classes we offer in South Burlington.

  • Product of the Month: February '11

    Check out our new color of “Chill Pill mobile speakers in Pink!”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77492/chill-pill-mobile-speakers-pink/at_bis

    $1 from every Pink Chill Pill purchase will be donated to help support Breast Cancer research.

    Get yours while you can because they’re going to sell out fast!

  • Featured Product: Verso Case for iPad

    Remember when iPad was first introduced? Many people thought Apple would release a traditional tablet–something like a MacBook without a keyboard. Instead, Apple thought different and produced a device that is truly “magical and revolutionary.”

    We believed in iPad from day one. We knew it was a transformative device, and that iPad owners would want to use it every single day. We also knew that iPad owners would want to protect their iPad from daily wear and tear.

    …

    So, cut to the present: we decided to design our own iPad case. We started with a slew of prototypes, from which we removed buckles, clasps, velcro and snaps. Instead, Verso uses tiny magnets to stay closed and easily snaps open for instant iPad access. (Don’t worry–these magnets are strong enough to keep Verso shut, but far too weak to harm any electronics.) We removed business card holders and floppy stylus slots.

    We nixed the vinyl and sourced premium leather in three colors–black, brown and candy apple red. We used stronger stitching in fewer places. We added a simple folding cover that allows iPad to be propped up at a comfortable typing angle.

    The result is Verso: a simple, premium quality, easy-access case that protects iPad in style. It can go from coffee shop to boardroom to bedroom. It looks great and feels great in the hand. It’s a case that your iPad can live in.

    “Click here to see Verso in three colors”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=verso. We’ve temporarily dropped the price $20, to $39.99. That’s a great value on an exceptional iPad case, if we don’t say so ourselves.

  • Meet Our Dogs!

    Texas

    Meet Texas. He is a 6 year old English Pointer.

    His owners, Elizabeth and Casey Lyons, live in Eden, VT. Elizabeth is the sister of Jeremiah Johnson, one of the S. Burlington Store Assistant Managers.

  • Mourning the Xserve? Not for Long

    We have a rack full of various Xserves that power our website and business, so we were deeply saddened when Apple announced a few months ago that they’d no longer be available past January of 2011.

    Yes, yesterday was the Xserve’s last day. We never really got to take a moment of silence in honor of these compact and capable enterprise-class servers–and beautiful, let’s not forget how much they classed up a boring server rack–so let’s do so now.

    …

    Okay, that’s enough of that! While I “bemoaned the loss of high-availability features”:http://www.makkintosshu.com/journal/xserve-your-day-has-come of the Xserve (esp. hot swappable internal storage and redundant power supplies) and the ability to pack that much power into 1U of rack space, all is not lost. We had already begun replacing a number of our aging Xserves with Mac minis when Apple made the fateful announcement.

    We find the Mac mini to easily hold its own against an Xserve G5 with a fraction of the power, cooling, and space requirements. This means not only a smaller physical footprint, but a significantly smaller carbon footprint. And our backs and wallets thank us every time we deploy one as well.

    We’re not the only ones who have come to this conclusion. Macminicolo.net
    “published their numbers”:http://www.macminicolo.net/numbers.html regarding hosting with Mac minis and are in complete agreement. They’ve hosted 1,278 Mac minis over the last 6+ years, most of which are still in their facility. Not too surprising to us is the fact that some of those were installed on day one and are still going strong. Even more impressive though is that only 11 of them have ever required a hardware repair (“5 dead hard drives, 4 dead motherboards, 1 dead power adapter, 1 corrupted memory module”).

    And, you know what? They stopped taking in Xserves for colocation a year ago and not a single customer has found switching to a Mac mini to be detrimental. Like us, the ones switching from Xserve G5s saw a net performance gain! Macminicolo.net calculates a $3,777 savings in hardware & colocation costs by going with a Mac mini over an Xserve.

    The “Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76351/mac-mini-with-snow-leopard-server-2-66ghz-4gb-dual-500gb/at_tt has been an excellent solution for us and we’re glad to see they’re working out well for so many others! “Drop us an email”:mailto:sales@smalldog.com if you think a Mac mini might be a fit for your business!

  • Follow Us, Friend Us

    Check out our blog, Barkings! to keep up with the latest Mac news, tips and tricks.

    “Click here to see the latest Barkings! news.”:http://blog.smalldog.com/

    “Read the Small Dog Barkings! RSS Feed”:feed://blog.smalldog.com/rss/?limit=10

    For monthly drawings, Mac tips, tricks, Apple news and fun stuff, follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook!

    Facebook
    Twitter

  • Picking the Right Cable

    Want to watch a movie that’s on your iPad on your HDTV or run audio from your Apple TV to your Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system?

    How about migrate data from the FireWire 400 port on your old MacBook Pro to the FireWire 800 Port on your new MacBook Pro?

    Here are some of the most commonly requested cables:

    * “HDMI Cable”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77175/belkin-hdmi-audio-video-cable-6ft/at_bis
    * “Firewire Cable”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/75967/hammerhead-firewire-400-6-to-9-pin-cable-6ft/at_bis
    * “iPod, iPhone & iPad Sync Cable”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/74949/chill-pill-audio-dock-to-usb-cable-for-ipod-iphone-3ft-black/at_bis

    No matter what your needs are, chances are we have the cable to get the job done. Not sure what yo get? No problem. Our retail staff is here to help you piece together the right cable configuration based on the gear you currently have.

  • Tip of the Week: Cold Weather Care

    During the colder months, it’s important keep in mind that cold objects entering a warm, moist environment (like your home or workplace) will become damp with condensation. As liquid exposure of any type can void your warranty and result in costly repair, and as Apple now installs liquid exposure indicators inside each of its products, it’s vital that you keep your electronic gear safe.

    If at all possible, do not keep your notebook, iPod, iPhone or other electronic gear in the car overnight in the cold. We’re beginning to see a few victims of condensation come through the shop, and it’s easy to avoid. If you find yourself with a moisture-covered device, the first thing to do is turn it off and remove the battery. iPod and iPhone users can only shut down and wait as their batteries are not removable.

    Legendary data recovery firm (and Small Dog data recovery partner) “Drive Savers”:http://www.drivesavers.com notes that this exposure to hard drives is particularly serious: “Cold weather can wreak havoc on temperature-sensitive hard drives used in computers, game consoles, MP3 players and video recorders. Condensation buildup on the drive platters and frozen components can lead to drive failure and data loss.

  • Getting the Perfect iPad Case

    Searching for that perfect case is something any iPod, iPhone or iPad user has gone through at some point. With the thousands of options out there, how do you find that perfect one which gives you protection and style at the same time? Do you buy a soft case or a hard one? Do you want a built-in screen cover or a handle to carrying?

    Here is a quick guide to buying a case for your iPad that will protect it and allow you to use it anywhere without worrying.

    **A few questions you want to ask yourself before buying are:**

    * Do I want a hard case or soft case?
    * Do I want to be able to stand it up for typing or viewing?
    * What color should I get?
    * Where will I be using my iPad?

    These are all valid questions you want to be thinking about when making this decision. Buying a sturdy and padded case can give you great protection but it can also make the iPad heavier and bulkier, which may detour you from using it as much. Buying something that looks good may not be the best for protection. Here are a few iPad cases from Small Dog which may work for you.

    **Hard & Rugged Cases:**
    **$89.99**
    “Otterbox Defender Case”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76101/otterbox-defender-case-for-ipad-black/at_bis

    If you’re looking for durability, then look no further. The Defender Case from Otterbox can take pretty much anything you throw at it!

    **$29.99**
    “Contour Showcase”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76758/contour-showcase-soft-touch-case-with-frosted-ipad-stand-for-ipad/at_bis

    This case has strong construction, and is still thin enough not to add a lot of bulk to your iPad.

    **Soft Sleeves & Covers:**
    **$14.99**
    “Hammerhead iPad Sleeve”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=hammerhead+ipad+sleeve

    The iPad sleeve made by Hammerhead is a great and simple way to protect your iPad when you’re traveling. It’s reversible, so you get two color choices from one case.

    **$25.99**
    “Incase Nylon Sleeve”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77582/incase-nylon-sleeve-for-ipad-aubergine/at_bis

    This great travel case comes with convenient handles to carry it anywhere you go. Its nylon materials are strong and lightweight.

    **Battery Pack Case:**
    **$99.99**
    “Kensington Powerback Battery Case”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77471/kensington-powerback-battery-case-w-kickstand-for-ipad/at_bis

    This battery pack case give you that extra power when you need it. It provides up to 5 hours of extra battery power and has a nice “kickstand” to prop it up for viewing.

    **Of course, one of our favorites and the best selling case here is the** “Verso case for iPad.”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=hammerhead+verso+case

    Made of premium leather, the Verso case looks amazing, and protects your iPad with rugged, well-designed coverage. In addition, the case as a stand as well, ideal for landscape-mode typing, viewing photos or slideshows and more.

    “Read more about how we designed the Verso case here!”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/how-we-designed-the-verso-ipad-case/

    These are just a few of the iPad cases we have at Small Dog Electronics. To view the full list of iPad cases check out our website: “Smalldog.com”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/iPad_Accessories|Cases_and_Sleeves