Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • October Coupon

    **Save $10 on the purchase of any LaCie back up drive when you buy a new computer or AppleCare!**

  • Enter to Win an iPod nano Before + During Our NH Grand Opening!

    You probably know that when you RSVP on Facebook to the Grand Opening of our “new store”:http://www.smalldog.com/nh/at_kb at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester NH on October 9th, you’ll also be entered to win one of five iPod nanos.

    What you probably __didn’t__ know is that we’re also giving away a new touchscreen iPod nano every other hour at the new store on Grand Opening weekend! That’s *14 chances to win a brand new iPod nano!* All you have to do is visit the store during Saturday and Sunday of Grand Opening weekend to enter your name in person for your chance to win.

    “Click here to RSVP on Facebook.”:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147158478653069&ref=ts

    “Click here to learn about the new store!”:http://www.smalldog.com/nh/at_kb

    Good luck, and we hope to see you at the Grand Opening celebration!

  • October Specials

    **$5 off AppleCare for any iPod with purchase of new iPod**

    **$5 off an in-store 20 minute lesson with purchase of new Mac**

    **Closeout savings on a 15-inch MacBook Pro 2.8GHz machine: $1679.99**

    “Click here for details and specs on this MacBook Pro offer!”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73881/macbook-pro-15in-2-8ghz-4gb-500gb/at_bis

    Be sure to mention Best in Showroom when you purchase any of these specials!

  • Free In-Store Seminars: October 2010

    Every Saturday, we hold free seminars in our S. Burlington store. Come in for more details!

    **10/09**
    2pm: Pages
    4pm: iPad

    **10/16**
    2pm: Mail
    4pm: iPad

    **10/23**
    2pm: iChat
    4pm: iPad

    **10/30**
    2pm: iTunes + App Store
    4pm: iPad

  • Classes: October 2010

    **Absolute Mac Basics**
    S. Burlington – Sun. 10/10/10 5:15pm to 6:45pm

    **Mac Basics Level Two**
    S. Burlington – Sun. 10/17/10 5:15pm to 6:45pm

    “Sign up here”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Classes or in-store!

  • Office for Mac 2011 Release Date Announced

    Earlier in the week, Microsoft announced an *October 26th* release date for their highly anticipated productivity suite via their “*blog.*”:http://blog.officeformac.com/office-for-mac-2011-available-october-26/

    Office for Mac 2011 brings comprehensive updates to the entirety of the suite. In addition to general speed enhancements, the latest version also includes Visual Basic, and introduces Outlook for Mac. These new features are met with substantial improvements to both usability and performance, making 2011 an enticing package for new and existing users alike.

    All copies of “*Office for Mac 2008*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag20219/ purchased between now and November 30th qualify for a free upgrade to 2011 when it arrives late next month. Upgrade forms can be obtained “*here*”:http://images.smalldog.com/rebates/office2011.pdf.

    Pre-order Office for Mac 2011:

    “*Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Home and Student Edition*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76796/microsoft-office-2011-home-and-student-edition-1-user/at_kb
    “*Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Home and Business Edition*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76797/microsoft-office-mac-2011-home-business-edition-1-user/at_kb
    “*Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Home and Business Edition – 3 Users*”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/77062/microsoft-office-mac-home-business-edition-2011/at_kb

  • Product of the Month: October 2010

    We have a great selection of LaCie backup drives in stock at all our retail stores!

    We say it all the time, but it never gets old: BACK UP BACK UP BACK UP!

    Check out what we have in stock–a hard drive is one of the most important (but yet most often forgotten) items you can buy with your new Mac!

  • Apple Updates Remote App

    This Thursday, Apple quietly released an update to their Remote app for iOS. Bringing about a number of highly requested changes, the update also includes several new features. Most notable is support for the new Apple TV, and optimization for the Retina displays found on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch. The app has also been redesigned around the larger screen of the iPad, and updated to take on a similar appearance to iTunes 10.

    The app’s new icon takes a cue from the redesign unveiled with iTunes 10, and its interface retains the somewhat controversial grayscale theme. Though the visual changes may bring about differing opinions, the updates will undoubtably be well received by existing users of the app. As the app had not been updated in almost a year, many users felt it was becoming slightly stale.

    Another noticeable change is that all references to AirTunes have been replaced with AirPlay. The in app controls for remote speakers are now significantly easier to use, and users can individually control the levels of certain speakers. The app also brings support for Shared Libraries on both iTunes and Apple TV.

    If you haven’t already downloaded it, the app is available for free “*here.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fremote%2Fid284417350%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

  • 4th Annual Free Recycling Event!

    For the 4th year in a row we are very excited to once again offer a free electronic waste recycling day. This event continues to grow for us and has become hugely successful, each year it seems we manage to recycle more than the previous year and each year think we can’t top the year before.

    In fact this event has become so incredibly success that this year we will offer this event in 2 locations! On Saturday October 23rd we will be offering free electronic recycling in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Without the incredible support from the community an event as large as this would not be possible, so start your fall cleaning now and drop off your unwanted electronics for FREE.

    * **WHEN:** Saturday, October 23 from 9am – 3pm
    * **WHERE:** Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH **and** Ben & Jerry’s Headquarters in S. Burlington, VT

    Help us keep all of this toxic stuff out of our waterways and landfills!

    **For a complete list of acceptable items and further details about the event (including our pledge to recycle responsibly in the US) visit:** “Smalldog.com/ewaste2010”:http://www.smalldog.com/ewaste2010/at_bis

  • Apples to iPods

    The Vermont Department of Tourism is holding their 4th Annual Apples to iPods event in Vermont’s apple orchards again this year!

    If you find a wooden apple in any of the participating orchards, you could win an iPod nano, touch, classic or even an iPad! “View their website for more details”:http://www.vermontvacation.com/applestoipods.aspx or contact **1-800-VERMONT!**

  • In-Store Lessons

    Many of our customers who come into our retails stores are first time Mac users and it’s not uncommon that many feel a bit overwhelmed with the idea of a new computer and computer system to learn.

    To help our customers, we offer beginner lessons on a regular basis on Sundays in our South Burlington retail store. We realize it’s not always the best time and location for many of our customers, so in addition to the group class, we also have in-store lessons available in all our retail stores. Many customers find this to either be a great follow up to the the group class, or another option to increase your computer knowledge and comfort with your purchase.

    At our retail stores, we offer by-appointment-only 20 minute one-on-one lessons for $39.99. Typically, we can accommodate a customer the same week they call. We can usually cover 2-3 basic computer operations or how-tos on a piece of Apple software. If 20 minutes is not enough time or you need further help, we also have hour long consults available for $89.99.

    This kind of one-on-one help is usually best-suited for customers who have multiple detailed questions about software, their Mac or those who are having trouble with a piece of equipment. If you’re not sure how long you will need, just come in or give us a call so that we can determine what would be best for you.

    To schedule an in-store lesson, simply call **800-511-6227** and select option **1**!

  • MAC TREAT #137: Faster File Searches with Keywords

    I noticed this Pro Tip a couple of weeks ago on Apple’s website, and immediately realized how useful it could be. Most web pages, blog entries, and images posted online are often tagged with keywords: terms that help identify and locate relevant content via web searches. These keywords might not even appear in the text or file names–they’re simply attached as metadata, so search engines can see them.

    In a similar sense, you can use keywords on your Mac to help you find any file when conducting searches via Spotlight. In Mac OS X Leopard, you can add your own keywords to text documents, audio files, images, or any other type of file.

    For example, let’s say you’ve received a PDF of the latest company newsletter, which features an amusing photo of your boss, Mo, and the CEO, Bill. You’ve saved the newsletter on your computer, and you’d like to be able to locate this document in future using a Spotlight search. But the names Mo and Bill don’t appear anywhere in the newsletter–instead, the two men are identified in the photo as Mauricio and William.

    Fortunately, you can easily add the keywords Mo and Bill to the document yourself. Select the document in the Finder and choose Get Info from the File menu, or just type Command-I. At the top of the Get Info window that appears, there’s a blank field titled Spotlight Comments. (Click the disclosure triangle to reveal the data field if it’s not already visible.) Simply type your desired keywords here, separating the terms with commas, then close the Get Info window.

    Now when you search for these keywords in Spotlight, your newly tagged file will appear.