Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Video: First Generation iMac Hard Drive Replacement

    For anyone out there who has been itching for a new tech video, today is your lucky day! A few months ago I received a request from two of our Small Dog fans, Michael and his daughter Kolani, to demonstrate replacing the hard drive on an original Intel iMac.

    While it seems like Apple barely switched to the Intel processor, it was actually in January of 2006 that the first iMac with an Intel processor was released. That means that just about everyone who purchased an original Intel iMac is now out of warranty; even the intelligent folks who purchased AppleCare. Michael was wondering how difficult it would be to replace the hard drive in his iMac himself.

    As with all of my videos, this video is for educational purposes only. To ensure a proper repair, it’s always wise to bring your machine to your local Apple Authorized Service Provider. That said, if you do attempt this repair at home it is wise to keep in mind that if you break something neither Small Dog nor Apple will assume any responsibility for it. So, be careful, use proper tools, and if part of the repair seems beyond your comfort zone, do yourself a favor and leave it to the professionals.

    I hope you enjoy these:

    “First Generation iMac Hard Drive Replacement, Part 1”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShY8zuT-wPg
    “First Generation iMac Hard Drive Replacement, Part 2”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjsIU1XEkME

  • Happy Tuesday,

    We’re extending the Tech Tails concept and trying out our first live Tech Tails TV show next week on “ustream.com.”:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-tails-tv Rebecca and I will be hosting and taking questions by Twitter @”hellosmalldog”:http://twitter.com/hellosmalldog and email.

    Feel free to send in your questions any time between now and next Wednesday. My address is “matt@smalldog.com,”:mailto:matt@smalldog.com and Rebecca is “rebeccak@smalldog.com.”:mailto:rebeccak@smalldog.com Tune your browsers to “http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-tails-tv”:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-tails-tv at 5:00 PM EST next Wednesday to watch live. The show will then be archived to our blog for viewing at any time.

    Don’t forget also that this Saturday is a tax holiday in Vermont. We are taking preorders up to the night of the 5th, so by all means, call to avoid potentially long lines in our stores. Everything $2,000 and under is tax-free! Both stores will be open, and the South Burlington store will be open from midnight to midnight.

    As always, thanks for reading, and keep in touch.

    Matt
    “matt@smalldog.com”:mailto:matt@smalldog.com

  • 25% off all already-reduced Timbuk2 bags with coupon code buk2deal. Quantities are limited. Clearance items are first come, first served, so hurry! Because…

  • NEW! Audio/Video Adapters by Kanex

    With the wealth of digital media available these days, we’re seeing more and more customers looking to hook up their Macs to their big-screen HDTVs to use as a media center. The good news is that not only is this setup a breeze, but it looks and sounds fantastic.

    Two new products by Kanex Apogee we’ve recently started carrying in the store make setup easier than ever by routing BOTH the video and audio signals to one HDMI cable (available separately), that is then plugged directly into your television or AV receiver.

    If you are plugging your Mac directly into your HDTV, check out the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI with USB Audio adapter ($59.99). This adapter takes the HD video signal from the Mini DisplayPort and stereo audio from the USB port and runs both signals to a single HDMI port, avoiding the mess of cables you’d need ordinarily. From the adapter, all that is left for you to do is to connect a single, standard HDMI cable to your TV.

    Those with a surround sound setup will definitely want to spend the extra $10 and go with the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI with Digital Audio adapter, which features a Toslink optical cable to transmit crystal clear digital audio in 5.1 to your AV receiver or home theater setup. It plugs into the headphone/audio out on your Mac, and transmits the audio and video directly to your home theater setup again via a separate HDMI cable. The digital signals can be processed by your receiver and you’ll be able to enjoy your movies in the highest definition video AND audio!

    Both of these products support 1080p video and are the perfect way to get your Mac hooked up quickly so you can spend less time fussing with cables and more time enjoying your media. *(Please note that these adapters will only work on newer Macs with a Mini DisplayPort.)*

    Come in and check them out!

  • Class Schedule: March 2010


    **Please Note:** All classes are from 5:15pm – 6:45pm and are $39.99.

    **Absolute Mac Basics:**

    * _Sunday, March 7th_
    (in South Burlington)
    * _Sunday, March 14th_
    (in South Burlington)
    * _Saturday, March 20th_
    (in Waitsfield)

    **Mac Basics: Level Two:**

    * _Saturday, March 27th_
    (in Waitsfield)

  • S. Burlington Saturday Seminars

    Please note that every Saturday at 4pm we will be having 30 minute **FREE** Seminars in our South Burlington location. Come by to check them out!

  • Meet Our Dogs

    **ZIGGY**

    Ziggy is the faithful companion to Jim, one of our greatest phone sales associates in Waitsfield!

  • Check out all the details here!

  • NEW! Rikiki External Hard Drives

    LaCie has hit the mark again! The “Rikiki”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=rikiki drives by LaCie are ultra portable, solid, and are offered in capacities up to 640GB!

    Rikiki (meaning “tiny” in French) is the smallest hard drive with a 640GB I have yet to see–the dimensions of this drive are just 4.3 x 2.9 inches. I love the fact that one of these guys fits without a problem into the small front pocket of my TimBuk2 bag!

    The “Rikiki”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=rikiki drive is literally one piece–and a separate cable plugs directly into the resistant aluminum body which in turn you plug into your Mac (or PC). I really like this feature because in the past I have had drives with the cable built-in break off or get stuck if they were retractable. If for any reason, you lose or misplace the cable, they are only $10 to replace. I also like that the light on this drive is pretty subtle; it’s a yellowish orange color rather than the blinding blue light we have seen in the past!

    But the best part about this drive is the price. You can get “250GB”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/75141/lacie-250gb-rikiki-portable-drive-usb-2-0 for $69.99, “500GB”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/75142/lacie-500gb-rikiki-portable-drive-usb-2-0 for $104.99 and “640GB”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/75143/lacie-640gb-rikiki-portable-drive-usb-2-0 for $134.99. This product is also backed by a two year warranty directly through LaCie.

  • NEW! CushDesk by Belkin

    Like most people, I enjoy using my notebook on my lap, on the couch or sometimes in the comfort of my bed! However, I notice that it heats up when it’s just on my lap or on my blanket (which really is not __that__ great to do, and why Apple calls them “notebooks” instead!). Plus, it’s a bit of a balancing act, since it’s not super stable.

    Belkin has just come out with the “CushDesk”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=cushdesk (their previous model was known as the CushTop and was rather bulky). The “CushDesk”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=cushdesk fits right in between your laptop and your lap/blanket/floor! It makes for a much more sturdy workplace and is really comfortable to have on your lap!

    The “CushDesk”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=cushdesk gives you a bit of an angle to work on, which makes typing more comfortable and ergonomic. This nifty little device will support all laptops from 12″ iBooks/PowerBooks all the way up to 17″ PowerBooks and MacBook Pros!

    The CushDesk ($27.99) is available in four different colors; check them out “here”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=cushdesk or come in to see them!