Slow internet on your mac? What's the cause?

From Neighbors Paper Issue 88, Nov 09

Q: I often will be online and either the spinning wheel appears for a long time or Safari will crash all together. Surfing the internet seems painfully slow and I have broadband DSL. What am I doing wrong?


A: You are probably doing nothing wrong. People are quick to blame their computers first because that’s the technology staring them in the face when the trouble happens. The truth is, many smaller non-pro websites are built wrong, have compatibility issues and sometimes just poorly coded. This causes browser problems with some applications whether it’s Safari, Firefox or even on Windows using Explorer.


If using Safari, the first thing is to quit it, (if you haven’t been forced to already) and relaunch it. Under the Safari menu select “Empty Cache”. Now go to a site that’s known to be reliable such as eBay. Click on any auction and see if it comes up. Or click on a news story link on Yahoo.com. If the browser is very sluggish, it’s your broadband service.


At this point, power off your DSL or cable modem for 1 minute. Also power off your router if using one. Now power everything back on and check eBay or Yahoo. 


As a note, sites can get overcrowded with visitors so try another site before blaming your computer or service. Another good tip is to reboot your modem at least every two weeks. Your IPS provider probably does small upgrades to services and fixes which can’t be realized by your connected computers until the modem is rebooted on your end. If you have continued slow downs call your provider for a line test.

Snow Leopard (OS 10.6 ) is HERE! My findings...

From Neighbors Paper Issue 87, Oct 09

Usually when a major update is released I’m not willing to jump on board right away as I don’t need to tell you there are usually lots of compatibility issues. But Snow leopard was not considered a major update so for some reason I decided to take the plunge and install it.

Everything seemed ok, at least at the beginning. But as I began to use 10.6 I noticed several of my apps didn’t work. Apple says:

Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard is designed to protect your Mac from certain incompatible software that can quit unexpectedly or cause other issues in Mac OS X v10.6.

When you install Snow Leopard or migrate to Snow Leopard, known-incompatible software is moved to a folder named Incompatible Software on your hard drive.

Snow Leopard also prevents known-incompatible software from opening. If you see an "Incompatible software" message, contact the software's vendor or visit their website for a later, compatible version.

Snow Leopard moves known-incompatible software such as; Parallels Desktop, VirusScan, Norton AntiVirus, Internet Cleanup 5, Application Enhancer, AT&T Laptop Connect Card, launch2net, iWOW plug-in for iTunes, Missing Sync for Palm Sony CLIE Driver, TonePort UX8 Driver, ioHD Driver, and Silicon Image SiI3132 Drivers to a folder named Incompatible Software at the root level of the hard drive.

You will need to check the vendor’s website to see if there’s an update.

The biggest problem I’m hearing about Snow Leopard is printer compatibility. My Epson Photo R280 did not work properly after the upgrade. A quick visit to Epson’s website and I found an update to fix the problem. I downloaded and installed the update but the problem remained. At this point I tried the old tried and true “fix” which was to uninstall the old drivers and reinstall the new download from Epson. It worked. However Epson failed to mention this little trick to all it’s adoring users.

How do you uninstall a printer driver you ask? In the blue Apple icon menu open your System Preferences, then click on the Print and Fax icon. It will open a new window called Print and Fax so from here on the left side of the pane you should see a list of printers that your mac can access. Click on the printer you’d like to uninstall, then click the “-” minus (subtract) button just below. You just removed the old driver and printer connection.

Although it’s usually not required, I like to restart the mac and this point with the printer off. Once it’s up and running fine, turn on the printer making sure it’s connected via USB (or ethernet). (Sometimes I noticed HP printers like to be on before the mac boots, especially older HP printers connected to older Macs.)

Now go ahead and install the latest printer driver software from the vendor’s website. Follow the prompts if there are any. Now let’s go back to add the printer if it’s not there.

Again, in the blue Apple icon menu open your System Preferences, then click on the Print and Fax icon. It will open a new window called Print and Fax so from here on the left side of the pane you should see a list of printers. If your printer is there, you are done. Try printing something.

If not, click on “+” plus (add) button just below. Be patient as you’ll see some messages about searching for driver... Keep in mind most printers are bundled with some kind of print interface or multi-purpose software that scans , prints and performs all sorts of output options like printing 3 up on a sheet of paper or making greeting cards. Be sure this software is updated and compatible with the system you are using.

While I’m at it there’s a special considerations for you when buy a new printer. Never install the CD software that comes with the printer. You should first go to the company's website and check to what the latest software is for your printer. The CD in the box is probably ancient.

To see what printers are compatible with OS 10.6 see:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669

Snow Leopard (OS 10.6 ) is HERE!

From Neighbors Paper Issue 86, Sept 09

Surprise! OS 10.6 Snow Leopard has been released early—today, August 28! I am very excited about Snow Leopard, even though Apple is not heavily promoting its launch with pre-press, etc.

Snow Leopard is designed to make day-to-day tasks on your Mac easier, faster and more accessible. It delivers a wide range of enhancements, next-generation technologies, out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server, and new accessibility features. Snow Leopard is the most powerful and refined version of Mac OS X ever.

Our Favorite Features

Some of the most exciting new features and overall system enhancements in OS 10.6 Snow Leopard include:

64-bit support, the next big step for the Mac. All key system applications are now 64-bit so they can take advantage of all the memory in your Mac. Translation: Your applications will run faster...

Out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange. Mac OS X Snow Leopard delivers built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, something even Windows PCs don’t have.

Smaller footprint. Snow Leopard takes up less than half the disk space of the previous version, freeing about 7GB for you—enough for about 1,750 more songs or a few thousand more photos.

The Finder has been completely rewritten using Cocoa to take advantage of the new technologies in Snow Leopard, including 64-bit support and Grand Central Dispatch. It’s more responsive from top to bottom, with snappier performance throughout the Finder.

Quicker Time Machine backup. Snow Leopard makes Time Machine up to 80 percent faster and reduces the time it takes to complete your initial backup to Time Capsule. (Time Capsule is Apple’s backup hard drive.)

Faster to wake up and shut down. Your Mac wakes from sleep up to twice as quickly when you have screen locking enabled. And shutting down is up to 80 percent faster.

QuickTime X: As the next generation of media players, it’s built on new core technologies and advances modern media and Internet standards.

More efficient file sharing.

Multi-Touch gestures in older Mac models. All Mac notebooks with Multi-Touch trackpads now support three- and four-finger gestures.

A new technology called Grand Central Dispatch takes full advantage of multicore systems by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors.

Universal Access: Every Mac comes with built-in technologies designed to help people with disabilities experience it. Innovations in Snow Leopard advance accessibility even further..

How to Purchase and Upgrade to OS 10.6 Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard is an upgrade for Leopard users and requires a Mac computer (duh) with an Intel processor, 1GB of memory (though at least 2GB is highly recommended), 5GB of available disk space, and a DVD drive for installation.

If you’ve purchased a qualifying Mac or Xserve on or after June 8, 2009 that didn’t include Mac OS X Snow Leopard, you can upgrade to Snow Leopard for $9.95 exclusively from Apple via the Mac OS X Up-to-Date Program.

If you have OS 10.5 Leopard installed on a Mac purchased before June 8, 2009, you can upgrade to the Snow Leopard Single User Edition, on sale for $29.99.

If you have multiple Macs running OS 10.5 Leopard, you can upgrade to Snow Leopard with the Snow Leopard Family Pack. This can be installed on up to five Macs and is on sale for $49.99.

If you have Mac OS 10.4 Tiger or earlier, the only way to upgrade to Snow Leopard is with the Snow Leopard Mac Box Set. This includes OS 10.6 Snow Leopard, along with iWork ’09 and iLife ’09. Purchasing those separately would cost $289! See the Snow Leopard Mac Box Set on sale for $169.99.

Amazon.com has some great deals on Snow Leopard (last I saw it was $29 shipped) and also Best Buy had the upgrade for $25 with in store pickup. They were sold out so they shipped it for free...

Be sure to tune in next month about how I lost 3,000 pictures from my iPhoto library using the critically hailed “fail safe” back up utility called Time Machine. Yes even backing up isn’t fool proof. I’ll tell you how it happened and how you can prevent it.
Learn from my emotionally costly mistakes next month...

PC or Mac: For Busy People. The LAST Calendar You’ll Ever Need.

Are you like me and get blamed for scheduled events you were told about weeks or even months ago? “I told you about Tyler’s triangle practice and Catlin’s underwater basket-weaving class 3 weeks ago. Don’t you LISTEN to me?”

I’m thinking , “Not till I have to..”

I could argue that she never told me, but in 20 years, I’ve never won that battle. So. I have a new weapon in my arsenal; Google Calendar. Sanity saved. Have you ever wanted to share a schedule with your wife, girlfriend, co-worker or ex? Well, now you can. This is not a Mac product but I thought it relevant enough to write about.

Google has been the heavy weight of web search engines and they seem to get everything right when they do it and Google Calendar is no exception.

Google writes, “Simplify. Organize. (And relax.) Organizing your schedule shouldn't be a burden. That's why we've created Google Calendar – our free online shareable calendar service. With Google Calendar, it's easy to keep track of all your life's important events – birthdays, reunions, little league games, doctor's appointments – all in one place.

Using Google Calendar, you can add events and invitations effortlessly, share with friends and family (or keep things to yourself), and search across the web for events you might enjoy. It's organizing made easy.

Features

Calendar Sharing: Set up a calendar for your company softball team, and share it with the whole roster. (Your shortstop will never forget about practice again.) Or share with friends and family so you can view each other's schedules side by side.

Invitations: Create event invitations, send them to friends, and keep track of people's responses and comments, all in one place. Your friends can receive your invitation and post responses even if they don't use Google Calendar themselves.

Quick Add: Click anywhere on your calendar where an event belongs (or use the Quick Add link), and start typing. Google Calendar understands whole phrases like "Brunch with mom at Java Cafe 11am on Saturday," and will pop new events right into your agenda.

Gmail Integration: Add your friend's Super Bowl party to your calendar without ever leaving your Gmail inbox. Gmail now recognizes events mentioned in emails.

Search: Find the date of the Baxter family BBQ (you knew it was sometime this summer). Or, search public calendars to discover new events you're interested in and add them to your own calendar.

Mobile Access: Receive event reminders and notifications on your mobile phone.

Event Publishing: Share your organization's events with the world. Learn more with our Event Publisher Guide.

Cost: Free.”

This suite is a great way to share your schedule with family, friends, girlfriends and especially your spouse. No more excuses about “not knowing”. You can make your calendar as public or as private as you want, allow others to only view and/or edit it.

Someone has brought to my attention Google documents which work on the same principal as the Calendar. Sharing documents isn’t usually a big concern for most people, however being able to access it anywhere and always seeing the correct version can be very handy. There’s also the issue of losing the document which can’t happen if it exists online. Hmm something to consider.

MacBook Pro Just Shutsdown

Steve, 
I am enjoying my new screen very much. But the computer has been having a problem since I had it done and it is increasing in frequency. It just shuts itself off randomly. When I turn it back on it sometimes does it again. I can't find any similarity of when it happens. not too hot or near end of battery. Any ideas on what is going on? kate

Hi Kate,
I had this issue with mine also, then the fan started making a loud (!!!) noise on startup. It was so loud, I could not hear the TV.! I called Apple and they replaced the entire logic board for free (out of warranty). If you haven’t had yours replaced, call Apple before they stop the “voluntary recall”. Tell them the fan is making a loud sound and wont stop and you’re having this shutdown problem. (it has nothing to do with the LCD replacement.)

Also see:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2006/07/4689.ars

http://www.fixya.com/support/t710869-macbook_pro_just_shuts_down

iPhoto Crashing Issues and Problems

Q: I’m having problems with iPhoto crashing and freezing. What can be done?

A: iPhoto includes a feature that allows you to rebuild the currently selected iPhoto library. Sometimes rebuilding the library resolves issues such as the library appearing to be unreadable, missing photos, or other issues related to reading the iPhoto library structure.

Note: This article is for iPhoto versions 5 and earlier. For iPhoto 6 and later read on...

Important: You should back up your existing iPhoto Library folder before using the rebuild feature. A backup allows you to restore the iPhoto Library should anything unexpected happen during the rebuild (such as an unexpected shutdown) that prevents the library from rebuilding correctly.

Before performing a rebuild, you should install any iPhoto updates you find by using Software Update. If a software update resolves your issue, then you don't need to rebuild. It's also a good idea to search apple.com/support for your specific iPhoto symptom before performing a rebuild, just in case there is a more specific or relevant solution.

To rebuild iPhoto 5 and earlier you will need at least enough free disk space equal to your current iPhoto library.

Follow these steps to rebuild the iPhoto library:

Quit iPhoto if it is open.

For iPhoto 2, hold down the Shift and Option keys on the keyboard.

For iPhoto 4 and iPhoto 5, hold down the Command and Option keys on the keyboard.

Open iPhoto.

Keep the keys held down until you are prompted to rebuild the library.

Name and save the library.

iPhoto will begin to rebuild the iPhoto library. This can take several minutes, depending on its size.



Note: iPhoto 5.0.2 and later include an additional dialog that appears when you start to rebuild the library.

Use these guidelines for these dialog options:

Select the option(s) for thumbnails if only the thumbnails are appearing in unexpected ways (grey or blank).

Select the "Rebuild the iPhoto Library database" option if iPhoto unexpectedly quits when launched or does not get past loading photos.

Select the option to recover orphaned photos if photos appear to be missing from the iPhoto library.

If there was an issue with album data or with the iPhoto library file itself, then some of the albums may appear blank after rebuilding the library. Look in the main library in the source list of the iPhoto -- the photos are likely still there. If so, drag the photos to their corresponding albums to add them back to the library.

iPhoto 6 and later: Rebuilding the iPhoto library

Important: You should back up your existing iPhoto Library folder before using the rebuild feature. A backup allows you to restore the iPhoto Library if anything unexpected happens during the rebuild (such as a power failure) that prevents the library from rebuilding correctly.

To rebuild the iPhoto library:

Quit iPhoto if it is open.

Hold down the Command and Option keys on the keyboard.

Open iPhoto.

Keep the keys held down until you are prompted to rebuild the library.

A dialog will appear with rebuild options. Select the options you want to use.

Click Rebuild to begin the rebuild process. This may take a few minutes to

complete.

MacBook Pro Just Shutsdown

Steve,

I am enjoying my new screen very much. But the MacBook pro has been having a problem since I had it done and it is increasing in frequency. It just shuts itself off randomly. When I turn it back on it sometimes does it again. I can't find any similarity of when it happens. not too hot or near end of battery. Any ideas on what is going on? kate

 

Hi Kate,

I had this issue with mine also, then the fan started making a loud (!!!) noise on startup. It was so loud, I could not hear the TV.! I called Apple and they replaced the entire logic board for free (out of warranty). If you haven't had yours replaced, call Apple before they stop the "voluntary recall". Tell them the fan is making a loud sound and wont stop and you're having this shutdown problem. (it has nothing to do with the LCD replacement.)

Also see: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2006/07/4689.ars

http://www.fixya.com/support/t710869-macbook_pro_just_shuts_down