MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro

My Uncle is looking to purchase his next laptop and is thinking he'll enter the world of Apple computers. As the wise consumer that he his, he asked for input on which model he should get, the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro (the 13" model)

The MacBook Air from Apple.com

For starters, switching to Mac has is an entire post in itself but I'll keep it short with this: If you are used to (and rely on Microsoft Office) in a business environment, be aware MS Office for Mac is not an exact replicate. If you are a fan of Outlook for Windows, I warn you: Outlook for Mac is not nearly as robust as its Windows counter part. I have enjoyed using Mac Mail but it definitely doesn't handle a Microsoft Exchange server (most large companies use Exchange for e-mail) as well as Outlook, but it works well enough. Apple computers also ship with a lot of built-in, free software such a Preview (a great PDF program) and iPhoto (photo library and editor).

I have owned 2 Apple laptops, a 15" PowerBook (2005) and a 15" MacBook Pro (2010) and have been extremely happy with their longevity and the operating system (OSX, instead of Windows XP, Vista or 7).

When comparing the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, the main deciding factor is functionality. If you are looking for a computer to surf the web and check email, the Air is for you. It is extremely light weight, fast (flash hard drive), and a slick machine. Some major drawbacks about the Air are: No CD/DVD drive (i.e. no watching movies on disc or burning discs) and no on board network adapter (no plugging into a network cable at the office). Now, both of these short comings can be overcome with USB accessories, but it is worth noting. If you don't need a CD/DVD drive or a hard wired connection to the network (WiFi only) then these aren't deal breakers for you. The Air's flash hard drive is smaller, so keep that in mind if you are planning on saving lots of photos on your computer.

Now for the MacBook Pro... this machine comes with Firewire and Thunderbolt ports in addition to the USB, mainly for accessories as well as the CD/DVD drive. The Pro also comes with a better processor and larger (but slower) hard drive, of course you can always splurge for the solid state drive for better performance.

These two machine are also quite close in cost, so the features of one may be considered a wash for just $200, that call is up to you.

Well, it is past my bed time and I'm sure this could use a good proof-reading, but I'm wrapping up a server upgrade and going to bed. Best of luck, feel free to post specific questions, I'll try to answer them the best I can.

A Good Reminder These Days

Taken from http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2012/01/06/stepping-into-the-unknown/


Stepping into the Unknown

Are you facing an uncertain future? Come talk to a mentor.

“He went without knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8b, NLT)
It’s a new year – a new beginning, new unknown territory. It can be a scary journey at times. Will I have the courage to step out into the unknown as Abraham did? Will you?
As I stand here with my toes on the threshold of the new year I know that God knows where He and I are going. Do I then go forward in faith’s victory to possess this new year…or remain frozen in victim’s defeat, allowing it to possess me?
As Jesus once said to a man whom He was about to heal, “Step forward.” (Mark 3:3b NKJV) Will I step forward believing and trusting for the answer to that which I need, remembering what God has done for me in the past? Or will I hang back in the shadows afraid to move ahead, forgetting God’s providence?
Just as God told Isaiah, He says you and me, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me.” (Isaiah 46:9, NLT)
God will again make His provisions available in the new year for it is in His plan for each of us. He says, “I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jer. 29:11 Msg)
As God led every step of the Israelites’ journey to the new land, so He still leads us today. When we take those wobbly steps into the unknown, what will this new land hold for us?
We may encounter…
* joys unspeakable
* smooth paths of guidance
* lush pastures of provision
* hilltop experiences
* spiritual blessings in abundance
However, we may also encounter…
* desert dryness
* valley mists and fogs
* wilderness wanderings
* gremlins hiding behind bushes
* paths with potholes and pitfalls
* steep uphill climbs and dangerous downhill slides
Challenges will meet us at every turn, some easier to handle than others. But God will work in all the ups and downs of those trials, heartaches, and blessings.
He does this for us because of His compassion and mercy. Jeremiah tells us, “Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day.” (Lamentations 3:21-23, TLB)
Be assured that no matter what happens on your journey this year, He is the source of your fresh mercies every morning. He will never fail you. He will walk by your side along each rocky bend in the road and carry you through each heartache and loss. God will see you through to the end of next year. Will you live as Abraham? “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.” (Hebrews 11:9a, NKJV)
We live our outward days on earth as in a foreign country, for we abide in God’s Kingdom of promise within us. Therefore, each day brings a new threshold into eternity. How can we not welcome it with willing feet and open arms? I am ready to step into the journey of each new day of this year, greeting each one in faith and with God’s mercy.
Questions: How about you? Are you ready? How will you greet the challenges of your new journey?

Ready to upgrade to Lion - Are you sure?

Mac OSX 10.7 aka Lion was recently released and many Mac users jumped on the band wagon and upgraded. It's always wise to wait until the dust settles after major releases, even Apple's extensive testing cannot predict some of the quirks that arise. There are two reasons why I'm glad I didn't jump at loading Lion onto my laptop.

The first reason is several of my programs are not Lion compatible, meaning they use the old PowerPC architecture, which Lion no longer supports. You too can check your compatibility by going to the Apple Menu > About this Mac

Then select More Info...

Then select the Applications list from the left hand column and look for any programs that have PowerPC in the Kind column. Any of the PowerPC applications will not work in Lion (or so I've read from others, haven't actually tried this yet).

The second reason I'm glad I didn't upgrade yet was this article. Apple accidentally re-charged customers for their Lion upgrades of $30 multiple times and in one case 122 times for a total near $4,000! I hope they get this figured out shortly.

Also - always remember to backup your files before upgrading. My next post will be about making a bootable backup of your Mac using the built-in Disk Utility.

Looking for our next home

Recently Brandy and I have been talking more and more about our next place. We currently rent an in-law apartment from my parents. The space has been great for us while living on my income with Brandy in school, rent is cheap and my parents have been able to help us out in many ways. We are contemplating moving out soon and have waver back and forth on our options. We see several options:

1)We can continue to rent the space until we've put a good dent in college loans and saved up a downpayment on a house. - Looks great on paper but it would take another two years (not sure our, nor my parents' patience is up for that!)

2) We could rent an apartment. - A decent apartment in our area is $900+ a month which is almost a mortgage payment but doesn't require the downpayment.

3) We could try to get mortgage for a small starter house. - Not ideal space but avoidable and would be an asset to resell later in order to purchase our dream home. 

It's hard to make big financial decisions with so many variables. Some things that come to mind are: the housing market is down, I wish we could take advantage of it - or - an apartment seems like counter productive - or - if we bought a starter house, we could get stuck with it later... Ahh so many things to think about. I keep telling Brandy and myself that we shouldn't think or stress over it until she has reliable employment as a dental hygienist, but it is difficult to maintain that mentality. 

Wow it's been awhile

Okay so you'll have to forgive me for the lack of posts. I don't have a good excuse, I just kept forgetting to write. I do have a follow up to some of the posts I've previously written.

First, I did complete several chapters of my Unix for Mac Users book before I was swamped at work and the last thing I wanted to do on the weekend was spend more time on the computer. Well recently I've been working on my Linux server administrator skills and have learned a lot in the last couple weeks. With the help of the guys at work for some practical examples and a great VI tutorial online, I'm on my way!

Next, it seems I have been swayed away from the idea of my next car...the Honda Accord has been pushed back for the newer Acura TSX. The TSX is basically the European version of the Accord so it's still in the family. I'm hoping to test drive one soon to really be sure it's the car for me. Sometimes it's tough to be content with our current vehicles breaking down and having issues but God's been good to us. Yesterday Brandy took her car in because both front tires (relatively new) were losing air overnight. They found a nail in one (replaced it) and repaired the other for $14! Now we just have to decide what we're going to do about the leaking oil and radiator in Brandy's car and the failing struts in mine...

There's a quick update, nothing to write home about but I hope I can get back into the swing of writing weekly again.

Social Media and Business - Emarketing 101

At first, social media appears to be somewhat of a personal way to interact with friends. However, it quickly became an area where millions of people are crammed into cyberspace ready to soak in what others have to say. The business and marketing side of me can't see past the access to potential customers gained through the use of social media. It can be difficult to quantify the benefits and ROI of using social media as an advertising platform although no one can deny the incredibly captive audience the internet provides. 

Often I encounter clients who are looking for some tangible evidence the work put into social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs) and with e-marketing  campaigns (Google AdWords, Constant Contact etc) was worth it to their business. It's not easy but it is doable with a little creativity. 

The easiest way is to offer discounts or coupons organized in a way you can tell which coupon came from which advertisement (Facebook, Google Ad, Email etc). It is also important to narrow your audience from the world wide web down to your target markets (the narrow group of people that would benefit most from your product or service). 

For instance, an apple orchard in New England is not particularly interested in spending money advertising to those in Washington state for pick your own apples.  So the orchard can limit their Google AdWord campaign to those in a geographical area, say a 20 mile radius around the orchard itself.

Another example would be through email marketing with the use of Constant Contact. Everyone hates to receive the mass mailings in their inbox, however if done correctly, they can be an incredible tool. 

First, when setting up a signup for email marketing also gather people’s addresses. It’s a border line call how anonymous your signup should be (just email address, or add name, address, phone number OR just their email and city/state etc). With increased information about your potential buyers, you can target them based on geographic region, interests etc. 

With email marketing campaigns, the good ones keep track of several important pieces of information:

1. Was the message delivered or bounced? 
2. If the message bounced, why? (Either the email account no longer exists or the inbox is full)
3. What percentage of people opened and read the message?
4. What percentage of people clicked on a link from the message?
5. Which link did they click on from the message?

For those with bounced message, if you have their address, you can mail them a “We’ve missed you” postcard offering some discount for coming back. 

There’s e-marketing in a nutshell, I’d like to hear your feedback.

I'm on Twitter

I started this blog with a challenge of keeping up with it weekly. It's been tough so I'm up to go at it again and use a reminder on my calendar to write a post each week.

Part of my job is knowing about the latest technologies and being able to speak intelligently on most of them. I never really considered myself much of a Geek, I can't name but 3 Star Trek characters, I haven't seen all the Star Wars movies, I don't have any nerdy t-shirts but nonetheless I'm a computer guy and by default a Geek to some point.

I've had an inner battle so to speak regarding how involved I should be with social media, this blog for insistence. Either way I need to use more of it in order to become somewhat of an expert on how to use it effectively.

Yesterday I signed up for a Twitter account and installed the app on my iPhone. I’ve already picked up a couple of followers, but they are strangers whom I don’t know and have a feeling they’re just robo followers, oh well. You can follow me @theMatthewKline.

Check back soon for more talk on advertising over the internet!