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Mac Hardware and Software |OT| - All things Macintosh
- Thread starter 3N16MA
- Start date
killertofu
Member
Yeah I know. All I see now are USB 3 drives...I can never find a Firewire 800 drive and I'm not upgrading any time soon.
No, but hopefully soon they will release the Thunderbolt to Firewire cord.
StopMakingSense
Member
Yeah, the supply for firewire drives pretty much collapsed in the past year. You can still find enclosures and drives, but usually at a little premium.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Did you see them only within the Safari window? Or were they affecting the entire desktop/screen area?
KennyLinder
Member
Has anyone got a Time Capsule? Looking for a backup solution for when I get my iMac (making it two Mac's in the house). iMac will be wired to router (assuming Airport Extreme w/ hdd or Time Capsule) and Macbook will be wireless.
Just wondering what people think of them as a wireless (and wired) backup solution. I've read the Extreme's are decent routers with good wireless range on them.
As they're official I assume it would be a fairly good setup but not sure if Time Capsule would work with multiple computers? Would it need partitioning to work with more than one Mac?
cheers
Just wondering what people think of them as a wireless (and wired) backup solution. I've read the Extreme's are decent routers with good wireless range on them.
As they're official I assume it would be a fairly good setup but not sure if Time Capsule would work with multiple computers? Would it need partitioning to work with more than one Mac?
cheers
Time Machines over wireless are dreadfully slow.
I use Airport plugged into a External USB HDD + Time Machine to back up my computers. I have three laptops to back up right now.
It does take a LONG time, but just for the first backup. Part of this is USB 2.0. Part of this is caps that Apple put into the Airport USB HDD (I think). Part of this is good (because do you really want backing up your computer to clog your home WiFi network?).
If you don't mind leaving your computer on and sitting somewhere plugged in for a while for the first backup, then it is a great solution which doesn't require plugging and unplugging lots of cords every time you want to back up your laptop.
How long? For one backup of 600GB+ it took over a day. Then subsequent backups take anywhere from 15 minutes to longer (depending upon how much data has changed).
EDIT: One good thing is that if a backup gets interrupted, it doesn't lose what was already done. So that if you back up 300GB of 600 and for some reason you have to leave with your laptop. Then when you get back later and start backing up the rest then it only has to do the remaining 300GB.
Also a feature that I like is you can use the networked HDD to store files or transfer stuff between computers. No need to worry about turning on both computers to for "airdrop" etc.
Also I prefer having a USB HDD connected to the airport vs. the time capsule because it gives you more versatility with changing HDD's etc.
Ken Masters
Banned
iMac and MacBook both set up with my time capsule and it works flawlessly and easily
Don't know what the poster was talking about wireless backup being dreadfully slow, it backs up hundreds of MB in minutes for me. Setup is also a breeze when adding airport express to it.
I think the backup speed also depends on of your using the 2.4GHz band or the 5GHz band.
KennyLinder
Member
Great answers guys, thanks for all of the responses. I might try Air Port Extreme + an external drive (will any self-powered USB drive work?) instead of Time Capsule then. Although TC does apparently have good hard drives built into them. Hmm will look into this further.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Great answers guys, thanks for all of the responses. I might try Air Port Extreme + an external drive (will any self-powered USB drive work?) instead of Time Capsule then. Although TC does apparently have good hard drives built into them. Hmm will look into this further.
Thanks!
I imagine that any self powered drive would work. I have never had it not recognize a drive. I even got it to work with a Seagate drive that got power from the USB port.
I think there is nothing wrong with a TC. It is certainly not an unreasonable thing to buy. If you want to be able to use the airports one USB port for something else like a printer, then it is worth while.
I personally just like to be able to have the option to unplug the drive, run disk utilities, reformat it, copy stuff on or off it, repurpose it, replace it for a bigger or smaller one, and generally do what I want with it rather than have my HDD stuck inside my wifi router.
So I've been messing around in Terminal and stumbled across this useful command:
Which sets your current screensaver as your background.
To reset to normal.
Just thought I'd share.
Code:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &Which sets your current screensaver as your background.
Code:
killall ScreenSaverEngineTo reset to normal.
Just thought I'd share.
Well that's encouraging, cheers.
Ingueferroque
Banned
This is what is happening to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02pD4KqW2N8
(Not my video)
The previous Retina MBPro I had, which was returned for ghosting issues, also had these glitches but to a lesser extent. Since I don't really have a use for a laptop these days, and Mac Pro's are a waste of my money at the moment.. I think I might actually just get a good PC for work and play. It will be quite the adjustment though, having been a lifelong Mac user.
(Not my video)
The previous Retina MBPro I had, which was returned for ghosting issues, also had these glitches but to a lesser extent. Since I don't really have a use for a laptop these days, and Mac Pro's are a waste of my money at the moment.. I think I might actually just get a good PC for work and play. It will be quite the adjustment though, having been a lifelong Mac user.
Happened to my mid-2009 MBP. It could be one of two issues: screen itself or a specific part not working right, and unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it exactly. The second issue would require the replacement of the actual MBP (or so I was told).
The Genius bar rep had the screen replaced, and said to come back if the problem persisted. Everything's been fine since.
Ingueferroque
Banned
I paid 3K+ for my machine, I am not going to settle for them opening the case and putting it back together. With these designs it is impossible to do that without leaving any physical marks. I would also expect to have my warranty renewed if they open up my machine and replace a major part like that.
Apple's repair people did a clean job on mine. No scratches or marks. And rightly so, considering the price of these things. I would give them the benefit of the doubt, and if there were marks, they'd probably replace it again/give you a new MBP. Before they took mine in, the Genius rep took notes on any scratches or marks (zero!) that may have been present before taking it in.
On the other hand, you could also talk to the rep about replacing the unit altogether.
And your warranty remains the same length, but there could've been changes to their warranty guidelines from a year ago to now.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Yeah, I know they offer great service and are usually very flexible and friendly, but since this is the third time I'm having issues with the same machine I'm just done with it. :/
Sorry to hear. They probably have you on file, and will be more willing to replace it altogether if you've been visiting them about your issues.
Having some experience on the other side (though not as detailed as the Genius bar), sometimes, it really fucking sucks that someone is really just unlucky to have multiple issues from their device out of the millions made, and I can't just say, "well, you're unlucky that you got this specific unit that's having issues, multiple times."
Had a guy exchange his Nexus 7 twice since each unit he got as a replacement had an issue with the screen being unresponsive.
Moving to W7 isn't too hard of a transition.
Ingueferroque
Banned
Just chiming in with my thoughts.
Although most of my time is spent in a browser, I find that I still miss a few Mac OS things on my time with Win7 either at work or on my gaming rig. The transition for me would be tough for day to day computing.
first. gestures on a trackpad or magic mouse. I use them as shortcuts for tons of application features with BTT used for expandability. I have seen nothing on Windows that can approach this and is one reason I will continue using a Mac as my main machine for a while to come (older style mouse gestures within the browser aren't the same. I do have them setup but it's not as fluid as using the gestures on a system level on OS X)
second, RSS feeds in Reeder. Using the webpage for google reader is not nearly as nice for my taste. I can't sort the way I like ad the look is cheap compared to Reeder. I'm hooked on that app
Then there's a bunch of smaller reasons that I could get used to living without on a Windows machine but still shift my preference towards OS X: icloud integration with some newer apps, universal menu bar, drag and drop everywhere in finder, font rendering, Mission control, itunes performance, other 3rd party apps like tweetbot or fantastical
I think a transition from OS X to Win 7 might be easy for some but for those few users who really care about certain features it's a much tougher switch. (and, yes, i know this can go both ways)
Although most of my time is spent in a browser, I find that I still miss a few Mac OS things on my time with Win7 either at work or on my gaming rig. The transition for me would be tough for day to day computing.
first. gestures on a trackpad or magic mouse. I use them as shortcuts for tons of application features with BTT used for expandability. I have seen nothing on Windows that can approach this and is one reason I will continue using a Mac as my main machine for a while to come (older style mouse gestures within the browser aren't the same. I do have them setup but it's not as fluid as using the gestures on a system level on OS X)
second, RSS feeds in Reeder. Using the webpage for google reader is not nearly as nice for my taste. I can't sort the way I like ad the look is cheap compared to Reeder. I'm hooked on that app
Then there's a bunch of smaller reasons that I could get used to living without on a Windows machine but still shift my preference towards OS X: icloud integration with some newer apps, universal menu bar, drag and drop everywhere in finder, font rendering, Mission control, itunes performance, other 3rd party apps like tweetbot or fantastical
I think a transition from OS X to Win 7 might be easy for some but for those few users who really care about certain features it's a much tougher switch. (and, yes, i know this can go both ways)
Anatoli Bacharach
Member
My experience: HTML5 video is fine, the fan will stay at base level even for 1080p (basically silent). Flash video, not so much. Youtube isn't too bad (though the fan will kick in audibly), but the bad flash players, eg. thedailyshow.com, tend to put the fan into jet engine mode.
polyh3dron
Banned
Speaking of fans going mental, I'm playing Far Cry 3 on my rMBP right now. Fucking thing sounds like a harrier jet, lol.
It's ok for that to happen though, that's what the fans are there for.
It's ok for that to happen though, that's what the fans are there for.
I'm struggling to convince myself to play WoW on my MBA at the moment. I can't get over the feeling that the fans whirring away like that isn't bad for the system, even though a friend of mine is adamant it's OK and he's been doing it on a 2009 MBP since he got it without problems. I also took out the full 3 year AppleCare, so I really need to get over it.
I have wireless headphones now, maybe drowning it out will help convince me.
Out of interest how does it run on your rMBP?
polyh3dron
Banned
I set the resolution to 1280x800 and have to put most things on medium and some things on low to keep a stable 30 FPS. It's one of the more demanding games out there for sure but I'm willing to bet it outperforms the 360 version easily. BF3 OTOH runs great, I have effects on ultra, textures ultra, no AA or AF and it's a smooth 60. When i play Battlefield 3 it feels like this thing is a really good gaming PC. For a laptop that is as thin as it is, the gaming performance on it is amazing. Although I do wish it had a 680M instead of the 650M but I'm ok with this. I'll definitely be buying a desktop gaming PC later this year for the more demanding games so they can run with all the bells and whistles at 60 though.
polyh3dron
Banned
Those fans are going to kick in any time you actually put the CPU and GPU to work, it's completely normal. Seriously, don't worry about it, the fans are there to keep your temp down and they're doing their job. If you're not making the fans kick in then you're not taking advantage of the thing's power.
And yeah, I have some headphones on myself to drown the fan out, lol.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
An interesting feature I seem to have just discovered.
Seems if you have a sleeping MacBook and you plug an iPhone or something in, it won't charge. Unless you wake the machine up and put it to sleep. It will then keep the USB port active so your device can continue charging.
Pretty smart of them if it is a feature.
Seems if you have a sleeping MacBook and you plug an iPhone or something in, it won't charge. Unless you wake the machine up and put it to sleep. It will then keep the USB port active so your device can continue charging.
Pretty smart of them if it is a feature.
I'm a big fan of the refurb site and think its the only way to buy Apple products. I would jump on this but I can't help but think there are still to many issues with the retina MacBook. You always hear more complaints but number you hear about a computer of this price seems high.
People with Hackintoshes probably have never actually used a Mac before.
I'd go for the refurb rMBP as soon as the second or third rev make it to the refurb store. Still feels a bit early, but I'm sure they're great machines.
That's the sense i get as well. I'd only recommend it if you're seriously interested in tweaking and building stuff. Not as a cost-saving measure.
That's the sense i get as well. I'd only recommend it if you're seriously interested in tweaking and building stuff. Not as a cost-saving measure.
they are fantastic machines, albeit plagued with first generation problems
I also like using dictation to write posts
Autumn Wind
Member
The rMBP is decent though I think either next year or the following year is when it should hit its sweet spot. Hopefully sooner rather than later especially with the 13" between cost and specs.
Give the video card 2 GB of VRAM
Dreams-Visions
Member
their stuff is so good.
So I just bought a 15" rMBP... gaming isn't my thing anymore but I'm willing to try. How do you guys play games on this thing? I like using a mouse (played on PC all my life)... am I supposed to buy a one-button mouse or something? Use just the trackpad? Two-button mouse for Mac?
On my MBA it depends on the game. For Starcraft 2, it's hopeless so I just hook it up to an external monitor, close the lid and connect mouse and keyboard. For most games, just a mouse is enough tho.
why on earth would you buy a 1 button mouse?
Lol, not too familiar with how things stand nowadays I just remember that image of Steve Jobs saying "YOU HAVE ONE BUTTON!!"
You bought a 15" rMBP with this knowledge? Welcome to the Mac side (if you weren't already here)
But my gaming is done on a W7 bootcamp partition. You can use any normal mouse for gaming and keyboard.
the magic mouse works fine for browsing and OS level stuff with gestures. But it is not good, in my experience, with games. AT ALL.
So just get a decent 4 or 5 button mouse with real clickable buttons and a solid scroll wheel and use that for games.