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Mac OSX Noob thread of OSX noobs

A

Alfarif

This picture? uhh I can explain really!
Battlezone said:
GAF, what Twitter client are you using? I'm currently using Tweetie, and it's currently my favorite, but I don't like that I have to have the icon in the Dock AND an icon in the menu bar. I'd rather have an icon in the menu bar, and nothing in the Dock.

I've tried Twitterific, Event Box, and one of the Adobe AIR apps, and there was something about each of them that was lacking. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

I use Nambu. Works with Growl, can be in the dock, menu bar, etc. I really like it.
 
Tinabina

Tinabina

Member
anybody know of any free good clean up software? i don't know what's taking up so much space on my Macbook.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Pristine_Condition said:
If you want a good visual representation so you can figure it out, try GrandPerspective:

http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/

I like this program a lot.
Click to expand...
Yes, I second GrandPerspective. (Much nicer than its competitor Disk Inventory X)

It will help you find large files you don't know about (Or didn't realize they were really that big) and you can delete them from within the program.

Another app I like is Tidy Up! which will find duplicate files. I use it with the two options "Total Items Size is Same" and "Compare the contents of the Data Fork and Resource Fork" to find files that are exactly the same (Maybe a funny GIF from GAF I saved twice accidentally, or a *cough* video I had already downloaded...) so I can delete one of the two.

The only thing is you'll want to selectively exclude folders and ignore things like clippings which always show up the same even if their contents are different. Clippings on OS X are an empty file with a resource fork. Same as WebLoc files. It sucks. That data should actually be in the files contents. Not the resource fork. I accidentally destroyed a whole folder of saved WebLoc (OS X equivalent to .url) files with Graphic Converter's "remove thumbnail from resource fork" option not realizing that those files were nothing but a resource fork. *sigh*
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
10.5.8 is out.

* Upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2.
* Improves the accuracy of full history search in Safari 4.
* Resolves an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display pane in System Preferences.
* Dragging an Aperture image into Automator now invokes an Aperture action instead of incorrectly invoking an iPhoto action.
* Resolves an issue that could prevent importing of large photo and movie files from digital cameras.
* Improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices, USB webcams and printers.
* Addresses an issue that could cause extended startup times.
* Improves iCal reliability with MobileMe Sync and CalDav.
* Addresses data reliability issues with iDisk and MobileMe.
* Improves overall reliability with AFP.
* Improves overall reliability with Managed Client.
* Improves compatibility and reliability for joining AirPort networks.
* Improves Sync Service reliability.
* Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
* Improves compatibility with some external USB hard drives.
* Includes latest security fixes.
​
 
P

pj

Banned
Why does it seem like every update I've ever downloaded mentions RAW images in some form or another
 
J

Jal

Member
The final update before 10.6 Snow Leopard then, if this doesnt fix your issues then tough titties.
Everything seems good although being a relatively new Mac user i didnt realize it restarts twice when doing a system update, had a cold sweat for a moment thinking it had gone into an endless restart cycle.:D
 
M

Mr. Wonderful

Member
Jasoco said:
Leopard is so old! I want another Snow Leopard Seed update! :D
Click to expand...
YAYAYAYAYA!

Though I have a feeling we're done seeing new seeds before Snow Leopard's release. Maybe one more leaked complete build, but that's it.
 
W

Woodsy

Banned
Semi-related - did anyone else get their Google Voice invite? Can someone post up a topic, as my Junior status is unable!
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
Jill Sandwich said:
Just downloaded GrandPerspective and got rid of 40Gb of junk! Thanks for that :)
Click to expand...
I really should do that. And I'm never installing those printer drivers again. I've never had a plug 'n print experience--always have to drop by the manufacturers page and download something.
 
Tieno

Tieno

Member
I finally got my external monitor to display at full res while the macbook display is active. Just uncheck the mirror display thingy and select the correct res for each display. :D

I wonder if it's possible to work with two people on one macbook. One using an external keyboard and mouse, while the other using the macbook natively.
 
G

giga

Member
Tieno said:
I finally got my external monitor to display at full res while the macbook display is active. Just uncheck the mirror display thingy and select the correct res for each display. :D

I wonder if it's possible to work with two people on one macbook. One using an external keyboard and mouse, while the other using the macbook natively.
Click to expand...
One active application at a time.
 
M

movie_club

Junior Member
sorry if this is a dumb question, but i suck at computers in general. Is there a way i can make a button on the keyboard launch an application?
 
P

Pristine_Condition

Member
movie_club said:
sorry if this is a dumb question, but i suck at computers in general. Is there a way i can make a button on the keyboard launch an application?
Click to expand...

Easiest way, without setting anything up or using an application, is to simply use Spotlight. Command (otherwise known as the "Apple" key) + Spacebar is the keystroke you want to use to launch Spotlight directly. Then type a couple or three letters of the name of the application name you want to launch. Spotlight will guess the app name...then just hit Down Arrow and Enter.

When you get the hang of it, it's QUICK to launch all your apps this way.

Otherwise, I'd look into LaunchBar or Quicksilver. Those programs are awesome and worth a look anyway.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
Pristine_Condition said:
Easiest way, without setting anything up or using an application, is to simply use Spotlight. Command (otherwise known as the "Apple" key) + Spacebar is the keystroke you want to use to launch Spotlight directly. Then type a couple or three letters of the name of the application name you want to launch. Spotlight will guess the app name...then just hit Down Arrow and Enter.

When you get the hang of it, it's QUICK to launch all your apps this way.

Otherwise, I'd look into LaunchBar or Quicksilver. Those programs are awesome and worth a look anyway.
Click to expand...
You don't even need to hit down if you're in leopard. It defaults to the first hit.
 
D

dustytruly

Member
hey everybody...

i'm new to mac... i'm sure it's been asked before, but is there a good app that just does basic voice recording?

i want to be able to record lectures in school using the built-in mic, and just wondering what app would be best for it...

also, quickly... is there a way to customize the trackpad using windows vista in bootcamp?.. i hate having to click the pad instead of just tapping the surface :p and if i could make it 3-finger swipe to go "back" in the browser like in OS X that would be awesome :)
 
P

Pristine_Condition

Member
mrkgoo said:
You don't even need to hit down if you're in leopard. It defaults to the first hit.
Click to expand...

You're right. I just do it on autopilot now, I guess... :lol

Did it used to need it in Tiger or something? I know that idea had to come from somewhere.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
Pristine_Condition said:
You're right. I just do it on autopilot now, I guess... :lol

Did it used to need it in Tiger or something? I know that idea had to come from somewhere.
Click to expand...
I believe you had to hit down in Tiger.
 
M

MrSeaneyC

Member
I presume that the awesomeness of bluetooth address book and SMS from the desktop that was magically lost from Tiger to Leopard hasn't magically re-appeared in the Snow Leopard builds? I can't seem to find anything on it.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Pristine_Condition said:
Easiest way, without setting anything up or using an application, is to simply use Spotlight. Command (otherwise known as the "Apple" key) + Spacebar is the keystroke you want to use to launch Spotlight directly. Then type a couple or three letters of the name of the application name you want to launch. Spotlight will guess the app name...then just hit Down Arrow and Enter.

When you get the hang of it, it's QUICK to launch all your apps this way.
Click to expand...
It's even gotten to the point I do this a lot.

I have a DragThing Dock with all my most used Apps in it and an alias to the Applications directory, the Apps folder in my Dock as a Grid Stack (With SL it's now scrollable and navigable.) and I still use Spotlight once in a while. Plus I have hotkeys set to open certain apps like iTunes (F1), Firefox (F5), Mail (F6) and Preferences (F8). The more ways to access things the better I say.

MrSeaneyC said:
I presume that the awesomeness of bluetooth address book and SMS from the desktop that was magically lost from Tiger to Leopard hasn't magically re-appeared in the Snow Leopard builds? I can't seem to find anything on it.
Click to expand...
If my crappy cell phone supported Bluetooth for anything other than a specific headset, I'd try it out. Was really disappointed when I found out they deliberately disabled all Bluetooth functions for anything not related to the headset. :/
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
LouieGeetoo said:
My girlfriend has a MacBook (the white, Core 2 Duo 2GHz kind; it's a few years old) with Tiger. She wants to be able to play games like Black & White on it. The best solution seems to be to install a Windows partition (I have a spare XP CD lying around).

However, since her MacBook has Tiger, there is apparently no Boot Camp. She doesn't want to shell out the $100 for Leopard, and I don't blame her.

What's the best way to partition and install Windows without Leopard? Should I try using the Boot Camp Beta with the change-the-date-back-to-before-expiration trick, or is there a reliable way to just do it all manually?
Click to expand...

rEFIt?
Myth: You need Boot Camp to run Windows/Linux/...

This section should probably be called “What is Boot Camp anyway?”. There is no final word on what is worthy of the label “Boot Camp” and what is not. Personally, I prefer to use more precise terms like “BIOS emulation”, “hybrid GPT/MBR”, “BIOS-based booting” or “legacy OS booting”.

Here are some facts about Boot Camp to get a picture of what is involved in making it work. See the following sections on what is actually needed/recommended for booting Windows or Linux.

When Apple released the first Boot Camp Beta in April 2006, they actually released three separate pieces that were all required to make it work:
  1. The Mac OS X 10.4.6 Update added several capabilities to the OS and its tools:
    • Online resizing of HFS+ volumes (kernel and diskutil)
    • Hybrid GPT/MBR partition table support (diskutil and Disk Utility)
    • Ability to select Windows partitions and CDs as boot volumes (Startup Disk and bless)
  2. Firmware updates for the iMac, Mac mini and MacBook Pro added a BIOS compatibility module, including detection of BIOS-bootable disks and CDs in the built-in boot volume chooser. This has been part of Intel Mac firmwares ever since.
  3. The actual “Boot Camp” download containing the “Boot Camp Assistant”. The Boot Camp Assistant has exactly two functions. It provides a nice user interface to resize the Mac OS X partition and create/remove a Windows partition, and it contains a CD image with Windows XP drivers for Intel Mac hardware (including a Startup Disk control panel for Windows).
Summary: You don’t need the actual Boot Camp package to install Windows or Linux, but it usually helps.
Click to expand...
 
T

The Librarian

Banned
Dax01 said:
When browsing GAF, I never seem to see every image that should appear on the screen. It seems to be pretty random, too.

For example:
I posted this yesterday, and the image I've posted was a poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey. I can't see it now, but I could see it when I posted it yesterday; I use Firefox.

Any suggestions on how to solve this?
Click to expand...
I asked this awhile and never got a response back. Nobody answered. I'm asking again because it seems to be getting worse.

I can't see people's reputation bars next to their names. It looks like this to me.

I restarted the computer once already, and that didn't seem to solve it.
 
T

The Librarian

Banned
Liu Kang Baking A Pie said:
Are you guys also not seeing the topics on the front page of OT?

Firefox is the worst browser on the Mac. Use Safari.
Click to expand...
I can see that, also pictures. I just can't see the reputation icons this time.

Weird.

Edit: What the fuck. I can't see them in Safari either.

Hheeellllllpppp.
 
B

Boards of Canada

Member
I had this problem in Safari and Firefox. Only some avatars would load. I had to go into Windows XP to see the full thread. This only happened on NEOGAF. I haven't seen it happen in a long time, though, and I'm not sure what I changed except upgraded to Leopard... I'm thinking it's a network issue, not a browser issue.
 
M

Maggot9

Banned
Jasoco said:
Yes, I second GrandPerspective. (Much nicer than its competitor Disk Inventory X)

It will help you find large files you don't know about (Or didn't realize they were really that big) and you can delete them from within the program.

Another app I like is Tidy Up! which will find duplicate files. I use it with the two options "Total Items Size is Same" and "Compare the contents of the Data Fork and Resource Fork" to find files that are exactly the same (Maybe a funny GIF from GAF I saved twice accidentally, or a *cough* video I had already downloaded...) so I can delete one of the two.

The only thing is you'll want to selectively exclude folders and ignore things like clippings which always show up the same even if their contents are different. Clippings on OS X are an empty file with a resource fork. Same as WebLoc files. It sucks. That data should actually be in the files contents. Not the resource fork. I accidentally destroyed a whole folder of saved WebLoc (OS X equivalent to .url) files with Graphic Converter's "remove thumbnail from resource fork" option not realizing that those files were nothing but a resource fork. *sigh*
Click to expand...

Downloaded Tidy Up!, seems you can only manage 10 items at a time unless you purchase the program. Seems tempting though, I can see so many duplicates in my itunes music folder. Did you but the program?
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Dax01 said:
I asked this awhile and never got a response back. Nobody answered. I'm asking again because it seems to be getting worse.

I can't see people's reputation bars next to their names. It looks like this to me.

I restarted the computer once already, and that didn't seem to solve it.
Click to expand...
Your problem is that you are trying to link to ImpAwards. That is your problem. That you are trying to link to a site that disallows hotlinking.

Maggot9 said:
Downloaded Tidy Up!, seems you can only manage 10 items at a time unless you purchase the program. Seems tempting though, I can see so many duplicates in my itunes music folder. Did you but the program?
Click to expand...
Nope. I just delete 9 items at a time. (Try to delete 10 and it fails telling you you can only delete 10 at a time. But it disallows it. Really stupid programming error. if items < 10 instead of if items <= 10.)
 
G

Guled

Member
I have a new macbook pro (13") and for some reason its not charging when I plug in the ac power, anyone have any idea what might be wrong?
 
K

Killthee

helped a brotha out on multiple separate occasions!
Guled said:
I have a new macbook pro (13") and for some reason its not charging when I plug in the ac power, anyone have any idea what might be wrong?
Click to expand...
Have you tried a different outlet? Also make sure the cord plug is secure in the power brick and that there's nothing obstructing the Magsafe connection.
 
T

Treo360

Member
Dax01 said:
I'm not the only one! Huzzah!

Edit:
All right, back on topic. What sort of routine maintenance (weekly, monthly) should I be performing on my Mac in order for it to be working as efficiently as possible?
Click to expand...
try mactuneup
 
M

MrSeaneyC

Member
Jasoco said:
If my crappy cell phone supported Bluetooth for anything other than a specific headset, I'd try it out. Was really disappointed when I found out they deliberately disabled all Bluetooth functions for anything not related to the headset. :/
Click to expand...

Well it's not in the latest build but I know they sometimes moves stuff in and out of the different seeds but I guess as we're so close to release, it's not gonna put in an appearance :(
 
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