Dra Studio.com - Design & Illustration

So, I’ve got my new 160 GB hard-drive, directions on how to swap it out on my MacBook, a nice tutorial on using Disk Utility to create a bootable backup (or I might end up using SuperDuper), and if everything goes well, my copy of Leopard tonight. Looks I am all set to get this cat unleashed! I am so stoked.

Besides the biggies (TimeMachine, Spaces, and Quicklook), the other magical updates I am looking forward to are Automator, Webclips and pretty pretty Stacks.

In case you didn’t see TUAW’s liveblogging, it is a sweet read on what is probably everyone’s typical Leopard install.

And yes, if you were there for the Leopard Launch at our store, I WAS the Time Machine guy. :D

Digging the Bounce (uploaded by DRA Studio)

How is it that I did not know about the amazing Message “Bounce” feature of Apple’s Mail? It’s straight up awesome! Thanks Mac Specialist Nina. :D

If you’re like me and don’t know what all the bouncing is about … here is the quick rundown: Instead of just filtering or deleting your junk mail, you can “bounce” it back to the sender. To them, it will look like they got the e-mail address wrong. Pretty sweet.

Mac Help (uploaded by DRA Studio)

I just realized today that I frequently forget the specific details and diagnosis steps I take when helping others with their Apple hardware and software woes. I guess after the issue is resolved, I just sub-consciously push all the particulars aside and move forward with life. This especially happens when the repair ends up being a typical simple solution. But today I also realized that I have, in the past, had to re-visit and address the exact same issue (or at least a similar one) for someone else. Rather than letting this slip by, I have decided that in addition to the already planned increase in writing, reviews and sketches I will be making to this refreshed blog, I will take the opportunity to chronicle the Mac repairs I make. Of course, the added benefits to you, the reader, are the supplementary content, as well as some handy advice for free.

This is, of course, in no way related to my new position at Apple and all the enthusiasm that it brings … well … maybe a little.

Wanna know what your internet conneciton speed is? Give this nifty little guy a try. Nice interface and just plain fun. (http://www.speedtest.net)

Blogged with Flock

So in past couple of days I have found my way into a few nice Mac tips/improvements … and now you can reap the benefits.

• Wondering what all those arbitrarily-named processes showing up in Actvity Viewer are? No problem. Just do a Google search for “Activity Viewer [blank]” … replacing the [blank] with the name of the process. Gets it every time.


• Need a cheap replacement for Roxio’s Toast Titanium? Check out the freeware, Burn. Simple and straightfoward, it uses OS X’s built-in features to handling all your media-burning needs … including appendable discs.


• Still upset with the way Safari handles Microsoft’s Outlook Web Access? Annoyed with either having to enter your password repeatedly or resort to using Firefox? I was too, until I was able to change that one small setting that made web access work in Entourage on my Mac. So exciting!
  
  

Oh and isn’t this the nicest picture of Simpsons family togetherness you have ever seen?

Blogged with Flock

So, pretty sweet … my big sis, Jessica, was named Agent of the Month with Geek Squad … for the WHOLE company. Not too shabby. Below the fold I am posting part of her interview, since she’s got some good words to say about client/customer interaction.

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… let’s make out!

Well, it looks like all of us MacBook-toting designer illustrators finally know the price of our new-found Intel speed goodness. Today on Terry White’s excellent podcast, he previewed the new Acrobat 8 Professional and dropped the news that the big A is TODAY announcing the new Adobe Creative Suite 2.3, complete with Universal versions of all our favorite design apps. Is the .3 upgrade going to cost us? You betcha!

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Looking for ways to get the most use out of Mac OS X Spotlight technology? Here is one of my favorites:

Backing up Files

Whenever I make a new backup CD, I use a great little application called Print Window to create a PDF folder list of the files on that CD. I do this with all of my backup CDs and in my Documents folder, I have a place for all those PDFs.

When it comes time to find an old file, I can hit up Spotlight with name and it tells me which PDF (and consequently, which CD) my file is in. Now that I have like 25 or so CDs full of archived files, it comes in really handy.

So what happens if you accidentally leave your copy of Microsoft Office at home and now 2 hours away, all you have is the internet and you really need to get that Word document completed today. What do you do?

Or what if you never actually purchased a copy of Office for the house and all you have is your work copy? What do you do, man?

Thinkfree has the solution for you. Their service allows you to create, share and store Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint compatible documents through their site … all for FREE. Cool, huh?

So, apparently there is a new reason for me to want to visit New York again. The (unbelievably) 24-hour 365-day Apple Store on Fifth Avenue! That’s right … this baby is set to never close. So when you decide you are in the mood for a juicy iPod Nano or a beefy PowerMac G5 after the Thanksgiving Day Parade, you are in luck. Now you won’t have to deal with those pesky “holidays”! Family time? Pssh! More like “Mac time”. (No, really … I am being facetious … honest!)

My favorite part about this new store? It is entirely underground. The only street level part is the 30 foot glass cube entrance in front of the GM building. From there, the immense Apple sanctuary is just an elevator-ride down. Amazing.