599 replies to this topic

[Righty007]

Big problems here folks.

Alright well tonight I sat down at my MacBook to watch a DVD and the computer wouldn't read it. I tried about four other discs and the computer wouldn't read any of them. I watched a movie about two nights ago with no problem and audio CDs seem to be working perfectly.

When I put a DVD in it will sound like it's reading it and then just stop. It will do this a few times and then the computer will just eject the DVD. It's really annoying, especially on a MacBook.

What's wrong? What do I do to fix this?

1st, break out your install DVD and see if you can read that. If not, then I think you can safely say that the drive has gone bad.

I don't see how the drive could have gone bad already. I've only had this computer for three months. If it was bad, wouldn't it not be able to read CDs?

Go to Applications and open the DVD Player and see if it reads it. If not, then there's something wrong with your drive but I highly doubt it's broke.

[darkpath]

I don't see how the drive could have gone bad already. I've only had this computer for three months. If it was bad, wouldn't it not be able to read CDs?

Trust me. The age of the machine is not relevant here. Please try having it read the install DVD. I've had computers arrive dead straight from the factory. If you think about it, that would seem even more unlikely than a failure in a 3 month old computer. No, it is not in any way given that an optical drive that can has lost the ability to read DVDs would automatically be completely dead. Bear in mind that the focus needed for a DVD is much finer than that for a CD. Your computer would not be the first that I've seen that lost the ability to read DVDs but could read CDs still (I saw it in a PowerMac G5 last year and I've seen it in numerous Windows PCs).

[zencat]

Big problems here folks.

Alright well tonight I sat down at my MacBook to watch a DVD and the computer wouldn't read it. I tried about four other discs and the computer wouldn't read any of them. I watched a movie about two nights ago with no problem and audio CDs seem to be working perfectly.

When I put a DVD in it will sound like it's reading it and then just stop. It will do this a few times and then the computer will just eject the DVD. It's really annoying, especially on a MacBook.

What's wrong? What do I do to fix this?

March it down to the Apple store. They'll figure out what's wrong, replace the drive for free, or maybe give you a new computer.

[Sbott]

Just set up Time Capsule. Apart from the 15hrs it took to back everything up (note should have used and ethernet cable) it is fantastic. Works perfectly and seamlessly I would strongly recommend it to anyone needing a wireless backup solution.

[zencat]

WWDC 08 keynote about to begin.

http://www.macrumorslive.com/

NERDS!!!

[[dark]]

I posted in this thread a while back saying I was considering investing in a MacBook - thanks to all who provided advice and played a part in convincing me to make the change.

A few weeks ago, took the plunge and bought the mid-range MacBook. It's a sexy-looking beast with a gorgeous, crisp screen and runs like a dream. I've had a few programs freeze up, but I imagine there's not an OS in the world which isn't the subject of the occassional hiccup.

It's got some great features - the widgets in particular are very handy; I love that at the touch of a button I can have a world time clock, calendar, dictionary and thesaurus, currency converter, weather forecast and more, all on the one screen.

I'm on a trial of Photoshop Elements, which seems to do everything I need it to - and I'll be shelling out for Office in the next few weeks. It's frustrating that Messenger for Mac doesn't have webcam capabilities, but other than that, I'm all kitted out. And conveniently, an Apple store is opening here in Edmonton in a few weeks time. I may yet become an Apple convert!

I do have a few minor questions.

• What's the Mac equivilant of the Home key?
• And the Mac equivilant of the delete key (a key that deletes the text that follows the cursor)?
• Is there a way to find the properties of an image in Safari (as, in IE or Firefox, you'd right-click the image and then click properties)?

Aside from a handful of teething issues, I'm loving it.

On the downside, the screen on my iPod cracked last week - I feel like I've lost an arm. The daily commute to work is that much duller without it.

[Mister Asterix]

$200 iPhone. I now know what my next phone will be.

[Arbogast777]

There's been some talk and concern about Jobs' appearance yesterday... he looked downright gaunt since the last time we've seen him...

"In response to a question about his health Tuesday, an Apple spokeswoman said Jobs was hit with a 'common bug' in recent weeks but he still felt it was important to participate in the Apple conference. The spokeswoman said he’s now on the mend with the aid of antibiotics.

Jobs’s health is occasionally the topic of chatter because he was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer four years ago, for which he underwent surgery that Apple said was successful. (Apple didn’t disclose that Jobs had been ill until after he was on the mend.) Mr. Jobs is also widely considered nearly irreplaceable at Apple, where he has been the architect of a dramatic resurgence in the company’s fortunes over the past decade."

Edited by Arbogast777, 10 June 2008 - 07:48 PM.

[Professor Dent]

Congrats, Matt. You are right on with the hiccup hitting all operating systems. I've had programs stop responding occasionally that I needed to force quit but I've never crashed the OS to a kernel panic (the Mac equivalent of the blue screen of death on Windows). On Messenger, Version 7.0 will have video capabilities & is scheduled for release later this year for home users but it is out now is for Enterprise users.

To your questions:

• What's the Mac equivilant of the Home key?

To move to the beginning or end of a line, hit Command-Left Arrow or Command-Right Arrow. The Command key is the key next to the space bar.

• And the Mac equivilant of the delete key (a key that deletes the text that follows the cursor)?

For laptop users, you need to hold down the Function key & press Delete. On full sized keyboards, there are Backspace & Delete keys (although, both are called Delete for some reason).

• Is there a way to find the properties of an image in Safari (as, in IE or Firefox, you'd right-click the image and then click properties)?

I don't believe Safari supports this but Firefox on the Mac works just like the Windows version & supports it. Off the top of my head, in Safari you could drag the image to the desktop & then hit Control-i or right click & select Get Info to see the image dimensions. Then just drag the image to the trash if you don't want it.

If you don't have an external mouse, holding down the Control key when clicking is the same as a right click. Here is a full list of keyboard shortcuts that may help you out.

On the iPhone, excellent price point at $199. I was hoping for a 32 gig model but a 16 gig for $299 is still excellent. Now, I only hope the 3G coverage in the real world is good.

[zencat]

[*]What's the Mac equivilant of the Home key?
[*]And the Mac equivilant of the delete key (a key that deletes the text that follows the cursor)?

Depends on the keyboard. Mine has a key marked "Home" in the pad between the keyboard and number pad (but I have an extended keyborad). For your home page when browsing, just click the little house in the toolbar to go to home.

Re delete. It's the backspace key. On some keyboards it says delete right on it.

[Sbott]

I do have a few minor questions.


[*]And the Mac equivilant of the delete key (a key that deletes the text that follows the cursor)?

To delete forward on my MacBookPro you use the Fn key and the delete key together

Glad your enjoying the Mac experience!!

[[dark]]

Congrats, Matt. You are right on with the hiccup hitting all operating systems. I've had programs stop responding occasionally that I needed to force quit but I've never crashed the OS to a kernel panic (the Mac equivalent of the blue screen of death on Windows). On Messenger, Version 7.0 will have video capabilities & is scheduled for release later this year for home users but it is out now is for Enterprise users.

To your questions:

• What's the Mac equivilant of the Home key?

To move to the beginning or end of a line, hit Command-Left Arrow or Command-Right Arrow. The Command key is the key next to the space bar.

• And the Mac equivilant of the delete key (a key that deletes the text that follows the cursor)?

For laptop users, you need to hold down the Function key & press Delete. On full sized keyboards, there are Backspace & Delete keys (although, both are called Delete for some reason).

• Is there a way to find the properties of an image in Safari (as, in IE or Firefox, you'd right-click the image and then click properties)?

I don't believe Safari supports this but Firefox on the Mac works just like the Windows version & supports it. Off the top of my head, in Safari you could drag the image to the desktop & then hit Control-i or right click & select Get Info to see the image dimensions. Then just drag the image to the trash if you don't want it.

If you don't have an external mouse, holding down the Control key when clicking is the same as a right click. Here is a full list of keyboard shortcuts that may help you out.

Thanks, Professor! I appreciate the support as I ease into the shiny, white MacBook life!

Excellent news about Messenger soon to support webcam - that was a big disappointment for me (I know there's aMSN, which I tried but found too clunky to use). On the whole, though, Messenger for Mac is a great, streamlined version of Windows Live, which has become so bogged down with ads and other material.

To be honest, I think I've had equal teeth problems shifting from a desktop to a laptop as I've had shifting from a PC to a Mac, which has to be a good sign.

[Arbogast777]

Today marks the release of Firefox 3 and I have to say it's really working great on my Mac. Blazing fast and some pages that never quite look right now look great. Some nice new features, too. And I love how the default look to it fits right in with the look of OSX!

The main Mozilla site is very slow... HERE'S a direct link to the Mac OSX download.

[Johnboy007]

It looks excellent on Mac, but I like the previous Windows version of Firefox better in terms of appearance.

[[dark]]

Today marks the release of Firefox 3 and I have to say it's really working great on my Mac. Blazing fast and some pages that never quite look right now look great. Some nice new features, too. And I love how the default look to it fits right in with the look of OSX!

The main Mozilla site is very slow... HERE'S a direct link to the Mac OSX download.

How does it weigh up against Safari?

[zencat]

I find Firefox MUCH faster than Safari.

[[dark]]

Can you elaborate on that, zen? I'm still fine-tuning my MacBook setup.

[zencat]

It's just fast. Pages load fast. (And I like that it has a built-in browser-wide spell checker).

However, this new version of Firefox does feel touch slower to me.

[Arbogast777]

Some good Mac themes for FF3 HERE.

[Professor Dent]

I like how it has more of a Mac like appearance. It does feel a lot zippier than the previous version. I put it on a Windows machine I have & that one seemed to be a little choppy when using the scroll wheel on my mouse. Almost like it was rendering the page on the fly while I was scrolling around. Still, this seems to be a solid upgrade all the way around.

[Johnboy007]

For some reason Firefox 3 really really hates logging into my school email portal. Every other page loads faster with the upgrade except this. It takes almost twice as long!

Then again it might be trying to tell me that I shouldn't bother reading my school email during the summer anyway.

[mccartney007]

I started a casting job at FOX and they provided me with a rather awesome MacBook Pro. I am excited to get the hang of using a Mac again.

[zencat]

I bailed on Firefox 3. Lots of bugs and problems. Many pages just weren't looking right (including my YB site -- galleries, borders and reflective features on images didn't appear). I reported each bug, but I don't want to wait. Also, it just didn't seem any faster to me.

Back on Firefox 2. When there's an update, I'll give 3 another try.

[Sbott]

Has anyone got the iPhone3G yet, if so what are your thoughts?

[BJAgent700]

I'm a Mac user myself. As a college student and a creative kind of guy, I felt it was only a matter of time until I came over into the light side of the Force. Of course, having been on the Dark Side since Windows 95 (with a few slight dabbles in Apple computing), it was becoming a major pain in the butt just to run ANYTHING! In fact, the "halo effect" is absolutely real, because I got my first iPod around 2004/2005, and I found that iPod was a great little device, a harbinger to me of what computing really SHOULD be. I got my MacBook in 2006, and I got another iPod as well! The experience has been largely impressive, and I really am enjoying my computer!

Now that being said, I have to make a very shameless plug for my Mac blog, http://mackintoshfun....wordpress.com/ which yes, the spelling of Macintosh is a very Scottish one, and a deliberate move on my part, mainly because I like this particular series of mystery novels by Lillian Jackson Braun, the Cat Who... mystery novels and the main human character is James Mackintosh Qwilleran (his mother was a Mackintosh).

In the next few weeks, I need to do iTunes recommendations just as I have software recommendations!

BJ

Edited by BJAgent700, 21 July 2008 - 04:13 AM.

[Professor Dent]

Has anyone got the iPhone3G yet, if so what are your thoughts?

I just picked mine up about two hours ago (the black, 16 gig model). I was in line on July 11th at a local AT&T store & they ran out so I did their "direct fulfillment" option which left me surprisingly unfulfilled after it was complete. My quick impressions: 3G seems to run as fast as Wi-Fi, the GPS works fine, & the speaker is significantly improved over the last phone - both louder & clearer. Give me about a week of real world use & I'll post my follow-up thoughts.

[[dark]]

Slightly mundane question: in Finder, QuickTime file icons are displayed as a still shot from the video in question; is it somehow possible to select the still to be shown?

Hope that makes sense.

[darkpath]

Slightly mundane question: in Finder, QuickTime file icons are displayed as a still shot from the video in question; is it somehow possible to select the still to be shown?

Hope that makes sense.

I believe what you will need to do is first select the "Poster Frame" which is under the View Menu, and then you may also need to use a utility like Pic2Icon to chance the icon to the Poster Frame you set. I'm not positive about that second step being necessary, however.

[Professor Dent]

I'm using QuickTime Pro but I believe this will work in the free version as well.

• Open the movie in QuickTime & pause on the image you want to use. You can also use the left & right arrow keys to step around the movie to get to the exact frame you want.
• Click Edit -> Copy
• Go to the QuickTime file in the Finder & Get Info (either right click on the file & select Get Info or click on it once & then hit Command-I.
• In the upper left of the window, you will see the thumbnail or a white filmstrip with the QuickTime logo. Single click on it (you will see a slight shadow behind it).
• Click Edit -> Paste.

Your movie frame will now be the thumbnail.

[darkpath]

Is anyone besides me debating between the three options of:

• stay with my existing mobile
• upgrading to an iPhone 3G
• upgrading to a Sony Ericsson C902 (the limited edition QoS version)

?

It's always been clear back to when it was just Ericsson, that they don't really regard the Mac platform as something they need to make concessions to and it was only by Apple aggressively incorporating SyncML and Bluetooth technologies that the connectivity issues were addressed; but that being said, I have had very good success with Ericsson and Sony Ericsson mobiles, using Address Book and iSync (used with T68i, T39mc, and W810).

On the other hand, the iPhone is, well, the iPhone!

Naturally, my wife prefers option 1!