hittingthesweetspot

Archive for February, 2013|Monthly archive page

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Lowest prices + Optimizing utilities = previously loved Mac emergence

In Uncategorized on February 28, 2013 at 9:43 pm
The Power Mac G5, the last model of the series.

The Power Mac G5, the last model of the series. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

New cars are less affordable than ever for the average person.

You have to hunt long and hard for value in the used car market, too. No matter how much vehicles may be “recertified,” you still risk getting someone else’s problems and losing a lot of your hard-earned cash.

The PowerPC Power Macintosh market on the other hand is most definitely a buyer’s market. Powerful dual processor PowerPC G5 Macs can be found on eBay for $150 and less (if you participate in an auction instead of a buy it now type of purchase)—and that’s not a typo.

With the recession over (wink wink) you can still purchase a new value PC for between three and four hundred dollars. But, if you want an Apple, your entry-level choice is the Mac Mini—hardly entry level priced at all with its $599 sticker. Some of you are saying, that’s not bad for a new Apple computer. But, I would counsel the “new-to-Apple” set that the Mini is just the CPU (the computer itself)—it’s BYOM/K/M (Bring Your Own Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse). If you don’t have any of these or what you have is incompatible, you’re left to purchase them yourself—further adding to the cost of Apple’s lowest-priced, new computer.

It’s always caveat emptor on eBay, but if you ask the seller questions and they have a good reputation with a history of positive feedback, your $150 “gamble” isn’t much of a risk at all. Furthermore, if you scour your local Craigslist computer section, you should be able to find a great deal on a PowerPC Power Mac that you can check out in person, and save yourself some shipping costs, too.

The Power Mac G5s were never as problem-free in my mind as the ultra reliable and durable G4s were. The G5s could be glitchy, and the raw power they served up, while ahead of their time, was beyond the reach of many, as you needed to have deep pockets to afford them.

But for $150, there’s never been a more cost-effective chance for someone to take on a G5.

OK, so you’ve made the plunge and you have your beloved G5.

You boot it up and you are getting a beach ball—the spinning wheel of death, the fruity ball of bad times, the maddening mini-sphere of color, the round mound of irritation, the rotating circle of slowness, the lock-me-up-and-throw-away-the-Mac/I-want-my-PC-back blues.

But all is not lost. There are low-cost and free, diagnostic and optimizing solutions available to bring you back control of your new, used Power Mac.

The wonders of OnyX are largely responsible for my writing today.

Previously, I have been using Cocktail on my Power Mac Sawtooth G4. The Mac typically goes to sleep mode before it can run its Unix maintenance scripts for any given day, week and/or month.

Cocktail took care of all these housekeeping tasks and more. AppleJack was also another software tool I used, but usually not unless I was experiencing startup issues. Disk Warrior with its one trick pony of rebuilding your Mac’s disk directory is always there, too, and although I feel its price tag is worth it, should you need something outside of directory rebuilding, you must look elsewhere.

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried OnyX until today. But I am glad I did. Reviews of both OnyX and Cocktail mostly reveal they do many of the same things. But, I was intrigued by the fact (and correct me if I am wrong, readers—thanks to Dr. D last week for his WebKit tips!) OnyX deletes certain of the logs (such as those of the crash variety), whereas Cocktail only rotates them.

My Mac is noticeably snappier than ever after running the automated, unattended housekeeping scripts of OnyX. I’ve used the “pilot” feature of Cocktail, which is the same “hands-off” approach to optimizing that I prefer these days, but never saw the performance gains I feel I realized today with OnyX.

One thing I cannot stress enough is to have a backup before proceeding with any disk utility software repairs. I recommend having a back up of the back up, too, but at least have one back up of your data before you proceed.

Although the instances of disaster striking when running either OnyX, Cocktail or AppleJack, for that matter, are far and few between, as always, your mileage may vary. Having a backup leaves you a fail-safe form of insurance in the event of a malfunction—invaluable peace of mind and functionality, too.

OnyX, AppleJack and Cocktail increase the pleasures of owning a more cost-effective than ever PowerPC Macintosh computer. Get one, or all three of these longstanding gatekeepers of Mac optimization working for you in tandem with your used Mac purchase, and welcome to the world of value Macintosh computing.

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Snow problem, I’m taking the day off

In Uncategorized on February 25, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m sure a lot of Yahoo employees are upset about their chief Marissa Mayer taking away their work from home privileges.

Some would say they should be happy to have a job and just get in to the dang office like everyone else.

It will be interesting to see if this policy sticks long-term.

I remember discussing the work from home option with some of my co-workers. There were a lot in the “for” camp and also some on the against side.

I thought it might be cool to do it a day or two a week at the most, if for no other reason than providing a little variety to our work lives.

Work is oftentimes about how stimulated and engaged we can be while doing it.

Some would say the office environment is best for productivity purposes.

Others say working from home gives them the freedom and ability to be themselves more and thus become more productive overall, by doing so.

I still did not know whether working from home would be something I would like full-time, all the time. I don’t like doing much of anything all the time. If you work a full-time job, having some variety environment-wise while on the job, would probably make you more productive overall, if you think along these lines, as you would possibly remain interested longer.

Keeping oneself interested can be challenging, and speaking of becoming disinterested…

One day when we were rehashing the pros and cons of all this, someone mentioned, “I don’t want to work at home. If I work at home I won’t get snow days.”

Bingo.

Snow days.

Description unavailable

Description unavailable (Photo credit: pennstatenews)

Thus, the seed was planted.

I like blogging from home and do so all the time. Frankly, blogging is like a job only I love doing it. We don’t have to love our jobs, not many of us do, and if we can put things more on the “like” side of the ledger by working or blogging from home, than not, then by all means let us be able to do so.

But no snow days?

That would not be snow nice. In fact it would be more like the word that rhymes with truck except it has an “s” in place of the “tr” in front of it.

So, since I blog from home exclusively (except when I’m on the road), I have to blog through snowstorms if I begin a post and then it starts snowing.

I can’t call in.

I can’t say, “I can’t get my car out of the driveway.”

Well, I can say that, but it wouldn’t make sense (for many reasons).

I’m my own boss, so I’d be calling and telling myself this. It’s a total quandary, not to mention, just not something normal people do.

Plus, it doesn’t matter a bat’s pass that I can’t get the car out of the driveway—just keep typing, fool.

People that work from home that do things other than blogging, are typically using a computer.

I’ve seen Facebook postings during blizzards from people working at home that go something like this:

“I’m so thankful I can work from home and don’t have to be driving in this.”

I thought about all the times I risked life and limb driving in lousy conditions just to get in to the office so I could work.

I guess I feel if you are able to work from home, you should watch what you say on Facebook, especially when what you’re saying has the potential to make a co-worker that is commuting in the very inclement weather you’re referencing, pretty resentful.

I’m thinking Marissa might have seen, or gotten wind of, a Facebook status update along these lines.

As Facebook prompts, “What’s on your mind, Marissa?”

“Well, effectively immediately, all dumb Facebook status updates must now be done in the office.”

And there you have it.

Man, that snow’s comin’ down…and it’s sticking, too!

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Beware of Svetlana the phisher

In Uncategorized on February 24, 2013 at 10:43 am
ELVIRA

ELVIRA (Photo credit: Kickstart70)

I was propositioned by Elvira today.

No, not that Elvira.

But, even sophisticated phishers like Elvira deserve privacy. So, for the purpose of protecting her (his/their?) identity, she will be known as Svetlana for the remainder of this post.

Seems Svetlana saw my profile on Match.

That would be all well and good if not for the fact I don’t have a profile, nor am I on, Match.

But, being the naturally inquisitive and investigative sort I am, I was intrigued, and so read past this error in fact on her part.

Svetlana’s English is not very good, but I was able to understand her letter to me.

I remember when “Beautiful Russian Women Want to Meet You!” was all the rage as far as email spam was concerned. Heck, I even remember when “Beautiful Russian Women Want to Meet You!” was all the rage as far as 1-800 phone number spam before it was even called spam.

The Russian spammers are still at it with this even more individualized, customized and personal approach.

Perhaps it is not of Russian origin at all, though. If not, I apologize in advance for misrepresenting this.

The subject of the email was, “New post from Svetlana!”

There were no attachments to this email and since my systems are always locked down adequately, I fearlessly clicked to open it.

“My name is Svetlana I don’t know, will you interested in my message, but I’ll regret , if don’t write you. I hope, that you will understand my English (it’s not very good , i know:) )
I saw your profile on match.!”

Bam!

Can you say zero credibility in my eyes at this point?

But, undaunted, I read on…

“It’s very difficult to begin conversation ialogue. I don’t know what interests the man form other country.. I am a woman who still trusts in true love. Yes, I am very lonely now, and i need life partner man.”

I feel ya, sister, honestly I do.

At this point I’m wondering who might actually be vulnerable enough to succumb to Svet’s grammatical and spelling charms.

I mean, I suspect Svet is actually either a teenage boy or part of an international crime syndicate preying on the vulnerable, lonely and isolated.

After I read the email in its entirety, I thought of Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt:

[Spoiler Alert]…of course, at the end of the movie, Warren receives a letter from Ndugu (via Sister Nadine Gotier (spelling?), and his life is at once validated and has meaning (my interpretation):

Back at the Svet ranch…

Svetlana went on to say something is missing from her life and this is why she has written me today. She also included a couple of photos (Svet, is that really you?) in the body of the email and an email address to contact her.

I think if she was just seeking some insight from me, some of my thoughts, she could have easily visited this blog.

But then maybe she would not have had the courage to email me and close with this stirring teaser:

“If you will have desire to write the short letter on my e-mail address mail, I will wait it with impatience. I hope you will write me very soon, and if you reply me, I will send you more about me, and some my photos photograph.
Take care…
Best redars,
… I wait your answer at my personal e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx”

A phishing scam, much like hittingthesweetspot, comes in many forms.

Laugh while checking them out if you are so inclined, but steer clear, report it as spam and remain safe.

Your life has meaning.

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Stainless lends innovation to PowerPC Macs too

In Uncategorized on February 21, 2013 at 8:05 pm
The Aqua GUI in Mac OS X Leopard. Among the ch...

The Aqua GUI in Mac OS X Leopard. Among the changes are a gradient window style and a new Dock and menubar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The best browser for the PowerPC platform that practically no one’s ever heard of remains Stainless.

My post on OS X Leopard users being left behind by Intuit generated quite a bit of interest on this modest blog.

It would seem there are still a lot of Mac users out there trying to wring every last bit of horsepower they can out of their venerable machines.

PowerPC users are able to remain relevant and have a voice, so long as modern browsers like Stainless are being released for both the Intel and PowerPC platforms.

Although Stainless cannot make up for the dismal performance of not being able to have the latest Flash player on PowerPC, the pros far outweigh the cons for using this nice piece of browsing software. It also demonstrates software for PowerPC is still being developed, albeit in declining volumes, and in this slick, relatively new browser, the killer feature that is parallel sessions shows that as far as PowerPC software development is concerned, where there is a will there is most definitely still a way.

Stainless is an OS X browser first and foremost. It does not make the distinction in respect to PowerPC or Intel platforms functionality-wise: it works on both. People clinging to their PowerPC Macs and recently burned by Intuit with the inability to run this year’s client version of TurboTax, are taking heart with Stainless. On my tricked out, Sawtooth G4 tower, Stainless is nimble, stable and has parallel sessions: only the greatest feature that no other browser has—past or present (or future? Nah, surely Chrome and Firefox developers will come up with something similar, won’t they?).

PowerPC G4e

PowerPC G4e (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stainless’ parallel sessions feature has been around for a while, but after messing with it some for the first time, myself, I find it very killer, not to mention convenient and enjoyable, too. For the uninitiated (and in a nutshell), here’s how it works:

Let’s say you have a couple of email accounts in Yahoo or Hotmail or Gmail or whatever…

Open a tab and log in to the first account.  Then open another tab and log into the same service with another account user ID and password. You now don’t have to open another browser entirely in order to be logged in to the same site using different credentials. It’s simple, elegant and wonderfully efficient–like Mac applications used to be.

Perhaps it mostly has to do with PowerPC software development getting hardly any love these days. We have not had much to cheer about since being stranded at OS X Leopard 10.5.8. Perhaps it is just the fact that Stainless is pretty darn good at all it does.

Nevertheless, Leopard was (and still is) a great operating system. In my view, Windows XP is probably the greatest OS ever. It is still being supported, software like this year’s TurboTax works on it and users of XP, if their systems are adequately locked down, protected against the likes of malware, viruses and rootkits, can still enjoy the latest Flash player for YouTube and other streaming media.

Apple’s rapid OS development cycles subsequently make their operating systems obsolete and unsupported well before their time. This has left most Apple users with having to upgrade (now purchase) their machines on a much more frequent schedule. It is good for Apple but bad for many users like those still on the PowerPC platform, whose machines do all they need them to do except run simple tax software like this year’s TurboTax.

At the end of the day, PowerPC Mac owners can use a browser like Stainless to do their taxes via TurboTax online, in lieu of being squeezed out of the client/downloadable version by Intuit developers.

More importantly, features like Stainless’ parallel sessions can for me, stave off the complete irrelevancy of PowerPC Macs on the web entirely. I pressed this post on a PowerPC Mac with Stainless web browser. Much like a 15-year old Volkswagen B5 Passat with a 1.8T engine, it was fast enough and felt plenty good driving, too.

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Are you ready, sir?

In Uncategorized on February 17, 2013 at 10:20 am
Leopold (far right) watches in horror as Curly...

Leopold (far right) watches in horror as Curly Howard gets a hair cut in the film In the Sweet Pie and Pie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have to get a haircut.

That, in and of itself, is not so bad. In fact, I’ve always found getting my hair cut very relaxing. At times I have had to fight the urge to fall asleep while doing so.

It is like receiving anesthesia. My medical terminology teacher would be thrilled to know I’ve worked a medical term into one of my blogs.

But, I digress. It’s Sunday morning and I can do that at times like these.

Perhaps it’s that I have begun caffeinating myself in anticipation of the haircut.

Nah.

I’m just getting my coffee on because it’s what I do in the mornings.

Food comes later.

And then the haircut.

The thing I hate about the haircut is the walk-in nature of it all.

Sunday Morning

Sunday Morning (Photo credit: jspaw)

One time I got there right when it opened on Sunday. It was raining outside and a bunch of guys were already waiting to get in, too. I had found a parking place right in front of the entrance and so was poised to pounce as soon as we were within one minute of opening time.

It did not matter that at least one other gentleman was situated, parked in front of the place, before me. I was not to be denied. I felt more opportunistic than they, by virtue of the fact I was the one parked directly in front of the entrance.

So, I went in first and got my hair cut right away. Good timing.

We all wait for stuff in lines throughout our lives.

We have to wait in lines in the grocery store.

We have to wait in lines when we go to the DMV.

We have to wait in lines when we get to the haircut place just before it opens.

Once we’re actually inside the haircut place, we still oftentimes end up waiting sitting down, as they don’t take appointments and you are in there to get your hair cut when it’s your turn.

It’s not so bad, though, really.

I mean, if you are all about scheduling your haircut at a walk-in place because you need to maximize your time management, you can get a wait guestimate from the check-in stylist. This way, you can make a game time decision about whether or not you will put your name on the list and come back just before the window of time the check-in person gave you, is about to expire. Or, you can simply opt to get your hair cut another day; unless like me, the hair is growing in tufts on the back of your neck.

I know I should be happy I even have the hair I do. People are probably saying to themselves as they read this, “Why is he even blogging about crap like this? He should be happy he has this problem.”

I get that. I really do. Maybe, it’s because I want it all. I have to admit that now, here and forever: I just want it all. But, I can’t (have it all), and that’s alright.

Why?

Because there are some days like past haircut days, when I have moved in and out of the haircut shop effortlessly, with nary a waiting minute before getting my No. 2 buzz cut on the sides and back, and clipper cut on the top.

On one of these fortuitous haircut-getting days, I felt so good about the whole experience afterwards, I even let the stylist sell me some styling cream (I think that’s what you call it). I have never used any products in my hair before. But this stuff has green tea or green tea extract in it. I rub it in my hair after showering and I’m good to go. Seeing how I never typically combed my hair ever (why did I carry a comb in my back pocket all those years?), it didn’t feel like applying some green tea extract to my hair and scalp was adding all that much extra time into my getting ready each day. Plus, I drink green tea, and applying it externally, seems to make sense health-wise in a strange sort of way.

Okay, I’m feeling pretty lucky today. Off to try to get to the haircut place before it opens. Even if I have to wait, it’s alright. I have to get a haircut, well, mostly a neck hair cut.

Wish me luck.

 

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End your rut with ordered living

In Uncategorized on February 15, 2013 at 9:46 am

Ceiling of OrderYou’re worth it.

We all are.

Class 92 hauled container-freight train on the...

Class 92 hauled container-freight train on the West Coast Main Line near Nuneaton, Warwickshire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before beginning to bear down on a project like a freight train doomed to derail horrifically off its tracks, take time out for yourself.

If you don’t, at the end of the day, you’re just exhausted and in recovery mode (i.e. the couch or easy chair) after performing all of your “must do” tasks without first allowing for an activity that you truly enjoy.

Being in school again, I treat homework and project assignments like I used to when I wrote for newspapers. That is, I prioritize assignments based on due dates and times. In order to do that, I write down in a planner when each one is due. I did that with articles, stories and features I needed to write each week when grinding it out as a contributing writer for weekly papers.

It seems a pretty simple and easy way to get things done, but unfortunately it isn’t how a lot of people do it.

We have more tools like digital planners in order to be organized these days. We should be all about picking one or a few ways to be more prepared, and utilize them. Our lives are busier than ever, and being more organized, at least to me, is probably more important than it ever has been in any point in my life.

In addition to proper planning, we must have confidence in ourselves, too. That is, we must know, understand and realize that we WILL accomplish all that we need to in order of priority, and on time.

“It’ll all work out. It always does.”

I take these words to heart.

It is part of the confidence I have in my ability to accomplish what I must.

So, I am able to engage guilt-free in something I enjoy before I set out to complete any given task.

By “feeding me,” I am able to do a better job on my school assignments and projects that will come afterwards.

People speak of balance in one’s life, but it’s very easy to get carried away in either the work extreme, or the play extreme, direction. What I am suggesting is just a more proper order.

That is, feed your mind and body with what it enjoys first, and then go off about doing the not as pleasant things you must do afterwards—proper order in one’s life.

If you are a slave to your job (and who isn’t at one time or another?), long days or nights on it over time can leave you in a weakened state with declining health.

The "beat effect" problem created wh...

The “beat effect” problem created when shooting photos under standard fluorescent lighting (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I toiled at night on the computer under the glare of 1950s-style factory fluorescent lighting for more than a decade in an uncomfortable chair. The job paid the bills and this time of year always marked the onset of a particularly brutal four-month stretch known as “Peak” for those in the business (Annual Reports, Notice & Proxy Statements, 10-Qs).

My weekends (when I wasn’t working) were the times I caught up on sleep. I was not ever “feeding myself” although it did seem all I was literally doing was working, sleeping (a little) and eating. I was doing nothing other than trying to survive an open-ended shift of non-stop work—very unhealthy.

It seemed each peak we learned of a co-worker’s passing. Those of us who remained vowed not to let it happen to us. We would take better care of ourselves, take breaks, and ultimately consider doing what is most important: leaving a job altogether that is draining our health and sapping our strength.

Zebra Crossing

Zebra Crossing (Photo credit: flöschen)

Treating yourself better by engaging in at least one activity you love doing (what is it that brings you peace and makes you smile before you can even realize you are?) before you start your daily “to do” list can really make a difference.

You are absolutely worth making this positively impacting change. More easily completing what you must in your busy day and feeling better before, during and afterwards, are yours for the taking.

 

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Let’s see what happens

In Uncategorized on February 11, 2013 at 5:06 pm
60 Minutes

60 Minutes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since stuff always happens when you plan things, and I do not enjoy not being able to write each and every day, the lack of a regular schedule of writing would seem to make an appropriately boring topic for this blog piece.

As exciting as it would be to have a blog whose intention is to dull the knives that are our brains to the fullest extent possible, I still set out on each and every blog journey to deliver value. There is considerable value to be had here, too, as where else are you going to find gripping content like this without paying a hefty premium? Should you decide you are sufficiently compelled to feed hittingthesweetspot’s creative machine, feel free to click the “Contact us” link at the top and by all means render a donation accordingly (all possible tongue in cheek references aside, eating is good).

The greatest thing that can happen in someone’s life remains love.

But chocolate, ocean waves, baseball and anything you really like eating, doing, experiencing, feeling, watching and seeing, all contribute to a life well lived.

Do we let money control us or do we control our money?

I know we don’t control our credit scores, or at least the ability to correct any mistakes on them in a timely fashion. I saw as much on 60 Minutes.

60 Minutes, like this blog, has the ability to draw attention to various things, bad things, and things that are both good and bad.

What is really disappointing is when a media institution like 60 Minutes is pretty much powerless to bring change and reform to the very seedy businesses, personalities and bureaucracies they occasionally report on. They have a lot of resources, are influential, yet once things like corruption, avarice and lack of integrity are brought to the public’s attention, the ball is dropped; seemingly no one in a position to do so ever follows up.

I challenge people with appropriate, related authority to remedy things like this, to step up and do so, particularly after viewing upsetting television news stories (like those of credit reporting agencies whose uncorrected mistakes on credit reports impact tens of millions of people negatively), on shows like 60 Minutes.

This is my personal blog and as such, resources are limited, to put it kindly. Although it is ever evolving to the point where I will not rule out more investigative journalism-type formats in the future, presently, all I will do is echo that discord, injustice and also good things like our pets always being there for us, do exist, and are rightly represented at the forefront of this blog.

Blogs are becoming more influential, are they not?

Blog of the day once again

And aren’t the rules governing their formats and what they should be about also ever-changing?

I continue to take pride in the fact I expound on whatever I choose to. Freedom of the press and freedom of speech and expression will always bring tears to my eyes when I know how often they come under attack. It is also disconcerting to know they do not exist in any fashion in large parts of the world. To speak your mind either on paper, in person, in words over the air or on the Internet, is still fraught with peril depending on who is reading. A legal disclaimer is a necessary protection for the blogger.

I have been dormant for quite some time and restricting content to any singular topic is unfair to my form of expression as well as readers who come to this site never knowing what it is they will get. They can be sure, however, that what their eyes and imaginations receive is created with sincerity that comes from going through life keenly observing, hearing both sides whenever at all possible, and consequently sharing my thoughts.

It is an exciting time to be a blogger. We are seemingly everywhere.

Our power to influence grows greater with each passing day.

Speaking our minds and hearts represents not only our own individual, respective essences, but also all of those we come to know, have contact with, and love.

Let us respect this, acknowledge it, and be kind with all our demonstrations of it, for if we do, what does happen should be pretty cool.

Now I gotta go feed the dog.

 

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Write this down: handwritten note taking still in vogue

In Uncategorized on February 7, 2013 at 8:32 pm
School

School (Photo credit: The Library of Virginia)

School just seems sweeter this time around.

Things like showing up on time, being prepared, studying and taking notes are still as important now as they were when I last attended.

Since that was a while ago, I find the sense of familiarity comforting as I attend classes that upon completion will leave me fully qualified to embark on a new career as a Medical Coding Specialist.

Aside from feeling a bit squeezed when I sit in some desk chairs, I feel I am fitting in just fine. All of my classmates are on the same page: we are studying hard and trying to do our best; at least I believe that is what the majority of us are doing.

One thing that has been shocking is tuition costs. But it is what it is. Education is not inexpensive and when you look at it as an investment in yourself, you most definitely feel you are worth it.

I recently read that I am part of a growing trend of older folks returning to school. Not one to really want to be part of any “trend,” in this instance I don’t mind as it is mostly out of necessity.

diatype photographic typesetting machine by H....

diatype photographic typesetting machine by H. Berthold AG (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Much of the work I have done for companies in my recent work history has involved typesetting, pre-press and composition. The company I last worked for did not have an office in the part of the country I moved to. And due to the sensitive nature of the work and the potential liability that could be incurred, working remotely was not an option. Plus, the only place you can still be a typesetter is with a financial printer. The industry is automating rapidly, too, while many of the public companies that previously did business with them, are now performing their own filings and related reporting.

So, what is a worker in a contracting industry supposed to do?

Go back to school and learn something new that can position you for a job with a better future, that’s what.

Once I researched, figured out what I could do that would interest me and how I would go about getting there, my fears were allayed.

Now that I have been in classes over a month, my insecurities about being in a classroom setting full-time again have been put to rest, too.

Although some students use tablets in some of their classes, the good majority still take notes from instructors the old-fashioned way–writing them by hand. As someone who can still type a little, I suppose I could take notes on a laptop. I do oftentimes type up the notes I take by hand during lectures afterwards, but it’s pretty cool to see students taking notes the same way I did back in the day.

Talk about what is old is new again.

E-learning short courses

E-learning short courses (Photo credit: London College of Fashion short courses)

Online classes are a wonderful option for those juggling work and school. But after chatting up some of my classmates about online learning, many related that if you at all procrastinate (who me? I’ll finish this tomorrow), online studies may not be the best for you.

For me, although I was originally enrolled for a completely online curriculum, I opted for full-time classes because I could earn my diploma and certification sooner.

I am so glad I did. Interacting with fellow classmates as well as instructors is fun and engaging. Plus, I am making friends, gaining valuable knowledge, networking and having fun.

My advice in closing is do not think returning to school is daunting.

Yes, studying, being prepared, taking quizzes, tests and exams is stressful at times, but how you feel and what you get in return while applying yourself to any given task at hand—all the while being mindful of your goal of graduation, is most definitely worth it.

And double yes. I am an older, returning college student and have a long way to go, but school, like life, when given the tools to be successful, never gets old.

 

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Intuit gives pre 64 bit Snow Leopard users yet another reason to stay put

In Uncategorized on February 2, 2013 at 4:29 pm
English: A Late 2006 model 17" MacBook Pr...

English: A Late 2006 model 17″ MacBook Pro running Mac OS X version 10.6 (Snow Leopard), showing one of the default backgrounds, The Blue Marble. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s tax season and many of you are venturing out to purchase TurboTax to do your taxes, while others are downloading TurboTax and installing it for use that way.

Some of you are opting for the cloud and doing your taxes online in the comfort of your own browser.

For Mac users that are running 32 bit versions of Snow Leopard and pre Snow Leopard versions of Mac OS X on both Intel and PowerPC machines, doing your taxes online is the only way to avoid getting shut out from using TurboTax this year.

Intuit says they had to make the tough decision to move on and abandon some users of older Intel and PowerPC Macs.

We all understand time waits for no one.

But for Mac users, software manufacturers who develop for a Windows-centric world have always hastened the road to obsolescence and ire.

Most cross-platform software comes out for PC before Mac. Only Apple can release more full-featured versions of its software that work better on a Mac than a PC (read iTunes).

Windows XP users can still do their taxes with this year’s version of TurboTax: so much for needing to move on from older hardware and operating systems, Intuit.

But, I suppose I would do the same thing in terms of shutting out a lot of Mac users. It especially makes sense when you consider how small a market segment “lesser” Macs are.

Mac Graveyard

Mac Graveyard (Photo credit: nowhereman)

I am one of those people with a lesser Mac—until recently.

My lesser Mac is not so less(er) any more.

I recently acquired a Sonnet 1.8 GHz processor for my trusty old PowerPC G4 Frankenmac Sawtooth tower running OS X 10.5.8 Leopard (I installed OS X 10.4 Tiger back in the day, bought a 1 GHz Sonnet Processor Upgrade Card and installed Leopard on top of Tiger, and that’s where I’ve stood at the end of the PowerPC Mac OS road).

I must admit, I am smiling as I can smell the rubber burning as I work on my Mac again.

I have a dual boot Linux/WIN box and the Mac sharing a keyboard, monitor and mouse via a KVM switch. My use of the Mac had been dwindling, as the old 1GHz processor was no longer spry on the web or anything else for that matter.

Connectix Virtual PC version 3 in Mac OS 9, ru...

Connectix Virtual PC version 3 in Mac OS 9, running a Brazilian Portuguese edition of Windows 95 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 1.8 GHz Sonnet processor allows me to do everything in a lively manner again. I know Apple would like you to believe if you need a PC you can just run Windows on your Intel Mac. Back in the day, I had Virtual PC working on my PowerPC Macs (when the software was owned by Connectix–remember Speed Doubler and Ram Doubler?). Once Connectix sold out to Microsoft, Virtual PC became virtually worthless and unsupported.

If you need a PC to do work on, just get a used one. They can be had inexpensively and will free up your Mac to just do everything else you’re not already using the PC for. There are just enough compatibility issues when trying to run either Boot Camp or Parallels, that I would best advise you to stay away from running Windows on your Mac. Why have a Mac at all if you’re going to do that?

If you’re still scratching out a web presence via a PowerPC machine running OS X 10.5.8 Leopard, and you want to do your taxes with TurboTax online this year (since you’ve been shut out of the regular TurboTax product), some of the available browsers you can try are (not necessarily in order of preference and your mileage may vary): Camino 2.1.2, TenFourFox 17.0.2, OmniWeb 5.11.2, Safari 5.0.6, Webkit (more modern build of Safari—either r89812 or 536.26.14-Leopard-PowerPC build) and Opera Version 10.70, build 9034—the last build (to my knowledge) that will run on a 10.5.8 PowerPC Mac.

Software makers will only support those machines and customers that afford the most profit.

Deep down, we all know that, though we get irritated when, like this year, Intuit shuts some of us old Mac machine users out of the TurboTax equation.

With just a little bit of creativity and a modest purchase (used Sonnet processor upgrade off eBay—to be clear, Sonnet no longer makes these products), you can still use your older PowerPC Mac for practically everything again. This way, what was once old, has now been made new again.

 

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