Snow Leopard is here! (and it’s really good)

August 31st, 2009

OK, so we’ve had a couple days to play with Snow Leopard…

If you have been using a computer for while, you know that for all the speed upgrades in your hardware, it just doesn’t seem to run all that much faster. The reason is simple. Bloatware. System developers just keep adding on feature after feature. Thousands of lines of code just keep piling up. Tens of thousands of files have to be sorted through for anything to work.

Snow Leopard is different. Instead of spending all their resources adding more features, Apple has rewritten OS X and made it smaller, faster and more refined.

The result? Your Mac will be faster, everywhere. You will get back 6 to 10+ gigabytes of hard drive space. Your laptop will run cooler and the battery will last longer! You will be happy. ;-)

It installs properly over your existing Leopard, no need to backup/erase/install/restore. (You must have an Intel based Mac, but if you’re still using a PPC Mac – it’s time to upgrade) If you skipped the Leopard upgrade, you need to purchase the “Boxed Set” to install Snow Leopard, but you also get iLife ’09, (new, much improved, iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb and Garageband) iWork ’09 (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) and Snow Leopard.

So… what all do get for your $30?

Better, faster, easier. Mac OS X Snow Leopard includes hundreds of improvements that will help make your Mac faster, more responsive, and more reliable than ever. Installation is up to 50 percent faster than with Mac OS X Leopard; wake from sleep is as much as two times faster; shutdown is up to 80 percent faster; and initial Time Machine backups to Time Capsule are up to 80 percent faster than in Leopard.

Dock. Now Exposé is integrated in the Dock, giving you a quick and easy way to see all the open windows of an application.

Finder. The Finder has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the new technologies in Snow Leopard. The familiar Finder interface is unchanged, but you’ll discover that the Finder is faster and more responsive. It also includes an enhanced icon view with live file previews, so you can thumb through a multipage document or even watch a QuickTime movie.

New core technologies. New core technologies in Snow Leopard unleash the power of today’s advanced hardware and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.

QuickTime X. The next-generation media technology, QuickTime X powers the audio and video experience in Snow Leopard. It debuts a completely new QuickTime Player application with a clean, uncluttered interface as well as an easy way to record, trim, and share your media.

Out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange. Snow Leopard includes out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 in Mail, iCal, and Address Book, so it’s easier than ever to take your Mac to work.

Safari 4. The latest version of the blazing-fast web browser delivers up to 50 percent faster JavaScript performance and is more resistant to crashes than ever.

Universal Access. Every Mac comes standard with a wide range of assistive—or Universal Access—technologies that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to offer. Snow Leopard continues this support with a variety of innovative features that advance accessibility even further.

All-in-all a great upgrade. If you are unsure or uncomfortable installing your new Snow Leopard, Your MacPac technicians will give you a full tuneup, test the hardware and properly install it for only $59.

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Mailing Labels and Envelopes in Address Book

August 21st, 2009

Did you know that you can create mailing labels right in Address Book? No need for 3rd party label software!  Not only that, but Address Book will also print envelopes and contact lists as well.

First, create a Group for the addresses you want to mail. To do this, click the + at the bottom of the Group column and give it a name.  Then, drag the names into that Group.

Next, click on the Group, and choose File→Print (or Cmd-P).

In the middle of the screen is a Styles dropdown. Choose Mailing Labels.

Below that is a Layout button. Choose Avery Standard, and then the Label style from the next dropdown.

On the next button called Label, you can choose whether to print Home, Work, or Both addresses. You can also sort the labels alphabetically or by zipcode. There are even boxes to include the Company name, Country, or just Country if it’s outside the USA.

Further down, you can even select the Font, Color, and Size.

To print Envelopes, go back to the Styles dropdown and choose Envelopes. You can turn on and off your return address. Choose your envelope size and the orientation used by your printer’s manual feeder.

You can also print Address Lists to keep handy. Choose Lists from the Style dropdown. Choose your paper size, and then put checkmarks in front of the fields you want to include.

Here are a few printing suggestions as well:

  1. Use your manual paper feeder for labels and envelopes instead of the main paper drawer.
  2. Many printers have a door on back that you can open. Instead of the labels bending around the printer platen and possibly coming off, the sheet now has a straight path and will come out the back.
  3. When printing labels, first print one copy of page 1 on regular paper. Place it over a blank sheet of labels and hold them both up to a light. Look to see if the addresses are centered on the label or if they overlap.  If necessary, go back to your printer settings and make adjustments so the text fits on one label.

Once you’ve selected all your options, click Print!

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Save over $500 on this exclusive web bundle!

August 14th, 2009

MacBook200bundleGo back to school in style and save over $500!

Start with the great new “uni-body”, 13″ aluminum MacBook. Totally recyclable, carved from a solid block of aluminum and sporting the new iPhone-like “Multi-Touch” trackpad. Amazing graphics, light and super strong, it comes with 2gb of ram, a 160gb harddrive and a dvd burning “Superdrive”. Plus a built-in web cam, fast WiFi, BlueTooth, Leopard, iLife ’09 – lets just say it’s loaded! Now add a Canon all-in-one photo printer that can scan and make copies, a 4gb Flash drive to backup and move files AND we’re throwing in an iPod shuffle for good measure. Bundle price, only $1,195!

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