Hardware
How to Install RAM in a Power Mac G4
Eric Buczynski June 25, 2007
Adding more memory, or RAM, is the least expensive and easiest way to upgrade your Mac. It lets you run more applications and keep more files open simultaneously. Most Macs have more than one slot to install RAM into, but certain laptops and early iMacs have limited slots, so in those cases it helps to purchase the largest memory sticks you can. How do you know which memory is right for your machine?
Add Extra Fans to Your Mac
Eric Buczynski June 18, 2007
Summer’s finally here! Soon we’ll hear kids laughing and playing in pools, smell burgers and ‘dogs on the grill, feel pimped-out 4-door sedans blasting rap songs, and listen to people complaining about how their new air conditioner conked out on the hottest day of the year. Don’t let that happen to your Mac. Whether you’re running several CPU-intensive applications at the same time, or you’re in the heat of battle playing multiplayer games, you don’t want your Mac to conk out during the latest DVD-rip or frag-fest this summer.
How to Mute Your Mac's Startup Sound
Matt Cone May 24, 2007
If you have a Mac, you’re probably tired of hearing the familiar startup chime every time you turn your Mac on. Maybe you have a baby in the house that you don’t want to disturb. Or perhaps you just want your MacBook to be quiet when you turn it on in the coffee shop. Unfortunately, not every Mac allows you to turn that stupid startup sound off. It can be the bane of your existence!
How to Remotely Connect to Windows PCs
Ric Getter May 7, 2007
If you have a shiny, new Intel Mac, there are all kinds of ways to run Windows while keeping the friendly environs of OS X close at hand. However, there are times when you may need to hop back and forth between the two systems and you have a non-Intel Mac or your Windows PC is in a separate box (and possibly in a different part of town). Microsoft has a very slick (and free) solution that isn’t very well known: Microsoft Remote Desktop for OS X.
How to Use Bluetooth Headsets With Your Mac
Dave Strom March 28, 2007
Forget the iPhone. You can make free Internet phone calls with your Mac to anyone in the world! You don’t need anything, really: Most new Macs ship with iChat AV, a built-in microphone, and an iSight camera. In fact, all you need is another friend with a Mac and iChat AV. But if you’re as serious about Internet phone calls as we are, you’re going to need some serious equipment. That’s where the bluetooth headsets come in.
How to Install RAM in a PowerBook G4
Matt Cone March 28, 2007
Installing RAM into your PowerBook G4 is the easiest way to breathe new life into your aging portable. This inexpensive upgrade can be performed by anyone in a matter of minutes, and after you’re finished, your Mac will run like new! RAM, or “Random Access Memory,” is a type of data storage used by your computer. RAM is a little like your hard disk drive, only there are no moving parts, and RAM is faster - a lot faster.
Stupid Apple Remote Tricks
Stephen Korecky March 19, 2007
If you’ve purchased a Mac recently, you probably have an Apple Remote. This nifty little device allows you to enter Apple’s Front Row interface and control your Mac from afar. It’s common knowledge that you can use your Apple Remote to play music, watch movies, and flip through pictures. This all comes in very handy, especially when you use your Mac as a full-blown entertainment center. What you might not know is that you can also use your remote to put your Mac to sleep, present a Keynote presentation, and lock your Mac.
How to Connect Multiple Monitors to Your Mac
Eric Buczynski March 19, 2007
Everyone knows that Apple’s Displays are cool - really friggin’ cool - but the high price tags are not. What’s a poor nerd to do? Buy a second display and connect it to your Mac. It’s one of the easiest ways to trick out your Mac! Working with multiple monitors gives you more visual real estate. You’ll really notice the difference when working on documents in multiple applications, and you’ll have an advantage when playing certain games.
AirPort Card Alternatives: Surfing Wirelessly (On the Cheap)
Eric Buczynski February 23, 2007
When I won the eBay auction for my PowerMac G4, I was thrilled to discover that my “new” Mac came with an AirPort card. For those who don’t know, an AirPort card allows you to wirelessly connect to the Internet and other networks. Since my PC downstairs was already connected to the Internet through an ISP, all I had to do to get wireless Internet access was purchase a wireless router for the downstairs computer, and I was on my way!
How to Fix a Dead Pixel
Stephen Korecky February 19, 2007
There comes a time in the life of every computer where one of the pixels on that beautiful LCD screen decides to not “play along” with the others. Usually it does one of two things: It stays one color and refuses to change (Stuck Pixel). It goes to sleep (Dead Pixel). There is always a slight chance that the pixel is dead for good. But 90% of the time it can be fixed.