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McFunkerson posted:I'm looking to put an SSD in my mid 2010 27" iMac, maybe replace the i3 with an i7 while I have it open. I can almost guarantee you don't need something 'top end.' Most of what makes an SSD such a noticeable improvement over a hard drive is present whether it's the most expensive SSD you can buy or not. Just find something with good reviews and pick it up, and you'll be happy, trust me.
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Nov 4, 2012 13:34
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Rabid Snake posted:I MacBook Air (2012) froze today while watching the CBS College Football Stream. I thought it was just an overheating problem (fans were on full blast.. flash player) so I manually shut it off. Now when I reboot, I get a grey screen with a blinking folder. That folder machines your computer cannot find its startup volume. Try some stuff in here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440 It is always possible though that your SSD went kaput.
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Nov 4, 2012 18:43
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Quick hard drive(s) question: Right now I store my iTunes library on my internal HD (500GB/7200rpm). My iTunes library is about ~110gb and growing daily. I have a 2TB (5000rpm) external connected thru FireWire800. Would it be a bad idea to move my iTunes library to this drive? Would it be too 'slow' to run off of this drive? Is this even possible? Also... does anyone make a Thunderbolt to USB 3.0 adapter? That would be amazing. Thunderbolt drives are still way too expensive, but I would get a USB 3 drive in a heart beat if I could take advantage of the speed improvement by using Thunderbolt. I bought this computer last year and of course Apple decided to update them with Thunderbolt AND USB 3.0 this year. I really wish I would have waited... 
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Nov 4, 2012 19:31
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I transferred my library onto an external and connected it to my airport extreme. It was annoying at first. If you're listening to music consistently, it's not that bad. If you're turning something on every now and then, be prepared to have to reconnect to the server and let the HD rev up. Be super careful when transferring your library. I threw mine on top of a back-up of my library and lost quite a few songs in the process. Playback is fine for music. It can be a little slow if you use this setup to watch movies.
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Nov 4, 2012 19:49
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Beaucoup Cuckoo posted:I transferred my library onto an external and connected it to my airport extreme. It was annoying at first. If you're listening to music consistently, it's not that bad. If you're turning something on every now and then, be prepared to have to reconnect to the server and let the HD rev up. I'm not going to be networking the drive (connected thru FW800 port on the computer) so I shouldn't have to reconnect to a server. So playback and such is not affected... that's what I wanted to hear. I never watch videos/movies using iTunes, except a few video podcasts. Also, I use this application called KeepDriveSpinning to prevent the drive from using it's "sleep feature" — KDS basically issues a 'touch' command every so often. I hated waiting a whole 5 seconds when trying to stream video from my Mac to the XBOX 360. 
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Nov 4, 2012 20:40
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chomper posted:I'm not going to be networking the drive (connected thru FW800 port on the computer) so I shouldn't have to reconnect to a server. Then nope, you should have zero issues.
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Nov 4, 2012 21:57
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mediaphage posted:Then nope, you should have zero issues. Sweet action. Hopefully I don't gently caress up the iTunes library move. Thanks dudes.
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Nov 4, 2012 22:31
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I've got a mid-2009 Macbook Pro that I haven't used in over a year, so today I decided to turn it into an HTPC with XBMC. Unfortunately, since installing 10.8 the thing just seems abysmally slow, even with 4 GB of RAM and a 7200 RPM hard drive on a clean install. I never remembered it being this bad - opening Settings can take around 10 seconds, and using Finder is painful. Even Netflix has problems. I guess I've got two questions - 1) Are these performance issues a known thing for my model of MBP, making it a good idea to downgrade to 10.6? 2) Am I better off just installing Windows 7 via Bootcamp and using XBMC through that? Vertigus fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Nov 5, 2012 |
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Nov 5, 2012 00:25
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Vertigus posted:I've got a mid-2009 Macbook Pro that I haven't used in over a year, so today I decided to turn it into an HTPC with XBMC. Unfortunately, since installing 10.8 the thing just seems abysmally slow, even with 4 GB of RAM and a 7200 RPM hard drive on a clean install. I never remembered it being this bad - opening Settings can take around 10 seconds, and using Finder is painful. Even Netflix has problems. I have a mid-2009 with the same setup but with 8gb of RAM, and don't experience the problems you're describing. The only common problem with those particular MBP's that I can think of are bad HDD cables, and they can cause problems like what you're describing if it's beginning to fail. empty baggie fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Nov 5, 2012 |
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Nov 5, 2012 00:41
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Even Apple decided Sandforce controllers were good enough to use in the Airs
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Nov 5, 2012 00:51
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Okay, due to an unexpected influx of money I'm going to have $2.5k or so to spend on a new workstation for myself. I work from home and am tired of running two janky-rear end old machines (one Windows, one 2008 MBP) to do the work of one modern machine. I would like to do some light gaming, although the gaming isn't really a big deal. Likewise, I could like the ability to run a Windows VM rather than bootcamping it. The thing is, I travel juussssst enough for work that a pure desktop solution isn't really viable. The new iMacs are beautiful, and have enough power for my needs, but it's hard to put one on a plane. I certainly can't afford a top-end iMac with a separate laptop. Right now I'm leaning towards purchasing a 15" rMBP (the base model), a laptop stand, and a 22-24" display to go with it. This would eat up the entirety of my $2.5k budget. I don't want to do that, but will if I can't find a better alternative. I toyed with the idea of getting a Mac Mini for my home use; the RAM is user-upgradeable and I'd probably spring for the fusion drive for a a total of $1100ish. Then I could get a fairly basic Windows laptop for the times I need portability. The laptop thread is bonkers for Thinkpads, and I could get one with the specs want for about $750. Even with a display, this comes out to about $500 cheaper than the rMBP above. I could go with a Macbook Air instead of a Windows laptop plus the Mini, but that wouldn't be much cheaper than the rMBP, if it were cheaper at all. What do you guys think?
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Nov 5, 2012 01:12
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ConfusedUs posted:What do you guys think? If you need a laptop then don't bother with desktop at all.
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Nov 5, 2012 01:25
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1997 posted:That folder machines your computer cannot find its startup volume. On the bright side, they're replacing the logicboard tomorrow just in case it's a defect in that. The MacBook Air has been in clamshell for most of its use (hooked up to a monitor/k&m) and they just want to make sure it's not a logicboard issue due to overheating.
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Nov 5, 2012 09:26
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My 1TB Western Dig HD I put in my MBP a year ago is dying an agonizing death. Is there a new recommended 2.5" HD for MBP's (13") or are the same ones recommended about a year ago still the best option?
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Nov 5, 2012 15:02
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My local Microcenter has a 2012 open-box 13" Air for $899. That's the same deal I got when I bought my 2011. http://www.microcenter.com/product/394834/MacBook_Air_MD2311LL-A_133_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver If you want to save $300 on a new Pro, check your local store. That's even cheaper than used, year-old 2011's on eBay
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Nov 5, 2012 15:19
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Bob Morales posted:My local Microcenter has a 2012 open-box 13" Air for $899. That's the same deal I got when I bought my 2011. I assume this deal doesn't show up online and you just have to call/walk-in?
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Nov 5, 2012 17:29
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PaganGoatPants posted:I assume this deal doesn't show up online and you just have to call/walk-in? You have to check your store for stock - then you can have them hold it for you.
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Nov 5, 2012 17:37
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Does anyone here use a Mac Mini for a media center? I have a giant desktop I built a few years ago. It was my only computer until i got a Macbook Pro in June. Now I just use to as a media center for the house. I'm thinking about switching it out with the Mac Mini because it'll take up way less room and be compatible with my Pro. Anyone else doing this? It seems like a good idea on paper.
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Nov 5, 2012 18:06
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I'd argue you don't need a dedicated Mac Mini for media. I've got my MBA wired up to a large external drive, and I'm sharing a media directory on there using AirVideo. Then, assuming you have an iOS device and an AppleTV, you can simply select media through the AirVideo app and watch on the big screen - all streamed wirelessly. It sounds a bit rube-goldbergian - but it works really, really well. I've looked for years for media center type setups, and this is the best implementation I've seen so far.
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Nov 5, 2012 18:46
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Did anyone here buy a 13" MBPr yet?
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Nov 5, 2012 18:58
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Lexicon posted:I'd argue you don't need a dedicated Mac Mini for media. I've got my MBA wired up to a large external drive, and I'm sharing a media directory on there using AirVideo. Here's how I have it set up:  The PC controls the monitor on the left and the TV on top (which I'm also using to play my xbox right now). My laptop is obviously my MBP. But, as you can tell from the bottom part of the picture, I am currently living like poo poo  I use XBMC for my room but I use Plex to push the media center stuff to every other room in the house. My brother/sister/parents use it when I'm not home so I can't have it set up on my laptop because then it'd be unavailable when I was gone. I don't have an AppleTV and Plex isn't available for the AppleTV anyway. I'm using a Roku box in the living room for my parents. My brother and sister use their PS3/Xbox respectively to get the media. I don't use the DVD drive in the PC anyway and I use my Pro for all my writing/photoshop needs so the PC really is just a giant waste of space. Plus, with the Mini I could get rid of my of the extraneous cables like the ethernet, DVI (I could actually use HDMI), and the various mouse/keyboard wires and it would cut down on that rat's nest. Daric fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Nov 5, 2012 |
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Nov 5, 2012 19:13
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Bob Morales posted:Did anyone here buy a 13" MBPr yet? I am using one right now and it's loving Awesome. I previously had a 13" Air and the 13" Retina is better in almost every way. The screen is gorgeous, the performance is stellar, the connections are slightly more useful. It only ways about a half pound more than my air, and while it's thicker the feel is so much more solid. Also the keyboard is slightly nicer. And the display is amazing. The only competition to the 13" Retina is the 15" Retina, which I've used plenty of prepping them for the devs here. The 15" is also great, being incredibly light and portable for its size.
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Nov 5, 2012 19:21
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Aquila posted:I am using one right now and it's loving Awesome. I previously had a 13" Air and the 13" Retina is better in almost every way. The screen is gorgeous, the performance is stellar, the connections are slightly more useful. It only ways about a half pound more than my air, and while it's thicker the feel is so much more solid. Also the keyboard is slightly nicer. And the display is amazing. I sold my 11" Air but I miss it already. I'm torn between the smallness of it but the 1440x900 screen of my 13" Air is so much more useful. I was thinking about ditching the 13" Air and then getting the MBPr with the $. But I'd still need to throw in another $200-$300 since that thing is so loving expensive. I had a dream where Apple stuck a 1600x900 screen in a laptop slightly bigger than the 11" Air and it still had a 6 hour battery.
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Nov 5, 2012 19:30
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Bob Morales posted:I sold my 11" Air but I miss it already. I'm torn between the smallness of it but the 1440x900 screen of my 13" Air is so much more useful. I suppose everyone's different, but it only took one look at at Retina screen for me to never want to use anything else. Today I was cleaning off my old air and working on a few non retina pros and was reminded just how stark the difference is. In terms of portability I think the 13" Retina gives you 80-90% as much as a 13" Air, though I've never used an 11" Air so I can't comment to that. The scaling on the Retina display lets you get just the effective resolution you want and it always looks great. I am wondering if anyone has actually used either the Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter or the Thunderbolt Firewire adapter. Right now I'm using the Apple USB Ethernet adapter and while it just works it is somewhat slow and battery draining.
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Nov 5, 2012 20:36
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I have a TB-FW800 adapter that I used with an Apogee Duet audio interface, and it worked beautifully, phantom power and everything.
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Nov 5, 2012 20:45
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Daric posted:Does anyone here use a Mac Mini for a media center? I have a giant desktop I built a few years ago. It was my only computer until i got a Macbook Pro in June. Now I just use to as a media center for the house. I'm thinking about switching it out with the Mac Mini because it'll take up way less room and be compatible with my Pro. If you are already on board with having a complicated-rear end computer involved in playing videos, and don't find it to be a bit much, the mini makes for a fine media center, considering how tiny and quiet they are. If you buy a recent one, you can even play some basic games. But, I think I'm about to sell my 2006 mini and switch over to an AppleTV, because I just want things to be simple.
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Nov 5, 2012 20:46
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Aquila posted:I am wondering if anyone has actually used either the Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter or the Thunderbolt Firewire adapter. Right now I'm using the Apple USB Ethernet adapter and while it just works it is somewhat slow and battery draining. Used both. The Thunderbolt FW800 adapter, in my experience, works faster than using straight FW800 to FW800 for bulk data transfer, as I've used it dozens of times to migrate user's data from an old to new machine. The Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter is similarly impressive, but you must use real dyed-in-the-wool Cat 6 cable in my experience. It ran lovely with a Cat 5e, but YMMV as it was an el cheapo noname Cat 5 cable.
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Nov 5, 2012 20:58
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cbirdsong posted:If you are already on board with having a complicated-rear end computer involved in playing videos, and don't find it to be a bit much, the mini makes for a fine media center, considering how tiny and quiet they are. If you buy a recent one, you can even play some basic games. I looked at the AppleTV but it doesn't do Plex or XBMC (at least not the newest ones. They're said to be impossible to jailbreak) which are both pretty essential to me.
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Nov 5, 2012 21:48
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Bob Morales posted:Did anyone here buy a 13" MBPr yet? Yes, I have one. It is very nice, love the screen quality and is very quick. Very pleased with the purchase. Only thing I had to do is run a 3rd party app so I can change the resolution of the screen to suit my needs, rather than those silly settings Apple has in System Config.
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Nov 5, 2012 23:49
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SwitchRes, maybe?
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Nov 6, 2012 01:59
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Aquila posted:I suppose everyone's different, but it only took one look at at Retina screen for me to never want to use anything else. Today I was cleaning off my old air and working on a few non retina pros and was reminded just how stark the difference is.
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Nov 6, 2012 03:02
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Aquila posted:I suppose everyone's different, but it only took one look at at Retina screen for me to never want to use anything else. If that's true, then haven't you utterly hosed yourself with external displays then? It depends what you do for work - but I'm a developer, and absolutely need tons of external real estate (more than any laptop). For the next 3-5 years anyway, that's going to have to be non-retina.
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Nov 6, 2012 03:07
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What is the sweet spot for a mac laptop in the 1000 dollar range. I'm will to go back as far as a 2010 model, but would prefer 2011 or newer.
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Nov 6, 2012 05:48
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Communist posted:What is the sweet spot for a mac laptop in the 1000 dollar range. I'm will to go back as far as a 2010 model, but would prefer 2011 or newer. Refurb 2011 13" MBA for $919 http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC965LL/A
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Nov 6, 2012 05:52
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^^^^^ Or this if you have a local Micro Center:Bob Morales posted:My local Microcenter has a 2012 open-box 13" Air for $899. That's the same deal I got when I bought my 2011. Alfalfa posted:My 1TB Western Dig HD I put in my MBP a year ago is dying an agonizing death.  *Although since they got bought they're apparently "Samsung by Seagate" according to a review I just saw. I bought two a while ago before the acquisition and they've been working fine, but there's a lot of reviews with failed drives  (same goes for the only other one with as many reviews though)Daric posted:Does anyone here use a Mac Mini for a media center? I have a giant desktop I built a few years ago. It was my only computer until i got a Macbook Pro in June. Now I just use to as a media center for the house. I'm thinking about switching it out with the Mac Mini because it'll take up way less room and be compatible with my Pro. Anyway it'd be fine, if excessive I think. My only concern would be noise. If it has to transcode on the fly to serve up stuff the noise could be annoying, depending on CPU use to transcode on the newer models (ideally Plex or whatever would use Intel Quick Sync). I use StreamToMe on my 2011 and there's a short period when the fan gets noisy while it starts up/buffers the stream but is fine afterwards. Have you checked out other cheaper boxes? I got one of the faster Zbox models but the fan noise at idle is pretty obnoxious...and it's kind of slow, but supposedly the other models are quiet (...but slower). So the mini is excessive and costs a lot more, but at least you know it'll be up to the task I guess. There's a HTPC thread somewhere (Inspect Your Gadgets if its not in SHSC) with people using stuff like your setup with Plex and everything.
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Nov 6, 2012 06:21
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This RAM will work in my mid-2010 13 inch MBP, yes? http://umart.com.au/newindex2.phtml?bid=5
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Nov 6, 2012 10:25
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Guni posted:This RAM will work in my mid-2010 13 inch MBP, yes? That link is busted. But a 2010 MBP will use the following: DDR3 PC3-8500 • CL=7 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1066 • 1.35V 2 4GB chips would be your best best for 8GB total
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Nov 6, 2012 14:11
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Daric posted:Does anyone here use a Mac Mini for a media center? I have a giant desktop I built a few years ago. It was my only computer until i got a Macbook Pro in June. Now I just use to as a media center for the house. I'm thinking about switching it out with the Mac Mini because it'll take up way less room and be compatible with my Pro. I have a Mac Mini which I use as a media center for the last couple years and I love it. It's running SABnzbd+/Sick Beard behind the scenes and XBMC as the front end. Setup properly, it's just as easy to use as an Apple TV and much more powerful.
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Nov 6, 2012 16:12
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Lexicon posted:If that's true, then haven't you utterly hosed yourself with external displays then? I have a 27" Korean 2560x1440 monitor, and while it has less pixels than my 15" rMBP, I sit far enough away from it that it still looks fine. I also run my rMBP constantly at 2880x1800 because I love screen real estate
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Nov 6, 2012 18:14
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Is Memtest OS X from here http://www.memtestosx.org/joomla/index.php still the best thing to use to check for corrupt RAM? My Early 2011 MBP literally just came back from it's oh, seventh time getting replacement hardware in the Genius Bar yesterday for a recurring but intermittent issue where either the battery or wifi card start freaking out and reporting that they're not installed or turned off/not charging, and now both of those issues have disappeared again but I'm left with laggy behaviour, distortion on iTunes audio output, and graphics corruption across the system. Have attached some screenshots but this is indicative of RAM failure in my past tech support experience, and certainly seems more prominent when running internal graphics:    (Path bar on the second shot) Another example is that there are two cursors displayed on screen during login, one that moves, and one 'dead' image. Machine is out of warranty now and no AppleCare, but these issues started way before the warranty expired and at this point they've replaced the wifi hardware four times, the logic board once, the screen assembly twice as the first time round they stuck a normal res replacement screen on instead of the high res upgrade, and all internal cabling twice. Worked fine after that little blitz for a month or so and then the battery started going crazy, disconnecting and reseating the battery fixed that but then the wifi issue returned, and now I'm stuck with this RAM issue. Luckily I haven't been asked to pay for anything as yet but I'd like to think that's partly due to my relatively extensive documenting of the issue in the past, so would like to test again at this point. If replacing the RAM doesn't solve everything once and for all I'd be well within reason to push for a replacement even if only a refurbed machine, right? Neurophonic fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Nov 6, 2012 |
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Nov 6, 2012 18:51
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