New iPod Shuffle models are available in a range of colours, and are now cheaper - 1GB: $NZ149.
LAPTOPS WANTED
Sheryl has two buyers for two Apple laptops; if anyone has one for sale, please contact her:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Several computing queries and suggested solutions included:
RETICENT PRINTER
My printer does not appear in the print menu, although it's connected and switched on - what can I do?
It's possible that your printer's drivers, although installed, are not the right ones for your computer's current operating system. Try visiting your printer's manufacturerÕs website to see if updated drivers are available. Be aware, however....
Many manufacturers initially display only the drivers for their current range of printers; if yours is an older model then you may have to search further on their website, or (often quicker) do a Google search specifically for your printer's drivers.
Multi-national companies (such as Epson) display different printers in different parts of the world - you may have to search the website for the area from which your printer was sourced, or (as above) do a Google search.
LOST APPLEWORKS
Recently my computer's AppleWorks application crashed and will not restart, despite having been reinstalled. What now?
Other than the reinstalling (which you've already tried) and repairing permissions (see Session below), the only suggestions are to check for the respective AppleWorks and System updates. Does anyone have any bright ideas?
RECALCITRANT iMOVIE
What can I do with my iMovie 6 which doesn't want to work, although the other iLife applications are OK?
It seems as if a reinstallation is needed. Each of the iLife component applications can be installed separately from the iLife disk by following the usual installation sequence until Customize appears, then uncheck the unwanted applications, leaving only the required one to be installed.
KEYBOARD NOT APPEARING
My MIDI music keyboard has a USB output, but does not appear to connect to my computer. Help?
You could try:
visiting the manufacturer's website for instructions, or to see if a plug-in is required so that you can connect.
opening your Audio MIDI Setup Application (find it in Hard Disk/Applications/Utilities) and using its Help for some guidance.
CORRUPT APPLEWORKS DRAWING DOCUMENT
When I try to print from an AppleWorks Drawing file it neither shows a preview nor prints. What now?
Document files occasionally become corrupt and won't perform, even though the data in them can be accessed. Try copying the data out of the file and pasting it into a new file. Remember that if you've unsuccessfully tried to print, you may need to remove the jobs from your printer's joblist, or it will try to print them again next time you use your printer.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Where can I find a list of keyboard shortcuts?
Top-of-screen menus indicate the keyboard combinations for available shortcuts on the right-hand side of the the drop-down, eg:
A full list of available System shortcuts can be found in System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse/Keyboard Shortcuts. These are in categories (see below), and are modifiable - you can choose your own alternative keys if you wish, and also add other shortcuts:
Mac Help contains a number of lists of shortcuts for different purposes (search for 'shortcuts'). You need to remember what the special symbols mean, eg:
Control
Enter
Command (Apple Key)
Shift
Option
MacBASICS
REPAIRING PERMISSIONS
Sheryl described the need to repair disk permissions, and how to do it:
If your computer is not behaving properly, especially after you have installed new software, it's likely that the disk permissions need to be repaired. This is a basic 'housekeeping' task which fixes file or application user permissions which may have been damaged, and it is advisable to do this regularly. To repair:
1. Open the Disk Utility application: it's in Applications/Utilities. A shortcut from Finder to get to the Utilities folder is to type Shift+Apple+U.
Click on your Hard Disk icon (not the computer's drive icon):
In the First Aid panel, click Repair Disk Permissions:
If it is your system software that needs attention, you can use a System Disk as it will also contain Repair Permissions. Restart the computer with the System Disk inserted and hold the C key while restarting. Choose the language to use, then go through the on-screen menus until you get a choice to Run Disk Utility.
If a System Disk is not available, but another computer is, then system software can be repaired by connecting the two computers together using a double-ended firewire cable and restarting the computer to be repaired in Target Disk Mode by holding down its T key while restarting. The other computer's Disk Utility can then be used to perform the repairs.
Robin Linder has further information on hard disk repair: contact him by e-mailing:
FINDER WINDOWS
Sheryl demonstrated some aspects of customizing finder windows, including adding icons to the toolbar and sidebar, and adjusting the widths of columns:
Some details included:
To add application/folder/file icons to the toolbar, simply drag them on to it.
To add 'task' icons ( eg. Eject, Create New Folder) icons, go to View/Customize Toolbar menu and drag.
To remove either type of icon, either Apple-Drag out of the window, or go to View/Customize Toolbar menu and drag.
The Hide/Show Button causes both Toolbar and Sidebar to hide or show.
The Sidebar Hide/Show dot causes only the Sidebar to hide or show.
The Column Width ll symbol at the base of each divider column has the following actions:
Drag the symbol sideways to adjust the column's width as desired.
Double-click on the symbol to adjust the column's width to accommodate the longest name label in the column.
Option-Drag to simultaneously adjust the widths of all of the columns.
GET INFO WINDOW
Tony discussed the Get Info window, which gives a variety of information about applications, files, folders and disks. Information about the item includes the kind, size, location, date created, and date modified. If the item you have selected is a hard disk, removable disk, CD or DVD, or server volume, the Info window includes information about format, capacity, available space, and used space.
You can also change settings in the Info window. Depending on the type of item you have selected, you may be able to use the item as stationery, lock the item, change its name and extension, determine which application to open it with, change its ownership and permissions, and write a comment.
The Get Info window can be accessed in several ways: you can
select the item by clicking once on its icon, then go to File menu and go down to Get Info.
type Apple (Command) + I.
click on the
button if you have added it to your window toolbar.
Control-click on the item, then select Get Info from the drop-down contextual menu.
Not mentioned at the meeting...
If you want to see information for multiple items simultaneously (eg. the combined size of a group of folders), shift-select them, then hold Option while you choose File > Show Inspector. The Inspector window is also like a continuous Get Info window, and when it is open you can also select any other item and view its information immediately.
Thank you Sheryl and Tony for presenting the information in these Basics sessions.
DESKTOP PICTURES & WEBSHOTS
Barry R showed members how to use the Desktop Pictures pane of the System Preferences, which incorporates 'built-in' images and graphics as well as linking to the iPhoto library and folders, any single image in which may be selected for desktop display, or if desired a group of images can be chosen for display on a rotational basis with a selected duration.
Barry also took us to the Webshots site: http://www.webshots.com/ This site gives access to an immense (over 397 million) collection of photos and videos which have been uploaded by members. Signing-up is free, although there is also a Pro section which requires payment. Browse to your heart's content...
Never a dull moment (or desktop) with such a huge selection Ð thank you Barry for introducing us to it.
GRAPHIC CONVERTER
Sheryl gave a demonstration of the format-changing capabilities of Graphic Converter v 5.9, which is a shareware application ($NZ45) which does a great deal more than this basic task. Some features and info:
Import and View Files:
Import images in about 200 graphic formats and Êexport in about 80 formats
generate catalogues (web, print, picture)
import directly from cameras (importing only some, if required) and scanners
view files in advanced picture browser and multi-function slide show
perform batch conversion of formats
Edit Pictures:
enhance pictures
creation of pictures for use in the internet
Basic functions for editing pictures
advanced functions, effects and filters for picture manipulation
Photoshop-compatible plug-in architecture
Color management with ColorSync and ICC profiles
Compatibility
Universal binary version for Intel-Macs
Support for Mac OS 8, 9 and X & designed for G4 and G5
Support for the JPEG2000 format
Multilingual - with 12 available languages
After the meeting Hugh discovered another way to resize images, using ColorSync, a utility included in MacOS X:
Control-click on the image's icon to display the contextual drop-down menu.
Select Open With, and move across to ColorSync Utility.
When the image opens in a ColorSync window, click on the Adjust Image Size button in the toolbar.
Type in the percentage size you want to scale to, and the image will be adjusted.
CAUTION: if you Save the image, you lose the original (select Save As and alter the name if you want to keep the original).
ColorSync also allows you to adjust the colour/brightness/sharpness of the image.
Thank you Sheryl and Hugh for sharing your expertise on these aspects of image-handling.
iTUNES MUSIC STORE
Rikky gave a session which presented an overview of the iTunes Music Store and how to use it. Recently the iTunes New Zealand Store became available, and has music tracks of a variety of genres, as well as videos, available for purchase. Most songs are about $NZ2 each to purchase, and a 30sec audio preview can be heard for each track.
Podcasts are also available for download, free of charge. Games are available for 5th generation iPods, and for 2nd generation Nano iPods, and cost $NZ6-7. Purchases can be made via credit card, or by purchasing pre-paid iTunes cards (from music stores?)
Well done on this session, Rikky - thank you for explaining the iTunes Store to members, and for bringing your audio equipment.
HANDY HINT
Sometimes a CD does not want to eject from the computer's CD Drive... unless it is actually physically jammed, you can force it to eject by holding down the mouse button while you restart the computer.
Regards to all....
Secretary: Tony Climo, Aoraki MacIntosh Users Group
Control
Enter
Command (Apple Key)
Shift
Option
Barry also took us to the Webshots site: http://www.webshots.com/ This site gives access to an immense (over 397 million) collection of photos and videos which have been uploaded by members. Signing-up is free, although there is also a Pro section which requires payment. Browse to your heart's content...
button if you have added it to your window toolbar.