MacNotables #840 [52:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The MacNotables team of Adam and Tonya Engst and Chuck Joiner hit the road, virtually, to visit the Huntsville Macintosh Users Group. What’s new is that this was a video session, and even better, we captured it for you to enjoy. Adam and Tonya Engst answer questions about their attempts to make the Take Control books available to the visually challenged, why to upgrade (or not) to Leopard on older Macs, some server challenges, their pair of brand new MacBooks, and more.

(Due to a technical issue, the video goes into watercolor mode later in the show, but the audio is unaffected.)

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 MacNotables #837 [52:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ted Landau is back and describes his experiences traveling with the iPhone and MacBook Pro in Japan. Ted discusses the realities of the high price of phone calls, the higher prices of data usage (unless you play AT&T’s game), an amazing lack of WiFi access and more. Tech myths, cheap electronics, $100 cantelopes and more are all part of Ted’s tech adventures, along with some Apple Store experiences and Macworld Expo predictions. Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #836 [57:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tonya Engst discusses some new changes and enhancements that are in store for Take Control ebook owners and customers. The pace of change in the Apple product and software world is increasing, and even the regularly updated Take Control books can’t always keep up. Tonya talks about how they will be delivering online supplements to Take Control titles that go beyond their current update, updating the production process to address their current and future plans to make Take Control books available on many different mobile platforms and more.

Tonya then turns her attention to Apple’s announcement of new MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops, the feature sets of each model, and why she will soon be the owner of a new MacBook.

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 MacNotables #828 [45:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus has spent some time with the new iPhone 3G in preparation for his new book, and shares his thoughts on Apple’s iPhone priorities, compatibility of older iPhone accessories, and a new, must-have one. Bob also picks some of his favorite iPhone apps so far and gives some surprising advice on what protection you should or shouldn’t buy for your iPhone.

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 MacNotables #825 [45:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Want to break into the world of Mac journalism? Tonya Engst and Ted Landau talk about how to get started, and why you might not want to quit your day job right away. As the Mac market grows, so does the competition. Tonya and Ted talk about the benefits (or not) of formal training, visibility, practice, networking and more. Think it is all sounds like a lot of work? Find out about different aspects of Mac coverage and why some simple, common-sense characteristics could be what sets you apart in your quest to become the next high-profile Mac journalist.

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 MacNotables #821 [41:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The man with the last word in Mac troubleshooting, Ted Landau, has just updated his book, Take Control of Your iPhone, and discusses the features included with the current version of the software. Ted provides updates on the subjects of jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone, topics that change almost daily, and starts thinking about what may be coming for the iPhone at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Ted also updates us on his attempts to create a bootable Leopard flash drive, offering both a simple and a slightly more involved procedure, depending on your needs.

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 MacNotables #820 [53:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus is back to tell us what rock he’s been hiding under and the project that put him there. Bob talks about his latest book, Office 2008 for Mac For Dummies, and gives us his bottom-line assessment of the latest version of the Microsoft productivity suite, and how each of the applications compare to their iWork ‘08 counterparts. Bob also discusses his upcoming Mid-Atlantic Mac User Group Tour, and where you can come to see one of his many presentations if you’re in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or near Washington D.C. The session wraps up with a discussion of what Bob wants to see in the next generation iPhone, and Bob’s most recent product picks.

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 MacNotables #818 [41:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Andy Ihnatko shares his experiences from the Conference on World Affairs in Colorado, ranging from his panel appearances with James “The Amazing” Randi discussing “bizarre beliefs” to why this is a very different kind of conference from every angle. Andy also discusses the Eee PC, how it compares with the MacBook Air and iPhone, what it offers and why it may be a viable mobile computing alternative…if you have the right expectations. We wrap up with some thoughts on the newest round of iPhone knock-offs and why Andy doesn’t feel they are relevant, no matter how pretty they look.

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 MacNotables #817 [39:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tonya Engst discusses one of the most challenging computing processes one can experience: switching email programs. A long-time Eudora user, Tonya talks about the issues that led her to make the switch to Apple Mail, the process and software she used, and what she did wrong that you can avoid. Two weeks into the transition, Tonya shares the goods and the bads, talks about dealing with email overload and POP vs IMAP.
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 MacNotables #816 [41:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mac troubleshooting guru Ted Landau discusses a wide variety of topics including his dislike of rebates, his views on the Comcast vs. BitTorrent saga in specific and net neutrality issues in general, and the factors that may be leading to the abandonment of the optical drive. Ted also explains the challenges of creating a bootable disc or flash drive under Leopard and why Apple isn’t much help, and provides his thoughts on the passing of Mac online news pioneer Stan Flack.
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