Apple News, Analysis and Podcasts

Apple’s AirPlay 2.0

AirPlay is one of the coolest features found on an iOS device, and since Mountain Lion, on your Mac as well. Of course that is if you have a newer Mac. If you have an older Mac you were out of luck until AirParrot came to the rescue by giving older Mac's the ability to mirror their screen to an AppleTV. While AirPlay is cool, it is in need of an update. 1.0 versions of software rarely have everything people want. Version 2.0 releases add missing features and fix annoying bugs. Following is my list of features and bug fixes that Apple needs to build into AirPlay 2.0 to make it über-cool™.

Read More >

Apple's Easy Server Solution

If you are an IT professional and yet love the Mac OS, it's tough not to have a "real" Mac server in the line-up. While the Mac Mini Server is a nice choice for home use, it lacks the redundancy needed for business applications that can't afford downtime or to lose data because of hard drive or power supply failures. 

Recently I had a conversation with Brian Stucki, owner of Mac Mini Colo, located in Las Vegas, NV. What his company has done with the Mac Mini Server it is very impressive. While his solution doesn't solve the redundancy issue, he has a nice setup for those who need to colo for a Mac Mini Server. He said the Mac Mini's reliability was great and has yet to see a power supply fail on any of the 1,000 plus Mac Mini Servers he's dealt with over the years.

Read More >

They (Macs) Just Work, Duh

I've been an advocate of Macs since my first introduction to a Mac Plus in dorm room back in 1986. Ever since then I've never seen the reason behind PeeCees — whether MS DOS or Windows. DOS was just plain ugly. I shutter to think if Apple hadn't brought us the Mac, then we'd probably all be running MS DOS version 31 — and would it ever be blazin' quick to see a directory! And then there is Windows. In my mind Windows has always just been a Mac user interface knock-off. Sure Windows improved on some items, but its essence is still a second rate knock-off. Let's not even get started with security woes or viruses (or is that viri?) that plague the PC world.

Read More >

Mac Mini Performance Tests

The MacMini is Apple's entry level Macintosh. It debuted in 2005 and has gone through many revisions over the years. The current model uses an Intel Sandy Bridge i5 or i7 processor with up to 8GB DDR3 memory.

The Mac Mini comes in three different models ranging in price from $599 to over $2000 for a maxed out server version. The base and server models come with only with an integrated processor Intel HD Graphics 3000, but the mid level version comes with a discreet AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor. For those looking at the Mac Mini, the question is which is the best model to purchase.

Read More >