Category Archives: Mac

Dropbox

I’ve been using Dropbox now for over a year. I don’t know what we would do without it. We have had shared folders on our network for many years, but Dropbox takes this one step further and adds many additional useful features.

Even if you only have one computer Dropbox can act as a useful on-line back up for all your regularly used files, just store them in your Dropbox folder and they will be backed up securely on line.  If you have more than one computer, then Dropbox will keep the files on both computers in sync automatically. So you will always have the latest up to date versions of your files with no need to use USB sticks and concerns about do I have the latest one on here or is it on that other machine.

You can also share Dropbox folders with other users which I find extremely useful for keeping up to date information on the Pembury website, people manage their own sub-domains on the site and I just have to upload the files. It saves them having to email me all the files each time there is an update. You can also share photos with Dropbox, privately or publically.

Dropbox works on PC’s, Mac’s, Linux machines, and mobile devices too (iPods, iPhones etc), take a look at the video on the site.

Grab yourself a free Dropbox account, use any of the Dropbox links on this page and you will get some extra storage for free. Let me know if you sign up and I will tell you how to get some more space for free as well.

Mac it is….

So after weeks of deliberation… well not quite. I’ve made a decision and ordered a new iMac. I had looked at Windows PC’s but by the time you added in the extra software I would need to purchase and a similar size monitor I would have exceeded the price of the iMac.

So I’ve ordered a new iMac quad core machine with a 27 inch monitor… yes it’s big! But in terms of screen resolution it’s only slightly bigger than what I’m using at present but by combining two monitors. Having it all on one screen will be a lot more useful, and I will spend less time glancing left and right all the time!

Delivery date is as yet to be confirmed but some time this month. I will still be retaining my netbook PC for XP and portable use, it works well and it’s very compact. My two existing monitors will find use on other PC’s and at last I think I will be getting rid of the last two CRT monitors we own.

I’m looking forward to the iMac it will be a new challenge although I’m familiar with the Apple OS, using it full time will be different.

Watch this space…..

PC or Mac…. Mac or PC

The PC I use is now over 5 years old. Today one of the graphics cards decided to play up, so I’ve had to revert to the internal card and go from two displays to one, which is a bit of a shame. I liked the dual 1280×1024 display set up a lot. Mail in one screen, browser in another etc.

So the obvious quick fix may be is a wide screen single display… but sadly the internal graphics card won’t support more than 1280 x 1024.

So do I just get another graphics card… my machine is quite old so it’s AGP only… although you can still get those cards.

So may be a new graphics card and a wide screen display.

I’ve been thinking about upgrading to a new machine anyway… but what… another PC, with Windows 7 may be… or may be a Mac Mini.

I need to sit down and look at my real requirements and compare the two to see what I actually need.

At first sight Windows machines look cheap and Mac’s expensive… but specifying them up to similar performance, there’s not much difference in them really.

Anyway my spare display can now be used on my notebook, or on my old G4 Mac over in France!