Apple Briefs » Tips and Tricks

Eureka!

Jeffrey Kabbe — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:39:05 +0000

A few weeks ago I was reading a comparison between VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop. The results were interesting. I was an early adopter of Parallels Desktop. I switched after trying out VMWare Fusion because Parallels was really laggy at times. That was a long time ago, and several versions of Parallels Desktop ago. I considered trying Parallels again as my main environment because file sharing between the Windows and Mac side seems easier in Parallels. I’d rather not mirror everything because I am afraid that if something happens (virus, etc.) to Windows, it could take out my Mac data as well. It may not be likely – the nefarious types seem more interested today in turning your PC into a zombie than in destroying anything – but it’s always a good idea to be cautious with Windows.

The problem is that we frequently have to transfer documents between the Windows and Mac side. I had set up a shared folder, but it’s slow in Windows and it means several extra steps. About a week ago I was moving some documents and I said, “wouldn’t it be nice if I could just drag this off the Windows desktop and onto my Mac desktop?” As I said this, I started dragging the file to the edge of the window. If you’re a VMWare Fusion guru, you know what happened next, but it surprised the heck out of me. The icon changed to a Mac icon as I got close to the edge of the window, and I was able to drop it on the Mac desktop. I then saw a message that VMWare Fusion was copying the file.

How did I not know about this before? After discovering this feature, I checked the VMWare documentation and didn’t see any mention of it. I wonder how many other VMWare Tools features I’m missing out on. At least now using Windows has become much more pleasant (and I am no longer tempted to migrate my Windows install).

The one thing I did that made my Mac five times faster!

Jeffrey Kabbe — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:14:50 +0000

No, this isn’t an infomercial. And, yes, I did pull the number five out of the air. But it’s true that my iMac is much faster now after doing just one simple thing. Lately my iMac seemed really sluggish. I would beachball frequently and the entire system would just hang for what seemed like ages. I had a sneaking suspicion that the Safari 4 Beta had something to do with it because Safari seemed to be bearing the brunt of the slowdowns. I couldn’t be sure, though, because the system was often slow when Safari wasn’t even running.

So two days ago I uninstalled the Safari 4 Beta. The improvement was immediate and noticeable. After the restart (required by the install/uninstall), I could tell things were faster. I have been using Safari 3 for a couple days now and haven’t had a single issue with beachballing or experienced any slowness. I liked some of the new features of Safari 4, but I don’t care how much faster the Javascript performance is if it brings my whole system to its knees.

iPhone J.D.

Jeffrey Kabbe — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:14:43 +0000

I stumbled across a nice iPhone site for lawyers recently: iPhone J.D. It doesn’t limit its coverage to lawyer-related tips and news, so its a nice resource for finding out more of what you can do with your iPhone. I have already purchased the F.R.C.P. iPhone app reviewed on the site (and I payed a premium for it since the price has gone up by $1 since it was reviewed in early December!). Well worth the money even after the price raise. The F.R.C.P. is definitely something that should be searchable and this app does it. I’m not a big fan of the icon, though. Needs more pizazz.

Accessibility on Mac OS X

Jeffrey Kabbe — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:55:07 +0000

Daring Fireball clued me in to a new section of Apple’s website dedicated to accessibility. The site has a lot of information, including features on Mac OS X, iPhone, and iPod. Some of the tips explain regular Mac OS X features that also have application to making the system more accessible, so it’s worth a look even if you don’t need the accessibility features.

Living with Windows

Jeffrey Kabbe — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:35:02 +0000

Macworld put up a nice article today about installing and using Windows on Mac OS X via VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop. I use Fusion primarily because it was the first of the two to become sufficiently stable. But they’re both very good (my wife uses Parallels). If you’re currently using either program, jump ahead to the second page for a few tips on tweaking the settings to improve your Mac and Windows experience.

Has anyone downloaded the Fusion 2.0 beta? If so, please post a comment and share your experiences. I have been reluctant to download it since I use Fusion for work, but some of the features are intriguing.

Leopard Survival Guide

Jeffrey Kabbe — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:00:37 +0000

Last week, Macworld posted a series of articles on various features in Leopard. Some of the hidden OS X features require terminal commands to active. I didn’t check, but I bet that many of them can be enabled with Mac Pilot.

Daylite Screencast

Jeffrey Kabbe — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:26:14 +0000

Kevin over at a mac lawyer’s notebook has posted his first screencast. The screencast is about how to use Daylite, and includes lots of explanatory text as well. Daylite is a perfect application for screencast tutorials. As I have written about before, Daylite can at first appear quite limited. Daylite’s real power shows through once you uncover the many useful ways to combine its basic features. If you haven’t already seen it (and have 27 spare minutes), head on over to a mac lawyer’s notebook to check out the Daylite screencase.

Article: Why Use a Mac in Your Law Firm

Jeffrey Kabbe — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:52:01 +0000

I have posted an article called Why Use a Mac in Your Law Firm. I know that many of my readers are already Mac users. If that describes you, you may still learn a thing or two about your computer. If you’re not already a Mac user, then come in, get comfortable, and be prepared to be blown away.

The article doesn’t allow comments. I would love to hear your thoughts, though. So please leave any comments, suggestions, or criticisms for the article in the comments here.

Practice Tip: Market Your Law Firm on CD

Jeffrey Kabbe — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:55:45 +0000

Law firms are increasingly making use of compact discs (CDs). Many CDs are only used internally at a law firm. Often, though, a CD is sent outside the law firm – to a client, opposing counsel, or a third party. Law firms that use standard, branded CDs are missing out on a great marketing opportunity. Printing your law firm’s logo and a description on a CD (or DVD) label makes a great impression.

It has never been easier to print to a CD label. In my wife’s practice, we use DiscCover to design the labels. Another good option is DiscLabel. DiscLabel seems to have a few more features, but DiscCover does everything I need it to do.

In the past, I used Avery adhesive label sheets. I always had two worries with the adhesive labels. First, getting them centered was a struggle (and nothing looks worse than an off-center label). Second, the adhesive labels are quite thick and make the CD much thicker than a normal disc. I was always concerned that the label would gum up the CD drive. Maybe it wasn’t a realistic concern, but the thickness of the label was too much for me to ignore. Those worries are gone now that we print directly onto the discs. Our printer is an HP Photosmart D5360 Photo Printer. I haven’t used many HP printers recently because I don’t like installing all the software that HP forces you to install to get their drivers. Mac OS X Leopard, though, comes with a driver for the D5360, so no install is needed. Special CDs are needed when you use a CD printer like the D5360.

Having a custom label costs a little more than using generic CDs, but the end results are stunning. Clients are very impressed when they receive a copy of their files on CD with the law firm logo and the client’s name printed neatly on the label. Even opposing counsel and third-parties will take notice. Little things like this make you look more professional and raise the prestige of your law firm.