The Preferred Toronto Apple Reseller of MacMedics:
The Preferred iPod and iPhone repair shop in Toronto of MacMedics:
A Safe Way To Dispose Of Your eWaste – And Get A Tax Receipt Too!
My Preferred Canadian-Based ISP
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Jun
29
Existing iPhone Users and Rogers
Filed Under iPhone | Leave a Comment
I just spoke with a Rogers rep concerning Gray Market iPhones – those of us currently using iPhones bought in the States or elsewhere prior to the official support of Rogers. Concerning the new iPhone data/voice plans and features, the person I spoke with didn’t have a lot of information yet, but it appeared that the plans and new features such as visual voice mail would be available to current iPhone users. He said that Blackberry users who buy their devices somewhere else can utilize the company’s Blackberry plans. That’s the good news. However, at this time, the iPhone plans are going to be pretty strict – no mixing and matching from different plans eg. more voice, less data or visa versa. The sales rep suggested calling just prior to the July 11th release when company reps should be more up to speed as things are still being ironed out. I found that last comment interesting as signing things like the ruined Phone petitions etc…may have a potential impact.
Jun
29
The Saga of the Canadian iPhone
Filed Under Apple News, Rants, Uncategorized, iPhone | Leave a Comment
So, the iPhone hasn’t yet been released in Canada and already there’s trouble. A petition at Ruined iPhone.com is circulating asking people to express their indignation at the just released Rogers iPhone Data/Voice plans. I currently own a iPhone and pay more than the proposed rates for less data, but more talk minutes. A distinction needs to be made between a business user and and home user. My phone is an important business tool so I need lots of features, talk minutes and data capacity. At the moment I pay $100 for 1150 minutes of talk time plus unlimited evenings and weekends. For an extra $12 the unlimited talk time begins at 6pm and includes a 25 voice mail limit. The Data portion is a perverted plan wherein I piggy-back on top of a Windows Mobile Data package – $65 for 1GB/month. I have yet to come close to hitting that limit and I’m a heavy user. Needless to say, this plan sucks.
The proposed rates from Rogers will be better than what’s on current offer for me and others like me – less talk minutes is definitely an issue, but I’m finally going to get Visual Voice mail – this is awesome. The 2GB/month of data is double what I have now and as mentioned I haven’t come close to cracking 1GB and if you use your phone on WiFi networks, the data is unlimited. If you go for the whole enchilada with Rogers it’s going to cost $135/month with their unlimited voice mail (no 25 message limit) – I now pay $185. The plan and phone requires a 3 year contract which is steep – but Rogers is the only game in town at the moment for iPhone support.
In the States, A T & T offers an unlimited voice plan for $99/month which includes unlimited minutes and long-distance across the US. That’s amazing. It does require a 2 year contract. The upper data plan is $45. So, the AT&T beats the Rogers voice plans by a HUGE margin and that’s a bummer. I really think they have to get their act together on that. The data portion, given my experience so far, isn’t that far off the mark, but I do use data over WiFi quite a bit. Let’s try to keep things in perspective when we’re rallying for better cell plans. They can and should definitely be better and I will be signing the petition. Unfortunately, a lot of Canadians are going to buy a new iPhone anyway.
Check out this link from CNN Fortune on some good commentary about this.
Jun
28
I just met with a good friend and client, Mark Lipton (check out the Media Education Project) , who directed me to these two links regarding Rogers data and voice pricing for the iPhone.
Earth Times Note on the iPhone and Rogers
Mac Rumors Post on iPhone Pricing and Rogers (summary of the above).
Jun
26
The iPhone Is Coming…
Filed Under Rumours, iPhone | 2 Comments
As the new iPhone 3G gets closer to release rumours abound and leaks are de regueur. An exciting tidbit is this one from Mac Rumors:
Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store.
Jun
26
I’m a Mac…and Intel Wants to be.
Filed Under Fun, Rants | Leave a Comment
“I have a friend with a Vista system and after having seen I can tell you that without a doubt my next computer will be a mac. There’s no way I’m buying that bloated, buggy piece of garbage.”
This is a quote from a reader in reference to this story in the NY Times about Intel’s decision NOT to upgrade it’s own systems to Microsoft’s Vista operating system. I’m glad I’m a Mac! Definitely peruse the reader’s comments on the piece.
Jun
25
To Update or Not To Update
Filed Under Advice, Tips | Leave a Comment
A question that often arises is whether a user should pay attention to all those updates that pop-up from time to time from Apple and other companies’ software you might have installed. Ultimately, the answer is yes, but with a caution. I tend to recommend waiting on such updates initially as there will ALWAYS be people who apply them first and who will report the bugs that arise with any update. Some updates are needed for the functionality of certain software and hardware. This can pose problems as sometimes an update needed for one thing can cause an incompatibility with something else. For example, the latest 10.5.3 update from Apple discussed in previous post can cause issues with Adobe files over a network. However, an upcoming update (10.5.4) will be needed for MobileMe compatibility and no one knows if that it will cause other problems. What to do!?
The first word of advice is to BACKUP your information before applying any serious update by whatever method you use (a post on Backup is coming). Research the update on the various Mac info sites (see our links post) and come to this blog for warnings. Only update if you really need to or if a certain update solves a nagging problem that you may be having. Most updates work and don’t cause problems, but some have been known to wreck havoc – lost music, network connections, printing functions etc…
Please post your own comments and experiences here too – I really want us all to learn from one another.
Jun
17
Firefox 3.0 Released
Filed Under Tech News | Leave a Comment
For all you Firefox web browser fans – version 3.0 has just been released. Download a copy here and read about it’s new features on the Mozilla website and user experiences at Macintouch’s Firefox report area. Now, why would you want this? You already have a perfectly good browser in the form of Apple’s Safari, yes? Well, yes – and in fact I use Safari as my default browser. However, from time to time you may encounter a website (Aeroplan for example) that gives Safari users a hard time (as in no access). Firefox is an open-source browser that is worked on by users from all over the world and seems to be able to support certain standards that Safari has trouble with. There are actually a ton of browsers out there that offer features that Safari doesn’t. Flock is an interesting example. This browser incorporates different elements of the web in one interface (Facebook, Gmail, web pages…). Others include Camino, an interesting take called Shira etc..Most will import your existing bookmarks and cookies. So have fun and experiment with some alternate options.
Jun
13
iPhone Eh? Oui!
Filed Under Apple News, iPhone | 1 Comment
It’s really coming. Truly. No more rumours. No more cryptic references from Rogers’ employees like “the weather will be warm when it’s released” (which it will be). No more unlocking. No more searching Craig’s list for the best deal. No more eBay scouring. No more cross-border shopping at the Apple Store. There, in plain html, on Apple Canada’s website, is the announcement - July 11, just like everyone else. It looks like they have to be bought at a Rogers or Fido store and not through the Apple Store – yes, Fido is carrying and supporting the iPhone – Rogers owns Fido and their cellular network is the same (GSM). No pricing is available, no plan details – all will be revealed in time. You will have to be a Rogers or Fido subscriber – Bell and Telus do not support GSM. You can port your existing cell number over if you decide you just HAVE to have an iPhone.
If you want to get a head start on using an iPhone I suggest having a look at the Take Control series of eBooks – one of which covers the iPhone.
And in a shameless plug, you can always contact MacMedics if you’re in the Toronto area to help you implement this wonderful new device as well as how it interacts and integrates with the coming MobileMe service and the rest of your Mac equipment.
Jun
13
You just bought a new iMac or MacBook (Pro). You unpack it – it smells so new. It looks so beautiful. Those Apple people are so clever! You plug it in, press the power button. Nice chime (C-Chord actually). You choose your language. A cosmic movie plays welcoming you to your new computer in a plethora of the world’s languages. Yea! Now what?!
Apple portrays their computers as very easy to use – just plug it in and go. We all know, however, that as elegant as Apple’s operating system and applications are most people need help in navigating the many useful applications and services that come with every Mac. Making music, organizing pictures, editing movies, making DVD’s, syncing our machines, navigating OS X, backing up our data – so much to know. There are a lot of books out there – some are very graphic, some wordy, books for professionals and books for dummies.
As I get asked all the time about training I wanted to bring to people’s attention a series of training material I highly recommend. These are the Take Control series of eBooks. On offer are wonderful manuals on topics ranging from how to use .Mac (soon to be MobileMe), using a digital camera, backup practices, using Apple Mail, wireless networking 101, customizing Leopard, running Windows on your Mac, using Microsoft Office, iPod and iPhone manuals – just a ton of great information in an easy to use format and style. Please visit the website and check it out.
Jun
11
Everything New Is Old Again!
Filed Under Apple News, Rumours | Leave a Comment
Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) is still a mere teenager and they’re already talking about 10.6 and what kind of processor it will support. At the moment, it seems, the next version of OS X, code named Snow Leopard, will NOT support PowerPC processors! That means all of those users who bought the last batch of Dual and Quad G5 units will be left out of the next major Apple operating system release. Leopard had already shut out anyone with a machine slower than a G4/867. Now many will be shut out completely. Of course this is just the beginning of things for 10.6 and we’ll see what happens in the end, but it’s a shame that those very fast G5′s will be left out of the loop one system revision after the Intel processor was introduced (10.4 was released before the Intel processor Macs were announced so I consider Leopard only one revision for this processor platform). What I find funny was a rumour I heard (which I totally dismissed at the time and still do) that Apple was considering going back to the PowerPC processor! Nuts!
