Ask Jacob
Archive for March, 2010
How can I use a Toslink connection for surround sound on an Intel Mac mini?
Intel Macs, Media Center, Networking / 0 Comments
Hi,
Can I get a used Mac mini that has the Intel processor and has a Toslink (light cable) in and out. I need the Intel processor to stream from Netflix and I need the light cable to go to surround sound stereo. I guess the question is, was there a Mac mini made with both of those features, and if you do you have it – and when can I get it!
Thanks!
- Trey
All Intel Mac Minis have combo analog / optical audio jacks so any used Intel Mac mini will work.
You will, of course, also need to pick up a Mini to Optical Toslink cable.
- Jacob
Should I use one larger display or 2 separate displays?
Displays, Hardware, Media Center / 1 Comment
Jacob,
I’m getting ready to upgrade my Pro Tools studio. I will probably buy one of your used G5 models – looking at 2.3 to 2.7 dual or quad – and I’m wondering about monitors.
I presently have two p810 Viewsonics but want to change those . I do audio post work and am wondering if a larger, like 32″, TV/monitor would work for my 2 Pro Tools windows and video playback – or do you think I should use separate displays? Could one of those be an LCD/HDTV? Lastly, is there a card that will allow 3 displays?
- Michael
A LCD TV could work as a digital display, but I would make it only one, of at least two displays. A 1080p TV will display a resolution of 1920 × 1080. Where an Apple 24″ LED displays 1920 x 1200. The difference is that the 24″ display basically displays the same info in 24 inches that the HDTV will display in 32 inches.
The TV will have to be set further back for you so that the image the image does not look pixelated. That may work in your studio, but having a high-density display close to you can be better for long term detail work.
This Acer 24″ display could be an interesting mix of a TV and display for you. It has a HDMI and DVI input, to support a video device and computer.
There is not any 3 display video cards for a G5, but you can get a PCI video card to support another display, after you fill up the first two ports that you get with the Apple supplied card.
- Jacob
Is there a good book on how to switch to a Mac?
Books / Reference, Mac OS X, New To Macs / 0 Comments
I am trying to decide whether or not if I want to purchase a MacBook but reading up on it makes me change my mind. How do you operate one of these things and is there a book to read upon it?
- Mary
The MacBook is a fine choice for a entry level Mac laptop, and in general it can do almost all that you would do with desktop Apple computers. If you are new to the Mac OS, and have been using Windows, consider this book – “Switching to the Mac” – as a reference guide.
Apple has also put together some helpful information and videos about Getting a Mac.
- Jacob
How can I connect a USB monitor to my new G4 PowerMac?
Displays, G4, Hardware, PowerMac / 0 Comments
Hi Jacob,
I was wondering if you could help with a few questions.
I replaced my old Power Mac G4/400 with a G4/800 and have a Dell 24″ monitor that I use to connect DVi to DVi to the old CPU, but this model does not have a DVi connection. (bummed about that…why not?)
I am using the D-sub connection and I would like the digital image quality I had before to work on my Photoshop projects, so how can I connect to the DVi to get better image quality on my monitor?
Do you sell an adapter that will work? If so how much does it run? Will I still be able to get digital image quality from an analog connector using an adapter? Also I am getting a buzzing noise that is coming from the computer. (This machine is louder than my last one) It is not constant. Maybe more of a vibrating noise? Perhaps the fan or something is loose. It seems to get worse (louder) after the computer has been on for a while. If I press on both sides of the CPU it seems to make it less. Sometimes if I just give it a good bang it quiets back down, but probably not the best way to correct it, eh?
Any suggestions on how to fix this? It is starting to drive me crazy. I currently have my yoga strap tightened around it. Works most of the time.
Also one last note. This computer was advertised as having 3 FireWire ports but it only has 2. Am I missing one somewhere? Really bummed about that. I needed 3 for my printer, scanner and back-up drive, so I constantly don’t have to unplug the printer to use the scanner and exchange it back again. Any reason for the incorrect information listed?
Thanks for your help,
- Toni
The ADC video port on your Quicksilver G4 Mac is actually DVI with power and USB connections bundled in with it. So a simple adapter should let you hook up your Dell display via DVI. This Apple ADC to DVI video adapter should do the trick.
As for the buzzing noise, open up you computer and make sure that there are no cables resting on the various fans in the computer. You can have a G4 running when the case is open, just make sure not to touch any of the circuitry. Look to see if there is a fan on the video card. Those little fans can make extra noise as they age. There could also be some loose drive sleds on the bottom of the case making a metal on metal noise.
I was not able to see where we listed the ports on this G4 PowerMac, but these Macs have two USB ports and two FireWire ports on the back of the units. I think you might have confused USB and FireWire, as most printers and scanners use USB and not FireWire. Apple often lists the computers as having additional USB ports because the Apple keyboard comes with two USB ports built in. So the one USB port that the keyboard uses, is replaced by two extra on the keyboard. That would give you a listing of three USB ports. Perhaps that was the discrepancy you saw in the description.
A good option to get extra USB connections at a higher speed than the internal USB 1.1 ports, is with a Sonnet USB 2.0 PCI card.
- Jacob
How long does Apple support older versions of its operating systems?
If I buy a used PowerPC computer that runs 10.5, how many years can I expect Apple to continue OS support for 10.5 Leopard?
- Richard
Well Apple makes no promises about support ranges, but if you look at the support of the previous versions of the Mac OS, you should have an idea. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was released April 29, 2005. That was over four years ago and Apple still offers support for Tiger, in the way of security updates and some software compatibility.
If you are concerned about third party software support on your Mac, it may be a good idea to get a used Intel-based Mac. Just because an OS supports a processor type, doesn’t mean all software created for that OS will also support that processor.
In general you should have a few years more of support from Apple on that OS, and it will probably be a little longer, due to Leopard being the last OS that will run on PowerPC Macs.
- Jacob
My G5 iMac is having power issues.
G5, Hardware, Power Supply, iMac / 0 Comments
Hello,
I purchased an iMac G5 1.8 ghz, 20″ LCD in September 2005.
Today I went to start it up, and it won’t start.
It was having issues in the last 2 days, in that the screen would suddenly go black, and then the fan would turn on high. It was running fine otherwise, but now, dead. I can’t even get it to start up.
Were there any extensions of the “iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues”? I note that this was to extend from 3 years of the original purchase date; I know that has passed.
Please advise.
Thanks,
Peter
In general Repair Extensions from Apple only last three years from the date of purchase.
It is possible that that it is just a failed power supply and those can be replaced. It would be best to have an Apple Authorized repair center look over the G5 iMac before swapping out parts though.
- Jacob
My new Airport card won’t see or connect to our wireless network.
Networking, Wireless / 0 Comments
We received the “new” airport card and when trying to connect to our wireless router, the error message came up saying “unable to connect to network with our name.”
So it won’t allow connection to any network from what I understand.
Any suggestions now? Because we are at a total loss! Lesson learned…do not buy on ebay!!!
- Angie & Kelly
I am fairly sure it is a network password issue. Turn off your wireless network password on the router and see if you can connect your iBook to it.
You could also try to find another Wi-Fi location without a password to test the card. Some Coffee shops offer free internet for their customers, and that would at least tell you if the card works. If the card is the issue, consider this FastMac AirPort Card as well.
- Jacob
Can I upgrade my iMac DDR2 RAM to the faster DDR3 RAM?
RAM, Upgrades, iMac / 0 Comments
Jacob,
I have a new 24 inch iMac that has the 1066 front bus. However, the computer came with ddr2 memory running 800 hz, Can I switch these memory chip to ddr3 running 1066 Hz? I just wanted to make sure before I did it!
Thanks for a quick answer.
- Barney
Despite the speed of you systems frontside bus, the RAM you can use is limited to what type of RAM slots you have. DDR2 RAM and DDR3 RAM are not interchangeable and unfortunately there in no way to use the faster RAM in your system.
RAM speed should not be too much of a concern though. Your RAM is not the slowest part of your system, the hard drive is. Look at upgrading to a Solid State Drive (SSD) to see noticeable performance increases.
- Jacob
How can I sync the calendars of two Macs running different OS versions?
Hi Jacob,
I have a question about iCal.
I have two Mac systems:
1) desktop G5 2.3 GHz PCIe running Tiger 10.4.9
2) MBP 2.53GHz 15.4” (Oct 2008) alumibody running Leopard 10.5.6
How can I sync the calendars between these two system, which are running different versions of OS? I consider the calendar on the desktop G5 under Tiger as the master. Periodically (daily or weekly), I need to update the MBP’s calendar to mirror the G5’s. Is this possible?
I checked the iCal system files on both systems, and the iCal files are located in different places under Leopard and may even be named differently.
Any thoughts?
Is there a way to manually drag-and-drop various iCal system files from one system to the other? Currently, that is how I backup iCal under Tiger.
Thanks for your time.
- William
Although they look similar, the versions of iCal in 10.5 is very different from the one included with Mac OS X 10.4. If you want to keep them in sync without too much fuss, or annual cost like a MobileMe account, consider upgrading the G5 to Leopard. When you have both computers on 10.5, you can use Google Calendar syncing and constantly keep both your systems updated.
Check out Google’s instructions on enabling Google Calendar with iCal
From the link:
To set up CalDAV support for Google Calendar in Apple’s iCal, follow these steps:
• Open Apple iCal, go to Preferences and then the Accounts tab.
• Click on the + button to add an account.
• Under Account Information, enter your Google Account username and password.
• Under Server Options, add the following URL: https://www.google.com/calendar/dav/YOUREMAIL@DOMAIN.COM/user
Replace ‘youremail@domain.com’ with your Google Account username.
• Click Add.
• Under the Delegation tab, select the calendars you’d like to add to iCal by checking the boxes next to them. You may need to hit refresh to get the latest list of calendars.
• Add your email address to your Address Book card by selecting Add Email. You’ll be prompted to add your email address only if your address is not already in your Address Book.
- Jacob
Are there any printers that will work with a Performa 6200?
Mac OS 9 / Classic, Printing / 0 Comments
Are there any printers that will work with a Performa 6200?
- Frison
There are no compatible printers in production today that will work with that generation Mac. You probably could find a used Apple Laser Writer on eBay that would still work. Those things were tanks.
Otherwise the next best bet would be to upgrade your Mac to one with OS 9 support. Then migrate your applications and data over to the newer Mac. Many older Apps work well in the OS 9 Classic environment running on top of OS X.
- Jacob
Will my old Asante USB 1.1 hub work with a new iMac at USB 2.0 speeds?
I have an Asante powered USB hub that I have used for years with my old G3 iMac. Will it work on my newer Intel iMac with USB 2.0 at 2.0 speeds? I know it works with the Intel but not sure it works at the faster USB speeds
Thanks,
- Alan
It, almost certainly, wont work at USB 2.0 speeds. You will need to buy a new USB 2.0 compliant hub. Consider this D-Link USB hub. You can still use the old USB hub for USB 1.1 devices like your mouse and keyboard.
- Jacob
Is my 1.8GHz G5 Power Mac PCI card compatible with 5 volt PCI cards?
Hello,
I have a June 2004 model dual 1.8GHz G5 that I have gotten a trade in quote for because I have been unable to get it to work with an PCI interfaced A/D converter. After two years and several hundred dollars I discovered that this may be because I have 3.3 V PCI slots that are “designed to PCI-X 2.1 specifications”, according to Apple. Which seems to mean that I have slots shaped like PCI-X slots but they only work with PCI cards (33Mhz 3.3 V,32 bit or 64 bit).
The company that manufactures the converter offers a PCI, PCI-X, and PCI-E version, but the PCI version does not fit and the PCI-X fits, and is recognized by the computer, but does not work. Instead of trading in my entire computer is there anything that can be done to my current Mac to remedy this problem?
The other option I am looking into is building a new PCI card with a pin configuration that will work in my current slot, but if you guys have a more attractive I would love to hear it because I am not terribly thrilled with how much of a headache this would be, granted it would be a smaller one than the past two years that I’ve spent trying to figure out what the problem was.
Thank you,
Adam
The G5 Power Mac series did have restrictions on the PCI voltage that it supported as described in this Apple article on G5 PCI Cards.
Another limitation of the PCI slots in the entry level G5s, like your dual 1.8GHz model, is that it does not have PCI-X, just the 3.3 Volt PCI support. I bet that the PCI version of the card needs 5 Volts to operate and the PCI-X version will not dumb down to PCI.
Even if you hacked your 5 V PCI card into the 3.3 V slot, it probably will not get the proper power to operate. Your best option would be to trade in that G5 for the next model up that supports PCI-X and use the PCI-X version of the card in your new system.
- Jacob
How can I boot my G4 from an external drive?
G4, Hardware, Storage / 0 Comments
I’d very much appreciated if I could find out how to boot from an external 500 GB Firewire disk on an aged G4 1.2 MHz. All these years it has been running 9.2, and has a now dead, non-replaceable DVD drive with just one partition in the HD – meaning, no alternative start drive options…
Right now my external drive, with a fresh installation of 9.2, is being recognized as a boot disk on an [option] start – but the process stops with a blackout. After that the machine boots with its native system. Is there anything that can it be done?
Many thanks in advance.
The problem you are having probably has to do with how the FireWire drive was formatted. Often new external Firewire hard drives come formatted in a universal format but that is not compatible for booting the drive. Any time you get a new drive, it is best to Erase it and reformat the drive from the OS you plan to use it with.
In OS 9 you use Drive Setup (inside the Utilities folder on your hard disk) to initialize a hard disk. You will loose all information on the drive but you will then be able to boot off of it. You need the drive to be an Mac OS Extended (HFS+) format.
After that you can clone your boot drive over to the external drive and it should work as your boot volume. You can use the Startup Disk control panel or hold down the [option] key on startup and select the external drive.
- Jacob
Is there much of a speed difference between dual 2.66 and the dual 2.93 GHz Nehalem Mac Pros?
Comparisons, Mac Pro / 1 Comment
I’m interested in a Mac Pro for heavy Photoshop graphics use. Is there a noticeable speed difference between the dual 2.66 and the dual 2.93 GHz units?
- Bob
With the 2009 Mac Pro, I do not think it is going to be too noticeable of a difference in the single processor (4 Core) systems. In the Dual Processor (8 Core) Systems, there is a considerable difference between the 2.93 and 2.26 models. Look at these charts from Bare Feats’ Nehalem Mac Pro performance tests.
This should give you some idea of the differences but there is no surefire way to determine how your workflow will ultimately perform. Get as much as your budget will allow, but make sure you have tons of RAM as part of the config. Always bet on RAM 
- Jacob
