Ask Jacob

I have experienced slow performance like you described on my wife’s iPhone 3G. I did not have any problems with the 3GS I had been using. Many iPhone 3G users have had problems with the IOS 4.0 update bogging down the phone, and I could imagine that some 3GS iPhones could have similar problems.

From what I have read – and found through testing – you can fix these issues by erasing the iPhone and restoring it to factory defaults. Instead of restoring from your backup, you set it up as a new iPhone. It will take some time to get all the settings back to what you are used to, but in many cases this will fix the problem. If it does not fix your performance, you could format again and then restore from the backup.

I hope this helps, let me know how it works for you.
- Jacob

Parallels Desktop needs to run on a Intel processor so the G4 laptops (which have PowerPC chips) are not going work for you.

Look at a 13 inch MacBook for a inexpensive Apple laptop that will meet your needs.

Let me know if you have any more questions,

- Jacob

It is a good purchase for $100 because you can use it with an external display and keyboard if you do not get the screen fixed. It is like buying a $100 Mac Mini. Repairing the display will be pricy if you work though Apple Service, but if you are good with your hands you can get parts from PowerBookMedic.com or use their mail-in repair service.

You can move your data off of your G5, to this MacBook, using Migration Assistant, which is located in modern Mac’s Utilities folder.

There are not any third party MageSafe Power Adapters, you will have to get an Apple branded unit.

Hope this helps,
- Jacob

I know that AppleCare can be returned to Apple for a prorated price based on the time that has been used. I imagine that Apple may also offer the same return option for unused MobileMe. I have never called in to test this so I can not say for sure. Box copies of MobileMe can be used by anyone and the code inside does not expire so if your daughter wants to use it she can use it to extend her MobileMe account.

I have been using a version of MobileMe since it was first introduced almost a decade ago. It is not a service just for iPhone or iPod users. You can publish your own webpage, post your photos online in one click from your computer, and allow access to your mail/calendars/address book when away from your computer.

Before you decide what to do, consider signing up for the free MobileMe trail and try to use all the services it offers. Then you can make a solid discussion of what you would like to do with the MobileMe you bought.

Hope this helps,
Jacob

Yes, the G4 iMacs can take an Airport card. Depending on the generation you can get an 802.11B card or an 802.11B/G card.

• If you have a 700 MHz or 800MHz processor you need a FastMac APP-0968 Wireless AirPort 802.11b Card.

• If you have a 1GHz to 1.25GHz processor you can get an Apple M8881LL/A AirPort Extreme Card.

It will install under the metal plate on the bottom of the iMac and is easy to do, just make sure to attache the built-in antenna cable after you slide it in the slot.

- Jacob

There are two common ways of capturing your screen. First you can use the keyboard shortcuts bellow

• Shift-Command-3 = Capture the screen to a file
• Shift-Control-Command-3 = Capture the screen to the Clipboard
• Shift-Command-4 = Capture a selection to a file
• Shift-Control-Command-4 = Capture a selection to the Clipboard

Be sure to check out Apple’s full list of Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts.

The other way to capture your screen is with the Grab utility in your Applications/Utilities folder. This application is included with every Mac and it gives you more options when trying to get exactly the screen image you want than you have with the keyboard shortcuts.

Hope that helps,
- Jacob

It is my understanding that the only appreciable impact of running a second display on a 27″ iMac is with the video cards GPU and VRAM. The VRAM will be split between the internal display and the external display.

The GPU will have to work almost twice as fast to redraw the screen. Your processor will be mostly unaffected except for the added overhead of managing that much more desktop space.

- Jacob

You can run the older 10.4 Mac OS on a partition of the drive if that computer originally was capable of running that OS. So if you have version of 10.4 that came with that iMac G5, you can install that on a partition or external hard drive. Then you just need to install Classic OS 9 support and you should be set.

I do this on a few test systems here, and have no problem bouncing from 10.4 to 10.5. Just use the Startup Disk System Preference to change which partition you want the Mac to boot from and restart.

Hope that helps,
- Jacob

Mac Pros are due for an update but Apple has been slowing down Mac development on the Pro side. We will often get indications of a future update via long delivery times or short supply in the channel. We have not see any of those signs of change with the Mac Pro. If you need a Mac Pro in the next 60 days, I would get the one you want now but that is just a educated guess.

Hope that helps
- Jacob