Looking back on the future
Flash memory , as described in “ What ’s Next ” ( January 2007 ) , is sure-enough lid . I still on a regular basis habituate three HP handhelds — a 100LX , a 200LX , and a Jornada — each of which relies on flash memory for memory board . The HP Omnibook 300 — the big crony of those handhelds — was about the size of a large paperback , yet it featured Windows , Lotus 1 - 2 - 3 , Quicken , cc : Mail , and a database political platform in ROM ; one rendering of the Omnibook used flash PC Cards for storage.—Lawrence Zeitlin
In your ongoing coverage of Parallels Desktop for Mac , you neglect to name one of its disadvantage when compared with Boot Camp : melt down two operating system at the same time have in mind splitting your arrangement resourcefulness between them . If you go Windows XP in Parallels on a MacBook with the standard 512 megabyte of random memory , each O find a measly 256 MB , which is n’t enough . With Boot Camp , you get a fully up to Mac or a amply capable PC ; I think that ’s worth the few extra minutes it takes to reboot.—Mike Szekely
Upgraded Apple Cinema Displays should have been on your leaning of technology trends for 2007 . Once Apple precede HD optical effort to the Mac ( as you predicted in the clause ) , the society will have to upgrade its displays as well , so that they can display movies encrypted with HDCP ( gamey - Bandwidth Digital Content Protection).—Scott Cromwell
I ca n’t believe you did n’t spread the content of your January offspring over the space of two or more month . I do n’t make love if it really contain that much more info than usual , or if I just felt inclined to learn it cover to cover . I ’m not saying preceding issue have been high-risk , but I usually skip over a deal of the content because it does n’t pertain to or interest me . This take was unlike . It cover a lot of different technologies , the direction in which they ’re in all probability go , and how they bear upon me , a Mac user . Phenomenal.—Bryce D. Berg
Input on input devices
I ’m disappointed that you neglect to include keyboard with built - in trackballs , touchpads , or touch - sensible cursor pads in your roundup of remark devices ( “ Mac Keyboards and Mice at Your Fingertips,”Reviews , January 2007 ) . I cognise of at least six models , including the Belkin MediaPilot and several by Adesso . stimulate the keyboard and mouse together in one unit has many vantage . For one thing , you may apply the keyboard on your lap without needing a desk . In our bread and butter way , we have a Mac mini connected to a rearward - projection TV . With the keyboard in our laps , we can edit out iMovies , check our tocopherol - chain mail , and so on from across the elbow room . With the push for create computers multimedia animation - room appliances , building the mouse into the keyboard is a better approximation than ever.—Benjamin Miller
We ’ve covered a few combo keyboards . But in my experience , keyboards with integrated pointing devices lean not to be good at either job : the coalesce devices are more often than not lower - calibre than item-by-item components would be . Unless you really need an all - in - one ware — say , for living - elbow room com - puting — you’re broadly speaking better off with a freestanding keyboard and a shiner or trackball.—Dan Frakes
Reading your review of keyboards and shiner , I had the same visceral chemical reaction I get when I read about Macs in the PC press . I am a southpaw who refuse to use a right - handed mouse . As I read your otherwise fantabulous article , I appear cautiously to find out whether these mice puzzle out exit - handed . I find just one quotation to the issue in the entire story . I know that only 10 pct or so of us are left - handed , but I chafe at being brush aside . In my Christian Bible , any point gadget that ’s useable only in a right - handed model should have that shortcoming list among its cons.—C.N. Ashley
You make a practiced point . We should have spent more time on the lefty issue . The original order of payment of the story had a sidebar on that subject , but we had to shorten it for space reasons ; it survivedonline.—Jackie Dove
I ca n’t be the only Mac exploiter who does not use a numeric computer keyboard . And I ca n’t be the only one who prizes desk distance . So why do none of the keyboard reviewed in your article give up that computer keyboard in exchange for compactness ? True , the Key Ovation Goldtouch Apple Compatible Keyboard omits the numeric keypad , but its unconventional design puts it in a class of its own . I still expend a DatadeskTrackBoard , which exchange the numerical pad of paper with a smaller - footmark trackball . It ’s a great root , but the company has been painfully irksome in revise the Cartesian product for compatibility with new versions of OS X.—Terry Dunham
Your reassessment of the Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac missed one vital divisor : the Logitech Control Center ( LCC ) software is compatible only with OS X 10.2.8 through 10.4.7 . It does n’t work with 10.4.8 , which renders the LCC unuseable if you have that OS.—Tony Cervo
I compose that follow-up before the release of OS X 10.4.8 , and other than the laptop issue mentioned in the review , I had no problem with the S 530 in 10.4.7 . In late December , Logitech released a new version of LCC that the company claims is compatible with 10.4.8.—Dan Frakes
Who wants their Apple TV?
After reading your article about the coming Apple TV ( “ iTV FAQs,”Mac Beat , December 2006 ) , I have one question : Why in the world would I want one of these things ? I ’m not averse to newfangled engineering — I own both a MacBook Pro and an iPod — and I ’d like to reckon this new intersection could be of some welfare to Mac users . But I just do n’t see how it can be.—Via the Internet
Harshing on the lamers
Your article about the iPod ’s fifth natal day ( “ dwell at Five,”Mac Beat , January 2007 ) made my day , peculiarly the quotes regarding the original iPod . My personal dearie : “ No radiocommunication . Less space than a Nomad . Lame . ” As a mellow - school educatee who has been brought up in a Mac - only family and who think the only matter cool than my pink miniskirt is my sister ’s iPod telecasting , I wonder what that person thinks of the iPod now.—Katie Greene
Park your widget
In his reply to the inquiry about commit Dashboard widgets on the desktop ( Mac 911,January 2007 ) , I ca n’t believe Christopher Breen go bad to mention this childlike way : trip Dashboard , fall into place on the plus - sign ( + ) icon to expose the widget bar , keep back down the 1 samara , and drag any widget off the bar . While still hold down the 1 Florida key , agitate your Dashboard hot winder again to conclude Dashboard . you’re able to then drop down your widget anywhere on the desktop.—Dave Silvan
Several readers suggested this technique . I specifically did n’t mention it because it does n’t really put the widget on your desktop . Rather , the whatchamacallit will be adrift above your other applications and above the desktop until you next invoke Dashboard , when it returns to its widgety dwelling house . If you truly need the widget on the desktop , you need to use the method acting I described.—Christopher Breen
Restoring Windows
Regarding the missive about Time Machine ( Feedback , January 2007 ) , Windows has indeed had a System Restore lineament for year . But I never moot it a serious tool for system repair . I worked in Windows technical school backup for three and a one-half year . More often than not , some random malware cripple System Restore , and it did n’t knead when I needed it most . If it did happen to work , I would often find that it uprise previously vote down spyware and such . Hopefully , these problem wo n’t harass our Macs.—Justin Memmott
