Computer Lessons for Mac Users

Welcome to iLearn, the new Macintosh training resource for regional Mac Users. You can now visit the Web Component of iLearn where you can find out what classes we're offering over a 2 month period. But check back often because new classes will be added at any time. This is also where you can pre-register for classes, which is the only way to make sure a seat is reserved for you.

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Speaking of seats, the other component of iLearn is our actual hands-on training facility at 1504 W 41st Street, Sioux Falls SD, next to Mac Pros across from Shopko. Shiny new Macintosh computers grace the tables of our new training facility and provide the vital key ingredient for the learning process. Skills being taught by our instructors are immediately internalized and reinforced by you as you follow along on one of our state-of-the-art computers.

To enroll, proceed to iLearnComputerSchool.com....

Buy a Mac, Take a Free iLearn Class

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Buy a new Mac at Mac Pros and get a free class for yourself or a member of your household at iLearn Computer School.

If you're new to the Mac, take the iLearn class "Getting Started On Your New Mac." If you're an experienced Mac OS X user, take any iLearn class priced up to $65 for free, or take any other iLearn class for $65 off a the regular price. Visit us to learn all the details of our offer. We look forward to helping you learn at iLearn!

iLearn Tips

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Mac Pros + iLearn Computer School present how-to tips from iLearn instructors, Mac Pros staff, and around the Web.

If you learned a cool tip we should include our list, please send it in.

How to Reset the Printing System in Leopard

Reseting the printing system can fix some printing problems. To reset the printing system in Leopard, open the Print & Fax pane in System Preferences, then control-click in the Printers sidebar and select Reset Printing System from the pop-up menu. Read more....

Time Machine doesn't back up to AirPort Disks

Time Machine in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard can be used to back up to many kinds of Mac OS Extended-formatted drives, but it does not (as of April 2008) support AirPort Extreme's AirPort Disk feature.

Time Machine can back up to another Mac running Leopard with Personal File Sharing, or to a Leopard Server volume, or an Xsan storage device, or a Time Capsule backup appliance.

Keyboard Shortcut to Put Display to Sleep

Put your computer's display to sleep (while the computer stays awake) by holding down Shift and Control and pressing Eject.

Fixing Time Machine Disk Trouble

If Leopard's Time Machine can't save your backup files to an external disk that otherwise works fine, the problem may be how that disk is formated. It's a problem that's particularly likely if it's a repurposed disk that was moved from a PowerPC-based Mac to an Intel Mac or vice-versa. Erasing the disk in Disk Utility is probably the solution, and you must choose the correct partition scheme when you do it: "Apple Partition Map" partition scheme for a PowerPC-based Mac or "GUID" partition scheme for an Intel-based Mac. Read more....

Temporarily Magnify Dock Icons

In Mac OS X 10.5, if you have Dock Magnification turned off, you can temporarily magnify Dock icons by holding down Control and Shift on the keyboard while moving the mouse over the Dock. (The amount of magnification is controlled by the slider in Dock Preferences.) This shortcut also works in reverse: if you have Magnification turned on in Dock Preferences, holding down Control and Shift will turn it off until you release the keys. Read more....

Mac OS X Leopard and Parallels

Parallels recommends only Parallels Desktop 3.0 Build 5160 and later for use with Mac OS X Leopard. To upgrade from a version of Parallels Desktop older than 3.0, you need a new activation key, available from Mac Pros for $49.95.

2D Dock and Opaque Menu Bar for Leopard

To make the menu bar opaque, use Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later and uncheck Translucent Menu Bar in the Desktop pane of System Preferences.

2DOrNot2D lets you switch the Dock's appearance from 3D to 2D or vice versa. (Use this free, unsupported application at your own risk.)

Classic Applications Cannot Run in Leopard

Classic (Mac OS 9-based) applications do not work on Intel processor-based Macs or with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Replace your Mac OS 9 applications with Mac OS X versions.

Only a few Macs are simultaneously old enough to start up from Mac OS 9 and new enough to install Leopard. These Macs must be restarted to switch between Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X 10.5.

Macs That Can Dual Boot Mac OS 9.2.2 and Mac OS X 10.5

  • eMac (ATI graphics) 1.0 GHz only, May 2003 - October 2003
  • iBook (900 MHz 32 VRAM) with Combo Drive, April 2003 - October 2003
  • iBook (14.1 LCD 900 MHz 32 VRAM), April 2003- October 2003
  • Power Mac G4 (QuickSilver 2002) 867 MHz or faster, January 2002 - August 2002
  • Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors) all models, August 2002 - January 2003
  • PowerBook G4 (1GHz/867MHz), November 2002 - September 2003

Access a PC from a Mac

Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac lets you connect to a Windows-based PC and work with programs and files on that PC from your Mac. Read more....

Some Software Updates Have Physical Steps

Occasionally software updates require physical action on your part to make your computer safe for updating. An example from a few years ago is the Mac OS X 10.3.7 Update, which should be installed only after external FireWire hard drives are physically disconnected. What's easy to forget is that the subsequent 10.3.8 and 10.3.9 Combo updates have the same requirement, because they contain the software in 10.3.7. And what if you were to upgrade an old Mac from anything earlier than 10.3.7 to anything newer? If the same bit of software is changed then the same extra step may be called for!

It's best to read the accompanying documentation before installing any software update. If you're a creature of habit and don't mind an extra step to err on the side of caution, disconnect add-on hardware before installing any update.

Hardware Upgrades Affect iTunes

iTunes Store purchases can be authorized in iTunes to play on up to five computers. Deauthorizing a computer allows you to manage which computers can play purchased music, videos, audiobooks, or other content.

Make sure you deauthorize your computer before you upgrade your RAM, hard disk or other system components. If you do not deauthorize your computer before you upgrade these components, one computer may use multiple authorizations. If you find you have reached 5 authorizations due to system upgrades, you can reset your authorization count by clicking Deauthorize All in the Account Information screen. Note: You may only use this feature once per year. The Deauthorize All button will not appear if you have fewer than 5 authorized computers or if you have used this option within the last 12 months. Read more....

No iSight? No Problem

While current iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro computers include built-in iSight cameras, Apple no longer makes a stand-alone iSight. However, Mac OS X beginning with version 10.4.9 includes iChat support for USB Video Class webcams, so standard PC webcams can be used without additional software. Check out our selection of USB webcams the next time you visit our store. To make sure your software is up-to-date, run Software Update or download the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Update here....

Daylight Saving Time

Apple has released software updates for Mac OS X Tiger and Mac OS X Panther to address recent changes in the way Daylight Saving Time will be observed beginning in March 2007. If your computer uses older system software, you must disable automatic Daylight Saving Time adjustment and set the clock manually. Download the Daylight Saving Time Update here....

Sites for Creative Professionals

If you use Adobe Creative Suite, you may want to bookmark some Web sites featuring news you can use. Read more....

Secret iPhoto Advanced Mode

To fine-tune the Red Eye and Retouching tools in iPhoto, follow these steps: start editing a photo, choose a tool, press ctrl+capslock+9 to enter advanced mode, then press tab to toggle through different modes while using either tool. The [ and ] keys will then decrease and increase the size of the tool, while typing { and } will decrease and increase intensity. Read more....

Substitute for an AirPort Card

If you have a Mac without AirPort Extreme compatibility but would like to connect it to an 802.11 wireless network, you can do it using a D-Link Wireless Gaming/Bridge Adapter, available at Mac Pros. Although intended for use with a gaming console, this external device can substitute for an AirPort Card on a Mac, which is fortunate because the original AirPort Card is not readily available. To purchase the the D-Link Wireless Gaming/Bridge Adapter, please contact us. Setup instructions for Mac OS X are here. PDF Document

Magnify Your Screen

Stop squinting and start zooming. You can magnify the display image around your pointer by holding down the Control key on your keyboard and spinning the scroll ball or scroll wheel of your mouse. Your Mac needs Mac OS X 10.4.8 or newer installed, and/or an Apple Mighty Mouse. Read more....

Fix for MacBook Shutdowns

The MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1 improves the MacBook's internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns. This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair. Posted October 26, 2006. Visit Apple Support to download the latest updates.

If It Ain't Fixed, Don't Break It

Recently, we've seen two customers in two days who accidentally broke expensive components of their Apple portable computers when they tried to repair internal hardware on their own. These sad events didn't have to happen. Other than specific parts (such as memory), designed to be installable by advanced users, the insides of a portable Mac are built assuming no one will touch them but Apple Certified Portable Technicians, like the pros at Mac Pros.

With information available on the Internet, it can be tempting to try to do computer repairs yourself. Take it from us, it's not as easy at it looks. Some Web site may tell you what to do, but does it tell you what NOT to do? It takes six months to a year of on-the-job training and dozens of hours of reading to be able to pass Apple Certified Technician exams. Internet how-to guides are written by hobbyists, who may or may not have professional experience, and who are definitely not Apple Certified on current product designs. We know this because Apple Certification is only available to current employees of an Apple Authorized Service Provider, like Mac Pros.

When your valuable Mac computer needs repairs, it's no time to fool around. Trust a pro you know at Mac Pros. Experience (really) matters.

How to Clean a Glossy Screen

The glossy screen available on new portable computers is so clear, any blemish caused by dust or oil is very noticeable. The recommended iKlear cleaning products are available at Mac Pros, but a little technique is required to get a dirty glossy screen completely clean. Click here for Special MacBook Cleaning Instructions PDF Document.

Extend PowerBook's AirPort Range

If you want to extend the AirPort wireless range of your 15-inch or 17-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum), you can add a PCMCIA 802.11g card with its own antenna to the card slot on your computer. As long as the card features a Broadcom chip, it will be natively supported by Mac OS X 10.3.4 and up. You can switch between the internal AirPort Extreme card and your add-on card on the fly by creating Locations, each using the other wireless card, in the Network pane of System Preferences. Don't spend too much on a card, though; if you plan to upgrade to a MacBook Pro, the new computers have an incompatible ExpressCard/34 slot.

Printing Multiple Emails

If you regularly print your email using the Print command in Mail, you know each message, no matter how short, takes at least one full page of paper. Wouldn't it be better to group short messages together on a page? If you have Mac OS X Tiger, you can use Automator to tell your Mac how to combine multiple emails into one document at your command. Read more....

Print a Pocket Address Book

Address Book, built into Mac OS X Tiger, has many printing options to help you print addresses on labels, envelopes, and now, even pages for a pocket address book. With Address Book open, choose Print from the File menu, then under Style choose Pocket Address Book. You can choose which fields of your address card are printed and select the size and font.

Keep Your Mac Secure

Mac users are happy there has been little malware (viruses, trojan horses, or other security exploits) written to attack the Mac. Recently some new malware for the Mac has received some media attention. Apple releases free software updates to protect against security vulnerabilities as they are discovered. The latest update specifically addresses the latest threats. To make sure your version of Mac OS X is secure, choose Software Update from the Apple menu while connected to the Internet, and see that your software is up-to-date. For even more protection, you can purchase security products, such as antivirus software, from Mac Pros. Contact us so we can help meet your needs.

Use Tables in Stickies

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has a built-in feature with which you can easily create tables in most programs that can edit text. Even in Stickies! Read more....

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