Answers...

to commonly asked questions.

Lion

10.8 killed all my old applications

Scotty,

Why do hard drives die? What causes this to happen?
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Every hard drive dies.  They are spinning plates that are read with a small magnetic needle.  All moving parts have a 100% failure rate eventually.  Just like humans. So go get a backup, check the spare tire in your car, and be sure you’ve made out a will. Nothing lasts forever.

Use the App store to find Lion

Hi…  calendar not working properly.  I Updated laptop events and did not show on main computer calendar.  Also, the server error on main computer is still coming up for calendar.  Any ideas?  Thanks,
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The calendar server error is most likely due to the fact that iCal doesn't know the iCloud password.  In iCal, go to preferences then accounts.  Now re enter the iCloud (previously mobileme) password.  That should solve the iCal server issue.  Also, be sure to check your iCloud password in System preferences under "Mail, Contacts, and Calendar".  

Let's see how that works.  iCloud is very reliable in my opinion so I'm sure it's just a settings issue.  

What is the difference between iOS and Lion?

Hope that you are well.  I am having trouble with my outlook account.
I am unable to log in / my iphone is picking up the emails with no
issue and sending email out.  How can I reset the password, I think
that is the issue I am having.
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If you are sure of your password for your email account, then within outlook go to “Tools” from the menu bar and select “Accounts”. From there you’ll be able to re-enter your password for that account. It’s possible that the email server you are using requires either the prefix of the email of the entire email for authentication. There are many variables that could prevent email from sending and receiving. i.e.: port numbers, whether the email server requires SSL, etc...

Lion cut off Entourage 2004. Now what?

I just upgraded to Lion without realizing that it doesn't support Quicken. I've been using quicken for many, many years, with all our data. Not sure what to do. Glad you are here to ask!
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The problem is that Lion kills all PowerPC based software including Quicken.  The only way to move forward with Quicken is to get the latest version called "Quicken Essentials".  That will do it.

Scotty, I thought you didn't like Lion? Now you are recommending it?

Hey Scotty, with iCloud just released and all, I was wondering if I created a new AppleID for myself, would my purchases and downloads from my old account transfer over? Also, I have the iPhone 3GS, should I upgrade to the 4S or wait a year a get the next new version?
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No. Your old purchases would stay associated with your old email address. Many people end up with multiple AppleIDs as they change things throughout their lives. But there is not way currently to change the digital rights from one ID to another. Maybe in the future. You would join everyone else who has some songs from one ID and buys songs from a new ID.

I would project the next model iPhone being released sometime after June of next year. If you are using the 3GS, it’s a good time to upgrade but if you feel you can hold out until the middle of next year then you’d be even better off. If all us Americans like getting new cell phones every 2 years, then it’s better to be on the next cycle rather than the middle “s” model cycle. Apple has developed a pattern of major update, minor update, major update, minor update. I would rather be chaining iPhones on the major update personally.

Firmware update failed during install. Big problem

I have two of them. both doing the same thing  I know they are not NEW but i don't like the new one its smaller and i type very fast and make too many mistakes. The space bar sticks and two other keys don't type I can probably take it to the apple store. last time i did they just handed me two keyboards from the secret space behind the door  ;-)  Thanks Scotty i sure enjoy your pages of info
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I'm not sure what your question is.  If you are having trouble with your keyboard it may be covered under the computer's original warranty.  The only thing I could tell you would be to check with Apple.  You may also try zapping the parameter ram as one of our users discovered during a town hall session recently who had the same problem.  To do this, hold down the P+R+command+Option keys at start up.  Wait for the chime then continue to hold down the combination of keys.  Let the computer restart with a chime 3 times then let go.  The key functions missing before may return.  Worth a try before a trip to SouthPark.  If the issue is physical then resetting the parameter ram will not help.

Will my machine run Lion?

I see where you suggested that we go ahead to Lion.  When I read your report on it a month ago seemed to me it was a no go.  You seemed more negative than positive.  But now you are saying ahead?
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Overall Lion is a go. No software is ever a go in version .0. And that is always my first effort. Don’t adopt version .0 of anything. Lion has gone through 2 updates since being released and is now mature enough for most users to move to. What I do not like about it is the look of the calendar and especially the address book. Mail seems to still not be what it could. I stand by my statement that Apple changed the design of these programs for the sake of change and not because it was an improvement. They made it so iPad users would feel more comfortable on the Mac I suppose. The above mentioned programs have been altered to look exactly like the iPad versions. Where the failure occurs is the idea that an application designed for a touch based 10 inch screen is the best answer for a 27” iMac. The two platforms are completely different experiences and both have limitations and advantages. Take for instance, the address book design. In the old address book you could see 3 panes of information. Group lists, names of contacts, and contact information. In the new iPad designed address book running on the Mac under Lion, you can only see 2 at one time which leads you to “turning the page” constantly. They changed the layout when they didn’t need to. In the calendar, you now have to manually choose to view your calendar list. Design over functionality. It’s prettier but not better in my opinion.

Now that I’m off my rant, to answer your question: no matter what, you can’t stay in an old operating system for too long. Sooner or later, the internet is going to demand that you upgrade. iCloud is such an example. If you want this new fruit being dangled in front of you then you’re going to have to move to Lion. It’s not horrible, just unnecessary change. Overall, the benefit of iCloud’s new features make up for Lion’s misgivings.

What operating system to I have?

Scotty, when I bought my iPad-1 I bought Pages, Numbers and Keynote.  Do I have to buy them again for my iMac?
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Yes. The iOS versions of iWork will not give you the OS X versions and vice versa. Each must be purchased separately. You might want to visit www.apple.com/feedback and let them know your thoughts on that. The good news is that each app is transferable or “re-downloadable” on up to 5 iMacs or iOS devices. (respective of their platforms of course)

How do I upgrade to Lion?

Thanks for the heads up. I have working for the last couple of hours just to update my phone I can not imagine doing the cloud. Question. How can I save your information so when I go to do the cloud I will have it in front of me
Also if I buy the new phone do I have to do this all again and where would you go to get the new phone AT&T or Apple. In buying a new phone do you have to let AT&T know or can you just continue on with what they have from the old phone?
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The easiest thing to do would be to print the run down out however if you don’t have a printer you can always just open up a second browser window using the key command (command + N) in safari. You will now have two safari windows. One for the iCloud work and a second one with your notes.

10.6 is needed to get to 10.7 unless...

man, this sounds complicated.  My question is do I have to do this or can just continue with mobile me.  I am completely backed up and don't have that issue.  What are the advantages and disadvantages to making this move.
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It’s not really complicated. Just a lot to update and anytime apple releases a major software update, it’s better to just wait a while. The steps are not difficult, it’s just that each step takes quite a while to process.

The disadvantage to any software update is that often the new software is more tasking on your computer or device so the result is a slightly slower experience.

The advantage is that you can take advantage of the new features. The new notification center on iOS 5 is very nice. Wireless syncing is also great. Photo Stream is a nice convenience. Sooner or later, you have to go there so you might as well go ahead. You just need to make sure you have enough ram. Lion requires 2 gigs of ram but it’s best if you have at least 4.

If you choose not to upgrade, MobileMe will continue to work as normal for at least a while longer.

The only real major new feature of the new iPhone 4S is the Siri voice activation. Faster processor but the old iPhone is fine for now. If you have the 3GS or earlier then it’s a great time to update. If you have the iPhone 4, then I say just stay where you are.

Should I update to Lion?

We will hold off on the "cloud" for a time.  I was going to order myself an I phone 4s today from Verizon, where we have a corporate account.  Any recommendations on specifications for that phone?  We will see how we do with the cloud next week, but we may need your assistance to get all of our devices on it.  We did get the Appple TV hooked up!!  We have only scratched the surface of its capabilities however.  Do we have that version of Lion?  You installed Lion about 4 months ago.  Also our I-pad 1, will it work?
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I would suggest buying only the 16 gig smallest capacity iPhone. So much is streaming these days that a large drive is not a major necessity Just an opinion.

To find what operating system you are on, go to the black apple in the top left hand corner and select “about this mac”. It will tell you whether you are on 10.6 or 10.7. If you are on 10.6 you can use the App store (blue circular icon in dock) to upgrade for $29.99. You iPad will work with iOS 5 however video mirroring to your AppleTV 2 is not supported on the iPad 1.

Does Lion kill Microsoft Office?

Yes, there seems to be problems with my server... every time I send an e-mail, it bounces back and then asks me to select another server???  Sometimes it takes 3-4 trys to get the e-mail to send.  Is this the iCloud transition or something else?

The operating system I have is Mac OS X 10.5. 8.  I would like to have the newer system.  What do I need to purchase?
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Most likely the outgoing email server issue is being caused by the iCloud transition. If you are at 10.5.8 then we need to get you to 10.6 so you can use the app store to buy Lion. You can check at the Apple store to see if they have any more copies of Snow Leopard. 10.6 (Snow Leopard) must be installed via a disc. Only problem is that a copy of SL is difficult to find at this point. If you are unable to locate a copy then you could always buy a had copy of 10.7 on a USB flash drive. If you have difficulty let me know.

Pages auto backup

Although upgrading to 500 GB would buy us another year or two of time before reaching that capacity, we figured that (with the rate that we are continuing to load and store additional large photo files on our computer)  going to the largest hard drive that is made to fit in our Macbook Pro might be advisable?  Do not want problems with the new drive, that is for sure!  Our time machine back-up external drive is 3TB I think, so no limits there with how much we can back-up.  

1. and 2. below are the products I came up with when I searched the WD Caviar Black internal hard drive you mentioned our possibly ordering.  Neither sounds correct and the WD Caviar black series does not seem to be offered at all in the necessary 2.5 size for our computer~ only in a 3.5 size.  

Could not find any internal G drives, only external.  Did find 3. below.  Is this the best quality hard drive for us to order?

Still unsure what to order before proceeding with our appt.  If the 500 GB replacement internal drive you mention having in stock is the very best quality/reliable option existing out there over any available 750GB replacements, then I suppose we could go with that ~ but we would really love to go higher to around 750GB when doing this (if you think a really good quality replacement hard drive exists for our MacBook with that much storage).  

Will look forward to hearing your thoughts and any recommendations as to how we should next proceed/what to order.
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First and foremost, when dealing with drives never trust one.  I can't overstate this.  No matter what the age or make of the drive, you need to be prepared for it to fail at all times.  And don't be shocked when it does.  If you are prepared (by having backed up) then you can be at peace with the idea that your drive will die.  

Here are the two I would recommend.  
Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Black WD7500BPKT 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Seagate Momentus ST9750420AS 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive

I've seen them both fail but these fail less often than most other drives.  

Lion Considerations

Hey Scotty~

I was wondering if you do any computer software consulting/training or if you can recommend someone who does?
I am working with a small, but very necessary, non-profit organization that provides a free preschool education for at risk families.  We are interested in purchasing some fundraising/client relationship management software and we are not sure what we need.  
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I may be able to guide you in the right direction.  This sounds like an interesting and worth while project you're engaged in.  Sounds like you are looking for an application that will serve as a database or collection tool that also shows relationships to different projects.  Take a look first at Bento from Filemaker.  There's a free trial.  I'm not sure it's what you're looking for but it's a good place to start.

Can I get Lion for free?

Family member won a 150.00 gift card to the Apple Store and gave it to me and I don't know what to spend it on do you have any suggestions?????
Besides you!

I think someone is still inside my computer, I got another strange response today totally unrelated to the last one.
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Wow, that’s lucky indeed. Most likely it’s a gift card that will apply to your Apple ID inside iTunes as well as the mac app store. There are many things you can spend it on. including:

Apps for an iPad or iPhone
music
TV shows or Movies both purchased or rentals via iTunes on a computer or AppleTV
Applications from the Mac App Store if you have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or higher.

You might just want to go on a music buying spree!

As for the second part of your question: I don't think anyone is inside your computer.  The best way to secure your privacy is to change your password from time to time.  You may think of doing that with your email address(s). If you feel your privacy is indeed at risk, then you may want to schedule a session with me.

Error during Lion install? Save the dmg file and try again

I upgraded to lion on the laptop then lost all of my office programs (word etc..).  However I have purchased all of the programs like pages. I can't get these to be recognized as previous purchases. They were purchased in iTunes for my iPad. Do I have to repurchase these apps?  What should I do about the excel and word documents that I already have?  Is there a conversion in pages. This is getting confusing.

Scotty,

I think I just figured out why I can't get pages. It says it is exclusive to the iPad and iPhone. 
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You lost the Office programs because they were Office 2004 which is not supported under Lion. It’s very possible that the iWork apps are not showing in your previous purchases because you may have more than one Apple ID. This happens to people all the time. And when you log in to the mac app store with the correct Apple ID, the previous purchases under that name will appear. One way to find older Apple ID’s is to go to iTunes and look through your purchased music and right click on a purchased song to “get info”. This window will tell you what ID the song was purchased under. There could be more than one. example:
Screen Shot 2011-08-16 at 9.13.48 PM

This will work with apps in iTunes as well. Go to the apps area in iTunes and get info on the pages app and you may find the correct Apple ID there as well.
Screen Shot 2011-08-16 at 9.17.52 PM
Another check to make is to go to your iOS device and go to settings/Store. View what account you are logged in as and that may also give you a hint as to what account is active. Apple IDs never die. They just sit in iTunes for the rest of our lives whether we use them or not.

Lastly, be sure to run all your app updates. That could resolve it.

Do I HAVE to upgrade to Lion?

What is your opinion, should we turn on Automatic Downloads

BF5E6379-958A-4B6C-8CF9-BD7907FEAE81

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This means that going forward, if you purchase an app, music or video, it will automatically download to all your enabled devices and your iTunes accounts. It’s really a matter of personal preference. It’s a new feature. I have it enabled on my own machine out of curiosity to see if I like it. It’s a nice addition I suppose since I can worry less about syncing and more about listening to music. I say try it.

Go to Lion early? No.

scotty, i am trying to open a file that is on my front page,i think it is called a short cut.. my notes say that to open it i must go to a preview.. not getting it..help
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I think you are talking about a bookmark in safari. Just not sure.

Since there are a few details that I really still need to answer this it may be best if I assist you during our weekly town hall meeting. I am online every monday night at 8pm to help out clients with a program called gotomeeting. It’s free and allows me to see your screen. If you are around on Monday evening you can go to www.sellsconsulting.com/townhall and click the link on the right of the page to join in.

Can I upgrade to Lion from Leopard?

Scott, odd thing with my iMAC Word program. the arrows on the keyboard go to far flung places and don't follow the manual directions i give...have any suggestions?
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I have to say I’m baffled by this discription. Why don’t you join us on the next Monday night town hall and let’s take a look and see if we can come up with reason for this behavior.

Droid?

Scotty, thinking about an Ipad for my 6 year old grandson. He has some trouble learning and thought some of the apps seem helpful. What do you think as a teacher? He has trouble with ABCs, getting letters backward, counting etc.
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If you can afford it, it’s a wonderful gift. However, realistically an iPad will be a large distraction for a young child if there’s no adult to guide how it is used. The children’s books on it are great. Dr. Suess has several. I love them and used it in my classroom before I left teaching last year. The tactile interaction a child gets is fantastic for learning. Just be ready for 6 year old hands to drop it or possibly break it.
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