Mac Power Users 41: Mac at Work

Mac Power Users Episode 41 is available for download. In it, I explain how I went about writing Mac at Work. You can get it on iTunes here or on the web right here. Enjoy.

Mac App Store = Big Deal

The pundits (including me) are all cooking together our slants on the Mac app store. The thing is, the pundits don’t matter. The Mac app store is all about normal users who don’t know how to download software from developer web sites and don’t like giving their credit card information to strangers. The App store takes all the barriers down. Don’t believe me? Look at Evernote’s numbers.

90,000 downloads in the first 24 hours of the App store and 40,000 new users. This is going to be a big success. Expect a Windows App Store, within a year.

MacSparky.com is sponsored by Bee Docs Timeline 3D. Make a timeline presentation with your Mac.

Putting Down an Old Soldier - Capturing on Paper

I’ve written before about about methods I use for quick digital capture. It is time for my dirty secret: there are still instances where a pen and paper work best. Most often, when I’m sitting across the table from someone, I find it much more convenient to jot quick notes on a piece of paper rather than pulling out the iPad, booting up the necessary application, and tapping away. Also, I’ve noticed that using technology to capture quick bits of information distracts people. It is much easier to keep your focus on another person while writing notes on a piece of paper then when manipulating electrons. As a result, I’ve made a habit of carrying small notebooks in my pocket. Over the years I’ve used different brands. It really doesn’t matter what you use. Most recently, I’ve started using the Field Notes books but I suspect that has much more to do with me growing up watching Indiana Jones movies than actually needing this particular brand.

Either way, for me these notebooks are purely sacrificial. I scribble notes in them and at the end of the day incorporate information into my digital workflow (most often OmniFocus, Notational Velocity, or Address Book) and then scratch out the processed entries without mercy.

I beat the hell out of these books. They go in shirt pockets, jeans, get smashed into bags, and all other sorts of abuse. It takes me about a month to fill one and then I toss it in the shred bin at the office without further ritual. If you want to do something similar, here are a few pointers:

• Make sure the size is small enough to fit in your pocket but the length of the page is long enough so you can store your pen inside it without the point poking out the bottom.

• Make sure the paper is thick enough that if you write on one side, your pen doesn’t bleed through to the other.

• Most importantly, make a habit of getting the information out of them on a daily basis. That way, when you lose the notebook (you will lose a few of them), you can keep your losses to a minimum.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go throw out the above pictured soldier and start a new recruit.

MacSparky.com is sponsored by Bee Docs Timeline 3D. Make a timeline presentation with your Mac.

Macworld Syncing Session Warm Up

If you are in the Orange County area and want to see a warm-up of my Macworld Syncing session, come join the SMOG Mac User Group this Saturday.

Fracturing Windows and Fear

If the most recent scuttlebutt is true, that Microsoft is planning a competitor to the Apple TV that runs a stripped-down version of Windows, this would be a smart move for Microsoft. In my opinion, it was Microsoft’s insistence that it run a full version of Windows on tablet computers that kept them down as niche devices for over 10 years. The sooner Microsoft figures out how to streamline their operating system for these emerging mobile devices, the better for them.

For Apple fans upset by competing set top boxes, get over it. Don’t be afraid. Apple stole a market once with the iPod but that will never happen again. Also remember, Apple products will only get better with competition.

MacSparky.com is sponsored by Bee Docs Timeline 3D. Make a timeline presentation with your Mac.

Typical Mac User Book Appearance

I’ve started my virtual book tour. I made my first appearance on one of my favorite podcasts, the Typical Mac User with Victor Cajiao. Check it out here.

Exploring GoodSync

I’ve started preparing an outline for my Macworld synchronization session and stumbled upon GoodSync, a $30 solution for syncing files on multiple devices.

GoodSync handles synchronization over multiple devices directly connected or over the Internet such as FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and Amazon S3. There are both Windows and Mac OS X versions.

Most backup and synchronization software fails at the user interface. They are difficult to understand and impenetrable by mere mortals. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with GoodSync which, from the very first time you open it, walks you through the process of syncing files.

MacSparky.com is sponsored by Bee Docs Timeline 3D. Make a timeline presentation with your Mac.

Mac Roundtable Episode 95

This week I participated in the Mac Roundtable episode 95. In it we covered Apple resources, Christmas upgrades, tagging, and our picks.

New Year Fonts

Today is the annual Comic Book Fonts sale. All of their fonts (even the ones that sometimes sell for >$400 are $20.11. Some of my favorites are Hedge Backwards (used above) and Comicrazy. So go ahead and start the new year in true nerd fashion: watch some football and browse fonts.

MacSparky.com is sponsored by Bee Docs Timeline 3D. Make a timeline presentation with your Mac.

Mac Power Users 40: Which Mac?

Mac Power Users Episode 40 is available for download. In it, Katie and I talk about the current Mac line-up and make recommendations. This episode is helpful if you are looking for a new machine are are “the guy” everyone calls when making their own decisions about their next Mac. You can get it on iTunes here or on the web right here. Enjoy.