Mil-Spec Mac, Pod & Pad

Independence Day Deali-O

2013-07-04T04:51:00.001-07:00

Just spotted at the KMCC Power-Zone on the bargain rack three of the former MacBook Air display models and a repaired 64GB Cellular/Wifi Mini! I'm sure these won't last long! Check out the picture below for details.

Posted with Blogsy

Daily Deali-O : Two 4th Gen iPads

2013-03-25T10:26:00.001-07:00

Just stumbled across a great deal, KMCC Power-Zone has two 64GB, WiFi only, 4th Gen iPads on the clearance rack. One each in black and white, both have been reduced in price by 10% and now available for $620.10! Don't think to long they'll be gone soon!

Posted with Blogsy

Daily Deali-O's = Deal Of The Day: 13" MacBook Air

2013-02-14T15:44:00.001-08:00

This is my first Deali-O post on this blog; however, I've already done a Deali-O post on my other blog:

http://durcheinanderetc.blogspot.de/2013/02/daily-deali-os-deal-of-day-nikon-j1.html

The first Apple Deali-O is a 13" MacBook Air, more specifically a MD232LL/A, at the AAFES Ramstein KMCC Power-Zone.

Unit has been reset to factory settings and AAFES will contact Apple to reset warranty for one year in the name of the new owner, and 10% off, is a no brainer!

Here is the link to Apple site with standard full spec listing:

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD232LL/A?

After looking this up the deal might be sweeter since the unit should scan for $1389.00 and 10% off would bring it down to $1250.10!

Tweeting Apple Reps

2013-02-14T10:25:00.001-08:00

The Apple reps or more accurately Macintosh Solutions Consultants (MSC's), from GET Marketing, have armed themselves with a new marketing tool, Twitter. After Facebook, Twitter was the next logical social media tool to be added to the marketing arsenal.

Gordon's Enhanced Technology Marketing (GETM) is the exclusive representation to the military market for Apple products sold at: Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Navy Exchange Command (NEXCOM), Marine Corps Community Service (MCCS), Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) & Coast Guard Exchange System (CGES). GETM has been in the business of serving the U.S. military retail community for over 15 years and representing Apple products since 2006. The MSCs are all trained and certified by Apple, insuring that service members and their families have best shopping experience possible.

Twitter is helping MSC's get the word out about product availability, promotions, in store product demonstrations & tips for maximizing the Apple eco-system of hardware and software. So get your twitter account set up at:

https://twitter.com/

Here are the Twitter feeds to follow:

@Apple_Rep_KMCC

@apple_rep_naples

@apple_rep_graf

@apple_rep_panzer

@apple_rep_RAFL

@applevicenzaPX

Mil Spec Mac Pad & Pod Blog and my other blogs twitter feed is @Mark_BeezBlogs

Be sure to check out the links below for more info:

http://www.getmarketing.com/

http://www.aafes.com/

https://www.navy-nex.com/

http://www.usmc-mccs.org/

http://www.vacanteen.va.gov/

http://www.cg-exchange.com/

2 iPhones & 1 Mac

2013-02-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

Recently one of my best friends and his wife upgraded to the new iPhone 5. They are super happy except one thing, they see each others messages and mails. Not that they have any secrets from each other just to much clutter. So they turned to me to find out how to resolve this hiccup.

A quick google search found several resolutions to the issue. Depending on the individuals and what one wants to share will determine the set up path that works best for you. Instead of trying to rewrite the methods below you will find a description of links to look at.

The discussion in Mac-Forums focuses on separate user accounts on the Mac and then sharing the iTunes library to both accounts thus separating the phones.

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/iphone-hardware-accessories/258760-two-iphones-one-macbook-one-itunes-account.html

The second link is a pleasant read and like the third link discusses three resolution to resolve multiple iPhones in one household and how to minimize iTunes and App Store cost.

http://www.alexandrasamuel.com/relationships/3-options-for-sharing-an-itunes-account-under-icloud-with-your-husband-wife-or-sweetie

The last link actually discusses three different options to include the one above. This is probably the best link of the three to look at; however, reading all of the links will give a better understanding of the subject matter in general.

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/36854/one-apple-id-or-two

Whoo Hoo iPad Mini WiFi plus Cellular!

2013-02-01T07:00:00.004-08:00

YES!!! I am the proud new owner of my first iPad and it's a black 32gb AT&T model. Kind of ironic that I chose the mini since up until Apple's official announcement I was probably the last person on the planet to think it actually would happen. Still had Steve's voice ringing in my ear about the 9.7 inch screen being the perfect size. I pulled the trigger on the mini because of weight/size to portability ratio and it's paperback size would be more conducive to my desire to start reading ebooks. Mobile productivity is not affected by the size and that is my main goal, not movie watching. The goal is that this great little device will ensure that blog updates will happen at a faster pace.

Stay tuned,

Mark

CAC or Smart Card connectivity on a Mac

2012-09-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

The most frequently asked question I get from AAFES & NEX customers is "Where do I find the CAC card readers?" My biggest frustration with that question is not the where part but rather the unceasing nature of constrained availability. What I really don't get is why these items are not stocked at the MCSS. In the 21st century the CAC card reader is as much a necessity as combat boots for today's Soldier, Sailor, Airmen or Marine to accomplish the DoD mission. Well enough moaning on my part. The follow up question usually is "Can I use a CAC card reader on my Mac?" Answer is unfortunately a qualified "Yes." My recommendation is to check out:

http://militarycac.com/apple.htm

The feedback I have gotten regarding this site for the most part is positive, so I pass on the recommendation for the first time on my blog. I wanted to make sure I was as current as possible on this post and in doing so stumbled on some additional info.

When researching anything related to Apple, Mac OSX & the iOS eco-system one of the most reliable resources are the great folks at Mac-Forums.

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/162131-cac-card-reader-mac.html

These links look like useful resources as well:

http://smartcardservices.macosforge.org/

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/28/cac-for-mac/

What might be of great interest to units who have switched to Mac OSX or have a majority of personnel who have switched to Mac OSX and are looking at making a unit purchase, then this software might be of interest.

http://www.thursby.com/products/pki.html

Also of interest, Apple sells a really nice third party CAC card reader online. What make the SCM SCR3500 extremely interesting is that it folds up into the size of a standard USB stick and can be carried on your keychain or lanyard.

Here is the link to the Apple online store:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H2312LL/A

Should none of these solutions lead to complete satisfaction, then there are still two final alternatives. Installing a legal copy of Windows XP, Vista, 7 or soon to debut Window 8 operating system via bootcamp on your Mac or running one of the Windows operating systems in a virtual PC via Parallels or VM Ware Fusion.

http://www.parallels.com/eu/landingpage/dskd86/?src=g&gclid=CLTLzMnA1LICFUGN3godeVgAPQ

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html

Virtualization or the Bootcamp options are extremely popular and would allow one to use the CAC card in the same environment as the DoD does. I will discuss these solutions in greater detail in a future post.

WEB TIP: Can I upgrade my Mac?

2012-09-19T16:15:00.002-07:00

Often I am asked: How can I upgrade the RAM on my Mac? Can I upgrade the hard drive (HDD)? My answer is always: Sure you can!

My favorite upgrade resource is the website:

http://www.macsales.com/

The name of the company that runs this site is actually OWC: Other Word Computing. The best part is that they do mail orders to APO, which is a huge deal to folks stationed overseas. I personally have done both the RAM and HDD upgrade on my own MacBook. The folks at OWC make this procedure very easy. About two thirds of the way down on the right hand side of their site, you will find a link button labeled "My OWC Upgrade Center."

First step is to select which Mac and model you have:

Then find your computer and the upgrade you are seeking:

It has been my experience that OWC is very competitive when it comes to pricing and shipping rates. I also have found the "how to videos" found under the Tech Support link to be excellently executed and help a great deal to diminish any misgivings one might have to pursue the upgrade options.

If you are considering a HDD upgrade, might I recommend you go for one of the kit options that OWC offers. What you get is the hard drive, an empty HDD enclosure & best of all the tools you will need to install the HDD into your Mac.

Before removing your old HDD my tip would be to temporarily take the new HDD and put it in the supplied enclosure. Then connect this external drive to your Mac and make a copy of your entire internal drive. This cloning process is very easy using a software called SuperDuper for Mac and you can find a secure download link from the nice folks at CNET.com

http://download.cnet.com/SuperDuper/3000-2242_4-46651.html

Once this completed simply put the new drive in your Mac and your back in business, just with massively more storage space! You can alway keep the old drive in the new enclosure as a backup or reformat with OSX disk utility and use as new external drive.

Happy Upgrading!