Maria's Guides

What Tasks Do You Need to Complete for Your Small Business?

Maria Langer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:57:38 +0000

Participate in an informal survey and win a book or one-month Lynda.com membership!

I’m taking an informal survey. I’d like to know what tasks small business owners need to complete to run their businesses. I’m especially interested in specific types of documents.

For example, most businesses need letterhead and envelopes and business cards. They might create invoices and statements. They might want to do calculations for amortizing loans or break-even points. These are some obvious examples.

I want to know what you need to do and what documents you need to create for your business. Use the Comments link for this post to share your thoughts and ideas. I’ll be choosing several random commenters over the next 6 months to win a copy of one of my current books or a 1-month membership to Lynda.com (winner’s choice).

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Mac OS X 10.6.2 Update Now Available

Maria Langer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:39:48 +0000

Information from Software Update.

The 10.6.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes for:

an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
a graphics distortion in Safari Top Sites
Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
a problem that prevented authenticating as an administrative user
issues when using NTFS and WebDAV file servers
the reliability of menu extras
an issue with the 4-finger swipe gesture
an issue that causes Mail to quit unexpectedly when setting up an Exchange server
Address Book becoming unresponsive when editing
a problem adding images to contacts in Address Book
an issue that prevented opening files downloaded from the Internet
Safari plug-in reliability
general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account

For detailed information on this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3874.
For information on the security content of this update, visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

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About My New Fifth Generation iPod Nano

Maria Langer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:39:10 +0000

Holy cow!

Yesterday, my Fifth Generation iPod — approximately equal to what they’re now calling an iPod Classic — the first version to support video — died again. I have a tendency to let the battery drain completely and sit in my purse like that. Then, when I attempt to sync, my Mac doesn’t know what the heck it’s connected to and wants to restore it.

This is the fifth time this has happened and the third time it has happened in the past two months. When I left for an appointment yesterday, it was still connected to my Mac, trying to import about 25GB of podcasts and music and videos. It was taking a long time, so I left it.

Coincidentally, that appointment was at the Biltmore Apple Store, which is walking distance from our “Rear Window” apartment in Phoenix. I was bringing in my 12″ PowerBook, which had a dead hard disk. I wanted to know what it would cost to replace the disk. I learned a few things:

The 12″ PowerBook computer was first manufactured in early 2003.
I bought mine in July 2003.
On a 12″ PowerBook, you must remove 23 screws to get at and remove the hard disk. You then have to screw them all back in. In the right places.
Apple has absolutely no interest in repairing 6-year-old laptops.

I’ll blog more about my solution to this another time. Let me get back to my new Nano.

Of course, I hadn’t bought it yet. But I figured that since I was there, I may as well take a look.

This isn’t my Nano, my thumb, or a video of anyone I know. But mine looks a lot like this one.

And I liked what I saw. So I bought a 16 GB red one. Yes, it’s (product)red, so a portion of the purchase price goes to fight AIDS in Africa. But that’s not why I picked red. I just like red. I’d like to help fight AIDS in Africa, but they’d get a lot less money from me if it was (product)turquoise.

Understand this: I bought a new iPod to replace one that simply wasn’t functioning reliably. The idea was to buy an iPod that would work with the iPod setup in my car and elsewhere. (The Shuffle won’t.)

I liked the idea of video, but since the video feature sucked battery power in my old iPod, I didn’t use it often. I didn’t expect to use it much on this iPod either.

All I wanted was something I could use to listen to podcasts and music while I drove or flew.

I got so much more.

This little sucker is absolutely packed with features.

It plays MP3s and other audio format files.
It plays movies.
It has an FM radio tuner built in. The FM tuner can identify songs so you can tag them and later sync them with your computer for easy shopping on the iTunes Store.
It has a video camera.
It has a pedometer. It can sync up with Nike’s Web site for some reason I’m not clear about and probably wouldn’t care about if I did.
It has games.
It can tell when you tilt it so it orients the screen properly. This tilt thing can also be used by games.
It can record voice memos.
It can store and display photos.
It can sync with Address Book and iCal on my Mac.
It can store notes.

It does a huge amount of stuff I didn’t expect. And every time I find something new, I get all giddy, like a kid.

Playing with one of these silly things for the first time — as an owner — is better than opening presents at Christmas.

Now I know what you’re saying. “Maria, you work with Apple products all the time. Didn’t you know that the Nano had all these features?”

No, I didn’t. I mean I knew about the movies and heard about the built-in video camera. But the tilt thing and games and pedometer and radio were all quite a shock.

Maybe you’re saying, “Maria, how could you spend nearly $200 and not know what you’re getting?”

Well, I thought that what I thought I was getting was worth $200. The Nano comes in a really sleek little package. Weighs next to nothing. Incredible quality video for such a tiny screen. I was satisfied.

Now I’m beyond that.

Do all MP3 players have this many bells and whistles? What have I been missing?

As you might imagine, I’m very happy with my new purchase. The only adjustment I’ll need is limiting the data I put on it to less than 16 GB. My old iPod has a 30 GB hard disk in it; this is quite a step down.

But I’ll deal with it.

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iMovie 8.0.5 Update Now Available

Maria Langer — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Information from Software Update.

This update improves compatibility with a number of devices and fixes other minor issues, including:

Improved compatibility with camcorders using the iFrame video format
Improved compatibility with importing video captured on the iPod nano
Fixed problems with resizing the iMovie window during playback

The update is recommended for all users of iMovie ‘09.

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Twitter’s Report for Spam Feature

Maria Langer — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:52:33 +0000

Block and report with one simple click.

Spam has been a problem on Twitter since it became mainstream over a year ago. It’s an extremely frustrating situation for those of us who want to use the service as a social networking tool — to actually meet and interact with other people who we find interesting. We’re the ones who follow up on new followers and actually read incoming @mentions (or @replies) and direct messages.

I’ve urged people to report spammers using the @spam Twitter account. But now there’s a better way: The Report For Spam link on the person’s profile page.

This example shows it quite clearly for a spammer account that began following me today. It’s the last link in the Options area. Clicking the link displays a confirmation dialog to make sure you really do want to block the account and report it for spamming. Click OK and the job is done.

What kind of account activity is considered spamming? The Twitter Support page, “Reporting Spam on Twitter,” lists many examples of what the Twitter folks consider spam. I recommend that you read it if you’re not sure what Twitter spam is.

In this example, the spammer had followed hundreds of Twitter users, likely because they’d tweeted using a keyword the spammer had programmed into a bot. The spammer posted just one tweet, which didn’t make much sense and included a link. I didn’t click the link; it’s never wise to click a link posted by a spam account. (Think candy from stranger.) The link was likely either going to sell me something or attempt to install some malware on my computer.

I’m thrilled about this new Twitter feature. If used consistently by serious Twitter users and acted upon by the folks at Twitter headquarters, we should see a reduction in spam and perhaps a lot of discouraged spammers. Sadly with the proliferation of automated Twitter follow and spamming tools, it’s unlikely that the spam problem will ever completely go away.

But I think that if we do our part to report spammers as they follow or interact with us, we’ll make the Twitter experience a bit more enjoyable for everyone.

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Office 2008 Installer Needs Rosetta? Duh-oh!

Maria Langer — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:17:10 +0000

Just something idiotic I wanted to share.

I rolled off a book project with a tight deadline right into a video project with an even tighter deadline, so I don’t really have time to blog, share new articles here, or even tweet. But I did run across this the other day while I was installing Microsoft Office 2008 on my 13-inch iMac running Snow Leopard:

Yes, the Office 2008 installer requires Rosetta to run. Office 2008 doesn’t need Rosetta. Just the installer does.

Hello? Microsoft? You want to make your installer compatible with current hardware and software?

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September 2009 Links

Maria Langer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:59:06 +0000

Links for the month of September.

Here are a few links of interest to the folks who read my books and articles or watch my training videos.

Snow Leopard Features Suggest It’s a Touchscreen OS – If you’ve got one of Axiotron’s awesome Modbooks, and you’re running Snow Leopard, you may have already stumbled across a few features that make your Mac so much easier to use. It’s unlikely Apple had Axiotron in mind when it included these features, though, so what’s the real story here? On TheAppleBlog. Thanks to @DonPerrault for sharing the link on Twitter.
Must-have / essential applications on Mac OS X (10.6 – Snow Leopard) – Interesting list of applications that a Snow Leopard user might want to have on his system. By Trent Lloyd.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: the Ars Technica review – Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard has landed. This time around, Apple goes light on the glitz in favor of some heavy work under the hood. John Siracusa dives deep into Apple's new OS offering to see what's new, what's still the same, and whether it's worth upgrading.
Snow Leopard’s Four Best Improvements (for Civilians) – Most of Mac OS 10.6's changes are deep in its underpinnings for developers to put to good use. But what do the rest of us get out of Snow Leopard? Modest, but nice, improvements to the everyday Mac workflow. Note: This isn't a thorough Snow Leopard review. It's a boiled-down, "what's in it for me" rundown for time-strapped folks who want the bottom line. On Lifehacker.
MacJury #913: Passing Judgement on Snow Leopard (Part 2) – More MacJurors weigh in on the newest version of Mac OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard. This panel discusses why Snow Leopard looks better and what that means for graphics professionals as well as the casual user, why the transition to Snow Leopard is “important but not urgent,” and the issues surrounding QuickTime 10. The panel also discusses why the newest version of the Mac OS will force developers to stay focused, and share some of the best new changes to existing features. Featuring yours truly as one of the jurists.
Old WordPress Versions Under Attack – Otto42 of OttoDestruct, a key WordPress developer and supporter, reports that there is an “attack” on older versions of WordPress right now. The number of sites hit by this is growing every hour. Protect your WordPress blog now: UPDATE NOW!!! On Lorelle on WordPress.
How to Keep WordPress Secure – Right now there is a worm making its way around old, unpatched versions of WordPress. From Matt on WordPress.org.
If Architects Had to Work Like Web Designers – This is why I don't do Web work for other people. Brilliant! On DigitalSurvivors.
Fonts for web design: a primer – Modern CSS provides web designers with an unprecedented level of control over online typography. Restrictions are still imposed however by the limited number of “common” fonts—those typefaces that are generally available cross-platform. This article looks at the fonts web designers have available to them, and also considers their suitability for various tasks. On dev.opera.com.
Apple OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – A Wired.com product review.
How to Build a Hackintosh with Snow Leopard, Start to Finish – Detailed instructions for putting Snow Leopard on a netbook for under $900. On Lifehacker.
Snow Leopard Is Less Secure but Safer than Windows, Say Experts – The title says it all. Read more on Lifehacker.com.
Upgrading Your Mac To Snow Leopard Using Your USB drive – Jeffry Thurana Explains how to upgrade a Mac without an optical drive. On MakeUseOf.com.
Found Footage: Snow Leopard hidden features, great video by a 16 year-old – Matt Fisher has created a video on hidden features in Snow Leopard and although we have covered some of these before, this you have to see. In four minutes and twenty-nine seconds Matt covers more content than most people can cover in an hour, and he does it with grace and total clarity. On TUAW.
Snow Leopard: what’s to love (or at least appreciate) – A list of improvements in Snow Leopard that you might not initially notice. On TUAW.
Use New Exposé Features in Snow Leopard – In Mac OS X 10.5, you could combine the use of Exposé's Application Windows mode and the Command-Tab application switcher by first activating Exposé and then pressing Command-Tab. When you selected another application and released Command-Tab, that application would come to the foreground in Exposé mode, revealing all its windows. Alternatively, you could release just the Command key, and cycle through all your applications (while still in Exposé mode) by just pressing the Tab key. Read more on PCWorld.com
50 Essential Web Typography Tutorials, Tips, Guides and Best Practices – The title says it all; the article has links to 50 resources. On Speckyboy Design Magazine. Thanks to @EstherSchindler for sharing the link.
How-To: Resurrect Your AppleTalk Printer in Snow Leopard – Did Snow Leopard leave your old AppleTalk printer out in the cold? Grab a hot cup of cocoa and warm your printer up with some of these handy tips to continue to use your classic AppleTalk printer with your state of the art operating system. On The Apple Blog.
Three Useful Snow Leopard Links… – Author and programmer Dave Mark shares three links to software you might want to install on Snow Leopard. (I use 2 of the 3.) On Dave Mark's Blog.
18 Resources to Help you Write Better Blog Titles – This is one I really needed and should study. I write the crappies blog titles. But it's an important skill to master if you want more hits. Thanks to @estherschindler for tweeting the link. On Bloggusion.com
Install Snow Leopard on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required – If you're not comfortable with command-line hacking, you can now install Snow Leopard on your Hackintosh with just a few point-and-clicks. On LifeHacker.
The Snow Leopard appreciation society – "A lot has been written about Snow Leopard since its release two weeks ago: but maybe the best way of describing Apple's latest operating system update is by comparing it to a second-hand Volkswagen I owned a couple of years after finishing university." Read more on ZDNet.com.
Snow Leopard Gives 50% Performance Boost When Running Optimized Software | Cult of Mac – Snow Leopard can give your Mac a 50% performance improvement when running optimized software, a developer has found. On CultOfMac.
QuickBooks update adds Snow Leopard support, bug fixes – Intuit has released the QuickBooks 2009 for Mac R8.2 patch, adding Snow Leopard support to the small-business financial software. On MacNN.
Report: Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on Twitter – Nine most effective ways to get retweeted on Twitter. On FastCompany. Thanks to @WeberBooks for sharing the link.
See Hidden Files in Snow Leopard’s Open and Save Dialogs – Business Center – PC World – Many of OS X's files and folders are hidden when working with the system–most of the Unix-only folders, such as /usr, /etc, and /bin, for instance. If you want to always see these hidden files and folders, you can do just that. On PC World.
Snow Leopard tip: Minimize to icon – Now you can minimize windows "behind" their parent app's icon. Here's how. On TUAW.
Inside Snow Leopard’s UTI: Apple fixes the Creator Code – Snow Leopard's abandonment of Creator Code metadata, used to open a file with its creating application, has some users are worried that Apple has killed off a core Mac-centric feature. Instead, Apple has invented a superior alternative for the old Creator Code in order to support a variety of new features. Here's why, and what the new Uniform Type Identifiers offer. On Apple Insider.

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iWork ‘09 Update 3 Now Available

Maria Langer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:54:40 +0000

Information from Software Update.

This update addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, updates the help, and fixes a number of other minor issues in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. The issues addressed include:

Reducing file size of images that have Instant Alpha applied

Managing file size when inserting some movies

Working with dates and durations in the Chart Data Editor in Keynote and Pages

Exporting to CSV from Numbers when using table categories

Improvements to comment notification and security in iWork.com Beta are also included in this update.

This update is recommended for all users of iWork ’09. For detailed information on this update and individual application changes, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3681.

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iTunes 9.0.1 Update Now Available

Maria Langer — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:31:55 +0000

Information from Software Update.

iTunes 9.0.1 provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.

iTunes 9 comes with many new features and improvements, including:

An improved look and feel, including a new Column Browser for easily browsing your artists or albums, movies, TV shows, and more.
iTunes Store has a brand new look, with improved navigation for quick and easy exploration.
iTunes LP and iTunes Extras create unique experiences that feature exclusive interviews, videos, photos, and more — available with select album and movie purchases on the iTunes Store.
Home Sharing helps you manage your family’s iTunes collection between computers in your home. iTunes can automatically transfer new purchases, or you can choose just the items you want.
Genius Mixes are created for you by iTunes and play songs from your library that go great together.
iPod and iPhone syncing now allows you to organize your iPhone and iPod touch home screens directly in iTunes. Syncing is now also more flexible, allowing you to sync individual artists, genres, or TV show and Podcast episodes.
iTunes U items are now organized into their own section in your iTunes library.
Sync with iPod nano (5th generation), iPod classic (Fall 2009), and iPod touch (Fall 2009).
iTunes 9 also includes many other improvements, such as HE-AAC encoding and playback, more flexibility with Smart Playlists rules, simpler organization of your media files inside an iTunes Media folder, and more.

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Snow Leopard: Incompatible Software

Maria Langer — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:42:35 +0000

How Snow Leopard yells you and what you should do.

One of the drawbacks of updating to any new operating system — be it the latest version of Mac OS or Windows — is the risk that some of your older software might not be compatible. But it makes sense: as your system software is updated to add more features and take advantage of the power and capabilities of more modern computer hardware, software applications that are not updated along with it may simply cease functioning. This is probably the best argument for updating all of the software you rely on regularly.

When you install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on your Mac, it automatically reviews the software installed on your computer. At the very end of the installation process, it notifies you of incompatibilities it found with a dialog like this:

Clicking the More Info button displays a dialog with details about which software is incompatible and what the Snow Leopard installer did with it. In this example, Snow Leopard won’t work with my Palm Sync software. That’s okay with me because I no longer use a Palm (I have a BlackBerry now), which is why I never bothered to update the Palm Sync software. By moving it to the Incompatible Software folder it created, the Snow Leopard installer made it easy for me to simply delete it from my hard disk.

If, however, I still used and needed that software, I’d be researching Snow Leopard-compatible updates for it. If the software was still supported by its developer, I’d likely find one, install it, and be able to use it with Snow Leopard.

The dialog shown here includes a link that you should definitely follow if you either see this dialog or before you update to Snow Leopard if you believe some of your older software may not be compatible. The link is to a Knowledge Base article titled “Mac OS X v10.6: About incompatible software.” It includes a known list of incompatible software, as well as links to the developer sites to get updates.

How this Affects Me

I use one old piece of hardware — a 10-year-old HP LaserJet 2100TN printer — and one old, unsupported piece of software — ecto — on a regular basis. The HP printer required some reconfiguration to get working, as I wrote about here. But in all honesty, I was prepared to replace it if I couldn’t get it to work — I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect a piece of computer hardware to last that long and I consider myself lucky that it has. ecto, which is the software I use daily to compose blog entries offline, hasn’t been updated in at least two years. Its developer handed it off to another developer who has pretty much abandoned it. With the release of Snow Leopard, it has begun to show some minor compatibility problems. Although it’s still functional now, I’m beginning to think of its replacement; I seriously doubt that it’ll be updated or continue to work with future versions of Mac OS.

But that’s just the way it is. If you want to move forward, you have to move everything forward.

While I realize that there has been a great deal of whining from some Mac OS users about Snow Leopard incompatibilities, I don’t think the problem is as serious as some might want you to believe. If application software is regularly updated and supported by its developer, it’s likely to be Snow Leopard compatible either now or by the end of October 2009. (Remember, Snow Leopard was originally slated for release in September, so its early release caught a lot of developers by surprise.) It’s really not fair to expect Apple to find and test its operating system software with every Mac OS application developed in during the past 10 years. It’s the developer’s job to make its software compatible with new hardware and operating system software. This is probably the best reason to avoid software developed by fly-by-night developers who might not be around when system software updates are released.

If you do have older software that’s no longer support and is “mission critical” to your work or organization, the answer is simple: don’t upgrade your hardware or system software. If it works on whatever setup you currently have, just stick with that until you can find an alternative solution.

It’s in the Book!

You can find more information about using application software with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide.:

Application Basics is covered in Chapter 10, pages 183-208.
TextEdit is covered in Chapter 11, pages 209-232.
Internet Applications are covered in Chapter19, pages 405-444.
Mac OS Utilities is covered in Chapter 24, pages 569-594.

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Quicken 2007 R3 Updater Now Available

Maria Langer — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:13:18 +0000

Information from the Intuit Web site.

If you’re using Quicken 2007 with Snow Leopard, you’ll probably want to update as soon as possible to Quicken 2007 R3 using the Quicken Certificate Updater.

From the site:

You must install the Quicken Certificate Updater in order to continue using online features in Quicken 2007, including downloading transactions and paying bills online. If you are currently experiencing an OL-249 errors, this patch will resolve those errors. By installing the Quicken Certificate Updater, your Quicken product will be updated to Release 3 (R3). Before updating to Release R3, you must first update to Release 2 using the steps below. After you have updated to R2, or if you are already using R2, click here to download and install the Quicken Certficate Updater.

You can learn more about the update and get other Quicken 2007 updaters at http://quicken.intuit.com/support/articles/using-quicken/patches-and-updates/4366.html

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Repair Your Hard Disk with Disk First Aid

Maria Langer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:00:52 +0000

How to launch Disk Utility so you can use its First Aid features on your internal hard disk.

Note: This article is an update of one I wrote way back when Mac OS X 10.3 Panther was released. The instructions here apply to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and will likely apply to most future versions of Mac OS.

Mac OS X includes a utility called Disk Utility, which can be found in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder. This program offers features for verifying and repairing permissions and disks, erasing and partitioning volumes, creating and working with disk images, and using RAID.

Of this bunch, the First Aid features of Disk Utility are something you might want to check out if you haven’t already. I like to use this feature to clean up file permissions and repair minor directory damage on my hard disks on a regular basis. The trouble is, to use the disk repair features on your startup disk, you can’t start up from that disk or run the software from that disk.

And therein lies the problem: how do you repair your hard disk with Disk Utility if you can’t access the repair feature when you start it from your hard disk?

The answer is on your Mac OS X installation DVD. That disc, which includes the Disk Utility software, can be used to start your computer.

Those of you who have above average knowledge of the installation discs may be scratching your heads. You know that when you start a computer with a Mac OS X installation disc, the Installer application automatically runs. When you use the Installer’s Quit Installer command, the Finder does not appear. Instead, the installer tells you it will restart your computer. So how do you launch Disk Utility?

I’ll tell you.

First of all, you know how to restart your computer from a bootable DVD, right? Insert the DVD and then do one of the following:

Use the Startup Disk pane of the System Preferences application to identify the disc as your startup disk.
Restart your computer with the Option key held down, select the DVD when the startup disk icons appear, and press Return.
Restart your computer with the C key held down.

Wait for your computer to restart from the DVD. Then:

In the first dialog that appears, select your language and click the forward arrow button.
Wait while the installer prepares the installation. Don’t worry; it’s not changing anything on your hard disk.
When the menu bar appears, choose Utilities > Disk Utility.

Disk Utility opens. You can then use its First Air features on your internal hard disk.

When you’re finished:

Choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility or press Command-Q to quit.
When the installer appears, choose Utilities > Startup Disk.
When Startup Disk appears, select your hard disk icon and click Restart.
Click Restart in the confirmation dialog that appears.

Your computer restarts from your hard disk.

It’s in the Book!

You can find more information about hard disks and using Disk Utility with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide.:

Storage Media is covered in Chapter 6, pages 97-126.
Mac OS Utilities is covered in Chapter 24, pages 569-594.

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Switching to the Mini Player in iTunes 9

Maria Langer — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:01:04 +0000

Don’t you hate it when they change the way something works?

I updated to iTunes 9 while on the road. This afternoon, as I prepare to get some work done in my hotel room, I fired up iTunes on my MacBook Pro for a little background music. I only have about 900 songs on this computer, but that’s enough to keep me satisfied while I work.

I started up iTunes, clicked OK when it told me it couldn’t connect to the iTunes Store, and started up the music. I then clicked on the zoom button in the title bar to get the mini player window.

But the window zoomed, like any other window. No mini player window.

In iTunes, clicking the green zoom button always toggled the window between a regular iTunes window and the mini player. For years. I clicked it about six times, thinking I was missing something. I wasn’t.

The yellow minimize button didn’t display it either. No big surprise there. I didn’t bother clicking the red close button.

I then spent the next three minutes hunting down the setting that would get me the mini player window. I checked the obvious places — well, obvious to me, anyway — including the Window menu and preferences. I finally found it and its shortcut key listed under the view menu: Switch to Mini Player or Shift-Command-M.

Problem solved.

But don’t you hate it when they change the way things work?

September 22, 2009 Update: I don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but with the release of the iTunes 9.0.1 update, this “problem” seems to have gone away. The green zoom button now works just like it used to. That’s got me wondering: did Apple “fix” it because they realized it was “broken” or did they change it back because so many people were whining about it?

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Printer Updates Now Available

Maria Langer — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:55:36 +0000

Use Software Update to find updates for your Snow Leopard installation.

Depending on your computer setup and installed printer drivers, running Software Update may list printer driver updates available for your computer. On my iMac, for example, which is connected to a LaserJet 2100TN, Software Update notified me of HP printer driver updates. On my 15-Inch MacBook Pro, which has Brother printer drivers installed, Software Update notified me of Brother printer driver updates.

If you use one of these printers and are not being notified of updates, either the driver is already up-to-date or it is not installed properly. Install the printer drivers you need, then run Software Update to see if an update is available.

Any printer driver updates that are released are likely to fix any Snow Leopard incompatibilities.

Good luck and please use the comments here to let us know how you do.

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Apple Remote Desktop 3.3.1 Client Update Now Available

Maria Langer — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:07:30 +0000

Information from Software Update.

The 3.3.1 update is recommended for all Apple Remote Desktop clients and addresses several issues related to overall reliability and security.

For detailed information on this update, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3670

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