iPhone update seems to be improving the scene...

Early reports are that the iPhone 2.1 update is helping matters....here's what Apple says it does:

• Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
• Significantly better battery life for most users
• Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• Faster installation of 3rd party applications
• Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
• Improved performance in text messaging
• Faster loading and searching of contacts
• Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

I wouldn't recommend the new iPhone 3G yet

I love my original iPhone...but from all the news and anecdotal info I have, it appears that the new Apple iPhone 3G is a bit of mess.

The 3G network that is supposed to make things "twice" as fast is quite spotty. At least in our area here in Colorado. So the phone has issues changing from the the 3G to the Edge networks and that can make for dropped calls, no or little bars and much frustration.

Also, the "half" price actually works out to more money if you factor in the whole contract. They upped the data plan to $30 from $20. So, that's an extra $240 over the life of the plan.

But there is a new update out today that is supposed to fix the 3G issues. We'll see.

iPhone Update and MobileMe

The recent new iPhones (and updates for the original iPhones) and the change of .Mac to the newly named MobileMe service are creating some questions and concerns...

You will be doing updates to iTunes, the system, and the iPhone...

Basically, as always, I recommend that:

• you start on a freshly restarted system that is quiet
• you repair permissions and verify the disk with Disk Utility (call me if you see any error messages)
• you don't attempt these updates if you are in a hurry (altogether these updates took over an hour on my system)

As always, let me know if you have questions.

Time Machine's Confusing Message...

When restoring a file with Mac OS X Leopard's very helpful backup application, Time Machine, you can get a really confusing message. It happens when the file you are restoring hasn't been lost but is just different. You have a version in real time and versions stored in the Time Machine. When you restore this file you are present with this dialog box that I (and my clients) find confusing. See the image:



The confusing part is, which one is the original? The answer is that the "current and real time" version is what Time Machine calls the original. I think the language would be more clear if Apple used the word "current" rather than "original."

If you choose the both option, you get current one is renamed with the word "original" in the name and the Time Machine copy is placed into the current, real time folder.

Mac Update 10.5.2

This update just came out and seems safe. Please always:

1. Backup first!
2. Run Permissions Repair from Disk Utility
   
3. Verify your disk with Disk Utility
4. Unplug peripherals (printers, disks, etc.)
5. Run the update and be patient
6. Plug things back in and test critical programs and data carefully one by one.
   

Also, after the 10.5.2 update another graphics related update will appear. Go ahead and run it too.

Call me if you need help.