Tag: Mac OS X Snow Leopard

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One in six Macs run the new Mac OS X Lion

On September 01, 2011, Net Applications stated that Mac OS X 10.7, Lion, accounts for 1% of all desktop operating. This is based on desktops that connect to the Internet. Mac OS X accounts for 6% of all desktop operating systems connected to the Internet within the last month. Mac OS X Lion was released on July 20th. Lion is very close to Leopard’s usage. Approximately 1.2% of all desktop operating systems being used on the internet are Mac OS X 10.5, Leopard. Mac OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard, is still the most commonly used Apple desktop operating system. 3.5% of all desktop operating systems being used are Mac OS X 10.6. Users are starting to migrate to Lion ever since its release. Based on all this information, 6% of all desktop operating systems are running Mac OS X. This means that Lion accounts of 1 out of 6 Macs.

As Lion gains popularity, more people will migrate from Snow Leopard and older Mac operating systems to Lion. I think that 1 out of 6 Macs running Lion is a big step forward, since it has only been one and a half months since its release. Do you think Lion is a good improvement for Mac OS X? Is it worth the $29.99 to you? Feel free to leave comments or suggestions and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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Mac OS X Lion 10.7 Distributed in Mac App Store

Apple is finally releasing the OS X Lion in the summer, but how is it being distributed? Sources are saying that it will be distributed through the Mac App Store which is currently on the Mac OS X Snow Leopard too. This new operating system comes with many new features such as full disk encryption, AirDrop, a new interface, an iOS —style application launcher, mission control, and certain looks on the home screen. I created an article about the OS X Lion beta version which you can find through the search bar. Just type in OS X Lion and the article is there. It provides a more in depth review of the OS X Lion. The new Mac App Store is like the App Store on an iPhone or iPod touch. It’s basically an easier way to find apps on your Mac instead of going to an Apple store to find it.

 

I like that Apple is selling the OS X Lion 10.7 on the Mac App Store. It makes it a lot easier for the customers to download it instead of driving to a store to buy it. It may be just another attempt to promote the Mac App Store, but it’s in a great way. It saves Apple money because they don’t have to pay for the disks, gas money to get the OS to the stores, and it makes the customers life easier as well. The customer wouldn’t have to keep track of another disk, as if they don’t have a million of those already. This won’t mean that they won’t sell the OS X Lion 10.7 in stores, it just means that if you don’t want the hassle of another disk, just download it straight to your Mac. Apple is just trying to make your lives easier by letting you download it off their Mac App Store. In other words, no more waiting in those dreaded lines. I can finally celebrate at home when my download finishes and I have the OS X Lion on my computer without the frustration of humans.

 

Feel free to leave a comment.

 

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One Mac to Rule Them All

As a network technician, I found myself in a unique position when it came to my Mac. How far could I take the task of administering my LAN’s user profiles and machines using my MacBook Pro? Turns out it is possible.

My Mac is on the same network as all the Dells on campus. It’s my job to remotely unlock user accounts, add new computers to the network, and manage the files on the four servers. Here’s what I’ve found:

1. Use OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

I know there are still those out there who love Tiger. Trust me, I’m one of them. But the fact of the matter is that Apple didn’t really incorporate the tools necessary for working on PC networks until OS X 10.5 Leopard. Snow Leopard improved upon those tools, such as notifying me when my network password is about to expire. In general, Snow Leopard is more stable.

2. Download CoRD

CoRD is a free download that will let you open Windows servers on your Mac. What’s great about this program is that it will open the server up in a window on your desktop. No restarting or logging off, or anything like that. Move your mouse around the server window, and you’re controlling the server’s interface. From here, you can easily get in to Active Directory to manage user accounts, or access any of the other tools on the server.


3. Use command+k to access the server folders

Browsing through folders on the server is no problem at all, though you may not see them initially. Open Finder and select Go > Connect to Server (command+k). From there, type in smb://YourServerName.YourDomainName

You’ll need to authenticate with your credentials, but after that you’re good to go.

If there are other Macs on the network, make sure to log on to them as an administrator. In Sharing under System Preferences, make sure to select Remote Management. That way you’ll be able to share the screens of the client Macs after authenticating. It’s not Apple Remote Desktop, but it can at least show you what’s going on with the user.

With the dawning of the Age of Intel, Macs have become better and better with working along side PCs. Being an administrator with a MacBook Pro hasn’t hindered me a bit.

If anything, I have to remind myself that Expose is not an option for me when I do use a PC. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve jammed the cursor into the corner, expecting something to happen.

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Apple’s Mac OS X Lion out by summer?

What is Mac OS X Lion? It is Apple’s latest operating system. Apple is going to take the best features from the iPad and implement them into the Mac with the new Mac OS X Lion. The Mac App Store, which is also available on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, will also be a feature on Mac OS X Lion. The Mac App Store will allow you to purchase apps and they will appear right on the new Launchpad that is also a new feature. The Launchpad is similar to iOS devices because it allows instant access to your apps. The Launchpad icon is on your Dock and with one simple click on the icon, a full screen display of all your apps appears. You can arrange your apps anyway you like by dragging them onto different locations or even into folders.  Mac OS X Lion gives you the opportunity to use your apps on the full-screen. You can also swipe the trackpad to switch to another app’s full-screen window or back to the desktop. Mission Control is another feature on Mac OS X Lion that allows you to view all programs running on your Mac and even click it to get to that program. Multi-Touch is also more responsive.

Other new features include Auto Save, which automatically saves your work by saving the changes made on the document, Versions, which lets you revert to older versions of a document, and Resume, which lets you restart your Mac and return to exactly what you were doing before you restarted your Mac. For checking your email, Mail 5 allows you to view messages in your inbox and let’s you see a preview of it. It also introduces Conversations, which groups emails together of the same conversation. AirDrop allows you to send files to other people nearby that are using AirDrop also. Your Mac is also more secure with XTS-AES 128 data encryption at the disk level. FileVault encrypt your external drives too. Lion Server is also a new feature that helps you set up your Mac as a server and enjoy the many benefits that it has to offer.

Apple is currently getting ready to release a Mac OS X Lion update to developers that may be called “GM1”.  “GM” typically stands for “Golden Master”. This means that the product is complete, but there can be a lot of bugs and performance issues that Apple has to work on. The launch of Mac OS X Lion will be released sometime in the summer, but it depends on how fast Apple can get rid of the bugs and other issues.

Feel free to leave a comment.

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Ever wished for a Time Capsule?

What is Time Capsule? Picture yourself in a situation where you are constantly worried that your computer will lose important files. You will constantly want to back up your computer to make sure you have your files. What if that can become a lot more convenient? That’s where the Time Capsule comes in handy. The Time Capsule provides constant, automatic protection. Time Capsule includes a wireless 1TB or 2TB hard drive designed to work with Time Machine on select Mac models that run Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Leopard. After your initial back up, of course wirelessly, the Time Capsule, in the background, will continue to automatically back up changed files. Even if you have multiple Mac computers, all of them can be backed up by the Time Capsule. Time Capsule is an AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n technology. The Time Capsule acts as a wireless internet router and provides simultaneous dual-band operation. There is also a guest networking feature to provide guests with internet but keeps your devices secure. If you are a MobileMe member, you can access your Time Capsule wherever you have access to the internet. Mac OS X Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can still use Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive.

Time Capsule is both a hard drive for backing up your computer and a wireless router. It is very convenient and useful. The compact size helps you save space. Automatic back up for your Mac is very suitable for those who need to constantly back up their computers but don’t want to take the time to back it up each and every time. What do you think?

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