Paul Vaughn: The Mac Guy

I just visited the HQ of iPodJuice.com. It’s a tiny shop but they offer big service repairing iPods for people around the world. Walk-Ins are even welcome, although you’ll have to wait until next year for a more retail-friendly shop.

Hey Mac Guy: Looks like it may be time to get a new computer so I’m thinking I may want to upgrade to a Mac. Figured I should hit you up for advice, seeing as I have direct access to the Mac Guy himself. I need to do video editing, word processing, some Internet stuff, that sort of thing. What do I need? And do you know anyone who might build one for me? Or is that done with Macs? Maybe one just buys them ready-to-eat.

– Macs on the Menu

Hey Menu: Generally, nobody “builds” Macs like they do PCs, out of off-the-shelf parts to get a bargain basement machine. There are a few people experimenting with this, but it is still very much in the realm of computer enthusiasts and not recommended for mainstream production Macs. Since all Macs come from Apple you can buy them direct or through other resellers but prices are pretty consistent. Read the rest

Hey Mac Guy: I have had it up to my ears! I have a lot of great music on my MacBook, but there is just not enough space. What I want to do is delete from the Mac since it is backed up to several DVDs and an external HD. I have all the music on two iPods, so I am safe, but I realized when I plug my iPods in, if I delete something from iTunes, it takes it off the iPod, too.

What can I do to avoid this, to delete my music off the MacBook and free up space and keep it on the iPods without deleting the “original music?” I am sure this is easy, but I cannot figure it out.

Freaked in France

Hey Freaked: There are a couple of ways to deal with your situation. The first is to disable automatic syncing of the iPod. Automatic syncing will delete songs from your iPod if they are deleted from your iTunes library. To do this, go to the iTunes Preferences and click on the Syncing icon. Check the box that says Disable automatic syncing for all iPods and iPhones. Next, plug in your iPod and look at its settings. Turn on the Manually manage music and videos setting, and you should be free to delete music from iTunes while leaving the tracks on your iPod untouched. When you want to add new tunes, you will need to manually drag them to the iPod in the Source list. Keep in mind that if something happens to the iPod, you may lose your music and videos. Read the rest

Hey Mac Guy: My company has some non-working CRT and LCD monitors, as well as a few old printers we need to dispose of properly. Do you know where we can go for the correct means of disposal of such items?

– Propose to Dispose

Hey Dispose: I like to use the company GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com) for recycling my technotrash. GreenDisk works with individuals and companies large and small. For a quite modest fee GreenDisk can send you packaging or trashcans and they will take yesterday’s hot technology and recycle it into tomorrow’s office supplies and accessories. Read the rest

Hey Mac Guy: Someone tapped that screen of our Apple laptop a bit to hard and it now has the appearance of shattered glass. The actual screen is not cracked but you cannot see the desktop at all any more. I took it in to the Apple Store. They said the repairs would be upwards of $600. I know you have recommended a repair shop in the past. Do you think they could fix this and if so for less than $600?

– Fragged

Hey Frag: That sure is some bad news; fixing laptops can be pretty expensive. The price you were quoted from the Apple Store is in line with other estimates I have heard, but it cannot hurt to shop around. Contact MacTLC (www.mactlc.com, 210-495-5000) to get another price, but don’t be surprised if it is not much different.

There are also places on the Internet that offer laptop repairs. Check out TechRestore (www.techrestore.com) or PowerbookMedic (www.powerbookmedic.com), both get very good reviews. Read the rest

Question: What’s better than having an Apple Store in San Antonio? Answer: Having two, of course! San Antonio witnessed the arrival of the second Apple Store, and this one isn’t even halfway to Kerrville, it’s right in the heart of town.

The new Apple Store at North Star Mall opened to much fanfare and a long line of Apple devotees on Saturday, June 28th. Drew McCurdy, formerly the senior assistant manager at the La Cantera Apple Store, has enthusiastically taken the helm of this new shop. Apple’s retail presence makes a great fit with the other established outlets, nestled in with Williams Sonoma and The Gap on the lower level of the mall.

The opening itself was a raucous event. A horde of pumped-up Apple employees ran the circuit of the line high-fiving, whooping and enticing the crowd to do “the wave”. When the doors opened at 10:00, the waiting masses surged in to peruse the latest Apple gadgets: iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, iMacs and so much more. Read the rest