Monday, November 30, 2009

MacBook Energy Saver Tips: Conserving the Battery of your MacBook

Want to save the battery of your MacBook? Learn how to conserve the battery of your MacBook by following these guidelines on configuring the Energy Saver mode.

If you want to conserve the battery of your MacBook and want to make it last longer than usual, change the settings of your MacBook to Energy Saver mode. To do this, follow the step by step guide given below. This should conserve the battery of your MacBook, especially when you are out and away from any power outlet:
  1. At the top right of your screen, you will see a battery gauge. Click on it.
  2. As the menu displays, select which Apple energy setting you want to use. And because you want to conserve the battery of your Macbook and get its longest life, choose the Better Energy Savings option.
  3. If you want to customize the configuration of your MacBook’s Energy Settings, click on Open Energy Saver, still from the menu displayed. The Energy Saver preference window will then open.
  4. From the Settings for: dropdown menu, choose Battery to allow energy settings configuration whenever you use your MacBook on battery power.
  5. From the Optimization dropdown menu, choose Custom. The window should expand and display more preferences to configure.
  6. On the Sleep tab, you will see two sliders – one allows you to set the time before the computer is put to sleep, while the other allows you to set the time before the display is put to sleep. As a general rule, the shorter the time you set for both sliders (or the more to the left you set the slider), the longer life the battery of your MacBook gets.
  7. Also, check the box that says ‘Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible’ to conserve power.
  8. On the Options tab, choose more options that will increase the battery life of your MacBook. Check the boxes that say:
    • Slightly dim the display when using this power source.
    • Automatically reduce the brightness of the display before display sleep
  9. For more ways to conserve the battery life of your MacBook, you can manually reduce its brightness using the F1 on the keyboard, especially when you don’t need too much lighting on your screen. Also, make sure to turn off Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and other networking features of your MacBook when not in use.
Keeping these guidelines in mind, you should be able to conserve the battery of your MacBook and use it for hours. Remember, it is always best to care for your laptop’s battery to maintain its functional performance so that you won’t have to have it repaired on Apple stores every time it gets damaged due to improper use or overuse.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

10 Reasons Why You Should Be in the MacMall Stores During the Black Friday Sale

10. Our stores open at 5 am. Shop early for the best prices.

9. We will be giving away 1 MacBook, 1 Mac mini, and 5 iPod touch for FREE! 1st 200 customers will get a chance to win!

8. Free gift bags with purchase for the first 100 customers!

7. We will be giving FREE coffee and doughnuts for shoppers throughout the day!

6. Our stores are open until 9:00 PM, so you have lots of time doing your holiday shopping.

5. We'll have hourly give-aways in the stores. You must be present to win.

4. There will be hourly specials on HOT products!

3. We have the cheapest prices on Macs, iPods, accessories, software, HDTVs, and more!

2. AC Green of the LA Lakers will be at the Santa Monica store at 11AM and he'll be signing autographs on basketballs and posters.

1. MacMall is your #1 Apple Superstore! We simply have the best deals that you're looking for.

SEE YOU AT THE BLACK FRIDAY SALE!
For MacMall Store locations, visit: http://www.MacMall.com/store
We are open from 5:00AM - 9:00PM on November 27.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Experience Black Friday Extravaganza at MacMall Stores!

Are you ready for Black Friday 2009? Find out where to get the best deals and shop for the cheapest items during the biggest sale of the year – Black Friday!

Black Friday 2009 is finally here!

Experience the one-of-a-kind Black Friday blowout at MacMall Stores in Santa Monica and Torrance, CA! This time around, Black Friday is more than just shopping, bargaining, and finding the best deals. It more about having lots of fun while getting your shopping done!

MacMall stores will be open from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Friday. November 27, for an all-day Black Friday extravaganza! Find amazing deals on Mac computers, iPods, computer accessories, software, HDTVs, and lots more. Aside from this, MacMall has something more to offer to you!

• Be among the first 100 purchasers and get FREE gift bags with prizes!

• The fist 200 shoppers in the store will get a chance to WIN a MacBook, a Mac Mini, or any of the 5 iPod touches 8GB to be given away. Drawing of names is at 6AM.

• Watch out for hourly raffles with prizes and hourly specials on HOT products from the stores. It will be raining with surprises all day long!

• Keep your strength up for shopping! There will be FREE coffee and doughnuts throughout the day!

Meet A.C. Green of the LA Lakers! Drop by at the Santa Monica store by 11AM and have him autograph basketballs and posters while supplies last. MacMall will be making donation to A.C. Youth Foundation.

Get all that and more! Don’t miss the fun and best deals in town during the biggest sale of the year!

So, come on down and celebrate Black Friday 2009 at MacMall! MacMall stores are located at 1505 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica and 2555 W. 190th Street, Torrance. For other contact details, visit http://www.macmall.com/store.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Apple iPod Care: Safety Measures for your iPod Touch

Learn how to observe proper safety measures for your iPod Touch.

Have you just bought your iPod Touch from the Apple store? Do you want to preserve its function, elegance, and style? Then you have to take extra care in handling your iPod Touch and make sure to observe proper safety measures so it would last a long, long time.

Below are some safety measures for your iPod Touch that you may want to keep in mind so you can save trips to the Apple care center and avoid unnecessary repairs:
  1. Right after purchasing an iPod Touch from the Apple store or any authorized resellers, immediately buy a screen protector and a silicone or leather case for it. Make sure that these protectors fit snugly on your iPod Touch to offer maximum protection.
  2. Avoid dropping your iPod touch, especially to hard surfaces like the floor or the ground. To avoid this, never put your iPod on the side pocket of your pants or on your lap that might cause its fall when you stand up.
  3. Never put your iPod at the back pocket of your pants as you may accidentally sit on it and cause breakage of the screen. Similarly, avoid leaving it on the couch or chair where somebody might sit on.
  4. Drain the battery of your iPod Touch at least once a month. This would maximize its battery life. Moreover, make sure not to overcharge it as this might reduce its performance.
  5. To save battery life, especially when you are using your IPod touch in a place where you can’t easily charge its battery, turn off the Wi-fi connection and Bluetooth setting when not it use.
  6. Store your iPod Touch in a room under normal temperature. Extreme coldness or hotness may damage the functions of your gadget. Similarly, do not expose your iPod into water, fire, ice, and the likes.
  7. When using or plugging accessories to your iPod Touch, such as speakers or headphones, make sure they are compatible and functional to ensure safety of your gadget.
  8. When you notice that there is a malfunction or there is something wrong with your iPod, go to the nearest Apple store and have it checked and fixed right away. If you still have the warranty, you can use it so they can fix your iPod for free or replace it with a brand new one.
Remember that every gadget you spend money on can be an investment for the future. Make sure to appropriately handle your electronic devices and observe proper safety measures so you can take advantage of them for a long period of time.

MacBook Pro Buying Guide: Why MacBook Pro is Your Best Choice?

Know why MacBook Pro is your best bet among all the other Apple notebooks.

When it comes to Apple laptops, it has always been a difficult decision to make whether one should get a MacBook, a MacBook Air, or a MacBook Pro. Unless you have the budget and you do not mind each of the laptop’s specifications, you would have to consider a lot of factors in choosing which Apple laptop you should get.

When all 3P’s – power, performance, and portability – have already been considered, it’s time to look at what’s behind the elegant cases. And when you do, you’d realize that it’s the MacBook Pro that’s your best choice among the three Apple bets.

Providing You with a Few More Choices

And you think your decision-making ends with the above? The new MacBook Pro defines power as coming in three sizes – the 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch units. With more options, you can totally be sure to get what you want, providing you with what you need. Available now at the Apple store, the three MacBook Pro units will require you to make another sound decision.

Power that You Can Carry

Symbolizing the epitome of power and precision, the new MacBook Pro is equipped with an integrated graphics system, more capacity, and faster speed. It is designed to allow running of the most intensive applications, programs, and games, and still has so much more to offer.

What Makes Up the MacBook Pro?

Curious why MacBook Pro is the new definition of power? It is because the new MacBook Pro is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a speed of up to 2.93 GHz. With its up to 320 GB SATA hard drive and a standard memory of 2GB DDR3, what else can you ask for?

Performance at its Finest

Equipped with NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT, the new MacBook Pro provides faster and more enhanced graphics performance, especially with high-end three-dimensional applications and games. It simply brings graphics, videos, and photos to life.

Sleek, Slim, Stylish, and Sophisticated

The new MacBook Pro is manufactured and designed in one solid piece of aluminum, making it durable, light, and beautifully crafted.

You see, if money isn’t a concern, making a decision whether or not to buy the MacBook Pro from an Apple store should not be as difficult as you think. Recognize and realize its potential and you’re on your way to grasping power at the palm of your hands!

MacBook Upgrade 101: Your Guide to Upgrading your MacBook

There are two essential parts in a MacBook that can be upgraded depending on your preference. When upgrading your MacBook, you can either upgrade the hard disk or the RAM of your Mac laptop.

Here is very simplistic guide to upgrading your MacBook’s hard drive:
  1. Remove the battery of your MacBook by turning its grasp 90 degrees from its original position. In doing this, you may use a coin or any strong flat material.
  2. Remove the hard drive from your MacBook by pulling the white plastic tab attached to it to the right.
  3. Place into the cradle the replacement hard drive for your MacBook that you bought from an Apple store. You would need a Torx T9 screwdriver to be able to do this.
  4. Push the drive into the compartment and cradle it fitly. Make sure that the label is facing down to ensure that it on proper placement.
  5. Finally, place back the battery and turn on your newly upgraded MacBook!
Now, here is a basic guide to upgrading your MacBook’s RAM:
  1. Take off the battery of your MacBook just like how it was described above.
  2. From the back wall of the battery compartment of your MacBook, remove the three Philips screws that are evenly spaced from one another.
  3. Remove the L-shaped metal cover by lifting it and pulling gently to the right.
  4. Pull the metal lever back on and remove the RAM chip from your MacBook by sliding it out from the compartment.
  5. To insert the new RAM, slide it until it is fitly seated. If you have a second RAM, do the same. It wouldn’t matter which comes first and last as long as they are cradled in properly.
  6. Do not use force in removing and inserting the RAM because it may damage not only the RAM chip, but the MacBook, as well.
  7. Finally, to finish the upgrade, put back the L-shaped metal cover and the screws, and then insert the battery. You now have a newly upgraded MacBook!
So, when you feel that your MacBook isn’t performing its best anymore, you don’t have to spend another thousand bucks to replace it with a new one from the Apple store. You can always simply upgrade its RAM or hard drive or both, depending on your needs.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Advanced Keyboard Features: The Keyboard of the Future is Finally Here!

Have you always thought the keyboard on your PC is boring? Well, thanks to technology, the keyboard of the future has arrived just in time for your typing and computing needs.

What does the keyboard of the future actually look like, anyway? Below are the amazing features of an advanced keyboard that you may want to buy from Apple stores and connect to your Mac or PC to bring the future right in front of you!

Advanced Lighting System: The modern keyboards feature an advanced lighting system that will help you see the keys easier, especially when you are working in the dark or inside a poorly lit room. Designed with a high intensity EL backlights, they are perfect for LAN party gaming and evening computer jobs.

Wireless Technology: Wireless keyboards feature no cable or cord that would connect it to your CPU. Instead, they are designed with Bluetooth, Infra Red (IR), or radio frequency (RF) technology that will create the “invisible” connection from the keyboard to the computer. This type of keyboards is great when you don’t want any loose cable on your desk and is helpful in storing the external accessories of your computer.

Ultrathin Design: While ordinary keyboards are relatively thin, the modern ones are thinner, sleeker, and more portable, perfect for laptops and small computers that you have to carry along from one place to another. With their incredibly thin design, these modern keyboards allow smooth and quiet typing as keys are designed shorter and closer to one another.

Wrist-Rest Surface: A lot of current keyboards nowadays have this feature, allowing the users to rest their wrist and minimize tiredness or pain while typing. Generally, the wrist-rest surface of these keyboards is coated in a matte rubber surface, providing an anti-slip and slightly soft texture for the wrists.

Touch Disc System: Some modern keyboards are designed with a touch disc system that allows you to easily and dynamically scroll over your computer screen. It is like a tracker or touch pad of the mouse that is built-in on your keyboard.

Some keyboards are designed with all these features, while others may only have one or a few. Of course, be reminded that the more technological features there are in a keyboard, the more expensive it is. But then again, a high-quality keyboard bought from the Apple store could be a very great investment for your different typing and computing needs.

So, what are you waiting for? Head out to your nearest Apple store or computer shop and bring the future right at the palm of your hands.