SmackBook was originally a name given to the method used to switch between virtual desktops in Richard Wareham’s Desktop Manager using the MacBook’s built-in motion sensor. You would “smack” the MacBook on the side, and the sensor would read the movement and trigger the program to go to the desktop corresponding to the direction of the smack. Leopard’s spaces has made Desktop Manager nearly obsolete, but thanks to Jason Shen we can once again use it for SmackBook thanks to a script he’s written.
First you will need to download a few files:
- smackleopard.command, the file that contains the sensitivity information and calls for the system event to switch spaces, and
- AMSTracker, the command-line program that retrieves acceleration data from the Sudden Motion Sensor
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Rather than having a single Print Screen key to copy the entire desktop to the clipboard like in Windows, OS X has a series of key combinations that you can use to perform various screenshotting tasks.
- Command + Shift + 3: Takes a screenshot and saves it on the desktop
- Command + Shift + 4: Allows you to select a portion of the screen and saves it on the desktop
- Command + Shift + 4, then space bar: Allows you to select a window and saves it on the desktop
- Command + Control + Shift + 3: Takes a screenshot and saves it on the clipboard
- Command + Control + Shift + 4: Allows you to select a portion of the screen and saves it on the clipboard
- Command + Control + Shift + 4, then space bar: Allows you to select a window and saves it on the clipboard
Aside from using those key combinations, OS X has its own utility for taking screenshots called Grab. It supports several features like timed capture and the ability to change the pointer type when taking the screenshot. The application is located at /Applications/Utilities/Grab.
Apple has recently released an upgrade for the Leopard operating system that boasts a heaping 341MB in file size. The update mostly consists of bug fixes, but it does contain a few new features such as List view for Stacks, better RAW image support, and a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine’s features.
The entire list of updates follows right after the bump. Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s keynote address from Macworld has been uploaded on to the Apple website. Check it out here.
EDIT: The entire keynote is now available to watch on macBound below. Requires QuickTime. Read the rest of this entry »
The speculations have indeed shown to be correct, as Apple unveiled its new notebook: the MacBook Air. Dubbed the “world’s thinnest notebook”, it runs a sleek 0.74″ on one end down to 0.16″ on the other. It features a 13.3″ LED backlit screen, full-size backlit keyboard, multi-touch touchpad with gesture support, an iSight camera, 802.11n, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The casing is made out of aluminum and the computer only weighs 3lbs. Read the rest of this entry »
After purchasing your Mac you may notice some components of the OS missing, as did I. This may be because of a faulty Leopard installation on the Mac that didn’t install all the applications or utilities. The easiest way to restore them is to do an Archive and Install. This is similar to doing a repair installation on Windows; it installs a new copy of Mac OS X whilst giving you the option to preserve your settings.
The following explains how to do an Archive and Install:
- Insert Disc 1 of your Mac OS X install disc into your computer (it should have come with your Mac).
- Restart your Mac (Apple menu > Restart…).
- As your Mac is booting, hold down the C key on your keyboard. This forces OS X to boot from the disc.
- Once the disc has booted, select your language of preference and continue.
- After accepting the license agreement, select the destination disk OS X is installed on and click on the Options button.
- Make sure the Archive and Install radio button is selected, and preferably the Preserve Users and Network Settings checkbox as well. This will import existing user accounts, their home folders, and your network settings into the new system.
- Accept the settings and click on continue to complete the installation.
Once the installation is complete, there will be a new folder on the Macintosh HD entitled Previous Systems, which contains existing system files before the Archive and install. This folder can be deleted if unneeded as it just takes disk space.
Being a long time Windows user, I was quite unfamiliar with the new interface and so read the Switch 101 guide on Apple’s support page. Once I had orientated myself with the UI, the next step I thought of doing was acquiring all the programs I used on Windows, or at least their Mac counterparts.
A short list of commonly used programs on Windows followed by their Mac substitutes and a brief explanation: Read the rest of this entry »
After I had decided to get a Mac, I thought that it’d be best to wait for the release of Leopard before making the switch. Unfortunately, as we all know there have been a slew of delays in Leopard’s release due to Apple prioritizing development of the iPhone. When it was finally released, Apple’s upgrades on the MacBook to the X3100 gfx and CPU upgrade was the tipping point in purchasing my first Mac. And because Vista sux.
The MacBook comes in a slimmer box with the Leopard desktop background depicted on the screen.
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This blog has been created for new Mac users such as myself, and for existing Mac users, as a reference point for tips, tweaks, and tutorials. Being a long time Windows user, I also wish for this site to be the resource defectors switchers turn to when trying to figure out how to do their common Windows tasks on their new Macs. Since I’m a new Mac user myself, I will be writing articles as I learn them. I will also enjoy chronicling all of the cool applications that I can use. 
The name macBound is a camel case dionym derived from the words Mac and bound. Mac means Mac. Bound means a couple of things, two of them being either “moving in the direction of” or “to feel strongly attached to”. This connotes that this site is suited for both prospective/new and experienced users.
I hope that this website will encourage the use of Windows alternatives (particularly Macs) and will one day become a big and seasoned community.
