Macbook Photos

As promised below listed my beloved Macbook photos:

The Macbook box is minimal.

In the box.

• On the left Macbook itself.
• On the right are manual and accessories.
  

Macbook accesories:

• [top lest] manual and Macbook restore DVDs (Mac OS X Leopard and iLife).
• [top middle] 3 pin plug for Magsafe Power Adapter.
• [top right] 60W Magsafe Power Adapter.
• [bottom left] Apple Remote
• [bottom right] 3 pin plug with extended power cord and in the middle is 2 pin plug for Magsafe Power Adapter.
  

Great design, 1.08 inches thin, 5.0 pound weight easy to bring anywhere, fit on most of backpack of briefcase. Durable polycarbonate outside shell enough for my rough and tumble of every life. Inside shell dirty magnet, so you might want to buy some protector. Macbook used magnetic latch. So nothing to jam opening or closing Macbook.


Ports on the left side:

• Macsafe Power Adapter.
  It's brilliant, its using a magnetic connection instead of physical one. So far I'm tripping over power cord more then 5 times. Thanks to it's no more notebook flying off the table.
• Ethernet
  Nothing I can say about this built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet. It's work as it's should.
  
• DVI output
  "mini-DVI output port with support for DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite video (requires adapters, sold separately)"
  That what Apple say and that I what I get. Need to fork another RM100 just for the cable (see picture below). Damn expensive for such a short cable.
  
• Firewire 400 (8 watts)
  I didn't have any firewire device to test it.
  
• 2 x USB 2.0
  At first I think it's wierd when both USB port is on the left side since majority users are righthanded and mouse should be attached on the right side. Since mac is desinged for artists and most of the artists are left handed, it's acceptable. I'm left handed anyway :P
  
• Optical Digital/audio
  I didn't test it yet.
  
• Optical Digital/headphone
  Sound came out from this port is good even on my cheapo Panasonic headphone.
  
• Kesington cable lock slot
  I think this slot should be at the back or the first in the row. It's distrubing other port when you slot in the Kesington cable.
  

8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) on th right side.


Keyboard and trackpad:

• Here the uilt-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, and 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement). Might take some time to get use to it. Some people might not like it, but it's working fine for me.
• Solid-state scrolling trackpad supports double-tap (it's mean you got right click), tap (left click), two-finger scrolling (move scroll bar vertical and horizontal), and drag capabilities (left click and hold).

Screen and camera:

• Top of the screen is built-in iSight camera.
• The screen is 13.3-inch (diagonal) glossy TFT widescreen display, 1280 by 800 resolution
• Currently booting Mac OS X Leopard. Other software included iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Front Row, Photo Booth and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, iWork ’08 (30-day trial)
  

External accessories:

• On the left is Mighty Mouse. This laser-guided precision mouse working almost on any surface. But you might want to test it first before you buy. The design not comfortable with my hand.
• On the right side is The Apple Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter. I need this adapter to connect to an external VGA monitor or projector. I use this cable in both video mirroring and extended desktop modes for photos and videos editing.

So far everything working smooth for me even though bugs here an there on new Mac OS X Leopard. Looking forward for Apple update on those bugs.

No Posting For A Month?

Why no posting for a month? Simple answer I been hell busy. Long answer, I been a lot of hell busy, because of:

• I'm took RHCE exam. Busy doing some reading, testing and review the possible question. Finally, wasted, I'm just 4 point away to reach RHCE. So instead I just got RHCT. Better than nothing. Ok, don't want to talk more on this.... little frustrated :-(
• My XBOX360 gave me ring of death. Busy finding a guy who can repair it with lower charges.
• Busy searching good boarding school for my little genius brother.
• Busy eating some fine steak... finally Colosseum Cafe won the best steak 2007.
• Busy finishing books and magazines that I bought but doesn't have time to read.
• Busy watching movies. I bought to much movies last moth.
• Busy coughing... Since a month ago I'm not feeling very well. Could be because of weather changes... maybe.
• I just bought Macbook (will post some pictures later). Busy doing stretch test to see how tough Macbook. Busy for searching and testing alternative software on Mac OS X. Also busy backup my iTune library, documents, photos collection and my precious e-book.
• Busy restored my old Acer Aspire notebook for my sister. She need it for her thesis.

Last word... busy... busy... busy.... and busy..... thinking excuses for being busy.

BusyMan picture taken using Photo Booth on Macbook.

p/s: This is the first blog entry using Macbook :-)

Music Album: Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)

Earlier this week I'm looking for easy listening and not too classic music. While in the music store I came across to Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" album poster. Gave a try for two songs on the spot, "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good". I'm like it.

Amy Winehouse is an English soul and jazz singer songwriter. She wan born in Southgte area of Enfield London. Beside won 7 awards, she also scores with drug, alcohol and bulimia problems. For her new single "Back to Black", she picked up the British Female Solo Artist award. The single is the title track from Amy’s new album “Back To Black”, which looks set to go triple –platinum in a matter of weeks with sales fast approaching the 900,000 mark.

Just finished listen to all tracks, below is my rating:

Album: Back To Black
Artist: Amy Winehouse


01. Rehab 5/5
02. You Know I'm No Good 5/5
03. Me & Mr Jones 3/5
04. Just Friends 2/5
05. Back To Black 4/5
06. Love Is A Losing Game 1/5
07. Tears Dry On Their Own 4/5
08. Wake Up Alone 1/5
09. Some Unholy War 2/5
10. He Can Only Hold Her 3/5

Overall: Nice jazz/soul album and worth for money ;-) 3/5

My Songs Library: Hilarie, Please Don't Leave Me!

Couples of month ago, my 40GB songs collection gone, after my hard disk crash. I felt like Hilarie Ross Burton just dump me without notice.

Since the tragedy, I start with fresh new songs for my collection. Today, in my iTune I have got:

965 songs = 2.7 days party = 4.73GB need to be backup

It's just 11.82% compared to previous collection. Then I curios to know which song I played most... and the award goes to......

Song: Away From The Sun
Album: Away From The Sun
Artist: 3 Doors Down

It's down to this
I've got to make this life make sense
Can anyone tell what I've done
I missed the life
I missed the colors of the world
Can anyone tell where I am

'Cause now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines into the darkest place
I'm so far down, away from the sun again
Away from the sun again

I'm over this
I'm tired of living in the dark
Can anyone see me down here
The feeling's gone
There's nothing left to lift me up
Back into the world I've known

'Cause now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines into the darkest place
I'm so far down, away from the sun
That shines to light the way for me
To find my way back into the arms
That care about the ones like me
I'm so far down, away from the sun again

It's down to this
I've got to make this life make sense
And now I can't tell what I've done

And now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines to light the way for me

'Cause now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines into the darkest place
I'm so far down, away from the sun
That shines to light the way for me
To find my way back into the arms
That care about the ones like me
I'm so far down, away from the sun again


p/s: I'm not sure why I'm keep playing this song... I think I should screening my life back....

Audio Book: BMW Audio Book

BMW and Random House brings you four BMW Audio Book to download for free. It's a uniqe series of specially- commissioned short stories showcasing the work of some of the finest contemporary writing talent. So you can download and listen to them on your MP3 player, your laptop or ideally, in the car. Below is the summary of the books:

• Beautiful Ride audio book by Don Winslow
  
  Back then he was looking at a fat IPO and a boat. Back then he was rich. Back then he had a condo overlooking the ocean, a wife, and had just bought the BMW Z4 convertible. Cobalt blue, like the ocean on a clean, clear day in early spring. Now what he has left is the car. Ted's a real estate investor in Laguna Beach, California. He's been kicked out by his soon-to-be ex wife, his assets have been frozen by the IRS, he's holding on to his Beemer, but the car company's repo men want it back, and he's living in a tent. He's falling through the cracks of the 'Gold Coast' life, until he turns to money-laundering to get back in the game. Then things get worse...
  
  
• Master Of The Storm audio book by James Flint
  
  This is the story of a man who finds himself arriving at exactly the same service station over and over again. He leaves, he drives away, but every time he tries to exit the motorway he discovers that he’s back in the same Happy Break. Who is he? Where has he come from? What is he running from? What exactly damaged the wing in his car while he was tuning the radio? And who is the hitchhiker he stops to pick up?
  
  
• The Debt audio book by Simon Kernick
  
  Boxer, Billy, needs to pay off his errant cousin’s vast gambling debts to local loan shark, Jim ‘The Crim’ Sneddon. However, he’s short and is forced at gunpoint to use his pride and joy, a brand new BMW 7 Series to make up the total. He is determined to get it back. But, to do so he has to fight his way past Jim’The Crim’s’ goons, an errant MP and a Slovakian hostess.
  
  
• Cold Cold Heart audio book by Karin Slaughter
  
  PARENTAL WARNING: Some content in this story is unsuitable for young children. For twenty years, Pam did her duty as loyal, compliant wife. She and John shared their friends, their careers, and a son - for richer for poorer, for better for worse. Until the day tragedy struck their family and John betrayed his wife in the most public of ways, walking away to a lucrative new life. For three years John becomes richer while Pam becomes poorer; John's life becomes increasingly better while Pam's becomes worse. But then a reversal of fortune brings them back together, and Pam gets the chance for a revenge John could never have dreamt of ...
  

Howto: Get iTune Album Cover For Without iTune Store Account

You need to have an account if you would like to get album artwork from iTune Store. To register need a credit card information. It's didn't make sense for me to register because I can't buy music from iTune Store since they doesn't have present here in Asia. One more thing not everybody got credit card.

My friend always ask me how do I get all the artwork for the album in my iTune. Do I Google it one by one??? Naaaaahh..... I'm not that crazy.... Here my secret, art4itune.com.

1. Export song list as plain text from iTunes:
   File > Export... then select 'Save as type: Plain Text files'
2. Upload song list at art4itune.com.
   
3. art4itune.com will return album covers and track listings for your iTunes mucic collection!
4. Drag and drop the album covers onto the image box in iTunes (how to do this).

Anyway thank to the guy who develop the site. You save a lot of my time ;)

Howto: Convert AAC/MP3 Files to Audiobook In iTune

Why you would like to convert podcast/others audio file to audiobook? iTune will remember where you left off on your audiobook, so it will always start where you want it to.

1. List/show audiobook under library by:
   
   • Edit->Preferences
   • Select General tab
   • Check box Show: Audiobooks
     
2. If your source file in MP3, WMA & etc. format, please convert to AAC (.m4a) first.
3. Rename extension desire AAC track, .m4a to .m4b.
4. Import new .m4b file to iTune.
5. Then it's should listed under audiobook library.
   

Macbook Santa Rosa Confirmed!

New Santa Rosa Macbook already in Apple Store. Check Macbook new spec below or check yourself at Apple Store Online US or Singapore.

-> New Santa Rosa MacBooks in Apple Stores [Confirmed] from Mac Rumors
-> Macbook Spec at Apple.com

I believe in a week should be here in Malaysia. After 3 months waiting for Mac OS X Leopard , then Apple just upgrade Macbook to Santa Rosa, I definitely will get one...

(MB062LL/B) 2.2GHz MacBook
- 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- L2 Cache 4MB shared
- System Bus 800MHz
- Memory 1GB (two 512MB) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); supports up to 4GB
- HD 120GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm
- 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Graphics Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory*+
- Display 13.3-inch (diagonal) glossy TFT widescreen display, 1280 by 800 resolution
- One FireWire 400 port (8 watts)
- Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
- Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification)4
- Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module
- Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet

*Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 144MB. An additional 16MB is required when using an external display.
+Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors