Apple MacPro 1.1 – Part 4.

Ok, so I haven’t posted on this subject for a few weeks.  Its crazy busy!

Anyway, Part 4!

Now we are talking Solid State Drives (SSD for short), which has taken me ages to find the best one for me.  I have looked all over the internet and found one going cheap on the PC World site. If I am honest, I wasn’t sure what i was looking for. I was looking for cheap SSDs with the same read and write speed however, after many discussions with friends, I decided to go for a high read and low write speed. Why??? Because the time it takes to write wasn’t an issue for me, I just wanted a drive to speed up my machine and do things at my pace. So this is it –

PNY Optima 2.5″ Internal SSD – 120 GB

Boasting low power consumption alongside high performance storage, the 120gb PNY Optima 2.5″ Internal SSD is the ideal upgrade for my MacPro.

Not only does the Optima SSD allow me to easily store data, it also helps to speed up my MacPro so I can achieve even more. It’s flash-based storage has no moving parts, which means there’s less wear and tear on the drive, no matter how much I use it. It should let the MacPro start up in less than 60 seconds (I am yet to confirm this).

OVERVIEW

Type	SSD
Capacity	120 GB
Interface	SATA III
Form factor / Drive size	2.5″
Read / Write speed	– Read: 400 MB/s – Write: 160 MB/s

FEATURES

Other features	– 128-bit AES-compliant – 1 million hours MTBF

GENERAL

System requirements	– Serial ATA Fully compliant with Serial ATA International Organization: Serial ATA Revision 3.0. Fully compliant with ATA/ATAPI-8 Standard Native Command Queuing (NCQ) – Windows XP 32-bit/64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit/64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit, Linux, Mac OS X – Power requirements : Standard SATA Power Connector
Dimensions	100 x 70 x 10 mm (H x W x D)
Weight	77 g
Manufacturer’s guarantee	3 years

 

As you can see not the best write speed but considering my budget of £40.00 I did well. I also had to pick myself up a IcyBox due to the SSD size and the MacPro sleds!

£15.00 on Amazon from Maplin. So £55.00 all in, job done.

Playing devils advocate, I expect I could have found a better deal but that is something which will always happen. Im just glad the SSD is in, TimeMachine did its job by updating the OS back to the new dive and all within 10mins!

In regards to benchmarking, I used Geekbench and scored 5033 on a Multi-Core score. By the looks of it thats not half bad!

So thats the most recent change I have made, comments welcome!

Ciao

OSX Yosemite – Install Drive.

Hi All, I have just upgraded to Yosemite and its OK….. I will hopefully post more soon, when I have properly tested it out.

OS X Yosemite

If anyone is looking at making an installer drive please follow the Macworld description.  Long winded but works really well.  

I chose to use the Disk Utility option, took its time but all ok.

Some issues I have noticed so far are some popular third-party apps, most notably Chrome and Firefox, devour RAM and CPU time in a way they never did in Mavericks.  Is this a ploy by Apple to use their own apps and no third-party ones?

I am going to stop any possible issues with Yosemite by running a clean install on a new HDD, I will let you know if it proves worthwhile. In addition to the new HDD (nabbed from my old MacMini) I will be upgrading the RAM to 8GB, 4GB is certainly not enough.

Comments welcome,

Ciao

Apple MacPro 1.1 – Part 2.

So this is part 2 of my dream of having a MacPro.

First I started on the screen, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get something fantastic and large like I wanted so I opted for a 24″ Acer S240HLBID Full HD LED screen from PC World.  It was the same price as a other Acer screens but this was the best as far as I could see.  Not only can I use this screen for the Mac, I can also use it for a TV or for a PS3, waterer I decide really.

Bring home the gateway to fantastic entertainment viewing from your PC with the sleek and smart Acer S240HLBID Full HD 24″ LED Monitor.

Beautiful viewing 

This ultra thin LED display offers a Full HD 1080p resolution, so whether you’re working or playing on your PC you can enjoy images packed full of detail. Boasting a fast response time for smooth video and LED technology for a bright and beautiful viewing, you’ll make the most of games, work and videos. It also supports widescreen, making it ideal for enjoying your favourite movies in cinematic style.

Connections

The S240-HLBID is easy to connect it to your PC thanks to the HDMI, VGA and DVI connections; simply choose the connection that suits your PC.

A handy Kensington security lock allows you to secure the monitor and prevent theft.

Eco-conscious

The S240HLBID is environmentally friendly and RoHS compliant thanks to the mercury-free LED backlighting and low power consumption, keeping your costs down.

The Acer S240HLBID Full HD 24″ LED Monitor also comes with a two-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Product code: 057311

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

On-mode power consumption	26.1 W

SCREEN

Screen technology	LED backlit
Screen size	24″
Resolution	1920 x 1080

PICTURE QUALITY

Viewing angle	170° / 160°
Frequency range	– Horizontal: 64 – 83 kHz – Vertical: 50 – 75 Hz
Brightness	250 cd/m²
Response time	5 ms
Dynamic contrast ratio	100000000:1

AUDIO

Speakers	No

CONNECTIVITY

Connections	– HDMI x 1 – VGA x 1 – DVI x 1

FEATURES

Other features	Kensington security lock

GENERAL

Colour	Black
Accessories included	– AC power cable – VGA cable – CD user manual
Dimensions	400.6 x 565 x 166 mm (H x W x D)
Weight	5.36 kg
Manufacturer’s guarantee	2 years

Part 3 to follow……

Ciao

iOS 8 Update.

The question I always ask myself is, do i need this update? I leave it for a week or more so I have time to read up and evaluate it, see what the issues are and if they are resolved.  However with iOS 8 I am going to jump right in….

Released on the 17th September 2014, the update came with lots of media attention as normal.  People were getting ready to queue for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on the 19th September 2014 (UK time). As expected there was a rush on the Apple servers, many people were not able to upgrade and many had problems.  This is exactly the reason why i leave it a few weeks but today is the day.

With the amount of space that is needed, an estimated 5GB, to allow us to download iOS 8 it is easier to download it via a PC or in my case a Mac. Please may I just say this is not space required for the download, it is space to be able to download iOS 8.

This excerpt from macworld.co.uk confirms the space required:

Based on last year, we expected that iOS 8 would be about 700MB, although at the time it was recommended that you have 3GB free.

Unfortunately it’s iOS 8 turned out to be even bigger and greedier. iOS 8 is 1.1GB and requires a massive 5.8GB of storage to be free before it can install. This is because it downloads a compressed file, unpackages it and then installs it. You need the space for the unpacking and the update. It also needs enough space for iOS 8 itself.

Obviously I need to tell you all to backup, to your computer if you have not done so already.

Below confirms some of the new features in iOS 8.

iOS 8

This update contains hundreds of new features, including the following:

• •  Messages improvements
•         ◦  Tap to Talk to send your voice, a video or a photo with just a swipe
•         ◦  Group messaging options to name a conversation, add a contact, remove a contact or leave a conversation
•         ◦  New details view with Do Not Disturb, location sharing and attachments view
•   •  Photos improvements
•         ◦  Smart editing tools to adjust light and colour with a swipe
•         ◦  Fine-tune controls to adjust exposure, brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows and more
•         ◦  Search by date, location or album name, or use smart suggestions
•         ◦  Smart albums for Slo-mo videos, Bursts, Panoramas and Time-lapse
•         ◦  Third-party photo filters and editing tools supported directly in Photos
•         ◦  Your photos and metadata from iPhoto will be migrated to Photos. Books, Journals and Slideshows will be converted to albums containing only photos. iPhoto for iOS is not supported on devices running iOS 8 or later.
•   •  Camera improvements
•         ◦  Time-lapse mode
•         ◦  Capture timer
•         ◦  Adjust exposure with a simple nudge to lighten or darken a photo prior to capture
•         ◦  Burst mode on front-facing camera on iPhone 5s
•         ◦  Panorama for iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display
•   •  QuickType keyboard
•         ◦  Predictive typing personalised to your writing style, and customised based on the recipient and the app
•         ◦  Predictive typing is available in English (Australia, Canada, UK, US), French (Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and Thai
•         ◦  Third-party keyboard support
•   •  Health
•         ◦  New Health app with easy-to-read dashboard of health and fitness data
•         ◦  Ability to share health data with apps to provide a more comprehensive way to manage your health and fitness
•         ◦  Add a Medical ID with information about allergies, medical conditions and more, with the option to make this accessible from the Lock screen
•         ◦  Available on iPhone and iPod touch
•   •  Family Sharing
•         ◦  Share iTunes, iBooks and App Store purchases with up to six members of your family.
•         ◦  Pay for family purchases with a single credit card and approve purchases by children with Ask to Buy
•         ◦  Easily share family photos, a family calendar, locations and more
•   •  iCloud Drive
•         ◦  Store all your documents in iCloud and access them from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC
•         ◦  Share the same file across multiple compatible apps
•         ◦  Edits you make on one device update on all your devices automatically
•   •  Continuity features so your iPhone, iPad and Mac work together more seamlessly
•         ◦  Handoff to continue what you’re doing as you move from one device to another
•         ◦  Make and receive calls and send and receive SMS or MMS messages on your iPad or Mac
•         ◦  Instant Hotspot to automatically use your mobile connection to get online with your other devices
•         ◦  AirDrop compatibility with OS X Yosemite
•         ◦  Available on iPhone 5 or later, iPad (4th generation), iPad Air, iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation)
•   •  Spotlight improvements
•         ◦  Displays suggestions from Wikipedia entries, places nearby, films (US only), popular web sites, App Store, iTunes Store and iBooks Store
•         ◦  Safari also supports Spotlight suggestions alongside Top Hit and search suggestions
•         ◦  Supported for local languages in US, UK, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland
•   •  Mail improvements
•         ◦  Easily jump between drafts and your inbox with a simple swipe down on the draft
•         ◦  Intelligent suggestions for Calendar events and Contacts
•         ◦  VIP threads
•   •  Siri improvements
•         ◦  Improvements to responsiveness, reliability and accuracy
•         ◦  “Hey, Siri” option to initiate Siri using just your voice when your device is plugged in
•         ◦  Streaming voice recognition
•         ◦  Works with Shazam to answer “What song is playing?”
•         ◦  Purchase content from iTunes Store
•   •  Safari improvements
•         ◦  DuckDuckGo search engine support
•         ◦  Private browsing per tab
•         ◦  Subscribe to RSS feeds in Shared Links
•         ◦  Use Camera to scan and enter credit card info
•   •  Maps improvements
•         ◦  Flyover city tours
•         ◦  Maps place cards in Phone and Contacts
•         ◦  Inline map view and travel time notifications for Calendar events
•   •  App Store improvements
•         ◦  New Explore tab for easier category browsing
•         ◦  Top trending searches displayed in Search tab
•         ◦  Scrolling search results
•         ◦  App video previews
•         ◦  Editors’ Choice badges
•   •  Quick access to key contacts in multitasking view
•   •  Interactive Notifications for Messages, Mail, Calendar, Reminders and enabled third-party apps
•   •  New Tips app to help you do more with your iOS devices
•   •  iBooks app built into iOS, now with auto night mode and new organisation for book series
•   •  Podcasts app built into iOS
•   •  Battery usage by app
•   •  iCloud Keychain can use saved website passwords to easily sign in to associated apps
•   •  FaceTime Audio call waiting
•   •  Rich text editing in Notes
•   •  Peer-to-peer AirPlay discovery and playback
•   •  Enterprise features
•         ◦  Expanded data protection to Calendar, Contacts, Messages, Reminders and Notes in addition to Mail and third-party apps
•         ◦  Per-message S/MIME email controls
•         ◦  Improved UI to make it easier for users to understand the remote management of their device
•         ◦  Automatic reply for Exchange
•         ◦  Free/busy lookup for Calendar invitations
•         ◦  MDM Managed books can be automatically pushed to users
•   •  Accessibility features
•         ◦  Redesigned Zoom with one-handed control and multiple zoom modes including picture-in-picture
•         ◦  Built-in timer and Touch ID support for Guided Access
•         ◦  Speak Screen to read out contents of the screen via gesture or Siri command
•         ◦  VoiceOver improvements including Alex voice option and Braille input support
•         ◦  Multi-device support for MFi hearing aids to seamlessly switch from one paired iOS device to another
•   •  Features for China
•         ◦  Vector-based maps
•         ◦  Turn-by-turn navigation
•         ◦  Lunar calendar support
•         ◦  Improved predictive input
•         ◦  Improved weather data
•   •  Expanded language support
•         ◦  Dictation support for 22 additional languages: Croatian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese
•         ◦  New keyboards for English (India), Bengali, Filipino, Marathi, Slovenian and Urdu
•         ◦  Hindi localisation
•         ◦  Definitions of a selected word for additional languages: Russian, Portuguese (Brazil), Thai and Turkish
•         ◦  Spanish-English bilingual dictionary
•         ◦  Spell check for Turkish
•         ◦  Hebrew language support for Text to Speech and VoiceOver
•   •  New developer capabilities, including
•         ◦  Extensibility, giving apps new sharing options and the ability to create widgets, photo filters and editing tools in Photos, and third-party keyboards
•         ◦  Metal, a new graphics technology for game providers to bring console-class 3D games to mobile devices
•         ◦  SpriteKit and SceneKit for improved 2D and 3D games
•         ◦  HealthKit, so health and fitness apps can share their data with each other
•         ◦  HomeKit, a new way for you to control supported devices in your home using Siri
•         ◦  Touch ID support so you can sign in to third-party apps with just your fingerprint
•         ◦  CloudKit, offering a complete and scalable back-end solution, helping developers eliminate the need for writing server code and maintaining servers
•   •  Bug fixes

Some features may not be available in all countries or all areas.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

First attempt at iOS 8 hasn’t faired well, failed to install and has left me with a dead phone.  I shall try again….

2 Hours later and I have lost my backup, as its upgraded from iOS 7 to iOS 8, so I have to re download all my apps and log in to all of them again. What joy! No SMS messages amongst other things.

I have never had a problem before however, this time its been hell and I expect it will be for a few more weeks to come.

Goodluck!

Samsung PS43F4900 43 Inch HD Ready 3D Plasma TV.

So it’s time of year where we are all stressed out and depressed. What better to spend some money, if you have any after Christmas that is.

So on my list of wants is a new telly, I wanted a bigger one and newer as I had a 32 inch Sony Bravia circa 2006. Don’t get me wrong there was now wrong with the Sony, however with a bigger house and bigger front room there should be a bigger TV.

So hence the purchase of my new Samsung TV.

I wanted a 42 inch TV and there were lots to choose from so I looked at the 50 inch TVs and I loved a LG 50 inch TV but then I saw the TV above, as it was 3D too that sold it for me.

Obviously I researched the hell out of it first and it was a bargain, one drawback and that is that it’s not full HD. Just HD ready.

Some spec and reviews below:-

Immerse yourself in stunning true 3D visuals with this Samsung Plasma TV featuring auto noise-removal. Experience ultra-realistic HD Ready viewing and see vibrant colours and amazing detail. The F4900 also delivers smoother motion during even fast-moving scenes, thanks to advanced subfield motion technology.

Television picture quality:

HD Ready display resolution.
Active 3D TV with optional 2D to 3D conversion.
Includes 2 pairs of 3D glasses.
Screen size: 43in (128.72cm).
Resolution 1024 x 768 pixels.
Motion rate 600Hz.
Connectivity:

1 SCART socket, 1 USB port and 2 HDMI sockets.
Component video socket.
Composite.
Optical connection.
Requires Wi-Fi dongle (sold separately).
DLNA compatibility.
Sound quality:

Dolby Digital Plus sound system.
10 x 2 watts RMS power output.
Digital features:

Freeview digital tuner.
Saorview digital tuner (Saorview can only be received in the Republic of Ireland).
8 day electronic programme guide (EPG).
CI+ slot.
Additional features:

Sleep timer.
Child lock.
Size of TV H61.8, W101, D5.6cm.
Weight of TV 13.6kg (unpackaged).
Size of TV with stand: H69.2, W101, D30.5cm.
Weight of TV with stand: 18kg.
Suitable for wall mounting 200 x 200 bracket.
Energy efficiency information:

Energy efficiency rating: B.
On mode power consumption 90 watts.
Off mode power consumption 63 watts.
Annual power consumption 131kWh.
Standby power consumption 0.3 watt.

Reviews:-

5.0 out of 5 stars
Best screen I’ve had, 29 July 2013
By N1mbleFinger5 (UK)

This review is from: Samsung PS43F4900 43-inch Widescreen HD Ready 3D Plasma TV with Freeview and 2 Pairs of 3D Glasses (Electronics)
Picture quality is amazing along with the active 3d which makes blu ray’s such as titanic 3d come to life, also of note is that it has Freeview HD where most in this price range only have basic freeview and are normally rebadged Vestel stuff.

One thing that i found confusing in looking at this product is that in some places iit states it has a LAN port and in others it does, i can confirm this one foes have a LAN port so it can play content via a DLNA server or Samsung Allshare.

For the price I would take this screen any day over a basic 42″ HD 3D led with passive that costs about the same and also as usual Samsung are on the ball with quality and even though this is only HD Ready with the image enhancements I could not notice any loss of quality.

The only gripe I could say is the remote feels a bit small and clunky but other than that it’s a big thumbs up.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing quality at a bargain price, 13 Dec 2013
By M. Daniels

This review is from: Samsung PS43F4900 43-inch Widescreen HD Ready 3D Plasma TV with Freeview and 2 Pairs of 3D Glasses (Electronics)
This set is fantastic. It looks stylish and the picture quality is fantastic. The 3d is stunning with a 3d blu ray player and I just can’t help but marvel at the price tag – what a bargain!! I paid £349 for this and was frankly ready to spend £750.

Why is such good value you may well ask? Simple really it isn’t ‘smart’ which is to say it doesn’t have the interface of a computer, however it still has all the functionality of a computer through the LAN connection. Besides I spend most my day staring at a computer screen and would rather not face a huge one at home! Secondly and this may be the deal breaker for some, it isn’t LED it is Plasma.

Most people accept that Plasma gives a much better picture quality but currently it is out of favour hence the fantastic value for money.I have ‘shown off’ this TV to a couple of friends and the are all amazed at the quality. If I had one gripe it would be the sound quality, while not bad it is just a little on the quiet side with minimal base but this is easily remedied with a sound bar or similar, resulting in excellent sound.
All in all, this is a great set which I while heartedly recommend.

Obviously there are bad reviews and this one made me chuckle, how long does he waffle?

Basically I didn’t find much wrong with the TV so suffice to say I bought it and I LOVE it. I am no TV guru but I know a bit about technology and even though it’s not full HD it’s still a great picture. Also the 3D picture is good, not great but if I want cinema quality 3D I would go to the movies.

Highly recommended!! I would however read all the reviews and make your decision.

Ciao