A faster 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor is now available as a configure-to-order option on the quad-core Mac Pro. Featuring 8MB of fully shared L3 cache, an integrated memory controller, Hyper-Threading technology, and Turbo Boost for dynamic performance up to 3.6GHz, this processor brings even greater performance to the quad-core Mac Pro.

Mac Pro and Xserve systems can now be configured with 2TB hard drives, doubling the total storage capacity to up to 8TB on Mac Pro and up to 6TB on Xserve. The 2TB hard drives are high-performance 7200-rpm SATA 3Gb/s drives with 32MB of cache and are also available separately.

The Mac Pro configure-to-order options include

- 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” Processor

- 2TB hard drive option (for a capacity of up to 8 TB)

The Xserve configure-to-order options include:

- 2TB hard drive option (for a capacity of up to 8 TB)

Time Machine is an excellent way to back up your files! It's only cool and powerful if you actually turn it on and USE it!

So your computer’s hard drive and hopefully your back up system made it though Friday the 13th. Good job.

Now that we’re approaching the end of the year and the holiday season is coming up right quick, this WOULD be an excellent time to test your back up (or start one) before you get wrapped up in the holidays.

We’ve been over this before, but here on the front lines of data loss we see this just about everyday. It’s senseless the number of pictures, school papers, financial and business documents, and music get lost when a back up system can be had for as little as $99!

You need to make your back up system automatic, or use a program like Time Machine. That’s the first step. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can keep up with a “manual” drag-n-drop back up! To boot, quite a bit of the data loss we see here at MacMedics happens when someone copies over important data during a drag-n-drop Finder copy. Sometime, folks think they have the data copied, but something goes wrong and they just end up with an alias, then they go and delete the original data, because they think they just copied it.

The second step is to regularly test that back up to ensure your files are there and you’re able to grab them anytime you need them. There’s no such thing as a “Set-It-And-Forget-It” back up system.

If you need help getting your back up set up, our advice is free, and we have external portable and desktop hard drives in stock!

If you have data you care about it needs to be backed up! Just because your computer is new or you just replaced the hard drive offers you very little protection. Hard drives can die at any time, and in fact there’s an increased risk of that occurring in the first 30 to 60 days of a hard drives’ life.

See our website http://www.HardDrivesDie.com for more info on “retiring” older drives and ensuring you have a safe back up.

The pictures we take at the holidays are the most cherished and valuable. Make sure the picture you take this holiday make it onto you back up system as soon as you import them onto your computer. Also, as an added tip: Don’t have iPhoto delete your pictures off you camera. Leave them in two places, in iPhoto AND on your camera until you have them BACKED UP. You ALWAYS want to have your valuable data in TWO PLACES at all times.

Before you install this or any other software update, be sure to read our Software Update/Upgrade Warning Page which can be found here.

Here’s the text from the Apple Software Update window:

The 10.6.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes for:

An issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly

An issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account.

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3874.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Don’t take our word for it. Here’s three recent comments from clients MacMedics has performed Apple warranty repairs for:

1. As always the people at Mac Medics were right on point and offered the best quality service. I have never been disappointed with any visit to them and would highly recommend them to anyone who needed service.

2. They went beyond just repairing the problem. They made recommendations and then provided solutions as to how I might prevent the possible consequences of the problem in the future. I am highly satisfied with every aspect of their service.

3. This MacMedics location is unbelievable….repaired in under 24 hours. Called me to come pickup and explained all repairs and warranty issues.They are definitely the hardest working group in your network. I can’t say enough abut their professionalism and attention to detail.

MacMedics is a 100% Apple Macintosh-only, award-winning consulting and service firm founded in the Annapolis area in 1989. As Apple Authorized Value Added Resellers and Apple Authorized Service Providers, MacMedics is able to provide full-spectrum Apple-centric and specialized consultation and service to wide array of industries, agencies, and organizations.

MacMedics offers their progressive style of on-site Mac service and repair to most of the Mid-Atlantic region via their three offices located in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, PA. MacMedics services all Macs, Macintosh servers, and Mac networks in professional, government, educational, and home environments.

Here’s ten reasons to come see the friendly folks at the MacMedics Mac Lab in Millersville or Lanham:

1. No appointments are necessary at MacMedics: Just walk in and our Apple Certified Techs will take great care of you.

2. No lines: We’re always busy, but there’s almost never a wait to speak to a MacMedic Tech.

3. Quick Check In: Tell us what your Mac’s issue or problem is, and we’ll get right on the case! We’ll call you to talk in detail when we have an idea of what’s going on with your unit and what ALL of your options are. MacMedics offers an initial Macintosh Dialogistic for your computer at no charge. If we have to dig deep with part testing or advanced software testing our fee is only $49, and only if you choose NOT to have your machine repaired.

4. No lugging your iMac, Mac Pro, or G5 through the mall: Our front door is less then 10 steps from our parking lot. You can bring your Mac in, or come in and get us, and we’ll carry it in for you.

5. Quick Turn-Around: Our goal for in-lab service it to have it done in less then 72 hours. Many repairs take less time, and if that’s the case then your Mac will be back to you even quicker.

6. Hassle free warranty: Got a Mac that needs out of warranty service? The Apple Store only offers a 90-day service warranty. MacMedics “Hassle Free” warranty is a full 1-year!

7. Need a new Mac? We’ve got them: Come pick out what you want, and we’ll be happy to help with no sales hype! MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, so you can get the equipment you need coupled with the very best advice from the experts at MacMedics.

8. Full Service for iPhone & iPods: While the Apple store might do a whole unit replacement or offer a small discount for buying a new unit, MacMedics will fix just the problem your iPhone or iPod has, thus saving you money. All iPhone and iPod repairs MacMedics perform come with a full one-year parts and labor warranty.

9. Same day service for iPods & iPhones: In most cases if you drop off your iPod or iPhone in the morning, we’ll have it done later that same day!

10. Advanced, complex, or difficult repairs are performed at MacMedics every day: If you’ve been quoted an exorbitant amount of money to have your Mac fixed at the Apple Store, MacMedics can help! Liquid damage, fried logic boards, SuperDrive replacements, broken LCDs or MacBook Pro glass, and severe Macintosh case damage are all offered at MacMedics and often for hundreds of dollars less then Apple (or anywhere else!).

We would like to welcome our friends and colleagues from the Reston Town Center Apple Store to the Washington DC Macintosh community! Good luck with your grand opening today.

Need directions? Here’s the link to Google Maps.

Apple released Leopard 10.5.8 today. MacMedics always recommends that you don’t install Apple software updates right away. See all of the details on our software update warnings webpage for the reasons for that advice.

10.5.8 DOES include some security updates, so it is an update that we’d like to see get installed as soon as it’s clear that it’s not going to cause any major problems. And, it should probably be noted that 10.5.8 includes Safari 4.0.2. If for some reason anybody has been avoiding Safari 4, they would not want to apply this update.

Follow MacMedics on Twitter for our up to the second advice on this update.

Here’s what Apple posted in Software Update regarding 10.5.8:

The 10.5.8 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, as well as specific fixes for:

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3606.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

So when I ordered my iPhone 3G S, I thought that grabbing the “overnight shipping” might speed my results. After a few tantalizing e-mails from Apple and UPS it looked like my iPhone might arrive as much as two days early. Sadly, this turned out to be a big fat iPhone fairy tale, but that did not stop me from hoping that it would REALLY arrive early.

I think on Thursday, I started getting e-mails (I think a total of five of them arrived) from Apple saying they would refund that extra shipping. I’m not sure why, but I’ll take a refund.

Here’s what they had to say today via e-mail:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Team

We are pleased to announce that Apple has selected MacMedics for a quarterly Commitment To Excellence service award for the second time. Only 179 Apple Service locations were honored with this award putting MacMedics in the top 5% of all Apple Authorized Service Providers in the United States and Canada.

MacMedics is one of only three AASP’s in Maryland to receive this award, and the only Mac shop in Anne Arundel County with this prestigious rating from Apple.

Apple gives out this award for the Apple Authorized Service Providers that score the highest in the following four categories of performance.

1. Repair turnaround time – How fast can MacMedics repair your Macintosh and return it to you. This is a longtime key factor that has won us this award and others before. Our professional clients use their computers to make money, the longer it’s off-line the less money you make! This is why we’ve worked so hard for 20 years to get your Mac back on your desk as fast as possible!

2. First time fix – Did we nail the repair the first time? You bet! This is one of the reasons that our techs are the best. We carefully follow Apple’s technical manuals to find the bad part and then we replace it. This is the reason our techs are Apple Certified. We call it the “sniper shot” repair. We only want to replace ONE part and we only get one “shot” to impress you, our client.

3. Fewest number of parts per repair – When you’re wrong on which part is failing, then you have order a “second” part from Apple. Since we normally get it right on the first attempt, we have a very high score in this category as we generally only need to order one part per repair.

4. Fast bad part return – Apple wants their defective parts back as quickly as possible, so they can be analyzed and inspected. We do the repair quickly, so our bad parts are on their way back to Apple Service HQ the very same day we perform your repair.

If you haven’t used MacMedics before, then come visit us and find out what makes us the best place for Apple service in Maryland! You’re busy, so don’t fool around when it comes to Mac service and repair. We’re fast and no appointment is ever needed for walk-in service. See our post about Nine reasons not to wait in line & fight the crowds at the Apple Store or anywhere else for more info on the MacMedics advantage.

See the full text of the award at this link.

MacMedics recently completed a triple PowerMac G5 retirement at a local Baltimore hospital. All three machines were in place and up in running in under 3 hours. If you’re a PowerMac user AND a professional graphic designer, MacMedics is now officially recommending that you retire your trusty G4 or G5. (See pictures of Dana loading up for the install below.)

This is a great time to upgrade a small or large Mac workgroup, as Apple Finance is offering 0% leasing until June 30th. If you’d like details, see this PDF. MacMedics will also issue a credit good for dollars off your Mac Pro or iMac purchase or lease when you trade in your G4 or G5.

Don’t forget that if you’ve had a Mac in service for more than three years (any Mac), it’s time to retire and replace your internal hard drive! If a new Mac is not in the cards for you, do yourself a favor by being proactive, and retire your hard drive, before it kicks the bucket. We have a whole web page all about hard drive “retirement”. Check it out at http://www.HardDrivesDie.com. (We recommend hard drive retirement after 2 years of service in Apple laptops. Also don’t forget to check to see if you have the dreaded Seagate 7.01 firmware drive. If you do, replace it now!! Get details here.)

Here’s some of the highlights from the letter that we’re sending to MacMedics clients about G4 and G5 machine retirement and replacement:

1. Your PowerMac will NOT run the next version of Apple’s operating system, Snow Leopard, which is due out later this year. While this is not an issue now, it will be one that will catch up to you quickly. You might want to take this fact into account when considering when you might replace your machine. Snow Leopard will only run on Intel Macs.

2. If you are using your computer professionally, and it’s your main tool for graphic design, then you should consider having the fastest computer you can afford. Your time is valuable, and with a Multi Core Intel based Mac you will be able to work much, much faster. The performance score for a G5 1.6 Ghz is 1000, while the score for a Mac Pro can be as high as 14904, and an iMac can be as high as 3873.

3. If you have not already done so, and you are planning on continuing to use your current Mac, your hard drive should be replaced proactively. Visit our web site www.HardDrivesDie.com for more info on this topic.

MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, and as such we can help you buy a new Macintosh when you are ready to do so. We wanted to let you know that we are now advising MacMedics clients that are designing on G5’s that it IS time to start planning for an upgrade. With Mac technology improving more and more quickly, and with file size and file complexity growing just as fast, it is pushing our clients into new computers faster then ever before.

Apple has promoted MacMedics from our current designation as an Apple Authorized Reseller to our new designation as a new Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller. Apple has recognized MacMedics for our advanced consulting involving Macintosh servers and Windows integration. Our work in converting businesses and organizations that were once 100% Windows over to the Macintosh platform has also made us well suited for our new Apple assigned vertical specialty. We are proud to announce that MacMedics is now an Apple Authorized VAR specializing in Network and Integration.

We’re very excited about this, and there’s even an official press release from our public relations team. You can check that out here in PDF form (or read the full text of the announcement below). Thank you to everyone that worked with us and supported MacMedics in this new Apple authorization!

The full press release follows:

Millersville, MD – May 11, 2009 – MacMedics, a 20 year old full-service Apple Authorized consulting, sales and repair firm announced today that Apple, Inc. has promoted their status to an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller (VAR).

Apple’s VAR program is designed for resellers and integrators that deliver highly specialized, turn–key solutions—including the audio, broadcast, film, networking, Original Equipment Manufacturer, photography, publishing, scientific/technical, storage, and video markets. Apple has recognized MacMedics for its work in integrating Macs into existing Windows environments, as well as for replacing Windows-based servers with more reliable and secure Macintosh servers. Over its 20-year history, MacMedics has handled 50,000 on-site service calls and possesses 200 plus years of combined Mac experience across its 20 employees.

“With this additional designation from Apple, MacMedics will expand its focus on Macintosh network integration, which has long been a major part of our consulting practice,” states Dana Stibolt, president and founder of MacMedics. “The additional resources the Apple VAR authorization provides will greatly enhance the personal services that we can offer our clients.”

MacMedics is also an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and offers walk-in Apple service for both in and out of warranty Macs, and out of warranty iPods and iPhones in their repair centers in Millersville, MD and Lanham, MD. MacMedics is also an Apple Developer as well as an Apple Authorized Government Distributor.

-more-

About MacMedics:

Since 1989, MacMedics (http://www.macmedics.com) has offered Apple sales, support and consulting to business, education and residential customers in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company offers a broad range of services including desktop computer set-up, maintenance and administration, system and network administration, consulting and technology planning, Internet service and hardware set-up and troubleshooting, onsite and in-store training, emergency response and preventative maintenance. MacMedics provides Apple Authorized sales and service to over 8,500 clients from their three offices in Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia.

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