Web Worker Daily

Almost exactly a year ago, Apple introduced its unibody aluminum MacBooks. “Unibody” means that the case is a single piece, with the battery being sealed inside. My immediate reaction, shared by many road warriors and web workers, was horror: “They can’t do that!” Not only did Apple do it, but soon after, the range was expanded to include the 17” MacBooks as well. As of today, the only MacBook available with a removable battery is the legacy white 13” MacBook, whose days are believed to be numbered by many analysts.

So what happened when legions of Apple fans were faced with being unable to change out the batteries on their beloved notebooks? Did angry mobs descend on Cupertino? Not exactly. After the initial shock wore off, we began to ask ourselves how important removable laptop batteries actually were.

There are good arguments for removable notebook batteries, especially if you compute on the go a lot. Power outlets are frequently unavailable in locations such as conference rooms, convention centers and aircraft. Power access is improving in newer facilities but it is still easy to find yourself without power. Having the security of the second battery in your bag makes the quest for power a little less panicked. Also, replacing a battery that has outlived its hardware life requires no downtime. Read the rest of this entry »

Over on TheAppleBlog, Charles wrote about some cunning laptop sleeves that are designed to foil would-be thieves by disguising your precious computer as an ordinary old newspaper. Both the mitemite sleeve (for MacBook Pros) and the ItaliaCraft Newsprint sleeve (for MacBook Airs) are designed to protect your computer from scratches and should do a reasonable job of fooling the bad guys, although I doubt they would stand up to a close inspection.

However, these sleeves are fairly expensive (around $86 for the mitemite sleeve, or $62 for the ItaliaCraft sleeve, not including international shipping). If you’re concerned about laptop theft, making your own version out of a padded envelope or even some old newspapers could be a cheaper — and more convincing — option.

Do you deter thieves by disguising your laptop while you’re out and about? How?

Most of the time, I’m hauling a bag for one of two reasons. Either I’m around town and taking my computer with me to get some work done, or I’m traveling to conferences and events, something I do a couple of times a year.

Around town I carry more basic kit, of course: usually, just my computer, power cord and surge protector. But when I’m traveling, the kit gets more complicated.

The Bags

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Black Friday is almost upon us and could be one of the best days in recent memory for web workers to buy new technology at fair prices. Not only will there be discounts on new computers, displays, and more, but some of the discounts are already arriving.

Many WebWorkerDaily readers are Mac users, and, as jkOnTheRun notes, Best Buy is already slashing prices on almost all MacBook models that they sell. “Most models are a cool $100 off but a few others are noteworthy,” they report. “The 13-inch new MacBook is discounted $150 making it just $1449.” Here are some more ideas on where to look, and where not to look, for bargains.

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When we asked whether you’d find a $899 MacBook tempting, a lot of you said “yes.” Alas, it turns out that the rumors of a seriously sub-$100 notebook from Apple were dead wrong. Steve Jobs did announce a $899 product at today’s press event – but it’s a new 24-inch display, not a laptop computer.

Jobs did announce a whole bunch of revisions to the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro product lines, including one-piece aluminum shells, glass trackpads with multitouch, dual graphics chips, and bigger drives. Apple is reducing the entry-level price of the white plastic MacBook to $999 – but there’s a lot of psychological distance between that and the $800 price point that was getting kicked around in the blogs.

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Have you been wishing you could join the ranks of the Mac-enabled mobile workforce, but not wanting to spend the money to buy a MacBook? Now might be the time to reconsider, because Apple has updated their Refurbished Mac page with some fresh deals, including:

• MacBook Air markdowns from $1800 to $1400 and $2100 to $2300
• 15″ MacBook Pro models starting at $1700 insead of $2000
• 17″ MacBook Pro models starting at $2300

They also have regular MacBooks as well as a variety of desktop Macs for sale. All of these machines are refurbished, which means Apple has tested, cleaned, and repackaged them with full documentation and original software. They come with a 1-year warranty. Of course, you won’t be on the cutting edge when new models are announced – but sometimes it’s worth avoiding the cutting edge to get substantial savings.

Apple MacBook

I’ve been asked to live blog an event for a client and their members. Actually, I’ll be live blogging, podcasting, Twittering, Uttering, and live streaming an event.

I am putting together my equipment, securing accounts with all the online tools and services I need, and reviewing the schedule so I’m prepared. This will be a major undertaking that will include two 12 hour days as well as pre- and post-blogging.

Normally, live blogging a conference is done with a team, but this is a proof-of-concept so I’m on my own.

While I’ve live blogged and live tweeted conferences before, this is the first time I’ll be doing it formally for a client. The conference is not my usual fare – it is about philanthropy instead of Internet or technology. I’ve worked with many nonprofits over the last 15 years – including running a nonprofit in New York City in the mid-90s – so the issues aren’t foreign to me. Still, I’ll have to be on top of my game – with a healthy dose of caffeine – to keep up.

Here’s what I’ve put together so far for my Live Blogging Gear.

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If you haven’t guessed already from my previous posts here, I’m a Mac user. Not just a Mac user, but a Mac disciple after many years journeying from WANG to DOS to Windows. I brag constantly about how I’ve never had a major crash on any Mac I’ve ever owned over the last 15 years – and I keep each one for at least 3-5 years which is eons for laptops. My Macs have been virtually bullet-proof.

But last week, my 10-month old MacBook crashed. And died. And now I’m slowly uncovering the depth and breadth of my arrogance. Because, my dear readers, I had not backed up my computer for 10 months. And the only reason I had a 10-month old backup of my data is because it occurred as I was getting my files from my old G4 laptop to my MacBook last Fall.

This is a cautionary tale for anyone out there who is still finding every excuse in the book not to back up their computer. And I had many.

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