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The Mac Zone - Born To Mac

The RIGHT to CLICK

Unfortunately,many Mac users, and most PC users, don’t know that Macs are as right-click savvy as Windows computers. This misunderstanding is partly Apple’s fault. While Macs have been long able to right click, they shipped with a single-button mouse until 2005. Before that, it was necessary to purchase a third-party mouse with two buttons (or use the Control key, described below).

All desktop Macs now ship with Apple’s Mighty Mouse (which is multi-click capable), but by default the Mighty Mouse is configured for single-button clicking. Likewise, the trackpads on the past few generations of Apple notebooks have the ability to right-tap, emulating the right-click of a regular mouse. However, by default this is also not activated.


Here’s how to configure the Mighty Mouse for right-clicking (or Secondary Clicking, as Apple calls it):

1. Open System Preferences (by clicking on the the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen, then choosing System Preferences).
2. Click Keyboard & Mouse to open its preference pane.
3 Click the Mouse tab.
4 Choose which button you want to assign to use for right clicking (again, called Secondary Click here). I suggest using the, uh, right key to right click.



Now you can use your Mighty Mouse to access unique contextual menus for each application.

If you have a recent Apple notebook, you can configure the trackpad to recognize a right click:

1. Open System Preferences (by clicking on the the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen, then choosing System Preferences).
2. Click Keyboard & Mouse to open its preference pane.
3 Click the Trackpad tab.
4 Click the checkbox “For secondary clicks, place two fingers on the trackpad then click the button”.


Now you can use your MacBook, MacBook Pro, and late model PowerBook’s trackpad to access unique contextual menus for each application.

As mentioned above, you can also hold down your Mac’s Control key while clicking with your mouse or trackpad to access the right-click contextual menu. The Control key is labeled ctrl on most Apple notebooks.

To tell the truth, I’ve not bothered to set up a secondary click on my MacBook Pro’s trackpad; I simply hold down the Control key while clicking with the trackpad.
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Care of Slot Loaders

As an Authorized Apple Technician, I see a wide range of computer issues on my bench.
Some are avoidable however, with one of the more common being damage to the optical drive slot on Apples laptops.
The vast majority of insert/eject problems on Apple laptops are related to how users pick up their machines.
By picking up your laptop with two hands, and avoiding at all costs putting pressure on the optical drive area, you can prevent problems down the line. These range from failure of the optical drive, scratching disks on every insert or eject and failure of the drive to suck a disc in or spit one out.

When I see this problem, I am often able to use a non-marring nylon probe tool to pry open the optical drive slot. These tools are thin and rectangular, and by inserting the tapered end a few millimeters into the slot and twisting, the slot can be coaxed open. However, if your optical drive is having issues and your slot is compressed, there cannot be warranty coverage for the problem.

The non-unibody 17-inch laptops are especially prone to this problem, as the optical drive is right under the wrist rest area, and the slot seems less reinforced than on other models. Plastic MacBooks are also very vulnerable. Apple, recognizing this oversight in design and engineering, made the optical drive slot in unibody laptops much more rigid. This said, you should still make an effort to avoid pressing or squeezing this opening.

So take care how you handle your laptop, and avoid a potentially costly repair
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Speed It Up

No matter how new and fast our Macs are, we always want them to be faster.
Waiting 5 seconds for Mail to launch can seem like an eternity. I know it did for me.
Luckily, I stumbled across an excellent, donation-ware application called Speedmail.
You can download it here;
Really Long Link
Just run this app every couple of weeks, and if you have an especially large mailbox, you will experience a noticeable decrease in the launch time of Mail.
Because it is donation-ware, it will nag you for a donation every time you use it.
While I strongly suggest that you help to support the development of excellent programs like this, if you are not able to, there is a way to disable the nag screen.
A small app called Kraken is available from the same site that provides Speedmail.
Its sole purpose is to disable the nags on their donation-ware.
While on the subject of speeding things up, one of the easiest, but most overlooked ways to turbo charge your Mac usage is by familiarizing yourself with "Keyboard Shortcuts".
You don't need to search the web for these as Apple has helpfully provided them all in one place for your enlightenment.
The direct link is;
Really Long Link


Still anxiously awaiting the arrival of 'Netsmurf nano' (my 4 day late, but soon to be born son)
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Apples New NetBook?

There has been a lot of talk about Apples new netbook.
Yeah. That's the one. The one that doesn't exist.
Just because something doesn't exist doesn't mean that people won't talk about it


[ Click here to read more ]
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Your Knight In Shining......Code?

As much as we might like to think that we know what makes our Macs work, there is a lot of stuff happening "under the hood" that only a hard core code monkey would truly understand.
No matter how well we take care of our computers, eventually they start to feel a little sub par.
Applications may open or run a little slower, or minor, unexplained glitches pop up at inopportune moments


[ Click here to read more ]
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Have your cake.....

Do you have a MESSY Desktop?
Do you wish it could be neat and tidy, but just can't stop dropping everything 'important' right there, on the Desktop?
Fear not, there is a solution


[ Click here to read more ]
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Not so Mighty Mouse.

Hands up those of you who love Apples Mighty Mouse.
Hmmm. I see not everyone's hand went up!
If your like me, and many others, and not totally enamored with Apples Mighty Mouse, there are many other options


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Rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Despite persistent rumors that Steve Jobs is no longer, or will soon be no longer, a force at Apple inc, The Wall Street Journal reports that despite his medical leave, Steve Jobs has remained very involved in Apple's strategies and planning:

Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook runs the day-to-day operations at Apple, these people say. But Mr. Jobs has continued to work on the company's most important strategies and products from home, they say. He regularly reviews products and product plans, and was particularly involved in the user interface of the new iPhone operating system that Apple unveiled last month, these people say


[ Click here to read more ]
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Born To Mac! Or New To Mac?

Are you a Mac (Apple computer) user?
Are you tired of wasting your time trawling through dozens of websites looking for news and information to feed your addiction?
Do you want just the facts, without all the fanboyism


[ Click here to read more ]
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Welcome to The Mac Zone!

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