2008 April | Torley Lives

Torley Lives

I amplify your awesome.

2008-04-27
2008-04-26
Make your Apple Keyboard work better with a Windows PC

I'm the happy new owner of an Apple Keyboard (simply known as that), and for the most part, it works seamlessly with my Windows PC after a simple plug-and-play. It's got such a nice form factor that I'm surprised that there isn't a native PC equivalent. I'm also liking the "new computer smell" emanating from the Keyboard, a scent that transports me back to 1993 when I got my first Mac.

However, I did run into a few quirks: for instance, several PC-specific keys are labeled differently or not found at all on this Apple Keyboard. The good news is you can easily regain that functionality, and here's how — these tips should work for any Mac USB keyboard, including Apple's Wireless Keyboard, and other Mac-friendly brands like MacAlly and Kensington.

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2008-04-25
Torley visits the Apple Store

Torley visits the Apple Store 03

Followup! My wife made my dreams come true and we're back from the Apple Store in Bellevue. LOVELY service; I need to emphasize this is the first time I've ever been to one, and it was just as good, if not better than what I've read in various sources, including Leander Kahney's Inside Steve's Brain.

I took my MacBook Pro along on a lark — I hadn't scheduled a formal appointment with the Genius Bar, but something was bothering me a lot lately: my laptop kept spontaneously turning off and checking the battery showed it to be short of full charge, despite not having used my MBP "out in the field" all that much.

Torley visits the Apple Store 01

9:30 AM happened, and Jenny + I were almost the first people in. We were greeted (very ethnically diverse personnel, I must say) and several of them asked how we were doing without being fake and pushy — I appreciated this regard for our personal boundaries. I explained my problems to one nice woman (sorry, didn't get her name) and she guided me through signing up for a Genius Bar appointment. Pretty cool, I was able to use the nearest instore MacBook to fill in my name and email addy.

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