Ask TUAW: Power adapters, Windows 7, iWork refresh, and more

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about MacBook power adapters, Windows 7 in Boot Camp and virtualization in general, resetting the Mac Setup Assistant, the next iWork refresh, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.

Tofa asks

I have a 15" MBP (unibody 2nd gen) and a 13" MB. I noticed that their power supplies are different. There is a 60W(13") and an 85W(15"). Is it bad for the battery if i use one on the other?

Check out this Apple Support Doc. Basically it comes down to this: it's fine to use the higher wattage adapter with the lower power device, but it may not work so well in the other direction.

Matt asks

I've installed Windows 7 on my (late) 2006 24" iMac. The best thing about Windows 7 is Windows Media Center, which I'd like to be able to use while still being logged into the OS X side of things. First question, can I now buy Parallels or some other software to run my Windows 7 from the Bootcamp partition? I don't want to have to reinstall Windows 7 again if I can help it. Second, can you recommend a USB Tuner that will work with Windows Media Center to capture over the air broadcasts?

Both Parallels and VMware Fusion allow you to use a Boot Camp installation in virtualization. That is, you can run your Boot Camp partition as if it were a virtual machine. As far as tuners go, I'd probably try for something cross-platform so you could use it straight from OS X as well. Check out this site (scroll down) for some suggestions from Equinux and Hauppauge.

CozartDono asks

I have a late 2007 Macbook Pro running the latest Snow Leopard and a Boot Camp partition running Windows 7 32 bit. I have the retail upgrade version that includes 64-bit and 32-bit.The last time I checked, there wasn't a way to install 64-bit Windows 7 with Boot Camp. But I noticed the Boot camp update has a download for 64-bit Windows 7. Whenever I've tried to install 64-bit, I can't get the disc to boot up and start the installation. Is there a way to install 64-bit Windows 7 with Boot camp that I was never aware of? Is there a guide I can look at? And most importantly, can I do an upgrade from my existing installation of Widows 7 ?I'm thinking most likely this is case.

According to this Microsoft FAQ the only way to upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows 7 is to backup and reinstall. The most recent version of Boot Camp 3.1 supports 64-bit Windows 7.

John.B asks

After doing a fresh install (assuming Leopard for my Blackbook, but interested in the Snow Leopard answer as well), can't I log in once with an administrative account to get the Mac fully updated with the latest updates and patches, then blow away that user's home directory to get the Welcome screen to run for the new owner.

It is possible to do this, but it's not completely straightforward as you'd need to do it from the terminal in Single User Mode. Check out this hint from Mac OS X Hints for the low-down. There's also this Clean Install.app that's a bit easier to use, but you'll need to be booted onto a different volume.

James asks

Hi, I recently got a 27 inch iMac core i7. In general I'm thrilled with it but the dvd player software that comes with it isn't that great. I'm not keen on using front row because I want to be able to do other thing's while the dvd's playing. Is there a decent dvd playback programme for the mac ? I've tried myself to find one but mostly they seem to be about ripping and burning dvds rather than watching them !

You don't say what you dislike so much about the built-in DVD player application, so I'm not sure what you would think is decent. That said, I can suggest you have a look at VLC for a free alternative.

Jo asks

Since the January event is over, and we still have no iLife X, will we see it anytime later this year? I'm considering getting iWork and iLife now....

trevor asks

Will there be an iLife 10? I've looked everywhere and found no sign of it. Am I better off just buying 09 now as I am still running 07's version.

As with all Apple hardware and software releases, there's simply no way to tell for sure regarding unannounced products. As it happens, there was about a year between iWork '05 and '06, but 19 months between '06 and '08 and 16 months between '08 and '09 (source). It's been a little more than a year since iWork '09 so I would expect to see something this year, but I have absolutely no hard information. Personally, I think it's likely that an update would come on the heels of the release of iWork for the iPad in the late Spring or Summer, but that a pure guess.

behindthecurtain asks

I LOVE using Remote on my iTouch to control iTunes on another computer, but hate being limited to that device. Is there a widget or app that does the same thing on my Macbook Pro?

There are several applications out there designed to do this, but it seems like none of them have been updated recently. You might want to check out TuneConnect 2 iTunesRemote and iTunes Remote Control.

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Nirgal

Question re: Booklet Printing

I was trying to print something as a booklet this morning, and was very pleasantly surprised to find that the ability is apparently built in to Snow Leopard, (available in the print dialog where you can choose page layout or paper handling, etc.). But, all of the options are grayed out, and I can't check the check box to make it turn on. Is there a magic incantation to turn the setting on that I don't know about? I'm running the latest patch of 10.6, on an intel iMac.

March 03 2010 at 1:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andrew

Everything about the iPad keeps saying that virtually all of the 140,000 apps in the App Store will work on it. "Virtually?" Well, what kinds of apps *won't* work on it? I haven't seen any mention of this on any sites.

March 01 2010 at 11:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Dick

Okay, my question is about Solid State Drives:

Do I really need one?

I'm running the 2.53Ghz 13" MacBook Pro, which I hook up to a 24" cinema display on a daily basis. I just recently bought all six seasons of House, and nearly killed my 250GB HDD. To fix this I went down to my local Best Buy and picked up a Hard Disk enclosure, then went home and mercilessly ripped the 500GB drive out of the Hp that's been wasting space in the back of my closet for the last two years. I moved most of my videos over - save for a couple well-watched movies and the latest season of Dr H - and noticed it went pretty quick even with the (now) external drive connected through my display. So I'm currently sitting on about 140Gb in my 'Book, ~400G on my external, and comin' up on 350Gb in my 500G Time Capsule.

I greatly dislike having to unmount my external drive every time I disconnect it (mainly because it has to wake up before I turn it off, and I'm usually pressed for time).

I wanted to get an SSD when I first got my MacBook Pro, but was far short on funds. Now I've had some time to save up, and I'm wondering if I should really get one (and which one, for that matter). I like the idea of a noise-less computer - and who couldn't use a longer battery life? - but I'd like to know if it's really worth the price tag.

Thanks.

February 22 2010 at 4:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

AJ Langhorn

Much like Office 2003 for Windows can open an Office 2007 document, once the Compatibility Pack is installed, can Pages '08 open a Pages '09 file - either natively, or with an extension pack?

February 21 2010 at 8:02 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Cody

Re: the dual mac/windows TV Tuner, come on TUAW couldn't answer that?! Buy an Elgato Deluxe (it's one of the few they make that works on both), on all the Mac forums I read it's the favourite.

February 19 2010 at 4:37 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

nolan

I love the idea of the 'find my iPhone' for mobileme but was wondering if there was a 'find my MacBook' feature as well? I recently had my MacBook stolen and replaced it, but would like to be prepared if it happens again.

I also am rather irked with the Google Buzz fiasco, and was thinking about mobileme as an alternative to gmail.

Does mobileme support 'find my MacBook' and if not will they add this feature in the future?

February 19 2010 at 2:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to nolan's comment

Dick

Steve Sande actually just posted an article about this, it was posted Friday night. The title starts out "Get a TUAW discount[...]"

February 22 2010 at 3:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Benjamin.tattersley@ntlworld.com

what is the difference between the iLife '09 media set and iLife '09. included a link to a media set, i can't figure out what is different and no googling for an answer has helped me http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?origin=gbase16.2&prodID=B208405

February 17 2010 at 9:18 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Bill

I just got a new 27 inch iMac. I have a white macbook with a mini-dvi port, and want to use the target display mode on the new iMac to display the macbook's screen on the iMac. I cannot seem to find an adapter that will work. Any advice would be appreciated!

February 12 2010 at 11:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to Bill's comment

Eyal

I am on an intel iMac running leapord and i just bought a rugged external hard drive to back up my computer on to. should i always keep it plugged in, or should i only plug it in when i am going o back something up?

thanks

February 11 2010 at 11:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Joel

4 months ago I sold my MacBook and bought an engagement ring. This actually didn't seem like a HUGE sacrifice when I considered two things:
1. I now run OS X from my portable FW400 LaCie drive (meaning I can use it on any Mac.)
2. I have MobileMe so my my Contacts, Calendars, etc are synced over the air, and my iPhone can work with that too.

So, nowadays, I frequently check out a MacBook from school which I can keep for 24 hours or over the weekend. I boot it from my LaCie drive, and I sync it with MobileMe. Here's the problem â€“

Every time I boot and tell it to sync with MobileMe, I get a notification:
"You are syncing this computer with MobileMe for the first time." Then it asks me to choose if I would like to Merge Information, Replace Information on This Computer, or Replace Information on MobileMe.

I don't want it to think this is the first time it's ever synced with this computer, but it looks at the computer's serial number to identify it, not the computer's name (which is always the same because I boot it from my drive).

If I choose Merge, I end up with tons of problems. Say for instance, on my phone I deleted an old number from a contact and added a new one. When I choose Merge, the computer (which only has the old one) Syncs and instead of getting the memo about deleting the old one "Merges" by keeping the old one and adding the new one.

If I choose Replace Information on MobileMe, that contact would lose the new number I had put in for them on the phone.

Many times, the best option seems to be Replace Information on This Computer, but sometimes... I may have used the computer and changed something in Bookmarks, Calendars, Contacts, Dashboard Widgets, Dock Items, Keychains, Mail Accounts, Mail Settings, Notes, and/or Preferences since I last synced (perhaps where I wasn't connected to the internet) and then I lose all of those changes to.

None of this would be a problem if the backbone of the iSync service on the computer was a log of changes that synced with and acted in a log from the phone and all other server activity. Then it could just make the changes you made in one place in the other, rather than trying to compare what's different and always mess things up. (Don't get me started on the Notes in Mail, which, for some reason in my setup, and mixed with the fact that they don't sync over the air like they ought to!, there are hundreds and hundreds of duplicate notes.)

Ultimately the question is, since I couldn't just Google this^, is there some way to make MobileMe Sync normally from each new computer as if it were the same computer? The "syncing this computer with MobileMe for the first time" really messes everything up.