After all this time, how can OS X Mavericks STILL be this bad?

Summary: David Gewirtz took the gamble and decided to upgrade from Mountain Lion. You know what? Mavericks is still buggy as heck.
 

 

OS X Mavericks (otherwise known as 10.9) released on October 22, 2013. We're now in July, 251 days later. Yesterday, Apple released 10.9.4, the fourth major bug-fix update to Mavericks.
 
I took the gamble and decided to upgrade from Mountain Lion. You know what? Mavericks is still buggy as heck.
 
When I first got my monster iMac, I tried Mavericks and found it broke using most of my critical systems (like, you know, accessing the file server). So I downgraded back to Mountain Lion and I've had a rock-solid, reliable system ever since.
 
But when 10.9.4 came out, I figured what the heck? I didn't like the idea of running on an OS that didn't get the latest security updates and I figured that if Yosemite was going to come in the fall, perhaps the Apple elves had fixed what made Mavericks such a dog.
 
And I was also avoiding my to-do list. Doing an OS upgrade is always a good way to avoid what you're really s'posed to be working on.
 
So I went ahead and installed 10.9.4. I made a full Carbon Copy Cloner clone of my main volume, so I could, theoretically, once again downgrade to Mountain Lion. But the fact is, I want to be running the latest OS. To do otherwise makes me nervous.
 
But Mavericks is still a pig with lipstick.
 
The upgrade was easy. It took all of an hour to download and install. I booted back up ... and it hung. Finder was broken. As it turns out, I mount all the network shares I use on boot, which worked fine on Mountain Lion. On Mavericks, it just hung. I had to kill the Finder process. Eventually, I disabled mounting-on-boot and could get into the Finder.
 
Oh, but you should see how Parallels took to Mavericks. Remember I wrote a great article on getting Parallels to work with four monitors in Coherence mode? Worked fine in Mountain Lion. Mavericks sent Parallels into spasms, literally. The Parallels screen bounced all over the screen, shifted back and forth, and otherwise made me feel like that day when the Master took over the Earth in Doctor Who and remade everyone to look like himself.
 
It was unpretty. Disabling Coherence did the job, because when it comes to using a Mac with Mavericks, who needs anything that's coherent?
 
Speaking of wackiness, remember when I wrote an article about how to get four monitors to work nicely on an iMac? That was Mountain Lion also. Now, with Mavericks, my screens just randomly blink on and off. It's random, it's unpredictable, but its constant enough to render the computer virtually unusable.
 
As it turns out, Mavericks doesn't work well with USB DisplayLink adapters. The DisplayLink folks have done an upgrade to their driver, but apparently aren't getting much support from Apple (does this surprise anyone?) and so things don't work all that well.
 
When I unplug the fourth monitor (the one using the USB DisplayLink adapter), the blinking stops. I'll probably try to replace that approach with mirroring or extending the display to Apple TV. Stay tuned for a future update on that one.
 
Now look, I recognize that I'm running a complex system, but that's why I have a Mac and not, say, an iPad. I'm doing real work with this machine. Unlike Jason, who uses the Mac as a prosumer, and therefore can easily replace its functions with Windows, I use both Windows and Mac applications on the Mac.
 
There are some Mac-based applications that are important to my workflow. So I choose to use a Mac, not because it's an Apple machine, but because the developers of some very slick programs chose to develop for Apple machines.
 
I also understand that the vast percentage of Apple's income now comes from iDevices and not Macintosh. But as Jason also points out, Macs are not cheap machines, and it's inexcusable for Apple to leave Mavericks in the sad, sick state it apparently still is in.
 
No wonder people are leaving desktop PCs in droves. Between the wacky interface changes in Windows 8 and the execrable quality control Apple has practiced with Mavericks, desktop computing sure as heck isn't putting its best foot forward these days.
 
Are you still having problems with Mavericks? Post your notes in the TalkBacks below.
 
~ David Gewirtz

Read More

Six ways to maximize Mavericks battery life

Erik Eckel provides some tips for getting the most out of your battery life in Mavericks OS X. 

 

 
Mac business users frequently work outside the office. That’s why they buy MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs. Portability is required to meet the challenges of modern careers. However, preserving battery life is often a critical task when working remotely.
 
Certainly, Apple’s taken notice. Its developers included several power-saving features within Mavericks, the new OS X release. Time Coalescing is one such feature. The technology enables Macs, including the popular laptop models, to group low-level operations, thereby creating idle periods for the CPU. Why is that important? Because the CPU can then enter lower power states more often. Apple claims the method can reduce CPU activity as much as 72% with little adverse effect noticeable to the user. Best of all, the feature is enabled automatically, which means Mavericks users don't have to do anything to benefit from it.
 
App Nap is another Mavericks refinement aimed at reducing power so that Mac business users obtain longer battery life. The system reduces resources dedicated to apps that are placed in the background and not performing other actions. Because email, Safari, and other apps constantly draw resources, Apple claims the new technology can reduce energy use by 23%.
 
Thus, Mavericks is already designed to maximize energy use. But particularly demanding road warriors can also leverage additional choices to further extend a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air’s battery charge. Here are six more ways to maximize Mavericks battery life.

1. Consider an SSD

Solid-state disk drives, while more expensive, offer faster performance. They also consume less energy. MacBook Airs ship with flash storage drives. Many 13” MacBook Pros, however, ship with 1 TB 5400 rpm drives, although solid-state drives are available as an upgrade.
 
Skeptics should consider the numerous Internet reports that confirm an SSD’s performance benefits. Lifehacker notes an SSD drive boosted a 13” MacBook Pro’s performance by approximately 20% and almost halved startup. Laptop Magazine, meanwhile, measured SSD power consumption and found “significantly more battery life.”

2. Disable Bluetooth

If you’re working on the road using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, disable Bluetooth. Chances are you don’t need wireless connectivity to a mouse, keyboard, or printer left back at the office anyway. Disable Bluetooth simply by clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar and selecting Turn Bluetooth Off.

3. Disable wireless networking

A Mac’s wireless radio also consumes considerable energy. When an Internet connection and email access are unnecessary, disable the laptop’s Wi-Fi radio to further extend battery life. Disable Wi-Fi by clicking Apple’s wireless icon in the menu bar and selecting Turn Wi-Fi Off.

4. Lower display brightness

Mobile users seeking to squeeze every last drop of electricity from their Mac can lower the display brightness, too. Tapping the F1 key incrementally lowers the display brightness and further extends a battery charge.

5. Avoid using an optical drive

Some tips seem obvious, but occasionally they're necessary to point out truths. Listening to a CD or watching a DVD places quite a demand on a laptop’s electrical resources. The optical drive motor alone consumes quite a bit of energy, so avoid those practices when you need to extend a system’s battery life, if possible.

6. Leverage Energy Saver

Apple also includes Energy Saver options within System Preferences. Road warriors can specify explicit battery-saving preferences within Energy Saver. Adjusting how quickly the computer and display sleep, using the provided slider bars, can significantly extend the laptop’s battery charge, particularly if there are many activity lulls. Other Energy Saver options include choosing to put hard disks to sleep, when possible, and dimming the display when running on the battery.
 
Do you have any other suggestions for maximizing the battery life in Mavericks OS X? Share your tips and tricks in the discussion thread below.
 
~ Erik Eckel

Read More

Does security matter to you? Ditch Windows XP for one of these upgrade options

Microsoft officially ends support for Windows XP in April 2014, but there are plenty of upgrade options available. Andy Wolber takes a look at some conventional and alternative OS options. 

 

 
If you use Windows XP or Office 2003, after April 2014, you’re living dangerously. XP will run, and you can still work with Office 2003 apps, but Microsoft’s support for these systems ends that month. As a result, systems running XP and Office 2003 will be increasingly vulnerable to attack.
 
Microsoft will update anti-malware signatures for Windows XP through mid-July 2015. But anti-malware updates may not address system or software level flaws. Google will update and secure Chrome on Windows XP through April 2015. Yet using a secure browser on a potentially insecure operating system seems unwise. People using Windows XP and Office 2003 should upgrade.
 
Fortunately, upgraders have options. You can choose from at least seven operating systems and five office suites. The path that makes the most sense for you -- or your organization -- depends on many factors, including the number of systems and the reason the systems still run XP (e.g., Custom apps? Or you just haven’t bothered to upgrade yet?).
 
Apps, costs, and knowledge limit your upgrade options, though. The apps you need (or want) to use must be available for the platform you choose. Some upgrade options require new hardware, some don’t. Alternative apps often do similar tasks on different platforms but may require may require people to adapt (i.e., learn new things).
 
This week, we'll look at operating system alternatives to Windows XP. Next week, we'll examine office suite alternatives to Office 2003. 

Three conventional operating system options

Windows 7: Keep your hardware

For large enterprises and many individuals, Windows 7 may be the most obvious upgrade option, since it retains a similar look and feel to Windows XP. In most cases, Windows 7 will run on the same hardware as systems currently running XP. Download Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to assess your system.

Windows 8.1: Works best with a touch screen

Microsoft’s newest operating system provides a touch-friendly, tile-based interface while also offering the ability to run older Windows software. Windows 8 does run on non-touch systems, but I find it best suited for systems with touch screens. So, an upgrade from XP to Windows 8 most likely means buying a new touch-screen device.

Upgrade tip: If you’re upgrading individual systems, I’ve found Laplink’s PCmover to be worth the cost. PCmover saves your apps and data to a file before you upgrade. Then, you do a custom install of Windows 7 to a new folder on your system. After that completes, run PCmover again to unbundle your apps and data. It isn’t perfect, but it saves a lot of time otherwise spent reinstalling apps and copying files.

OS X Mavericks: Change platform, with access to apps

Individuals or small businesses may choose to move to the Mac. Many major software vendors make applications that run on both platforms. Emulators, such as Apple’s Boot Camp and Parallels, make it possible to install and run Windows and Windows apps on the Mac. However, not all peripherals, such as printers and scanners, work with both platforms.

Four alternative operating systems

iOS or Android devices: Robust portable computing

A smartphone or tablet may be all many people need, especially when occasionally paired with an external keyboard. Both platforms offer a rich ecosystem of apps, and both are widely used. For many users, a smartphone or tablet provides “just enough” computing power. Mobility and connectivity offer the opportunity to rethink how work gets done. 

Linux: Keep your hardware (but know what you’re doing)

For organizations with sufficient technical expertise (or support), the open source Linux operating system may be a viable alternative. For example, I know of a legal aid society that moved entirely to open source software because the tools both did the job and aligned with the organization’s philosophy. Open source software provides a level of transparency not available with other systems. Security-conscious organizations may find that essential.

Chromebooks / Chrome OS: When the web is enough

If your organization already uses Google Apps, you might replace some of your XP machines with Chromebooks. Unless people need to run non-web apps, Chrome OS and web apps are certainly enough for many users. Chromebooks offer fast boot times and no-hassle access to the web. The low price of most Chromebooks also makes the devices an appealing option for organizations with large numbers of obsolete Windows XP machines.
 
A unique benefit that Chrome OS offers is that people using Chrome OS can login to the Chrome browser on Windows or Mac systems. Most apps, extensions, passwords, and the browser history can be synced across platforms. Once you move 100% to the web with Chrome OS, you can work effectively in Chrome on any Chrome, Windows, or Mac system.

Think before you upgrade

The end of life of XP and Office 2003 offers a chance to rethink the tools you use. The simplest upgrade path is to move to a newer version of Windows and Office and call your task complete. But by doing so, you may miss the opportunity to leverage smartphones, tablets, and web apps -- all of which didn’t previously exist as they do today. Finally, I’ll suggest that people who adapt quickly will be more productive than people for whom change is a chore
 
Next week, we’ll look at upgrade alternatives for Office 2003.
 
What do you and your organization plan to do when support for Windows XP finally ends? Share your game plan in the discussion thread below.
 
~ Andy Wolber

Read More

More reports point to Apple iPad event on October 22

Summary: These rumors never seem to get old.

Whenever iPad (or iPhone, MacBook, insert Apple product name here) upgrade cycle times come around, there seems to be an endless stream of rumors and reports based on unnamed sources about potential announcement dates.

These usually don't come to a halt until Apple itself mails out the invites, but an increasing number of reports are pointing toward a media event on Tuesday, October 22.
 
The latest update comes from AllThingsD, reporting that Cupertino is preparing for an invitation-only event two weeks from today.

An exact location hasn't been pinpointed yet, but the docket is supposed to include at least one new iPad (almost definitely an iPad 5, possibly an iPad mini 2 -- depending on rumored supply chain constraints) as well as a refreshed Mac Pro and upgrades for OS X Mavericks.
 
Apple typically sends out these invites approximately a week prior to the event, so we could be hearing something official any day now.
 
Regardless, an October 22 date in the calendar looks incredibly likely -- if an iPad update is really in the works at this point in time.
 
Aside from landing at a prime time ahead of the holiday season, it would mark just barely one year since the last iPad special event.
 
Rumors about October 22 have also sprouted up more than once -- most notably when images of what appear to be an iPad mini outfitted in slate gray (one of the new iPhone 5S shades) leaked in late September.
 
It's also worth noting that October 22 is the same day that Microsoft's Surface 2 and Surface Pro tablets go on sale as well as the date Nokia is expected to launch its Sirius ARM-based Windows RT tablet.
 
~ Rachel King

Read More