ATMac

Articles which are specifically related to laptop use, and don’t apply to Mac desktop computers.

Apple doesn’t often hold sales, but they seem to have gone out of their way to advertise a one-day sale internationally for this Friday - Black Friday in the USA. MacRumours is reporting that Apple retail stores will be able to match the prices of non-Apple retailers, which may mean big discounts for customers.

In the Apple Pro Profiles section there’s a great article about a group called the Stanford Laptop Orchestra (SLOrk) who use MacBooks and a variety of unusual input techniques and devices to make computer music.

Fins-Up has announced the availability of the FIN for Macbook and Macbook Pro customers. The FIN is an aluminium stand which screws into existing holes in the bottom of your Macbook and acts as a laptop stand to bring the keyboard to a more ergonomic angle. It also acts as a handle when you’re carrying your Macbook, and the aluminium stand helps dissipate heat so your laptop runs without overheating.

Make the most of the new touchpads found on the 2008 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Did you know you can generate mouse clicks using a laptop trackpad without using the trackpad buttons? If you have a fairly new MacBook, you can even use this method to generate right clicks without touching the buttons.

A handy list of some protective films and cases that will help to keep your MacBook and its keyboard safe from spills and other mishaps.

Computers get dirty. Computers even get wet sometimes. They certainly get soiled despite the best of intentions. Even the most perfectly treated computers need occasional cleaning. Computers that are used all day, carried around, used with sticky fingers, used by multiple people, those ones are even more likely to need a good clean fairly often! Luckily, Apple’s online knowledgebase contains a wealth of articles about cleaning and disinfecting your iMac, Mac Mini, or MacBook.

The Macworld Keynote was a few days ago now, what are the implications for Mac OS X users with disabilities?
For those who aren’t following avidly, the new announcements from Apple included:

Macbook Air - A slimmer, lighter laptop which can optionally be used with a flash memory drive.
Time Capsule - A self-contained wireless backup drive intended [...]

VisiKey, makers of large print keyboards, have introduced VisiSkin — keyboard skins for Mac and Windows laptops that feature extra large lettering for people who might have trouble seeing the printing on the keyboard. They cost US$24.95 each, and come in sizes designed to fit MacBooks, MacBook Pros and PowerBook G4s.
Each VisiSkin is made [...]

Laptop users who don’t use an external mouse, or have trouble with bumping the trackpad while typing may find a useful preference hidden away in the System Preferences. From the Mac’s help file:
Making the trackpad inactive when a mouse is connected or when typing
If you’re using a portable computer, you can set it to ignore [...]