Mac Computers Sale
If you are looking for Mac computers sale prices can be hard to find. Traditionally Apple Macs don’t really go carry much of a discount, especially not at apple.com. But happily, the trend has been that each new version of iMacs or laptops has more features under the hood at a lower price point. Not too shabby.
The good news is that The Apple Store is not the only place to find these machines – and sometimes other retailers do offer a discount. I have seen lower prices at
- Amazon.com
- Best Buy
- and MacMall
Just to name a few.
Another route is to look into whether your employer has an affiliate relationship with the folks from Cupertino – then you can shop the business store, which is a little cheaper than regular price. If you are unsure, any “genius” can look it up for you or you can check the website as well. You can also check to see if you qualify for the education discount. Rules are on the site but I think you either need to be a full time college student or be an officer or administrator at a k-12 school.
Sometimes there is not an outright price cut on the MacBook notebooks themselves but rather a promotion. Over the summer – Apple usually runs the free ipod promotion for students, and often there is a printer rebate going on as well.
Other options are out there if you are willing to make a few compromises. Refurbished models, especially those that are bought through the official site, are almost as good as new and come in a variety of configurations. And buying a used Macbook Pro from a friend or relative or even on eBay (buyer beware!) are other reasonable choices. Many people are looking for the latest and greatest (yes – I am salivating over the 27 inch iMac) and are ready to part with the older models even though there are working just fine. (no – mine is not on the market – yet 
)
If you have found some good Mac computers sale prices please do share and leave a comment!
Mac iPhoto Help
Good Mac iPhoto help is needed no matter how easy the program is to use.
For those that aren’t familiar, this photo editing program comes packaged as part of the iLife suite of software. This suite is included on every iMac and Apple laptop but as newer versions come out, the upgrade must be purchased. Basically, this program is very user friendly and is used by beginners and experts alike.
Picture Organizing
At it’s simplest, iPhoto 09 is a powerful database in which people can store their digital photographs. Picture organizing is made easy with a variety of tools. They can be organized into events, tagged with keywords, assigned faces and locations, manually placed into albums, or automatically arranged into smart albums. The level of detail is only limited by the time that the user has to give.
Picture Editing
Each picture can be edited using the built in photo editor. Or for a more full featured editing experience, the photo can be automatically set to open in a completely separate program like Adobe Photoshop Elements for Mac. Once the changes are complete the updated picture is then saved back into iPhoto.
Photo Projects
iPhoto also has the capability to create many projects. From slideshows, to calendars, cards, and photobooks that can be ordered directly from Apple or printed at home. Every element of the slideshow can be customized (music, transitions, zoom) and the finished product can be exported to a variety of other devices like AppleTV, iPhone, and iPod.
Mac Photo Help
With all of these features it is no wonder that good instructions and tutorials are key. Even if you know the program inside out there is always some shortcut to learn. Obviously the first place to find assistance is by clicking the “Help” option in the menubar. This will open the oline manual that is maintained by the company. While this works great in a pinch, I find it to be somewhat inadequate. Apple.com also has a variety of iPhoto tutorials and videos in the support section of their website. There is good info there but I find the site surprisingly difficult to navigate. Ironically, in this electronic day and age I find that the best advice comes from a good old fashioned book. There are many to choose from. Some of my favorites are:
- The Missing Manual Series
- The Visual Quickstart Guide
I will often explore a book by borrowing it from the library first. If it is truly useful – I will start racking up fines because I can’t bear to part with it. At this point I usually end up purchasing the manual. It is this desk reference that I find myself pulling off the shelf again and again.