Barkings! | The Small Dog Apple Blog

I was going to call this Mac Treat “The King of All Keyboard Shortcuts.” Bombastic, sure–but after the essential shortcuts (Command-C for copy, Command-X for cut, Command-V for paste, Command-S for save, Command-shift-; to check spelling) this is the keyboard shortcut I use more than any other. It’s a trick for jumping quickly between active applications.

Try it: all you have to do is hold down the command and tab key at the same time. You should see a large bar in the middle of your screen with all active applications. To jump between the foremost application, simply continue holding down the command key while tapping the tab key. This is a super fast way to hop between applications.

While this is an essential shortcut, it’s surprising how many long time Mac users are unfamiliar with it.

You can combine other shortcuts with tab-command. For example, you can use tab-command to quickly cut and paste text between applications (as long as they are running) such as TextEdit, Word, Pages, Mail, etc. Or, you can instantly quit applications by shift-tabbing to the application you want to quit, then (without letting go of the command key) use the Command-Q shortcut. I use this combination all the time to quit applications.

Note that the command key is found to the left of the spacebar on Mac keyboards. On laptops it’s often stamped with an Apple or an icon that looks like a little four-leafed clover.

[Editor’s note: this is also my favorite keyboard shortcut.]

Tags: , apple, command, leopard, mac, mactreat, mail, os x, pages, shortcut, tab, textedit, tiger

UPDATE: iMacs now in stock!

Just a couple of minutes ago, Apple announced new, updated and upgraded iMacs. With faster processor speeds, more standard RAM, upgraded video cards (and the option for a powerful new video card, which Apple calls “the greatest graphics option yet”) , Apple can accurately say “iMac takes it all on.”

The look of the new iMacs is unchanged from the previous generation. The black/glass/aluminum design of the new iMacs has been very popular with our customers, so that’s a good thing.

SPECS:
The new iMacs use the latest cutting-edge Intel Core 2 Duo processors with faster 1066 MHz front-side bus (from 800MHz) and 6MB L2 cache. Our own Allen Evens noticed that the new iMacs appear to take a new type of RAM, unused in any other current Mac: 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-6400).

• 20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, Radeon HD 2400 XT 128MB, for $1199.99
  Buy it here.
  
  
• 20-inch, 2.6GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256MB, for $1499.99
  Buy it here.
  
  
• 24-inch, 2.8GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256MB, for $1799.99
  Buy it here.
  
  
• 24-inch, 3.06GHz, 2GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS 512MB, for $2199.99
  Buy it here.

  “The iMac’s gorgeous aluminum and glass all-in-one design has been an incredible hit with our customers and is just one of the reasons Mac sales are growing three and a half times faster than PC sales,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. He goes on to say “with the latest Intel processors, a faster new graphics option and more memory, customers now have even more reasons to love the iMac.”

  

  Tags: , apple, ilife, imac, , intel core 2 duo, leopard

Apple has now started shipping Final Cut Server. Originally announced last April and projected to ship last summer, Apple held Final Cut Server for extensive real-world field testing, including at CBS Television Stations.

Final Cut Studio is a media asset management and workflow automation software designed for film and video professionals, including broadcast production houses and studio-level motion picture production. The keys to Final Cut Server are “collaborate, catalog, automate and deliver in multiple formats.” From production boutiques to global news networks, Final Cut Server can be used to free up more time for creative work. Final Cut Server can automatically manage thousands of assets, execute dozens of routine production tasks, and keep every member of your team in sync.

Final Cut Server catalogs content and assets and generates thumbnails and low resolution clip proxies, thumbnails, and poster frames at the same time. It allows editors to find assets instantly with easy-to-use metadata tools, personalized workspaces, and Production “containers” for organizing assets without copying files. Broad search capabilities extend from simple keywords to complex combinations of IPTC, XMP and XML metadata. Final Cut Server can configure a range of highly specific access controls that define user permissions on an asset or project basis.

Final Cut Server includes customizable templates that manage the flow of work typically found in broadcast, post and education environments. Watch-and-respond systems can be configured to track the progress of assets, alert editors as projects move through the production pipeline and automatically notify producers by email when a project is ready for evaluation. In addition, location-independent review and approval tools enable clients to view, annotate and approve content from anywhere.

When the project is finished, it can easily be exported and delivered in multiple formats — from H.264 for iPhone and the web to ProRes 422 for editing to 2K for Digital Intermediates — with pristine encoding powered by Compressor.

As expected, Final Cut Server closely integrates with Final Cut Pro 6, including a drag-and-drop shot selection and editing tool. An offline/online workflow allows editors to work with HD proxies in the field on a MacBook Pro.

Final Cut Server supports clients on both Mac and Windows-based workstations. You can use Final Cut Server on mixed-platform networks or allow someone to log in from a PC even if everyone in your shop uses a Mac. A single update to the server automatically updates the client software the next time a user logs in; there is no need to push updates or distribute software patches to client computers.

Final Cut Server is available in a 10-client version supporting up to 10 workstations for $999, and an unlimited version supporting an unlimited number of workstations for $1999.

Learn more by clicking here:

Apple Final Cut Server Unlimited Client

Apple Final Cut Server 10 Client

Final Cut Server runs on any Mac with a 1.8GHz or faster PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Intel Xeon processor (Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Intel Xeon processor recommended), with 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended), AGP or PCI Express Quartz Extreme graphics card (Final Cut Server is not compatible with integrated Intel graphics processors, such as MacBooks and Mac minis), Mac OS X 10.5 or later, QuickTime 7.4.1 or later, a CD drive for installation, and 500MB of available disk space.

If the client machine is a Mac, it needs a 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Intel Xeon processor, 1GB of RAM, a display with 1024×768 resolution or higher, Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later, QuickTime 7.4.1 or later, Java for Mac OS X v10.4 Release 6 or later, Final Cut Pro 6.0.2 or later for Final Cut Pro integration and 20MB of available disk space.

If the client machine is a PC, it needs Windows XP (SP2) or Vista, 1GB of RAM, A display with 1024×768 resolution or higher,QuickTime 7.4.1 or later, Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 Update 4 or later, and 20MB of available disk space.

Tags: , apple, client, edit, final cut server, mac, os x, quicktime, video

If you have a hard drive connected to your AirPort Base Station with 802.11n and are running OS X 10.5 Leopard, you should be overjoyed that you can now use AirDisk with Time Machine!

All you have to do is select Software Update from the Apple Menu and install the AirPort updates. You may need to open AirPort Utility from your Utilities folder and select Check For Updates from the AirPort Utility menu to get the latest firmware as well.

Once the updates are installed, you need only open Time Machine from System Preferences and point it towards your AirDisk. This does essentially the same thing as a Time Capsule, except with Time Capsule you get an enterprise-quality hard drive and the base station in the same shiny white box.

Tags: airdisk, leopard, time machine