RAM and Upgrading

RAM, in my opinion, is an important factor when it comes to computers. I personally have the stock and default amount of RAM that came with my late 2008 Macbook which was at the time 2GB. When writing this post, not only am I providing you with information regarding memory but also asking if I should upgrade.

First of all, RAM, or random-access memory, is a type of data storage that allows programs to access certain data at any time. So every time you use a program, a certain amount of RAM is used up. The advantages of receiving data from RAM rather than, for example, a hardrive is that RAM is faster and easier to obtain whereas from a hardrive, it takes a while to both read and write on that data. Plus, RAM resets every time the computer is powered down.

Now to my question to the community: should I upgrade? First, some background. With writing articles for TekSocial aside, I am a web developer and designer. I mildly do graphic designer and mainly focus on developing and website design. Usually my free RAM space depletes to around 25MB in the span of a day. Program-wise, I mostly have open a text-editor, 2 web browsers, iTunes, Mail, and a local server.  These programs eat up my RAM like crazy and I'm pretty sure I don't need to restart my computer every day just to reset my RAM. All respectful questions are free to be written. Thanks!

My Twitter

iLife '11 — the all new iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand

Apple recently announced their latest upgrade to the iLife suite during the “Back to the Mac” event in October. iLife ’11 includes new releases of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. Apple did a great job in adding more advanced features while maintaining their trademark simplicity. The upgrade is priced at only $49 USD and is definitely worth the price.

The incredible new iPhoto has added support for Facebook/Flickr and sharing photos through email. The changes to the full-screen mode allow you to utilize every pixel of your display to its fullest. Apple has also improved the slideshows feature with new transitions and themes. Their book/card-printing service has been updated and now allows for more customization of photo albums and holiday cards. iPhoto continues to keep its “Faces” and “Places” features, as well as its great image retouching tools.

The album view in iPhoto's full-screen mode looks amazing.

iPhoto's face recognition automatically recognizes faces in your photos and allows you to tag then.

The biggest change in the suite is in iMovie. Apple has added a “movie trailers” feature that makes producing short teasers for your films a breeze. Choose a series of clips you would like to use, fill in the credits, and choose a theme and iMovie will automatically stitch together a professional-grade trailer for you next movie.

Apple has also included more advanced audio editing tools in iMovie ’11. Audio clips are now color-coded and provide options for adding fades and filters. Another new feature is what Apple calls “one-step effects”. With the dozens of new effects, such as “instant replay” and color correction, your iMovie project will definitely stand out from other home videos.

iMovie ’11 has also included more exporting options, including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, QuickTime movies, and more. You can also publish your videos directly to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and even CNN’s iReport. You can also create a video podcast and send it directly to Podcast Producer.

iMovie '11 give you more control over your audio.

Making professional trailers has never been easier.

Making great music in GarageBand has never been simpler. The iLife ’11 upgrade introduced Flex Time, a function that fixes timing issues when something sounds a little off.  Flex Time allows you to manually move, stretch, or shorten individual notes without changing the rest of your recording.GarageBand ’11 adds more guitar amps the Apple’s library and allows you to reproduce the sound of foot pedals with new stompbox effects. Apple also included many new instrument lessons with the update.

Flex Time makes it easy to fix timing errors in your music. 

Apple's instrument lessons make learning the piano or guitar fun.

More lessons can be downloaded or purchased from the Lesson Store.

iLife ’11 allows you to do more with your photos, video, and music than ever before. In iPhoto, you can enjoy your photos in the new full-screen modes. You can turn your home videos into professional films with the latest iMovie and create the perfect soundtrack within GarageBand. iLife ’11 is included with every new Mac, but every existing user should consider the upgrade. If you enjoyed this post, please check out MacDesign, a blog centered around graphic design and video production on the Mac platform.

SkullCandy Icon 2 Review

Hello, today I’m going to be giving you a review of the Icon 2 headphones by SkullCandy, this gadget retails at $29.95 on http://www.skullcandy.com. 

Aesthetics 

These bad boys come in a array of color and designs. I’ve been provided with the Black Icon 2’s that have a nice black matte finish on the outside of the headphones. These headphones have style even down to the cord, with a bradded nylon cord; aesthetics wise these headphones are #1.

Pros

For there price these headphones give out superb sound quality. They also feel very comfortable on your head. One customizing feature that’s a plus to most users are the interchangeable plates on earphone; Skull Candy provides you with two extra plates that match with the design.  

Cons 

Overall these headphones are great for there price, but there’s one thing that may frustrate you when using them. Is that they fall of you head very easily when you in motion. I found myself picking them up almost everyday during my morning and afternoon commute. 

Even with it’s flaw there great headphones for there very reasonable price. These headphones in my book are 8/10. 

MacDesign

I'm thrilled to write about the announcement of MacDesign, a new blog focused on graphic design and video production on the Mac. MacDesign will feature daily tips, reviews, and tutorials on applications that will speed up your workflow and give you great results. The MacDesign forums offer a place for professionals and newbies alike to share their own tips and ask questions of others.

Be sure to check out the latest MacDesign article on VoltaicHD, a video converter/manager for Mac.

My "Back to the Mac" Event Prediction

That's right, I only have one prediction. If you were looking for something more, sorry to disappoint you. Basically, I predict that what everyone is saying about a new MacBook Air is false and that, instead of launching a new MacBook Air, Apple will kill it. Bold claims. Below, I will state the sole reason why I think Apple is going to kill the Air: iPad. If this prediction is false, I honestly think Apple would have made the wrong decision.

First, what are the current rumours surrounding the MacBook Air?

1. Appleinsider claims that the new MacBook Air will have upgradeable RAM
2. Engadget has a photo of the new insides. 

The first thing I want to say is Apple has always been about user experience. If the Air has upgradeable RAM, I will guarantee it will be a nightmare to upgrade. Apple would much rather lock you out and charge for an upgrade.

Now let's move on to the main reason why I think Apple would abandon the Air in favour of the iPad. As we all know, the Air is not a practical solution to anything. It's not good even for basic browsing as Flash is still out there, believe it or not, and people still play Flash games. If Flash can't run decently on a Mac Pro, don't expect it to on an Air. When Apple released the Air, it was to show off. It was a proof of concept, if you will. The MacBook Air was like the Cube and the Millenium Mac. It was a fashion statement and didn't fit for anyone who wanted to use their computer, not even a niche market. These computers are all examples of art. Beautiful to look at, but useless. And beauty is their main function.

Now, compare the Air to the iPad: 

1. The iPad is more beautiful than the Air. This may not seem like that important a detail, but when beauty is the best feature that the computer can boast, this is a killer.
2. The iPad is now the best-selling gadget of all time (official). It would be money better spent on marketing the iPad, rather than selling a new Air
3. The iPad is attractive to the consumer, because it's so easy to use and they don't have to worry about little details. I'm not saying OS X isn't easy to use, but comparing iOS and OS X, it's clear who's the winner
4. The Air is very slow and completely impractical. If you want ports, there is the MacBook for that.
5. The Air will undoubtedly still be more expensive than the iPad, if it were released. 

I hope it's clearer now why I think Apple will kill the Air. With no market, the Air just will not sell. Even the thinness and beauty factor won't matter anymore, when the iPad is thinner and better looking. This means the only hope that the Air had left, art collectors, won't bother as well. This leaves no-one to sell the Air to, and with no-one to sell to, there will be no profit. Once again, we, including myself, must be reminded that Apple is a capitalist company and exists for profit.