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Yes, it’s true that the fancy new MacBook Pro you just brought home didn’t come with a manual.
When talking to customers in our retail stores, we typically end most conversations with, “Do you have any more questions or concerns?” Here many customers respond, “Well it comes with a manual, right?” This questions is usually followed by their utter shock and dismay at hearing that there are no instructions on how to use the computer, iPad, iPod or iPhone in that fancy new box.
There might not be a manual in the box, but don’t fear, your resources are all at your fingertips! Apple has made all of their manuals, user guides and how-to instructions available through a number of resources. iPad users are often delighted to know that there’s a free iPad user guide available through the iBookstore. Once you download the “**iBooks App**,”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fibooks%2Fid364709193%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 simply search for “iPad user guide” in the iBookstore. The Apple website itself contains a wealth of knowledge: you can easily download “**manuals**”:http://support.apple.com/manuals/ for all of your Apple products, from iMac to MacBook Pro to iPod touch.
Information about how to use your new computer or device isn’t limited to just manuals, either. Video tutorials are available as well, and many links to these are located directly within the program you’re using. If you’re using Pages, for example, click on the **Help** option located in the toolbar at the top of your screen. Once you click on **Help**, select “**Video Tutorials**”:http://www.apple.com/iwork/tutorials/#pages-hero from the drop-down menu. Apple’s video tutorials show you everything from getting started to sharing documents with Microsoft Word.
We know digital downloads aren’t always the best way for some customers to get the most our of their device or software. Because of this, we sell a huge selection of books as well in our retail stores. So if you’re feeling like you’ve ingested enough technology in the purchase alone, feel confident knowing you can still hold a book in your hands to help you through!
We are just a few days into fall and the mountains are already bursting with color. I spent this past weekend cleaning up lawn furniture, packing away my pool supplies and decorating my porch with fall mums and pumpkins, a sure sign summer has said goodbye! My favorite part of fall is the smells in the air–it has this sweet, crisp smell that you only enjoy this time of year.
I have some great walking areas right around my house, and between fall projects I took my kids for a walk to enjoy some of the beautiful sights. I know the changing of the leaves means the cold and snow are soon to come, and perhaps that’s why I make a greater effort to get outside and leave some projects for another time. I will be the first to admit, the snow doesn’t thrill me, but I tolerate it when it comes. Anyone else feel the same way?
Make sure to come into our stores or log onto our website on Monday, October 31st: We take Halloween __VERY__ seriously around here! Staff will be decorating our stores for this special occasion as well as dressing up in costume. It’s tons of fun, so don’t miss out; you’re sure to be entertained!
Thanks for reading,
Emily, Taylor and Tyler
“emily@smalldog.com”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com
Small Dog Electronics’ “*Waitsfield location*”:http://www.smalldog.com/waitsfield/at_kb will be holding a *free* iPad Social on *Thursday, September 22 at 6pm.*
Bring your iPad, your favorite apps, your iPad questions and any friends who want to tag along!
Join us for a special after-hours event and enjoy drinks, food and fun while chatting about your favorite Apple device.
Please RSVP by email to Waitsfield Store Manager Emily Kenyon if you plan to attend.
“**emily@smalldog.com**”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com
Small Dog Electronics’ “*Waitsfield location*”:http://www.smalldog.com/waitsfield/at_bis will be holding a *free* iPad Social on *Thursday, September 22 at 6pm.*
Bring your iPad, your favorite apps, your iPad questions and any friends who want to tag along!
Join us for a special after-hours event and enjoy drinks, food and fun while chatting about your favorite Apple device.
Please RSVP by email to Waitsfield Store Manager Emily Kenyon if you plan to attend.
“**emily@smalldog.com**”:mailto:emily@smalldog.com
Parents often come into our retail stores with questions about their children and internet safety. We always do our best to provide the most current and relevant information on this topic, but with technology advancing so quickly, it’s often a tough task.
A few weeks ago, I attended a local discussion on this topic and–as with so much in the world of computers–the suggestions and options seemed to vary significantly. Often times, parents are looking for a device or software that controls what their child can and cannot see online. Schools and other public locations often have a filter system in place which goes between the incoming internet connection and the computers. This filter blocks unwanted access to thousands of websites, preventing everything from inappropriate content, to simply stopping kids from spending school time on Facebook. This type of system is often kept up to date by the filter’s service provider and is easily updated when new sites and searches need to be blocked. While this type of service is highly effective, it tends to be impractical at home for a variety of reasons. The good news, however, is that your Mac is already largely equipped to handle this kind of filtering.
OS X has a number of parental controls that can be easily configured to keep your children safe online. Using these built-in controls, you can limit your child’s access in a number of ways. You can control what hours of the day or days of the week your child can use the computer, limit who they can email or chat with–and vice versa–or only allow access to websites on an approved list. To enable these features, a parent must first have administrative access to their child’s account. From the administrator account, simply open System Preferences and select Parental Controls. From here, you can customize the available options to your content. However, it’s important to consider that no amount of safeguarding is going to protect your child from every possible website, game or application you and your family would prefer they not have access to.
As a parent, knowing where and how your child is using the internet is, in my opinion, the best defense in making sure your kids are safe on the computer. Luckily, OS X makes it a little easier to relax on this issue when you know your computer has an abundance of parental controls to help!
Click “*here*”:http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/ to read more about parental controls.
Click “*here*”:http://www.safekids.com/child-safety-on-the-information-highway/ to read more tips on kids and internet safety.
Parents often come into our retail stores with questions about their children and internet safety. We always do our best to provide the most current and relevant information on this topic, but with technology advancing so quickly, it’s often a tough task. A few weeks ago, I attended a local discussion on this topic and—as […]
As popular as iPads have become, there is still a large number of people who wonder how or why they’d use one. The iPad is an incredibly powerful mobile device that isn’t just for CEOs, members of Congress or the tech elite—it’s for everyone! Many customers comment that their needs are too basic to make […]
Cool new products in our retail store.
“**Moshi iVisor,**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=moshi+ivisor+ipad available in black or white **$29.99** 
“**Moshi Magic Mouse guard,**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=mouseguard available in white or silver **$14.99**
“**Moshi Concerti for iPad,**”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=concerti available in purple or beige **$54.99**
