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Aug 13 2010

BookBook from Twelve South

The BookBook from Twelve South offers cushioned leathery protection in a stealthy disguise. With sizes for 13, 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pros, the BookBook comes in Vibrant Red and Classic Black. Details include zipper tabs that look like bookmarks and the texture of the edge pieces show embossed ridges that simulate  book pages.

I’ve had a couple of days to wander around with the BookBook and I love it. As I said in the video, I was able to mark my table at Starbucks and not only did no one take the table, no one took my MacBook Pro.1 The protection offered is comparable to a higher end padded sleeve but I’d say it’s definitely superior to a Neoprene sleeve.

One suggestion I’d make is that you remove the MacBook Pro from the BookBook if you’re doing and processor-intensive work for an extended period of time—cases like this will decrease the airflow to the cooling vents and that is something you’d want to avoid.

Prices range from $79.99 US to $99.99 US depending on the size. iPad cases are coming soon.

I love creative cases like this and products that take tired, predictable product types and do something clever with them. Have you seen anything you think qualifies as Mac/iPhone/iPod/iPad awesomeness? Post a comment and let me know about it—I’ll give you credit on camera for the tip.

No Flash? No problem—click here!»

  1. I would NOT recommend leaving your MacBook Pro unattended no matter how clever the case [↩]

By RickMacMerc • Featured, gadgets, MacMerc.TV, Mini Video • 1 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jun 24 2010

Where did that post go?

I’ve had a few people ask about where some of the older posts from the original incarnation of MacMerc have gone. They’re all here… somewhere. Everything that was on the old site in the way of articles, reviews and news posts has been transferred over, but the links to where they once were may no longer work… in fact they probably won’t work.

I’m in the process of tracking down someone who knows the ways of htaccess and might be willing to help me set up a more efficient redirect but, in the meantime, if you can’t find a post from old MacMerc on new MacMerc, comment below and I will do my best to track it down.

Better yet, if you post a comment with the old link, I’ll track down where that post went and make sure the link redirects.

What can I help you find?

By RickMacMerc • Featured, macmerc • 2 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apr 27 2009

Special Feature– ThinkFree Office

I hope this doesn’t invalidate all the work I’ve done in the name of free software. This week I’m going to feature a piece of software that is not free. However, I think you’ll find it hard for any freeloader to pass up.

I’d like to note here that I am in no way affiliated with ThinkFree, and my excitement for this software comes purely from the application itself. That out of the way, let’s get down to business.

What could be so good to distract me from my pursuit of free software? Well, picture a full office suite including word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, all wrapped up nicely in one suite for $49. Now, imagine if it could read and write files in Microsoft Office’s format? That would be ThinkFree Office.

First off, I’d like to say what ThinkFree Office is not. Think free should not be confused with the open-source effort to subvert – er – replace Microsoft Office. This effort currently underway is called Open Office and is an extension of Sun’s free office suite. Also, ThinkFree is not AppleWorks. In my testing experience, ThinkFree at it’s worst is more compatible with Microsoft Office than Appleworks at its best. Not to pick on Apple, but Appleworks is a half-hearted office suite. Not so with ThinkFree. This is full fledged professional software.

thinkfree Special Feature ThinkFree Office

ThinkFree Office is a composite of three main applications, Write, Calc and Show. These work as Word, Excel and PowerPoint respectively. You’ll find much of the interface familiar.


I did mention that ThinkFree handles Microsoft Office files better than AppleWorks. To be more specific, ThinkFree opens, without breaking a sweat, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. However there are limits to what ThinkFree can handle. These are roughly comparable to the format loss experienced when trading files between different versions of Office (ex: Word 98 to Word X).

word Special Feature ThinkFree Office

Specifically, Macros are lost in Excel, Highlighting and Data Merge formating are lost. But, even in its weakness, ThinkFree has a strength. When you open an Office document and ThinkFree Office encounters formating it can’t convert, it warns you. This way you at least know what you’re missing.

write Special Feature ThinkFree Office

Now, ThinkFree isn’t exclusive to the Mac. Since it is written in 100% Java it is fully compatible with Mac OS 9 as well as Windows. It also has the added ability to manage your files in an online “folder” to be accessed from multiple computers. A nice touch.

And, though this software is $49 (and is worth more), you can download a free 30 day evaluation version from ThinkFree’s website.

And you thought there wouldn’t be anything free today. Shame on you.

Brian

By admin • Articles, Freeloader Friday Download of the Week • 0 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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