Recently, we experienced a customer who was frustrated because they couldn’t delete unwanted apps from their iPad.  We have also had some customers come in who could not get the App they just purchased to work correctly.  Here are some good tips and simple fix-it procedures for working with Apps.

One of the first things you should remember to follow up on is to check the iOS requirements of the Apps you want to purchase or did purchase and the App is having issues.  You can find these at the Apps Store by searching store for the App and selecting it.  You will find the requirements underneath description or Information of App (shown in picture blow).  With some Apps, you may have to click on more info.

Then you can view the iOS version of your iPad by going to Settings and looking in General, then  About where you will find version in the middle of list.  This will let you know whether the App you are interested or already purchased is compatible with the version you have.  At this point, you should try to see if there are software updates available, which is also in Setting in General then Software Update.  You should always update your software before you purchase new Apps.

To remove an App you don’t want or one that is giving you trouble and you want to reinstall it simply find the App on your iPad Screen and tap and hold until it starts to wiggle or jiggle (“Wiggle” mode Fun Tip below) .  You will notice an x in the upper corner(see photo at left) which you can tap to delete this App.  If you decide after tapping x that you want to stop deleting the App, press the Home Screen button on the iPad whihc will cancel the delete. 

After you have deleted this App from your Screen, you can re-install it by going to the App Store on your iPad.  If you purchased this App, you can tap Purchased to find it or search App Store.  Then tap install to re-install it.

You now can open the newly re-installed App to see if all the issues you were experiencing are gone.

You can go the link below if you are still experiencing issues.

Apple Support for iPad Apps

Fun tip-   Rearranging Apps:

You can rearrange the Apps on a page or from page to page while they are in this “Wiggle” mode by dragging them around.  You can organize them by page like all Game Apps on one page, Apps for Work on another, Apps for travel on another, etc.

$50 off Mac’s

In store ONLY Sale!

Limited time!

Starting Monday, June 3rd running through Saturday, June 15th

you can get $50 off Listed price

any MacBook Pro and MacBook Air any size

Compare prices on our Mac’s

College Bookstore Apple Desk

This is the perfect time of year to learn how to change the language on your Mac. For students who are not allowed to read this in English, perhaps someone in each language school can translate this into the desired language and post in the classroom for the students.

Changing Language on a Mac

• You start by going into your System Preference, in your dock it looks like the gears of a clock. Or click on the Apple Logo at the top left and then select System Preference.
• In System Preference, click on Languages &Text.
• Under the language tab, you will notice a list of languages.  If you do not see the desired language, click Edit List below the list of languages.  Select the language you want to add to the list. Then, select the desired language from the list and drag it to the top of the list.
• To see the change right away without logging out, click the red button to close Languages and Texts.
• Click on the Apple Logo and click Force Quit Finder.
• Select Finder and click on Relaunch.

Changing Language on an iPad

This is much easier than you think…

Simply go to Settings or System Preferences an tap General, then scroll right side up so you can see International toward bottom of list and tap then choose whichever language you need.

You can also change the language of the keyboard by tapping on keyboard above International and choosing a language or adding one or more you may need.  You are now ready to change language of keyboard when you are typing in an application, just click on the key with the world globe icon until you see the desired language (see image below).

Now you are ready to enjoy the summer at Middlebury Language School!

With just two weeks before Finals begin, many Graduating Seniors are starting to think about Graduation Gift ideas because with hard work comes benefits.  Of course, since the Apple Area is conveniently located here on the campus, Apple products are right up there as a desired gift.

At the top of the Apple list is… (Drum Roll Please)

…the 13”Retina Display MacBook Pro with 256GB drive

This is considered to be the perfect combination of the exceptionally lightweight 13” MacBook Air and the ever popular 13”MacBook Pro.  The difference though with the Retina Display Mac is that the picture display is like art- beautiful, vibrant and crisp; the pictures pop right out at you.  These now have the 8GB Memory (a temporary storage used for anything open- including doc’s, pic’s, apps, music, or downloads that you are currently working on awaiting a saving to hard drive).  What having 8GB of Memory means to you is that now you can get more work done at once.  Twice the research, run any program that requires more Memory, enjoy watching movies, play any game, even video editing- is all possible without getting the spinning wheel of “wait”.

Next on the wish list is the iPad with Retina Display because of how great the display is for graphics- for your movies, pictures and games, slide-shows or giving a presentation at work. This iPad is the perfect companion as a multi-tasking tool for the Graduate going off to work in any of the professional fields.  You have access to email, doc’s, music, movies, internet for research and so much more with the touch of your fingertips- on a screen large enough to work on and beautiful too.

Last on this wish list is the iPod Classic which has made a comeback in popularity because of its music, video and photo storage capacity. At the 160GB large storage, it is considered  perfect for morning runs, workouts in the gym, or commuting to work and back. 

Friday Quick Tips- Saving valuable time

When you have the chance, preferably when you first get your new Mac or Apple device, create an iCloud account.  Now, you don’t have to sync all of your devices to get up-to-date with all of your content.  iCloud is designed to make available to all of your Apple Devices all of the iCloud compatible content and apps you want to save and share.  Contacts, mail, music, document, reminders, notes & even photos can all be stored in iCloud and shared with all of your devices.  Think of the time this will save you.  Below are two links that will help answer questions and assist with setting up your iCloud  account.

iCloud info Link

iCloud Support Link

iPad Issues

Have you experienced a frozen screen?  Or maybe your iPad wouldn’t turn on, charge or find Wi-Fi.  Perhaps you have a minor issue with iTunes on your iPad.  There are some easy quick fixes that may help you be issue-free with your iPad.

First, allow me to be annoying and reiterate the fact that you need to update the software.  Whenever you get those little reminders to update, which for me, always arrive while I am in the middle of a project with time restraints, but update then so you don’t forget to.  If you really cannot take a moment right then, make the time to update later, but sooner rather than later! 

Before you experience any issues at all make sure you sync your iPad and create a Back-up.  I am including a Link (below) to Apple Support to refer to for syncing and other issues with syncing. If you keep iTunes up-to-date you can uninstall and reinstall iTunes (if absolutely necessary in link at bottom) if you experience problems.  Use the Apple Support link below to find other instructions for iTunes and iOS Support.

Apple Support for Syncing

 One of the first things you should do when a problem arises with your iPad is to try powering down the iPad by holding the Sleep/Wake button and following the slide-to-power-off instructions.  This can help a frozen screen, Wi-Fi connection problems, when iTunes doesn’t recognize your iPad and even when your iPad won’t charge.  Remember to plug your power adapter into iPad and wall before turning it back on.  If it still isn’t charging, try another power adapter and cable if possible. 

 If your iPad won’t turn on, try holding both the Sleep/Wake button and the Home Button simultaneously until you see it power up with the Apple logo.  If this did not power your iPad on, then perhaps the battery is drained in which case you should plug it into the wall charger adapter.  Do not try to power the iPad on again for 15 minutes to half an hour; then try turning it on.  Make sure you can see the lightning or charger symbol (shown below) that indicates iPad is charging. 

 If you have a frozen screen and powering down the iPad did not work, try resetting your iPad by holding both the Home Button and Sleep/Wake Button together (resetting the iPad) which should bring it back.

When you are having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi and powering down did not help, try going to System Preference to toggle Wi-Fi off then back on.  Make sure the Wi-Fi symbol at top left of screen shows Wi-Fi is on and accessible.  Look for which Network your iPad is connected to; Midd-standard is the best selection if you are here on campus and a Middlebury College community member. Try resetting the iPad if all else fails. 

When experiencing trouble syncing with Wi-Fi, try toggling Wi-Fi off in System Preferences, then toggle it back on.   If you lost connection to internet, reboot the iPad by powering down, then back on again.

When iTunes is not recognizing your iPad and powering down did not help, try plugging your iPad into your computer.  If problem is still is not resolved, you may have to restore your software.  Click the Apple support link below and follow those instructions. Also, check out the related articles in the link below.

Apple Restoring iOS Software Support

 Sometimes these simple measures help fix a minor problem.  We hope these tips help make a big problem seem more like a small ripple! Enjoy your Apple.

Software Updates!

Some might think of this as 2 bad words strung together or a scary proposition but, they actually can resolve minor issues with using your Mac, iPad, iPod and even your iPhone.  There are often upgrades such as security upgrades, enhancements of features or even new feature & improvements. Apple sometimes creates an update to resolve a problem they know of.   Software updates are a good thing.

FYI-  So this procedure does not seem frustrating or long and tedious, be sure to allow yourself enough time for your computer to check for software updates as well as to download and install them, then to shut down and restart, which may or may not be necessary.  It will not seem so “scary” then.

When you are ready for the procedure of completing the Software Updates, click the Apple icon (shown at left) in the upper left corner of your screen.  Software update… will be second choice down.  By clicking this, your computer will search for any software updates your computer has missed.  This may take a few minutes.  If there is a software update needed, it may show up in the App Store window (pictured below) that appears after you click software update.  You can simply click update and then you will be asked to choose either restart or not now.  Restart since you are already prepared!  Then your Mac may shut down, sometimes you will be asked if you want to close/force quit a program.   If you need to update Safari, iTunes, iPhoto, or iMovie, a window will appear asking you to enter you Apple ID and password.  Follow the steps for these updates as well which will be similar to the previous steps. 

To give your iPad the Software Updates simply go to your preferences (the Silver Gear Box) and tap on General and then Software Updates and then you tap Install Now (as seen in photo below). This is a very simple procedure.

This Software Update may help your Mac or iDevice to run more smoothly for you now.  Hopefully this helps you simply enjoy your Mac and iPad!

Good luck!

We recently received scary news that there has been an outbreak of Laptop fires across campus.  There was a warning included which stated that leaving a laptop on a bed or a couch restricts the airflow in the computer which can cause the computer to overheat. Do not leave your laptop on unattended; please work with it on a hard surface like a table.
This is a very important warning to pay attention to.

I would like to offer another warning regarding laptop fires.  When purchasing a charger adapter for your computer, make sure you are not saving some money and getting a cheap one from the internet.  A few students have approached me in the past making sure I warn other students that these cheap imitations have “burned up” their Mac.  Your Mac is worth upwards of $1000, take good care of it.  Insurance does not cover your computer if, by saving yourself some money, you burn the Mac up with a cheap power adapter.  I have seen many students walk away after I tell them the cost of a replacement power adapter from Apple is $79, they tell me they can purchase it cheaper online.   If you see one for less, be warned, it is probably an imitation!  I did some research on power adapters for other brands of computers and they are all relatively that much money.  Do your research and make sure you are getting the correct adapter that will not cause your battery and/or computer to overheat.  Don’t buy cheap!

We value your lives that is why we are warning you with emphasis!

The first thing I want to remind everyone about is how important it is to Back Up your computer.  I have seen so many people leaving with tears in their eyes when the Tech explains to them that all those long hours of research and writing pages for a thesis, mid-terms or finals is gone because the hard drive failed.  BACK UP your computer or just back up the work you do not want lost if the hard drive fails.

Here at the Apple Campus Store, we have noticed an increase lately in the complaints from Students, Faculty and Staff about how slow their Mac is running.  More often than not, it is an easy fix and not necessarily your hard drive failing.  Thank goodness! There are some things you can do to prevent the “Spinning Wheel of Death” that rainbow spinning circle that appears in the middle of a download or while opening an application.  This freeze stops all work you can do on your computer.  Some people restart their Mac after it crashes only to find their Mac won’t turn on past a gray screen.

One of those things you can do to prevent this from happening is free up some of your hard drive space.  After you have backed up your computer, delete some old unwanted documents, movies that you save elsewhere, or even applications you never use.  Some people even have multiple copies of photos.  Get rid of all the duplicates because graphics take up more space than regular data does.

Another way we can help prevent our Mac from slowing down or freezing is to do some spring cleaning of your browser cache.

• For internet Explorer 8 or 9  click tools menu at top of page, click Delete Browsing History, then unselect Preserve Favorites Website data, but make sure Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and History are selected.  Then click delete.
• For Firefox- click tools, then click Clear All History… Make sure Browsing & downloading History, Cookies, and Cache are all selected then click clear now.
• For Chrome- type   chrome://settings/clearBrowserData  into the browser bar.  Make sure to select Clear Browsing History, Clear Download History, Delete Cache and other site and plug-in data. Then from Obliterate… select From the Beginning of time from the dropdown menu. Then click Clear Browsing data.
• Finally for Internet Explorer 7 click on Tools at top and select Delete Browsing History, then delete Cache, then Delete Cookies, and finally delete History.

Do this once a month to keep these browsers working better.

Another easy preventative to a slow Mac is to run Repair Permissions from your Disk Utility. Simply go into Finder (pictured at left) and look for Applications on left side then on right- scroll down to bottom and click arrow beside Utilities. Then scroll down again and click Disk Utilities.  A window will appear that will allow you to choose which Hard Drive you want the Permissions repaired in.  Click the correct one and at the top of that window, make sure  First Aid is selected and click Repair Permissions.

I am including a link to check out from Apple Support about Repair Disk Permissions below.

Apple Support-Disk Utility’s Repair Disk Permissions

Advance to new songs or pause or volume control by clicking home button twice and sliding finger from left to right at bottom of screen.

Even change brightness of screen with an iPad Mini by the same procedure as above since brightness level is to the left of music control in this screen.

On the new Retina Display iPad, this is where the Screen Orientation Lock is, next to the music controls instead of the brightness control.

Connect to HDTV either using a Digital AV adapter from iPad to HDMI cable to TV or using the Apple TV.

Use Airplay whenever you see this icon appear on your iPad and you can watch whatever is on your iPad right on your HDTV. The icon, shown below, looks like a triangle in front of a rectangle. Use this with Apple TV.

Instead of flipping through pages of apps on your iPad, use Spotlight to search for the App you want to use. Spotlight is over the keyboard that appears on page at farthest left, but slide finger from left to right to find it.

Pages is still the best writing tool App which lets you save or send the document as a Word Document or a PDF as well as a Pages document. Very convenient.

Do your fingers get tired when typing? Try Dictation Keyboard which is the coolest by far of the iPad Mini features. Simply tap on the key with the microphone image on it.  Then say whatever you want typed.  To view what you want written, tap on the microphone again and the typing will magically appear.

Some people hate hearing the typing “click” while using the iPad; it may be distracting.  You can change this feature if it bothers you.  Go to Settings, then Sound where you can change Keyboard Click to on or off.

One of the apps that is most useful to anyone who uses their iPad for work is the AirPrint App.  First you have to make sure that your printer is wireless, then make sure it supports AirPrint by doing a web search of the make of printer you have and looking up the model you own.  Then reading up your printer model  specifications.  Sometimes just going to the make of printer and looking for the support page and typing in AirPrint support works.  Hewlett Packard allows you to type in a question on their support page underneath the make and model of printer.  The link below is a list of AirPrint compatible printers.

AirPrint Compatible Printers

One of those benefits is the educational pricing on computers and software.  As many of you may know, Apple offers great educational pricing on their Mac’s and as a Middlebury Full Year Student, you get free MS Office on that new Mac and educational pricing on Adobe products like Creative Suite 6, normally priced at over $1200 and for students is $449.00 in the College Bookstore.  Also educationally priced here at the Middlebury College Bookstore is AppleCare for your Mac which is from over $50 to over $100 in savings compared to prices at the Apple Store.

Friday Mac Quick Tip

I was recently updating Flash Player on one of our Demo Mac’s to view some You Tube videos.  The update was in the form of a download of course, and I then had to search the system for the download file.

I then discovered that my Mac is 10.8.3 also known as Mountain Lion, but the demo that I was using at the time was 10.6.8, also known as Snow Leopard.  I was used to my Mac with Mountain Lion which has the Downloads Folder right in the Favorites Folder in Finder. On the Mac’s with Snow Leopard, you will notice there is no Favorites folder as shown in the photo above.  Therefore no easy to find Downloads folder.

However, there is a way for that downloads folder to appear on the list in your Places folder in Finder.  Click on your computer name which will appear in the Places folder just below “Desktop”.  Find the Downloads file on the list that appears in the box on the right and drag this over to the Places folder. Now you can easily locate the downloads you just added in your easy-to-find Downloads folder!