[DM-MUG] Re: questions

[Matt W]

A second for Earthlink, been a user since '95. Tell 'em a current=20
member (doesn't have to be me) sent you, we get referral credit. I'd=20
recommend them even if I didn't get credit though. Good experience with=20=

them. You can use their Total Access software or go it alone using your=20=

wits and Apple's Internet Connect. In West Des Moines, I've gotten up=20
to 10K/sec transfer using dial-up. It depends upon where you live. If=20
you really need "accelerated" browsing, don't go dial-up. Get DSL if=20
you can and Cable if you cannot. I use Freese-Notis as an ISP on Qwest=20=

lines. Haven't had any network downtime in three years.

As for why your PowerBook went wonky, and I'm assuming an Aluminum 15"=20=

G4, I have these kinds of problems occasionally. Some are OS X=20
weirdness, some could be hardware, some could be flukes. OS X is a=20
great OS, but it is not immune to weirdness. Just yesterday I had to=20
wait 5 minutes for my password on wake from sleep. Turns out it was due=20=

to two network volumes that I forgot to disconnect at my last client's=20=

office. After these timed out I got to enter my password about, oh, 6=20
times before it would take due to all the clicks and keystrokes I tried=20=

while it was playing at the beach. Partly my fault, but 5 minutes?

If you've not upgraded to 10.3, you could be having common battery=20
reading problems. Readings were very inconsistent with 10.2.7 and=20
10.2.8 (especially the first release of 10.2.8) and the AlBooks. I even=20=

remember some issues with 10.3.0. They are completely harmless, but=20
annoying. The battery readings will fluctuate for various reasons, but=20=

a few points shouldn't be a problem. Lithium-ion batteries don't take=20
well to constant trickle charging. I think the OS lets the battery=20
discharge while it's on power a bit until it reaches a certain cut-off=20=

and then it kicks it back up. Mine reads 97% frequently (and right=20
now). Limit your deep discharge cycles on Lithium-ion batteries, it may=20=

reduce their life. Apple recommends doing it every few months, but=20
that's probably more for the software to report accurately than for=20
battery life. Remember, they sell batteries!

My PBook got really hot Sunday too. Planetary convergence? Magnetic=20
resonance? Pure coincidence? Probably. If something's got a high CPU=20
cycle count it could get really hot. It sounds like some app or daemon=20=

got stuck, heated up the CPU and eventually caused the hang you=20
reported. You could clear the PRAM (holding down the Command key=97what=20=

you call the "4leafclover"=97the Option key and P=97R on a restart. If =
you=20
do it right, your Mac will make multiple startup chimes (about 10=20
seconds apart). I usually let the keys up after the 2nd or 3rd startup=20=

tone and let the Mac continue to start up. BTW, if you'd held down the=20=

power key, just the power key, for about 5 seconds it would have shut=20
the power off.

Run Repair Permissions from the Disk Utility app. You don't have to=20
start up from a system CD, but some people prefer this method. See=20
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=3D152059.

If you need more help, bring the Mac to the next group meeting=20
(www.dmmug.org) Good luck.

Matthew


On Apr 21, 2004, at 9:14 AM, Kate wrote:

>
>
>> Some really strange things have happened...My new 2 month old=20
>> powerbook g4 got really hot on Sunday.  So hot in the back and bottom=20=

>> that I could not keep my fingers on it for 5 seconds.  I do not have=20=

>> it on anything that would hold in the temp. and have not changed=20
>> anything.  I even lifted it up and set it a couple of inches above=20
>> the table and suspended it on something that allowed air flow.  That=20=

>> didn't help either.  My battery went from 99% to 95%.  Yesterday I=20
>> let the battery discharge and recharged it and it is now back to 99%.=20=

>>  It has not done it again since Sunday but then the weather has been=20=

>> cooler.  I called Mac support and they have noted this.
>>
>> This morning while having several windows open and having opened=20
>> realone player window after downloading it, the little rotating=20
>> pinwheel started spinning and would not stop.  It would not allow me=20=

>> to open or close anything.  It went wild and crazy. I closed the lid=20=

>> to put it to sleep.  When I lifter the lid, the screen was blue with=20=

>> a half inch white box and inside the box (you guessed it) the crazed=20=

>> spinning pinwheel.  My mac was possessed!   I couldn't restart or=20
>> shut down with the upper right power off button, the=20
>> ctr/option/4leafclover/eject combo.  Luckily I have the missing=20
>> manual which said to use the ctrl/4leafclove/power combo.  That=20
>> worked.  Whew!  What happened?  Did I do something to start this?
>>
>> I have been looking for a inexpensive accelerated dial up ISP and=20
>> found quite a few but not many support Mac in the accelerated=20
>> service.  Flxtek does.  The email that the company sent me this=20
>> morning stated that but they had not tried Safari.  Anyone  familiar=20=

>> with flxtek.com?
>>
>> Sorry this is so long.  I have never written to y'all yet and I guess=20=

>> I had it all bottled up.  Thanks. Kate Q.
>>
>
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