Now that Starbucks has finally begun to offer WiFi access to iPhone customers, it was only a matter of time before those iPhone customers started to look for a way to make the iPhone access work on laptop computers, such as the MacBook or MacBook Pro (this should also work for PC’s). With a little tweaking and configuration, you’ll be able to “trick” the Starbucks wifi network into thinking that your laptop is actually an iPhone.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Select attwifi from the available networks list.
2. Open your web browser, it should redirect you to an AT&T page.
3. Enter your 10 digit mobile phone number.
4. You will receive a text message from AT&T (the text is free) with a secure link to the AT&T wifi hotspot.
5. Type this link into the web browser on your laptop and you’re good to go.
6. Enjoy your free wifi.

So, on my old MacBook Pro, here’s what I’m looking at:

Works like a charm!

Does not seem to work on old generation MacBooks

A little bit bummed that we couldn’t share power supplies around the house or on vacation, I started looking into pricing, to find that both power supplies sell for $79.00. Then, for some reason, I decided to check our actual power supplies and they were both the 85W versions!

So if you’re worried about buying a refurbished machine, think again! You might get a little something extra. And if you happen to get a little something less, call Apple, they have great customer service and support, I’m sure they’d be glad to fix the problem for you!

• MacBook Pro: 85W MagSafe Power Adapter
• MacBook: 60W MagSafe Power Adapter

Come to find out, the 85W MagSafe Power Adapter that comes with the MacBook Pro can be used to charge both the MacBook Pro and the standard MacBook. However, the 60W MagSafe Power Adapter that comes standard with the MacBook cannot be used to charge and power the MacBook Pro.

Update
I just read a post that said the 60W MagSafe power adapter for the MacBook can be used to power the MacBook Pro, however it will not charge it while in use, it will simply power the MacBook Pro. I would not recommend trying this.

Perks of buying a refurbished MacBook over a new MacBook.

In short, I’m only considering MacBooks because I’m trying to replace my old PC laptop that blew up. I’m not considering another PC laptop because I like the features and functionality that the Mac OSX operating system offers, plus, with the addition of the Intel-based Mac, and BootCamp, I’ll be running a dual-boot Mac laptop that will allow me to not only have OSX, but also Windows Vista Ultimate.

Though I really like the MacBook Air, that computer just didn’t make sense for me because it didn’t offer the processing power that I’d like to have. The MacBook Air is the computer that actually got me interested in Macs in the first place, but even as much as I trust Apple and their products, I could not justify purchasing a first generation MacBook Air. I feel that the MacBook Air may have some problems that need to be worked out, and I’m really curious as to its durability.

With the MacBook Air out of the question, I next started to consider the standard MacBook. I liked the size and weight of the standard MacBook, but after talking to a few “Apple Genius” geeks, as well as some friends who use Macs, I decided that a MacBook wouldn’t be optimal for handling and running some of the graphics and video editing programs that I will probably be using.

With all of the above out of the way, that left my only option as the MacBook Pro. 15 inch or 17 inch. Stupid question. 17 inch all the way. I’ve heard a lot of people say that the 17 inch defeats the purpose of having a laptop because its so big, but keep in mind that this is replacing my 17 inch HP PC, which was about the same height and width, but the 1 inch depth of the MacBook was more than doubled on HP, and the weight difference was remarkable. My MacBook Pro weighs about half of what my old HP laptop wieghed.

If you’re worried about size, MacBook Pros are probably not the best option for you, however if it is performance that you are after, MacBook Pros are your only option. If you’re in the market for ultimate portability, I’d have to recommend the MacBook Air, even though I haven’t had the chance to fully test one yet.

Most Used Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Cut: Cmd + X (Same as Ctrl + X on the PC)
• Copy: Cmd + C (Same as Ctrl + C on the PC)
• Paste: Cmd + V (Same as Ctrl + V on the PC)
• Window Switching: Cmd + Tab (Cmd + Shift + Tab to scroll the opposite direction)
• Force Quit: Cmd + Option + Esc (Similar to Ctrl + Alt + Del on the PC)
• Right Mouse Click: Ctrl + Click (Unless you have a 2 button mouse plugged in)