MacWorks is happy to announce that we have the new iPad parts in stock and ready to go. We’ve added the repair to the front page of our store for easy accessibility. If you recently purchased the new iPad, we’re the best source for a repair.

Unfortunately, the iPad 3 is just as easy to break as previous iPads… so we wanted to make sure we’re taking care of our customers. Parts are still very expensive but we’re still offering a $199 price point for the iPad 3.

We’re also excited to tell you that we dropped our iPad 2 price to $164.99!

Please let us know if you have any questions about our new prices. Just call and ask for Josh.

Whether we like it or not, Apple officially pulls the plug on MobileMe features beginning June 30, 2012. That means you need to have everything transitioned to iCloud by that point… preferably sooner than later. This isn’t a simple transition. Do not wait until everything breaks; we cannot fix it. Any of you who are still using MobileMe — more than Contacts, Calendars and Mail — need to look into supplemental solutions to fill the gaping void left by iCloud. iCloud is not a business solution… it’s meant for single users. Keep reading to find out MobileMe customers lose after the transition. If you’re using MobileMe for business, please get in touch with us so we can help transition you to a more permanent solution.

Initially, MacWorks recommended that our clients wait for a little more stability before moving from MobileMe to iCloud. There were a few hiccups along the way, but now iCloud is relatively stable in its current state. That’s not to say that there won’t be issues during or after your transition; we’re here to help with any issues that may arise.

Please also note: iCloud is not the “cloud.” Many of our customers have mistakenly correlated the “cloud” to iCloud. The “cloud” is capable of nearly infinite possibilities. iCloud is Apple’s service which has a limited feature set that is designed to make sync easy for a single user. That’s it. If you’re looking into “cloud” solutions, iCloud probably isn’t the right choice. Get in touch with us so we can make recommendations for better “cloud” solutions.

What’s missing after the transition?

• iDisk – if you use your iDisk, you need to move your information somewhere else.
• Gallery – Apple introduced a new feature called Photo Journals recently.
• Web Publishing – if you’re still using iWeb, it’s time to find a different solution.
• Keychain items, Dashboard widgets and Dock items no longer sync.

What do you need for the MobileMe transition?

A Mac running Lion — if your Mac is running Snow Leopard (10.6), it’s an easy upgrade to Lion. If your Mac is running Leopard (10.5), it’s a little more complicated. Leopard users can click the following link for a free copy of Snow Leopard: https://www.me.com/snow-leopard/

An iPhone running iOS 5 or later — this means an iPhone 3GS or later. The iPhone 3G and the 1st generation iPhone are left out of the fun.

If you don’t have a computer or phone that meets the requirements, you must upgrade to continue using your MobileMe/iCloud account… or switch to one of our alternatives below.

What are some alternatives to MobileMe?

Google Apps is a great alternative to some of the syncing features that MobileMe provides. It’s meant for businesses, unlike iCloud and can share many resources between users within the business. You can read more about Google Apps on this page.

Dropbox is a great replacement for the MobileMe iDisk… Apple even tried to buy them a few years back. Dropbox gives you a similar — and more reliable — file synchronization that iDisk ever did. They’ve even work with app developers to make your sync experience more seamless. We expect Apple to come up with a competing product eventually, but it’s not there now and there’s no information hinting at future possibilities.

With the recent addition of Photo Journals, the need for a MobileMe Gallery replacement is greatly diminished. It’s a different user experience, but the concept is still the same. You are able to create Photo Journals and share them with your friend and family via iCloud. iCloud comes with 5GB of free space. If you start using Photo Journals, you’ll probably need to purchase more space for your account.

iWeb Publishing is a completely dead feature. There isn’t a good solution that involves iWeb. We wrote an article about iWeb publishing almost a year ago, but we really suggest that you move away from iWeb with a sense of urgency. There aren’t many solutions that are simpler than iWeb… but many solutions produce better end results. WordPress, SquareSpace, Sandvox — we can help you transition your website(s) to something more permanent.

For your Keychain, Dashboard and Dock items… there really isn’t a good feature replacement.

Let MacWorks help you

If iCloud doesn’t sound like the right solution for you, let us know and we’ll work with you to come up with the best option.

If iCloud does sound like a good option, let us help make the transition smooth. We’ll make sure that everything gets converted

Here is a quick tip that should help you keeps tabs on your Mac even if it ends up in someone else’s hands.

Thanks to the wonders of iCloud, any Lion machine with an active iCloud account can use the Find My Mac feature. This works very similarly to the Find My iPhone feature that we’ve wrote about previously. Find My Mac only works when the computer is connected to the internet. That’s not an issue with the iPhone since it’s “always connected.” So, here’s the easiest way to keep your computer secure and online in the event of theft.

Turn on Find My Mac by following these steps:

• Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and choose System Preferences
• Click on iCloud in the Internet & Wireless section
• Enable Find My Mac in the list of services

We recommend enabling the Guest Account by following these steps:

• Click the “Show All” button at the top of the window
• Click on Users & Groups in the System section
• Unlock the preference pane by clicking the lock at the bottom left corner and authenticate
• Select the Guest User account
• Make sure the “Allow guests to log in to this computer” checkbox is checked

Next, you want to make sure that your personal information is completely secure:

• Click the “Show All” button at the top of the window
• Click on Security & Privacy in the Personal section
• Select the General tab
• Unlock the preference pane by clicking the lock at the bottom left corner and authenticate
• Check any of the boxes that you’d like
• We suggest that you check the require password after sleep or screensaver
• We also suggest that you disable automatic login to secure your data
• The rest are strictly up to you. Enable all or none based on your personal preference
• Quit out of System Preferences

You’re all set. With this configuration, all of your personal data will remain secure if your laptop gets stolen… but it will allow whoever ended up with your laptop the ability to get online from the guest account. Remember, if it’s not online, you won’t be able to track it.

We do not recommend any Apple vigilantes chase after their equipment by themselves. We suggest calling the police, explaining the situation and letting them do what they’re paid to do. They’re much more willing to track down stolen devices when you explain that you’re tracking it via Find My Mac or Find My iPhone.

Configuring Windows 7 with your new Lion server can be a bit of a challenge for both novice and advanced users alike. I’d like to take a few minutes to explain the procedure for connecting your Windows 7 machine with a Lion server via VPN. Follow closely, as there are many intricate steps during the configuration.

Initial Configuration

First, I recommend following the Macminicolo guide to get your Lion VPN up and running.

Once the VPN service is up and running, I strongly recommend you verify VPN connectivity with a Macintosh client computer. This is to ensure that everything is configured correctly within Lion, as Windows 7 tends to give the mistaken impression that there are configuration issues within your server’s VPN during the initial setup period. This is due to the way that Windows handles IPSec NAT traversal by default. If this is not possible, make sure to carefully follow these instructions, and you should be okay.

Configure Windows 7

• From the Windows 7 client, open up the Start menu and navigate to your Control Panel.
• Select “Network and internet” from the available categories.
• Click on “View network status and tasks”.
• Click on “Set up a new connection or network”.
• Choose Connect to a workplace from the pop-up window.
• If prompted with the question “Do you want to use a network connection that you already have?” elect “No, create a new connection”.
• Click “Use my Internet connection (VPN)”.
• Type the internet address of your Lion VPN server in the top box on the next screen.
• Title your VPN Connection as well, something like “Your Company Name VPN”.
• At the bottom of the window, choose the check box “Don’t connect now, just set it up so I can connect later”.
• Type in the user name and password you configured during the initial configuration.
• You can leave the domain field empty in most cases.
• Select the “Connect Now” button.
• Do not be alarmed if your VPN does not connect immediately, as Windows 7’s default IPSec NAT traversal behavior may not be aligned with Lion server’s expectations.

Final Configuration (if VPN does not connect after the above steps)

• Return to the Network and Sharing center screen.
• It should still be visible on the screen, but you can get to it from your Control Panel if need be.
• On the far left of the window, select “Change adapter settings”
• Double click on the connection you titled earlier in this tutorial.
• Make sure the user name and password fields are filled out.
• Click “Properties” at the bottom of the VPN connection window.
• Ensure your Lion server’s IP address is filled out under general.
• Click the “Security” tab
• Select the radio button labeled “Use preshared key for authentication”
• type your Lion server VPN shared secret here.
• Select “OK”
• Under “Type of VPN”, choose “Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with IPSec (L2TP/IPSec)”
• If this is not a visible choice, you may need to modify your registry. I am including a link to Apple’s HT5078 article to resolve this, but please do make sure you back up your registry first!
• Click the “Advanced settings” button.
• Under “Data Encryption”, choose “Require encryption (disconnect if server declines)”.
• Under Authentication, choose “Allow these protocols”.
• Tick the box for “Microsoft CHAP version 2 (MS-CHAP V2)”.
• Ensure that NO OTHER PROTOCOLS are selected.
• Click “OK”.
• Double-click on “Your Company VPN” under “Network Connections”, and it should connect right up!

There you go, you’re done!

Of course, if you have any trouble with this, please do not hesitate to contact your experts at MacWorks.

If you’re concerned about protecting your iPad for two full years, now may be a good time to purchase AppleCare. As of March 16th, Apple will discontinue normal AppleCare for iPad and replace it with AppleCare+. That means a higher purchase price compared to the current plan but adds a cheaper replacement option for damaged devices. We believe that AppleCare is absolutely necessary for a Mac, but for an iOS device… it’s a questionable investment.

Yes, we offer iPhone and iPad repairs, but we always give you the best advice even if it means less money for us. If we look at the current AppleCare+ option for iPhone, it’s $99 plus a $49 fee for each incident. Looking at a single incident, it’s always cheaper to have a repair company like us fix it for you. If you plan on breaking the device more than once… you may want to consider buying the warranty/insurance.

If the iPhone pricing is any guide, we expect AppleCare+ for iPad to cost $199 (or more) with an $49 incident fee. This is purely speculation as Apple hasn’t announced the final pricing… but simple math could lead you to similar numbers. Apple charges $149 for the cheapest out-of-warranty iPhone replacement. One incident under AppleCare+ for iPhone costs you almost the same price ($99 plus the $49 fee). The cheapest iPad out-of-warranty replacement is $269. Using similar math as AppleCare+ for iPhone, you’d reach nearly the same price. If that ends up being the pricing structure for the iPad, you’ll definitely want to consider our repair options. Since Apple hasn’t decided what their prices are going to be, you can expect that it will be more than the iPhone plan.

As we mentioned before, if you’re a little accident-prone, it may be a good idea to pick up AppleCare+ for iPad. However, it’s something that we won’t recommend for the typical iPad user. iPads are well built and we really don’t see them fail prematurely. It’s also worth mentioning the limited warranty that comes with all Apple devices: everything but damage is covered for a whole year. With that said, we cannot justify the additional cost for a normal iPad user.

This morning brought goodies and toys to all girls and boys in Apple’s realm of influence. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook spent a few minutes going over some very impressive numbers like 25 Billion app installs, 350+ Million iOS devices sold-to-date, and 62 Million sold in quarter four 2011. Wow. Apple’s stock finished up for the day. Historically, the stock price takes a hit during big reveals due to rampant pre-keynote speculation by wannabe analysts who expect rainbows and unicorns. Instead of bitter disappointment, Apple was able to instill a sense of satisfaction into the audience with all of the new hardware and software from today’s keynote.

Apple TV Revision 3

First up in the keynote was the Apple TV. For a couple years now, bloggers have suggested that Apple will release an actual TV instead of Digital Media Receiver. Read why we think Apple should never step into TVs. This time around, Apple stuck to the DMR. Without much fanfare, they bumped the output to 1080p and simplified the interface. All current Apple TVs can get the software update (but not the 1080p output). We were a little disappointed in the Apple TV update. It could’ve been much more… but hopefully Apple is perfecting the TV revolution. We expect it to be much more that “just a hobby” for Apple in the near future.

The new iPad

Next up on the hardware side was “The new iPad.” Instead of changing the numerical qualifier, they just decided to put “The new” in front… we think it’s going to be confusing for everyone. Moving onto the updates, we have a new retina display that measures 2048 x 1536 pixels, a faster A5X processor, a 5MP rear camera that shoots 1080p video, 4G LTE compatibility and speech recognition (not Siri). While those features are certainly impressive, it’s really an evolutionary update to the iPad line. Rumormongers predicted all of the changes without much effort. Schools and enterprise customers will be happy to learn that the iPad 2 will be sold along side The new iPad for $100 off the original sticker price.

A boatload of software

In addition to new hardware, we saw every Apple app in the iOS environment receive updates to handle all of the new features announced during the keynote. Here are some of the updates: iOS 5.1 for all compatible devices, iWork for iOS, iLife for iOS, Remote, Find my iPhone, iBooks… the list goes on.

One of the best updates for enterprise happened in the background; Apple introduced a new app called Configurator. This new app allows enterprise customers to mass configure 30 iOS devices at a time — including data transfers and app installations. We’ve literally been waiting years for that to happen.

Read more

If you’d like to learn more about today’s announcements, the main page over at TUAW is a great resource.

There are many reasons that put MacWorks at the top of the industry but we’re going to focus on a single, important reason in this article: we are small business consultants who also run small businesses.

March 1st marked the official launch of Heelvixen.com, a web-based business selling high heel shoes and boots. The web store is owned and operated by our Client Services Manager, Chris Coughlin. Chris and his developers worked on the software for more than two years to make sure it was the best platform for their customers. It is now 100% live.

Why did it take so long to develop a great ecommerce solution? There were plenty of logistics and operations problems to solve along the way but the main delay was finding the right platform for shoe enthusiasts. The website underwent three complete overhauls since inception.

Frankly, I never thought it would see the light of day… but we kept trying and we wouldn’t accept something that’s just ok. It has to be special, because competition is stiff. I want to be proud of Heelvixen and make it reflect the creativity and beauty of the products we sell.

After trying several different developers, Chris came full circle and decided to work with David Taylor, a Senior Consultant here at MacWorks. Together, they examined all of the possible ecommerce solutions and decided to move forward using Magento, a robust and stable solution with thousands of resources for any web store scenario.

During his time at MacWorks, David Taylor has been an invaluable asset and is well known for his ability to bring together form and functionality on any project. Heelvixen was no exception. Easy checkout, gorgeous site design, and Facebook integration — this site has it all. The real key to Heelvixen is its small business mindset: real people willing to listen and help in any way possible. It’s the same philosophy that has brought MacWorks success over the years. Coughlin looks forward to bringing that same level of service to all of his clients on Heelvixen.

“Your home for heels, beauty, and fashion” — the Heelvixen slogan says it all. They are always looking forward and can’t wait to see where the site goes in the coming years. For those of you who can’t get enough shoes in your closet, Heelvixen is definitely the right place. Check them out, and let them know MacWorks sent you!

We’re currently looking for both repair technicians and onsite Mac consultants for our Colorado location. Both positions are full-time. If interested, tell us more about yourself here.

In the spirit of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, the MacWorks team is pleased to share a Christmas tech miracle in poetic verse. Enjoy.

‘Twas three days ‘til Christmas, while warm in the car
I noticed my phone was not near… but far
I poured out my bags right there on the seat
Keyboards and hard drives and tools by my feet
Alas, I found nothing, not even a clue
My iPhone’s location was… somewhere, it’s true
I didn’t give up, I was ready to fight
I knew I would search and trudge through the night
The snow had just fallen and drifted around
My ears, they were straining, I needed a sound
A text or an email or tweet it would beep
But I could hear nothing, not even a peep
Finally, I thought of a mend to my swoon
Find My iPhone is on, I’ll have it back soon
I rushed to my house and grabbed an iPad
Kissed my wife on the cheek, grabbed a scarf made of plaid
I hopped in the car and drove around town
Upways and sideways, all over and down
I followed the dot my iPad produced
And tracked it, at last, to a nice, cozy roost
Someone had found it out there in the snow
I said I was grateful but I had to go
Back to my wife with a hoot and a whistle
Merry Christmas to all, may your joy never fizzle

That poem was inspired by the story below. Pat O’Rourke, one of our consultants, lost his iPhone 3 day before Christmas and was able to recover it using some resourcefulness and Find My iPhone.

My job as an onsite engineer requires many different tools, so I have several IT bags that I carry: My basic computer bag, a bigger bag with keyboards, desktop drives, etc. and my construction bag. My current appointment’s problems required me to go out to the car to retrieve a tool. As I ran the 100 feet from their front door to my car, somehow I dropped my iPhone. As I was wrapping up the appointment, I had a bad feeling when I couldn’t find my phone. When I got to the car I started looking around more carefully.

After I dumped all 3 bags — it looked like R2-D2 puked in my back seat — I knew I had lost my phone. I looked through the nearby snow but couldn’t find it. The client lives in a secure building so I was unable get back in to look inside… and I couldn’t call them because my phone was missing. In not time at all, the client came out to walk their dog and let me in to confirm that the phone wasn’t there. How was I going to let HQ know that my iPhone was missing? I also didn’t have the contact information for my next appointment. Not a good combination. Patrick is starting to Panic.

The clients live in a fairly rural area so finding a pay phone or hotspot wasn’t a good option. I was 20 minutes from my house so I decided to go there. On the way, I started thinking; I can use technology to solve the problem. I will use my computer to look for my phone.

Using Find My iPhone, I was able to see it was right near where I was parked. I grabbed my wife’s iPad, a snow shovel and returned to the client’s place. At a traffic light I refreshed the tracking location and found the iPhone had moved. It appeared to be on the other side of the street. I was scared that a snow blower or plow had found it and moved it to its ‘final’ resting spot. When I got back to the site, I was relieved to find the snow banks still intact. After a quick shovel and no iPhone, I refreshed the current phone location and found it was about 10 miles away in a shopping plaza.

When I got to the mall, the map on Find My iPhone was a little undefined so, I started at the Red Lobster. When I explained what had happened, I asked if could I play a tone on my phone and walk through the dining room. The manager said, “If you can bust someone with an iPad, I’d like to see it. Help yourself.” When I did not hear the tone, I sent a 4th request asking “are you in the Red Lobster?” No Luck. I thanked the staff at Red Lobster and went back to my car.

I compared the Google maps position with the map in Find My Phone. I started driving in the parking lot and pulled up to the Dairy Queen. Looking at the Find My iPhone app and Google maps, I knew I was really, really close. As I walked in the Dairy Queen, I sent the play tone on the iPhone. The girl working the counter said, “Are you looking for your phone?”

The story goes: someone “found it” and decided to leave it at the Dairy Queen. The employee asked, “How were we supposed to reply to you if the phone is locked?”

I thought it was odd that someone “found it” 10 miles away and decided to leave it on the counter at the Dairy Queen as soon as I started sending messages to the phone. Even still, I am extremely happy to be reunited with my leash.

Here are three lessons to take away from my expedition:

• A pass code on your phone is essential. Had there not been a passcode, I doubt would have found my phone. At very least, the person who had the device would know most of my personal info.
• Sign up for iCloud. Without the Find My iPhone tool, the phone would still be lost.
• Don’t lose your iPhone. I really shouldn’t have to say this one.

Several of our customers asked us to show them a video of the iPad 2 repair process. It is a pretty amazing video… we’re happy to show you what happens during the repair so you can see just how much care goes into every iPad we fix.

Please enjoy the video. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. Otherwise, we’re available at 303.817.6252 or by email (just click the @ symbol at the bottom of the page).