I Switched!

Since this last bad experience, everything is just fine. My Mac is up-to-date and functioning without any trouble.

Well I had again Kernel Panics around the end of July. The problem was equal to previous one Kernel Panics randomly in Mail at first and then in other applications.

In particular, ordering prints from iPhoto caused a KP immediately. I decided not to spend any more time in trouble shooting. I simply (so to speak) reinstalled competely Mac OSX, using the Erase & Install feature. Painful, 2 evenings spent on it, but now it is working fine again.

Grrrrrrr!

Now after several months, I can confirm the problem is definitely fixed, and the machine is stable. I can enjo my Mac and do real "work" on it.

Yes, it seems the problem is fixed. The power supply got replaced and now it keeps up. I have for now an uptime of 70+ hours, which is not a Guiness record, but significant. Before the repair, I could not hold longer than 18 hours or so. Usually, the night was fatal.

I have to say, great job, although I'm not happy to have suffered that kind of problem... For information, the Mac was gone for 2 weeks. I brought it in on Tuesday, and got it back on Monday 2 weeks later.

My Mac is back from repair centre. It says the power supply has been replaced. All under Apple warranty. Great!

Voilà. I brought the machine to my reseller for this repair. No problem, they said it is indeed covered by the extension of warranty. I should received the repaired iMac within 2 weeks max, normally with a brand new power supply...

My reseller is not a repair centre, it is "just" a Mac reseller. So they send the machine to an official repair centre in Dilbeek (Brussels).

I will keep you posted on progress.

I have the answer to my hardware problem. It is a known issue with some iMac. See article (in French): http://www.apple.com/fr/support/imac/powersupply/repairex....

The good news is that I have the EMC nr 2056. So I should benefit from extension of waranty!

I have created the web site for my girls school, using only free software NVU and Taco HTML editor.

Check it out here: www.ecolesaintefamille.be

Taco HTML Editor: tacosw.com/main.php

NVU Wysiwyg HTML Editor: www.nvu.com/index.php

At the end of the day, Windows Blue Screen of Death is known as a terror. So is Kernel Panic, which is as cryptic and difficult to cure.

I want to also restore my iPhotos library with all albums etc.

First of all, I installed the patch for iPhoto 5.0.2. I tested first the Print order which caused me Kernel Panic. No porblem. Then, same as for iTunes, I dragged the folder "iPhoto Library" from the backup disc to the Images folder. 20GB, 22OOO files, this one could 2 hours.
Bingo, when I open iPhoto, my library is there with all pictures and albums (10,000 pix).
Just to make sure, I tested immediately the order print features, and ... No Kernel Panic.
I tend to believed this machine is now saved (and so am I).

After the Erase and Install operation, I would like to recover my iTunes Library as it was, with all playlists and songs ratings as well as disc covers.

First I downloaded and install the latest version of iTunes (7.0.2) as it was before. At no point did I start iTunes at all.
Then I copied (drag & drop) the iTunes folder from my backup disc (USB2) to the Music folder. 34GB transfer took 52 minutes.
Finally, I started iTunes. I got first a configuration Wizard asking me some preferences, and then, Ô wonder, my iTunes library was back with all playlists and disc covers as well as ratings.

Note that the backup of the library was performed using the iBackup freeware, but I did not use it for the restore because I want to control what folders I restore, I don't want to restore the whole in bulk.

Funny, my UPS (APC) got detected by the setup and I did not have to install any driver for it nor application. I still need to test it, but so far so good!

So I performed a full Erase and Install.
Don't ask me how long it took, I was not permanently baby sitting the Mac.
Just after the reboot, I tried the iPhoto + order prints and YES! I did not get a Kernel Panic! To be sure, I then upgraded to the latest combo Mac OSX 10.4.8 and was happy to find out I had not Kernel Panic in iPhoto (with an empty library)!

So it does not seem to be a hardware failure. Ouf!

I now have to restore my useful data, that is going to take some time too. As well as reinstalling all applications needed.

Stay Tuned!

The iPhone, as announced Tuesday by Apple, is certainly a nice device, but not quite what I expected and could have been a strike on the phone market.

The iPhone I dream of is not any bigger than the Nano, has the same size display as the Nano, has no keyboard, has only the click wheel, synchronizes with address book on the Mac or any "standard" on Windows (like Outlook de facto, plus open standards address books) and costs less than 200$.

In order to dial a number not stored in your contacts list, the click wheel would act just like the good old phones of the 50's, you know with a rotating wheel generating pulses. SMS would be a little more difficult to write, but could be managed with the click wheel only.

That phone, I'm sure, would be a hit and could steal more (much more) than 1% market share!

I'm preparing for the Erase and Install
Here is what I saved on external discs:

• Address book
• I ran a backup using iBackup. This free tool is great and saves data just as copies. So the files are available, visible and reachable on the target disc.
• All the important downloads I did in the past from diverse Internet sites or other
• Mails: saved as part of my backup
• iTunes: idem, saved with the backup, so I will preserve files and playlists
• iPhoto: same, all the albums are there in the backup set
• Documents: idem
• Clips of all sorts, fun clips received or downloaded, as well as my own video clips
• QuickTime Pro activation Key. It can anyways be retrieved from the Apple store account
• All my iMovie projects. these are generally huge files.
• My Safari bookmarks

For those interested, I post here the log of the Archive and Install process:

• Boot with Alt key pressed and Select Mac OS X Installation Disc as boot device
• Select Archive & Install and tick the "keep users accounts and network settings"
• At first, the installation procedure will check the installation DVD! This is not stupid (what if the DVD would be damaged and you find out in the middle of the process?), but it takes a while (20 minutes)
• Then it verifies the destination disc, and then installation starts
• After another 30 minutes (50 in total), the system wil reboot and ask to insert Disc 2 of 2 of the installation
• This installs iLife, Keynote, Pages, etc.
• Another 20 minutes and the system is ready, Finder starts
• The Dock is intact as I had left it (this is expected)
• I'm back in version 10.4.0
• Next I apply the Combo upgrade Mac OS X 10.4.8
• It takes a little 10 minutes

Well, Archive and install took a little more than 1 hour and 15 minutes. But at the end of the process, the problem is not solved! I still have Kernel Panics in e.g. iPhoto when trying to order prints online!
CRAP!

fsck -f did not return any error. That's what I expected anyhow... So the logical disk is fine.

Somebody advised me (on Macbidouille) to run a check disc using fsck - f (journaled) in single user mode.
I will try that tomorrow. Why?
Because, in single user mode, the fan control application (part of OS X) is not running and therefore, the fans are at max speed and noise! It sounds like a 747 at lift up ;-)

Stay tuned, right here.

Just to make sure, I purchased Memtest (1,39$) in order to ensure I have no hardware issue with my RAM. http://memtestosx.org/

I ran the test for 5hours and 30 minutes (3 runs) and it reported no issue. That's already something.
So I will really have to reinstall OS X.

Stay tuned!

I went to an Apple repair centre and spoke with a techy. He suggested I should perform a full reinstall of the Mac OS X with full erase of the OS (disc)!

Although my Kernel Panic problem is not solved, I get a better picture on how to troubleshoot Mac OSX.

As a switcher, I can say that it is not any easier than Windows. And at the end of the day, I will end up reinstalling OS X, just like I would be reinstalling Windows in similar case. This is a bid deception for me!
I'm still convinced by Mac OS X as THE OS, but disappointed that it is as sensitive as Windows. And as difficult to cure.

More test and progressing:

1) I removed my UPS APC PowerChute Personal Edition v1.3.2 (using script on CD).
2) logout & login back
3) Test iPhoto + Order prints: Kernel Panice after 20 sec on the dialogue box for ordering.
4) I put my RAM dimm back in.
5) Safe boot
6) Test iPhoto + order prints: OK, no Kernel Panic.
Thus confirming an issue related to extension or preferences.
7) create new user account in order to eliminate preferences issue.
8) login using new account
9) Test iPhoto (quickly importing 2 pix in library) + order prints. I have immediately a Kernel Panic, not even the dialogue box for ordering appearing!

This eliminates the preferences options.

Any suggestion?

More tests:

1) removed the additional RAM dimm (1GB, Kingston live warranty)
2) safe boot successful
3) Test iPhoto + online print order: No Kernel Panic!

Would it be my RAM?

In order to make sure, I reboot in normal mode (still with only 1GB). Test iPhoto + online print order: KERNEL PANIC yet again. So it is not the RAM dimm.

It must be related to one extension. But which one? How to eliminate the culprit?

Well, I have been troubleshooting all evening, with not much luck. But I'm progressing...

Here is a list of what I did.
1) removed the sole font I had installed ever (recently though), by dragging it from Fonts folder to bin.
2) Safe boot: failed! after a few rotations of the grey icon, the iMac crashed (powered off)!
Tried again safe boot, without any devices connected to USB: same failure!
3) normal boot: testing iPhoto + ordering prints online: Kernel Panic
4) Hardware:
a) boot on install DVD, repair disk: OK no repair performed!
b) repair authorisations: a few repairs performed

5) Hardware Test:
iMac crashed (to power off) during Extended test! not sure during what phase :-(
6) Normal boot: OK
7) Hardware test second tentative:
a) Quick Test: all tests passed. Total time 14 mins
b) Extended Test: All tests passed. Total time 1h41m41s

8) normal boot
9) re-apply Mac OSX combo update 10.4.8PPC
10) normal boot (bong twice, that's normal)
11) Test the iPhoto plus order prints: Kernal Panic!

I fear, although hardware test is successfull, it might very well be a hardware failure. I have had KP at sleep mode since day 1 when USB HUB connected. All tests above performed without any USB device plugged (nor HUB).

And guess what: I'm out of warranty :-((

 Grrr! I have Kernel Panic (KP) again!!
After all, Mac is not so great (yes, I'm pissed) and I experience problems which I don't know how to address.
The KP occurs in several occasions:

• Playing some Quicktime movies (wmv and mov)
• in iPhoto when I try to order prints online!
• Pressing F9

In a article in French magazine SVMMac (www.svmmac.fr), they analyze that Mac computers are the cheapest. They compare 1 to 1 with other vendors in terms of configuration and find out that Mac cost less monney!
Example: iMac 24" vs. Dell XPS 700: for the same hardware, including 24" LCD panel, the Dell configuration costs 900 EUR more than the Apple iMac.

Apple is really the future of home computing!

Looking at the best sellers in category computers hardware ( click here), 10 out of the top 15 are Macintosh computers (including the number 1), ranging from Macbooks to iMac and mac mini.
Perhaps this is a side effect of the Wait for Vista impact on the Windows PC sales, but this is anyway significant in this Xmas time.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/zunestory.asp

Now that Microsoft has come out with its Zune device, the so called iPod Killer, it is time to raise questions.
What is the goal of Microsoft?
They want to come with a device that would outperform the Apple iPod and try and eat part of the 75% market share of the iconic Apple device. Well, is that a good idea?

What is Microsoft core business? To me Microsoft is the maker of Windows and Office, the two products that have changed the world. Out of those boxes, Microsoft has raised billions of dollars, starting from scratch. Market capitalization of Microsoft is near 300 billion dollars! The main part of this bucket comes right from Office and Windows. The remainder of what Microsoft does, is either peanuts (mouse, keyboards) or negative (making losses, like XBox). Microsoft controls 90+% of the market. That is 90 computers out of 100 are running Windows.

At the opposite, Apple too used to be a computer company producing hardware and sotfware: the famous Macintosh and Mac OS. But the market share of Apple does not exceed 3%. This is fairly significant number of computers out there, but nothing compared to Bill Gates' company. And Apple is trying hard to make benefits. So at the turn of the century, Apple developped a new business model around the music and players. And since then (iPod was launched in 2001) Apple gained visibility, made a lot of monney and, let's be honest, is back to business.

The question is now: Why would Microsoft enter this business? Because Microsoft believes it is really the future for them? or because they want to harm Apple and take it down from its pod?

If the second answer would be right, that would really be a disaster, because it would mean that a company invest millions into a project not for the benefit of the company nor the stock holder, but just to harm a competitor! A competitor, that in this case, is even in a different market segment!

The story of a guy that switched to Mac too. Nice to read...http://thomashawk.com/2006/11/thomas-hawk-buys-mac.html