This Side Up

Apple was really Thinking Different when they decided on the orientation of their logo on the new G3 PowerBooks and iBooks . The Apple looks fine when you look at the closed laptop from the front. But once you flip the lid open to start working, that Apple logo is upside down to the world. Maybe that's why they ship white Apple stickers with every Mac ... a sort of "Fix It Yourself" patch? Apple has since flip-flopped on their poor design decision, and the logo is now displayed right side up on the new Titanium PowerBooks. But in case you prefer the upside down Apple, PowerBooks still ship with the stickers.

Hide Finder

I derive great pleasure when I get to use the oblique Hide Finder command, found just under the Application Menu only when the Finder is active and other applications are not hidden. Hide Finder can come in handy, specifically when you want to return to the previously used background application and hide all open Finder windows in one clean sweep. I couldn't live without Hide Finder—it ranks up there with Balloon Help and Scrapbook.

Force Quit

Force Quit is the Macintosh equivalent of Windows' CONTROL-ALT-DELETE, also known as the Three Fingered Salute. When your Macintosh application freezes, you have a slim chance of saving your work in your other open applications. Simply press the Apple (Command) and Option keys, and the Escape key. If the Force Quit fails, never fear. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Wild Goose Chassis

Installing RAM in an 8100 can be a difficult task. But the day is not over until you pop that hood back on the computer and screw it shut. Simply slide the cover forward until it locks into place in the front, and tighten the four screws in the back. Sounds easy, until you realize that the cover did not actually lock into its guides, and the front of the chassis is ajar. No problem, just unscrew the back and slide the cover off and on again. Do this fifty times, or until you give up. Starmax and Power Computing folks, you are not alone!