Reno Excursion
Posted Sat May 15, 2010 in
Bloggish
It’s been an interesting few days. I don’t know whether I should tell the whole tale in one entry, or split it up over several. I guess I’ll let my stream of consciousness take me wherever I go.
On the way home from Lubbock, I crashed my iPhone. It’s no secret that I jailbroke my iPhone months ago. I wanted access to a few things the stock firmware doesn’t grant, most importantly SBSettings and the five-column Springboard. Access to Winterboard themes was just lagniappe. SBSettings allows me to control the iPhone’s radios without clicking my way through Settings. It’s very quick and intuitive to make changes that reduce the drain on the battery. I like keeping an organized desktop, so the five-column Springboard and the five-column Dock are wonders for me. I found a few very nice looking themes. I find the smaller icons work well for me and I really like having up to 20 applications per page. I don’t always fill the page, but it’s like having a bag-of-twenty instead of a bag-of-sixteen — it just works for me.
It’s also no secret I’m trying to figure out whether an iPad is in my future. I think so, because where I think I’m headed is a 17-inch MacBook Pro for my main work machine, so a netbook will be appropriate for less-strenuous outings when I want email and web and maybe a few other applications, but I don’t want to carry a full-size notebook computer — especially a 17-inch notebook and the supporting infrastructure. I think the iPad is close to the perfect entry point for that use. But, I’m not quite willing to spend the bucks so I’m still thinking and watching.
Wait, there’s a point to all of this. I don’t want to pay for another data plan. I’m already paying for four of them (one for each of us plus my aircard). What I’d like to do is ditch the aircard and use my iPhone as a tethered device. It’s possible, but requires the iPhone to be unlocked and a system patch installed to enable the tethering.
It’s complicated, but not difficult. Unfortunately, I was using the PowerMac as my main host for my iPhone (interestingly named Melchizedek, by the way). So, I was away from the iPhone’s home but playing with system software. Silly me. Somehow I managed to crash it (and am not interested in reproducing the problem, thank you very much), so I found myself on the way home with no mobile phone. Well, I learned my lesson — avoid experimentation when away from the iPhone’s home.
That problem is now fixed so long as I have my MacBook Pro with me. Because I retired the PowerMac, the MBP is home to everything now and I intend to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. Melchizedek is also restored and working fine. I lost a few pictures and short video clips, which I mourn, but that’s life in the digital world. It’s especially applicable to those of us who refuse to work with a net. (Not the ‘net, mind you…)
Now that I’m working from the MBP, my use of the internal storage increased substantially. My old external back-up disk will no longer suffice. So, we drove to Reno last night to pick up a new one. I was hungry, so after checking the Apple store at Summit Sierra (where I didn’t find anything I thought I wanted), we drove on into Reno and ate at the Red Robin. I like Red Robin for a change. Their burgers are different than anywhere else I eat.
I prefer FireWire to USB 2.0 (especially if I can get FW800) and there was nothing available locally. I bought an Iomega eGo multi-interface drive from the Best Buy in Reno. We also stopped by the Barnes & Noble there too (always a treat). I also bought a “man bag” — actually a messenger bag to carry my journal, nook, a couple of other small books, and stuff to write with when we’re on expedition. I also think it will hold an iPad when I make the move. I bought a Timbuk2 bag, because it seemed most like what I was looking for and the price was right. I’ll do a review of it sometime or another after I gain a little experience with it.
As it turns out, the eGo does not play nice with my other FW drives. It won’t mount from the FW400 port on my MBP. If my regular external drive is mounted on the FW800 port and I try to mount the eGo on the FW400 port, my FW800 drive “goes away.” (Yes, it’s a technical term.) So, while I like the appearance of the device and the storage, it goes back to the store. So, I guess we’re driving back to Reno in a few minutes, now that the drive is wiped and stowed back in its packaging.
I’ll have to find another way to create a bootable, portable back up. Over the short term, I think I can use my old external drive. I’ll just move my materials to the internal drive on the MBP, with the exception of my digital images. I’ll continue to look for an appropriate back-up drive. I’ll bet one of the LaCie drives will work, but they aren’t available locally so I’ll have to order one. The LaCie drives cost a little more, but I don’t mind paying for quality.
Now off to Reno… Check that — I called to local Best Buy store and they told me they would accept the return here. That saves me a trip to Reno until I need to make one for other reasons. Cool.
Later… I ventured over to the Carson City Best Buy to return the drive. I’m pleased they let me do that. In the process, they tried to find a replacement (no joy, of course), but the “geek” who helped me told me he’d set up a USB drive to be bootable from a Mac. However, he indicated it didn’t work well and agreed with me (yay) that a FireWire drive would be the way to go. Then he suggested I look online for something. Kudos to the geek.
LOL. I had a bit of a trail following that.
This is how I approach electronics: I buy them, I turn them on, they work. I don’t mess with much, beyond basic customization and adding of programs.
Thus the reason my Droid says “DROID” every time I get an email – I haven’t changed the original settings. ;-)
But I totally got the “We also stopped by the Barnes & Noble.” Cause I could live there.
— Deb 15 May 2010, 18:32 #It will be interesting to see what Wife comments, if anything. Her usual question runs something like “why do you want to do that?” Sometimes she’s right — I do stuff because I think it will work better, somehow. It’s the engineer thing, I believe. We are eternal optimizers of systems, looking for ways to make them work “better,” however that is defined.
— ruminator 15 May 2010, 18:39 #