Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday,


Q: I’m trying to boot Windows on my Intel-based iMac and I’m running into some problems. I’ve installed Vista on a NTFS/HPFS volume on my iMac’s hard drive and made the necessary file hacks, but it’s still not coming up.
A: You’ll need to hack Darwin Bootloader with the necessary entry so that it loads your Vista partition. Then you should be chainloaded to the Vista bootloader which should in turn boot your Vista install. Finally, and this is very important, don’t forget the unholy sacrifice to Gorto. You’ll never be able to run Windows on a Mac without that.
Q: Well, yes, I’m a little concerned that’s the problem. See, I’ve made the necessary bootloader edits but I just don’t think Gorto is appeased. I did cut a goat. Shouldn’t that be good enough?
A: A goat!? Ha-ha! Noooo! We’re talking about running Windows on a Mac!
Q: Oh. Well, maybe an ox?
A: What?! No. Try a virgin.
Q: A virgin ox?
A: …
Q: …
A: …
Q: What?
A: You just confirmed every stereotype I had of people who want to run Windows on a Mac.
Q: What? Oh, a virgin virgin. OK. Well, c’mon, give me a break. I go to ASU. I haven’t seen a virgin in four years.
A: Touché.


Q: I’m trying to get OS X running on a cheap PC and I can get it to boot, but I’m having a lot of problems after that.
A: Of course you are. OS X is rejecting the transplant. Just as a human eventually rejects a pig’s liver, so OS X will reject a PC.
Q: But… uh… wait… I think your analogy is backwards.
A: What?
Q: Well, if I’m trying to put OS X into a PC, then OS X would be the pig’s liver and…
A: Look, it doesn’t matter. What matters is you’re a madman, a madman, I tell you, and it’ll never work. They probably laughed at you at the institute, didn’t they.
Q: … I… well… yes, there was some snickering…
A: Look, why would you want to run OS X on a PC anyway?
Q: Well, I love the Mac operating system, but I’m an unbelievable cheap skate and I’m hoping to save myself a couple of bucks.
A: Yeah, OK, well, the problem with that is that Macs really aren’t more expensive than comparable PCs. Also, try to remember that time equals money.
Q: Time equals…?
A: Money. Yeah. See, how much time have you spent trying to get OS X to run on that PC?
Q: Just a couple… thousand… hours.
A: You see the problem with that, don’t you?
Q: Well, yeah, but it’s like, “Why do you climb a mountain? Because it’s there!”
A: It’s not really like that at all. This is more like “Why do people go on Jackass?”
Q: Yeah, OK, fine, you be that way. But, but when I can run OS X on a Microsoft Personal Media Workstation Consumer Edition Plus – Wrist Scenario, you’ll be sorry.
A: A what?
Q: It’s a… little watch… thingy… little half inch screen… Kinda cool. It’s hard to input with just that little windy knob on the side…
A: …
Q: If Apple would just make a little watch thingy with a half inch screen that you use the little windy knob on the side to input to then I wouldn’t have to do this! It’s all about user scenarios, dude.
A: Don’t even start with me.


Q: Well, I’m not trying to run Windows on my Mac or run OS X on a PC.
A: Thank goodness.
Q: Not me, sir. I love my Mac just the way it is.
A: Well, good for you!
Q: Well… no… actually.
A: Huh?
Q: For, you see, my love for my Mac is the love that dares not speak its name.
A: Ah. Uh… huh. Oooh.
Q: Yes. The love that is known as…
A: Hoa! Whoa, whoa, let’s just go with your love’s first instinct not to speak its name.
Q: Fair enough. Anyway, my question is about iDVD and an error I’m getting with certain DVD media.
A: Oh. OK. What kind of DVD media?
Q: DVD media… that dares not speak its name.
A: You’re a bit of a drama queen, aren’tcha.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.

Crazy Apple Help Desk offers tips for what you can do to keep your Mac safe.


Q: I’m horribly concerned about the OS X Trojan that does nothing malevolent. So concerned that I have trouble sleeping at night and when I finally do fall asleep at 3:00 AM I have nightmares about the Trojan invasion of Tyre. Bunch of dudes in skirts running around… Horrible. Just horrible. Anyway, can you expound at length today, eschewing all other questions, on how I should best deal with the current security crisis… or epidemic… call it an epidemic if you like… facing the Mac?

A: As you well know, we here at Crazy Apple Help Desk have a vast experience with Macs, OS X, security issues and hot, steamy sex with Salma Hayek that far outweighs that of any of our readers.

Don’t go to Chris Breen or John Gruber or Rob Griffiths if you want help on any of those subjects, either.

Although I heard Breen actually nailed Crystal Bernard once. Which, you know, that’s great and all, I guess, but it was in 1988 and he won’t stop talking about it.

At any rate, allow us to dip into our impressive breadth of knowledge and convey at least a small portion of it to you as best we can.

I’m talking about Mac security, not sex with Salma.

That’s between us and Salma.

But allow us to just reiterate:

Hot.

And.

Steamy.

But for the purposes of this discussion – the one about OS X security threats and how best to protect yourself – that’s neither here nor there.

Still…

Hot and steamy.

OK.

The most certain means of protecting your Mac is to not, under any circumstances, remove it from the box. This is a classic rookie mistake. A lot of switchers, for example, will make this mistake. Typical Windows user. Rush to get the computer out of the box, get yourself all excited and then like thirty seconds later they’re all apologies, “Oh, my god, I can’t believe it! That’s never happened before! Oh, I’m so sorry! I can usually go a lot longer than that!”

Yeah, right, Windows boy.

Anyway, if at all possible, keep your Mac in the box it came in and place it in a spare room and lock the door from the inside.

Tell no one.

Except your clergyman.

Apparently there’s some sort of mojo they can do to keep the devil out.

Depending on your denomination. I mean, if you’re a Unitarian, don’t even go there, girlfriend.

Also, many people do not take the term “fire wall” literally enough. Tricking your router out by painting it like a van with flames and a big Frank Frazetta of a dude with a sword probably won’t keep it safe from malware, but it will make you look like a real badass.

That’s gotta be worth something.

Finally, uh, don’t open files from strangers and make sure Safari’s set to not automatically open downloads.

G’nite!

Q: …

You didn’t have sex with Salma Hayek.

A: Um…

Well…

…it was dark.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.


Q: Hey, I was reading your site yesterday and did I read that right? Is Schiller really going to Lenovo? I mean… is he moving to China?
A: What? We wrote what? When?
Q: Um, yesterday. You wrote that Schiller was getting sold to Lenovo.
A: I’m afraid I don’t know anything about this “yesterday” you speak of. I can only assume that it’s part of some grand scheme to make us look bad within the highly respected Apple rumor community.
Q: … The whatnow?
A: The highly… Look it doesn’t matter. What matters is you’re a lying scumbag and your words are meaningless to me.
Q: Uhhh… OK! Well. I’m… glad we had this chat.
A: Whatever. Lying scum.


Q: I’m a long-time Mac user and I’m wondering if you can confirm something that I’m concerned about.
A: Well, we’ll give it a shot.
Q: My current machine is a 1.33 MHz PowerBook and I’m expecting to upgrade to a MacBook Pro. What I’m concerned about is my immortal soul.
A: Your…
Q: Immortal soul. I mean… I’ve been using a PowerPC for my entire computing lifetime. It was always good an pure. I even have a Power Computing Sluggo poster. But… these Intel-based things… Does using an Intel chip mean that Satan has full rights to my soul? I don’t have time to read the whole Apple EULA…
A: No, no, no. This is a popular misconception among Mac users. Using an Intel chip doesn’t mean Satan owns your soul.
Q: Oh. Phew!
A: No. I mean… he can play with it a bit.
Q: What?
A: Well, you know. Sort of bat it around. Flick at it. That kind of thing.
Q: Oh. I see.
A: Yeah, but unless you’re using Windows, no, he doesn’t own it.
Q: Uh… thanks. I think.


Q: Look, I don’t understand why you have a help desk on Friday night. It makes no sense. I mean, Battlestar Galactica is starting right fracking now. And it’s the fracking first part of the fracking season finale! Do you fracking understand me?!
A: Well, you’re obviously upset because you’re swearing like a Colonial Warrior. And, not coincidentally, a tremendous geek.
Q: Well I have a problem I need help with and I’m missing Battlestar Galactica!
A: Wh-why? I’m watching it.
Q: You’re… you’re what?!
A: Yeah. It’s pretty tense right now. Sharon’s going to help them plot a rescue mission to Caprica and Roslyn’s about to debate Baltar.
Q: No! No! Don’t tell me!
A: Yeah. And there’s something going on with the chief. He’s got a gun and… OH, MY GOD!!!
Q: No! No! OH, MY GOD! I GOTTA GO!
A: …
MACGRUDER: You just did that to get out of answering the last question.
A: Shhhh. Season finale.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.


Q: I just got back from the Apple Store where I picked up a brand new MacBook Pro. I was really jazzed because I had heard that they were shipping with faster processors than planned. But when I got it home, I was really disappointed. Mine, at least, doesn’t have a faster processor.
A: No?
Q: No. As a matter of fact, mine didn’t come with a processor at all.
A: Really? Well… what’s where the processor should be?
Q: Wait. Let me look. Um… looks like ham.
A: Ham?
Q: Ham. I mean… good ham… Black Forest… smoked… but… still… ham.
A: Does it… run?
Q: Um… no.
A: Oh. You should probably take it back, then.
Q: Aw, shoot. Really?
A: Well, yeah. Why not?
Q: It’s just… it’s just that… it came with all this really good rye bread…


Q: Oh, man!
A: What? What?
Q: Oh, man, that is bullshit!
A: What is? What is it?
Q: I just heard that I bought the 999,999,999th song on the iTunes Music Store! And do you know what I got? Do you know what I got?!
A: Um… a grim sense of irony?
Q: Wha…? No! No! I got nothing! Nothing!
A: Well, how do you know it was you? I mean, how could you possibly know that?
Q: They sent me an email!
A: Oh. Oh. That’s just rude.
Q: Yeah! And it’s… got all these little… emoticons…
A: Oooh.
Q: Little… tongue sticking out…
A: You know… does Apple ever… I dunno… strike you as a little strange?
Q: Hmm…


Q: Hey, where can I get me one of those hamMacs? I’m starving.
A: Well, I think that one was probably a fluke. But I know where you can get an iMac with advanced Jell-O technology.
Q: Pff. Jell-O?! That’s not going to fill me up.
A: OK. OK. Well… how about pudding?
Q: Pudding?! Wow! There’s a pudding-based Mac?
A: No. I just have some pudding singles.
Q: Oh. Uh… sure.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.


Q: Hi! [munch-munch]
A: Uh, hi!
Q: Mmmf. Yeah. Hang on a sec. [munch-munch] I’m eatin’ bacon!
A: Wha… oh. Well. OK!
Q: Yeah! Let me just get through this. [munch-munch]
A: Uh… sure. I guess.
Q: Just take a sec. [munch-munch] Mmm. [munch-munch]
A: OK, but… you’re just shoving more into your face.
Q: Well, I got a lot of bacon to go through.
A: Well, why don’t you call back when you’re done.
Q: What?! It’s just a couple dozen rashers of bacon!
A: Uh… I’m gonna move on.
Q: Oh, man!


Q: Wait, there’s bacon?
A: What? No… I mean, that guy…
Q: Well, if he’s getting bacon, I want some bacon.
A: But… I’m not giving out the bacon. He just had his own bacon. And because he was eating it, he couldn’t ask his question.
Q: So… I can ask my question… or I could go out and get some bacon.
A: That’s right.
Q: …
A: Uh…
Q: …
A: Hello?
Q: …
A: Hmm. Well, I’m not sure I blame him.


Q: OK! I’m back! Whew! I finished ’em! 24 rashers of bacon! Ha-ha! Oooh, man, that was good.
A: OK, well, what’s your question?
Q: Well, I’m thinking about getting a Mac mini to use as a media hub to play music and connect to my TV to play shows downloaded from iTunes. I’m concerned about the [mmph] graphics card, though. [mmph] – excuse me – Is the graphics card in the Mac mini good enough for watching iTunes [mmph] video at high quality?
A: Wait… are you eating something again?
Q: Just pudding.
A: Pudding?! You follow up bacon with pudding?
Q: No! C’mon. I had stick of butter in between.
A: You… you don’t get to ask a question.
Q: Oh, don’t be like that. C’mon, I have more pudding.