shownotes_20120506

This Old Mac
  Opening
    Often when we buy a new Mac there is Mac left that, while may not meet you're current needs, still has life left in it.
    I thought we'd cover some obvious and maybe not so obvious things to do with that old Mac
  Sell, gift, or donate
    If you need some cash to fund your new Mac purchase then you may consider reselling your old Machine
      Macs tend to hold their value well. If your Mac is just 3-4 years old you may be surprised at what you might get for it
      Know your specs
        Mac Tracker
        Don't forget your custom hardware upgrades
        Include accessories to increase value, especially if old cases and add one are not compatible with your new system
      Check eBay, Craigslist, and local classifieds to get an idea of the Machines value
    Gift the system to a friend or relative
      Depending on your needs old systems can be surprisingly capable
      Web, email, and text editing
      Software is usually the key
        You don't need to always be running the latest and greatest versions
        OS X Tiger and OS 9 are very capable systems with the right Machine and software
      Consider open source apps
        OpenOffice
        NeoOffice (Native Mac UI for OpenOffice)
        LibreOffice
        MacGIMP
      Older software still works
        Photoshop CS2 or CS3
        iLife '07, '08
        Office 2004
    Donate the system to a local school, church, or other organization
      If you choose this option please make sure the system is new and in very good working condition
      Consider volunteering to help get it up and running and loaded with software to meet their needs.
    Prepare the Mac for resale, gifting, or donating
      If you can find them, include the original disks that came with the machine.
      Until Lion most came with 2 DVDs, 1 for the OS and 1 with Applications
      Secure erase the drive
        Boot from the original disk by inserting the disk and holding the "C" key at startup
        Instead of installing use the Utilities menu and choose 'Disk Utility'
        Select the drive and go to the 'Erase' tab
        Choose Mac OS X Extended (journaled)
        Click the 'Security Options…' button and select 'Zero Out Data' or '7-Pass Erase'
        Click 'OK' and then click 'Erase…' from the main screen to erase the drive
      Install the original OS. Licensing allows you to transfer the original OS that came with the Machine to the new owner.
      If you don't have the orignal disks you need to let a buyer know they will need to purchase an OS X installer. You should also sell the system for less.
      After installing the OS you probably want to use the second disk and restore the Application, like iLife that came with the Machine.
  Tips if you plan to re-use it
    Beef up the hard drive or go external
      OWC
      NewEgg
    Try to max out the RAM
      OWC
      Crucial
    Clean install the OS
      Might not want to run the latest and greatest depending on the application
  Backup Sever or File Server
    If you have a wired or wireless home network you can set up a server
    Connect an external hard drive or Drobo and you have a viable place to do local and network backups
    In OS X it's as simple as going into System Preferences and turning on File Sharing
      System Preferences > Sharing > Check on File Sharing
      You can also set up user account and permissions
        System Preferences > Users & Groups
        In the File Sharing preferences you can add and control user & group permissions and assign and control access to specific folders or volumes
      If you need Windows PCs to have access turn on Windows File Sharing or go under System Preferences > File Sharing > 'Options…' and check on 'Share Files and Folders using SMB (Windows).
    The machine itself doesn't have to be speedy or powerful, but if you can use a wired 100-baseT or gigabit connection it will make network backups speedy
      To workaround a slow connection, 802.11g wifi for example, hardwire the external drive to ech machine via USB or Firewire for the initial backup.
    If you want to set up and automated backup install client software on each Mac
      ChronoSync and ChronoAgent or Retrospect software
    You can also manually archive stuff by directly copying to the mounted drive in the Finder
      Under 'Shared' in the list of sources in the Finder window
      Go > Connect to Server and Browse or enter the address.
  Media Server
    Simple iTunes Media Server
      Run the latest iTunes
        Requires a Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 processor and 512MB of RAM
      Copy all you music, movies, tv shows, etc. into the iTunes library on the media server
        You can do this over the network using Home Sharing
        Or copy by hand. I just copy my iTunes Media folder onto an external hard drive and sneaker net it over
      Turn on Home Sharing
        This work best if all your media is purchased and suthorized under a single Apple ID
        In iTunes go to 'Advanced' > 'Home Sharing' and set it to on and enter your iTunes credientials
        Set up Home Sharing on each device and Mac
        Will work for Macs, iOS devices, and Apple TVs
      If you use iTunes and have an older OS, Snow Leopard or Leopard you can use Front Row.
        If your Mac has an IR port (Mini, Macbook, Macbook Pro) you can use the Apple remote or a universal remote
        also consider an old iPhone or iPod touch with the Remote app as a controller
        Bluetooth mouse and keyboard can also be useful
      Connect the Mac to your TV using an appropriate adapter
        DVI to HDMI cable, Mini Display Port to HDMI, Mini DVI to HDMI, even VGA if you have that on your TV
        For Audio you can use a TOS link or analog 1/8" cable
        Check Monoprice for the appropriate cables and adapters
    If you want more fexibility and format support there are options
      These will let you playback a myriad of formats, have built-in support for podcasts and media streaming services, and more
        Plex
        Boxee
      Other helpful software
        Elgato Turbo.264HD
        Handbrake
        Perian
        VLC
  Dedicated email or Internet terminal
    Kitchen, living room, or spare bedroom
    House guest would appreciate a terminal to access web based emails, catch up on Facebook
      Use software like DeepFreeze to wipe personal data between visits
    Kitchen terminal for email and managing recipes.
    Old Macbook, Macbook Pro, or even iBook on the coffee table to surf the web while watching TV
    Monitor web cams for security
      EvoCam
      This would also work if you have your Mac set up as a Media Server
  Reborn as furniture, home accessory, or Art
    There are tons of clever DIY projects online to turn broken Macs into useful objects
    Old B&W Apple Cinima CRTs as coffee table stands
    MacQuariums
    Lights and Wall Clocks
    Works of art. Just sitting on a shelf they are an item of cool design history.
  Other thoughts
    Desicated Windows machine using BootCamp
    Linux system
    Dedicated Web Server
      OS X has Apache, MySQL, and PHP built in
      Yes, the client too. With a little terminal hacking you can get it running
    If you do get heavy into Terminal hacking take a look at:
      Homebrew
      MacPorts