Featured – ResExcellence http://www.resexcellence.com The free resource for all Apple users Thu, 07 May 2015 05:39:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.1 Free Mother’s Day Giveaway for Any Desktop Publishing Things – Create Mother’s Day Gift for Free http://www.resexcellence.com/2015/05/05/free-mothers-day-giveaway-for-any-desktop-publishing/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2015/05/05/free-mothers-day-giveaway-for-any-desktop-publishing/#comments Wed, 06 May 2015 05:50:12 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4919 Bonus time! With Mother’s Day being around the corner, PearlMountain is giving away its award-winning software for worldwide users, offering Publisher Plus – powerful desktop publishing software on Mac – as[...]

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Publisher Plus for Mac Time-limited Giveaway

Publisher Plus for Mac Time-limited Giveaway

Bonus time! With Mother’s Day being around the corner, PearlMountain is giving away its award-winning software for worldwide users, offering Publisher Plus – powerful desktop publishing software on Mac – as a free gift from May 9 to May 11. Still don’t find your Mother’s Day gift? Enjoy the free giveaway for desktop publishing software to make a special gift card for your mom.

 

Mother’s Day is one of the top holidays of the year. If you’re a daughter or a son, you must be looking for the best gift to express your love to dear Mom. Mother’s Day is also the perfect time to start a new promotion for some businesses. The three-day giveaway of Publisher Plus is coming at the right time for both the children and business owners since it’s the easiest and quickest way to design unique greeting cards with personal touch as well as professional marketing materials especially for restaurants and florists during Mother’s Day.

 

No matter you want to prepare a one-of-kind Mother’s Day card for great mom or to design outstanding menus, flyers, etc. for promoting business during this holiday, Publisher Plus for Mac will meet all kinds of needs and deliver endless possibilities. With this 100% OFF page layout software, everyone can create deluxe and professional prints in minutes without any cost. As one of the most versatile software developed by PearlMountain, it has some highlighted features:

 

* 170+ deluxe templates, abundant decorations, and many extra templates for free.
* Support adding and customizing images, texts, shapes, custom shapes, calendars, etc.
* WYSIWYG – powerful editing features includes Undo/Redo, Lock/Unlock, Group/Ungroup, Duplicate, etc.
* Export, print and share conveniently.


This three-day giveaway from May 9 to May 11 will benefit anyone who is looking to DIY beautiful Mother’s Day card or make professional marketing prints at home. Just grab this free gift to get your cards, menus or flyers ready now!

 

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Pricing and Availability

Publisher Plus for Mac requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later and it is fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite). Despite the original price of $39.90, it will be totally free during May 9 to May 11 here: http://www.pearlmountainsoft.com/promotion/giveaway.html

 

About the Company

PearlMountain Technology Co., Ltd is a dedicated graphics and software development company founded in 2006. Over these years, it has released products with great popularity among worldwide users like Picture Collage Maker, CollageIt and Watermark Plus.

 

Its products have already been well received all through North America, Europe and Asia software markets for their ease of use, reliability and superior performance.

 

Media Contact

David Lin

PearlMountain Technology Co., Ltd

CEO

Email: info@pearlmountainsoft.com

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18 iPhone wallpapers HD with dogs http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/07/01/18-iphone-wallpapers-hd-dogs/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/07/01/18-iphone-wallpapers-hd-dogs/#respond Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:26:20 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4819 Hi dear friends, today I have arranged some awesome collection of iPhone wallpapers HD with dog pictures. You know dog is such an animal you can automatically make sense to[...]

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Hi dear friends, today I have arranged some awesome collection of iPhone wallpapers HD with dog pictures. You know dog is such an animal you can automatically make sense to love it. You can pass your leisure time with dog. This pet is man’s best real friend. In this term, I will show you some exclusive collection of HD wallpapers of dog pictures which is supported by iPhone. You can set this dog pictures as wallpaper or send or share with your friends in addition of iPhone wallpapers HD. These wallpapers can support any types of latest i5 or old version of iPhone. So it’s a great opportunity for you to have some dog pictures.

You know iPhone is a great innovation of technology and has lot of updated applications. Its might be complicated too. When you download any types of iPhone wallpapers HD you have to keep in mind that there’s lot of application to modify your wallpaper. You can resize, crop, and scroll your dog pictures. Another way, you can use wallpaper by captured from your iPhone camera. Basically iPhone wallpapers HD is really better than normal wallpapers. If you’d prefer to modify your dog pictures by using you can off course use Lightroom, Apeture, Photoshop whatever like some other editing software. Here I’m show you some application of Lightroom for iPhone wallpapers HD.

Create iPhone wallpapers HD with Lightroom

Lightroom software is usually use for editing your iPhone wallpapers HD or any kind of wallpaper. Here I’m show you to resize your iPhone wallpaper:

  1. At first, create a virtual copy for the image which is not so essential but it makes easier.
  2. Now, go to tool option and click crop. There you will see lot of options but to the right of Aspect, click drop down.
  3. Clicking to the enter menu, you will input the Aspect ratio.
  4. At last, clicking double to the image to save cropping.

If you change your file formation, move to file setting. Choose your quality which one do you like so. Keep enjoying to downloading dog pictures of iPhone wallpapers HD.

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15 City iPhone Wallpapers http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/06/09/iphone-wallpaper-15-amazing-city/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/06/09/iphone-wallpaper-15-amazing-city/#respond Mon, 09 Jun 2014 23:11:11 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4709 Present to you the next collection of iPhone wallpapers depicting city landscapes. 320×480 640×960 640×1136 320×480 640×960 640×1136 320×480 640×960 640×1136 320×480 640×960 640×1136 320×480 640×960 640×1136 320×480 640×960 640×1136[...]

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Present to you the next collection of iPhone wallpapers depicting city landscapes.

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Stunning iPhone 5C and 5S Wallpapers http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/04/27/stunning-iphone-5c-and-5s-wallpapers/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/04/27/stunning-iphone-5c-and-5s-wallpapers/#respond Sun, 27 Apr 2014 16:13:00 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4504 Check out our latest collection of stunning wallpapers for your iPhone – these are Retina quality suitable for your iPhone 5s or iPhone 5C!

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Check out our latest collection of stunning wallpapers for your iPhone – these are Retina quality suitable for your iPhone 5s or iPhone 5C!

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1 year of the new ResExcellence http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/01/01/1-year-of-the-new-resexcellence/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2014/01/01/1-year-of-the-new-resexcellence/#respond Wed, 01 Jan 2014 11:52:10 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4299 Since we announced in late 2012 that ResExcellence would be making a comeback as a new website, a lot has happened. The site experienced great interest throughout 2013. We attracted[...]

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Since we announced in late 2012 that ResExcellence would be making a comeback as a new website, a lot has happened. The site experienced great interest throughout 2013. We attracted 130,000 visits from all over the world – 84% of these had never visited the site before. More than 55% of visitors use Safari, and 76% use either a Mac or iOS device to visit ResExcellence.

The most popular page on our website is the 50 Incredible iPhone 5 Retina HD Wallpapers post, which attracted 50,000 pageviews throughout 2013. The most read review on our website in 2013 was the MacBook Pro 15.4″ Mid 2012 post.

In 2014, we’re aiming to bring you more reviews and wallpapers – these two areas will be the main focus of the website. We’re also still looking for writers to contribute to the site, and help us reach an even wider audience this year!

I want to thank all our readers for their continued support and wish everyone a Happy New Year!

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Why the Mac Pro is actually a bargain http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/12/29/why-the-mac-pro-is-actually-a-bargain/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/12/29/why-the-mac-pro-is-actually-a-bargain/#respond Sun, 29 Dec 2013 14:27:02 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4482 The Mac Pro is the fastest and the most expensive Mac you can buy. It’s engineered and manufactured with power users in mind – those who need exceptional performance, expandability[...]

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The Mac Pro is the fastest and the most expensive Mac you can buy. It’s engineered and manufactured with power users in mind – those who need exceptional performance, expandability and hardware that allows them to perform demanding tasks such as high resolution video editing and RAW photo editing. Because of the hardware offered in the Mac Pro, it is by no means a ‘cheap’ machine – the base model starts at $1,000 more than the high-end 27″ iMac, and $1,700 more than the base model 21.5″ iMac.

Despite the price, the new Mac Pro is actually a bargain. Here’s why. The base model is $3,000, and the 6-Core and Dual GPU configuration starts at $4,000. With options added, these machines cost as much as $10,000-$12,000.

Back in 1990, Apple released the most powerful Mac available at the time. It was called the Macintosh IIfx and it started at $9,000 and configurations went up to $12,000. In today’s money, that’s about $16,000 – $21,400. Today, even an iPhone has tons more power, memory and capacity than you could have ever dreamed of getting from a IIfx.

What Apple has done with the new Mac Pro isn’t to be underestimated – the machine contains high-end workstation graphics that were never available in earlier models, in addition to high-speed PCIe SSD storage which was also not available as standard in earlier Mac Pros, and is not even available as an option on many PC workstations. But Apple offers both of these as standard features, for as little as $3,000.

Then consider this. The RAM, SSD, GPU and CPU are actually all upgradeable on the Mac Pro, despite its bespoke design and proprietary parts. There’s no doubt that OWC (Other World Computing) will be offering SSD upgrades in the future, and they are already offering cheaper RAM than you can get from Apple. It has also recently been revealed that the CPUs are socketed, and the GPU is also replaceable.

For the types of customers who will buy the new Mac Pro, rendering time is money. Video production is a costly business – and rendering real-time 4K is something the new Mac Pro is very capable of with the latest version of Final Cut Pro. Adobe has yet to update Premiere to take advantage of the new hardware, but an update will surely arrive in the future. What this means is, the Mac Pro actually saves its customers money by allowing them to do increasingly demanding tasks in less time than ever before. It’s the only Mac that allows you to do this effectively with 4K and incredible Thunderbolt expansion – making it rather special and unique.

So all in all…when you consider everything the Mac Pro has to offer, and compare the price tag with what we used to pay for high-end Macs, it really is a bargain.

In 2014 we’ll be finding the best Mac Pro hardware and upgrade deals as they become available and we’ll be posting them on this site. Stay tuned!

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How Apple’s New Mac Pro Aims to Spark Third Party Thunderbolt Market http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/06/13/how-apples-new-mac-pro-aims-to-spark-third-party-thunderbolt-market/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/06/13/how-apples-new-mac-pro-aims-to-spark-third-party-thunderbolt-market/#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:25:10 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4222 Apple gave us a sneak preview of the Mac Pro at this week’s WWDC. At long last, the Mac world was given a glimpse of the future of high powered[...]

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Apple gave us a sneak preview of the Mac Pro at this week’s WWDC. At long last, the Mac world was given a glimpse of the future of high powered computing from Apple. Sadly, the amount of criticism of both the design, engineering and realistic practicality of the new Mac Pro was astounding. It’s been nicknamed, laughed at, and discounted by pundits before its even available for sale. As professional Apple users, we have a right to be not only fussy but demanding too – we require high powered equipment to do our jobs and make a living, and it’s up to Apple to provide us with that. Recently, the Mac Pro hasn’t exactly been the best investment as the hardware the previous model contained was 3 years old but Apple never reduced the price despite that fact.

The new Mac Pro is a radical design, much different from the outgoing model. Because of Apple’s glossy-looking composition shots of its new product, many thought it was manufactured using plastic – it’s not, rather it uses metal like all other Apple products. The lack of internal expandability has become a cause for concern for many potential buyers – but I don’t see it as a problem for the Mac Pro’s future. A lot of existing Mac Pros are already hooked up to external RAID storage, devices such as the Drobo and Promise Pegasus. They are also hooked up to external sound cards and other expensive systems. As such, many Mac Pros that are being used in production environments are already being used with a combination of other hardware. So the next logical step is to take advantage of the Thunderbolt technology by moving this area forward. Currently, it’s early days – there are not many good Thunderbolt devices available, and they are costly. Many TB-based RAID enclosures have noisy fans and ugly designs that would never match with the Mac Pro. However, with time, this should improve – we should see companies start to embrace Thunderbolt as the market demand for it increases (because of the new Mac Pro’s dependance on it).

It takes us time to adapt and get used to new products, and the new Mac Pro is no exception. We’re not used to a system that depends so heavily on Thunderbolt to expand its abilities. We’re not used to this type of Mac, and we’re not used to the uncertainty that goes along with it – especially when it will be such a large investment for buyers. Those who buy it will be the early adopters – the beta testers of this new design, essentially. As the market around this new product grows, it’ll become a much more viable option for a greater number of people. The upcoming model that we’ve seen so far, with the 12 core processor and dual GPUs, is likely a candidate best for video content producers/editors rather than photographers or digital designers. But I expect that once things get moving, that will quickly change.

This will ultimately be a much more flexible and adaptable Mac than any before it – I’m excited about Apple’s professional offerings over the next couple years.

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Review: Apple MacBook Pro 15.4″ (Mid 2012) http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/03/01/apple-macbook-pro-review-15-4-mid-2012-antiglare-display/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/03/01/apple-macbook-pro-review-15-4-mid-2012-antiglare-display/#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:53:17 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=3177 The latest MacBook Pro 15.4″ was released in June 2012 as an upgrade of the previous model, retaining the same design and main features. Apple updated the Intel processor and[...]

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The latest MacBook Pro 15.4″ was released in June 2012 as an upgrade of the previous model, retaining the same design and main features. Apple updated the Intel processor and added powerful discrete graphics from NVIDIA. They also added USB 3.0 connectivity, and both the 13 and 15 inch models can be configured with a 1TB hard drive or SSDs up to 512GB that are twice as fast as the previous generation MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Pro without Retina Display is still one of the best laptops you can buy in this price range. I bought mine in July 2012 from Apple, and then anxiously waited for it to arrive via UPS from China. Since July 2012, I have had absolutely no problems with this laptop at all. It is usually kept powered on and running (not in sleep mode) 24/7. It is only occasionally rebooted or switched off, usually every couple weeks. This is by far the best computer I’ve ever owned, and the best Mac I’ve ever owned.

Model Tested

  • Mid 2012 MacBook Pro 15.4″
  • 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
  • 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
  • 4GB RAM (Upgraded myself with third party Corsair 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM kit)
  • 500GB SATA Drive @ 5400RPM (Upgraded myself with third party WD Black Scorpio 750GB @ 7200RPM)
  • BTO Option: Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display (1680×1050)
  • Shipped with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion (Upgraded to 10.8 Mountain Lion)

Design

The MacBook Pro uses what Apple call a unibody design. The unibody is constructed using a single piece of aluminum, which is machined to provide a solid structure for the MacBook Pro, but it is also the case that contains all the components. A singular piece of metal reduces the amount of individual parts and screws required, making the manufacturing process simpler, but also making the case stronger. There are no visible joins anywhere. Only underneath are small color-matched screws visible, and a very small gap between the bottom panel and the unibody.

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Battery Light and Closed Front View

© All rights reserved by Max Marele

As usual, Apple has paid particular attention to detail when designing the MacBook Pro. Unlike other laptops, every feature has been taken very seriously and it is obvious that Apple has put much effort into making this a sleek and understated design. There are no visible trackpad buttons. No visible screw covers around the display bezel. Even the ports are elegant and aligned perfectly, all on the same side of the laptop. The Sleep indicator LED only shows when in use, a constant light if the display is off, or a pulsing light if the Mac is in sleep mode.

The MacBook Pro comes beautifully packaged in a cardboard box. That makes it sound like a boring, brown, cardboard box constructed using corrugated card. But this is Apple we’re talking about. Yes, you do get a brown corrugated card box – but inside that, you get a second box, pristinely presented with high quality printed paper covering the box. Upon opening, you’re presented with (familiar to some) “Designed by Apple in California”. In the box, you get your MacBook Pro, a User’s Guide, and the charger with power cord. There are no software CDs, because the operating system and recovery software are preloaded.

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Performance

CPU

The MacBook Pro I configured has a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 processor. It’s the most powerful Mac I’ve ever used, and handling tasks such as video production, photo editing, sound production, illustration, simulations, 3D rendering, and gaming, are all a breeze for this powerful high-end laptop. Even this entry level processor for the 15.4″ MacBook Pro is powerful enough to handle demanding tasks on a regular basis. I personally use my MacBook Pro as a machine for web design and development, but this also requires me to run applications such as Photoshop, and VMware Fusion. I’ll typically have more than 20 apps open at the same time, and the MacBook Pro doesn’t have to even think twice about it.

GPU

This entry level MacBook Pro comes with 512MB of graphics memory and the Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics processor chip. This dedicated graphics card is not the best for gaming, but that’s probably not what you’re going to be using a Mac for in the first place. This GPU handles tasks such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro without any problems. Some users may choose to upgrade to the 1GB graphics option when purchasing, but I’ve found the 512MB version to be more than capable – even when driving a 1920×1080 resolution external display and the native 1680×1080 antiglare display.

Hard Drive

The stock hard drive was a 5400RPM 512GB drive. I upgraded to a 7200RPM 750GB drive, specifically the Western Digital Scorpio Black with a 5 year warranty. There isn’t much to say in this area – the stock 5400RPM drive is okay, but you’ll probably want to upgrade if you want real performance from your storage.

Battery

The battery on the MacBook Pro is excellent for such a high performance laptop. If you take into consideration the number of features and different pieces of hardware this laptop contains, the battery life is extremely good at a maximum of 7 hours on full charge. I have typically experienced 4-5 hours of battery life, but that’s when using it for playing video, using Photoshop, and browsing the web. If you really want, turning down the screen brightness and turning off the backlight both increase the time you’ll get when on battery. The battery isn’t removable by the user, but can be replaced rather simply as it is not glued in – it’s simply held in by a few screws and a connecting cable. Tampering with the battery while your MacBook Pro is under warranty will void the warranty – only touch it if its out of warranty.

Features

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4

MagSafe

Like all unibody MacBook Pros, this one uses the MagSafe power connector. MagSafe is a magnetic connector for the power cable, and one of the best features of the MacBook Pro. It is common for PC laptops to use a standard 12V DC jack, that is usually poorly soldered to the motherboard. Apple’s magnetic connector won’t come loose or wear out with use. If you trip over the power cord, it will simply ‘pop’ off the laptop, since its magnetic. The charging light is green when the battery is fully charged, and amber (orange) when charging.

SuperDrive

The SuperDrive is what Apple calls the CD/DVD drive in Macs. It’s a slot loading mechanism drive, with a slim profile, and has been designed to be quiet. However, like all slot loading drives, the mechanism makes it noisy when loading and reading from discs, and the reliability of these drives is questionable. Apple has taken to removing the SuperDrive from the Retina version of this laptop, and also the latest iMac.

Multi-touch Trackpad

Apple MacBook Pro Trackpad

The trackpad is the best of any laptop available on the market today. It’s actually made of glass, so it’s really smooth to touch. It’s also very precise, so it’s ideal for using if you’re graphics applications. The trackpad has several features, including various multi-touch gestures which make certain tasks easier. Scrolling can be done with your fingers, as can hiding windows to reveal the desktop, and zooming into photos. A lot of competing PC laptops still don’t have these features, and it brings the wonders of touch to a traditional laptop without the need for a touchscreen.

Illuminated ‘Backlit’ Keyboard

This is a cool feature, and one that has been available on Apple laptops for a long time. The illuminated keyboard looks especially cool in dark environments, but it does have an effect on battery life. It can be easily controlled with the two Backlight keys on the keyboard, F5 and F6.

Sound

If I’m honest, I was dissapointed with the sound quality provided by the built-in speakers on the MacBook Pro 15.4″. I bought this laptop after using an early-2006 iMac 17″ for six years. Going from the old iMac to this, the sound quality is noticeably poorer. OK, so I’ll acknowledge that laptop speakers are never amazing, and that perhaps my expectations were too high in this area. But I did expect the MacBook Pro’s built-in subwoofer to help, but to me, it sounds tinny and empty. I would highly recommend coupling your MacBook Pro purchase with some good headphones, a portable speaker, or a fully fledged desktop speaker setup – any of those will be better than the built-in speakers.

Mac OS X

One of the best reasons to buy a Mac instead of Windows laptop is the software. Mac OS X is the operating system which comes with every Mac. It is stable, easy to use, and thousands of applications are available for it.

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Built To Order Options

Hi-Res AntiGlare Display

I opted for the Hi-Res Antiglare Display option, which has a matte finish instead of the reflective glossy finish that is offered as standard. With the Hi-Res Antiglare, you get 1680×1050 resolution and the matte finish that you’re probably used to if you’re a designer. Even sitting behind a window, the glare is minimal. And the higher resolution makes everything appear smaller, but also sharper and crisper. Apple uses Samsung displays for the Hi-Res Antiglare option, and I think the quality is great. The brightness, contrast, viewing angle, and color accuracy are all fantastic and what you’d expect from a high-end laptop. This makes for a great display not only for every-day use, but also for demanding applications such as photo editing, color matching and designing for print production.

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Antiglare Display

© All rights reserved by Max Marele

Upgrading

The Non-Retina MacBook Pro can be upgraded quite easily, as long as you’re confident with a screwdriver and are sensible enough to remove the power source, and ground yourself properly, before doing so. The bottom panel can be removed, revealing the components of your MacBook Pro. Upgrading the hard drive and memory yourself does not void Apple’s warranty (this applies to both the standard 1 year and 3 year AppleCare plans). Upgrading the memory and storage yourself can save you a considerable amount of money instead of opting for Apple’s BTO options. When I received my MacBook Pro, I decided to upgrade the standard 4GB RAM (2x2GB) to 16GB RAM (2x8GB), and I also upgraded the standard hard drive from a 500GB @ 5400RPM to 750GB @ 7200RPM (a minimal performance benefit, but I wanted the extra capacity anyway).

Corsair Vengeance 16GB Memory KitHow to Upgrade the Memory

Upgrading the memory in a unibody MacBook Pro is a simple procedure.

  • Make sure your Mac is powered OFF and that the charger is disconnected.
  • Start by removing the screws that hold on the bottom panel.
  • Lift off the bottom panel carefully.
  • Optional: Disconnect the battery by lifting up on the cable to remove it from the connector.
  • Unclip the existing memory from the memory slots.
  • Seat the new memory into the slots, making sure its seated correctly.
  • If you disconnected the battery cable earlier, reconnect it now.
  • Screw the bottom panel back on.

I highly recommend Corsair’s 16GB Memory Kit for your MacBook Pro.

How to Upgrade the Hard Drive

Western Digital Scorpio Black 750GB Hard DriveYou can upgrade the hard drive without voiding the warranty. Either change it for another traditional spinning drive, or swap it for an SSD which doesn’t use moving parts and is much faster than a traditional drive. Either way, any standard 2.5″ drive that’s SATA II or SATA III is compatible. I upgraded my Mac with the Western Digital Scorpio Black 750GB 7500RPM Hard Drive which comes with an amazing 5 year warranty and is incredibly reliable and good value for money.

  • Make sure your Mac is powered OFF and that the charger is disconnected.
  • Start by removing the screws that hold on the bottom panel.
  • Lift off the bottom panel carefully.
  • Optional: Disconnect the battery by lifting up on the cable to remove it from the connector.
  • The hard drive is located along-side the battery.
  • Remove the two screws that hold down the retaining bar along the side of the hard drive.
  • After removing the retainer bar, lift the hard drive using the pull tab.
  • Carefully disconnect the SATA cable, it is thin and fragile.
  • The drive has 4 Torx screws on two sides that need removing, and transferring over to your new drive.
  • If you lack the correct Torx screwdriver, you can get away with using a pair of pliers to do the same job.
  • Connect the SATA cable, place the drive back in the drive bay, and screw the retainer bar back into place.
  • Screw the bottom panel back on.

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AppleCare for MacBook Pro 15.4″

AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro 15.4"I highly recommend purchasing AppleCare for your MacBook Pro. The cost might seem high, but it is far less than the cost of a logicboard, screen or SuperDrive replacement. Apple charges a lot for its parts and labour for out-of-warranty repairs, so the AppleCare warranty is worth the price. It extends the standard warranty from 1 year to 3 years total cover for hardware and manufacturing defects. I have used AppleCare several times in the past and the service has been good. Take your Mac into a local Apple Store, and they’ll run diagnostics, find the problem, and fix it for free as long as you have AppleCare cover.

Summary

There’s probably not much more that I can say other than, this laptop is great. It far exceeds the quality of the last Apple laptop I owned, a 2003 PowerBook G4 12″. The unibody construction is solid, the design is timeless, and the value for money is excellent if you consider how much power, performance and features you get with a MacBook Pro. The hardware quality and software features far exceed anything in the Windows PC market, and this laptop is capable of anything you throw at it. There is also the added bonus of user-upgradeable memory and storage, and the capability of adding solid state drives and memory of up to 16GB. I highly recommend this laptop for any professional who needs a reliable workhorse that’ll get through every day reliably.

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Antiglare Display

The MacBook Pro still remains king as the professional’s laptop. A true workhorse that goes on reliably. © All rights reserved by Max Marele

Amazon Customer Reviews

It’s not just me raving about how good it is, customers who purchased on Amazon also seem to agree. Here’s a couple of recent reviews from MacBook Pro users:

If you’re considering a MacBook Pro for the first time and are coming from the PC world, welcome. You will have a little adjusting to do but it’s really easy and you will probably be impressed with how straightforward the operating system is. It just works. I can’t even think of when I had a crash or freeze.

My Lenovo laptop does not have an illuminated keyboard, so the keyboard on this laptop is a big plus in my opinion. Excellent for people that like to work or surf the web while their significant other is sleeping.

In conclusion – this is a great laptop. Although it is a little pricey, it is well worth the extra money. So far, the only issue I have with it (rubber pads) is a very small problem that does not change how this laptop performs in any way.

People typically say that the real reason they love Macs and other Apple products is because of the build quality. While the build quality on this computer is INSANELY good (I feel bad hauling it around with me; I feel like it should be in an art museum), I really think it’s the software that makes this a standout computer and computing experience.

Where to Buy

ResExcellence recommends Amazon as the best place to purchase your MacBook Pro. They have a wide selection of stock, with the best prices. You can also buy accessories, third party software, and a case for your MacBook Pro from Amazon at the time of your purchase so that when it all arrives, you’ll be ready to rock ‘n’ roll.

Buy your MacBook Pro

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Adobe Photoshop Touch Now Available for iPhone http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/02/27/adobe-photoshop-touch-now-available-for-iphone/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/02/27/adobe-photoshop-touch-now-available-for-iphone/#respond Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:08:02 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4147 Today, Adobe released Photoshop Touch for iPhone. Bring the fun and creative possibilities of Adobe® Photoshop® software to your iPhone and iPod Touch with Adobe Photoshop Touch. Transform your images[...]

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Today, Adobe released Photoshop Touch for iPhone.

Photoshop Touch for iPhone

Bring the fun and creative possibilities of Adobe® Photoshop® software to your iPhone and iPod Touch with Adobe Photoshop Touch.

Transform your images with core Photoshop features. Combine images, apply professional effects, and share results with friends and family through Facebook and Twitter – all from the convenience of your iPhone and iPod Touch. Enjoy most of the same features as the iPad version:

  • Use popular Photoshop features, such as layers, selection tools, adjustments, and filters, to create mind-blowing images.
  • Improve your photos using classic Photoshop features to bring out the best in your photography. Apply precise tone and color adjustments to your entire composition, a particular layer, or a select area.
  • Create something other-worldly using painting effects, filter brushes, and so much more. With Photoshop Touch, the creative possibilities are endless.
  • Make your images pop with graphical text. Apply strokes, add drop shadows and fades, and more.
  • Take advantage of your device’s camera to fill an area on a layer with the unique Camera Fill feature.
  • Quickly combine images together. Select part of an image to extract just by scribbling with the Scribble Selection tool. With the Refine Edge feature, use your fingertip to easily capture hard-to-select image elements, like hair.
  • Start a project on your iPhone or iPod Touch and finish it on your iPad* or back in Photoshop** at your desk using a free membership to Adobe Creative Cloud™.*** Your projects are automatically synced between your devices.
  • Free membership to Creative Cloud provides 2GB of cloud storage.
  • Work on high-resolution images while maintaining the highest image quality. Images up to 12 megapixels are supported

Download Adobe Photoshop Touch for iPhone

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation). Requires iOS 6.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Please note: this is a separate app from Adobe Photoshop Touch for iPad, which is an additional purchase.

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Apple attacked by hackers who hit Facebook last month http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/02/19/apple-attacked-by-hackers-who-hit-facebook-last-week/ http://www.resexcellence.com/2013/02/19/apple-attacked-by-hackers-who-hit-facebook-last-week/#respond Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:31:22 +0000 http://www.resexcellence.com/?p=4129 Reuters reports this morning that a “small number” of Apple’s corporate computers have been hacked by the same group that went after Facebook last month. “There was no evidence that any[...]

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Reuters reports this morning that a “small number” of Apple’s corporate computers have been hacked by the same group that went after Facebook last month. “There was no evidence that any data left Apple,” a spokesperson told Reuters. In a statement to AllThingsD, the company said that the reason for the security breach was Oracle’s Java browser extension; this was the same security hole that Facebook’s computers had.

The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware.

Even if data were to leave Apple’s corporate systems, it is unlikely this would mean harm to their users. The only way the end user could be harmed by such a breach is if the hackers were able to reach the company’s network and take control of its websites, or iTunes. Apple has not included the Java with any Macs built after the release of OS X 10.7 Lion. However, that does not mean that users cannot install it themselves. Through a security hole in Oracle’s software, hackers have been able to gain access to quite a few important corporations’ computers, so if you’re using this plugin, it is recommended that you simply go without it.

Apple told AllThingsD that it will be releasing a new software tool which automatically removes Java if it is not used for 35 days.

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