Welcome to Accularian! On our website you will find over 300 lessons designed to teach you how to use your Macintosh Computer in clearly explained step by step lessons. We also have a ton of QuickTips and How-To’s for the seasoned user. There are a good number of free lessons available so click the picture above and stroll through the library!
I have been so busy constructing the Blog and producing Macintosh Training Videos, I forgot to share with you all one of the most fun things we did several years ago when we initially started Accularian.com. It’s our first commercial!
Addy was one of my local clients with a bit of acting experience and Michael is just the kid next door (6 feet now!) and the music was just me banging out something on Garage Band. I am not even a musician! All the parts were recorded in front of a Green Screen and the whole thing edited in a Macintosh program called Final Cut Pro. The Green Screen was replaced by a shaded background I created in Photoshop and it all got published on YouTube.
What you are seeing above is the actual YouTube video. Please click the “ThumbsUp” button at the end and share it with some folks. That would be awesome!
So, you just bought an iMac. You bribed your nighbor’s nine year old to set it up for you. Now you need some really basic training. That’s where we come in. We’re Accularian.com. – Really basic Macintosh training in the form of short videos you watch right on your Mac. Come to our website to learn more. If you don’t know how to get to a website… ask the nine year old!
Text of the first commercial
Enjoy!
Do you have password problems? Remember when we knew nothing more frustrating than getting locked out of our car… then someone invented computer login credentials? I’ll bet we can all relate to the poor fellow in this Pre-2000 viral video!
First, not only is it an inconvenient time-suck to begin password recovery, but it is frankly a little offensive that a machine can have such power over us when we are the boss, not it! It doesn’t feel fair!
A hunk of silicone and metal telling me, “None shall pass!” Is incredibly frustrating. However, the great news is: like the Black Knight of Monty Python’s “Holy Grail”, vanquishing password issues is possible.. albeit without the bit of silliness. You can become the victor in this quest—every time!
Have you been beaten up enough by the Password Beast? Are you ready to begin your quest for Password Prowess? Be forewarned, brave knight, in so much as this is “a quest,” plan on traveling. As your wizard friend, I will provide you with a carefully crafted map and cadre of defenses in the form of great knowledge. Now, let’s begin our journey as many journeys begin, by looking inward.
(more…)When your Mac is acting up, being slow, not responding or completely frozen, nothing can help like a fresh restart. The problem I see…frequently… is that folks think they are shutting down their Mac but they are merely putting it to sleep. When they push the power button to turn the computer back on, it’s still frozen, in the exact same place it was before the restart. Sleep is not the same thing as a restart. This video explains the important difference.
You know for sure that you are starting fresh when you hear that trademarked chime that indicates a Mac has come to life. If you do not hear that chime, you did not restart the computer, you woke it up from sleep. So, how do we “shut down” a Mac? There are a couple of ways.
To shut down a Mac, move your mouse pointer over the Apple Menu and select “Shut Down” from the drop down menu. Then, wait… sometimes a long time… just wait! The computer will eventually shut down. If you encounter any on-screen advisories that Applications have not closed, just follow the instructions you will see on the screen and try again. Obviously, if your Mac is frozen, this method will not work. Let’s move on the a forced shut down.
Another way to shut down the Mac is to hold the power button in, on the back of the iMac, for about 15 seconds. The computer will go to sleep in about 2 seconds and after another few seconds it will completely power off. That’s a shut down! Push the power button again for about one second and the computer will power up. You will hear that chime. If you are unsure that you have truly shut down your Mac, unplug it. Don’t forget to remove the battery too, if it is a laptop.
Using the power button to shut down a laptop is a bit different. When you push the power button on a laptop such as the Macbook Pro or the Macbook Air, a dialog box pops up inquiring as to what you are trying to do. Four options will be available, “Restart”, “Shutdown” and “Sleep”, plus a “Cancel” button. The latter, just in case you hit the power button accidentally.
Be advised that you may not hear the chime if you have external speakers or headphones plugged in. When you plug headphones or speakers into the computer, a design mechanism turns off the built-in speakers. In this case, the computer may be completely shut off, but you will not hear the chime unless the speakers are on, or you have the headphones attached to or in close proximity to your auditory receptors. In some cases a Mac will not chime if the volume had previously been set to zero or off.
All too often, I get a call from a client who tells me that their Mac is frozen. My first question is always, “Have you restarted your computer?” And the rest of the conversation goes like this:
Client: “Yes.”
Me: “Did you hear the chime?”
Client: “What chime?”
At this point, I know with confidence… the computer was not actually restarted but wakened from slumber. The conversation continues:
Me: “Push your power button one time.”
I wait.
Client: “Everything is still the same. The floppy joppy is still frozen! Am I gonna die?”
Me: “No! Stay calm. Now, hold the power button in for 15 seconds.”
I wait….fifteen seconds.
Me: “Now push it again.”
Mac: “Chime!!!”
Client: “Gasp! You’re a genius!”
Me: “No I’m not, just practiced.”
Enjoy!
Dana
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