Like most applications in OS X with a toolbar, Finder will let you rearrange, add and remove items from its toolbar (pictured below). This is a great timesaver for those who don’t have the keyboard shortcuts memorized for deleting or want to have access to a button.

Customized Finder Toolbar.

Customize Toolbar menu item.

Items available for the Finder toolbar.

I like to add a little something to each of the applications I use, personalize them if you will. Even though I use keyboard shortcuts the majority of the time to delete, view file info or for Quick Look, I find myself using them occasionally when its not convenient to use the keyboard (other people who use my Mac use them as well).

A week ago my USB Time Machine drive died. I’ve been using an old firewire drive to back up my data, but it’s too small to work with Time Machine. I needed a new backup solution. Among the options I considered were RAID arrays from Drobo and LaCie. While providing almost bulletproof backup these RAID arrays are very expensive.

MacBook Pro 15

Robert came up with the idea of replacing the MacBook Pro’s drive with an SSD and using the old drive for Time Machine in a new USB enclosure. The advantage would be a boost in speed as well as a backup solution. With the prices of memory coming down, I picked up a 128 GB SSD at CompUSA for a good price.    

128GB SSD w/ MacBook Pro mounting hardware.

The new drive has the following specs:       

• Interface: SATA II
• Dimensions: 99.88 x 69.63x 9.3 mm
• Weight: 91g
• Sequential Read: up to 175MB/s
• Sequential Write: up to 100MB/s
• Shock Resistant: 1500G/0.5ms
• Vibration Resistant: 20G/20~2000Hz with 3 Axis
• Operating Voltage: DC 5V
• Power Consumption: 280mA~330mA
• Operating Temperature: -10ºC~70ºC
• Storage Temperature: -55ºC~125ºC
• MTBF: >1,500,000 Hours
• Data Retention: > 5 years at 25ºC
• Data Reliability: Built in 15-bit ECC
• O/S Support: 2000/XP/Vista, Linux and MAC OS  

First a thorough backup on the old firewire drive and Mobile Me’s sync. Out came the screwdrivers and we tore into the MacBook Pro.

128GB SSD next to MacBook Pro w/ top removed.

After installation we did a new install of Leopard from disk. My contacts, bookmarks, and mail accounts were restored easily from Mobile Me. Music and photos came from the firewire disk. With only 128 GB, I have to keep the MacBook Pro lean and mean. If I haven’t used something within six months it’s not going to be installed. My movies are stored on the firewire disk and a other networked computers for now.

MacBook Pro with 128GB SSD installed (top removed).

Here’s what System Profiler has to say about the drive:       

• PATRIOT MEMORY 128GB SSD:
• Capacity: 119.42 GB
• Model: PATRIOT MEMORY 128GB SSD
• Revision: 02.10104
• Native Command Queuing: No
• Removable Media: No
• Detachable Drive: No
• Mac OS 9 Drivers: No
• S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Ok, how does it perform? (more…)

ReadTags: Hard Disk, Hard Drive, Hardware, HD, HDD, Install, MacBook Pro, Solid State Disk, Solid State Drive, SSD, Upgrade.

Tip: Easily rearrange Menu Bar items

by Robert Hodgen in How to, Mac Basics, Tips, Tricks on November 4th, 2008. No Comments.

First off, this tip does not work with all menu bar items, only Apple-provided menu bar items (like the clock, WiFi status, iChat, etc.) and select third-party application menu bar addons. This reason behind this how to do with how developers add an item to the menu bar: only items through OS X’s SystemUIServer will work with this tip. 

Dragging the WiFi status Menu Bar item.

Back when I first switched to the Mac, I couldn’t for figure out a way to move the items on my Mac’s menu bar around. The only way I could figure a way to do it was to manually enable/disable them in the order I wanted them to be displayed. This tip is a simple solution to that problem.

(more…)

ReadTags: Leopard, Mac Basics, Menu Bar, menubar, Tips, Tricks.