Past Meetings

March 17, 2006

Five people made it to this month's MUG: Tom B, Bob S, Jack H, Ed K and Bob G.

One of the free mac browsers mentioned last meeting was iCab. A handy feature in iCab allows the user to select from several possible browser identities which is extremely helpful at those log-in sites that tell you your browser is not compatible with this site. See the iCab sample identities window here. Another neat feature in iCab is the Kiosk Mode which causes the browser window to cover the whole desktop while other users are online with your computer - nothing underneath is available until the Kiosk Mode is turned off via Command-K or preset password.

Part Deux - Tom reviewed the eBay selling protocol he presented last meeting and also shared what he had learned in a month of selling. For one thing, it is mind-boggling how many people want to buy your jun... treasures. After a couple feverish days of selling, one begins to get an 'ebay mentality'. When the neighbors' cat strolls by your window, you subconsciously estimate how many pounds it weighs and whether it would fit into a Priority Box or not. Another insight was the best time to start / end an auction : it is Sunday evening between 7pm and 11 pm. One of Tom's most promising auctions had 15 people watching an item during the week, but not a single bid during the closing moments which happened to coincide with the Saturday night ending of a college basketball game between Duke and UNC. A third thing learned was to be sure to cover your shipping costs with a few dollars built into the shipping charge. Boxes, bubble wrap, tape, etc.- all add up. Finally, it is worth paying the extra 50 cents for Delivery Confirmation. A tracking number is now provided by USPS which allows either party to check via internet on item location as well as delivery confirmation.

Printing an Envelope - using Page Setup found under File in any word processor, you can select #10 Envelope in the Paper Size window. In AppleWorks, you can actually see the final shape of the envelope. Also there are Templates available in the AppleWorks Starting Points (bottom Tabs) which provides a reusable model for personalized envelope, even including a personal logo or tradename in the return address area. You can sub in your own artwork or photo.

TIP: If you get a message that you cannot empty the Trash because some items are 'locked' - just hold SHIFT+OPTION when you empty.

A link to 10 Simple Steps for securing your Mac can be found here.

Next meeting planned for Saturday afternoon, April 22 at 2pm.

Link to H'PORTMUG homepage

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