by Keith Richardson

Summer started slowly but has turned out pretty well, n’est-ce pas? The heat and Olympics actually drove a few people indoors for a while!

After a slow June, the new clients side of our business picked up considerably in July and August as many of you took the plunge and acquired a new Mac or one of the “old stock.” Many London Drugs managers reported that their discounted old stock moved slower than in past roll-outs, a sign, perhaps, that folks had been lusting for the latest Mac-hines. Local Mac only resellers seem to have similar over abundance of stale stock. (Of course, it’s never really stale, is it?)

Unfortunately, until late August, many “new” Macs, due to the length of the commercial supply chain, did not arrive installed with Apple’s newest OS, Mountain Lion (10.8). The free upgrade, moreover, is a time-consuming and somewhat nerve-wracking experience for many people as it needs to be done over the Internet through Apple’s App Store. If you don’t have a high speed connection, I’d almost say don’t even think about it. Even on high speed, from the moment you begin the download until ML is up and running you’re looking at over 2 hours. If, God forbid, you’re still using High Speed Lite (Lite with a silent “t”), it will take much longer. We were well over an hour with Broadband 50.

As well, prior to accessing any of Apple’s online stores (iTunes store, App store, iBook store, etc.), you have to have an Apple ID. Then, as you’re ready to download Mountain Lion, the App Store may appear to want a current credit card number. It turns out that if you know the procedure, you can obtain free software from the App Store without a credit card. Check out http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534 and click on Creating an account on a computer. 

July and August 2012 Mac purchasers don’t need to provide a credit card. But navigating through all the “special circumstances” at play here may leave you wanting help in following all the directions.

The good news is that, for most, the transition to Mountain Lion has gone very smoothly. 3 million downloads in the first four days of its release. “Surprisingly good” app compatibility according to TechCrunch reviewer MG Siegler. Which doesn’t mean that ALL your old apps, especially if you’re upgrading from Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8), are going to work on ML. If you’re an old hand with Macs but have never really figured out your computer’s tech side, we recommend you consult someone who knows about these things….

How different is ML? Significantly divergent from Snow Leopard. Even Lion users will find several brand new features (sometimes a bit hidden—ain’t that the Apple way?) as well as noticeable changes (enhancements?) to familiar apps like the renamed Address Book, now renamed Contacts (as on the iPad and iPhone), and simpler to use. Also, kudos for Notifications, Safari 6, and iCloud.

Notifications resides in the upper right corner of our Desktop menu bar. When you receive a new email, or an event reminder is issued, you receive an unobtrusive notification that you can act on or not as you see fit.

Safari 6 increasing imitates its competition, notably Firefox and Chrome browsers, yet retains its unique features—Reader, built-in dictionary, and even easier setup editing. The biggest difference is the combined search and address box. Tabs utilization is also better in our opinion. One thing missing, at first, is the add a bookmark button (+), but it can be added by customizing the toolbar—which we advocate in any case. We also like being able to swipe between web pages both on a trackpad and even the Magic Mouse.

We also like the improvements in Preview, notably the Markup option, a significant improvement over the old Annotate button. Several features that were previously separated have been rolled into Edit. Click it and you get a whole raft of tools. Some tools are still only accessible under the Preview menus (Adjust colour and size, for example. It would be nice to have them as buttons on the Toolbar, too.)

As has been the case for years, however, it’s a puzzle to us why so many Preview’s best features are not “turned on” “out of the box.” You’ll need to right click on the title bar, select Customize Toolbar to add these tools: expanded zoom box (3 buttons instead of 2), Zoom to Fit, Scale, Inspector, and possibly others.

All in all, however, we continue to be impressed by just how well designed and useful Preview is. Sadly, it appears that Most Mac users have never closely looked at the app’s “extra bells and whistles.”

We’ve also played briefly with the new Dictation/Speech preference. Competent typists used to “thinking in type” are unlikely to switch to Dictation. Competent speakers, however, may love it. Just be sure to choose the input language that fits your voice. If, instead of US English (apparently there’s a Canadian English option “coming soon,” eh?), you converse in UK or Australian English, don’t say “period” to mark the end of a sentence. Say, “Full stop.” Otherwise you’ll see not a “.” but the word “period.” As with all dictation programs, there’s plenty of hilarity when the computer misinterprets your speech, grammar, or meaning. Not yet a home run.

On the other hand, we love the improved text to speech feature. We asked “Tessa” and “Karen” to read this column back to us and loved their delightful South African and Australian accents so much that we almost forgot to listen to the content. Hope we haven’t left too many typos in this report!

Postscript: One small thing, noted by one reviewer as a change she wants to see reversed. It’s no longer so easy to accidentally remove an app from the Dock by clicking and dragging it up. Many of our clients in the past were plagued by this issue. Now, you have to be more deliberate; you can still drag it up—a bit higher than before, hold it there for a couple of seconds and then watch it “poof” if you like, but you’re less likely to do this accidentally.

Don’t forget to check out the Macseniors website: http://macseniors.ca.

COMPUTER CHAT

by Keith Richardson

As we head into the back-to-school season, many of us, long removed from school daze, look around for tech benefits aimed at younger generations but which we can take advantage of, too. It’s a good time to consider selling (or bestowing) the old laptop to someone needing it for school research and reports.

And, of course, availing ourselves of that frisky new machine we so deserve! Look for specials not only from the major distributors (Apple, Sony, and now, Samsung stores), but our local London Drugs and neighbourhood computer stores. Old stock on sale is still “new stock” for those with the right attitude; the money saved will buy a few precious peripherals.

If you’re looking at a Mac computer, wait until your store can supply you with a Mountain Lion machine—available this month. Apple online is offering three-month no-interest financing that is nearly impossible for its “resellers” to match.

On the other hand, if you’re thinking of an iPad, hang tight until rumours of a smaller, cheaper “iPad mini” are either confirmed or proven false. We’re betting on the former and anticipating that it will have been announced before you receive this column…. Or, perhaps you’re planning to get Amazon’s Kindle Fire (you’ll have to buy it in the US; Amazon still hasn’t seen fit to unleash it on us Canucks! or a Nexus 7 (Android system) made by Google. Both of these are smaller than the 9 inch iPad and hoping to carve a niche for people who find the latter just a little too big to fit into a purse or briefcase, but more than the four inch screen of a smart phone. Hence, the virtual certainly that Apple will enter the fray with a 7-incher of its own.

According to the New York Times, “The most credible challenge right now to the iPad appears to be Google’s Nexus 7, an Android device that costs CDN$209 and is of the company’s own design. With a seven-inch screen, the Nexus 7 has already won enthusiastic reviews for its software and battery life — and, of course, its size and price.”

If you’re looking to purchase a Windows 8 computer or tablet (yes, the same OS runs on both), you’ll have to wait until sometime in October. Died-in-the-wool Microsoft fans hoping to scoop up a new Microsoft/Asus “Surface” tablet may have to wait a bit longer. There has been much discussion about Microsoft’s decision to foray into controlling both software and hardware (at least in the Surface) while continuing to license the new OS to other PC makers. Some Mac fanatics have disparaged the Surface as a “state of the vapour tablet.”

If you’re a PC owner switching to Mac, take some time to analyze how Apple’s comprehensive, integrated system links their computers, tablets, and phones. I’m always a bit surprised to see folks with Macs still using Hotmail in Firefox, an Android smart phone, and photo software downloaded as part of their printer software instead of Apple products that all talk to each other and work together. I understand that some folks prefer to run MS Office on their Macs (I do) and use Outlook (I don’t) instead of Apple Mail and Address Book/Contacts.

However, when you add an iPad or iPhone to your mix of devices, it makes so much more sense to have an Apple email (dot-me) account, and to sync your contacts and bookmarks on both machines via iCloud.

Firefox 13, which in the past six months has evolved through six iterations (!) has improved considerably in its security and speed, is still, for many Mac users NOT as appropriate to use as Safari 5.1.7 with its Reader function, ease in editing set up and bookmarks, and integration with Apple’s dictionary. Yes, we can find fault with the individual products, but the way they work together is marvellous. Safari also runs on PCs, faster in some cases on Windows 7 machines than it does on some Macs!

For those thinking of upgrading their Macs from Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Mountain Lion (OS 10.8) for only $20, make sure your hardware and apps are ML compatible and properly prepared. For example, if you are still running PowerPC apps on your SL system, you won’t be able to after upgrading either to Lion or Mountain Lion.

For more comprehensive guidance, check out MacWorld online: “Get your Mac ready for Mountain Lion.” (http://www.macworld.com/article/1167629/get_your_mac_ready_for_mountain_lion.html)

While most folks upgrading to Mountain Lion will want to do so over the existing OS, some of us would be better off, after backing up all of our existing data and apps, to do a “clean install.” Go to It’s All Tech for this tutorial: http://itsalltech.com/2012/07/16/how-to-clean-install-os-x-mountain-lion/ .

MacSeniors also suggests delaying upgrading until OS 10.8.1 comes out and takes care of the bugs that will inevitably pester early adopters…. The first update is usually very significant and arrives often within a month of the newOS release.

On the other hand, if you’re buying a new machine, you need to be thoughtful about what apps you import from your earlier system. For an App Compatibility Table that is constantly being updated, check out http://roaringapps.com/apps:table .

The changes we’re seeing in mid 2012 are going to look like nothing compared with what we’ll see over the next two to five years: smartphones and tablets that we have intelligent conversation with, or control by tactile pressure; flexible, foldable, displays; pico projectors that cast small 3-D images of our Skype buddies on a wall, devices that can only be turned on by recognizing their owner’s face and/or voice or retina. Our brains will be boggled as never before! Or so we’re being led to believe….

A small yard can be a challenge… I like to incorporate elements that already exist in the yard, such as a deck, patio, or tiered landscaping. Establish what your yard is to accomplish, then create separate zones. My small cookie cutter back yard was well, boring!

Creating separate zones allowed me to focus on one outdoor room at a time.  In July’s issue, an outdoor fireplace was the focal point, creating a deck styled living room.

In this column, I will discuss outdoor spaces, creating two distinct zones, and fabulous outdoor rooms.

The constant cascading flow of water from the garden fountain, placed beside a bench, brings focus and tranquility to a under utilized tiny strip of tiered yard to an outdoor garden room.  On aggregate landscape rock, sits an old wooden and wrought iron park bench.  Cushions in patterned outdoor fabrics adds comfort and color to the bench and withstands West Coast elements.

A strategically placed Japanese maple in the lower flower bed provides the rock garden room with plenty of shade on those warm summer afternoons.  Above the bench, I simply screwed pretty colored bamboo pots to the fence, then filled the pots with succulents and ivy’s; creating a low maintenance living garden wall.  A tall wrought iron candle holder, stands beside the park bench, replacing the candle for a solar light, provides soft lighting in the evenings.  A mirror that had outlived usefulness in the house, I painted with outdoor paint and hung above the wrought iron stand; reflecting the soft solar light.

The next zone was to transform a standard size cement patio into a conversation area.  Using a large outdoor rug in a patterned black and gray, I created the visual outline of the conversation area.  The dark pattern in the rug visually anchors and defines the outdoor room.

I placed a low, round, brown aluminum table in the centre of the rug; with a tabletop fire bowl.  Four comfortable brown padded aluminum chairs were placed around the table.  Striped outdoor cushions in gray, sit on each chair, a cozy, dark gray throw draped over the back of a chair, wards off evening chills and created instant ambiance.

In the corner of the patio, I anchored an oversized cantilever umbrella, large enough to cover the entire conversation patio set.  A vignette of three difference size planter pots filled with a variety of blooms and trailing plants sits in the opposite corner of the patio.  Visually creating a corner for the outdoor room and adding pops of color.  Hidden solar lights in the planters adds soft lighting for the evenings; lighting the blooms at night.

The outdoor conversation room is perfect, for laid back evenings with friends.  Remember to furnish your deck, porch, or patio as if they were indoor rooms.  There are plenty of new outdoor furnishing that will help accomplish your perfect outdoor space.

Quick Tip:  When entertaining, bring out console or side table for beverages.  This allows easy access for refills and more time with guests.

Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.

Roxanne Griese is an Artist
Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca

Creative Living  Tips & Tricks

By Roxanne Griese

Looking to create a reading corner, look to your outdoor furniture. A small outdoor side table and chair, with a reading lamp can create a cozy reading corner to any room. Outdoor rugs are easy to clean and can add casual personality under a kitchen table. Galvanized buckets are an interesting way to keep beverages cold for guests, simply fill with ice and top with a favorite bottled beverage.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s BC Seniors Games, which take place in Burnaby from August 21 to 25.

The 25th edition of the games, which are coming to Langley in 2014, are a great way for active seniors to get involved.

The 2013 Games will be held in Kamloops.

Information about the Games can be found at the website www.bcseniorsgames.org. All the details about sport schedules will be posted on the Burnaby host website one week prior to the games. There will be competitions in almost 30 sports from archery and badminton to lawn bowling, ice hockey, golf, tennis and track and field.

Included this year are such events as darts, dragon boat racing, pickleball, one-act plays and whist.

The BC Seniors Games is an annual, multi-sport event hosted by a different community each year. They are one of the largest games organized within BC with approximately 3,500 participants aged 55 plus from all over the province.

Activity of both mind and body has a beneficial effect on the health and well being of older adults. Sport and recreational development for seniors has a direct bearing on the quality of life for older British Columbians. That is why the games were first organized in 1987, when the society was formed.

The registered society is a volunteer-based, charitable organization and consists of an executive committee, 12 Zone directors and 12 Zone committees, who are responsible for organizing the administration and registration of the 244 sports participating in the Seniors Games.

For those people who would like to learn more about the organization of the games, or get involved, the society will hold its annual general meeting on Thursday, August 23 at 7 pm at the Hilton Metrotown Hotel, 6083 McKay Avenue in Burnaby.

The first Seniors Games were held in Vernon in 1988 with more than 600 participants. Through the years that number has grown substantially with the variety of sports and events. The games include a banquet and dance as part of the social activities.

This year’s Games will honor past society presidents and those presidents of the former host communities. They will be invited to a special presentation at the opening ceremonies.

***

Older workers in 2008 were significantly less likely to participate in job-related training than their counterparts in the core working-age population.

A recent study on job-related training of older workers released by Statistics Canada, found younger employees reported receiving more job-related training than their older counterparts. About 45 per cent of workers aged 25 to 54 took at least one job-related course or program, compared with 32 per cent of those aged 55 to 64.

Several factors were linked with significantly lower participation in training among older workers. These included lower annual incomes, low educational attainment, temporary employment and work in blue-collar or service jobs. Workers in the private sector, particularly those in goods-production industries, were also less likely to take job-related training.

This study examined the incidence and intensity of job-related training among workers aged 55 to 64 and also examined employer support and barriers preventing individuals from participating in training they wanted or needed to take.

Outdoor Rooms

It is that time of year, when we can sit outside and enjoy a beverage, listen to the song birds, and experience the fleeting sun. For me, it is time to create outdoor rooms, I love this task; creating outdoor living spaces. Even in a cookie cutter suburban back yard, I have managed to create 4 outdoor rooms.

Why, so many individual rooms? Simply because, I can! Planning outdoor rooms in early spring, allows enough time to comb through store flyers, garden and decor magazines looking for ideas and seasonal trends. Cutting out pages of inspiring ideas and putting them in a handy 3 ring binder; keeps a tidy visual reminder to help create your personalized outdoor room.

Decide first, what you want your outdoor room to accomplish, choosing a purpose for each space will help focus your design. Once I had my rooms planned, I started scouring Craigslist daily… I finally found the perfect outdoor furniture. A conversation set including 6 cast aluminum chairs, cushions and table for $260.00. The brown cushions were sun faded, but lets be honest, new cushions are going to fade the first season; so why not buy a gently used set.

I used the set in 3 different places, keeping in mind that if I had a large crowd the chairs could be moved easily.

My first outdoor room centered around a large brick faced outdoor fireplace. I flanked two box woods planted in large planters on either side of the fireplace creating a focus point. I then laid a patterned, outdoor vinyl rug to establish the outdoor room and give it definition. Two chairs with cushions faced the fireplace, adding a small wrought iron bistro table between the chairs for evening meals or beverages. Placing a cozy grey throw, over one chair to ward off evening chills and colorful occasional pillows added another decorative layer.

At the end of last season, I found a broken, barn wood and wrought iron folding screen at a garden center. I asked the manager if he would sell it to me; I scored a $179.00 screen for $20.00. Using a few screws, I repaired the screen, then added landscape cloth to the back for added privacy, by simply cutting and stapling the fabric to fit the openings; not painting the screen gave it a shabby chic style. Accompanying the fireplace, a reclaimed fireplace set from a neighbor sits on a piece of slate. For a pop of color, I painted an old square vinyl stool, purchased at a thrift store for $3.99 in chartreuse green, ideal for relaxing putting up your feet, extra seating or to rest a drink.

To complete the first outdoor living space, I added a hanging basket of bright multi colored flowers and a patio umbrella for shade. I now have a room that serves as an outdoor living room, to put your feet up, read a newsmagazine, enjoy a fire, beverage and a light snack.

decor time to comb through store magazines looking for ideas

“Planning outdoor rooms in early spring, allows enough flyers, garden and and seasonal trends.”

Stay tuned… continuing to love your space.

Roxanne Griese is an Artist

Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit www.artbyroxanne.ca

Creative Living  Tips & Tricks

By Roxanne Griese

Add one “to do” to a weekly cleaning routine. The basics always seem to be achieved, it the small things that are often overlooked.  It can be as simple as going through the junk drawer, wiping one shelve of the pantry then placing the items back neatly, or wiping out the utensil drawer.  Pick one thing a week that time allows.  Adding this one small step to a weekly or monthly routine eliminates the ever growing “to do list”.

By Ursula Maxwell-Lewis

Sipping champagne in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin I soak up what closely resembles ultra violet cabin lighting. The pinky-lilac infusion, teamed with pre-flight champagne, produces the clearly desired relaxing, pampering effect. I’d rate as an Uber Cool Senior if I could reproduce this combination in my condo. For now, I’ll just bask in it here.

“Have you been introduced to your ’suite’?” enquires an elegantly coiffured flight attendant. Her French manicured nails, fitted signature red suit, matching ‘Dorothy’ heels, and “Upper Class Red” lipstick by bareMinerals accented only by understated jewellery are reminiscent of a more elegant airline era.

Seated companionably on what will double as my in-flight footrest, she quickly gives me the lowdown on accessing the adjustable recessed touch screen entertainment system housing 50 movies and my collapsible sliding tray table.  Later, when I’m ready, she’ll slide my seat forward to convert it into a bed for me.  Angled away from the fuselage wall toward the aisle, the ‘suites’ to my left and right offer privacy and generate a pleasant sense of being cocooned.

Cabin-centre to my left lurks an inviting mood-lit bar worthy of any cosy upmarket bistro. I picture it appealing to trendy business travelers westbound on 10-hour daylight flights to Vancouver.

FIRST CLASS – With a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class suite and champagne, Ursula Maxwell-Lewis takes the high road from Vancouver to Jubilee London, Cheers!

My comfy navy ‘sleep suit’ is delivered after dinner, quilts cover my now converted seat – and it’s sweet dreams at 32,000 feet over the Atlantic, Virgin Airlines-style.  Drifting off to sleep I recall the DC-6 hold outfitted with a mattress I once slept in thundering over the Sahara. I think, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

Having requested a ‘wake-up call’ for breakfast an hour out of Heathrow, I’m ready for scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt. Unlike my usual long-haul flights, I feel refreshed and minus that grungy, numb I-slept-like-a-pretzel feeling.

Ten minutes ahead of schedule, Virgin Atlantic’s brand new A330-300 inaugural flight from Vancouver greases onto the London tarmac with barely a bump.  The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations are ahead of me, and, thanks to a good night’s sleep, jetlag will be the least of my worries.

Eastbound two weeks later I dropped into the Virgin Upper Class Lounge at Heathrow.  Spacious and well appointed with casual and a la cart dining, my early arrival also allows me time for a complimentary 15-minute manicure and facial.  Even my shoes get a little TLC from the shoe shine bloke!

Upper Class on the return included not only a comfortable 3-hour snooze and lunch, but also high tea before arrival in Vancouver. Who says flying has lost its lustre? I’m feeling Richard Branson-ishly out of this world. Definitely out of my world…and enjoying it.

Watch for ticket sales and competitive pricing if London is on your Bucket List this year. No matter which of Virgin’s three classes of service you chose, these folks have definitely upscaled the neighb‘air’hood.  (I just couldn’t resist that!)

Virgin Atlantic, services Vancouver–London (Heathrow) Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday until Oct. 27. Costs from $778 plus taxes, book at virginatlantic.com.  When planning your trip, remember that www.VisitBritain.com will help put your plans in perspective on the ground.

Ursula Maxwell-Lewis was a guest of Virgin Atlantic. As a former Air Hostess, she remembers when cabin pressure had a different meaning. Contact her at utravel@shaw.ca

By Rick C. Singh

Are financial headlines keeping you awake at Night?

The recent volatility in financial markets and the sudden decline in 2008/09 have caused a lot of investors to stay awake at night because their investments are down significantly from their previous highs. It is also one of the first times in history that Canadian markets have had a negative return over a ten year period. Retirees and those planning for retirement are re evaluating what they invested in previously, and are looking for safety and security.

Most of the clients that I deal with are boomers and retirees and over the years they have instilled in me that what’s important to them is not the returns they get on their investments, but it is the return of their investments. They want assurances that their investments will be safe in the future so they can plan their retirement. They want investments that give them the opportunity to participate in the upside of the markets, but protect the deposit value if the markets should go down. They want to know that their income is guaranteed, and has the potential to increase, rather than go downwards when the markets decline. They especially want to be able to pass on a guaranteed value from their investments to their spouse, children or grandchildren in case of death, and not just the market value at death.

Recent surveys show that investors are looking for alternatives and advice in this time of uncertainty. It is for this reason I am reminded to write about the benefits of Guaranteed Investment funds (GIF) for investors looking for safety, security and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the markets, and to be able to sleep at nights.

Give your investments the guarantee it deserves: for Estate planning and Income for Life:

GIF for Estate Planning:

Investments from insurance companies are called Guaranteed Investment funds (GIF). GIF offer solutions that allow you to invest in mutual funds and guarantee that at least either 75% or 100% of your principal is protected over a specified period of time. They have a Death Benefit feature that guarantees at least 100% of your original deposit minus any withdrawals, on death. Some have a death benefit guarantee that will annually reset and lock in the market value if it is higher than the deposit value; an important feature for estate planning. They also offer the ability to name one or more beneficiaries. This allows you to direct the value of those investments, at the time of your death to individual(s) you have designated within your contract in a manner that is private, outside of your estate, while bypassing the expense and inconvenience of probate. The settlement and transfer of these proceeds to your beneficiaries is quick and seamless.

GIF for Guaranteed Income for Life

Guaranteed investment funds have also evolved to guarantee you an income for life, and the income will never decrease due to declines in the markets, as is the case with mutual funds and stock portfolios. You essentially create your own Defined Benefit Pension plan, with your personal investments providing guaranteed income for life, 5% at age 65 or 6% at age 75.

With GIF Income for Life investments, in years that you do not take any income, regardless of what the markets are doing these income solutions add a minimum of a 5% bonus annually to your original deposit plus any subsequent deposits, creating an income pool. Every three years if the market value is greater than the income pool they will lock in the greater of value and calculate the 5% bonus from the higher market value, so that the bonus paid will be 5% of a higher value going forward. Think of this as inflation indexing. When you start taking income at age 65 they guarantee a minimum 5% payout from your guaranteed income pool. If you wait to take your income at a later age such as age 75 the guaranteed payout will increase to 6% of your income pool.  The lifetime income guarantee and the 5% bonus during the accumulation stage make a GIF a great income solution especially for RSPs and RRIFs and GIC investors who want guaranteed income for life.

If more Canadians knew about these investment solutions they would sleep better at night. They would have peace of mind knowing that they do not have to worry about what the markets are doing. They have guarantees that will protect what they have worked hard to accumulate and not have to worry about losing it, or living on lower income.

To find out more about GIF investment solutions for Estate planning and Income guarantee, contact your financial advisor or Rick Singh at 604-535-3367 or
email: rick@crsfinancial.ca

by Keith Richardson

Big news in June, indeed! First Microsoft released its updated preview of Windows 8. Polite applause from most quarters.

Next, Google piped up about their upgraded maps app, and did so not on an Android tablet but on an iPad—just to emphasize that no matter what Apple does, users will still be able to download Google Maps from the App Store. Some crabbed that the announcement seemed rushed, if not premature.

And then, on June 11, Apple bombarded us with announcements covering hardware, especially a new MacBook Pro to die for (really?), and further insight into Mountain Lion, its new OS for Macs, and iOS 6, the latest iteration for iPads and iPhones coming in autumn.

There are now two classes of MacBook Pro, neither of which sports Ethernet ports or optical drives (for CDs and DVDs). The extra thin, 15.4” “Retina Display” models boast an until-now-unheard-of-resolution-in-a-portable of 2880 by 1800 pixels, Core i7 processors with ‘Turbo Boost,’ an extremely fast Solid State Drive (no spinning hard drive), 8GB of Random Access Memory (upgradeable to 16GB for $200 more)—and price tags of CDN$2229 to CDN$2829 depending on which processor and SSD size one chooses. Note that, in order to create a thinner, lighter machine, Apple had to solder in the RAM; don’t expect to upgrade it in the future. For best protection, buy the 3-year Apple Care plan. And, if you really need one, Apple still sells an external optical drive for $79.

For most seniors, MBPs with Retina Display and SSDs are a lot more machine than we need. The thicker, heavier, lower resolution, cheaper MacBook Pros are still good upgraded machines. Apple offers two 13.3” and two 15.4” models. While 17 inchers are no longer made, you may still be able to find one in the inventory of your favourite Apple dealer this month.

Prices are considerably more affordable for the non-Retina versions but vary with configuration. The entry level 13.3” model lists at $1229 while the advanced 15” version will set one back $1000 more for a faster, more efficient processor, double the RAM and a bigger HD. You can order any of the MBPs with SSDs instead of Hard Drives if you’re prepared to spend $100 to $800 more!

Our advice on the new MacBook Pro: if you DON’T need portability, then an iMac is still the way to go: more machine for the money, and, honesty, it doesn’t take up any more room than an MBP, and you don’t need a wireless router, either! If you do only email, web surfing, photo management, memoir writing, and a few games, consider an iPad: while you will need a WiFi connection, the ‘Pad will satisfy virtually all your needs. (Incidentally, both Telus and Shaw, as standard service these days, can provide combined modem/ WiFi routers).

But if you really want that 15 inch display—excuse me while I wipe away the drool—your solution is between the lines above!

If you buy a new Mac this month, you’ll be entitled to a free upgrade to OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion). If you can wait a month, new Macs should have ML pre-installed after mid-August (also watch for specials on “old stock”). There are “over 200 new features” in ML (“new” from Lion, even newer for those upgrading from Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8)). Check ’em out at www.apple.com/osx/whats-new/features.html

To upgrade an older iMac currently running Snow Leopard or Lion costs $19.99, and you’ll do the upgrade online via Apple’s App Store.

To see if your Mac can be upgraded to Mountain Lion, go to www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/. Although I am running Lion on my MacBook Pro bought in 2006, I will NOT be able to run Mountain Lion on it; I’d need the model that replaced my MBP in June 2007. Aarrgh.

We’ll have more to report on Mountain Lion and Windows 8 next month. As usual, the excitement is more about software than hardware! Check out Mountain Lion for yourself at apple.com/osx/ where you can click on Watch the OS X Mountain Lion video. Most exciting feature for seniors? We think it may be the (free) built in Dictation feature. Imagine almost no typing…. Or maybe Dictation is too good to be true. After all, it’s not a new technology: it’s built into Windows 7, and many of us have paid dearly for speech recognition software from Nuance (Dragon Dictate or for Windows, Dragon Naturally Speaking) only to find it less user friendly than we’d hoped…. See David Pogue’s article in Scientific American (December 2010)— www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=talk-to-the-machine

Windows 8 can be previewed at windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/release-preview or at lifehacker.com/5839777/whats-new-in-windows-8

By the way, a few numbers presented by Tim Cook at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June just in case you missed them :>)

The 2012 WWDC was Apple’s 23rd WWDC, making it the longest-running developer conference around.

The 2012 WWDC sold out in one hour and 43 minutes (compared with several days in 2011).

The 2012 WWDC hosts attendees from more than 60 countries.

There are 400 million (Apple) App Store accounts.

And there are about 650,000 apps in the App Store itself.

225,000 of those apps are designed specifically for iPad.

30 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store so far.

The App Store has generated five billion dollars in revenue for developers.

Soon, Apple will bring the App Store to 32 more countries, making it available in a grand total of 155 countries.

There are 66 million Mac users — triple the number Apple had just five years ago.

26 million copies of Lion have been shipped so far.

40 percent of OS X users are running Lion.

Mountain Lion will be the eighth major release of OS X.

Mountain Lion will feature more than 200 new features and 1,700 new APIs.

iCloud’s user base has grown to 125 million.

Through the end of March, Apple had sold 365 million iOS devices (iPads, iPhones).

More than 80 percent of iOS users are running iOS 5 (current OS due to be upgraded this fall).

There are currently 140 million iMessage users; they send around 1,000,000,000 iMessages per day.

iOS has delivered 1.5 trillion push notifications so far.

There are currently 130 million Game Centre accounts, from which there have been posted 5 billion scores.

More than 10 billion tweets have been sent from iOS 5.

About 47 percent of all photos posted to Twitter are sent from devices running iOS 5.

(Thanks to All Things Digital: allthingsd.com/20120612/apples-wwdc-keynote-by-the-numbers/)