About Jeffrey J. Wrobel Expertise I can answer OS compatibility questions, from OS 7 to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Living in Rhode Island with family near Cape Cod, Mass has proven to be a bit lacking in Mac popularity (Yankees are slow to change), but momentum is building for Apple.
Experience I studied electrical engineering, video technology, and computers in the early 80s, coming into contact with the very first Apple machines. Unlike many Mac technicians, I also have an excellent working knowledge of the Windoze platform. This has allowed me to work in many different computer environments and has made my company, Lazarus Communications, much more desirable for many small businesses and mixed Mac/PC homes. I do point-of-sale installations, design systems and networks for unique business and creative settings. I have 25 years experience in software installation, use, and troubleshooting as well as all aspects of high level hardware repair. Any questions about peripherals and their Mac-compatibility are also welcome. I am very current in all aspects of the Max OS, while having an excellent breadth of knowledge of older machines. My work keeps me in constant contact with Mac suppliers, products, and problems, enabling me to not only draw on my past experience, but also to add to that experience every day.
Publications I have authored specialized repair manuals for technicians that I distributed through my server to anyone who asked for them. Numerous Mac forums, essays and editorials featured in the Media Awareness Project, and I've contributed too many newspapers and blogs to count. LazCom,com and JeffWrobel.com, which are my websites for my company and professional photography, respectively.
Education/Credentials Studied in the early 80s with students from Worcester Polytech Institute and learned Basic, Pascal, and other programming languages. Found myself to be more creative than a number cruncher, so I went to UMASS to study Philosophy, English, and Psychology (Major, minor, minor). Loved learning the theory of knowledge, language, and ethics. Found the philosophy education to be superior in the amount I learned (and how much was required of me) and went into psychology after college, working with the criminally insane, mentally ill, and head-injured. Eventually, found that I could make a better living and enjoy the work more, if I was working with people to help them find and use computers that fit THEM individually, instead of the prevailing wisdom of one-size-fits-all strategy of the Microsoft crew. Also, was very disturbed at the predatory nature of Microsoft, as they swallowed up small creative and innovative companies and sucked up their original ideas. Was amazed that what Microsoft brought to computing and computers was greed and no substance. They gave up security for monopoly, innovation for homogenization, and they profited on the backs of so many businesses and individuals that they destroyed. The ethics were clearly lacking and because of their size and tax outlay, the US government overlooked information theft that was engineered into their programs.
Past/Present Clients My life experience has taken me from the US Army to working with the criminally insane. Pursued a philosophy degree while working in psychology, then ended up doing graphic design, marketing modular construction products, and ultimately starting the computer business that I now own. At 41 years old, I plan to make my triumphant return to college and get a master's degree in philosophy.
Clients include a multi-million dollar international manufacturing firm, a nationwide jewelry/gemstone distributor, numerous town libraries, 2 school districts, a few celebrities, a famous author, a prominent film maker, Brown University & RISD faculty and students, and numerous small businesses and individuals in Rhode Island, Cape Cod, and Boston. I also have a nationwide Powerbook/iBook/Macbook repair program and I sell refurbished Mac parts. The growth of my company, which was a record-breaker in 2008, has been a direct result of my customer service and the experience gained through helping the folks that use All Experts.
Question Good Morning Jeff - Hope everything's going well in your world. Did you get your G5 yet?
Would you mind helping me with yet another problem? I did the software update to 10.3.5 and to iPhotos 4.3. When I went to update iPhotos, it told me I did not have iPhotos 4 or 4.1 installed. I put the iLife disk in and installed it (even though I was using iPhoto until I upgraded the OS yesterday AM). Then I updated iPhoto 4.3. Went to import photos from my pictures folder, and it gives me the unreadable files message. Went into the iPhotos library in the pictures folder, and broke it down into the folders it keeps by year. Dropped them into the iPhoto sidebar, and it started importing them. Gave me a bunch of unreadable files messages, but eventually I clicked through all of those, and it looked like most of the pix were there. When I went to open them, however, they're all pixelized and blurred. When the computer's resting, the slideshow comes on and the pix are there and clear.
Do you have any suggestions for me? You've been my lifeline on so many problems I can't begin to thank you enough.
Thanks again,
Deb
Answer Dear Deb,
This is a ROYAL pain in the ass to do, but I know what happened: The iPhoto application imported your THUMBNAILS, the small versions of the pictures that it uses to preview them before opening the full sized version. Take OUT the grainy, blurry photos and add the photos that are in folders with NUMBERS on them. Like you will find 2004 folder, then a 4 folder for April, then a 28 folder inside of that folder for April 28th. You should be able to import the year folders all at once, by dropping them on the field of photos OR by dropping them on the ICON for iPhoto. Just make sure there are no files named things like "thumbnails," "data," etc. in there and you should be all set. As always, let me know how you make out.
I have been swamped since I had one of my letters published in September's MAC ADDICT magazine!! I wrote about how AppleCare techs are calling themselves Apple Geniuses now and how they suck compared to All Experts. Well, they printed it and people are flocking to me! Careful what you wish for, huh?
How ARE you? Hope all is well. Drop me a line, okay?
Sincerely,
Jeff
