toll free (877) 266-7725

corporate (310) 417-3544

Virtualization of the Desktop Gets Real

May 3rd, 2011

Many Macintosh users know the company, VMware, because of its product Fusion, a “virtualization” program that enables Intel-based Macs (the only ones made anymore) to run Windows. But VMware has a range of virtualization programs, including VMware Player, a free application for running multiple operating systems – including Windows 7 and Google’s new Chrome OS – on Windows and Linux computers. VMware brings total OS flexibility to the desktop on iMac rentals and other Apple models, while also supplying virtual machine technology to servers with VMware Server.

VMWare Forum 2011

VMware is taking its show on the road between May and July, hitting eight cities (including Anaheim on May 19; city schedule here) and doing one online presentation. The firm’s VMware Forum 2011 is a free, day-long event where you will learn how “accelerated” IT lets you respond quickly to market conditions, competitor moves and customer needs. You will find that virtualization of the desktop, amazing as it is, is just the beginning. VMware vSphere – “the most widely deployed foundation for cloud computing” – can help you reduce capital and operating expenses, tighten up security and even “go green” (CRE supports that strongly).

VMware claims its products can meet your company’s precise business needs, even as you lower costs, with custom-tailored IT service based in “the cloud.” Whether or not it works for your unique situation is something you must look into. With a full range of computer rentals capable of running any OS you need, CRE is ready to support VMware’s goal of a “cohesive, secure and compliant cloud strategy in three core areas: infrastructure, applications and end-user computing.” We can install VMware Fusion on Mac Pro rentals (even Mac laptops) to introduce you to desktop virtualization, but to get the corporate-wide “view from the cloud” you should attend this free event.

No crowd in the cloud

At Forum 2011, you will discover a proven method for providing safe, secure access to applications and data – to and from any device, wherever and whenever users need them. You will see how the power and potential of VMware vSphere can help your company make a swift, secure transition to the cloud.

We know all about virtualization here at CRE, and our expert Account Executives are ready to respond right away to your call or e-mail. Whether you want to test a new virtual server with your customer service reps or set up a new branch office with same-day office equipment rentals, we’re here with the expertise (plus the hardware and software) to help you pull it off. As always, if you know what you need you can skip right to the Quick Rental Quote form. Whatever you need, call CRE Rentals!

Sanity Saving Basics for PC and Mac Computers

April 28th, 2011

Even if your work computer is maintained and repaired by the IT department, and your spouse takes care of the ones at home, you really should know the basics of troubleshooting. Since about 90% of issues are caused by about half a dozen things (on PCs and Macintoshes both), any time you put into learning basic troubleshooting is a good investment. Troubleshooting Tips for PC and Mac Computers We’ll take a look at a few of the most common issues.

The PC side

On PCs, that “90% of all computer problems” phrase means that your computer likely suffers from one or more of the following conditions: a fragmented hard drive; Windows registry errors and improper settings; too many programs loading at startup; and adware, spyware, malware and viruses. Bad RAM, dying hard drives, faulty motherboards and other serious problems cause the 10% of cases that require expert repairs.

CRE computer rentals, of course, arrive in perfect working order, but there’s no magic involved, just the generally accepted PC regimen: Use a decent defragmenter (the one that comes with Windows is notoriously bad); use a registry cleaner; get your startup routine in order; and use a well-rated tool for removing adware, spyware, malware and viruses. If you don’t have time to study all the alternatives, a recent PCmag.com article discusses the best maintenance and tune-up tools.

On the Mac

One recurring problem with Mac OS X is programs crashing (freezing). It can happen even with well-maintained iMac rentals, but the solution is easy – press Command-Option-Escape or choose Force Quit from the Apple menu, and select the unresponsive program from the resulting list. Forcing a crashed program to quit will rarely affect other programs or the OS itself, and the application should run fine when restarted. If your Mac is beginning to slow down and feel sluggish, on the other hand, it could be many things – but remember, the chances are nine out of 10 that the problem is among the basic ones we’re discussing here.

At least 20% of your hard drive should be free space (with Windows, too). Check yours by highlighting the drive icon in the Finder and pressing Command-I (Get Info). If there’s not enough free space, throw out garbage, offload files and/or buy a bigger hard drive (internal or external). You also may need to repair permissions, which you do with the Disk Utility program. This application will also “verify” your drives and “repair” a number of common problems with files and volume structures. The same problems that can crash an iMac can bring down the mighty Mac Pro rentals, too – but never fear, Disk Utility comes on every Mac.

Bottom line reminders

If you learn the basic steps in this article, and read the other instructional blogs that we publish regularly, soon enough you will only have to worry about the 10% of computer problems that require expert intervention. Speaking of experts, our Account Executives are ready to reply right now to your call or e-mail. Of course, you can use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need.

Net (and OS) Neutrality Is Already Here

April 14th, 2011

There’s been a ton of talk lately about “net neutrality,” but one of the major problems in the discussion is the lack of an accepted definition. Google has been explaining for a few years where they stand on the subject: “Network neutrality,” Google says, “is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet.”

This issue, hopefully, will be worked out in the marketplace and not in the halls of Congress. But you don’t have to wait to establish your own kind of net and computer neutrality. Mac OS-Neutrality With Mac computer rentals, you can run both Windows (XP, Vista or 7) and Mac OS X, and “be in control” of what applications you use, whatever OS they run on.

Third party saviors

Back in Spring 2009, one of our first blog posts concerned Steve Jobs’ decision to begin using Intel processors in Macs in 2006-2007. By 2008 the transition was complete, from the Mac mini to the potent Mac Pro rentals. What “changed everything,” as Jobs remarked, was an Apple utility, Boot Camp, that let users install and run Windows.

By May 2009, a few “virtualization” utilities from Parallels Computing and VMware had brought a new dimension to multi-OS computing. With them, you can run Windows and the Mac OS simultaneously, even cutting and pasting between programs on the different platforms. These applications now run swiftly on the entire Mac line, from the latest iMac rentals to the powerful Mac towers.

A clear advantage of an OS-neutral Mac

The advantages of the “OS-neutral Macintosh” to regular users are clear. You don’t have to be a “code head” to understand how efficient it is to use a single computer to run both Windows and Mac OS X. Many artists and engineers that work with AJA Io HD rentals and massive video files settled on Macs long ago – as did graphic artists, writers, musicians, publishers and other “creatives.” Now, they can avail themselves of important Windows applications and be right at home in the firm’s Windows-based network environment, too.

Our Account Executives know the hardware and software, and understand what you need to accomplish your project. They’ll converse in fluent “computerese” if you want, but can translate for you too either by e-mail or over the phone. Know what you need? Complete the Quick Rental Quote and be on your way to “OS-neutrality”.

The Web Wars: Smart vs. Dumb PCs

March 24th, 2011

A recent blog, “The Web Wars: Google vs. Microsoft,” ended with a mention of the first Network Computer (NC, a term that Oracle has since trademarked). In the 1990s, Scott McNealy and Eric Schmidt (now running Google) talked up their notion that “the network is the computer.” The problem was that the kind of NC built by Sun, IBM and a few other firms at that time was another “idea ahead of its time.” In 1997, there was insufficient Internet bandwidth and “back-end” sophistication to make Web apps as powerful as the desktop OS and software options of the time.

“Diskless PCs”

Evidently, Google executives think Google’s Chrome OS of 2011 can compete with Windows and Mac OS X – but on an entirely different platform.

Web Wars: Chrome vs. Microsoft vs. Mac

Google envisions notebook-size, diskless PCs with a modest amount of built-in flash storage and a limited set of connectors (USB perhaps, audio probably not). The digital artists, film and TV editors, multimedia producers and other high-tech professionals that use iMac rentals are certainly not targets for Google’s NCs. They’re aiming for the enterprise sector, the corporate market where businesses spend billions.

All data will be saved in the cloud, and that’s where Google apps will run, too. After a “verified boot” to ensure that the OS hasn’t been altered, NC users will be presented with a browser/desktop view offering Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, Search and a Web store with third-party apps. Again, this is all great for accounting departments, customer service, administration, corporate communications and more – but it doesn’t offer you anything if your work requires an Xserve RAID to accommodate the digital media you’re crunching with a high-end AJA Io HD rentals.

Google’s first netbook – finally

According to a March 17 story at eWeekcom, Digitimes learned from various “unnamed industry sources” that PC maker Asus will launch a Chrome OS netbook in June. The company is evidently hedging its bets by saying it may use Google’s Android 3.0 platform instead. Asus is targeting a low price point for the new device, which gives us a perfect example for a “bottom-line” lesson.

While all these new high-tech tools carry us ever forward, cost-effectiveness and productivity gains are being made with faster processors (like the Xeons in our Mac Pro rentals) and cheap mass storage (hard drives, flash memory). Similar gains must be made on the delivery side of the equation (faster networks, more bandwidth) if the “Google model” is going to win out. There are some signs it’s starting to happen.

While we keep an eye on all that, we’re still here to help you through today’s bottlenecks and tomorrow’s accelerated deadlines. For post-production gear or some tailored trade show rentals, give our Account Executives a call or send an e-mail and they’ll be right on it for you,. Know what you need? Use the Quick Rental Quote form and we’ll get right on that for you, too.

Mac vs. PC: Is the War Over?

February 10th, 2011

The Macintosh was introduced in the legendary 1984 Super Bowl commercial as “the computer for the rest of us.” The IBM PC and compatible computers, whose descendants are an important part of CRE’s computer rentals, were portrayed as boring corporate machines. The Mac started with a chime, smiled and welcomed you to the first consumer-level graphical user interface (GUI). Each platform had its backers, and they declared war. The two systems didn’t work well together, either, but today they do. What changed?

Is the Mac vs. PC War over

Return of the peacemaker

That war was still raging when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 1990s. Without him, CRE would have no iMac rentals in its inventory, as the iMac was among his first projects. In the early 2000s, the Mac’s PowerPC chips fell behind in the clock speed race, so in June 2005, Jobs surprised everyone – and outraged Mac True Believers – by announcing that PowerPC chips were being replaced with Intel chips. Those first models debuted in January 2006.

Happily, the Mac-PC wars are pretty much over. Both systems are capable and powerful now, and digital workflows can easily incorporate both systems. Start a PowerPoint project on a Mac Pro rental, save it to a USB thumb drive or the cloud, then take it home and finish it on your PC – or the other way around. Most of today’s major software packages – from MS Office to the Adobe Creative Suite – are available in both Mac and PC versions, as are a variety of specialized applications.

The foundation of collaboration

Not only do the hardware and software components of a mixed Mac-and-PC operation work together, a range of text, audio, video and image formats are accessible to both systems, too. Whether you’re working on a Mac, a touchscreen Sony VAIO L or a potent HP 8600, you can use the same files. For text, there are txt, rtf and rtfd files; the universal audio formats are wav, ogg and mp3; video formats include avi, wmv and mpg/mpeg; and cross-platform image formats include gif, jpg/jpeg, tif/tiff, eps and png.

There are more, but you get the idea – whatever you need to do, you can do it on a Mac or a PC, accessing the same “raw materials” with either system. If you work in a mixed computer environment and need computers, monitors or printers, simply call or e-mail an Account Executive. If you know what you need, use our handy Quick Rental Quote form. We know the technology across platforms - and inside out, too.

Event Planning on the iPad

January 13th, 2011

In November 2010, Filemaker, Inc., released a new set of templates for the iPad version of its “personal database,” Bento 3. Bento 3 Event Planner is a customized set of six new templates for managing conferences and events. The free download at the Bento Template Exchange includes a 30-day trial of the app for those who do not yet own it (or only have the Mac version). CRE iPad rentals can be quickly outfitted with it too.

The templates link so information flows from one to another without requiring redundant data entry. For organizing everything from small company meetings to trade shows, Bento 3 Event Planner syncs data among Macs, iPads and iPhones. Although the iPad and iPhone both run the latest iOS (4.2), Bento apps for each are sold separately. If you’d prefer Bento 3 installed on MacBook Pro rentals for your conference management needs, that can be done, too.

Another approach for event planners

Event managers and conference planners did not sit still waiting for Bento 3 Event Planner, of course. You can also assemble a number of separate iPad apps to customize your own approach to conference management. Here are a few suggestions:

Apple’s Keynote application has not dislodged PowerPoint from its #1 spot, but it is the favorite presentation software for a growing number of people. The iPad app will be home away from home for users of the Mac version of the software.

The online storage-site-cum-utility, Dropbox is a great way to do backups, distribute files and much more. Dropbox syncs the documents you can’t afford to lose in 2GB of free online space. Create an account, download the app(s) for your device(s), and you’re in business.

Office2 HD recognizes that document types “.doc” and “.xls” are the global standards. For opening and editing Word and Excel documents on the iPad, Office2 HD gives you near-total control over MS-Office documents.

Desktop Connect means the “I left it on my desktop” excuse is a goner. Desktop Connect lets you control your PC or Mac’s desktop from an iPad. Meeting planners, of course, need this functionality during events, whether on tablet PC rentals or an iPad, since remote access to the desktop is crucial.

Voice Memos enables recording voice memos on the go. Oddly, the iPad did not arrive with such a feature (but there is now an app available); Voice Memos is very handy and the fastest way to capture those fleeting thoughts (the ones worth saving, that is).

CRE Rentals is an expert event planner and can supply you with iPad rentals to suit your event needs (Note: we stock “standard” iPads; for apps noted above, we can add them using trial versions and/or free downloads, upon request). To learn more about our services, call or e-mail an Account Executive, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form.

January Trade Shows: Macs ‘n’ Music

December 16th, 2010

Two January trade shows – NAMM, the world’s premier music products/services show, and MacWorld, the annual gathering of the Macintosh faithful – will overlap more than a little, as Macs and music have been close partners since the first day of the first Macintosh computer. Here’s a preview of what you can expect at these high-energy trade shows.

Music is NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is holding the 2011 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center from January 13-16, 2011. In a nod to the environment and the growing “green convention” movement, NAMM has moved registration, schedules and program material to the cloud instead of including a printed supplement in PLAYback, its member magazine. Since the online format allows continuous updating, attendees are encouraged to check the program regularly.

“Music Education Days” (Saturday and Sunday, January 15-16,) feature panel discussions, hands-on training and educator workshops in the Anaheim Hilton’s “Learning Lounge.” You can lead your own breakout sessions with Audience Response System rentals and/or audiovisual rental from CRE, an official rental vendor. With attendance strictly limited to industry professionals, NAMM is where you can target just the right buyers, vendors or potential partners. From interactive kiosk rentals to pitch your product and capture attendee information, to dramatic NAMM plasma rentals that will make your exhibit space stand out, CRE will deliver the goods, set them up, get you going and retrieve the rentals when the trade show is done. CRE takes care of you, the whole way.

Mac is Macworld

Macworld 2011 is coming back to San Francisco’s Moscone Center once again, from January 26-29. All the latest software, hardware and accessories for Apple’s various product lines – Macs, iPods, iPad, AppleTV, etc. – can be viewed, reviewed and test-driven.

If you are exhibiting and need a dozen iPad rental for polling potential clients or need HD plasma rentals to showcase a product demo, CRE gives you a potent trade show presence. With Macworld offering access to the major players behind Apple-related products and services, it’s where you want to be to stay on the leading edge – while cultivating contacts, making presentations and sealing a few (or many!) deals.

One call or e-mail, or a few moments filling out our Quick Rental Quote form, will put us on the job for you. From convention rentals to strategic advice, our expert Account Executives can help you put your best foot forward at NAMM, Macworld or any other trade show event. We’re ready now!

Office for Mac 2011: Review

September 16th, 2010

Microsoft doesn’t suffer from many corporate news leaks, probably because, as various industry watchers have noted, the top management itself keeps dribbles of information coming regularly. On Wednesday, September 8, 2010, the firm announced some more features for the upcoming Office for Mac 2011. Scheduled for release late next month, it follows Office for Windows 2010 that was released in June. As usual, it appears that the Mac version will be playing catch-up with the Windows version (both of which trounce Apple’s aging iWork 09) and getting many of the features left out last time (Office for Mac 2008). It will be a very powerful office suite, and you’ll need at least one of CRE’s iMac rentals to use it fully and quickly – and forget running it on any PowerPC-equipped Mac, as it will require OS X 10.6, which only runs on the Intel Macs.

Light (if you prefer, “lite”) versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint will now be available in your Web browser. You don’t even have to use Internet Explorer, Microsoft having apparently learned its lesson about locking out competitors. These Office Web Apps can also be used offline, as they are placed on your hard drive in the default installation setup. Another feature coming in Office for Mac 2011 will be the “broadcast slideshow” feature, a recent upgrade to PowerPoint 2010 for Windows, that lets users show their PowerPoint presentations to others through their Web browsers. If you’re setting up a breakout session with CRE’s convention rentals, don’t forget this great alternative presentation method as a fail-safe back-up if something goes awry with your big-screen slideshow.

Collaboration nation

A very exciting new feature is co-authoring for document editing and sharing, which will allow multiple users to change and update Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. (It is not yet clear whether these features work with the Office Web Apps.) To work with users outside your default computer network, businesses may need to be running SharePoint Foundation 2010, while individuals can use their Windows Live ID. This is one of the areas that needs some clarification in the next set of “product dribbles” from Microsoft HQ.

One interesting observation from a longtime MS-watcher is that Gates & Co.’s ads certainly feature a lot of Mac laptops. CRE’s MacBook Pro rentals were already popular, but it seems that Microsoft is emphasizing portability and wireless workflows in its Office for Mac 2011 campaign. It makes perfect sense when you think about it – it’s about ultraconnectivity, one of Bill Gates’ big unfulfilled dreams.

Concerning connectivity, using Office Web Apps will require SharePoint, but it is still not known whether SharePoint is required for the co-authoring to work on the Mac platform. Sadly, one of the most popular tools in Office for Windows 2010, the OneNote scrapbook that holds text, charts, images, audio and video, will not be in Office for Mac 2011. Also gone, but not to be missed, is Entourage, the former (underwhelming) e-mail program on the Mac side. It is being replaced with Outlook for Mac in Office for Mac 2011. A new scheduling assistant feature in Outlook lets you view your calendar(s) right in-line with your mail, a very handy-dandy thing.

CRE is the solution provider when you need the best Macs, PCs and peripherals for your digital work flow. From Xserve RAID rentals to Final Cut Pro-equipped Mac Pro rentals, we’ve got what you need to cut that mountain of digital assets down to size and push those pixels into place. For any work needing the most precise and potent tools, CRE is your best, most knowledgeable source. Fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll get you outfitted to conquer that digital mountain in no time.

Apple’s new big bad Mac mini

June 18th, 2010

The Apple Macintosh mini, the computer so small it doesn’t even get a capital letter for its name, is the latest Mac to get a facelift and refreshing. (“Facelift” refers to cosmetic changes, while “refreshing” means operating hardware has been upgraded.) Base unit drive sizes are 320 and 500GB.

Of course, some real goodies are still standard in all models – Airport Extreme, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, upgraded NVIDIA GeForce 3200M graphics, a FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, Mini DisplayPort for external monitors, an HDMI port and both optical digital and analog audio ins and outs. This is not your father’s (well, older brother’s) Mac mini by any means. Not only are the Core 2 Duo CPUs ugraded to 2.4 and 2.66GHz, the base models come with 2 and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, respectively, and both now accommodate a max of 8GB.

The mini bundle is brawny

A tad wider than the original, the mini has a new, unibody aluminum case like CRE’s MacBook Pro rentals, and it’s only 1.4 inches tall. The external power supply has been miniaturized and installed in the case. All of the first hands-on reviewers (from Computerworld to MacWorld) have raved about the small size, great design and energy-stinginess (it draws just 10 watts at idle, a 25% reduction over previous models). The mini is the most energy-efficient desktop computer you can get.

Along with Mac OS X Snow Leopard (now at 10.6.x), the mini can be outfitted with an easy-to-configure copy of OS X Server, while every model in the line gets the usual laundry list of solid Mac programs – iTunes for your media, Time Machine for backups and other essentials like Spaces, Quick Look, Spotlight, Dashboard, Address Book, QuickTime, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row and Xcode Developer Tools. For productivity, you have Mail, iChat, the Safari browser, iCal and the fabulous iLife bundle (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and GarageBand).

CRE carries wide array of Macintosh models, from the potent Mac Pro rentals to the best laptop for creatives on the go, the MacBook Pro. In addition, the phenomenal new 21.5- and 27-inch iMac rentals are in stock (as are the 20- and 24-inch models) and ready to help you push on through another deadline or another last-minute job. We are your Mac-at-work specialists so when you are ready to rent the new Mac mini, just give us a call or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you fully equipped in no time.

Mac vs PC? Creative Professionals Weigh In

June 8th, 2010

Mac-vs-PC

Creative professionals weigh in on the age old question…Mac or PC? An unscientific sampling at a designer site indicates that between 70-80% of designers use Macs, compared to the 80% of “regular Internet users” who use PC’s.

Although most designers acknowledge that the same design tools are available on both platforms, many tout the Mac’s ease of use and superior build quality. One respondent summed it up by saying that “the platform has nothing to do with the outcome of design. But designing on Mac feels a lot more natural to me. I’ve used both PCs and Macs extensively, each has its own advantages. For design, multimedia and other creative work, I personally feel more at home on a Mac.” Although some PC partisans – and, honestly, plenty of good work is done on PCs – brought up some good points about cost differences, it is clear that there remains a solid majority of Mac-using designers.

Some professionals use both-Mac and PC

Within that complement of Mac users, of course, are plenty of people who use both PCs and Macs, just as most companies do these days. It is not uncommon to see a Fortune 500 firm with PCs in the accounting department (although that’s changing slowly) and Macs in the art/marketing department. And with the cross-platform programs and ease of PC-Mac networking, there is no reason that both kinds of computers can’t co-exist peacefully. It’s just that when it comes time for entertainment professionals to edit the movies or master the records or finish the magazines, more of them reach for a Mac Pro rental than a PC, although CRE Rentals does rent both.

Another important development is the power of the Macs. The fastest Mac ever tested by Macworld, by the way, isn’t an eight-core Mac Pro, but the top-of-the-line iMac with the new Core i7 Intel chip. The rest of the iMac family is similarly potent, making CRE’s iMac rentals a sensible alternative to the Mac tower. However, the Mac Pro has the advantage in many areas, like PCIe slots and other expandability options, that make it a continuing favorite for use with Final Cut Studio and other audio-visual software. CRE can equip any kind of Mac, any kind of way you need. Of course, if you need a PC to run PC-only software (certain accounting packages, proprietary builds, etc.), then CRE can outfit you with speedy PC computer rentals, as well.

Which one….Mac or PC?

Comparing Mac and PC computers makes for interesting reading. The bottom line is creative professionals should use “the best tool for the job. Nowadays the OSes aren’t different enough to make the decision for you based on features. If you already know one OS, stick with it until you have a very compelling reason to switch.” This is a reasonable position however, some Mac loyalists point out that Macs can run both Windows and the Mac OS. If you need desktop rentals for your post-production work, and want to use both OSes, then you really do have just one choice – a Mac (learn more about which Mac to rent).

CRE’s Account Executives are experts at getting you what you need to push through your bottleneck of backed-up work, take on that new project or bring in new clients. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and you’ll be sailing smoothly in no time.

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »