iPhone, Apple, and Smartphones
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Sunday, April 27, 2025
i7-7700K (2017) iMac problems
After selling my 2017 i5 iMac to a woman from Scottsburg and setting up my 2020 iMac, I needed to prepare my recently purchased 2017 iMac (with an i7-7700K) for resale.
The first step was to remove the Windows partition and erase everything on the computer — and that's where the problems began.
I used Boot Camp to remove the Windows partition I had previously created, which should have reclaimed the 1.6 TB I had allocated to Windows. While the program successfully deleted the partition, it reported an error when attempting to reclaim the storage space. I then tried using Disk Utility (the Mac partition tool), which also failed and told me to try running it from Recovery Mode, which didn't work. A few years ago, I tried the same thing on my old, dying 2009 iMac, and that attempt had failed too.
Newer iMacs have a built-in feature to securely erase everything automatically, but while the option exists in macOS, it doesn't actually function on older models. So, the recommended method is to boot into Recovery Mode, reformat the drive, and reinstall the OS — a process I had successfully completed on the iMac I just sold.
Unfortunately, the 2017 iMac with the i7 processor reformatted the drive but threw an error during the OS installation. It simply refuses to install. At this point, I have a $400 paperweight with no operating system.
I'm starting to wonder if the 2 TB hard drive might be defective. It is, after all, an eight-year-old computer.
Next, I'll try creating a bootable USB flash drive with the macOS installer using my 2020 iMac. According to everything I've read online, that's the recommended next step if the OS won't install through Recovery Mode. It is probably what the repair shop would try.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
My Super Weird 2020 iMac "Review"
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
The Problem with Laptops and Heat - and the problem with Apple computers
@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
0:34 It is ironic that the video features the Minisforum UM790 Pro. Mine overheated and died after 14 months of heavy use. I argued with the manufacturer about the warranty, but they told me that the seller on AliExpress was responsible for warranty service. The seller agreed to inspect it if I shipped it to China. It took six weeks to arrive, and now the seller is examining the dead computer to determine whether they will provide warranty service. Mini computers use mobile components, making them similar to laptops. I now realize that a mini-computer is unlikely to have adequate cooling.
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Friday, January 17, 2025
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Fwd: Failure of Minisforum UM790 Pro
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Subject: Failure of Minisforum UM790 Pro
To: <support@minisforum.com>
Friday, December 20, 2024
Introducing the credit card sized Cardputer!!
Our phones could be powerful computers. We just need easier ways to wirelessly access peripherals and cast to a screen. Or to another computer. Then your computer could be portable.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Friday, September 20, 2024
Saturday, June 15, 2024
Monday, May 20, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Apple's Silicon Magic Is Over!
Chips are reaching the physical limits of what is possible. According to a video I watched today, an experimental 1 nm process only has 1 atom per transistor. That doesn't sound right to me, but if true, then you can't go smaller than that.
There might still be some room for improvement, but smaller circuits tend to fail because quantum effects cause electrons to jump between circuits.
Someday computers might have circuits that use light instead of electricity, but right now the technology is not even close.
What would it mean if computers can't get much faster? If you need more computing power then you would need more chips, or bigger ones, that either way consume more energy.
However, it feels like computers are plenty powerful right now. It is not like the general public has a strong need for more powerful chips.
Apple already has good competition from AMD. My mini computer is twice as powerful as the Apple M2 chip.