Our own Jeff Carlson provides a visual tour of what it's like to participate in a major Apple media event: the introduction of the iPad on 27 January 2010.

In this week's TidBITS Talk discussions, readers chat about syncing files between Macs; solve a color display issue using the Universal Access preference pane; ponder why MobileMe doesn't work with some versions of Internet Explorer; consider using the iPhone as an infrared remote; share resources for low-vision users; and, at least for one reader, prepare to travel to another country to save money buying a new MacBook Pro.

In this week's discussions, readers seek help with exporting movies from iMovie, transferring all of one's data to a new Mac, and hosting BitTorrent seeds of the venerable (and now free) "If Monks had Macs" project. Also this week, is it acceptable to say "right-click" when referring to the action that displays a contextual menu, and what could be the cause of poor iPhone reception in northern Virginia?

This week's discussions cover a broad range: getting Mail and Gmail to talk; pondering whether it's possible to use an iPhone as one's sole computer; replacing an aging Power Mac; using OpenType fonts between Mac and Windows environments; converting Eudora mailbox archives; distributing the multimedia project If Monks had Macs; keeping printer ink fresh when not in use; recording streaming audio; and buying a scanner.

After installing Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on his mother's computer, Jeff Carlson discovered that a sizable printer driver upload threatened to surpass the bandwidth cap imposed by her satellite Internet service provider. Fortunately, a smaller solution was available.

Old Mac technology continues to be a focus for TidBITS Talk readers, as this week we discuss ways to use an aging HP scanner under Snow Leopard, installing Rosetta for Eudora, networking an old printer, and erasing a 1 GB SCSI hard disk (we like the hammer idea). Also this week, a look at iPhoto '09, comparing BusyCal and BusySync for synchronizing calendars, and a surprising discount on MobileMe in an Apple retail store.

It's advice week on TidBITS Talk! Readers are looking for advice on a number of topics, including: finding software to get an old scanner to work, troubleshooting problems with Disk Utility and a crashing Mac Pro, locating a Leopard install disc for an iBook G4, using Logitech software with a Trackman Wheel, pre-configuring an AirPort Express for a vacation devoid of Macs, choosing locator software in the event a laptop is stolen, whether a Chinese TrueType font will work on the Mac, and removing the annoying toolbar that is installed with Vuze.

We've been collecting ideas for this year's TidBITS Gift Guide, and now it's time for you to vote for which items appear in the end result!

We took a week off from publishing our email newsletter due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, but TidBITS Talk discussions continued during the break. In this week's roundup, we touch on working with small screens, creating slideshows and presentations, putting an old Apple display into service, getting an old scanner and HP printer to work under Snow Leopard, and dealing with Intuit (both positive and negative experiences). Readers also seek troubleshooting advice for a Mac Pro that wakes itself up and for pushing outgoing email through a gateway when traveling, wonder if Apple has officially dropped support for Tiger, and discuss the version of Mac OS X 10.6 Server that comes with the Mac mini server.

While writing "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps," Jeff Carlson discovered a variety of iPhone and iPod touch tips and tricks new to him, despite owning an iPhone since its release. He shares a few of his favorites from the many that appear in the book.

This week's TidBITS Talk discussions cover several new topics. On the troubleshooting front, readers diagnose why Microsoft AutoUpdate is repeatedly pushing a conversion utility, why Magic Mouse tracking isn't as good when connected to a Mac Pro, and whether something is wrong with an iMac's FireWire bus. Suggestions are also offered for building a Mac help desk for a school, previewing photos on a virtual wall, and obtaining early versions of the Mac OS. We also look at the end of the Apple v. Psystar case and the ongoing costs of using Macs in the office versus Windows PCs.

New threads this week were lighter than normal, something we chalk up to everyone being busy reading all the new articles we've published at TidBITS and continuing to chat about old topics. Among new topics, readers discuss computer monitor viewing angles and desks to support them, utilities for downloading streaming Flash videos, and inconsistent selection behavior in the Finder.

Mac OS X 10.6.2 is now available, fixing many bugs and security issues in many areas of Snow Leopard. Notably, the update squashes a nasty bug that may delete a regular user account when logged in following a Guest login session.

Discussions have been active this week, with topics all over the map. Readers are looking for alternatives to iCal, questioning the reliability of 2.5-inch hard drives, wondering what Flash is good for, digging into obscure Eudora settings, troubleshooting why multiple Photoshop files aren't opening when prompted, and looking at the importance of email. Also this week, Verizon's Droid may be a worthwhile competitor to the iPhone, readers reach back in time to see if a 2000 Power Mac G4 can access more than 160 GB of disk space, and try to figure out why old email keeps appearing in a reader's inbox.

The Apple TV 3.0 software update brings a welcome change to the top-level navigation, along with support for iTunes LP, iTunes Extras, Genius Mixes, and iPhoto Faces and Events.

In this week's TidBITS Talk discussions, readers share problems with getting iPhoto to recognize the iPhone, react to our having published 1,000 issues, wonder why a MacBook Pro is running surprisingly hot, and discuss Apple's new Mac mini server option, the differences between the new MacBook and the MacBook Pro, international preferences under Tiger, and the oddly high cost of buying old Macs.

This week's discussions focus on Time Machine backups being deleted unexpectedly, unlocking iPhones after the service contract is up, connecting a digital camera via a USB keyboard, the future of Quicken, permissions problems when synchronizing folders, merging events in iPhoto, recommending a webcam for a relative, and working around a damaged audio-in port.