As some of you are painfully aware (due to my lack of progress on a few projects) I’m in the process of getting a new computer. I had been using a MacBook as a desktop replacement, but I was starting to feel the lousy integrated graphics, the slow 2.5″ HD and the overall irritation of running a notebook in clamshell mode.
So last Sunday I followed the advice of many veteran Mac users and pulled up the Apple refurbished section. Its stocked with nearly everything in the regular store at a great discount. For the savings you give up the gorgeous retail boxes (refurbs ship in a plain brown box). That’s it, really. The product may have been taken home by another customer, but has since been returned to Apple and reconditioned. This process involves replacement of any internal parts, if necessary, and a thorough cleaning or case replacement. Refurbs arrive in perfect cosmetic condition with no scratches, scuffs or imperfections with brand new keyboards, mice and accessories. They have same warranty as new Macs and are generally better inspected than new machines. Mine apparently fell through the cracks.
Continue reading ‘Refurbished 24″ iMac’
Great, you’ve added a forum to your website. Now what? Giving your forum the right look and feel is more important than you might think. In this post I’ll go over the basics of creating your very own MyBB theme.
- Choose your colours: always pick ones that have good contrast and compliment each other. You can read a good post about colour schemes on the MyBB Comunity forums.
- Pick a font: stick with one basic font throughout the content areas. Variations on size and colour are acceptable, and the header is free for creative expression.
- Plan your header: the top of your site is the first thing your visitors will see, and it makes big impressions. Be creative with your header and make it unique. Stay away from things like flash banners or unoptimized images.
- Spacing and borders: consider how much spacing you want between elements of your forum. The balance of padding, margins and borders is crucial for both functionality and ascetics.
- Think different: I can’t say this enough. Customize the theme to fit your forum’s purpose as best you can. Users will develop a stronger connection with forums that have interesting discussion and a unique look.
These are some brief considerations to help start the planning of your theme. In future posts I intend to look at the technical side of things and even develop a new theme step-by-step.
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