science

MacMinute

MacMinute is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MacMinute rather than just read about it. In short: MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens".

Key takeaways

MacMinute belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MacMinute to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MacMinute from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MacMinute was the name of a web site that provided news and information focused on Apple Inc and the Macintosh Operating system. It was founded by Canadian businessman Stan Flack in 2001 to "keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens". On the opening day, May 9, 2001, the update to the Mac OS X to 10.0.3 was announced. Prior to creating MacMinute Stan Flack founded the MacCentral news website which he sold to MacWorld on June 1, 1999. This website was eventually folded into the MacWorld brand name and the last vestiges of MacCentral disappeared with the incorporation of the MacCentral Forum into the MacWorld forums in December 2007. MacMinute was noted for its up to the minute digest of current breaking news about everything connected to the Macintosh and Apple products but one of its more important functions was to serve as a forum for the Macintosh community. This MacMinute Reader Cafe is an eclectic mix of Macintosh users who provide and share expertise in all aspects of the Macintosh platform. Mr. Flack died of natural causes, from complications to a pre-existing condition, in his home on Prince Edward Island, Canada on April 14, 2008. On May 22, 2008, the Flack family announced the closing of the Macminute website and forums. Some forum members decide to move to MacCentral Cafe as it reminds them of the single forum Stan Flack started with at the MacCentral news website. On June 5, 2008 it is announced on the Macminute news site that MacTech's Community News Scan and Macsimum News will act as caretakers to the archives of MacMinute News and Forums. They also announced they would continue to host the MacMinute Forums which are now up and running smoothly as of November 2008. Stan's Lounge is crowded with MacCentral and MacMinute faithful in honor of Stan Flack and all that he did for the Macintosh community.

Abbreviated MacMinute Chronology June 1, 1999 MacWorld purchases MacCentral from Canadian businessman Stan Flack. May 9, 2001 MacMinute News site is published on the internet by Stan Flack. May 19, 2001 MacMinute opens MacMinute Reader Café. April 19, 2002 A major influx (more than 30) of MacCentral forum members create user accounts in the MacMinute Reader Café. August 4. 2004 MacMinute forum member mikeb_X dies. September 2, 2004 A "Political Forum" is created within the MacMinute Reader Café. May 14, 2005 Lesh creates the neologism "malacarpism". December 16, 2007 With the imminent closing of MacCentral forum another influx of users to MacMinute Café occurs. January 3, 2008 The MacCentral Forum becomes read only causing a few more MCF members to become Macminuters. April 14, 2008 Stan Flack passes away. May 22, 2008 The Flack family announces the closing of Macminute. June 5, 2008 MacTech's Community News Scan and Macsimum News announces the hosting of MacMinute Forums as well as archiving of all past MacMinute News. November 6, 2008 Neil Ticktin of MacTech announces that the old MacMinute software has been upgraded and the forum moves to new servers as well.

External links MacMinute as served on MacTech servers

References (1) "Opening Day at MacMinute", "MacMinute News", May 9, 2001. Retrieved on December 18, 2007 (2) Duncan, Geoff. "Mac Publishing Buys MacCentral", "TidBits", 1999-6-7. Retrieved on December 18, 2007 (3) Beraut, Laura. "(NPL) Mac Publishing Acquires MacCentral Online" "MacTech", June 1, 1999, Retrieved on December 18, 2007

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MacMinute

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MacMinute claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MacMinute before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MacMinute ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MacMinute

In research: MacMinute appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MacMinute in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MacMinute is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Canadian news websites, Defunct magazines published in Canada, Defunct websites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MacMinute outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MacMinute in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MacMinute means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MacMinute out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MacMinute in simple terms?

Why does MacMinute matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MacMinute?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MacMinute.