Apple Mac Users - A question
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,425
Likes: 0
From: n/a
Just to hijack the thread a bit more, what experiences do people have of the various tools for watching TV through your mac. I'm looking to get something like the eye TV, to record shows at home then watch on my powerbook when sat in the hotel, or to watch the "premium" hotel channels with 
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
To "Northeast canuck" If your company's website is only accessible via Explorer, try the newish "Opera" mac browser.
There is an option to emulate/impersonate Explorer on connection to pc systems and it seems to work. Here at the orange ezy airline, all their stuff is pc based and where as Safari/Firefox isn't compatible and won't access everything, Opera is! Give it a go.
There is an option to emulate/impersonate Explorer on connection to pc systems and it seems to work. Here at the orange ezy airline, all their stuff is pc based and where as Safari/Firefox isn't compatible and won't access everything, Opera is! Give it a go.
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
From: In the Haven of Peace
OW22,
I've had my MacBook for a month now (after I had to send the first one back and get a replacement
). It's my first experience with Mac too, and I have to say, I'm very impressed.
I have downloaded Parallels, but not installed it yet. I may have to though as the networked Laser Jet printer I normally connect to at work will only work with Windows XP Pro (unbelievable, but that's what our IT people tell me). Our server at work will also not allow me to connect to Mac Mail, but hopefully when the company puts an internet system in our houses (I live and work in Nigeria, so internet is always a problem) it won't have so many sites blocked.
I have a student copy of Office 2004 for Mac (my wife's a registered student, but I wasn't asked to provide any proof) and I find it excellent - better than Office 2003. The only thing I haven't been able to find yet is anything as good as ACDSee for image viewing and editing. I take quite a lot of videos with my digital camera and the nice thing about ACDSee is its ability to rotate a video through 90 degrees if you've filmed it with the camera at a different angle. Maybe there's something I can do with iMovie, but haven't had the time to find out yet.
One of our IT guys at work asked why I had bought a Mac when they were all set up for Windows!! But with more and more of us getting Macs, he's just going to learn how to cope with either system on our intranet.
I've had my MacBook for a month now (after I had to send the first one back and get a replacement
). It's my first experience with Mac too, and I have to say, I'm very impressed. I have downloaded Parallels, but not installed it yet. I may have to though as the networked Laser Jet printer I normally connect to at work will only work with Windows XP Pro (unbelievable, but that's what our IT people tell me). Our server at work will also not allow me to connect to Mac Mail, but hopefully when the company puts an internet system in our houses (I live and work in Nigeria, so internet is always a problem) it won't have so many sites blocked.
I have a student copy of Office 2004 for Mac (my wife's a registered student, but I wasn't asked to provide any proof) and I find it excellent - better than Office 2003. The only thing I haven't been able to find yet is anything as good as ACDSee for image viewing and editing. I take quite a lot of videos with my digital camera and the nice thing about ACDSee is its ability to rotate a video through 90 degrees if you've filmed it with the camera at a different angle. Maybe there's something I can do with iMovie, but haven't had the time to find out yet.
One of our IT guys at work asked why I had bought a Mac when they were all set up for Windows!! But with more and more of us getting Macs, he's just going to learn how to cope with either system on our intranet.
Ramasseur des pommes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 823
Likes: 19
From: UK
Soggyboxers,
Glad you got to Nigeria with a working MacBook in the end!
Have you tried to connect to the networked printer anyway? If it's on an ethernet network, it should work fine. You can download HP drivers from HP's website. I've used several HP printers over different networks, without difficulty.
iMovie can do image rotation using a plug-in, available here. There are quite a few plug-ins available for iMovie now, and it's worth checking them out.
Glad you got to Nigeria with a working MacBook in the end!
Have you tried to connect to the networked printer anyway? If it's on an ethernet network, it should work fine. You can download HP drivers from HP's website. I've used several HP printers over different networks, without difficulty.
iMovie can do image rotation using a plug-in, available here. There are quite a few plug-ins available for iMovie now, and it's worth checking them out.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Canada
I recently purchased a Miglia TVMini which was on sale from Apple for about £70, I think normal price is around £90. It's great - it's very small, but it works as a Freeview box and the software which comes with it is EyeTV so the computer effectively becomes a PVR. It also comes with a free 1 year channel listings service so you can easily program it to record programmes etc. I love the feature where you can pause live TV, rewind & fast-forward etc.
You can't get Sky on it, in order for that you have to pay for the more expensive Elgato systems.
Drawbacks are the tiny antenna that comes with it doesn't work well, unless you have a really strong signal where you are, otherwise you really need to plug it into a rooftop aerial.
Hope this helps!
You can't get Sky on it, in order for that you have to pay for the more expensive Elgato systems.
Drawbacks are the tiny antenna that comes with it doesn't work well, unless you have a really strong signal where you are, otherwise you really need to plug it into a rooftop aerial.
Hope this helps!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Canada
Lord Fulmer,
I will have a go at Opera, I have an older version but have not yet tried any newer ones. The problem with the one at work I think is that it relies on ActiveX controls which will never work on a Mac. It's becoming more and more of an issue though, as even many of our PC users are using things like Firefox now, which doesn't work.
From what I have heard from crew members who used to work for the "Orange" side, the systems over there are much better than ours over here on the "Blue with Red Squiggle" team. Even using a PC with IE 6.0 doesn't work much of the time!!!
I will have a go at Opera, I have an older version but have not yet tried any newer ones. The problem with the one at work I think is that it relies on ActiveX controls which will never work on a Mac. It's becoming more and more of an issue though, as even many of our PC users are using things like Firefox now, which doesn't work.
From what I have heard from crew members who used to work for the "Orange" side, the systems over there are much better than ours over here on the "Blue with Red Squiggle" team. Even using a PC with IE 6.0 doesn't work much of the time!!!
Thread Starter
Jolly Green Giant
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Dublin, Ireland
Guys, I'm after downloading this Openoffice program on my work Windows machine.
It's bloody excellent!
Seriously, why would you really need Office anymore? Had a quick play with it and it reads my previous Word docs perfectly it seems.
I'm very impressed. I've already ordered MS Office for Mac though..Looking at Neooffice, maybe I shouldn't have??
It's bloody excellent!
Seriously, why would you really need Office anymore? Had a quick play with it and it reads my previous Word docs perfectly it seems.
I'm very impressed. I've already ordered MS Office for Mac though..Looking at Neooffice, maybe I shouldn't have??
Thread Starter
Jolly Green Giant
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Dublin, Ireland
Well my iMac was delivered yesterday. I'm blown away by it.
It's ease of use is what's blatant. Pressed the on button and it hooked up my
wireless mouse and keyboard immediately!
It then went onto my wireless network and started downloading critical updates before I could even say wow!
The screen is huge and great quality. I'll be playing with it all weekend to try and get to know it, lots to learn get to grips with.
I love the way it goes to sleep so quickly and wakes up in a blink.
Really very impressed.
It's ease of use is what's blatant. Pressed the on button and it hooked up my
wireless mouse and keyboard immediately!
It then went onto my wireless network and started downloading critical updates before I could even say wow!
The screen is huge and great quality. I'll be playing with it all weekend to try and get to know it, lots to learn get to grips with.
I love the way it goes to sleep so quickly and wakes up in a blink.
Really very impressed.
An American Girl
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Inverted in NYC
OneWorld...
Welcome to MacWorld. Making the switch is a decision you'll never regret.
On my iMac G5 I'm running Office for Mac (heavy Excel user) and Mathematica with a couple add-ons for statistics and finance ( http://www.wolfram.com/ ). This stuff runs faster on my fully loaded Mac than it ever did on a Windows OS.
One complaint:
I bought my iMac with the Bluetooth wireless option. It never worked perfectly. When the mouse batteries would get low, the on-scren dialogue box would pop up, tell me the batteries were low, and then *poof* the batteries were dead.
Put in new batteries. Cursor stuck in upper left corner of screen, device not recognized ~ a problem that cannot be diagnosed without the mouse working or without a wired keyboard. Remove and insert batteries a dozen or more times until it finally works. I eventually gave up Bluetooth and now use both a wired keyboard and mouse.
One compliment:
All ~ repeat ALL ~ my experiences with Apple support have been great. Mostly it's been a matter of calling them up to ask, "How do I do this?" not, "I have a problem." They hire cool people and train them well. And, at least in the States, you don't get connected to India!
You're gonna love it.
Welcome to MacWorld. Making the switch is a decision you'll never regret.
On my iMac G5 I'm running Office for Mac (heavy Excel user) and Mathematica with a couple add-ons for statistics and finance ( http://www.wolfram.com/ ). This stuff runs faster on my fully loaded Mac than it ever did on a Windows OS.
One complaint:
I bought my iMac with the Bluetooth wireless option. It never worked perfectly. When the mouse batteries would get low, the on-scren dialogue box would pop up, tell me the batteries were low, and then *poof* the batteries were dead.
Put in new batteries. Cursor stuck in upper left corner of screen, device not recognized ~ a problem that cannot be diagnosed without the mouse working or without a wired keyboard. Remove and insert batteries a dozen or more times until it finally works. I eventually gave up Bluetooth and now use both a wired keyboard and mouse.
One compliment:
All ~ repeat ALL ~ my experiences with Apple support have been great. Mostly it's been a matter of calling them up to ask, "How do I do this?" not, "I have a problem." They hire cool people and train them well. And, at least in the States, you don't get connected to India!
You're gonna love it.
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
From: In the Haven of Peace
AppleMacster,
Thanks for the info on the image rotation and the HP website. Just getting the downloads now to see if they work.
One other thing you may be able to help with - the keyborad on my MacBook doesn't have the 'hash' symbol that most keyborads and most mobile telephones have. Is there anything like that 'character set' software which windows has, from which I can select the hash symbol?
Other than a few problems getting used to it (I hate the one button mouse on the trackpad with no right click function - though my little wireless Logitech optical mouse works fine except for the lack of a decent scrolling facility when I try to click on the scroll wheel), I'm impressed with the speed and simplicity of the Apple OS.
Thanks for the info on the image rotation and the HP website. Just getting the downloads now to see if they work.
One other thing you may be able to help with - the keyborad on my MacBook doesn't have the 'hash' symbol that most keyborads and most mobile telephones have. Is there anything like that 'character set' software which windows has, from which I can select the hash symbol?
Other than a few problems getting used to it (I hate the one button mouse on the trackpad with no right click function - though my little wireless Logitech optical mouse works fine except for the lack of a decent scrolling facility when I try to click on the scroll wheel), I'm impressed with the speed and simplicity of the Apple OS.
Ramasseur des pommes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 823
Likes: 19
From: UK
Soggy,
Hash, with the keyboard set up as a UK layout is alt-3.
If you go to System Preferences>International>Input Menu, you can setup your the keyboard of choice. In fact, on a Mac, it is very easy to mix different character sets, simply by setting the keyboard you require through a menu at the top of the screen. For example, if you wanted, you could have a page of text in Arabic, Chinese and Bog-standard English.
If you need to locate any characters in the particular font you are using, click "Keyboard Viewer" in the above system preferences panel. Make sure you click the "Show Input Menu in Menubar" option at the bottom. Close the panel and look at the right hand side of the menubar. There should be a flag of the keyboard currently in use.
Hash, with the keyboard set up as a UK layout is alt-3.
If you go to System Preferences>International>Input Menu, you can setup your the keyboard of choice. In fact, on a Mac, it is very easy to mix different character sets, simply by setting the keyboard you require through a menu at the top of the screen. For example, if you wanted, you could have a page of text in Arabic, Chinese and Bog-standard English.
If you need to locate any characters in the particular font you are using, click "Keyboard Viewer" in the above system preferences panel. Make sure you click the "Show Input Menu in Menubar" option at the bottom. Close the panel and look at the right hand side of the menubar. There should be a flag of the keyboard currently in use.
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
From: In the Haven of Peace
AppleMacster,
Once again, many thanks for the help. I keep coming across helpful Mac users. It seems that most Macsters are so happy with Macs that they're always willing to help out Mac newbies such as myself, and sell the Mac system to those who enquire about it. I must say, I'm delighted with mine and will look at replacing my desktop system with a Mac when I next upgrade.
Once again, many thanks for the help. I keep coming across helpful Mac users. It seems that most Macsters are so happy with Macs that they're always willing to help out Mac newbies such as myself, and sell the Mac system to those who enquire about it. I must say, I'm delighted with mine and will look at replacing my desktop system with a Mac when I next upgrade.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 38
Likes: 2
From: Bodmin, Cornwall
I'm a bit late coming in on this!
I have a Mac G3 B&W, and use it for producing artwork for printing as well as home use.
I do have Microsoft Office, but very rarely use it. I find that with Appleworks and Quark I can accomplish all I need. The only time I use Microsoft is when clients send me what they call a word-perfect file, which invariably I have to sort out to make sense of (Microsoft has made everyone a "graphic designer").
I must admit I have always used a Mac and am a die-hard enthusiast.
Never had a PC, never would. Mac has always seemed so much simpler.
But as already said the choice is yours. Microsaft does work on Mac.
I do have Microsoft Office, but very rarely use it. I find that with Appleworks and Quark I can accomplish all I need. The only time I use Microsoft is when clients send me what they call a word-perfect file, which invariably I have to sort out to make sense of (Microsoft has made everyone a "graphic designer").
I must admit I have always used a Mac and am a die-hard enthusiast.
Never had a PC, never would. Mac has always seemed so much simpler.
But as already said the choice is yours. Microsaft does work on Mac.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Somerset, UK
Originally Posted by OneWorld22
Getting an iMac, I'm fed up with Windoze. Am using Vista Beta 2 and it's poo......
Thread Starter
Jolly Green Giant
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Dublin, Ireland
Well in all fairness, Vista will basically be a copy of OSX Tiger which has been out a while. Meanwhile Apple is moving to Leopard next Spring, about the same time as Vista is released.
that's the bottom line, Apple always seems to be one step ahead.
XP? Had a plethora of viruses. Even with Nortoin and Zone Alarm pro they still got through. No need to buy any anti-virus/anti-spyware software now.
The Mac just works and is super fast, it's a big difference to be honest.
nothing wrong with MS when it works of course.
that's the bottom line, Apple always seems to be one step ahead.
XP? Had a plethora of viruses. Even with Nortoin and Zone Alarm pro they still got through. No need to buy any anti-virus/anti-spyware software now.
The Mac just works and is super fast, it's a big difference to be honest.
nothing wrong with MS when it works of course.
Ohcirrej
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,919
Likes: 0
From: This is the internet FFS.........
Originally Posted by Choxolate
Seems a bit illogical to change from Windows "because its poo..." when you are using a pre-release beta test version of the next O/S. What is wrong with the current release of Windows XP SPII?
I do sense an increase in nasty stuff that will start popping up for Apple now they're using these dual core thingies and the ability to run Windows on them. Just my 2 cents.
PersonalTitle to help support PPRuNe against legal bullying.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
From: France
Usually the people who bleat on about how they love Macs miss the same old points:
1. Why is Safari completely pants, OK MS decided to invent some html extensions and javascript manages to accommodate the changes required but for some reason Safari failed to keep up? At last there is a (non Mac) solution for Mac users now.
2. Why did you have problems with your Wintel machines before you converted to Mac - was it becuase you were incapable of not fiddling, or becuase you loved the HUGE choice of free Wintel software that you had, so much that you could not resist downloading lots of junk and screwing up your registry? This is a user problem, not an MS problem.
3. MS is a controlling monopoly that restricts choice? oh right just like Apple: When I buy some music to download I have to get their permission to play it on another computer (and a max of 5 computers only) - what kind of company do you think Apple is...if they had the market share of MS they would now be behaving just like MS.
4. Macs are perceived as more reliable, but this is becuase they have less hardware choice so the system has a limited set of drivers with which it interacts, no other significant reason. Install an MS operating system on a PC with MS office, install a firewall and set the MS auto-update active, don't fiddle, and you will be fine. I am writing this on a PC I got and set up in 1998, I have only added more memory since then, and MS auto-update does everythig I need for the OS and office.
5. Sure you have a unix based OS under the hood, and sure this is fundamentally better than MS, but this is not root cause of your issues, it is how you manage your PC that causes your problems, you can screw up any unix based OS if you fiddle, just as you can a MS OS.
Save your money and get off your high horses
1. Why is Safari completely pants, OK MS decided to invent some html extensions and javascript manages to accommodate the changes required but for some reason Safari failed to keep up? At last there is a (non Mac) solution for Mac users now.
2. Why did you have problems with your Wintel machines before you converted to Mac - was it becuase you were incapable of not fiddling, or becuase you loved the HUGE choice of free Wintel software that you had, so much that you could not resist downloading lots of junk and screwing up your registry? This is a user problem, not an MS problem.
3. MS is a controlling monopoly that restricts choice? oh right just like Apple: When I buy some music to download I have to get their permission to play it on another computer (and a max of 5 computers only) - what kind of company do you think Apple is...if they had the market share of MS they would now be behaving just like MS.
4. Macs are perceived as more reliable, but this is becuase they have less hardware choice so the system has a limited set of drivers with which it interacts, no other significant reason. Install an MS operating system on a PC with MS office, install a firewall and set the MS auto-update active, don't fiddle, and you will be fine. I am writing this on a PC I got and set up in 1998, I have only added more memory since then, and MS auto-update does everythig I need for the OS and office.
5. Sure you have a unix based OS under the hood, and sure this is fundamentally better than MS, but this is not root cause of your issues, it is how you manage your PC that causes your problems, you can screw up any unix based OS if you fiddle, just as you can a MS OS.
Save your money and get off your high horses
Just Binos
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
From: Mackay, Australia
It's all got too much for tallsandwich!
As one who "bleats" on about how much I love my Mac (interesting choice of words there TS!) I'll just remind him that most of us have tried the "saving money" route and the Mac route and that's why we're now shouting it from the rooftops.
I suggest you go looking for forums filled with people who have bought a Mac and returned to Windows. Let us know how you get on, won't you? Apart from those whose lives are dedicated to playing games, you might be struggling.
Cheers from atop the high horse!
As one who "bleats" on about how much I love my Mac (interesting choice of words there TS!) I'll just remind him that most of us have tried the "saving money" route and the Mac route and that's why we're now shouting it from the rooftops.
I suggest you go looking for forums filled with people who have bought a Mac and returned to Windows. Let us know how you get on, won't you? Apart from those whose lives are dedicated to playing games, you might be struggling.
Cheers from atop the high horse!