The Mac Thread

I'm updating my resume -- which is in Word format. So I had an uh-oh moment, then got MS Word for Macs. Woo-hoo!

Even the Word icons are cooler on a Mac.

I liked Windows fine -- my old COMPUTER sucked (old, decrepit) but I didn't really have anything against Windows per se. Hubby became a Mac convert several years ago, uses them for work, and converted me in turn. I'm happy so far.

Re: The Mac Thread


This isn't necessarily true. While even 5 years ago I may have agreed with you I think this is becoming less and less true. There are more and more software companies that are starting to release mac versions as well. Even games are startig to be released with mac versions.

OSX is a very stable OS. It always amazes me to go to the computer forum and look at all of the problems PC users have. I often have no idea what they are talking about becasue I have never had those problems with a Mac. Is that because they are doing more with their PC? I doubt it. While I am far from a computer wiz... I'd be pretty confident in saying I know more than the average user and do more with my Mac than the average PC user... of course I have absolutely no proof to back that up with.

You also stated that while macs run pretty powerful hardware you pay a premium and there is nothing that you wouldn't be able to get for a PC. This is true, but the point, I think, is that you get it all at the same time. For example, while grphic cards are a hot discussion between PC users, "What graphic card should I upgrade to?" are words you will probably never hear a mac user say. We pay a higher price but get high quality stuff right off the bat.



Sadly this is true... it just wasn't worth the effort to develop viruses as such for Macs... there weren't many out there. But, keeping up with the security updates that Apple releases is a good start.



Yes and no... They have a steel grip on the graphics business... I don't use anything else. Yes they advertise to the young and hip crowd who are willing to shell out a few extra bucks for a stylish copmuter, but hands down, I prefer the usability and stability that macs provide.... that's more than just hip marketing.

I used to joke with Window crazy friends that they didn't buy anything but a $1000 playstation.



Again... becoming less and less of an issue.

Ok, now I got a problem!!!

A friend lent me his external hard drive, shockfull with mp3s. now how the burning heck do I get it to my iTunes? I tried drag/drop, dinna work, I tried duplicate external hard drive, dinna work either.
Going out for a cigarette, better have that answer ready till I'm back, ya hear! Just kiddin', wanted to say prettyprettyplease, actually.

And BTW, I have it connected thru usb 2.0, so yeah, I'm not that stupid,




yet

You have the external hard drive hooked up and you are just trying to transfer the music?








By the way BD, check this out:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34408&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=460

yes, in short

If the hard drive is showing up on your desk top (which it should). Open up itunes, select all of the music on the hard drive and drag/drop it to the "Library" in itunes. It should copy over automatically.

Thanks for the new avatar, jp!!! awesome!!!!
And I'll try it that! Back in a coupla minutes!

seems to work pretty nice! thanks again!

Silly Q#1: How do I convert my own cds into mp3s?
Silly Q#2: when I burn a cd, does the mac ask me in what kind of format I want to burn it in?

Once you put the cd in your computer it will show up in itunes. You can then select all of the songs you want and either drag/drop them on the Library or just hit Import in the upper right hand corner. If you go to the Itunes menu (upper left corner of screen) and select Preferences it will bring up the preference options. Under Import there are a bunch of options to choose from. For "Import Using" I use the "AAC Encoder" option. For "Setting" I use "High Quality (128 kbps)" option. This gives good quality sound and smaller file sizes. But they are NOT MP3s so if have a MP# player that you use you probably want to stick with the MP3 Encoder option for "Import Using"... unless you have an ipod... they play AAC as well.




CD burning options are also under the preference menu. You can burn Audio CDs (AIFF files), MP3 CD or Data CD or DVD.

Thanks a million, buddy! Gotta run off to work now, so I'll check that out some other time.

Like I said, a Unix based server.. ;-)

But it comes with a bunch of unecessary stuff, I'm not a fan of servers that have a robust GUI (like Windows Servers for example).



Compatibility goes beyond merely having more programs available, as compatability across the platforms is often a no-go.

But even if the number of programs were the measure Macs are actually falling behind. More companies are making Mac programs but the number of companies starting to make PC programs is also increasing, and at a faster rate. Making Macs even farther behind in the number of applications they will support.

However Mac work with emulation is promising. Turning Macs into Windows machines to run a program is popular for a reason.



Indeed it is. A fantastic OS and beautiful to boot.



In a way, yes. PCs are far less proprietarty of a platform than Macs, the Mac restrictions of all varieties also restrict the problems. This is why Mac incompatibility and uselessness also is a strength.

That Macs have a monopoly on the hardware is a boon in this regard and a detriment in regard to price.

In any case, PCs can easily be just as stable, there simply aren't many people writing malicious code or sloppy code for Macs (going back to the first point, where Macs are less of a target platform for code at all, both good and bad).

So while Mac users can't take advantage of a host of amazing free PC utilities they also can't be harmed by a host of alicious utilities.

I run all OSes every single day, and none are significantly more stable than the others unless I limit their scope.

On a hardened Unix box that is setup only to do a few things its stability will far far outshine a Windows or Mac box. Because Windows boxes can do a lot more there are more ways it can be instable.



Yep, makes decisions easier.

More limited, but easier. This is a recurring theme for Macs, encapsulating both the good and the bad. The good is never having hardware conflicts, and having to think less about the computer and how it works. The bad is having less choice and being not being able to do as much based upon thought on how the computer will work.



I heartily recommend keeping up with any software's updates. These days all software is being patched a lot. MS platforms get a lot of attention but even the anti-MS crowd's software has been being exploited.



Sure do, and because of this a hardcore graphic artist should use Macs because of the compatibility issues (the same ones that hamper Macs, just that this time this niche is a majority for them).

Thing is, the Mac platform isn't inherently better for this. I manage graphic artists and work with them all day long, while they are inconvenienced with a platform they don't prefer they are still able to do anything they needed to do on PC platforms (we have both Macs and PCs doing graphics).

PCs only becoem an issue when the printer begs us to send it from a mac etc.



Macs have more usability in their limited feature set but also less usability in their limited feature set. Usability is a large subject and my current position in my company centers on useability so I test this a lot. Macs have amazing usability for the stuff they do, but it's the stuff they don't do that has the greatest impact on useability. With navigating through the OS people tend to just call the OS they are familiar with the more useable one.

Me, I find all of them equally useable in that regard. It's just a matter of knowing them all in detail.

Macs hide a lot from their users, for some the ignorance is actually useability. For others it's an impediment to facile use.



old joke, as it's now sometimes a 6,000 xbox. The boxes I was pricing recently were over 8,000. Then I came to my senses.



This is simply untrue, the gap between mac programs and PC programs is widening at an accelerated pace.

In any case, in my own personal daydrams my computer company would be more like Macs (closed) than PCs.

Mac vs PC represents closed vs open when it comes to choice.

But that's all I have to say about the comparisons, I like both and will be buying a Mac eventually (as a nth computer, getting some more Unix boxes first is more important now that Macs are like Unix boxes with more GUI overhead).

I'm a Mandrake Linux User. Good thread for me too, so I will informed about Mac.

Hey Craven,

What kind of security do you have for your macs? I am getting DSL for my home computer and am shopping around for good security measures.

Yeah, I wanna know as well!

I don't connect the macs online. We run a Windows domain controller at work and don't bother trying to get the macs on it. The Macs are just there for the graphic artists and for us to play "Minority Report" (the windows thing).

Edit: But we do have assorted AV software on it, mainly Sophos or Authentium ESP.

OK, let's rephrase that; what kind of anti-virus software, ad-aware and such would you recommend for a Mac?

BTW, Craven, Brain says hi! Had an excellent dinner at his home, and we discussed your "little problem" that you had the other night.... I guess he burned yo ass for that! Not your fault, though, Brian told me.

'm not gonna edit a comma....

I use Norton. I've been using Norton since starting on the Mac ten years ago. I hear alot of people complain about it but I've never had any problems and I've never had a virus.

Patches to the OS are the most important, several OSX exploits have been patched recently.

I've already mentioned AV software. For ad-ware and spy-ware there is MacScan.

But I think the point you are trying to make is the common claim that Macs don't have security risks. That's a fasle sense of security.




Arg, that "little problem" meant no sleep this weekend.