After nearly a month of being without a desktop I just couldn't wait any longer. So, I threw caution to the wind and ordered a 20" dual core imac which should be with me within 2 weeks. I'll let you know how I get on!
That's the spirit! I'm dying to hear how well Photoshop runs on it.
After nearly a month of being without a desktop I just couldn't wait any longer. So, I threw caution to the wind and ordered a 20" dual core imac which should be with me within 2 weeks. I'll let you know how I get on!
back to Windows-On-intelMac for a moment... Phil's comment was apparently a little less than completely accurate - they did do something that will keep Windows XP from running (well, ok - from booting without some yet-unknown form of assistance), though Vista should. see this article.
back to Windows-On-intelMac for a moment... Phil's comment was apparently a little less than completely accurate - they did do something that will keep Windows XP from running (well, ok - from booting without some yet-unknown form of assistance), though Vista should. see this article.
What this means, is that you can have a window that is a windows computer. Because the processors are now the same, no instruction translation technology is required. In fact, VMWare also runs windows itself. So no windows system call emulation is required either. Virtualization happens at the point where the software communicated directly with the hardware. These instructions are trapped and handled by the virtual machine. Newer Intel processors (such as these) provide great support for this. For those of us of a certain age and level of nerdliness, it's like the IBM VM operating system that allows the really big iron to run multiple OS's all at the same time.
Once you get used to this, you'll never want to do it any other way.
After nearly a month of being without a desktop I just couldn't wait any longer. So, I threw caution to the wind and ordered a 20" dual core imac which should be with me within 2 weeks. I'll let you know how I get on!
You finally gave up on Windoze?? Welcome to the world of MACs
One of the benefits is lifetime, free DavidTO Tech Support.
OK, I'm going to give this a try, since the price is right. I bought my daughter a powerbook to take to college and she came back from her first semester just hating it. She'd always had a windows machine before.
Since I am her primary tech support supplier, I'm still happy with this choice since there were a number of things she managed to so with just a little phone support which I'm pretty sure coudn't have happened on windows (without local support of some sort.)
Now she is getting ready to go back to school and I'd like to address her issues as much as possible first. One thing that makes this hard: she has 0 patience for this unless it's directly in the path of something she wants to do at this very second. Sigh.
Here is the list of issuses and the steps I've taken so far:
MS Word freezes. This is particularly bad because she doesn't seem able to learn to save her documents often enough to prevent it from being a catastrophe. I found out that Word does save backups at regular intervals and she was able to use spotlight to find them (the are called Autorecover...). But in both cases the Autorecover file wasn't recent enough.
I addressed this issue by updating all the software on her computer. I got a big new version of MS Office and also brought all her Apple software up to date (last update before Sept.1).
I think I'll also change her Office options to save Autorecover files more frequently.
I considered switching her over to Pages, but in my experience that has it's own issues. OpenOffice is really not ready for prime time on os x. So, I don't know of another option besides Word, realistically.
Have I missed something here?
The printer Apple gave her free is worth less than she paid for it. This is some HP printer. It works once in a while, sometimes, maybe. Even I can't get it to work reliably. It often gives an out of paper warning even when it has lots of paper. I've had the same problem before with other cheap HP printers and fax machines. I hate them.
I posted on dgrin about this and the consensus seems to be that Canon printers are a good value and reliable. I'm open to this idea. I want to make sure to get one that will be easy for her to use. Less features and smaller is better. Photo quality and even color is basically meaningless. I think I'll go to the MicroCenter today and buy something. Timely adivse is welcome.
Desktop littered with crap. This is a feature I also hate, but I'm willing to spend some time to do something about it. Every download, every PDF file read, every multimedia stream, leaves a turd on the desktop. Why? And wouldn't it be great to be able to restrict the screen realestate devoted to this? Or have it autocleaned in some way. I guess this is sort of a browser issue (I have her using firefox, but I don't think it matters.) Why leave a turd every time a pdf file is browsed? Help on this one urgently sought.
OK, David and others, let's see how you guys stack up.
Others probably have better advice but since I hate a cluttered desk top and use Firefox I'll make a suggestion, I have done this since my first net days (PC now Mac).
In my home folder I make a folder called download(s) and direct the browser to put everything that comes off the net into that folder. Keeps the desk top clean and I always know where stuff is.
Printers. I have always used HP's. I had the Canon 990 (I think) about a month and sold it. Yes it was great with photos, but actual printing, which a do a lot of, stunk! Fast draft which is what I usually use was so light it could not be read, blah! While it isn't small it can be found quite cheap, the HP 7550 is killer for text printing and very fast. Not sure how it would work on Tiger tho'. For text printing I have read that Lexmark playes will with Mac. My mother, no clue about anything PC, has one and it does a nice job and is EASY to use.
In my home folder I make a folder called download(s) and direct the browser to put everything that comes off the net into that folder. Keeps the desk top clean and I always know where stuff is.
Yeah, this sounds like a good suggestion and I have done it in the past. But it seems that current mac firefox doesn't work with it. I set it's preferences->downloads->Save All Files to Folder to something other than the Desktop. Then I browsed to a pdf file. Ended up on the desktop. Ugh.
Yeah, this sounds like a good suggestion and I have done it in the past. But it seems that current mac firefox doesn't work with it. I set it's preferences->downloads->Save All Files to Folder to something other than the Desktop. Then I browsed to a pdf file. Ended up on the desktop. Ugh.
Set your firefox prefs - to load to whatever folder you choose:
Set your firefox prefs - to load to whatever folder you choose:
That was the point of my previous post. This doesn't work, at least not with FF 1.5. Do you use preview for viewing PDFs? If so, try viewing, say: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/yahoo/yahoo-blog-guidelines.pdf Where does the temporary file end up?
So since you updated have there been problems? Does it actually freeze, or just unexpectedly quit? Are you running basic maintnenance? Install Macaroni to automatically repair permissions, run UNIX crons, etc. Run Disk Warrior to repair the directory structure. Run Onyx to clean out the cache files. Run Preferential Treatment to make sure that her preferences aren't corrupted. I also like AppleJack. Once installed this app runs in single user mode. You restart, holding cmd-s, and when you're in single user type "applejack auto" let it run, and when it's done type "r" for restart. It does a lot of good, you don't need anything (like a start-up disk) and it's free.
Can't help you with the printer. Not in my terms of service.
Thusie is right about the desktop thing. Configure the browser prefs to put the files elsewhere. Another thing that I really like to do is to (while in the Finder) is change the view options. View>Show View Options. This dialog box changes depending on whether you've selected a folder or the desktop. Select the desktop and try setting your options like I show below. The Keep Arranged by Kind is the part I'm mostly talking about. Keeps the desktop very neat.
Are you running [url=http://homepage.mac.com/david_rosenthal/MacintoshTroubleSho
oting.htm]basic maintnenance?[/url] Install Macaroni to automatically repair permissions, run UNIX crons, etc. Run Disk Warrior to repair the directory structure. Run Onyx to clean out the cache files. Run Preferential Treatment to make sure that her preferences aren't corrupted. I also like AppleJack. Once installed this app runs in single user mode. You restart, holding cmd-s, and when you're in single user type "applejack auto" let it run, and when it's done type "r" for restart. It does a lot of good, you don't need anything (like a start-up disk) and it's free.
Will do. I'm a little unhappy about doing too much stuff and then sending her off to school without much testing. I'm afraid of anything at all that will require more rather than less attention from her.
I think the applictions temporary folder feature is broken in current mac firefox, at least that's what I'm getting from google on this topic.
Sorry. If it is a project I'm working on directly on my computer I have to specifie where it goes when I save it. ANYTHING off the net goes into the downloads folder I created automaticlly. It is one of the first things I set up no matter the browser I use, PC or Mac. Unless I'm missing the big picture here which is quite possible
I'm afraid of anything at all that will require more rather than less attention from her.
Macaroni runs in the background, she'll never know it's there.
The rest of it she shouldn't have to do, you just do it each time she comes home.
AppleJack is only for emergencies, and is something you can talk her through easily on the phone. Takes 10 minutes, but all she has to do is type 17 characters and do what you tell her....pretty easy.
This also might explain why Andy and Thusie are not having the same problem: they have also set the option in Safari (?). I'll test this theory and confirm or NAK.
This also might explain why Andy and Thusie are not having the same problem: they have also set the option in Safari (?). I'll test this theory and confirm or NAK.
Confirmed! Set this option in Safari and Firefox puts temporary junk (as well as explicit files) in the (Safari) specified folder. Proving once again that all computer software is crawling with bugs.
Confirmed! Set this option in Safari and Firefox puts temporary junk (as well as explicit files) in the (Safari) specified folder. Proving once again that all computer software is crawling with bugs.
:bigbs
I have Safari set to put files on my desktop.
I have Firefox set to put files in a specific folder.
This isn't that hard - are you overthinking things?
BTW - your earlier question - I can choose to open that pdf in preview, or save it to disk (in my FIREFOX PREFERRED location, not Safari's)
Comments
That's the spirit! I'm dying to hear how well Photoshop runs on it.
I'm so proud of you
Welcome to the club! Switching has it's benefits:
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Grrr.
my words, my "pro"pictures, my "fun" pictures, my videos.
See http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=173774&cid=14455455
Vmware running on your mactel, that's the way to go for almost all purposes. Much more convienient that dual boot. The proecessors in question support it very well.
What this means, is that you can have a window that is a windows computer. Because the processors are now the same, no instruction translation technology is required. In fact, VMWare also runs windows itself. So no windows system call emulation is required either. Virtualization happens at the point where the software communicated directly with the hardware. These instructions are trapped and handled by the virtual machine. Newer Intel processors (such as these) provide great support for this. For those of us of a certain age and level of nerdliness, it's like the IBM VM operating system that allows the really big iron to run multiple OS's all at the same time.
Once you get used to this, you'll never want to do it any other way.
One of the benefits is lifetime, free DavidTO Tech Support.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Worth what you paid for it?
I've taped the answer to that question behind the picture hanging in my "pop" tutorial....
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Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Here Here Here Gubbs... Welcome to Mac... Have fun with your new toy!
http://photocatseyes.net
http://www.zazzle.com/photocatseyes
OK, I'm going to give this a try, since the price is right. I bought my daughter a powerbook to take to college and she came back from her first semester just hating it. She'd always had a windows machine before.
Since I am her primary tech support supplier, I'm still happy with this choice since there were a number of things she managed to so with just a little phone support which I'm pretty sure coudn't have happened on windows (without local support of some sort.)
Now she is getting ready to go back to school and I'd like to address her issues as much as possible first. One thing that makes this hard: she has 0 patience for this unless it's directly in the path of something she wants to do at this very second. Sigh.
Here is the list of issuses and the steps I've taken so far:
I addressed this issue by updating all the software on her computer. I got a big new version of MS Office and also brought all her Apple software up to date (last update before Sept.1).
I think I'll also change her Office options to save Autorecover files more frequently.
I considered switching her over to Pages, but in my experience that has it's own issues. OpenOffice is really not ready for prime time on os x. So, I don't know of another option besides Word, realistically.
Have I missed something here?
I posted on dgrin about this and the consensus seems to be that Canon printers are a good value and reliable. I'm open to this idea. I want to make sure to get one that will be easy for her to use. Less features and smaller is better. Photo quality and even color is basically meaningless. I think I'll go to the MicroCenter today and buy something. Timely adivse is welcome.
OK, David and others, let's see how you guys stack up.
Others probably have better advice but since I hate a cluttered desk top and use Firefox I'll make a suggestion, I have done this since my first net days (PC now Mac).
In my home folder I make a folder called download(s) and direct the browser to put everything that comes off the net into that folder. Keeps the desk top clean and I always know where stuff is.
Printers. I have always used HP's. I had the Canon 990 (I think) about a month and sold it. Yes it was great with photos, but actual printing, which a do a lot of, stunk! Fast draft which is what I usually use was so light it could not be read, blah! While it isn't small it can be found quite cheap, the HP 7550 is killer for text printing and very fast. Not sure how it would work on Tiger tho'.
My humble .02 here.
Yeah, this sounds like a good suggestion and I have done it in the past. But it seems that current mac firefox doesn't work with it. I set it's preferences->downloads->Save All Files to Folder to something other than the Desktop. Then I browsed to a pdf file. Ended up on the desktop. Ugh.
Set your firefox prefs - to load to whatever folder you choose:
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That was the point of my previous post. This doesn't work, at least not with FF 1.5. Do you use preview for viewing PDFs? If so, try viewing, say: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/yahoo/yahoo-blog-guidelines.pdf Where does the temporary file end up?
So since you updated have there been problems? Does it actually freeze, or just unexpectedly quit? Are you running basic maintnenance? Install Macaroni to automatically repair permissions, run UNIX crons, etc. Run Disk Warrior to repair the directory structure. Run Onyx to clean out the cache files. Run Preferential Treatment to make sure that her preferences aren't corrupted. I also like AppleJack. Once installed this app runs in single user mode. You restart, holding cmd-s, and when you're in single user type "applejack auto" let it run, and when it's done type "r" for restart. It does a lot of good, you don't need anything (like a start-up disk) and it's free.
Can't help you with the printer. Not in my terms of service.
Thusie is right about the desktop thing. Configure the browser prefs to put the files elsewhere. Another thing that I really like to do is to (while in the Finder) is change the view options. View>Show View Options. This dialog box changes depending on whether you've selected a folder or the desktop. Select the desktop and try setting your options like I show below. The Keep Arranged by Kind is the part I'm mostly talking about. Keeps the desktop very neat.
Hope that helps!
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Couldn't parse that last sentence.
I think the applictions temporary folder feature is broken in current mac firefox, at least that's what I'm getting from google on this topic.
Sorry. If it is a project I'm working on directly on my computer I have to specifie where it goes when I save it. ANYTHING off the net goes into the downloads folder I created automaticlly. It is one of the first things I set up no matter the browser I use, PC or Mac. Unless I'm missing the big picture here which is quite possible
Macaroni runs in the background, she'll never know it's there.
The rest of it she shouldn't have to do, you just do it each time she comes home.
AppleJack is only for emergencies, and is something you can talk her through easily on the phone. Takes 10 minutes, but all she has to do is type 17 characters and do what you tell her....pretty easy.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Nope using 1.5, but I don't use FF's temp folder either.
This also might explain why Andy and Thusie are not having the same problem: they have also set the option in Safari (?). I'll test this theory and confirm or NAK.
Confirmed! Set this option in Safari and Firefox puts temporary junk (as well as explicit files) in the (Safari) specified folder. Proving once again that all computer software is crawling with bugs.
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:bigbs
I have Safari set to put files on my desktop.
I have Firefox set to put files in a specific folder.
This isn't that hard - are you overthinking things?
BTW - your earlier question - I can choose to open that pdf in preview, or save it to disk (in my FIREFOX PREFERRED location, not Safari's)
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THANK YOU Andy:D
Rutt's a g33k, he can't help it, Nonda
I have to remind him that Macs are EASY TO USE if you don't over-complicate matters.
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