Andy's Un-Official Unsolicited Mac Advice Thread

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  • Mike LaneMike Lane Registered Users Posts: 7,106 Major grins
    edited June 12, 2006
    If I can get MS office for Mac for cheap (full version for $30-ish cheap) would that be better than the openoffice/neooffice in your guys' opinions? MS office for Mac, good or bad?
    Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.

    http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Mike Lane wrote:
    If I can get MS office for Mac for cheap (full version for $30-ish cheap) would that be better than the openoffice/neooffice in your guys' opinions? MS office for Mac, good or bad?


    That would be fine. Supposed to be better than the Windows version, from what I hear. But either way, fine.
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  • W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Mike Lane wrote:
    ... I can get MS office for Mac for cheap (full version for $30-ish cheap) ...
    I'd stay with MS Office at that price. Neo is fine for free, but it's interface is a bit clunky and it renders documents on the screen a bit strangely, IMHO.
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Mike Lane wrote:
    If I can get MS office for Mac for cheap (full version for $30-ish cheap) would that be better than the openoffice/neooffice in your guys' opinions? MS office for Mac, good or bad?
    eek7.gif Where?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • Mike LaneMike Lane Registered Users Posts: 7,106 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    eek7.gif Where?
    MS company store :D
    Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.

    http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Macbooks and staining? read here.

    maybe I should have held out for the black one after all. umph.gif

    I noticed mine looking a little dirty the other day and hoped it would just clean up.
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Mike Lane wrote:
    MS company store :D
    umph.gif

    :bluduh
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • Mike LaneMike Lane Registered Users Posts: 7,106 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Anyone using the firefox that's been optimized for macs? Supposedly runs faster and has native aqua form widgets (sounds more teh s3xy david mwink.gif).
    Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.

    http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    Free apps for OSX. I found the link on digg. thumb.gif

    Nifty OS X apps list
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 14, 2006
    Any repair tips?

    I have an old G3 PB Pismo. It just stopped getting power one day, long ago. I never bothered to look at it, but today I took it to the Apple Store to see if the power adapter was broken, they plugged in a new one and nothing. So I think it might be the part where the power adapter plugs into the PB, it does fell a bit odd. So what to do? ne_nau.gif I wonder if it is fixable, inexpensively. If it did get back to working it would be good for surfing, email and simple stuff. Just curious to see if anyone has any good ideas. ear.gif
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 14, 2006
    Boot Camp vs Parallels article here.
  • jimfjimf Registered Users Posts: 338 Major grins
    edited June 15, 2006
    patch29 wrote:
    So I think it might be the part where the power adapter plugs into the PB, it does fell a bit odd. So what to do?

    I am not sure how Apple mounts their connectors but it has to be attached to the motherboard somehow. Often the connector is soldered right to the board and the board provides a lot of the support for the connector. If this is the case it is pretty easy for the connector to be pried loose from the board by pulling on the plug the right (wrong) way, in which case it will work intermittently or not at all.

    I have killed both consumer electronics and laptops this way. If this is the case it is probably possible (and not especially difficult) to re-solder the connector onto the board.
    jim frost
    jimf@frostbytes.com
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    jimf wrote:
    I am not sure how Apple mounts their connectors but it has to be attached to the motherboard somehow. Often the connector is soldered right to the board and the board provides a lot of the support for the connector. If this is the case it is pretty easy for the connector to be pried loose from the board by pulling on the plug the right (wrong) way, in which case it will work intermittently or not at all.

    I have killed both consumer electronics and laptops this way. If this is the case it is probably possible (and not especially difficult) to re-solder the connector onto the board.


    Thanks, I will have to see if I can disassemble it. I found some documentation, but it is not the simplest thing to do on that Powerbook. I have nothing to lose by try to fix it.
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    Just a quick update.

    The Final Release Version of Parallels was recently posted. I have installed it and my GPS, shared folder and internet connection are all working. Now if they can support USB 2.0 I will be very happy. :D
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited June 16, 2006
    patch29 wrote:
    Just a quick update.

    The Final Release Version of Parallels was recently posted. I have installed it and my GPS, shared folder and internet connection are all working. Now if they can support USB 2.0 I will be very happy. :D
    You know, I have a feeling it's not Parallels or your Mac at all. I think Garmin's USB drivers suck, or something. On my PC (all USB2, for sure), it still took an hour to transfer 820mb of maps.*

    Have you tested something else via parallels that should run at USB2 speeds? Like, just downloading some photos from a card reader?


    *I used Mapsource via the GPS unit - I know you said there was a way to use a card reader and do it quicker, but rather than figure it out, I let it sit and do it the way I knew it would work.
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    DoctorIt wrote:
    You know, I have a feeling it's not Parallels or your Mac at all. I think Garmin's USB drivers suck, or something. On my PC (all USB2, for sure), it still took an hour to transfer 820mb of maps.*

    Have you tested something else via parallels that should run at USB2 speeds? Like, just downloading some photos from a card reader?


    *I used Mapsource via the GPS unit - I know you said there was a way to use a card reader and do it quicker, but rather than figure it out, I let it sit and do it the way I knew it would work.

    I think the GPS is only USB 1.1, so it is the bottleneck, but Parallels right now is limited to USB 2.0. I don't know why, but that is what I have read.

    I have a USB 1gb key and Sandisk 2.0 card reader both run at USB 1 speeds. In bootcamp they ran faster, but the whole rebooting thing is a drag and so far I am happy with Parallels for what I do.

    Computer to Card is easy, plug in the cardreader/card combo, then just as you would send to device, just pick the drive from the dropdown menu and send. It was very easy, but since I don't gain any speed. I will just go direct to the GPS. Have I mentioned that I am still very happy with my GPS. :D
  • SeamusSeamus Registered Users Posts: 1,573 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    gps and card reader
    This link explains how downloads work:

    link

    You can download maps onto your memory card via a card reader but you must use the usb cable for routes and waypoints because they are stored on memory in the gps unit.

    One of the forum members (pan european) is a garmin beta tester. I have found his posts really helpful.

    Hope this helps,

    Shay.
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    MS has a $50 rebate on the student/teacher edition of Office, making the price about $79.
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  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    MS has a $50 rebate on the student/teacher edition of Office, making the price about $79.
    Do they actually pay-up on their rebates?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Do they actually pay-up on their rebates?


    I think they ship them right behind their USB Flash drives....

    I dunno, actually. But for me, I would buy MS Office even without the rebate. I personally wouldn't want to hassle with the alternatives, and want to have the reassurance of a compatible product with my friends/colleagues.
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  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited June 16, 2006
    Seamus wrote:
    This link explains how downloads work:

    link

    You can download maps onto your memory card via a card reader but you must use the usb cable for routes and waypoints because they are stored on memory in the gps unit.

    One of the forum members (pan european) is a garmin beta tester. I have found his posts really helpful.

    Hope this helps,

    Shay.
    Right - I've already figured out where things are stored (I have to microSD cards already, so its obvious only maps go there), just didn't occur to me Mapsource would recognize a card reader as "unit".

    that is simple! thanks for the tip guys thumb.gif
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited June 16, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    I think they ship them right behind their USB Flash drives....

    I dunno, actually. But for me, I would buy MS Office even without the rebate. I personally wouldn't want to hassle with the alternatives, and want to have the reassurance of a compatible product with my friends/colleagues.
    That's my plan. The cost took my breath away, tho.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,935 moderator
    edited June 18, 2006
    I read an interesting article about social engineering with USB drives.
    In a nutshell, a company paid to do so left 20 or so USB drives in an office
    parking lot (that's car park to some of you...). Within a very short period
    of time after the business opened, 15 of the cards had been attached to
    PC's and their contents viewed.

    Pretty scary when you think of that in the context of MS giving away USB
    drives :uhoh

    Before you go "but usb drives don't autorun". You're right. They don't. But
    human curisoity will get you to click on what you think could be interesting
    stuff every time. In the article, the "stuff" was a program that phoned the
    mothership and dumped all sorts of stuff into the e-mail it sent.

    The business? A credit union. And people wonder how so called private
    information is "lost"...
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited June 18, 2006
    ian408 wrote:
    I read an interesting article about social engineering with USB drives.

    so 205, so pWned!

    lol3.gif
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,935 moderator
    edited June 18, 2006
    Andy wrote:

    and your point?
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 21, 2006
    Here are a few open source applications for the Mac. thumb.gif
  • Mike LaneMike Lane Registered Users Posts: 7,106 Major grins
    edited June 23, 2006
    I think I posted this before, but I just got around to trying it. The optimized version of firefox seems to work quite well. I have noticed that it is indeed faster and the buttons don't look as bad as they used to. DavidTO you can even get a version with the aqua buttons if you really want (I tried both and prefer the other one though). Anyhow, I officially recommend it. Best thing is that it doesn't overwrite your firefox installation and it uses all the same user files which is nice.

    'course, you're on your own when it comes to getting updates which may annoy the hell out of you ne_nau.gif
    Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.

    http://photos.mikelanestudios.com/
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 23, 2006
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited June 26, 2006
    The Apple Store is offline. I wonder if we will see anything new. 75368607-Ti.gif
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 26, 2006
    patch29 wrote:
    The Apple Store is offline. I wonder if we will see anything new. 75368607-Ti.gif


    Odd it's not the usual tuesday.
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