Apple INTEL Macs

Has this become a windows bashing thread? if so i might have to pipe up in its defence...

Fintan,

I first got into the PC computing environment when these computers first appeared. In other words, I got in at ground zero (Commodore PET, Atari, Apple 2+/2e/LISA). Eventually I stuck with the Apple computers for a variety of reasons until IBM came out with their PC/DOS offering. At that point I was a very happy user with DOS which was very stable and basically a clone of UNIX (I knew UNIX at the time). However, once Windows 3 came out is when my problems (and everyone else's started) and this is something which has continued for two decades.

One problem I have is that of too much patience. However, even I have limits and these limits have been exhausted. The straw that broke the camel's back is the problems I have been trying to solve the past week with very poor performance which appeared out of no where.

As much as I love hacking and problem solving, I am not interested in learning the corrupt intricacies of Windows so as to fix unnecessary problems as they arise. Software should serve the user and not the other way around.

Anyway, I honestly have had enough of the countless problems the past two decades and I will put an end to this nightmare with the first opportunity. In retrospect, it is something I should have done some time ago but, as I said, I have too much patience.

Other needs to be confirmed include FTP software as well as astro related goodies (SkyMap Pro, TheSky Pro, CCDSoft, Maxim/DL, Photoshop CS2, NeatImage and ULead Manager).

For FTP you can use the very good and very free CyberDuck ( www.cyberduck.ch ). As for astronomy softare, there are definitely packages out there which will allow you to control telescopes etc from OS X. I'm 99% sure there is a Mac version of Starry Night and I'm sure there are other big names too. No idea what Maxim/DL, ULead Manager or NeatImage do but I'd be very surprised if there weren't Mac equivalents out there. As for PhotoShop, it used to be Mac only so no worries there!

Something I'd suggest is not thinking in terms of software but thinking in terms of tasks. What you need is high quality software to allow you to do all the tasks you need to do. You don't actually need a Mac version of a particular piece of software.

I know that AIP4Win will not work under a strict Mac INTEL environment which means I will need a Win XP partition and Parallels for at least this piece of vital software.

BTW, with parallels you don't need a separate Windows partition. All of Windows lives in one single file! Dead easy to back up that way, and it only wastes as much space as you are actually using. When you're installing you do have to specify a maximum sixe to allow the virtual drive to extend to but it will only take up the amount of space you actually use.

Oh yeah, I must also check to see if Virtual Moon Atlas, Adobe (PDF) and Canon EOS software will work on their own and as standalone products.

Don't worry about softare for your digital camera. That all comes built with your Mac. Remember, the Mac is where most proffessional photographers live. You get iPhoto free with your Mac and it can talk to just about every remotely modern digital camera. Just plug it in and it will work.

If you want to work on RAW images then Aperture is a fantastic piece of software to get, or LightRoom from Adobe. Compared to photoshop both are cheap (less than a third the price).

If you get stuck doing any particular thing please feel free to drop me a PM, I may well be able to recommend some good software.

Regards,

Bart.

all il say is windows sure has its flaws, but it has many many many saving graces, and all the alternatives are not without their inadequacies.

I use both Mac and windows, with usage time divided up roughly 60/40, the 60 % being the windows usage time.

both have good points. both have bad points. I guess its down to preference.

I say dont tie yourself to one or the other, but utilize both.

all il say is windows sure has its flaws, but it has many many many saving graces, and all the alternatives are not without their inadequacies.

I use both Mac and windows, with usage time divided up roughly 60/40, the 60 % being the windows usage time.

both have good points. both have bad points. I guess its down to preference.

I say dont tie yourself to one or the other, but utilize both.

For me personally Windows is just death by paper cuts. Lots of little things that just keep nagging and nagging me. That on top of the fact that I want to be able to use my resources for myself, not for my OS!

My main machine is a three year old MacMini running a processor that's three generations behind. I have a single core 1.25GHz G4. Since the G4 we have had the G5, the 32bit Intel Core Duos, and the 64Bit intel Core 2 Duos. My machine has about a fifth the GHz of a modern machine, and is only 32bit. It does have a gig of RAM though. It runs the very latest version of OS X FLAWLESSLY. In fact, since I got it there have been two OS X releases, both SPEEDED UP my Mac! Try saying that about a Windows machine! It also does transparencies and all that jazz that Vista wants 128MB of graphics RAM for on a puny 32MB of graphics RAM.

Basically, I'm running a more advanced OS than Vista on a machine that wouldn't have a hope in hell of running even Vista basic to a remotely acceptable level.

Things are also simpler. I have no idea what drivers are. There must be some under the hood somewhere but I never have to worry about them. My printer, I just plugged it in and it worked. My scanner, the same. My external burner, same. You name it, all my hardware just works. It's such a relief not to have to worry about Drivers.

It's also great not to have to run AV software. Sure, you can't be brazen either. You still need to watch out for phishing and trojans but there's nothing out there constantly attacking you! Of course that could change in the future, but that's no reason not to enjoy it now!

There is also a fabulous Mac community. I just don't see that around the PC world. To me that's worth a lot.

Anyhow, I find I have leaner, yet more feature rich, pretty and user-friendly OS, I have a fantastic variety of quality apps, and I'm not constantly under attack. That's why I never went back to Windows after putting my toe into the Mac pond.

Bart.

I know that AIP4Win will not work under a strict Mac INTEL environment which means I will need a Win XP partition and Parallels for at least this piece of vital software.

BTW, with parallels you don't need a separate Windows partition. All of Windows lives in one single file! Dead easy to back up that way, and it only wastes as much space as you are actually using. When you're installing you do have to specify a maximum sixe to allow the virtual drive to extend to but it will only take up the amount of space you actually use.

Music to my ears with the single file since I can make a new copy of Win XP when loading new Windows-only software so that my greatest exposure ever is the one copy of Windows without affecting anything else.

See the beauty of Mac?! :mrgreen:

again, my point is, dont tie yourself to any of them, then you cant be let don by either.

I dont have any problems with the windows user interface. its different from OSX, not necessarily better or worse. when i got the mac first it drove me nuts until i got used to it. its just a matter of getting used to using it.

I run vista on 2 computers and I have never once had to deal with drivers, everything just works, to steal a phrase from Mr Jobs.

I also cant see how OSX is more advanced than windows, i actually find it more basic. windows has much much more, if you need or want it is up to you.

with regards to the Mac community, i find them more like extreemists. mostly if you mention windows within 100 yards of most of them you will be stoned as if you said Jahova in the life of brian. seriously, mention windows on any mac forum see the flame war that starts. that kind of blind faith is completely useless and unhelpfull.

I will agree with you on the virus scanner issue, but as mac becomes more popular, i garuntee that sooner or later you will need a virus scanner for the mac. see where it is in 5 years in relation to this point.

The fact that windows has so many viruses targeting it is due to its popularity. why would a malicious coder spend their time coding a virus that would only affect 5% of the pc's in the world when it can target 95% of the pc's in the world.


I have to repeat myself, im not pro windows, im not pro OSX, but i am against bashing windows just because you have found a "different" operating system that doesnt give you the troubles windows gives you. you delve deep enough OSX will give you plenty of problems.