tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:00 PM

I joined the club about an hour ago. The young man at Best Buy who talked me out of another PC and into the iMac assures me my 55 year old brain can handle the transition.

Janie

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: KT
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:11 PM

You'll love it Janie!

KT

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:15 PM

I have one -- I'm struggling -- I Mudcat on the Apple side but I have a program that allows me to go on the Windows side so I can use various programs that are not MAC friendly......I periodically ask my husband why the MAC - that cost three times the regular PC -- is such a big deal when for my work I have to have a Windows side.....

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:17 PM

I was almost convinced back in June and was in fact 3 seconds from opening my wallet and throwing down some of my hard earned cash for one. But something told me to hold back and think hard about this transaction

After 2 days I decided not too and bought an HP (PC) .... I don't think the $700 xtra I would have spent on the MAC was really worth the difference.

PC's have evolved significantly in the way of audio and video. I do quite a bit of photo work and some (goof off)recording. The quality of the output would not be improved in using a MAc ... faster processing would, but since I'm not involved in some sweat shop graphics shop there is no need for producing results at the speed of lighting.

I must admit I certainly like the looks of the MAcs

All in all, it's each to there own .... my requirements could not justify the higher price of the MAc.

Congrats on your new acquisition Janie and I'm sure you will adjust to the new transition.It couldn't be anymore difficult than adjusting to the new PC Vista OS.

biLL

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:51 PM

JANIE!! You're BRILLIANT!!

I made the jump from hard-boiled PC user to Mac enthusiast back in, oh, 1986 or so--my 286 was due for an upgrade and someone had this IIcx I think it was...BBW swore by it, and I was willing to TRY pointing and clicking, even though I secretly believed in command line operation as the True Path.

I have never looked back.

A

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: cptsnapper
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 12:22 AM

I think that Macs are great but I'm having trouble trying to download the Mudcat database. I'm using Tiger 10.4.10 so any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: mrmoe
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 12:28 AM

a dual processor G-4 here.....

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Rowan
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 12:50 AM

To tread, once again, over old ground;

Like many I learned to program Fortran in the days of punch cards and batch processing and fiddled with various electronics projects where you constructed your own "computer" but the first "serious" computer I could be bothered buying (around 1979?) was a Kaypro transportable (think sewing machines) using CP/M as its OS (later 'pinched' by Gates et al. and reissued as Micro$oft's DOS); command-line interaction was 'the go' and, until about 1990 or even a few years later, it would still do 90% of the tasks that 90% of users would want, even if it didn't have a clock, and that suited me just fine.

But I had to teach for a living and Apple IIe boxes were 'the go', especially because they had an OS called ProDos (also later pinched by Gates et al. to use as a name for a later version of their DOS) which supported a primitive but effective combination of word-processing, spreadsheets and databases called AppleWorks; there were better solo programs elsewhere but AppleWorks was great for beginners. Of course, if you wanted to fiddle with music files, nothing then could touch Atari.

And then came Macs. The characters who liked fiddling with carburettors and tweaking strange knobs hated them because you had to obey Mac rules when writing code for them, unlike the users of Intel and Atari boxes who could get into the innards and root around. Trouble was, they all came up with their own (and very different) implementations of what each thought was "the very best way of doing stuff."

At the school I taught at 70 students from Year 7 to Year 12, with cleverness ratings from "well below average" to "extremely bright" started the day with nothing but ideas, an Apple IIe and two Mac Plus machines; by the day's end there were 70 copies of a 70-page publication of sophisticated graphics, articles and crossword puzzles to take home. Everyone had had to have a go at the keyboards and mice and you couldn't do that with any other machines (at the same prices) at the time.

In the late 80s, if I wanted to teach Farmer Bloggs how to start from scratch with a computer, use it to do simple word processing, spreadsheets and databases on any Intel machine I'd have to teach the commands for four different sets of operations as each application had its own specific ones, different from each other and different from the OS. On a Mac I could do it all in less than an hour.

Thankfully, both religions have pinched ideas from each other, although Mac users would probably argue the traffic was rather 'one way'. Many people forget that, while Micro$oft sold the "best" spreadsheet of the time specifically for the Mac (Multiplan) their wordprocessors were nowhere near the best on either OS; they used their Multiplan profits to develop Word and later upgraded their spreadsheet to Excel. But now, both systems are functionally equivalent and, with the exception of some specialist applications you can do most things equally well on either OS.

But, for 90% of things for 90% of the people, they're easier on the Mac.

I use both at work and so own both (not the newest of either but they'll do) and my extremely well-informed techo mates describe me as a MacVolvo driver (a serious canard in Oz); one day I'll learn Unix, use it to drive the Mac (OSX is based on Unix anyway) and claim bragging rights as a seriously competent computer user. In the meantime I'll do what sensible people do; use the tools at hand to do the job required.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: astro
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 02:04 AM

I have used both flavors (Mac and PC) and prefer Mac. Scientific computing using Macs current OS is well supported through the gnu project and Unix. There is a command line in the current Macs - just bring up a terminal and there it is - if you know Unix. There are many sites where freeware is available.

If I have a beef with Apple, it is that in the current machines they may have underpowered it and therefore they occasionally have problems with popping the capacitors in the power supplies which can fry the motherboard. It happened to mine, sent it back, Apple replaced everything excluding the hard drives and its been up and fine since (BTW, without charge).

I don't like many of the current PC brands. The machines are cranky and are not easy to use. Their processors are based on old designs and need upgrading. But, computer use and preferences are based on experience and what you are used to. So you will see loyalty to both, sometimes with great zeal!

Good computin...!
Astro

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Andrez
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 03:43 AM

cptsnapper,

I assume you meant the mac version of the digital tradition? If thats correct then all I did was to click on the link and the files started to download. I am using the same Mac OS version as you and Safari as the browser.

Would you like to be a little more explicit in describing what is happening when you try to download the file?

Cheers

Andrez

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 04:22 AM

I told you you'd struggle TRUBRIT!
I hate the damn MAC things.
Don't tell me they are less prone to virus attacks, they get them too, just not so many.
An ordinary PC with full Norton anti virus, and using Firefox and Thunderbird is fairly virus and spam free as far as I'm concerned.
You also get your pick of applications too.
G.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 04:59 AM

Why did the original poster ask?

I can think of one good reason you'd want to know. The major advantage the disk version of Digitrad has over the web one is the search facilities. These are already built in to the Mac OS (and have been for many years) so they make the whole idea of distributing a separate piece of executable code like AskSam completely pointless. A Mac version of the Digitrad should be much easier to revise and release; it's the limitations of the PC platform that are holding up the whole development cycle.

If there are a significant number of Mac-based Digitrad users they should get priority in the way the project goes since it's so much easier to support that platform.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: john f weldon
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 05:08 AM

I try to live a Microsoft-free existence.
In my former workplace there were about an equal number of Macs and PCs. The computer guys spent all their time helping the PC people, because they had all the problems.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:06 AM

me

sandra (happy iMac user)

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: mattkeen
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:06 AM

MacBookPro here

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:37 AM

First complaint. The print in the teeny little manual is so sall I'm having trouble reading it,


How do I transfer documents and photos from the PC to the Mac?   What about other files?

I'll be going from MS Works to iWorks for documents and spreadsheets. Then, I have bunches of photos and projects saved to assorted programs.

Janie

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 11:25 AM

Don't tell me they are less prone to virus attacks, they get them too, just not so many.
An ordinary PC with full Norton anti virus, and using Firefox and Thunderbird is fairly virus and spam free as far as I'm concerned.
You also get your pick of applications too.


For one thing, Jock-me-boy, "not so many" is what is meant by "less prone". No machine is prone to virus attacks in the absence of externally transmitted viruses! :D

For another thing, there are only very few specialized apps that run only on Intel and do not have a comparable app in the OS X/Unix world.

For a 3rd thing, a modern Mac can fire up Windows and run it at speeds as good or better than native and thus run any Windows app you want, quickly and reliably.

Janie:

Get a USB flash drive, or an external hard drive, or burn to a CD the documents and photos you want to transfer. I am not sure about the MSWorks files, presumably they are basically text files and should open without difficulty in iWorks. Put all your stuff on the CD/flash drive and then plug it into the Mac. It should show up just fine. I would create a desktop folder called Transfers, drag them all into it, and then sort into your file structure as suits your needs.

A

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 11:45 AM

" An ordinary PC with full Norton anti virus, and using Firefox and Thunderbird is fairly virus and spam free as far as I'm concerned."

How true that statement is.

Besides speed ... what can justify a Mac and it's considerable high price over a PC?

biLL

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 01:11 PM

You made impulse purchase, biLL,--always a bad thing when you're making a major purchase, because you have to live with it for a long time (though with computers, it isn't that long)--

Given that, when buy a quality item of any sort, whether it's a Mac or a Calvin Klein sports coat, or a Martin guitar, you pay the higher price, and it hurts a day or a week, or however long it is til the AmEx bill comes due--after that, you just reap the benefits of the superior quality. Buy the cheaper item, and you have to live with the cut corners and lower standards.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 01:20 PM

About two years ago, I was a Newbie with computers. My friends up the street owned a computer company and they would generously let me go over to use their machines; PC's and a MacBook Pro. This gave me the opportunity to learn and it was way better than going to the local library, where you only got 1 hour to use the computers, signing in and all that. And so, I watched them service their clients, both individuals and companies. Virus, spyware protection, service contracts, etc. etc. They knew I was a musician and wanted to build my own project studio and so they were willing to build a machine for me for low money, and I was just about to go for it when a seminar was being given at a local music store. The Tech Team from Pro Tools in Chicago was in town demo-ing the latest software.
As the room filled up with studio owners and session players, I was pondering the benefits of PC vs Mac as I had spent a considerable amount of time researching both, but had yet to make a final decision. After introducing himself, the speaker from Pro Tools asked one simple question. "Is anybody here using a PC?" The whole room broke out in laughter. He then said, "O.K., now we can go on..." THAT WAS IT! Decision made for me...
I respect PC's and the people who use them. But if you want to spend your time CREATING, get a Mac. Expensive? It's all relative. My computer has a built-in RECORDING STUDIO w/ GarageBand. And, I can work with photos and video, all there for me. Security? Virus Protection? Got it. Macs more expensive than PC's?, not really...
So get that PC at low bucks, and then spend all kinds of money & time on playing games, spyware, virus protection, and service calls if you want. I'd rather spend the time working on my music and recording, hassle free...Time is money. The Mac & OS X has set me free to get my music on an album and into the stores. Amazon.com, iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, Virgin Digital, GroupieTunes, Zune, etc. etc. And, the rest of my time I spend in promotion. Macs expensive? All depends on how you count...

bob

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 02:03 PM

Re the Digital Tradition and Macs

Frankly, the antique search function using the DOS version of the DT is vastly superior to either the MAC or Windows versions (which are essentially the same, both having been programmed by a MAC programmer.)
We're getting close to a totally platform-independent edition that should represent a considerable improvement in search power over the previous MAC or Windows versions, and will (hopefully) continue to work even after the blankety-blank manufacturers come out with "improved" operating systems.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 04:49 PM

Before I decided on the iMac, the young man and I sat down and factored in the cost of a monitor, antivirus, and some other software I would have had to buy for the PC, and the price ended up being comparable. A little less for the Mac, actually, because the iWorks software was less expensive than MSWorks or Office. And I also bought the extended warranty. (I never do that, but have had problems caused by dust and humidity with other 'puters in my very old, un-airconditioned house, and the Best Buy warranty covers those problems.) I will probably increase the RAM or add an external hard drive in a month or two because of the photographs, so the cost will go up bit more.

I will also say it is the first time I have ever gotten really good service at Best Buy. The kid was actually fairly knowledgable. It apparently helps if you announce immediately "I intend to leave here tonight with a computer."

Messed around a little with Garage Band last night. Very easy to use compared to Audacity. The sound of the air flowing through the heat vent certainly lent a "homey" sound to the recording:^)

Thanks Amos. That sounds easy enough!

Janie

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Dan Keding
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 05:12 PM

I just got a new I Mac and love it. Bought it through the university and got a great price and a free Canon printer. It has a big 24" screen and all the bells and whistles I'll ever need. I had an old seven year old I Mac and this one is like going from a horse and cart to a race car.

Dan Keding

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,squeezyhel
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 05:16 PM

Macbook... macs are so pretty and practical..why would anyone want to use a pc??

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,Frank Lee
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 07:40 PM

I use both iMac and PC at home. I know nothing about either, and don't push them hard, but at, say, £20 per hour, the cost of wasted time while the PC was down and awaiting attention would have bought three of these aluminium and glass iMacs by now.
I've disconnected the PC from the internet and it's now relatively little trouble, but the iMacs (I'm on my second) have never needed a call-out.
F

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 07:52 PM

Macbook... macs are so pretty and practical..why would anyone want to use a pc??

They (at least the PCs I buy) are cheap, reliable, do what I want and offer me a good choice of hardware (including the maker of PC, motherboard, etc.).

While I would quite like an older (pre OS/X) Mac to play with as an item of personal interest/curiosity, etc. from my personal perspective and usage, I fear that with the Mac, I would be making hardware commitments as well as at least potential (not sure how it works with Macs but I know my preferred Linux will run) software commitments I don't want to make.

In a sense, going for a Mac instead of a PC would seem to be going against my sort of "personal bid for computer freedom".

That aside, I can imagine a new Mac being a good choice for others.

----
good news re the Dt, Dick

---
Oh and on Price, Janie, I suppose it's what your into /can/are prepared to work out how to do, etc. but my way suits me. Price wise, I suppose these days I'd spend about £200 on a PC base unit.

Last one (as I wanted an extra one in the living room for mythtv - record and distribute tv to other PCs in the house) was a "barebones" - £129+Vat for a 64bit AMD2 3800 system with 1GB ram. Just had to add hard disk and (existing) DVD drive. (Oh plus I added 2 tv cards, one a dual tuner so I can record 3 programs at the same time on that box - that did bump my costs for that box up a bit). Software costs for entire project £0.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: RTim
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:01 PM

Having been once upon a time an IBM man (for work if that is - all we were allowed to use) - Now being a Mac user, they are wonderful!!! No real hassles.

Tim Radford

ps - Is that Frank Lee the great, great Sword Musician?

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:08 PM

Hmmmmm.

Well, anyway for me I still think the HP notebook PC was the best purchase ... for me anyway. BTW, I think it could match the Mac in the quality department (components, chassis and shell). Both platforms have been manufactured at various sites across the orient. But the Mac (as mentioned) certainly beats it in looks.

As for processing ... all I use it for is mainly photo work (quite a lot of foto work) and some recording. Niether are for business means ... which means speed is not of the essential. As I previously stated, I feel the quality of output from my PC is equal to the Mac. Tools I use are Photoshop, Picassa2 for photowork and Record Producer for recording.

As I also mentioned, the PC has come a long way in the last year or two in the way of sound processing, graphics and video. Up until recently the Mac would have been the route to go in regards to those 3 categories. Mac advertising as of late has been impressive. In fact this is what made me almost consider purchasing one. But, underneath it all it is advertising, some validity to it, some not. Take what you want out of it.

As for virus protection ... Giok pretty well explains it it all.

Janie ... your point I can agree with (very good it is) ... if I had to purchase the complete suite of MS works/office I might have reconsidered.

Overall ... I respect and appreciate each ones opinion ... I'm a Red Sox fan, some are Yankee fans.

biLL

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 09:38 PM

IT's not just the advertising. You get the better, more integrated arvchitecture of a ground-up UNIX-based OS design. You get speed and a fun user interface that makes your work easy.

I use a Windows machine at work and I have no beefs with it, but that's largely because we have a five-man full-time IT staff ensuring all the links and connections are maintained.

Giok's point is superficial. There are fewer Mac viruses out there AND they are harder to implement. One reason being that most hack-heads grew up tweaking Wintel registries.

I haven't had a virus appear once in 20 years of using Macs.

But on my Windoes exposures I have several times.

Go figger.


A

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:07 PM

The Mac is an added member of the 'family.' The Dell E600 I have been using is in the shop because the graphics card went bad. While it is there, the guy is going to 'tune' it up, clean up the registry, etc., and then I'll put it back into service. Time will tell which one I end up using the most.   I am hoping it proves more durable than my Dell's have been, and that i don't spend as much time 'errorreporting" to Apple as it seems I have to do to microsoft. I was about ready to make the "error Reporting" box my home page. We have been needing an additional computer, so I decided to give Mac a whirl.

I haven't had a lot of time to play with this Mac, but so far I like it. It does seem a bit more intuitive, and I really like that it takes up so little space. It is, however going to take some getting used to. Fortunately, my son's school uses Macs, and so he has been able to show me how to do some stuff.....like how to turn the damned thing off, for instance.

Janie

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Rowan
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:39 PM

Use the "Shut down" from the Apple menu (top left corner of the screen) or hold the "On" button down for 3+ seconds, Janie. And, if you want to use Windoze (installed alongside OSX in Bootcamp mode), when you start up, hold down the Option key (called the Alt key by Windoze users) as soon as you hear the Mac chord; you then are given the choice of operating systems.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:43 PM

I haven't had any viruses on on our 2 home pc's for 3 years. The firewall and virus programs I use are both freeware. We use Mozilla firefox exclusively and have no issues regarding 'freeze up's" or whatever. In fact no issues regarding any of the software we use.

Granted, my line of work is IT related and that helps somewhat, as I do maintain and tweek regularly to ensure everything is fine tuned and working smoothly .. you do have a valid point there Amos ... the Mac is more beneficial for the average non-IT user.

As for speed .... how fast do we want to go ??

biLL

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:50 PM

The youngin', obviously, has been using a PC at home and the Macs at school. He generally prefers the Mac, but not strongly.

Regarding advertising, I haven't had a TV hooked up to anything but a VCR or DVD for more than 30 years, and the radio dial stays on NPR. I'm not exposed to much advertising. (Some thread drift - about the only time I see television is when I go see my parents, three or four times a year. At their house, it is ALL TELEVISION, ALL THE TIME.    I often find myself agape at both the products and contents of the ads. They strike me as really quite bizarre. I am also stunned that one can have 50 channels and most of the time, find nothing worth watching.) My interest in the Mac stemmed from a combination of word of mouth and my son's liking them.

As far as computers and technology go, I have no interest or understanding at all about how they work or why they work. I am interested in them only as tools.

Janie

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 11:01 PM

"I am interested in them only as tools."

You hit it right on there in that statement janie .... the bottom line is what tool you find more comfortable in delivering the result you are looking for.

I do find these comments interesting and informative.

biLL

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 11:02 PM

The old battle cry for Mac users was "would you rather be working on your computer, or using your computer to do work?"

I think that is less true now -- the Windows environment has caught up with the basics of the Mac circa 1994. But I am still strongly inclined toward OS X.


A

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: elfcape
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 12:36 AM

Mac user since 1994. Used DOS before that. I use keyboard commands by preference and there is very little software for the Mac that doesn't support them fully. Even Word, which is pretty grim as software goes, supports customized keyboard commands.

In addition, I have no use for mice and had a 4 button trackball for even my first Mac, in 1994.

Although I have installed RAM and hard drives in my Macs at one or another time, I can't imagine actively wanting to do those types of things instead of processing images or creating art work. Even getting to my end-of-year P&L is as simple on the Mac as it was way back when Intuit ported Quicken to the PC. And I listen to music all day long on my Mac - listening to Travelling Folk right now, in fact.

Apple is not going out of business at this point. Its stock is in excellent condition, its primary product (the iPod) has no competition and a good profit margin, Jobs got into the hand-held multipurpose computing device with extreme finesse well ahead of the rest of the market, and with the transition to the Intel chip, more and more people are figuring out that they don't have to be stuck with a PC and all its malware 100% of their computer using life. Macs are competitive in price to PCs and their value holds for many years, they don't require continual anti-malware maintenance yet which makes them considerably safer for the ever-widening group of users who will always only use computers by rote.

Currently I'm using a Titanium Powerbook (G4) which is 8 years old, still runs the most current version of the Mac OS, has built-in wireless and microphone and drives an external keyboard, external monitor, external hard drive and burns DVDs. It was an off-the-shelf product when it was first manufactured, did not require any upgrading except of RAM, and has a resale value of $600 at present.

I have never had my browser hijacked by a porn site, receive very little spam and spend no time dealing with computer diseases. I do not have to hunt around in My Computer for my camera's flash cards when I insert them into my card reader, and can control what my computer does with other media when I insert them.

And, if it were my style I could run UNIX on my Mac from its command line interface.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 02:21 AM

I worked in a college that had both including about 500 Macintoshes. I asked the technicians - there was only one possible answer they said - so my latest computer is a MAC notebook. It's magic.

Remember the (probably apocryphal) story of the Microsoft executive who said "Windows 95 is equal to MAC 88".

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 08:48 AM

I've just bought a Macbook and partitioned the disc so I have Mac's OSX (Tiger 10.4.10) on one side and Windows XP on the other. I like both of them for different reasons, but would NOT want to totally abandon my PC capabilities: I have about 12 years' worth of work invested in Micro$oftware and though my programmes are compatible there are some differences in the way you use them, and I don't want to change my methods or re-organise everything. I also burn back-up CD-RWs a lot, filling them up bit by bit until they're full, and I find doing it in Windows MUCH easier. There are a few other issues like this, so I wouldn't ever make a total switch.

The obvious big advantage is internet security, but I have a question about malware. I realise that viruses for the Mac do exist, but haven't heard much real feedback about protecting yourself from them. I know you can buy anti-virus software but I don't feel like going down that road anymore, and the excellent AVG freeware doesn't run on Macs. (Mailwasher spamzapper doesn't either, alas, even if you want to pay for a pro version - they're not going to support their existing one anymore.) So after a trawl around the net I came up with a free Mac AV download (plus a couple of other useful-sounding sites, clickies below) and my question is simply: Does anyone have any experience of this freeware? How well does it work, and does it cause any annoying glitches. (Having just got away from all that...)

Also, does any Mac user here know of anyone who has actually contracted a virus/trojan/worm/whatever? From what I can see of its architecture, it seems fairly difficult to just "catch" - you pretty much have to inject yourself with it. Or am I wrong about this?

As a newbie Apple-immigrant, any feedback from anyone will be most gratefully read. Clickies are as follows:

(FREE DOWNLOAD) http://www.pure-mac.com/virus.html

http://www.macvirus.org

http://www.smallblue-greenworld.co.uk/pages/macintosh.html

Many thanks, Bonnie

PS: One thing I HATE (because I edit music score-writing files a lot) is that the Macbook, in every other respect a gorgeous compact laptop, doesn't have a key for forward-deleting. You have to hold down the Function key (lower left on keyboard) while you press the Backward-delete key (upper right on keyboard) which means using two hands, AAARRRGGGGHH. Even if you have Sticky Keys enabled, it's still a cross-keyboard journey. They could at least couple the Function key with the Tab key or something nearer so you could press both at once. Or else make the manual disc-eject operate by some other means - it uses up a whole full-sized key when it needn't. Grrrrrr...   (But, otherwise, purrrrrr...)

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,William Pint
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 07:10 PM

Mac all the way! A MacBook Pro and an iBook G4 -- they're wonderful

And if you're a Windows person being envious of a Mac -- just be patient - wait a few years and Windows will come up with another 'fabulous new innovation' that will make it... a lot more like a Mac.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 07:26 PM

Bonnie:

LEt me consult with the local Mac Goddess -- to whom I have the pleasure of a marital connection -- and see what the scoop may be on your question.


A

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: sharyn
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 12:07 AM

I'm using an old iMac Sapphire -- perfect until Earthlink changed their outgoing servers and rendered my browsers (all of them) obsolete -- now I can only receive email -- can't answer it. I am wondering what to buy next -- I know it will be a Mac of some kind (I can't abide PCs with all of their commands and codes -- Macs are more language driven, I think, so people who like English grammar and syntax like them -- you don't have to remember that F10 does this and F 13 does that so you have more brain cells for lyrics and tunes!) Thread creep warning: if y'all know what Mac I should buy next, PM me please.

Sharyn

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 05:39 AM

Well, I love the new iMac desktop I have at school, and the laptops are also gorgeous (apart from my niggle about the forward-delete key, not a problem on the desktop models).

One thing to consider: They have just changed operating systems from "Tiger" to "Leopard" (still part of the OS X platform) and - as always with anything new - there are still some bugs to be squished out of it. The local puter shop advised me to stay with Tiger and wait until Leopard's teething problems have been sorted, a decision I don't regret. Anyway, you can always upgrade your OS later (something that seems to be hassley/impossible on PC's from what I hear - never tried it).

So, my tuppence-worth is: iMac if you want a desktop, MacBook if you want a laptop, and stay with Tiger for the moment. (Nothing like the enthusiasm of a new convert, is there...)

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 10:55 AM

Bonnie:

She says:

"1) No, in 14 years I have never known anyone on an Mac to catch a
virus, except an extremely rare (like once ever ten years) Word Macro
virus, easily conquered.

2) ClamAV doesn't get updated often enough or cover enough of the
territory to matter. Ignore it.

3) if you really want anti-virus software for the Mac, try Virus
Barrier from Intego, though I've never heard of anyone every having
caught a virus using it (but no one NOT using it has caught a virus
either). This is not just me. This is me, as an active member of
lists populated by literally thousands of Mac users over more than a
decade.

4) As for forward delete, I gather that it doesn't work one-key on a
PowerBook, but on my full-size keyboard it has a one-key
forward-delete.

On my old iBook I have to use Function-Delete. There are a number of
keyboard-mapping third-party programs such as iKey and
KeyboardMaestro that might solve this for her. But I don't know for
sure.

That's all."

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: GUEST,frank lee
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 11:22 AM

Reply to Tim - off topic!

Well, I make rapper swords, and I squeeze what's arguably music from a box, but 'Great'????? -- first I've heard of it, but thanks for the encouragement!!!

Frank.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 11:50 AM

I'm finding the learning curve a bit steeper than I had anticipated. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to upload my Getaway pictures from iPhoto to the Flickr uploader and am pretty darn frustrated.

Back to the tutorial *sigh*

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Janie
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 02:44 PM

Hmmm...had to buy and download a plug-in to do it.

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: number 6
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 03:29 PM

Hmmmmmmmm.




Interesting. :)


biLL

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Crowdercref
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 05:15 PM

As far as I'm aware apart from 'technology demonstrations' of how Macs might be infected, it just hasn't happened - yet! Still, INTEGO VirusBarrier or Norton Antivirus would be prudent.

BTW the last MAC 'virus scare' was about an infection that could (theoreticaly ) be spread whilst doing file transfers as part of iChat video conferencing. Not something that happens every day.

Off topic - iChat is still my software of choice for videoconferencing.

oll an gwella,

Crowdercref

(PPC 7600 - sound recording, iMac G4 - publishing, iMac Intel - domestic, MacBook Intel -    research/library)

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Amos
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 05:23 PM

Janie:

See this post on the Getaway thread.

Snogs,


A

Subject: RE: tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 05:28 PM

100