tech: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?

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,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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: mattkeen
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:06 AM

MacBookPro here

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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: KT
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 11:11 PM

You'll love it Janie!

KT

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: Alice
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 02:08 PM

Well, to keep this in the music vein, I did find this parody in the Database:

APPLE COMPUTER
(Stan Kelly-Bootes)

I gave my love an Apple that had no core
I gave my love a building that had no floor
I wrote my love a program that had no end
I gave my love an upgrade with no cry-en.

How can there be an Apple that has no core?
How can there be a building that has no floor?
How can there be a program that has no end?
How can there be an upgrade with no cry-en?

An Apple MOS memory don't use no core
A building that's perfect, it has no flaw
A program with GOTOs, it has no end
I lied about the upgrade with no cry-en.

@computer @parody

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: judy
Date: 19 Aug 99 - 03:02 AM

solidly insanely great Mac.

(But I did get a PC card in it because I have to use it at work and wanted to be able to look at work stuff at home)

enjoy! judy

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Alice
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 07:55 PM

Hi, Phil, thank you for BarFly.

I was thinking of the music aspect of this question the other day, and since this is a music forum, I was rather surprised that there was not a larger response to this question from musicians using Macs. I decided to move all my music applications to my son's Mac, so I can keep this one for graphics. That way we can use the midi keyboard with the other computer out of the way of all my graphics stuff.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Phil Taylor
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 06:39 PM

I'm a Molecular Biologist/Musician/Programmer. I use an SGI and Macs at work, and I write software for Macs at home. My wife uses a PC. For music (which nobody seems to have mentioned) Macs are far better than PCs. Even the heavyweight software which is available for both, e.g. Cubase works far better on the Mac. There's a much larger selection of general software for PCs, but the quality of Mac software is higher. As for the user interface - use whatever you like best, and if you prefer you can run Linux on either.

Best ABC software is BarFly but then I would say that, since I wrote it:-)

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: William Pint
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 12:11 PM

I've been using a Mac for years (ever since abandoning the sinking Amiga ship.) Never had a moment of regret. I'm now using a G3 desktop at home and a powerbook 1400 on the road. I also have been driving Volkswagens for years -- maybe there's a connection there as well?

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: M
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 04:24 PM

Mac at work and home. I am a graphic designer/artist and Macs are definitely easier to use. There are so many options in how you can set up your machine and how you work that the intuitive/analytical argument doesn't hold. Macs are quite logical (this coming froma Virgo). Let's not forget that Windows is just a rip-off of the Mac operating system, but not as fluid. Yeah, I encounter the same thing with PC friends when we work in the same program, and all I can say is, "I don't know why you can't. I can do it on my Mac."

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Alice
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 04:11 PM

yes, Fadac, I can relate to drooling over those G-4's.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Fadac
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 04:04 PM

Mac update. Old 7100 bit the big one yesterday. It seems that it can't find the keyboard or mouse any more. So I belive the APD(what ever) port that the keyboard and mice talk to ...died. As I have a big video project on it. This really sucks. Also as the video card is NuBus, that sucks even more. However I did find a 8100/110 bare, and it should be here soon. The dumb video card is about a grand, and I also have a F/W scsi card. So will continue in the obsolite systems untill the G-4 comes out.

-Fadac

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: David Ingerson
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 04:35 AM

I'm a Mac user and as a teacher I find them much easier for kids to use. By the way, I'm not an icon person, either; the view of my documents I choose is either by title or by date, depending on what type of folder I'm working in. Can PC's do that? Just asking since I don't know.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 03:08 AM

I'm firmly in the Mac camp.

Brian

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Aug 99 - 12:32 PM

Bob Schwartzer- The only good thing I can say about DOS is that, for me, it works better than either MAC or Windows. I'd switch to Linux, but that wouldn't do DigiTrad users any good.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Fadac
Date: 16 Aug 99 - 10:39 AM

Computers, Hmmm, OK I have an old 7100 (mac) that I use for some games and video editing. I also use it as an X terminal for my file server. (A intel box running FreeBSD (unix thing)). Then on another table, I have a Win 95 box. Here I do my CD mastering, Audio work, and Autocad.

I swap files back and forth all the time with no problem. My text files are all in Word 6. I have both versions, Mac & windows. OK it's not the latest, but it keeps me from getting confused.

I'm keeping my 7100 untill the G-4's come out later this year.

I also have two old mac powerbooks that I use from time to time, and a pentium laptop.

Printers? I have an Apple laser printer on my network, so I can print to it from any machine. Then there is a HP 860 that I don't use much, and an Epson I use for color proofs.

They all work (sort of) and they all have their little quirks (you bet!) But mostly they get the job(s) done.

-Fadac

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 16 Aug 99 - 09:03 AM

I used to have a long black Mac but my female work colleagues said it made me look like a flasher (and they doubted I had the requisite qualifications!) so I stopped wearing it!
Seriously, in the colleage where I work only PCs are supported by the computer staff but a couple of depts and the publications team are sufficiently wedded to MACs to pay for their own support. I believe they find graphics easier to handle. I've never used them so can't judge.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From:
Date: 14 Aug 99 - 07:59 AM

Boy!!!

I hesitate to tell you guys what I use.....

Atari ST system

At work, we have to use PCs with Windows, and the same at my church. I haven't used a Mac in ages, but I like them.

Personally, I am building a box using an Intel processor, but that is so I can put Linux on it. The Atari version of Linux is hard on the mind to keep working, and the PC model of Linux is much easier to work with.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: bob schwarer
Date: 14 Aug 99 - 07:21 AM

Dick:

Back to DOS?

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Captain Swing
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 08:07 PM

I have yet to meet (personally) a user of both platforms who prefers PCs. I agree with the Protestant/Catholic analogy though. Maybe the Catholics are the Mac users because they can have the fun, make the mistakes, know the support is at hand in times of crisis and still be redeemed (ie: not destroy their files).

I'm off to Greece for a bit now but I'll be interested to see how this thread goes.

Captian Swing (Baptised, confirmed and practising Mac user)

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: K~~
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 04:28 PM

Learned on a Mac and love 'em, they're my choice. Forced to use PC at work. Macs best in biz for graphics. They'll never fold though, then Bill Gates would have (more) anti trust suits up the rear facing orifice.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Helge in Norway
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 01:11 PM

I`m using a MAC Power PC

Helge [e-mail]

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Alice
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 12:29 PM

Well, thanks fellow artist/designers/photographers, I don't feel so lonely here in Mudworld, now.

Several reasons why artists work better with MACs have already been covered. My reasons - efficiency, creativity, speed, reliability. In fact, I just ordered an iMac as a second computer for my son to use. I have a support person who used to work at the local Apple dealer who comes to my studio if necessary to work on anything on the machine that I can't do myself, but have had very few problems in the last 2 1/2 years with my current computer. I use a WACOM tablet and work mostly in Photoshop, but also use Illustrator. I sometimes work in traditional art media like this that I scan in to Photoshop. Being able to use the WACOM pen to control subtle brush and airbrushing, create custom patterns for the brush, etc. makes it fast and easy to create from scratch. Drawing with a mouse like that is impossible ... like trying to airbrush with a brick.

So, there are different systems for different reasons. Using the right tool for the right job... I'm back to the drawing board to finish art, then get ready to sing at Mudstock tomorrow.

W.W., I have a CD writer, if you want to spring for the blank CD's, I'll convert your Mac files to IBM format CD's for you. Bring them along to Columbus. I'll see you there.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Peter T.
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 10:10 AM

Dear Wyowoman, Concerning the IBM to Mac problem, there are two solutions. The first is that there are IBM emulators out there that would temporarily turn your IBM into a MAC (just as you can get them for MACs the other way), but I have no idea where they are, or how well they work. There are a number of mac support sites, and a chat site that would give you more info. A faster solution would be to simply put the files on your MAC disks back into your computer, and then recopy them onto an IBM formatted disk. You wouldn't have to open the files, just move them. If you want to create an IBM formatted disk that works with a MAC, check out the pulldown menu in your MAC under SPECIAL, ERASE DISK....That gives you the option of formatting the disc as IBM (it erases everything on the disk first!). It isn't the best solution, but it is a lot faster than redoing every file.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 07:47 AM

Since most high end output devices are Postscript, Macs are definitely the machine of choice in the graphic arts industry. Plus we can use or get at just about anything in a PC file. And can format PC discs. Users of Wintel boxes can't seem to cope with a Mac disc. Worse comes to worse, convert it to a PDF and output CMYK seps from that.

Color management, which is a major part of my industry, isn't even being addressed on the PC side.

Sound/music, graphics, etc. were all integrated first on the Mac side -- without buying special cards/hardware, etc.

BTW, I started out in '85 with a IBM-XT, no HD, 256k RAM ("You'll never need more than that.") and, of course, proprietary typesetting equipment (that didn't even dream about doing graphics, let alone integrating them, or doing anything like multi-media).

Can't twist my brain around Wintel boxes, but, hey!, whatever works for what you're doing.

Linn the Bat Goddess

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Ana
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 03:05 AM

yip!!! I've got an iMac - nice colour, lovely curves.. and yes..a mind too!!

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: Craig
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 01:49 AM

I suddenly feel as if there are two of me. I own a PC that was put together for me by a guy in Rancho Bernardo. I don't have a wife who has a Mac G3 Powerbook. Whoa! This could get to be comfusing.
Max help!!!

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: ddw in windsor
Date: 13 Aug 99 - 01:12 AM

Mac at work and OOOOLD PC at home. Both work fine for what they are designed for, so there's not beef with either. The Macs are editing/layout tools for a newspaper and I use my 1988 Commadore PC 10-III for writing and storing household lists, song lyrics, etc.

Before we got Macs at work -- which are now being upgraded, since these are about five years old -- we were using a Harris pagination system that was completely dedicated to layout and an old (we're talking ancient!!!) SDC system for writing and massaging copy. The paper bought the SDCs in about 1974 and I still consider them one of the finest word processors I've ever seen, but then we had to have other systems for everything else we did. At one point we had eight — count 'em, eight — different systems in the newsroom, each with it's own foibles. The Macs came in and everything could be done on one machine. Joy!

Since I've never used Windows, I can't comment on how it compares to Mac's icon-driven operation, but I've found with the latter it's a lot faster and easier to use mnemonics than to fool around with pull-down menus.

Alas, I've afraid the old PC is going to have to go soon, since the strife and I are thinking about getting into a little side business that would require a lot of Internet work and the poor old thing probably doesn't have enough memory to open most web sites' graphics. I'll probably go Mac when I do, just because it would be less hassle than having to think differently depending on which machine I'm using.

ddw

Subject: RE: How Many Mudcatters using MACs?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 11:36 PM

The only thing better than a Mac is a new Mac (gawd, how I'd love to trade my old Performa 6300 for a G3--Guy, is the iMac an appropriate tool for a photographer? The price is right, but does it have the graphics capabilities that the big ones have? I've played with a G3 running Photoshop and watched filters which take five minutes to work on my current Mac pop in almost immediately on the blue and white beauty). --seed