[Discussion] [MAC]

[Ernest Fisch]

On Apr 15, 2009, at 7:41 PM, D Burch wrote:

>
> The MAC thread has been quiet.
>
> Ernie have you found this to be so because everything works? Have  
> you chosen an emualtor? I picked VMWare Fusion out of ignorance - it  
> was there on the shelf and I was primarily fociused on getting my  
> taxes filed, having already purchased the windows program. Actually  
> there are not any Mac programs available so next year I will likely  
> do it all online.
> If you want to run an older Warp desktop, you have to buy Parallels.
>
> I installed Firefox and Thunderbird for browsing and email. They  
> work well. But if you are in an Apple app like iPhoto and select  
> email, tthe link goes to Mail even though Thunderbird is  
> acknowledged as the default. Better to add objects to messages from  
> within Thunderbird.
>
> I was trying to look at a traffic webcam and Firefox would not talk  
> to the Flip4Mac plugin. I brought it in through Safari and was able  
> to watch the traffic sliding about. The next time I launched  
> Firefox, the plugin was there and active.
>
> NeoOffice as noted before is pretty good and so far handles every MS  
> file I have thrown at it.
>
> Don Burch
> _______________________________________________
> Discussion mailing list
> Discussion at lists.possi.org
> http://lists.possi.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion

I have been quiet because I have been exploring and experimenting.  I  
am taking it slowly and trying to learn well.  My only real  
disappointment so far has been with the MAC keyboard.  My eCS machine  
has an IBM keyboard which is an expanded Selectric keyboard.  This is  
probably one of the finest typing keyboards ever made.  I simply  
cannot touch type on the MAC keyboard.  I opted for the wireless  
keyboard which is much smaller than the corded keyboard but still has  
the same letter key configuration.

When I decided to go MAC it was to divorce myself form Windows to the  
greatest extent possible.  To this end I am seeking the native MAC  
versions of as much software as I can.  Luckily I don't need too  
much.  There is one Windows only program that I must have.  It is  
called CadRail and it is a model railroad design program.  I have been  
using it for years.  I have been a beta tester since version 3 and we  
are now on version 9.

In order to run this I bought Fusion and XP Home.  Everything  
installed without a problem and I was soon running CadRail on the  
MAC.  The difference between running it on a 20" IMAC and a Toshiba  
laptop is like night and day.   That big MAC screen is gorgeous.

I use Moneydance for my checking program and downloaded the MAC  
version.  Moneydance is written in Java so there is no difference  
between the way it works or looks on the MAC or eCS or Windows.  Right  
now I am running it on the MAC and eCS in parallel.  After the next  
reconcile I expect to run it on the MAC only.

Next year I will do my taxes on the MAC.  Turbo Tax has a MAC  
version.  I also plan to buy a MAC version of Turbo CAD so that I can  
do my CAD work on the MAC.  When I got my MAC I bought IWork09 to get  
a spreadsheet and word processor.

A while back I bought an hp1022 printer to work with Windows machine.   
It installed on the MAC with no problem.  My old Lexmark is stored  
although I did install it on the MAC and it worked.  The 1022 is just  
more versatile.  This week I plan to get an external hard drive and  
activate Time Machine.  The idea of an automatic backup is very  
attractive.

So far my experience with the MAC has been very pleasant.  It has done  
everything I have asked of it albeit in a way different from what I am  
used to.  I have learned to do what I want using a couple of books,  
the help facility and the Apple onetoone program.  The biggest problem  
I have had so far is that I have not been able to format envelopes as  
nicely as I did in Describe.


Ernie Fisch
ernfisch at cox.net