Thinking of buying a Mac lappie for Internet, and keeping my PC’s for word processing, AutoCad, and other business related tasks.
I only have dial-up, and trying to keep my virus and Pest Patrol updated is a continuing PITA, as the files are getting larger.
I would like to know if Mac requires as much protection against viruses and cookies as a PC? I can’t seem to get straight answers from the IT people I talk to.
Thanks
Replies
Hey Tom
You definetly dont have nearly as many virus/internet related problems with the Mac. But you do need an awareness of the platform crossover issues. Its still not 100% fluid. You really can exchange data files easily especially if you use the internet as your translator. The mac is just a completly different mindset. can drive you bonkers if you are used to tinkering under the hood..
arthur
Ovolo,
Nice website! Crisp, clean, easy to navigate and a nice portfolio of work. Kudos!
I don't miss tinkering under the hood one D##m bit ;-)
No cases, or very very few cases, of malware, spyware, trojan horse, virus, etc have been out in the wild on the Mac. Some have been demonstrated in labs by groups that look for vulnerabilities and then publish their findings. Apple issues regular "security updates" to address this sort of thing--it's an automatic download so there's nothing to muss with. Of course you should practice safe computing, but doing so on a Mac is an entirely different (far less onerous) experience than with Windows. Doesn't mean bad things cannot happen, but they likely won't happen by accident--they will only happen if your habits open yourself up to them.
There are operating system settings that let you have to confirm before any new application is launched, or before any file launches an app. That alone stops most questionable stuff.
Ovolo is right that you don't mess around under the hood. There's no registry or anything like that. It all just works.
As to exchanging info, I do that all the time. dxf files with my engineer, .doc files with others. Email, jpg, pdf, html are all non-issues.
A Unix based browser such as Firefox (freeware) will eliminate much of the internet related problems that IE tends to have. At least that has been my experience. But once Mr.T sees this he will insist you go Mac or else.
mac is the way to go. i must run autocad daily and do so seamlessly on my MacBook. Check into Parallels; it is a program that allows you to create a virtual pc inside the mac. That way, you don't have to reboot to switch operating systems. The mac has to have an intel processor (which all the new ones do). The only downside to it is that you have to have a copy of Windows, Autocad, etc. It is worth the $80 for Paralles to not have to worry about viruses attacking your computer.
I agree Mac is the way to go. I have been using Mac's in my custom home building business for 20 years. Never had any major issues in sharing files or getting my busines done. It just works!
Edited 12/6/2006 8:49 am ET by T White
Another nice thing that Apple has done is the .mac account. You can drop things in a public folder on iDisk, then other folks with macs, or pcs with the right software, can access. It's great for viewing/sending plans.There's also an iSync which syncs things like bookmarks between your computers...makes it so much easier to get to my favorite porn sites<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Edited 12/6/2006 9:21 am ET by Snort
>There's also an iSync which syncs things like bookmarks between your computersiSync is one of those awesome things that's flying completely under the radar. It automatically syncs the bookmarks, contacts, and calendar between my desktop and notebook, but just calendar between mine and dw's. Love the versatility.Q on .Mac. Is a .Mac account necessary for using iChat AV?You see the backup feature on the upcoming OS version? A 3D timeline for traversing history. Can't wait.
Q on .Mac. Is a .Mac account necessary for using iChat AV?I don't know. I've got a mac sister in CA, and I've got the camera thing on this macbook, but I'm afraid to use it cause it makes my nose look really, really big...it could really scare her daughter<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
but I'm afraid to use it cause it makes my nose look really, really big
Maybe it is really big and thus they call you Snort.
Maybe it is really big and thus they call you Snortoh, it is really big, but it has nothing to do with being called snort<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
U just need an aim account for AV. .Mac is primarily for e-mail and idisk (It is awesome)...
What's an "aim" account....I may be getting into I-chat in the near future, want to learn more...
ichat log in info is the same as aol's aim. (http://www.aim.com). ichat is pretty neat (you can now talk or video conference if you want... if the other person has the ability to).
I'll add my voice to the chorus. I have used one for about 6-7 years, and can say "what's a virus"?
However, mine does not have the new Intel chip, and I don't know if those models are more prone to viruses.
Also, with my non-Intel, I can't use IE at all, and a lot of the sites on the web are set up to run best with IE. You can work around this to some extent by using Camino as a browser, which can be set up to "mimic" IE. Maybe this is not a problem for the new Macs with an Intel chip.
Otherwise, Firefox and Safari work great.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
The processor doesn't really have any effect on whether or not the machine is prone to malware.As for IE, the Mac version was always a different beast than the Windows version, so that's a bit of a moot point. Yes, there are still web sites out there designed for 'IE only' which are simply really bad web sites. ;o)
Maybe you can explain this business wqith IE:1) IE worked fine on my old Mac (which was OS 9)2) With my new Mac, I was told IE doesn't even offer a Mac compatible version. Is this just churlishness on the part of MS?3) There are quite a few web sites, in my limited experience, that are garbled and almost unuseable with either Firefox or Safari. Why is that?4) using a Mac on any of the Taunton forums, none of the formating options are available.5)) When I downloaded Camino, at least I could read such web sites, but I still don't have all the features. For example, I can view BT just fine, but I can't even respond to any of the posts. Any explanations for all this -- for someone who knows zilch about computers?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
There is an OS9 version of IE and there is an OSX version of IE.However, IE on the mac is an entirely different product than IE for the PC. They were developed by entirely different departments at MS.IE for the Mac, in it's time, was quite advanced, but now it's the ugly stepchild of web browsers. You can still use it, but MS isn't updating it anymore and Safari and Firefox and Opera and Omniweb are all better options anyways..."There are quite a few web sites, in my limited experience, that are garbled and almost unuseable with either Firefox or Safari. Why is that?"Garbled? Hard to say. There are a lot of really bad web developers that assume the entire world used IE6 on Windows. Alas, IE6 is a rather buggy browser, so if you design only for that browser, you might end up with unexpected results in the rest."using a Mac on any of the Taunton forums, none of the formating options are available."Likely because the formatting editor was designed for IE-Pc only. Just another dumb software developer. ;o)
<<..."there is an OSX version of IE.">>I don't think so, at least not for IE 7.Here's the page from the MS site on system requirements, and I don't see anything listed for Mac:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/about/sysreqs/default.mspx********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Again, IE on the mac is an ENTIRELY different product than IE for the PC. The only simliarity is the name.MS stopped developing Mac versions of IE at version 5.
Now I am really confused.Are you saying that MS did not develop the IE version I was able to use on my Mac (with OS 9)?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
its easy to get confused with all the varied, on subject and off subject info coming in. Nikki as far as I know. MS version of IE for mac was discontinued, somewhere after OS 9... Now, unless I'm mistaken you cant get IE for new os X on a mac. My point was .. why support the MS anyway when the Firefox seems to work just fine on a mac?http://www.thesmallbuildingcompany.com
Thanks. I like Firefox just fine, but as I mentioned earlier, there are a few sites that are garbled (type over type, etc.), since they were obviously designed for IE. I wouldn't mind having IE on my machine, so I could use it those few times when this is an issue. The guy who set up my new Mac told me, flatly, that IE is not available for the new Macs. Yet Darrel seemed to be saying it is, just not from Microsoft.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
They did it. Just with a separate group and different specs from the Windows version.
Thanks -- see my reply to Ovolo.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
>Yet Darrel seemed to be saying it is, just not from Microsoft.No, he's really not saying that.
...
DW had a site she had to stop using be/c they only now support IE, which now means only Windows. It still surprises me that anyone would decide that using some non-universally supported web feature is more important than being usable by the broadest possible audience. Why would someone intentionally limit their audience when it's so unnecessary?!
Thanks again. I think I've finally got it straight. I've been told that about 25% of the people on the Taunton forums are using a Mac, and yet, Prospero doesn't see fit to program their services to accomodate the Mac. I'm talking about all the various formatting options that are available to Windows users only.That MS would not do an IE version for Macs strikes me as petty minded peevishness on their part.I'm more sympathetic to the plight of web site designers. Last I heard the world is still 95% Windows, and probably higher than that for businesses. Designing a site to accommodate Macs is probably costly in time, without much gain for the site owner. ********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Nikki, I've got IE 5 on an imac runnining osx.4.8, and it works just fine. I only use it when I have too. Seems every tax time, I have to download at least one form, and the only way to get government info is through IE.It's funny, just before I logged on here, my wife was trying to download some indecipherable mush from a student's email. I went to the microsoft site to try and get IE 5 for this macbook, and they don't even offer it as a download anymore??? talk about biting your nose off<G>I use some beta version of Mozilla for a browser, it seems much more useful than Firefox, to me. Mrs 'Snort likes Safari, but I can't get it's autofill to work, and when I pass the cursor over the BT threads on the left, it doesn't show who started them...so I usually end up in some sort of trouble<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
>when I pass the cursor over the BT threads on the left, it doesn't show who started themIf that's the only reason you don't use Safari, then return and rejoice. I thought the same. But try again. Move your cursor by a thread near the underline of each thread title. Normally the status bar will show the address link ("open http://blahblahblah in a new window"). But there's a one pixel area where it will show the author. Move the mouse slowly till you find it. Get it once and it'll be easy after that.Editorial. Showing the OP is useful, but it'd be more useful to show the last 10 posters. How many of them are nothing but multitudinous rants by you know who and you know who else?! Those are the threads I'd love to avoid. :)
Editorial. Showing the OP is useful, but it'd be more useful to show the last 10 posters. How many of them are nothing but multitudinous rants by you know who and you know who else?! Those are the threads I'd love to avoid. :)Yeah, I'd love to be able to customize the pointing finger/cursor into a little more apropos and significant finger for the you know whos...even they couldn't see it, it would make me feel so much more smug, ha, ha, ha.And, yeah, right at the end of the underscore...yippee!...now, what's the trick to safari's auto fill?<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
>Yeah, I'd love to be able to customize the pointing finger/cursor into a little more apropos and significant finger for the you know whosOh my god, that's funny! I dare you to put that in "Forum Suggestions".>now, what's the trick to safari's auto fill?Fill out your data in Address Book. It works fine for me.From Safari Help:Automatically filling out forms in webpages
Safari can use information from various sources to complete the forms that are on many webpages.Personal information, such as mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, is retrieved from your Address Book card.
User names and passwords that you entered on websites are saved in your Keychain and retrieved when you try to log in later. Some websites do not allow you to save your user name and password.
Any other information that you enter at a website is saved in Safari's cache to be reused later.
You use the AutoFill pane of Safari preferences to select which information Safari uses.Choose Preferences from the Safari menu and click AutoFill. Select the items you want Safari to use.To complete a web form, open the webpage and click the AutoFill button in the address bar. If you don't see the AutoFill button in the address bar, choose AutoFill from the View menu. Items that are completed using AutoFill appear in yellow in the webpage.To complete individual fields in a form, select a text box and start typing. If Safari matches saved information for the field, it finishes entering the text for you. If several items match what you typed, a menu appears. Press the arrow keys to select the correct item and press Return.Website forms may include items that Safari doesn't recognize. You need to fill out these items yourself.If you enter a user name and password, Safari asks if you to want to save the information. Click Yes to save the name and password. Click Not Now if you may want to save the information in the future. Click "Never for this Website" if you don't want to be asked to save the name and password for the website again.If you want to change or delete saved user names and passwords or other information, click the Edit button next to the appropriate checkbox in the AutoFill preferences pane.
From Safari Help:Sheesh, I think I just need to drag 4th grader over here<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
My daughter would qualify, except she'd probably want to charge."No, mom, give me the clicker. I'll show you how to do it. And don't forget you still owe me my allowance for last week and this week."
hmnnnh...not working for me.....what OS you on...
10.4.8But it's done that for as long as I can remember. Nothing unique to this rev.
Where does the info appear....nothing changes on my screen when I hover over the message underline?
Try near the end of the underscore...I think it's more like a half a pixel<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Nada---Zip----zilch---nutin....
oh well....if I really cared, I'd obsess until I had an answer, but I just go for the interesting thread titles....don't think I'd be influenced by WHO posted...
It appears in the status bar at the bottom of the screen, assuming you have that visible (the View Menu...Show/Hide Status Bar). It's the same place that the address of links shows up as you mouse over the link.
Ah, So...thank you, Grass-hopper
"That MS would not do an IE version for Macs strikes me as petty minded peevishness on their part."Not necessarily. I don't usually defend Microsoft, but IE is a program that they developed and integrated into the core of Windows. In other words, IE is used in the Windows OS for more than web browsing. It's also their product, and if they're going to spend time in development for another OS, they either need to be reasonably assured of a return on that investment, or they need to chalk it up as a cost of doing business. Personally, if they're going to spend time in development of something, I'd rather see them work on making Windows more stable and user-friendly.Why should they spend time developing a version of IE for Mac, when Mac users often specifically want to get away from anything associated with Microsoft? If web designers can't design a page that works across browsers, that's not Microsoft's fault, and if people continue using IE even though it's buggy, attack-prone, slow, and proprietary, that's not Mac's fault.
>I've been told that about 25% of the people on the Taunton forums are using a Mac, and yet, Prospero doesn't see fit to program their services to accomodate the Mac.I agree that's idiotic.>That MS would not do an IE version for Macs strikes me as petty minded peevishness on their part.There's no good business reason for MS to do that. On Windows, the browser can serve MS broader branding strategies. On the Mac side, while they do make money from their Office products, the presence or absence of IE probably doesn't make a difference.>I'm more sympathetic to the plight of web site designers. Designing a site to accommodate Macs is probably costly in time, without much gain for the site owner.The flaw is "Designing a site to accommodate Macs". In fact, one shouldn't do that, and doesn't need to. One should design a site to just work, and to follow the published and accepted standards. The problem is that MS intentionally develops extensions to their browser that go beyond the standards. Other browsers--Firefox, Safari, Opera--build to the standards, more or less. MS adds their own elements, and when people build to that, because of their dominant market share, then their pages don't function properly with other browsers. It's not an operating system issue, it's an issue of which web page programming standards to follow--the universal ones or the MS ones.Read "Embrace, extend and extinguish" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguishDesigners who develop pages that aren't fully interoperable do so intentionally by unnecessarily using elements that aren't universal.
Thanks for your comments -- especially the link on the MS case. It is interesting how much water has passed under the bridge since that case was settled.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Well, the 'IE only' web sites are typically 'IE Windows' only, so having IE on the Mac isn't going to help you much.I daily have to deal with idiotic software comapnies and idiotic IT managers who buy 'web applications' that, in turn, end up being 'IE 6 Windows only' applications. Insanely stupid.We currently have a 7-figure piece of software at work that only runs in IE6. We can't even upgrade to IE7 or it will break.It's insane, namely because it defeats the entire purpose of making an application web-based (univeral access).That said, MS has FINALLY wised up to this and a lot of their development tools now work equally well in IE, Safari, Firefox, and to an increasing extend, Opera. Now we just need to get the web site developers to catch up.And Taunton really has 25% macs? Wow. Are those stats available to view?As for why MS killed IE, it's simply because Apple started bundling their better browser with the operating system. There was no real bsiness argument for MS to continue developing IE on the Mac. (There really isn't much of a business argument for them developing IE on the PC, really, but that's more of an ego thing, I'm sure...)
When it comes to computers or anything IT, I'm stuck at about the first grade level, maybe even Kindergarten. So I appreciate your efforts to explain all this to me. <<"And Taunton really has 25% macs? Wow. Are those stats available to view?">>The Sysop at Knots (and I assume BT) offered this number as a guesstimate a couple of years ago. I don't think they have any way of knowing for certain.But it got me to thinking........... Even though Mac has something like a 5-6% market share overall, I suspect that number is much higher when you factor out businesses and just count individual users. EDIT: Can you tell me anything about Camino? I have it loaded up here to "mimic" IE, which helps when I encounter a website that is garbled in Firefox and/or Safari; however, I can't, for example, use it here at BT since it won't let me respond to posts as the others will. Is that just a matter of some dumb thing I have not turned on (or off)?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Edited 12/7/2006 9:56 am by nikkiwood
Camino is a different 'flavor' of Firefox. For starters, make sure you have the latest version of Camino downloaded and running.As for making it look like IE, that option basically tells Camino to say 'Hi, I am internet explorer for the PC' every time it goes to a web site. If the web site is built poorly, it will 'ask' that and only let people in that say they are using Internet Explorer. So that basically fools the web site.I'm not sure why prospero won't work. To be honest, I've never seen the fancy editing tools in Firefox at all on my Mac, so I guess I never missed them. ;o)
<<"I'm not sure why prospero won't work. To be honest, I've never seen the fancy editing tools in Firefox at all on my Mac, so I guess I never missed them.">>I have managed to survive here without access to the tools, but there have been a couple of times when big red type would've been nice <G>.Thanks again for your help.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
IE Windows is one product.
IE Mac is an entirely different product.IE was made for the Mac up through version 5, which will run on OSX just fine (well, as fine as IE 5 ever did). You can still use it if you want, but as many have stated, there are many better options.IE7 Windows is the newest Windows version. It's OK. A LOT better than IE 6 was in terms of security and bugs. I still prefer Firefox on both my PC and my Mac, though Opera is winning me over.
.. I hear people complain about not being able to use IE on the mac now, but I use Firefox and dont have any problems. I visit a lot of websites and use breaktime etc.. Maybe I just dont know what I am missing but Firefox seems to work great.http://www.thesmallbuildingcompany.com
Yes. For the record, one shouldn't be using IE on windows either. Granted, IE7 is a lot better than the previous versions.
However, mine does not have the new Intel chip, and I don't know if those models are more prone to viruses.
I was told that the new Intel chip opens up the Mac to a much wider array of problems by guy that is part of a nine member geek team that maintains a bank of 600 servers.
The boys in here tell me that the geek is crazy.
I then sought the opinion of the guy in town that runs a computer shop. He confirmed that the Intel chip is opening up the Mac to the same problems.
At this point I'm thinking: old mac = good. New Mac = windows.
blue
I think that Apple's low market share protects them -- what hacker wants to expend the effort on a machine that is used by only 5-6% of the market? Also, even as an outsider, it seems to me there are legions and legions of computer types who hate MS in a visceral way -- and enough of them are willing to take the time/effort to find ways to mess up their machines and make life as miserable as possible for MS and its customers. Apple has never generated that kind of sentiment, maybe because they were never smart enough to develop the kind of predatory instincts that have always driven the MS culture. All of which is good for those of us who own Macs. BTW, did you every buy that Mac laptop you were thinking about?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
"I think that Apple's low market share protects them -- what hacker wants to expend the effort on a machine that is used by only 5-6% of the market?"That's mainly a myth. The protection comes more from the way the operating system was designed. Windows has a ton of ways to hook into the operating systems. In many ways, this is nice if you develop software. Unfortunately, it's also nice if you write virii.If the market share myth were true, Linux Web servers (over 50% of the market) would see at least half of the hacker problems that windows servers do. However, that just isn't true.Plus, there are millions of Macs out there, so it's not like it's not a worthy target.That's not to say OSX is some super secure OS. All current operating systems have issues. Windows just has a lot more of them.
the more you write, the more I learn...................<G>********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
BTW, did you every buy that Mac laptop you were thinking about?
No. Three reasons: I'm thinking I'd prefer an older Mac that can't do windows and I take a long time to do anything of this nature (it took me 7 years to give up my bagphone) and confused people don't do anything. I'm confused!
blue
Jim, don't use the windoze side with the internet...I've got a new duo core macbook, no problems here...I'm also a computer idjit, and I'm not pushing macs either...just that I've tried both, and pcs suck<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
jim, don't use the windoze side with the internet...I've got a new duo core macbook, no problems here...I'm also a computer idjit, and I'm not pushing macs either...just that I've tried both, and pcs suck
I think you've got a good point. I don't know enough about any of this and I probably should just do it and suffer the consequences if I'm wrong. I'm pretty adept at making wrong tech decisions.
blue
I'm pretty adept at making wrong tech decisions.High five, bro<G>...ow,you hit me in the nose...LOL Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
What, pray tell, are these 'problems' that this server admin believes the intel chip brings to the Mac?
What, pray tell, are these 'problems' that this server admin believes the intel chip brings to the Mac
Don't ask me. Those types of questions are better off left unasked when talking to techies. If I slip and ask, they start answering and I swear they are talking part chinese, part hobbit language.
blue
If you're talking security problems, the vulnerability is not in the Intel chip so much as the OS and the way it integrates with applications. Basically, Windows makes it relatively easy to create little software functions as extensions to your existing tools. For people who like to tinker around with software, this can be a cool thing. For hackers, it is wonderful. It makes email messages and application downloads a vehicle for havock on any system they are able to target.The Mac is much more secure in this respect. It's still a wonderful programming platform (arguably better than Windows) for serious work in Perl, Java, etc. But it has never had a technology like COM or Active-X supporting a major application suite (like Office), unless you count AppleScript. There is a Unix command sequence, available in a Mac Terminal, that can erase every file on your hard drive in one short command. However, Apple does not make it easy to embed that in an email message that invokes the command upon opening the message. The switch from Motorola/IBM to Intel chips does not (as far as I know) change this.Are you the kind of person willing to pay extra for a riving knife on your table saw, dead flat table surfaces, and a slider you can push with one hand while your spouse is sitting on top (and, pray, the power is disconnected)? If so, buy a Mac. If you'll settle for the best contractor saw on sale at HD, and it's really important to be able to buy blades and parts at the same place, buy a PC.
Are you the kind of person willing to pay extra for a riving knife on your table saw, dead flat table surfaces, and a slider you can push with one hand while your spouse is sitting on top (and, pray, the power is disconnected)? If so, buy a Mac. If you'll settle for the best contractor saw on sale at HD, and it's really important to be able to buy blades and parts at the same place, buy a PC?
That's the kind of analogy I can relate to Tom! Thanks.
I wish I knew what a riving knife was....
blue
A riving knife usually is standard equipment on European equipment such as table saws and Festool Circular saws, and (lately) on a few of the better table saws sold by American companies such as Powermatic.
"Rive" means "to split". So a riving knife is a safety device sorta like a splitter. It's a crescent-shaped piece of metal that goes behind the circular saw blade to ensure that a rip cut made by that blade (the kerf) does not close up behind the blade and cause kick-back. It moves up-down and left-right along with the circular blade as you raise/lower or tilt it.
If I were going to change safety standards for table saws, this is the first thing I'd require, not the SawStop brake (which is a good idea too, but it is more expensive and addresses a different safety problem). TS blade-contact accidents can take away your fingers, even your whole hand. Kickback can kill you.
Why a riving knife is not standard equipment on every American TS is beyond me. Cost issues, I guess, along with lack of demand from Americans (like yourself) who have never heard of the thing before. Now that you've heard of it, you can demand it.
Hunh...?
non-Intel Macs run IE (for Mac, of course) just fine......
<<Hunh...?
non-Intel Macs run IE (for Mac, of course) just fine......>>True for the older OS 9 Macs, but IE not available for the OS X.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
It _was_. I ran IE5 on OSX on the rare occasion that a site would demand it (a credit-card payment site). Bagged the CC, and IE, too. It was slower by far in rendering pages, and it was a dead-end, per MS.
How does that work?I just went to the mactopia site, and they say IE is not available for Mac:http://tinyurl.com/n50xSo were you able to get an old IE 5 from some source other than MS?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I think it came installed on the computer. We're talking several years ago.
Yes, IE was pre-installed on the first few released of OSX.IT's a bit of a moot point, though as IE5/Mac is an old browser and there is no real reason to have it on your machine anymore anyways.But, if someone REALLY wants it...
http://browsers.evolt.org/?ie/mac/5.2.3_OS_X
i have 2 macs and a pc (dell). I hate using the dell to be honest (Drivers, registration problems, spyware... it is just stupid)... like everyone said the mac just works... I would buy the macbook for 1299 over the cheaper one... the next macbook refresh is likely to take place in late feb or march...
Tom,
You'll be fat and happy with one of the new MacBooks.
It'll be great for everything you are interested in doing, and as was mentioned above, you can run your PC programs through BootCamp or Parallels. But you can also use Office 2004 or the soon to arrive Mac Office 12 to handle your word processing and similar items. And there is open source software that might work nicely for you, too.
As for viruses and cookies, those are two different animals. PCs have more virus susceptibility for two reasons. One, the code code they are built on is proprietary and Redmond is notoriously stingy about providing access to it to developers. Two, Microsoft powers far more of the world than Apple or Linux do. So, it's a conveniently enormous target to shoot at for miscreants in Russia. Some of that is to say, that Macs aren't bullet proof; you'll still need to exercise some caution. Definitely use Firefox as your browser for starters. And run a personal firewall like ZoneAlarm, and some antivirus software. Back to point number one -- the principal reason that Macs resist viruses so well is the Linux platform they are built on now. Linux is an open source, collaborative effort, which makes rewriting some code to close a hole much faster, than if you shut the door and pretend that the problem doesn't exist. Right, Mr. Gates? LOL
As for cookies, they are good and bad. But for the most part they are put there to retain information about what you are doing on the site. As a software developer, I put them in as a backup method to retain information if you are dropping items in a shopping cart. Yes, they can be used for nefarious purposes, but that's not really a reason to turn them off. And, in any case, you can always delete them via your browser. Usually on the order of Tools >> Clear Private data OR Delete Browsing History, and you are all clean on that front.
Hope that helps. Good luck with the Mac!
Thanks to all for the information, and the speedy response...
Lots or macamaniacs here on BT, and lots in my Church.
I am not Mac trashing here, but I have three Dells in my office and an HP laptop. I am sure Macs are the bomb, as I have been told, but never used them.
Because of the new dual operating systems and some encouragement ot Go Mac, I recently looked into matching Dell specs in a Mac and the price almost doubles. $844.00 versus $1,599.00.
I do replace my PCs about every three years, and have been buying the 3 year / next day / in office service warranty. We have never used the warranty service. To date I am pleased...they work well for me, with lots of pics, media presentations, power pioint presentations, files and Softplan CAD, etc.
I donate my old pcs to our Church / Ministry or give them to family. My daughter has one that is 6 years old that she regularly uses for school.
Of course I am open to the fact that I have had good success with Dell, and never used a Mac, so I am not privledged to the sweetness.
I just went to the Dell site and if you match specs Apple is less expensive with a laptop.
The implication of these articles is that you weren't comparing apples-to-apples, so to speak.http://www.internet-nexus.com/2006/08/mac-pro-vs-dell-precision-price.htmhttp://www.macworld.com/news/2006/02/14/pricecomparison2/index.phphttp://kurafire.net/log/archive/2006/04/25/debunking-the-price-myth-apple-vs-dell
I forgot to add that in our comparision the price levels affect the comparrision. This was a condition of the advise by others to look at Mac and compare prices. Look at the comparrison examples in your links and prices. Mac compares favorably in price with Dell in the $2,500.00 + market, but the computers I have been buying are desktops and rarely above $1,000.00. These seem to me to have all the tools I need for business and function well.
Build a Dell Dimension desktop for less than $1,000.00 and them build a comparable Mac. Hearing all of the good things about Macs, I would love for you to prove me wrong.
Again, I am sure the praises for Macs are right on, but I have found what works for me. It is certainly true that a Lexus is a good choice for comfort, luxury and reliability, but a Honda will help you build wealth in other areas that will last...through the money saved.
I used to be confused, because my dad who made great income drove an old beat up Nissan B210 to work. Knowing he could drive whatever he wanted cause me to inquire. His response to my inquiry was that he was building wealth. He is now comfrotably retired, and recently spent a week in Hawaii attending the Maui Invitational Tournement. He and my mom follow University of Memphis basketball and flew out on the team plane. It was expensive, but I am sure that somehow the old B210 over the years paid for the trip.
According to my level of purchaces and my own personal and documented shopping conclusions using Mac / Dell specs...I am saving money to put into lifetime investments and inheritance for my kids.
It is really no big deal...Dells work for me.
One should absolutely get the right tool for the job. My family asks for advice on what to get, and my response is, "What will you be doing with it?" rather than, "Get a Mac".If what you're saying is that Apple doesn't make an $800 computer, I don't argue that. Their lowest is $1099. At other price points, the two are comparably priced.
"Their lowest is $1099."their Mini at $599 is their lowest priced option.
"Their lowest is $1099."their Mini at $599 is their lowest priced option.but it's only a cpu...take the high road<G> Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Right. It's only a CPU. So, add a monitor and you're looking at $750.
insert "laptop".I had it in my brain that he'd mentioned laptop so was focused only in that direction. As for desktop, the mini is a fine option and he can scavenge one of the screens from his other boxes.
Edited 12/6/2006 7:53 pm ET by CloudHidden
the mini fits in my lap. ;o)Actually, it should be pointed out that NONE of the new laptops (apple or otherwise) are 'laptops'. The new dual core processors are HOT and quite uncomfortable actually sitting in your lap.My old TiBook was fine, but my MacBook...after about 5 minutes in my lap I can feel my sperm count dropping...
I had that problem. Try downloading the new firmware and installing. Surprisingly, it made a huge diference.
In fact, Apple does make an $800 computer, and a $600 computer for that matter.
It's called the Mac "mini".
Ah, sorry, you were referring to desktops. Apple's desktops are fairly segmented Minis, iMacs and the pro line. It's harder to compare with a Dell, since dell has dozens of options.As for laptops, Apple is tyically about the same price feature-for-feature.
"I recently looked into matching Dell specs in a Mac and the price almost doubles. $844.00 versus $1,599.00. "Dell sometimes has some great deals, but feature-for-feature, the MacBooks typically are a beetter comparison, and can be had for around $1000.
Usually on the order of Tools >> Clear Private data OR Delete Browsing History, and you are all clean on that front
I've cleaned the cookie jar only to find out I have to re enter all my usernames and passwords. Of course, I don't know what any of them are and I typically am locked out of all the stuff that I like to do.
I hate being a computer idiot.
blue
Hey Blue,What browser are you using?Tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet ~ Horace
IE
I also use firefox for some things. It has some issues and I'm not good at solving issues. For instance, every time I open it, it has to open in safe mode. I don't know what that means and frankly, I don't want to know.
blue
OK, you can clear your cache and not lose your login info this way:IE -- (This is predicated on you using IE 7 and not 6. I don't have that one loaded anymore and can't look at the specific instructions)Under Tools, click Delete Browsing History (it should be the first item on the list), and then select Cookies, Temporary Internet Files, and History. Don't touch the Form Data or Passwords and you won't lose any of that.Firefox -- Under Tools, Select Clear Private Data and make sure that the Saved Form and Search History and Saved Passwords fields are not checked. Now, onto the Firefox Safe Mode issue. Not having seen it before, but a quick search tells me that it's probably an issue with a Firefox extension you downloaded. It looks like if you have at least version 1.5, when safe mode starts you should get an option for a diagnostic test and you can turn off any offending extensions. (See here -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode) And if you haven't already upgraded to Firefox 2.0, I'd recommend it. Same goes for IE7Let me know if that doesn't make sense and I'll try to help you from here.Oh, one more thing. Stop procrastinating and get that MacBook :)Tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet ~ Horace
Oh, one more thing. Stop procrastinating and get that MacBook :)
I think that's the only sane thing to do. My head would explode if I tried to follow your fixes for my other "problems".
Once I get the Mac, my printer and router issues will drive me to drinking again and I'll end up at Costco looking for accessories.
This whole thing just freaks me out. I wish santa would just drop me one of those $299 throwaways that I just saw in the paper. It's ready for some form of Vista but I really hate windows and dont' trust them at all.
blue
Is that that special Festool router that works with the Mac? LOL Wireless service and superior dust collection all at once?As for Vista, when I checked this morning, it looked like nothing was shipping until Jan 30.Seriously though, open up Firefox, click on Tools and then "Add Ons". That will bring up a drop down window. I'd click on each one of the items and click "Disable", restart Firefox and see if that doesn't fix your issue.Tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet ~ Horace
Seriously though, open up Firefox, click on Tools and then "Add Ons". That will bring up a drop down window. I'd click on each one of the items and click "Disable", restart Firefox and see if that doesn't fix your issue
I'll do just that and thanks for your help. I have a date with Firefox tomorrow.
blue
If you have any ideas about learning computer programming down the road (and you may, with "business-related tasks") I'd go with a Mac. 2 cents. Ed
Here is a ComputerWorld article on a Windows Guru switching to Mac:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9005712&pageNumber=1
I've enjoyed using Mac's for years without any trouble...except for loosing a first generation iMac to a lightening strike (hit a tree 50' from the house).
I use MS Office (Word & Excel mostly) for Mac. The customers and businesses I email files to have no idea that I'm using a Mac. I am currently running a 5 year old Ti PowerBook and a 6 year old Graphite iMac both with OSX. They just work (even though they are shared with two teenagers). Never a virus, or any other issues.
Thanks for the link.
I'm just searching for a solution to all the aint-virus, cookie, and spyware crap I have to put on the PC. It takes hours a week to try to update these apps on dial-up, and it's a PITA.
What protection do you think is necessary? I'm looking for a range of opinions.
Thanks
Tom,With the Mac, I have never had to mess with any anti-anything. All I ever do is update my OS about once a year. I should probably do browser updates more often. Some of us Mac users are really lax about security, because we have never had any virus, spyware, or other malware...ever.Kinda like the commercials with the jumpy paranoid PC guy and the calm cool Mac guy...our paradise will not last forever...the hackers will come just to prove they can. However, I expect that MS Vista will be better for PC security and the Mac platform people will work pretty hard to keep their reputation for having a bombproof OS.
Since you're on dialup, I personally don't think you need much protection. Stay away from sites you don't know and trust, don't download files/applications/images, etc. that you don't know and trust, don't open emails from people you don't know and trust, etc.Disconnect when you're not using the internet or email.Install a basic antivirus program and a spyware/malware sweeper like AdAware, and update them each once a week or twice a month.You can disable cookies except for approved sites, or set your browser to ask you anytime a site tries to set a cookie. You can then choose to accept or reject. Some cookies are benign and legitimate, others are set by those with less-than-honorable intentions...Practice smart-surfing, and your chances of infection are quite low.
"I'm just searching for a solution to all the aint-virus, cookie, and spyware crap I have to put on the PC. It takes hours a week to try to update these apps on dial-up, and it's a PITA."Someone asked Joe Stodard over at JLC what the "free cocktail" as now.He use to recommend AVG free, Spybot, and Adaware.This time he recommended AVG free 7.5 and Windowsdefender.there was no explination on why the change
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
oops, forgot, also a firewall, either hardware or Zonealarm.I'm on dialup and Zonealram stops a lot of attmpts to query my PC from the oiutside.
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG