OT: Apple Mac computers

[dmc]

Out of interest, what "better browsers"? I assume you are pointing at Opera?

errrr...it's better than the normal home backup system (ie, nothing)

*might* fail. If the backup disk fails, you still have the master. If the master fails, you have the backup. Chances of both disks dying is slim.

I know several people who have never bothered to backup their machines until time machine came along. It's not perfect, but for the average user it's simple and it works.

It is (well, I guess it's more a recovery :-)). Sure, it's not a DR backup although time machine handles that as well AFAIK.

I use both macs and windows machines. I spend all day looking after Solaris boxes of varying scales. I run Macs at home (in fact this is being typed on an aging G4 powerbook) as I like the *nix like envronment without the hassle of running linux/freeBSD/opensolaris/whatever.

Specing a machine for someone who knew *nothing* about computers (my parents for example) I think I'd still get them a Windows box. The world expects windows - but this does seem to be changing.

A couple of years ago I got them a laptop - windows XP with no question as there were still plenty of websites out there that required IE. This is getting to be less and less of an issue.

Two apps I still miss on the Mac are Outlook (yeah, it's a pretty grim email client in many ways but there is nothing to touch it for calendaring when pointed at exchange) and google picassa for simple photo management (I don't care what people say, I can't get on with iphoto).

Both of these I regularly run under vmware on my intel macs (no, not this G4 before some bright spark points it out...)

Darren

[dennis]

It did when \I was using it for IMAP (Telewest), POP3(google, virgin media) and hotmail. Maybe you didn't set it up correctly?

Why not answer the question? iLife and iWork are £55 each on the Apple site. Maybe you don't pay for your upgrades?

RAID is *not* a backup. You really don't understand computers at all do you? I think I can safely ignore anything you say about computers based on your total misconception of backups.

Are you thick or obtuse? You need not answer I have decide which.

[dennis]

Its broken, take it back. Even my dads Fujitsu Siemens Celeron machine only takes about 60 seconds to boot and it only has 1G of RAM and shared graphics steals 256k of that.

[The Medway Handyman]

I'm not asking a lot really. I'm but a simple lad, if I buy something I expect it to work. If I buy a circular saw I expect it to cut wood, if it didn't I send it back. I expect my van to start when I turn the key & stop when I turn it off.

Same logic doesn't seem to apply to computers.

I'm not without talent, I'm far from stupid (dispite comments from Dennis), just that computers aren't my speciality.

If I were talking to other magicians, I'd be using terms like Ascanio Spread, Elmseley Count, Goshman Pinch, Riffle Pass, Retention Vanish & they would know exactly what I was on about. I wouldn't expect anyone here to know what on earth I was on about.

[The Medway Handyman]

That would be the DDKA's

(Dennis's Dog Killing Ambulances).

The controllers call them nee -naws, the crews just call them trucks.

Ner ner ne ner ner refers to Dennis's response to a logical argument or fact that he doesn't understand - you may have noticed that :-)

[Rod]

I was talking Vista Business which has a requirement of 1GB of system memory (i.e. not stolen by graphics). I assume your dads (sic) Celeron machine has home version? That is a bit lighter.

BTW: Your 'postrophe key is broken.

[dennis]

The chances of the backup failing is somewhat higher than the disks failing.

The trouble is you get idiots that think it is a good backup solution so they don't get one that works properly when they really need one.

I have had a program similar to time machine running on my PCs for a couple of years but its for convenience and doesn't replace backups. It is better than time machine too, I keep an offsite backup using it. You tell it how many versions of a file to keep, then you can right click on a file and a calendar pops up showing the previous versions which you can select and restore.

Have you tried evolution? It runs quite well on windows and they may have done a port to osx by now.

[dennis]

There isn't much difference, especially if you use media center.

It gets tired about now.

[Andy Hall]

It breaks on any IMAP server after a few thousand messages.

Included in the bundle with a Mac.

I didnt say that it was. It is a method of reducing the risk of hardware failure.

So you believe that the typical home user is going to make backups in a suitable form with multiple copies and take them to an off site store?

Backups to a local hard disk are reasonable because they get done.

The other option is to use an on line automated backup service.

It was you who mentioned deleted files, suggesting that you have become confused on the matter.

[dennis]

You haven't made a logical argument. So far you have changed your story about a dozen times.

You claimed they had to speed to get back following a cardiac attack because they couldn't administer the drugs and then you claim they can administer loads of drugs. You really have lost it.

I think you were just making it all up and forgot what lies you said.

[John Rumm]

Wandering off at a slight tangent, are you aware of any mobile solutions that *don't* rely on USB for the interface?

But don't forget one of the first working exploits against a wireless TCP/IP stack was demonstrated against a mac. It exploited a weakness in the low level card driver. As with all the multilayered software systems, they require a level of trust at each layer.

[Andy Hall]

There's always Entourage if you miss it that much.

Have a look at Adobe Lightroom. It does rather more without getting complicated and has Mac and Windows versions.

[John Rumm]

I was referring to AV as in anti-virus rather than audio video. For machines that live in isolation and don't venture online, its less of an issue and kit which would otherwise be too underpowered can soldier on for a bit more.

[The Medway Handyman]

Not that old, 3 years maybe?

That could well be a point, the bloody thing is always installing updates. Whats all this s**te for example?

didn't knowingly install it & I certainly don't use any of it.

Do they have a shelf life then? Could I replace/upgrade that from somewhere like Crucial?

Are there many games installed ? Some games are less well

I'll have a look at that, thanks for a reply I could understand :-)

[Rod]

It was partly because when released there were lots of problems within Vista. I am not sure how far they got with solving them as I no longer have that laptop.

Hasn't been working for some time. Or do you perversely like to avoid using them?

[The Medway Handyman]

Errrm memory. Dunno. How would I find out?

[John Rumm]

Which equates to a change of cutoff date for XP (since OEM is how 99%+ people buy it).

>> Add to that the fact that apple stop supporting older machines in

98 ceased support long ago, as has Win2k mostly.

I was. Even if all you buy is games you will soon run up the equivalent cost of a PC, let alone if you want Office.

[Clint Sharp]

In message , Andy Hall writes

With all due respect, you're talking out of your arse.

I can't remember the last time I had to rebuild an XP machine for any other reason than a hard disk failure or complete user stupidity and I see dozens every month (I repair servers and desktops for some large corporate clients). Likewise Windows 2000.

Macs have their place and sure they are easy to use, hey, they even look nice but I bought my machines to use rather than look at and let's face it, our lord Jobs is rather adept at gouging his loyal fanbois for lots of money on a regular basis for software upgrades and new hardware.

[Andy Hall]

Yes. Vodafone has an Expresscard for theirs.

Much easier to fix in a defined environment

[Steve Firth]

Well I've had a black video iPod since they came out. So far I haven't had any woman throw herself at me.

So you must also be unaturally handsome or rich.