|
|
|
MAC vs PC drama drama drama
|
|
|
masteryo
Junior Member
|
10. February 2007 @ 20:44 |
Link to this message
|
|
oh and i don't smoke (Dangerous for Health Never do it)
Feroz
|
|
Advertisement
|
 |
|
|
|
mvp3333
Newbie
|
15. February 2007 @ 16:44 |
Link to this message
|
|
personally i think that they both have their ups n downs mac n pc. i personally when it comes to pcs am not a windows fan because it crashes to much. and also vista did copy alot of mac stuff.
|
|
TheFOG
Newbie
|
15. February 2007 @ 19:41 |
Link to this message
|
Well, I haven't seen anything like my interest in possibly switching to a Mac here, so here goes. My interest in computing is mainly focused on collecting TV shows through BitTorrent, and saving them as .avi files on an external 500GB HDD, with an occasional DVD-R being burned using Nero 7.0. What I want to know is, after buying a Mac, what is involved in setting up the Mac to accomplish this? I already have another external 500GB HDD, brand new in the box, but what about the 350 some odd GBs of shows I already have in the old external drive? Will I be able to access them from the Mac? What about file extensions such as .avi, .mpg, .wmv, .vob and on and on? How do they fit into the picture? Does Mac use their own file extensions, and are they in any way compatible with what Windows uses? .......... Hellllppp!!
MB- Asus P4P-800
CPU_ Pentium 4 - 2.8GH Hyper-Thread
Mem - 1GB DDR-400
Windows XP Pro / SP2
Thanx for any input, TheFOG
|
|
mvp3333
Newbie
|
16. February 2007 @ 04:24 |
Link to this message
|
|
my buddy was having a similar problem but he had put mac on his windows and his graphics card wouldnt let him use his media files in OS but he made his graphics card compatible somehow so u could prolly do the same
|
|
redZoneOS
Member
|
20. February 2007 @ 22:43 |
Link to this message
|
|
Hi guys,
I originally started this way back when, and let me tell you about my experience. I eventually decided to by the 13.3" macbook with Core 2 Duo... I decided this because I got it from microcenter for 1150 after mail in rebates (not including tax)... That price is fairly comparable to similar PC models, and with the cost issue being reduced, I was sold to the MAC world.
I must admit, maybe because I'm alot older now, but switching over to the MAC was a bit more complicated then I expected. While everything is simple to learn, the interface is so different that you literally just have to deal with each issue as it comes. It took forever for me to figure out how to burn DVDs, back up my copyrighted DVDs, etc. etc. that I've grown accustomed to doing with ease on Windows. Even still, with the difficulties I have experienced, I believe MACs are much better then PCs. There are so many ways you can get around small "bugs" in programs, by modifying scripts (obviously you have to know what you're doing, or just go to MACWORLD and ask someone to create a script for you!) Quick example of this: I learned yesterday that you can place screensavers as your background wallpaper, so the screensaver runs even when you're actually using the computer! Nifty little trick you can do just by typing in a short script! That's just one very small example of many many things you can do. (If anyone uses Itunes, on a MAC you can create a script to auto-clip the beginning and ending of Podcasts, so you can delete the advertisements... I love it!)
Anyway, I would like to say that I think all in all, the minor conveniences, better performance, lower security issues, MUCH easier interface (after u learn it), makes me love my macbook over any pc I have ever owned... Oh and I failed to mention that at my university, for PCs you have to download and install a program in order to get wireless internet access... MACs, no such requirement, turn it on and you're ready to go!
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
22. February 2007 @ 08:01 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by TheFOG:
What I want to know is, after buying a Mac, what is involved in setting up the Mac to accomplish this? I already have another external 500GB HDD, brand new in the box, but what about the 350 some odd GBs of shows I already have in the old external drive? Will I be able to access them from the Mac? What about file extensions such as .avi, .mpg, .wmv, .vob and on and on? How do they fit into the picture? Does Mac use their own file extensions, and are they in any way compatible with what Windows uses?
Probably the fastest solution would be to get the Perian QuickTime component (at http://perian.org/ ). Then, QuickTime can read .avi files. Flip4Mac has a free component that lets QuickTime read .wmv files (and MS has a Windows Media player for Mac, although it's kinda crappy).
The only relevant file extension that is original to the Mac is .mov, the standard QuickTime extension. Macs recognize all the typical Windows-y media file extensions, and with Perian and Flip4Mac you should be able to open 90% of them in QuickTime Player. For the rest you can get MPlayer or VLC (check www.versiontracker.com).
If your external drive currently in use is formatted for NTFS (which I'm assuming is the case, since it's big), you will only be able to read it on a Mac; you can't write to it. Macs can only write to FAT and FAT32, as far as Windows filesystems go. Macs use HFS extended (with journaling as an option) for the filesystem. The first thing to do, then, would be to format the new drive for HFS, then copy everything from the NTFS drive over to the HFS drive, then format the NTFS drive for HFS using Disk Utility
So to recap:
1) Perian and Flip4Mac QuickTime components
2) MPlayer and VLC for anything that won't run in QuickTime
3) Windows Media Player for some things that won't run in #1 or #2
4) Transfer NTFS-drive data to new HFS-formatted drive
5) Reformat NTFS drive as HFS+journaled with Disk Utility
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
22. February 2007 @ 08:06 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by redZoneOS:
Quick example of this: I learned yesterday that you can place screensavers as your background wallpaper, so the screensaver runs even when you're actually using the computer! Nifty little trick you can do just by typing in a short script!
OMG I've been a Mac user since 1985 and I don't know how to do this!
a) awesome
b) how?
|
|
TheFOG
Newbie
|
23. February 2007 @ 13:37 |
Link to this message
|
|
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, KMUNOZ !! Thank you so much for your MOST helpful reply. It covers everything I wanted to know. Thank you again,
TheFOG
|
|
redZoneOS
Member
|
23. February 2007 @ 18:10 |
Link to this message
|
|
kmunoz,
It felt a bit complicated at first for me, but if u've been using a mac for that long u should have no problems:
(Note that the following is ONLY if you have not created a .bash_profile before, if you have follow the link below and amend the instructions based on their guidance)
open the program TEXTEDIT, and make sure the document is in plain text (Format > Make Plain Text)
copy and paste the following:
alias motion='/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background'
(Make sure there are NO SPACES anywhere except 1 space after alias, and 1 space right before -background. This should be all one straight line, with no other spaces at all, or it won't work)
The MOTION is a command, so you can change that to whatever you want, if you want...
select FILE > SAVE... name the file ".bash_profile"
Location of the saved files should be your HOME directory
Make sure you UNCHECK the bottom of the save dialog that says "If no extension is provided, use the txt option" or something like that...
After double checking all of these procedures, go ahead and save the file...
Nooooow, go to terminal and type "alias", and press enter.
The long ass command line should come up... from now on, whenever you launch terminal just type in "MOTION" or whatever name you chose, and your screensaver will run in the backround!!! enjoy
Just choose whatever screensaver you want before opening the terminal and typing your command, and you should be good
Also, if you had any problems, go to the following link, I shortened my instructions, but they are virtually identical to theirs (since I got it from them!)
<<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/macosxhints/2005/09/ssaverdestkopanimate/index.php>>
A recommendation: After you get it running, go to your activity monitor (same location as the terminal)... make sure the screensaver isn't using too many of your computer resources, because it may slow your computer down. Also, if you ever want to stop the screensaver, just hit CMD 'C' with the terminal open...
Aight have fun!
|
|
celebi10
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
24. February 2007 @ 20:23 |
Link to this message
|
|
I don't know why people are saying macs cost twice as much. Fact: THEY DON'T! I've been using pc's for 6 years. I switched to mac and in 3 years, i already know 3 times more than I did on a PC. Mac's are not inferior to PC's. My 800mhz iMac G4 made in 2001 runs a LOT faster than my 2.4ghz AMD Athlon PC's made in 2006! So don't say they are inferior. If you would just use one, and give it a chance, maybe you'll change your mind.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. February 2007 @ 20:24
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
26. February 2007 @ 10:53 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by TheFOG:
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, KMUNOZ !! Thank you so much for your MOST helpful reply. It covers everything I wanted to know. Thank you again,
TheFOG
Glad I could help. And just FYI in case you start getting led to the dark side (i.e., non-Perian/Flip4Mac QT plug-ins)... You can check Perian's compatibility list on their webpage. There are other QT plug-ins made specifically by the 3ivx and DivX folks, but you really, really don't need them. My QuickTime plug-ins folder has 4 items: AC3MovieImport, Flip4Mac WMV Export, Flip4Mac WMV Import, and Perian. And I have no idea where that first one came from (I never use it anyway). MPlayer and VLC will attempt to brute-force anything that Perian and Flip4Mac in QT can't handle (which usually only happens with badly encoded files); they don't use the QT plug-ins.
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
26. February 2007 @ 10:57 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by redZoneOS:
kmunoz,
It felt a bit complicated at first for me, but if u've been using a mac for that long u should have no problems:
Thanks! Works like a charm. There's a program out there that will basically do the same thing called DesktopMagik (versiontracker has it, I think), but it's shareware. The advantage is that you get a menu bar icon and GUI-based controls, but IIRC it quits after 15 min unless you pay for it.
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
26. February 2007 @ 11:00 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
Originally posted by redZoneOS:
kmunoz,
It felt a bit complicated at first for me, but if u've been using a mac for that long u should have no problems:
Thanks! Works like a charm. There's a program out there that will basically do the same thing called DesktopMagik (versiontracker has it, I think), but it's shareware. The advantage is that you get a menu bar icon and GUI-based controls, but IIRC it quits after 15 min unless you pay for it.
Oops... I forgot that DesktopMagik only plays movies in the background, not screensavers. (Well, "only" is relative... DesktopMagik is a pretty neat trick, regardless.)
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
26. February 2007 @ 13:23 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by redZoneOS:
kmunoz,
It felt a bit complicated at first for me, but if u've been using a mac for that long u should have no problems:
Here's an Applescript I just concocted that will do the same thing, but be a bit "cleaner." Make the Applescript an "application" with "Stay open" checked. Put the following in the script:
do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &> /dev/null & 1&"
on quit
do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -debug &> /dev/null & 1&"
continue quit
end quit
I wanted to make it so that when you quit the script it just killed the screensaver process, but for some reason if you have a do shell script kill in the "on quit" section, nothing happens and the script hangs. So, instead, I just have the script run the screensaver again, only this time in "debug" mode. This is the same as background mode except that the screensaver quits as soon as you move the mouse. A bit of a kludge, but you don't have to keep Terminal open this way.
|
|
kmunoz
Newbie
|
26. February 2007 @ 13:29 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
Originally posted by redZoneOS:
kmunoz,
It felt a bit complicated at first for me, but if u've been using a mac for that long u should have no problems:
Here's an Applescript I just concocted that will do the same thing, but be a bit "cleaner." Make the Applescript an "application" with "Stay open" checked. Put the following in the script:
do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &> /dev/null & 1&"
on quit
do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -debug &> /dev/null & 1&"
continue quit
end quit
I wanted to make it so that when you quit the script it just killed the screensaver process, but for some reason if you have a do shell script kill in the "on quit" section, nothing happens and the script hangs. So, instead, I just have the script run the screensaver again, only this time in "debug" mode. This is the same as background mode except that the screensaver quits as soon as you move the mouse. A bit of a kludge, but you don't have to keep Terminal open this way.
Oh, and I should mention... you can put this in a script menu icon, for easy access. Open the Applescript Utility and set it to "Show Script Menu in menu bar" and uncheck "Show Library scripts." Then put the screensaver applescript into ~/Library/Scripts. Now it should show up in the script menu. If you want to take all the other junk out (mostly useless), just create a "Scripts (disabled)" folder alongside the ~/Library/Scripts folder and dump all the scripts you don't want into it. (Or delete them, if you're not a packrat like me.)
If you're especially adventurous you could modify the script so that you can input which screensaver module you want to run (so it doesn't just go to the default). You'd do -background -module <modulename>. You could make one script for each module and put them in the ~/Library/Scripts folder.
|
|
redZoneOS
Member
|
1. March 2007 @ 11:42 |
Link to this message
|
|
lol kmunoz, you're far more adventurous then i am... for now the script I described will work wonders for me, but once I learn more about writing scripts and stuff, I will definitely come back here and check out all this other "stuff" that you mentioned. haha
thanks tho!
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
kame88
Newbie
|
10. March 2007 @ 06:14 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by Karma50:
I am using WinXP on a MacBook right now and it is great. I bought a new 100 GB hard drive (which by the way is extremely easy to install) so I wouldn't be cramped for space and I have 20 GB for Windows ~75 for OS X. I basically just use windows for gaming and checking websites for compatibility when I am designing. I have used a Mac since the first one in 1984 (I was 5) and have reluctantly used PCs too (because it is impossible to avoid them) but this is the best of both worlds. You just choose which OS you want to use when you startup.
The only problems are:
1. No right mouse button means you have to use the little "Enter" key for Right clicks. (Get "Input Remapper" to change what all the keys do)
2. Windows cannot read the OS X partition, but OS X can read and write to the Windows partition (if you format as FAT32, limits to maximum 32 partition)
this is goona sound kinda stupid but ur saying u can run both xp and mac on a computer,if so please repsond
Good Luck Deciding
|
|
