Mac vs. PC Laptops

[Tinijocaro]

But Safari doesn't offer anything like that, do they?

I think I managed to delete both Firefox and Netscape from the hard drive already. At least I think I did. I "ejected" them, and I don't see them showing up anymore, under the Mac folder.

I have no idea what I'm talking about right now...

Go up to the little blue magnifying glass in the upper right corner of your desktop (it's called "spotlight"), click it and enter "firefox" into the search box. It will find it for you. When you get your results, you'll see at the bottom "Spotlight Preferences" You can choose what types of files you want your computer to search through when you use spotlight. If you want it to work faster, don't have it search through all your photos, or music files. Maybe just applications and documents would be good. When it finds firefox, click at the top where it says "show all", a separate box opens, just grab the firefox icon and drag it back down into your dock.

 

[dcentity2000]

That's what I purchased. I have the 17", 233GHz model. I like it!

That's the one I'm going for!

But Safari doesn't offer anything like that, do they?

I think I managed to delete both Firefox and Netscape from the hard drive already. At least I think I did. I "ejected" them, and I don't see them showing up anymore, under the Mac folder.

I have no idea what I'm talking about right now...

Safari supports tabs and did so long before IE7 - just look in the Preferences.

For troublesome websites Opera is the most assured choice (but it's dead ugly!) Other good browsers include Camino (Firefox but faster and prettier) and Flock (Firefox but prettier and with more features, being integrated with Flickr, blogs and PhotoBucket).



Rich::

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm looking at the 15 inch 216 ghz Macbook Pro

I came really close to getting that, and the screen on mine is a little heavy. I used to walk around with my Dell open, with no problems. With this one, the screen will start to shut.

I figure I probably shouldn't be doing that anyway, so maybe it'll break me out of a bad habit!

I wonder if it'll wobble when I'm in the car using it.

You know what was really, really cool? Walking in, and walking out with it. I've had longer waits at Burger King!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

That's the one I'm going for!

It's beautiful!

I don't know if I care for the lap stand I purchased for it though. The velvet pad is a little bulky to use.

Safari supports tabs and did so long before IE7 - just look in the Preferences.

So much to learn! This is going to take me forever!

ETA: Thanks Rich! I changed it and I have tabs again!

For troublesome websites Opera is the most assured choice (but it's dead ugly!) Other good browsers include Camino (Firefox but faster and prettier) and Flock (Firefox but prettier and with more features, being integrated with Flickr, blogs and PhotoBucket).



Rich::

I've heard of Opera.

When I spoke to tech support, they told me that their website can only be run on IE.

 

[Equidae]

But Safari doesn't offer anything like that, do they?

I think I managed to delete both Firefox and Netscape from the hard drive already. At least I think I did. I "ejected" them, and I don't see them showing up anymore, under the Mac folder.

I have no idea what I'm talking about right now...

To use tabbed browsing in Safari, just hit AppleT. Or go to file and then new tab.

We got our Mac laptop several months ago, but I'm just getting around to learning all it's little features. I just downloaded some widgets and am having a lot of fun with it. We have the Windows parallel, so when I run across something that needs IE or a PC, I just switch to PC mode. Doesn't happen too often though.

Glad you like your Mac! It's a lot of fun!

 

[dcentity2000]

When I spoke to tech support, they told me that their website can only be run on IE.

Argh, that's infuriating! Does happen though. There is a workaround - download Camino (a Firefox based browser) and CamiTools (they should be easily findable on Google). Then, go to the Preferences, select CamiTools and in the bottom left hand corner of the window, select an IE (Internet Explorer) choice from the list. That will cause the website to think you're using IE when in fact you're not and will force it to load!



Rich::

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Argh, that's infuriating! Does happen though. There is a workaround - download Camino (a Firefox based browser) and CamiTools (they should be easily findable on Google). Then, go to the Preferences, select CamiTools and in the bottom left hand corner of the window, select an IE (Internet Explorer) choice from the list. That will cause the website to think you're using IE when in fact you're not and will force it to load!



Rich::

If that works, I'm going to have to hunt you down in the UK to hug you.

I get a lot of business off of that website, and it would be great to not have to mess with windows!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

To use tabbed browsing in Safari, just hit AppleT. Or go to file and then new tab.

We got our Mac laptop several months ago, but I'm just getting around to learning all it's little features. I just downloaded some widgets and am having a lot of fun with it. We have the Windows parallel, so when I run across something that needs IE or a PC, I just switch to PC mode. Doesn't happen too often though.

Glad you like your Mac! It's a lot of fun!

So what does switching to PC involve? Once you're on the dark side, can you still run Mac programs?

Is it one or the other, or do you access them from the same desktop?

Does that even make sense? I'm not up on my Apple-speak yet!

 

[dcentity2000]

So what does switching to PC involve? Once you're on the dark side, can you still run Mac programs?

Is it one or the other, or do you access them from the same desktop?

Does that even make sense? I'm not up on my Apple-speak yet!

Booting into Windows (done by BootCamp) presents you, effectively, with a separate computer - you cannot run Mac programs there. An alternative to BootCamp is Parallels Desktops - using that you can boot into Windows from within your Mac without having to reboot - I think you can share folders between the two systems that way too. However, Parallels does cost money, although you can get a free trial.



Rich::

 

[GoofyJeff]

So what does switching to PC involve? Once you're on the dark side, can you still run Mac programs?

Is it one or the other, or do you access them from the same desktop?

Does that even make sense? I'm not up on my Apple-speak yet!

With Parallels, you can run Mac and Windows at the same time. In fact, you can hide the Windows desktop so your Windows programs appear just like Mac programs do, in their own window.

Take a look at this image.

I snapped a shot of my desktop running Safari and IE7 Windows in Parallels. It's so easy to use, you can't miss.

 

[dcentity2000]

you can hide the Windows desktop so your Windows programs appear just like Mac programs do, in their own window.

Now this I didn't know! Thanks for the info, Parallels is on my shopping list!



Rich::

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Now this I didn't know! Thanks for the info, Parallels is on my shopping list!



Rich::

It's on mine too! It's not that expensive.

 

[crcormier]

Glad you're having fun. I have Parallels and it's pretty cool.

As for the website, I assume you figured out the Tabs for Safari now after a couple of people's posts. What Rich suggested with Camino to emulate Internet Explorer can also be done, sort of, with Safari.

From Tech Learning:

In the meantime, however, you may be able to take advantage of a “debug” feature in Macintosh OS X’s Safari Web browser. By default, the “debug” menu is turned off in Safari, and it requires a command in the terminal (yikes!) to enable it. Thankfully, you can download a free AppleScript from VersionTracker which will make this change for you. Visit Safari Debugger to access the fix. But quit Safari before double clicking the AppleScript. Then the next time you open Safari you should see a “Debug” menu on the right side of the menu bar at the top of the screen. Choose DEBUG — USER AGENT — WINDOWS MSIE 6.0 to make all websites you visit identify your Web browser as if it were Microsoft’s finest.

Again, depending on the Web features used by the site, this may or may not work, but in many cases it will be enough to “get you in the door” and access Web content previously reserved for just Windows IE users.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have another questions about Windows. (Y'all are going to be so sick of me!)

I have my operating system disk that came with my Dell to reinstall Windows XP Professional.

Will I be able to use that to install windows on the Mac, or will I need to purchase a new copy? (I don't know the legalities of reusing it, or if it'll even work.)

Is this something that someone like me will be able to figure out? Or is this a job for people like you?

 

[GoofyJeff]

I have another questions about Windows. (Y'all are going to be so sick of me!)

I have my operating system disk that came with my Dell to reinstall Windows XP Professional.

Will I be able to use that to install windows on the Mac, or will I need to purchase a new copy? (I don't know the legalities of reusing it, or if it'll even work.)

Is this something that someone like me will be able to figure out? Or is this a job for people like you?

It's easy to install, and it should work, but from a "legal" point of view, I think it's against the rules. That copy of Windows is licensed for one machine, and you'd be installing it on a second machine. You might be able to call MS and have the license transferred to the new "machine" (Parallels), but I don't know for sure.

The Parallels folks have a pretty active user forum here.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

It's easy to install, and it should work, but from a "legal" point of view, I think it's against the rules. That copy of Windows is licensed for one machine, and you'd be installing it on a second machine. You might be able to call MS and have the license transferred to the new "machine" (Parallels), but I don't know for sure.

The Parallels folks have a pretty active user forum here.

I figured as much. If it's too good to be true... yadayadayada...

On another note, my keyboard is all lit up and it sure looks cool!

 

[crcormier]

I figured as much. If it's too good to be true... yadayadayada...

On another note, my keyboard is all lit up and it sure looks cool!

Yeah, that's a fun feature, isn't it?

 

[SueM in MN]

With Parallels, you can run Mac and Windows at the same time. In fact, you can hide the Windows desktop so your Windows programs appear just like Mac programs do, in their own window.

Take a look at this image.

I snapped a shot of my desktop running Safari and IE7 Windows in Parallels. It's so easy to use, you can't miss.

Thanks for the info about Parallels. My youngest DD uses a computerized communication device to talk with. The program for backing it up and making changes to her communication device only works in Windows. We have only Macs in our house (and have since 1984). Well, I'm not counting the single Windows tablet computer that WAS her communication device before her new Vantage Device that should be arriving by Monday. We spent more money re-loading Windows on that tablet computer than we spent on repairing all our Macs since 1984! I was thinking of getting the tablet fixed just so I could use it for backing up her new device, but I think I'm going shopping for Parallels too.

 

[GoofyJeff]

Thanks for the info about Parallels. My youngest DD uses a computerized communication device to talk with. The program for backing it up and making changes to her communication device only works in Windows. We have only Macs in our house (and have since 1984). Well, I'm not counting the single Windows tablet computer that WAS her communication device before her new Vantage Device that should be arriving by Monday. We spent more money re-loading Windows on that tablet computer than we spent on repairing all our Macs since 1984! I was thinking of getting the tablet fixed just so I could use it for backing up her new device, but I think I'm going shopping for Parallels too.

Wow, that's amazing! I hope Parallels can do the trick for you. Keep in mind that you do need an Intel-based Mac to run it. You do have one, don't you?

 

[SueM in MN]

Wow, that's amazing! I hope Parallels can do the trick for you. Keep in mind that you do need an Intel-based Mac to run it. You do have one, don't you?

I have a G4 Powerbook, but my DH has an Intel-based Mac.

We actually have more Macs than people in our house - 4 people and 6 Macs; my DH and my laptops, 2 of the first ibooks, an older imac (the first ones with DVD players) and my older DD has a 15 inch Powerbook. All of the older ones still work fine. In fact, we just gave my nephew our older imac (about 8 yrs old that runs OS X just fine). My SIL really wants a Mac for their next computer and she hoped by having one in the house, her DH would get used to it (DSIL is a computer tech person for an internet service provider).