Sebby's new mac - is it a big one?

[Rik]

It's the built-in backup software. After the initial backup, backups are incremental and so you can restore to a point (Windows System Restore is only settings, but this is everything). It's automatic and requires no user-intervention.

Will it backup to an external drive, Seb?

[Steve]

Time machine will backup to external drive (firewire or usb) or another mac running Leopard. The Time Capsule is the guaranteed network backup option its also will act as a router/N wireless access point. It automatically does an hourly backup and then house keeps various daily,weekly and monthly backups

[Rik]

Thanks, Steve. 

[Sebby]

Will it backup to an external drive, Seb?

Yep, it's going to my WD MyBook.

[Rik]

Thanks.

[Tacitus]

There's another one here, Gary:  http://adiumx.com/

I don't think that supports video chat on Macs 

[Gary]

Cheers people, since getting the laptop my back has got a lot worse (bending forward) and putting it on loads of books is not going to work as typing would be awful, so if I could get a instant messenger program to work it may well be worth me getting one, I was fine with my old Monitor and pc i sat very much upright and the chair is fantastic for that, its a pain that my posture makes or breaks even the damn gadgets I use but I could stretch to a mac if i could use that single feature I always avoided them because of that as I talk to my friends on webcam a lot as i cannot get out, and apart from Sebby and a few people on here everyone I know uses a pc so isight would be useless 

[Sebby]

I think you mean iChat... iSight is the name given to the camera. Just because it's a Mac doesn't mean that you can't use the webcam with MSN Messenger.

[Tacitus]

...... I could stretch to a mac if i could use that single feature I always avoided them because of that as I talk to my friends on webcam a lot as i cannot get out, and apart from Sebby and a few people on here everyone I know uses a pc so isight would be useless 

Check out this thread over on Apple discussions, which might give you some pointers.

I use the built in iSight camera on the MacBook to chat with someone over on AIM which has always worked fine.  AIM is free but you have to register a username and you then logon using iChat.

I've never used MSN for chat but I believe it is possible.

[Gary]

I think you mean iChat... iSight is the name given to the camera. Just because it's a Mac doesn't mean that you can't use the webcam with MSN Messenger.

Its not because its a mac Sebby, its just that many programs were not given good reviews for macs a while back, I just needed to know what its like nowa days, I got confused about ichat and isight, the firewire isight webcam you can get for macs (not built in one obviously) is fantastic, the pic quality is amazing, its just I'm house bound now, so the mac would need to be able to use the webcam and have decent software so I could chat with my friends, its my only social life now you see, and I talk to people on a daily basis on mine. Thanks for your help 

[Gary]

Check out this thread over on Apple discussions, which might give you some pointers.

I use the built in iSight camera on the MacBook to chat with someone over on AIM which has always worked fine.  AIM is free but you have to register a username and you then logon using iChat.

I've never used MSN for chat but I believe it is possible.

Thanks, I'll look into that 

[Tacitus]

....... the firewire isight webcam you can get for macs (not built in one obviously) is fantastic, the pic quality is amazing, its just I'm house bound now, so the mac would need to be able to use the webcam........

Not sure from this post whether you have one of the original firewire iSight webcams or were thinking of getting one.  If the latter I would be careful as there have been reports of them not working properly with the later Macs.  Not sure why but some have suggested the power requirements were too heavy. 

I did have my eye on one in a local S/H shop which I wanted to use with the G5, but decided to pass.

Another site that is useful for Macs and WebCams is this one.  They are very good with USB WebCams for Macs and supply drivers for those for which are not UVC compliant.  The only problem is their list of 'compatible' webcams tends to use manufacturers codes used in the US, which are not necessarily the same as those in the UK.

TBH if you did decide to go the Mac route I doubt you would find any insurmountable problems.  Mac users  are a friendly bunch - a bit like iDNetters - so there's lots of help out there.

[Steve]

The slighty convoluted way would be to use Parallels the virtual device software and then use Windows msn messenger. I think Parallels is the only VM software that currently works with isight camera? I have failed sofar to get isight functioning within Virtualbox XP using the  correct xp drivers from Apple.

Running an additional OS on a mac  seems to work extremely well providing you've got the ram to allocate to it.

[RogerP]

Hi

I have found that MS Messenger, Adium, iChat can't be used with Apple webcams as the software does not support it at the moment, iChat is difficult as it will work but only to other Mac users .
Adium website says it's working on it, so do Microsoft although you can use these pieces of software if you want to type everything!!.

Hope this helps

Rogerp

[Tacitus]

... iChat is difficult as it will work but only to other Mac users .

You can use an AIM login with iChatAV and AFAIK you can connect to other Windows based AIM users.  The problem is that iChat uses the AIM protocols and, though I believe you can do text chat with MSN buddies using a Jabber account via iChat, you can't do video chat. 

There's a thread here which may be helpful.

[Steve]

I believe when Windows Live Messenger 9 is officially released support for AV will be added to MS messenger (mac version)

[Sebby]

Just a little update... Loving the Mac more and more.

[David]

It looks everything.......and more Sebby    I want one 

[Rik]

Shall I tell Wendy or will you, David?

[Simon]

Stupid question time:  Can all existing Windows files be transferred to, and opened with an iMac?  I think one prohibition would be having to replace all of my Windows software, which would be quite a financial outlay.

[Rik]

Most, some may need conversion. As you say, the big cost is in software, for me that includes a lot of fonts.

[RichR]

What format fonts are you using? OS X supports PostScript Type1, Multiple Master, TrueType (Mac and Windows versions), OpenType and dfont

[Rik]

Type 1 - but the Mac and Windows variants have always been different, afaik, and you had to buy for both platforms - at least when I was working.

[Lance]

Surely you could jusst 'make do' though Rik! Or just keep one machine running Windows!

[Rik]

Me, make do when it comes to fonts? No chance. I'd have to buy the Gill, Adobe Garamond, Colmcille and Cluny fonts as a minimum.