So what is so different?

alan · Nov 06, 2009, 09:12:42

Had my Imac for about 6 months now.. Can somebody please tell my what is so different on a Mac to a PC.
My Wife into craft/card making with about 20 CD's she's purchased over the last couple of years, and now of course
none of them work on a Mac.. You cannot even buy any CD's on craft which are compatible with a MAC.
So I'm still in the doghouse for changing. It so so difficult/expensive to do a CD which can run on both systems?
.

Gary · Nov 06, 2009, 09:16:25

Quote from: alan on Nov 06, 2009, 09:12:42
Had my Imac for about 6 months now.. Can somebody please tell my what is so different on a Mac to a PC.
My Wife into craft/card making with about 20 CD's she's purchased over the last couple of years, and now of course
none of them work on a Mac.. You cannot even buy any CD's on craft which are compatible with a MAC.
So I'm still in the doghouse for changing. It so so difficult/expensive to do a CD which can run on both systems?
.

Some things are not compatible with macs because it is a smaller market so its not worth coding for, as its a completely different OS its not worth the money for some things, Windows has a bigger Target audience, saying atht all i need runs on my mac so far

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 09:34:20

What Gary says, Alan - people tend not to write for Macs as they do for Windows. The best software works on both, but tends to be more expensive as a result.

alan · Nov 06, 2009, 09:38:08

Thanks Gary. All I need runs on my MAC also. Its the other half which has come out worse on this one.

So it it expensive operation then for this "coding " to be included for mac's?

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 09:44:23

It is, Alan, recoding to the new OS, depending on how much they cheat, means a lot of coding time. It's why moving platforms can get expensive - even fonts have to be re-purchased.

Simon · Nov 06, 2009, 09:46:08

Bob?

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 09:46:51

I went to bed late.

Ray · Nov 06, 2009, 09:47:31

Yes we noticed, Rik.

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 09:48:15

alan · Nov 06, 2009, 09:51:39

Thanks Rik.. Perhaps I ought to have done a little more homework on the subject before I took the plunge.
I still like the Mac better though:)... Luckily, I still have a 13' XP laptop I use for the CD's but it is such a pain to work
on with that small screen.
.
Next question... Can I get a cable to connect from the Laptop to the MAC so I can use the bigger mac screen with
with the CD in the lappy... I think not somehow.

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 10:00:22

Sadly, you would be right, Alan.

alan · Nov 06, 2009, 10:14:57

Oh dear.. I'll just have to be called a grumpy old man every time she wants something doing.
I have no time for playing with the lappy now and its a chore to do anything on there other than surfing with that screen size.
I have a moan each time I have to do something on it. That will teach me.
.
Thanks all.

Simon · Nov 06, 2009, 10:15:50

They are very separate beasts, aren't they?

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 10:19:47

Most lappies will connect to an external monitor if that would help, Alan.

Tacitus · Nov 06, 2009, 10:25:58

Depends on how much you are prepared to pay

I have heard great things about the new version of Parallels which enables you to run Windows apps simultaneously with Mac apps. All your Windows applications will run at more or less native speeds. VMWare does the same sort of thing. The beauty of these is that as virtual machines if you pick up a virus you just delete it and install a fresh one from a clean backup.

An alternative is to use BootCamp which I think is included with the latest Intel Macs. This enables you to run Windows natively in a separate partition, but you would need to do a reboot to get into it.

Either way the problem is that you will need to buy a copy of Windows, but there should be some cheap copies of XP somewhere.

alan · Nov 06, 2009, 11:28:04

Wow... I wouldn't dare start doing partitions.. I'm a jinx and if its going to be buggered up I'd find a way to do it.
I'm all new to this Mac game. It was bad enough testing my knowledge with windows.
It sounds as though its the way to go though, I couldn't justify paying even more out having paid over a £1000 as it is.
I suppose I could link the Lappy to the TV and try working on a 40" incher. That would test my patience.

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 11:37:34

Not to mention that of the family.

Sebby · Nov 06, 2009, 11:46:02

Quote from: alan on Nov 06, 2009, 09:12:42
Had my Imac for about 6 months now.. Can somebody please tell my what is so different on a Mac to a PC.
My Wife into craft/card making with about 20 CD's she's purchased over the last couple of years, and now of course
none of them work on a Mac.. You cannot even buy any CD's on craft which are compatible with a MAC.
So I'm still in the doghouse for changing. It so so difficult/expensive to do a CD which can run on both systems?
.

Unfortunately, there isn't the amount of software for Mac as there is for Windows. It's just the way it is.

Sebby · Nov 06, 2009, 11:46:51

Quote from: alan on Nov 06, 2009, 09:51:39
Next question... Can I get a cable to connect from the Laptop to the MAC so I can use the bigger mac screen with
with the CD in the lappy... I think not somehow.

You can't I'm afraid. However, you can on the new 27" iMac.

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 11:47:42

Nice sales pitch, Seb.

Sebby · Nov 06, 2009, 11:52:13

It was unintentional, I assure you.

Rik · Nov 06, 2009, 12:15:29

Then my training has failed.

Sebby · Nov 06, 2009, 13:10:00

Steve · Nov 06, 2009, 13:55:51

I use Virtualbox on my iMac its free and seems to work very well http://www.virtualbox.org/. XP oem versions install easily and are not too expensive.No partitioning required, it just runs like any other application on the Mac.
http://www.virtualbox.org/

Sebby · Nov 06, 2009, 15:04:17

Same here. Unfortunately, I need IE for my Egg Money Manager.

alan · Nov 07, 2009, 07:14:12

Quote from: stevethegas on Nov 06, 2009, 13:55:51
I use Virtualbox on my iMac its free and seems to work very well http://www.virtualbox.org/. XP oem versions install easily and are not too expensive.No partitioning required, it just runs like any other application on the Mac.
http://www.virtualbox.org/

.
Printed some of the user manual, will see if I can digest later. I take it that I D/L this freebie and get a copy of XP, install it then I use my Imac like a Windows machine, so it will accept all these window disks I have.. Dosn't sound to complicated at the moment anyway.. If I have it correct?

Tacitus · Nov 07, 2009, 07:35:35

Quote from: Sebby on Nov 06, 2009, 15:04:17
Same here. Unfortunately, I need IE for my Egg Money Manager.

TBH I would ditch any bank that effectively dictates 'thou shalt use Windows'. Pure idleness or incompetence on the part of their web developers.

Given the growing use of Macs and, that Mac users are supposed to be more affluent than most I can't see why they would pass up the chance of doing business with Mac users.

Steve · Nov 07, 2009, 08:30:40

Quote from: alan on Nov 07, 2009, 07:14:12
.
Printed some of the user manual, will see if I can digest later. I take it that I D/L this freebie and get a copy of XP, install it then I use my Imac like a Windows machine, so it will accept all these window disks I have.. Dosn't sound to complicated at the moment anyway.. If I have it correct?

You install/unistall Virtualbox like any other program on the Mac. To install an additional OS it creates itself a virtual machine, it asks you to specify a size for a virtual drive which is actually just a folder on your mac harddrive (so its easy to get rid of in trash) You will need to allocate some memory for the OS and allocate hardware its allowed to access such as your CD/DVD . You can use your iMac in any mode you wish whilst virtual box is loaded i.e run Windows applications and Mac OS applications at the same time you just flick between the application windows on your screen. The only real issue I had was with the Apple bluetooth mouse I did solve it can't remember how but can remember resorting to a usb/wireless one temporarily. The advantage of a virtual machine is that no reboot is required to run either OS as with bootcamp.If you have 4gb memory you won't notice any difference in performance for Mac OS X for routine tasks with 1Gb allocated to the XP virtual machine.

Attached jpg from a related webpage

[attachment deleted by admin]

alan · Nov 07, 2009, 13:49:07

Many Thanks Steve... It sounds easy enough for me.... Now to get me XP eom on the old ebay.
Worth a try for a few quid. Watch this space!!

alan · Nov 16, 2009, 10:51:18

Right, got some time to play with this now... I have this Bootcamp application already installed on the imac, so going to do it that way..
Now looking at purchasing XP.. I see Amazon have it for £65.. Before I take the plunge can somebody confirm that by booting up in Windows mode I shall be able to run all of my windows Cd's just like a normal PC. I would hate to have to buy XP only to find the my windows disks wont work on a mac drive.
.
Thanks

lozcart · Nov 16, 2009, 12:08:44

Alan,

Your Windows CDs will work just fine using XP with Bootcamp and your iMac drive.

alan · Nov 16, 2009, 12:18:02

Quote from: lozcart on Nov 16, 2009, 12:08:44
Alan,

Your Windows CDs will work just fine using XP with Bootcamp and your iMac drive.

.
.
Smashing. Thanks Lozcart.