Mac Questions.

g4m3rof1337

g4m3rof1337

Active Member
Well, I am buying a Mac Book pretty soon. Like in the next few weeks or something. I know Leopard is due in October or around there.

My questions are...

Can the Mac Book run Leopard? Meaning, on the 1gb Ram and stuff.

I have a desktop PC and two other PC laptops that connect to my router, through wired and wireless, can a Mac connect? Or do I need some accessory?

What are some programs I may want? I may want to design web pages, make music and stuff.



Any other additional info is great.


Thanks.
 
nothing needed for your wireless if the mac book has an airport card (which it should). May want to look into Adobe Creative Suite.
 
g4m3rof1337 said:
Well, I am buying a Mac Book pretty soon. Like in the next few weeks or something. I know Leopard is due in October or around there.

My questions are...

Can the Mac Book run Leopard? Meaning, on the 1gb Ram and stuff.

I have a desktop PC and two other PC laptops that connect to my router, through wired and wireless, can a Mac connect? Or do I need some accessory?

What are some programs I may want? I may want to design web pages, make music and stuff.



Any other additional info is great.


Thanks.
Click to expand...

Designing webpages, Dreamweaver and Leopard is already out, my friend has it on a Macbook Pro
 
with adobe master collection you can make pdf files in ms office the program that does it is called adobe distiller
 
every web designer I know swears by writing code from scratch. The problem is with apps like dreamweaver you get extra code tossed into your web pages, and that code is there so the application can decipher what you are doing.

There is a free open source version of dream weaver called NVU, and I am currently using it myself to re-teach myself web design (I haven't built a web page since around year 2000 and well technology has changed A LOT since then). I am already seeing myself ditching this app all together once I learn the ins and outs again.

http://www.nvu.com/

As for PDF files, OS X has a native print to PDF option. So you can be working in any application be it MS word, or open office or neo office, or text edit, or whatever and you can print your document to PDF which automatically encodes that file in portable document format.

If you purchase a new mac you should get a copy of iWeb which is Apple's own little web building application. I have not used it, but I do have a copy of iLife 08 sitting in my CD binder in my bag. It would be simpler than NVU but not as complex. That is just a guess, you will have to see for yourself.

As for web design I highly recommend two text editors, textwrangler and taco HTML. Both of these apps are sweet and I use them both. I do almost all my scripting in textwrangler now exclusively.

Some great apps for ripping DVDs are these two apps here:

http://handbrake.m0k.org/

http://www.mactheripper.org/

Of course the best media player ever works on every platform

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

FTP servers

http://captainftp.xdsnet.de/cftp/description.html (i think this is pay for)

http://cyberduck.ch/ (this is free)

GIMP, a program comparable to photoshop and it is free

http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/

Neo Office, this is an office suite that runs natively in OS X unlike open office which requires X11 to be installed

http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php

If you are a Linux user and miss all your old Linux BASH command apps, you can install them via Fink Commander, or Fink if you want the command line version

http://finkproject.org/

Audio recording application

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

A fun DJ/Turn table application that runs smooth with iTunes

http://www.algoriddim.net/download/index.html

Back up and cloning software, netrestore and CCC (all of them free) a free boot loader for dual booting macs, a login window manager, etc etc.

http://www.bombich.com/

Tons of open source print drivers for printers

http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3
 
Alright, I got another question.
I currently have a 2Wire router, connecting my desktop PC, via ethernet, and two PC laptops via wireless connection.
The Macbook should have no problem connecting, right?




Thanks.
 
Yes, it should have no problem, however there have been issues running WEP with some hardware and non windows platforms.
 
What do you mean?
Will I have to buy an Apple Airport?

Also, do the new Macbooks come with full ilife 08?
I know theres a trial for iwork 08.



Thanks.
 
Nope, I don't run any networking hardware from apple at my work or at home and my WiFi works fantastic. I mean you may have to use a different method of encryption, like WPA or WPA2, or WEP may work. If WEP doesn't work sometimes putting a $ in front of the wep key allows the Unix part of the OS to properly communicate with the encryption. This is not apple's fault per se, it is just how WEP is designed.

As far as software, I am actually not certain. We just buy site licenses for software and management is the one that writes the checks not me, so I am not sure exactly if iLife comes with it. I do know that previously Apple has shipped iLife with their Macs.

Also, wait like one month before you buy. Leopard is coming out sometime in October, so wait until you can get it with Leopard for free. Or purchase it with a free upgrade option, which Apple will do right when Leopard comes out.
 
Leopard wont be that much, but thanks.

But any other things I should know, look at, or get?


Can the Macbook be hooked to a 32'' HD LCD via DVI to HDMI, with the resolution set to 1366x768?




Thanks.
 
I was just saying that Leopard comes out in October and it is September. As for the video out I don't see why not. I do DVI out to a projector at work sometimes for keynotes, but never did a DVI to HDMI before. I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would ask an audio/visual guy what they know.
 
Once Leopard comes out, I am going to upgrade the hard drive, and the Ram.

Also, I've watched videos on YouTube of people running CSS and HL2 on their Macbook.

I think the person was running a Core Duo processor, 2ghz, with 512mb of Ram.

Mine will be a Core 2 Duo, with 1gb of Ram.


Also, for iAlertU, all I need is the program and the Apple remote, right?




Thanks.
 
I just installed iAlertu, pretty cool. It even uses the isight camera to capture a picture of whomever touches your laptop. All you need is the remote and the software is free
 
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