Re: A convert to Apple needs friendly advice

James Taylor <spam-block-@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Am I correct in thinking that there are just four models in
> the current range of Apple laptops: 12" iBook, 14" iBook,
> 12" PowerBook, and 14" PowerBook?

There's also a 17" PB.

> Am I correct in thinking that
> the innards of the lowest spec. machine can be upgraded to those
> of the highest?

No; CPUs can't be upgraded. Other stuff like WiFi and memory can be
added.

> If not, which aspects cannot be upgraded, and how
> much would I miss them?
>
> Susie wants to be able to play DVDs (from various regions).
> Will an iBook allow that, or is it limited to just one region?
> Can it play them at full screen and full frame rate?
>
> What level of USB is supported?

USB 2 on all recent Macs. But Firewire as well.

> Is it always possible to
> connect with any camera, printer, scanner, MP3 player, or
> other storage device, or do you have to choose the device
> carefully based on a list of known to work USB devices?
> Is there such a list?
>
In practice, it's plug and play.

> What is the Bluetooth support like? Is it stable and mature?
> Has anyone experienced difficulties getting the Mac to talk
> to mobile phones, cameras, printers, or the like? Is there
> a list of known working devices?
>
> What about wireless ethernet (Wi-Fi)? Which 802.11 standards
> are supported? Is there anything proprietary or even just quirky
> about MacOS Wi-Fi?

iBooks need Apple's own 'Airport Extreme' cards; otherwise it's
bog-standard.

> Can I assume 11g frequencies and speed are
> fully supported, or is it still only 11b? Are the 11X
> authentication mechanisms supported, and the 11i encryption
> protocols such as TKIP and especially CCMP (AES)? If not, how
> soon can I expect these standards to be supported?
>
> Are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi fitted as standard?

Check specs at the Apple site; such nuances are often changed.

> If not, what are the
> costs involved in getting them fitted? Can they be fitted
> internally without the need to use up PCMCIA slots?

Bluetooth USB dongles work OK.

<snip>
>
> What is the track record of MacOS-X on security matters such
> as viruses, worms, spy-ware, email & browser bugs, open ports,
> buffer overflows, and application macros? Is it necessary to feel
> paranoid and hide behind constantly updated security software,
> or is it more like RISC OS where nobody can remember the last
> time a virus was even seen?

Just like RISC OS (and I say that as an ex-RISC OS user, with A310 and
then RISC PC.

> Does MacOS-X have a robust
> permissions system that protects system files from modification
> by the user or any insecure software the user might be running?

Yes - see Unix.
>
> Both Susie and I have been put-off by the shiny white plastic
> look of the iBook, which reminds us of a cheap kitchen appliance
> (think kettle or toaster). Susie is an incurable aesthete, and
> I just want something that won't look tacky in a professional
> environment. Matt black would be far more to our taste. The
> brushed aluminium PowerBook we saw looked *much* smarter, but
> the price seemed way too much to pay for cosmetic considerations
> alone. Do Apple produce any better looking laptops at a more
> reasonable price?

No. It's PB or iBook. Shame she doesn't like the iBook, because they
offer a lot for a little. Arguably more robust than the PB as well.
Apple UK sometimes offer refurb models on Wednesday mornings at 10.00am
on their web site, which might cut the cost of PB purchase!
>
> I am used to a three button mouse on both Linux and RISC OS.
> The purpose of the three buttons are particularly well assigned
> on RISC OS and greatly contribute to the fluidity of everyday use
> and productivity; not just in the OS but in all the applications
> too. I am worried that a one button mouse will cramp my
> productivity considerably. I've heard that it is possible to get
> a three button mouse for the Mac but I imagine that the
> assignments of these buttons are not well integrated into the
> operating system or applications. In fact, I suspect they may
> even be arbitrarily assigned by the driver software supplied with
> the mouse and not actually recognised as separate buttons by any
> other part of the system. Can anyone offer enlightenment or
> reassurance on this matter?

Apple have now introduced their own multi-buttoned mouse, which will, no
doubt, set the standards for useage.
>
> And now for a philosophical question: Coming from a RISC OS
> background with some experience of Linux, I am acutely aware of
> the importance open source, open file formats, and open protocols.
> I naturally *hate* Microsoft and everything their ruthlessly
> monopolistic practices have done to the world.

So do many of us!

> As a minority
> platform, RISC OS has a culture of supporting open file formats,
> and, like Linux, many of the applications are hackable or
> customisable in ways the original author never imagined.
> My experience of MacOS is that it is a very *closed* system,
> ie. it is not possible to look "under the hood" of either the OS
> or the applications, and it is not customisable or hackable
> beyond what the software authors foresaw and allowed for.

Nah - Unox gurus can mess things up, sorry, I mean 'tweak the system' to
their hearts' content.

> This
> makes me nervous because I am used to being able to fix problems
> by investigating and tinkering under the hood, or even enhance
> software by writing programs that convert application file
> formats, or by writing glue-code that calls the command line
> interfaces (or other APIs) of the applications I use. I do not
> wish to place any of my data into a proprietary file format that
> ties me to one particular application, and which might crash and
> corrupt my data. Has the advent of MacOS-X's BSD underpinnings
> brought with it a cultural revolution resulting in more of the
> kind of openness I'm used to? Or are the OS and apps all still
> very closed black boxes?
>
> The ugly reality, however, is that we live in a world dominated
> by Microsoft, its file formats, protocols, bugs & viruses.
> Is it possible to read and write the common MS formats (Word,
> Excel, PowerPoint, Access) *without* using Microsoft software
> or inadvertently letting a single penny slip Microsoft's way?

Apart from M$ Office for £10 on eBay, AppleWorks will read some M$
files, Keynote will open PowerPoint files, Open Office will do the lot.
.. . . .

Well, I'll pass on the rest; cue the experts!

Stuart

--
Try stuartsmacs at dsl dot pipex dot com to email me.

.

Quantcast