Calling all Mac users?

[MarieBoyer]

I am a windows person. But heck, I went to the Apple store last night to check it out (since my latest Windows fiasco). The Mac computers are gorgeous!

I am very scared to switch to the Mac because of software compatibility issues. I guess Elements 4 runs on a Mac but, of course, I have since fallen in love with Elements 5.

I looked at the Imac because everything else was out of my range.

You mac guys, here are three questions:
1. How much RAM on Imac to run Elements smoothly? (I am thinking of 2 Gigs)
2. How easy is it to make the switch in terms of software? Will Adobe let me have a Mac version for free since I have Windows. (I have Windows version 3, 4, and 5).
3. Any other Mac advice? Thoughts?

Thanks to you in advance.

[msbrad]

Marie,
I'm probably about the worst to give any tech advice.. but on the question regarding making the switch, here goes.

I have a pc, and the lab at school where I teach in now all pc. w/ xp pro(although there are still some mac's at school).

My daughter's boyfriend has mac with cs2,(I've helped him) and some of my photoshop lessons were on a mac, and then I applied them to elements on a pc at home.
I've done work on both and taught some programs on both.

To me, it really doesn't make much difference.
I am rather ambidextrous ( and really do most things either right or left handed), now my Daddy tells me that means "not worth a damn from either side".

Best of luck with a tough (expensive decision).You have been through it with what I read in the other thread.
m
ps: I do love the ads on TV

[MarieBoyer]

Thanks Michelle. I am looking at an XPS at Dell too. Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated.

[CarolLHB]

There are tons of great reasons for switching to a Mac, IMO, but to answer your questions specifically:

I am running with 2GB RAM on an iMac with no issues-
As far as I knoww Adobe does offer a deal for switching to Mac versions that I understand is reasonable.

I have had my iMac for one year almost to the day. I bought the Intel Mac right after they came out and I love this computer to death! Keep in mind that it wasn't a switch with this machine-I've been a devoted Mac user for a while. But I am in computer heaven with this baby, and have not had one single problem with it that wasn't user induced:D.

Out of the box I was fully operational in a few hours (not using the machine, but putting all my stuff on it). I was using it right after plugging everything in. It comes with iLife, installed and ready to go with iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GagageBand, iChat, and PhotoBooth-all amazing apps.

I could go on and on, but I am sure you'll be hearing from more of us!

[sreichlin]

Marie - I switched to Mac two years ago, and I've become a big fan. My motivation was 1) the many hours of frustrating tinkering to make things work on my PC, and 2) when I couldn't fix it and tried calling tech support, each company said the problem was the other company's software. With my Mac, when I have a problem (much less often, but it happens) the Apple techies stay on the phone until it's solved. It was painful at first to replace lots of software, and to say goodbye to some things unavailable for Mac, but I will never go back. I finally convinced my wife to let me replace her PC as well (since I was always the one to fix hers, too.) I'm only a novice at PSE so I can't advise about that.
Scott

[MarieBoyer]

Well, this is looking promising. Thanks to both of you.

Carol: you think an imac with 2 gig of ram and an intel based core 2 duo would be great, huh? Because I cannot afford the mac book pro and the higher end desktop they sell. Love that you actually have an imac and you think it sings. Would love to hear more! Thanks a bunch!

[Carbone]

1. How much RAM on Imac to run Elements smoothly? (I am thinking of 2 Gigs)



Two Gigs will be well enough. You'll have ample space to run Elements and other applications at the same time (iPhoto, iTunes, etc.)

2. How easy is it to make the switch in terms of software?

Usually, very easy. For example, Microsoft Office for Mac has the same functionality has Office for the pc. It offers a few things more like the notebook view in Word or Excel multi page view. Powerpoint can export in Quicktime. But for the rest, we're 99.9% on par with Windows.

You'll find all other kinds of software, both well known and less. Quicken for your accounting, Roxio Toast for burning discs (Roxio makes Easy CD Creator for the PC), Palm desktop if you have one of those little gadget, Terragen for 3D landscaping, Bryce and Carrara for 3D modeling, RealBasic (a Visual Basic clone) for programming, Missing Sync for Pocket PC (yes, Windows CE device can be sync with Mac OS!!), etc.

Firefox is identical too. All other Adobe software (Reader, CS2, InDesign, etc.) they're all identical on the Mac.

Most peripherals also run on a Mac these days. Check with the manufacturer. I personally have a Logitech cordless Desktop (keyboard and mouse), Logitech Speakers Z4, Logitech Gamepad (for playing games and lately, Lego Star Wars .. lol!!), Canon scanner, Lacie external Dual Layer DVD burner, etc.

What's more, most digital camera work with iPhoto without installing any driver !

Even Adobe decided to bring back Premiere Pro for the Mac, after they've cancel it several years ago. The Mac is very alive!

Will Adobe let me have a Mac version for free since I have Windows. (I have Windows version 3, 4, and 5).

Yes, sure! They did it for me, with a smile! 15$ to cover new disk and shipping.

3. Any other Mac advice? Thoughts?

To ensure smooth transition, gather all your peripherals, and check for drivers on the manufacturers websites. One thing you don't want is buy a 1000$ computer and then, once home with it, realize that your printer and scanner will work with it.

Get a big hard drive. 250Gb may seem big today, but next Friday, it'll begin to look small. With a Mac, multimedia is so fun and fluent, you tend to gather and collect a lot of media.

I used to say switching to the Mac meant switching shopping habits. 3 years ago, there was only one or two stores (boutiques, rather) selling Mac stuff in Montreal. Now, they are all carrying Mac and Macintosh software : Best Buy, Future Shop, Compusmart, Staples. All the big brands are carrying it. So, to a lesser extent, still, get ready to shop online for software.

Software being developed by smaller companies or simple individuals tend to either be free or cost less. Beatrice has been on the hunt for several weeks and she made very nice discoveries. I hope she'll join us to tell her little story.

Thanks to you in advance.

Feel free to ask all questions, even more specific ones.

Ray

[Carbone]

I forgot to add I have both types of Mac at home :

A Powermac with an old PowerPc chip (dual G5)

A new Macbook with an Intel chip (Core Duo). With a Gig only, it slows down when I have a lot of stuff running, especially Rosetta (older PPC applications). More RAM is on the way :) In fact, I almost got it yesterday at lunch, but I didn't have enough time to get there, buy the RAM and have it install (I'm lazy since I have had a Mac, I tend to let the techs do their stuff!! hehe!)

Rat

[frank abramonte]

I owned both macs and pcs for a number of years, but gradually favored macs. The mac is user friendly and easy to maintain. With some easy to perform maintenance it runs without any problems. Most peripherals run with no additional setups. I presently use a mac G3 about 7 years old with 700mb of ram and run QuarkXpress, PSE 2 and PS CS2 without any problems. I also have MS Office 2006. There may not be as many games for the mac, but if your interests lie with graphics then the mac is your best bet. There is a great support site, similar to this, for mac. Your questions are usually answered within the hour. The site covers all of apple products from software to ipods.

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

[Grant]

The Mac computers are gorgeous!


Grant the hater of Macs will step up to the mic.

I bough my first Mac last March and hated it! By September I had fallen in love with my Mac, enough so that I purchase an Mac book.


But heck, I went to the Apple store last night to check it out (since my latest Windows fiasco).

My first bit of advice is stay out of Apple Store it will only cost you money as they have so many beautiful toys!:twisted:

1. How much RAM on Imac to run Elements smoothly? (I am thinking of 2 Gigs)


Both my Macs have the same Intel processor chip one machine running on 1 Gig and the other 2 Gigs. I can't tell the difference in speed. One of the things you will have to get use to is minimum requirements. A good rule of thumb on Windows is that software runs at minimum requirements it will fly if you double those requirements. On a Mac minimum will mean it will fly. All that said the more the memory the merrier as you never know what the future holds.

2. How easy is it to make the switch in terms of software?

There are and there aren't issues.

Certainly with Adobe there is not much of an issue with their $15 change over over policy. While I have no idea if or when Adobe will be releasing a new version of Elements for for the Mac but my bet is it will be soon. For what it is worth Elements 4 runs smoother on the Mac than it does on the PC, because you don't have Organizer to deal with.

If you are the average computer user Mac comes with a whole bundle of great software. The only addition I would ad to it would be iWorks. With this software you can be very productive right out of the box. No need for anything else, but of course there may be wants.:)

When I got my Mac I had specific need that were related to work and therefore had to make a considerable investment in software. So don't kid yourself if this is you situation it will cost money to make the switch. If I had waited until I retired I would have save a fair amount.

Once you have switched you will find that there is a Mac way of doing things and a Windows way. If you are a power user you may be a bit frustrated in the beginning but once you make the transition you will love the Mac way. If you are not a power user you will love the Mac way right out of the box.


3. Any other Mac advice? Thoughts?


To comment on Rays suggestion of Hard drive size. I have 250 on my desk top and 80 on the notebook. Get the biggest you can without being silly over pricing as there is a point of diminished return. On the note book, at the time I bought it, it would have be cheeper to buy an external hard drive than to get the next step up in Hard drive. So until I need more space I elected to get the smaller Hard Drive.

Ray is right about the peripherals, I had to replace three. Two were very old and didn't owe me a thing. The other was a brand new laser printer and that hurt. I ended up replacing an HP with an HP and gave the Windows compatible one to my sister in law that made for good family relationships. While this whole thing was costly it did point out an advantage of Macs over PCs. To install the drivers I turned on the iMac, then the PC and finally the Notebook. I returned to the iMac and installed the drivers, skipped the PC as it was still booting and installed the drivers on the Note book and got a coffee. Returned to the PC and started the install process and followed the many tedious steps while I drank my coffee. The PC needed to be rebooted to take the changes so I went over an answered Email on my iMac while I drank a second cup of coffee.

If you are like me one of the first thing you will want to do is down load Firefox. Die hard Mac user love Safari but. for me, compared to Explorer it was a disappointment. Firefox is free and I feel that it is much better than Explorer.

As Ray pointed out here are more and more stores caring Mac Software but still the main delivery for software for Mac is the internet. This is not surprising as the "i" in iMac does stand for "internet".

Cost wise, feature for feature Mac, are very competitive with PC! The problem is Mac do not make inexpensive computers so the do have a reputation of being expensive. It is not that they are expensive it is just that there are no inexpensive models. :D


Good luck with your new iMac.:twisted:

--

[Carbone]

iWork got mixed reports.. some like it a lot, others would torture Steve Jobs for decades and decades for releasing it.

I use iWork for my tutorials and other stuff, it's fun because in a way, it's like Microsoft Publisher (in the sense of what you can do, not the way to work). I use Keynote for various things too, mainly self playing quicktime presentation.

However, for word processing, Word has no equivalent. Sorry to say, but iWork is no match. My humble opinion...

Ray

[Grant]

Ray is right on one thing and wrong on another.

Word is far superior than iWorks, no doubt about it. But the professional version at about almost 8 times the cost, or about the price of two entry level PC it should be a good program.

If you check the Mac web site Microsoft Office gets ratings of 2.5 stars on 50 reviews while iWorks gets 3.5 stars on 239 reviews. This only goes to prove that not everyone agrees with Ray.

The one point that Ray is in error his oppinions are never humble!:)

--

[mom to 4]

If you saved files in word, can they be converted?

If you saved things on Disks, though pse, I am assuming they can be opened through pse on the mac right???

disk burning...If you burned something through say NERO or RECORD NOW, will the mac recognize what has been burned??

I am sorry some of these questions may sound dumb, but I am getting close to needing a new computer and am considering a switch also. It really seems the mac are less problematic than pc's, but having used PC's for over 20 years, I am worried about making a switch....

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I use Word (Mac) and if I send files that I have created then people using Windows open them just fine ... and when they send me files they open just fine too :) So I donlt think that you will have any problems with ones you have done on your PC.

All your images just open up in Elements just the same ... although if you use organiser then you need to transfer your photographs into iPhoto (Ray is the expert at that one :) )

Wendy

[Grant]

Colleen

Every thing is compatible. Well with caveat there may be software inconsistencies. Important a Word file for ma PC to a Mac version of Word will be seamless and maintain all the formatting. Importing Word into another program may cause formatting inconsistencies but will generally maintain the data. These is the same way as importing Word files to say Word perfect on a PC.

In fact if you are networked to a PC you can read the files right off their hard drive, with appropriate permissions.

There are files that can't be interpreted, but none that can't be read as far as I know. Microsoft has an image viewer that for the life of me I haven't found a program that will read them on a Mac. So I export them from the PC as a PDF, problem solved. But that is software not a hardware problem.

--

[Carbone]

Ray is right on one thing and wrong on another.

Word is far superior than iWorks, no doubt about it. But the professional version at about almost 8 times the cost, or about the price of two entry level PC it should be a good program.


Just a word of caution (no pun, really!) : The Professional version of Office contains a software which won't run on Intel based Macintosh : Virtual PC. It's an emulator to run Windows, but unfortunately, it's based on the PowerPC chip, won't work with Intel.

As for the price, technically, you're right.. but here's the trick.. if you have a student at home, or you're a student yourself, even certain online websites will qualify, you can get Office 2004 for Student for 149$. Far better deal than the full thing. Comes with the same software, same manual, same thing. Pacakging is yellow (looks cooler!) Some store will even sell you the software, no questions asked.. ;)

Comes with 3 licences, you can install it on 3 different computers.

As for iWork rating, I noticed it too. But on boards outside Apple's own discussion forums, Pages got really bad reviews as a word processor. I hesitate to suggest it. But, good news, every new Mac is shipped with a 30 days test drive of iWork (as well as a 30 days test drive of Office 2004). So.. you can see for yourself! But, as for me, Pages is a killer publishing app! Light, efficient, easy to use. Integrates with the iLife libraries (iPhoto, iTunes), you can't ask for more!

Ray

[Carbone]

If you saved files in word, can they be converted?

If you saved things on Disks, though pse, I am assuming they can be opened through pse on the mac right???

Oh yeah, no problem there. As Grant said, most of today's files format are compatible. JPG, TIFF, PNG, DOC, PPS, PPT, XLS, MOV, WMV, MP3, etc.

disk burning...If you burned something through say NERO or RECORD NOW, will the mac recognize what has been burned??

Yes, Mac reads PC disks as well as Mac disks, of course. PC will not read pure Mac disks. One burns the disk from the outside to the inside (like an old 33rmp record) the other burns it the other way around. Only Mac are smarter, they read and show both.

I am sorry some of these questions may sound dumb, but I am getting close to needing a new computer and am considering a switch also. It really seems the mac are less problematic than pc's, but having used PC's for over 20 years, I am worried about making a switch....

In the recent 3 years, no one have had switching problems per se. They all were able to transfer files and documents over to the Mac, one way or the other (network connection, USB key, DVD burning, etc.) Learning the Mac is fun, but as Grant said, some tasks require a new workflow. Sometimes it's a lot easier, sometimes it's just different. Usually, but not always, it's simpler and more efficient.

Ray

[Galiano]

Hi Marie,

We have been Mac users since 1985 when there was a huge difference in cost in buying them over a PC. I really think that that gap has decreased a lot.

Presently I have an iMac (bought when 512 mb was the standard). It was bought before I really got involved in PSE. I would have certainly bought more RAM had I known. If I'm working on a large file, it is slow - but not impossibly so. We also have an old iBook which I am planning to replace soon. I'll definitely get the MacBook with 2 gigs and the largest hard drive.

I do use iWork - both Pages and Keynote. A Word file sent to me from a PC opens just fine in Pages. Granted it is not as complete a program as Word - but it is usually enough for my needs.

With the arrival of Parallels, PC users switching to Macs have the ability to run any Windows-based program. My daughter is using it for a CAD pregram on a MacBook Pro.

I think you would be delighted with the ease of use, stability and dare I say beauty of a Mac. But then again, I am biased!:D

Cheers,
Helen

[Carbone]

There are online resources for switchers and Mac users :

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
This is the Apple sponsored boards. You can find good information.. as well as tons of ranting. One user having a defective mouse will become 17 millions users having wrist cancer... so, take everything with a grain of salt..

http://www.macmentor.org/switch/
Good and honest resource.

And, if you're interested in Microsoft for Mac...
http://www.microsoft.com/mac
They also offer newsgroup so that you can discuss with other users of their Mac product (Messenger, Office, Remote Desktop, etc.)

Ray

[Grant]

There are many cool apps on a Mac and I just had the chance to use another one. Doreen is in Barbados with her mother and Sister, I hate hot so it is girl time. I was getting ready to leave to pick her up and decide to check Sherlock.

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/ddsflight.jpg

LATE !!!!!!

So now I have 6 more hours to play on my iMac.

--

[Carbone]

there was a huge difference in cost in buying them over a PC. I really think that that gap has decreased a lot.

So true! Yesterday, a hard Linux user and I sat down and compared a Dell (the standard for economic computer) and a Macbook. The result ?

Well.. the Mac was indeed more expensive.. by 20$ or so :)

And the Dell comes with no software. The Mac comes with iLife (my friend is a musician so Garage Band is almost sealing the deal for him) and all the rest (password manager as KeyChain, PDF making, etc.)

Ray

[Carbone]

Grant : a co-worker sent me this : http://flightaware.com/live/
This is scary as to know that much information on every single airplanes in the sky.. but fun to know your loved one is actually cruising at 788 miles per hour at 65,009 feet in the air (example)

Ray

[Grant]

Ray did bring up a good point there are two thirty day free trials ...go with that first.

The educational version is an option, if you qualify if not let your conscience be your guide. The only correction I would make is that it cost $229.95 Canadian only 2.5 times the cost of iWork. We do happen to qualify so I have both on my computer.

The other program I have is Appleworks and it has a really cool feature in that you get both a Windows and a Mac version on the same disk. Oh the educational version sells or about $60 Canadian if my memory serves me.

Helen brought up the point of running Parallels. That was the main reason I bought a Mac well that and run a Unix flavour on it as well. The funny thing is once I got use to running Mac I never did try running windows on it. When I have moved to the east coast and am completely retired maybe I will have time to tinker with Vista on the iMac.

--

[MarieBoyer]

Wow!
I am overwhelmed by the help here. Glad I called out. I am a little worried about the loss of the Organizer. Glad someone mentioned that. I am sensing from Wendy's post that Ray may be able to help with that? IPhoto becomes the Organizer? I have always looovvved the Organizer. And my peripherals might not work? Yikes. I have a scanner, printer, external DVD burner, a Wacom tablet (yes, I still have it), and 2 external hard drives. Those I truly cannot afford to replace. The cost of the Apple may be out of my league for this reason alone.

But I am heading over to the Apple Store again soon. I really appreciate the detailed responses guys. I really do!

[Grant]

Grant : a co-worker sent me this : http://flightaware.com/live/
Ray


Ray ..... Don't do that to me ... I just checked that site and it said Doreen had landed 17 hours ago. GeeeeeeeeWizzzzzzz I had a kitten. I checked with Air Canada an still have time to play on the computer soon as my heart stops racing.

--

[GaryK]

Grant

A slight aside from this thread

Were you down at Vistek over the holidays?

My daughter was messing with one of the Macs and there were some gooffed up photos people had taken with the built in webcam and one or two had a slight resemblance.. hard to tell, they were all distorted.:D

[Carbone]

The educational version is an option, if you qualify if not let your conscience be your guide. The only correction I would make is that it cost $229.95 Canadian only 2.5 times the cost of iWork. We do happen to qualify so I have both on my computer.

Honestly, I did only pay 149. Was probably on sale at the time (it was mid July two years ago, I think when Apple has these back to school deals).

The other program I have is Appleworks and it has a really cool feature in that you get both a Windows and a Mac version on the same disk. Oh the educational version sells or about $60 Canadian if my memory serves me.

My turn to correct.. Only the educational version is hybrid. The retail is Mac only. I know this because I have it ;) Seriously, maybe latest version but mine (6.2.7) is not.

Ray

[Carbone]

[SIZE=7]I am sensing from Wendy's post that Ray may be able to help with that?


Me and Beatrice. Beatrice just recently switched, so this is still fresh for her. But if you write tags to file, I believe iPhoto will read the keywords.

IPhoto becomes the Organizer? I have always looovvved the Organizer.

Yes. But based on many who switched, they preferred it over the Organizer.

And my peripherals might not work? Yikes. I have a scanner, printer, external DVD burner, a Wacom tablet (yes, I still have it), and 2 external hard drives.

Ok.. one thing at a time here... Wacom is cleared. It's 100% Mac compatible.

DVD Burner : most likely. I have one, it's a LaCie Dual layer 8x dvd burner. What brand and model is yours ? Mac OS comes with several drivers for many third party devices. Chances are, it's supported.

Hard drives : most likely (I'm 99.9% percent they will). I bought a no name hard drive and it works fine for my backup.

Printer and scanner : Brand and model, I'll run a check.

Those I truly cannot afford to replace. The cost of the Apple may be out of my league for this reason alone.

Maybe, but let us check before.

But I am heading over to the Apple Store again soon. I really appreciate the detailed responses guys. I really do!


Glad to help ;)

Ray

[Carbone]

My daughter was messing with one of the Macs and there were some gooffed up photos people had taken with the built in webcam and one or two had a slight resemblance.. hard to tell, they were all distorted.:D

This is Photobooth. It's a party app!

http://homepage.mac.com/carbmac/captures/PhotoBooth224.jpg

Ray

[Grant]

Gary I have not at Vistek for a very long time and as far as me making faces at iMacs ....I am forbidden under court restraining order as i am breaking to many lens with my ugly looks. I did buy a Tamron 17 - 50 mm F/2.8 over the holidays just to let you know i am still feeding the children of Camera store workers.

Ray thanks for that one only having the education version and just assumed.

--

[GaryK]

Ok ..dumb question from a non Mac head:D

Do they not come with a built in DVD burner?

I realize the advantages of a second burner/reader, but getting one would not be a necessity if there was one already in it.:confused: :confused:

[GaryK]

Grant

I was there getting the Tamron 28-75 (Christmas pressie) and dragged the kid along, so we could go wait in line at Sherway to get into Abercrombie and Fitch.:D

She was messing around with something she found on the Mac while I was doing the dad stuff. :)

[GaryK]

Ray

That was probably it.. she is a party girl.:D

I'm saving my toonies.. next computer.;)

[Carbone]

There's also FrontRow, to display media or to make your Mac as a Media Center :

http://homepage.mac.com/carbmac/captures/FrontRow224.jpg

Ray

[Grant]

Ummmm Ray I have a Wacom that is not compatible.

I suspect the DVD burner and the Hard drives will be compatible.

Printers are another sorry some are many aren't

--

[Carbone]

Ok ..dumb question from a non Mac head:D

Do they not come with a built in DVD burner?


There is no dumb question.

Period.

:D

Yes they do (4x to 8x dual layers nowadays). Mine was bought 3 years ago and it come with a single layer 4x. But burning at 8x over 4x makes a huge difference, and the external I got is dual layer, so I can put 8GB on a disk. Saves space!

Ray

[Carbone]

Ummmm Ray I have a Wacom that is not compatible.

Grant.. care to share how old is your Wacom.. ? What kind of connector it has.. ? ;) And I believe I did find a solution to your problem..

Ray

[GaryK]

Ray

Thanks.. I thought they did, but with it being a concern for Marie I started wondering.:D

[Galiano]

And my peripherals might not work? Yikes. I have a scanner, printer, external DVD burner, a Wacom tablet (yes, I still have it), and 2 external hard drives.

Marie,

I'd be surprised if your peripherals did not work. My Wacom certainly does, and I have the same printer/scanner and external hard drive as a friend who has a PC and all work just fine on both.

Cheers,
Helen

[bnk1953]

While we're at it - Don't forget the "Widgets". There was mention of plane flights - I use the widget - "flight tracker" - works like a charm.
~bruce.

[Grant]

And I believe I did find a solution to your problem..

Ray

In fact you know what I have. A Digitizer II with a serial port. If you did find a solution you never passed it on to me. So I bought a lesser version. If you could tell me what the solution is I will put this little on with the Note books and use the bigger one for the iMac.

Much appreciated if you can help.

--

[Carbone]

First, the software (open source) : http://www.thinkyhead.com/tabletmagic/
This will make your tablet work with a new Mac.

Then, the gizmo to make it communicate : http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA19HS/

Side order of fresh apple with that, sir ? ;)

However, I must say, even for PCs, this tablet is quite old.. it must be 8 years old.. ? In computer terms, that's an eternity. Macintosh drop serial support in 1998, if I remember correctly. 9 years ago. You can't expect all devices that old to still work. Some will, some won't.

Ray

[Grant]

Old it may be but it still works on a PC and is far better than the new one I just bought. And be careful of those old cracks as I just had another birthday:eek:

--

[Carbone]

Same thing here... and I just left the "be young and restless" period.. so I'm now entitled to ranting and being grumpy, too ;)

The fact that it works with a PC has nothing to do with not working on a Mac. I am sure that the PC on which this tablet works have no FireWire 800 port, or a DVI or mini-DVI output, or optical sound output port. So, the tablet may work with a PC, but that same pc, out of the box, would probably not be able to display images on a "modern' flat panel TV or be able to use ultra fast FireWire 800 external hard drive, or send DTS sound to a home theatre system..

Sometimes, you have to choose what is it you want, you can't have both ;)

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

Okay Ray. I really appreciate the help. I really do. Here are my externals.

Scanner Epson 2580 Perfection

Printer Epson R220

DVD Burner Sony DRU 710A

2 External Hard drives Western Digital "My Book" (Premium Edition) and Maxtor One Touch II

We have broadband cable through Comcast. I use a Linksys Router.

I would seriously consider if my peripherals will not have to be replaced.

[CarolLHB]

For the record, I did not have to replace one peripheral:):)

[Carbone]

Okay Ray. I really appreciate the help. I really do. Here are my externals.

Scanner Epson 2580 Perfection
Passed :)

Printer Epson R220
Passed :)

DVD Burner Sony DRU
Is this an Internal drive? If so, I don't think it'll work. However, your new Mac will be equipped with a DVD burner of its own. Some model offer choice of single or dual layer.

2 External Hard drives Western Digital "My Book" (Premium Edition)
Passed :)

and Maxtor One Touch II
Passed but Difficult to be sure. Some of their models are compatible, some aren't. Check on this page : http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.6adb6b8313633595062e6be791346068/?channelpath=/en_us/Products/External%20Storage/OneTouch%20II%20Family

Also, I suspect that the incompatibility with the Mac of some of their models resides more in the One Touch software than the drive itself.

We have broadband cable through Comcast. I use a Linksys Router.
Passed :) (I personally had one of these, the Linksys router)


I would seriously consider if my peripherals will not have to be replaced.

Report back with more precise models. As for the Sony DVD Burner, if it's internal, then no, it won't work. Again, all Mac come with DVD burner, so no big loss here.

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

The DVD Burner is external. My maxtor has my backups on it.

I also have no idea if I wrote tags to files. I made all tags in the organizer. Was there something I had to do to tell it to write it to the file?

You are still a God, Ray!

[Carbone]

DVD : Found a site where a guy reports that the DRU 710A does, indeed, work with a Mac. You know, you could always bring the drive you with, at a Mac store. Sales people will like nothing more than to help you establish if the drive works, or not.

http://forums.xlr8yourmac.com/drivedb/action.lasso?-search

Maxtor : As for this drive, I really need more info, because as you can see with the link I posted earlier, some are supported, others aren't.

Ray

[Shari]

Oh Marie - why did you start this!!! My husband and I were in a coffee shop this morning and two people were working on their iMacs. We got in a conversation. I said to my husband that too many other things would have to be changed and I would need new programmes - but now I am seeing it may not be so much. My brother-in-law and sister got a Mac a few years ago knowing NOTHING about computers. He Fire Chief, she critical nurse and felt no need. In two days he was sending photos and making cards. He just got an iMac to take to their ski condo. He said everything is sooo easy. Now you have me thinking - but there is not one thing wrong with any of my equipment. All two years old and working!!. The one thing I know will not work is my Pro-Show Gold which I like to use to make slide shows and it is very easy to use. Marie please keep us posted on what you do and how you find things. I think I will print out this thread and keep it handy. Thanks everyone.
Shari

[CarolLHB]

Hi Marie-like Ray said, the iMac comes with a SuperDrive-meaning dual layer DVD burner-as a matter of fact I just used iDVD for the first time and got a very cool dvd!

I also use Comcast for broadband AND a Linksys router:)not a problem.

[Carbone]

Shari : there are alternatives to this software thing..

Photo to Movies
http://lqgraphics.com/software/phototomovieoverview.php

Pulpmotion
http://www.pulpmotion.com/

Apimac
http://www.apimac.com/slide_show/index.php

But, best of all... iPhoto, iDVD and iMovie will all let you do slideshows, each with their own degrees of sophistication... (all free with every Mac!!)

- iDVD will let you create slideshows of 99 pictures each, and apply the same transition to all the pictures. Easy, quick.
- iPhoto will let you add Ken Burns effect (panning and zooming of pictures) and offers a few more control.
- iMovie is the king of all. You control everything, but there's a price. It's on a one by one picture that you apply the effects. Gives super results, though!

And there are other alternatives : Keynotes is one of them. I believe Carol used it recently and was impressed.

Ray

[shnupita]

Well.. techical information I dont know.. Im using a G5 with CS2.. but I LOVE IT AND WOULDNT CHANGE IT FOR NOTHING AT ALL...

ITs the best... no bugs, no viruses, no ANTIviruses, no spam, no freezing or shutdowns... thats the beginning.. for everything else.. I JUST LOVE IT.. I dont know if its personal or what.. but.. I DO LOVE IT and dont regret changing it a year ago..

If you can.. do it..

you also have virtual pc thats like a windows were you can put the window programs you want.. but.. at the begining I was going to install them.. but someone told me they take a lot of space.. and at the end.. I didnt need them..

Regards,
Shnup

[Shari]

Thanks Ray. I think I would need iMovies after what I am used to. I am sure at some point I will take the leap so I appreciate all this information.
Shari

[Wendy]

Shari ...

When I was trying to work out how to do slide shows on the Mac Ray did me some instructions for using iDVD and iMovie ... they are great instructions and very easy to follow :)

Wendy

[mom to 4]

Are you telling me that you don't need antivirus software on macs???

They don't get any viruses(sp??)??????????

[Carbone]

As of this day, there are no known active virus for Mac OS X. There are proof of concepts, things people do in labs, but on the loose, there are no active virus. There was one Bluetooth thing, last year, but it never spread far because it relied on systems not having been patched for over 14 to 18 months. That's over a year.. would you not install any patch in a year ??? :D

There was another attempt, but due to a coding error and the fact that Mac community is small and very active, it failed. I think it was two years ago.

There are several factors for this : small market share, increased security, UNIX core, etc.

So I have been running without an anti-virus for over two years. No tears, no fear.. ;)

Ray

[Carbone]

Forgot to mention that if you run any kind of emulator (Virtual PC) or virtualization (Cross Over, Parallels, VMWARE) in order to have Windows, then you really need an anti-virus. And AVG the free Anti-virus is not free anymore, so you need to buy something.

What most switchers do is transfer their anti-virus software over to their Windows (if they choose to install Windows, that is) under Mac OS X.

Ray

[mom to 4]

Ray:

You are talking way, way ovre my head!!! Patches???? proof of concepts????? :eek:

But, :D you did answer my poor dumb question:D

Thanks!

When I go look at the imac on line, it looks just like a monitorwith the ports in the back. What about the desktop unit, where are the disk drives/burners????? I am a dummy, I know.....

[Carbone]

You're not dumb, to the contrary. The fact that you have questions proves that there is someone living up there ;)

Patches : when you run Windows update, it goes on the web, checks for patches and updates, and downloads and installs them. Patching mean correcting, making it better, fixing something broken (or that would be broken if not patched). On a Mac, this process runs automatically, every week, and is called Software Update.

Proof of concept : In a close environment (a laboratory, a shop, a class, a meeting room), someone or many people gather together to demonstrate the possibility (blatant or remote) that something wrong can be done to a certain device, person or situation. A proof of concept would be like proving that swallowing two pounds of lead will kill you. Actually no one has done so, but we know from facts gathered previous that too much lead in the blood can kill. So, a proof of concept would be like proving this theory, without actually killing someone to demonstrate it ;) Now, in computer terms, this means demonstrating a possibility without waiting for it to become wild and running amongst users.

The iMac, the white computer, is actually the monitor AND the computer. The parts are behind the monitor, in the casing. The CD-DVD drive is on the side. With a wireless keyboard and mouse, you'll have no cables on your desktop! Coupled this with a wireless Wacom tablet and it's heaven!

Ray

[mom to 4]

ARe you kidding????? It is all in the monitor?????? No 5,000 wires??????? THAT ALONE WOULD BE HEAVEN. Ah, Ray, you are winning me over!!!! But I would really miss my organizer!!! I do like the tracking aspect of the organizer. The only things I guess I would have to worry about would be my external (Maxtor) and my Wacom Graphire 4 (although I think that would be compatable. Wow! No wires, Cool!! I think I could traverse the world with all the wires attached to my pc!

[Carbone]

Two of my friends have iMac (that model) and they like it a lot. You can even upgrade the yourself. They come with wireless internet and bluetooth, so you can connect to your wireless router (no cables again!) and sync your phone or use the bluetooth mouse and keyboard !!!

iPhoto is much like the organizer, but better if you ask me. It's more fun to use. You can create albums based on a number of tags (ISO is 800, Aperture is.. or Text contains Birthday, or Keywords contains Trip to Montreal). I think it's a little more versatile than Organizer. I don't think you can create albums and collections based on that many criteria in the Organizer.

http://homepage.mac.com/carbmac/captures/iPhoto226.jpg

Ray

[Carbone]

ARe you kidding????? It is all in the monitor?????? No 5,000 wires??????? THAT ALONE WOULD BE HEAVEN.

Yep, no cables if you decide to. You can even get a Canon printer with wireless access, if you really hate cables that much ;)

But being reasonable, you'll have a few cables for the printer and scanner or external hard drive, but usual scenario, they'd be on the back of the computer, so you won't see them. The base of the iMac support has a hole so all your cables run though it, and you don't see them hanging from the connectors.

It's a beauty ;)

Ray

[mom to 4]

What a salesman you are Ray!!!!!;)

[RonH]

Ray, Keep up the good work I see several new converts in the wings. Once we get them on our side they will never go back. Did you see that 50% of all Mac sales are now to new Mac users.......

Didn't the latest iDVD lift the 99 slide limit?
The work around that I used was I put multiple slide shows on each DVD with menu choices. And to remind everybody it is FREE with a new Mac.

iFotoMagic is a pretty slick product also.

[Carbone]

It does look like I'm selling something, but really, I'm only answering with positive answers ;) It's not so much a matter of getting people on our side, but making sure they're informed, showing them choices.

I know many Windows users who have put up with problems, troubles, unhappy computer experience (think modifying the Registry, or tracking down a software which won't disappear from the start up items, and others) just because they, in all honesty, never knew choices were available. How many people I spoke with who just didn't believe me when I told them Microsoft is one of the biggest software publisher for the Mac :D

Once all those unhappy users know there's a choice, they can decide what's best for them. Some stay with Windows because it's what they prefer and it's ok this way. Many move to the Mac because they just learned how easy it's going to be, and lastly, some prefer status quo and again, it's ok. As long as people don't go out and spread false facts (Mac don't have software, Mac is 3 times expensive as a PC, Mac is incompatible with the iPod, there's no peripherals, full of viruses, etc...), I respect that.

If someone asks questions about what new computer they should get, I'll talk about what I know, Macintosh. However, if they want a PC, I can't help. And if they make it clear they don't want to hear about Mac, then I don't talk about it. I won't force it. That's not in my nature.

Ron : If you mean FotoMagico, yeah, it's pretty cool !!
http://fotomagico.com/

Ray

[Wendy]

Hi Ron ...

I do just the same thing as you with my slide shows ... I think that its better having several slide shows in the menu rather than one large one and its nice to theme the music to match each one of them. ... :)

Wendy
PS Thanks Ray for the info on how to make them :)

[MarieBoyer]

Are you telling me that you don't need antivirus software on macs???

They don't get any viruses(sp??)??????????

Colleen:
This is one of the best aspects of a Mac. You can put anti-virus software on a Mac but they recommend AGAINST it. I went out to Best Buy to look at Macs yesterday. I overheard three geeks talking about which Anti-virus software they use on their windows computers. The apple sales-lady was nearby. The conversation went like this:

"I like Nod 32 because it does not use much of my Ram."

"I like AVG."

"I use Avast."

"I just use a Mac."

Colleen: Ray is not joking. No anti-virus software, no anti-spyware software, no anti-trojan software. Nothing! Huge plus No matter how well I put together my windows computer (and I have a Dell XPS configured right now), I always have to worry that some sneaky virus will make its way onto my computer and ZAP, I am out of luck.

Ray and others:
I am looking carefully at the Mac. Ray-your help is a big factor. You need to sign on the dotted line before I buy this thing that you promise never to leave our forum!

I will never buy a computer without full customer care warranty for as long as I can get it. Apple Care offers three years. I have to add that into my price. But from what I have heard about Apple customer service, it is outstanding.

Now, here's my reservation. The monitor is the computer. What happens if the monitor dies in 3.1 years? No computer. With windows, I just replace the monitor. Replacements and upgrade seems a lot easier on a windows computer.

[Teacher617]

It does look like I'm selling something, but really, I'm only answering with positive answers ;) It's not so much a matter of getting people on our side, but making sure they're informed, showing them choices.

Ray

Ray,

You've made a very eloquent case for presenting choices to others. It's always good to know your options. In my school district, I have to know both Macs and PCs and work hard to help teachers feel comfortable with whatever platform they use. I personally believe students need to know how to use both major platforms, since we limit their career choices when we only present kids with a single one. But my personal preference is the Mac, for all of the reasons already mentioned. I am very glad that this forum is so accommodating to all users!

Tricia

[CarolLHB]

No virus-not even a hint of one in over three years-Apple's security updates installed whenever they are available by automatic software updates from Apple-

Apple customer support and Apple Care-can't say enough about it. The unlimited phone support alone (in English, from California BTW) is worth the price of Apple Care. In fact, last Sunday I was on the phone with them for two hours resolving a silly issue with a presentation in Keynote because they don't leave you until it's fixed. Some may say that's ridiculous, but I appreciate the fact that they stick with you. I've learned much of what I know about this computer from my peeps in Sacramento!

Proof is in the pudding, so I am showing you a real desk with a real iMac and a real user environment...

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1dhBHUNobEerg7laRwk6hlRS8cOkhJ1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1dhBHUNobEerg7laRwk6hlRS8cOkhJ1)

[frank abramonte]

[QUOTE=MarieBoyer;206349]
I will never buy a computer without full customer care warranty for as long as I can get it. Apple Care offers three years. I have to add that into my price. But from what I have heard about Apple customer service, it is outstanding.

Ray has done a great job of explaining the mac computer. I've owned macs for more than 20 years and never had a service plan. All it takes is a little periodic maintenance and they run problem free. Most people that experience problems have not followed some simple procedures and, therefore, create the problems. However, if you feel more comfortable with the service plans then by all means continue as usual, they aren't all that expensive. I just wanted to point out how trouble free a mac can be.
As pointed out earlier there is an apple site similar to this where you can get answers to any question you may have. You can ask for a step by step solution to your problem and someone will explain it in very simple to understand terms, usually within the hour.
Good luck on your decision.

[Carbone]

Colleen: Ray is not joking. No anti-virus software, no anti-spyware software, no anti-trojan software. Nothing! Huge plus No matter how well I put together my windows computer (and I have a Dell XPS configured right now), I always have to worry that some sneaky virus will make its way onto my computer and ZAP, I am out of luck.

I just want to add to this anti-virus issue.. To this date, there are no viruses, spyware, malware, or other problematic software for the Mac. Now, that doesn't mean there will never be. But for now, we enjoy peace!

So don't go pull up my head in 3 years if a virus pops up... please.. ;)


Ray and others:
I am looking carefully at the Mac. Ray-your help is a big factor. You need to sign on the dotted line before I buy this thing that you promise never to leave our forum!

I can't promise I'll always be here, but feel free to send me e-mails if you want a quick answer. I welcome questions and I answer as time permits.

I will never buy a computer without full customer care warranty for as long as I can get it. Apple Care offers three years. I have to add that into my price. But from what I have heard about Apple customer service, it is outstanding.

You have a full year after you acquire the computer to add the AppleCare plan. Like if you get it tomorrow, your iMac will come with 3 months of phone support and 1 year of warranty. In January next year, you can decide to get the AppleCare plan for 2 more years of phone support and warranty.

I took the AppleCare for my Powermac because at the time (3 years ago), I almost was the single soul with a Mac for miles and miles around me, so I felt I could use it. Called them once in 3 years. And now for my Macbook, I am not taking in.

Now, here's my reservation. The monitor is the computer. What happens if the monitor dies in 3.1 years? No computer. With windows, I just replace the monitor. Replacements and upgrade seems a lot easier on a windows computer.

That's a good point. You have options :

- At the back of the iMac is a little unknown port called Mini-DVI. DVI is the new connector standard for monitor. It's all digital (VGA is analog, so it can pick up interference and parasites as it travels from the computer to the monitor, giving ghost images and bad signals). So, you can hook up a second monitor to your Mac. If the monitor dies, you connect a second one there ;) With all new Mac, this port offers mirror mode or extended display (like one big desktop on two screens, I run this on my Macbook.. sooo cool!)

- You take your iMac to an authorized Apple service shop and they'll fix it (either replacing the monitor, replacing the lamp, or whatever is wrong). If you have an AppleCare, you pay nothing. If you don't, you pay time and parts. Parts may be a little expensive, time is standard.

- You get a new iMac, and ask the genius at the genius bar to help you transfer your data from the defective over to the new one.

Ray

[macadam]

AVG the free Anti-virus is not free anymore, so you need to buy something.
Ray

Hi
I have a LAN with both Windows and Mac computers connected at one time or another depending if / when family visit.

Our Windows machine has just been updated with the AVG "freebie" for 2007

and if I might add, Mac's are Mac-nificent, there really is no comparison to them!!

Regards
Terri

[Carbone]

Terri,

Well.. I could have swear the dialog box on my computer said to buy AVG after end of January. Now, as per their website, a new version (7.5) will be made available and still free. Maybe I was wrong (or they changed their mind on the way !!)

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Thanks for the heads up !!

Ray

[Teacher617]

A quick note regarding antivirus protection for the Mac. If you buy one of the new Macs with an Intel chip AND choose to run Windows on it, in addition to OS X, you definitely DO need antivirus software. Windows is still vulnerable to viruses, adware, and spyware when run on an Intel Mac.

Tricia

[Carbone]

A quick note regarding antivirus protection for the Mac. If you buy one of the new Macs with an Intel chip AND choose to run Windows on it, in addition to OS X, you definitely DO need antivirus software. Windows is still vulnerable to viruses, adware, and spyware when run on an Intel Mac.

Tricia

Anti-virus for Windows, yes, positively ! I have AVG for Windows on my bootcamp partition. So far, it's very light in resource consumption and it doesn't slow my machine too much.

Ray

[jimbu]

Marie. I have been an Apple User for years, my first Apple was an Apple !!E kind of dates me huh!
My present Mac is a G4 running at 867 MHZ with 896 meg of ram.
I do extensive work in Elements with no problems at all with memory.
No need to spend lots of $ on excessive memory in my opinion.
Jim:)

[Wendy]

Hi Marie ....

I have had Macs since the end of the 80's and when we decide to buy a new one the old one gets passed onto the kids :)

In all that time the only problems I have really had are ...

The mouse ... I've worn a few of those
The keyboard .... I dropped my coffee on it :eek:

Apart from that I haven't had any problems ...

Wendy :)

[CarolLHB]

Oh Wendy! That's always been a fear of mine...

[mom to 4]

Wendy:

My issue would be: being on the forum and someone not giving a coffee warning!!!!!! with the iMac I could ruin the whole computer, not just the monitor!!!:eek: :D

[CarolLHB]

Nah-you'll be sitting a little further away with that bee-yooo-tiful big monitor-you'll probably just spit on the keyboard:D:D

[Carbone]

Besides, Mac aren't that fragile... :D

Ray

[mom to 4]

Good comeback Carol!!! I am leaning toward that nice imac. My neighbor has an Apple and swears by it. I think I will spend a little time at his house within the next week or two to see if I could master it. Ya know, it's tough to teach an old dog new tricks!

[Wendy]

Hi ..

Well when I dropped my coffee on the keyboard ... I just went over to the house of one of the kids and took that one :eek:

Well just until I could get a new one .. thats the price they have to pay for getting our old Macs ..

... I'm just wicked !! :D :D

Wendy

[Carbone]

Good comeback Carol!!! I am leaning toward that nice imac. My neighbor has an Apple and swears by it. I think I will spend a little time at his house within the next week or two to see if I could master it. Ya know, it's tough to teach an old dog new tricks!

That's the best thing to do !

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Marie - (and any other debating a switch) - I am chiming in late here and haven't read all of the replies, but I'll give my two cents. As some know, I made the switch to mac a few months ago now and my life has changed. I wanted a mac so my photography work would be used more creatively than on a pc. I wanted freedom in how I used the computer and not be so constrained. Over and over I heard how much better macs are for the creativity, for photographers in particular.

Once I got my mac I dove in and started to get the feel for things. It felt odd not "seeing" the insides of folders and all the stuff like on a pc (those Documents and Setting folders and hidden folders.. yuk). As I browsed every mac site (lots of apple.com) and learned what this machine can do, I was in AWE. It is more than a creative photography tool - the uses, shortcut, workflows, automated actions, calendars, audio/visual apps, and more... they are truly endless and limited by your own thinking. It is SO liberating to be in control of your own machine rather than be a slave to a pc. I LOVE to work on my mac - I did love the work on the pc but I didnt love the pc. I can't stop thinking about ways I can do things on this machine - it's my new addiction :P

As for ram, I went with 2GB right off the bat. No messing around. Glad I did.

I got a PSE cd after I contacted Adobe and agreed to destroy my pc version. I paid $5.95 for the shipping only.

I briefly saw something about drive space - with the iMac your options may be limited, but many people use external drives for backup or daily use. Me, I got the Mac Pro and it sits with several drive bays empty. I don't want to hook up a bunch of externals so my box looks more like a life support machine. Once the prices are a bit reasonable, I will get one or two more internal drives for use. I do have externals for other use. **I'd personally recommend gettnig the biggest drive you can afford right off the bat** It is hard to fork over more hundreds of dollars down the road. I got a 250gb drive and kick myself for not getting the 500. Now that would cost me $500+ or so from apple out of pocket right now (although there are others I could get).

I'll read more up on the rest of the threads and chime in where I can. Meanwhile, here are some sites that I found very useful to my switch with help, tutorials, tips, etc. -

http://www.apple.com/macosx/switch/
http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/
http://www.macmentor.org/switch/
http://macnify.blogspot.com/
http://www.maclife.com/

As far as losing the Organizer in PSE4 on the pc... don't miss it ONE ounce. iPhoto is wonderful (and you can find many mini programs to enhance it and work with it) and works well with PSE4.

[Carbone]

it's my new addiction :P


I remember, several times I got late at work on the first year I got my Mac because I was always discovering new stuff, new ways to make this or that better, new tweaks.. LOL!!! :D

Ray

[ME100FINN]

I remember, several times

Only several??? LOL For me it has been every day since November!! :eek:

[ME100FINN]

OH, and watch out for other addictions - custom icons on just about anything, color coding your folders and files, drag and drop ANYTHING, and smart folders---whooooo weeeee!!!

[Debbie Z]

Oh gee Beatrice, I have not tried the smart folders, custom icons or color coding yet. I guess that I had better get to it. I love the drag and drop anything and everything though!!

[MarieBoyer]

This is an amazing thread guys! I am saving this one with all the great links . . . in case I go with a Mac.

p.s. Colleen and I may buy the same computer. Too bad you don't get a discount on 2 computers!

[ME100FINN]

Yo Debbie!! How goes it?!! Glad you're hanging in there girl. Having fun eh? I know it!!

[MarieBoyer]

Beatrice:
How easy is it to make the switch from Organizer to IPhoto? Ray says to get advice on this one from you since you've done it most recently. This is a big consideration for me and Colleen.

Although we love our Organizers, we both have experienced the unbelievably insane quirks (file>move) within the Organizer and might welcome something that is more intuitive and better designed.

Thanks for all your detailed advice, by the way! Much appreciated.

[Carbone]

I just remember this.. you can order a refurb Mac from the online Apple store directly, they cost less and are covered by the same warranty.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=245F1283&nclm=CertifiedMac

If the link expires, click on the Store, then at the bottom right side, seek the red tag.

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Well, it was EASY!! If you know where all of your photos are, you're all set.

first off, I made the mistake of not writing all of my keywords to the files - so I screwed up there. But, with so many files to document, I was never done (and still not). That is always the first to do.

I did have a whole bunch of keywords come into iPhoto without a hitch. I basically connected my pc to the mac via firewire (took some doing to setup networkin on pc side) - went to iPhoto and pointed to the files on the pc and clicked OK (first setting iPhoto's preferences to copy into the library). Done. Piece of cake. If you want to know the file structure of this "managed" file system, let me know. Otherwise, you can copy the files into your own folder structure and have iPhoto "reference" them in their locations.

Next step was simply creating folders - so much more intuitive in my opinion. All of the original files are in the main library folder and then view each year folder at the top. Then I could search for date ranges or scroll thru and drop these images into albums - over and over. So a picture of me on my birthday could go in an album "B turns 30" and "Favs of B". You simply drag the images over where you want them. It moves much, much faster to organize.

If you are a BIG keywords kinda person, you'll find iPHoto's keywords lacking compared to Organizer. It does not have the folder structure and file--it is flat and nothing more than a list. BUT-fear not, there are apps out there to help that along (never thing an app on the mac is limited--people write tons of scripts, automations, and more to enhance the amazing software - you just have to find it). Here are a couple of links that will enhance iPhoto a bit so you won't even THINK about the Organizer again...honest... I don't even remember what it looked like because i now have stars in my eyes... I am in heaven!!

iPhoto Add-On - Keyword Assistant (free):
http://homepage.mac.com/kenferry/software.html

iPhotoBuddy (free) - helps manage more than one library:
http://www.iphotobuddy.com/

I think most of these features might be doable already on the system - but you can peek and see what's out there for software to buy:
iPhoto Library Manager ($20):
www.iphotolibrarymanager.com

I'll have to hunt down more later - keep asking questions - and if I dont answer soon enough, send me a PM - otherwise I might miss it!!

[ME100FINN]

OH, here's another fun printing program for (*not free* sorry) that uses the iPhoto library. Take a look at the screen shots of Image Buddy:
http://www.kepmad.com/index.html

[mom to 4]

:D Beatrice:

Hate to sound stupid, but what do you mean by keywords? I have my folders made up. One may be football and inside 13 subfolders for each game named by the opposing team (columbia - 001 to Columbia - 300) I then put captions on the photos 1 -300 just so I can easily recognize which photo I may want to pull and use. I have them all tagged to Football, subcatagory: Columbia. Am I using keywords in this or is that something different.

I am pretty much sold on the idea of a switch, but I wonder how I am going to convince hubby to part with the extra cash with three in catholic HS and one heading to off to college in September!!! Any suggestions there??? No, he won't read the thread!:eek:

[ME100FINN]

LOL Colleen... you're not sounding at all stupid. When you "tag" your images in Organizer with those words, those are keywords. Organizer allows you to organize them into folders, right? iPhoto doesnt do that--it is simple one list, like a grocery item list you'll have to pick from. No biggy - albums become greater use in iPhoto to compensate. SO _start using "Write to file" to get those keywords saved with the image now!!

Glad to hear you're confident in the switch--woo hoo! I am excited for you!! As for the hubby thing -- if you're a workaholic, convince him you will be 1000% more productive and won't spend as much time a slave to the pc ... but you WILL spend more time PLAYING around ROFL!! And have more time to do it!! LOL Seriously, it is a long term investment - the pay-offs are huge - you'll discover a whole new world that mac shows you and integrates it into your WHOLE life...it takes time to discover it...so have fun and explore!!

[Grant]

Too bad you don't get a discount on 2 computers!

Apple often have promotions so keep your eyes open. First we qualified for the educational discount and on our second computer they sweetened the pot bu adding in a 30gig ipod With a $210 discount.

A note of caution while getting an Ipod for almost nothing seems like a deal it is not. iPods breed, we now have 3 iPods! Two are 30 gigs kind and the last on is a micro shuffle. So why do two people need three iPods? Beats me but Doreen mumbles an incoherent logical reason and I'm convinced.

--

[Debbie Z]

I agree with Beatrice about the Keywords. I did make sure that I did the 'write to file' before I moved my pictures over and as far as I can tell, they all came over with the pictures! The thing is, that it is just a list and it can take a while to get through mine as I did lots of keywords. I am looking forward to checking out some of the sites that Beatrice rec., but I am also checking out Light-room as a possibility for organization.
I have the MacbookPro and the thing that I really love about it is that I never have to shut it down. I just put it to sleep, or it goes there on it's own, and when I want to get back to work, I hit one button and I am good to go. I used to have to wait forever on my old laptop!
If you live near an Apple Store, you can purchase a plan whereby you can get 1 hour of help on your Mac a week for the year. You can call and schedule a time to work on whatever you need to. It is probably much easier for those with a laptop, as you can bring it in. They have techs who are trained in all sorts of software and hardware for Macs.
Good Luck with your decisions!

[Carbone]

Lightroom is much more than an Organizer. It's a RAW processing workflow app. I suggest you also take a look at Apple's Aperture. If you do a lot of RAW shooting which requires colour and exposure correction (as well as croping, rotating, etc.), Aperture is worth a look. However, for doing montage, collage, adding a sky, etc, PSE is still the best app you can get.

Ray

[Grant]

Nine months with Mac and after initial growing pains it has mainly been a positive experience very few let downs. One the things I had looked forward to using was Aperture but it has turend otu to be nothing but a huge disappointments.


First off it is a great looking program and a well thought out image data base and there are no complaints on this. It does have editing feature that are good if not a bit limited and complicated. There are other features like ability to create web pages and such that for my way of doing things were very trivial, but others may find them very useful.

Where Aperture fails is its ability to integrate with Adobe on the RAW file level. The only way to pass a raw file is to export it to it own directory or desk top, call up Photoshop and then import it into Photoshop. You can't even access Aperture's folder directly as it is a vault only accessible by Aperture itself. I have contacted Apples Tech staff and they couldn't help so they put min I touch with a special Creative Help Team and they couldn't help. They referred me to a n Aperture guru that was to be at an Apple store in Toronto and he had no help . Seems I am stuck with what I am stuck with .

Without this problem Aperture would be a joy to use, with this problem it is too frustrating to be bothered with.

--

[Carbone]

You can't even access Aperture's folder directly as it is a vault only accessible by Aperture itself.

Was true for version 1.0, but now, with the latest update, you have the option to leave the files where they are or import them in Aperture Vault. If you choose the first option, you can easily access the files within the Finder.

As for export, I understand your view, and I believe someone said Apple was looking into a thighter integration with Photoshop. But since it's a RAW workflow software, mainly, it makes sens that only the processed images are exported.

There's a need for everything, I think. Aperture suites my need for a complete RAW workflow (shoot, adjust, process)

Ray

[Grant]

Ray I have Aperture 1.52 and I can't import files out from the vault using any of Adobe's products.

It makes no sense in not allowing there raw data file to be passes as the raw data is not change, and should not be changed as that defeats the purpose of raw.

The fact that this product meet you work flow has no bearing on my work flow. I find the adjustment feature of Photoshot much easier, more precise, more complete and more familiar so why would I want to adjust and process in a lesser product.

If and when Apple makes this product seamlessly integrate with Adobe then I will reassess my views, for now it is an expensive organizer marginal editing features, there are no layers there are no masks! Apple generally puts out good products but every once in a while they produce a turkey and this happens to be one one of them.

--

[ME100FINN]

iPods breed, we now have 3 iPods! --

OH they are just like rabbits aren't they!!??? We now have four in this house... oh, I mean er...five. The last is the 80gb video in its case... sealed, never used and we can't return it to the store because it was past 15 days. So much for buying in advance for the holidays. We are now at our max - and beyond. Anyone want to buy it? ;)

[Grant]

Anyone want to buy it? ;)


Shhhhs Quiet ....Doreen is wander around. Don't need her to hear there is an orphan iPod out there.

--

[Carbone]

Ray I have Aperture 1.52 and I can't import files out from the vault using any of Adobe's products.

No, you export actually, from the Vault to your Desktop. But not in RAW, this I understand and I think it's a design flaw.

It makes no sense in not allowing there raw data file to be passes as the raw data is not change, and should not be changed as that defeats the purpose of raw.

I agree with you (a first, since this thread started actually)

The fact that this product meet you work flow has no bearing on my work flow.

I am so glad to hear you say that. Relieves a weight on my chest. At last, I'll have a nice and restful night of sleep knowing you don't depend on my opinion... :D

I find the adjustment feature of Photoshot much easier, more precise, more complete and more familiar so why would I want to adjust and process in a lesser product.

A lesser product.. ? In your err... humble.. opinion, I suppose... ? Wait.. I don't even know if your opinions are humble.. :twisted:

If and when Apple makes this product seamlessly integrate with Adobe then I will reassess my views, for now it is an expensive organizer marginal editing features, there are no layers there are no masks!

Apple never said this product would replace Photoshop. But you seem to think it should have, to some extent at least. Back when Aperture was fresh and new, Apple stated that Aperture was a complement to Photoshop, not a competitor. So, indeed, there's no mask, no layers, no paint brush tool, no text tool, etc. Only global picture manipulation (exposure, contrast, sharpening, colour correction, etc.) All the rest, the photo retouching with masks and custom shapes and everything else, you do it in Photoshop, naturally. Aperture is a Workflow software, not an image editor.

The fact that Aperture does not fill your own workflow needs doesn't and shouldn't lessen the value of the product.

Apple generally puts out good products but every once in a while they produce a turkey and this happens to be one one of them.

Apple does indeed make mistakes, but to say Aperture is a turkey... that's pushing it. And a lot. It has flaws but it has merit as well. It all depends on the tasks at hands.

Imagine this. Word is a flawed application because I can't do pivot table with its grid tool, or do complex what if scenario. Sounds silly.. because there's Excel for that. But comparing Aperture and Photoshop is the same thing as comparing Word to Excel. They're different beasts for different needs.

I remember, not so long ago, on these current grounds, you were voicing out loud how you didn't like your new Mac, how this was wrong and how that was erroneous. With time, it became a decent computer. And now, you even find it qualities over the competition. It's a welcome change. However, little has changed in your computer : Same OS (except for the increment in minor version), same processor, same graphics capabilities.. So maybe in time, you'll like Aperture just as now you like your Mac ;)

Ray

[ME100FINN]

I am no expert - furtherest from it - but these are my thoughts. Aperture is more than enough for many. Whats good for one is not for another...true.

Ray I have Aperture 1.52 and I can't import files out from the vault using any of Adobe's products.
--I dont think it was meant to do that if pictures are in the vault - the vault is meant to protect the images and not make them out in plain view. Like Ray said, you can access them by opening the package (but they are in there deep). Now if you wanted that direct access you could use Aperture as a referenced organizer instead. Then you could find the files in the folder structure you have determined.

From Aperture you can select Export Master and have that untouched raw photo available to other programs.

Additionally, I think (me included) many have different expectations and uses of Aperture. It is a fantastic program that must suit your needs or its worthless. That doesn't make it a far lesser program than PS. PS doesnt have an organizer/file manager in itself (Bridge is a separate app) - so do I call PS a less superior product to Aperture because it doesnt file images within? No. They're just different. Now if you want to compare Aperture to Lightroom - that's a bit more equivalent comparison.

Just wanted to throw that in there for the newbies here thinking of moving on with Aperture for raw (and jpg) processing as a whole and may even switch to it as a file management tool. You really need to assess whether it is right for you....and do lots and lots of reading on forums and tutorials so you can truly understand and appreciate its full worth.

[MarieBoyer]

Thanks Beatrice for the description about IPhoto. I spent the morning hunting down good deals on the refurbished link that Ray provided. I also learned that my husband (high school teacher) qualifies for the education discount. Looks like it gives you nice discounts in the configuration process.

I have a Dell XPS configured as well, and sitting in a shopping cart.

I am very focused on Apple, however, due to this thread.

Thanks guys! Thanks so much!

[Carbone]

Books...
Switching to the Mac : The Missing Manual
http://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Tiger/dp/0596006608/sr=1-1/qid=1169557079/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8457630-9074321?ie=UTF8&s=books

I haven't read it myself because I started with this other title, thicker... Mac OS X: The Missing Manual

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-OS-Tiger-Missing-Manual/dp/0596009410/sr=1-2/qid=1169557079/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-8457630-9074321?ie=UTF8&s=books

Video classes really worth it :
http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=158

Apple's own Switch site :
http://www.apple.com/macosx/switch/

Nice story :
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/09/05/35OPconnection_1.html

Ray

[Elemobe]

Thanks MarieBoyer for starting this thread, I have loved reading all of the posts.

I switched last summer after 16+ years of PC use. I bought a MacBookPro and loved it from the start but it was a bit of a challenge for the first week - only because I was used to doing so many things automatically.

So the reason for this post is to say I totally agree with Ray on his book choices. As soon as I bought The Missual Manual Mac OS X, everything was plain sailing. I think it is an essential buy.

The next best thing I did was subscribe to lynda.com for a couple of months - really worth the money. I had my Mac about 3 months when I picked up on the recommendation on this site. I learnt so much more, especially on how to use iPhoto.

Good luck with your choice, if you go with a Mac, it is highly unlikely you will regret it:)

[MarieBoyer]

Hey guys. I found out some information that was a little disappointing today. I will share it in the spirit of this incredibly informative thread.

First, Adobe will not give us a copy of the Mac version of Elements (4 or 3) as it will do with CS2. You have to pay $69 to buy the Mac version. Why? Because it is "entirely different software," according to the guy at Adobe. He said, "For instance, the Mac version does not have the Organizer." I said, "I know. Seems like I am losing something by making the switch but you're making me pay as though I am upgrading." I explained to him that I had versions 3 and 5.

Second, I found out my RAW converter software (Phase One) also charges $69 for the Mac version (seems like price fixing).

Third, I found out that my beloved printing software program (Qimage) does not even make a Mac version.

I can buy a new Apple Raw converter (Aperture) for $150 with my hubby's educator discount, but I hear that Aperture is a memory hog and somewhat finicky to use.

Looking like a lot of money and steep learning curve. I am not throwing the idea out the "window" yet. Just thought I would share the latest.

Thanks for all the support. Bummer it can't be easier.

p.s. If I go for a Mac instead of a windows pc, I am DONE with Windows and the anti-virus software and dangers lurking there. So I would not want to install Windows on a new Mac. The "no-fear of malware" would be a main reason to make the switch to Mac.

[mom to 4]

marie:

That really stinks!

[Carbone]

Marie,

I am so sorry to hear that. As for Adobe, I would take it higher. There has got to be a better deal. I think Beatrice had something better. Even buying a new piece of hardware would make it a better deal!

Phase One : I don't know because I got my first version with the Mac (Capture One SE, a discontinued software). And Aperture isn't the same as Capture One, so this would not be an equal move. Again, try a supervisor or a responsible sales staff representative. Offer to send you CD back if they're so afraid you'll use both version. What would they prefer.. loosing a few bucks or a few customers ? Their call...

QImage : I print all with either Photoshop or the software supplied with my printer (Epson Film Factory). Maybe there is something similar for your printer.

I don't want to create false hope with the no-malware/spyware/virus. For now, there are none. Will one ever pops in? We can't tell. So don't make your switch just on this factor alone.

Ray

[ME100FINN]

OH Marie!! I am sorry to hear that!! The guy that I spoke to at Adobe was VERY kind about the switch. He gave me a link to a PDF file - I had to sign that paper stating I would destroy my windows version. Then he charged me $5.95 to mail me the PSE4. I had PSE4 for Windows. Try calling and emailing again... I'm certain you could get a better response!!!

I am using Aperture with 2gb of ram and it works great - no complaints.

[Carbone]

I'm still shocked at Adobe.. heck! You have *both* version 3 and 5. You are actually *downgrading*... You are not asking for a better version!

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

I don't want to create false hope with the no-malware/spyware/virus. For now, there are none. Will one ever pops in? We can't tell. So don't make your switch just on this factor alone.
Ray

Ray: I would be making the switch for all the reasons you and Beatrice and others have recommended. But the anti-virus issue is one that is very appealing. Seems crazy to introduce that into an Apple computer if it can be avoided.

I also have Film Factory and love it for certain printing projects. Qimage is a world unto itself. It is a unique and quirky software that I stumbled onto and have learned to love and depend upon for printing. Although I just wrote something contrary, it would be worth it to consider the introduction of Windows JUST to have Qimage on an Apple.

I have Phase One Capture LE. Bought it recently. I love it as well for RAW conversion. I love it so much that I shoot in RAW JUST to be able to use it for post-processing. But maybe the switch to Aperture would be worth the expense.

Ray and Beatrice: I will try again with Adobe. I will go through the email this time, as the phone took forever. Maybe you had a different phone number, Beatrice?

Thanks again guys!

[mom to 4]

Marie:

I believe you would still get a better response by calling, even though the last call was unsuccessful. I would still send an email. Ray is right, you are downgrading!! Seems to me that would be one of those customer service issues that would really cost Adobe NOTHING and keep a customer happy. I don't understand the lack of customer service! That is a shame for us as well as Adobe. Shame on them!

[Carbone]

Adobe: Call sales rather then support, if that is what you have been doing (1-800-833-6687)

As for CaptureOne, I checked with their website and they charge 59$ for crossing platform. But maybe this extends the duration of their update program ? Back when I was using it, they were offerings two updates, and no more than over a year period.

Qimage : I found this thread :

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1017&message=21660911

Basically, your options are to either install Windows XP SP2 on your Mac (if you have a Windows XP normal disk, you'll need to create a slipstream disk for SP2 as the Eject button doesn't work until you install Mac drivers on Windows). Crossover : untested, but it could work. Lightroom (free for the duration of the beta!). Aperture (which might be an overkill if you only want to print). Or get another package on the Mac (http://www.econtechnologies.com/site/Pages/Portraits_Prints/pnp_overview.html)

Ray

[Carbone]

Just a word on Crossover: it's like having Windows, without Windows.. It's a set of libraries which will permit a Windows program to run, but without the added risk of having Windows itself. Unfortunately, my trial period has been over for a long time, and I don't know if I could get it to run again, otherwise, I would test QImage for you right away!


Ray

[ME100FINN]

Marie, I cannot seem to find the number I called, but I know I got the same support via email and they combined my records. I sent an email via the Support Portal at http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/. I recall dialing a direct long distance number too. As Ray mentioned, I think it was the Sales department I spoke with, NOT customer service.

[nkeevers]

Not to get off the track of Macs, but I have a Dell XPS 400 duo processor and I love it! Got a great deal, the speed is awesome, haven't had any problems with it. I looked at the Macs but there were some things you just can't get that turned me off. I'm not knocking them (for all you Mac people out there) but since no-one has mentioned anything non-Mac, just thought I would get my two cents in!:D

[Carbone]

Norma,

The title of the thread is "Calling all Mac users", that's probably why PCs weren't discussed :D

Ray

[Carbone]

Ok, Qimage... there is hope!

I have managed to install another run trial of Crossover (good for 60 days) and was able to install QImage in WinXP compatibility mode. This means Windows IS NOT ON MY COMPUTER, only the support files for running applications.

Guess what.. QImage ran fine. Only thing I can't test is printing because I'm at work and don't have access to a printer.

Seeing is believing so here is a small gallery I made of the first run on QImage on my Mac :)

http://www.pbase.com/carbone/qimage

So, my next assumption would be that if QImage runs with Crossover (60$), maybe, just maybe CaptureOne would too, thus saving 60$ ;) I don't have the ability to test because I'm already a user of the Mac version. Unless I can find a way to procure a Demo copy of the Windows version...

Hope this helps!

Ray

[nkeevers]

Norma,

The title of the thread is "Calling all Mac users", that's probably why PCs weren't discussed :D

Ray

Oops sorry about that! I'm doing 3 things at the same time and didn't read the whole heading I guess. I'm backing down now...

[mom to 4]

Norma:

Marie and I both have PC's and are thinking of making a switch in the near future. Dells are in the running, but neither of us really had any knowledge of Mac's!

[nkeevers]

I only commented because she said she was looking at the Dells. I shouldn't have said anything probably. Oh well...

My brother has a Mac and he loves it! He does not like Microsoft...but,unfortunately for him, he just got a new job and had to get a business laptop that was Windows based. He has to use a non-Mac now. But he uses his Mac all the time for non-work stuff.

[Carbone]

I too have to use a laptop for my work. Fortunately, I found all the software for Mac (Lotus Notes, Cisco VPN, etc.) So I can work with my Macbook ;)

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Colleen, I walked into getting a mac totally 'blind' myself. I didnt even do all the research you guys are doing. I just dove in. Risky? Maybe to some, but I didn't doubt that my life would be better with my "mawme".

[MarieBoyer]

Ray:
You are keeping me very interested in the Mac. You are truly amazing.

I called today and spoke with an Apple representative. It is my second such call. I am totally amazed at how wonderful they are to deal with compared to other pc manufacturers. And it took only one level of voice mail to get a real person.

If I go with the Mac, Ray, I am inclined to give up some of my favorite Windows programs. I would want it to be a complete break if I go for it.

I intend to install Final Cut Express ($99) and Aperture ($150), and say "goodbye" to Pinnacle and Phase One.

I am not sure I would still be doing this if not for you. I cannot tell you how appreciative I am.

Another question: I am quite sure I do not have tags "written to files" in my Organizer. Does this mean I will need to do keywords all over again in Iphoto? (I guess I can stomach that.)


p.s. I returned my Wacom today. Just in case (low likelihood, I know) it was the cause of my computer's demise. I will order another one once I decide on mac versus windows (and the Wacom will get me my Mac version of Elements!).

[ME100FINN]

Marie, the keywords will import just FINE for you if you have them all written.

The Wacom should be win/mac version in one - mine was.

Ray is a GREAT resource. I'd go crazy without him!!

[Carbone]

Beatrice and Marie :
First.. I AM BLUSHING :)
I do this because I want you, and all the others interested, to learn about the possibilities. If, at the end, you choose another PC, I won't be mad at you :D


Marie :

I am not sure I would still be doing this if not for you. I cannot tell you how appreciative I am.

Well, I will try to be here as long as possible (not that I plan on disappearing any time soon!) But, as I said before, keep my e-mail close, in case :)

If I go with the Mac, Ray, I am inclined to give up some of my favorite Windows programs. I would want it to be a complete break if I go for it.

I switched, but I did kept a few Windows applications. CorelDraw and Microsoft Access. I will try to learn Filemaker maybe during Spring, and I did try Illustrator but it just doesn't feel like CorelDraw. Like an old pair of shoes! But, with the new Mac with Intel Processors, I can have all my favourite apps in Windows, without having to suffer from the slow emulation. Best of both worlds :)

Ray

[mom to 4]

Ray, you are just amazing.

Think if I were to switch, I would make a clean break. Kinda like how everyone says to learn the wacom..put the mouse away.

Beatrice: I think I need to click the write tags to files, right now I just tag them, but I don't think I am doing what you have suggested, so either way, I think that I need to do that....whether I say with PC or go to MAC.

How do I know if my wacom is compatable??? It's a graphire 4.

[Debbie Z]

Marie, my keywords also imported just fine. I am loving my mac and its great to have 'those who know' here to help!!! They have helped me alot in my confusions. :)

[Carbone]

How do I know if my wacom is compatable??? It's a graphire 4.

It is compatible, since it's USB and very recent!

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Ray, you are just amazing.

Think if I were to switch, I would make a clean break. Kinda like how everyone says to learn the wacom..put the mouse away.

Beatrice: I think I need to click the write tags to files, right now I just tag them, but I don't think I am doing what you have suggested, so either way, I think that I need to do that....whether I say with PC or go to MAC.

How do I know if my wacom is compatable??? It's a graphire 4.

I think a clean break is refreshing. I am always up for change (my desktop background and screensaveer isnt the same for more than a week LOL). Just think of it this way...how many times have you lost a hard drive or other stuff in a crash? Yeah, it is heartbreaking, but how much of the stuff do you really miss a month later? Six months later? Forgotten....

Yes, getting the keywords are very important to write to file no matter the route you decide to go.

The box should have a logo or statement on sys requirements. I am learning to check closely for the Universal and OSX 10.4 requirements. There are still lots of stuff out there that is catching up to the latest operating system (pertaining more to the freebie stuff that people share).

[mom to 4]

thanks Ray and Beatrice. I will look into writing those tags to my files tomorrow!

[ME100FINN]

Set it to run while you sleep - if you have a large library it might take awhile! Select all, or maybe a year at a time, and write... leave it run while you get your beauty sleep.

[MarieBoyer]

I guess my question is whether I will need to re-organize my 7000 photos that are sitting on my Organizer right now -- when I import them into IPhoto? (I cannot write the tags to file right now as my puter is dead.) I understand that IPhoto will keep my file and folder structure, but I am sensing that I will need to re-organize all of them (via Iphoto's version of tags, i.e., keywords)?

p.s. I just found out that my Alien Skin plug ins are "cross platform" and work in either a mac or windows. That is a first!

[ME100FINN]

Marie - see if this helps...

When you import I assume you will choose to copy the photos onto the new mac. You can either tell iPhoto to:

1. manage the photos and therefore create its own folder structure--this starts with Original and Modified folders. Inside those are year folders and then your "roll names" become the last tier. The roll name will be the same as your current folder name on the pc.

2. reference the photos where you decide to store them. You can copy them to the mac in any folder structure you like and ask iPhoto to just find them and leave them there.

Now, once that is done, you can look at your kewords. They will look like a list as shown here:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/features/tagging.html

As for the folders, this could be done very easily from your rollnames (which are the same as the actual folder name on the drive). You can simply skip the albums altogether and select to view your library by roll name. I find that limiting - I like to see my whole library. Mind you, my albums here arent organized yet--I have still been playing with this (and quite possibly moving over to Aperture), but you can see here from my screen shot -
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1PwyPLoR0yUkPlPVS4np9GkJ9Njx9h0

The red box at the top cannot be changed - that is one viewing method. Below that is all user defined. You can create your own (blue) albums. One picture can go into many albums. The smart albums (pink) will sort and find data specified as a search and keep those updated at all time. Additional icons at the bottom indicate a book or calendar. As you will see, you can create blue folders that hold either albums, projects, or smart albums. This is the organizing you can do further that Organizer could not do at all. No matter where your images are saved on the drive, you can create this very useful album filing system to your liking. Once you have rollnames in order and keywords, you can create a smartfolder to find what you want and then select those images and slide them into an album. Regular albums are not updated - you have to add an image to one.

You can read more about albums here too:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/features/photoalbums.html

Digest that data...and fire away more questions. Other users--if I misquoted, please catch my mistakes. Thanks!

[Carbone]

With recent updates, iLife applications are now all Aperture-aware, meaning if you create an album in Aperture, it'll be visible for a slideshow in iDVD, for example.

And many third party apps are iPhoto-aware too (Print Shop 2, for example).

Ray

[Grant]

Marie get the Mac you won't regret it. This is from a once iMac Intel basher and while have not been baptized into the devine church of Steve I am a supporter of these computers. I still own and use two great Windows machines but but I now prefer my iMacs.

Back nine months ago when I bough my iMac Intel I love the hardware and l liked the operating system I was experience majour problem. When I got my Mac I could barely get my email, surf the web or do other things without a crash. Also the iMac Intel was introduced with sketchy third party support....heck not even third part I couldn't even run some Apple apps! Ray's beloved Aperture couldn't run on it in the first four or was it five months? In those days I was having software crashes daily, in fact for the first two months and a bit Mail would barely stay open for a session. Over the next few months I received huge frequent downloads (some times twice a week) and they did plug all holes and now the system now runs very smoothly. Finally third party software has made great strides in embracing Universal Binary. What I said about the iMac Intel back there was exactly the way it behaved for me it was not a pleasant experience. The biggest problem with my iMac is that I bought it too soon, back then the whole Apple experience was a fiasco. I was a fool for buy the iMac Intel that early in its cycle. If I had waited 6 months I would have avoided almost all of my concerns.

Six months later I got a Notebook for Doreen. At his point in time Doreen had never even touched the desktop iMac. She took the Notebook out of the box plug it into the wall and I set up her network security and email accounts. Within minutes she was downloading email, surfing and the web and word processing. Her only question was "Where is Solitaire?" I then, within minutes, installed "Solitaire Forever" and she was happy. If my first experience with my Mac had been the same as Doreen's I too would have loved it form the beginning.

Your experience should be much closer to Doreen's than to mine!

A couple to things that you may find helpful in you transition.

There will be a transition period, don't worry about it, you will be productive from the get go.

There may be a bit of extra expense in some software and/or hardware it it is not huge bite the bullet I am sure you won't regret it. Subtract the expense of 5 years, or how many year you upgrade computers, of virus protection and this may lessen the blow.

Don't compare Windows software with Mac software. I love ACDC and there is no direct comparison but I have replaced it wit an equally great program. You will find whatever you need for a Mac just maybe not an AB comparison.

Finally and the hardest piece of advice. You will end up loving your Mac but try not to be arrogant about it! You will only be preaching to the Mac choir and Pi$$ing off you Window using friends.:D



Oh yes and Solitaire Forever ... hang on to you socks it ain't nothing like the free version you get with a Windows.

--

[MarieBoyer]

Marie - see if this helps...

Now, once that is done, you can look at your kewords. They will look like a list as shown here:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/features/tagging.html



Beatrice:
Thanks a million. I am studying your every word about this. I still am not clear on IPhoto is coming up with the keywords. From the file names? (I name them based on the date taken not the subject).

[mom to 4]

Wow! Grant that is some recommendation!!! I think I will be making the switch too!

[MarieBoyer]

Grant:

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful encouragement!!!! I am going to ask my hubby to read this entire thread, as he is an important part of the financial decision. I know he is going to be blown away by this community.

By the way, I contacted Adobe--Sales today. You guys are correct. I can trade in my Elements (with a promise to destroy it) and get the Mac version for the cost of shipping. The Sales lady was actually annoyed to learn that the customer service department told me incorrect information on that. She says Adobe takes real pride in being one of the few software companies that permits cross-platform trade-ins for (essentially) no cost to the consumer.

[Wendy]

Hi Marie ....

So glad that you manged to sort it out .... :)

and don't forget that if you get a Mac it will need a name !!

Wendy

[ME100FINN]

Marie, I dont know if PSE5 windows refers to tags in the same manner as PSE4 windows. But, that's what transfers as keywords. There is a screenshot down on this page "Easily find your photos..."
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/overview.html

Oh, Marie, I am SO glad you called again!!

What you see there - what is applied to a photo, becomes a keyword in the file and imports to iPhoto. This data is retained in the IPTC.

Grant, that is a glowing recommendation!! I think you just locked the final sale!

[MarieBoyer]

Thanks Beatrice. But if I never wrote tags to files in PSE, then nothing transfers? Right?

So I start from scratch with "tags" and "keywords"?

[ME100FINN]

If you dont write to file, then nothing transfers. Right. iPhoto doesn't have tags, you will have only keywords (as the link I showed you earlier).

windows -> mac; tags -> keywords

[Carbone]

Oh my......... ! I'm speechless !

Someone else switched today, well almost.. he put the money in his bank account.. though he's not certain, he needs another run of trials. He's a Linux fan but has to use Windows on occasions. However, the software he uses on Windows also have version for Mac, so he's now tempted by the Mac because the transition will be easy.



Ray

[MarieBoyer]

I have a beautiful 17 inch Dell monitor. It lives even though my computer died.

Is it easy to hook up an extra monitor to the iMac and start using the 2 monitors?

I assume I would need to calibrate both separately?

Hard for me to visualize this but an exciting concept nonetheless.

[Carbone]

You have to buy a simple cable (mini vga or mini dvi to VGA).

As per Apple's specs, the second monitor has.. :

Support for external display in extended desktop
-> Digital resolutions up to 1920 x 1200
-> Analog resolutions up to 2048 x 1536

Support for external display in video mirroring mode

And this port can also be used to display images on a composite source (TV, for example). This requires a second adaptor, Mini DVI to S-Video.

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

I made a decision based on pocketbook. I did not buy an Apple, although I came very close. I even bought the David Pogue "Missing Manual" and studied it for 2 days over the weekend. I am planning on making the switch in 3 years. Here's the game-plan:

Today, I bought an HP for $799: Core 2 Duo E6300, 2gig ram, 250 hard drive, 256 mb nvidea graphics card, and other nice stuff, with free Vista CD for future.

My husband and I decided to spend less this time and save for a more expensive Apple for the future (3 years is what we are hoping). I decided that I did not want to spend big bucks on a Dell XPS because it was only $200 less than the entry level Apple I wanted. The Apple I wanted was about $1700 (iMac with 17 inch screen plus extras). So I went for a cheap but decent pc for this "filler" time-period.

I ultimately want to get the Apple tower with everything in it. Leopard will be out by then. But I could never afford such a loaded Mac right now.

Hope this decision makes sense. I cannot thank you guys enough for the education this thread provided me. I would not really have considered an Apple without you. Sorry to disappoint in the short run. But I will be joining the club in about 3 years. I even found a place where I can take a free course in Final Cut Express when the time comes.

Thanks so much.
:):):):)

[ME100FINN]

Time and money are always the factor - you have a plan and something GREAT to look forward to!! Have fun with your new computer!!

[Shari]

Thank you Marie. You did a lot of homework for me. I will probably be with you in three years. There are so many changes involved and I still have a lot to learn on my cameras and PSE5. I hope in three years I will know enough to be ready to tackle the mac conversion!
Shari

[Carbone]

No problem there. The important thing is you're happy with your new computer!

Ray

[Grant]

Marie

Congratulations on you new computer! It is a ways double fun to get a new toy. Fun in the looking and fun in the acquiring. It sounds like you have settled on a pretty fine computer and your three year plan sounds very well though out. Just think in three years you will have all the new toys to look and have all the fun over again.

--

[Grant]

For those thinking of moving to Vista.

http://www.thestar.com/article/175801

--

[Carbone]

Oh boy... Microsoft will delete pirated software... this could prove interesting.. but the best is Microsoft will remove unwanted software... What it sees as unwanted might be a competitor's offer ;)

And the best is still the downgrading of premium content when playing back HD-DVD or BluRay.. with 30 checks per seconds (one every frame...)

Really, it feels good to be on Mac OS :D

Ray

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I just read that and it is positively scary !! ... my goodness I sure am glad that I am a Mac user :eek:

Wendy

[CalamityJanet]

I just read this entire thread, and I'm so happy to have this forum to turn to when I need guidance!:D I've been using an HP laptop for everything and I decided it was a pain to be constantly connecting/disconnecting to my printer, scanners, etc. Because I'm getting really addicted to the fun of digital photography I decided I need a good desktop. Sooooo...I'M MAKING THE SWITCH!!!:D Thanks to everyone who shared their Mac knowledge and experiences in this thread! On the way to the toy store....

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

Hope you enjoy the trip to the toy store ... I'm sure you will :D :D

Wendy

[Carbone]

wow ! Congratulations !!!

Just over the weekend, two friends switched to the Mac :)

One called me out of the blue and asked what I thought of his choice (my jaw dropped on the floor!) and the other switched after spending a few lunch with me and my Macbook (hands on session!)

Ray

[CalamityJanet]

I'm officially a Mac owner! I just brought home a 20" iMac...haven't even taken it out of the box yet. I was soooo tempted by the 24" because the display was a lot brighter, but we decided it was really too big. I hope this transition is a smooth one...

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

Oh congratualtions on the new Mac ... I am sure that the transistion will be just fine :)

Wendy

[CalamityJanet]

Thanks, Wendy! If I run into problems I have two places to turn to for help...this forum and 3 years of Apple Care!:D

[Carbone]

Yay!!!!!!!! Bravo :)

You're actually the third switcher in 24 hours. Yesterday, an old friend called and announced he had switched and this morning, at the office, a colleague told me all the things he saw last week on my Mac convinced him. wow!!

Ray

[CalamityJanet]

Ray, I think Apple should put you on commission! I'm waiting until tomorrow to take it out of the box, but I already have a question...there are no memory card slots? Do you transfer your photos from the camera via USB cable, or plug a card reader into a USB port on the back? (Which seems a bit inconvenient?)

[Carbone]

Both, actually. I have a card reader, attached to a USB Hub, attached to the back of my PowerMac (it's a tower). But sometimes, when the USB cable is out, I will connect my camera directly.

I have too many USB devices connected on my Mac, I needed a HUB (Printer, Wacom, Microphone, Card Reader, NuLooQ, Bluetooth, etc.)

As for Apple.. well, I'm just making sure people are informed about other possibilities, but don't hold anything against PC users :) To each his, her, its own ;)

Ray

[Carbone]

For those thinking of moving to Vista.

http://www.thestar.com/article/175801

--

And add this other report...

http://slashdot.org/articles/07/01/29/2047250.shtml

Microsoft knows how to make friends these days ;)

Ray

[CarolLHB]

Congratulations Janet-I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:)

[MarieBoyer]

Janet: you are impressive. Just walk in and buy it! Wow. I will be very eager to hear back about your experience making the switch. I will be with you in a couple/few years.

[CalamityJanet]

Marie, you left out an important step...I read this thread that you started and THEN I walked in and bought it! There was so much information and advice here that I felt I didn't need to know anything else except to actually see the iMacs so I could decide which size to get. Well, actually there WAS one other influence...I LOVE the funny TV ads with that cute guy. Too bad the guy at CompUSA looked more like the PC guy!

After I finish my coffee I'm going to clean up my desk and get that baby out of the box...

[Carbone]

Janet, make sure to have your coffee and be well seated when you fire up your Mac for the first time, you're going to see something you're not going to see again ;)

Ray

[nkeevers]

Ray, LOL!!!!

And stop sending those articles on Vista! You're scaring me now and I've been a Windows person for 25 years!!:eek: (only kidding of course). Today's the day you know!

[Carbone]

The reality is that Vista is not really a good thing, not as it is now. Too much rights are given to microsoft, too much locking of things, etc. If you're satisified with XP, then keep it. If you have to upgrade, consider alternatives -- Mac in this case. Vista is that bad. And I'm not the only one saying it.

Just the fact that XP has to be on the hard drive before you can install Vista will make it a real headache when the time comes for a fresh install, you'll never be able to do it. And I know many people prefer to start from fresh when they upgrade their windows. Now, with Vista, you can't pop in the CD for a proof of eligibility...

I was at a private show at MS two weeks ago. Even them couldn't use their Windows see-them-all functions properly, the reverted to using the task bar... LOL !!!

Ray

[nkeevers]

I get ya! I'm happy with XP so I certainly wouldn't upgrade. But my husband will have a problem because he's getting a new Dell in the Fall and it will definitely have Vista on it! We both don't believe in getting new software unless it has all the bugs out of it (never for MS) so somewhere down the road (I just got a brand new Dell several months ago), who knows, I might be switching.

That must have been a hoot at the MS private show! How embarrassing for them. You would think that they would make sure before they unroll new versions they would test it every which way from Sunday. But, gotta have those dollars rolling in!

You'll have laughing yourself silly when we're all struggling with Vista soon I'm sure!:D :D

[Carbone]

I won't be laughing because someone having problems isn't a source of joy... even if it's Windows.. ;)

That said, here's a dense article on premium content playback (i.e. HD-DVD and BluRay) on Vitsa :

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html

Very educational.. scary would also fit the content...

Ray

[Teacher617]

Ray,
I just scanned through the document you linked to regarding Vista. It is, indeed, scary. Consumers who have purchased digital content legally will no longer be able to enjoy that content via Vista, due to its much more restrictive nature. The article implies that this is a perfect reason for frustrated consumers to increase their reliance on piracy. I'm not advocating this, just commenting.
:eek:

While iTunes music is also proprietary, at least one can still play purchased media when new operating systems appear.

Tricia

[CalamityJanet]

Ta-DAAAA! This is my very first post from my iMac! It was up and running within 10 minutes of being out of the box...AWESOME! But, we ran into a problem with the wireless internet password and it took several hours and a really LONG drawn out phone call to the router support line in India to get it straight. When we finally got our new router network key and entered it into the Mac it still wouldn't connect. Made a QUICK call to California and were QUICKLY told to enter a $ in front of the network key (which is 26 characters long) and it worked! I already love the Apple support!:D

Note: A 20" screen looks a LOT bigger at home than in the store! I can't believe I was considering a 24". I almost wish I had bought the 17".

Yesterday when we were at CompUSA the employees were busy inflating helium balloons to hand out at midnight to the customers who were there to purchase Vista. I was so happy to be walking out with a Mac! It's a good time to make the switch, right Ray?:D

Now it's time to start installing some goodies, like Elements!

[Grant]

I suspect we should have started a new tread may something like Vista Sucks!

Both Mac aficionados and Window's fans should sit tight and not get too excited. The world loves to bash Bill and the Boys of Richmond and every time they introduce a new product is a prime take aim time. I suspect once all the smoke goes away Vista will be loved by many.

Mac folks sit here and say "What new we have had all that for years" and Windows people call "Foul Billy is trying to control our computer". Well ....

The cloning of Mac's OS is just great "Imitation is the best form of flattery" and in two or three months with the launch of Leopard the guys in Richmond will have a new target to to aim for.

For the Windows people that are worried about the Vista taking over your computer and erasing unwanted software, relax. First you own your hardware you don't own Visa or any version of Windows you you license it, get use to it. And about removing pirated software .... piracy is a crime ...tough, if you can't do the time don't do the crime. As far as having to upgrade your hardware, well, you don't have to upgrade to Vista the present flavour of Windows run very well. Remember without pushing limits we would still be running DOS and as primitive as DOS seems today it did run very well, please and thank you!

For those that are considering upgrading to Vista if you system can support it have fun, i suspect you will really enjoy it. If you have to go and the expense of upgrading then remember one of you options will as be to look into purchasing a Mac and see how Vista is suppose to run. Also if you wait a couple of months you will see some of the new improvements Vista will have, not in five years but now. Only difference is it will be called Leopard.

--

[Grant]

Ta-DAAAA! This is my very first post from my iMac! It was up and running within 10 minutes of being out of the box...AWESOME!


Took you 10 minutes ..... Slacker :)

--

[Teacher617]

And about removing pirated software .... piracy is a crime ...tough, if you can't do the time don't do the crime. --

FYI - No Vista-bashing present in my post.

The comment regarding not being able to play content via Vista refers to LEGALLY purchased content, not pirated stuff.

I've heard nothing but good reviews of Vista until reading this particular article. Operating systems have both good points and bad; I believe the reference to the article was for informational purposes only. If you read through to the bottom, you can read what the author himself has to say in response to charges of Microsoft-bashing.

Tricia

[MarieBoyer]

Yesterday when we were at CompUSA the employees were busy inflating helium balloons to hand out at midnight to the customers who were there to purchase Vista. I was so happy to be walking out with a Mac! It's a good time to make the switch, right Ray?

http://www.joyoftech.com/joyoftech/joyimages/915.gif

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

So pleased that you are now up and running ... those screens really do look an awful lot bigger when you get them home :)

Wendy

[CalamityJanet]

Took you 10 minutes ..... Slacker :)

--

Grant, I'm NOT a slacker! It's just that PC's have conditioned me to approach anything new with extreme caution!

[CalamityJanet]

Wendy, I need to get a wireless keyboard and mouse so I can back away from that screen! I've installed Elements and my Wacom without a problem so I'm on my way!

[nkeevers]

Janet, give it a few weeks and your 20" won't look so big! I have a 22" and I'm loving it; had a 17" before. Enjoy your Mac and give us an update on how you're liking it.

Yeah, no bashing us PCers! We're having no problems! Well, maybe a wee few but that makes life more interesting!:D

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

I have the wireless mouse but didn't bother with the wireless keyboard ..

... ths mouse just eats batteries :eek: ... so if you go that route buy rechargables :D :D

Wendy

[ME100FINN]

Sweet - congrats Janet!! Have a blast!

[MarieBoyer]

http://www.joyoftech.com/joyoftech/joyimages/915.gif

[Carbone]

LOL !! :)

Ray

[nkeevers]

Janet, I have both a wireless mouse and keyboard. Wendy's right about the batteries. I just have the keyboard cause I'm fussy...I hate wires all over! And now that I have a Wacom, I'm always moving my keyboard around...can't figure where to put it yet.:eek:

[Wendy]

Hi Norma ...

I think I have solved the problem of why I use batteries up so fast ... I think that I often rest my hand on the mouse and that means it is nearly always clicked down :eek:

... I have tried to stop doing it ... but I can't :o

Wendy

[Grant]

Dixon's have two Macs and four mice. Three wireless and one not. One mouse is the one that comes with a Wacom and it is way cool but restricted to use on the tablet. Two Wireless a really great but the do eat batteries so I use rechargeable ones. I suspect I they would last longer if I turned them off when not i use but what Can i say I am getting old and forgetful ...oh what was I saying? The wheel on my Wireless super mouse is not working. The regular super mouse is good and stable give me no problems and does attach to the keyboard of back of the computer.

I tend not to use the wireless mouse all that often as it is a bit flaky.

--

[Carbone]

I am the anti-mac in the area of keyboard and mouse.. I can't type long hours on the Mac keyboard so I got a Logitech combo mouse + keyboard. The mouse batteries last over 2 months and the keyboard, I don't think I have change them in a year.. ;)

Ray

[Photogal5]

Hello Everyone!

I've read every post since this thread was started. I'm a newbie here, but glad I found all of you MAC fanatics. I simply LOVE all of the MACs my family has owned and used. I started using one when they first arrived on the scene, in that little rectangular build, and have upgraded at least every five years or so. I'm now running two MACs in my home, with Airport. I'm due for another one soon!

I'd love to ask a MAC question here, since this is an Elements website. What is the BEST way to go about training for using Elements? I recently bought a 30D Canon with all the lenses I could possibly afford and realize that Elements is what I should use to help improve the image of my photos. I've been a photographer ever since I was five. LOL! Any books you could recommend for the MAC user (Elements for Dummies or some other book which is specific to the MAC?)

Again, thanks for all the great info here and I look forward to your input.

[Wendy]

Hi ..

I don't think that any books are Mac specific but most of them cover the Mac shortcuts too ... so no problems there :) I like any of the Scott Kelby ones and Barbara Brundage has a good one too ..

Have you subscribed to the newsletter here yet ? ... thats probably the best way of learning Elements. You get the newsletter 8 times a year and you also get access to the subscriber area. The subscriber area is packed with both Video and written tutorials (around 170 & 90) so its good value. They do include both Mac & Windows shortcuts ...

.. you also get some downloads and extras in there and you are able to set up your own gallery to show off your work :)

Wendy

[MarieBoyer]

Hello Everyone!

I've read every post since this thread was started. I'm a newbie here, but glad I found all of you MAC fanatics. I simply LOVE all of the MACs my family has owned and used. I started using one when they first arrived on the scene, in that little rectangular build, and have upgraded at least every five years or so. I'm now running two MACs in my home, with Airport. I'm due for another one soon!

I'd love to ask a MAC question here, since this is an Elements website. What is the BEST way to go about training for using Elements? I recently bought a 30D Canon with all the lenses I could possibly afford and realize that Elements is what I should use to help improve the image of my photos. I've been a photographer ever since I was five. LOL! Any books you could recommend for the MAC user (Elements for Dummies or some other book which is specific to the MAC?)

Again, thanks for all the great info here and I look forward to your input.

Photogal:
I have a LOT of Elements books. I started with PSE3 but now have PSE5. I find that the version 3 books are still just as helpful; all the functions are the same -- PSE5 just added some new ones. I do not have a PSE5 book yet, but I really want Matt K's book, as advertised on the forum. I would be happy to send a few of my books to you if you are interested. But let me tell you the two I would never part with:
The Photoshop Elements 3 Book & DVD (Scott Kelby)
Organize Your Photos (Slater)

But the best source of information is right here on this forum and in the "subscriber" section. The video tutorials here have taught me the most, with Wendy (forum member above) and many other forum members (including Ray, Ward, Grant) running a close second.

[MarieBoyer]

Vista's new photo organizer (did they copy IPhoto?) is described here:
http://desktoppub.about.com/od/scanninggraphics/ig/Windows-Photo-Gallery/Windows-Photo-Gallery---Vista.htm

[Wendy]

Hi Marie ...

It that Organise your Photos book one on using the Organiser ??

Wendy

[MarieBoyer]

Yes! And I forgot that the Mac version has no Organizer! :eek:

[ME100FINN]

Vista's new photo organizer (did they copy IPhoto?) is described here:
http://desktoppub.about.com/od/scanninggraphics/ig/Windows-Photo-Gallery/Windows-Photo-Gallery---Vista.htm

What DIDN'T they copy from the mac? :eek: OOPS - did I just say that out loud? :twisted:

[Carbone]

If what I just saw with the above link would have been from Nintendo, I would have been shocked.. but knowing it's from Microsoft.. it's.. natural ;)

(ducking and running..)

Ray

[Photogal5]

Photogal:
I have a LOT of Elements books. I started with PSE3 but now have PSE5. I find that the version 3 books are still just as helpful; all the functions are the same -- PSE5 just added some new ones. I do not have a PSE5 book yet, but I really want Matt K's book, as advertised on the forum. I would be happy to send a few of my books to you if you are interested. But let me tell you the two I would never part with:
The Photoshop Elements 3 Book & DVD (Scott Kelby)
Organize Your Photos (Slater)

But the best source of information is right here on this forum and in the "subscriber" section. The video tutorials here have taught me the most, with Wendy (forum member above) and many other forum members (including Ray, Ward, Grant) running a close second.

Interesting that you suggest the Scott Kelby book. The forward to the PSE5 book specifically states that it is for Windows only and that he does not address the MAC at all, since MAC version is somewhat different.....so, does this mean that you still get loads of info from his book, even though he has suggested that it doesn't pertain to the MAC?? I'm confused...:confused:

BTW, thank you to everyone for helping me sort this out. Looks like the first thing I'll do is a subscription. :)

[Carbone]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/01/remote-exploit-of-vista-speech-reveals-fatal-flaw/

I won't say anything else.. ;)

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

Interesting that you suggest the Scott Kelby book. The forward to the PSE5 book specifically states that it is for Windows only and that he does not address the MAC at all, since MAC version is somewhat different.....so, does this mean that you still get loads of info from his book, even though he has suggested that it doesn't pertain to the MAC?? I'm confused...:confused:

BTW, thank you to everyone for helping me sort this out. Looks like the first thing I'll do is a subscription. :)

I will stop recommending non-Mac books. Sorry.

[Carbone]

Don't be sorry Marie, that's ok. Most books for graphics are for both platform. Except when the publisher of the software decides to make it a one platform only ;)

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Marie, that's ok - I would guess to say that the PSE5 is the first book to be only Windows. Every other material I have ever read from Day 1 of my PSE experience has always been win/mac keystrokes, etc. available.

[Wendy]

Hi Marie ...

Its certainly the first Windows only one I have come across :) ... so don't stop suggesting books :eek:

Wendy :)

[CalamityJanet]

Isn't Scott required to state that it is for Windows only because the title includes the version 5 in it, and PSE5 doesn't exist (YET) for Mac? I haven't seen the book, but I would bet that it's the same as most other written materials for PSE...once you know the basic differences in the keystrokes the book basically applies to both platforms, except for reference to any of the new features that are only present in PSE5. And hopefully there is a Mac version of PSE5 coming in the near future.

[Wendy]

Hi ...
My guess is that if a Mac version does come along then, apart from the shortcuts issue, it will work just fine for the Mac :)

Wendy

[Photogal5]

Sorry if my question was a little silly, but I'm still trying to get started with Elements for the MAC and didn't know where to turn except to you wonderful folks for help. I certainly want any info that may help me to move forward.

Suggesting any book that may be helpful is exactly what I'm asking for here. As for Scott's new book, PSE5, in the forward of his book, he specifically states that it is for "Windows" only. :( I guess I'll use the old books and try and garner some info until the "new" PSE5 for MAC is available.

Again, thank you to everyone for your kind help! Please keep the suggestions coming! :D

[Carbone]

To my knowledge, there are no Mac only PSE book. PSE4, the missing manual, is a great starter (just ignore the Organizer parts).

There is an on-line class, though : http://www.eclecticacademy.com/graphics.htm#pse4-mac

This class covers exclusively PSE4 for Macintosh. You can print and save the content of the class. It's like a book, in a sense, only you have access to the author for 6 weeks.. !!

Hope this helps!

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

Sorry if my question was a little silly, but I'm still trying to get started with Elements for the MAC and didn't know where to turn except to you wonderful folks for help. :D

As you will soon learn, no question on this forum is treated as a silly one. Looks like Ray gave you just the starting place!

....Although this forum has been known to get silly in response to a question or two. One involving "gold text" comes to mind....:D

[MarieBoyer]

I am returning my brand new windows HP computer tonight. I am ordering my iMac tomorrow morning. It is a long story but, Ray, Beatrice, Grant, and others who helped in this thread, I cannot thank you enough. I keep coming back to this thread for the links and information. Invaluable.

I am switching to a Mac!!!

[CalamityJanet]

Congratulations, Marie!

I made the switch last month and I'm thoroughly enjoying my iMac! I'm using several helpful books..."Switching to the Mac, The Missing Manual" and "iPhoto6, The Missing Manual" and "The Macintosh iLife '06" by Jim Heid.

Have fun!

[Carbone]

Welcome to the Light Side of the Force, Marie :) Soon, there will more Mac than windows users at this rate.. hehehe!

If you need anything, you can post here, or you can PM me. I'm not as active as before on this forum, but PMs get relayed to my inbox so I know when you write to me.

Congratulations on the move, I think you're gonna like it much! :D

Ray

[Grant]

I am switching to a Mac!!!

Marie ... please don't hold back, just sing it out. Now be careful as Mac users be come over zealous and there are may signs of this but the most telling is when you Web Browser's default page is set to http://www.apple.com :)

--

[Teacher617]

Congratulations, Marie! I think you'll come to love your new computer. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Enjoy! :)

Tricia

[CarolLHB]

http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/loveshower.gif (http://www.millan.net)http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/yay.gif (http://www.millan.net)http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/clap.gif (http://www.millan.net)

Whoohoooooo! Congrats! We're all here to help.

Grant: Gulity on the homepage (at work:D) and very guilty on the overzealousness!

[mom to 4]

ok, ok, do you guys have yearly get togethers too???? :D

You are all very passionate about your mac's. Maybe it won't be long before I join your ranks. Spoke to hubby about it today, and didn't get the usual "Are you crazy??!!!" Just going to take a litttttttle longer!

Did I hear someone mention that v5 for mac is coming out in March??? Or am I completely off????? (wouldn't be the first time)!

[Carbone]

Grant :

Variation on a theme... http://www.apple.com/startpage/

;)


Try it, though, it really contains news and stuff that matters.

PSE5 : Those who know can't talk until product is released, if it exists.

Ray

[ME100FINN]

Woo hoo !! A belated congrats!!! Be prepared to think, breathe, and eat everything mac for the next few months. You'll discover there's more fun than you ever dreamed of.... forwarn any family members now LOL....and clear your calendar!! PM or send an email anytime...

[CarolLHB]

fingers crossed, toes crossed, hoping, wishing...:rolleyes:
Ray, know anyone who knows??? A bribe perhaps to tell???

[Debbie Z]

Grant, I thought that was where I was supposed to set it!!!!! :D

[Grant]

Grant, I thought that was where I was supposed to set it!!!!! :D

Debbie of course it is, it is not only common senses but it is also one of the 10 commandment of the Church of Jobs. I understand you the only Mac user exempt from this is WendY Williams and she must log into http://www.apple.com/uk/ so she can listen to the Mac and PC guys with Brit accents.

--

[Carbone]

I don't know a thing about PSE5 for Mac, alas! :(

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

I received a couple of "pm's" wondering how this happened. I should be the next Mac commercial. There I sit with my new windows computer and it is great at first. My software was blazing fast and it seemed like I made the right decision.

Then it begins to shut-down regularly and re-boot itself. This begins to occur more regularly. Most recently, my DVD burner causes the computer to shut down when I attempt to burn a simple CD. For awhile I think I am going to be okay because I can fix windows computers; isn't this one of the reasons we buy them? We know them better and they are fixable with this or that tweak?

Well, I could not take the shutdowns. I called HP and got a person whom I could not understand. (Mind you, this is my third call for help since I bought the new computer, and each person was equally difficult to understand.) He took over my computer remotely and I watched as he fiddled with the registry and installed some updated firmware, etc... He stayed with me for over an hour trying to fix it.

When he was finished, it was in far worse shape. He could not explain (a) what he had done to it, or (b) how to fix it. But he assured me (from what I could understand), that he would call me back within the hour --as he needed to research how to fix it. He did not call me back within the hour. He NEVER called me back.

My husband said, "I am calling the store. We are taking it back. You are buying the Mac." My husband returned it for me yesterday. Off to order the Mac this morning.

Apple should hire my husband to make a commercial for them. Just consider the spouse! He has to listen to me curse and cry about the pc. He is looking forward to the Mac!

I am happy to be joining the Mac family. Thanks for the nice messages above! You guys are the best!

p.s. And I look forward to calling Apple's help line and getting a surfer dude whom I can understand!

[mom to 4]

Marie:

You CURSED?!?!?!?! :eek:


:D

Ray: Don't know where I thought I heard that, but obviously, I misunderstood!! Certainly not the first time that has happened!!!

[Carbone]

New Mac commercial intro...

"Hello, I'm a Mac!
Hello, I'm a... crashing!"

;)

So, what model are you getting? An iMac, a Mac Pro maybe?

Ray

[mom to 4]

Oh, there already is one! I went to the apple UK link someone posted here yesterday with the UK commercials and sure enough....screen freeze and a crash.....VERY CUTE, albeit a bit too real for me lately!

I know, I will tag along later!

[MarieBoyer]

New Mac commercial intro...

"Hello, I'm a Mac!
Hello, I'm a... crashing!"

;)

So, what model are you getting? An iMac, a Mac Pro maybe?

Ray

Hi Ray! I ordered an iMac this morning. My hubby has a snow day and sat down next to me. He kept saying, "Oh go ahead, throw that in"! I have iMac, 17 inch screen (but I have a Dell 17 inch to add second monitor), 2.0 ghz, 2 gigs RAM, 250 gig HD, 3 year protection plan, and added the following software: iWorks, final cut express, and aperture.

It will be here on Tuesday or Wednesday!

My husband stated out moments ago: "You seem excited about this one. You did not seem excited about the HP when we bought it. You seemed a little scared. Nice to see you excited!" Isn't my hubby the best?

Your thread (this thread) helped me a ton! I am going to look for some books to start reading. I also have to call Adobe and order my Mac version of PSE4. (I hope I can get version 5 when it comes out).

[MarieBoyer]

Marie:

You CURSED?!?!?!?! :eek:


:D

Ray: Don't know where I thought I heard that, but obviously, I misunderstood!! Certainly not the first time that has happened!!!

Colleen:
I never used to curse until you and Kimiboo recommended the songs with swear words in them!!!:eek::)

[CalamityJanet]

Marie, it sounds like you went all out with the order!

About PSE4...I discovered that a Mac compatible copy came with my Wacom tablet and since I already had PSE5 on the PC I just tossed it in a drawer and forgot about it until I needed the Wacom disc to install on the new iMac. Maybe you've bought something that had a copy included, too?

[MarieBoyer]

I have a B&H gift certificate for $150. Maybe I will just re-order a Wacom tablet and get it faster. Then when Adobe creates a version 5 for the Mac I can trade it in then! Good idea! Thanks Janet.

p.s. Your conversations with Colleen about the Mac were always relayed to me. You are having a behind-the-scenes influence here.

[CalamityJanet]

Marie, I bet we could do some good TV ads! When I brought my iMac home I wanted to add it to our wireless network for the internet. I went to the PC and tried to follow the steps to add the Mac and somehow got the router all screwed up. Hubby was on the phone with the router company for almost an hour, trying to understand the heavily-accented person on the other end. He finally got it all straight and we got a new network key (which is 26 digits long) to enter on the iMac. We kept getting a message that the number was wrong, try again. We picked up the phone and got a surfer dude who quickly suggested adding a dollar-sign in front of the network key and it worked! On the phone for two minutes, and not once did Dave have to ask the guy to repeat or say again. It means so much to me to know I can get real support when I need it! BUT, that was the only time I've had to call. I've installed all my peripherals and software without issue! Piece of cake!

[Debbie Z]

I agree totally with the help service! I too had trouble with my wireless network. I called my ISP and spent over an hour, mostly because I kept having to ask them to repeat themselves! I finally gave up and tried Apple and I was good to go in a matter of minutes and we even shared a joke or two and talked about the weather.....all in English....imagine that! She even followed up to make sure that Mac life was still great!

[Wendy]

Marie ...

Oh Wow congratualtions ...... :)

You will not regret it ... !!

Speak to you when I get back sometime next week..

Wendy

[Carbone]

Yes, they do too in Canada. Gentlemen from Vancouver called a few days after I had an issue with my PC monitor not being recognized by my Mac. I was very surprised that an helpdesk would call me back in the first place, but then realized it was to make sure all was ok... I thought I was dreaming :)

Ray

[MarieBoyer]

I am very excited about the English-speaking, surfer-dude customer service agents. Hey guys, are my Jodi Frye Layer Styles still good on a Mac? I am a little afraid to ask. :confused:

[Wendy]

Hi Marie ...

Jodi's first CD will work just fine ... and if you look this thread then you will see some info about the new CD and the Mac:

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20020

Hope that it helps :)

Wendy

[MarieBoyer]

Gee thanks Wendy. That is greeeaaat!!!!! And thanks to Ray for the information in the other thread!

[Grant]

First I wish I could tell you all that Mac's tech support is outstanding but I can't. It is not that they are bad it is just that the computer hasn't misbehaved enough to get me to call technical support.

I can tell you that order support is outstanding. I have had two grips, one small one big. The small one was handled immediately! The big one well, it was we ill try .. three days later a note arrived in my mail box, the problem had been fixed and a rebate cheque was there to sweeten the pot.

--

[Grant]

Now as far as my joke about home pages and Mac Heads go....

I don't consider myself a Mac Head and I don't have a http://www.apple.com/ca/ as myhome page but ..... I do have http://www.apple.com/pro/ as one of my favorites.

Even if you are not a Mac Head this is a great site to see how some very creative people use their computers. So does anyone else want to share their secret nerdy sites with the rest of us?

--

[Grant]

Funny when everyone was talking about V5 I was about to jump in and say "What are you cray? Of course it is coming out soon!" Then I realize everyone was talking about Elements 5 and 10.5 Mac OS X Leopard. Wup... suspect I am becoming a Mac Head.

--

[CarolLHB]

It was bound to happen, Grant...just go with it:D

[Carbone]

This is far from being very "creative" in an artistic manner, but if you work with Office 2004, you should visit Microsoft's Mac website, it's always offering easy to follow tutorials :
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/

I know it's been mentioned here before.. a good place to get your colour juices flowing :
http://kuler.adobe.com/

Side note : Remember that with the Apple Colour Picker comes a little tool to grab out-of-application colours. Just at the top, see the little magnifying glass... click on it, than "grab" any colour you want. Especially helpful since Adobe kuler isn't friendly to photoshop alone (requires the suite).


Good articles on digital life..
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/

Something to decorate the desktop...
http://macdesktops.com/

Ray

[mom to 4]

I can't believe I did this.


I BOUGHT A MAC!!!!! :D

20 in monitor
2.16 ghz
250 HD
2 gig ram
Final Cut Express
Apeture
iworks
upgraded graphics card

I will be eating salad and beans for the next year or so, but ....... I bought a MAC!:D

Thanks to all of you for all your input and help. Only thing is....you don't know what you've gotten yourself into!!! I am going to have lots of questions!!!!!:eek:

[mom to 4]

Did I also say: I am really excited!!!!:D