Other Sites
Organizations to help a Mac user with. . .visual impairment issues.
Re: A (Somewhat) Curmudgeonly Dissection Of Apple's WWDC Announcements
NO LAME DUCK!
QuickTime question...
Leopard Performance
Kinesis Classic keyboard. . .special Mac keys?
From S.
Hello Mr. Moore,
I've owned this keyboard for years as a PC user. I've recently switched to being an iMac (only) user, and due to a physical illness I really require the more comfortable keyboard (to the aluminum standard that comes with the iMac. I'm using my OLD Kinesis Classic keyboard now, but wonder if there are certain keys that correspond to the iMac's specialized keys, and perhaps some "stickies" that I could adhere to the Kinesis keys reminding me what to use for the Mac features.
Secondly, since I did purchase this keyboard in the U.S., does the warranty cover (or is there a pay service) for sending my old keyboard in to Kinesis for a thorough cleaning, and perhaps even changing over some of the keys to turn them into a Mac keyboard (in a sense). My keyboard works fine, it just looks like the dinosaur it is, needs a good cleaning.
Thank you very much,
S
Hi S;
I have an old Kinesis "Mac-compatible" Contour keyboard that has a switch that lets it work with the old Mac SDB coinnection interface. However, as I recal without digging it out of storage, the keys had PC-labels on them and one had to learn the few adjustments for Mac-equivalents.
The current version of the Kinesis is available with some Mac-equivalents shown - visit here for a schemetic:
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/images/layout_contour-mac-usb.gif
While some keyboards are available with multimedia keys and the like, Mac and PC USB keyboards are pretty much interchangable as far as function is concerened, although there are key-labeling differences for the modifier keys. Since the Kinesis is so radically different anyway, the best approach with it is probably just to memorize the modifier equivalents.
I don't think the Kinesis warranty covers cleaning. As I recall, the Kinesis is quite easy to open up and your local computer service shop should be able to pop it apart and blow it out with compressed air or whatever for you to clean it.
Charles
Organizations to help a Mac user with. . .visual impairment issues.
From S
I'm wondering, Mr. Moore, if you have any resources that I can contact that would help me with such questions such as how to do more things on my computer without having to use my eyes, as eye strain of reading causes ongoing migraines.
For instance, I'm interested in the Mac version of Dragon. . .Naturally Speaking, I think it's called. If I had people to contact, I could ask what they think of this, how to use it, etc.
Thanks much,
S
P.S. I'm also looking for a chronic pain support group or chronic illness support group specifically geared toward Mac users as a common interest/theme.
Hi again S;
Sorry to hear of your travails with chronic illness.
Many Mac applications can read documents to you, including the Text Edit word processor that comes as part of OS X. TextEdit can open Microsoft Word documents and many other types of text d=ocuments.
To have TextEdit read a document out loud, open the document and choose Edit > Speech > "Start speaking." To speak only a portion of the text in a document, select the text, and choose Edit > Speech > "Start speaking."
To make the speaking stop, choose Edit > Speech > "Stop speaking."
If you want to change the computer's speaking voice, open the Speech pane of System Preferences and click "Text to Speech." Next, choose a voice from the System Voice pop-up menu.
THe Mac version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking is called MacSpeech Dictate. I've been using MacSpeech's older product, iListen, for many years, and have found it very good, but by all accounts Dictate is even better. I plan on switching to it when I upgrade to an Intel-based Mac in the near future. My colleague at MacOpinion, MArc Zeedar, recently reviewed Dictate, and you can read his observations at:
http://www.macopinion.com/index.php/site/more/writing_with_speech/
and
http://www.macopinion.com/index.php/site/more/dictate_round_two/
Dictation software is prertty easy to get the hang of. You have to "train" the program to recognize your voice by reading stories to it, which takes an hour or so, but one it's set up it's kind of like magic.
More information about Dictate at:
http://www/macspeech.com
Being a chronic pain sufferer myself (fibromyalgia; myofacial pain syndrome, chronic neuritis) I too would be inrerested in a Mac-oriented support group, but unfortunately I don't know of any.
Charles
Re: A (Somewhat) Curmudgeonly Dissection Of Apple's WWDC Announcements
From: macgecko
I think .Mac and MobileMe are very easy to use for most people and I am happy to see them adding some features. However having all my info in sync is not that big of a deal for me and I have never cared to instant emails. I use Mozy so I don't worry about backups. Other then that I think I too will hold off on .Mac and MobileMe until they lower the price or offer something that I can't live without. I am also a gmail user but I don't think it's as easy to use as say yahoo email but I use it because they have spam filters that actually work unlike yahoo. Gmail works great with iPhones too!
Hi mg;
I use Time Machine for backups onto an external hard drive, and also keep two of my laptops pretty much syncrhonized, which takes care of backups.
You're probably right that Yahoo! Mail is more user friendly, but I like Gmail's versatility and configurability, free POP 3 access, and the fact that there's a "basic html" option for the Web interface - important when you're stuck with a dial-up Internet connection like I am.
And as you say, Gmail's spam filters are extraordinarily good.
Charles
NO LAME DUCK!
From Barton
I own a G5 Dual 2GHz from 2006 and it is NO LAME DUCK, in fact, it performs like a screamer on Leopard on 4GB of RAM. And in no way my "test" Inteltosh?-for-the-meantime Mac mini Core 2 Duo 2GHz comes remotely close w/2GB of RAM... if you believe the BS Apple throws with the benchmark numbers then you are sadly mistaken and fooled by marketing power or Steve's RDF?
So essentially dropping PPC for all the G5 PowerMacs and iMacs make no sense as it will be disloyal for the wide margin of users w/PPC G5 Macs. Still Intel Macs do not account for 50% of Macintosh user base and the G3 was still supported by every OS X increase until Leopard (wich dropped it) and it respected the 5-year support every model deserves.
If Leopard sucks on constricted G4 Macs, is not an indication that it also does on G5 Macs, both completely apart in technology architecture and performance... Dropping G4 support is one thing on 10.6 and certainly understandable, dropping G5 is stupid and disloyal.
Even if I'm still open to buy a Mac Pro this year to stay current on my video production work, my G5s are certainly not giving up a hair after 2-3 years because of their phenomenal performance and potential for a longer run (multiple apps, pro-use), and I plan to keep them in-spite this consumerism/obsolesce of today's Apple Comp... sorry, "Inc." marketing philosophy.
My 2˘
Barton
Hi Barton;
The thing is, how many users are actually represented in tha "wide margin of users w/PPC G5 Macs." Not counting iMacs (and recent third=party benchmarking indicates that the cheapest Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn current-generation iMac offers about twice the performance of the fastest-ever G5 iMac), would the numbers of G5 Mac Pro users justify the engineering effort applied to retain current-OS support for five years?
It's not surprising that your G5 Mac Pro outperforms your Intel Mac mini. The mini has a constricted FSB, a 4,200 rpm notebook drive, and as you say, half the RAM.
As for OS 10.6 support for your G5, perhaps you can breath a bit easier. More recent scuttlebutt over the weekend (after I posted the column Friday), suggests that Snow Leopard (or whatever) may have PPC support after all.
But even if it doesn't, I'm in no way suggesting that its time to give up on good old PPC Macs as long as they do what you need them to do. I bought my most recent G4 with my eyes wide open in early 2006, after the macIntel era had commenced, and anticupate using it for several years yet even if Leopard turns out to be the last supported OS X version.
Charles
Re: NO LAME DUCK!
From Barton
Thanks for the reply Charlie. You seem to be right with an interesting point there...
I hope the 10.6 OS supports the wide base of Pros holding onto their trusty G5s. And I'm like you too, not a changer per se for the sake of changing, I love to settle in for a while with my machines as long as the are working like charm and producing... in my case a healthy three year life span as a minimum.
Cheers and keep up the great site.
Hi Barton;
It's looking less and less likely that Snow Leopard will support PPC. All we know for sure at this point is that the developer release seeded this week does not support Power PC.
For more on that subject see:
http://tinyurl.com/4nntlg
However, if Snow Leopard is released a year from now, as projected, that would just about cover the three-year interval since the last Power PC machines were sold, although it's not going to be popular with high-end G5 users in particular.
Charles
Re: NO LAME DUCK!
From Barton
Well Charlie, in that case I'll be ordering a new MacPro after my main G5's Apple Care ends (this September)... I'm still hoping that this is only a developer's release to further optimize the Intel code and give no more life to the already mature PPC code... well, I think I'm just a little nostalgic... could a new "speed bump" MacPro be in the works before the end of the year? If so it might be wise to wait, not that my G5's are feeling long on the tooth though (they are not). But an even faster MacPro wouldn't hurt for the same cash as the current one... decisions, decisions.
Hi Barton;
In your shoes, I would definitely wait a bit since your G5 tower is still doing a good job for you. I will be extremely surprised if there is no Power Mac upgrade before the end of the year. The current configuration is getting a bit long in the tooth in the context of these things.
As for Snow Leopard, one of the reasons for dropping PPC support is that Apple evidently wants to more tightly integrate Mac OS X with advances in Intel CPU and microarchitecture technology, a topic I explore in my The Agenda blog today on PB Central:
http://www.pbcentral.com/news/viewnews.cgi?id=EkEFykZEZVlzDuVtCq
Charles
QuickTime question...
From Bryan
Hi Charles.
I am not able to open & listen to an audio program from a certain website page. The only message (from that website) is a default message stating that QuickTime is required. Via email, a customer service representative from the website instructed me to update QT. However, I already have the latest QT updates (on 3 different computer set-ups). And, I am able to watch movie trailers via QT.
I couldn't find an answer on Apple's Support discussions, other than to run Repair Permissions, which I did, but it didn't solve the problem.
Can you try to open the link, and see if it works for you please? The website is <http://www.jonathanpark.com/>http://www.jonathanpark.com/ There are three ways to 'click' to start the program: 'Listen to This Week's Show'; 'LISTEN NOW', & 'The Winds of Change: Part II' (which is the current episode).
I have one iMac with a 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB of RAM, running OSX 10.5.2 & QuickTime Player v. 7.4.5 (25). On the same machine, I am also running Windows XP using BootCamp via Parallels Desktop 3.0,with QuickTime Player v. 7.4.5. And, the other iMac is a 500MHz PowerPC G3 iMac, with 576 MB of RAM, running OSX 10.3.9 & QuickTime Player v. 7.4.5 (25).
For browsers, I use Safari and Firefox on OSX & Explorer on the Windows side. All scenarios yield the same result... nothing.
Is there some basic setting I have wrong, or does the website in question have a problem?
(This is the 3rd week in a row in which my children are missing their favourite Christian program. Thus, my early morning email).
Please help if you are able.
Thanks,
Bryan
Hi Bryan;
QuickTime is not an aspect of the Mac OS life with which I have much expertise. Where I live I'm stuck with dial-up Internet, and slow dial-up at that - 26,400 bps is the best I ever get, so streamed anything - audio or video - is in practical terms out of the question.
I tried the link you forwarded, and and getting presumably the same "Quicktime Required" link you are, which, when clicked, shunts one to Apple's QuickTime download site. I tried with both Safari and Firefox (both the latest versions) with similar resultr. I'm running OS 10.5.3, so I presume I have up-to date QuickTime support.
I have to wonder if there is a problem aith that Website, but my ignorance of the ideosyncracies of QuickTime is pretty encyclopedic, so that's just a guess.
Charles
Leopard Performance
From Neil Anderson
I'm running Leopard on a first-release Mac mini with 512MB RAM and its performance is compromised compared to Tiger.
Hi Neil;
I don't doubt that it is.
I find Leopard's performance on my G4 PowerBook with 1.5 GB of system RAM and an ATI Radeon GPU with 64 MB if VRAM conpromised compared to Tiger.
I imagine your little mini with its modest RAM and integrated graphics struggles mightily running Leopard.
When I move to MacIntel, I plan on getting 4 GB of RAM, since I doubt that I would be happy running Leopard with just 2 GB on an Intel machine.
Charles
Re: Leopard Performance
From Neil
Hi Charles,
The Mac mini is my work-supplied machine. My home machine is a 24-inch 2.8GHz iMac with 4GB of RAM and Leopard usually runs as smooth as silk even with 20 or so apps open.
Neil
Hi Neil;
Sounds like a nice setup.
I also often have 20 or more apps. open, and am looking forward to a substantial speed improvement with a MacIntel.
Charles
***
Charles W. Moore
Note: Letters to Moore's Mailbag may or may not be published at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context.
Opinions expressed in postings to Moore's MailBag are those of the respective correspondents and not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Editor and/or Applelinks management.
If you would prefer that your message not appear in Moore's Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published.
CM
Tags: Blogs ď MooresMailBag ď
