I have 2 monitors on 2 machines running Lion. I haven't seen the big deal about how it's not "playing well" with 2 screens like some people say. Sure, it's a first hack and will undoubtedly be tweaked in forthcoming releases, but it's pretty easy to use. The only real bitching about it I've heard are people who are used to moving existing windows to other desktops all the time. I don't do that, and don't really understand their issue, quite honestly. If you use the trackpad gestures it's really easy. This does a pretty good job showing how it works: <a class="postlink" href="http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20081113-285/how-to-use-os-x-lions-mission-control/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-200 ... n-control/</a> The only thing I'm missing are the 2 row grid of desktops I used to set up... I became quite used to having specific apps on each desktop, and "opt-arrow" moving between them. The "up/down" moving doesn't exist anymore, as they're all distributed linearly now.
We are migrating our Windows systems to Mac and I have questions for the OS/X gurus here: 1. We run POP3 and have been using Microsoft Outlook. I have on some cases 15 years of archives and active inbx in PST format that I must preserve all of the messages. So any mail software I use on the Mac must be able to import Microsoft PST format mailboxes. It also needs to understand Outlooks Calendar Appointment notifications. Microsoft Office for the Mac comes with Entourage. It states it can import messages from Apple’s Mailer or older version of Entourage but nothing about Outlook PST format messages. Is this just Outlook with a different name? 2. I do a lot of audio format transcoding and I use this app on Windows: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.auto-transcoder.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.auto-transcoder.com</a>. I need something with the same feature set but for the Mac. It must convert a wide range of formats (mp3, aac, alac, flac, ogg, wav, etc), be able to do batch conversions, skip output files that exist, etc. Any recommendations? 3. What is the general consensus on anti-virus software for the Mac? I personally don’t know anyone that uses one, but I know the software exists, so some people must be using it. Is it something I should invest in? If so, which brand do you guys recommend? Thank you in advance!
Entourage was in Mac Office 2008. Office 2011 has Outlook so that shouldn't be a problem. Either way, you should be able to import a .pst file into Entourage: http://www.office.mvps.org/cross_platform/win_mac.html I don't really have much experience transcoding, so I will leave that for others. My company runs a lot of Macs and we don't use anti-virus on them, but I would also like others to comment on this as well.
I posted the wrong URL for the audio transcoder I currently use. The correct URL is: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.audio-transcoder.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.audio-transcoder.com/</a> My apologies. Still looking for a Mac equivalent.
Question regarding iTunes home sharing. Why are some songs denied due to my computer not being authorized, when it is for other songs? I loaded a bunch of songs off the wife's Mac, but there were a handful that were denied. At least it let me grab all the Lenny Kravitz. Anyone got a solution?
Has anyone/is anyone running Boot Camp? I just downloaded Lion and Boot Camped Win7. Part of that involves downloading the drivers and whatnot to install on the windows side. Every time BC starts that process, it fails without giving a reason. I can't find anything on forums or otherwise on what the issue is or any way to circumvent to get the necessary drivers and support files for seamless transition, especially the use of the multi-touch pad on the Windows side.
Can anyone recommend a good speech to text software for the Mac like Dragon Naturally Speaking? Dragon does make a Mac version, but almost all of the reviews say it is a piece of crap. Thank you.
I switched to Mac some time ago but just noticed this thread. I really enjoy trying out and playing with various programs, here are some of my favorites: Roxio Toast: $80. Best blend I've seen of comprehensiveness and simplicity. Handles just about any project you'll have for media file converting, burning, ripping, etc. Handles most file types I've thrown at it. The only one it wasn't able to handle was .mkv. uTorrent: Free. From what I hear, this used to be pretty mediocre, but I think they've really stepped up their game for OSX recently. They added RSS which I was sorely missing after switching from Windows. They also seem to be working on a file sending/receiving feature, which would be nice. VLC: Free. Like Nett said on the first page, the only video player you need. I think they are back to doing updates for it too. Audacity: Free. Nice simple tool for music file editing. Often times I'll end up with an mp3 that has something stupid like 2 minutes of silence at the end of it. It's nice to be able to clip that off. Handles conversion, cutting, chopping, and pasting too. Evernote: Free. I know people hate on evernote, but fuck em. For a habitual list keeper, this shit is essential. The app itself is nothing special, but the wonderful iOS app makes it worth it IMO. Worml: $2.99. The most convenient way to send files I've seen so far. Open up the app, and a wormhole appears. Throw a file into it and it generates a download link and puts it on your clipboard. Paste that link and when someone clicks it, they start downloading the file P2P. No cloud bullshit in between. The host computer has to awake though. If you can not keep the host awake, then there is... Cloud: $0.99. Same idea as above, except it uses a cloud server instead of P2P. Advantage is that the host doesn't have to keep their computer awake and running. Disadvantage is cloud server typically isn't as fast, and file sizes are limited. ServeToMe/StreamToMe: Free/$2.99. ServeToMe goes on your computer, StreamToMe goes on your iPhone. Streams any kind of media over WiFi or 3G. Brightness: $0.99. Let's you reduce the brightness below the lowest before screen is turned off. Very handy for a nighttime browser like me. Yoink: $2.99. As soon as you click and drag a file, a little dock appears on the side of your screen. You can drop any number of files onto that dock and it holds them there until you grab and drop them somewhere else. Comes in handy all the time when you don't want to open up a whole bunch of finders. Mobile Mouse: Free for basic, $1.99 Pro. This is actually an iOS app, but it is coupled with Mobile Mouse server on your Mac. Turns your iPhone into a trackpad for your Mac. A keyboard flips up and down with a shake and it has built in remotes for a whole bunch of common used Mac Apps like iTunes, Safari, even VLC. The remotes are specific to the app you want to control make available the common buttons you would use were you using the app on your computer. Incredibly well done. Boom: $8.99. Let's you increase the inherent volume of an mp3. This doesn't seem like much, but a free add-on to the software let's you raise your system's volume well above the highest it can go. If you've got headphones on, I dare you to try to hit max volume. Has a handy equalizer in it that has excellent presets. Daisy Disk: $9.99. Excellent hard drive usage analyzer. Shows you what is taking up room on your hard drive in an incredibly intuitive clickable sorted pie chart. Click on one chunk of the pie, and it turns it into the whole pie and shows you a further breakdown. All2MP3: Free. This is for people who prefer simplicity over all else. Drop any audio file on it and click go and it will come out an MP3. LIKE MAGIC! iCleanMemory: $1.99. I can't live without this little gadget. Nothing slows a computer to a crawl like running low on RAM. This handy tool let's you choose a depth level and click go and it clears up piles of RAM for you to work with. If you frequently feel like you need to restart because your computer is running slowly, this is probably the issue. This software will make things run smoothly again in a fraction of the time. 1Password: $49.99. Essentially stores all of your personal information. You have one master password and it holds everything from your website accounts to your credit cards and social security number. A Safari add-on adds password filling and autofill functionality. Much better than storing your passwords in Safari, if you ask me. Plus, it will reveal your password whenever you want so you don't end up in a situation where you can always log on because your password is stored, but you don't actually remember what it is. TechTool Pro: $66-100. I'm still figuring out all the stuff this software can do, but I do know it performs a number of hardware checks and alerts you when there is any hardware issue. It will also handle disk checking/repairing and well as defragmenting and such. TotalFinder: $18. Adds tabs to your finder along with a couple of other tweaks to make your Finder better. Not worth $18, but worth pirating. Caffeine: $0.99. Stops your computer from going on standby for any amount of time, or indefinitely. Pretty simple, but very convenient. Pulptunes: Free (I think). Turns your iTunes library into a server accessible by URL. Let's you browse your entire library and stream whatever content you choose. Clamxav: Free. Anti-virus/malware/etc. tool for Mac. Yes, there is such a thing as spyware for Macs. Luckily it is still pretty rare, but you know, better safe than sorry. Teamviewer: Free. I'm in love with this software. Even though I am very far from a techie (my ability to solve problems is basically just to type the problem into google, see what comes up, and follow some instructions), I am, unfortunately, the go to guy for tech help for my family and friends. With this software, gone are the days of trying to explain to bewildered family members about what to click on. It is the simplest tool I have encountered for taking over a computer remotely. You simply both open Teamviewer, They give you their team viewer generated ID and password, you put it in and bam, you have control. Saves SO MUCH TIME.