The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/So you just got your first Mac -- now what?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/25/so-you-just-got-your-first-mac-now-what/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/25/so-you-just-got-your-first-mac-now-what/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/25/so-you-just-got-your-first-mac-now-what/#commentsFiled under: , ,

All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you (hopefully!) found under the tree today. Happy holidays! If you're a Mac veteran, send a link to this post to the switcher on your holiday list.

Merry Christmas, new Mac owner. First of all, congratulations! Welcome to the family. There's some eggnog on the table, and feel free to put your coat on the bed. Setting up your new Mac is a famously easy experience. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on the kind of Mac you bought, and where you want to put it.

Once you have your new Mac on your desk, it will take you through a short setup process to personalize your new machine. You'll choose a username, a password, and will be given the option to register your Mac and sign up for MobileMe, if you want. (You can register and sign up for MobileMe later, if you don't do it now.)

If you bought any applications along with your Mac (like Microsoft Office, for example), you can install them very easily. Just insert the disc, and either drag the application to your Applications folder (on your hard disk) or double-click the installer application. You can eject the disc when you're done by dragging it to the Trash, or pressing the eject key on your keyboard.

For Windows compatibility, get your Windows XP (SP2 or SP3) or Windows Vista disc ready, and double click the Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder (it's inside your Applications folder). Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through the process of installing Windows on your Mac. It's not difficult, but it will take a little time. Once Windows is installed, you can hold down the Option key before your computer boots to choose which operating system to run, or select a permanent preference via the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. You can read more switcher-specific tips in our Switchers category.

If you're switching to the Mac platform from the PC, I might humbly suggest you read Part 1 and Part 2 of my experience introducing my dad to the Mac. He was a hard-core PC user until he fell in love with his Mac mini.

Continue reading for a few best bets about how to extend and protect your new Mac.

Continue reading So you just got your first Mac -- now what?

So you just got your first Mac -- now what? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)So you just got your first Mac -- now what? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applecareboot campBootCampexternal hard driveExternalHardDrivefeaturesfirsthdditunes gift cardItunesGiftCardlyndamicrosoft officeMicrosoftOfficemobilemesetuptime machineTimeMachinewelcomewindowsRobert PalmerThu, 25 Dec 2008 08:00:00 ESTBelkin's Switch-to-Mac USB Cablehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/12/belkins-switch-to-mac-usb-cable/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/12/belkins-switch-to-mac-usb-cable/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/11/12/belkins-switch-to-mac-usb-cable/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Peripheral maker Belkin has taken note of the fact that a lot of people are switching to Macs. Their new Switch-to-Mac USB Cable, available in the US now for US$49.99, is designed to streamline the process of moving files from your PC running Windows XP or Vista to your Mac running Tiger or Leopard.

The cable comes with a Migration Assistant that performs a similar function to Apple's Migration Assistant -- it copies music, movies, photos, files, and Internet preferences from the PC to the Mac at USB 2.0 speeds. At the completion of the migration, the software provides a summary of all of the content that has been copied and the location of the files.

Belkin says the Switch-to-Mac USB Cable is on sale in the US now, and it will be available in Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia beginning in February, 2009.

Belkin's Switch-to-Mac USB Cable originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Belkin's Switch-to-Mac USB Cable originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>belkinmigrationpcswitcherusbSteven SandeWed, 12 Nov 2008 15:25:00 ESTMy Dad, the Switcher: Day 7http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/31/my-dad-the-switcher-day-7/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/31/my-dad-the-switcher-day-7/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/31/my-dad-the-switcher-day-7/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last week, my previously-very-anti-Mac dad started using a Mac mini, and I wrote about his experience -- positive, to say the least. If you haven't read the story of his first day with the Mac, you might want to read that first. Yesterday, one week in, I checked in to see how he's doing.

So far, Dad has nothing but positive things to say about the Mac. Even when I asked him specifically for things he dislikes, he had to think for a second. "It's such a breath of fresh air from what I'm used to, I can't come up with anything specific that I dislike." High praise indeed from the man who doesn't like The Daily Show because of its intro music.

He also just discovered that, in Leopard, there's a little light underneath each application that tells you it's running. That was his huge discovery yesterday, and something he was proud of finding on his own.

Asked about what he does like, he mentioned the ease of application installations. He loves Dashboard widgets, and installed the MySQL Health widget that comes with the MySQL GUI tools. He did this without my help, too, which is great progress.

Continue reading My Dad, the Switcher: Day 7

My Dad, the Switcher: Day 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)My Dad, the Switcher: Day 7 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dadiphonemac miniMacMinimydadtheswitchermysqlswitcherswitcherswindowsRobert PalmerFri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 ESTMy Dad, the Switcher: Day Zerohttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/23/my-dad-the-switcher-day-zero/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/23/my-dad-the-switcher-day-zero/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/23/my-dad-the-switcher-day-zero/#commentsFiled under: ,

This is the first part of an occasional series about my Dad, who, as a long-time Windows user, decided to switch to the Mac. If you're interested in the whole story, more installments are here.

As far as database management and Windows programming is concerned, my dad is what you'd call "hard-core." He's been writing software since the 1960s, starting at Honeywell, then Hewlett Packard, eventually starting his own business. He is an expert with the HP 3000 minicomputer, which, in its day, was heavy computing iron to have lying around.

So it came as a bit of a shock when he called last week and said, "I'm ready to buy a Mac."

He and I are working on a web development project together using open-source tools. Because his workstation is set up for the Microsoft world of SQL Server and .NET, installing XAMPP was wreaking havoc with his complicated array of security software, including Norton and BitDefender. He wanted to start fresh, and work on a system without having to worry about something randomly disallowing access to port 3306. Understandable.

Continue reading My Dad, the Switcher: Day Zero

My Dad, the Switcher: Day Zero originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)My Dad, the Switcher: Day Zero originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>codadadmac miniMacMinimampmydadtheswitchermysqlswitcherswitchersversionsRobert PalmerThu, 23 Oct 2008 18:00:00 ESTTUAW Tip: Adobe CS4 cross-upgradinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/tuaw-tip-adobe-cs4-cross-upgrading/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/tuaw-tip-adobe-cs4-cross-upgrading/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/16/tuaw-tip-adobe-cs4-cross-upgrading/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Like many of you, I suspect, I still have PC-using relatives that have steadfastly refused to come over to the fairer side of life (and reduce my tech support burden). One of the biggest hold-ups has been their Windows-based software investment, particularly in Adobe applications. Well, with the release of CS4 it's time for upgrades, and I have some new ammunition in the battle to get my folks switched over: Adobe's competitive cross-upgrades.

Adobe allows registered users of their Creative Suite applications to switch platforms at the standard upgrade price (e.g. cross-upgrading from Windows CS3 to Mac CS4 is the same price as a Windows CS3 to Windows CS4 upgrade). So if somebody you know is getting ready to plunk down the cash for the Windows CS4 upgrade anyway, now would be a great time to suggest that they make a complete upgrade and switch to Mac at the same time.

Adobe doesn't seem to advertise the cross-upgrades that much and they're only available when purchasing the upgrades over the phone (800-833-6687). In addition the previous Windows versions must be destroyed and certified with a Letter of Software Destruction (pdf link). Nonetheless, if you have some Windows based hold-outs now would be a great time to get them on board the Mac train.

TUAW Tip: Adobe CS4 cross-upgrading originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)TUAW Tip: Adobe CS4 cross-upgrading originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adobecs4upgradeMat LuThu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 ESTSweden's Foreign Minister calls his new Mac 'a new world'http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/06/swedens-foreign-minister-calls-his-new-mac-a-new-world/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/06/swedens-foreign-minister-calls-his-new-mac-a-new-world/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/06/swedens-foreign-minister-calls-his-new-mac-a-new-world/#commentsFiled under:

Former Swedish Prime Minister (and now Foreign Minister) Carl Bildt has, "after much reflection, examination and discussion" decided to switch to a Mac. Welcome to the family, Carl! May we recommend your next purchase: a snazzy IKEA desk to go with your Mac?

According to the minister's website (in Swedish and English), he wonders why he waited so long to make the jump, and said "the new world is much definitely better than the old." How much of that is mangled by Google Translate I'll have to leave to the Swedish speakers among us. No word yet on whether Sweden's leading culinary celebrity uses a Mac. [Sorry, couldn't resist. -Ed.]

Bildt is not the first world leader to use a Mac: Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore has a Mac connected to multiple displays (as well he should: he's on Apple's board of directors). HRH Queen Elizabeth has an iPod. Many political powerhouses have iPhones, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who might have scored himself a black-market model.

Thanks, Gesen!

Sweden's Foreign Minister calls his new Mac 'a new world' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Sweden's Foreign Minister calls his new Mac 'a new world' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bildtswedenswitcherswitchersworldleadersRobert PalmerMon, 06 Oct 2008 18:30:00 ESTMac 101: Using your Windows keyboardhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/11/mac-101-using-your-windows-keyboard/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/11/mac-101-using-your-windows-keyboard/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/11/mac-101-using-your-windows-keyboard/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you switch frequently between a Mac and a PC, chances are you have to deal with a Windows keyboard from time to time. Thankfully, this can be easy with third-party utilities, or even features already built in to Mac OS X.

For most switchers, the hardest part about learning to use a new Mac is dealing with your muscle memory. For example, if you're really used to typing Control + C to copy something, Command + C means using your thumb instead of your pinky to perform the operation.

In System Preferences, you can click Keyboard and Mouse to change how your modifier keys (that is, Control, Command, Option and Caps Lock) work. Click the Keyboard tab, and then click the Modifier Keys button at the bottom of the window. You can map the Control key to the Command key (and vice versa, if you prefer) to help ease you in to Mac key commands.

Continue reading Mac 101: Using your Windows keyboard

Mac 101: Using your Windows keyboard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Mac 101: Using your Windows keyboard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>altcaps lockCapsLockcommandcontroldoublecommandkeyboardkeymapkeyremap4macbookmac101macromappingoptionRobert PalmerThu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 ESTSun xVM VirtualBox 2 enhances the free virtualization experiencehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/sun-xvm-virtualbox-2-enhances-the-free-virtualization-experience/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/sun-xvm-virtualbox-2-enhances-the-free-virtualization-experience/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/04/sun-xvm-virtualbox-2-enhances-the-free-virtualization-experience/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

xVM Virtual BoxSun xVM VirtualBox 2.0 has arrived! We did a detailed review of VirtualBox 1.6 back in July, and now a shiny new version is available. If you want to set up a virtualization environment on your Intel Mac, but don't want to spend money on Parallels or VMWare Fusion, xVM VirtualBox 2.0 is a free and full-featured package that may fit your needs very well.

What's new in version 2.0? Mac users will see the following changes:
  • 64-bit OS guest support (only on 64-bit hosts, as one might expect)
  • New native Leopard user interface on Mac OS X hosts
  • New-version notifier
  • Guest property information interface
  • Host Interface Networking on Mac OS X hosts
  • Framework for collecting performance and resource usage data (metrics)
  • Added SATA asynchronous IO (NCQ: Native Command Queuing) when accessing raw disks/partitions (major performance gain)
A list of bug fixes can be viewed after the break. xVM VirtualBox 2.0 can be downloaded here.

Continue reading Sun xVM VirtualBox 2 enhances the free virtualization experience

Sun xVM VirtualBox 2 enhances the free virtualization experience originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Sun xVM VirtualBox 2 enhances the free virtualization experience originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>open sourceOpenSourceparallelsvirtual machineVirtualMachinevmware fusionVmwareFusionSteven SandeThu, 04 Sep 2008 11:30:00 ESTCamp Tune lets you adjust your Boot Camp partitionhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/30/camp-tune-lets-you-adjust-boot-camp-partition/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/30/camp-tune-lets-you-adjust-boot-camp-partition/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/30/camp-tune-lets-you-adjust-boot-camp-partition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Paragon software has made available a pre-release version of Camp Tune, a new utility for resizing your Boot Camp partition without destroying data. While the Leopard version of Disk Utility is now able to perform partition resizing, it is not able to resize a Boot Camp partition without erasing it (although you could back it up and restore it if needed). Camp Tune runs as a bootable Linux-based CD which allows you to boot your Mac and reallocate disk space between your Boot Camp and HFS+ partition.

Camp Tune for Mac is presently in pre-release and is being offered as a free download (registration required). The download is a disk image that must be burned to a CD or DVD. Needless to say, you should have a backup for both partitions before using any software of this sort.

[via Macworld]

Camp Tune lets you adjust your Boot Camp partition originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Camp Tune lets you adjust your Boot Camp partition originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Boot CampBootCampCamp TuneCampTunepartitionMat LuWed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 ESTTUAW Labs: VirtualBoxhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/21/tuaw-labs-virtualbox/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/21/tuaw-labs-virtualbox/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/21/tuaw-labs-virtualbox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

VirtualBox LogoRunning other operating systems on a Mac is nothing new, and with the advent of Intel-based Macs we've seen a flood of virtual machine software: Parallels Desktop for Mac, VMWare Fusion, and Codeweavers CrossOver Mac. These products enable you to run Mac OS X and another operating system simultaneously.

For many of my consulting clients who are switching from PCs and who already have a licensed copy of Microsoft Windows, I've been using Sun's Open Source xVM VirtualBox product. Why? xVM VirtualBox works very well and it's free.

If you're new to virtual machines and want to know how to do this, follow along as I set up a Windows Vista virtual machine on an "old" 2GHz Intel Core Duo 20" iMac.

This post is continued after the break.

Continue reading TUAW Labs: VirtualBox

TUAW Labs: VirtualBox originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)TUAW Labs: VirtualBox originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>open sourceOpenSourceparallelstuaw labsTuawLabsvirtual machineVirtualMachinevmware fusionVmwareFusionSteven SandeMon, 21 Jul 2008 08:00:00 ESTAxel Springer AG moves to Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/axel-springer-ag-moves-to-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/axel-springer-ag-moves-to-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/axel-springer-ag-moves-to-mac/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Axel Springer AG, Germany's largest newspaper publisher, is moving its entire organization -- 12,000 computers -- to the Mac platform. Axel Springer will become Apple's largest corporate customer in Europe, and second largest customer worldwide. (Google is number one.)

The article is only available in German so far.

Axel Springer owns Bild and Bild am Sonntag, tabloid-style dailies (not unlike The Sun in the UK or the New York Post in the U.S.) and several magazines sold under the Bild brand. The company currently uses large-scale publishing solutions from WoodWing Software and CCI, both of which support Mac clients.

In a video message to employees, CEO Matthias Döpfner cited ease-of-use, appearance, and total cost of ownership in the reason to switch. Employees can start buying and using Macs and iPhones this month, though the entire organization will be migrated over the course of a year or two five years. (Hey, I took French in high school.)

Thanks Alex, Rouven, and bimbum for the tip (and the help with the German)!

Axel Springer AG moves to Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Axel Springer AG moves to Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>axelenterprisepublishingspringerRobert PalmerFri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:00 ESTWalt Mossberg on switching from Windows to Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/walt-mossberg-on-switching-from-windows-to-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/walt-mossberg-on-switching-from-windows-to-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/walt-mossberg-on-switching-from-windows-to-mac/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

"Some General Tips for Switch to Mac From Windows," is Walt Mossberg's new post in which he tells users, well, how to switch from Windows to a Mac with ease. He covers the menu bar, task bar, Start menu, control panel, keyboard shortcuts, quitting programs, minimizing windows, switching programs, right-clicking, and finally, dealing with the screen.

So, if you are a new Mac user, you might find these tips and tricks helpful. (Walt notes that you can also find tips similar to his on Apple's Mac 101 website.) I'm personally grateful to Walt for writing this blog entry, which is part of a larger article in the Wall Street Journal. This shows that there are still true big media journalists who are open to other platforms besides Windows/PC.

TUAW also invites you to check out our ever-growing Mac 101 section to find tips, tricks and more for getting around in Mac OS X.

Thanks, Christine!

Walt Mossberg on switching from Windows to Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Walt Mossberg on switching from Windows to Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>All Things DAllThingsDMac 101Mac tipsMac101MacTipsSome General TIps for Switch to Mac From WindowsSomeGeneralTipsForSwitchToMacFromWindowsswitchingWalt MossbergWaltMossbergCory BohonFri, 04 Jul 2008 09:00:00 ESTAOL Shopping settles Mac vs. PC debate?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/24/aol-shopping-settles-mac-vs-pc-debate/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/24/aol-shopping-settles-mac-vs-pc-debate/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/24/aol-shopping-settles-mac-vs-pc-debate/#commentsFiled under: ,

The fine folks at AOL Shopping, in their infinite wisdom, have summarized a quarter-century of debate in their feature on whether you should buy a Mac or a PC.

The bottom line? "You should buy a PC, if you already own a lot of PC software that you want to continue using. [...] If you want to do artistic work on your computer (photography, video editing, graphic design), you'll find Macs much more intuitive." Of course, that glosses over the fact that Apple makes excellent Windows PCs that will happily run your legacy Win32 applications.

Still, this seems almost reasonable, until you get to this (practically throwaway) sentence: "If money is not an issue, go with a Mac."

Yeah -- 1991 called, and they want their talking point back. Study after study has shown that the total cost of ownership of a Mac is less than that of a comparable PC. This includes post-purchase factors like software, repairs, and upgrades. Agreed: the up-front price is higher (in many cases), but over time, you spend less money owning a Mac.

AOL Shopping suggests the opposite is true, simply due to Microsoft's sluggish OS release schedule. Having to update your OS once every seven years, to them, is less costly than upgrading every year or so. They neglect to consider the cost of your time in support calls and aggregate ease-of-use savings.

Even so, if their poll is any indication, two thirds of their readers still plan on buying a Mac.

Disclaimer: AOL is the parent company of Weblogs, Inc. and TUAW.

AOL Shopping settles Mac vs. PC debate? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)AOL Shopping settles Mac vs. PC debate? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aolshoppingmacvspcRobert PalmerTue, 24 Jun 2008 15:30:00 ESTAnd the winner is...http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/and-the-winner-is/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/and-the-winner-is/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/and-the-winner-is/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We have a winner in our NEAT Receipts Advance Release giveaway!

Grant B. (full name withheld on request) from Colorado was the lucky TUAW reader chosen by NEAT Receipts to get his very own NEAT Receipts Advance Release package. Here is Grant's winning comment:

"This is a fantastic idea for me. I'm a self-employed sole-proprietor, so I often have to take extra measures to ensure I keep my business and personal life separate. Neat Receipts would make that so much easier."

Grant also told us that "I recently switched back to Mac after an 8 year PC phase, and I'm so happy I'm back in the Apple fold -- and able to enjoy TUAW everyday. It's my first iPhone visit every morning."

Congratulations to Grant on all counts -- coming back to Mac, being a faithful TUAW reader, and winning the NEAT Receipts Advance Release giveaway.

UPDATE - We actually have two winners as NEAT Receipts has graciously provided another unit. Daniel D. (full name withheld on request) is also going to be scanning his way into organizational nerdvana. Daniel's comment was short and to the point -- "I need it to scan receipts. YAY!"

Congratulations, Daniel, and here's to a receipt-free life with your new scanner.

Many thanks to NEAT Receipts for contributing to this special TUAW giveaway.

And the winner is... originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)And the winner is... originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>neat receiptsNeatReceiptsocrscannerSteven SandeTue, 17 Jun 2008 19:00:00 ESTCrossOver 7 supports Office 2007, Adobe CS2 and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/crossover-7-supports-office-2007-adobe-cs2-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/crossover-7-supports-office-2007-adobe-cs2-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/17/crossover-7-supports-office-2007-adobe-cs2-and-more/#commentsFiled under: ,

CodeWeavers has released CrossOver 7.0 for Mac, adding support for Microsoft Office 2007, Adobe CS and CS2, and improving "online banking integration" in Quicken 2007 & 2008. Unlike Boot Camp or virtualization solutions like Parallels and VMware, CrossOver allows you to run Windows software on your Intel Mac without actually running Windows. Other changes include various bug fixes and improved support for IE and "modern Linux" distros like Ubuntu.

CrossOver 7.0 is $39.95 for the Standard edition and $69.95 for the Pro edition that includes CrossOver Games and more support. A demo is available for download.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

CrossOver 7 supports Office 2007, Adobe CS2 and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)CrossOver 7 supports Office 2007, Adobe CS2 and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>CodeMastersCrossOverWindowsMat LuTue, 17 Jun 2008 16:00:00 ESTNew version of Parallels supports Vista SP1, XP SP3http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/10/new-version-of-parallels-supports-vista-sp1-xp-sp3/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/10/new-version-of-parallels-supports-vista-sp1-xp-sp3/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/10/new-version-of-parallels-supports-vista-sp1-xp-sp3/#commentsFiled under: ,

Parallels, Inc. yesterday released a new version of its flagship virtualization app Parallels Desktop (3.0.5600), which includes support for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. It also fixes some kernel panic issues, unusually high CPU usage, and provides improvements to Shared Folders.

Parallels allows Macs with Intel processors to run Windows apps alongside Mac apps. You can follow our past coverage of Parallels here.

The update is free for existing Parallels 3 users, and is available as a 88 MB DMG package.

[via MacUpdate]

New version of Parallels supports Vista SP1, XP SP3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 10 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)New version of Parallels supports Vista SP1, XP SP3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 10 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>parallelswindowsRobert PalmerSat, 10 May 2008 16:00:00 ESTBusinessWeek examines Mac inroads in big businesshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/02/businessweek-examines-mac-inroads-in-big-business/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/02/businessweek-examines-mac-inroads-in-big-business/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/05/02/businessweek-examines-mac-inroads-in-big-business/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This week's BW cover story puts Apple's approach to business users squarely in the spotlight, as Peter Burrows captures both the remarkable surge of employee-driven Mac purchasing for the enterprise (often triggered by staff who are Mac users at home, or as I sometimes refer to them, "iMullets" -- business in the front office, party in the home office) and what he characterizes as the mostly-benign neglect of the corporate market by Apple's sales force and support infrastructure.

More and more companies are letting Mac installations out of the creative/graphics and video gulag walled garden, some comparatively large concerns like Juniper Networks are implementing 'open choice' on platforms for employees, and a very few biggies have even declared a new all-Mac era in desktop deployments. Though marketshare gains for the Mac have been driven overwhelmingly by consumer purchasing, at some point that platform choice begins to leak back into the 9-5 window.

While Burrows hits it right on the nose with the factors that are accelerating Mac deployment (beyond employee choice and the iPhone + iPod halo effect, the Intel platform, Vista's lackluster prospects and virtualization are key drivers) and on some of the reasons companies might hold back (hiring additional Mac-centric IT resources and a lack of extensive choice in the product line), I think he overstates the degree to which Apple plays it hands-off with enterprise users. Yes, some of the most critical resources for Mac IT are external communities and not Apple-managed, but the sales force and professional consulting arms at Apple have been quietly toiling away for years to improve the standing of Macs at the office. Big-iron vendors like Centrify & Likewise are helping Macs integrate into corporate networks, and even the Microsoft Mac BU is working hard to make Entourage a best-of-breed Exchange client for the Mac.

Just the fact of IT conference tracks at WWDC and Macworld Expo for the past couple of years, featuring Apple engineers and product managers alongside their customers, shows that on some level Apple has been grappling with the needs of the enterprise market even if it's not the top priority at One Infinite Loop. With the planned introduction of the iPhone 2.0 firmware -- which tackles nearly every pain point of enterprise customers with a vigor worthy of the Other Steve -- it does seem that some Apple execs have begun to drink the Big Business Kool-Aid.

Thanks to Arik + everyone who sent this in

BusinessWeek examines Mac inroads in big business originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)BusinessWeek examines Mac inroads in big business originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>businessweekenterprisetweet-thisMichael RoseFri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 ESTMac 101: uninstalling applicationshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/28/mac-101-uninstalling-applications/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/28/mac-101-uninstalling-applications/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/28/mac-101-uninstalling-applications/#commentsFiled under: ,

This time around in Mac 101 I thought it would be good to talk about uninstalling applications on the Mac, especially for the recent switchers out there. Unlike Windows, Mac OS X does not have a native utility for uninstalling applications. Most (though not all) applications are installed just by dragging and dropping them into the Applications folder, and most are similarly got rid of by dragging them to the trash. However, when you do that you often leave behind preference and support files, especially in your user Library folder hierarchy (/Users/yourname/Library, as distinct from /Library which is "owned" by Mac OS X).

While you can root these files out yourself, it's sometimes far from obvious where they are. To resolve this, a new class of uninstallers have appeared on the scene to address the problem. One of the first was AppZapper ($12.95), but many more have arisen like AppDelete (donations requested), SuperPop ($15), and CleanApp ($10). With most of these you choose the application you want deleted by dropping it on the uninstaller (or choosing it from a list); hit a button and the application plus its support files are sent to the trash. Taking a slightly different approach, Yank ($19.95) actually monitors your system while you are installing applications and creates a "Yank File" that records the location of everything created by the application. You then uninstall by running the Yank File.

Finally, there are uninstallers that integrate with the Trash itself, requiring no separate interface. Into this class fall Hazel ($21.95), which also does other automatic file management tasks, and AppTrap (donations requested). What's great about these last two is that you can just drag an application to the trash and they will automatically look for and offer to delete the support files. Indeed, this seems to me to be the most Mac-like and elegant approach. For my own part I mostly just use Hazel, though I still throw things at AppZapper now and again.

Mac 101: uninstalling applications originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Mac 101: uninstalling applications originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appdeleteapptrappappzappercleanapphazelsuperpopuninstalluninstalleryankMat LuMon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:00 ESTVMware Fusion 1.1.2 adds Time Machine supporthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/24/vmware-fusion-1-1-2-adds-time-machine-support/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/24/vmware-fusion-1-1-2-adds-time-machine-support/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/24/vmware-fusion-1-1-2-adds-time-machine-support/#commentsFiled under: ,

Over on the blog for VMware Fusion, they've announced the release of version 1.1.2 which adds support for Time Machine backups of your virtual machines. Apparently 10.5.2 fixed some problem that prevented virtual machines from being backed up properly and they have now enabled it. They warn, however, that since Time Machine backs up anything that changes, and virtual machines tend to be rather large, you may want to exclude certain virtual machines to avoid losing too much space on your backup drive.

The new version also adds support for the MacBook Air (fixing a problem with the virtual drive), Windows XP SP3 Boot Camp partitions, and simplified Chinese, as well as quashing various bugs.

VMware Fusion 1.1.2 is a free update for registered users and $79.99 otherwise.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

VMware Fusion 1.1.2 adds Time Machine support originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)VMware Fusion 1.1.2 adds Time Machine support originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>virtualizationvmwarevmware fusionVmwareFusionMat LuThu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:00 ESTIBM considering Macs for employees?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/16/ibm-considering-macs-for-employees/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/16/ibm-considering-macs-for-employees/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/16/ibm-considering-macs-for-employees/#commentsFiled under: ,

Is Big Blue about to go Mac?

Well, not really. Roughly Drafted Magazine has obtained a document which describes a pilot program at IBM that has employees using Macs for their day-to-day work. Now, they aren't looking to ditch Windows in favor of Mac OS entirely. Instead, IBM wants to have diverse operating systems available to employees. From the document:

"Research is focusing on providing an IBM application stack on multiple Operating Systems, rather than be confined to one or the other."

At the end of the program's first phase, a full 86% of participants asked to keep their Macs, leaving comments like "It has been easier learning the Mac than learning Vista" and "Getting wireless running was a piece of cake on the Mac, much simpler than the PC" (amen to that, brother). Of course, this is probably an easier sell now that IBM doesn't make PCs any more.

Someone cue the chick with the sledgehammer.

[Via Infinite Loop]

IBM considering Macs for employees? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)IBM considering Macs for employees? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleibmoswindowsDave CaoloWed, 16 Apr 2008 23:15:00 EST