Critical software on new Macs

J

johnag007

Registered
Hello,
Just received my new mini, never had a Mac before, and really happy with the experience so far!

The 1st thing I do when I get or re-install new computers for friends and familu is to install a base level of applications. On a PC this would transkate into:
1- Anti-virus, if office Norton, home or members unwilling to pay Frisoft AVG
2- Winzip
3- Adobe
4- Firefox + Opera
5- Real Player
6- Cookies + spyware "protection" (Lavasoft Adaware)
7- Photo editing software (I presume I have everything from iLife here)
...

What would be the equivalent, if required, on the Mac.

Sincerely,

JAG

::love:: ::love:: ::love:: ::love::
 
johnag007 said:
On a PC this would transkate into:
1- Anti-virus, if office Norton, home or members unwilling to pay Frisoft AVG
2- Winzip
3- Adobe
4- Firefox + Opera
5- Real Player
6- Cookies + spyware "protection" (Lavasoft Adaware)
7- Photo editing software (I presume I have everything from iLife here)
...

What would be the equivalent, if required, on the Mac.

Sincerely,

JAG

::love:: ::love:: ::love:: ::love::
Click to expand...
OS X comes with it's own built in firewall, if you choose to use it.

2 - 5 exist on the Mac.

For 7, use the iPhoto application (I assume you have iLife 05)

You probably won't need 2, because you'll use the StuffIt application that comes pre-installed with OS X (or the tar command from the command line).

You probably won't need 3, because you'll use the Preview application that comes pre-installed with OS X.

Give Safari a chance (pre-installed with OS X) before deciding whether you need 4.

Kap
 
Welcome to the Mac World. You will find people on this board knowledgeable and nice, there are no stupid questions.
 
1- Anti-virus, if office Norton, home or members unwilling to pay Frisoft AVG
2- Winzip
3- Adobe
4- Firefox + Opera
5- Real Player
6- Cookies + spyware "protection" (Lavasoft Adaware)
7- Photo editing software (I presume I have everything from iLife here)
Click to expand...


1-No virus exists yet for OS X. Virus protection would help from sending infected attachments to a PC, or just don't forward attachments you're not sure of.

2-Stuffit is included with OS X.

3-Adobe what? Preview (included with OS X) will open PDF's.

4-Apple's Safari browser installed with the system, works very well. FireFox also works very well on the Mac.

5-Real Player can be downloaded HERE

6-No Spyware or Adware on OS X.

7-Correct - iLife
 
bobw said:
1-No virus exists yet for OS X. Virus protection would help from sending infected attachments to a PC, or just don't forward attachments you're not sure of.
Click to expand...

Of course, you could just take the "heck with them" attitude. Not to be malicious, but I don't have any virus scanning software on my mac, and on my PC I don't run it full time. Only scheduled runs.

I know what I download. I check attachments and I'm careful about who and what I email to and from.

It's each person's responsibility to police themselves and care after their own systems. I accept that responsibility for myself in not running full-time scanners (I value my systems' snappy performance - I know how to tune a system). So should others accept their own responsibility.

Virus and Virus scanner free iBook since '05

:)
 
1- Anti-virus= Norton for mac works, I have it, keeps all my pc's on the network or that I e-mail from coming down with a 'cold'...no mac osx viruses yet
2- Winzip = What they said above...stuffit expander
3- Adobe = ???
4- Firefox + Opera = Try Camino. I'm a big fan. I like it better than safari
5- Real Player = what they said
6- Cookies + spyware "protection"= Clean out cookies manually from browser. No spyware, yet...
7- Photo editing software = iPhoto for simple editing. Other than that Photoshop or for free, try GIMP.

Just my .02

joneSi
 
Great, thanks for the replies!

Impressions:
--------------
So far, everything has been going smoothly, except for the WEP password, which required manual editing instead of the wizard. Surely the wizard should give you the option of choosing Hex input as a worse case scenarion.

The 2nd thing that really bugs me is nothing to do with Apple: Entourage cannot import directly MS Outook pst folders, typical of MS (having said that I really like Outlook and Entourage). Anyway, will be buying Outlook2Mac in order to get round this.

1st impressions are excellent, I have been dabbling with Linux, love the power but miss the integration, love XP's integration but hate its instability.

Questions:
-----------
OK, 1st new question: I hope I do not have to re-install everything on my mini after say 18 months because of registry overgrowth / and various other incompatibilities that arise over time using an XP system

2nd, I am considering moving my specialist scanning / printing equipment from a powerful PC: Nikon CoolScan V and Canon 9950 (A3 printer). Can the 1.42Mhz mini with 512MB take this? The graphics files will reach up to 50MB each, sometimes more.

3rd, if this is possible, my next move is to link the mini to my plasma, control my entertainment system as much as possible, and wirelessly link up my mini to my Canon printer (I cannot have this huge printer in my living room). Now that would be quite some thing! Relax, I know I need to read a lot on this whole thing, just planning...

That is truly it! I will then shut up and read up.

Sincerely,

JAG
 
Jag

OS X, or any Mac system doesn't use a registry like Windoze.

Do periodic maintenance on the system and you shouldn't have any problems.

My machines have been running smooth since 10.2 was first released. no wipes, reinstalls, etc.

When Apple releases a system update, or new system, software companies follow suit if ecessary, for the most part, to provide compatibility.

Mac systems are easier to fix than PCs.
Preference files can become corrupt, affecting an application. Just trashing the file and re-launching the app will take care of that.

Repairing Permissions from Disk Utility in the Utilites folder evey couple weeks helps.

Onyx, Yasu, Cocktail are all programs to help keep you running smoothly.
You can get these at http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx
along with loads of other free, shareware and commercial apps.

As long as drivers are available for you devices, you shouldn't have any problem
If you scanner software isn't compatible, look at VueScan (versiontracker)
If you have a printer that doesn't have OS X drivers, look at Gimp-Print;
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/

Some info on using the Mini as an entertainment center here;

http://byodkm.net/
 
johnag007 said:
Great, thanks for the replies!

...love the power but miss the integration, love XP's integration but hate its instability....
Click to expand...


Integration is at the heart of Windows' occasional and apparent instability. Especially when you factor in 3rd party apps.
 
You don't even need Stuffit to create archives - you can make .zip files right in the finder. <control> click on the file you want to archive and choice "create archive of..." in the resulting contextual menu that pops up. Decompressing is just a matter of double clicking on your .zip file
 
No registry in OS X or an UNIX. Also, no software is installed into any system directory. Preferences are maintained in plists which are a seperate file for each application. Registry bloat is gone!

Nikon Scanner IV works great on Mac.. faster than it was on Windows. Epson 1280 and HP Laserjets work fine. ColorSync on the Mac works better than Windows ICM systems (Windows 2000). The 5000 will work just fine.

Wireless... get an AirportExpress which contains a USB print server and port, and can stream iTunes music to your sound system via an optical or copper connection (Also can used as a broadband wirelss router and NAT firewall) You will have to get an Airport Extreme card for the MiniMac.

If you want to use video etc on your TV.. look at Elgato's EyeTV products. They vary from simple TV tuners for the Mac to systems to distribute video to your TV and allow you to control your computer stored video library from the TV.

Jim
 
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