February 2001 || Volume 01, Issue 07

Connecting...

Welcome to Connect, our column for reader email! We want to hear your thoughts and opinions about things you've read in Mac OS Journal, about Apple, your computer, Mac OS X, and so on. So let us have it people! Send email to connect@macosjournal.com or use this form.

Kudos for Craig

This month, most of our favorable incoming mail came in response to Craig's article about Product Manuals [January CoXFiles].

Hey Craig,
Thanks for expressing my feeling about the lack of paper manuals. At least we have the great IDG "Bible" series and the Pogue "Missing Manuals"

The humor and tips that go beyond the basics make those 3rd party instructions a first choice must have for me

Thanks for listening
Rick

I myself am tired of buying "how to" manuals that should have been included with the software. Thank goodness for Pogue and others like him.

Craig

And another comment about the same topic - so brief that Marc almost lost it.

Amen
Lysiane

Thanks Lysiane. If ever you want a job, you might like to take on teaching Marc to write like you do. His motto: never use one word when you can think of a good string of ten to do the same job.

Finally, a note about Craig's Photoshop 6 Review:

Tina

A complaint: how come that Craig gets all the kudos? I thought my article was pretty good too. [Editor's Note: Dennis still hasn't figured out that offending the audience is bad... as in NOT good.]

More About Internet Telephony

Hey, by any chance did you find a phone that will work with a Mac on a LAN [January Surf Report]? I am going off to college and a phone in the dorm room is 50 dollars a month but the T1 Internet connection is free.

Thanks,
Eric Maas

In a way, Eric, here's what may be the answer:

Hello Dennis,
Net2Phone IS releasing a Mac version.
http://www.maccentral.com/news/0101/15.net2phone.shtml
MacCentral also has a column on other phone software available for the Mac. One less reason to feel left out. :-)

Lantz Newberry

Well Lantz, I actually succeeded in downloading a beta version a few weeks ago. It looked nice but I couldn't get it to register, and registration is necessary before it'll work. Inquiries to Net2Phone informed me that I couldn't have downloaded it because it had never been up. Sure enough, when I checked, it had gone -- replaced by the bit about how lucky Mac owners are and wouldn't it be nice to get Net2Phone's wonderful colorful calling card that matches your colorful Mac, blah blah blah... everything that had been there for months. If there is any news, it's likely to come on one of these pages:

http://MacNet2Phone.com/
http://www.net2phone.com/net2phone/help/dlmac.html

This latter page also has a form where you can put your email address for Net2Phone to contact you when they have the Mac version ready.

That's all there was at the time of my totally unrealistic deadline for this issue. [Editor's Note: For the record, Dennis has never met a deadline.] But Net2Phone will be coming for the Mac Real Soon Now folks, honest. Meantime Lantz, we Mac fans have one more reason to feel left out.

Dennis

Intermingling with PCs?!?

Jose:

I'm not certain if this is a common problem but as I was a Windows operator for years and now a Mac operator, 3 months, I find it frustrating how every article says how easy Macs are to operate but few tell you how to intermingle with the pc group, such as the exe.files. I know there are programs out there to do this but someone should make it easier for the new, to Mac, computer users to find the steps to make there Macs friendly not only to themselves but to everyone out there. Wow that feels better getting that off my shoulders, I suppose your going to tell me that a site already exists to take care of this, but that would almost strengthen what I said because I haven't found any, and I should of by now.

Sincerely,
Terry L. Peterson

Hello Terry:

Thank you for your kind words and I am very glad that you enjoyed the article. Please keep reading and proposing suggestions for future articles as it is refreshing to get a "newly converted" mac users feedback. :)

Unfortunately your issue is VERY common. There are very few sites publicly listed that address mac/pc integration issues. The workarounds for experienced Mac users are second nature to us "power users", due to necessity but I have to agree with you that they are not easy to find or intuitive by nature. Fortunately, the Mac community is pretty good about sharing knowledge and helping others avoid pitfalls.

To that end, I have done a little research and here are my suggestions:

Virtual PC is what I use to open .exe files. Although the memory requirements for this emulation package are a bit hefty, in my opinion the pro's outweigh them and I have never had a problem opening up a PC .exe file. Check them out at http://www.connectix.com/products/vpc3.html

Purchase a good book: Macworld Mac SECRETS, 5th Edition by David Pogue (a wonderful writer) dedicates a Chapter 16 to Mac/PC integration.

Dataviz creates wonderful cross platform compatability software for boty Mac and PC's. Acutally Maclink plus was included as part of the standard Macintosh install up until around OS 8 or so:

Maclink Plus Deluxe
Conversions Plus
MacOpener

Join a local or in this case, an Macintosh Internet Users group. You will more likely than not meet very cool people, who share similar views and are very willing to share information.

Additionally, f you have technical problems or conflicts some good places to start searching are: the Macintouch Web site, and the Macfixit Website.

And finally (and here's the kicker) check out MacWindows.com, a site COMPLETELY dedicated to Mac/PC integration solutions. I found this site in about 30 seconds using Sherlock 2 (if you have OS 9 installed just press Command (i.e., apple/pretzel/cloverleaf key) and H from the Finder and you will be taken to its Internet search window, type in your search criteria and voila! :)

I hope this helps get you on the right track and don't let the current state of affairs turn you off to the Mac! There are probably tons of variables/reasons why you weren't able to find the information you were looking for quickly. But there are also many cool people willing to share information with and help their fellow Macintosh Illuminati! :)

Thanks again for the kind words and let me know if I can be of additional service in the future.

Regards,
Jose

[Editor's Note: This email was the inspiration for this month's Mac Mastery column and is just the tip of the iceburg, so check it out!]

Marc Looks from the Inside Out

I'm trying to track down how to turn a classic Mac into a fish bowl.
Thank you,

Steve Cross

Hey Steve, most people don't bother to say polite things like "Thank you" to us. So when it happens, it throws us off a bit. After a while, though, it gives us a nice warm feeling inside. So thank you.

And yes, we can help. Fortunately, editor Marc has made an exhaustive study of this topic. His face looks a lot better from in there than anywhere else -- especially when he faces the side with all the ADB and SCSI ports and things. And here's what he writes:

Steve, there are tons of sites devoted to creating Macquariums. I would definitely recommend the reference page on Low End Mac. It has links to several plans for converting old Macs to working fish bowls:

http://lowendmac.com/compact/macquarium.shtml

Marc

The rumor around here is that Marc's next project is the iMacQuarium. The rest of us are keeping ours locked up. Maybe an iBookQuarium, Marc. Come to think of it, what happened to that Newton that used to be hanging around here?

BTW, didya know that goldfish have a memory span of around 0.1 seconds. Life is full of surprises: everything new each time round the bowl. Sound familiar, Marc [Editor's Note: Hey, there are advantages... I never watch re-runs]?

Send your rants and raves, questions and comments, compliments and criticisms to connect@macosjournal.com or use this form.

Dennis Field - dennis@macosjournal.com
Dennis' Page - Feedback Form