Some thing in the Mac world are predictable , others not so much . Take the August result ofMacworld . Dan Frakes ’s monthlyMac Gemscolumn is one of our most popular regular features . So you did n’t have to be Jeane Dixon to predict that our August lineament , in which Frakes collected 82 of his all - clip preferent muffin , would be a big hit with reader . On the not - so - predictable side of the ledger was Apple ’s last - arcminute acquittance of its MacBook laptops . While that might have been a surprise , your impregnable responses to our coverage of it were n’t .
Gemology
Robert Orlando — You included the typing utilityText Expander ( ) in “ Software Jackpot ” ( August 2006 ) . I was surprised and disappointed that you did not also includeTypeIt4Me . TypeIt4Me has been around for a foresighted , long meter , and the current version is owing . It merit at least a mention . If you are n’t aware of this gem ( and I ’d be utterly surprised if you were n’t ) , you should give it a look - see .
Thanks for the tone . That clause was have in mind to be a “ greatest hits ” ofMac Gems(the monthly magazine column and the Weblog ) . As such , I included only those ware that I ’ve previously cover inMac Gems . That include TextExpander but not TypeIt4Me . That said , TypeIt4Me is a strong programme , and I hope to give it a face in the future.—Dan Frakes
Martin Hellman — give thanks you for cover two of my pet little - have a go at it software gems : HairerSoft’sAmadeus audio mainframe ( ) and Lemke Software’sGraphicConverter ( ) for photo redaction . A bit of advice about GraphicConverter : when purchase , you have the option of grade Hagen Henke ’s third - party manual . Do it ! The build up - in manual is only marginally utile , and Hagen ’s is excellent . Without it , you might not understand many of the program ’s options .
Graphics pros, Intel Macs
Bob Hoot — I recently decided I postulate a new laptop and choose for the2GHz MacBook Pro ( ) . I am a graph - ics professional and use Adobe Creative Suite 2 and QuarkXPress 7 on a regular basis . This machine runs both apps perceptibly quicker than my erstwhile G4 PowerBook . rightful , the MacBook Pro is not as fast as my G5 tower — but I did n’t expect it to be . My with child lamentation about the MacBook Pro is the loss of Classic . I flow a couple of printer utilities in Classic on my former PowerBook , but I now have to bunk them on an erstwhile G4 motorcar . Otherwise , I have no complaints .
Jennifer Hughes — I care I had study Matt Blitz ’s letter of the alphabet “ No Reason to Switch ” ( Feedback , August 2006 ) before I alternate to an Intel MacBook . I was so looking forwards to the speed increase of a new 2GHz CPU versus the 700MHz in my honest-to-god iBook . But the MacBook run my Adobe appssoslowly that my productiveness has gone down . It ’s extremely frustrative . I like Apple and Adobe had synchronized their releases .
Opening the Windows
Jim Schwartz — The “ Emulation , Virtualization , and Dual - Booting ” board in “ Living in a Windows World ” indicates that Virtual microcomputer 7 wo n’t fly the coop Linux . That is not dependable . I run it all the clock time . As proof , check out the screenshot .
Barbara Italie — One more bit of advice about apportion file between Macs and Windows PC : Windows file names are character sensitive . So not only do you have to make indisputable you ’ve summate the appropriate file denotation , but you also need to ensure it ’s lowercase . If the reference is majuscule , it wo n’t work .
Write yourself a note
Chris Manke — About your peak in “ How to Do a To - Do inclination ” ( Working Mac , August 2006 ): I ’ve found it straightaway and convenient to keep my lists using Stickies billet . I create a note for each category and context ( estimator , for example ) , and then typecast my to - do lists inside the appropriate distinction . That way , I can color - computer code the banker’s bill , collapse them to just see the bank note deed of conveyance , classify them , edit fonts , and so on . I often just leave the pile of Stickies line break up in a corner of the screen .
Personality crisis
Mel Beckman — Tony Thompson ’s missive inFeedback ( August 2006 ) states that it is OK to give somebody else a transcript of a copyright piece of work as long as it is “ for personal use . ” This is a vulgar misconception , but it ’s dead wrong . Acting on this misguided belief could submit you to polite fines and possibly even imprisonment . The “ person ” in “ personal habit ” is the original purchaser of the copyrighted piece of work , notfriends and conversance of that purchaser . The fair usage exclusive right lets the original purchaser make backup copies , deepen medium format and playback times , and produce compilations ( mixes ) , but only for his or her personal utilisation — not for anyone else ’s . For a concise account of what fair use is and is n’t , see the Electronic Frontier Foundation ’s article“Understanding Your Rights : The Public ’s Right of Fair Use ” .
Death to iPod killers
Steve Basile — When will the mass medium stop calling every raw MP3 player from Sony , Creative , and others “ iPod killers ” ? Since none of them has even seriously challenge the iPod so far , would n’t “ iPod challenger ” or “ iPod challenger ” be more accurate ?
The small, small screen
Bill Shaw — Regarding Jason Snell ’s blurb about HandBrake ( Hot Stuff , August 2006 ): I do not care watching video recording or picture show on my iPod . That does n’t make me a doubter . That makes me a realist .
Raw versus JPEG
Scott Hoober — In “ count the Pros of Raw ” ( Digital Photo , August 2006 ) , author Ben Long mentions that some camera offer a bare-ass + JPEG mode . My camera , a Nikon D50 , offers that pick . But the only type of JPEG allowed in that way is what Nikon calls Basic . That have in mind 16:1 concretion , as opposed to 8:1 for Normal or 4:1 for Fine . In Raw + JPEG , the JPEG copy is only for stand-in , for downloading and see at images online , or for quickly sending images via e - mail .
You ’re right about the D50 . But a muckle of cameras give you full - character JPEGs or a selection of any JPEG modal value alongside the Raw mode . Many photographers actually shoot both formats , because they at long last want gamey - quality JPEGs . But if an image comes out with risky snowy proportionality , they can fall back on the Raw copy.—Ben Long
For the record
Scott Davisson ( MYOB US)—Gary Stein ’s letter inFeedback ( September 2006 ) incorrectly claim that MYOB tender no client support for FirstEdge . While FirstEdge is a straightforward product , accountancy can still be intimidating for a modest business . So , since August 2005 , we ’ve offered 30 day of gratuitous support to help our client get started . We even call each Modern FirstEdge customer to let him or her screw about this benefit . Thanks for the chance to set the record straight .
