If you have any incertitude that insistent electronic messaging ( IM ) has go thoroughly mainstream , just check out the response to our revue of IM programs ( May 2005 ) . The mail was mellow - mass in both quantity and tone . Everyone , it seems , has an opinion — and it ’s commonly a strong one — about which IM client is the adept and why the others are too awful to even contemplate . Here ’s a sampling of the vituperation , as well as reaction to some of our other recent stories .
Chit Chat
Joseph Burns – As an avidMacworldreader , I ’ve often noticed that your ratings for Apple products tend to skew upward . In the grammatical case of your revue of IM software ( May 2005 ) , I palpate that prejudice yield America Online ’s Instant Messenger ( ) a bad name . You praise Apple iChat ’s ( ) audio alerts but fail to mention that status changes in AIM can also trigger all sorts of action , from playing sound to running a handwriting . AIM also does a better line with sharing files . For instance , I can put all my exposure in one place and let anyone on my buddy list download them as they please — much easier than sending the file to everyone individually . While iChat does have great audio and video capabilities , I would n’t recommend it to anyone who needs only text electronic messaging .
Alex Weisman – I ’ve used all the IM client you look back ( except for Defaultware ’s genus Proteus ) and think that Adam Iser ’s AdiumX ( ) deserves more quotation than you gave it . No , you ca n’t have AV schmoose with it , but there is n’t much else it ca n’t do . I ’d rather apply a program with everything a Mac user could want than one with supernumerary bells and whistles .
Mickey Stevens – In your review of Microsoft MSN Messenger ( ) , its bunco include “ pesky ads . ” If you purchase Microsoft Office 2004 , you could work off the promotional Elvis . Only the free version show advertizing .
Taylor Barcroft – Are you daft ? How can you equate instant messaging systems without includingSkype ? It ’s the only IM system that also allow you to talk from a Mac to another Mac , a personal computer , or any regular phone . Skype is the future — not iChat AV or any other proprietary organisation .
On the Road Again
Richard G. Bribiescas – In reply to the first-class tip about back up your slides ( “ slay the Road , Mac , ” May 2005 ) , I ’d like to intimate just creating a backup PDF written matter of your Apple Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint presentment ( either within the respective app or through the Print dialog box ) . This is specially useful if you ’re pull to use a Windows machine . Nearly everyone has a written matter of Adobe ’s Acrobat Reader , which has slide - show capabilities . If you do n’t beware lose your fancy transitions and animations , making a PDF transcript can provide peace of judgment .
Justin Wondga – In “ Hit the Road , Mac , ” you recommended using rearward DNS Lookup to rule the current SMTP server when connecting from the road . fuss is , if you want to institutionalise east - post message from a hotel , a umber shop , or a wireless hot spot , it can be hard to connect to SMTP servers ; almost all of them prevention relaying . ( If you attempt to broadcast mail via a third - party Internet service of process , your SMTP host will say that you ’re out of bounds and politely tell you to go fish . ) May I offer a couple of solutions ? First , lecture to your IT section or your ISP to see whether it has an attested SMTP waiter . If it does , configure your Es - ring armor node accordingly and then mail content from just about anywhere . secondly , use the secure , authenticated SMTP server at Gmail or Yahoo .
Codec Confusion
Al Lemieux – Jonathan Seff ’s “ Play Anything ” ( Playlist , May 2005 ) come two month too late for me . That ’s how long I ’ve been trying to open some AVI files that used an erstwhile Intel Indeo 2.1 codec . I tried converting them using a slew of applications programme on both a PC and a Mac ; I posted questions on major video - discussion control board — all to no help . Turns out the video files were create on a PC running Windows 3.1 . I have n’t tried the VLC Media Player yet , but I ’m planning to give it a go . Thanks for the adept article .
How to Download an OS
Jose Doniga – I recently buy a new iPod mini . I followed the instructions , dilute the software program , and then connected the iPod mini to the computer . Nothing happened . So I looked up the system requirements . turn out that while iTunes and the iPod software system are both current , my operating organization is n’t ; the iPod requires Mac OS go 10.3.4 , but I have only 10.3 . I really wanted to make this piece of work , so I decided to update to OS X 10.3.9 . The problem : it ’s a 117 MB download and I have telephone dial - up divine service . After three hours , only 50 MB had download . Not desire to tie up our telephone for that long , I disconnected . But what do I do now ? Return the iPod ? Apple should admit the Mac OS update on the CD that come with the iPod .
So Long, Paper
Apple versus ASP
Tyler Regas – In reception to reader Tom Dalton ’s letter “ Mac Off the entanglement ? ” ( Feedback , May 2005 ) , in which he blame Apple for OS X ’s incompatibility with a “ growing turn of entanglement pages [ that ] apply ASP ( Active Server Pages ) apps”—his real problem is with ActiveX control , a PC - only technology . ASP — much like PHP or Apple ’s own WWW Objects — creates pages on - the - rainfly when they are requested . The guest does n’t have to process these pages . ActiveX controls , on the other hand , are small applet that run handwriting on the guest , and are window - only .
Who Burns Your Music?
Bob Weaver – In “ Napster ’s Bad Math ” ( Mac Beat , May 2005 ) , Jonathan Seff writes that “ youownanything you get from iTunes . ” This is not really true . You are simply licensing the song — you are resile by the terms of the license agreement , which limits what you may do with that Sung . Whoever owns the copyrights owns the song itself and the recording . I think this is an of import distinction to make when discussing online music services . None of the services , to my knowledge , actu - ally transfers ownership of the copyrights to client .
Change Is Good
J. Reviere – The May outlet just arrive , and I like the changes you ’ve made . I like the nuts - and - bolts how - tos . I like to make my Macs more useful . Your raw direction is much appreciated .
