some stuff about macs
 

for those of you on win/tel that have never used macs here are few things I found out last week trying to use a mac at a job.

1. can't open 2 instances of the same app/can't copy 2 instances of the same file. i.e. if you want to copy a files to 2 separate locations you must wait until the instance is completely copied before starting the next.

2. the menus are NOT on the apps which open in little windows but anchored to the top left side of the right hand screen, NO MATTER where the little window for the app opens.

3. final cut will not open .MTS or M2T files without first using small apps to translate them to MOV so the mac can understand them. $50 each, 1 app for mts, one app for m2t.

4. if you open an app to big on the right hand screen the 'really cool bar at the bottom of the right hand screen with all the apps that pop up and down' get in the way of your work.

there are a few cool things like dragging a drive to the trash bin to eject it though...

I use a mac and I have no idea what you are going on about.

It's definitely a different workflow. All the things listed I know about, but none of them bother me. No big deal.

never knew this my stuff. just imagine my fun when I had to enter an activation number and couldn't find a menu on the app.

Nobody sits down at a Mac and instantly understands everything about it. I've been using Mac for about 8 months now and I'm still learning the in's and out's. But I have to say that I couldn't be more happy with the switch from PC/Windows to Mac. All of my Windows machines have now been replaced with Mac machines including 2 machines here at the house and most recently our laptop that we use on location. As I become more familiar with how the Mac works, I've come to appreciate how beautiful, how productive and simple they are to use. I switched to Mac because I was looking for more...in a machine - and I found it :thumbsup

I have had the experience of going from a MAC to a PC and being confused by the work flow and the OS so I know all to well the frustration of getting used to a new OS. I am still baffled by how many mouse clicks it takes to get a task done in Windows based OS compared to MAC's, but eventually I got the hang of it.

Mac is set up to rely on creating an ALIAS, which does as suspected creates an alias of your file in question which conserves storage space. Once you get used to the work flow it makes sense to have the original file and ALIAS' that link to that file.


If you are using anything other than Final Cut 6 or below this is true. With FC6 you do not need another app, you need to "ingest" the AVCHD footage using the LOG and Transfer window. This effectively translates the AVCHD to a MAC codec, typically Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) or Apple Pro Res. Both of these are less processor intensive and allow for editing AVCHD footage in real time. Rumor is you will be able to edit AVCHD in real time starting with Final Cut 7.

If you would like to view AVCHD footage on your MAC you can use VLC Media PLayer (which is a free download)

You can change this in your system preferences

Sinclair

mac = the best
time will tell :)

second that, there's a slightly frustrating adjustment period, then everything's cool and you don't want to go back.

Set your dock to Autohide.

I have no intention of using a mac for anything at this time. not even an ipod or iphone. I been shooting for a buddy that's mac based.... all I know is this: if we were using vegas and wintel the footage would be online already and not scattered all over some mac $.02

I bought an old Ibook laptop because I am beginning iphone app development but unfortunately its a PowerPc and the iphone 3.0 SDK will only work on an Intel based Mac, now I need to get a newer one. Just a heads up for those who want to do iphone/itouch development.

so not only are macs not compatible with most stuff.... they aren't even compatible with themselves?

The Mac he's talking about is at least 4 years old and they've had a complete change in hardware architecture in that time.

His machine will run most new stuff, but not all of it.

1. can't open 2 instances of the same app/can't copy 2 instances of the same file. i.e. if you want to copy a files to 2 separate locations you must wait until the instance is completely copied before starting the next.
- Answer: Yes with a new mac pro you can run dual operating systems simultaneously - even run windows and MacOS at the same time. And even without Dual Boot most programs will open multiple copies..Why would you need 2 copies of the same app running anyway?

2. the menus are NOT on the apps which open in little windows but anchored to the top left side of the right hand screen, NO MATTER where the little window for the app opens.
Answer: Nothing is anchored you can select where you want menu placement in system preferences/displays/arrangement.

3. final cut will not open .MTS or M2T files without first using small apps to translate them to MOV so the mac can understand them. $50 each, 1 app for mts, one app for m2t.
- This is false I have a Sony HD Handy cam that connects directly to FCP and it reads the MTS/M2t files and converts them using log and transfer. (you must have a Mac with an intel chip for this)

4. if you open an app to big on the right hand screen the 'really cool bar at the bottom of the right hand screen with all the apps that pop up and down' get in the way of your work. -
This is silly - the dock can easily be moved in System Preferences - can be placed on any side or bottom of any screen, the amount of expansion is adjustable, or could be just made fixed - I make my dock small and fixed at the left side of the left display.

Yeah I figured out could pick up a $400 used laptop to learn how to develop iphone apps, I was wrong but fuck yeah this thing can run Photoshop, etc without a problem and it only has 1 gig of ram.

1. can't open 2 instances of the same app/can't copy 2 instances of the same file. i.e. if you want to copy a files to 2 separate locations you must wait until the instance is completely copied before starting the next.
- Answer: Yes with a new mac pro you can run dual operating systems simultaneously - even run windows and MacOS at the same time. And even without Dual Boot most programs will open multiple copies..Why would you need 2 copies of the same app running anyway?


** moving files, batch processing files



2. the menus are NOT on the apps which open in little windows but anchored to the top left side of the right hand screen, NO MATTER where the little window for the app opens.
Answer: Nothing is anchored you can select where you want menu placement in system preferences/displays/arrangement.


*** needed to produce 'immediate' work flow... not mess around. when I rent a car I don't need to look around for the gas peddle etc...


3. final cut will not open .MTS or M2T files without first using small apps to translate them to MOV so the mac can understand them. $50 each, 1 app for mts, one app for m2t.
- This is false I have a Sony HD Handy cam that connects directly to FCP and it reads the MTS/M2t files and converts them using log and transfer. (you must have a Mac with an intel chip for this)


** thanks

4. if you open an app to big on the right hand screen the 'really cool bar at the bottom of the right hand screen with all the apps that pop up and down' get in the way of your work. -
This is silly - the dock can easily be moved in System Preferences - can be placed on any side or bottom of any screen, the amount of expansion is adjustable, or could be just made fixed - I make my dock small and fixed at the left side of the left displa.

*** why would I even need to know this? I'm not bashing macs HOWEVER I have no interest in macs at all, I've had to work on the macs briefly, twice, in the last few years and found the mac OS counter intuitive.

now that's cool :thumbsup

If you look in the right places, you should be able to find an early Intel Macbook for around $400 or a little more.

When I first used a mac, it was infuriating... HATED it.

People say 2 weeks before you get used to them... BULLSHIT.... It's more like 2 months.

But when I did.. BAM!....

I will NEVER go back to windows.

If you were attempting to speak Chinese for the first time would you claim it was "counter intuitive" simply because you didn't understand it? The problems you mention boil down to one thing: operator error. The problem wasn't the machine.

actually the problem is Steve Jobs trying to make mac and windows as incompatible as humanly possible

BM, something you might find handy in your line of work if you haven't found it already..

HD > Utilities > DigitalColor Meter

If that were actually the case you might have something there. Unfortunately, Macs and PCs are VERY compatible with one another.

For starters, you can transfer files between machines with no issues. In the past this was a MAJOR issue.

dont really wanna drop a grand on a color meter... thanks...

it's a program, you don't need to buy a color meter to run it.

MAC are evil :D D: D:

I love my MAC. I admit that I do not use certain software to begin with, so I cannot speak for the compatibility issue on some areas, however MAC's are incredibly stable and since they have began working with the Intel chipset, I can imagine there isn't much that they can't do.

The nice thing is that they are not so mainstream yet, that the hackers aren't messing with them as much as they do PC's.