POLL: Your Favourite Web Browser?

[Videoskooter]

Microsoft has just released Internet Explorer 7 as their new answer to the succes of the Firefox-browser by the Mozilla organisation?

I tried IE7 and I found out that it was almost as worse as their ancient explorer.

I'm definitely sticking to Firefox but now and then I'm testing Seamonkey, another product of Mozilla and maybe a very interesting one for the near future.

Do you still follow the easy way and let Microsoft do the job or do you belong to the fastgrowing group of open-source users?

[Bernie]

Johan,

I'm in for "other" since I use Safari on Mac OS-X and sometimes Firefox.

If I have to use Windows then I like to use Firefox like you.

[Videoskooter]

Bernie, I know that you're a Mac-addict!

As I have to replace my PC next year I really am tempted to go "Apple" since I'm really fed up with all that Microsoft-crap!

Do you face problems watching sites with Safari? Does it have a good media-player? Is the programming more difficult?

[K-Bee]

Firefox all the way for me! Still, I've been very late at discovering it's full potential as I only just downloaded it a few days ago. I really love the all the custom possibilities avaliable. You can pretty much make you own personal browser with all these options.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

Bernie, I know that you're a Mac-addict!

As I have to replace my PC next year I really am tempted to go "Apple" since I'm really fed up with all that Microsoft-crap!

Do you face problems watching sites with Safari? Does it have a good media-player? Is the programming more difficult?

I've been an Apple-Mac person from day one (1996) and have loved it.

You asked if I had any problems surfing with Safari and the answer is very rarely since sites tend to be coded to a certain standard. The only time I have a problem is when a web developer decides to stray from that standard and tries to use some proprietary Microsoft garbage that demands it use IE. 90% of the time I just change the User Agent in Safari to impersonate IE and all is well.

[Graham_Start]

I use Firefox in both Windows and Mac OS.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Graham_Start

I use Firefox in both Windows and Mac OS.

Graham,

Did you get a Mac?

[Graham_Start]

Yes, I finally broke down and got a 24" iMac so that I could run a version of Logic that was made in this century. I was thinking that I could use Windows via Boot Camp to use Adobe Audition, but it seems that Firewire audio devices don't work very well at all this way. So, I'll have to get a proper Windows box in order to continue my restoration activities.

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Graham_Start

Yes, I finally broke down and got a 24" iMac so that I could run a version of Logic that was made in this century. I was thinking that I could use Windows via Boot Camp to use Adobe Audition, but it seems that Firewire audio devices don't work very well at all this way. So, I'll have to get a proper Windows box in order to continue my restoration activities.

That's great! I'm sure with your background you had no trouble with the transition. What's your overall impression of your iMac and OS-X?

As for Boot Camp, it is in beta with the gold release due in the next few months along with Tiger 10.5, which promises better compatibility and more drivers. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Graham_Start]

Originally Posted by Bernie

That's great! I'm sure with your background you had no trouble with the transition.

I wouldn't say that. :) It's kind of strange being on a platform where you know how to use a deep application, but simple things like moving files around is puzzling. Still, I figured it would be easier to learn OS X than Cubase or Ableton Live.

Originally Posted by Bernie

What's your overall impression of your iMac and OS-X?

There are certain things I like about it, and certain things which drive me nuts. The mouse handling in particular is infuriating. I've mitigated this somewhat with third-party utilities, but it's still needlessly difficult. I don't like the closed-design nature of the unit which prevents something as simple as a PCI card or second internal hard drive (I could not afford a Pro). And of course, since Apple has gone through two major architecture changes in the past few years, there isn't very much established third-party software or plug-ins when it comes to audio. I had to give up many of my favourite instruments from Windows.

Having said that, I do love the screen, the lack of malware, the quick boot-up speed, and that fact that YIM for OS X has no ads and can be completely quit with a single key command. :)

Originally Posted by Bernie

As for Boot Camp, it is in beta with the gold release due in the next few months along with Tiger 10.5, which promises better compatibility and more drivers. Keep your fingers crossed.

I've learned not to buy promises though... I can get a suitable Windows box for not much more than the upgrade to Leopard.

[Bernie]

I knew you were going to mention the mouse
Although I'm sure you know this I'll mention it for others:
If your old PC mouse or keyboard is USB you can use it on the iMac with no additional drivers. Just plug it in and it is recognized. Even I had to break down and get an MS Intellimouse and later a Kensington 5-button mouse cause the 1-button mouse was driving me nuts.

If you need to pick up an external Firewire drive then do checkout OWC at http://www.macsales.com/
as they are tops when it comes to Mac storage and memory.

Good luck!

[Graham_Start]

Originally Posted by Bernie

I knew you were going to mention the mouse
Although I'm sure you know this I'll mention it for others:
If your old PC mouse or keyboard is USB you can use it on the iMac with no additional drivers. Just plug it in and it is recognized. Even I had to break down and get an MS Intellimouse and later a Kensington 5-button mouse cause the 1-button mouse was driving me nuts.

I've got Apple's "We got with the '80s and put out a 2-button-and-then-some" Mighty Mouse, but the implementation of the second button is so bad as to render it nearly useless. I do like being able to scroll in both directions though, and now that I'm hooked on that, it's hard to go back to a standard mouse.

By far the bigger problem is the acceleration and speed, and a Windows mouse isn't going to fix that. With a screen size that's 1920 pixels wide, I need a mouse pad the size of a welcome mat for this thing. I'm astonished that the settings for the mouse are so limited, given that Apple really had the first mouse-driven GUI. I'm told that I can get better control if I use MS Intellimouse drivers (that come with an MS mouse, naturally). The irony is that you can't get the funky acceleration curves in Windows without Intellimouse, and but you need Intellimouse in OS X to lose them.

Originally Posted by Bernie

If you need to pick up an external Firewire drive then do checkout OWC at OWC: Apple Mac G4 upgrades, Laptop Batteries, Memory, Drives
as they are tops when it comes to Mac storage and memory.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion, but I suspect shipping to Canada would be prohibitively costly (if they do it at all; I can't find any mention of it on the site which usually means that they don't).

[Bernie]

Graham this is a very old tip I found, but give it a shot:

You do not need to be logged in as root to perform this mod.
For modifiction of the variable I will use the app "TextEdit". Open TextEdit from your Applications folder. Press "Command+O" to open a document.
In the "Go to" location type this:
/Users/your_username/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist

The location is case-sensitive and don't forget the little period before GlobalPreferences.plist. It is invisible and will not be found without that initial period.

Now you should have this file in front of you:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist SYSTEM "file://localhost/System/Library/DTDs/PropertyList.dtd">
<plist version="0.9">

Blah,Blah,Blah-- Lots of variables in here, Blah, Blah, Blah--
Look for this line near the bottom of the document:

<key>com.apple.mouse.scaling</key>
<real>1.700000000000000e+00</real>

Just alter the number to what you would like your new speed to be and save the document and you are done with the configuration.
Be sure to not get out of control with your number, For a res of 1600x1200 on a 19" monitor the adjusted mouse setting is

<key>com.apple.mouse.scaling</key>
<real>3.000000000000000e+00</real>

...and that is a beautiful setting.

Some folks can simply open their mouse preferences and then quit the system prefs after performing this to see their mouse speed increase take effect BUT!!! When you open the mouse prefs do not touch the sensitivity slider, just open system prefs to "mouse" then quit system prefs. I repeat, DO NOT click the slider; doing so will default the mouse setting to the normal speed.
If you cannot do this and see your enhacned mouse speed, then you will need to logout and back in.

[Graham_Start]

Alas, I can't get it to work. There is no "Go to" option in Text Edit that I can see, only a search, and it won't find it. I searched for a way to open hidden files and got to it that way, but there's no number in the file. Thanks anyway though!

EDIT: I found the answer here: Macworld: Mac OS X Hints: Turbocharge mice and trackpads

Such irony. Here I was thinking "Well, one of the nice things about a Mac is that I'll never have to edit a registry..."

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Graham_Start

EDIT: I found the answer here: Macworld: Mac OS X Hints: Turbocharge mice and trackpads

Such irony. Here I was thinking "Well, one of the nice things about a Mac is that I'll never have to edit a registry..."

Cool, I guess you're a happy camper now