MacOS X apps for newbies

[GiantRobot]

I was extremely happy that the GimpPrint driver set was included with Panther. Jaguar only had a smattering of drivers and those were mostly for relatively late model printers. With the GimpPrint collection you can plug just about any printer into your Mac and it will print without much trouble. For older printers with only parallel or serial connectors you can pick uo a $30-40 parallel or serial to USB converter. GimpPrint's drivers have saved quite a few older printers from being tossed by the wayside. Just a few weeks ago I helped my friend set up an old LaserWriter IIf on his PowerMac. He got it for a steal and found some toner cartridges on the cheap. All in all it was a pretty nice little deal.

[stigmata]

Okay, just found an excellent thread over at the Ars Technic forums on exactly the same topic as this - much useful stuff: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=8300945231&m=319007066631

The special highlight of all this was, for me, SizzlingKeys (control iTunes from the keyboard, and very sexy): http://www.yellowmug.com/sk4it/

EDIT: Okay, iChat's audio chat function is awesome for between macs, but it's decidedly less so for Macs to PCs. As such, check out www.skype.com - VERY high quality, native OS X app with insanely popular Windows and Linux versions. Check it out, it's the best Windows port I've ever used.

[Berry]

I feel really stupid but how do you search for someones iDisk public folder on .Mac?  I really wanted to get your plugins for the other webcomics

[tussery]

I feel really stupid but how do you search for someones iDisk public folder on .Mac?  I really wanted to get your plugins for the other webcomics

When using the Finder go to the Go menu the iDisk the Other users iDisk public folder and it will ask you for the user name.

[Dmytrin]

Is there a good alternative to Microsoft Excel and Word? Appleworks I'm avoiding because it can only open with another Appleworks, which is pointless if I have to submit a report to a professor that only has Word. My options are really running out... either I get Office or I do my typing with the Uni coms... ugh...

[AdmFord]

Try "ThinkFree Office" Opens Word and Excel files and it's pretty good as an alternative to Appleworks, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg

[Cassidy]

Is there a good alternative to Microsoft Excel and Word? Appleworks I'm avoiding because it can only open with another Appleworks, which is pointless if I have to submit a report to a professor that only has Word. My options are really running out... either I get Office or I do my typing with the Uni coms... ugh...

Aside from the fact that Appleworks apparently isn't receiving anymore updates and such, keep in mind the following:

Appleworks CAN save files as the following formats:

CWK - Appleworks document (default)
HTML
RTF
TXT
Various incarnations of Word (.doc), including the newest version for Windows.
Various incarnations of Excel (.?), assuming you're working with that type of file.

[Dmytrin]

Really? I've got Appleworks 6 and it won't allow me to save my text files as .doc. Some hogwash about ".cwk is required"

[GiantRobot]

You need to upgrade to AppleWorks 6.2 or above, the stock 6.0 version on CD lacks the MacLink file translators to save as Word documents. If you've got 6.2.x you can simply "Save As..." and select Word (or Excel) format.

[Dmytrin]

Yay! Thanks!

Now am wondering if anybody knows how to limit the bandwidth of a home broadband connection.

Situation's like this:
The broadband provider that covers my area - the only one at that - has a 30GB a month limit to bandwidth. I'll be sharing the line with 3 other flat mates via wifi. So I'm wondering if there's a way to actually setting another local limit to the bandwidth.

THANKS FOR THE REPLIES!

[morndry]

Yay! Thanks!

Now am wondering if anybody knows how to limit the bandwidth of a home broadband connection.

Situation's like this:
The broadband provider that covers my area - the only one at that - has a 30GB a month limit to bandwidth. I'll be sharing the line with 3 other flat mates via wifi. So I'm wondering if there's a way to actually setting another local limit to the bandwidth.

THANKS FOR THE REPLIES!

On my linksys wireless router the options are in the preferences for the router, though I have never had to limit anyone's bandwidth.  you might also have to turn on MAC filtering, and then limit them individualy.

[Cassidy]

Here's a question for you all. I'm looking for a no-frills SOUND RECORDER for Mac. At least the equivilent of Sound Recorder for Windows.

Garageband is a nice program and all, but I want something that takes up very little resources. I want it to be able to save to a format like WAV that I can later convert to AAC in iTunes.

I haven't been able to find ANYTHING like this for OS X, but I also don't know where to look. Does anyone know of a good program?

[stigmata]

I haven't been able to find ANYTHING like this for OS X, but I also don't know where to look. Does anyone know of a good program?

"Format like WAV"? I don't own a copy of GarageBand, but doesn't it have the ability to save into either AIFF, or 320kbps AAC or mp3?

[Dark Prism]

AUDACITY!

You don't need to use the extra stuff if you don't want to. Also, it saves to MP3, Wav, and some other different formats.

[Cassidy]

I don't own a copy of GarageBand, but doesn't it have the ability to save into either AIFF, or 320kbps AAC or mp3?

I know Garageband has that capability, I just want something SMALLER. Faster-loading, no frills.

Dark Prism - Thank you! That is just what I needed.