Is it time to just give up on Macintosh?

[donald branscom]

I bought a brand new MAC G4 when it came out. Plus scanner,ZIP and Floppy externals.
I also went to a computer school which cost $16,000 dollars.
I learned photoshop,illustrater,and other programs, Well lets say i got started . Then I had a job working at Kinko's working on every imaginable type of file.
I learned pagemaker and quark. They are page layout programs.
Then i got DREAMWEAVER and learned how to make web sites.

But now it seems like my computer experience is being ruined by SWF files.
I hate all the shockwave 8 files, FLASH stuff. Real memory hogs.
And I see no reason to see jumping monkeys on mortgage loan ads.

Anyway the other day a guy showed me this FLIP video device. Very cool.
But now I find out it only works with Windows media player.
IS it really time to give up on Mac's?

For me to get a new MAC and all my programs we are talking $5,000 bucks!

Any awnswers?

 

[AlexisV]

I don't quite understand. You have an old G4 and are having trouble working in Flash? And are throwing your hands up in the air claiming 'it's time to give up on Macs'?

If you give us some details about the software you are using, what actual machine you are using and how you specifically having problems, then we might be able to come up with some constructive help.

 

[tersono]

You might as well be saying 'is it time to give up on computers?'

Nothing you talk about in your post is particularly Mac-specific.....

 

[Queso]

Spam, spammity, spam spam spam. Stop plugging your FLIP thing. Nobody's interested

 

[superleccy]

I learned photoshop,illustrater,and other programs,

if $16,000 after you still can't spell "Illustrator", then I'm not surprised that you are expecting 2008 performance out of 1999 technology.

EDIT: Seriously... for the kind of work you're doing, a "when they came out" G4 is pretty underpowered, and Adobe's Mac implementation of the Flash player isn't kind to old Macs. Even a new Mac Mini would probably blow away the performance of your old machine, and run most of your existing software under Rosetta. That's a heck of a lot less than $5,000.

Do some proper research.

And I don't see what's go great about the Flip player... actually the fact that it's not Mac friendly makes it pretty useless as far as I am concerned.

EDIT AGAIN: You mean this? Looks Mac-friendly to me. And FFS, my 4 year old Pentax Optio S4 can do all of that. Why the fuss?

SL

 

[LouisBlack]

What's so special about that Flip thing? Is it just a flash based camcorder... and yeah, it does work on OS X. It says so on the above link.

 

[aricher]

Nothing to see here but a troll folks, move along.

As far as that flip goes I have one and it works just fine on everything from my antique G4 to my new MacBook Pro. It has to be used with OSX though. Maybe the OP is still on OS 9.

 

[donald branscom]

Thanks for the info.
Artists cannot use notebook computers. We need large screens, and many times the client needs to sit side by side to see changes being made.

WL/MM ???? whats that?

 

[donald branscom]

Nothing to see here but a troll folks, move along.

As far as that flip goes I have one and it works just fine on everything from my antique G4 to my new MacBook Pro. It has to be used with OSX though. Maybe the OP is still on OS 9.

Just troll? what does that mean? I am being honest and straight forward.

Anyway that info about the FLIP video not working on Mac.
i got that info from the FLIP website. It said OSX.... NO, Windows...YES

When you pluged in the USM flash memory stick did the photos show up on the desk top?
Or were they movie files or both.

I don't quite understand. You have an old G4 and are having trouble working in Flash? And are throwing your hands up in the air claiming 'it's time to give up on Macs'?

If you give us some details about the software you are using, what actual machine you are using and how you specifically having problems, then we might be able to come up with some constructive help.

Sorry, Here is the details.
I am using my MAC just as it came. MAC OS 8.6
The reason why is all the people that went to OS 9.2 had nothing but problems. Also they have a software disk to use OSX 10 BUT I was told it would use up almost all the memory of my computer. About $100 bucks.
I have 256 m ram and a video card. Don't laugh.

My computer works great for all my creative purposes it is the INTERNET that causes all the problems. I am using Explorer 5.5, 5.6? because the new Explorer does not support MAC.
Mozilla and firefox also will not support my operating system.

Spam, spammity, spam spam spam. Stop plugging your FLIP thing. Nobody's interested

I AM NOT SELLING ANYTHING !!!! Dammit

I am telling the truth. So from now on I will say - "I saw a video hand held device that was lowcost and the size of a cell phone." HOWS THAT???

Agreed.

Oh...and your link to YOUTUBE at the bottom of your post is NOT SPAM????

When you grow up maybe you will understand a little more.

if $16,000 after you still can't spell "Illustrator", then I'm not surprised that you are expecting 2008 performance out of 1999 technology.

EDIT: Seriously... for the kind of work you're doing, a "when they came out" G4 is pretty underpowered, and Adobe's Mac implementation of the Flash player isn't kind to old Macs. Even a new Mac Mini would probably blow away the performance of your old machine, and run most of your existing software under Rosetta. That's a heck of a lot less than $5,000.

Do some proper research.

And I don't see what's go great about the Flip player... actually the fact that it's not Mac friendly makes it pretty useless as far as I am concerned.

EDIT AGAIN: You mean this? Looks Mac-friendly to me. And FFS, my 4 year old Pentax Optio S4 can do all of that. Why the fuss?

SL

Thanks for the information.
That spelling of illustrator was a typo. But I was not taught to type at the computer school.
Is there a device simular to the video "thing" that IS MAC friendly?
Have not heard of Rosetta. What is that and what does it do?

 

[someguy]

I AM NOT SELLING ANYTHING !!!! Dammit

I am telling the truth. So from now on I will say - "I saw a video hand held device that was lowcost and the size of a cell phone." HOWS THAT???

So you're saying we should give up on Mac's because a particular handheld device you can't stop plugging doesn't work with them, even though it clearly does? Sounds like you're trolling big time.

Oh...and your link to YOUTUBE at the bottom of your post is NOT SPAM????

I would think an experienced spammer such as yourself would understand what spam is. No, my link is not spam.

 

[skinnylegs]

If you had spent $17,000 (instead of $16,000) on school you would have all of the answers to your questions.....

 

[donald branscom]

I don't quite understand. You have an old G4 and are having trouble working in Flash? And are throwing your hands up in the air claiming 'it's time to give up on Macs'?

If you give us some details about the software you are using, what actual machine you are using and how you specifically having problems, then we might be able to come up with some constructive help.

I do not have any problems with the FLASH PROGRAM itself.
I am having trouble with internet web pages loading very slowly when displaying files created in flash and Shockwave.

 

[donald branscom]

If you had spent $17,000 (instead of $16,000) on school you would have all of the answers to your questions.....

HAHHAHAHA.It was paid for by VOC REHAB.
The school was good, but The biggest problem was that they did not teach any page layout program, and for a graphic designer that IS a problem.
I already had a Masters degree in graphic design so the teachers liked having me at the school as opposed to students that had NO art training at all and wanted to create artwork on the computer.

The biggest problem I see with many computer schools is that they use the latest computers and programs, but in the real world many folks at home do not have the latest computers ,screens and operating systems to view these creative files.

 

[rendezvouscp]

All right, I'm going to lay it out for you.

IS it really time to give up on Mac's?

No.

Any awnswers?

Yes.

Sorry, Here is the details.
I am using my MAC just as it came. MAC OS 8.6
The reason why is all the people that went to OS 9.2 had nothing but problems. Also they have a software disk to use OSX 10 BUT I was told it would use up almost all the memory of my computer. About $100 bucks.
I have 256 m ram and a video card. Don't laugh.

My computer works great for all my creative purposes it is the INTERNET that causes all the problems. I am using Explorer 5.5, 5.6? because the new Explorer does not support MAC.
Mozilla and firefox also will not support my operating system.

You really need to upgrade to Mac OS X. I suggest getting a copy of Tiger and installing it on your G4. Upgrade your RAM and video card if you can while you're at it; you should expect to be spending money in the technology field to stay current.

Have not heard of Rosetta. What is that and what does it do?

Rosetta is internal emulation software in Mac OS X. If you decide to get a Mac mini (which would probably be good for you) then it'll run automatically without you worrying about anything.

I do not have any problems with the FLASH PROGRAM itself.
I am having trouble with internet web pages loading very slowly when displaying files created in flash and Shockwave.

That could be because of your internet connection. Have you not upgraded that either in the past decade or so?

Next time, if you come to this forum with direct questions people will be able to help you better.
-Chasen

 

[donald branscom]

So you're saying we should give up on Mac's because a particular handheld device you can't stop plugging doesn't work with them, even though it clearly does? Sounds like you're trolling big time.

I would think an experienced spammer such as yourself would understand what spam is. No, my link is not spam.

Don't you listen? I AM NOT A SPAMMER. I wlll NEVER say the name of a product from now on. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
Can't you think of something more creative than "SOMEGUY"?

 

[someguy]

Don't you listen? I AM NOT A SPAMMER. I wlll NEVER say the name of a product from now on. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
Can't you think of something more creative than "SOMEGUY"?

Maybe you're not a spammer. Maybe you're just ignorant and uninformed of even remotely recent technologies. So why would you think it's a good idea to give up on Macs when you don't even know what you are talking about?

And why is it necessary to attack my creativity?

 

[donald branscom]

All right, I'm going to lay it out for you.



No.



Yes.



You really need to upgrade to Mac OS X. I suggest getting a copy of Tiger and installing it on your G4. Upgrade your RAM and video card if you can while you're at it; you should expect to be spending money in the technology field to stay current.



Rosetta is internal emulation software in Mac OS X. If you decide to get a Mac mini (which would probably be good for you) then it'll run automatically without you worrying about anything.



That could be because of your internet connection. Have you not upgraded that either in the past decade or so?

Next time, if you come to this forum with direct questions people will be able to help you better.
-Chasen

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate your help and advice.

I was just starting to feel like everything was all going towards IBM style computers and I was thinking why fight it and keep swimming upstream.
When i worked at Kinko's We had all the problems with IBM's and almost never had any problems with MAC unless someone loaded a bad font.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Your websites don't work because this is 2008 and your hardware and software and OS are from the previous century.

 

[jeremy.king]

The average graduating student debt is nearly $19K, so you are in the same boat as hundred of thousands (millions?) of other recent graduates. It has nothing to do with the fact you are using a Mac.

You are using a machine thats nearly 8 years old, running an older version of the OS and you are complaining about lack of support for the latest technologies? Really?

 

[timtam]

Looks like not only mac's enthusiasts are disappointed. Look at those sharp drops on
apple stocks, If only Apple showed their new Mac Pro the same time as MBA was announced, may be..just may be, Apple can have a bit more ground on their stocks.
As matter of giving up on Macintosh?! short answer is no .

 

[donald branscom]

Maybe you're not a spammer. Maybe you're just ignorant and uninformed of even remotely recent technologies. So why would you think it's a good idea to give up on Macs when you don't even know what you are talking about?

And why is it necessary to attack my creativity?

If you throw a rock at someone they probably will throw a rock back at you.

I am 58 years old and i have spent my life as an artist.
Computers being used to create artwork did not really start taking hold untill about 1972. It is only ignorance if you do not ask any questions. Right?

 

[donald branscom]

Looks like not only mac's enthusiasts are disappointed. Look at those sharp drops on
apple stocks, If only Apple showed their new Mac Pro the same time as MBA was announced, may be..just may be, Apple can have a bit more ground on their stocks.
As matter of giving up on Macintosh?! short answer is no .

I agree.

 

[someguy]

If you throw a rock at someone they probably will throw a rock back at you.

I am 58 years old and i have spent my life as an artist.
Computers being used to create artwork did not really start taking hold untill about 1972. It is only ignorance if you do not ask any questions. Right?

I don't think anyone intended to "throw rocks" at you, but you're asking for trouble being a "newbie" at a Mac forum and creating a thread with a title such as this.

Like others have said, update your equipment and you may see things a little differently.

 

[Eric5h5]

I am using my MAC just as it came. MAC OS 8.6.

It's "Mac", as in "Macintosh". "MAC" is an acronym that means "Media Access Control". OS 8.6 is ancient history, not to mention a pretty lousy OS even when it was new. So yes, it is time to give up on the old Mac, and get OS X instead.

--Eric

 

[superleccy]

Right - I'm actually going to try and help.

I don't know the exact model of your machine, but the hardware sounds like it's obsolete. The operating system IS obsolete. It's not the Mac's fault... a PC of a similar age with its original operating system would give you similar problems today.

The reason why flash animations give your machine such a headache is because the people who make them tend to assume that everyone's computer is just two or three years old - and thus don't bother optimising them for slower machines. Flash animations can suck a lot of power from an old machine.

Macs have come a very long way since you got your G4. OS X has matured into an astounding & stable operating system, and since the switch from G4 & G5 processors to Intel processors, they're blindingly fast too. You'll still hear people on these forums (me included) complaining from time to time, but in general terms, Macs rock, OS X rocks. Yes, really.

The good news is, your old machine will be such a slowcoach that even a bottom-end new Mac will be much much faster. But of course, the more you pay, the better machine you get... and you being into graphics some extra money might be a wise investment. Depends how much money you've got. Do you live anywhere near an Apple store? Call them and book an appointment for a "test drive", explaining your needs. Usually they're really helpful.

The bad news is that your OS 8-based software isn't going to run on the new Intel macs. It should, however, run on any G4 or G5 model under something called "classic" mode, which lets you run pre-OS X programs on OS X. So maybe the answer is to pick up a second-hand high-end G5 machine (which would be cheaper than a new Intel Mac too). Else, you'll have to upgrade all your software to OS X versions, which could indeed be pricey... check with your suppliers (and on the Internet) for the best upgrade deals. And if you're still on a course (or fancy doing another one), you may qualify for student pricing, which would save you a heap... not just on the software but on Mac hardware too.

(Rosetta, by the way, is built-in feature of OS X that lets Intel macs run software written for G4 and G5 Macs. It works invisibly and (usually) seamlessly but sometimes a little slowly. Unfortunately for you, it won't run your "Classic" applications).

As for the Flip media player, looking at the website, it does work with OS X, and thus Macs. Dunno about OS 8, but frankly there's no hardware or software manufacturer out there who'll support that any more. However the Flip doesn't look that special. Just about any cheap USB digital still camera these days has a "movie mode" at 640x480 or better. Ask in your local camera store, although you may have the same problems because of your old OS.

Finally, don't let the responses you've had to this thread put you off from asking questions on this forum. We're a helpful bunch usually... yes really! You got the reaction you did because your posting style was (unintentionally) reminiscent of a lot of 13 year old timewasters (trolls & spammers) who get their kicks by posting here saying "MACS ARE SH!!!TTT HAHHAHAHA!" with the express intention of winding the forum up (and succeeding). Just remember to use the forum's search function, and don't capitalise to MAC, and you'll be fine.

Hope this helped... and good luck!
SL

PS: And Safari and Firefox on OS X have built in spell checkers...