Switcher in need to software advice.

[stimpycat]

Hi, I have switched from PC - whilst my Mac Pro hasn't arrived I want to start buying the required software that I need to run my every day tasks.

1) Email Client - currently using Outlook 2003 - not available on Mac - bugger!
I have heard bad things about Entourage, but no real reason as to why it's bad.
Will Entourage work with pc outlook users - i.e the calender function? This is my main requirement.

2) iCal - I know not much about this, but could be a possibility of using a normal email client without calender function and using iCal - any good?

3) Calculator, I use the little windows one surprisingly often - I assume their is one in OSX somewhere?

4) Nero - I use Nero to burn data CDs, and also for burning movies. Is there a Mac equivalent?

5) Word and Excel - these are the only Office Apps I need, word I use mainly for receiving briefs from PC clients - or for making and sending invoices - will iWork open and save to .doc?

Likewise with excel - I don't really use it for the powerful functions - more for keeping a record of my accounts - again iWork could perhaps cover this easily - but I would need to open .xl files every now and then (with and without functions)

6) Backup software - anything to make do until Leopard comes?

7) BBC iplayer - guess that won't work now

8) FTP - I use ipswitch which isn't available on Macs - any good ones anybody can suggest.

Many thanks!

 

[bartelby]

I can't help with all but:

3) Calculator, I use the little windows one surprisingly often - I assume their is one in OSX somewhere?

Yes, either the widget or in the apps folder

4) Nero - I use Nero to burn data CDs, and also for burning movies. Is there a Mac equivalent?

Roxio Toast

5) Word and Excel - these are the only Office Apps I need, word I use mainly for receiving briefs from PC clients - or for making and sending invoices - will iWork open and save to .doc?

There's Word and Excel


7) BBC iplayer - guess that won't work now

Not yet

8) FTP - I use ipswitch which isn't available on Macs - any good ones anybody can suggest.

Cyberduck or Transmit

 

[bigandy]

Hi, I have switched from PC - whilst my Mac Pro hasn't arrived I want to start buying the required software that I need to run my every day tasks.

1) Email Client - currently using Outlook 2003 - not available on Mac - bugger!
I have heard bad things about Entourage, but no real reason as to why it's bad.
Will Entourage work with pc outlook users - i.e the calender function? This is my main requirement.

2) iCal - I know not much about this, but could be a possibility of using a normal email client without calender function and using iCal - any good?

3) Calculator, I use the little windows one surprisingly often - I assume their is one in OSX somewhere?

4) Nero - I use Nero to burn data CDs, and also for burning movies. Is there a Mac equivalent?

5) Word and Excel - these are the only Office Apps I need, word I use mainly for receiving briefs from PC clients - or for making and sending invoices - will iWork open and save to .doc?

Likewise with excel - I don't really use it for the powerful functions - more for keeping a record of my accounts - again iWork could perhaps cover this easily - but I would need to open .xl files every now and then (with and without functions)

6) Backup software - anything to make do until Leopard comes?

7) BBC iplayer - guess that won't work now

8) FTP - I use ipswitch which isn't available on Macs - any good ones anybody can suggest.

Many thanks!

1. mail.app is good, Entourage has Outlook compatible features.

2. it's good. Entourage has it's own...

3. yup, dashboard and calculator.app

4. Roxio Toast Titanium is perfect. iDVD (with iLife, bundled on the Macs) can burn movies. iTunes and MacOS have no issue burning DVDs or CDs.

5. MS Office 2004 for Mac, NeoOffice, OpenOffice Aqua, iWork 08, the list goes on WriteRoom is also a great word compatible wordprocessor.

6. A few, can't remember off the top of my head, except CarbonCopyCloner which makes a complete, bootable backup of your entire machine.

7. on Boot Camp and VMWare, my iPlayer works fine. Mac native in September apparently

8. Transmit.app from panic.com. hands down best.

Good luck

 

[xUKHCx]

1.) I use Mail.app so can't comment on Entourage.
2.) iCal is pretty good, it will be getting an update with Leopard to make it even better
3.)There are actually two there is Calculator.app and there is the calculator widget.
4.)Everyone around here will probably recommend Toast.
5.) iWork, more specifically Pages will open up and save in .doc but there can be import/export discrepancies. Numbers can open up .xls. Suggest you download the trial of iWork if you can and see if it fits your needs. IF it doesn't there are some free alternatives such as Neo Office and Open Office (you could try these out before you buy anything). Or you can wait until Microsoft sor themselves out and release Office 08 early next year.
6.) Carbon Copy Cloner or Superduper
7.) BBc iPlayer doesn't work but then again it doesn't work in Vista or anything except windows XP. They will be releasing a mac compatible version. Or if you really need it you can install it in Bootcamp/Vmware/Parallels
8.) YummyFTp, fetch, cyberduck + many more.

 

[Mac In School]

For an FTP client, I recommend Yummy. Be warned that Transmit works as it is supposed to, but as a Windows user, you may find one thing very frustrating about it.


I recently upgraded a (simple machines) forum and lost my custom them, and all my users' custom avatars. Read about my troubles here.