OT: iMac

NathanJT · 01-19-2008, 02:47 PM

z4, it's using a database of both wifi hotspots and cell towers to triangulate your location. Basically it's only as accurate as the signals it picks up. You obviously need at least 3 points to gain any level of accuracy.

vivekk · 01-21-2008, 03:03 PM

Having completely ditched my PC, I'm now solely using my new iMac.
I don't think I've ever been happier using a computer.

Although I do enjoy using the wireless Mighty mouse, I'm feeling a little 'experimental' (no Steve...I'm talking about computers, ok

) & have been thinking about buying a touch tablet.
I do use Photoshop more & more these days (if only to visually 'mock' various forum members

) & using a touch tablet with it would feel more 'natural', I'd assume.

Based on reviews, I've been looking into the Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium (A5).

I've never used one before, so I'd like to get some views from those who have. My questions include:

1 As a beginner, would this seem to be a suitable tablet?
2 Is there a long learning curve, moving from a mouse to a touch tablet?
3 Is it of much use for anything other than using with art software?
4 Having used a touch tablet, would you say you're happy to have moved on from your mouse?
5 Are there many practical disadvantages to using a touch tablet in preference to a mouse?

Thanks & all the best.

Viv

booforty · 01-21-2008, 03:41 PM

Viv, I will probably upgrade my PC this year. Can I run most PC software and games on an iMac? Should I seriously consider moving to the dark side?

vivekk · 01-21-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beauforty

Viv, I will probably upgrade my PC this year. Can I run most PC software and games on an iMac? Should I seriously consider moving to the dark side?

Hi Paul.

You can install Windows on current Macs (Intel based) without any problem.

I've got it running on my Macbook & it works fine with everything I've used on my PC.

Games will work, if you install Windows as a 'proper' operating system, but may slow down if you use the Parallels software to 'emulate' Windows as a virtual OS. It's the graphics card that will have most of the effect.

To be quite frank with you, Paul, I now prefer using the Mac with the software it's got. I was going to install Windows XP on it, either as a 'proper' OS or as a virtual one, but I just can't see why I should- that's how happy I've been using the iMac.

If I were you, I'd pop down to the Apple Store on Regent St & have a look at what an Apple could do for you. You might not like it, but there again, you might just love it.

They have workshops running each day, looking at different aspects of Apple products. I haven't yet been to any, but I think I may do so in the future.

If you need any more Mac v PC help, you know where I am.

All the best.

Viv

Z4 Beemer · 01-22-2008, 12:34 PM

We ran some quick performance tests (CPU number crunching) on a new Macbook running Windows XP in Parallels and compared it with a 2 year old AMD Athlon PC (can't quite remember the specs)... but Windows running on the Mac totally blew the PC away.

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 09:23 AM

I thought I'd just go ahead & buy the Wacom Bamboo Fun touch tablet, so I did!

It was, & still is a strange experience, moving from a mouse to a touch tablet.
Although it is possible to change from the standard 'absolute' pen positioning to the old-style 'relative' mouse positioning, the new way just feels weird.

Moving to a more 'natural' way of manoeuvring around a Mac's interface (albeit far better than a PC one, IMO

) is going to take some time, but I think it'll be worth it.

Using Photoshop has become a whole lot easier & the pressure-sensitive pad is really nice to use. The two user-definable pen buttons work well & the lack of any batteries make it easy to hold & use without strain.
The pen tip works from up to a distance of around 10mm from the pad surface, so 'rubbing' isn't a problem.

The pad has a glowing blue touch ring, for zooming & scrolling, a back & forward button & 2 user-definable buttons.

After installing the software, 'Ink' appears in the hardware section of system preferences.
It carries out handwriting recognition on the Mac & is more for fun than anything else.

The UK version of the Bamboo Fun medium comes with Photoshop Elements v4 & Art Rage 2 for the Mac, which is a good software bundle IMO.
I bought mine from Amazon UK for £127.97- ebay may be slightly cheaper, but check on whether you're getting a UK or US version & software.

All the best.

Viv

BC4J · 01-26-2008, 10:18 AM

Isn't that Carlos singing in the 3rd pic???

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BC4J

Isn't that Carlos singing in the 3rd pic???

How astute- singing an old railroad song, I think, in preparation for UK5.

Viv

BC4J · 01-26-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekk

How astute- singing an old railroad song, I think, in preparation for UK5.

Viv

Curious that the girls have all turned their backs on him...

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BC4J

Curious that the girls have all turned their backs on him...

...such is life, with a multi-SIM mobile.

Viv

E92Fan · 01-26-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekk

...such is life, with a multi-SIM mobile.

Viv

Do you think Carlos will ever get away from Simgate?!

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Do you think Carlos will ever get away from Simgate?!

...Not if I've got anything to do with it.

Viv

E92Fan · 01-26-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekk

...Not if I've got anything to do with it.

Viv

I'm glad we've both got our priorities straight then!

Z4 Beemer · 01-26-2008, 03:09 PM

Nice setup there Viv. My wireless Mighty Mouse goes through batteries at an astonishing rate. I see you don't have the new thin wireless keyboard yet.

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z4 Beemer

Nice setup there Viv. My wireless Mighty Mouse goes through batteries at an astonishing rate. I see you don't have the new thin wireless keyboard yet.

Thanks Gordon.

The only reason I didn't go for the wireless keyboard was because of the lack of the 2 USB ports, which I use quite a bit for the digital camera & USB drives- easier than having to move the screen around each time, or having to connect a separate hub.

I'm slowly getting used to the touch tablet & the buttons are great- the wireless Mighty mouse seemed a little fussy about right-clicks.

The Time Capsule is released next month, so I'll wait & see how that runs soon.

Viv

Steve A · 01-26-2008, 04:14 PM

VIV Please close this thread immediatley, all this living life on the edge is f*cking my head up - or i will punish you in Buxton

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve A

VIV Please close this thread immediatley, all this living life on the edge is f*cking my head up - or i will punish you in Buxton

Tell me that's a promise, Steve, please.

Viv

Z4 Beemer · 01-26-2008, 04:34 PM

Viv, have you pre-ordered a time capsule? I think on the Apple website it says something like 'available February' but you can pre-order now. A colleague at work is interested in one also, but I really want to hear how it actually works before splashing out. The specs look good and it does seem good value for money.

Buxton do make lovely water

vivekk · 01-26-2008, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z4 Beemer

Viv, have you pre-ordered a time capsule? I think on the Apple website it says something like 'available February' but you can pre-order now. A colleague at work is interested in one also, but I really want to hear how it actually works before splashing out. The specs look good and it does seem good value for money.

Buxton do make lovely water

Gordon, I haven't pre-ordered it yet- I think I'll do that over the phone tomorrow.

Viv

Steve A · 01-26-2008, 04:53 PM

( clearing my throat sound)

i thought i told you to lock this thread????

Z4 Beemer · 01-26-2008, 04:55 PM

Haha Viv - your first post read better!

Z4 Beemer · 01-26-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve A

( clearing my throat sound)

Would these help Steve?

01-19-2008, 02:47 PM	#67
NathanJT Techie Geek 37 Rep 681 Posts Drives: 330d M Sport Manual Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Derby, UK iTrader: (0)	z4, it's using a database of both wifi hotspots and cell towers to triangulate your location. Basically it's only as accurate as the signals it picks up. You obviously need at least 3 points to gain any level of accuracy. __________________ 330d M-Sport \| Sapphire Black \| Black Dakota \| Nav Pro \| iDrive \| Bluetooth \| PDC \| Xenons \| Hot Seats \| Tracker \| Blacklines
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01-21-2008, 03:03 PM	#68
vivekk THE Viv 184 Rep 4,743 Posts Drives: 330i SE Join Date: May 2005 Location: the North, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 BMW e90 330iSE [0.00]	Opinions: Wacom Bamboo Fun touch tablet Having completely ditched my PC, I'm now solely using my new iMac. I don't think I've ever been happier using a computer. Although I do enjoy using the wireless Mighty mouse, I'm feeling a little 'experimental' (no Steve...I'm talking about computers, ok ) & have been thinking about buying a touch tablet. I do use Photoshop more & more these days (if only to visually 'mock' various forum members ) & using a touch tablet with it would feel more 'natural', I'd assume. Based on reviews, I've been looking into the Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium (A5). I've never used one before, so I'd like to get some views from those who have. My questions include: 1 As a beginner, would this seem to be a suitable tablet? 2 Is there a long learning curve, moving from a mouse to a touch tablet? 3 Is it of much use for anything other than using with art software? 4 Having used a touch tablet, would you say you're happy to have moved on from your mouse? 5 Are there many practical disadvantages to using a touch tablet in preference to a mouse? Thanks & all the best. Viv __________________ [TiAg ▪ Dakota Black ▪ Active steering ▪ Sports suspension ▪ 162s ▪ Sports seats ▪ Al trim ▪ Bi-Xenons ▪ F&R PDC ▪ NavPro ▪ Voice control ▪ Bluetooth ▪ 6CD Logic7]
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01-21-2008, 03:41 PM	#69
booforty Major General 333 Rep 8,811 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E92 M3 [0.00]	Viv, I will probably upgrade my PC this year. Can I run most PC software and games on an iMac? Should I seriously consider moving to the dark side?
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01-22-2008, 12:34 PM	#71
Z4 Beemer Colonel 83 Rep 2,353 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 sDrive 23i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 E92 [0.00] 2004 Z4 2.2i [8.00]	We ran some quick performance tests (CPU number crunching) on a new Macbook running Windows XP in Parallels and compared it with a 2 year old AMD Athlon PC (can't quite remember the specs)... but Windows running on the Mac totally blew the PC away. __________________ E89 Z4 sDrive 23i... for the more discerning driver
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01-26-2008, 09:23 AM	#72
vivekk THE Viv 184 Rep 4,743 Posts Drives: 330i SE Join Date: May 2005 Location: the North, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 BMW e90 330iSE [0.00]	Wacom Bamboo Fun (medium) I thought I'd just go ahead & buy the Wacom Bamboo Fun touch tablet, so I did! It was, & still is a strange experience, moving from a mouse to a touch tablet. Although it is possible to change from the standard 'absolute' pen positioning to the old-style 'relative' mouse positioning, the new way just feels weird. Moving to a more 'natural' way of manoeuvring around a Mac's interface (albeit far better than a PC one, IMO ) is going to take some time, but I think it'll be worth it. Using Photoshop has become a whole lot easier & the pressure-sensitive pad is really nice to use. The two user-definable pen buttons work well & the lack of any batteries make it easy to hold & use without strain. The pen tip works from up to a distance of around 10mm from the pad surface, so 'rubbing' isn't a problem. The pad has a glowing blue touch ring, for zooming & scrolling, a back & forward button & 2 user-definable buttons. After installing the software, 'Ink' appears in the hardware section of system preferences. It carries out handwriting recognition on the Mac & is more for fun than anything else. The UK version of the Bamboo Fun medium comes with Photoshop Elements v4 & Art Rage 2 for the Mac, which is a good software bundle IMO. I bought mine from Amazon UK for £127.97- ebay may be slightly cheaper, but check on whether you're getting a UK or US version & software. All the best. Viv Attached Images __________________ [TiAg ▪ Dakota Black ▪ Active steering ▪ Sports suspension ▪ 162s ▪ Sports seats ▪ Al trim ▪ Bi-Xenons ▪ F&R PDC ▪ NavPro ▪ Voice control ▪ Bluetooth ▪ 6CD Logic7]
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01-26-2008, 10:18 AM	#73
BC4J Captain 58 Rep 793 Posts Drives: F30 328i Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Berkshire iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E90 335d [0.00]	Isn't that Carlos singing in the 3rd pic??? __________________ Behold! F30 328i M-Sport - Tanzanite Blue with Opal White Leather
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01-26-2008, 03:09 PM	#80
Z4 Beemer Colonel 83 Rep 2,353 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 sDrive 23i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 E92 [0.00] 2004 Z4 2.2i [8.00]	Nice setup there Viv. My wireless Mighty Mouse goes through batteries at an astonishing rate. I see you don't have the new thin wireless keyboard yet. __________________ E89 Z4 sDrive 23i... for the more discerning driver
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01-26-2008, 04:14 PM	#82
Steve A Brigadier General 96 Rep 3,465 Posts Drives: too much Join Date: May 2007 Location: Manchester UK iTrader: (0)	VIV Please close this thread immediatley, all this living life on the edge is f*cking my head up - or i will punish you in Buxton __________________ C350 cdi sport estate facelift 457lbft 130i M SportMercedes C350 CDI Sport Estate AutoMini Cooper Auto.Mercedes E250 CGI,Lexus IS-F,R36, RS4 Saloon,ML 420 CDI SPORT,M6, 335d, C55, C32, M3, M5, S3, ALL SOLD but fondly remembered
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01-26-2008, 04:34 PM	#84
Z4 Beemer Colonel 83 Rep 2,353 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 sDrive 23i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 E92 [0.00] 2004 Z4 2.2i [8.00]	Viv, have you pre-ordered a time capsule? I think on the Apple website it says something like 'available February' but you can pre-order now. A colleague at work is interested in one also, but I really want to hear how it actually works before splashing out. The specs look good and it does seem good value for money. Buxton do make lovely water Attached Images __________________ E89 Z4 sDrive 23i... for the more discerning driver
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01-26-2008, 04:53 PM	#86
Steve A Brigadier General 96 Rep 3,465 Posts Drives: too much Join Date: May 2007 Location: Manchester UK iTrader: (0)	( clearing my throat sound) i thought i told you to lock this thread???? __________________ C350 cdi sport estate facelift 457lbft 130i M SportMercedes C350 CDI Sport Estate AutoMini Cooper Auto.Mercedes E250 CGI,Lexus IS-F,R36, RS4 Saloon,ML 420 CDI SPORT,M6, 335d, C55, C32, M3, M5, S3, ALL SOLD but fondly remembered
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01-26-2008, 04:55 PM	#87
Z4 Beemer Colonel 83 Rep 2,353 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 sDrive 23i Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 E92 [0.00] 2004 Z4 2.2i [8.00]	Haha Viv - your first post read better! __________________ E89 Z4 sDrive 23i... for the more discerning driver
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