Packard Forum Index » General

...and it powered by a MacBookPro.


Well I was able to get a new laptop for work, so I make the plunge and got the new 17" MacBook Pro. But as I live in a Windows world a work and all our code is Windows based, I will be running VM Fusion. Which works out fine as my old Dell laptop runs multiple VMs (Virtual Machines) to simulate different development environments. So I was able to copy the VM files over to the Mac, and voila, they ran with no problems.

Any way, so far so good. Just trying to get used to this trackpad with no buttons. But with 8 gigs of ram, my VMs sure do fly.

I guess its the best of both worlds, MAC and Windows running at the same time on the same machine all in the same desktop if I wish. Perfect!

Kev, you'll never look back. I went to Mac several years ago, & now use Fusion & XP only for the 2 company websites that insist on active X crap, and have not found a need for windows on anything else.

I use an Imac so don't have the trackpad but if you have the 2 finger right click turned on, doubt you'll miss the buttons at all--plus you should have the advantage of most of the current (ala iPhone gestures) plus the new features I keep reading on the rumor sites that are expected for 10.6 later this year.

Just was reminded, in the mac world, we think of windows as the darkside.

I love my 13" Mac notebook, it just flat out runs. The only down side is that I had to buy two to keep the peace at the homestead. I have a ruggedized Windows laptop that I am required to use at work. I really miss the ability to scroll with two fingers on the work machine. I'll never buy another IBM.

Scott

Kevin-

I've been running macs since 1988, I'm saving for a MacBook Pro but my current MacBook is still running great. I'm using an external 20 inch monitor on arm hung from the wall, works great, with a wireless (USB not bluetooth) keyboard /mouse from logitech. Great for coding, I can turn the monitor 90 degrees so it is in Portrait mode. For coding on Mac I like Coda and TextMate.

For the trackpad, there is click setting in the system preferences on the mac os that turns on click, so you don't have to push down, but simply touch the new all in one track pad/button. Works great.

Now you need an iPhone; PackardInfo.com looks great on my iPhone.

Carl

Attach file:

---

  (25.94 KB)


  (22.52 KB)


  (18.75 KB)

I'm running Windows XP pro.

Question: I receive a data file into my computer as an Excell file. Maybe i receive 2wo files as excel files.

Now i want to process the Excell data file as input and produce a seperate output file to send back.

WHAT computer language should be used to read in the input Excell file, massage the data and then write out a new record to a new excell file that the program creates????

See OpenOffice.org It is an open source alternative to Windoz. It will do what you want.

Craig

Whenever I had to manipulate excel files, I exported to a csv (comma separated values) , cleaned up the information, back into excel. I've never tried to automate the process, as I was working with OCR (text scanned) and had to remove the garbage.

Apparently you've tried the macros with excel?

http://www.lynda.com has great online training for all sorts of programs, including excel, and macros.

Congrats on seeing the light and moving over to the wonderful world that is Mac. I'm sure you'll find it very pleasing to work with. This picture pretty much sums up the difference between Mac and P.C.:

Nice to hear good things about Macintosh. I've been using Macs since 1984-85 when I worked in an ad agency. Word 1.0 was one of the first software programs I learned (not too tough). Long-time DOS and Windows users might not recognize that low number, because Apple got the original Microsoft Word release.

I now use a desktop G4 Cube, which is outdated, but man is it the coolest. Don't know why they made them such a short time. It is a TRUE desktop because you can just sit it on an out-of-the-way corner of a desk. Plus, no buttons, touch the lexan top in the right spot and bing! One CD slot on top next to the passive ventilation port (power supply is on the end of the power cord--no fan)!

The most expensive one-slice toaster I ever bought, and one of the last Cubes sold new. The Cube was among the first new Mac designs launched after Steve Jobs returned to Apple.

PS I am NOT a computer wizard, and code remains just that to me. Something in code-- ie for qualified code breakers only.

Quote:

Your next paragraph answers the question--they didn't sell well. At the time, they were about the coolest and yet expensive (and limited) computer you could buy in the consumer market. I came so close to buying one for my first mac but finally decided that 2k for just a single relatively slow processor with no expansion capability (at the time) and then another approx 1k for a monitor just didn't compute. Bought a dual processor tower instead & haven't looked back. Now the cubes are becoming something of a cult object and still command a good price used.

As to word, and actually a lot the stuff that became office, you are so correct. MS developed it under contract FOR APPLE, with Apple help and guidelines etc etc. Thanks to some very poor legal and executive work on Apples part, MS was able to "appropriate" it along with the mouse driven GUI interface that became windows 95.

Anyone even remotely interested in the history of MS, Apple, operating systems and how various things came to pass in the industry can find a series of articles on www.roughlydrafted.com in the archives section. Somewhat biased at times, but apparently factual because he hasn't been sued or shut down--something MS (and Apple) have been known to try or do if writing doesn't please them.