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ARGH!!! I just spent the past weekend re-packaging CS3 for distribution and they come out with this fix NOW??? Of course Adobe STILL does not provide proper package installers. They need to shake down their developer team...get some new blood that knows how to play by the Apple guidelines. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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There is no better software RAID solution for Mac than SoftRAID. It used to be bundled with ASIP server, then later when OSX was released, the driver was bundled (minus the application). Apple would be doing everyone a favor by bundling SoftRAID with their Xserve boxes. Sure, they offer hardware RAID for money - but most small shops only want software RAID. Sorry, but Diskutil software RAID is not in the same league as SoftRAID. We use it for critical workstations (RAID-1, email notification if a drive fails, user is none the wiser). Great stuff. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Well worth the shareware fee. This is an incredible application. Gives you so much that you normally need some sort of online application for (like motionbased.com) but allows you to store your data locally, without the annual fee the sites ask for. Don Don Montalvo, NYC |
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interesting. seems to work fine. will test this weekend. don montalvo |
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*** ALSO REPORTED BY HELIOS *** HELIOS TechInfo #116 ==================== Mon, 02 Jun 2008 Mac OS X to 10.5.3 Upgrade Warning ---------------------------------- The Apple Mac OS X client upgrade to 10.5.3 introduces a severe problem, which has been reported by customers and reproduced by HELIOS. We strongly recommend not to upgrade to 10.5.3 until a solution to the problem is available. Images saved from Photoshop CS3 can get corrupted visually (stripes or similar in the image) or even structurally so that they cannot be opened again in Photoshop or another application. HELIOS can reproduce this problem with Photoshop CS3. According to customer reports, also other CS3 applications seem to be affected. The problem occurs with Apple based AFP servers as well as with HELIOS EtherShare. We will update this tech-info when new information is available. Best regards, HELIOS Support |
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*** SERIOUS BUG REPORTED BY XINET *** Mac OS 10.5.3 Issues We have just been made aware that there are issues with 10.5.3 Client. Primarily with PhotoShop and InDesign saving files. After installing the update saving files will corrupt the file. If the update has been installed the workaround is to "Save As" This looks to be an issue with saving both locally and across the network. We strongly recommend against upgrading any client machines to 10.5.3 until this issue has been resolved. Regards, The IOI Support Team |
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As always, a welcome patch from a great opensource group. Kudos to the whole NeoOffice gang...every single one of you who put in the effort to give us a problem free, versitile, powerful and FREE office suite that is fully compatible with Don Montalvo, NYC |
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We have been using ExtremeZ-IP for years to provide AFP3 which Windows server does not offer (only offers AFP2). AFP3 fully supports OSX (AFP2 does not). It's simple and easy to install. Install, turn off SFM, done, no reboot of Win server needed. The importance of ExtremeZ-IP is even greater given the fact Microsoft removed SFM (which includes AFP2) from Windows Server 2008. If your mixed platform environment is forced to use Windows server on the back end, do yourself and your company a favor, get ExtremeZ-IP (SMB is not any better than AFP2) so your MacOS users are fully supported. PS, The "Auto-reconnect" feature alone is worth the price of ExtremeZ-IP Don |
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Version 4.1 just saved my a$$. I had a problem that neither Diskwarrior or Diskutility could fix. Sure, we don't have a Leopard-bootable disc yet (coming, I'm sure), but I booted several brand new MacBook Pro laptops into Target Disk mode and was able to fix some issues that apparently no other utility saw. Kudos Alsoft! Don Montalvo, NYC |
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This newest release, 2.2.3, addresses some GUI issues many of our users have complained about (most importantly, the lack of ability to COMMAND-click the title bar to show path to file. Bravo, hope to see more releases - so we remain free of the Micosoft "tax". Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Good stuff...but the built in software update check does not work. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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This is broken as of 10.5, Bombich is aware and I'm sure is working on an update. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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I've long abandoned TechTool in favor of Apple's own solutions (built into the system) or DiskWarrior. Marketing hype aside, I just don't see any real value in TechTool. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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I emailed qdea support to ask if they updated Synchronize! Pro to NOT expand *.graffle package files. I was very pleased to find out they added a pref doing just that. I've happily returned from my six month stint using Synk Pro (which has a horrible, unintuitive and frustrating interface). I'm glad to be home again...there is SOOOO much I synchronize on a regular basis that the last 6 months have been pure hell. Thanks qdea...thank you...thank you...thank you... :) Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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Long time owner...waiting for option to NOT display contents of *.graffle files when there's a difference...but rather to show modification of the actual *.graffle file. Not looking to wrestle with the developer, merely asking for an option to ONLY show difference time. I asked for this back in the Spring. Switched to Synk (which ONLY displays *.graffle file but not contents), would like to switch back. Don |
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iKey does the trick for us. What kind of macros does QuicKeys handle better? Not trolling...I own both iKey and QuicKeys and would like to know if it's worth upgrading. Don |
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Yet another reason to avoid APE. http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.php/Leopard_Upgrade_Issues Sorry guys, but APE does in fact cause problems. Can't deny this anymore. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Omnigraffle Pro is one of the best applications ever made for Mac OS X. My only gripes are: 1. Keyboard shortcuts inconsistent with expected behavior. 2. Inability to maintain horizontal/vertical alignment on some connecting lines, especially where we need to overlap lines (I spend too much timeselecting one dot and moving it pixel by pixel and STILL not able to get overlapping lines to match up. 3. Inability to open some xml formatted exported files from Visio 2007. 4. Inability to get "keep fit to window" to stick between launches on same document 5. Page Setup doesn't stick on documents I hope the new Beta resolves these issues...more than I hope for more features. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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I'm still unclear as to whether FontLab is working on a Universal Binary given the conflicting posts. It's fair for any customer to want a timeline/roadmap on UB release. Don |
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Sorry guys...Safari 2.0.0.10 is dog slow. I tried flushing caches and prefs and starting fresh. Takes forever to launch and then it's a fraction of the speed of Safari. Time to go back to Safari. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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It doesn't get any better than this! Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Make sure you add the Growl plugins that are included in the installer DMG...out of the box Mail won't notify. Works fine for me. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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another link: http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/10/29/leopard.install.freezes/ Don Montalvo, NYC |
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I really wish the makers of APE would come to grips with the fact that their code causes problems. Please take a moment... http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306857 Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Again...three words for Adobe: Apple Package Installer Thank You, Don |
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We use ARD3.1 in many enterprise environments. Helpdesk use VNC to connect without any problems what so ever. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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This isn't a developer forum. |
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I've been managing Mac departments in Fortune 100 environments, Advertising, Marketing, Design, etc. firms for years. Your advice is not sound for business. Perhaps mom&pop shops or other privately held companies who are not responsible to shareholders can consider your suggestion. It's the mac administrator's job to ensure compliance. Antivirus is part of a solid technology plan. Denying the need is a not very professional. Sorry for being blunt but business does not take risk lightly. Don |
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you obviously haven't worked in corporate environments where virus protection is a mandate. It's reckless and irresponsible to tell people to run without it. Don |
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Not sure if that's a good idea, especially in an enterprise/education environment. Even if Mac viruses are few and far between, we are RESPONSIBLE to the other computers on the network (PCs, etc.) to ensure we stop the spread of these viruses. We simply set things up so active scanning is off and only these things get scanned: 1. downloads folder 2. expanding files 3. nightly scan Don |
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On June 8th you posted in this very thread that your company was working on a UB release of FontLab: > Fontlab Ltd. is working on it, but a universal > build will not be part of a bugfix. Then on October 2nd you posted this: > (1) I wonder if you could be more specific as for > who and where promised a universal binary version > of FontLab Studio 5? As far as I can tell, no-one > from our company made that claim. ...so which is it? Don |
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Sounds like another Eudora fiasco. Can't afford to spend the time or money to make it a universal binary. You have to understand that those of us who spent the money are going to shake our heads wondering why we did. This thread has me wondering of the fate of FontLab. Don |
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Your company's customer service department told me a Universal Binary is (or was) weeks away. Since when do we need a reason for needing a Universal Binary? Quite honestly, had I known a Universal Binary was NOT around the corner, I wouldn't have spent the money. Don |
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I didn't say it was easy - what I said was the company promised a UB would be released soon. I paid hundreds for FontLab but we STILL don't have a UB. It's difficult work, but it was promised to the public. We paid but didn't get the UB. Don |
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To clarify...Apple's screencapture can take grabs on local and remote computers. Don |
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It's been a while since I've used SnapzPro since it lagged behind (lack of universal binary for a very long time). There are other solutions out there, including Apple's own "screencapture" terminal tool (for taking screenshots on remote computers), ScreenCaptureX, etc. I'm using Snapz Pro X again, but I don't include it in my login items list. I launch it when I need it (I keep the icon on my Dock). Don |
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Too late - I've migrated myself and most of my clients to Apple Mail. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Apple Mail has come a long way. However, I'll wait to see how Eudora comes along. It's going to take a lot to get me/us off Apple Mail though...it's matured farther than I had anticipated. Don |
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I'm sooo used to having LittleSnitch installed that I take it for granted it's built into OSX. Works like a charm - always there to protect you - has ZERO issues. One of the best heaps of code out there. Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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Yes, good point. I guess the speed hit depends on the Mac. I'm on a MacBook Pro 1.83 (week 10) Dual Core...takes a bit to launch. On new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros the speed hit is very small. A small price to pay for a nearly $500 savings. :) Don |
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NeoOffice is OpenOffice minus X11. Before you decide whether to take the jump, take a moment to peruse this site: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Major_OpenOffice.org_Deployments I use NeoOffice and so do all my collegues. There is simply no valid reason to pay for Microsoft Office anymore. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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For Adobe upper management...I give you three words: Apple Package Installer Thank you, Don Montalvo, NYC |
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That's because Adobe doesn't seem to have the management discipline to stick to Apple Package Installer format for software distribution. C'mon Adobe, get with the program. Those of us who manage large Mac environments should NOT have to snapshoot/package every single plugin update. Maybe it's time to fire some of your management who don't GET IT. Other than the installer application, the plugin seems extremely well made. So far no issues. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Modifying an application is cause for concern among sensible systems administrators. Maybe not edu sysadmins, but certainly those managing Macs in business environments. I wonder what our proxy server administrator would think of your haxie/APE hacks trying to send information outside our network. I also wonder why your site doesn't include official statements from Adobe, Microsoft, Quark, etc., stating they will continue to support their applications despite the presence of haxies/APE? Haxies/APE is fine for home users, but it's a stretch to make such a bold claim that it doesn't cause issues by modifying applications. Don |
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Managed computers = enterprise, edu, etc. PS, I certaily hope the developer understands what "managed" means. ;) Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Everyone should be aware this uses APE which in most managed environments is a huge no-no. Don Montalvo, NYC |
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Currently the best (most stable, least impact on OSX, etc.) virtualization on the market for Mac. I own both. I started with Parallels, but those guys have lost control of development so I've switched over to VMWare. This release comes at a good time. I have 200+ users in various shops that need a solution. Good stuff. I'm quite impressed at the product and at the development team for sticking to their guns and releasing a great solution. Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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Sorry guys...I had to jump over to VMWare Fusion. Parallels development seems to be spiraling out of control. Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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...in addition, if RDC were designed to ONLY run from /Applications directory, we wouldn't have to worry about permissions. If you're an admin, you can drag the application into the /Applications folder and use it...else, not. Don |
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Creating a package installer that requires an admin password is not very useful if the application itself doesn't prompt for admin password on launch. With the possible exception of pre-schoolers, any user can simply copy the application to their computer from another. Alternatively, CoRD is free and easy to get and use. ;) |
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I'm not sure I agree with your "You don't manage many computers" comment. Self contained applications are best practice wherever possible. If you don't want RDC used in your environment, simply block that traffic at the network level. CoRD is a FREE alternative that works fine off the user's Desktop. There's simply no need for an installer where a drag install works. Don Montalvo, NYC (who manages many Macs) |
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Deployed to 200+ clients at several shops...incredibly easy to set up and support. We have clients set up with Bootcamp partition that Parallels EASILY uses as your virtual environment. This is a HUGE productivity enhancement. Bootcamp partition can EASILY be "bound" to Active Directory and managed as ANY OTHER pc in the environment. Priced right, well supported (including a great user/admin forum)...folks, this solution simply WORKS. For balance, I will say we're also exploring VMWare for Mac but with our mass deployment of Parallels and virtually no issues, we wouldn't have a reason to switch. Don |
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Absolutely...let me further add to my comment. Microsoft Office 2004 stinks. Plain and simple. I OWN Microsoft Office 2004 (OWNED every version since its inception). I may have forked over $1500 to Microsoft for what amounts to junk compared with FREE NeoOffice that is not only a universal binary, but supports the latest formats, runs smoothly and without issues, and did I mention it's FREE? There ya go...let me know if you need more reason to abandon Microsoft Office 2004. Donate a portion of the money you're throwing away toward cancer research and maybe toss a few bucks back into the NeoOffice project. :) Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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We abandoned Microsoft Office 2004 a year ago. We (including my collegues and many of our clients) are hapily using NeoOffice. Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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Wow...everyone is right, this really stinks. Don Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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The Cisco client for MacOSX is exceptional! IT groups at all client shops are impressed that it works flawlessly. Don Don Montalvo, NYC Curmudgeon at large |
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I've been using Thunderbird since Eudora was taken out back and shot. I'm impressed. It does what I need plus. Some issues with fiters (can't seem to kickstart all filters - have to trigger each rule per folder). Don |
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why is this still NOT a universal binary?! i bought cross grade from fontographer with the promise of ub release. what gives? don montalvo, nyc |
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sign up for email notification at the neooffice. don |
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excellent...but why no copy/paste? :) don |
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retrospect for mac is obviously no longer being developed. a shame, but not a problem. check out bru. the unix toolset is proven for over 20 years on the unix side. they ported to mac as a result of a request from nasa. the gui is maturing, and hopefully it'll soon reach the incredible level the underlying toolset. emc is simply milking this cash cow. don |
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command - up arrow? don |
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blue screen of death with beta3 when i try to use bootcamp partition. shame, works fine with parallels 3188. don montalvo, nyc |
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quoting is still a mess, but still a great project. not "owned" is a good thing in this case. the opensource community works together to bring us a free email client that (despite its minor glitches) beats everything else out there. sure, entourage has "ties" to microsoft office...but do you REALLY want that? apple mail has "ties" to osx...again, do you REALLY want that? i think too much focus is in integration when sight should not be lost on core functionality. functionality should not be tied to anything (remember the infamous court case against microsoft regarding i.e.'s ties to windows?). give us quoting that properly wraps (i spend TOO MUCH TIME ediging quoted text because if thunderbird's inability to properly quote/wrap quoted text). no plugin/addon/extension available that cleans up the quoting mess. filtering is still a crapshoot - sometimes it kind of works, sometimes you have to manually run filter on each folder...a huge drag. not without faults...on the other hand, without dependancies. :) don montalvo, nyc |
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still no pref to designate temp/cache directory. the more things change, the more things stay the same. too bad, quarkxpress could be serious competition to indesign if the company found the will to shake down their development department so they can implement necessary changes without "breaking" compatibility for customer workflows. ps, gotta love quark.com's claim "used by more companies - period". :) don montalvo, nyc |
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what can you say about an application that does what it's supposed to do without any issues? good software development. :) don montalvo, nyc |
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every so often a gem like this comes along and changes the way you do things - to the extent that it makes a chore transparent. kudos to the developer. don |
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aside from a few user interface glitches (can't command-click titlebar to get path to file, printing is a bit different than via microsoft office, spreadsheet application doesn't obey our toolbar customization, etc...nothing major), this is an incredible achievement by the opensource community. it shows that a company such as microsoft is not able to stop the opensource community. at times it seems like microsoft (and other companies like quark) simply don't get it. they don't seem to care as long as they're getting your money. my clients are not going to be able to leave microsoft...but many home users, consultants, freelancers and students who are tired of paying the microsoft fee - with little in return but aging, buggy mac software - MUST try neooffice. it's free, but please contribute to the developer - even if it's a paltry few dollars. you won't regret it. don montalvo, nyc |
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unfortunately, no. :( please join us in offering feedback to apple: itunes > provide itunes feedback ...i can't believe they removed the button either!!! don montalvo, nyc |
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amen...those who use ape get no support from our group. none. nada. zilch. don |
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i'm not a big 'coherance' fan but many of my clients are. it makes windows easier to use as it allows windows windows to interleave with osx windows. of course if you bring any windows window to the front, the entire windows environment comes to the front (which is why i'm not using that feature simple fact...parallels is the most usable virtualization solution on the market. incredibly active development, although some releases came with issues that bit a few of us (but developer always fixed faster than you'd expect). i have many clients set up with parallels (over 200 in several companies). none on the new version but will soon...especially now that usb2 functionality appears to be complete. don don montalvo, nyc |
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what an indespensible application...especially with its ability to use bootcamp partition! don montalvo, nyc |
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it's that simple, ey? take a moment to check www.dstpatch.com (specifically the faq). don montalvo, nyc |
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this baby is truly the 'little snitch'. i simply don't feel safe and secure without little snitch installed. before i tried it, i NEVER knew how many things called out to the internet without my being prompted. amazing. this is a keeper...really... don |
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interesting. i wonder if there's a comparison of fapro server, suitcase server and fontreserve server (fusion server will combine the last two but isn't out yet). looking for granular control at the workgroup admin level...and for the server to warn if the 26th person tries to load that 25 user font. don don montalvo, nyc |
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i don't have any collegues who have deployed fontagent server. i'm glad you posted your followup. i'm not interested in bleeding for a company who hasn't properly tested their product before releasing to the public. don don montalvo, nyc |
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i would praise microsoft if they fixed the entourage spinning beachball problem. don |
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macmuser wrote: > QuarkXPress is still the most > problematic application we have > and it has been so since 1989. > Considering a lot of the legacy > code is still inside it is no > wonder. quark (the company) is the mcdonalds of the publishing industry. once you start eating there, you get fat and lazy and unreceptive to advice to change your eating habits. indesign is a far superior product. the issue is legacy work. enough of it to scare some companies from changing over. don |
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i disagree. the real fix for this kind of problem has to come from the font management application developers. any perceived relief of these problems is outweighed by the disruption caused by changing fonts. the solution needs to come from extensis, linotype, insidersoftware, etc., and it needs to be done in a way that does not alter the font(s). don |
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great...just what the mac community needs...a "utility" that changes fonts. geez. doesn't ANY developer understand the havoc this can bring to a production environment or client/vendor workflow? don montalvo, nyc |
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i would post to the parallels forum. i'm having the same problem. http://forums.parallels.com don don montalvo, nyc curmudgeon at large |
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...parallels also allows you to use your bootcamp partition. don |
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it DOES offer a feature "like private browsing": firefox > preferences > privacy > always clear my private data when i close firefox > [settings...] don don montalvo, nyc |
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there appears to be an issue with 3.5.1 where if you try to "add second drive", you get a fast progress bar followed by "mirror is rebuilt" dialog followed by "missing secondary drive". reverted to 3.3 and emailed softraid to see what's up. don don montalvo, nyc curmudgeon at large |
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senseless updates that do nothing to address the main issue...the entourage spinning beach ball. microsoft broke entourage (in exchange environments) but instead of acknowledging their mistake, they release dot-dot patches under the guise of security concerns. microsoft's mac business unit's dev team manager should be fired. or maybe not...we've migrated several hundred people to neooffice and thunderbird (we're anxiously awaiting further progress on lightning/sunbird). maybe the manager should receive a reward for giving us the last straw that prompted us to look for alternatives. how sweet, opensource. :D don |
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surf over to the parallels forum...you'll find answers there. don don montalvo, nyc curmudgeon at large |
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wow...this is incredible. if you're a parallels user who's frustrated at the inability to use your bootcamp partition in parallels, this update is for you. if you'd like your windows application windows to appear without the windows desktop background (coherance feature), this update is for you. update? this baby is such an incredible upgrade...wow... don montalvo, nyc |
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with it's ability to allow admins to lock down preferences (to keep fonts from being "fixed" in environments where compliance/liability issues are important), this tool is as good as it gets for checking and organizing fonts. whether you'd ever WANT to "fix" a font is an entirely different story. don |
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costs less than timbuktu...the more clients, the more expensive, AND timbuktu is only a remote control client (lacks 95% of apple's ard features). don |
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upgraded to ard3.1 on my macbook pro. scanning is much, much faster (doesn't stall across subnets when you define ip ranges). still lacking contextual menu support in main window...we should be able to select a computer (or a group of computers) and use contextual menu to do things. for instance, i should be able to select a computer, right click and choose "ssh to machine" and a terminal window should open prompting me for my password in terminal for ssh connection... don |
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vpn tracker does what it advertises - and does it well. their support is lacking though. while you can get a live person on the phone (in their new california office) when the main office (in germany) is closed, the california office is NOT ABLE to approve serial adjustments...ONLY the germain office can do this. i have a very angry client (who i recommended vpn tracker to as a mac vpn client solution) who has NOT been able to work all day. apparently the german office has closed for the day WITHOUT adjusting the serial number DESPITE my requesting this 8hours ago. my client is very upset. this makes me look bad. this isn't the first time equinux's licensing system has left my clients (and myself) out to hang. consider ipsecuritas BEFORE vpn tracker. i did, unfortunately ipsecuritas' gui got my client to decide to spend on vpn tracker. maybe ipsecuritas will mature the gui? if so, i would stop my clients from using vpntracker. http://www.lobotomo.com/products/IPSecuritas/ don don montalvo, nyc curmudgeon at large |
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bru is maturing nicely. they've been around forever and have a solid reputation for faithfully restoring backed up files. i especially love the ease of setting up disk-to-disk-to-tape (d2d2t). whither retrospect...helooowww bru! :) don |
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need thunderbird to feed off apple address book to give us the tight integration we expect on macs. it's also very slow. don |
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i can not survive without parallels...period. it allows me to run windows at close to native speed on an intel based mac (where virtualization is built into the chip). having said that, my only gripe is the fact that it does not support usb2 (only usb1.1) so my clients who use garmin gps devices are out of luck. don |
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no fix for entourage 2004 spinning beach ball. entourage 2004 is not updated (still at 11.2.5). a big disappointment...and a clear signal to move clients effected by this issue to apple mail. don montalvo, nyc |
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wow....i've been testing every update these guys put out (talk about round-the-clock engineers!!!) and this update is the first one that has me thinking they've perfected virtualization. ps, well...still need usb2 don |
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