DONMONTALVO  Slight delay in typing (input speed), and some notes syncing issues noted. But I'm sure 3.0.1 will be released soon to fix these issues. Overall, very good update.

Don Montalvo

Coppell, TX  
(Version 3.0)

DONMONTALVO  Good point, maybe it's best to do both. Buy Spotless, as well as submit a bug report. I wonder if Spotless' functions can be duplicated with normal shell commands?

Don  
(Version 2.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  "DiskWarrior = rebuilding (fixing) the file system/directoy.

Data Rescue II = restoring data from drives with broken and/or irreparable file system/directory due to hardware or software problems. "

...just to add two cents. When Data Rescue II restores data, often times you lose your resource forks, metadata, extended attributes, etc. Disk Warrior's approach is different, as others have pointed out.

Apples and oranges. They're both good tools (I own them both - I only use Data Rescue II as a last resort), but it's a mistake to try to compare the feature sets.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 1.2.2)

DONMONTALVO  Read this KB article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1375

Armed with this knowledge, please avoid this product. Too many people lose data to these kinds of sugar pill utilities.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 2.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  I would try this application except for the need to call home to complete registration. I deal with many vendors, and most offer an alternative way to complete registration (or activation, whatever) without needing to call home. Thank goodness for Little Snitch.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 1.12)

DONMONTALVO  Confirmed (thankfully!).

Don  
(Version 8.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  APPSFORLIFE wrote:

"Why should I buy Pixelmator when Photoshop exists?"

Pixelmator is *far* from a one shot pony. Let's keep this in perspective. iBloodTracker 2.0.0 does not work with any of the USB blood pressure devices, which would justify the cost. It doesn't, so any database will do.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 2.0.0)

DONMONTALVO  I've not had any issues with VMWare. I run Quicken Home Business 2009 as well as a blood pressure monitoring application (neither are available for Mac OS X). No problems, fast, stable and reliable.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 2.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  KOSOVAR1, are you a responsible parent?  
(Version 1.2.1)

DONMONTALVO  Works beautifully! Thanks for finding the resources to get this baby updated for 10.5. It's an essential tool for our many road warrior users.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 1.5)

DONMONTALVO  If Spotlight is "broken", why not report it to Apple so they can fix it? Rather than spending money on a hack?

https://bugreport.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RadarWeb.woa/wa/signIn

Don  
(Version 2.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  Add this to your list of ESSENTIAL ADMIN TOOLS.

Don Montalvo  
(Version 1.2.5)

DONMONTALVO  Out of all the options I found for OSX, this one stands out. I only wish the invoice template layout offered more alignment options. Great tool for freelancers, especially with Address Book integration!

Don  
(Version 1.4)

DONMONTALVO  Brilliant upgrade! Tabs are in a place that makes sooo much more sense. The "Show Top Sites" works great (although other users see YOUR top sites). Four stars for a great effort - will give fire stars after the above issue is addressed.

Don  
(Version 4.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  VYACHESLAV ZAKOVYRYA, I appreciate your comments, but you're missing the point. There is a problem with the Cisco client for Mac that requires a reboot or admin rights to "fix". The real fix needs to come from the developer. None of the solutions you provided negates the need for either admin rights or a reboot.

Don  
(Version 4.9.01.0100)

DONMONTALVO  > And one final note: if Apple didn't want people using an

> installer, they wouldn't have included one in their Developer Tools.

PackageMaker is NOT InstallerVISE.

Don  
(Version 13.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  ICeCoffEE uses APE, proceed with caution:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1545

Take a moment to peruse before taking any leap:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2007/03/unsanity-updates-utilities-application-enhancer-unsupported-by-apple.ars

Don  
(Version 1.5b5)

DONMONTALVO  Yes, the command line reload works fine, thanks. The issue remains though, the command line is not something we want non-admin users to have access to, thus a reboot is needed for the VPN client to work when this error comes up.

Thanks,

Don  
(Version 4.9.01.0100)

DONMONTALVO  RipIt is one of those *rare* applications that simply does what it's designed to do. Period. I wish other developers would pay notice.

Don  
(Version 1.2)

DONMONTALVO  Beautiful application, still in relative infancy, but can easily handle maybe 60% of what most people use Photoshop for. Missing some tools (dodge/burn, etc.) but that's coming no doubt.

This is a cocoa application that takes full advantage of OS X's Quartz graphics system...that alone is well worth the price of admission! :)

Don  
(Version 1.3.3)

DONMONTALVO  Excellent...silent, effective, at the right price.

Don  
(Version 4.2)

DONMONTALVO  Most shops ALREADY OWN Adobe InDesign. I've tested QuarkXPress 8.01 and I'm not impressed. It's still problematic (caching routine, lack of pref to designate temp directory, etc.).

We're already done moving most shops to InDesign CS3. Not jumping on InDesign CS4 until enough bug fixes are released. Maybe six months or so.

InDesign CS3 is fast, stable and reliable. The only people who are opposed to it at our client shops are the old timers who refuse to learn it. Too bad, as there is a whole pool of talented InDesign users coming from design schools (ironic, we may see more QuarkXPress-only people hitting the streets given the economic downturn).

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 8.01)

DONMONTALVO  Maturing nicely. Still a way to go before we displace NeoOffice. :)

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 09)

DONMONTALVO  Whenever someone tries to rewrite the MTA maps, they create a dependancy. Please, follow the lead of the "Mass Transit" developer. Just give us the MTA official map and build features around it in your app. Don  
(Version 2.3)

DONMONTALVO  That's bitter sweet news - we have recently migrated our clients and their satellite offices to Backup Exec. Over 40 copies of Retrospect retired...over 40 copies of Backup Exec deployed. No issues after dozens of test restores, not a hiccup with Backup Exec. I'm not happy about it, as it's one Windows application I needed to learn (or get better at as I was a bit familiar with it).

I wish EMC had been more open and up front about their road map. That they were not was enough to scare many of us away. Unfortunately once we move, it's hardly likely we would move back.

Don  
(Version 8.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  What a scam! OK, I just got off the phone with Digital River (the company that handles Toast purchases/upgrades). They agreed to give me a free upgrade from v9 (which I bought on Jan 2nd 2009) to v10 (which came out three days later). Of course they didn't mention that I would be charged *AGAIN* and would have to go through a "process" to get a refund for v9.

So my checking account gets charged twice, and I just got hit with an overdraft fee since the second charge (which I was *not* told would be applied to my account) put me over my limit. The person I spoke to was apologetic, but the fact of the matter is Roxio is out of control.

I told Digital River to completely cancel my order. Now I have to deal with my bank. If I get charged $35 for going over my limit, I will take Digital River to small claims court.

Believe everything you read about Roxio. They are *not* the company many of us grew up with. They've become a company with incompetent management who allowed these unreasonable upgrade prices (I have paid for v5, v6, v7 and v8...$400+ so far!). Hopefully Roxio will take advantage of the down economy and shake down the levels of management responsible for all this pie in face Roxio is getting.

I really hope Roxio gets their act together.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 10)

DONMONTALVO  I purchased Toast Titanium 9 on Jan 2nd. I will call Roxio to see if I can get a free upgrade to Toast Titanium 10 (since there were only 4 days between my purchase and release of the new version). I will post an update once I contact them.

Don  
(Version 10)

DONMONTALVO  Incredible - fast fix!  
(Version 2.0.5)

DONMONTALVO  Don't leave home without it.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 4.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  I had high hopes for Nighthawk. But I hung it up months ago. This is vaporware. Even if they do release this, based on NUDC track record, I'll stick to Apple's built in solution. At least we never have to worry about when it'll come out or when bugs will be fixed, and it's free with OSX. I'll be happy to look at Nighthawk when it comes out, but only for kicks - I would never recommend it to any of my clients.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 5.3.2)

DONMONTALVO  Eric Kopf (Stuffit Product Manager), your logic is flawed. Forgive me for being blunt, but what the heck were you thinking? You're violating Apple software distribution best practices, for what, convenience on your end (the number of calls)?

Sad, it looks like Smith Micro is taking the same course Adobe took. Shooting from the hip and creating a mess in the process.

We are removing Stuffit Expander from our builds. I don't see a need for it, and given Eric Kopf's logic, I'm afraid I've lost my confidence in Smith Micro with regard to properly designed software.

We try not to use duct tape to fix something that isn't broken. Take a step back, re-release as proper drag install. Then point people who call about installing to an online FAQ.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 13.0.2)

DONMONTALVO  Very solid update. Fixes our FTP issues. You guys rock. Adobe and Quark can learn from you guys. :)

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 9.1)

DONMONTALVO  We have Rumpus deployed to over a dozen high profile companies. This is good stuff. It's difficult to find an issue - and if one were found, it would be fixed very quickly.

Easy to set up, easy to manage, easy to support. This is great stuff. Believe all he 5-star reviews.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 6.0.2)

DONMONTALVO  It's been a year. No updates. Despite reporting directly and indirectly to Cisco, that there is a problem with 4.9.01(0100) client.

Does it work? Yes. Is it good? Yes. Does it have flaws? Yes. Do Cisco care enough to release a fix for the reported bug? Doesn't appear so.

The "Unable to communicate with VPN subsystem" error, which is resolved by rebooting continues...is it ironic that we must reboot OSX (a system that rarely needs to be rebooted) to compensate for a buggy application? Yes.

Don  
(Version 4.9.01.0100)

DONMONTALVO  I switched from VMWare Fusion to Parallels, then switched back. There is simply nothing more stable and reliable than VMWare Fusion. You really have to try all options before deciding, but I did and I stand this baby.

Don  
(Version 2.0.1)

DONMONTALVO  For those of us who NEVER boot from optical discs, this is a good upgrade.

Don  
(Version 4.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  Obsolete.  
(Version 13.0.1)

DONMONTALVO  Why on earth would you complain about frequent updates? There's no need to jump on the updates if the application works. Ignore them until you NEED to update. The point is, if you NEED to update, you CAN because more than likely the issue you're running into has been reported, fixed and redeployed. Think about it, would you rather wait a month or three until a combined update is released, or would you rather have your cake NOW? :)

I haven't tried this application yet, waiting for my family members to agree to contribute. But I have been keeping my eyes on this application and from what I've seen and read, it's a great application. And the group that makes it is on the ball.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 5.3)

DONMONTALVO  Adobe REALLY need to hire competent folks to code for them. Their installers seem to be written by folks with less than half a clue. Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 10.0.12.36)

DONMONTALVO  Seems to resolve some of the dropouts we see when scanning a VLAN.  
(Version 3.2.2)

DONMONTALVO  It appears the AD issues have finally been resolved. "Prefer this domain server" seems to (finally) work. AD issues that plagued 10.5.4 are not an issue anymore. All in all, a decent looking update. We put it on several workstations without any issues. Will slowly get it out to the other workstations later this week.

Don  
(Version 10.5.5)

DONMONTALVO  Disk Utility > File > New Image from Folder

Select 128 or 254 bit encryption. It's fast, free and totally supported by Apple.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.3)

DONMONTALVO  viclen asked:

> Do we really care whether someone has "moved 4 production

> departments to InDesign" or has some other axe to grind? Nope.

Actually, yes, we do care. Everyone responsible for supporting a production department who works with QuarkXPress DOES CARE about this stuff.

I work in a very high profile company responsible for publishing 600+ high quality (and very expensive) fine art cataloges per year. We use QuarkXPress 6.52, never moved to v7 and are not even considering v8.

We are moving to InDesign in the coming months. And guess what? We already own it. So does anyone who has Creative Suite. There is NO MONEY TO SPEND. And anyone who has migrate to InDesign knows the level of support you get from Adobe as opposed to Quark is many fold better.

I would suggest anyone who is UNSURE if they should migrate should contact Adobe and ask them to send a rep to your company to review your workflow and give you an honest assessment. We did it, and we'll be moving over soon.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 8.0)

DONMONTALVO  I submitted this to Apple...I'm getting the following error in iTunes 8 when I exit on Mac 10.5.4:

"iTunes was unable to load dataclass information from Sync Services. Reconnect or try again later."

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 8.0)

DONMONTALVO  Nice upgrade, very clean and stable. I noticed the splashscreen allows Mac OS X Server to be run as a VM. Looking forward to seeing documentation on how to set that up.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.0rc1)

DONMONTALVO  When you have several dozen MacBook Pro users traveling the world, and remote offices without local support staff, this is one essential tool.

Don  
(Version 1.5)

DONMONTALVO  When do we get a UNIX tool to run these commands remotely (or schedule via cron/launchd)? :)

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 6.0)

DONMONTALVO  I know one word reviews are not very helpful, and pretty annoying...but...WOW!!!

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.2)

DONMONTALVO  Looking for just such a utility. Shame it doesn't support firmware 2.0 (yet).

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.5)

DONMONTALVO  This isn't about bashing QuarkXPress. This is about spreading the word that Quark (the company) is milking Tim Gill's hard work. The bugs and issues we've reported over the years have NOT been resolved.

Caching/temp file routine is STILL unmanageable - we've asked for a temp directory pref and never got it so QuarkXPress documents go south in many Xinet/Helix environments ; lack of *.plist mean inability to push defaults commands which is a huge step back in production environments; I can go on...but why bother.

The simple fact of the matter is people need to be warned. Do NOT spend money on QuarkXPress until you've done your homework - get in touch with the folks who manage large production environments to get the untainted truth. Call the schools (who are pushing InDesign heavily). Call the recruiters (who have an overage of overpaid QuarkXPress experts, but can't keep up with the demand for InDesign pros.

Please...let's not get into a food fight. Just make a few calls and get the truth. And, for the record, if you're looking for work in NYC, you better get up to speed on InDesign. Those production environments that haven't made the switch are quietly working on getting switched over as I type.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 8.0)

DONMONTALVO  Quark (the company) is on a downward spiral. Over the past few years I have tried in vain to communicate necessary fixes/changes to Quark's development team. Long standing bugs have NOT been fixed. Long standing requests (such as *.plist based preferences which would allow central management via WGM Manifest Editor, ssh defaults push, etc.) which would have put QuarkXPress on par with other PROPERLY WRITTEN applications were ignored.

Quark (the company) has changed hands several times in the past few years. Each change of management brought with it new waves of marketing hype - which in the end turned out to be the same business as usual path.

My colleagues who manage the largest graphics, design, and production environments, including many of the top Fortune100 companies who have internal Mac shops, have been actively migrating to InDesign (which they ALREADY OWN as part of the base Adobe Creative Suite bundle).

I had hoped Quark (the company) would listen, if only to keep QuarkXPress afloat. I loathe companies that rest on their laurels. All that is left of Quark (the company) is a company in trouble pouring money into Marketing, and lacking proper management who can turn things around.

My biggest disappointment is that without QuarkXPress alive and kicking, then Adobe InDesign will not have the competition it needs to keep forging ahead with new ideas while responsibly maintaining the fast, stable and usable interface it has.

Tim Gill should buy Quark (the company) again, if only to preserve the competitive environment.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 8.0)

DONMONTALVO  Mmmm...seamless windows. Yum! :)

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 10.00.601)

DONMONTALVO  Someone should release a patch that removes all traces of Smart Crash Reports. I can't believe how otherwise reputable vendors include this shoddy software with their installs - without the option to NOT install. Reckless and irresponsible if the software is to be deployed in enterprise environments that have authenticating proxy servers.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.5b3)

DONMONTALVO  Yes, I stand corrected. I called HP and they confirmed, if your printer is set up on the workstation, the MAC OSX will pull down the driver.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.1)

DONMONTALVO  That only works for printers that are directly connected. For network printers, you need to download the whole enchalada.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.1)

DONMONTALVO  Since Leopard requires PPDs to be put into a different location than Tiger (one level up), a LOT of drivers "broke". This is a welcome update...and a PACKAGE INSTALLER at that!!!! Yay! I can confirm the installer does NOT whack permissions, nor does it require a reboot.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.1)

DONMONTALVO  Yes, but without a REAL activation tool (that doesn't require you to connect via iTunes), Apple isn't ready for enterprise.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.0)

DONMONTALVO  Is there a change list?  
(Version 2.0)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 8.1.2)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.6.7)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.9.7)

DONMONTALVO  interesting. seems to work fine. will test this weekend.

don montalvo  
(Version 2.5.2)

DONMONTALVO  *** 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  
(Version 10.5.3)

DONMONTALVO  *** 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  
(Version 10.5.3)

DONMONTALVO  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 MicroSnort Orifice.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.2.3 patch 4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.2)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 4.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.2.3)

DONMONTALVO  Good stuff...but the built in software update check does not work.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.1.5)

DONMONTALVO  This is broken as of 10.5, Bombich is aware and I'm sure is working on an update.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 2.0.2)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.1.2)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.1.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.1.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.2.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0 beta 1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0.0.10)

DONMONTALVO  It doesn't get any better than this!

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 4.3.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.1.2)

DONMONTALVO  another link:

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/10/29/leopard.install.freezes/

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 4.1.2)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 4.1.2)

DONMONTALVO  Again...three words for Adobe:

Apple Package Installer

Thank You,

Don  
(Version 9.0.64)

DONMONTALVO  We use ARD3.1 in many enterprise environments. Helpdesk use VNC to connect without any problems what so ever.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 3.2)

DONMONTALVO  This isn't a developer forum.  
(Version 10/03/07)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 10/03/07)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 10/03/07)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 10/03/07)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  To clarify...Apple's screencapture can take grabs on local and remote computers.

Don  
(Version 2.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 8.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0b6)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.2.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.2.1)

DONMONTALVO  For Adobe upper management...I give you three words:

Apple Package Installer

Thank you,

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 9.0.60.184)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 9.0.60.184)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.4.4)

DONMONTALVO  Managed computers = enterprise, edu, etc.

PS, I certaily hope the developer understands what "managed" means. ;)

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.4.4)

DONMONTALVO  Everyone should be aware this uses APE which in most managed environments is a huge no-no.

Don Montalvo, NYC  
(Version 1.4.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.0.51348)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.0.5060)

DONMONTALVO  ...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  
(Version 2.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  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. ;)  
(Version 2.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  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)  
(Version 2.0b1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.0.4560)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 11.3.6)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 11.3.6)

DONMONTALVO  Wow...everyone is right, this really stinks.

Don

Don Montalvo, NYC

Curmudgeon at large  
(Version 9.0.47)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 4.9.01.0080)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0.0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 5.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  sign up for email notification at the neooffice. don  
(Version 2.1 Patch 5)

DONMONTALVO  excellent...but why no copy/paste? :)

don  
(Version 0.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 6.1.10.100)

DONMONTALVO  command - up arrow?

don  
(Version 1.0)

DONMONTALVO  blue screen of death with beta3 when i try to use bootcamp partition. shame, works fine with parallels 3188.

don montalvo, nyc  
(Version 1.0b3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0rc1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 7.2)

DONMONTALVO  what can you say about an application that does what it's supposed to do without any issues? good software development. :)

don montalvo, nyc  
(Version 2.0.0.1b)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 7.1.1)

DONMONTALVO  amen...those who use ape get no support from our group. none. nada. zilch.

don  
(Version 2.0.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.5.3188)

DONMONTALVO  what an indespensible application...especially with its ability to use bootcamp partition!

don montalvo, nyc  
(Version 2.5.3170)

DONMONTALVO  it's that simple, ey? take a moment to check www.dstpatch.com (specifically the faq).

don montalvo, nyc  
(Version 1.0)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.2.4)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.1)

DONMONTALVO  i would praise microsoft if they fixed the entourage spinning beachball problem.

don  
(Version 11.3.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 7.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.0)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.0)

DONMONTALVO  i would post to the parallels forum. i'm having the same problem.

http://forums.parallels.com

don

don montalvo, nyc

curmudgeon at large  
(Version 2.5.3106)

DONMONTALVO  ...parallels also allows you to use your bootcamp partition.

don  
(Version Build 36932)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.0.0.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.5.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 11.3.1)

DONMONTALVO  surf over to the parallels forum...you'll find answers there.

don

don montalvo, nyc

curmudgeon at large  
(Version 2.5.3036)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.5.3036)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 7.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 3.1)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 4.8)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 1.2)

DONMONTALVO  need thunderbird to feed off apple address book to give us the tight integration we expect on macs. it's also very slow.

don  
(Version 1.5.0.7)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.2.1940)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 11.3)

DONMONTALVO  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  
(Version 2.2.1922)