Disqus - Latest Comments for Bocaboy

Re: Running Windows Vista on a Mac

Bocaboy — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:07:53 -0000

I've been using Bootcamp since it was first released to run Windows XP and Vista . The performance of XP on a Mac Mini with 1.25 gb of memory is exceptional. It is the fastest, most trouble free installation of Windows I've ever run. Both Parallels and Fusion, however, failed to perform as well, and I found that running a virtual machine had a significant negative impact on the performance of OS X. The Mini just didn't seem to have enough horsepower. Maybe the new ones with the Intel Core 2 Duos improve on this, but the original Mini's had performance problems with running virtual machines.

I also own a MacBook with 2 gb of RAM and run Parallels and Fusion and find the performance to be excellent. Graphics-intensive applications will cause the fan to come on which can create quite a racket in a meeting. The effect on performance from running a virtual machine on OS X on a MacBook is minimal, but XP definitely has less of an impact than Vista.

My next Mac is going to be equipped with a top-of-the-line graphics adapter and as much RAM as the iMac will hold. That seems to be the trick to running either Parallels or Fusion with a minimum impact on OS X.

Based on my experience with Apple computers, I won't be buying a Dell, HP or Gateway anytime soon!

Re: Free My Phone

Bocaboy — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:18:07 -0000

There is nothing to add but, "Right on, brother!" I am skeptical that the current politicians will do anything, however, to break this monopoly. That would require leadership and vision, something that is in very short supply inside the Beltway. I'd have to make the assumption that Verizon and AT&T are going to be big contributors in this upcoming election, so unless a wildcard like Gore were to come along, we can, unfortunately, count on the Russian ministries being around for some time to come.

Re: Fix It: Outlook Calendar and iPhone Calendar Events Hours Not Synched Correctly

Bocaboy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:45:04 -0000

Thank you! This had me completely stumpted after Daylight Savings Time ended on Sunday.

Re: 121 BlackBerry Tips

Bocaboy — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:43:08 -0000

Has anyone figured out whether there is a workaround for the keyboard shortcut to switch between SureType and MultiTap on the 8130 as there was on the 7130? It sure is a pain to have to use the menu to do this.

Thanks.

Re: Fusion Is Latest Way For Macs to Operate Windows, PC Software

Bocaboy — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:54:14 -0000

I've been using both products on a MacBook with 2 GBs of RAM for several months. I starting using Parallels when version 2 first came out, and Fusion when the beta was first released to the public.

I found that I had more than a few system crashes with Fusion, most related to trying to use Unity. This problem continued to happen even when they moved to their early release candidates. I finally decided to settle on Parallels and that's what I'm now using for day-to-day operations.

On balance, I like the functionality of Parallels better, but Walt is right that they are pretty close and you won't go wrong with either one, with the caveat that the Unity problem actually got fixed in Fusion.

One bizarre thing I noticed with either product was that the MacBook's fan would kick on when my company-supplied screen saver kicked in on the virtual machine. I'm not sure why that's happening, but it is consistent in both Fusion and Parallels.

My guess is that the graphics card in the Pro is better than the Macbook and is better able to handle the overhead. As proof of that, if I don't run either Parallels or Fusion and launch the Mac versions of Photoshop and Dreamweaver from CS3, the fan will kick on and stay on until I exit Photoshop. I think the MacBook just has less horsepower, even if the amount of memory is the same on both machines.

My recommendation is that Parallels works really well, and that if you're using a MacBook, don't count on doing a lot of heavy duty work. If you haven't bought your Mac yet, get a Pro.

Re: If You Are Drowning in Remote Controls, Harmony Is a Lifesaver

Bocaboy — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:25:30 -0000

There is one issue that is troublesome when using the Harmony remote. If it's used to, say, turn on all necessary equipment to watch a DVD, and you subsequently turn off one of the devices manually, the Harmony will not work the next time around. It expects to see the devices it controls in the same state it left them. If you change it manually, using a programmed Activity won't work. The lesson is that if you're using the Harmony as your remote, you need to use it all the time-or at least as much as can be programmed into it.

Re: Some Basic Features You Should Demand When Buying a PC

Bocaboy — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:31:59 -0000

Get the best of both worlds. Buy a new Mac--after Leopard ships next week--and install Parallels or Fusion to run a Windows OS (maybe XP and Vista both!) as virtual machines. Just be sure to load up your MacBook, MacBook Pro or iMac with the maximum amount of memory (RAM) that the machine will hold. For laptops that usually 2 gb. For the iMac, it's 4 gb. For the Mac Mini, it's 1 gb. Keep in mind, too, that the Mini will shorly be discontinued. I've been running Parallels for over a year on my MacBook and it gives me the best of both worlds.

Two other thoughts. Boot Camp will be officially released with Leopard. I've been running the beta of Boot Camp on a 1.6 Intel dual core Mac Mini and I am blown away with the performance versus an equivelant Dell or HP. I think Walt reported the same findings when he tested Boot Camp.

Second, if you choose to buy a Mac, purchase the least amount of memory you can at their retail or on-line store and instead, upgrade to the maximum memory for your computer of choice from an on-line supplier like Crucial. The savings are dramatic, usually in the hundreds of dollars. I don't know why Apple charges such ridiculous prices for memory, but you really don't need to pay it.

Re: Leopard: Faster, Easier Than Vista

Bocaboy — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:58:05 -0000

I own an Intel-based Mac Mini and a BlackBook. I run Boot Camp on the Mini and Parallels and Fusion on the Blackbook.

In short, I don't see how anyone other than a casual user can only live with one OS. The simple truth is there are good and bad things about both systems. As an example, if you work on a corporate network, XP or Vista is a far better network client than OS X. On the other hand, if you're handling media, the Mac excels with iLife. If you're in an Exchange shop, Entourage just doesn't measure up to Outlook as an e-mail client. And so on and so on.

One surprise I've found is that running Windows XP or Vista on a Mac is a far better experience under Boot Camp than it is on a Dell, HP, etc. I'm not an engineer, so I can't give you the reasons for it, but my guess is that the drivers are created by the same people who create them on the Mac side, so they just know how to make them work without a hitch. Combined with good Apple engineering, the Windows experience using Boot Camp on a Mini or an iMac is really something to write home about! Someone asked Walt the other day whether they should buy a Mac to run Windows even if they never really intended to run OS X. My answer to that question would be *yes*, it is a superior experience. I'm not a gamer, so I can't speak to that segment of Windows users, but for everything else, you won't find a better computer. Just add a PC-mapped keyboard and mouse and you're ready to go.

As for Fusion and Parallels, I think they are both fantastic products. I have settled on Parallels as my engine for running virtual machines, but either one will give you an outstanding experience. If you're thinking of doing this, make sure you install the maximum amount of RAM and the largest hard drive you can afford to optimize your experience.

Two notes in closing. There is no need to purchase RAM (memory) from Apple who charges an outrageous premium for generic memory. Buy your memory for an iMac, MacBook or MacBook Pro from a third party provider like Crucial. You'll save a bundle and memory is easy to install in any of the above machines. Avoid doing this with the Mini as it is difficult to service unless you're really experienced with this particular computer.

The same is true of upgrading your hard drive, although this requires a bit more skill. I recently upgraded my BlackBook with an Hitachi 200 gb 7200 RPM drive. Using a program like SuperDuper to create a clone of the existing drive it was amazingly simple and the new generation of 7200 RPM drives won't drain your battery any more than their slower 5400 RPM cousins. This was an inexpensive upgrade to my BlackBook and has more than doubled my hard drive space, plus made it perceptibly faster.

Re: Made a batch of pickles

Bocaboy — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:46:17 -0000

Just tried Dan's recipe for the first time and now I'm waiting to see the results. I'm curious about you're putting these in th refrigerator instead of leaving them out to “sour” as called for in Dan's recipe. Which way do you think works best?