Ever since Steve Jobs got up in front of the World Wide Developer Conference and announced “yes – the rumours are true!” and thereby ushered in the Intel Macintosh age, many of us were tantalized by two diverse possibilities – running Windows natively on a Mac and running OS X on ordinary PCs.
Author: David Cohen
A lifelong technology fan and an IT professional, David has been writing and podcasting for MyMac since 1995. In his professional life he is an expert in mobile computing, data centres, cloud services and IT security. For MyMac he is a features and review writer, a former host of the MyMac Podcast and Geekiest Show Ever podcast, and the current co-host of the TechFan podcast,
LAbesace Lime Drop MacBook Laptop Bag
Review
With out wishing to stereotype the typical MyMac magazine reader, let me ask you a question. Have you ever shopped for a handbag? If not for yourself, perhaps accompanied a loved one or friend? It is a frankly bewildering experience. They come in so many different shapes, colors, sizes and prices that I had no idea how my wife was ever going to be able settle on just one.
Fenestration 42
Data Exchange in the Clouds
For users straddling the Windows PC and Mac worlds, the question of seamless data interchange between the systems can be a challenging one. Of course, with the capabilities of OS X, the rise of USB and the availability of flash drives and external disks it is probably easier than it has ever been to pass data, but nevertheless there are still considerations of disk formats, file formats and application versions to consider.
FastMac 1.4Ghz Processor Upgrade for PowerMac G4
Review
What is the value of an older G4 Macintosh? Can it be upgraded to run Mac OS X 10.5? Is it worth upgrading a 450MHz G4 in the first place/ David Cohen looks at the 1.4GHz upgrade processor from FastMac.
MailSteward
Review
The blight of the digital age is the accumulation of massive amounts of data – as computers get faster and storage gets cheaper, we end up keeping everything, whether we need it or not. David Cohen looks at MailSteward, an application designed to store your archived email outside your email application.
Fenestration 41
The Curse of “Free Public Wi-Fiâ€
Welcome, MyMac readers, to Fenestration – back after a hiatus from the podcast, and now in a written form to reflect our rebrand back to MyMac Magazine. This column is my guide to using your Mac in a world filled with Windows machines. I will cover issues of information exchange with Windows users, using Windows infrastructure with your Mac, and how to run Windows or Windows-compatible software on your Mac.
Read MoreBlackBox Speakers – BluStream Tx Bluetooth Dongle – Review
The thriving iPod accessory market has delivered pretty much every variation of speaker system that you can think of, so it is fairly rare to see something new. Gear4, a British company that currently sells product to the European market, has come up with a system that is new both in concept and looks.
LEvertigo Prune Laptop Messenger Bag
Review
Apple’s laptops are stylish and durable – both the plastic MacBooks and aluminum MacBook Pros will shrug off plenty off abuse in daily life. But even the hardiest machine needs to be carried around, and as an Apple supporter it is nice to have stylish accessories to match the beauty of Apple’s designs.
Fluid Mask 3 – Review
The true sign of Photoshop trickery is the use of the selection tools to cut objects out of a photo, place them on a separate layer and then isolate them from the background. Recognizing this, Vertus offers Fluid Mask as a way for ordinary mortals to achieve professional results.
Bookendz Docking Station for 13†MacBook
Review
Today’s portable Macs are as fully featured and functional as any desktop machine – in fact, parts of the Mac desktop line-up have embraced the design and implementation of the portable systems – the Mac Mini is a MacBook in a desktop case! Accordingly, many people have a MacBook or a MacBook Pro as their only Mac. Enter the Bookendz Docking Station for 13†MacBook!
Switcheasy Biscuit Case for 3G Nano
Review
Apple’s latest iPod Nano is a true thing of beauty – more so than we expected when we first saw pictures of the fat little chap. To hold one in the hand is in my mind to experience a near-perfect form factor, coupled with stylish Apple design. However, their very desirability means that we often immediately compromise the form factor by encasing it in rubber and plastic!
Hog Bay Software
Review
One of the things I rapidly grew to love about the Mac platform when I came to it from Windows was the vibrant software coding scene. Windows has a lot of shareware, but much of it is poorly written, poorly maintained and written in such a way that it all looks the same.
Aego-M Speaker System
Review
The Aego-M’s are marketed as an iPod speaker system, but to think of it as just that is to sell its capabilities short, in my opinion. They will well serve any audio source, be it an MP3 player, computer or a more conventional music source such as a CD player.
Drobo Storage Robot
Review
MyMac.Com has reviewed different large multiple-disk storage products recently. They all share some common traits – multiple disks in an enclosure (USB or FireWire), looking like a large single volume, and some form of RAID technology applied. Next up, the Drobo Storage Robot from Data Robotics, Inc.
Maxtor OneTouch Turbo III 1.5TB External Drive
Review
How much storage do you have on your Mac? The demands of photo, video and audio files mean that more and more disk space is a real requirement nowadays, and has really driven down the cost of hard disks. David checks out the OneTouch Turbo III drive from Maxtor
PowerBlock Travel – PowerDuo
Review
I bought my first iPod around three years ago – a second generation 10 gigabyte model. Back then, USB support was a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye, and it was Firewire that was the interface du jour. More importantly, the iPod also shipped with an AC charger. Nowadays, you don’t get Firewire support or a charger. USB 2.0 is an adequate data transfer interface, but it is not a good way to charge a power-hungry device with a colour screen. Enter the Griffin Technology PowerBlock.
Read MorePzizz
Review
Everybody loves to sleep. Really, what is not to like? It makes you feel refreshed, you get free entertainment in the form of dreams, and it works like time travel on a long journey!
Read MoreFastTrack Schedule 9
Review
FastTrack Schedule shows what Macintosh developers can do when they really innovate – this is twice the product that Microsoft’s Project is. If you want a Project Management heavy hitter, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 from AEC Software is the one to go for.
Read MoreZozen iPod with Video Case
Review
There is a fine line between form and function – a line that as fans of Apple products we know well. We are used to seeing exemplary industrial design in our computers and MP3 players that provide an experience that really works well but also looks good. This provides a challenge to manufacturers of accessories for Apple gear, especially cases for iPods. Should they cover those designer lines in the interest of functional protection, and potentially compromise Apple’s designs?
Mindjet MindManager 6
Review
MindManager is a tool for organising thoughts and ideas. There are many such tools available on the Mac (OmniOutliner being one of the more well known), but MindManager use mind mapping techniques as its basis, rather than pure hierarchical outlining. Read the review