Macs: Where Everything Costs Money.

[qinwarrior]

Is there a free alternative to Candybar? If I get a mac, I'd want to customize the icons.

Maybe, it is becuase you don't own a Mac right now. When you buy one, there won't be any applications problem. I am sure you can find almost free Mac apps online. As you mention P2P before!!! :D

[hifive]

^ Ok, that definitly didn't help.

[Jon]

I was wondering. Why do Engineering firms never use Mac?

edit: totally misread 'engineering' for 'enterprise'. Ignore.

(sod it, below are my enterprise related comments anyway)

---

Many reasons.

1) Cost. It takes a LOT to justify that extra expense

2) Support. Apple just don't seem to care about anything that isn't a home user or a school.

3) Enterprise level integration. Among many other problems Active Directory support is limited from a security angle.

4) In house applications. Most large corps don't want to have to re-write and re-test thousands of in house apps

5) User training. Argue it all you like, the simple fact is it will cost a lot of money.

Above all though, Apple's marketting department haven't targetted enterprise customers yet. I'm sure they could pull some childish, unsubstantiated, 'based on nothing but out dated rumours and myths' style adverts to argue against Novell, Microsoft etc when their product simply isn't up to the job.

[Vice]

Is there a free alternative to Candybar? If I get a mac, I'd want to customize the icons.

on a Mac you don't even need any extra software to put icons on. get any .png image you want (or any other format but .png with transparency is the best) use spotlight and type in Icon Composer it will come to the top of the list, open it and simply open the files you want to turn into icons.

then save the converted images (they will become .ico) go to the applications which icons you want to change ctrl + Click (Right click) and select "Show Package Contents" then find the applications .ico and replace it with the one you have created.

Candybar is an easier and faster way to do all this ^ But it's not required.

[shodan]

then save the converted images (they will become .ico) go to the applications which icons you want to change ctrl + Click (Right click) and select "Show Package Contents" then find the applications .ico and replace it with the one you have created.

Candybar is an easier and faster way to do all this ^ But it's not required.

There's even an easier solution to change a single icon. Select the icon in the finder, Apple+i and it brings the Info of the file, then Apple+c on the icon on the top. After that Apple+i on the application/folder/document you want to change the icon, and Apple+v on the icon on the top.

If you want to restore the original icon simple get info again, select the icon and press backspace. :)

[.Neo]

There's even an easier solution to change a single icon. Select the icon in the finder, Apple+i and it brings the Info of the file, then Apple+c on the icon on the top. After that Apple+i on the application/folder/document you want to change the icon, and Apple+v on the icon on the top.

If you want to restore the original icon simple get info again, select the icon and press backspace. :)

That won't really do the trick when changing system icons. Unless you feel like changing every single folder manually. But it's perfect for changing individual files/folders of course.

[Spielo]

The only thing I really objected to is being expected to pay ?20 to allow Quicktime to save files and go full screen. I know you can use VLC instead, but Quicktime is the default video player, it's OS X's equivilent of Windows Media Player, and it can't even play files full screen or save files without paying extra!

So far I've only felt a need to buy Quicktime Pro (despite the indignation, I do rather like it), and Panic's Unison newsreader... I haven't needed anything else that wasn't free!

Ps, after a little configuration, Adium is a superb IM Client!:DD

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

The only thing I really objected to is being expected to pay ?20 to allow Quicktime to save files and go full screen.

...

tell application "QuickTime Player"
	present front movie scale screen
end tell

Type that into script editor, save it somewhere (if you have the Script Menu enabled save it in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications/QuickTime Player), when it's run it makes the front most QuickTime window go full screen.:yes::

And saving from the QuickTime prospective is handled by the libraries (hence the reason iTunes can encode to AAC or MP3), but the QuickTime Player doesn't have the options (and it's encoding, not saving)

[semaja2.net]

I am amazed people believe that MacOSX software costs money, i can tell you now that my ibook is the first time ive had a machine completly legit and i use it everyday,

i use openoffice for my office programs, i dont really care about changing themes and all that so i dont have to pay for that also i believe in windows you did as well.

[Miuku.]

i believe in windows you did as well.

No, it was free.

As for Mac, the problem lies in the fact that unlike free (as in beer) systems such as Linux you have a very limited selection of programs for tasks like playing various music formats. iTunes is absolutely horrendous and other equivalents are equally downright awful.

The only saving grace at the moment is that in the future, hopefully, more gracious people will port applications from Linux and other operating systems and put them up for free.

[Vice]

No, it was free.

As for Mac, the problem lies in the fact that unlike free (as in beer) systems such as Linux you have a very limited selection of programs for tasks like playing various music formats. iTunes is absolutely horrendous and other equivalents are equally downright awful.

I have to agree with you, there isn't that many good iTunes alternatives. I personally love iTunes and invested in 2xAirport Expresses and a few iPods just for iTunes.

[Fusion]

There is already another thread here for bitching and moaning about how much iTunes ruins your life and doesn't let you listen to the 1337 music, let's stay on track about free software.

BTW, iTunes is free.

[semaja2.net]

i actually liek itunes for music, its the first time my music has ever been organised, im mean yes the windows version sucks btu the mac version doesnt

[.Neo]

iTunes is absolutely horrendous

iTunes rocks IMO, don't have a problem with it whatsoever. (Y)

[QuarterSwede]

I'm not even going to try and persuade you about free software for OS X because its already been done adequately. I will say one thing. There is an old Chinese proverb, "Buy expensive, cry once."

[Alladaskill17]

I'm still bordering between the windows and apple realms for my next laptop. I've been going through some excellent apple applications, but I've noticed that practically every noticeable app on the mac costs money. Where are my expertly designed freebies? Where are the superb open source programs? On the PC, I have numerous free alternatives. Heck, when did P2P software start to cost money? On windows, I'd immediately assume that to be a scam. Going through the "Essential OSX Apps" thread, I realized that there isn't a single Free FTP Application. So I have to purchase just to use a more powerful FTP program?! Not so in windows. Even notepad-esque apps cost money on Mac!

So I ask, where can I find a list of excellent, free [if any] software programs for the Mac.

Thanks.

Guess its a good thing you can dual boot then isnt it! :p :laugh: :rofl:

[Dem Pilafian]

This thread is more about the bigger picture of free software on Macs, but since it started with FTP clients, I've got to mention by favorite free FTP client for the Mac.

Fugu: http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu

Fugu uses a two pane layout and has a Favorites feature which is good if you need to upload to multiple servers.

[+vlsi0n Subscriber¹]

Well obviously [then again, not really], I was invoking those as examples. It still remains that most good programs on mac cost money. It's hard to beat something like this.

Wow, nice website. Thanks :turned:

[semaja2.net]

Hand on squibbles so your saying that windows doesnt cost more money for the better software umm lets see, microsoft office still costs money, the ftp clients still cost money? of course in 90% of the time the better software will cost more

[.Neo]

Hand on squibbles so your saying that windows doesnt cost more money for the better software umm lets see, microsoft office still costs money, the ftp clients still cost money? of course in 90% of the time the better software will cost more

Yeah exactly. The situation isn't that different on Windows.

[Vice]

Also assume you already have an Old Mac and an Old PC which you want to update to the latest versions.

Windows XP Pro is ?240 (Amazon) while OS X is ?89.99 with the money saved from just upgrading the Mac you could buy some cool app:):)

[Mathiasdm]

Open Source software on the Mac (with a handy package manager): http://fink.sourceforge.net/

[Miuku.]

Windows XP Pro is ?240 (Amazon) while OS X is ?89.99 with the money saved from just upgrading the Mac you could buy some cool app:):)

You can get Windows XP OEM for 129€ here (89?) and as for buying OEM software, if you buy as much as a screw for your computer, you're eligible for OEM software.

[d3nuo]

typically more $$ means better/higher quality.. but that's not how i see it with macs, both hardware and software.

hardware-wise, macs have always been outrageously expensive, and with no good reason. are they pretty? absolutely. are they fast/efficient? absolutely NOT!. some may pose that the new craptel based macs changed that.. but it's still the exact same.. just now they moved to a slightly faster, dumbed up 32-bit processor, and to make that even worse.. it's an intel.

so.. you get to pay for prettiness/"bragging rights" (i wouldn't say bragging rights personally, more like a reason to say, "YAY! i paid 4x what i should have for a very pretty case!!"

software-wise, macs have fewer programs because smart people see through the propaganda and realize that it's not worth it to pay such a high premium for a degradation in performance over a regular PC, therefore there are less who will write for apple computers.. and then, going hand-in-hand with the hardware being much less efficient and a lot slower per $1, the programs that do get written are slower than their PC counterparts.

so to recap: The hardware aesthetics: beautiful.. the OS interface: beautiful.. the hardware performance: absolutely abysmal.. pricepoint: in no way justifiable for anyone who has even a small portion of a brain.. OS speed compared to Linux/Windows: horrible..

so, if you're looking for an e-penis among the other macboys, get a mac..

and when you do get that mac.. remember what you get:

-what some would call bragging rights

-crappy performance

-select range of software offerings

-much higher pricetag

-made fun of by those who have a even a hint of intelligence in knowing that something that is slower, -crappier, and has less options should NEVER cost nigh 3x as much as it should

-ignorance in thinking that somehow and someway you're justified in overspend for a piece of crap and simultaneously considering yourself above those unfortunate and deprived PC users

but everyone has their opinions, and everyone is entitled to act appropriately as per that opinion, but sometimes the best way to think of it is:

ignorance is (apple's)bliss

[Vice]

so, if you're looking for an e-penis among the other macboys, get a mac..

and when you do get that mac.. remember what you get:

-what some would call bragging rights

-crappy performance

-select range of software offerings

-much higher pricetag

-made fun of by those who have a even a hint of intelligence in knowing that something that is slower, -crappier, and has less options should NEVER cost nigh 3x as much as it should

-ignorance in thinking that somehow and someway you're justified in overspend for a piece of crap and simultaneously considering yourself above those unfortunate and deprived PC users

but everyone has their opinions, and everyone is entitled to act appropriately as per that opinion, but sometimes the best way to think of it is:

ignorance is (apple's)bliss

..... What planet are you from? I own 2 Macs several high performance Windows powered PC's. I guess I don't fit in any of your categories huh? ... I don't quite understand how any of your opinions hold water. "Crappy Performance" "Bragging Rights" "Made fun of by PC users".. These are all points you just slapped together. I hate to say it but that is one of the most hateful troll posts I've ever seen in the Mac forums. Congratulations.