New "Switcher" -- what do I need to know? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

ratbastid · 04-04-2007, 06:35 PM

Today the shop let me know that my laptop's display problems are terminal. Repairing them will cost more than the old girl is worth.

On one hand it's sad. On the other, it's the opportunity I've been waiting for to fulfill on a promise I made when the first Intel Macs came out: My next computer, I told myself, would be a Mac.

Today I ordered myself a 15" MacBook Pro. I'm pretty excited about it. It came with a free-after-rebate copy of Parallels, which is good because I own a lot of Windows software.

I'm also pretty nervous. I sat at a Mac a couple weeks ago in a client's office and was totally bewildered at the UI. The last Mac I owned ran OS 7! I've got about a brazillian questions about what I need to know to set this thing up, and it's mostly about integrating the apps I currently use.

I'm going to need a good, preferably free, programmer's editor (is BBEdit still around?). I have one I really like for Windows called PSPad. How well does Parallels really integrate? Will I still be able to have a smooth workflow in a Windows editor under Parallels?

What's it like setting up music composition software under Parallels? Does it handle MIDI okay? Or should I be looking to (gulp) GarageBand? Is there a Google Talk client for the Mac? Is iTunes what I really want to be using to play music? I use VLC in Linux, I assume it's also the best option for video playback on the Mac?

How does the Mac handle Samba and NFS shares?

ubertuber · 04-04-2007, 07:53 PM

heh... Brazillion... Good reference to a great joke.

I'll start.

1) Get thee to 43folders.com and start enjoying the geek cult of mac productivity.
2) I've heard good stuff about Parallels, but I'm not using it myself. I'd be real impressed if midi was any good because of driverness.
3) Garageband is really great - I know lots of people from my Juilliard days who use it to great (and sometimes proftiable) effect. However, it's not really music composition per se like Sibelius or Finale. It's more like a sound loop editor. You'll have to play with it a little - but the good news it that it's free.
4) iTunes yes. It's good for music geeks.
5) VLC is great in OSX as well.
6) versiontracker.com

That's all for now except that it was nice to meet you and Lurkette. Sorry I was so zonked - I could have been a much better conversationalist. Maybe next time..

ratbastid · 04-05-2007, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubertuber

That's all for now except that it was nice to meet you and Lurkette. Sorry I was so zonked - I could have been a much better conversationalist. Maybe next time..

It was great meeting you too! Hopefully next time it'll be for longer. Don't worry about your zonkedness: you won "line of the night" with the phrase, "What's going on down there??"

I'll check out the goods you suggested.

vanblah · 04-05-2007, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratbastid

What's it like setting up music composition software under Parallels? Does it handle MIDI okay? Or should I be looking to (gulp) GarageBand?

What music comp. software are you talking about?

ratbastid · 04-05-2007, 11:26 AM

It's called FL Studio. DST-oriented sequencer and editor. It's pretty nice, and I actually spent a little money on it, so I'd like to be able to keep using it.

I've been playing with my new macbook all day. I've got to say: the form factor on this thing is extraordinary. I pulled it out of the box and it FELT like it should cost what it cost.

Parallels is very nice. I've got it running the Google Talk client right now, and it's bloody seamless. It also interfaces correctly detects a very unique piece of USB kit that I use to monitor electrical throughput on my RC airplane that can only be talked to through the company's Windows app. Nice!

vanblah · 04-05-2007, 01:47 PM

It will probably run fine under parallels ... but then I'm not all that familiar with either FL Studio or parallels. I use Sonar PE.

I only asked because you could always hope for a mac port of it. Fruity Loops might actually do that some day.

I doubt Cakewalk will do that for me though.

04-04-2007, 06:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	New "Switcher" -- what do I need to know? Today the shop let me know that my laptop's display problems are terminal. Repairing them will cost more than the old girl is worth. On one hand it's sad. On the other, it's the opportunity I've been waiting for to fulfill on a promise I made when the first Intel Macs came out: My next computer, I told myself, would be a Mac. Today I ordered myself a 15" MacBook Pro. I'm pretty excited about it. It came with a free-after-rebate copy of Parallels, which is good because I own a lot of Windows software. I'm also pretty nervous. I sat at a Mac a couple weeks ago in a client's office and was totally bewildered at the UI. The last Mac I owned ran OS 7! I've got about a brazillian questions about what I need to know to set this thing up, and it's mostly about integrating the apps I currently use. I'm going to need a good, preferably free, programmer's editor (is BBEdit still around?). I have one I really like for Windows called PSPad. How well does Parallels really integrate? Will I still be able to have a smooth workflow in a Windows editor under Parallels? What's it like setting up music composition software under Parallels? Does it handle MIDI okay? Or should I be looking to (gulp) GarageBand? Is there a Google Talk client for the Mac? Is iTunes what I really want to be using to play music? I use VLC in Linux, I assume it's also the best option for video playback on the Mac? How does the Mac handle Samba and NFS shares?

04-04-2007, 07:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
ubertuber spudly Location: Ellay	heh... Brazillion... Good reference to a great joke. I'll start. 1) Get thee to 43folders.com and start enjoying the geek cult of mac productivity. 2) I've heard good stuff about Parallels, but I'm not using it myself. I'd be real impressed if midi was any good because of driverness. 3) Garageband is really great - I know lots of people from my Juilliard days who use it to great (and sometimes proftiable) effect. However, it's not really music composition per se like Sibelius or Finale. It's more like a sound loop editor. You'll have to play with it a little - but the good news it that it's free. 4) iTunes yes. It's good for music geeks. 5) VLC is great in OSX as well. 6) versiontracker.com That's all for now except that it was nice to meet you and Lurkette. Sorry I was so zonked - I could have been a much better conversationalist. Maybe next time.. __________________ Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam

04-05-2007, 11:26 AM	#5 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	It's called FL Studio. DST-oriented sequencer and editor. It's pretty nice, and I actually spent a little money on it, so I'd like to be able to keep using it. I've been playing with my new macbook all day. I've got to say: the form factor on this thing is extraordinary. I pulled it out of the box and it FELT like it should cost what it cost. Parallels is very nice. I've got it running the Google Talk client right now, and it's bloody seamless. It also interfaces correctly detects a very unique piece of USB kit that I use to monitor electrical throughput on my RC airplane that can only be talked to through the company's Windows app. Nice!

04-05-2007, 01:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	It will probably run fine under parallels ... but then I'm not all that familiar with either FL Studio or parallels. I use Sonar PE. I only asked because you could always hope for a mac port of it. Fruity Loops might actually do that some day. I doubt Cakewalk will do that for me though.