Right now, there are two primary ways to run Windows programs on your Mac: Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop. Well, there is also a third way, called Darwine. Darwine is a project run by OpenDarwin project which uses the WINE compatibility layer to run Windows programs on a Mac without Windows installed. Of course, Darwine is in its beta stage and is no where near perfect, though it does run certain programs very well. To get started with Darwine, you'll need an Intel Mac (it does work with PPC Macs using the open-source emulator QEMU, though so far I've only tested it on an Intel Mac) and Darwine 0.9.10 (I tried using the latest version, 0.9.12, but it wouldn't open any programs). To install Darwine, simply drag the Darwine folder to your Applications directiory. Then, you're going to want to install Xcode Tools and X11 from your Tiger install disc (if you have Panther, you'll need to get X11 from Apple's website). After that, download FreeType and install it by going to the directory where you extracted it in the Terminal and typing:
./configure && make && sudo make install
Now you're ready to run some programs. To start off open some of the included .exe files in /Applications/Darwine/Sample WineLib Applications. If you installed everything right, they should open in WineHelper and X11 and run fine. But more advanced and useful programs, such as graphics-intense video games, may not run quite as smoothly. Most programs I have not been able to successfully run, including Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2, Windows Media Player 11 Beta, and Star Wars Galaxies, though Adobe Photoshop is supposedly able to run, and do so much faster than under Rosseta. Still, Darwine is highly unstable (trying to run Gamemaker gave my Mac a kernel panic), and doesn't run most programs, though I think that very soon Darwine will become a viable alternative to Parallels and Boot Camp.
Remember just one short month ago when Apple broke up with its belovéd PortalPlayer? And Samsung seemed to have been a bit cocky with regards to winning the deal with Apple? Well, Apple's out to set things straight.
According to a recent EE Times report, Apple has decided to cancel part of its deal with Samsung and continue using chips from SigmaTel. Now, Samsung will supply chips for only the iPod nano, while SigmaTel will provide the chips for the iPod shuffle. This rash action seems to be the result of Samsung's proclamation that it will be the new provider of chips for iPods.
I only have one question: knowing Apple's reputation and want of tight-lips, why can't companies just keep their mouth shut? You would think that after years of watching switched deals due to leaks, companies would learn their lessons in dealing with Apple, but I guess not.
[via the iPod Observer]
Today PC World magazine released its ever-famous 100 Best Products of 2006. And what kind of company would Apple be if it didn't have at least a few products in the top 100? Well, try five. That's right, five of Apple's products are in the top 100 (actually they are in the top 50). The iPod nano (#4), Boot Camp (#10), the Mac Mini (#35), the iPod (#36), and iTunes (#43) all managed to make the list.
Other significant winners are companies like Intel (whose Core Duo chip ranked in at #1), Google (whose Google Earth came in at #6), and Canon (whose 30D DSLR camera snuck in the top ten at #8). Also be sure to check out the top 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time (I'm so sorry AOL).
Lastly, what should a company who manages to put 5 products into the top 100 for the year win? Why Hardware Compnay of the Year, of course. Oh Apple, we're so proud of you (even if a few of your old products did manage to make the 25 worst list).
Apple's recycling program was announced last month, but it's officially launched today. The "Take-Back" initiative allows consumers to recycle their existing computer when they purchase a new Mac. Apple will pay for the expense of shipping the computer; all you have to do is pack it and send it to them. Easy peasy.
I'm not an extreme environmentalist, but I recycle when I can. My town in Massachusetts has a pretty aggressive regimen that allows us to toss just about anything into our green plastic bins. But I'm still glad Apple's taken a proactive step here. When I used to work in tech support, we often had to dispose of lots of old computers; many of them ended up being refurbished and given to staff members or donated where possible, but there are always some that are just too old. With the rate which we go through computer these days, people don't always think about the damage that's being done to the environment, or what exactly goes in to making the machines that we love.
On the other hand, you could always turn your old computer into something new.
[via MacCentral]
In what seems like an excess of recent Quicktime-related updates, Apple released version 7.1.1 today. The update is roughly 50 MB and proclaims to:
...address an issue with 3rd party start-up items on Intel Macs. This release also fixes an issue exporting Keynote presentations to iDVD.
I suppose it's a good thing that Apple releases updates more frequently rather than less frequently, but it does seem rather odd to me, especially considering how sensitive most Mac users are to little things.
(Update: Macworld's Jim Dalrymple reports that the update fixes Adobe CS installation issues on Intel Macs. If you're just tuning in, QuickTime 7.1 broke the Adobe software installer. So this is good news for people trying to run Photoshop in Rosetta on their Intel Macs!)
Back in the day, the white iBook was the undisputed champion of AirPort reception, especially when compared to the pitiful performance of the first generations of the PowerBook G4. But now, there's a new kid on the block, and he's pounding the iBook into the dust. His name?
MacBook.
Sure, part of it can be chalked up to the fact that the pre-AirPort Extreme iBook didn't support 802.11g only networks, or, for that matter, the far less common 802.11a networks. If you look at the picture above, you'll get a rough idea of how many networks my old iBook picked up in a pretty dense area.
But if you want to see how many my new MacBook picks up, give that picture a click—I think you'll be impressed. I know I was.
Well, it looks like Parallels Desktop is fast approaching its full release with the unveiling of RC2. In addition to better USB support, improved host-guest networking, and overall better performance, Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2 also comes with Parallels Compressor Server Edition technology, which improves performance and decreases the size of the virtual hard drive of you Windows XP, 2003, or 2000 virtual machine. Of course, the inclusion of Parallels Compressor means a significant price increase for the final version from $49.99 to $79.99, though you can still pre-order it for only $39.99. Personally, I would rather get Parallels for the cheaper price and pay extra for the Compressor, but hey, what am I going to do.
Eventually we'll be able to replace our aging silver G4 and blue & white G3 towers with a brand-spanking new Intel Mac Pro (or whatever inane moniker they end up settling upon). But what to do with the old tower? Well, you could turn it into a file server, or perhaps blow it up. Sadly, they're not quite suited to being turned into Macquariums (unless you fancy those deep sea fish that hate sunlight).
Or you could turn it into a mailbox. A real mailbox. Like the kind they put paper letters in? Let me explain: in the days—nay, years—before the advent of electronic mail, people used to get paper letters delivered to them from the very hands of dedicated government workers, who would trek through all sorts of weather, just to make sure their charges arrived on time, often bearing news from far off lands. Archaic, I know, but it served.
So I'm not sure if this Auckland, New Zealand resident was engaging in some sort of post-modernist artistic expression, or if he merely needed a new mailbox (do they even have the Internet down there?) for his valuable correspondence. Either way, I wonder if it still works...
[via Gizmodo]
I learned about theft at a very early age. When I was in second grade, my parents gave me a Red Sox warmup jacket for my birthday. Thrilled that I would sport the same garb as Roger Clemens and Bruce Hurst, I proudly took my jacket to school, where it was promptly nicked from my locker, never to be seen again.
If only I'd had the New York Police Department on my side. The NYPD is out to stop rampant theft of electronic devices like portable game consoles, cellphones, and, of course, the ubiquitous iPod. They've launched a free program to etch serial numbers onto electronic devices using a special embossing ink that's only visible under infrared light. In addition, in case thieves get clever, they'll also register your device's serial number. It's good news for iPod owners, who have often been at risk due to the distinctive nature of Apple's trademark white earbuds.
You know, this probably wouldn't have gotten my jacket back, but I would've at least like to feel that someone was trying. Nowadays, between the clothes they wear and the equipment they carry (iPods, cellphones, game consoles), kids are probably worth far more than they were when I was a wee lad.
[Engadget via Cyrus, who's supposed to be on vacation]
