I now own a MacBook Pro 17". And now I have some questions relating to MacOS and Windows 7, hardware upgrades and getting Applecare-on-the-cheap. [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 on Nov 11, 2009 - 19 answers

Is Windows 7 an upgraded version of Vista (like Snow Leopard presumably is of Leopard) or completely re-built from the bottom up?
posted by metacort on Oct 23, 2009 - 19 answers

Can anyone lend me a hand in designing my new home network computer setup? [more inside]
posted by decrescendo on Oct 7, 2009 - 7 answers

What is up with my music files' titles turning into nonsensical four-letter titles? [more inside]
posted by ishotjr on Sep 8, 2009 - 8 answers

What is the best way to sync my contacts (name, email, phone number) between my iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Gmail? I am using Address Book at the moment but should I be using something else? [more inside]
posted by decrescendo on May 3, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm thinking of getting one of the new desktop Mac Pros recently announced. I'd like to both run Apple's OS X and also use Boot Camp to run 64-bit Windows Vista on it. The question is: will I be able to use the Mac Pro's keyboard and mouse with Vista? Will I be able to use an Apple Cinema Display with Vista? [more inside]
posted by richg on Mar 30, 2009 - 13 answers

I've got a bunch of (important) single .msg files that I want to read on my Mac (10.5.x). Any advice? Any tool that converts entire mailboxes doesn't seem to apply, and the only dedicated .msg reader I could find is broken. Renaming as .txt doesn't work either. Nor does Emailalchemy or NeoOffice. Help!
posted by Coherence Panda on Dec 15, 2008 - 8 answers

What do I need to do to prep my MacBook Pro for running Vista as a virtual machine? [more inside]
posted by photomusic86 on Nov 25, 2008 - 10 answers

My iPod nano clock resets to a different time whenever I sync it with iTunes. How can I prevent this? [more inside]
posted by paleyellowwithorange on Oct 12, 2008 - 5 answers

DVDs and Blu Ray discs are such a pain with their ability to be scratched and the need to find where a disc is, is it in the right case, etc. I find myself often drawn to standard definition “on demand” movies on cable (free ones) instead of searching my own high definition or DVD movies. Is there a way to have the convenience of “on demand” and the quality of the original media? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Oct 7, 2008 - 11 answers

I have strange issues with my keyboard and mouse in Picasa: shortcuts with modifier keys don't work. Other keyboard and mouse glitches also occur in other applications. Windows Vista; Apple aluminum keyboard; Microsoft Habu mouse. [more inside]
posted by qvtqht on Jul 29, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm in the market for an MBP, and thus will need to migrate stuff from my PC eventually. I'm looking specifically for Mac software that are very similar in UI and/or features to the Windows software I'm using now. [more inside]
posted by curagea on Jul 24, 2008 - 16 answers

Tossing an idea around here ... I'd like to use my old Powerbook as a media server for my Windows network. [more inside]
posted by chairish on Jul 12, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm having a weird Final Cut Pro issue relating to projects interacting with local and remote media files with authentication on server login. [more inside]
posted by joshrholloway on Mar 13, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm used to the keyboard shortcuts on OS X, but I have to use a Windows PC at work. What are some ways that I can remap the keys on XP to get as close to Apple's as possible? [more inside]
posted by Frankieist on Feb 28, 2008 - 7 answers

Has anyone tried installing Windows Vista in BootCamp (On a Mac) using an upgrade disk? I've installed Vista perfectly using this guide on a computer I built myself, but I want to do it on a new Mac. [more inside]
posted by Aanidaani on Dec 18, 2007 - 2 answers

How to fix screwed up Windows partition on my new Macbook Pro? [more inside]
posted by jk252b on Oct 6, 2007 - 2 answers

I need some ideas to keep my email, calendar and some key files on my laptops in sync. [more inside]
posted by chairish on May 22, 2007 - 2 answers

For reasons of folly I thought I'd give Windows Vista a go. As a long-time mac user I'm used to relying on the apple community for useful software suggestions and ideas. With windows, I'm not entirely sure where to start so was hoping for suggestions of equivalent software to the following: Unison, Toast, Adium, Transmit, iPhoto, and Stuffit/Other compression utility Low cost is good, but i'll take positive feedback over price tags any day.
posted by nickehsmith on Mar 14, 2007 - 29 answers

Can I use the Windows XP SP1 CD that came with my Dell PC two years ago to install Windows on my MacBook using BootCamp?
posted by frenchbenj on Sep 18, 2006 - 14 answers

Please comment on the wisdom of buying a MacBook Pro PRIMARILY for use as a Windows computer. [more inside]
posted by scarabic on Jul 29, 2006 - 26 answers

I'm a professional writer and book editor. I'd like to buy an Apple Mini and at long last get out of the grips of Microsoft. This means I want to use Pages as well. Does anyone have experience converting from Word to Pages.? [more inside]
posted by partner on Jul 19, 2006 - 16 answers

I'm thinking about running Windows on an Apple Intel laptop. Unfortunately one of the apps I use needs a hardware dongle on the parallel port. So I'm wondering whether one can attach a USB/parallel adapter, attach the dongle to that (maybe requires a gender bender) and have the app see the dongle that way. Or is the interaction between the app and dongle too low-level for that? Any help would be appreciated. I can't quite bring myself to buy an intel apple, buy windows xp, load it all up, and then find out I'm SOL. Thanks in Advance.
posted by thayerg on Apr 20, 2006 - 7 answers

Does booting a computer often lower its life expectancy? [more inside]
posted by visual mechanic on Apr 11, 2006 - 15 answers

The new 15 inch Powerbook suits my computing needs perfectly, but one of those plus new software would actually break the bank. What's the closest I can get with a Windows laptop? [more inside]
posted by godawful on Nov 6, 2005 - 25 answers

Mac or PC? [more inside]
posted by benkolb on Aug 11, 2005 - 59 answers

Add me to the growing list of people planning to make the switch to a Mac. To those that have made the jump, how hard was it? And is it a losing proposition to buy now, with Intel-based machines coming around the bend? I know this is an AskMeFi FAQ, but I have some specific questions. [more inside]
posted by pzarquon on Jul 11, 2005 - 17 answers

Is it possible to convert or otherwise use Photshop plugins from Windows to Mac? I have lots of legacy plugins and effects from the old Windows PC here at work. We switched to Mac but many of the plugins are not available for Mac.
posted by ooklah on Jan 27, 2005 - 7 answers

Macmini alternatives. I was considering purchasing a Mac Mini to make it a relatively inexpensive home media center, but after upgrading the hard drive to 80GB, adding Bluetooth for a wireless keyboard & mouse, buying the wireless keyboard & mouse, adding 802.11g for home networking, etc the $499 price tag was closer to $850 or more. Can anyone recommend a Windows box manufacturer who makes small form factor PCs for this kind of application?
posted by jonson on Jan 20, 2005 - 26 answers

I use a Windows XP box at work. I use a Powerbook G4 at home. I'd like to buy the bluetooth Apple Pro keyboard and use it both at home and at work. Is this possible? If so, any specific recommendations for a USB-bluetooth adapter for my work machine? Thanks in advance.
posted by BlueTrain on Nov 9, 2004 - 1 answer

I've got a network in my home - one PC, connected by wire to the router, and one Apple, connected by an Airport card (which I believe is 802.11G). The fastest speed I can get transferring files from one to the other is 2.5MB/s, which seems slow. Am I right, or is this standard?
posted by ascullion on Oct 21, 2004 - 4 answers

In iTunes, why do songs I uncheck not play during shuffled playback? I just want to uncheck songs I don't want on the iPod and let 'em play normally in the library. It's easier than making a playlist for the iPod each time I add new albums. Alternatively, how do you manage your library when it exceeds the size of your iPod?
posted by riffola on Sep 12, 2004 - 12 answers

I have a PC with WinXP Pro. She has an iBook with Mac OS X. Together they fight crime share a router. e:\ is where I shove all my porn music. How can I make this available to her to copy what she wants to her machine or her ipod?
posted by pieoverdone on Aug 7, 2004 - 5 answers

Are there any reports, stats, or studies which might give me a more accurate picture of the percentage of people who use Windows or the Mac OS at home? What I'm curious about is how the numbers break down after you remove the vast number of PCs / Windows machines purchased by offices, and the rather inaccurate way that market share is determined.
posted by theNonsuch on Jul 11, 2004 - 19 answers

Can I access a Windows 2000 formatted hard drive in an external hard drive enclosure with an Apple computer? [m-to-the-i] [more inside]
posted by plemeljr on May 25, 2004 - 8 answers

Can mail be exported from Apple's email on OSX to a Windows XP box running Microsoft Outlook?
posted by Macboy on Feb 25, 2004 - 7 answers

Academics and scholars: anyone familiar with the text processing product on Windows called Nota Bene? A friend is switching to Macintosh and it's an application area I don't have a lot of experience with. In particular, he likes the fact that Nota Bene stores citation information separate from the formatting, so switching from MLA to APA (?) is easy to do... Any suggestions welcomed.
posted by JollyWanker on Jan 27, 2004 - 14 answers