Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with compatibility

Incompatible format

tizzie — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:25:03 -0800

I'm using Serif PagePlus SE, a free graphic design download, to design postcards. My local print production shop can't open the .ppp files it creates. There are no other "save as" options. Any suggestions?

More difficult than buying a Wii.

arcolz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:59:39 -0800

I'm in the middle of grabbing all the parts to build a new PC for myself. I have pretty much all the components, but I can't figure out which kind of memory I need to go with an Core 2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz) and ASUS P5Q-E. I've looked at both Intel's and Asus's websites, and of course the Google to no avail. Details on what I'm looking for inside. I'm going to be using this computer for gaming, but I'm building on a budget and I'd rather not spend more than $80 on the memory.

I'd think like to get a 2x2gb kit, because it looks like those give the most bang for my buck. However, I'm clueless when it comes to what speed, cas latency, timing, or voltage I should be looking for. General tips or specific product recommendations would both be great. Links to compatibility lists would also be awesome.

I'm also curious about whether or not it is necessary to flash the bios of the motherboard. I've read that it often improve memory compatibility and fixes bugs and such. Is it really worth the trouble and risk?

Mechanical Keyboards?

bobertdude — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:12:16 -0800

Can anyone recommend a mechanical keyboard? I'm thinking of buying an old Apple Extended Keyboard II for my Windows PC. Will I have any problems with compatibility if I buy a ADB/USB adapter?

I noticed that the Apple keyboard is much cheaper than the IBM Model M and some of the newer mechanical keyboards. Is it because it isn't as high quality? I've heard that mechanical keyboards last forever, but do you think it's a good idea to buy a used 19-year-old keyboard? If not, would you please suggest a good alternative mechanical keyboard?

If you need any more clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks a bunch.

PowerPC seeks Intel based Mac workaround

alice ayres — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:18:06 -0800

Can I run an Intel based Mac application on my PowerPC mac laptop? I would like to buy MacSpeech Dictate. I would not like to buy a new laptop or computer. The system requirements state Intel based Macs. I am running 10.5.1 on a G4 Powerbook (Power PC). Does anyone have any experience with this kind of dilemma or suggestions for a workaround?

As a last resort, I have thought of renting an Intel Mac laptop, as this is for a short term project I am working on. Does anyone have experience with laptop rentals in NYC?

How does one know that they've found the right partner?

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:34:12 -0800

How does one know that they've found the right partner? I don't have my dream job, apartment, body, city... no aspect of my life is exactly what I dream about. But I'm generally happy with my life and I'm thankful for the good things I have. Yet somehow I came to believe that I should wait for my dream partner... that one day I would be involved with someone and just somehow *know* that they were the one for me. Married friends and family confirm that this is way it should be. Yet I'm suspicious that they are unconsciously cooking the books... forgetting about the serious misgivings they once had now that they've already made the commitment.

I recently broke up with my girlfriend of about a year. She was the kindest, most positive, most beautiful person I've been with. The only problem was a nondescript nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it just "wasn't right". It's been 3 months now, and it tears me up to think that I may have given up the best person to come into my life in hopes that a mystical more-perfect one will appear.

Give it to me straight, Mefi. How does one know that they've found someone who is right enough? How does one know if they've set an unreasonable bar of compatibility that no actual human may ever reach?

Will my computer work when I put it together?

Grither — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:22:55 -0800

ComputerBuildingFilter: As my home PC just recently kicked the bucket, I'm looking into building my own PC for the first time, and I want to make sure the parts I'm looking at buying are compatible. So I want to put together a new desktop for myself, and for the first time I think I have the time and means to build my own. I basically used the Arstechnica guide to put this list together (but with a few changes from their guide) which led me to my question. My main concern is that the case is suitable for everything else I am putting there, I think the rest of the stuff is compatible. Is there anything totally wrong, or that I'm missing/overdoing? (Besides the obvious mouse, keyboard, monitor, and optical drive, I have all of those) Thanks in advance for any help!

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case With 500W Power Supply

DIAMOND 4870X2PE52G Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-Bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

The trouble with me...

symbollocks — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:52:54 -0800

Two frustrating issues about me that keep coming up, in the context of dating/relationships. (sex talk, so maybe NSFW) So I've been dating this girl for about a month, and she's raised two issues about me. These two issues have come up with regularity in past relationships, and I'm at wits end trying to deal with them, mainly because I feel I can't control these things.

1 - Compatibility: "I'm not sure I'm right for you. I do like you but not in exactly the same way (I don't think). Know that there ARE feelings there, I'm just not sure what they are yet."

I don't know, it's like I can't find anyone that is remotely like me, so I've developed this psycho-defense that goes like this: any two mature people can have a relationship, it's not about some abstract notion of compatibility. I'm almost certainly wrong about this, but tell me why? how? Who am I supposed to date? How do I know who to look for? Where do I find girls who are like me?

I know I know, just do the things you like to do, right? But I'm an introvert! I read and write in my spare time. I do a lot of things by myself, and I'm really comfortable with that. But I want intimacy, it's calming and comforting just to have someone of the opposite sex that I can touch and will touch back. So I go on okcupid or something and compromise all of my interests so that I actually get some results, and I date whoever, and so far it has been a really mixed bag (sorority girl, super-christian girl, soccer player girl, bohemian girl, single mom, much older, etc. etc.), but not any of them have stuck. I almost always feel I become their "pet", their pseudo-virgin, over-intelligent, over-thinking, wisdom seeking, hippyish, frugal, techie, geeky little pet that they get tired of after a while.

Where do I find pseudo-virgin, over-intelligent, over-thinking, wisdom seeking, hippyish, frugal, techie, geeky girls?

2 - Sex: "The sex... I'm glad you liked it. That was the point... it wasn't as satisfactory for me."

When the hell did everyone go and become sex masters? Seriously. What can I do about this? Do I have to pay a prostitute to work up experience? Arghhhhh.

I have had sex a total of less than 10 times. I get really nervous about sex, it scares me in a way. But at the same time I really do desire it. I have a tendency to take longer than the girl does to get off (due to the nervousness), and sometimes I can't even finish. Another thing is I never feel as if I can get into a good hip movement rythym. Compared to masturbation, sex is hard, and it doesn't even feel as good (not as much friction, makes it harder to get off too). I would almost rather just sleep with the girl than have sex, just because it's a more steady intimate feeling, and there aren't any "standards" or expectations for that. I've never had sex with a girl more than once, things always seem to end right after or soon after our first time. Am I really that bad at it?

I'm not necessarily looking for answers to any of these questions per se (although that's fine), I'm looking more for general situational advice.

Do I speak now, or forever hold my peace?

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:44:00 -0800

My otherwise sensible sister seems to be rushing into an ill-thought-out marriage. Is there any loving and effective way to get her to think more carefully about what she's doing? It's the age-old story: little sister, six years my junior (we'll call her "Jules") just got engaged to her college boyfriend ("Ron") of two years; family and friends are dismayed. Not that the guy's an axe-murderer or anything; he's just young (23), immature and not especially motivated-- lives with his mom, still stays out until 4AM with the boys, shows up hours late for stuff, is perpetually broke, etc. Ron's currently deciding between three wildly different career paths (think comp-lit grad school in Europe vs. adventure tourism vs. full-time firefighting) and says he doesn't really care what he ends up doing, because "he's sure he'd be fine with any job." He seems to have expended minimal effort/thought on the proposal ("Here, have a ring. Wanna get married?"), and before the engagement, he told me that he doesn't have any particular desire to marry Jules anytime soon, but thought she'd expect to get engaged as a sign of commitment at this point in their relationship. All of this is perfectly fine for an average dude in the throes of post-college cluelessness, but for the guy who's going to be my sister's husband...eesh.

I wouldn't say that Ron and Jules are desperately in love: they were long-distance for the past year and saw each other a total of five times, despite there being only a three-hour drive between them. From what I've seen, the relationship doesn't make her especially happy, at least compared with ones she's had in the past. Unfortunately, my sister, while equally young, is also kind of a planner-- organized, forward-thinking, eager to get her ducks in a row. I know she had a private deadline to be married before her mid-twenties, and I'm worried she may be trying to shoehorn Ron into her existing set of life plans, without giving much thought to how things will actually work out.

We'd hoped she'd figure it out in the course of a long engagement-- or else that the wait would give Ron time to grow from dazed, downy fledgling into solid future husband-- but now Jules is talking about putting deposits down for a wedding this coming spring. (Ron may not have wanted so soon a date, but he's very much the follower in the relationship, and I have no doubt he'd go through with a wedding whenever Jules wanted.) She's got whole spreadsheets full of plans for flowers and dresses and hors-d'oeuvres, but the details of life *after* the wedding-- financial, emotional, logistical-- don't appear to be much on either her or Ron's mind.

My question is, as someone who loves Jules like, well, a sister, what's my best course of action here? When I got married earlier this year, Jules was a fantastically supportive and helpful maid-of-honor. She's clearly hurt that people aren't showing the same level of enthusiasm for her upcoming wedding, and seems to want me me to show support of the wholehearted, "squee!!-let's-plan-a-wedding!" variety. And like most little sisters, she's touchy about direct advice. On the other hand, I'm probably her closest female friend (as she is mine), so if anyone's going to be able to deliver a tactful nudge in the direction of sanity, it might be me. Since we're of a religion that frowns on divorce, there's a chance that the standard ill-advised early-20s wedding could have really long-term consequences in this case.

Above all, I want my sister to be happy, both short- and long-term, if possible. She's usually such a sensible, smart girl, that it breaks my heart to see her potentially screwing up her life like this. Do I bite my tongue and support her in this, while risking possibly enabling or promoting a really bad decision? Is there some subtle way to raise the obvious issues without alienating her?

Any follow-up questions, email sistertojules@gmail.com. Thanks!

Can I play old US Xbox games on a Japanese 360?

MostHolyPorcine — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:47:54 -0800

Can I play old US Xbox games on my Japanese 360 using the backwards compatibility function? Google-fu has failed me, hive mind, please help.

I'm living in Japan and got a great deal on a used 360 (bunch of people bought one for Blue Dragon and then sold it to the second hand shops...I only paid about US$100 for a 40 gig system). I'm not having any problem finding region free games in English, or Japanese games with English support.

HOWEVER...I am planning on moving back to the states relatively soon, and will be taking the system with me. Back home, I have a huge pile of old first gen Xbox games. Will I be able to use them on my Japanese system? Does region coding even come into play with the 360 emulator? If so, were most Xbox games region free or region coded? If they were region coded, any idea if there was significant english support for Japanese released Xbox games (I can buy plenty of old Xbox games here, but I don't want to bother if they're all in nihongo!)?

Thanks!

old apple display and windows

SageLeVoid — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:43:43 -0800

Do a DVI to ADC adapter is enough to run an oldish apple display with a windows pc ? Someone gave me an old 22 inch Apple display. It uses the infamous ADC connector, i plan on using it with a windows box. To do so i have to buy a DVI to ADC adapter.
The problem is that the adapter is quite expensive and nowhere it mentions compatibility with a windows machine even though in theory it's just a DVI to ADC converter and it should work.
I'd like to make sure that the connector is the only problem barring me from using the display with my pc or if something else could come up, like driver conflict and what not.
I believe the display to be the M8149, i plan on plugging it on a geforce 5600, part of a pc running windows xp pro sp2.

Audi and newer ipods

lovejones — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:16:05 -0800

Will a 2007 Audi A3 2.0T ipod connector work with the current generation ipods? The car has the fixed slot (not loose wire) to place the ipod in the glovebox, and has been working fine with my now dead 5.5 G ipod. But I know the apple bastards changed something in the connectors that rendered all the older ipod jacks incompatible with the newer ipods (a la the touch, classic, fat nano), correct? I don't have access to any here to test it out. Does this apply to the Audi connector as well? If so, is this an easy swap at the dealership, or do I have to stick with older ipods? Unfortunately, no aux in on the factory head unit. Did a lot of searching but can't find anything that mentions this specific issue. Thanks.

Whether and how to buy a Macbook Pro coming from the land of windows and linux

jouke — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:23:08 -0800

Help me with my orientation on whether and how to buy a Macbook Pro 17" high resolution. I'm a total Apple newbie but otherwise seasoned Wintel/Lintel power user/software developer.

I'm considering buying a Macbook Pro 17"

I'm daunted by the amount of information I will have to sift through to find my bearings in this new universe. Your level headed seasoned advice is highly appreciated.

The information I need most is:
- quality of Macbooks product & Apple support at the moment? Am I starting a few years of flawless execution and great support with a Macbook Pro 17" wide, OS X 10.1.4? Or a long road of trouble? (I've been using a Dell Latitude for the last years and that has been working flawlessly for 2+ yrs, 6+ hrs a day)
- Will I burn myself if I actually put the laptop on my lap? My current laptop has a Pentium M CPU 1.73 GHz. Designed for mobile use and low power consumption. I have no experience with what kind of heat a 2.4 GHz Intel Core Duo generates.
- Compatibility issues between US & EU. I'm planning on buying the macbook in the US and using it here in the continental EU. What problems will I encounter?
-- wrt voltage I think I can just get a different main adapter (voltage transformer). Is that true?
-- Pal/NTSC. Will that bite me in any way? I don't see anything pointing in that direction in the specs but I'm not sure....
-- can one use commodity peripherals (monitor, external usb drives, ...) with a Macbook Pro? Or is Apples strategy hardware locking and do I pledge all my other acquisitions to Apple if I do this?
- I'm told that if I get the US version of the OS X 10.1.4 I still can get localized input. Dutch has some special characters like ë, é, è, à, similar to the way German has the ß or the characters that are used in French spelling. Will that work?
- glossy or antiglare? I have no idea what to prefer.
- what's the best way to get up to speed with system administration issues with OS X 10.1.4? Is there 1 or 2 comprehensive books/sites?
- what's the best way to get up to speed with the application ecosystem on that OS? What open source apps, what shareware, etc.
- What put me off of progressing to Vista: the outrageous use of computer resources for no real discernible benefit to me and the way DRM is built into the OS to provide Microsoft with a media delivery channel monopoly. Will that be any better with OS X?

Thanks people!

In my mind there are no perfect choices between windows/intel, linux/intel & apple/intel. A realistic picture of what to expect and not expect is of most use to me.

How to play old school mac hypercards

London Irregular — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:15:46 -0800

How can I run 1996 mac hypercards with sound on a PC or modern OS? I want to run this just intonation ear trainer. It's a 1996 mac hypercard program, and I have a PC with windows and Ubuntu.. Is there anything out there that can play it? Revolution can run hypercards, but is not compatible with 'externals' so I'm guessing the sound might not work??

I've actually tried it in classic mode on mac osx and the sound didn't work properly.

Can't connect to a web with FrontPage 2002 running on Windows Media Center Edition 2005

jurczyk — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:27:02 -0800

Is there a way to create a web and connect to the server directly with FrontPage 2002 running on Windows Media Center Edition 2005 ? I'm working on a project for a client that has an existing web site built in FrontPage 2002. My primary computer is a Dell Inspiron with XP Media Center 2005. I am able to connect to the web server through FrontPage on another laptop running FrontPage 2002 on Windows XP Pro SP2 (now SP3), but not on the laptop with MCE 2005.

I'm guessing it's a prob w/ the OS but I couldn't find any fixes or references on the MS web site or in the various related Knowledge Base articles.

The Drive to Nowhere

zephyrbill — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:07:55 -0800

This may be an easy one (at least I hope so - and no, it hasn't been easy for me). Is there a site, or more than one site, that is somewhat devoted to compatibilities in hardware? I'm looking at notebook cdrw/dvd-rom (slim) drives and it would be nice to know which models will - ostensibly, anyway - work with which laptops. Help if you can. Thanks.

Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5/2.0 compatibility?

noisia — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:26:04 -0800

Is it possible to take Adobe Premiere Pro project files back and forth between 1.5 and 2.0? At school we're using 1.5 in the editing suites with the VCRs. At home I've got 2.0. I would like to be able to capture at school, then take the clips/project home to edit (portable HD), then take back to school to put back on video tape.
It seems to be fine going from 1.5 to 2.0 but when I try the reverse, it refuses to open the file. Even exporting the video as a whole file and then plopping it into the time line doesn't jive, as undesirable as it is, the video turns choppy in 1.5.
With Illustrator, it at least lets me save a CS2 file as CS compatible, even if it does add stupid clipping masks. Premiere doesn't seem to have any similar options.
Is there any way to make the files work, or should I just downgrade to 1.5?

Help me fix a poor student's computer

14580 — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 06:33:13 -0800

Please help me fix a poor college student’s Dell Dimension E310 desktop PC. I need to know whether they use an industry standard power supply unit or a proprietary Dell unit. My understanding is that Dell used to use proprietary power supplies but they’ve stopped doing that in recent years I’ve also heard that if you plug the wrong kind of PSU into the motherboard it will fry the rest of the computer; and I’ve also read that you really can’t tell the difference between the two types of supplies because they use the same kind of connectors.

I have lots of experience building my own computers. It seems likely that the power supply is causing this PC’s problem and I can get a standard PSU easily and fairly cheaply, so I’d like to try that first. I’ve looked inside the case, nothing is obviously wrong and I’ve tried reseating the cards and memory boards.

The computer is a hand-me-down from another relative. It is probably only three or four years old and it was working fine. They just turned it off and when they tried to turn it back on a couple of hours later nothing happened (there are no fans or hard drives spinning) and power button is blinking orange, instead of the usual steady green.

I’ve done a lot of Googling but I can’t find a definitive answer to my question.

Must Pro Tools Software be purchased with Mbox?

Jenna Roadman — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:18:59 -0800

Can I use any Mbox device (compatible with this program of course) to run Pro Tools LE 6.0? Must you buy the Mbox and software together for proper use? With many music programs these days, there's a tangible device needed to run the program, such as Pro Tools LE 6.0 requires the Mbox device to run at all. I have the program but no Mbox. I'm about to buy one, but wonder if perhaps the serial number from the program must match the device? Please help. I have to learn Pro Tools in the a month! he he.

Marriage compatibility

sharksandwich — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 11:05:24 -0800

I recall reading (online maybe) an article that discussed something like the top 8 things that a couple needs to be in agreement upon for the greatest chance of a successful marriage. Money was obviously one of them, but I'd like to see the whole list again. Ring any bells?

How do I get my printer to work with my computer?

echo0720 — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 06:42:18 -0800

Is there a way to get my printer to work with my Mac when there are only Windows drivers available? I own a Minolta QMS 1250W - it's a black and white color printer that I can't link to b/c its a few years old and they don't make it anymore, but to give you an idea, it is very similar to this. My printer has all sorts of Windows drivers which was great when I had a Compaq in grad school, but now I own a mac (an ibook G4, specifically). Is there any way that I can make my printer work with my iBook even though there's no existing driver for it? Or is this some sort of system incompatibility that my non-techie self knows nothing about? If that's the case, do you have any suggestions for an affordable laser printer that will work with both windows machines and macs?

Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is now FREE - Does it work from MCE 2002?

Jhaus — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 16:38:32 -0800

Seeing that it's now free, can Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 work with Windows Media Center Edition 2002 - sp2 as the host OS? I know that the guide says it is only compatible with XP Professional and Windows 2000, but I was wondering if anyone has had success with it this way (I recall hearing that MCE was the same as XP Pro just dressed a little differently)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

P.S. Why would my new HP m7470n have come shipped with MCE 2002 and not MCE 2005?

Show me the "real" you.

peewee — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:42:55 -0800

What are your favorite subtle questions to ask, while in the early stages of dating, that'll help reveal some insight into the real personality of your potential S.O.? Ok, so you've met for the initial cup of coffee and that went well. Maybe you've been out a time or two since then. The conversations are past the point of "Oh, you like that too? Yes, I do. Wow, that's cool" and now you'd like to dig a little deeper, while at the same time not making them feel like they're under a microscope or being interviewed. You want to start finding out about the little, yet oh-so-important nuances of who they really are. Tell me, clever ones of Ask Metafilter, what kinds of questions do you ask?

PrinterFilter: Help me find out if I can make this a wireless printer!

bkdelong — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:23:51 -0800

HPPrinterFilter - looking at a LaserJet and how to make it wireless. I'm looking at buying the HP Color LaserJet 1600. It does not have network connectivity but it does have a USB port. I'm trying to determine if I purchase HP's BT450 Bluetooth Wireless USB adapter and plug it into the LaserJet 1600's USB port, will that give the printer Bluetooth ability?

I called HP "Pre Sales Questions" and they said they "Do not test that adapter with that printer". So should I be looking for a printer with 8.011a/b/g or Bluetooth or will this adapter work?

Any suggestions for a TiVo like back end that will play nice with my Xbox 360 or modded Xbox frontend?

TrueVox — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 07:00:41 -0800

Any good suggestions on a Media Center OS for my main tower? WMCE would be my optimal choice (I won an Xbox 360 from Mt. Dew, and I wanna use it's full functionality). However, I also have a modded xbox to use as a frontend. Oh, and by media center, what I really mean is TiVo like setup. Any other functionality is gravy. The only real issue is that it needs to be TiVo like (rewind, fastforward, pause live TV, etc.), and it needs to use either the Xbox 360 (I know, only option is WMCE '05), or my Modded original Xbox (maybe Myth TV?).

Oh, and here's why I'm not just going WMCE: I hear it's only useful on VERY specific setups, and my tower is a custom job (AMD Athilon 3200+, some ATI graphics card, and a few others (I don't know what's important)). I of course will be buying a tuner for it, but that's later, and I'm not worried. I can do my research and find it.

So, any suggestions for a backend that will work with either of my front ends to provide TiVo like support?

Thanks everyone!

Seamlessness between Open Office and Microsoft Office?

NoMich — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:03:27 -0800

Let's say that I got a new computer without MS Office on it and I install Open Office. Let's also say a person sends me a Word or Excel file via email. Will I be able to read it and edit it in Open Office without messing up the format? If I make any changes to the file and email it back to my friend, will he be able to read it and make further edits to it while using the Microsoft Office applications?