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Press Cmd-Option-Eject to put your Mac to sleep instantly.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

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Answers to your OS X questions, Part 2


June 8, 2005


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, The Post-Standard

   Let's play 20 questions, part two. The first 10 ran last week.
   11. Can you recommend a book that will allow a smooth transition to the Mac world?
   "OS X: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue from Pogue Press. All good bookstores will have it or can order it, or you can get it online from www.amazon.com.
   12. Can iPhoto 5 be used with any other computer than Apple's Macintosh?
   Macintosh software runs only on Macs. Macintosh prices start at $499.
   13. Why can't I get my Mac to shut down when I press the power button? It goes to sleep instead.
   Open System Preferences, then Energy Saver, then Options. Uncheck "Allow power button to sleep the computer."
   If your Mac won't shut down no matter what, hold the power button for more than seven seconds.
   14. Is there a utility program that I can install that will make my Mac go to sleep when I run it? Then I could get it to go into sleep mode quickly, any time I want.
   Pshaw. Just press Cmd-Option-Eject.
   15. Why do Macs cost so much more than Windows PCs?
   Because cheaper machines would sell at a loss, and Steve Jobs, the head of Apple, does not want to run a company that is not profitable. Apple computers cost more because they are designed better and because Apple's engineers spend a lot of time making sure things work from the start. How do you do that more cheaply than the way Dell slaps computers together? I doubt that it's possible.
   As for the price, consider this: Suppose a new Mac (an eMac) costs $800. It clearly has more features and functions than a Dell that costs $500, and is immune to the viruses that drive Dell owners up the wall. It also has no spyware whatsoever. Remember that it is spyware that is the main scourge of new Dells -- Dell says its customer support lines get 30,000 calls a day from owners whose computers are crippled by spyware. Which computer is cheaper?
   16. It's obvious that Apple took its cue from Microsoft when it made Cmd-C the key for "copy." Windows uses Ctrl-C. And look at the key for Paste; it's almost the same, too. All this fawning over Apple makes me sick.
   You might get even sicker when you hear that Apple's key assignments for cut, copy and paste predated Microsoft's by many months. So the copying went in the other direction.
   17. In my previous job I made PDF files using Adobe Acrobat. In my new job, I'm forced to use a new iMac. I say "forced" because they won't let me buy Acrobat for the Mac, and I'm really ticked. What do you suggest?
   I suggest you click "Print" in the File menu, then Output Options, then check "Save as File" and select "Format: PDF." The OS X display system is based on PDF, and you can create a PDF from anything you can print.
   18. Would I get better sound if I converted my iTunes MP3s to Apple Lossless format?
   No. Apple Lossless can't improve anything. It simply keeps the music it encodes from deteriorating during its own encoding. Encode all music in the future with Apple Lossless to keep it pristine.
   19. Despite what you say OS X has security flaws. If Apple had a greater market share I'm sure there would be a lot more. Your head-in-the-sand attitude about Mac security does Mac users no good.
   All operating systems have flaws. But the fact that there are no viruses and no spyware for OS X speaks for itself.
   20. I switched from Windows to a Mac. I love it, but I sure wish it had come with a better mouse. It doesn't have a wheel or a right button.
   All modern Macs can use any Windows mouse. Just plug it in. The right button will work automatically. So will the wheel.