Getting that missing taskbar back and other tips

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You can easily add a new Mac to a home network that has one or more Windows PCs. This is the best way to get to know how a Mac works.

technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Getting that missing taskbar back, making DVDs and VCDs for slide shows, what you lose or gain when you abandon Windows, other tips

Nov. 24, 2002

By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, The Post-Standard

   I've been getting a lot of questions about topics I've covered lately. Here are some quick answers.
   Many readers have asked for help getting their Windows taskbar back. Sometimes the taskbar is merely hidden (by using the Start Menu's "Settings," then "Taskbar & Start Menu") or has been "smushed" (by clicking the top edge of the taskbar and dragging it all the way out of sight). But a new virus -- masquerading as a greeting card program, of all things -- removes the taskbar as a sort of joke.
   To get your taskbar back, go to www.mcafee.com and click the Virus Information link at the top. Then type "Friend Greeting" (without the quotation marks) into the search form. You'll find an instruction page.
   Many others have asked for more information on the consequences of switching from a Windows PC to an Apple Macintosh. Go to Apple's Web site at www.apple.com for Apple's own view of this. (Check out the "Switcher" ads for a sense of the company's sense of humor, too.) Another source is any good local computer store that sells Apple's computers. Choose one that specializes in Macintoshes if possible. Stores that sell Macs along with Windows PCs often have no clue what they are selling.
   Because modern Macs connect to Windows computers effortlessly, you can add a new Mac to a home network that has one or more Windows PCs. This is the best way to get to know how a Mac works, because you can continue to do things on the Windows side while you are getting acquainted with the Mac. And, while kids might be universally attracted to the Mac's cute icons and interface, they'll probably find the Windows PC much better for playing games.
   Others have been asking me to write more about video CDs and home-made DVDs. If you are thinking of getting a new computer that will make DVDs and video CDs, I have two recommendations.
   My first recommendation won't surprise you if you've been following my coverage of the new Macs. I agree with most of the experts here: By far, the easiest and fastest way to make DVDs of your DV camcorder movies is through iMovie and iDVD, two programs that are free with current Macintoshes. Be sure to get one of the Macs with built-in DVD burner. It's available on both the cute white iMac and the standard-looking (and more powerful) G4 tower Macs.
   My second choice is only for those who are shopping for a new computer and aren't willing to get a Mac. (Don't ask; don't tell. Who knows why people feel that way? But many of you obviously do.) Get an HP "Media Center" Windows XP computer. It costs more than a DVD-burning Mac, is subject to Windows viruses and is harder to use, but it's the best Windows computer you can buy right now for digital video editing and DVD creation.
   I've also been asked to explain how to make CDs and DVDs that show still pictures, not videos. Mac users can readily make slide shows of still pictures using iPhoto and Toast, the top-ranking CD- and DVD-burning software for Macintoshes. I use Toast Titanium 5.2 on my Mac. (It does everything. All I do is feed it a QuickTime video that I created from still pictures with two clicks in iPhoto.)
   I've tried Windows programs that try to do the same thing and they're abysmal. If you know of a good Windows program that lets you take a group of still pictures and turn it into a DVD slide show, let me know.
   (I'm not THAT much of a dummy. I'm simply being honest. I installed Pinnacle Expression, a new Windows program that does part of the job, and it seemed passable. But don't Windows programmers ever look at a Mac? Or is there something inherent in Microsoft's attitude that stifles competition on a Windows PC?)
   Video CDs play on computers just fine (all you need is the right software, and most video CD players are free or cheap) but they don't play at all on North American CD players. You have to have a dedicated VCD player (all but impossible to get in this part of the world) or a DVD player that was designed to handle DVDs and VCDs.
   You can always just try a VCD on your player to find out, or check the specs when you shop for a new one. (Bring a VCD to the store and try it on various players.) You can get a DVD player that shows DVDs and video CDs and also plays audio CDs and audio MP3 files for less than $100.
   (Warning: VCDs make no sense if you care about video quality. Blank disks are cheap -- they're just blank CDs -- but VCD picture quality is worse than tape. Get a DVD-burning computer instead if you can afford it.)
   A trend that could make us all happy is the development of DVD players that can show still pictures. You put JPEG images on a CD (or maybe on a DVD -- that's not clear yet) and slip the disk into the player. It then shows the images in a slide show on your TV. I haven't tried one of these new players yet, but I should have one for review soon.