I get a number of requests for help with people’s Macs. They’re are often willing to pay, but the truth is that computer support (on any platform) is one of the things I least like to do. A typical question looks like this:
We’d like to upgrade or replace our aging Mac and have questions about how to upgrade or what to buy. We’d also like to network our computers on opposite ends of our house and are wondering about wireless. Further, we may need to run a Windows application occaisionally and need information about that.
After explaining that I’m not interested or not available for such consulting, my typical reposonse looks like this:
I’d recommend Cliff Pearson or Andy Mannone for such consultation. Cliff has taken over Mac cluster support since I left ITS, while Andy is a student at PSU and has done a lot of work for The Clock. Both are well skilled to answer your questions.
I then include the following boilerplate text:
For purchases, I reccomend the Apple Store online. You’ll get the same pricing everybody else can give, free shipping, and few-to-no hassles.
If there were a local retailer within 50 miles, I might reccomend them instead. This is central/northern New Hampshire, and there just aren’t many stores around.
I know there are alternatives (or maybe just an alternative) to Virtual PC, but this is my reccomendation:
Running Windows applications on a Mac is fairly easy with Virtual PC, though it does use a lot of disk space (you end up with a full install of Windows XP and all the Windows applications, in addition to everything else). Microsoft bought Virtual PC from Connectix and will be releasing a new version “soon.” Once released, VPC will be bundled with the ‘Professional’ version of MS Office.
Wireless is actually somewhat more interesting to me, but there are so many variables that it’s hard to make reccomendations that are more than guesses.
Wireless is a little more difficult, as range is difficult to determine without testing on site. If you’re willing to experiment, you can start with Apple’s classic base station, the Airport Extreme, which has a built-in router, ports for both LAN and cable modems, and an external antenna port.
With that unit, you’ll be able to network a number of computers in your house via wireline and wireless (WiFi) ethernet, using your existing cable modem, DSL line, or even dial-up. If you find the range too limited, your options include either an external antenna or a repeater base station like the AirPort Express.
Note: I should point out that there are a variety of proprietary and competing wireless distribution systems. There is not yet a standard that allows base stations from multiple manufacturers to work with and repeat signals for eachother.
And that’s it.
Posted August 13, 2004 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Technology. .
1 Comment(s)
Comments RSS
TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
User contributed tags for this post:
WPA Killer (80) - google earth ports (54) - mac consulting (49) - wpa kill download (37) - xp wpa killer (33) - WPA killer XP (33) - googleearth mac (26) - google heart for mac (24) - google earth alternative mac (23) - windows xp wpa killer (23) - windows xp wpa kill (21) - googleearth for mac (20) - google erth for mac (20) - xp home wpa kill (19) - google earth router (18) - wpa killer download (18) - google earth virtual pc (18) - wpa kill xp (17) - download wpa killer (17) - windows xp home WPA Kill (16) - Wpa kill WinXP (16) - wpa kill (15) - download wpa kill xp (15) - Andrew Mannone (14) - wpa killer xp home (13) - xp wpa kill (13) - windows wpa killer (13) - wpakill download (13) - WPA Kill xp home (12) - google erth mac (12) - windows xp wpa kill download (11) - WPA KILL download Windows XP (11) - google earth mac virtual pc (11) - Andy Mannone (10) - kill wpa (10) - wpa kill home (10) - wpa kill win xp (10) - google earth com mac (10) - wpa kill win xp download (10) - wpa killer xp download (9) - winxp wpa kill (9) - wpa kill virtual pc (8) - google earth and virtual pc for mac (8) - wpa kill download xp (8) - google earth virtualPC (8) - WPA Kill windows xp home (7) - winxp wpa killer (7) - about (6) - download wpa kill for windows xp (6) - google eart for mac (6) - xp wpa kill download (6) - kill wpa xp (6) - wpa for xp home (6) - wpa kill 2 winxp (6) - xp wpa (6) - all (6) - winxp home wpa kill (6) - winxp wpa kill download (6) - download wpa kill (6) - WPA Kill 2 (6) - wpa kill for windows xp home (6) - wpa kill windows xp (6) - windows xp kill wpa (6) - WPA KILLER download xp (6) - google erth alternative (6) - download wpa kill windows xp (6) - googleearth macintosh (6) - win xp wpa kill (6) - wpa killer windows xp (5) - WPA killer free download (5) - virtual eart download (5) - WPA Kill download for windows (5) - google erth for virtual maps free (5) - kill winxp via lan (4) - wpa killer download wpa killer download (4) - WPA Kill download winxp professional (4) - WPA killer windows XP home (4) - free wpa kill download (4) - microsoft virtual erth (4) - win xp wpa killer (4) - wpa kill for windows xp (4) - wpa killer download xp home (4) - google eart mac version (4) - WPA XP Kill (4) - wpa 2 macintosh (4) - WPA kill for Win XP Home (4) - wpa killer for xp download (4) - XP Home Pro WPA Killer New download (4) - winxp wpa (4) - timothy treadwell autopsy photos (4) - windows wpa killer download (4) - wpa killer downloads (4) - google earth VPC (4) - xp wpa killer download (4) - virtual GoogleEarth (4) - google earth for mac alternative (4) - windows xp (4) - free WPA killer download (3) - windows xp pro wpa kill (3) - WPAKILL download xp (3) - wpakill windows xp (3) - mannone (3) - virtual erth (3) - windows home wpa kill (3) - download wpakill xp (3) - kill winxp (3) - Ports f r google earth (3) - wpa xp killer (3) - WPA killer download winxp (3) - download xp wpa killer (3) - free wpa killer (3) - kill wpa windows (2) - how to run wpa kill (2) - winxp kill download (2) - repeater base station units locations maps (2) - kill wpa 2 (2) - alternative to virtual pc (2) - pmachine consulting (2) - download WPA Kill windows xp home (2) - mac earth com (2) - download xp wpa kill (2) - google earth on virtual pc mac (2) - forty questions blog Macintosh (2) - winxp wpa killer download (2) - googleearth port (2) - crack win xp home edition wpa kill (2) - microsoft wpa kill download (2) - google earth dial up (2) - All Windows WPA Killer (2) - winxp wpa crack (2) - google heart mac (2) - PC to Mac consulting (2) - Google Eart Macintosh (2) - virtual earth com (2) - wpa killer winxp (2) - xp wpakill download (2) - wpa killer xp home download (2) - http maisonbisson com blog post 10155 (2) - virtual pc WPA (2) - wpa kill download xp home (2) - wpa kill xp professional 2002 download (2) - wpakill build 2002 (2) - download WPA kill for xp home (2) - windows 2002 wpa kill (2) - win wpa killer (2) - wpa killer win xp home (2) - WPA kill for windows home (2) - windows xp home wpa killer (2) - Google Earth com (2) - google eart alternative (2) -
Good post. We handle lots of request like this and find that most of the time folks just need a good reliable source of information. We provide much of this information for free on our blog. But we also provide consulting services when folks need specific, hands-on advice or service.
Thanks for a great post.
-Patrick