HP Printer Go Go Gadgets Promo

Buy select HP Printers and get the chance to win a cool (not to mention expensive) gadget in the HP Printer Go Go Gadgets promo by HP Philippines. Prizes to be given away include: 2 Compaq Presario M2215 Notebooks, 20 HP iPAQ rx1950 Pocket PCs, 20 Sony Digital Camera T-5s, 20 2GB Apple iPod Nanos, and 20 Nokia 6270s. Visit your nearest authorized HP reseller today!

*Promo is available in the Philippines nationwide. See posters and print ads for details.

File Compatibility Between Mac & Windows

A friend of mine recently asked me if Microsoft Word and PDF files could be opened on a Mac. The answer is YES. I've actually talked about this before in a previous entry, but perhaps I should discuss it further. I do find that one of the most common MISCONCEPTIONS about the Mac system is that it CANNOT open any of the files that you use on a Windows PC. Perhaps this was the case in the past, but not anymore. A lot of file types out there are accessible by both a Mac and Windows computer. As a general rule, if you have an application on your Mac or Windows computer that opens a particular file type, then chances are, you can open the same file of that type regardless of which platform you are working on. If you have Microsoft Office for Mac, then it will be able to open, access and modify a Word, PowerPoint or Excel file that you created using a Windows PC and vice versa. There is also an Adobe Acrobat Reader version for the Mac, so the same can be said about PDF files – you will be able to access them on a Mac even if it was created using a Windows PC. So, as I've mentioned earlier, if the same software application has a version for the Mac, then it is most likely that you will be able to open files that run on that application even if you created them on a Windows platform. And if your Mac has a particular piece of software that opens a particular file type, then it can probably open a file of that same type even if it was created on a Windows PC (e.g. Preview for photos and iTunes for music files). Here's a list of some of the more common file types that will run on both a Mac and Windows PC:

Pictures: Jpeg, Tiff, Gif, Png
Audio: Mp3, Wav
Video: MPEG, DivX (you will need to download the codec from the DivX website), Windows Media Movie (download Windows Media Player for Mac), QuickTime
Others: Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint documents, SWF & FLA files from Macromedia Flash, PSD files from Adobe Photoshop, PDF files

Popular Instant Messaging programs will also allow Mac and Windows users to communicate with each other, such as Yahoo (audio conferencing DOESN'T work between Windows and Mac users, but webcam chat DOES), Skype (audio conferencing WORKS) and MSN.

*Note: Some of the file types and applications mentioned might not be compatible with OLDER versions of the Mac OS starting from OS X 10.1.5

For other software programs, files and applications that do not have Mac versions, you can use an emulator like Virtual PC for Mac. This application will allow you to access files, applications, networks and devices that are designed for Windows, all from the comfort of your own Mac. It literally creates a window for Windows. Some applications may not work, but overall compatibility is said to be impressive. Also, don't expect applications on your Virtual PC to run as fast as your other Mac programs. The emulation process will most likely create some lag time.

So, if you're considering making the switch, it is important for you to find out if most of the files and applications that you need to use on a daily basis will work on a Mac. It's easy to get tempted by the Mac's gorgeous exterior, but you still have to be objective when you make your decision. Here's an interesting article that talks about why a Mac isn't for everybody. I'd have to say that I agree with some of the points raised by the author. Read the article to see if what he says makes good sense to you. But even though I agree that the Mac may not be for everybody, I still think that it's an excellent choice for a lot of people out there.


UPDATE [20-Jan-2006]:

#1: Here's one question that a lot of people might be wondering about:

Can I use the Windows installer of a certain software application so I can install that applicaton on my Mac (without using Virtual PC)?

The answer would be NO. For instance, if you have a Microsoft Office installer for Windows, you will not be able to use that installer to run Microsoft Office for your Mac. You will have to purchase a separate Microsoft Office installer made specifically for the Mac. The same goes for all other software application installers - you will need to purchase or acquire the specific version for Macintosh.

#2: I found a resource page that talks about Microsoft Office cross-platform compatibility between Mac and Windows. Go to the Compatibility Center at the Microsoft website to read more.

Happy Holidays!

May this holiday season bring you much joy, more blessings and a brand new iPod! :)

Free Mac Games!

If you visit Yahoo! Games, you'll quickly find that most of the games they offer are for Windows users only. Boo! But before you begin to wallow in a pit of despair, try visiting MacGamesAndMore.Com. The site offers a lot of games that you can download for free (such a lovely word)! And they also offer other free (there's that lovely word again) software downloads of the non-gaming variety (hence the "and more" in MacGamesAndMore). Go check the site out and feel free to share with us what games and other software you enjoyed using.

Widget World: Family Guy Random Quote Generator

Family Guy is this hilarious and ingenious cartoon show about Peter Griffin and his extremely odd family. He has a talking dog named Brian and an evil 1-year-old baby named Stewie, who speaks with a sinister English accent. Genius. Pure Genius. If you're a fan of the show then you'd probably enjoy having the Family Guy Random Quote Generator widget. It features random quotes from the hit TV show. Click here to get it. But be careful. This widget may very well be one of Stewie's crafty tools in his quest for world domination.

*In the Philippines, Family Guy airs on JackTV.

Mac OS X Tip: Safari Browsing & Scrolling Shortcuts

A few more keyboard shortcuts have made themselves known to me while I was browsing the Internet with Safari and playing around with the keyboard (I was randomly pressing different key combinations... don't ask me why).

Here they are:

Command+Up - scroll directly to the top most part of the page
Command+Down - scroll directly to the bottom most part of the page
Command+Left - show previous page (shortcut to browser’s back button)
Command+Right - show next page (shortcut to browser’s next button)

*Note: Command+Left and Command+Right will not work if the page you are on has an active text field (the username and password text field, for example). You have to, first, click outside the text field to make them work, but then that kind of defeats the purpose of using those shortcuts now, doesn't it?

I don't know if they'll work with other browsers, but you can try them out if you want.

Mac OS X Tip: Copy & Paste

If you're a Windows user, chances are, you already know the keyboard shortcut for copy & paste. Ctrl+C is for copy as Ctrl+V is for paste. These two are perhaps the most widely used keyboard shortcuts by people from all over the world. God forbid we exert more effort by actually using the mouse. Yes, the keyboard shortcut is the most dependable friend of the lazy ass.

If you're new to the Mac you'll quickly realize that using Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V will not yield the same results as they would with Windows. Instead, the proper way to do it on a Mac would be to use the Command Key (Cmd for short). How do I find this Cmd Key, you might ask? Just look for the one that has the Apple logo and that wierd shape I refer to as "the square with tiny circles sprouting from each corner" or tswtcsfec (pronounced tiz-wuh-tic-see-fec). Cmd+C is for copy as Cmd+V is for paste. Try it. Your lazy ass will thank you.

Look Who's Got an iPod...

I think they should fit the Royal Crown with headphones and an iPod dock. That would be so cool. Watch this video and see who else is sporting the world's most amazing mp3 player.

BPI Jumpstart Savings - Open an Account for the Chance to Win an iPod!

Enough talk about my dead iMac for now. I came across an ad in the paper today that speaks of the chance to win a fabulous iPod. It doesn't say specifically which type of iPod you can win, but the ad includes a picture of a Nano. So perhaps we can assume that they are giving away just that. Semantics, people. All you have to do is open a BPI Express Teller Jumpstart Savings Account and you get the chance to win 1 of 10 Apple iPods. BPI Jumpstart Savings is an Express Teller card that they're marketing towards teens. The ad says: "This Christmas, give your teens the most valuable gift - a jumpstart on money management." I, personally, would just rather be given the iPod. But hey, if your a teen or have a son/daugher who is a teen or for some strange reason just feel like giving some random teen stranger a new ATM account, then by all means, go to your nearest BPI bank branch and open an account today (well, it's Saturday so that means you'll have to wait until Monday for the banks to open)! But there are also BPI Express Banking Centers (EBCs) located in malls that are open even on weekends! Gosh, they thought of everything! So what are you waiting for? If you don't win the iPod, then just use your savings to buy one.

Promo Period: November 9, 2005 to February 15, 2006

Dead iMac: Update #2

So they were able to figure out what was wrong with the iMac and found that there was some damage to the unit's power supply. They will replace everything under warranty so I will not have to pay for anything. I will just have to wait 6-7 days as the needed part will have to be ordered from somewhere else and then shipped to the Philippines. I suppose that's good news. I just hope that, number one, it arrives on time and that they will be able to fix it before the holiday break begins (otherwise I might be seeing the unit next year). And, number two, that nothing else was damaged. I asked the tech and he said that it was just the power supply. I'm just worried that some other parts simply don't show any physical indication of damage but will nonetheless exhibit symptoms in terms of performance. I sincerely hope that's not the case. Oh well. That's life, isn't it? Gotta look at the bright side.

Dead iMac: Update #1

I posted this overly dramatic entry yesterday about the death of my brand new iMac G5. I can't say I'm feeling any less dramatic today. I am still utterly and completely disappointed about this very unfortunate event.

So I've sent the computer back to the repairshop today. The tech guy opened it up and I was waiting for about 15-20 minutes until he just asked me to leave the unit with them until they figured out what was wrong with it. In case they find out that it's an actual defective unit, I might still be eligible for a replacement. If not, then I guess they'll just have to fix it and replace whatever part of it that's broken. It's still under warranty (I just bought it 9 days ago, after all) so I think I won't have to pay for anything. I'm hoping for the best.

But of course I still love Macs. My old G4 is still very reliable. This is, in fact, the first real problematic issue I've ever had to deal with when it comes to the Macintosh system. Just goes to show that no computer is perfect. No matter how much anyone professes about how wonderful and great the Mac is, there will also be people out there who will have experiences that say otherwise. What I'm interested in finding out, however, is what kind of repair service quality I'll be experiencing now that I actually have a broken Mac. Will I have to wait too long for repairs? Will the actual unit be returned to me in good working order? Will I have to pay for anything? Etc... And like I said, I'm still hopeful.

It Just Died...

In the most disappointing turn of events, my very new iMac G5 died. The cause of which completely eludes me. I had set it up and played around with it for 30 minutes. I then decided to start software update and left it as it completed the downloads. Little did I know that I was not to see my beloved iMac alive again. I came back to a blank screen, thinking that the display went to sleep. But no click of the mouse or stroke of the keyboard would bring it back to life. I tried the power button, but that too failed to revive my lifeless computer. I am heartbroken.

Tomorrow, I shall send my iMac to the shop so that I may find out the cause of its untimely death. Despite the heartbreak, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that my beautiful, beloved iMac shall be revived. It shall once again rise from the proverbial ashes and shine as brightly as it once did...

Widget World: Mondo Solitaire

My sister is addicted to the Spider Solitaire game on her PC. There are occasions where she spends HOURS infront of the computer just playing the game OVER and OVER and OVER and... you get my point. So if you - like my sister - have a passion for playing solitary card games, then you'll probably enjoy Gandreas Software's "Mondo Solitaire" widget. You can choose from over fifty different forms of solitaire and variations (both one and two deck games), including Klondike, Canfield, Golf, FreeCell, Spider. Wow. Playing card games all by yourself has never sounded so exciting. Go get it.

Mac OS X Tip: Dashboard Shortcut

Here's a very useful shortcut: hit the F12 key on your keyboard and the Dashboard comes zooming in with all your active widgets. Hit it again and they all zoom out. Try it!

Ynzal's Annual Inventory Sale 2005

Attention: Mac products, accessories, peripherals and software applications on sale at Ynzal!

Ynzal Marketing Corp. is having its annual Inventory Sale on December 14-16, 2005 (Wed-Fri; 9am-5pm) at its Sct. Rallos headquarters in Quezon City.

Huge discounts and marked down prices on all its products, from pre-owned Macs to new models to accessories, peripherals and software applications, are to be expected. A list of items will be published on their website on Tuesday 6PM. Be sure to check it out!

Click here for a map to their Sct. Rallos headquarters.

It's Here!

It's here! It's here! It's finally here!
I ordered an iMac G5 with built-in iSight a few weeks ago and it has finally arrived! I picked it up yesterday. Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! Although, I haven't actually set it up yet. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding a good UPS surge protector with built-in AVR, and I don't want to just plug it into this cheapo surge protector I have now. Hopefully, I'll get to either buy or borrow one in about a day or two. But I have seen it out of the box. I made sure to have it tested at the dealer's. I actually had them take it out and power it on. It was magnificent! I was on the verge of joyous tears. Some other customer was staring at it the whole time, too.
I have to say, the 20" LCD display is gorgeous! It's huge! It's so big you could build a house on it! I also got to test the built-in iSight and the picture quality's pretty impressive. I can't wait to test it on iChat and to play with Photo Booth! I will post more pictures once I've set it up.

I love it! I love it! I love it! :)

X-Men 3 Teaser Out Now!

For all you X-Men fans out there, the X3 announcement teaser is available now. HD versions are available at the Apple website. You will need QuickTime 7. Click here to watch. All I can say is: AWESOME! You can also visit the official movie site at www.x3movie.com.

The PinoyMacLovers Me & My Mac Project

If you are the happy, happy owner of a Mac and would like to show us what kind of sweet setup you have, then I'd like to invite you - yes YOU - to participate in the PinoyMacLovers Me & My Mac project. Just send me a picture of YOU with your Mac and I will post them on my blog for the whole world to see. And for one brief shining moment, you and your Mac shall become SUPAHSTAHS! And rightfully so, for I believe that everyone deserves to be a star.

Here's how YOU can participate:

1. Have a picture taken of you with your Mac (or Macs if you're lucky enough to have more than one). You can choose to take a simple picture or let that artist in you out and be as creative as you would like to be (WHOLESOME-ly creative, I might add).

2. Email me your pictures at memacproject [at] pinoymaclovers [dot] com. Include your first name (or a catchy nick), occupation (e.g. student, housewife, accountant, rocker, farmer, crying lady etc...), and what setup or setups you have (e.g. iMac G4 15" Flat Panel, iMac G3 Flower Power, 14-inch iBook G4, Power Mac G5 Quad w/ 30-inch Apple Cinema HD display, etc...).

That's it. Pretty easy, isn't it? So take out those digicams, start feeling like a celebrity, and have your very own Mac photoshoot. Say CHEESE!

DISCLAIMER: The PinoyMacLovers "Me & My Mac" project is an independent project and is in no way authorized, endorsed, or sponsored by Apple Computer, Inc. By participating in the "Me & My Mac" project, you grant PinoyMacLovers a perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and otherwise exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to the material you provide at its sole discretion. If you do not wish to grant PinoyMacLovers these rights, it is suggested that you do not submit information to this website. PinoyMacLovers reserves the right to select, edit and arrange submissions, and to remove information from the PinoyMacLovers website at any time at its sole discretion. No image from this project may be used for any purpose without expressed written authorization from the author.

Clearance Sale!

Ynzal Marketing Corp. is having a clearance sale on their remaining stock of previous Macintosh computer systems. Units on sale include:

M9250
iMac G5 20"
1.8GHz PowerPC G5 processor
20" display
256MB RAM
160G Hard Drive
Combo Drive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
3 years extended warranty
Php 89,980

M9421
PowerBook G4 15"
1.33GHz PowerPC G4 processor
15" display
256MB RAM
60GB Hard Drive
Combo Drive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
Airport Express (built-in wireless network adapter for WiFi internet)
Bluetooth
1 year warranty
Php 93,900

These are great deals! You get the chance to purchase a great Macintosh computer system at a discounted price! All systems are brand new and factory-fresh. Limited quantities available. Only valid while stock lasts so buy now!

Visit http://ynzal.com/clearance.html for a complete listing of the products on sale.

Mac and Windows Sittin' in a Tree...

Ever wonder what would happen if a Mac computer and a Windows PC could make babies together? Uuhh... yeah... me neither. But somebody sure did and even made a 3D animated short about it. Click here to watch it.

Apple Philippines Authorized Resellers

Where to buy Apple products in the Philippines:
Are you thinking about getting the new iPod model that just came out? Or have you finally decided to make that switch and get yourself a brand new iMac or Macbook Pro, perhaps? Then head on over to the nearest Apple Philippines authorized reseller and see what they have to offer. While there is still no official Apple store in the Philippines, we do have some authorized resellers. Here's a short list of a few of those resellers that are located in the Philippines:

Power Mac Center - Greenbelt
2/F Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati.
Tel: 7297128

Senco Link Technologies Inc
4/F First Life Bldg.,
174 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village
Makati City
Tel: 893 4103, 816 0699
Web: http://www.sencoph.com

iStudio - Bonifacio High Street
Bonifacio High St, Bldg 3,Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
Tel: (632) 856-2395 / (632) 856-2396
Fax: (632) 856-2396
Email: info [at] istudio [dot] ph
Web: http://www.istudio.ph

iStore - Cebu

iStore BTC
2nd Floor, Banilad Town Centre
Cebu, Philippines
Tel: (032) 416-2304, 343-3264, (917)324-7569

iStore Ayala
3rd Floor, Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu, Philippines
Tel: (032) 233-1310, 415-1907

iStore SM NorthWing
2nd Floor, SM NorthWing
Cebu, Philippines
Tel: (032) 236-4150, 412-7339

iStore - Bacolod
SM City Northwest Bridgeway lobby B202
Bacolod, Philippines
Tel: (034) 707-0010

Email: sales [at] istore [dot] ph
Web: http://www.istore.ph

For a complete list of Apple Philippines authorized resellers, visit http://www.asia.apple.com/buy.

Free iPod Nano With Car Purchase

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Promo: Buy a Lancer 1.6 MX and pay through cash or Mitsubishi's Easy Own Plans and get a FREE iPod Nano 2GB & Pioneer adaptor.

*Promo period is from October 15, 2005 to January 8, 2006.

Although I think it's highly unlikely that anyone would buy a car just to get a free iPod. But I thought I'd just let you all know. :)

iMac G5: "A New Gold Standard for PCs"

Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret of "The Mossberg Solution - Personal Technology From The Wall Sreet Journal" writes an excellent review on the recently released iMac G5 with built-in iSight. Click here to read all about it.