Monday, November 19, 2007
Install and Run Windows on an Intel-based Mac with Ease
by Adam Engst, Publisher of TidBITS and the ‘Take Control’ series of eBooks.
If you want to install Windows on your Intel-based Mac soon, or if you’ve installed Windows but aren’t happy with how it’s working, you can find up-to-date help in the 148-page “Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac,” by Joe Kissell. The ebook is completely up-to-date and loaded with all the details you need to run Windows on a Mac successfully with Apple’s Boot Camp 1.3 beta, Parallels Desktop 3.0, the release candidate of VMware Fusion, and the free public beta of
VirtualBox. It also now covers both Windows XP and Vista and includes real-world advice about installing Windows, dealing with tricky peripherals, sharing files between Windows and Mac OS X, backing up a Windows installation, avoiding Windows malware, and more.
Still not sure? Check out the free 29-page sample to see what we mean!
Read this book to learn the answers to questions such as:
- How can I get a copy of Windows XP or Vista that will work on a Mac?
- What can I expect and how can I avoid problems with Windows activation?
- Should I run Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or VirtualBox?
- How can I best right-click in Boot Camp?
- How can I make my Bluetooth device work with Boot Camp?
- What are my options for sharing files between Windows and Mac OS X?
- What is a smart way to back up my Windows installation?
- How can I print from my Windows software?
- What techniques can I use to avoid viruses and spyware in Windows?
- How do I use one installation of Windows for Boot Camp and my virtualization software?
Save 10% off the $10 list price right now with the MUG discount embedded in the link above.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Get a Grip on Your iPhone with eBooks from Take Control
by Adam Engst, Publisher of TidBITS and the ‘Take Control’ series of eBooks.
Once the novelty of your new iPhone wears off, you may have serious questions about how to get the most out of this snazzy new device from Apple. The folks from Take Control are here to help with two new titles:
- ”The Macworld iPhone Superguide,” created by the folks at Macworld, examines every facet of the iPhone, from setup and activation all the way to choosing the best accessories. Macworld’s writers look in depth at the iPhone’s email and text message capabilities, using Safari and other iPhone applications, converting and watching video, and syncing photos. It’s 93 pages and costs $12.95.
- “Take Control of Troubleshooting Your iPhone,” written by well-known Mac troubleshooting guru Ted Landau, teaches you to deal with activation problems, sync failures and conflicts, keyboard and gesture quirks, application crashes, iPhone freezes, and handset security. This book is currently in draft-release form, so you can read and comment on the first 71 pages. It costs $10.
Click the links above to save 10% off the list price on any one ebook, or look on either title’s Web page (in the left margin) to find a 20% discount for buying both.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
O’Reilly News for User Group Members - July 20, 2007
New Releases: Books, Short Cuts, and Rough Cuts
Get 35% off from O’Reilly, No Starch, Paraglyph, PC Publishing, Pragmatic Bookshelf, Rocky Nook, SitePoint, or YoungJin books you purchase directly from O’Reilly.
Just use code “DSUG” when ordering online or by phone 800-998-9938.
Free ground shipping on orders of $29.95 or more. See details.
There are some links you may be interested in exploring:
Also, here are some links you may be interested in exploring:
Sunday, July 01, 2007
ConceptDraw turns 7
ConceptDraw 7 is a powerful diagramming and drawing tool that enables you to effectively visualize and communicate information and processes. Create professional-looking graphics and diagrams such as flowcharts, network diagrams, database diagrams, floor plans and much more in minutes. ConceptDraw 7 provides a comprehensive tool set to easily represent and share any kind of information.
ConceptDraw 7 has many advanced features that will keep you from missing MacDraw or SuperPaint, if you’re still watching for a new version of IntelliDraw, you may still be disappointed though. Working with Visio files, a current day reality for many of us forced cross-platform types, is a realistic option.
Work with XML for MS Visio
Using ConceptDraw you can work with MS Visio documents. By default MS Visio uses a closed binary format for its documents. ConceptDraw does not support importing MS Visio documents in closed binary format, but you can work with documents saved in MS Visio XML format.
From inside Visio save your working document as a MS Visio document in XML format. If you just have a document in binary MS Visio format only and do not have access to Visio, you can use the free of charge converter of MS Visio files into MS Visio XML format.To use this service you send your file in MS Visio format to vsdconvertor@csodessa.com . The converted file will be sent back to your e-mail. With the XML import and export capability you can work with many of your MS Visio documents, share documents with your team members who use MS Visio and work with MS Visio documents on the Macintosh.
ConceptDraw 7 is a powerful multipurpose application which helps professionals to visualize and structure information and create clear and attractive illustrations to documents in the form of professional- looking schemes, diagrams and flowcharts.
The wide set of thematic shapes, templates and wizards come with program. This helps to achieve the impressive results with minimum hand-drawing. At the same time, the powerful and easy-to-use graphic tools, delivers user the possibility to form the unique author’s style for each document.
Such kinds of modern business tools as databases or spreadsheets also can be visualized with ConceptDraw 7 due to built-in scripting language. ConceptDraw 7 is the only software of this kind that works on both Windows and Macintosh computers and allows exchanging documents between these platforms.
ConceptDraw 7 can be used for creating:
- Flowcharts
- Organization charts
- Sales and marketing diagrams
- Project timelines
- Network diagrams
- Database diagrams
- Interface and web site models
- Engineering drawings
- Building and floor plans
- Landscape and garden designs
Friday, June 01, 2007
InDesign CS3 for Publishing Solutions with InDesign CS3 Server
Enables Innovative Publishing Solutions
InDesign® CS3 software, the latest version of its award-winning professional page layout program. InDesign CS3 addresses design, efficiency and output challenges to improve the way that design, editorial, production and IT professionals work on a day-to-day basis. InDesign CS3 delivers a powerful, yet easy-to-use set of tools that enable creative exploration, streamline productivity, improve collaboration and automate layout and production of complex documents. The software is the keystone to Adobe’s comprehensive publishing solution that also includes Adobe InCopy® CS3 and Adobe InDesign CS3 Server.
InDesign CS3 is available as a stand-alone application or as a key component of Adobe Creative Suite® 3 Design Premium and Standard editions (see separate release) and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection. The software is available as a Universal application for both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs and supports both Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista™. Customers will experience increased levels of performance and speed running the software on Intel-based Macintosh systems and the latest Windows hardware.
“Productivity enhancements in Adobe InDesign CS3, such as Multi-file Place, Find/Change and Fast Frame Fitting, will allow us to keep up with our ever-faster workflow requirements,” said Paul Nicholson, vice president, Print and Broadcast Production for Showtime Networks. “At Showtime, we pride ourselves on cutting-edge design and incredibly efficient production of complicated mechanicals. Adobe Creative Suite 3 will keep us on that bleeding edge - one step ahead of the competition and two steps ahead of our clients at all times.”
“InDesign CS3 was shaped by customer-inspired requests and is packed with new features that respond to today’s demanding workflows, including lightning performance and added support for Intel-based Macintosh systems and Vista-based PCs,” said Mark Hilton, vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. “InDesign has seen significant momentum worldwide through broad-scale adoption and the growth of a vibrant partner ecosystem. This release will continue to set the standard for page layout software by helping designers increase efficiency, create stand-out content and consistently produce reliable output.”
Increased Productivity and Innovative Creative Features
InDesign CS3 is loaded with enhancements to streamline and speed design, editing and production of documents of any length. Productivity features including Multi-file Place, expanded Quick Apply, Advanced Find/Change, and fast frame fitting, eliminate time consuming and repetitive design tasks. Table and cell styles allow users to quickly format an entire table or apply design to a regional area, such as a header or footer. Standards-based XHTML export to Adobe Dreamweaver® CS3 from InDesign CS3 enables print content to be repurposed for web publishing. A built-in XHTML export to Adobe Digital Editions allows InDesign CS3 users to directly generate dynamic, reflow-centric content for Adobe’s new Rich Internet Application for reading and managing digital publications. The addition of automated bullets and numbering and text variables give users the tools to quickly create and maintain design consistency within long documents. Dynamic generation of page layouts with formatted text and graphics can now be accomplished by applying rules to imported XML content, enabling publishers to automate the creation of richly designed and personalized documents.
InDesign CS3 users can now more freely experiment with designs by applying familiar Photoshop visual effects such as bevel and emboss, as well as satin, with full support for blending modes, opacity, and other options. Finer transparency controls allow users to independently adjust settings on an object’s fill, stroke or text for more visual and nuanced design.
