Five Reasons to Switch to Mac

The Mac OS uses Apple Script automation to simplify tasks. Apple Script allows users to automate repetitive tasks, control applications, and modify documents and data, without going through hundreds of steps in several applications. Apple Script has been part of the Mac OS since System 7. It is a scripting language that uses plain English and point-and-click commands, so you don’t have to be an Apple Mac Support genius to use it. Windows’ scripting and automation capabilities are still not as simple and easy to use as Apple Script.

Speaking of automation, Microsoft programs like to make assumptions about what you are trying to do, attempting to anticipate your next move. Even on a Mac, Microsoft programs do this. If you type a “1” in Word or Entourage, the program assumes the next paragraph should start with a “2.” Users often spend too much time undoing Microsoft’s “helpful” assumptions for them to be worth the effort.

Mac OS X “contracts” fewer Viruses. Computer viruses have to be coded, just like any program. Most viruses, spyware and malware target Windows, causing a lot of security problems for PC users. There are far fewer viruses written for the Mac OS, making it a much more carefree choice. If you do need to consult a Macintosh Support London technician, it shouldn’t be for viruses.

Reason Why Mac Is Easy

The debate over which is better, Mac or Windows PCs, continues to rage as it has for decades. Millions of dedicated Macintosh users worldwide would tell you that they love their Macs and would never switch, while equally dedicated Windows users swear by their favourite OS. If you are in the market for a new PC, you may want to consider the following reasons why Macintosh is the easiest system to use.</p>

Internet content creation is easier on the Mac. With QTML (Quick Time Media Layer), it’s easy to author and playback multimedia web content. Even private and small business websites need to offer exciting, interactive features in order to attract visitors and hold their attention. Apple’s QTML technologies allow even beginning content creators to augment their websites with images, videos, sounds, 3D animation and virtual reality, providing visitors with an attention-grabbing experience.</p>

Internet access is easier on the Mac. Ask any Macintosh Support London specialist and they will tell you that Apple Support is committed to making their systems as user-friendly as possible. Since users rely heavily on the Internet for everything from product research to socialisation and entertainment, it only makes sense that Apple would pay particular attention to making internet access a breeze.

Networks: File, Web and Client Sharing

How do clients and servers relate in regard to network service access?
• The server provides network services which are accessed using client software.
• A protocol known to both client and server establishes the connection between them.
• The client and server can exist in different services.

Network services and network ports
• Services and connections are supported concurrently by the TCP or UDP protocol.
• At least one network port is assigned to each connection and service for communication.

Network discovery protocols
• Mac OS X supports two dynamic network discovery protocols. These are Apple Bonjour and Microsoft NetBIOS/WINS

How Mac OS X uses dynamic network discovery protocols
• A Mac OS X client transmits a broadcast request and all network devices using Apple Bonjour or Microsoft NetBIOS/WINS respond to the broadcast request.

Network file services you can connect to from the Finder’s Connect server dialog
• AFPv3
• SMB
• WebDAV
• NFSv4
• FTP

Populating items inside the Finder’s Network folder
• The Finder’s Network folder lists Apple Mac Support network file services using AFP or SMP protocols that have been dynamically discovered by the network discovery protocols.
• It also lists all network filesystems that are mounted at present.
• Only information gathered by AFP and SMB protocols changes items inside the Finder’s Network folder.
• Resources may show up in folders denoting WORKGROUPS or ZONES

Mac OS X file-sharing
• To allow other computers to access Mac OS X files, first set each Mac’s network identification.
• From the File Sharing Preference Pane in System Preferences, initiate file sharing options.
• You can also use a folder’s Get Info panel to set up file sharing of that folder.

Running Windows on Your Mac

One question Macintosh Support London specialists hear often is “how can I run Windows on my Mac?” The answer is relatively simple, though it sounds somewhat complicated. If you want to run Windows on a Mac that is based on Intel, you need to create a virtual machine for the secondary OS. In computing terms, virtualisation means creating a seemingly real version of something like an Operating System, hardware platform or storage device. You Mac is a subjectively and objectively physical and real machine. A virtual copy of your Mac would seem very much like the real thing from a subjective point of view, but would actually be a set of files and programs running on your actual machine.

The IT industry is trending toward solutions that allow systems and environments to be more self-managing (autonomic computing) and that allow clients to pay for computer processing as they need it (utility computing). Virtualisation allows multiple Operating Systems to be run in parallel on one CPU, increasing the efficiency of administrative tasks and cutting down on overhead.

Hardware or platform virtualisation means creating a virtual machine that behaves like an actual machine with an OS. Software used on such a virtual system is separate from the core hardware resources and must be accessed through the virtual machine. So, your Mac that runs some version of Mac OS X can host a virtual machine with Windows installed on it. To accomplish this you will need virtualisation software.

As your Apple Mac Support  technician could tell you, Boot Camp, Parallels and Fusion are the three main applications for running Windows on a Mac. They’re all pretty user-friendly and effective, which can make the choice difficult. Ultimately, your choice depends on personal preference and what you want to use Windows for.

Boot Camp has the advantage of being nearly free, as it is supplied with OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and up. If you’re running 10.5 or higher, Boot Camp is probably already installed. Boot Camp’s other major advantage over the others is speed. It runs at the core hardware’s native speed, making it a good option for gamers and other users interested in performance. Boot Camp doesn’t run Mac OS X and Windows simultaneously. You have to restart your Mac to shift between the two.

Parallels is capable of running multiple OSes concurrently, so you can have OS X and Windows (or Linux) going at the same time and share data between them. Parallels is slower than Boot camp, but you won’t see much difference when running Microsoft Office and similar programs. For graphic-design or gaming applications, the lag will be noticeable.

VMware Fusion can also run multiple Operating Systems at the same time, sharing data between them. In addition, it supports multiple processors, which Parallels does not. This allows Fusion to be faster than Parallels, though still not as quick as Boot Camp. Fusion also offers an interface more familiar to Mac users and better graphics drivers. It doesn’t support so many USB devices as Parallels, though. 

What’s The Story on Gatekeeper?

Introduced with OS X Mountain Lion, Gatekeeper is generating a lot of questions for Apple Mac Support London. Here’s a quick overview of what Gatekeeper does and why it’s so helpful.

Gatekeeper is designed to prevent the installation of malware onto your Mac. It’s Apple support solution to the trouble Trojan apps are causing for users on most operating systems. iPhones and iPads are safe from Trojan apps because iOS limits installation to apps from the Apple App store. Since Mac users can download and install apps from all over the internet, not just the App Store, they are more at risk of accidentally installing malicious software. Once installed, most Trojan apps are very hard to get rid of and usually require the services of a Macintosh Support London specialist.

Apple has developed Gatekeeper for OS X 10.8 to help users protect themselves. Gatekeeper operates in the background, only alerting you when something is wrong. How often you receive these alerts depends on your setup.

In the Security and Privacy segment of System Preferences are three “allow applications downloaded from” settings.
• The Mac App Store choice will only allow installation of software from the App Store. This is the safest and most limiting choice.
• Choosing Mac Support Store and identified developers enables the installation of software from the App store and from the web, so long as the developer is registered with Apple. This is Mountain Lion’s default setting.
• Selecting Anywhere will let you install any software, from any source. This option grants the most freedom and no protection.

Apple urges developers who want to dispense software from outside of the App Store to register with Apple and get a certificate to use in identifying their apps. If someone tampers with the software code before you download it, this certificate will be broken and installation will be denied. At the same time, Apple can ban developers who dispense malware on purpose, thus preventing Mountain Lion from installing that developer’s apps. This does not guarantee that malicious developers can’t get an Apple certificate; it just means Mac users are protected if those developers are later found to be distributing Trojan apps.

Though the Anywhere option might seem good because it allows the most freedom, it is not necessarily the wisest choice. With this setting, it is very easy to install Trojan software by accident, potentially causing damage to your system and necessitating a call to Mac Support London specialists. The default Mac App Store and identified developers provides a happy medium between top security and no security at all.

If you want to download apps from developers without an Apple certificate, it is pretty simple to override Gatekeeper for specific apps. You can do this by right-clicking or control+clicking the app in question and choosing Open in the menu. A Gatekeeper warning will pop up, but you will have the choice to ignore it and install the app. After that, Gatekeeper won’t worry about that app. It’s an easy solution all ‘round.