The Visual Art Podcasts on Apple

I'm interested in podcasts about art and artists. I'd love to hear from you - via Facebook or Instagram about the ones you really like - and WHY.

As some of you will know, one of the reasons for my reduced level of blogging is the essential need for me to walk every day for at least an hour. 

• It's the only way to keep my severe osteoarthritis from getting worse i.e. keep me mobile and prevent me from stiffening up. 
• I also remember listening to Stephen Fry talk about how he lost weight when he started walking everywhere - and how this was much easier after he discovered audible books and podcasts.

So my audible listening to was triggered by trying to lose weight prior to my ankle surgery - and getting fit for surgery - back in the early 2020s when my daily limit for steps was strictly no more than 3.5k steps if I didn't want to be crippled the next day. Podcast listening then was dictated by how long my walk took me!

Now I aim for at least 5k steps a day and one of the ways I keep walking regularly is to listen to podcasts. I've been known to take the longer route home to make sure I get to the end of the podcast!

Art Podcasts on Apple

I only have Apple devices so all my art podcasts are limited to Apple and the BBC. 

• The BBC now ignores art so effectively it's what's on Apple. 
• I'm not a huge fan of Spotify 
• but am an Audible subscriber - which doesn't seem to have art podcasts.
• Some also have a Youtube equivalent where you get the visual version and that means can play through your screens or television.

Here's a taster of what you get if you put "art' into Apple Podcasts Search. 

getting their pics shown when I search for "art"
probably means these are the top ranking art podcasts.

BELOW are some of the podcasts I follow - although I have to emphasise how much I listen to them varies a LOT.

• Mostly because I always hit latest episodes first - the podcasts which get the most frequent listen are those who produce the most episodes - as in not behind "special subscriber" barriers. 
• They also have to look interesting to get past the other (more addictive) podcasts I listen to.

The list below is more or less alphabetical (minus "the"). 

Adobe "on the rocks" of Apple macOS Catalina

Yesterday I got a brand new 27" iMac with a 5K Retina screen (because my old one died last week). This morning I set it up including upgrading to macOS Catalina which, as you may be aware, is a 64 bit application which does not work with 32 bit applications.

Which is when I found out that Adobe is obviously not equipped or staffed to cope with a very well signalled Apple upgrade to 64bit apps - and six months after Catalina was released has still not resolved the problems.

Bottom line Photoshop Elements - which I have been using since version 3 some 15+ years ago - is INCOMPATIBLE with Catalina!

I could not believe it when I read the following....

Adobe does not recommend that customers using old versions of Photoshop upgrade to macOS Catalina.


Incompatible versions (version 19.x and earlier) will not display in the ‘Older Versions’ list within the Creative Cloud desktop app.


Older versions use 32-bit licensing components and installers. Therefore, they cannot be installed and activated after upgrading to macOS Catalina. Upgrading to macOS Catalina with an older version already installed on your computer may allow the application to function in some capacity; however, you will not be able to reinstall or activate the application after the macOS upgrade.

from the Adobe website - Photoshop and macOS Catalina (10.15) known compatibility issues

This was somewhat galling to say the least given that 11 months ago, on 31st March 2019, I purchased Adobe Photoshop 19 from Amazon and installed via my Adobe Account - and in less than a year it is now UNUSABLE as it will not download to my new computer without problems.

Reinstalling does not work. That's because the installer works with a 32 bit system!!!!!

Adobe needs to get to grips with the fact that not everybody has the scope to wait around for ages while they work out to make their software work properly!

At first I thought I was going to have to shell out for PS Elements 2020 - but then I read the problems that version of the software has with Catalina.

Photoshop 21.0 & Photoshop 20.0.7 work with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) but have these known compatibility issues. You may want to remain on your current version of macOS until these issues have been resolved.

So basically Adobe is very definitely losing customers to alternative products. I'm absolutely certain I'm not the only one who has experienced problems just by the quantity of info I found online after running into this problem.

Pixelmator Pro - the cheaper alternative to Photoshop Elements

I've just downloaded Pixelmator Pro - which is fully compatible with Catalina macOS - from the Mac App Store - and paid less than half the price of PS Elements!

• It's an Mac App Editor's Choice app
• It's currently rated #1 in the Graphic and Design category
• These are the technical specifications of Pixelmator Pro 
• These are the Pixelmator Pro tutorials
• You can also try it for free for 15 days on your Mac.

VIEW FULL SIZE Pixelmator Pro on Mac App Store

So far it seems to work - although it will take a little bit of getting used to after 15+ years of Photoshop Elements!

Guess who won't be taking out any sort of subscription to Adobe in the foreseeable future!

Change in Facebook Pages Rules will affect artists marketing their art

There's a major change coming for those who use Facebook to promote their art. Facebook is changing the rules and changing the way specific types of posts will show up in the news feed. I'm certainly going to be having a rethink of how I promote other people via my Facebook Page.

This is a RECOMMENDED READ for all those who have a Facebook Page and use it to market their art and/or exhibitions.

The announcement

• The announcement comes in An Update to News Feed: What it Means for Businesses
• There is a commentary on the change in rules in the Wall Street Journal New Facebook Rules Will Sting Entrepreneurs Network to Remove Unpaid Plugs in User News Feeds

Some numbers about Facebook and Facebook Pages

It's now very difficult to ignore Facebook when it comes to marketing art or the importance of mobile devices for accessing Facebook.

• In October nearly a billion people visited Facebook Pages (as opposed to Facebook accounts)
• More than 750 million (75+%) of those visits happened on mobile devices.
• Facebook is on three of every four smartphones
• More than half of the people on Facebook visit every day

Summary of the changes in January 2015

This is a summary of the upcoming changes to what's allowed on Facebook Pages and what this means for artists.

Which is the best computer for artists?

Three years ago I was faced with the need to buy a new computer.  My computer was obviously failing and I had very limited time to get a new one before it failed completely.

So I asked you for your help - and you were stunning with the comments, advice and help you provided.  It was invaluable and I can't thank you enough.

I'm minded to do the same exercise again - not because I need a new computer but because this is the type of major expense we all have to face from time to time and it's good to hear the views of our peers.

Plus both hardware and software have progressed enormously in the last three years - so the answers may now be different from the answers then.

I'd love to hear from you - and so the question I'm posing is........

Which is the best computer for artists?

Today I'm going to repeat the questions I asked three years ago (slightly revised) when I sought your advice as to which was the best computer for an artist

This time it's for the benefit of other readers of this blog who, from time to time, are faced with the question of what to get next.

BEFORE YOU READ ON please answer the following questions.

You can leave them as a comment on this blog or maybe answer them elsewhere and reference this post. (note moderation might be slower than usual as it's going to be via my iPad)

WHICH COMPUTING SET UP IS BEST FOR ARTISTS and people using large graphics and/or video files?

• SAY WHICH IS BEST - a PC or Mac - and why.

• PLEASE SPELL OUT WHY you like your favourite machine - and tell me what it is

• If an Apple Owner tell me WHICH APPLE IS BEST for artists? 

• If you have a view about what you think works best and/or specific aspects of specifications or versions or software and/or whether it is worth updating DO TELL !

My Apple iMac is 3 years old on 7th March 2013

Tomorrow is the last day of the three years of warranty and after care and it's going back to the Apple Store at Bluewater to have its DVD repaired.  It stopped working at the end of last year - in the middle of the Seagate hard drive fiasco and a huge number of owners needing their hard drives replaces.

I faced being without my iMac for two weeks so resolved to have it fixed before the extended warranty ran out.

(Which incidentally means blogging is going to be a bit hit and miss until I get it back - hopefully by the weekend or early next week)

My experience in the last three years

I have to say using a computer in last three years has been a complete and utter contrast to the previous few years of expensive laptops failing one month after the 12 month warranty finished and PCs blowing up because their fans were completely underpowered relative to the gubbins stuffed in the box.  I no longer feel as if I'm going to pass out in high summer because of the heat generated by the computer !

Setting up on Day 1
This shows a normal format photo in full screen on the HD screen
It now sits on top of the Yellow pages for East London and a Board game
I wish it were easier to find something to put the screen on which enables you to adjust
to the correct viewing height to avoid back and neck pain

I now have a computer which is very simple to use. It's also silent, does not overheat or make 'funny' noises, never fails to start and very rarely falters.  On top of that I've enjoyed the best customer service ever - on the phone and in the store!

• I'm on my third mouse - changeover was not a problem (DO buy the charger which comes with three sets of batteries which are designed for the Magic Mouse - and do make a difference!)
• I've had minor glitches which have been sorted out on the phone - usually software related
• one learns not to put the SD card in the DVD slot!
• I now back up every hour on the hour without ever thinking about it - outrageous!
• the only major issue has been the DVD failure - and that's being replaced under warranty.

The only thing I wish I'd done was bought one with more memory.  As it happens I can slot more in and will probably get round to doing that one day instead of cursing when I have 57 image-intensive tabs open!

They're breeding!

The power of excellent performance and very good customer service is absolutely amazing!  Since I bought mine, I've bought a 21" version for my elderly mother - which she finds relatively easy to use and even "he who must not be bored while I sketch" finally gave in and after he retired finally bought himself the latest 21" version.

I gather there are also a few of you out there who also bought an iMac on the strength of my reviews of my happiness with my iMac!

TIP:  When testing out different computers take some well-loved and 'testing' photos with you on an SD card or USB drive so you can test the quality of the screen.  You'll be amazed at how much you learn when looking at your own photos.

The benefits for my eyesight

In the last three years my eyesight has deteriorated a lot.  When I bought it I was buying with a view to wanting an excellent screen - but was thinking more art than eyesight.  That said it has been a huge boon to me as I've had to increase the size of the font on the screen and change the way I work with documents.

Hence I highly recommend a 27" iMac to anybody with defective and/or deteriorating eyesight

The benefits for my hands

My wired keyboard has been absolutely amazing - right up until the point when I emptied half a mug of tea over it yesterday!  It's very nearly OK but has lost it on a couple of keys.  I'll pick a new one up tomorrow when I'm in the Apple store rather than continue to use my Microsoft back-up  keyboard.  That's because the Apple keyboard has had the most amazing benefit for the very bad tenosynovitis in my right hand.  The soft-touch Apple keyboard means no problems with vibration and the amount of extra travel with a conventional keyboard.  So no pain and no need for strapping or a brace.

So - if you have arthritic hands or tenosynovitis or anything similar I highly recommend an Apple keyboard.

(Note: I'm less impressed with the wifi version because of the lack of case for travelling, the fact the keys fall off if wrapped for travel and the fact that if you forget to take your batteries out as an occasional only user you'll find they refuse to come out!)

The quest, the journey and the immediate aftermath!

These are the posts which recorded my quest for information to help me make the decision as to what was the next computer going to be.

Have a read through if you're having a think about what to buy next and see what what I found out and what people have to say.

The PC versus Mac for Artists debate 

• PC vs Mac for artists - explaining the reason for the exercise and inviting views - which attracted 50+ comments
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2) - in which I tried so summarise what people were saying in the first post and I created a chart of recommendations - and which also got a lot of comments
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists - in which I explained my own particular set-up and key considerations - and then applied these to analysis of what I'd found out to date (not all of which is on this blog. I've been looking at websites for a long time)
• PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac 25 Feb 2010    Mac keyboard: I'm still not really sure about the Apple iMac keyboard. I liked the keyboard action but found it cramped. I don't quite understand the point of having a very small keyboard if you've got a very large screen!

After the iMac came home

• Journal of an iMac Virgin #1 08 Mar 2010    These are the blog posts concerned with my decision to change to an iMac - caused in the first part by a pretty terrible record with PCs of in the last three years and absolutely dreadful noises coming out of the latest big box.
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #2 13 Mar 2010    I've been using the iMac for long hours since Monday and have generally been enjoying the experience with interludes of frustration while I try and work out how to do something. I'm not a lover yet - but I could be!  A summary of Pros, Comments and Cons!

It took a little while to learn
the new shortcuts for the keyboard commands

• Techie: How to remove a CD or DVD from an iMac 22 May 2010   It's frightening when you've got a CD or DVD in your iMac AND the drive disappears from Finder AND the eject button on the keyboard does not work.
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #3 07 Jun 2010   I've now had my iMac 3 months and I'm not giving it back. That said I have given my Magic Mouse back and got another one. More about that later.

One year later

• Happy Birthday to my iMac 07 Mar 2011   Today is my iMac's first birthday! A year ago today I bought an iMac and started out on my love affair with Apple. A year later I am the proud owner of a one year old 27" Apple iMac, an iPad and my other half no longer protests

Three years later

• I sometimes think my other half thinks I love my iMac more than him!

Do please leave a comment and 

share your experiences with computers with other artists who read this blog. 

I'll provide an update and summary of what people think in a future post.

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Happy Birthday to my iMac

Today is my iMac's first birthday!  A year ago today I bought an iMac and started out on my love affair with Apple. 

A year later I am the proud owner of a one year old 27" Apple iMac, an iPad and my other half no longer protests when I tell him he needs to get his very own iMac for when he retires this summer.  (This only so I get him off the music and films on iTunes on mine!)

The story so far - Year 0 minus 1 month

Last February I was faced with a computer which I knew was going to misbehave sometime soon.

What I knew for absolute certain was that I no longer wanted to face trying to buy a computer without a proper functioning computer!

Hence I decided the time had arrived to decide what to get as my next computer.  Ideally one which would not overheat due to kit which had not been properly designed for the size of the box or the quality of the fan (HP and Evesham) and avoiding a faulty graphics card which was built into new laptops even though they knew they were faulty (Sony Vio laptop - there was a legal case pending last time I looked!)

I have to confess here I had seen the iMacs in stores at Christmas and was very impressed by the quality of the image on the screen.  However they looked expensive.  Now I know they are actually NOT expensive when reliability gets taken into account.

These are the links to the posts which led me to my purchase.

• PC vs Mac for artists 18 Feb 2010 - the invite to say which is best a PC or a Mac and why
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2) 19 Feb 2010  which summarised the results of my request for help and my survey.  It produced the chart you can see below and details what people liked about a Mac - and other things to think about

Of the 32 people who have responded to date (19th February 2010), where there were clear recommendations this is how it works in terms of numbers.

• Nearly 80% of all respondents recommend buying a Mac
• 100% of Mac users recommend a Mac
• 56% of former PC users recommend buying a Mac

Journal of an iMac Virgin #3

I've now had my iMac 3 months and I'm not giving it back. That said I have given my Magic Mouse back and got another one.  More about that later

I think at the last count three people have bought an iMac following my long debate about getting one and then my very enthusiastic reaction.  If there are more of you out there do let me know!

If you didn't follow the debate about what should be my next computer at the time, you'll find the links to all the previous posts on the topic of PC vs iMac are at the end of this post.

For the record I bought a 27-inch model with a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache; 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; four SO-DIMM slots support up to 16GB; 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory; Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible; Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology;  Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector); Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

The software included was

• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
• iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)

The Design

Still a joy.  No box.  More space - enough said?

The Screen

I noticed I had to decide at the beginning how big I was going to have my browser screens as having the complete screen width is just plain batty.  I guess my browser window is sized to about 20".  However it's nice to know I can go bigger if I want to

• Pros:  I've not revised my view at all about the screen.  The 2560 x 1440 pixel is  simply amazing.  Colours are wonderful.  Glare and reflections are not an issue if you get it sited right.  I really love the dock and have mine located on the right edge of the screen.  TV programmes downloaded and played through iPlayer and DVDs look fabulous in the HD screen.  Watching a slideshow of my photos makes me think I'm a brilliant photographer!
• Cons: I've noticed a couple of pixels which seem to have changed.  Tiny, tiny pinpricks which are bright green.  That said it's not a big issue because this screen has just got so many pixels.  So long as no more develop!  I still haven't worked out how Expose and Spaces work.

The Silence

 I'd had problems with dissipation of heat with previous computers and fans which didn't work properly and/or were not sufficiently robust for the rest of the configuration (ie couldn't cope when people actually used a computer a lot!).  The track record for my three of my recent computers was that the big Evesham blew up because the fan couldn't cope, my Sony fried its graphics card and the fan on my HP was incredibly noisy and sounded as if it was ready to start flaming me when less than a year old! With all of them I became convinced that the issue was skimping on the quality of the components that don't sound sexy - like fans.  I was even more convinced of this when I saw a computer enginner's computer and realised he'd added in two extra fans and drilled the box to make it work acceptably with the heat that it could generate.  So my buying decision was very focused on design and component quality re heat dissipation.

• Pros: It just is.  Silent.  Completely.  You'd be hard put to know it was on. I've NEVER had a computer this quiet before.   Plus no fans means no heat - which is a massive bonus as sitting in a room which is not easy to keep cool in hot weather has just become a lot more bearable.  If it's got a fan working I really am not aware of it.  The back of the iMac where the heat comes out is slightly warm to the touch and that's it.
• Cons:  I can hear the ancillary LaCie backup drive when it kicks in and does its back-up once an hour.  It's actually really quiet but now sounds positively noisy by way of comparison with the iMac!

The Keyboard

I love the minimal keyboard.  Bear in mind I asked for the one which has the number pad so mine is wired rather than wireless - which is OK, it's not a big deal for me as I usually use it on my desk.

• Pros: No reverberation so no tenosynovitis problems.  Great - it's just like using a laptop but with a proper sized layout!  An amazing number of functions which have a keyboard shortcut - so no chance of learning all those any time soon!
• Cons: I've had to print out all the keyboard commands and I'm still learning them.  This is partly because the number of keyboard shirtcuts is completely staggering!  The one thing I wish they'd do better is create some sort of facility within your apple account where you can save the keystrokes for the keyboard shortcuts you use the most.

Magic Mouse

• Pros:  I love the multi-touch area of the Magic Mouse.  I tried going back to my old Microsoft wireless mouse at the one point.  That lasted about half an hour and I was back with the Magic Mouse!  I've not had any twinges from my tenosynovitis so I'm declaring it ergonoically sound as my hand really screams and demands strapping if it's not treated properly
• Cons: I had a problem with my bluetooth wireless Magic Mouse.  It suddenly started to cut out followed by the development of a completely insatiable appetite for batteries (new batteries required every day).  I had my charger on non-stop.  I was trying to work out why this might be and realised that the functionality of a magic mouse is sooooooooooooo far in advance of other mice that it's hardly surprising that it's power needs were higher.  If you're familiar with the finger actions on an iPhone then you'll know what a Magic Mouse does.

Audio / iTunes

• Pros:  The speakers are located at the bottom of the screen.  They work absolutely fine for me (and I'm quite fussy about sound) and reduce clutter for those who need more space.  Great to have the automatic link up with iTunes all there and ready to rumble.
  
• Cons:  I'm guessing that they might not satisfy those who are VERY fussy about their sounds.

SD card slot

• Pros:  Nice to have it
• Cons:  How can I put this?  I wonder how many iMac users have had to undo a paper clip to rescue their SD card from the CD/DVD slot.

Software: Dock

• Pros: Love it - especially the genie effect.
  
• Cons: I'm using it over on the right handedge of the screen and sometimes find it wants to interfere (with browsers popping up) when I have the cursor at the right hand edge of the menu
  

Software - Time Machine

• Pros: This works fine with my brand new LaCie d2 quadra 1TB hard drive for creating back-ups.  Everything works automaticallyand I don't have to do a thing.
• Cons: none to date

Software - Systems Preference

• Pros: Nice and simple and well laid out.
• Cons: I keep feeling like there are bits missing from this.  It's probably just that I haven't found them yet!

Software - iWork

Last time I wrote I was still using Google Docs for most things and had not really tried iWork.  Three months later I've tussled with a few times - and I'm getting mightily frustrated trying to work out where things are.  I'm finding it a lot less intuitive than Office.  I'm currently trying to decide whether I can hang on until the Mac Version of Microsoft Office 10 given the way release dates tend to go backwards.  What's deterring me is the spread of ratings on Amazon for Office 8 for Mac - never has one product garnered quite so many diverse views!

• Pros:  not many.  I'm not impressed.  However they do have a particularly good set of templates though - very superior compared to Office (if you're into that sort of thing - which I'm not).  Plus I'm also very appreciative of the fact they can create pdf files easy peasy. If I could just get my head round how it works I supposed I could grow to like it more.
• Cons: 
• I hate, hate, hate the menus and the fact they can't be adjusted in size.  In accessibility terms they are a complete nightmare and probably account for why i'm having so much difficulty getting to grips with the software.  Apple needs to introduce an option to enable the menu to upsize as well as the workspace. 
• I've been using Microsoft Office for 15+ years and it's very difficult getting used to new software - particularly when it doesn't do what I want it to do!  I'll definitely be continuing to use Google Docs and buying a the Mac version of Microsoft Office 10 when it is released. 

Software - Apple menus generally

• Pros: I love the fact that the menu at the very top of the screen automatically changes to which ever product you are using.
• Cons:I can't see a lot of stuff.  The font size on a 27" screen is tiny!  It's also not amenable to being increased.  I can increase the workspace using the zoom function but the menu items all stay the same .  I really don't quite know why Apple has not addressed this.  It's a major deficit for those of us with visual problems (I've got 'odd' cataracts - which was one of the reasons for getting a very big screen)

Link to my Printer/Scanner

• Pros: Works fine now the correct drivers have been included.
• Cons: This took a bit of sorting out but I think this might have been for a variety of reasons.  Not least the fact that the printer didn't appear to have software for the mac!  Software for Mac still a tad more limited than for Windows.

Repairs / warranty

Soooooooooo simple it was unbelievable.  I had a new mouse within 48 hours of reporting it faulty. Rang them up, somebody intelligent answered.  We tried a few quick fixes, none of which worked at which point we moved on to getting a new one sent out to me.  I then had to return the faulty mouse in the bag sent to me - and that was it.  A complete doddle - and very impressive. All backed up with meticulous online documentation.  Very impressive - and another one of the reasons why I bought Apple has been evidenced in practice.

Conclusion

Overall, although there have been and are some niggles, I'm definitely a convert to Apple.  So much so I can't imagine going back to a conventional PC.  Where's the fun in that?

I might however have to seriously consider buying more Apple equipment and I've got my eye on an iPad.  I do now completely understand why Apple is now bigger than Microsoft!

Links to posts in the PC vs Mac debate on this blog to date:

• PC vs Mac for artists 18 Feb 2010
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2)
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists 20 Feb 2010
• PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac 25 Feb 2010>
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #1 08 Mar 2010
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #2 13 March 2010

Techie: How to remove a CD or DVD from an iMac

It's frightening when you've got a CD or DVD in your iMac AND the drive disappears from Finder AND the eject button on the keyboard does not work.

It happened to me when I ejected a CD and then reinserted it too quickly - which is something I won't be doing again in a hurry - which is another way of saying I'll make sure I've got the brain engaged first next time.

However for when I'm being totally clueless before my second cup of tea in the morning this is my reminder to myself which I thought I would share with others!

This is how you get a stuck CD / DVD out!

• Make sure the CD or DVD disc is not in use. Quit all applications that are using files on the disc.
• Go to Applications
• Go to Utilities
• Go to Terminal
• do not clear what is there
• type in "drutil eject" (leaving out the quote marks) and press return
• your iMac will whirr and the disc will eject!

You can now breathe again!

I'm assuming the process will probably also work with the SD card slot although that's less of a problem as part of the card is always visible.

Other guides to "what to do" include:

• Apple Support: Apple Computers: Troubleshooting the slot load optical disc drive
• Apple Support: If you can't eject a CD or DVD or open the drive tray
• Apple Support: (for authorised repairers only) iMac (Slot Loading): Troubleshooting CD/DVD Eject Failures
• MacRumours Guides: Force Eject a Stuck CD or DVD
•  Corewerkz:  video: How To Remove Stuck CD From iMac / Slot Loading Optical Drive (the credit card trick)

I absolutely cannot vouch for any of these methods but thought it might be helpful to make a record of them here - just in case!

Journal of an iMac Virgin

It's been suggested to me that I need to update my Journal of an iMac Virgin for those of you would like to know how I'm getting on with my new 27" iMac after a bit more than two months of use.

I'm going to be doing another post next week but in the meantime, for those who are interested but have not read them, here's my earlier posts:

• Journal of an iMac Virgin #1 08 Mar 2010
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #2 13 Mar 2010 

In the meantime I'm now going to watch another episode of the BBC Modern Masters Series on my 27" HD screen - about Matisse. 

What's in the iPad for artists and illustrators?

The Apple Ipad

Today the iPad launches in the USA and this post speculates about what it might mean for artists and illustrators. (Here in the UK we have to wait until late April to get our hands on one!)

I've been watching videos of one in use - by Apple - and by reviewers (such as MacWorld and Wired) - and have begun to twig that this is hardware/software which is going to be hugely useful for apps for artists - especially ones who are interested in innovatives ways of marketing their art or learning about art.

I'm just wondering whether anybody has started on developing those apps as yet.

Features which are going to be very helpful

To quote Apple these are:

• a 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. IPS (in-plane switching) provides for a wide, 178° viewing angle. So you can hold it almost any way you want and still get a brilliant picture, with excellent color and contrast. (If it's anything like my new iMac screen you'll be very impressed)
  
• the multi-touch screen is very precise and responsive
  
• the 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery provides a ten hour battery life. Which is great for when you're 'in the field' all day (eg at an art fair) and don't have a chance to recharge a battery - it can display videos which fill the whole display for up to 10 hours
• YouTube videos stream wirelessly so can transmit straight away
  
• a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage
• it uses a 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip which (I'm guessing) means that it's very heat efficient and the unit doesn't get hot

The official Apple visuals: If you've not watched them yet - here they are:

• the tv ad
• the video
• the guided tour - which explains how all the different apps work
• the technical specification

What are the ways artists are going to use the iPad?

Here's my list of ways in which I think the iPad could be used by artists and illustrators

• showing your portfolio to a client - it offers the opportunity to show a portfolio on a website to a potential client (eg for portrait commissions or pitching for work) in a much more accessible way than you can using a laptop - plus it looks like any picture is going to look great on an iPad with the glass screen, the and the LED backlighting!
• demonstrations by a tutor in a workshop or class - it's a fast and easy way of showing a pre-recorded video of how a technique works. It's more accessible as it's easy to pass around and the technology allows for a wide viewing angle. So when you're preoccupied with setting up or waiting for a wash to dry, you now have a way of continuing to demonstrate and show people how to do things
  
• virtual private views - where artists write about / talk about / display their art in an exhibition any which way they choose. The sophistication as to presentation may take some time to become accessible to artists - but the scope is amazing - and you can see an example in.....
  
• a completely new way of delivering art magazines. The trad. publishers better be fast on their feet with this otherwise they may end up being followers rather than leaders. The potential of the features (for example See Wired Magazine on iPad as explained in a YouTube video) are absolutely amazing! This is a recommended watch for all those who communicate via magazine or newsletter.
• creating a comic/graphic book app - using your own illustrations. Maybe a little far-off as yet but I'd suggest this will come in time. Comics and graphical novels which already exist will get there faster - and I predict will create a surge in interest in this form of publication.
  
• a completely different way of delivering art books - for art instruction and art history - using ibooks which uses the ePub format — the most popular open book format in the world. I'm also thinking what's happening re the scope to show magazines is completely transferable to art books - and I predict will completely change the economics of expensive art books. For example.........
  
• expand visual presentation in art history books - the ability to feature several photos 'docked' in one place against a piece of text means that when explaining about an artist many more examples of his or her work could be used to provide evidence of the points being made

Maybe you've also had some ideas - in which case if you'd like to share please leave a comment below

Incidentally - isn't it rather clever to launch a product like this on a Saturday on one of the major 'holiday' breaks in the year? That'll be lots of time to spend time checking them out online or in the store!

Anybody notice that it's only taken a few weeks and I'm already becoming an apple nerd! I'm very seriously thinking of getting one of these. I'm very happy with my imac but when I want something portable I think this is highly likely to suit me better than a netbook.

and finally.....

The good ladies over at etsy are already hard at it producing arty sleeves and cases for the iPad.

Apple Links:

• Apple - the iPad
• iPad Features
• the design and the tech specs
• and, of course - apps for the iPad

Video Review Links:

• Macworld Video: The iPad Up Close (YouTube video)
  
• Wired - see the Wired Magazine on iPad (YouTube video)
  
• PCMag: Apple iPad video review - this guy goes a mile a minute! (YouTube video)
• CNet - Apple iPad 16gb

Journal of an iMac Virgin #2

Well it's Day 7 in my new iMac world.

I've still not got past Chapter 2 in Mac OS X Snow Leopard For Dummies which is not the best Dummies book I've ever read! That said I've been using the iMac for long hours since Monday and have generally been enjoying the experience with interludes of frustration while I try and work out how to do something. I'm not a lover yet - but I could be!

I'm going to try and record what's been good and not so good about the process within the context of the debate I started (with myself) about PC vs Mac for artists and which a lot of you joined in and commented (see links at the end)

The Pros

• Out of the box and up and running was FAST I didn't time it but it was minutes. It was so simple. I didn't have to do anything difficult apart from getting the power cord to go through the hole on the stand and plug into the back of the screen. That took about 20 seconds! I didn't have to load anything. I didn;t have to make my way through masses of 3rd party garbage software which has been pre-loaded. I didn't need to uninstall anything to get the security suite up and running - because I didn't need to install a security suite. It found and recognised my modem.
  
• The screen: The screen is absolutely stunning and amazing and I simply cannot possibly do the screen justice just using words. I have a very big smile on my face every time I look at a digital image file or watch a video - full-size on a screen which is bigger than my old TV! It also dims itself automatically when I stop using it for short periods before it goes to sleep after not being used for 15 minutes. That'll be saving a few pennies.
  
• The style: once you get over the huge size of the screen it is a joy to work on something which doesn't look like it should live in the bedroom of a teenage boy! I'm so pleased that the graphic designers decided to love Macs!
• The silence is wonderful too. I've only heard the imac's hard disc twice this week - once while installing PC Elements 8 for Mac and once while installing iWork. I've not heard the fans at all. The back of the screen which is a giant aluminium heatsink is in no way hot - indeed I'd be pushed to call it warm. I've got my fingers crossed that it's going to stay like this.
  
• Microsoft Office: I'm not missing Microsoft Office at all - but then I don't use it a huge amount these days as I use Google docs for most things. I have however now got iWork loaded but have still to find my way around it. I may not now buy Office 10 when it gets the mac upgrade. (I hasten to add that I still have a PC which is loaded with Office 2007).
  
• pdf functionality: It's great being able to convert files into pdf files using Preview and Pages 09. Office makes you upgrade to the business version to get this functionality. It's a huge asset for being able to create files relating to mini publications and documents you want to be able to share easily online.
• the Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad is like a laptop keyboard in a desktop configuration. It suits me fine at the moment and certainly has not presented any problems with my tenosynovitis. I'm at the looking at the screen all the time stage when typing text - and just need to look down when doing anthing unusual. That's pretty good in my book!
• the changing top menu - I love the fact that the menu at the top of the screen is entirely dictated by which window you are in. It took a bit of getting used to as it is do not what I'm used to.
• Finder: I really like the columnar function which makes it easy to follow through there you're going when creating a folder or looking for or saving a file.
  
• I love the Exposé function and the fact it has a key (but I don't 'get' spaces as yet)
• It was very pleasant to find that Adobe PC Elements 8 works in an almost identical way on the Mac. The changes seemed to be to do with the differences between versions 7 and 8 rather than between PC and iMac. I've only just opened The Missing Manual Book for PC Elements 8.
• The SD slot on the side of the screen is great - but I'm glad I read the comment about being careful not to get it confused with the CD/DVD slot just above it@
  

Comments - not significant

• The Dock - I'm getting used to it rather than a fan at the moment. I've got it off to one side given all my lateral screen estate
• It's nice to have iLife preinstalled and for that to work with all other mac software rather than having different software doing different bits
  
• Organising the windows on a huge screen: It's taken a bit of getting used to in terms of how to position windows next to one another.
• Wireless networking: It's nice to have a wireless modem inside but I guess I'd have preferred to be asked whether I wanted to use wireless networking before being asked which network I wanted to connect to. The reality is that I always stay on an ethernet cable for big machine sat on desktops. That said it found my wireless modem router easily and set itself up quickly - and it was easy to take it off line when I realised I was operating wirelessly rather than through the ethernet.
• I think my Canon Pixma 630 mutilfunctional Printer/Scanner Drives were already on the iMac. I know I didn't have to upload or download anything to get it to work - but we did do a software update yesterday.
  
• iPhoto - I still don't understand how to access photos in iPhoto when I want to post them to my blog. Or how I can get them organised in my folders so they match up with a structure which makes sense to me.
• Adobe Bridge - I've not even begun to try and get to grips with Bridge as yet. It just sits there and looks at me and I ignore it. You'll notice it's not stopped me posting images to my blog!
• naming/saving files: this took a bit of working out. It's a bit less intuitive that it could be. I kept looking for how I could find the folder to save the file too and couldn't work out how to do it. On the other hand finding out for myself means I remember it!
  
• What do I have to do to generate a stack - I haven't had one yet!
  

The Cons

my post-it note with shortcut reminders

• Few of the keyboard shortcuts are the same and since I use shortcuts for most things that was the biggest hurdle to get over. I still can't block a line of text fast so I can move or delete it and that one is driving me crackers!
• The magic mouse is a bit too sensitive to accidental gestures Just brushing it accidentally sends the objects on my screen into meltdown because they think I've swiped it. I think I might have to get a more conventional mouse as it really is not ergonomic in my hand.
• The Firewall is not turned on automatically and I didn't realise this until Wednesday. I've now got it at maximum power.
• My Dummies book suggests that people who download files from the Internet do in fact need virus protection software (ie you're only protected if using your own files and downloading from very reputable sites). Not quite sure what to make of this one. However I do a lot of downloads so I'm thinking it might be a good idea to investigate further.
• I'm still not feeling confident enough to do my banking over the Internet. I need to sort out the virus issues first.
  
• size of the Finder image icons: I HATE the fact that I can't choose what size the image icons should be in Finder. OK so I can do it in Preview - but I need it when I'm in Finder!!!
  
• missing keys on the keyboard - that's just weird. Why would you not include the hash (#)key? I wish they had one key you could press to find out what the shortcuts are for all they keys they haven't included.
  
• the mouse with the missing right click: Right clicking is second only to using keyboard shortcuts in my everyday computing world. So not having a mouse with a right click was most disconcerting. Setting up the right click button on the mouse was a tad more difficult than I was expecting. I wish I had written down where the instructions are for that one!
  

Many thanks as ever to all the people who have sent me notes and tips during the course of the week for the 'how do I...?' questions I've been twittering. DO USE TWITTER if you are trying to master a new machine or software - people are fabulous at answering questions! :)

Links to posts in the PC vs Mac debate to date:

• PC vs Mac for artists 18 Feb 2010
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2)
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists 20 Feb 2010
• PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac 25 Feb 2010>
• Journal of an iMac Virgin #1 08 Mar 2010

Journal of an iMac Virgin #1

My desk this morning - a brand new 27" Imac supplants the old 19" screen (on left).

This shows a normal format photo in full screen on the HD screen

photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

This is the journal of a brand new iMac virgin.

Just in case anybody else gets thoroughly fed up of PCs and thinks about switching, I hope this may be of some use. Plus it is of course my way of recording the things I'm learning as I work out what's what - so i'll be able to remember what I've learned so far! I'll continue to update as I learn more about it.

The journey so far

These are the blog posts concerned with my decision to change to an iMac - caused in the first part by a pretty terrible record with PCs of in the last three years and absolutely dreadful noises coming out of the latest big box.

• PC vs Mac for artists
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2)
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists
• PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac

Yesterday I visited the Apple Store at Bluewater to make my purchase after much research. Bottom line it would have been very difficult to go back to looking at anything else having tried an iMac! Take a look at that screen size and quality of image in the picture above to see why.

Consequently I caution against a visit to look at an iMac unless your budget will stand it and you don't mind a major rethink about how you work as it's so big!

What did I buy in the end?

I bought a 27" iMac with the 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and a 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive. I didn't get the better spec 27" models as I keep reading about the iMacs with an i7 processor running very hot and since I was looking for energy efficiency and good heat dissipation this didn't seem like a good idea. The processor and graphics card in my machine are both focused on energy efficiency.

The store gave me the extended keyboard for free and I'm giving it a go. There are some tips below about the only aspect which is causing a problem to date which is keyboard shortcuts

I also bought the three year AppleCare Protection Plan, PC Elements 8 for Mac and iwork. I may well buy Office as well in due course but there's a Office 10 is out in June and the Mac version will follow 6-9 months later so I decided to wait for that. In the meantime I've been able to devise a set-up which means I can access both iMac and PC with relative ease so can continue to use all software on the old PC. Trouble is I'm liking the new silent environment a bit too much!

You can see the new desk set-up at top. I've included the dummies book for a sense of scale.

Setup

Setup was a breeze - although I have to say it was reassuring to have Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Dummies at my side! There's not a lot in the iMac manual other than put in the power cord and switch on. Mind you there's not much more to the set up than that.

It also found my modem router and set itself up without me needing to do anything other than to enter the password.

This morning I worked out finally that all I had to do to set up my printer was plug it in while the iMac was off and then switch it back on and the iMac would recognise both printer and scanner.

As you can see (below right) the width of the screen makes writing blog posts a little bit easier! It's also a boon for those of us with steadily deteriorating eyesight. The backlighting makes good quality photos look absolutely stunning.

Blogger post screen (enlarged) plus Google Document screen (enlarged) next to one another on the 27" screen

photo Katherine Tyrrell

Tips

If you are an inveterate keyboard shortcut user like me, the mac keyboard will drive you bonkers to start with as none of the conventional shortcuts work.

Some keyboard tips:

• use google to find all the explanations as to where your favourite keyboard shortcuts have gone
• MacRumors Guides provides a useful summary at Keyboard shortcuts
• the control key now seems to be the command key so all the shortcuts for cut, copy and paste use the same letters but you have to use command instead of control. Moving the cursor one word backwards and forwards involves the alt key rather than the control key. I now have a yellow sticky note attached to the bottom of my screen to remind me what does what!
• # is missing from the apple mac keyboard - don't bother searching it isn't there! However alt + 3 gets the same result ie #

Mac Matte displays and slamming fingers!

I was out at the Apple Mac Store yesterday - of which more later - came home and somehow managed to slam my heavy front door on my fingers. I ran cold water over them straight away but I've still developed a nice black nail above red swelling on my index finger! It throbs and cannot be used for typing and the middle finger means typing with difficulty. The two fingers affected are my mice clicking fingers so I'm slow in that department as well!

So there's going to be no posts until Monday while the finger recovers - and I clear a space for and set up a new machine!!!

I've discovered that there is an antiglare or matte Apple Mac screen. It's available as:

• an antiglare option on the MacBook Pro 15" and MacBook Pro 17" - not too expensive as an add on.
  
• a 30" HD flat panel screen with over 4 million digital pixels displaying 16.7 million colours - and costing £1,199!!! It's very, very nice - but not quite nice enough for me to spend that sort of money! Incidentally it doesn't say anyhwere that it's matte - but neither does it say that it's glossy and I sat in front of one yesterday and it's excellent for viewing and it's very definitely matte. These are the reviews
  

Now I just need to go and get some foam and a finger stall - and collect a new machine!

See previous posts on the Apple investigations - and all the incredibly helpful advice and comments received to date.

• PC vs Mac for artists
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2)
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists
• PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac

PC vs Mac update: questions about the iMac

Due to your comments, I've been looking seriously at owning an Apple Mac. Yesterday I played with an Apple iMac - a 27" iMac to be precise. I'm now an iMac convert - the graphics are stunning!

I greatly appreciate all the help I got from the good people at the the Apple Store and John Lewis Store at Bluewater for both being patient with me as I tried out different aspects.

Specifically I was very impressed with the way the Apple store has ALL its machines linked up to the Internet so you can check out how different aspects work. So much more effectve in showing you how machines complete real day to day tasks. I was looking at this blog in no time at all!

Below you can find:

• my comments on aspects I've tested out and my conclusions to date
• my techie questions which I'm going to get addressed in an appointment with one of the Apple tech guys next week. Watch this space - this may result in me coming home with an iMac!

The iMac - this is it.
The only things missing are
(1) the power cable
(2) ethernet cable to my modem router
and (3) the USB cable to my printer!

Conclusions to date

Reflection issues with glossy screen: I'd forgotten to take my photo file of photos with me. However the iMacs in the Apple store are linked up to the Internet and consequently I was able to access and run slideshows of some of my Flickr sets as a test for aspects of the screen fidelity.

Can I recommend my Flickr set of Tours market for anybody wanting to test the full gamut of colours and the level of crispness possible with the HD screens on an iMac in an Apple store!

In addition, the full 27-inch, 2560-by-1440 display and 1000:1 contrast ratio in iphotos, imovies and the ability to calibrate the screen left me very impressed. It was the definition on the meercats in the desert which won me over!

The glossy screen and glare/reflection issue: Although the light in the Apple Store is very even it is also very bright and I was picking up reflections on the screen. This is one of my bugbear issues which I decided needed a thorough test through actual use of a machine. I had a long play in the Apple Store and then went over to the second floor of John Lewis where the lighting is much better. There I found that after a bit I stopped noticing any glare or reflection - just like people had told me last week!

The 27" screen flickering problem: I'm aware of the problem the 27" iMacs had when first produced and I do know they've fixed it and I'm guessing will be making very sure they don't have any more problems after 'the fix'. I now just need to make sure that the screen works first time out of the box.

Energy efficiency and reduction of power and heat: I'm also becoming more and more impressed with what I'm learning about the way Apple is focusing on energy efficiency. Quite apart from saving my electricity bills, this is what is going to reduce heat/fan problems for heavy duty users like me.

Mac keyboard: I'm still not really sure about the Apple iMac keyboard. I liked the keyboard action but found it cramped. I don't quite understand the point of having a very small keyboard if you've got a very large screen! Jury still out on that one and it's being added to my techie question list below

Mac mouse: I loved stroking my wireless magic mouse which is very responsive. I didn't realise it also swiped so I'm looking forward to that. I think it's going to be OK with my tenosynovitis in my index finger which is the prime consideration - but so long as iMac can use wireless optical mice of the microsoft variety that will be fine as a back-up

Audio: This is not a priority for me - but it was very good (no reverberation on the base for example) and the controls gave a good level of control over volume.

My techie questions
I think the big question now boils down (probably) to Which iMac? This is the compare the iMac page on their store website.

I've still got some techie questions to pin down - and if you're interested do continue reading as this is my note of issues for the tech guy at Apple. I'll aso be investigating these online and trying to find sites which provide good advice and information.

Please let me know if you know any good reference sites.

Might a Mac mini and a 24" screen be a better option?

This was a suggestion by one of the Apple staff. Probably not as the 24" screen is the old screen and is not HD - but I'm going to check that one out - particularly the Mac Mini server option (tech spec) - however I suspect my new found aversion to nvidia graphics (the reason for the death of my Sony Vaio) might be enough to deter me from that option.

Which processor?Should I choose the all singing all dancing Intel quad core i5 (+ £256 for top end iMac which also includes faster graphics processor) - and do I want to pay that much? Or is the the standard 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo OK ? This page gives an indication of performance differences. There's also the option of the faster 3.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (+£163). I may well stick to the standard config. I need to investigate all of this further - with respect to power/heat/energy efficiency.

Which graphics card?

I know I'd definitely go for an ATI Radeon card and that's because I now won't touch Nvidia Graphics cards after what I learned about their fraudulent behaviour last week.

I think my preference is for the ATI Radeon HD 4670 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory (tech spec/review) because this card has an emphasis on being quiet and energy efficient - and I don't need gaming power! I've also found out that the GGDR3 memory is also more energy efficient. I checked out the visual results on the 27" HD screen and was very impressed. I'm currently using an ATI Radeon HD 4650 with 512MB of dedicated memory with an old screen and I saw detail on this photo of one of Monet's nympheas which I didn't know was htere! I've got a better camera than I thought I had!

The 27-inch iMac with dual-core processor has options for one of the following:

• ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
• ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory (+ £123)

The question is whether it is worth it to upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory and what does that do to heat and energy efficiency - still got to check that one out.

27" versus 21" imac?
The ATI Radeon HD 4670 is available on both. The 21.5" would be easier to accomodate and not as heavy. The 27" is stunning and would let me easily have two screens up and running in parallel at the same time. However is the 21" more efficient?

500MB or a 1TB hard drive?

I thought this was an issue but I now realise that the 500MB hard drive only comes with the Essentially this boils down to whether I want a 21.5" screen or a 27" as both 27" screens automatically come with a terabyte hard drive.

Partition or dual run?I know that I can run Windows on a Mac. The question is how!

I'm intending to have the machine set up so that it can run Windows as well. The question is whether to:

• partition using Bootcamp so that I need to hard boot each time to access the Mac side or Windows (see Boot Camp: Booting into Windows). This seems to suggest that gaming and auto ca optiuons should be run using bootcamp as they need 100% of system resources

Boot Camp is now a built-in feature of Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard and requires a Mac with Intel processor.

• parrallel run with a virtual Windows machine - using software that allows Windows at the same time as Snow Leopard. (seeVirtualization: Windows meets Mac OS X)

Virtualization—how does that work?

Virtualization uses software to emulate PC hardware and create a "virtual machine" running alongside the Mac operating system, giving instant access to any desired Windows applications. Today, Windows is the most common "virtual machine" on the Mac, but you can also use virtualization to run Linux and other operating systems.

Either way I'm going to need to buy a proper copy of Windows 7. But I could then load my Microsoft Office and PC Elements 7 on the Windows side and continue using them.

I think I'm sure I can wait to decide until after I've got my new imac and can partition or upload dual run software at any time. However I tend to like to get set up issues sorted asap when I get a new machine.

My questions include:

• Which is best - partition using bootcamp or dual run? (I'm going to be checking this out on the internet before talking to the tech guy). I'm not a gamer but I don't like slow applications.
• Do people have difficulty setting up Windows 7 on an Apple?
• If I'm having trouble getting Windows 7 setup will Apple provide support?
• If using boot camp, how does it work in terms of accessing files on the windows side?
• Can I load my other Windows software - and how does that work with dual running?

Security software for Windows: Several questions:

• How do I load Kaspersky Anti Virus on a dual running iMac?
• Can I load my Kaspesky Internet Security 10 to address the security issues of Windows? How do the different configurations of a partitioned drive as opposed to dual running impact on secrurity software?

If opting for dual run, which is the best dual run software?There seem to be two software products which allow it to dual run

• Parallels Desktop 5.0 English (Mac) (£59.95) lets you run Windows programs seamlessly on your iMac, without rebooting. With full support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7.
• VMware Fusion 3 (£69.95) lets you run the most demanding Mac and Windows applications side-by-side at maximum speeds without rebooting.

General consensus seems to be that such software slows the machine down - but is that just the Windows side and were these comments coming from people using Vista or Windows 7?

So far I've found this article from MacTech (Edition 26): Head-to-Head: Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion (I do wish techie guys would learn how to date their techie articles!)

Both VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac are excellent products, and both allow you to run Windows XP and Windows 7 quite well (except for graphics in VMware Fusion under 7). In the end, your decision as to which product you should take into account what's most important to you: speed, footprint, graphics capabilities, features, user interface, OS you want to run, and more all come into play......

Here's how things look in general terms for each of the test suites that we ran:

Figure 23: Chart: Performance Winner in Each Test Suite
From MacTech: Head-to-Head: Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion

I think that gives a pretty clear direction as to software - but what do you think?

Will an Apple iMac work with a Microsoft media keyboard without a problem?

Key question for me as keyboards are critical for my tenosynovitis.

Do I want to configure my own iMac and if so what would I make different?

This is the one where I've not even started to think but there are somehelpful pages on the website.

• Customising your Mac
• Configure your iMac 27-inch

I've always been inclined to bung is as much Ram as possible. I've currently got 4 GB DDR2-SDRAM and the imac I think I will get has got 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - but could go up to 16GB. It will cost me £163 to upgrade to 8GB

The rest of the queries relate to the queries identified above.

How much new software do I need to buy and where's the best discount?

I think I need to buy:

• Windows 7 Home Premium - Full version (89.90 on Amazon) essential for running Windows as well
• nothing re Office or Elements if I buy Windows 7 (I think)

I could buy:

• PC Elements 8 for Mac (£75.95 from Apple Store or £) There is no Elements 7 for Mac. This isn't strictly speaking an extra costs since I don't own version 8 anyway. However I'm concerned about review comments about the lack of printer options.
• Office 2008 for Mac - Home & Student (£109.05)

However Microsoft Office 10 is out in June 2010 - so my inclination is to wait until then and then buy whichever seems most appropriate.

Apple Store or John Lewis or Amazon - and what about the guarantee and after service?

Still not sure on that one. Except that

• the price on Amazon UK is MORE than the price from an Apple store or Apple online or John Lewis!
• John Lewis is out of stock online and only has one in stock

There's no price difference on the model I think I'm interested in and I'm not sure price would factor into this one. My prime consideration is after service. This is me with my pessimistic hat on - supposing something goes wrong. John Lewis offer a two year guarantee - but they have to send it away to be fixed. I know I will buy The AppleCare Protection Plan for the imac to get three year cover with Apple - and Apple will fix it for me on the spot in store if they can. I'm going to get both to give me their best pitch and see what I get!

Independent Reviews

[Update] Just found some independent reviews

• Cnet - Apple iMac (27-inch, 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, ATI Radeon HD 4670, fall 2009)
• Computer shopper - Apple iMac (27-inch) Review (Octobr 2009)
• PCmag - Apple iMac 27-inch (Core 2 Duo) (23 October 2009)

What do you think?

As always, I'm inviting comments, views and advice from you all. You were so fantastic in commenting on the series of posts last week that I was telling the Manager in the Apple Store all about you! Even he was impressed by my chart of your recommendations!

So what do you think?
Note: For those who missed the posts last week this is the story so far!

• PC vs Mac for artists - explaining the reason for the exercise and inviting views - which attracted 50+ comments
• PCs versus Apple Mac - for artists (Part 2) - in which I tried so summarise what people were saying in the first post and I created a chart of recommendations - and which also got a lot of comments
• Decision time: pros and cons of PC vs Mac for artists - in which I explained my own particular set-up and key considerations - and then applied these to analysis of what I'd found out to date (not all of which is on this blog. I've been looking at websites for a long time)