Gaming on the Mac

I want to get into gaming on the mac. I just brought the a logitech USB controller and have the old NES with some roms running on my system. I really wanna buy some sports or shooting games but I cant find any. I'd love if there was NHL games for the mac.
Please give me any suggestions. Much appreciated

if you run windows in bootcamp you are running the windows natively. that means the quality will be as good as your hardware can support. I only have a couple of games but they run excellent in bootcamp as near as I can tell. hard disk space is a different matter but you'll have to deal with that either way.

Similar Messages

Surround Sounds Gaming Headsets on the Mac?

Any have any experience with or know of any surround sound headsets that work with the Mac? I've been hunting around for one (for Gaming/Skype) and most of the headsets that I found don't support the Mac. Or, when they, do, it's stereo only - no 5.1/7.1 surround.
Anyone have any thoughts on that?
- Are there any Mac USB Surround Headsets?
- Does Snow Leopard even support surround output over USB? (I know my Mac Pro works well connected via TOSLink to a surround system.)
Thanks in advance!

if you run windows in bootcamp you are running the windows natively. that means the quality will be as good as your hardware can support. I only have a couple of games but they run excellent in bootcamp as near as I can tell. hard disk space is a different matter but you'll have to deal with that either way.

Hi, I'm considering gettting a mac book pro. I've been a pc user. I want to know anyone's opinion on the mac book pro compared to a pc.

I'm considering buying a mac book pro. I want a few opinions about the mac book pro compared to a pc. I've been a pc user. How do you rate the mac compared to a pc?

michaelfromnorth miami beach wrote:
I want a few opinions about the mac book pro compared to a pc.
With Mac's, there are less software and hardware choices, Apple almost demands you upgrade the operating system (paid) annually now, then inflicts all sorts of unexpected UI changes etc., and breaks your third party software/hardware.
With Windows you might have malware, but on Mac's the pain comes with constant OS X upgrades and bricking of third party software, it's like Apple has no stability.
DRM is becoming standard issue, you can't install OS X on your own via the disks, it has to be downloaded from Apple now.
OS X is turning into iOS that's all controlling, all Apps are copy protected, open source software is not allowed.
Hardware quality is mixed now, 13" and below have cheap low res glossy screens like any other $400 Walmart PC, the 15" and up high res anti-glare are very nice models.
OS X is just a paint job on hardware with Apple "oh a new OS!", it's not a stable long term operating system in the sense that Windows versions are which you can set it up, make a backup and go on nearly forever.
At least with Windows one can reinstall the OS and get updates for 10+ years, all one has to do is buy quality long lasting hardware from a huge choice of vendors.
So value wise, hardware and software choice, 3D gaming, business world, standardization etc., Windows 7 is pretty sweet now. Vista and XP of course were terrible.
Apple's OS X Lion is terrible, it's the beginning of the end, a transition to locked down iOS X on Mac's and Apple's exit from the "computing" market into something only for consumers only really based on the closed iOS concept. They are really going overboard on this, pushing the App Store in your face when you do searches and everything.
The "candy like" OS X interface gets kind of tiring, it used to be we could avoid a lot of it, but now Apple is pressing it more into one's faces. So forget having a professional or mature look about OS X anymore.
The App Store is like something made and to appeal to children and Toy Story cartoon watchers, not appealing to mature serious people.
OS X is pretty and all, the high quality screens of Mac's make OS X look nice and attractive, but I also run Windows 7 on my Mac and it looks just as great, Windows also has a more mature looking UI.
All in all there is really no advantage to getting a Mac over a PC anymore, since with Win 7 Microsoft provides the free Security Essentials and System Restore to make disks and images to restore one's own machine themselves easy as pie.
I'm a long time Mac user, from day one, because Mac's were innovative and more secure than Windows, however Apple has tarnished that image when I found out they were not issuing security updates for older OS X versions and not fast enough for Java, (they control) which resulted in a 600,000 botnet of Mac's called Flashflake.
Sure finally Apple issued a security update for 10.5 users, but on Intel processors only, not the zillions still on PowerPC processor Mac's.
Apple is so much about change to sell hardware that they burn bridges behind them, hopefully that will change now under Tim Cook's rule, (Steve Jobs died) I suspect it will.
Apple's OS X market share has been decreasing, not because Apple isn't selling things, but rather a larger portion of it's users are now using iOS devices instead of Mac's.
Before iOS arrived, it was 10% of users on OS X/Macs, now it's 4% iOS and 6% on OS X/Macs as recorded outside of China's Great Firewall.
I guess the positive thing is, I've only got one piece of malware on my Mac's in 24 years, however I've spent about 10x more for my computers over the years than my PC using friends have because of all the Apple hardware and OS X changes draining my wallet.
For instance they changed video out from DVI to Dual DVI, to Displayport to something else and now Thunderbolt, it's just insane you can't go back into a Apple store and pickup a piece of hardware anymore or older OS X, they start pumping you to change this or that and don't tell you what's it's really going to cost in the end to upgrade everything.
I swear they want us to turn over our machines every two years now like a iPhone or something.
If your a smart PC user, you know then what hardware to buy and how to reinstall Windows yourself, I don't see why you would give up so much hardware and software choice to use a locked down, DRMed Mac that's designed for newbies and children mostly and exiting the "pro" type market more and more every year.
If you think my compaints about Apple above pale in comparison to your experience with Windows 7, then by all means get a Mac, bring a fat wallet and they will be all over you like any high end fashion or Gucci store would.

Game Controllers for the Mac Book Pro

Are there any gaming controllers that can be easily used with the MAC OS X?

The PS3 (PlayStation 3) controller, you can even configurate it media BlueTooth, so when you use it, you don't have the need to have a wire connected (if fully charged). It's quite simple to configure, if you don't know how, search in YouTube, it's very simple. Some games even come already with controls of PS3 when the control is detected while openning the game.
Hope this helps you!
Later.

Is it possible to put the new nVidia GTX 480 in the Mac Pro

I'm planning on creating the ultimate gaming machine, but also want the best operating system. So I have decided that my next computer will be the Mac Pro and will have the new nVidia GTX 480 (if it works). The Windows partition would be used for heavy gaming with DX 11 and PhysX technology. While on the OSX partition I could use the greatest operating system, to do general things like Movie Making, Picture Editing, Web Surfing, Emailing etc.
So all in all, is it possible to install a GTX 480 on OSX? I know it'll work with the windows partition, but not sure about OSX. I'm also unsure about the hardware side of things, but that's why I'm asking!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Mike

If you don't need dual processor, PC with 980X Gulftown makes sense.
Forget over clocking a Mac, but if you need dual processor, the Mac Pro makes sense but expect to pay. Otherwise, take a look at
EVGA Classified SR-2 (Super Record 2) 270-WS-W555-A1
http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=5
Apple has not had good Nvidia drivers. And right now there are two 6-pin, and you need 6 + 8 and stick with Windows 7 and ability to do SLI. I laugh when people talk about "windoz" (rude) being somehow less or 'inferior' having seen the best - and worst - of both (never got caught up in 95/98/NT/XP so spoiled by only knowing Vista/7). I still think 10.6 hasn't quite caught up to 7 in areas that really matter, like threading, multicore, efficient use of memory.
Forget using more than one, Apple likes graphic cards that are low power, low end, and only supporting one high end card.
The GTX 480 @ $499, and if Apple offered it, it would be $549 or more (Apple 'tax' for smaller market and having to do their own drivers). And it would be much later before optimized drivers (maybe next year this time at best).
While you can go water and add custom fans and cooling, the Mac is much more of a "closed" box in many ways beyond RAM and hard drives and +very limited+ selection of graphics.
That really is my honest assessment.
The place where Mac Pro is easier, you can install 32-64GB RAM without trouble and not have to worry about compatibility or PSU issues. I'm always surprised by all the memory testing and supported and problems PC owners go through (I don't think Cruical Ballistix gets enough credit).
DX11 will still take time. Adobe showed how GPGPU/CUDA could benefit, but Apple and Adobe apps have always tended to favor ATI which is just beginning to get into OpenCL technology ... and the 5000 series may find Nvidia Fermi, while it took longer, runs hot and power requirement, could be better poised down the road too.
A single socket Mac Pro 3.3GHz or even stock (same as 920) will do the job you want.
Apple Mac Pro Specials (refurb dept)
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_pro
Are a good selection and place to shop. My the time Gulftown + GTX480 and all the rest is out and ready could be more than a few months.

Video/Photo Editing on the Mac Mini (question mark?)

I recently discovered the Mac Mini and immediatly thought "what a great thing, a cheeper version of a mac that i can use to edit things like video and potentialy pictures!"
However, it has been brought to my attention that the mini might not be the most powerful machine and potentialy incapable of handeling video/photo editing due to a less powerful graphics card.
My question pretty much is, can I effectivly edit on a mac mini or is there a way to upgrade the video card to make it more capable?
thanks

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
One of the users in my system bought a mini specifically for video work - and it works extremely well. The on-board graphics don't obstruct effective use of the system for this sort of work at all, and in fact video work is perfectly feasible on systems with vastly inferior graphics cards than the one used in the mini, so that should not be a concern. The same is true of photo editing.
It's certainly true that the mini isn't the most powerful Mac of course, but to put that in context, the current Intel minis are on a general par in processing power to the top of the range G5 powermacs of 3 years ago - many of which are still in use in demanding circumstances. The mini's drawbacks are the lack of internal expansion options and the relatively slow hard drive, but a the former can be largely overcome by adding desired components externally, such as extra hard drives and burners, and the impact of the second can be mitigated to a significant degree by maxing out the RAM. Thus a 1.6 mini with 2Gb RAM will perform rather better than a 1.8 mini with the stock 512Mb.
In practice, the video card is good for all tasks short of 3D gaming - which is just as well since it's embedded on the logic board and thus cannot be replaced!

Gaming on the stock 7300GT

So what’s it like gaming on the stock 7300GT under BootCamp? Do HL2 and BF2 look ok?
I can’t afford a 1900XT right now but I’m still seriously considering buying a Mac Pro. I haven’t played HL2 since I was a Windows user a year and a half ago. I switched to Mac to use Final Cut Pro (and because I was getting tired of maintaining my PC).
I’d like to play Counter Strike Source and Battlefield -- I don’t demand perfect performance. I have always gamed on mid-level PC’s, so I can accept a little video card lag here and there, as long as it’s not so slow that it makes me play the game badly. You know, never get headshots, bump into walls, friendly fire…
Would you say that the stock card is good for gaming, or is the ATI card the only one any gamer should consider?
1.8 Dual Mac OS X (10.4.8)

The 7300GT is a pretty capable card even compared to the 7300 versions on the PC. For older games, it runs pretty well (counter-strike, hl2) at medium resolutions (1280x1024 being the max). But, if you go higher, or try to start getting performance out of the card for newer games it just dies. The 1900 is so much faster it isn't even funny. If you plan to play any newer games (GTR2, Oblivion, FEAR, Battlefield (doesn't it have pretty steep requirements?) get the 1900.
I decided to go old school and check out Doom 3 again. On an older PC with a 6800GT and dual core Athlon I was getting 30 or so fps at 1280 res with medium settings. This is about the max I got with the 7300 in the new mac (using boot camp). Dropped in a 1900 and cranked up the settings to Ultra (which at the time of release Carmack said it would take many years for a card to handle the requirements of Ultra and a min of 512MB of video was essential --- I had never seen it run in Ultra mode), anyway dropped in the 1900, ultra setting with everything maxed, widescreen 16:10 1900x1200 resolution and getting 60FPS solid. This game caps the fps without hacking it, so I'm sure it's higher, but the point is it's non-stopped maxed. Counterstrike on the 1900XT, I was getting 100+ FPS at 2560x1600 res with everything maxed!
Hopefully this chart will link. If it doesn't go to Tom's Hardware, click on graphics and displays | vga charts | April 10 Interactive VGA charts. Select ATI x1900 XT R580 from dropdown 1, Nvidia 7300 GT TC G73 from dropdown 2, pick a game and resolution and see the performance comparison between all the cards. Your 2 selected cards show up in blue. For Oblivion at 1280 the ATI does 93FPS, the Nvidia does 23FPS. For Prey at 1600 it's 50FPS for the ATI, 11FPS for the stock Nvidia. Booyah!
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics.html?modelx=33&model1=548&model2=532&char t=210
The real question is, "Should I get the 1900 and if I spend the extra money will I see a difference?"
If you plan on playing games. Oh, heck yeah. Splurge. You won't regret it.

Can the mac book pro play pc games

I am planning on buying a new macbook pro and I was wondering if it will play pc games or do i have to get a mac verzion of them?

Buy a MacBook Pro you need for everything else, I suggest a 15" antiglare or larger, this way your secure online and portable.
Then for 3D PC gaming get yourself a Windows 7 gaming tower with a quad core i7 and expandable to 4-8 or even 16GB of RAM with a decent power supply, and where you can select from a veriety of the fastest video cards and of course all the latest games come out for Windows.
A Windows tower like this should last you a long time as a gaming machine as you just switch out the video card every year to keep up with the latest 3D games and not becoming fragbait.
Also most all games come out for Windows, use the Windows tower for gaming and offline uses, don't use it for anything Internet or file transfer related and it should remain secure. Use the Mac for all the risky stuff on the Internet, it's safer.
With a MacBook Pro (or any laptop) as a 3D gaming machine, it lasts about a year and a half, then you start having to drop the detail to keep your frame rate up with improvments in the game. You can't upgrade a video card in laptops.
The MacPro doesn't make a good 3D gaming machine as there are hardly any up to date video cards for it, you pretty much get what the machine came with and your stuck. (if your intersted, wait, they are due for a refresh)
If you can't spring for both machines, then get a PS3/Slim for your HDTV and 3D game on that. MacBook Pro for other uses.
As you can see with this chart, Windows towers blows away everything
http://www.cbscores.com/index.php?sort=ogl&order=desc

Gaming in the new iMac

Hi Everyone! Since there are no Gaming 'Discussions' on this site I thought I may as well add one here!
I do however have a question about gaming with my iMac. Does anyone know what the system requirments are/will be for Diablo 3? and also if anyone know of the game, Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3/Odst, Is this ever going to be available for Mac users or just Xbox and PC?
Thanks!
Hope someone can answer me!

Oddly enough Halo was actually written for the mac before the developer was bought by Microsoft, it was demoed in one of Steve Jobs' Keynotes.
Halo is available for the Mac not so sure about the 2nd one though.

Heat, PC Fanboys, and the Mac Genius

Well, the Apple Genius was right. I was talking to him about my apparent heat issues, namely the processor going up to 100C and such. Well, he said don't try to fix it yourself, you'll just void the warranty. That unless it is actually impairing the function of the Macbook, that it really wasn't a big deal or something to be concerned about (since when we have it on our laps, we're not running it at 100% typically). The heat is just one of those things and some people seem to have more than others. However, he said that the Macbook Pro is ushering in lots of PC fanboys/DIY-ers who love to have god-like control over their computers by modding them and installing their own stuff, etc. etc. That when things get "too hot" for their taste, they feel they must do something. However, in voiding your warranty in order to lower CPU temperatures, you're screwing your self over in the long run, unless you can very well disguise your modding. If you have some form of lap protection, how is it relevant what temperature the machine runs at. If 100C is normal operating range for a Core Duo, which it is, then why would it lower the processor's lifespan? How is this relevant if most people buy Applecare, which will see them through 3 years of ownership? What does one really achieve by taking apart the Macbook, other than self-satisfaction?
Ok, so maybe the Genius was skirting the issue. But the heat people are making too big of a deal out of and getting personally offended, as if the heat makes the Mac unusable, or that they must use their Mac naked against their bare skin. Again this boils down to people wanting control, not liking their laptop to feel like it is spiraling out of their control. I was like this with my gaming PC - spent lots of money on fans and a very expensive heatsink to let me overclock it 20%. The enhancements did little to make the computer run any better than stock AMD cooling. It just goes to show that these mods may work but really achieve nothing.

No offense intended, but a cpu will fry itself @ 100* C. Multiply *C by 1.8 and add 32* F to it. What do you get ? I come up with 212* F, which happens to also be the boiling point for water. Tell you what, next time you make spaghetti, get the water to boil and stick your hand in the pot.
Then think about what the electronics are experiencing. My 867 when doing an upgrade to the latest update gets to 63-64* C, that's very hot. Posting this it's 47* C and that's warm, so 80,90, even 100* C is ridiculously hot. What good is a notebook that's in the shop for repairs all the time ? Anyone getting a loaner while their's is in for repairs ?
BTW, until recently, stock AMD cooling wasn't that great and buying a $40 and more hsf to get it down from idling at 50-60* C to low-mid 30's C was worth every penny, especially when under full load, it barely gets to 50* C. The rule of thumb used to be for electronics, drop the temp 10* C and you double the lifespan. Don't know if this holds true anymore, but I suspect it does. It's hardly PC fanboys need to control heat. Nobody likes to have computer downtime over a fried cpu, they aren't cheap to replace, they aren't fun to waste your time re-installing one every few months. I like my systems to get a dust bunny cleaning every quarter or 6 months and that's it. That's more work than I want to do on a computer I bought or built.

Is the Mac Pro a Worthy Investment

Hi guys and gals,
I have a few questions, hopefully the follow somewhat of a logical order.
I am a student look to invest in a new mac for the fall (or new year), but like any good student - I am not made of money.
As an amateur photographer look to become pro (I use PS CS3), Is it possible to get a Mac Pro cheap? Does anyone sell a downgraded Mac Pro this way it's around 1500 or less?
The reason I ask is the Mac Pro leaves space for hardware upgrades (if I'm not mistaken) which means I could use the current hardware for longer and save money to upgrade in X number of years.
Am I just dreaming here? Should I look into older models or other macs such as macbook pros?
Or is there another reliable forum site I could ask this on?
Thanks for the time. I really appreciate it.

As far as performance goes, for still photography a Mac mini would probably be fine, particularly the current models (the previous models would in my opinion have been underpowered for serious photo work). A Mac Pro might indeed be overkill for photography, though the Mac Pro is certainly is nice to work with. Working with photographs doesn't stress a computer all that much; certainly not as compared with video editing and processing. The largest amount of computer power in working with photographs comes when you apply multiple filters and transforms, which you may or many not be doing. A Mac mini would probably be well worth at least considering. The biggest limitation would probably be the amount of RAM in the mini (which applies to any system; the mini is just harder to upgrade). If you're working with very large images, more RAM will be a big performance booster, so I'd recommend that you bump the system to 4GB.
Whichever you decide, I would suggest that you upgrade to Photoshop CS4, which has much better performance on Intel-based Macs, if you want to keep using PShop, though both Apple's Aperture and Adobe's Lightroom would be worth considering, either as replacement (depending on what you use PShop to do) or as an adjunct. As a student you can pick up Adobe and Apple software at a significant discount.
Whatever you decide, don't cheap out on choosing your monitor. While you may not need one of the high-end LCDs sold for precise color matching (though if you intend to be a professional photographer generating your own prints, it might be necessary down the road), do careful research before you purchase your monitor. Many monitors are just fine for gaming but rubbish for a serious photographer. That doesn't mean you have to spend top dollar, just make sure that the reviews and information apply to color rendition for photographic work, not performance with moving images.
Hope this helps.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

I am using the mac QQ and when I login it said login timeout.

I am using the mac QQ and when I login it said login timeout.

If you are missing using google maps - try the Nokia map app called "here"

15" i7 Macbook Pro from early 2011.takes the mac laptop two or three tries to boot successfully. It would turn on, show gray screen, shut down, turn on again, show gray screen, shutdown, and then turn on, show gray screen, before it can finally get

Hello All,
I have a 15" i7 Macbook Pro from early 2011. The past few weeks, it has been getting increasingly difficult to get on my computer. It takes the mac laptop two or three tries to boot successfully. It would turn on, show gray screen, shut down, turn on again, show gray screen, shutdown, and then turn on, show gray screen, before it can finally get to the dark gray log-in screen. Even when I finally get logged in to start working, thinking it would be okay now, it shuts down randomly.
I've ruled out the possibility of a software problem because I've just done a clean re-install of Mac OS X Mavericks on my computer just yesterday.
I did upgrade the RAM recently, about a month and a half ago, from 4GB to 16GB, I went to the apple store four days after that upgrade to have them do a hardware test, and clean the inside of my laptop, which helped with previous heat issues. When they did the hardware test, the hardware was all registered as fine from their system.
I've tried resetting the SMC, PRAM, and doing the internet recovery hardware test, but to no avail. I thought I could at least find out what parts needed to be replaced from the hardware test but it seems that when the hardware test is almost finished, the computer just shuts down, So I am unable to see the results.
My computer is also having battery issues, under battery condition, it says "replace now," parts have been ordered, waiting for arrival. But if the battery health is low, it should still boot up fine, it would just hold a significantly less charge.
Could this be a hard drive issue?
Has anyone had similar symptoms and how was it resolved?
Does anyone know what I can do to alleviate this issue?
I haven't had time to take it to Apple because I'm currently taking a 21 credit semester academically. I'm an art and design student so my computer is basically the bane of my existence. Help! Any constructive advice is welcomed!
Thank you so much for your input!
-Christina C.

Problem description:
The Hard Disk is failing.
EtreCheck version: 2.0.11 (98)
Report generated November 4, 2014 at 7:59:28 AM EST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,2
1 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core
16 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 512 MB
Color LCD 1440 x 900
AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 1024 MB
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 0:3:43
Disk Information: ℹ️
TOSHIBA MK7559GSXF disk0 : (750.16 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
HDV4 (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 749.30 GB (712.10 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/fileshield/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.AvastFileShield (2.1.0 - SDK 10.9) Support
/Library/Application Support/Avast/components/proxy/unsigned
[loaded] com.avast.PacketForwarder (1.4 - SDK 10.9) Support
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.userinit.plist Support
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[invalid?] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.init.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.uninstall.plist Support
[loaded] com.avast.update.plist Support
[invalid?] com.perion.searchprotectd.plist Support
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[invalid?] com.avast.home.userinit.plist Support
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
[invalid?] com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.autostart.plist Support
User Login Items: ℹ️
None
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 10.1.1 Support
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
User Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
TroviNPAPIPlugin: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9 Support
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: Unknown
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
Avast Online Security
Trovi Search for Safari
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
None
Time Machine: ℹ️
Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      16% mds
      7% WindowServer
      1% loginwindow
      1% fontd
      1% com.avast.daemon
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
120 MB com.avast.daemon
86 MB Google Chrome
52 MB Finder
52 MB WindowServer
41 MB Google Chrome Helper
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
13.45 GB Free RAM
1.34 GB Active RAM
944 MB Inactive RAM
1.43 GB Wired RAM
1.11 GB Page-ins
0 B Page-outs

I want to use the Mac more, I really do, but-

Admittedly, I’m a new Mac user (purchased Macbook Pro last October), and I’m really trying to get acclimated to it. I WANT to use it more, but I hit a roadblock at every turn. I’ll keep my issues limited to iMovie in this thread of course, but it seems like every step I take with a Mac is a struggle and more expensive than to do these same, relatively simple things on a PC. It never seems to do exactly what I want. Very simple features seem to be left out in order to entice you to purchase add-ons, plug-ins, or a different package more suited to the task (i.e. Final Cut).
I’m simply creating fancy slideshows using still photographs with iMovie, and find it grossly lacking in features. It nice for a basic introduction into slide show presentation software, but if you really would like to do something fancy, this software doesn’t cut it. I’m having “Ken Burns” limitations, like exactly what is posted here http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5222444&. There are only 12 transitions to choose from…12, which I can’t believe (even the utterly simplistic Windows Vista Movie Make has 63). Many times the playback seems “choppy” when played on the Mac, etc etc. I won’t bore you with more issues.
Now I understand any packaged photo presentation program (with iLife) is not going to have all the features as one that you would purchase exclusively for that function, so what are my alternatives?
1) Purchase Final Cut Express for $200, which has gotten very lukewarm reviews to put it mildly. Seems to be overly complicated and you cannot add sound tracks ?!? (I didn’t read all the details on this one).
2) Purchase Final Cut Studio for $1300. Not going to happen, way too pricey.
3) Purchase over $500 in GeeThree Volumes 1 through 10 (http://www.geethree.com/slick/), which I heard is about the best alternative to spicing up the iMovie software to make it satisfactorily functional (am I wrong in this assessment?)
4) Stick with my PC and run ProShow Producer for $250 (http://www.photodex.com/products/producer). This is a super program which has almost all of the features you could possibly want, and is very simple to use. The only thing it doesn’t have is a nice DVD menu system, which I can live with.
So someone, please give me some suggestions. Am I not seeing the forest through the trees? Are there any better alternatives? I’d even entertain purchasing another Mac software package if there is one out there that someone knows does a better job.

Hi Lobster1071,
It is a shame when you can create a slideshow with Spotlight or the Finder yet an app intended for such can't get the job done. Once upon a time iMovie had about 15± transitions and 50± effects so it is not that you can't see the forest through the trees but that the forest has been clear cut and it's a big pile of brush and wood chips that is blocking your view. I don't believe anyone at the moment has any plug-ins for transitions or effects for iMovie 08 so if that was something you were looking for you would have to download the iMovie HD 6 available to those who thought the were buying a motion picture app.
Apple's blurb about iMovie 08.
Quick ways to add polish.
iMovie is designed to make everything simple — including the professional touches that help your movie stand out even more.
Photos and music.
Use the iLife Media Browser to bring photos into your movie from iPhoto. Summon the real-time, redesigned Ken Burns effect to add motion and zooms to still photos like a pro
So much for simplicity, maybe they mean we are supposed to have a seance to summon KB from eternal rest to be able to get this to work. Who knows? It's not too friendly in iM 6 either.
Graphic Converter is another powerful app that has many uses and you can create a slideshow with a KB effect that is a has a decent pan and zoom. Zoom is what they call it in GC. $20± US it is truly a bargain as it is a great tool to have even if iMovie was worth the disk space it consumes. In addition to pan and zoom you can combine video and still images and it provides you access to many other QuickTime transitions and effects you can then export it to a QT movie and to iDVD if you want.
The learning curve is a bit steep but support for registered users has always been very good and once you have the hang of it it is easy to include images of any size and shape with the ability to easily automate the tasks that you find yourself repeating quite often. If you need to rotate, crop or edit for any reason you can do that right within the same app. You can try with full functionality to check it out @ http://www.lemkesoft.com/ I do find that I use it most efficiently/productively in conjunction w/ QT Pro but don't think that is really required unless you want to have more than a two channel stereo track as GC allows the inclusion of an audio track but no editing of it. If you want multiple tracks or sound FX etc. that would still have to be done in GarageBand or elsewhere and saved to a single audio file.
iWork is also very capable of producing halfway decent slideshows with more features than iMovie as well. but I don't think I'd recommend going out and buying it unless you're looking for something to replace MS Office or something similar but there should be a 30 day trial already on you Mac or Install disc so you can try it out and see if it will work for your needs. If nothing else you will find out how much frustration you can really tolerate.
Sweet Polly

I have one apple ID for my MAC and another used for both my iPhone and IPad. Purchases from iTunes don't appear on either my iPhone or iPad only only the MAC. How do I sync the two IDs?

I have one Apple ID for my MAC and iTunes account and another that is used for both my iTunes and iPad. When I purchased music from iTunes using the Mac ID, the music isn't available on my iTunes or iPad. Neither lets me change my ID so how do I fix this issue so I can play the music on all three?

Hello chlanli
You would need to use one Apple ID for purchases in order to get them across all of your devices and computer. If you want you can use one Apple ID for purchases and the other one to sync personal data. The article below will explain further.
Using your Apple ID for Apple services
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4895
Regards,
-Norm G.

Gaming on the Mac

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