Tough decision

Im going off to college next year and Im torn between a mac pro and a mac book pro. While portability is an issue I need speedy exports in compressor. I would like to know if anyone has a mac pro (with the fastest intel processor) or mac book pro that can tell me how fast HD (preferably 720p 24) footage compresses into a DVD video file. Is there an advantage over one (Mac pro) or the other(MBP) ?

Umm, no. You need all the RAM you can afford, no more, then you learn to live within the limitations of your budget and machine's performance.
If compression is going to be how you make money, RAM is chump change. If compression is how you will deliver your home moves via email, save your money, you don't need Final Cut.
bogiesan

Similar Messages

Tough Decision: Gmail Web Interface or Gmail Via Pop Using Mac Mail

Thought I would open a discussion about this since I have been having a tough time making a decision. I love using Gmail's web interface but hate losing the integration with Mac OS. I forward all my email from different providers to my Gmail so I can access all my email from any computer. This is very handy for me.
I have tried using the mail app to access gmail via pop, but one thing I hate is when I reply to an email from a different provider than gmail it will use the gmail reply address. Gmail's web interface will use the account that the email was sent to as the reply address automatically.
I am almost certain that others are in the same quandry as I am. If so, what is your solution?
20" iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

You can enter the email addresses for your other providers in Mail and have them show up in a pop-up menu when you compose new mail; then you can select which address to use as the outgoing mail address.
Go to Mail->Preferences->Accounts, and undeer the Account Information, look for the Email Address field (below the Description filed). Enter your other email addresses in there, separated by commas, then close the Preferences and Save the changes.
Now create a new email and the pop-up menu should let you choose which email address will show up on the email.
Mulder
If my answer helped solve your problem, please consider awarding some points. Why Reward Points?
iMac G4 700Mhz Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Retina iPad or iPad mini ? A tough decision...

Well, I guess a lot of people might have asked this question before, though I did not take the trouble to check.
I have a 11" MacBook Air and an iPhone 4, and an iPad is obviously what is missing in-between. I need an iPad to read newpapers and magazines while commuting or on the move, and I also need the big display to use iPad as a map to guide me through unfamiliar neighbourhoods. So I would go for cellular. Ideally, I would love to have a Retina iPad mini. But God knows when a Retina iPad mini will be launched? And one more word someone will pop up and remind me that we are not permitted to speculate on Apple's future products here. So I will shut up.
I've seen some people with the big iPad after iPad mini has been launched. Well, suddenly iPad looks horribly gigantic and oversized. But I wonder if I would accept an iPad mini without Retins when trying to read fine text...
Perhaps I am not asking a question here. These are just my personal ruminations...

Chosing Between the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini
http://macmost.com/choosing-between-the-ipad-and-the-ipad-mini.html

Help with a tough decision Apple is forcing me to make.

Hi everyone,
So, like many of you, I have been patiently waiting for about five months now for a Mac Pro refresh. With the newer cpu's, gpu's, and hds out now, I was expecting to have seen them update it by now, but they haven't. They also refuse to announce anything about when they might, in a greedy attempt to get people to pay top dollar for old stock. I need to get a new system for 4k video editing now. When it was first released I was impressed by the value. Building a comparable system cost about the same. This doesn't seem to be the case anymore, and since they haven't upgraded the system, or lowered their prices to compete, I feel like I need to abandon the dream and look else where. Anybody disagree? Is there any reason why the Mac Pro still can compete at a $5,000 price point? If not, any recommendations on what I should get?

It is easy to start with as 4,1 $495 and have 4k and even 5k.
March 6th, 2015 -- 4K SHOOTOUT: Four Macs and Six GPUs with a Dell 5K Display
5K SHOOTOUT: iMac 5K versus Mac Pro tower with Dell 5K display -- both running at 5120x2880
cMP moves further into the future, 5K is here !
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1854914
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1760435&page=4
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1838956
Apple is not interested in Nvidia the way customers are. A Classic Mac Pro instead of trashy 6,1 design is still holding its own and doing better, with affordable 6-core 3.4GHz processors and other add-ons, even dual GPUs (AMD and Nvidia, with help of add'l PSU)
Thermal throttling a workstation GPU or processor under load? Unhead of?
The bottleneck has been with spinning disk drives. Some users have tried using 2 x PCIe SSD controllers using four SSDs to try to create large fast SSD arrays of 2-4TB and 1200-1800MB/sec.
NGFF PCIE SSD
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1685821
- Which basically is using Apple and Samsung PCIe-SSD devices to get 1200MB/sec out of a single device (256GB to 1TB) without controllers, just a PCIe adapter. Funny but even a 2006 1,1 have had this ability in firmware and logicboard all along since 2005 to support these small M.2 form factor devices.
Right now ebay for Apple 500-768-1000GB or an XP941 retail $400-750 (a small 256GB + adapter for $285 900MB/sec to give you a taste).
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J9V53M6/
http://www.amazon.com/Sintech-NGFF-PCIe-SATA-Adapter/dp/B00LM4EPF4/
Processor upgrade options:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1122551
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1854411
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1333421

A tough decision

Hi there
im looking to upgrade my laptop, and after just being introduced to macs in the last few months with a mac mini, my new laptop clearly has to be a mac.
i was looking at the macbook pro and was quite impressed, but then the macbook got released and it ticked a few boxes (small and assumingly lighter than this monster im using now)
however when i was playing about looking at specs and my mates macbook pro, a few things were in the plus areas here, most noticably the gfx power and the lighting up keyboard thing, how seriously cool is that!
so do i go for the prefered size in the macbook and sacrifise the cool features like the better gfx and lighty-up-keyboard thing, il probabaly be using it with boot camp as i dont think im 100% comfortable with os x yet (and no doubt il play games on the windows partition lol)
hmmmmm
any advice would be cool, also seeing a lot of neative heat related posts about the macbook is not so good either!
G

About the heat issue, the MacBook is significantly cooler than the MacBook Pro. Also, it seemed to be only an issue on some MacBooks, as this may have been a manufacuting fault. If it gets too hot, you can take it into an Apple
Store and have them take a look at it for you. I would recoomend this laptop over the MacBook Pro if you aren't going to do serious gaming or graphics work on it. It has a fast processor, so don't worry about speed. I've heard battery life is better than posted online. Some people had an issue with the Glossy screen, but I checked it out, and it's just fine, I even forgot it was glossy after using it for 5 minutes. I would also reccomend the 2.0 Ghz model for that extra edge in speed, and also for the ability to burn DVDs. Even if you aren't planning on it, it's better to be prepared just in case you have that one time you need to. I would upgrade the RAM to 2 GB to max out performance. I'm not sure what you're going to do with the MacBook, but I would get more than 60 Gb of hard drive space. Formatted and Mac OS X installed, 60 GB turns out to be 30-35 GB of free space. Get at least 80 (if not more). Finally, about color, I wouldn't suggest getting black becuase it's $150 more (if you add in the cost of the hard drive upgrade) than the 2 GHz white model. Besides, black blends in too well with the rest of the laptop world.
Hope this helps!
Trevor

New to HD Editing and CS, building a PC to suit requirements of HD edit. Experienced help wanted :-)

Firstly let me say hi and thanks in advance to all that read and assist with my questions
A Bit about me..
I have recently acquired the need for video editing at a much higher level with both having a family now (baby daughter) and a very active hobby (rc heli flying at a sponsored level). With this in mind I bought a HD video camera some time back without the realisation that, to effectively edit such footage requires horsepower!!.... so i have saved up for a new computer and ended up here after much reading on various forums (toms hardware, video guys etc etc).
Where I am up too....
I have started by firstly implementing a NAS into my Home network which is primarily used to store and stream media (Gigabit LAN) around the home. It is setup in RAID 5 with 5 x 2TB disks (so about 7TB of storage). I have done this so there is some backup of photos, movies, home video etc (if I lose a disk , hopefully i will not lose the lot). I have also acquired adobe Premiere Pro CS 5 and now need a workstation that will allow me to edit in confort ( the one I have will not even run it!! .
My aim is to store original files and completed work on the NAS (or burn to Bluray etc).
I am looking at a PC solution, as I can obviously get more horsepower for less $$ than a laptop solution.
I have built PC's in the past but not with high frequency and this will be the biggest budget one I will have attempted. I have been researching alot over the last few weeks about sytems and components and found this forum to be very good in dealing with hardware specs and requiremnts in a very proffesional way.
I am now at the point where I getting a little muddled with which way to go and still have a lot of research to complete. My approach is to tackle each of the components needed one at a time in a fairly hierarchial manner.
What the PC will be used for..
This PC will be used primarily for the video editing and some gaming (when I have time). AlLso any other horsepower intensive apps if needed (I have a laptop and other comps for general duties).
Budget
My budget is fairly rigid at $2500 AUD (so I am not looking at a Zeon solution LOL). The budget is to include:
Case                              ?
CPU                            Intel I7 2600K (based on my research this seems to be the best way to go with my budget and needs)
CPU Cooler                  Standard Intel supplied Cooler (seems to perform reasonably well even when moderately overclocking (~4.0 - 5.0 khz)
MOBO                           ?
RAM                              ?
Graphics Card                 ?
BLURAY Writer               ?
PSU                               ?
HDD Storage               1 SSD and 3 HDD's with 2 in Raid "0"
OS                              Windows 7 64 Bit
23 inch Screen               ?
Questions
     Motherboard
I guess my issues with MOBO slection revolve firstly around which chipset to go with Z68 (newer) or the P67? It seems the Z68 is feature rich, however I also seem to feel that the Quick sync and SRT would be better disabled with what I am setting the machine up for? So therefore what advantage is there with going with Z68 if any? or am I better off getting a more established P67 chipset based board?
I also see that some boards have the Nvidia NF200 for expanding bandwidth on the restrictive 16 PCIe lanes available on the 1155 socket boards given I am only looking at one decent Graphics card is this a chip I should avoid (as I have read this can cause latency with only one graphics card)?
Another thing I have noticed is some boards have a PLX PEX8608 chip which seems to manage the limited PCIe lanes better if other cards are plugged in?
I also see some boards have the Marvell Sata 3 controller on them that does not seem to perform as well as the native Intel Sata 3 controller on the Southbridge in tests. I guess I have no real idea of when I would be looking at stretching the bandwidth and wonder whether I need to concern myself with 4 x sata 3 connections (2 intel and 2 Marvell)?
One last question I see there is now MOBO's available with PCIe 3.0 available (even though there are no devices that can utilize it) is this even worth being a consideration or is it not really of any importance to the slection process?
In summary it appears there is lots of goodies on offer with different chipsets and boards, however I do not want to waste budget on things I have no use for or gimmicks.
     CPU Cooler
It is my intent to start with the factory supplied Intel bundled cooler and invest the money not spent on this item on better graphics card etc. For moderate Overclocking it seems to perform ok.... am hoping this will be ok?
    HDD Storage
At this stage I am not up to speed with the exact storage devices I need, I am initially looking at whether my ideas for a storage system have merit? Please bear in mind I am not a CSpro user as of yet and so some of this is just based on research with no base knowledge....?
1 x ~120Gb SSD                                    for OS and Programs
1 x ??Gb/TB HDD 7200 rpm                    for Media Projects
2 x ?? Gb/TB HDD 7200 rpm in raid "0"    for Media Cache and Preview Files
Will the onboard Raid controller accommadate the above adequately?
    Graphics Card
I am looking at Nvidia as far as I can tell so that I may make use of the CUDA threads and as far as type I assume I pick the best one of the approved list (adobe approved list)? I am still confused ast to whether there is any benefit from a using a twin GPU card, its unclear to me whether the CUDA can tap into both of the GPU's on such a card? Of course budget restraint will come into play here.
     Ram
I am looking at 4 x 4gb dual channel Ram cards to give a total of 16Gb total (DDR 3) as for brands, types and frequencies I have no idea yet and need to cover off some of the above first before my research gets too wide?
     PSU and Case
I am hoping for a modular device for this, however I was thinking this and the case are a low priority at this stage (until some of the other solutions are verified).
     Blur Ray writer /reader
With me using my NAS for media streaming I will not be burngin to many Blu ray disks, however I will be reading a few so that I can upload them onto the NAS via this unit. I have no idea what is a good or bad unit or what to look for in this area?
     Monitor
I have found some cheap solutions in the 23" sizing for a main screen (~160 AUD) supported by my existing 17' monitor, however is there anything I should be looking for in particular with the monitor I choose?
I will update each section with what is decided on so that it may help others who are having the same tough decisions to make?
Even if we just tackle the Motherboard first I would be greatfull...
Thanks for reading and again all assistance is appreciated.
Regards
Jody

Ok well after much reading I have got the following as the setup that shoe horns in at $2500 ish...
Interested in thoughts for Premiere pro:
Component Model $ each Stat Ice Store
Case
UNKNOWN AT THIS STAGE BUDGET $200
Power Supply
FSP Aurum Series 750W Modular Power Supply $139.00 PCCASEGEAR
Motherboard
ASUS P8P67 Deluxe REV 3 $212.00 I-Store
Processor
Intel I7 2600k Gen 2 $324.00 All needs Computer
CPU Cooling
Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler $89.00 PCCASEGEAR
Memory
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM (2x4GB) DDR3 $79.00 $158.00 PCCASEGEAR
OS/Programs Drive
Patriot 120G Wildfire SSD SATA3 $289.00 Umart
Capture/work Drive
2 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ setup in Raid "0" $54.00 $108.00 Green Box IT
Render to Drive
2 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ setup in Raid "0" $54.00 $108.00 Green Box IT
Dual/Quad Head Video
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 580 Super Overclock $589.00 PCCASEGEAR
DVD-RW
LG BH12LS38 Optical Media (OEM) $68.71 Mega Buy
Operating System
Windows 7 64 Bit Pro $129.00 Umart
Monitor
Samsung S23A300B 23in Widescreen LED Monitor $149.00 Netplus $2,362.71
Total
This will be supported by a 10tb 5 disc NAS on Gigabit connection for long term secure storage.

How do you use AIR's WebKit/htmlloader?

Hi everyone,
A long standing issue in AIR has been the inclusion of an older version of WebKit. The request to update this library has come up many times in the forum and is in the top 10 on the community driven Uplist feature page. As with the recent and ongoing physics discussion, we're not committing to any changes purposed below at this time, as we're purely in an investigation mode at this time. We realize that this is an important feature and we need further clarification on what you're looking for. Please read on for questions from our development team.
We are exploring updating WebKit, but due to our modification of the WebKit source, this will be difficult, and updating WebKit will change the HTML DOM, possibly breaking content authored for our existing DOM.
So we are also exploring leaving HTMLLoader alone, for now, but providing a reasonable alternative.
StageWebView was originally written as a replacement for HTMLLoader on mobile (because we could not use our WebKit on mobile, StageWebView took advantage of the browser provided by the platform).
But it was extended to the desktop as an unsuccessful solution to this problem.
On mobile, content was probably newly written (so it could be tested with StageWebView), and the browsers were similar enough to our WebKit that the DOM impact was minor.
But on the desktop, forcing older content written for our WebKit to run on Internet Explorer 8 (as an example) was a disaster due to the differences in the DOM’s. We resolved this by making HTMLLoader versus StageWebView on the desktop a choice.
Which gets to the questions (for desktop development only).
Which is more attractive, an embedded web browser or using the system browser? Is it valuable to provide both?
For instance, using the native browser can save on code size (perhaps 6 MB), but you must create and test portable HTML, and you face the risk that future updates to the system browser breaks your content.
How much interop do you need between AS and JS?
Hearsay suggests another problem with StageWebView is there is no interop between ActionScript and JavaScript, whereas HTMLLoader had a lot of support.
Would StageWebView be sufficient if it exposed an ExternalInterface, or sandbox bridge, level of functionality? For instance, if AS could register a list of functions which could be called from JS (and vice versa), would that be enough? Or is there something else that HTMLLoader does that is essential?
For instance, one of the ideas being explored is to provide an entirely new class (perhaps as an ANE) which links an unmodified version of the latest WebKit source as a static library. By using unmodified source, we can more readily update to newer versions of WebKit. As well, if we leave the existing classes unchanged, we don’t risk breaking existing content. But if we use unmodified WebKit source, we may find some of HTMLLoader’s functionality impossible to match, which is why I’m interested in understanding the essential functionality, so we can decide if a sufficient, minimal (so it’s easier to support without customizing Webkit) interface for it.
Thanks,
Chris

Hey Chris,
Thank you for reaching out to the community! Our team has been working on AIR apps for a while now. It has been frustrating to say the least, trying to integrate sophisticated HTML5 apps into our different AIR apps.
The existing solutions on mobile and desktop are not very satisfying. Mobile has gotten better because of the StageWebView, but there are still several flaws that make the platform unpredictable. On desktop it is even worse and we are facing a tough decision.
We want to integrate an HTML5 app into an already existing AIR app. The two applications will have to communicate in some form with each other. The StageWebView approach with a simple ExternalInterface would suffice, as long as we could pick from the browsers that are installed. The ANE class approach also sounds good, but only if there is a similar way of communication.
We think that keeping the component (WebView or ANE class) as lean as possible is one of the most important things. We don't want to face the same issues in the near future. There is also a need to update that underlying layer fast. Browser vendors (with some exceptions of course ) have much faster release cycles nowadays. They will keep pushing the boundaries and we need to adjust accordingly.
The HTML5/JS should take care of the DOM manipulation, event handling and communicate back to Actionscript in a simple way. There is no need for Actionscript to worry about these things. And if there is, create a simple JS layer using the interface to do the job.
Here is a list of features that are essential to us:
Accessing the local file system (xhr requests on the local file system):
Worst case scenario: Using the ExternalInterface to feed files to the HTML application.
Configure the cache or at least manipulate cache handling
Much better HTML5 / CSS3 support: Video, Audio, SVG, CSS3 Animations, etc.
Easier and faster way to update the underlying WebKit/Chromium (relevant for ANE)
Are there any plans yet? Is it on your roadmap? Are we talking about years or months? Answers to these questions are very crucial for us. Only with those answers will we know, whether we can keep working on the AIR platform or if we have to look for alternatives and migrate our entire application.
We are looking forward to your answers.
Thanks

MSI GT70 2PC Dominator Battleship – EpisodeⅠ

[Introduction]
[Roberts are the dream of every man] one of my close fellows said. Actually, I am not a 3C fans. But it is really excited that Titan Fall is online now. So I made a tough decision that I never did it before. I purchased the [MSI GT70 2PC Dominator] with last year bounds.
[Open box article]
Finally, the shipment is coming today. It is true that now is one of my happiest moment in life. I put down all my work and start to share my new toy for everyone.
Note:
It is sad that I only have a phone next to me. Please forgive me those non-quality and non-professional pictures in article.
That is cool that we can find a big case with MSI log and an extra backpack in package.
There is MSI log on the top of box. Furthermore, I must said the Dragon log is so fashion and beautiful. That is a nice backpack which we can carry it outside anytime.
There is an extra soft layer behind the backpack. It improves the comfortable and air permeability for user.
In my own opinion, I like this kind of design.
Let’s check what surprise us in box.
We could see the label of GT70 2PC spec on the side of box.
MSI really provide the multi-protection for their products. There are two more cases inside.
We can find MSI gaming mouse/ SteelSeries SIBERIA V2 gaming headphone in box. Besides, there is a small and special box which has MSI Log. We will check it later.
All right. I think we can throw away the empty box now.
Wait a minute!!! The box is still so heavy. It must be something else that we didn’t take out.
Oh well, I see. There is a warranty service book and driver CD in the right side.
Also, battery and adapter are behind the cover.
Let’s take a family picture.
We have quick guide/MSI rromotional materials/manual for F3 recovery/driver CD for Win8.1/Warranty service book/ Windows 8.1 guide
Oh my god. There is a signet in that special box. Dragoon postmark is so elegant.
SteelSeries SIBERIA V2 Full-Size headset.
Furthermore, it supports 4 different languages. You can find the spec on its box.
Wow. MSI log is on the headphone. Totally, It is customized for MSI brand!!!
Another dragon army log on headphone.
MSI didn’t forget the inside of headphone. A beautiful shield is on it.
SteelSeries also promote this headphone on its website. It is so popular.
http://steelseries.com/products/audio/steelseries-siberia-v2
Now, let’s show SteelSeries KINZU V2 mouse.
Mouse supports 4 different languages, too. We also can find the spec on box.
However, there is no driver CD in box…LOL. How do I use it? We only can find the cute mouse and manual.
Sorry, my bad. We can download the driver and firmware from SteelSeries official website.
http://steelseries.com/products/mice/steelseries-kinzu-v2
Of course, there is a powerful dragon on mouse pad.
Take a mouse family picture.
180W adapter is just like a big strong brick. It is designed by most famous industry DELTA. You can find all kinds of safety signatures on it. It is powerful and undefeatable on playing game. But please understand that I didn’t suggest dear readers to use it as a weapon to throw/hurt people!!!
The battery is 7800mAh. And you can see all kinds of safety signatures on it.
Finally, our rock star is coming.
The laptop is surrounding by a lot of soft foams.
Huge dragon shield log on it.
Take off the black jacket. Then, we can see a nonwoven fabric inside the plastic bag.
Game start!!
This universe battle cruiser will help me dominate all my enemies in game .
We can find the security lack/power jack/ RJ45 port/D-SUB/m-DP/HDMI in back. The sales man said it can also support three external displays at same time. I must try the solution by myself when I get my new screens.
On the left side, there are USB3.0 port/Card Reader/HiFi headphone port (According to the spec, it will increase 30% audio performance). I can’t wait to listen my favorite music with it.
I didn’t forget my lovely BD. It also has BD reader/writer and 2 USB2.0 on the right side.
I can’t stop myself to take another wonderful photo with the MSI logo and upper case.
I have a feeling that my dominator is ready fight.
There is a [SteelSeries] LOGO on the left side. What a surprise it is. YA! We have SteelSeries keyboard on GT70. Absolutely, this is a gamer dream. Best Keyboard vendor SteelSeries and Top Gaming NB brand MSI are working together! It is totally worth for me.
DYNAUDIO, the leader of audio industry. As you know, BUGATTI’s sport cars use the DYNAUDIO. And MSI is the first notebook in world with this sound of Danish pride.
HA!HA!
I’m listening the best sound as rich people sitting in their sport cars. It feels great.
http://www.dynaudio.com/int/multimedia_sound/index.php
There are many thoughtful buttons on middle cover. (Power/Airplane mode/display on&off/Gaming button/Caps Luck/Num lock).
More convenience buttons, media/turbo fan/backlight LED.
We also have Bluetooth/WLAN/battery/sleep/disk indicators in front of laptop.
Here is GT70 spec and signatures form Sound Blaster CINEMA / nVIDIA /Intel.
An independent On/Off switch for touch pad.
Built-in Camera and Mic on the display.
You can see the thermal design and the battery when we check the back side.
The silver part is our bass. Just like the cannon on our battleship.
What is under the battery?
The left side is the safety signatures for GT70 and its WLAN.
The right side is Win8 LOGO and serial number.
Now we know my baby is born on February.
[Power on]
Gee!the Log is shining when the system is. power on .
The keyboard is just like the most beautiful rainbow that I’ve never seen. It is stunning. Honestly, my cheerful tear is dropping.
Anyway, Titanfall, I’m coming.
What? Something pops up when I attach the network.
What is [Killer Network Manager]?
Wow. Now I know that Killer high-performance networking products combine intelligence, control and superior networking speed for HD video, high quality audio, and online games. That’s great. I hate the evil [LAG] in game.
https://www.qca.qualcomm.com/products/killer-technology/
After the quick test, it is time to install my game.
I find a secret app in the tray of task bar during the game installation.
YA! That is SSE (Steelseries Engine). I can set my own hotkey, backlight LED and combo key with this good friend.
SSE is a smart app. It recognized my GT70 and my mouse immediately when I launch the app.
Sorry again. I was wrong because I don’t need a mouse driver. The SSE can control all of the actions. It is so sweet.
It is the time to say goodbye. Titanfall is calling. See you on battlefield!!!

Editors' Choice Award
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2457251,00.asp

Xserve - A week of uncertainty

A week since the announcement and I see no clear guidance from Apple. My contemplative confusion is turning into apprehension for the loss of what we had and a sense of uncertainty about the products that my business thrives on supporting. Is Apple not aware of how Xserves are used by their customers? Is Apple not aware of the gaping hole they have created in their product line? Or far worse, is Apple completely abandoning OS X Server and in turn the pro market?
I am not a doom and gloom type of person but the impact that this decision is having on my business and on my customer's perception of Apple could drive anyone to the brink of despair. Let me share with the community some of the conversations that I had this past week.
*Customer 1: North America's largest manufacturer of residential and commercial roofing materials*
_What they have:_ 12 TB Xsan supporting three Final Cut edit bays with a StorNext client in the data center for integrated backup to a CommVault backup system. (I should point out that we also support a graphic design department as well so there are more than 3 Macs in this company.) The Xsan is built on two G5 Xserves and 2 Xserve RAIDs with integration help from internal IT, including the fibre channel department, networking, backup, and others. The solution has enabled the video department to dramatically increase workflow, speed encoding through the use of a qmaster cluster, and improve backup integration with the enterprise CommVault system. The Xsan solution revolutionized the workflow of the department in so many ways that it is difficult to quantify.
_What they need now:_ To expand the volume. They are running over 90% capacity (yes, I know it is dangerous). The Xsan deployment above was done as a proof of concept as it took existing hardware (previously used as departmental file servers) and turned it into a now business critical solution. They have filled the volume in less than 8 months and are now begging for more. The proof of concept resulted in proof that Xsan is a superior product in providing services and features found no where else in the video market. Xsan, with its speed, function, integration with other products, and Spotlight makes the product indispensable. The integration into the corporate Active Directory domain and the ability to collect systems into a render cluster are simple and effective.
+What do we do?+ The existing Xserves are G5s so we are stuck at Leopard and Xsan 2.1.1. Now we have a real tough decision ahead of us. Do we buy Xserves and run with Xsan despite the announcement? And if we do, what is the future of Xsan beyond Jan 31 without a rack mount server. In this customer, rack space is a pricy commodity. Every U counts and I can not consume 12 U for 3 people, regardless of the benefits. Apple has a product, both hardware and software, that satisfies this customers need so well that they are begging for more of it. But can I give them the solution they are begging for? Can I sell them a couple Xserves and run the solution for the near term? But what are my future prospects? What do I do in three years or less from now when they run out of room again? What is my roadmap in the absence of true server hardware? Is there even a replacement for Xsan? Sure MetaSan is looking interesting... but no Spotlight. Sure I can run a StorNext solution... but no Spotlight. We can move to Windows storage, but then I am back on Ethernet file services and no Spotlight instead of a shared file system. If I stand on this hill and say "go with the Xserves as it is the best we have right now" and then there is an announcement from Apple about "one more thing," then my reputation is in question.
*Customer 2: NYC Advertising Agency that is 99.99% Mac based, including server architecture*
_What they have:_ We walked into this customer for our first service call back in February 2004. We found the G4 Xserve we sold them in October 2002 mounted on a wall by another consultant (oh the horror). Within two visits, I had closed all the security holes, implemented OD and single sign on, and started a relationship with the customer that grew from 12 employees, 1 G4 Xserve, and 10 Macs to 120+ employees, 3 Intel Xserves, and 120+ Macs. The Xserves support traditional print design as well as a video, new media, and development departments. Open Directory powers the organization and all Mac clients, over 120 systems, are joined to the domain and enjoy single sign on, centralized management via MCX, and unified access across all services including VPN, groupware (through Kerio), and more.
_What they need:_ This customer is growing. We just upgraded their network backbone to 10GigE, replaced the tape library with an LTO5 40 slot, and added another Active array. They expect 160 users by the end of 1Q 2011. This equals more Macs, more storage requirements and more reliance on OS X Server and the Xserve. In addition, we have had the discussion with them regarding Xsan for the video department. This was a very compelling solution that they were taking a serious look. But now, they are shaken by the announcement.
_What do we do?_ And I ask the community.... How would you respond when this customer asks, "Does this mean we have to switch to Active Directory?" Yes, they really asked me that question. My answer was that the announcement in no way devalues what they have. But I do understand their concern for the future. What do they do in a year? How about 2 years? This is a company running COMPLETELY on Apple hardware and software solutions. Where do we go from here?
*Customer 3: Fortune 500 Retailer of Domestic Merchandise and Home Furnishings*
_What they have:_ In January of 2003, we installed the first Mac in this company. A single G4 tower running Classic applications because the "patient 0" demanded a Mac as part of her accepting employment. Today, this company has over 100 Macintosh systems and three Xserves in three different states. Macs are in the IT department and we went from the platform of distrust to a platform that is a peer of Windows and Unix, including at the server level. The first Xserve was deployed in 2005. The second was installed in 2006. And the final one in 2008. All three are still in active production today and provide critical file services for over 100 Mac users and many Windows users. The servers are all bound to Active Directory, participate in enterprise backup, are monitored by internal IT via SNMP, and provide unparalleled uptime and performance.
_What the need now:_ They are running out of space. No, they ran out of space a long time ago. In October we started the process of proposing upgrades to both the Xserves and the storage to greatly enhance the solution and expand it to cover more departments and likely more Macs. Two of the servers are G5 Xserves so Snow Leopard is out of the question. They were planning on buying two new Xserves and new storage. But as of today, the talks are off. It appears that we are going to lose this business to a Windows storage solution. Farewell Mac servers. Farewell Spotlight searching. Farewell simple management of the Mac systems.
_What do we do?_ What is our argument here? We have none. In light of the announcement, I no longer have a viable solution to offer this customer. The Mac Pro is not a solution. They need more storage and they need a device that fits deployment requirements. The Mini does not do this? How do I get 10+ TB of storage connected and how do I support 100+ concurrent users?
*Customer 4: US Branch of Major Magazine Publisher that is 99.99% Mac, including server architecture*
_What they have:_ This customer is the poster child for Xserves. They have 11 Xserves, including a G4 still in active use. At their peak, we were running 16 Apple Xserve RAIDs (these have mostly been replaced by Actives). These Xserves run file services, FTP, Mail (Kerio), automation, Open Directory, offsite replication, and much much more. And here is the kicker! We deployed them in May 2006 running 10.4.6! The last time the primary cluster was touched was January 2009 when we upgraded to 10.4.11. Yes! There are 7 of the 11 servers still running 10.4.11! And do you know how often we service that cluster? 4 times a year. That is it. There is no downtime. There are no problems. This is an environment of about 450 users (all Mac) working directly from servers on multiple shifts. All machines are bound to OD and we are using MCX, Kerio Mail Server, UTS, NetInstall, and much more in this environment. And the whole thing is managed by a staff of 2 technicians. Oh, and in 2007 we built a dedicated datacenter for the Xserves, including proper power, cooling, and fire prevention. This set the foundation for a 10 GigE backbone and all servers operating with aggregated links to stacked edges switches with EAPS ring failover. This environment is a model of enterprise deployment of Apple hardware rivaling any Windows deployment out there.
_What they need:_ The customer is currently rolling out workstation replacements company wide. These units are 10.6.x. The 10.4.11 server are doing fine but it would be nice to unify and get all the MCX stuff working without the hacks. Purchasing new Xserves was a planned project for the beginning of next year.
_What do we do?_ This is the one customer in which we will likely still push the Xserve before it is no longer available. The nature of the business and the cyclical nature of upgrade cycles can likely allow us to operate on 10.6.x at the client and server for at least 4 years. So despite what Apple is doing, we may be able to keep the dream alive in this one customer. But in February will we be standing with egg on our face for a foolish recommendation?
*Customer 5: Fortune 100 Insurance Company*
_What they have:_ We support Mac departments in 4 states. Two of the departments are running Xsans. These are obviously driven by Xserves that have been embraced by corporate IT. In corporate America, projects take time to plan and approve. The Xsan expansion project has been in the works most of the year. It has been approved is now ready to start placing orders. But we are clearly caught in a tough position.
_What they need:_ More storage! And InnerPool from Active. InnerPool will go down in history as the greatest product that never will be. The success of Xsan in these two departments almost can not be measured. The undeniable reality is that the solutions is a wild success and the departments want more.
_What do we do?_ The word from Active is that InnerPool is dead and will never reach a customer. The Xserve is no longer. Yes we can buy it and yes it is approved. But I have the same uncertainty as listed above. Great, I deploy Xserves and Xsan today. But what is its future? And without InnerPool I has inefficient LUN carving.
Conclusions:
I am sure that my scenarios are shared by many in the consulting and IT fields. Over this past week I've struggled to understand Apple's decision to discontinue the Xserve. I've struggled to ease the concerns of my customers. I've struggled to find the correct message to tell customers in this time of uncertainty. I've struggled to understand what my company will do to fill the void left by the absence of the Xserve. And, most troubling, I've struggled to understand what the loss of the Xserve will do to Apple's enterprise solutions including the future of OS X Server and the traditional markets Apple supports.
I understand that on the surface this is the retirement of a hardware product. I understand the basic argument that the product was not a powerful seller. But being an Apple Reseller and ACN, I also know that no one is pushing Xserves other than us. The Apple retail store is incapable of pushing the Xserve as a product. And please, real businesses are not going to Apple retail. Does anyone walk up to a person selling iPods and have a discussion about real business needs? And why was I never able to find the Xserve on store.apple.com's home page? If you want to sell a product, you really need to let your customers know it exists.
I understand that Apple is all about the one thing. They always have been. When the iMac saved Apple it was the hot item. Then the iPod replaced it. Then the phone. Now the iPad. Apple focuses like a laser on the one thing that is big. But what they are missing is that there is a loyal group of customers in content creation that are only able to do their work because of the power, ease of use, and products that make up the "pro/enterprise" segment of Apple's business. This includes the Mac Pro, the Xserve, OS X Server, Xsan, Final Cut, and more. What is the future of all these products? The Mac Mini Server is surely not the future.
Again, this is speculation driven by lack of guidance and leadership. But if my customer reaction is an indication, the inability to deploy a server class device means the inability to run OS X Server. This will mean that all of the duties found in OS X Server will be replaced by other systems. This means no OD, no AFP, no NetBoot/NetInstall, no iCal, no Xsan, no qMaster, no MCX, no synchronized home folders. The list goes on and on. And by translation, this likely means the decline of the viability of Final Cut deployments and even content creation in general. If we are going backward to isolated workstations and the inability to deploy space efficient direct to broadcast solutions, the business will be going elsewhere. In the space of a single Mac Pro, I could deploy and entire 50 TB Xsan with 1U left over (2 Xserves, 2 Active arrays, 2 FC switches, 1 MD switch). Apple is not offering progress and this is not a better solution.
When Apple retired the Xserve RAID, Apple provide the community with a better solution. The Xserve RAID was a product of its time and time marched on. Apple was not interested in maintaining a peripheral product and rightly left the business to organizations specializing in mass storage. By bowing out of the segment, the community got faster devices with more redundancy. The difference then was that Apple said, "hey, we are not going to make the Xserve RAID anymore but here is something better." Today, they are saying, "hey, we are not making the Xserve any more and we have nothing better to tell you."
Yet, the Xserve RAID was a peripheral. It was not a host system running Apple's OS. For the company that is known for making the whole widget, how does this announcement sit? We are now missing the hardware component of the whole widget and the options, virtualization or licensing to third party hardware vender, goes in direct grain to everything Apple has done.
I know others in the community have covered this. The hardware Apple is offering is not a replacement. Honestly... A Mac Pro that has a hardware problem is a minimum of 2 days of lost operations for a company. Take the power supply. On an Xserve, you have a second one and if you were smart enough to get the spares kit, you can replace it in less than 1 minute with one hand tied behind your back. No downtime. No service disruption. Now, the Mac Pro... There is no spares kit. That means if the unit goes down you call Apple to diagnose the problem (or good golly you bring it to the Apple Store?), they send the part to your closest Apple Authorized Repair Center, and then they arrange for an onsite repair. This process will put you out of business for 2 days minimum. Unacceptable.
I am not sure who Apple thinks their server customers are. But the customers I support will never be satisfied with the Mini Server. Apple targets the Mini Server to SMB. Well, let's assume that the SMB has 10 iMacs. The iMacs have a collective storage capacity of 10 TB. The Mini has 500 GB. How does that help the environment. If we look at Apple's traditional customers running content creation, a single user could fill the server with 100 photoshop files or a few video files. And don't get me started on the expansion issues with the Mini.
Apple, regardless if the end result is licensing server to another vender for hardware development or allowing virtualization, please open up the communication channel and reassure a shaken industry on what you see as the realistic future of your server products. The guidance of your transition guide is not guidance at all. Please come down from the iPod cloud and understand that you have a lot of customers quavering in uncertainty.
And finally, if Apple is using the retail stores to provide guidance to the types of businesses that they sell their product to, then they should call us. We have been integrating Macs in enterprise for over a decade. We have Macs in every pharma in the state, many in regulatory roles meeting strict government requirements. We have Macs in insurance, research and development, finance, law, and more. These system meet or exceed HIPPA, SOX, FDA, FTC and other government regulatory requirements. Apple, you are already in the enterprise. Please don't give up on what has taken years to achieve.
Thank you for reading. We are passionate about the services we offer and strive to give our customers the best possible solutions. Apple has enabled us to do that for a number of years. Now I am concerned. As an ACN employing numerous ACSAs we are concerned with the writing on the wall. Apple, please provide more communication on your intentions.

Funny you should ask... At about the same time that the Xserve was discontinued, we also lost our channel rep of nearly 14 years. Right now we are not sure who our rep is. I have however, sent this to as many people in Apple that I could think of. And I plan on continuing to reach out to as many as possible.
The sad reality is that this decision is impacting customer deployments and the future of customer installations. Apple strives for market share and loves to tout those numbers. But the numbers we fought for over these last eight years are going to disappear.
As much as this impacts our business, we are making up for it in enterprise deployment of systems. We will survive and lead in our geographic area. I do not fear that. But OS X Server is a UNIX server and with it has come all of the benefits of a UNIX system, including legitimacy in a data center. The Intel Xserve cemented this reality because of its hardware configuration and form factor. Yes, we have G4 and G5s still in service. But those are mostly in all Mac shops that understand the benefits and can work around the buzz word limitations. But fortune 100/500 IT departments did not really get on board until the release of the Intel server.
Still beating the drum to raise awareness. Spread the word and talk to your Apple reps.
Also, ask about the direction that Apple's Enterprise team is going. If the news I hear is correct, then our fears about all things pro and enterprise going away are likely true.

How Do I determine which model ipad I need?

I initially thought buying a baic 16GB Ipad with the 9.7" screen would be simple and inexpensive. But, the more I have looked, the more confused I am. I am so technically challenged that I do not understand the "specs", let alone how to use them. I have a basic nebook that I only use for emails, chatting, shopping and research. And that is because I do not know how to use all the features available. And I love my Kindle 3G Wi-Fi e-reader but it is not color and has the external typing key pad, which has been ideal for me . I do not even know how to text on my cellphone so I had the service removed since I did not use it. And I only use the Kindle for reading but was glad got the 3G Model but their is no additional monthly usage fee.
But, now that I have been looking at the Apple ipads, I do not know if their 3/4G capabiliy service is worth the extra cost, as well as the high monthly serive fees? I am hoping someone can better explain why it cost so much more and just what the benefits will mean to me? Also, there any many benefits and added features but I do not believe I will ever learn t use many of them. And could someone please explain the advantage of "Bluetooth" and just what it means? And what other items or features will cost extra per month to use? Also, are none of the printer compatable? Is there no accessory to allow you to use a wireless printers? This was one of the most disappointing thing I have learned about the tablets. Aso, how is the quality of sound system? Mine on the netbook is very poor and even with the volume on high, it is difficult to get good clear speach. So, I never watch moveis on my computer. And I am afraid it may be the same problem with the iPads? But, maybe with an external speaker or earbuds, it could enhance the sound? If so, at least I could listen to music.
In the beginning I was not concenred which model but now after reading more about the latest Apple, I feel the new easy to read screen is something I need. So, I hope someone can help me select the right model without my buying much more than I will ever need or use. I look foward any assistance you great tech savvy users can provide. I believe it always helps to be an informed buyer. So, trying to do my homework to prevent buyers remorse.
If it is permissable, you may email me with your information and suggestions on just what features I need to look for.

Varjak paw:
I don't think you can purchase the 3/4+ wireless service unless you pay the extra for one that has the capabilities. So, if we are not certain we will need it, it is a tough decision. It it has the capablities, you are not required to purchase a monthly contract. You can just use as needed.
I do not know why this has become such a major decision for me but the more I hear, the more confused I am. The problem is it would be nice to have the special wireles service available if needed but I think it may be more beneficial to me to pay the extra 100.00 and get the 32 GB instead of the 16? But, my granddaughter says I will not need that much.
My initial plan was simply to purchse the 16GB wif-fi and keep it simple. But, after learning the advantages of the Newst model and the improved screen, I thought I should get it since I have vision problems. Another problem is these things are outdated before we can decide which one to get. And some have suggested it will be more diffucult to get parts and have them repaired with an older model. Howeverm from what I have seen with these new electronic items, they are dispoable. Usually, if something does go wrong, it cost more to repair than to replace them.
I am just experienceing this with my Kindle 3G/Wi-Fi. It is only a couple of months out of warranty but it is now freezing up. Also, it is loosing my place, and skipping pages and even paragraphs. It was working perfectly until about a week ago and of course, no one can help. You have to return it for them to check it and let you know what the problem could be and If it can be repaired. This is very disapointing to me since I was just planning to buy the Ipad. And now, I may have to replace the Kindle, which I wanted to keep for just reading. I have so many books on it and they are all in order and organized. So, this has put damper on what to do about the Ipad. If I were sure I would like to read on it as well as I do the Kindle, I would just the the Ipad and not get another Kindle. But, I will need to see what the problem is first. I really enjoy the Kindle and wanted to keep it just for my books. It is so fast and convenient to use. At least for me since I like the typing pad on the outside rather then the touch pad. But, I suppose I will learn how to use the new one? I am just so illierate when it comes to using any electronics. I cannot use a remote control,.:) I only use my computer for email, chatting and surfing since I do not know how to use many of the functions and applications that are available on it. I do not even have text on my cell phone. I have kept my electronic to a minumim. But, I thought I might enjoy the Appple Ipad and could learn to use it online so I would not have to have the computer on all the time? But, I cannot beleive how expensive it is compared to a netbook or laptop when they will do much more than the Tablet. I suppose the Ipad is a luxury for those who can afford all the lasted new technical items available.
I did try a Pandigital Tablet before I bought the Kindle and did not like it at all. So, I returned it and got the Kindle and was so pleased that I could use it so easily. And I did not need the color screen, I just hope the Apple Tablet will be easier to use than the Pandigital or I am afraid, I will be to hard for me to learn to use it and be able to take full advantage of of getting around on the internet, I had a problem with the ohter touch screen scrolling back up before I had finished typing in all the information I needed. And I had to download from Barnes and Nobels and there selection was not nearly as good as the Kindle and they were much higher.
So if anyone is patent enough to read all this and can understand what I need and could provide your expert advice, suggestion and opinions, I would love to hear from you and any or all the issue in which I need help.
Thanks - Sunny in SC

Building a budget desktop PC for CS5 (under $1,700)

After reading most of the posts here and elsewhere about building a PC to run Premiere CS5 I decided to take a stab at assembling the components to build my own (keep in mind I have never done this before). Below are the items in my Newegg shopping cart followed by an explanation about why I chose them. Please note the prices are valid as of 8/19/10 and the ones with a * are the prices after rebate so the actual prices may be higher when you read this. I welcome any comments and suggestions:
MOBO: Asus P6X58D-E LGA 1366 - $229.99
I looked at the Gigabyte Mobo but some of the bad reviews really concerned me. The Asus seems to get much better feedback and is only $20 more.
Processor: Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz 4x256KN L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W - $289.99
This was the easiest item to choose since everyone seems to like it.
Ram: G.Skill PI 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 - $199.99 - But I'm ordering two (12GB total) for $399.98
I have never heard of G.Skill memory but it seems to be the most popular and highest rated at Newegg.
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750W - $89.99 *
Corsair seems to be highly rated although not perfect... several customers reported problems or DOA units. I guess there is no PSU maker that you can really count on.
Case: AZZA Solano 1000 ATX Full Tower - $59.99 *
My alternate choice is the Antec 1200 for $159.99 but the Azza gets very good ratings so with that price difference I am leaning towards trying it. By the way, I was hoping to get a mid-tower case but have concerns about my graphics card fitting so I guess I'll go with the full tower. Like Harm said elsewhere "bigger is better".
Video card: MSI N465GTX - $234.99 *
This was a tough decision because everyone here seems to recommend the GTX 470, yet the 465 is about $100 cheaper. I'm really wondering if I'll see a HUGE difference in performance between the 465 and 470. I may still go with the 470 if I can find one under $300. By the way, this MSI model has dual fans which I read elsewhere is better than the single fans found on most cards. Not sure if it really matters with all the fans included in the case I am getting. If it doesn't, maybe I should get a GTX 470 with one on-board fan?
System Drive: WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM 32MB Cache - $74.99
I read how others recommend a smaller drive with 10K RPM but I may use this PC for other things besides video editing so I think I want the larger drive.
Video storage drive (internal): WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache - $94.99
DVD/CD Drive: LG 22x DVD OEM - $24.99
I don't have any plans to do Blu-ray anytime soon.
Wireless Net Card: EDIMAX EW-7128G - $19.99
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM - $99.99
I haven't been able to see how the higher end versions of Win 7 improve Premiere performance.
TOTAL: $1,619.88
(I already own a monitor, keyboard, mouse and Premiere CS5. I'm also not including liquid cooling until the system is up and running and I see if I really need it.)
I had hoped to stay under $1,500 but I don't see how that is possible.
What do you think? I won't pull the trigger on this system until the end of August so feel free to offer comments and suggestions. This will be my first ever PC build and I'm kind of nervous about it but also excited about getting a system that will be a high performer for many years to come. Now I have to find some good websites that teach how to put all this stuff together!
Thanks!

The following table specifies the limits on physical memory for Windows 7.
Version
Limit in 32-bit Windows
Limit in 64-bit Windows
Windows 7 Ultimate
4 GB
192 GB
Windows 7 Enterprise
4 GB
192 GB
Windows 7 Professional
4 GB
192 GB
Windows 7 Home Premium
4 GB
16 GB
Windows 7 Home Basic
4 GB
8 GB
Windows 7 Starter
2 GB
2 GB
465GTX
GPU Engine Specs:
CUDA Cores
352
Graphics Clock (MHz)
607 MHz
Processor Clock (MHz)
1215 MHz
Texture Fill Rate (billion/sec)
26.7
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock (MHz)
1603
Standard Memory Config
1024 MB GDDR5
Memory Interface Width
256-bit
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec)
102.6
470GTX
GPU Engine Specs:
CUDA Cores
448
Graphics Clock (MHz)
607 MHz
Processor Clock (MHz)
1215 MHz
Texture Fill Rate (billion/sec)
34.0
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock (MHz)
1674
Standard Memory Config
1280 MB GDDR5
Memory Interface Width
320-bit
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec)
133.9
Notice the Cores and Memory Bandwidth. That is why we recommend the 470GTX.
Eric
ADK

Not all chinese characters display correctly with non-embedded text

Hi all,
I've updated to the last beta 2 of Flash Player 10.1 (10,1,51,66) and compiled this simple Flex application to illustrate the fact that not all chinese characters can be displayed correctly with non-embedded text (device font).
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
               xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
               xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/halo"
               minWidth="1024" minHeight="768"
               creationComplete="resourceManager.localeChain = ['zh_CN'];"
               layout="{new VerticalLayout()}">
    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import spark.layouts.VerticalLayout;
        ]]>
    </fx:Script>
    <s:Label text="伜-伞伟传伡伢伣伤伥伦伧伨伩伪伫伬伭-伝">
    </s:Label>
    <mx:Label text="伜-伞伟传伡伢伣伤伥伦伧伨伩伪伫伬伭-伝"/>
</s:Application>
Notice that characters from the Unicode range 0x4F1E .. 0x4А2D are not displayed within <s:Label> component that uses Flash Text Engine (FTE) by default to display the text, but at the same time those characters display just fine within older <mx:Label> component that relies on flash.text.TextField instance to render the text.

    OK, did not know that "Arial Unicode MS" font is only distributed with Microsoft Office, was looking into relying on this font in case if "simsun.ttc" font is not available at the user's system, by using the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
               xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
               xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
               minWidth="1024" minHeight="768"
               creationComplete="resourceManager.localeChain = ['zh_CN']"
               layout="{new VerticalLayout()}">
    <fx:Style>
        @namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
        @namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/halo";
        s|Label {
            fontFamily: "Arial Unicode MS, SimSun, Arial";
    </fx:Style>
    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import spark.layouts.VerticalLayout;
        ]]>
    </fx:Script>
    <s:Label id="sparkLabel" text="伜-伞伟传伡伢伣伤伥伦伧伨伩伪伫伬伭-伝"/>
</s:Application>
Tough decision ahead, but accordingly to the survey at codestyle.org (2000 participants from 2007 year and onwards), Arial Unicode MS is present at 62.53%% system surveyed.
ps
   My current install of Windows XP already includes the install of Microsoft Office 2007 and I've also enabled/disabled the support of East Asian languages, thus the content of my "fonts" folder differs now significantly from "clean" Windows XP install version.
Nevertheless I found the page with comprehensive lists of standard fonts installed with different releases of Windows that looks viable here: http://www.kayskreations.net/fonts/fonttb.html

I dont know if i should get a MBP 13 inch, or an air 13 inch?

MBP, OR MBA, OR PC? I have been wanting a MbP for a long time and i finally got one for my birthday and i just didnt have enough time to get to know how to use, and ended up returning it a day later. I have been a PC, user my entire life and it was hard adjusting to a mac. So i dont know if this upcoming birthday i should get the air or pro, or a pc? All i use it for is day to day surfing the web, putting pictures on it from my camera, and word/powerpoint for school!
Thanks!

I know this might be blasphemous to post on apple.com, but if that's really all you want a computer for, I think you'll get much more for your money in a PC... and you won't have to deal with a new learning curve. Good luck, it can be a tough decision.

My Adieu to LabVIEW : Your Comments

Hi all,
Today is the time when I take a very tough decision for myself. I would be leaving the code development in LabVIEW for atleast next two years(or more). I was of the thought that only LabVIEW won't suffice throughout my whole career. So, since I now have a chance, I would now be switching to C and C++ programming, and then progressing through VB and .NET . Maybe, this would be making my profile stronger and more demanding in future.
Could you all please comment which programming languages would be better to work on now, so that I can use my experience in LabVIEW in a more effective way? Which would be the best package of programming languages I can form with LabVIEW?
Thanks!
-FraggerFox!
Certified LabVIEW Architect, Certified TestStand Developer
"What you think today is what you live tomorrow"

Since you have worked with LV for some time now, I d suggest you to take up VB with .Net.
I feel so because VB closely resembles LV in FP & the properties window & things like that...
C/C++ is always good to learn to write code to talk to any hardware, which LV cannot achieve totally.
Message Edited by parthabe on 10-30-2009 01:28 AM
- Partha
LabVIEW - Wires that catch bugs!

ExternalInterface not returning chinese characters

I've got a Flex application embedded in a PDF. Also in that PDF is a field (hidden text field) called Data containing XML that happens to contain chinese characters. The encoding for the XML data is UTF-16. To retrieve the data, I make a JS call (getData) using ExternalInterface. The JS is simple:
function getData()
var data = this.getField('Data').value;
return data;
I also inserted before the return an alert to display the data. The chinese characters were present and displaying as expected:
In my flex application I make the following call:
var resultXML:XML = XML(ExternalInterface.call("getData"));
However, the resulting XML appears to not be read as UTF-16, and the characters displayed look like:
Is there something special I have to do to get the chinese characters correctly passed through from the ExternalInterface call?

    OK, did not know that "Arial Unicode MS" font is only distributed with Microsoft Office, was looking into relying on this font in case if "simsun.ttc" font is not available at the user's system, by using the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
               xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
               xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
               minWidth="1024" minHeight="768"
               creationComplete="resourceManager.localeChain = ['zh_CN']"
               layout="{new VerticalLayout()}">
    <fx:Style>
        @namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
        @namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/halo";
        s|Label {
            fontFamily: "Arial Unicode MS, SimSun, Arial";
    </fx:Style>
    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import spark.layouts.VerticalLayout;
        ]]>
    </fx:Script>
    <s:Label id="sparkLabel" text="伜-伞伟传伡伢伣伤伥伦伧伨伩伪伫伬伭-伝"/>
</s:Application>
Tough decision ahead, but accordingly to the survey at codestyle.org (2000 participants from 2007 year and onwards), Arial Unicode MS is present at 62.53%% system surveyed.
ps
   My current install of Windows XP already includes the install of Microsoft Office 2007 and I've also enabled/disabled the support of East Asian languages, thus the content of my "fonts" folder differs now significantly from "clean" Windows XP install version.
Nevertheless I found the page with comprehensive lists of standard fonts installed with different releases of Windows that looks viable here: http://www.kayskreations.net/fonts/fonttb.html

Tough decision

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