Married to Microsoft as mistress Mac pleas from a new Mac user

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Hello!

I am flirting with danger and flaunting my passionate side by purchasing a macbook pro against the wishes of my CEO spouse who is in business with Microsoft. I am a graduate student nurse practitioner who has never understood PCs anyway. So far the little mac and its technically challenged operator have survived hooking up the printer wirelessly, palm, and phone syncs (I know some of the brilliant among you are rolling your eyes at how can these people exist, but let's keep in mind my spouse has everything done as complex as it can get). I completed my first projects and am working with this trackpad. My PC addicted spouse is just waiting for my mac and I to fail and need help, but we are holding our own against five PCs in house.

SO, I need help.
1. My spouse installed eblaster keystroke recording on our older two daughters PCs as they were getting into trouble on weeworld. (I am not sure I support this as you get into someone's mind when you see everything they write). He claims that he has not installed it on my machine, but flaunts to me that he could by sending me a trojan email. How can I know if he did? I have my computer password locked. How can I keep my machine safe? I really don't think he would, but he is just too eager to see my mac fail.
2. I have a Mead 12 inch telescope that I would like to connect to my mac. Again I will be facing the competitive PC. Should I bow out of this gracefully or is there user friendly software for the telescope? I can operate the telescope without the PC, but it is my dream to show off a little...:Blushing:
3. What is the best method to save pics? Does the wireless time capsule work well? I have a vast supply of pics.

Thank you in advance from the little mac that is...
 
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Hello!

I am flirting with danger and flaunting my passionate side by purchasing a macbook pro against the wishes of my CEO spouse who is in business with Microsoft.

Oh Christ, do I even want to get involved with something of this nature?

I am a graduate student nurse practitioner who has never understood PCs anyway. So far the little mac and its technically challenged operator have survived hooking up the printer wirelessly, palm, and phone syncs (I know some of the brilliant among you are rolling your eyes at how can these people exist, but let's keep in mind my spouse has everything done as complex as it can get).

That's okay. We can't all be technical type people. I'm pretty sure I know nothing about inserting an IV into a patient. We all have our specialties.

I completed my first projects and am working with this trackpad. My PC addicted spouse is just waiting for my mac and I to fail and need help, but we are holding our own against five PCs in house.

I'll be blunt. Your spouse is ignorant and/or biased. Macs do Microsoft (OS and applications) these days despite what PC biased folks might think.

SO, I need help.
1. My spouse installed eblaster keystroke recording on our older two daughters PCs as they were getting into trouble on weeworld. (I am not sure I support this as you get into someone's mind when you see everything they write). He claims that he has not installed it on my machine, but flaunts to me that he could by sending me a trojan email. How can I know if he did? I have my computer password locked. How can I keep my machine safe? I really don't think he would, but he is just too eager to see my mac fail.

He probably didn't, and can't. From the bias I'm getting from your initial post I'm thinking he's trying to mess with you. Computers are tools and nothing more. Yes, we tend to really like our Macs because they are pretty and function well, but they are still tools. They also don't fall victim to the usual Windows shenanigans that virus/keyloggers/trojans etc. fall to. How much does he know about UNIX? You are running a full POSIX compliant UNIX on that thing. Might not mean that much to you, but it sounds like it doesn't mean that much to him either. Oh, and don't open any attachments you might receive from him and your trojan problem isn't a problem anymore. In fact, you might want to think about just deleting any email you get from him altogether. After all, you live together, right? Email is pretty unnecessary. At least it is in my household. I sure as heck wouldn't threaten my wife with a trojan, and I'm pretty tech savvy.

2. I have a Mead 12 inch telescope that I would like to connect to my mac. Again I will be facing the competitive PC. Should I bow out of this gracefully or is there user friendly software for the telescope? I can operate the telescope without the PC, but it is my dream to show off a little...:Blushing:

Here's where I would do the easiest thing: Run Windows on your Mac. Software that only runs on Windows? Well, Windows runs on Mac these days, either with a virtual machine product like Parallels or VMware. Might want to inform your spouse of this fact. I run Windows on my Mac to transfer audio from my wife's audio recorder (which only has Windows software) to my Macbook. Same would probably work with your 'scope. In fact I have a Meade 60mm telescope with software that runs on Windows; I might test out if it can control it as well. Perhaps I can report back.

3. What is the best method to save pics? Does the wireless time capsule work well? I have a vast supply of pics.

Thank you in advance from the little mac that is...

This one I'll leave to others to answer.

At any rate, I've run into plenty of Windows bigots. The things to remember are:

Computers are tools. Not a way of life.

Your spouse's business dealings with Microsoft aren't going to affect either the business dealings or the health of Microsoft as a company by you using a Mac. Microsoft will do that themselves with a little help from Apple.

Macs run Windows. They don't like to, but they can.

You like your Mac? Does it do things for you in an enjoyable way? Then that's what you want in a computer. I had a flight instructor a long time ago tell me "You must fly the airplane, and not let it fly you." Same with computers. I want my computer to do things for me, and it needs to obediently do things as I need. Not you doing things obediently as it needs.

Windows tends to go to the latter.
 
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Help with Eblaster/Keystroke recording

I am wondering how I could tell if Eblaster was installed on my macbook pro?
 
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LOL...Thank you for the advice! I actually love my mac. I am still trying to organize it, but it is really simple. I am happy because I can organize my laptop just the way I want to and not how someone set it up for me. I have honestly been doing more on my mac than I ever have before (I lack patience with any kind of hourglass or error message). I just downloaded Mindmaps and smartscroll. I don't think I have ever personalized a computer to my own use...

I have avoided putting Windows or Parallels on my computer because I wanted to really see what the mac was all about without it. So far I am a happy camper. I really have no desire to put Windows on now.

I am laughing at the "Oh Christ, do I really want to get into this?" It really isn't that bad. I don't care to get into the PC vs Mac competition, but am becoming defensive when faced with the daily onslaught from my spouse and his employees. I don't think he would install the software, and possibly I am just feeling guilty at installing it on the children's computers. I just want to know if he could actually do it and if he did, how would I know? My computer is password protected.

As far as the scope goes. I just found some great mac software Astroplanner which seems to have a more user friendly menu (the others take physics degrees to decipher). I will try it tonight with the scope and let you know how it goes.

Thanks!
 

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Looking at the system requirements for Eblaster you will find that it is windows software, which will not run on your computer unless you are running windows.
 
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NOTE: Merged threads for continuity
 
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He would have to go and buy Spector for the Mac, made by the same folks and costs $99 on sale (regularly $149). Eblaster is ONLY for Windows (but could be installed if you are running Windows on the machine, it would only see the Windows side.).

Telling is pretty simple. Do a spotlight search, it will either show up or it won't. I am assuming that your account on the Mac is an admin account (i.e you can install software by entering your password and so on) so there is no real way for him to hide it from you.

Based on your other comments it sounds like he is nervous/worried because you have a machine that he doesn't know how to control. He doesn't know how to get into it and to spy on you and doing so is much more difficult on a Mac. You could have fun with this.
 
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Agree with baggss you got a bit of a control freak there my girl! Just look at him coyly and something like 'That is not what Peter my IT guy says. You are locked out.'

He will then be worrying about this Peter and not your Mac...
 
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2. I have a Mead 12 inch telescope that I would like to connect to my mac. Again I will be facing the competitive PC. Should I bow out of this gracefully or is there user friendly software for the telescope? I can operate the telescope without the PC, but it is my dream to show off a little...:Blushing:

Perhaps one of the versions of Starrynight will work.

As for the rest, require a login to your account and set a password your husband couldn't possible figure out. Perhaps something from your past he is never going to know about. Set the account to go into the screen save and to require the password to get back in.

The only known trojans to exist require you to execute and install them when asked. So if you get something in email or via a website you don't recognize, JUST SAY NO.

I'd consider removing the spying tactics from the kids computers too. At some point trust has to be followed.
 
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I track where my kids go on the Internet. I'm capable of watching what they're doing in real time too. It's not a case of distrust, it's simply my responsibility as a parent to actually be aware of what my children are doing when I need to. It's just basic supervision, just applied to a digital medium. Isn't really any different than what I did as part of my job when I still worked in IT. Course, employees get bent out of shape that the company is monitoring a resource they paid for too...

kids != spouse


btw, sniff some of his packets and randomly send him the contents of them ;)
 
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Wow! Thank you for all the advice! I went to class and came home to answers which is a fantastic feeling! I agree that I am not sure about knowing everything my children are saying, on the other hand they are not at a fair advantage when older frustrated men are approaching my 9 and 13 yr old girls. This does feel like an ethical dilemma, but not quite like reading someone's diary vs public forum and I do believe that freedom should be granted for children if they are not in trouble (I have never understood why we believe in innocent until proven guilty for everyone but our children). Parental controls do not work, because these kids will go elsewhere. Experimentation is somewhat necessary to be a teenager, safety is my responsibility as the parent. So for now, eblaster stays on their computers.

Yes, I do have a spouse who is jealous of my computer. Previously he was my IT department, and well no w I have downsized to my mac and me! This of course provides us with more time to do important things rather than deciphering error codes or restarting to resync my palm. This is an advantage for all of us.

I am glad to know eblaster is only for windows. I have not installed windows or parallels yet as I am not sure I want/need them??

Will keep you all posted on success of mac with telescope and camera.
 

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