Viewing Internet Sites...not liking the switch

Hi, I posted this in another forum, but I think it should go here....sorry!

I was given a Mac as a gift this month….and I hate it.

I need to connect to a Learning Institute for work, I can log on, see my catalog but when I click launch I see a blank page stating, “done” in the corner. Great…..I tried Safari and FireFox. Do I need to download Internet Explorer? When the program opens at work it looks like powerpoint slides, but doesn’t say that it is powerpoint, plus I do have powerpont on the computer so this can’t be it (well, it could be, obviously I am clueless!).

Also, when I copy text from the Internet and go to paste it in Word it doesn’t copy the same or completely freezes the program, not the computer. I have to use word for work files and before I just cut and copied everything, why retype when this is so much easier….so do I need to retype and reformat everything????

It isn’t the Mac I hate, I hate that everything is Windows and what I need is only Windows, I guess. I am very tempted to sell my new computer (MacBook Pro 17inch, 2GB RAM, 100GB HD @ 7200 rpm). I ASSume my OS is 10.4x (computer is less than 1mo old).

Another issue, I need to download Micromedix (a drug program for work to a palm) and it is only available for Windows. I guess this means I need Parallels or Bootcamp? Seriously, I just want a quick, easy to use computer and this isn’t it. I haven’t even tried hooking up my Palm TX yet.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!


Thanks,

Katie

Well you were given this gift by someone who obviously know little of computers. I always say computers are a personal affair and there are different ones for every person. Looks like you are not ready to just be place in a world where you still ned your windows stuff.

Safari and firefox both fail? Does Firefox on windows fail too? Is your catalog done with flash or schockwave? What program looks like powerpoint slides.

How much and what kind of text do you try copying. There could be a problem with word because it is being emulated, because you have an Intel Mac it is not natively running.

All in all, it's just a bad gift. Sadly.

I would install bootcamp on your computer, this way you can do all your windows things on your computer and still have the mac. You invested in an really expensive computer and it does not seam worth it now to buy a new one when you can just install bootcamp on the computer you have now. Also when leopard comes out you will have to upgrade to that, because bootcamp has a time limit on it.

As you have pointed out, many of the things you are trying to do are Windows centric. This isn't the Mac or Apples fault, but likely that of the web site designers and the software makers who have not made what you need for the Mac yet, and may never do so. Install Bootcamp and run Windows for this stuff, that way you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

As for Palm, my Tungsten T runs fine with OSX.

The web site could very well be written for IE only. That's not Apple's fault. It's not exactly Microsoft's fault either. It's the fault of the code writers and their management that dictated that requirement. Any site that forces you to use one browser over another is not adhering to standards...that's one of my biggest pet peeves with sites like that. It defeats the original intent of the WWW (to share information and data across a network regardless of what hardware and software are at either end). The site could be using something like Adobe Flash, but if you didn't have flash installed, you should have gotten a box with "plugin required" and "click here to get the plugin" link. We would need more info as there are many technologies that could be what that site uses.

Parallels is great (I bought it about 2 weeks ago). For me it's better than boot camp because I don't have to reboot to use Windows.

I can't comment on the rest because I haven't used a Palm since about 2000 or 2001.

Thanks...

Thanks everybody...can I download IE and try that? I am afraid, it is like a parasite...I don't even know if I can???

So a couple of you prefer Bootcamp over Parallels? I think Parallels "sounds" nicer/easier to switch back/forth.

Thanks again!

Katie

xkissmekatex said:

Thanks everybody...can I download IE and try that? I am afraid, it is like a parasite...I don't even know if I can???

So a couple of you prefer Bootcamp over Parallels? I think Parallels "sounds" nicer/easier to switch back/forth.

Thanks again!

Katie

Click to expand...

you can download internet explorer here, but remember that microsoft stopped making it a while ago and it doesn't run natively on intel machines, so it might be slow.

as for parallels vs. boot camp. i use both for different purposes. boot camp is the only option for games as it allows you to use the full power of your computer. for less graphics intense programs or testing something on internet explorer, parallels works very well.

dohidied said:

you can download internet explorer here, but remember that microsoft stopped making it a while ago and it doesn't run natively on intel machines, so it might be slow.

as for parallels vs. boot camp. i use both for different purposes. boot camp is the only option for games as it allows you to use the full power of your computer. for less graphics intense programs or testing something on internet explorer, parallels works very well.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I had to actually go into work today, since I couldn't work from home...the horror and I looked at the program. One requires Windows XP, IE 5.0 and Flash and the other one that wouldn't open this morning was a simple .ppt. Why wouldn't powerpoint open if I have it?

Oh well, I don't do any games so maybe parallels will work for me. I just need it for really basic stuff.


Thanks again!

Katie

Some links to try the pages and the program would be great. I believe that page you are trying to access is created using Power Point, that (as far as i know) creates web pages that only work with IE due to ActiveX features. Try downloading the presentation first, then opening it with PowerPoint. In this case integration won't be as good as if everything were MS, but it has to work.
About the program for your Palm, unless it has a companion program for the PC i don't see any reason for it to only work with Windows.
About the problem with copy/paste, well that just sound as a malfunction, unless what you are trying to copy isn't just text or has some extra code under it.
Back in my country we say "A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente", i don't have time to translate it but you got a $2000 laptop for free, even if you sell it you win. It's a shame it isn't working as expected.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.