Some iMac questions that was available on Linux

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Note: Updated 3 some

After using Linux for about five years and now using the iMac, there are some questions I'd like to ask.


1. Always on top/bottom - What this basically means is having any window that is on the screen able to always be on top (or bottom) of all other windows that are displayed on the screen. This was handy using the open office software "calc" (Windows term: Excel, and imacs term, numbers). I'd have the calcuator always on top when using the spreadsheet.
Is this available on the iMac?

2. CD back covers/jackets - Kover (Linux) was a nice basic CD cover creator. Type out whatever, what size font, font face, and hit print. I hear some iMac software has the ability to just take the music from iTunes, and move it into a CD cover software and have it done all automatically. So far, the few I found on a site are either not available or in some other language.
Someone in the Apple live chat believes you may be able to get some CD cover using iWorks, but I have yet to find a template yet.

3. Burning from CD to mp3, Mp3 to CD audio, and finally, creating tags for the MP3.
(updated). I found a way to burn from Mp3 to CD. I tend to forget the menu on the top of the screen. New to that, and the iMac. sorry. Pretty well self explanatory. This was very handy on Linux, and I am hoping to use this on the iMac if available.

I think that's all for now at least.


Thank you for your time, and help
 
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chas_m

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Note: Updated 3 some

Must ... resist ... obvious joke ...

After using Linux for about five years and now using the iMac, there are some questions I'd like to ask.

Let me start by saying all are great questions, but the chief answer to all of them is this: the Mac isn't anything like Linux. Whole different attitude required. Now, then, to your questions:

1. Always on top/bottom - What this basically means is having any window that is on the screen able to always be on top (or bottom) of all other windows that are displayed on the screen. This was handy using the open office software "calc" (Windows term: Excel, and imacs term, numbers). I'd have the calcuator always on top when using the spreadsheet.
Is this available on the iMac?

Not in the manner you are thinking, no. Expose and Spaces takes care of this instead.


2. CD back covers/jackets - Kover (Linux) was a nice basic CD cover creator. Type out whatever, what size font, font face, and hit print. I hear some iMac software has the ability to just take the music from iTunes, and move it into a CD cover software and have it done all automatically.

Yes, iTunes itself will do this for you. Make a playlist of songs that you're going to burn to CD, then select File -> Print and choose from the options. It's pretty cool actually.

There are great third-party programs that offer some variation on this, from Roxio's Toast to BeLight's Disc Cover. But iTunes is all that is actually required.


3. Burning from CD to mp3, Mp3 to CD audio, and finally, creating tags for the MP3.

iTunes handles all of this. When you specify that you are burning an Audio CD, iTunes will convert the songs on-the-fly to the correct format for Orange Book CD Audio, regardless of what format the songs are in your library. Likewise, you can also burn "MP3 CDs" for car stereos that read those -- but the songs should already be in MP3 format.

If they're not and you would like them to be, iTunes can convert them (Advanced Menu). These days most everyone uses an MP4-compatible device (ie iPods), so having music in MP3 format is less necessary than it used to be. I prefer the MP4 codec myself, and havent found myself needing MP3 format for a long time (though I'm sure I still have quite a few from my many years of ripping songs).

Again, iTunes generally handles all this stuff by itself.

Finally, to edit tags for MP3 or MP4 files, just select a song or group of songs and choose command-i (get info). Here you can drag in artwork or lyrics, type in any additional info you want (iTunes will "grab" CDDB info from ripped or purchased tracks all by itself), set genres, rate tracks and so forth.
 
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I'm use to a forum where they say "update" a lot. It's fine if you find it funny. :)

In reply to the first one, I am not sure how expose and spaces work yet. But I am sure I'll find our how soon. I have to remember the menu on top sometimes when I open programs.

As for #2, can the font size be changed? I did what you said, and it worked except that the text size was so large, a lot of the text was cut off.
I know I am doing something wrong
 
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1 - try this
[Mac]: Keeping Your Application Window
I have it installed and it seems to work pretty well.

thanks! It does work great. It's funny sort of, it coming from a Linux user.
I suppose that's how it goes though, one using one system then trying another, and wanting features on the new one that they had on the old one.

Thank you again.

To Chas_m, thanks for the info on the tag writing for the mp3 files. found it.
 
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To Chas_m, thanks for the info on the tag writing for the mp3 files. found it.

If you want to bulk edit tags, I recommend an App called Media Rage.
 
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thanks! It does work great. It's funny sort of, it coming from a Linux user.
I suppose that's how it goes though, one using one system then trying another, and wanting features on the new one that they had on the old one.

I know - some basic things like using a keyboard hotkey plus mouse to move isn't enabled by default. That was available in the oldest of WMs on Linux. I ended up buying Zooom2 as it had magnetics and resizing.
Zooom/2: Window management for your Mac made easy

But Better touch tool added the keyboard/mouse move but I don't see magnetics. It does have windows snapping so maybe magnetics isn't as important.
Great Tools For Your Mac By Andreas Hegenberg » BetterTouchTool, BetterSnapTool & SecondBar
 
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chas_m

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As for #2, can the font size be changed? I did what you said, and it worked except that the text size was so large, a lot of the text was cut off.
I know I am doing something wrong

I don't know that you're doing anything wrong.

First thing: you'll notice that when you go to print an album cover from a playlist, that the style is a pop-up button, meaning there are several styles available to choose from. Play around with that.

Second: the CD covers are designed around the idea that you're burning roughly an album's worth of songs (ie 10-12) -- more than that and they'll get cut off. However, there is a style called "large playlist" that fixes that issue and is ideal for MP3 CDs.

That said, sometimes a song title is simply too long for iTunes to handle on a CD cover. This happens occasionally when you have a song with an exceptional long name. You can choose to rename the track to something shorter, or just live with the cutoff.
 
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I thought I found, in iTunes, a way to rip the CD audio into an MP3 format. Now I can't find it anywhere. I got a lot done though, lot I asked on here in this forum and I think another.
I am so close, at least for now.
 
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thanks for the info.

Sorry, been so busy. I think I have everything figured out, but getting the cd jackets or whatever they're called. iTunes would be nice, but not working out for me.

First of all, I get the "artist and album going across the back of the CD cover/jacket. I just want the numbers, title of the song and duration.
and the fonts are a bit large.
 
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I tried out that software and let's just say, I made a purchase :)

It's a very nice one. I don't know if it gives you artwork or not. I think it does, but I typically just go with the basic black text, white background.

And the number, track, time layout, very nice. was able to edit some things with ease.

so thanks!
 

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