Hi There Mac Boffins,

My wife and I are considering upgrading our crappy windows PC to a new Mac Power Book Laptop. Since she is a teacher we will take advantage of the education discounts for the new computer and software.

One application I am fast becoming addicted to on my work Mac is Photoshop CS. So my first question is:

1. Is there any difference between the "academic" version of photoshop and the real version other than discounts for educators, if so what are the differences, or can you direct me to a web page that details them.

Secondly I will want to move my emails from my folders in Outlook on my PC to Mail on the new mac. Can I do this? if so how? Can they be exported to a cd in a genereric file format then imported to mail?

Looking forward to your response.

Brett

I can help with Q1: there is absolutely no difference between the academic version of Photoshop and the full retail version

1. No difference at all, it's just the pricing.
2. Yes, you can! If you want to use Microsoft Entourage (the Mac equivalent to Outlook), take a look at this: http://andrewcain.blogspot.com/2006/...ac-part-2.html or follow this guide: http://www.entourage.mvps.org/cross_...m/win_mac.html
If you want to use Mail (which comes with the Mac), follow this: http://www.hawkwings.net/2005/09/11/...tlook-express/
If you're using the enterprise features of Outlook (shared calendars/contacts & syncing to an outlook server in a business), you want to use Entourage. Otherwise, use Mail.

Thanks for speedy responses.

Decryption ... so if I was using it for business I could use entourage and access the same shared folders as other business users do via their silly PCs?

If so then there is really nothing stopping me making the switch.

Brett

That's what Entourage is for, it's supposed to be feature compatible with Outlook. But you know Microsoft, they love to shortchange us Mac users, so I'm not 100% sure, as I've never used that corporate type junk (thankfully).

Hopefully someone here can chime in with what Entourage can and can't do in relation to a corporate environment and Outlook compatibility.

Mac Boffins,

Thanks for your help, I have bought the new 15" MacBook Pro 2.4, I picked up a Wacom tablet, Office, the dual protection virus stuff, Adobe Design Standard CS3, and a few other bits an peices I grabbed off the net.

I am running Windows on it as well (for work - the IT nerds couldn't make entourage work with exchange, I am hoping this will be rectified when leopard/Office 08 comes out) via boot camp with no dramas.

I have to say I couldn't be happier, shit just works on a mac. The only error messages I get is from the windows programs (messenger seems to do it often). Thanks for your help guys, expect some more dumb questions as I get into it.

I have impressed my family and friends by whipping up DVDs in 5 minutes on iDVD and done some impressive stuff for my new job with the adobe suite.

Now apple just have to make an iXBOX so i can completely rid my home of bill gates infections.

Kils

Mate - Welcome to Mac. You won't regret the move.

I see from your reply that you bought Virus Protection. If you bought it for Mac OS X, you have wasted your money on creating a white elephant. Macs don't have many (if any) Viruses, and compared to Windows, its like replacing your Screen Door with 6 inches of reinforced steel. I wouldn't install any Anti-Virus stuff on a Mac.

As for MSN Messenger, try Adium. It is infinitely customisable, and works with all Messaging Protocols. Once you get the hang of it, its one less M$ program on your computer.

Good Luck!

Andrew.

I thought the difference was that your not allowed to use the academic version for commercial purposes.. so If you plan on making logo or designs for companies or anything you shouldn't, it just for learning on.. correct me if I'm wrong guys.

I use Entourage quite successfully on a Major Corporate PC network.
The main trick apparently is that Outlook Web Access is enabled for the Exchange server that runs Outlook. - So if you've been able to access your email in the past logging in via the web externally, then entourage should go too. I just needed the exchange server address and the LDAP server address for the adddress books, entered my account details and I was in.

There are a few limitations I've found. You can't see the availability of others for meetings, and you can't add resources to meetings, like room bookings etc. I've worked around by checking its calendar for the meeting room availability, and inviting the room to the meeting, which seems to work OK.

I use Sharity to access and authenticate to the Active directory servers.
The only pain I have is the group policy of updating your password every 2 months, and needing 12 different ones before you can repeat (ie mypassword01 - 12) which seems ridiculous and does not really improve security when everone just uses the same password with 01-12 suffixed.

I haven't been able to find a way to change my password from the Mac, so I just log on at a PC every two months when I get the password expiry warning message. I also need a heap of key chain items to authenticate me for lots of applications like Safari, Entourage, and even web connected widgets. Single authentication that works for the PC's doesn't work with a Mac. I think this is because I am connecting each application individually, not authenticating at a machine level. There may be a smoother way, but I'm not a network specialist, just an engineer that uses a computer to do his work.

I don't get any support from the IT department, because they don't like external users on the network, but my guy turns a blind eye to the sight of the network cable hanging out of my Mac.

The machine connects to the web via my home network too, so I've always run Norton Antivirus, so I'm not exposed to claims my machine could breach the networks security against viruses, by being a carrier. Many people on this forum are dismissive of the suggestion that a Mac should run antivirus software, but in my case it is the reason I have been able to use a Mac on a major corporate network.