Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

i have been using qimage since maybe 2003? not really sure anymore. i have not been active on the forums or discussions in a long time. i wanted to post to make sure that something is not in the works for a mac version yet. since upgrading to my mac(yes, i did say upgrade), i have been running fusion so that i could run my PC software that i either did not want to purchase over in a mac version, or that was not available for mac. i decided to switch over the the mac version of PSC4. this made it easier for me. i never left fusion running and always shut it down after using it. Last week, my computer crashed. i really think that i got some sort of nasty virus from the windows being on my mac even though i had mcafee installed. needless to say, i did not have adequate backup and lost alot. i have decided that i am not going to re-install windows on my mac this time. since i've already replaced my photoshop to a mac version, thats no problem for me. i have just switched to quicken for mac since. the only program thats leaving me troubled is qimage. i made the decision to not use windows at all, so i will need to replace my qimage with something else for printing now. i have no idea of anything that will compare. is there anything else that anyone here has used in the past before using qimage? qimage was the first and only printing software that i have ever used.  i will look for something else for now, and continue to check in once in awhile in hopes of a mac version of
Q.

Since you already have PSCS4 you should explore the printing features there.

If you shoot in RAW mode its also worth checking the option of PS Lightroom which uses a fully non-destructive process like Qimage. So you can do cropping, resizing, use printer profiles etc while retaining your original files intact. I have Lightroom but continue to use QImage exclusively for printing. Its relatively expensive but you can try out the 30 day trial.

... and since most of these apps will cost you a few hundred dollars, you might keep a cheap windows machine and use it to run Qimage and a few other favorites that are not available for the Mac.
Fred

Most experts agree that there are far fewer incidents of virus infections on a Mac not because they are healthier in any way, but because the crazies that write these viruses so far, will not waste their time writing viral infections for so few possible infection points.

Understand going Mac.... each to his own, but to sacrifice the quality of your prints and take second best is not in my rule book.
Fred

thanks fred. are you one of the few members still around from 'years ago'? I remember you well.

i don't know if mac's are so few these days. i never thought i would be a mac person, but here i am, and loving it i might add. i have to give one credit to be a windows user for so many years-if i had never  bought my first PC so many years ago, and many more afterwards, i would not be as efficient in using, repairing, making one work, tech support for others, etc...as i am now. My MAC just works, plain and simple. So, so simple. the only trouble i've had so far with my mac has been making windows work. ::)

Really though, my son in law was teaching a calculus class at LSU before he got his PHd this past spring in math, and he was amazed at how many of his students have mac's. I know that entire school systems are now buying mac books for faculty and student use. I think this trend will continue too, especially if microsoft keeps hanging themselves with these wonderful new versions of windows that they keep coming out with, each one truly better than its predecessor.

i may do just what you suggested about keeping a windows laptop just for printing with qimage. i've been looking around for something for the past hour or so, and don't know if its possible to find something else that will replace qimage.  i really don't feel like learning something new or paying hundreds of dollars either.

Interesting discussion:
Years ago, when I worked for Ford dealers, we would supply our local schools with *FREE* Fords to use in the driver's education classes.
This was based on the premise that (and it works) the graduates will purchase a Ford instead of another brand, based on familiarity alone.
So, I wouldn't be so quick to say for sure that the school purchased the Macs based on quality or ease of use; more likely either free demos, or so deeply discounted, no school could refuse.
Fred

I think it is highly unlikely that your Mac problems were due to a virus infecting the PC/Windows side.  Both Fusion and Parallels do a good job of "keeping to themselves" and it would be very difficult for any virus to try to reach the Mac side.  In addition, I don't know of a single PC/Windows virus that is designed to infect OSX after it infects Windows, or even any that can do anything destructive on the Mac partition like erase the entire drive.

While Macs make interesting talk, they still struggle to make it past the single digit percentage mark when it comes to market share, and that includes the creative industry (photography) as well.  That cuts way down on the software possibilities that are available to you.  Owning a Mac is like going to the same restaurant that serves the same three menu items all day long.  Sure, they're great at those meals: why wouldn't they be?  Those are the only ones they do and they do them well.  But eventually you get tired of the same three meals and you want to do other things.  Macs are no different.  If you want to move up to a 2 terabyte drive a year from now or install a new video card capable of running the latest games or driving the latest super HD monitor, or install the latest generation Blu-Ray burner, good luck on a Mac!

I think many people are happier with Macs initially because they have less problems right out of the box.  Think about it.  Windows has to cater to thousands of different manufacturers and sometimes there are issues, people have to update drivers, etc.  Macs are "tighter" in that regard but you suffer the consequences: price, availability, and upgradability.  Even still, I've heard from more than one Mac enthusiast that Macs still have issues like programs just disappearing while you are using them and so on.  Nothing is perfect and me being a tinkerer who likes to update my machine with the latest internals, I don't think I'll ever go Mac, although with Windows 7, I came close!   :o

Mike

i don't know about this-could it be for the same reason that all school used to all purchase PC's in the past, because thats whats there? Mac's are taking a part of the PC market now. They are more expensive, but have you ever went into an Apple store? Its overwhelmingly attractive. You can have a seat at the 'genius' bar and tell the 'genius' your troubles while they fix you up. they have lots of flavors such as ipod, ipod nano,ipod touch, etc..iphone, imacs, mini macs, macbook pro, mighty mouse, air port, etc... to name a few. i find mac's to be the most beautiful, sexy computers out there.....and they work. I don't feel the least bit limited as far as applications(well other than qimage of course), or that i can upgrade. i just took the opportunity to upgrade my hardrive after the crash to a 500 GB. really, just about everything that is available on a PC, you can get in a mac version. I even was about to do a cross-platform upgrade for my corel painter when i realized that i already had it. corel includes installation for pc or mac on the the same dvd. luckily i found out before they sold me a new version. those skunks!

I never thought i would make the switch. i guess when you get enough, you just get enough. who knows, i may even make the walk over to nikon one day. after spending close to $2000 on the newest greatest camera from canon and having the focusing issues that i and alot of other people are having with the 7D, no telling how many are abandoning canon now.

for sure i have issues with apple, no doubt that the restrictions that are placed on me when i purchase a song on itunes really pisses me off. and, why can't they just make itunes accessible from my home network without having to use 'twonky' or some other kind of crap? i know that everything has its drawbacks, but when it comes to my computers, i have to say that macs win hands down over windows any day. its not an easy thing to do, to make that switch. i struggled over it for about two years. but, when i finally did it, i've never looked back. i could be completely over it if it would not be for not having my beloved qimage software. Mike, this is ripping my heart out! I am so attached to and dependent on this software. doesn't that make you feel good????? i guess i might have to keep one antiquated PC around until you come on over to the dark side.

As far as the possibility of a virus coming in from the windows side in fusion, yes, it is very likely. when running a virtual machine such as windows on a mac, you share an internet connection, files, folders, everything. the windows machine is even accessible over the home network as a seperate computer. I can access my windows media player  files over my home network if i have fusion running on my mac. i can access other computers on my windows virtual machine through my home network. it can work all ways, coming or going. as long as that network connection is open on a computer that is powered on, well, i don't have to say anymore.


PS- there are a whole lot of mac users on the fred miranda sports forum

If all you do w/Qimage is print you can have a basic PC set up not even connected to internet and with no other stuff loaded and everything not print related disabled in the OS.  Transfer image to it via memory cards, or a shared HD, Maybe (I'm not pc networking person) thru a network.  If set up right you can isolate that system reducing any infection chances as long as you scan the outgoing images from the mac and any software updates.

My photo 'studio' pc is not connected to internet.  I have a separate PC for that.  I don't even run AV on it as there is no way for it to become infected except from Qimage & photoshop updates which I trust - everything else is self contained.  Never had an issue with that type of set up in over 10yrs.

I have to say you guys put up some interesting comments!

At my end, the only way to go is PC, even with all its challenges. I'm not a programmer, a hacker or even especially good with some of the software I use. But Windows and the PC environment has been fundamentally very easy to work with. Really, over the long haul for the most part I've just turned on the computer and went to work. When ever a problem comes up, it is most often not that big a deal. There is terrific support out there, like this forum for PC programs. One very big point is I always have an easy time communicating with others. It is invaluable to be able to send and receive files with such little difficulty that each party can open, read and work with. For business applications and all the "fun" stuff, I'm going to stick with Windows.

Keith

PS: Thanks again Mike for all your great work!!

If you intend to print from Photoshop CS4 and even more when you make your own printer profiles you should take notice of several color management issues that plague Adobe-Apple systems right now. In particular with recent Epson drivers but it possibly is more widespread and though some workarounds exist it isn't sure they work correctly in all cases. If you get into that misery you certainly will miss Qimage.

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?s=c8af9f74c6769b83fe88159fcffb863f&showforum=45



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Personally, I see nothing wrong with owning both.  If I wasn't struggling in this economy like everyone else, I'd buy one just for the fun of it and to learn a new system.  I own an SUV, a muscle car, and a hybrid.  No one car does everything I need.  Getting a Mac doesn't mean you have to throw away your PC.

Mike

Why, Mike? Does Windows 7 seem to be awful in some way?

Liz

Oh, I just found your article on the fun you had installing Windows 7.  I think I'll stay with Vista, since it is properly behaving for me!

Liz

Liz,

You should not take Mike's problems described in his article as representative. I had no issues upgrading my PC to Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, but I did a clean install.

My Vista machine was running not running smoothly, so I took the chance for the change to Windows 7. Reinstalling my software took me less than a day. Now I have a machine, which runs quicker and more stable.

So, if you have no problems with Vista, you do not need to upgrade, but your judgement should not be based on one person's experience. Mike said that his setup is nothing usual.

I am not a Windows 7 defender, but on the other hand, I don't think too much panic is not wise either.

Kind regards

Thomas

Don't take Thomas' as representative either.  Getting a feel for how Windows 7 is really doing requires research: things like what OS and software you are using now, whether you are going to do an update or a clean install, and whether you are using 32 or 64 bit all factor into the equation.  We're still early in the transition but I have found some common issues that are fairly significant and have been corroborated via other users.  The two main ones are:

(1) Windows 7's folder/file security is EXTREMELY non user friendly and buggy.  Doing something as simple as restoring a folder of files can cause some or all of the files in the folder to not be readable, even if you have admin privileges.  Using the Windows "Properties" function, you'll find that if you select one file at a time, you can get to the "Security" tab where you'll need to delete all user access and add back the ones you want and take ownership of the file to correct this problem, but if you select more than one file, the "Security" tab is often missing, forcing you to do this one file at a time.  Worse, this seems random, where multiple files of the same type and same (current) privileges will cause the "Security" tab to disappear, while other multiple selections do work.  It's an absolute mess.  Setting security at the folder level says it works, but it doesn't: it randomly leaves out certain files in the folder and doesn't change them.  You can end up with a folder that you own, with simple files like JPG images or text files, and some of them won't open even if you open an explorer window in "Run as Administrator" mode.  I actually had to make a command line batch file to fix the problem.

(2) The longer you run your machine, the more instances of "Explorer.exe" will be running in task manager.  I've found as many as eight copies open, each using about 15 MB of memory or so.  Only one is the "correct one" that shows you your desktop.  The rest are W7 memory leaks!  Update: I actually located the problem with this one.  If you create an Explorer shortcut on your desktop using any of the Explorer startup switches, you get a new Explorer process each time you click on that icon... and they all hang around and never close even after you close the window.  As an example, just create a new shortcut using "%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/select,c:".  Now each time you click on the icon you get a new Explorer.exe process that won't go away unless you kill it in Task Manager.  If the shortcut is just "%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe" without the switches, it works OK.  Again this is with W7 64 bit.  Doing the same thing on Vista 64 bit leads to no problem: you do get an extra "Explorer.exe" process each time you open but they go away as soon as you close the Explorer window.  Just one of a number of W7 bugs that make even the most basic of OS operations painful.  W7 just was not ready for prime time: as of this writing, it still isn't!

As I said, a lot of factors contribute so you may or may not see these problems, but they are common.

Mike

Thanks to both of you. I am quite comfortable with Vista, but I always like to know what's up with these newfangled operating systems!

As for Mac, I now own an iPod Touch, after being a Palm user for years. I can totally see why folks fall in love with the esthetics of Macs--they are sooooo cute!

Liz

Ok, so i tried to print with photoshop and it really sucks for me in every way possible and i won't go into it. we have an old laptop here that belonged to my son. it runs but the cheap-*ss dell housing is broken pretty bad. the lid has had  it. if i set it up, i will have to configure it to go into sleep mode without ever closing the lid. i have decided to take the advice that was given to me and use this for qimage only. Question-is it possible to use this windows computer on my home network without it having access to the internet? i've never set up a home-network only connection and don't know if its even possible. this way i could share a pictures folder and see them in qimage without having to load them onto a disk to print.

this laptop runs on XP. i can say for sure that i will not be upgrading it to windows 7 much less vista. unless mike ever starts writing qimage to where XP is obsolete, i will be in good shape.

thanks for the advice. the truth is that i just couldn't give up qimage after all. i'm being very serious here, after using this software for this many years, it is just impossible to find something out there to compare it to. i have been all over the internet looking at everything from stand alone applications to photoshop plugins. none of that would have really worked for me anyway because epson printers don't show the same printer properties in mac as it does in windows. its kind of messed up. i'm not ready to get rid of my R2400 either.

Teppy

Just plug in the cable, and set a folder to be a shared folder, and the network will find it automatically. No setting up needed. ;D
Copy your print files to this folder, and print with QI. If you set this folder as the default for the job log, you can back up all your jobs and settings as you go.
I wouldn't recommend printing a file that is on another computer on the network, with QI or any other program - too many things can go wrong.

Brian

I occasionally print with files located on a network hard drive, it's quicker than loading a back-up dvd. So far no problems  :)
I would not attempt image prints from my other computer on the network, it's too slow via the Powerline adaptors I use; the HD is a direct connection to the router.
Terry.

thanks brian and terry,
i'm not sure that i made myself clear, or maybe i'm not getting it. i definitely would rather set up a shared folder on my macbook HD that i can get to from the windows machine via my home network. burning a CD each time i want to print will be just too much of a PITA. the question on setting up i'm talking about is more of a how-to with networking. i went through it last night, and i dont know if it can be done. Basically, i want the windows machine to have access to my home network, so that i can get to this shared print folder, BUT, i do not want it to have internet access, unless i connect manually in case i need to do a qimage update. i did not want to have to mess around with norton or any other anti virus software. i don't think that i can get around this though. not a huge deal since i find myself back on windows again now. and this windows machine does have vista. i forgot that i had installed it on this laptop right before i got my son his macbook pro.

Teppy

This is exactly what I described. Plug in the lead and the network and all shared folders should show in 'My Network Places. The computer will automatically connect to the internet if you open a browser or mail client. I don't think you can stop this, but you don't have to do any setting up.
I would still transfer files to the PC before printing them - you can do this on the network, no CD required.

Brian

thanks brian,
this is how i have it set up now, except that its a wireless connection. i have just updated the norton software and paid the subscription. i think this is my safest bet. i am about to download qimage onto this computer. hopefully i will up and printing soon. i guess life is about to get real interesting again....but what would this world be like if there were no republicans and democrats, no ford or chevy, or no windows or mac?

Teppy,
sorry to have to tell you, but you've wasted your money  :o
Too late now the horse has bolted, but what is wrong with Grisoft AVG Free? Remember that for next time  ;)

In Network Connections, right click on "Internet Connection" and select Disable.

Terry.

Well, I finally did it. I went out and bought a big Mac with all the trimmings.
You should see this baby. No need to add all sorts of extras to it to make it palatable.

It came with pickles, and ketchup, mayo and tomato, lettuce and cheese; all on a sesame seed bun.
My gamma liked it too, and she gave it a 2.2 rating.

Fred  ;D ;D ;D