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If Apple asked "you" what apps you would like that are not available on the Mac... - Page 3

post #81 of 124
4/28/06 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave K.
Source please.

Let's just say that VB.NET is quite a different beast.
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post #82 of 124
4/28/06 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave K.
Sorry. I was a little strong. Like I said, I have only really used Access. I have heard great things from the folks who use FileMaker Pro. I have tried that app. Never been impressed with it. Talk about a old interface.

I agree...FileMaker Pro is something out of the System 7.0 twilight zone. I'm not impressed with it either.

Something new is needed...I'm not sure a port of Access is the way to go. Sure, there are thousands upon thousands of Access DBs out there but I can't imagine how these will be around for much longer.
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post #83 of 124
4/28/06 at 5:43pm
Quote:
Originally posted by kim kap sol
Let's just say that VB.NET is quite a different beast.

In that sense. Yes. I totally agree with you. VB.Net is NOT VB. VB 2005 does go back to some VB 6 roots, but even that is stretching it.

I am wondering when MS will integrate the .NET syntax into MS Office VBA.

Dave
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post #84 of 124
4/28/06 at 10:28pm
Filemaker's interface is a bit outdated, due to the fact that it's a cross-platform app.
Adobe's primary interface ain't exactly heavenly either.

I have no modern info about Access, but the MS Office oldtimers talk about it the same way publishers talk about Publisher.
That is, that it was inherent ill-designed and desperately needs to disappear from the face of the Earth.
Again, this news is several years old. So for all I know, Access may have been fixed.

I do wish Jobs would pay attention to Filemaker, or that those in power at Filemaker would pay attention themselves.

Finally Dave, Filemaker does allow you to visually create relationships between tables.
The evil that we fight is but the shadow of the evil that we do.
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The evil that we fight is but the shadow of the evil that we do.
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post #85 of 124
4/29/06 at 1:40am
1) FrameMaker!
2) FrameMaker!!
3) FrameMaker!!!!!!

I curse the day that Adobe purchased FrameMaker. When they stopped making it for the Mac Angles cried and cold cruel laughter echoed throughout the realms of hell... well, maybe not, but is sure upset me.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
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post #86 of 124
4/29/06 at 2:59am
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM

Quote:
Originally posted by mortigi tempo

Did you know Apple doesn't currently design its products on Macs...

It probably wouldn't be too surprising. Supposedly Intel used VAXes in fabbing their own chips for a couple decades.

Currently, they use a well known 3D design package on Unix workstations. There is a move to make sure that Macs are designed on Macs. This push hasn't just come from Apple though - apparently the third party actively offered a software port to them in exchange for a commitment to purchase a certain quantity of the software. This held up the process for a while, but my understanding is that this is now over, and the port is set to be announced within the next few weeks, and Apple will make the announcement and try to wring publicity out of this.

Could do a lot of good for the credibility of OS X. It also partly explains why Apple offer a workstation-class graphics card (in the Nvidia Quadro) in the PowerMacs when there's no real benefit to having such things on the Mac at the moment because there aren't yet any certified apps to use it with.

Personally, I suspect (or hope, maybe) that this may force Apple to give some details of their 64-bit x86 strategy, and possibly points to the release of new towers. I don't know if the app is a UB or Intel on;y, but they're sure as hell not going to using this on iMacs...
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post #87 of 124
4/29/06 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally posted by a_greer
I would pay ~$40-50 more than the regular price for a "pro" version of graffle that could convert Visio assets...maybe I should write the people over at Omni a letter.

This is what OmniGraffle Pro 4.x has to say about Visio:

OmniGraffle Professional 4 now uses the recently-opened Visio XML schemas, so there have been many improvements to the Visio XML import/export function, and some of the newer feature sets (such as the Bezier drawing tool) bring OmniGraffle's Visio support to a higher level. Additional, there is now support for exporting to the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. SVG can display OmniGraffle documents beautifully at any size, whether you're viewing them on the screen of a mobile phone or on a large print banner.
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post #88 of 124
4/29/06 at 10:27am
3DS Max since it's still very popular in PC game development.
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post #89 of 124
4/29/06 at 6:00pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Placebo
3DS Max since it's still very popular in PC game development.

If it's popular in PC game development - it's crap.
'L'enfer, c'est les autres' - JPS
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'L'enfer, c'est les autres' - JPS
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post #90 of 124
4/29/06 at 6:22pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Gene Clean
If it's popular in PC game development - it's crap.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it on those grounds, though I haven't used the program in a long time. Like any other piece of software (including Apple's), it did have some quirks. The thing it had going for it is that it was powerful and easy to use.
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post #91 of 124
4/30/06 at 6:04pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Darth_Apple
.. what would they be? and why?

To narrow it a bit you can only choose 3 apps that you personally could use that are not available or 3 apps that you would like to see that you may not use but you know it would help bring in more market share.

(note: this isn't to convince software companies to create or port there apps, instead it's to have Apple create similar apps that are user friendly)

Here's my list:
  • Oh, please, a QuickBooks replacement. The Mac version is from the Dark Ages.
  • Quicken replacement, while we're at it
  • A photo editor to work alongside Aperture that's much easier to use than Photoshop. It, like Aperture, should be aimed at photographers, not designers. (Nothing wrong with designers, we just need software that's designed for photographers.)
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post #92 of 124
4/30/06 at 6:17pm
Quote:
Originally posted by bikertwin
Here's my list:
  • Oh, please, a QuickBooks replacement. The Mac version is from the Dark Ages.
  • Quicken replacement, while we're at it
  • A photo editor to work alongside Aperture that's much easier to use than Photoshop. It, like Aperture, should be aimed at photographers, not designers. (Nothing wrong with designers, we just need software that's designed for photographers.)

What's so hard to use about Photoshop? What changes would you make to it for photographers?
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post #93 of 124
4/30/06 at 7:59pm
It's fairly hard to use, but it is also extremely powerful, and I think Adobe has a decent job at the interface. Could be better though, and I bet over time it will improve. Especially if Apple buys them.
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"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
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post #94 of 124
4/30/06 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally posted by gregmightdothat
What's so hard to use about Photoshop? What changes would you make to it for photographers?

Hmmm... where should I start?

Delete a color swatch, then reload the set--oops! It's gone. Photoshop saves the swatch set even if you don't specifically save it, once you delete a color. Ouch.

Try explaining to a beginner how to load, edit, and save swatches or patterns or brushes and make them the default.

Attributes that should/could be saved as a style (like a Photo Filter adjustment layer) instead have to be applied by Actions if you want your own custom settings. That's like running a word processor macro just to turn some text into bold.

The Curves tools is useful. But where is it measured in f/stops or Zones? There is no photographic terminology anywhere in Photoshop.

Resize an object and, by default, it will not respect proportions. You have to hold down Option to resize proportionately. Why would a photographer ever want to size an image disproportionately? Isn't the default behavior backwards?

Just stuff like that.
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post #95 of 124
5/1/06 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it on those grounds, though I haven't used the program in a long time. Like any other piece of software (including Apple's), it did have some quirks. The thing it had going for it is that it was powerful and easy to use.

We had a discussion about 3DSMax a while ago. My professional opinion is that it's not adequate to do cutting edge work, and that it's rendering engine is junk. Ultimately, the artist matters more than the tool, but I don't think it's a big loss not to have 3DSMax for the mac. There are other 3D programs that can work with 3DSMax files (almost all of them). I'm also not a huge fan of Lightwave, but it has a fairly similar toolset as 3DSMax and it is available for the mac.

You've probably heard of Lightwave and might want to try it. It comes with a substantial educational discount if you're applicable (academicsuperstore.com). It's a polygon-centric modeler, and the generally-held understanding is that it's easier to work with this kind of workflow than it is to work with, say, an ACIS workflow. This is because you can visually inspect the progress in very small steps. With ACIS approaches, the user has to build more complex objects "from scratch."
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post #96 of 124
5/1/06 at 9:20pm
Going into what Splinemodel said, their is another program that I think is great. I have used 3ds on a PC since R3, and after R6 i just wanted to try different programs. I tried FromZ, Rhino 3D, Maya, Lightwave, Truespace, and Blender (We had them at school), but then a friend showed me a Maxon program called Cinema 4D. I liked it a lot, and it reminds me of 3DS in some ways. I think its a great alturnative to 3DS if you don't have a PC. I only use C4D now, I do have 3DS on my computer, but after getting used to C4D, I never went back to Max. It's very powerful, and it't not hard to use. If you can use Max, you can use C4D for sure. Check it out, I think all you guys with Macs will find it atractive. They have just released a Intel-Mac version too which is a HUGE plus! Only if Adobe would get off their @$$es now.
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post #97 of 124
5/1/06 at 9:24pm
C4D is pretty solid too. It runs well on the mac, and is easier to pick up than FormZ. I would have recommended it first (ahead of lightwave) but people who insist on 3DS are usually a little bit masochistic, and would be a little bit upset with C4D.
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post #98 of 124
5/1/06 at 9:52pm
I don't know, to me, it's great. I love the layout, I like the features and plug-ins you can get for it, and for the money, you really can't beat it. 3DS is a good application, but I think C4D is just as good. I've used both a lot, and I think C4D handles high poly modeling just as good, if not better in some aspects. The render in C4D is great, and it's not complicated to use. I do understand that 3DS users are loyal, and it does have a lot of great features, but if someone wants to go all Mac, and not have a PC, I would definitly suggest checking out C4D before Lightwave. Lightwave to me just doesn't make sence. You know how you open a program and it just feels right? I don't know how to explain it, when I opened C4D it just made sence to me from the start. Just my two cents.
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post #99 of 124
5/2/06 at 2:01am
C4D and lightwave are very nice and all, but whether they are better than 3DS Max or not doesn't mean that it wouldn't be great to have 3DS on the Mac. Its entrenchment in places like architectural practices (along with AutoCAD) keeps Macs out of many of them. The question often isn't whether there is a satisfactory or even superior alternative.
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post #100 of 124
5/2/06 at 6:41am
Quote:
Originally posted by mortigi tempo
C4D and lightwave are very nice and all. . .

You're missing the point. AutoCAD and 3DSMax don't exist for mac, and they won't anytime soon. At work, you use whatever platform is given to you. At home, you may want a mac, and if you use Autodesk products at work, the point is that there are alternatives you can use at home that are very similar, and can read/write the same file types.
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post #101 of 124
5/2/06 at 10:10am
Quote:
Originally posted by Splinemodel
You're missing the point. AutoCAD and 3DSMax don't exist for mac, and they won't anytime soon. At work, you use whatever platform is given to you. At home, you may want a mac, and if you use Autodesk products at work, the point is that there are alternatives you can use at home that are very similar, and can read/write the same file types.

No, I realise that. I'm just saying that whether or not C4D is better than 3DS, and whatever you think of AutoCAD these are the apps that it would be nice to be able to have on the Mac as per the title of the thread whether or not there exists viable alternatives.

And this is particularly true of AutoCAD. I'm glad Vectorworks is around, and it provides a lot of fuctionality. But it would be massively better for the Mac if AutoCAD was still available.
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post #102 of 124
5/2/06 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally posted by mortigi tempo
No, I realise that. I'm just saying that ... it would be nice to be able to have on the Mac as per the title of the thread whether or not there exists viable alternatives.

We established on page one that it this thread should also recommend alternatives. What, did you think that by posting on an internet message board that all the PC apps you like would suddenly come to the Mac? By recommending alternatives, there is some substance.

Which also brings me to the point that everyone seems to want AutoCAD on the mac. Besides it being hard for me to believe that so many users on AI have any need for AutoCAD, I think it's a piece of crap, and I don't use it on my PCs either. While I wasn't looking AutoCAD must have become a moot talisman for the software industry.
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post #103 of 124
5/2/06 at 11:52am
Another thing people can do is get a Intel-Mac and install Boot Camp. I'm sure you all know what this is. If you really want those applictions, get a Mactel and use the apps you want.
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post #104 of 124
5/2/06 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Which also brings me to the point that everyone seems to want AutoCAD on the mac. Besides it being hard for me to believe that so many users on AI have any need for AutoCAD, I think it's a piece of crap, and I don't use it on my PCs either. While I wasn't looking AutoCAD must have become a moot talisman for the software industry.

I use AutoCAD, though a ten year old version of it. It would be nice to buy something newer, I can get by just fine without spending thousands to fix a problem that I don't really have. I will say that I won't be replacing the Windows workstation at work with a Mac either, because that's more of the same, spending money to fix a problem I don't have. If I need a Mac at work, I can bring in the MacBook Pro desknote.
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post #105 of 124
5/2/06 at 2:13pm
I can add the American Heart Association's training course for ACLS to my list of software that I wish worked on the Mac.
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post #106 of 124
5/2/06 at 2:46pm
Mixmaster
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post #107 of 124
5/2/06 at 5:51pm
ProE-Wildfire 2 just great for modeling and analysis if you have the mechanica portion installed, as well as sheet metal and all that, the entire Pro-E line would be great.

ANSYS would be another good one to have.

Working Model would be good to use to fill in some dead spots in Pro-E.
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post #108 of 124
5/2/06 at 6:45pm
My social science friends say "SPSS."
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post #109 of 124
5/2/06 at 10:03pm
LOL maybe AutoCAD is like ArcGIS. You gotta use it. GODAMNIT I hate that motherfucker. I'm going to be an ESRI bitch for the next three years doing ArcMap. I'm going to go outta my mind folks, just watch...more so than already of course.
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"I was really curious how they had managed such fine granularity of alienation." addabox
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post #110 of 124
5/3/06 at 8:58am
I'm really enjoying Modo 102 for pure modeling and I'll probably use that as my main Unreal modeler for UT2k7, and Fireworks for texture creation.

On 3DS Max, both Epic and Bungie use it, and they're two of the most successful companies in the industry.
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post #111 of 124
5/3/06 at 11:17am
What would you compair Modo to? I have herd a lot about it, but it seems to me to be very limited in support, plug-ins, and tutorials to get started. Is it easy to use? Is the interface simple, or does it have a lot of hidden menus and a lot of check boxes? The rendering aspects dont seem top notch, but some of them do look decent. Any thoughts on it?
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post #112 of 124
5/4/06 at 3:24am
Quote:
Originally posted by Digital Disasta
What would you compair Modo to? I have herd a lot about it, but it seems to me to be very limited in support, plug-ins, and tutorials to get started. Is it easy to use? Is the interface simple, or does it have a lot of hidden menus and a lot of check boxes? The rendering aspects dont seem top notch, but some of them do look decent. Any thoughts on it?

Modo is meant to be a subdivision surface modeller. It is comparable to Rhino3D, which has no Mac version either:

http://www.rhino3d.com/

Rhino3D does NURBs as opposed to subdivision surface modelling.

That's one of the reasons I love Blender for modelling because it does subdivs like Modo.

Blender -> Renderman -> Shake =
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post #113 of 124
5/4/06 at 6:34am
Silo3D is a subdivision modeler for the mac that is cheap. There's also a pretty nice NURBS modeler out there for the mac, but I forget the name. I'll get it soon enough.

My favorite NURBS modeler is the now defunct Universe Modeler 5.0.
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post #114 of 124
5/5/06 at 12:35pm
I'm sure all of the engineers will agree:

-solidworks, pro/e
-matlab (an os x native version, not the x11 version)
-fluent
David W.
The University of Texas at Austin
Mechanical Engineering | LBJ School of Public Affairs
www.davidwogan.us
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David W.
The University of Texas at Austin
Mechanical Engineering | LBJ School of Public Affairs
www.davidwogan.us
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post #115 of 124
5/5/06 at 3:34pm
Quote:
Originally posted by midwinter
My social science friends say "SPSS."

I'm using it on my Mac. Google "spss mac".
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post #116 of 124
5/5/06 at 3:44pm
Well honk my hooter!
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post #117 of 124
5/6/06 at 8:00am
Quote:
Originally posted by dmwogan
I'm sure all of the engineers will agree:

-solidworks, pro/e
-matlab (an os x native version, not the x11 version)
-fluent

I mentioned earlier that your first request may be answered to some extent.

Have a look here (old news, but relevent) and here for a few pointers as to what's going to be announced in the next few weeks...

Although this might be a bit more high end than some people are looking for, it's going to be very good for Macs in engineering...
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post #118 of 124
5/7/06 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Well since were are also posting good alternative Mac apps, I saw this today at Apple's site and thought it was cool.

Link to story:
http://www.apple.com/science/profiles/ucla/

Quote:
Medical imaging is growing at an explosive pace, revolutionizing the way physicians peer inside the human body and allowing them to diagnose disease earlier, better, and faster. Instead of 2D x-ray films hanging on light boxes, todays radiologists often view computer displays of 3D digital images, including those from CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Using these 3D visualizations, radiologists can appreciate important information not otherwise apparent, such as the irregular shape or spiculated margin of a tumor or its precise spatial relationship to anatomic structures.

The unique thing about OsiriX is that it gives users the ability to do advanced imaging manipulation outside the traditional radiology-centric environment.

Adding to the sophistication of this field, 4D and 5D imaging has emerged in recent years. These images add dimensions of time (such as cardiac CT scanning so fast that it captures images of the beating heart) and functional data (such as PET/CT fusion, which combines a patients anatomical and functional images).[/b]

Link to OsiriX site:
http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoin...ix/Index2.html


I think that Apple should focus a bit on medical technologies like the article says its growing at a fast rate and this could help Apple get more market share!
MacBook 1.83GHz, 1GB of Ram --> A more elegant notebook, for a more civilized age

An apple a day, keeps Microsoft away
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MacBook 1.83GHz, 1GB of Ram --> A more elegant notebook, for a more civilized age

An apple a day, keeps Microsoft away
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post #119 of 124
5/15/06 at 6:19am
In terms of CAD/nurbs check out solidthinking I think it is quite similar to Rhino and I'm hoping to get my hands on it soon.

Other 3d mac programs not mentioned which I thought were worth a mention are sketchup, vectorworks (anyone use this?), and maxwell render (in beta atm but produces amazing results)

Personally I would like to see Rhino and Acad on mac of course, and something like 3dexploration. I would also like to see Adobe apps written for mac properly again not ported from PC
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post #120 of 124
5/15/06 at 10:29am
a FLAC to MP3/AAC/Apple Lossless converter that preserves tags....

something that burns cue files for audio (not bin/cue) for data discs

FLAC support in itunes

apple lossless support in ableton live
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