Bijna al deze sites pretenderen zowel de beste, als de drukst bezochte en de meeste uitgebreide macstek van Nederland te zijn. De keus is aan u.
- AppleBits - links naar (vnl. Engelstalige) artikelen
- AppleNieuws - nieuws, commentaar, recensies, artikelen
- MacFreak - nieuws, forums, produktbeschouwingen en een lijst met dealers
- One More Thing - Nederlandstalige website over Apple en alles wat daarmee te maken heeft (nieuws, forums, podcast)
- MacWereld - nog een stek met nieuws, hints en tips met betrekking tot Mac OS X
- Inside Mac Games Magazine
- MacGamer
- Mac Games & More - weekly picks of games and other software, with a preference for freeware
- MacKa - on-line games shop (Dutch). Slow site, with a poor system of categories (for example, the puzzle solving game 'Myst' is placed under the heading 'action games'). The site has a nice collection of Dutch games for children, though.
- Apple Spec Database (Apple)
- EveryMac - hardware specs, news, info and discussion
- Accelerate Your Mac! (Mike Breeden) - upgrade news, reviews and tech info
- MacMod - a community dedicated to providing Mac users with the ability to share information and identify resources they need to personalize, customize, and modify Mac systems. The site features detailed mod guides, hardware reviews, software reviews, and forums.
- MacSpeedZone - performance and upgrade information
British magazines
- MacFormat - boisterous, overpriced and too much ads
- MacUser - good, except voor the untidy layout
- MacWorld UK - boisterous, overpriced and too much ads
Dutch magazines
- MacFan - bimonthly, focus on home users, excellent
E-zines
German magazines
USA magazines
- Applelinks - portal site with news, columns, reviews, links, tutorials, and a search engine.
- Low End Mac - This site started as a collection of profiles of vintage Macintoshes. It evolved into a general Macintosh portal with head line news, information, feature articles, links, and so on. It retains an emphasis on the low end, though. Highly recommended.
- MacInTouch - news and tips
- MacMinute - links to new content on the Mac web, update info and so on
- MacNN - The Macintosh News Network
- MacSurfer's Headline News - An overview of new content at more than 30 Macintosh sites.
- Getting started with the Mac - Apple's introduction to using Mac OS X
- MacMiep - Nederlandstalige online cursus voor beginnende Mac gebruikers, met tips voor switchers en meer gevorderden (betreft Mac OS 10.4 Tiger)
- MacNoob - Hulp voor beginnende gebruikers van Mac OS X.5 (Leopard)
- Migrate to Mac -- Apple's guide for people who just switched from a Windows PC to a Mac
- Migrating Eudora from Windows to Mac
- Moved. An OS X guide (Creation Robot) - This helpful guide discusses a number of questions and problems Windows users might have when switching to a Mac, in addition to providing recommendations on how to prevent those problems.
- Switch naar Mac - tips en trucs om zo snel mogelijk alles uit je Apple computer te halen wat je nodig hebt
- Switching to the Mac: a guide for Windows users by John C. Welch
- Take Control of Switching to the Mac by Scott Knaster - a concise guide that explains the Mac to someone who knows only Windows ($10).
- Top 30 mistakes made by new Mac users by Dan Warne - A very useful list of mistakes switchers and other new Mac users tend to make. Ignore the shameful comments of Mac/Windows/Linux zealots, though; they erroneously take this list for an attack on Mac OS. Pay special attention to mistake number 29, which points to a little known difference between Mac OS and any other operating system that may cost you your sanity or your job (if not your life): when you drop a folder over another one with the same name, Mac OS replaces the latter by the first, rather than merging the contents (this means that you will loose everything in the old folder).
- The first Macs ran on Motorola 68K processors (68000, 68020, 68030, 68040).
- In 1994 a new type of processor, with a new machine language, was introduced: the PowerPC (PPC) (co-developed by Apple, Motorola and IBM). On a PowerPC 68K software runs under an emulator: a piece of software that translates 68K code into PPC code and feeds that to the processor. PPC software does not run on 68K machines. Fat binaries contain both the 68K and the PPC code.
- When the first PPC came out the operating system was still in 68K code and the built-in 68K emulator was rather slow. OS 8 provided the first native system for the PPC (it also has a faster emulator). Speeddoubler provides faster emulation for system 7.
- With the introduction of the iMac in 1998 the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB, for mouse and keyboard) and the serial ports (for printers and modem) became replaced by the Universal Serial Bus (which can also be used for hard disks, CD writers and so on). There are USB cards for connecting USB peripherals to older computers and adaptors to connect serial devices to USB. At the same time Apple dropped the floppy disk.
- In March 2001 Apple released a new operating system, Mac OS X, a Unix variant. Programs differ in their compatibility with the operating system:
- Classic programs use functions that are specific to the classic Mac OS. They run under OS X in the classic environment (if this environment and the appropriate drivers are installed).
- Carbon programs do not use functions specific to the classic Mac OS and only a subset of the functions specific to Mac OS X (namely only those that are in the CarbonLib). The CarbonLib is available as an extension for Mac OS 8.6 and 9. If this extension is installed, Carbon programs run without problems under Mac OS 8.6 and 9. Carbon programs do not run under Mac OS 8.5 and earlier.
- Cocoa programs use functions that are specific to Mac OS X and not in the CarbonLib. They do not run under the classic Mac OS.
- In February 2005 Apple introduced the IntelMac running on Intel Core processors. On these Macs, software for the PowerPC runs under the emulator Rosetta. MacIntel software does not run on PowerPCs. Universal binaries contain both the PPC and the Intel code. There is no classic for Intel.
- Accelerating Your Older Mac - This is a guide on how to accelerate your older Macintosh through the use of various methods such as good maintenance, clock chipping, program usage, accelerators, and other means.
- Boston Computer Society - shareware disks
- Black and White Mac Shareware - B & W Mac software for kids (Kids Domain)
- ClassicMacAddict - Software for old macs
- FinderPop - This essential utility for Mac OS 8/9 enhances the contextual menu. It provides control-free pop-up, file and folder browsing via the contextual menu, an easy way to change file type and creator codes as well as menus that list open windows, open applications, the items on the desktop and the contents of a FinderPop Items folder (to which you can add everything you like). If you select an item in the finder and choose an item in one of these menus, you achieve the same effect as if you'd dropped the finder selection on the chosen item. This means that you can use these menus to quickly open a file in a chosen application; to quickly move, copy, or alias files and folders; and to quickly apply a procedure to an item. For example, if you put DropStuff in the FinderPop Items folder, you can quickly stuff a folder by choosing this file in the menu that pops up when you hold down the mouse button as you click on that item in the Finder. Or you can easily open a html file one time in a text editor and the next time in your browser. Freeware!
- Great Ideas for Old Macs - hundred and one ideas about using old Pluses, SE's and Classics (collected by Jeff Weitzman)
- Jag's House - "dedicated to the preservation of older Macs" (Bill Jagitsch)
- Low End Mac - everything you need to keep your old mac alive
- Mac 68K Games list - several lists of games that run on 68K macs (no longer maintained)
- Mac Daniel's Advice (Low End Mac), answers such questions as:
- Mac Domain features a large amount of various types of classic Apple Macintosh abandonware and support for these great old machines, even post about Mac OS X, the iPod or newer Apple products.
- Mac Efficiency 101 - Between 8 December 1998 and 14 July 2000 Deborah Shadovitz published a really great series of articles about how to organize your Mac and use it efficiently. This series is still very useful.
- Mac.org This shareware archive is no longer updated, but it is a good source for software that will run on older machines using Mac OS 7 or 8.
- Old Macs on the Internet - download software to connect Mac Plus, SE, Classic, Portable, PowerBook 100 and other 68000 machines to the internet (The Web Toolbox)
- Resources For The Older Macintosh - comprehensive collection of links to vintage Mac information (Dave Wood)
- Sherlock 1 plugins:
- System 6 for the Macintosh (Ruud Dingemans) - many older Macs with 68000, 68020 and 68030 processors, perform better under system 6, than under system 7. This site and the next one give you all the information you need.
- System 6 Heaven
- System 7 Today! - If you have a Mac with a pré-G3 PowerPC system 7.6.1 might be your best choice. This site contains a wealth of information, software downloads, and how-to-guides that helps you to easily set up an up-to-date and workable System 7 machine.
- The Low End Mac Collection (Chris Lawson) - a series of articles originally published on Low End Mac from 2000-2003
- The pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ
- Three Macs and a printer - "a website that explains Macintosh networking in plain English, intended for all levels of Mac experience." (last updated in 2001 -- does not cover OS X, airport and so on.)
In order to synchronize a Palm handheld with your Mac you need either Palm's free HotSync Manager (included in the Palm Desktop software) or Mark/Space's The Missing Sync for Palm OS ($40), which offers more features, a better user interface and faster syncing (see Mark/Space's comparison chart).
Palm's HotSync Manager standardly synchronizes the handheld Date Book, To Do List, Address, and Memo Pad with the Palm Desktop Application. You can synchronize with Apple's iCal and Address Book using iSync, Apple's free synchronization utility (see Palm's Palm and iSync page). In that case, you still need the Palm Desktop Application to sync your handheld memo's, or you can use alternatives such as MacNoteTaker (free), iPalmMemo ($10), or NoteStudio ($50). Apple's How to use iSync with Palm Desktop explains how to synchronize some of the handheld applications with the Palm Desktop and others with Apple's applications.
The Missing Sync comes with conduits to sync Apple's iCal and Address Book with your handheld. You can also use Palm's conduits to sync with the Palm Desktop application if you like. The Missing Sync comes with a stand alone Memo Pad application that syncs your handheld memos.
- AppleScript (Apple)
- AppleScript: Beginner's Tutorial (Apple)
- AppleScript Language Guide (Apple)
- AppleScript: How to Save a Week Learning It - one page tutorial (Margaret Magnus)
- AppleScript Primer - excellent series of tutorials (Bill Briggs, 1999/2000)
- AppleScript Resources (Apple)
- The AppleScript Sourcebook - AppleScript news, tips, scripts, scripting additions, reviews, links and more (Bill Cheeseman)
- AppleScript: The Macintosh Autopilot - tutorials by Stephen Swift (The Mac Observer, 2001/2)
- AppleScript Tutorial (T&B, 2000, some entries updated in 2004)
- FAQ for alt.comp.lang.applescript
- MacScripter - AppleScript site (bulletin board, news, scripts, large collection of scripting additions, links, featured articles, tutorials)
- The Just AppleScript Weblog - AppleScript news on the web
- ScriptWeb - Everything on Macintosh scripting.
The web is a great place to look for software. There are many sites that offer reviews, categorized lists and/or downloads. Of course, you can also use the web to buy software.
Software licenses come in different kinds. An important distinction is the one between free software and software that you have to pay for.
Free software includes freeware (copyrighted software that you can freely use) and open source (copyrighted software that you can freely use, modify, and redistribute).
Back in the good old days, shareware was software produced by amateurs for which you paid the author a few bucks in order to share the costs for development and to encourage further development (today this kind of software is known as 'donationware'). Nowadays the term shareware is used for any kind of software that you can freely download and try for a limited period after which you have to pay for it ('trialware' would be a better name). Many shareware authors need this income to sustain themselves and their family. In most cases you pay by creditcard via the internet, after which you are send by e-mail a registration code to enable the software.
Shareware is usually distinguished from commercial software. IMHO, this is a category mistake. 'Shareware' refers to the manner of distribution (free trials for download), 'commercial' to the objective of the author or distributer (to make profit). A large part of the shareware is commercial and almost all commercial software is (also) distributed as shareware.
Before the web, free- and shareware was distributed via large archives in which the authors put their software. These archives lost their function when most shareware authors / companies make their software available on their own webpages.
Good places to look for software are software update sites and software link sites. In OS X, the VersionTracker channel of Sherlock (in "Other Channels") provides an easy way to search for software.
Basically, these sites list announcements of new updates. In addition they offer categorized links, descriptions, user reviews and searches. This makes them a convenient first stop if you are looking for software. They also provide alert services.
Note: because the features of some utilities overlap you don't need them all.
- Extra menu's:
- XMenu - Adds menus to the toolbar (including a menu with your favorites). Free.
- FinderPop - contextual menu enhancer. FinderPop allows you to browse volumes and folders via the contextual menu (control-free!) and to apply actions (such as open, reveal, get info, preview and trash) to the items you arrive at. FinderPop provides favorites, desktop, and open applications menus for instant access. These menus can also be used to quickly open a file in a chosen application and to quickly move, copy and alias items. Leopard compatible. Free.
- FruitMenu - gives you the ability to add files and folders to the apple menu (like in the classic Mac OS). In addition, it allows control-free contextual menu pop-up in the finder, and it can enhance the contextual menu with, among other things, a contents menu. It also provides 'move to' and 'open with' contextual menus. Shareware $12.
- ICeCoffee - lets you open URLs in Cocoa applications by command-clicking on them. Free.
- Clipboard history (once you've tried one of these you will wonder how you ever lived without it, really):
- PTHPasteboard - clipboard history utility (keeps track of the last 20 items that you copied/cut and allows you to paste them at any time). Free. The PRO version ($25) adds the tools for text transformation and syncing of pasteboards among different computers.
- Jumpcut - another clipboard history utility. Free.
- CopyPaste - clipboard utility with many features, including clipboard history, multiple clipboards, archives, a clipboard editor, and text conversion tools ($30)
- Autocompletion
- Word service - this wonderful package provides functions to convert, format, or speak text, to insert data (such as the date), and to get statistics (such as word counts) in all applications that support the application services menu. You can use them to rewrap (quoted) text in e-mail messages, change the case of titles in citations (e.g. from all caps to initial caps of main words), remove unwanted line breaks from text copied from pdf files, sort lists alphabetically, and much more. Free.
- 1Password - this wonderful utility keeps track of all your usernames and passwords on the web and automatically provides them when you need to login and submits them if you want. You only have to remember one master password. You don't have to look up the usernames and passwords. You no longer need to remember which usernames you used for which site. You can easily use a unique password for each site and the passwords can be as strong and difficult to remember as suits. 1Password also provides Anti-Phising and Keylogger protection and facilities for filling in web forms that go way beyond those of Safari or Camino. 1Password data on different macs can easily be kept in sync with any of the currently available syncing tools. There are viewers available for Palm and iPhone. $40.
- Quicksilver allows you to interact with your mac in a way that is much faster than the finder. Quicksilver maintains a catalog of applications and some frequently used folders and documents (such as your bookmarks files and address book entries). You can locate these items by typing (part of) their name. The more you use an item the faster QS will find it. Having found a certain item you can apply a number of actions to it. The most obvious is to open it, but there are many, many more. Quicksilver includes actions to copy, compress and e-mail files. Text can be transmitted between programs, appended to a document or searched for on the web. Many actions support a second object, so you can send a file to a person, move files to another folder, or open files with a specific application. Quicksilver also provides a clipboard history, a shelf to store frequently used items, functions for calculations and unit conversions, a script runner, a macro utility to attach actions to keystrokes, and more. Don't forget to download Howard Melmans' wonderful User Manual from the site of the QuickSilver support group. Free.
- SafariBlock - Safari plugin that leds you block advertisements (it's not perfect, but it works pretty well). Free.
- PDF browser plugin - view pdf files from the web from within your browser ($69 for a site licences, free for not-for-profit activities if used at home or at educational institutions).
- NotLight - Simple Spotlight interface that is much more powerful than the ones built-in into Tiger (I'm hesitating about Leopard). Its features include the possibility to search only in file names; case sensitive searches; date searches; exact, starts with, and end with matches; boolean searches and more. Free.
- The single most important resource for TeX on the mac is the TeX on Mac OS X wiki.
- In order to use TeX you need:
- A TeX Distribution. The main options are:
- TeX Live, the complete reference edition of TeX produced in cooperation by TeX User Groups across the world.
- BasicTex, a subset of TeX Live designed for users with limited download speed or disk space. The package is incredibly smaller than TeX Live and yet supports most standard TeX typesetting.
- A Front End. The most popular one is TeXShop.
- The MacTeX Technical Working provides several packages for TeX on Mac OS X
- MacTex is a complete (La)TeX package that can be installed just by double-clicking it. It includes the complete TeX Live distribution, the frond end TeXShop and utilities such as LaTeXiT, BibDesk, and Excalibur.
- If you have little disk space, you may prefer the smaller packages:
- One possibility is the combination of BasicTex with the MacTex-additions (this latter packages contains everything in the MacTex package, except the actual TeX distribution)
- However, to use TeX on Mac OS X, it suffices to install BasicTex and TeXShop.
- For more information see:
- 43 Folders - Merlin Mann's Mac-oriented tips for people wanting to be more productive
- AppleTips - Nederlandstalige tips voor Mac OS X gebruikers
- Faq zum MacOS (in German)
- Helps for Mac users Mac help for academics
- iBasics - tips on getting the most out of your Mac, by Michel Munger (Low End Mac)
- MacStudent - wiki supporting Mac-using students in the Windows-minded institutions for Higher Education in the Netherlands (useful for its information about e-mail, wifi and VPN settings) (mainly in Dutch)
- Mac Tips and Tricks Tips from Authors and Professionals in the Mac Community
- Mac Hints & Tips - a collection of tips culled from newsletters of Macintosh User Groups throughout the world, as well as many other sources including Mac-related magazines, books, and websites.
- Miraz Jordan's weekly MacTips.
- Troubleshooting Primer (Adam Engst)
- Apple Support:
- MacFixit - The main mac trouble shooting site on the web. Recent news is freely accesible. In order to access and search the Archives (beyond the most recent news), as well as most Reports and Extras, you need to pay a subscription to MacFixIt Pro.
- Macintosh Security
- Online Tech Journal - information on hardware, the operating system, networking, and web design and maintenance that is difficult to find elsewhere on the web (Low End Mac).
This page was made by Arno Wouters.
E-mail: 
Last Updated: 20-Jun-09.