Apparently, Razormaid use Macs.. (that explains a lot
)...
Here is the message I got from Joseph Watts:
Do NOT purchase or install MAC OS X 10.3 (Panther) until you have read
this:
I know that many of you are probably on your way to the store to purchase Apple's new operating system, and that's fine, but I need to give you a few tips to avoid some problems that have been reported during the installation process, that could affect you. We're talking the difference between simply installing it and everything goes great, to the other end of the spectrum - having the worst day of your life, ever!
First off, before you even purchase it, be forewarned: your MAC must have USB "built in". That means if your machine is older and you had to purchase a USB card and install it, you can NOT, I repeat, NOT install Panther. This is a requirement that is NOT negotiable, period.
Secondly, you must disconnect ALL devices, prior to running the installer. These third party devices, such as iPOP, a Firewire HD, printer, etc... will affect the installation process, so make sure the only thing connected is your cable modem, or dial up modem. You will be able to use these things AFTER the installation is complete.
Thirdly, do NOT perform a clean install. All the people on the Apple web site that are having problems, are having problems because they got cute and decided to "Clean Install", wiping our everything on the hard drive first. Now, in all fairness, normally this is what I always recommend, but NOT on Panther. Panther was designed to make the "switch" as seamlessly smooth as possible, meaning they figured most people would chose the button "upgrade", rather than wipe out their system and start from scratch. Because we did do beta testing on this OS, I knew in advance of the problems associated with this, so when I purchased Panther (retail), I knew NOT to do this.
The forth warning is as important as the three above, so PLEASE make sure you do this BEFORE starting the installation. You MUST turn off all programs set to "login" automatically. If you are not sure you have any, please do this. Go to your system preference. Click on "LOGIN" and turn off or better yet, remove all programs that are listed, even if they are NOT turned on at the moment. This is VERY important. Especially of you are running Quickeys 2. Under this program, once the installation is complete and the computer restarts itself, Quickeys will kick in, not allowing the installation to complete itself and the whole installation will crash and burn.
Quickeys has a fix for this on their site, but you MUST install it first, before attempting to install Panther!
Lastly, back up your important documents and files. This is a no brainer of course, but those of you new to the computer may not realize this must be done, in case all hell breaks loose. PC people do this routinely because Windows can be Windows. However, MAC people are not used to having to perform the "back up" this function, as things pretty much work flawlessly, 99% of the time. Don't risk it!
Right about now, I am sure some of you are thinking, "So why am I upgrading if all of this stuff could screw up my machine?". Because it's worth it if you do it right.
MAC OS X 10.3 (code name Panther) is truly the UNIX equivalent of MAC OS 9 - as far as stability, effectiveness and smoothness. This third generation operating system is what we all hoped running UNIX on a MAC would be like.... and then some - even though it did take three years to get here. At this time, I would like to point out a few things about Panther, that may assist in your decision to upgrade, or not upgrade, without all the "Negative Nancy" comments I have given so far.
If you are looking for a totally new "look" after installing Panther - you will be sorely disappointed. If you go to breakfast while installing and the computer restarts, you will not even know you are in PAnther, as on the surface, there are relatively few changes. However, once you start clicking around... the fun begins.
I think the most impressive change is the "Switch users" function.
Here's how this can work for you. Let's say you are burning an audio disc and your daughter rushes in and says, "I have to print my homework, now!". While burning, you can go to "Switch user", she can sign in and print her document, while your burning is still going on, as the other user. Totally hot!!
The second most impressive change is the networking function. We all know that networking on a MAC is as easy as opening software, but with this new version, you PC is now linked as easy as any other MAC on the system. With the new networking setup, you simply chose you PC from a pull down menu, and you can burn back up CD's, or mix and match your favorite MPEG's from you PC and from your MAC, without transferring anything from either. You simply pull the songs you want from the PC into your Toast playlist and click burn. What's even hotter, the user can sign out on the PC and your burn will not be affected. How hot is that? (Excuse me while I wipe the piss off the floor now).
And here's the really cool part... all the users will appear on a 3D cube, which you can rotate in space, to now only see their desktop, but also what their user is doing, such as printing, burning, or whatever.
Eye candy for diabetics!
Apple's new iCHAT, although hot as hell, does have a few draw backs.
So before you rush out and buy their new camera, which is only $149.00, you need to be aware of a few things. Yes, this camera will transmit and generate TV quality signals, which means no flicker of seeing what we have all come to refer to as "The Japanese over dub movie" that we are currently used to, but there is a catch. This new iCHAT will only work on machines running at 600mhz or faster. Also, the person on the other end must have the same camera, to enjoy "TV quality"
transmission. Oh, everything will work if the other party does not have the same setup, but they will not be able to transmit and receive the TV quality signal. In fact, on the PC side, this will not be possible until summer of 2005, according to Bill Gates himself. This puts MAC a few years ahead in this technology and hopefully grab a few business accounts that would like this right now.
Off course there are other additions to this system which you can explore and enjoy on your own, but the purpose of this alert was more about the pre-installation setup to ensure a smooth transition rather than it's bonuses, which you will see in the new "What's new" booklet that comes with Panther.
Any of you that have questions, PLEASE, write to me before installing, if you are not sure. Although I have included the 4 major problems that could make this the worse day of your life, you may have a few questions that I did not cover, so feel free to ask away. Yale will be monitoring the Email for the next 48 hours. He can read to me the question and I can tell him what to type, as this alert will do me in for today, time wise.
Good luck guys and enjoy your new "kitty" (Panther). This one is much faster and prettier than the last one, that use to bite us, from time to time.
jw