I'm a newbie Mac user, a Windows convert (yay!)... and I go all the
way back to the VIC-20 and Amiga 1000, circa 1982/1985. Finally I've
bought my first Mac, OS X 10.3.3 with all the updates. My new 12"
Powerbook G4 is awesome! However I have some basic multimedia
questions.

(1) Many of my .avi files, copied from my Windows machine, don't work.
Quicktime says it's missing the required files, but they're not
available on the server. The "Windows Media Player" on my Mac won't
play them either. Some of my .mpg files don't work either, I suspect
some CODECS are missing. On Windows, they all play fine. Now what do I
do? What do I need to download/install, and where do I put it? I
mistakenly thought Quicktime was the bastion of all things multimedia,
and I was disappointed to see Windows Media Player installed on my Mac
(however - the latter does support full-screen mode, which is
important and the Quicktime I have doesn't). I have all the Quicktime
updates from Apple.

(2) I have a very large collection of pictures. I copied some of them
onto my Mac, but the Preview application is pretty basic. On Windows I
used an app called Acdsee2, which allowed me to simply jump into a
directory, view photos in full-screen mode, and browse up/down using
PgUp/PgDn or my scroll-mouse. That's all I want. Can someone recommend
a fast application I should be using on the Mac? I don't think the
Preview app will cut it, though maybe I just need to use it more? I
thought maybe iPhoto should be used for this -- but it required me to
import all my photos, all my directories got dumped into a single
iPhoto album, and then my computer ran extremely slow. Thus, I don't
think iPhoto is the right application either. Correct?

Please followup to this newgroup and I'll watch for it... that way,
everyone can benefit from your replies. Thanks in advance,
--
tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com (remove NOSPAM... to send me email)

In article <8ngq90df2vhtnj1s76km3okdqab00jctfu@4ax.com>,
Kel <tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com> wrote:
>
> (1) Many of my .avi files, copied from my Windows machine, don't work.
> Quicktime says it's missing the required files, but they're not
> available on the server. The "Windows Media Player" on my Mac won't
> play them either. Some of my .mpg files don't work either, I suspect
> some CODECS are missing. On Windows, they all play fine. Now what do I
> do? What do I need to download/install, and where do I put it? I
> mistakenly thought Quicktime was the bastion of all things multimedia,
> and I was disappointed to see Windows Media Player installed on my Mac
> (however - the latter does support full-screen mode, which is
> important and the Quicktime I have doesn't). I have all the Quicktime
> updates from Apple.

Unfortunately, AVI support on the Mac is sub-standard... AVI is, after
all, the format of Microsoft's original Video for Windows application.
As you've discovered, not all Codecs (codecises?) are available; Windows
Media Player for Mac lacks many basic features.

It's not particularly in Microsoft's interests to make it easier for Mac
users.
>
> (2) I have a very large collection of pictures. I copied some of them
> onto my Mac, but the Preview application is pretty basic. On Windows I
> used an app called Acdsee2, which allowed me to simply jump into a
> directory, view photos in full-screen mode, and browse up/down using
> PgUp/PgDn or my scroll-mouse. That's all I want. Can someone recommend
> a fast application I should be using on the Mac? I don't think the
> Preview app will cut it, though maybe I just need to use it more? I
> thought maybe iPhoto should be used for this -- but it required me to
> import all my photos, all my directories got dumped into a single
> iPhoto album, and then my computer ran extremely slow. Thus, I don't
> think iPhoto is the right application either. Correct?
>
1) ACDSee has Mac versions, with a downloadable trial at:
http://www.acdsystems.com/English/Pr...eMac/index.htm

You may want to check this out.

2) Most OS X users content themselves with iPhoto... yes, it copies your
photos into its own folder structure by default-- which has both
advantages and disadvantages... this way, you can edit the photos in
iPhoto while still keeping the original(s) intact, but it does
potentially double the amount of storage space used.

Apple recognized that iPhoto had some performance problems with large
photo collections and issued an improved version as part of the iLife
2004 package-- but not for free download. My understanding was that this
would be pre-installed on newly-purchased Macs, but maybe this isn't the
case with yours. Check its version number (click on the iPhoto menu,
then About iPhoto. Version 4.x is the current (updated) version. If you
have version 3.x installed, you may want to consider getting iLife. If
you've got ver 4.x and are still unable, maybe ACDSee will do what you
want.

Kel wrote:
> I'm a newbie Mac user, a Windows convert (yay!)... and I go all the
> way back to the VIC-20 and Amiga 1000, circa 1982/1985. Finally I've
> bought my first Mac, OS X 10.3.3 with all the updates. My new 12"
> Powerbook G4 is awesome! However I have some basic multimedia
> questions.
>
> (1) Many of my .avi files, copied from my Windows machine, don't work.
> Quicktime says it's missing the required files, but they're not
> available on the server. The "Windows Media Player" on my Mac won't
> play them either. Some of my .mpg files don't work either, I suspect
> some CODECS are missing. On Windows, they all play fine. Now what do I
> do? What do I need to download/install, and where do I put it? I
> mistakenly thought Quicktime was the bastion of all things multimedia,
> and I was disappointed to see Windows Media Player installed on my Mac
> (however - the latter does support full-screen mode, which is
> important and the Quicktime I have doesn't). I have all the Quicktime
> updates from Apple.

get VLC it will play the avis and every other format i have come across.
- it is shareware/freeware and you can find (and DL) at:
www.versiontracker.com

> (2) I have a very large collection of pictures. I copied some of them
> onto my Mac, but the Preview application is pretty basic. On Windows I
> used an app called Acdsee2, which allowed me to simply jump into a
> directory, view photos in full-screen mode, and browse up/down using
> PgUp/PgDn or my scroll-mouse. That's all I want. Can someone recommend
> a fast application I should be using on the Mac? I don't think the
> Preview app will cut it, though maybe I just need to use it more? I
> thought maybe iPhoto should be used for this -- but it required me to
> import all my photos, all my directories got dumped into a single
> iPhoto album, and then my computer ran extremely slow. Thus, I don't
> think iPhoto is the right application either. Correct?


I am not aware of any program that does exactly that,
however, in 'column view' the last column will show a thumb of any
selected picture allowing you to use the arrow keys to step through the
pictures.

Again another shareware program GrapicConverter (you can get it at
version tracker too)
it has a slide show function. you can point it to a directory and it
will present all the photos as an on screen slide show.

> Please followup to this newgroup and I'll watch for it... that way,
> everyone can benefit from your replies. Thanks in advance,
> --
> tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com (remove NOSPAM... to send me email)

On 5/8/04 3:40 PM, in article 8ngq90df2vhtnj1s76km3okdqab00jctfu@4ax.com,
"Kel" <tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com> wrote:

> I'm a newbie Mac user, a Windows convert (yay!)... and I go all the
> way back to the VIC-20 and Amiga 1000, circa 1982/1985. Finally I've
> bought my first Mac, OS X 10.3.3 with all the updates. My new 12"
> Powerbook G4 is awesome! However I have some basic multimedia
> questions.
>
> (1) Many of my .avi files, copied from my Windows machine, don't work.
> Quicktime says it's missing the required files, but they're not
> available on the server. The "Windows Media Player" on my Mac won't
> play them either. Some of my .mpg files don't work either, I suspect
> some CODECS are missing. On Windows, they all play fine. Now what do I
> do? What do I need to download/install, and where do I put it? I
> mistakenly thought Quicktime was the bastion of all things multimedia,
> and I was disappointed to see Windows Media Player installed on my Mac
> (however - the latter does support full-screen mode, which is
> important and the Quicktime I have doesn't). I have all the Quicktime
> updates from Apple.
>
> (2) I have a very large collection of pictures. I copied some of them
> onto my Mac, but the Preview application is pretty basic. On Windows I
> used an app called Acdsee2, which allowed me to simply jump into a
> directory, view photos in full-screen mode, and browse up/down using
> PgUp/PgDn or my scroll-mouse. That's all I want. Can someone recommend
> a fast application I should be using on the Mac? I don't think the
> Preview app will cut it, though maybe I just need to use it more? I
> thought maybe iPhoto should be used for this -- but it required me to
> import all my photos, all my directories got dumped into a single
> iPhoto album, and then my computer ran extremely slow. Thus, I don't
> think iPhoto is the right application either. Correct?
>
> Please followup to this newgroup and I'll watch for it... that way,
> everyone can benefit from your replies. Thanks in advance,
> --
> tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com (remove NOSPAM... to send me email)


I'll throw my two cents in, in addition to the previous two comments.

1. I've had decent luck opening .avi files with the Windows Media Player for
Macintosh OS X. BUT NOT ALL THE TIME.

2. No clue; sorry.
--
Brian Ehni

in article BCC2D4FE.846E%behni@comcast.net, Brian Paul Ehni at
behni@comcast.net wrote on 5/8/04 4:18 PM:

> On 5/8/04 3:40 PM, in article 8ngq90df2vhtnj1s76km3okdqab00jctfu@4ax.com,
> "Kel" <tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm a newbie Mac user, a Windows convert (yay!)... and I go all the
>> way back to the VIC-20 and Amiga 1000, circa 1982/1985. Finally I've
>> bought my first Mac, OS X 10.3.3 with all the updates. My new 12"
>> Powerbook G4 is awesome! However I have some basic multimedia
>> questions.
>>
>> (1) Many of my .avi files, copied from my Windows machine, don't work.
>> Quicktime says it's missing the required files, but they're not
>> available on the server. The "Windows Media Player" on my Mac won't
>> play them either. Some of my .mpg files don't work either, I suspect
>> some CODECS are missing. On Windows, they all play fine. Now what do I
>> do? What do I need to download/install, and where do I put it? I
>> mistakenly thought Quicktime was the bastion of all things multimedia,
>> and I was disappointed to see Windows Media Player installed on my Mac
>> (however - the latter does support full-screen mode, which is
>> important and the Quicktime I have doesn't). I have all the Quicktime
>> updates from Apple.
>>
>> (2) I have a very large collection of pictures. I copied some of them
>> onto my Mac, but the Preview application is pretty basic. On Windows I
>> used an app called Acdsee2, which allowed me to simply jump into a
>> directory, view photos in full-screen mode, and browse up/down using
>> PgUp/PgDn or my scroll-mouse. That's all I want. Can someone recommend
>> a fast application I should be using on the Mac? I don't think the
>> Preview app will cut it, though maybe I just need to use it more? I
>> thought maybe iPhoto should be used for this -- but it required me to
>> import all my photos, all my directories got dumped into a single
>> iPhoto album, and then my computer ran extremely slow. Thus, I don't
>> think iPhoto is the right application either. Correct?
>>
>> Please followup to this newgroup and I'll watch for it... that way,
>> everyone can benefit from your replies. Thanks in advance,
>> --
>> tmp@NOSPAM...redbeet.com (remove NOSPAM... to send me email)
>
>
> I'll throw my two cents in, in addition to the previous two comments.
>
> 1. I've had decent luck opening .avi files with the Windows Media Player for
> Macintosh OS X. BUT NOT ALL THE TIME.
>
> 2. No clue; sorry.

might try and find Qt-Avi kit, if newer versions are available...