Video iMac editing

I’m keen to move from PC to an iMac. Although I now have a digital video camera, I still have a lot of old VHS and S-VHS tapes which I would like to put onto DVD. I also have about 40Mb of work in Microsoft Word and Excel files, which would also need to be transferred. Would the iMac cope?

D Spackman

An iMac DV model should cope well with digital video input, as well as your Word and Excel files. Your digital video camera will have a FireWire (IEEE 1394, or Sony iLink) interface, which is cheap and simple to connect to the FireWire input on the iMac DV. Although Apple’s iMovie is provided, there’s a good choice of other software, including Digital Origin products like the cheap EditDV Unplugged, right the way up to the professional EditDV full release. Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh will import and use PC Word and Excel files, although be prepared for re-pagination and some adjustments in format and layout on import.

The biggest remaining issue is with existing analogue video material. Sony offers a cheap NTSC (US format) converter/encoder to import analogue video via FireWire, but hasn’t yet released a PAL (European format) version. Conversion into digital video isn’t just a matter of altering the format of the video data, but also involves encoding it into MPEG streams: other equipment for this remains very expensive, being intended for the professional market. However, the next release of QuickTime will be able to encode and decode MPEG1 and MPEG2 video streams without extra software. Transferring digital video onto true DVD video disks would be costly at present, although the DVD-ROM format is now affordable. In time, DVD video should become cheaper, and readily available to your iMac via FireWire peripherals.

QuickTime problems

When I upgraded from QuickTime 4.0.1 (Pro) to version 4.1, I started to suffer a lot of crashes, and can no longer run any movies, even the QuickTime demo. Is this a known problem with Mac OS 9? How can I download a complete ‘clean’ version of QuickTime?

Jeffrey Hallett

Currently, QuickTime is at version 4.1.2, which addresses many of the problems in earlier releases. However, version 4.1 shouldn’t have proved so unstable on your Mac, so even downloading the complete package (from www.apple.com/quicktime/download/) may not help. As well as upgrading to Mac OS 9.0.4, you should turn off all non-essential extensions and control panels, and ensure your hard disk checker (for example, Disk First Aid) and virus scanner give your system a clean bill of health. If all else fails, try a clean re-installation of Mac OS 9.0.4 and QuickTime 4.1.2.

Mac OS upgrade

I was happy running my Performa 5200 with System 7.5.1 and an old version of Netscape Navigator to connect to AOL. However, I need to run a more recent version of Navigator to enjoy all the features of many sites. I’ve upgraded to Mac OS 8.0, but now have a lot of problems getting into AOL, and the same problems with ‘new’ Web features. My Mac is also dreadfully slow since upgrading. What’s the best way forward?

Ian Clark

First, you shouldn’t run Mac OS 8.0, which has a number of serious bugs and issues ­ in particular, it may spontaneously corrupt the contents of disks. You should either go back to System 7.5 (or, preferably, 7.6.1), or up to Mac OS 8.1, which is much more stable and reliable. Given the poor performance you’re experiencing with Mac OS 8.0, though, your best solution may be to replace your machine with, say, an iMac, which will run Mac OS 8.6 or 9 (and even Mac OS X when it appears), and the latest versions of the Microsoft and Netscape browsers.

If you’re stuck with your Performa, strip out all the non-essential features, minimise the number of fonts and so on, and make sure you turn off virtual memory; Connectix RAM Doubler would be a better alternative if you’re short of memory, rather than just after better memory management. Then install a recent release of the AOL software, which should come with a modern browser.

Microsoft Java

I can’t get Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 to use Java reliably. If I turn off Java, I can access all sites but not use Java features; if I turn it on, it consistently crashes my iMac running Mac OS 8.6. What’s the problem?

Ashley James

Microsoft Internet Explorer now relies on an external Java engine, the one shipped by Apple in its free MRJ package. Before going any further, you should upgrade to Explorer 5.0, from Microsoft’s MacTopia site, and ensure you have a recent version of MRJ installed. However, be prepared for problems if you’re trying to use MRJ 2.2 with Explorer 5.0: you may need to downgrade to MRJ 2.1.2. MRJ 2.2 is available through its description at asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11572.

Mobile phone and Macs

What’s the best way to connect a mobile phone to a current Mac model?

David Brammer

There are various interface options open to you: the oldest adaptors operate through a serial interface, which would require a USB-to-serial adaptor such as that offered by Keyspan. If you have a PowerBook (but not an iBook), you may find a PC Card adaptor with Mac drivers, although some only have PC/Windows support. Just starting to appear are adaptors which plug into USB ports. These have the greatest promise for the future, and can be used with any current Macs, including iBooks. Whichever you look at, be sure they work with your mobile phone, and that they come with fully functional Mac drivers and support for them. MacUser will be covering the latest USB products as they arrive for review.

Sony memory stick

I have a G4 450 and have just bought a Sony PC100E digital camcorder. While I can download video using a FireWire cable, how can I transfer pictures stored on the camcorder’s Memory Sticks?

Roger Hale

The Sony PC100 camera is outstanding value, offering conventional high-quality digital video via FireWire (IEEE 1394) connections, and storage of special high-resolution still images on Sony’s proprietary Memory Sticks. However, transferring those stills to a Mac has been its biggest problem. Highest resolution stills can only be stored on Memory Sticks, and, as such, can’t be downloaded to your Mac via FireWire. The serial connection package provided with the camera is useless for Macs, although you might be able to get it to work with Connectix VirtualPC and a USB-to-serial adaptor. Another solution, shipping as an optional extra, is a PC Card adaptor for Memory Sticks. This works well, but would require you to buy a PC Card adaptor for your G4 as well as the not-inexpensive Sony reader/adaptor. Thankfully, Sony has just started shipping a USB-based Memory Stick reader, which comes with Mac drivers, so that’s now your best option.

Slow RAM

My Power Mac G4 (with AGP graphics) has crashed repeatedly since purchase, even after upgrading to Mac OS 9.0.4. There seems to be no pattern to the crashing, and the only clue is that Apple System Profiler reports that one of the 256Mb DIMMs installed is a ‘PC100-322S’ module, which is ‘slower’. Do I need a new motherboard?

Steve Caplin

It sounds as if the DIMM reported by Apple System Profiler is even worse than slow, and may actually be intended for G3 models rather than G4. The best way to check this is to shut down your machine, turn off the mains power, and then open the case and remove the suspect DIMM. Apple System Profiler has been kind enough to indicate which slot it’s in. Reassemble your Mac and power it up: if the crashing has stopped, you’ve isolated the problem. Record the make and identification of the DIMM, and you should then be able to check whether it’s suitable for G4 models.

Unfortunately, the ‘PC100’ standard has gone the way of all computer standards, ensuring that there are at least six different ‘standard’ types of PC100 DIMM already. You can check DIMM types on the Kingston Web site (www.kingston.com), and in its KEPLER downloadable database. At present, Newer’s Guide to RAM Upgrades (GURU, version 2.8) still doesn’t cover G4 hardware. The DIMM in your G4 is probably only suitable for G3 models, and was probably installed in error. Whoever supplied it should replace it free of charge, as it’s clearly not compatible with Power Mac G4 models.

SyQuest failure

Whenever I try to use a disk in my SyQuest drive, I just get a lot of clicking before it grinds to a halt. Is there any trick I can use to get it going again?

Mike Barnard

This drive is either dead or so unwell that only the ministrations of a skilled engineer will save it. Try to locate your local user group, or take the drive to your nearest Apple dealer. You may be able to borrow a working SyQuest drive long enough to access the files you need while you decide what to do next. Removable hard disk systems, such as SyQuest and Iomega Zip and Jaz disks, are notoriously prone to damage from dust and dirt, and sooner or later will suffer failure. Although removable disks are useful for moving files around, a better alternative for valuable files, and those of more permanent interest, would be to burn them onto CD-R or CD-RW discs.

ADB dongle

I use a dongle-protected encyclopaedia on my Power Mac 8500, and wish to use it with my PowerBook G3 when I travel. How can I get the ADB dongle to work on the PowerBook, which only has support for USB?

G J Swaelens

Although you can buy USB-to-ADB adaptors which you could plug your ADB dongle into, these aren’t reliable in accessing copy-protection hardware such as dongles. If you want to try this, you must make sure you can return the adaptor for a full refund if it doesn’t work. Provided the encyclopaedia’s vendor still supports that product, they should now be able to offer you an upgrade to a USB-based dongle. If you have to swap your ADB dongle for a USB one you’ll need to buy a PCI card for your Power Mac to give it USB ports; check with the vendor that this will also work with their dongle.

Simple network

I’m about to buy an iMac DV SE 400, and will want to share files with my beige Power Mac G3. Will I have to use the Ethernet ports, and where can I get a cable that’s around 15 metres long to connect them?

David Beattie

Putting those two machines onto a small Ethernet network is simple, cheap, and provides a fast and efficient way of moving files between them. You have two main choices: you can either run a crossed-over UTP (unshielded twisted-pair) cable directly between them, or you can connect each to an inexpensive 10Base-T Ethernet hub.

Crossover cables are usually short, and are different from regular UTP cabling. Although you could buy a standard 15-to-20-metre UTP cable and a special crossover adaptor, it may be best to opt for a hub. You can place that near to either computer, and then run one short and one long regular (non-crossover) cable from it. Most computer dealers and mail order catalogues offer you all that’s necessary, but Apple specialists should understand exactly what you’re doing and offer the most suitable products.

Word format problem

I received two word-processed documents from a PC user with an email, but Microsoft Word 98 can only seem to open them using text recovery. They’re important documents and I need to view them properly laid-out. Am I going to have to use a PC, or ask the sender to try again?

Barry Downer

In the previous Know How (Vol 16 No 11, p80), we explained how you can get Microsoft Word 98 to recover text from most binary documents, even when it can’t translate them properly. If these documents were created using, for instance, WordPerfect for Windows, then you may be able to open them using its Mac version (now freely available).

However, if a recent version of WordPerfect, or a different application altogether, created the documents, the best translation option is likely to be MacLink Plus. Version 9 and earlier of MacLink Plus were bundled as part of the Mac OS, but the latest (11.002) has to be bought separately. Although a large download, it can be bought online and so can be obtained immediately. MacLink Plus will recognise most file types from PC or Mac platforms, even if they have been put into an incorrect filetype on the Mac, and will convert into a wide range of file formats, covering all the Microsoft Office 98 products.