| Mac
Life Preservers
By Galen GrumanLike it or not, Windows PCs are probably a part of your life, but you don't have to sink in a sea of cross-platform incompatibilities. With the right tools, you can not only stay afloat but also cruise easily in the cross-platform waters. In the feature "Save Your Mac!" (elsewhere in this issue), we talk about strategies and problem solving for mixed Mac and Windows environments. Here we'll help you find software that will turn those tactics into action. No matter how you deal with Windows PCs, there's almost certainly a software option that will fit your particular needs. In this comparison, Macworld explores and rates 25 products.
Sharing Disks SuccessfullyThe most common way to share with your Windows-using coworkers is to exchange files, whether you're swapping simple floppies or removables of other kinds. But there's a basic problem with cross-platform file exchange: the Mac and Windows operating systems use different methods of formatting and arranging files. As a result, disks typically won't mount, and even when they do, you can't double-click on file icons to open the files. Luckily, software tools can help you overcome this obstacle. The table "Breaking the Mac-PC Disk Barrier" sums up what's available for file exchange and how these tools rate with Macworld. Tools for the Mac The Mac OS comes with a built-in tool for helping you handle Windows PC media and files: PC Exchange. But in System 7.X and Mac OS 8.0, PC Exchange supports only the DOS-style file names, not the long file names you might encounter when working with users of Windows 95 or Windows NT 4. The new PC Exchange 2.2 in Mac OS 8.1 now handles Windows' long file names. However, Macworld still recommends a more powerful solution: Software Architects' (www.softarch.com) $100 DOS Mounter 95 1.1. In addition to mounting PC media and handling long file names, DOS Mounter 95 lets you choose how Mac files are saved to PC media: DOS-style (perfect if you still work with people using Windows 3.1 or NT 3) or with long file names (if you work with people using Windows 95 or NT 4). Unlike PC Exchange, DOS Mounter 95 also lets you format Iomega Zip cartridges and other removable media in PC format, and it gives you more control over how files are mapped from one platform to another. Mapping determines what icons your files get and thus what programs will open when you double-click on them. DOS Mounter 95 lets you set up independent file maps; so you could, for example, have files with the file extension .tif (for TIFF files) be mapped to an Adobe Photoshop TIFF file when opened on the Mac but mapped to a Corel Photo-Paint TIFF file when opened on a Windows PC. DOS Mounter 95 includes a utility that lets you format SCSI-based removables and hard disks with Windows or Mac partitions. You can even partition a disk with one section formatted for Windows and one for the Mac OS. The application also includes the graphics-translation program GraphicConverter (covered later in this article). My only criticisms of DOSMounter 95 are its price--$100 is a lot, although the addition of GraphicConverter helps justify the cost for some users--and the fact that you can't copy its extension map to other Macs (to ensure common mapping in a workgroup). Software Architects also offers FormatterFive 3.1, a $195 utility that incorporates DOS Mounter 95 (renamed as Mac-PC Manager) and includes enhanced drive-formatting options. FormatterFive lets you work with IDE drives and create Universal Disk Format partitions (used on DVD-ROM discs). Tools for Windows PCs Mac users aren't the only ones who can smooth the waters of Mac-PC file transfer. Three programs can help Windows PC users read your Mac media. Our favorite is the $59 MacOpener 3.0, from DataViz (www.dataviz.com). It runs on Windows 3.1, 95, and NT 4.0 and has everything that most users need: the ability to read, write, and format Mac media; user-editable extension maps; and integration of Mac-formatting capabilities into Windows' contextual menus (see the screen shot "One-Touch Formatting"). If you need to work with Mac file resources or copy Mac disks from your PC while retaining their Mac formatting, you'll want the pricier ($75) MacDrive 95 1.3, from Media4 Productions (www.media4com). It lets you use a PC as a disk-copying workstation for Mac media, freeing your Mac for more-interesting work. MacDrive 95 does not run under Windows NT (though the forthcoming MacDrive 98, expected this spring, will). Like MacOpener, MacDrive 95 adds its Mac-formatting capabilities to Windows' contextual menus. Once Macworld's top pick in this category, Software Architects' $100 Here & Now 2.0 is showing its age. It covers the basics, but it doesn't support Windows NT and doesn't integrate Mac-disk formatting into Windows' contextual menus. Its one advantage is the ability to set up independent file mapping for Mac-to-PC and PC-to-Mac transfers, like its Mac cousin DOS Mounter 95 can. A new version expected this summer may again make Here & Now a top contender. Avoid the truly awful Mac-in-DOS Plus 2.0, from NetUSA (formerly Pacific Microelectronics; www.netusa.com). Mac-in-DOS makes you use a time-wasting separate utility to copy files from floppies and removable drives to PC media, and vice versa. Mac-in-DOS is also terribly overpriced at $129. Its only merit is that it automatically adds Mac file and creator types from unrecognized Mac files to its database, prompting you for the Windows file extension. However, this feature does not make Mac-in-DOS worth buying.
Sharing Over a NetworkMany people who use Macs are a minority surrounded by Windows PC-using departments. Exchanging floppies and other media helps you work with the Windows hordes, but it doesn't help you collaborate on the network, where most corporate data exchange happens. The software options here are trickier, mostly because networks are configured differently from company to company. The table "Making Macs and PCs Talk Directly" sums up the options and gives Macworld's ratings for each. The Future of Mac Networking At some point, Apple plans to base its networking future on the platform-independent TCP/IP protocol rather than on the AppleTalk protocol. (The Mac OS now offers both, although AppleTalk is by far the more dominant.) The standardization on TCP/IP will make it easier to integrate Macs into PC-dominant environments, since Windows 95 and NT use TCP/IP. Of course, you'll still need software that helps Windows PCs and Macs share the files over the network, since even if the two platforms use the same networking protocols, there are still the issues of conflicting file and disk formats and of different sharing protocols. Today's Solutions At the very least, you want your minority Macs to access Windows PCs and printers. Both PC MacLAN, from Miramar Systems (www.miramarsys.com), and Dave 2.0, from Thursby Software Systems (www.thursby.com), do that well, but they tackle the problem from different starting points: you add PC MacLAN to your Windows PC, while you add Dave to your Mac. If you have more Macs than PCs, it makes sense to use PC MacLAN. If PCs dominate, Dave is the better choice. Best Tools for a PC Minority By adding AppleTalk networking functionality to Windows, PC MacLAN makes any Windows PC into a file and print server for Macs, and it lets the PCs see Macs with file sharing turned on as file and print servers. There are separate versions for Windows 95 (version 6.2, $199) and Windows NT (version 4.0, $249), as well as a Windows 3.1 version (5.5), which Miramar is giving free to K-12 schools (it's no longer sold commercially). Miramar would do well to sell these as one product for either platform, to ease the burden of IS managers dealing with Windows 95 and NT systems on the same network. If you need to access a Mac network remotely--from your Windows notebook, for example--there's just one product that can help: Miramar's PC MacLAN Remote (version 7.0) for Windows 95. The company has no plans for an NT version of PC MacLAN Remote, because Microsoft plans to add this capability in Windows NT 5.0, due out in late 1998 or early 1999. PC MacLAN Remote has two flaws. It's expensive ($179), and you have to restart your PC each time you want to switch your connection (between remote and LAN cross-platform access) if you use PC MacLAN Remote with PC MacLAN 6.2. (Miramar sells the two products bundled together for $249 as the PC MacLAN Pro-Pack.) Miramar says it is working on an upgrade that won't require such restarting. A bug in the various PC MacLAN products can prevent America Online users from seeing their network adapters when configuring the Miramar network settings in Windows' Network control panel. You can use keyboard arrow keys to scroll through the pop-up menu of adapters until you find the hidden network adapter; the company plans to have a fix on its Web site by the time you read this. All versions of PC MacLAN smoothly integrate into Windows, making Mac volumes and Mac printers accessible through the standard Network Neighborhood interface like any networked PC or PC printer. My only criticism of the PC MacLAN family is its high cost: prices range from $179 to $249 depending on the version you buy, compared with $119 for Dave. Best Tool for a Mac Minority The Mac-based Dave uses the Mac's native TCP/IP and adds Windows' NetBIOS protocol to give the Mac the appropriate networking protocols to connect to a Windows 3.1, 95, or NT PC. Many Mac users will appreciate that Dave doesn't require any software installation on the PCs, so you can connect your Macs without the help of your IS staff. But don't get too independent: configuring Dave requires details about the Windows networking configuration on the PCs you're working with. You'll likely need a PC pro's help. For those not comfortable with nitty-gritty networking, PC MacLAN is far easier to set up. Dave's only significant design drawback is that it relies on PC Exchange's extension mapping to display icons of files across the network--this is unfortunate if you're using DOS Mounter 95, which we recommend over PC Exchange. Dave also suffers from a limitation of the Mac OS's networking implementation: you can have only one active TCP/IP connection. If you are using Dave to connect to a PC and want to dial in to an Internet service provider, you'll have to disconnect from the network, change your TCP/IP control panel's configuration to a dial-up connection, restart your Mac, and then dial the Internet connection. Apple has said for several years that it will fix this problem but still hasn't done so. Once you have Dave up and running, PC users will see Macs and Mac printers through the standard Windows Network Neighborhood interface and Macintosh users will see PC volumes through the Chooser. At $119, Dave is a much cheaper buy than PC MacLAN, and Dave supports all flavors of Windows in one program. But PC MacLAN is much simpler to set up and doesn't have the one-network-at-a-time limitation, because it is PC-based. I prefer PC MacLAN because it has fewer hassles, but Dave's complexity is caused by the Mac OS, not by Thursby's implementation. Other Options Although most people will prefer products such as PC MacLAN and Dave that provide bidirectional Mac-PC networking, some people might consider the $159 PC-to-Mac-only COPSTalk 2.5, from Cooperative Printing Solutions (www.copstalk.com). Its support of the Mac's new TCP/IP and AppleTalk File Protocol-over-IP functions means you can connect PCs to Mac-based Internet servers, which Web publishers in particular may find handy. It's also easier to set up than Dave.
Running PC SoftwareOver the NetworkMany Mac users in large companies need access to central resources, such as files and printers, and PC MacLAN and Dave both allow such access. But if you also want to run a few Windows programs on your Mac, you'll need a separate solution. You could get a PC Card or emulation software--as the sidebar, "Can the Mac Really Do Windows?" describes--but there are other options too. The Best Choice he simplest option is the $139 Timbuktu Pro 4.0, from Netopia (formerly known as Farallon Communications; www.netopia.com). This software lets you remotely control a Mac or a Windows PC from another workstation. What's particularly useful about this is that the system being controlled does not have to be the same platform as the one controlling it, so you can run Windows programs in a Mac window or vice versa. Timbuktu also provides file exchange and basic messaging (such as chat). Things to Avoid A more complex possibility is NTrigue 3.0 (pricing was unavailable at press time), formerly from Insignia Solutions but recently sold to Citrix Systems (www.citrix.com). NTrigue's application server runs on Windows NT, which means that multiple computers, be they Macs, PCs, or Unix workstations, can simultaneously run programs that reside on the NT server. Besides other limitations, NTrigue is based on an outdated version of NT--3.5--that won't run most current Windows 95/NT software, and the NT 3.5 interface is so awful that most Mac users (and many NT 4 users) will blanch the first time they see it. NTrigue routinely crashed when installing software from a CD-ROM or a floppy disk. Although NTrigue lets multiple users run programs remotely at the same time (Timbuktu lets only one person at a time), that's not a sufficient advantage to outweigh its current weaknesses.
Essential UtilitiesHowever you connect your Macs and PCs, there are a few utilities you'll find essential to have. Printer Support All the network-based file-exchange products
reviewed here support the use of printers on the
server platform, but that's a sure thing only
when the printers are based on Adobe PostScript,
since both the Mac and Windows support it. If you
have non-PostScript printers that your Mac needs
to access via a network, you'll need PowerPrint
4.0 ($99; PowerPrint adds drivers for most Windows PC
printers, and this latest version includes a new
cable with which you can connect a Mac's serial
port to a PC printer's parallel port, allowing
you to work with parallel-port-only PC printers.
Infowave also has a multiuser version called
PowerPrint Pro 4.0 ($199; File Compression The standard program for file compression on
the Mac is Aladdin Systems' (408/761-6200, www.aladdinsys.com)
StuffIt 4.05 ($99; Fortunately, StuffIt can decompress PKZip
files and Aladdin offers a free utility called
StuffIt Expander for Windows that lets you
decompress StuffIt files on a PC. The best
file-compression utility for Windows, the
shareware WinZip 6.3 ($29; Unfortunately, StuffIt can't create PKZip
files and WinZip can't create StuffIt files. But
the shareware ZipIt 1.3.8 ($15; File Translation Practically every popular Mac and Windows program is cross-platform, so the need for file translation has greatly diminished. Most major programs even read their competitors' formats. However, if you deal with older formats
(particularly those of older word processors and
spreadsheets), you may find DataViz's translation
software exactly what you need. The Mac-based
MacLinkPlus/Translators Pro 9.7 ($149; For translation of graphic vector formats, the
Mac-based Transverter Pro 3.2 ($399;
Macworld's Buying AdviceOur Editors' Choice winners, combined with the relevant tools from the preceding "Essential Utilities" section, will make for smooth sailing in a cross-platform environment. And although the prospect of integrating Macs and PCs is unsettling for many people, the good news is that you can do so without losing what makes the Mac special. In fact, these tools make it harder for someone to take your Mac away. _______________________________________ _______________________________________ EDITORS'CHOICE
Mac-Based Disk Exchange
This utility gives you real control over how files are transferred. Company: Software Architects (425/487-0122, www.softarch.com). List price: $100.
PC-Based Disk Exchange
Seamless integration into Windows 3.1, 95, and NT makes this the best bet for accessing Mac files on a PC. Company: DataViz (203/268-0030, www.dataviz.com). List price: $59.
Network-Based File Sharing
Once configured, this Mac-based program provides seamless peer-to-peer networking between Macs and three versions of Windows: 3.1, 95, and NT 4. Company: Thursby Software Systems (817/478-5070, www.thursby.com). List price: $119.
Although pricey, the Windows 95 (6.2) and NT 4 (4.0) editions of PC MacLAN provide seamless peer-to-peer networking yet re-quire little networking knowledge. Company: Miramar Systems (805/966-2432, www.miramarsys.com). List price: Version 4.0, $249; version 6.2, $199.
Network-Based Application Access
A jack-of-all-trades, this program lets you remotely control other systems, run software, share files, and even send electronic notes. Company: Netopia (510/814-5000, www.netopia.com). List price: $139. _______________________________________________ Can the Mac Really Do Windows?By Susan Silvius
There's no easy answer; it depends on your needs, your budget, and your desk space. But if you need to run lots of Windows applications on a regular basis, your best choice is to just buy a low-cost Windows PC. The alternatives are mediocre replacements, and Macworld recommends them only in specific cases. Software Emulation If your budget is tight and you need to run only a few Windows applications, the cheapest option is a software emulator--a program that poses as an Intel-standard PC and lets you run DOS and Windows applications on your Mac. But this alternative is also slow and requires lots of RAM and hard-disk space--your Mac should have at least 32MB of free RAM and 250MB of hard-disk space available. Macworld Lab tested Insignia Solutions'
(408/327-6000, www.insignia.com)
SoftWindows 95 4.0 ($199; PC-Compatibility Card If you need to devote significant time to running Windows applications, you need speed. If you have zero spare desk space or if your company won't support PCs, consider a PC-compatibility card--a PCI card that includes a Pentium-compatible processor and RAM dedicated to running DOS or Windows. We tested Orange Micro's (714/779-2772, www.orangemicro.com) OrangePC 550 AMD-K6 233MHz card ($1,549; Three Mice). Its speed is impressive--nearly as fast as a $1,800 233MHz MMX Pentium PC on both tests. But for what you spend on the card, you could buy a midrange Windows PC. Radius (408/541-6100, www.radius.com) offers a lower-priced option with its Detente line of Pentium-based PC-compatibility cards, formerly sold by Reply as the DOS on Mac cards, but Radius declined to lend Macworld Lab evaluation units. Apple has discontinued its PC-compatibility cards. Screen Sharing If your company has a spare PC
on its network, you can use screen-sharing
software to access it without making room for it
on your desk. Screen-sharing software, such as
Netopia's (510/814-5000, www.netopia.com)
Timbuktu Pro 4.0 ($139;
Macworld's Buying AdviceThere's really no choice for most Macintosh users: bite the bullet and put a PC next to your Mac. Add connectivity software to exchange disks and data and use a switchbox to share a monitor, and you'll have the best of both worlds. ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ EDITORS'CHOICENone For the vast majority of users, making room for a low-cost PC alongside your Mac is the most sensible way to run PC software. The other options are good only in limited, specific cases. |
), from Infowave
(604/473-3600, 
), while on the PC, the
standard format is PKZip, which is supported by
several programs.
)
will translate most now-popular and once-popular
file formats from Mac and Windows. On the PC
side, DataViz offers Conversions Plus 4.0 ($99; 
)
and Connectix's (415/571-5100,