Running Windows XP on a Mac

As a long time technology professional, I've always had the need to test my projects using multiple computing platforms, generally MacOS, Windows and Linux (and now including mobile devices and operating systems). Apple Computer makes my laptop of preference, and the latest version, the Intel-based MacBook Pro, now has the ability to run Windows XP natively.

Why would you want to run Windows on a Mac? In a word, convenience. In my case, I often need to test web applications and connect to corporate VPNs via Windows XP. It's much more convenient if I can do these things from one computer -- I don't have to lug two laptops around or stay put where I have access to a Windows desktop machine.

I'm actually running two copies of Windows XP Pro in two different ways on my MacBook Pro. One was installed using Apple's BootCamp software, and the other using Parallels Workstation. I wanted to compare the two methods before making a final choice.

BootCamp gives me the ability to dual-boot my laptop so it starts up with either MacOS X or Windows XP Pro... but I have to choose at startup time. It works great, and windows is 100% native when I'm using it. No complaints, except the reboot process is a hassle.

The Parallels Workstation solution creates a Virtual Machine inside which I run Windows. So I boot into MacOS X, launch Parallels, and fire up Windows. Windows runs slightly slower inside the virtual machine than it does with the BootCamp solution, but it's not noticeable for my purposes. The convenience of flipping back & forth between Windows and MacOS applications is incredibly compelling... and productive. Makes it easy to justify the expense of a new machine.

An additional and unexpected bonus with the Parallels solution is the ability to Pause the virtual machine at any time. It simply "freezes" windows in place. While paused, Windows does not issue or respond to any requests for network or disk access, which means it's completely secure. Until I wake it up again, that is. If you choose to run Windows on your Mac, be sure to install appropriate anti-virus and malware-detection software. Otherwise you're asking for trouble.

If you don't have an Intel-based Mac (a new iMac, Mac Mini or MacBook Pro), you might be considering Microsoft's VirtualPC as a way to run Windows on your current machine. As a former VPC user, I can tell you that it does indeed work, but it's so slow that it's not practical to use. Save your pennies and invest in a new machine. Apple's entire hardware line will be Intel or AMD-based by the end of this year according to Steve Jobs.

Cool technology alert: Gizmo

The Gizmo Project has a software telephone called Gizmo that lets you call any other Gizmo user in the world for free. Now there are other ways you can do that (Skype, AIM, iChat AV, etc) but Gizmo has a combination of features that give it an edge over the competition. I call it the first true contender to replace my landline phone.

Here's why:

- The sound quality is excellent. I generally use a USB headset to minimize background noise and echo. I also use a headset on my landline. The ability to adjust volume for both the speaker and the microphone make the Gizmo phone a much better option.
- It uses the industry-standard SIP protocol, so it can make direct calls to other SIP-compatible devices.
- Call recording is a free feature. This is huge. For me, it's the ability to record a call (with permission) and share the call with others who were not able to attend a meeting. Or, if I am interviewing someone, I can easily refer back to get their exact words. This will change the way I do some of my work.
- Small-scale conferencing (up to about 4 people) is possible over the Internet, and they include a link to FreeConferenceCall.com where you can set up calls with landline participants.
- Voice mail is included -- and it works even when the software is not loaded or your computer is turned off. Messages are sent to you via email.
- It has a "dial pad" feature so you can punch in conference codes and calling card numbers when that's necessary. It works better than on other products I've tried.
- The user interface is clean, simple, and intuitive.
- It's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. I've been testing the Mac version.
- For a small fee you can purchase blocks of outgoing time to call regular landline phone numbers. It's about 2 cents a minute to call just about anywhere.
- You can also purchase a regular number for incoming calls, so that people with land lines can call your Gizmo phone. In essence, you can now use your Gizmo phone as your primary phone number.

The technology is still in beta, but if you're adventurous, I highly recommend it. I can now go to my favorite wi-fi hot spot and make phone calls to my heart's content without holding a cell phone to my ear. What a treat!

(I've also used Skype fairly extensively and like it. However, it uses a proprietary protocol in place of SIP and the dial pad doesn't work as well. It also doesn't include call recording by default, so it gets slightly lower marks in my book.)

MS Word HTML Clean Up

Many folks have discovered the ability of Microsoft Word to export to HTML. Using this feature, one would think you could grab the HTML source code from your favorite Word document and plop it into a web page or discussion forum or other web form that accepts HTML. The result should be nicely formatted text, right? Not so.

In order to provide "round-trip" support (the ability to export a Word doc, edit it in another application, then open it in Word again), Word embeds many non-standard tags when it exports HTML. The result is that a Word-generated HTML document will wreak havoc in many online forums and will not display properly in browsers other than Internet Explorer.

There are several ways to clean up Word-generated HTML. Here are a few:

• In Word 2003 you can use the built-in functionality:
  
  Save As -> Web Page, Filtered (*.htm, *.html)



• For Word 2000, Microsoft has a plug-in that adds similar functionality.



• For Word 2004 for Mac, try this:
  
  Save As -> Format: Web Page (HTML) -> Click the "Save only display information into HTML" option
  
  If that doesn't work for your needs, try one of the options below.



• For other versions of Word, or if you would like a different solution, try uploading your Word-generated HTML file to the Textism Word Cleaner and it will give you cleaned-up HTML for cutting and pasting wherever your heart desires.



• If you're technically inclined and would like to take things a step further, jTidy will clean up your Word HTML and then validate it so you can be sure it's standards-compliant (hint: It probably won't be on the first pass).

Technology for Humans

For years I've repeated the mantra that technology should be in service to humans rather than the other way around. After all, we humans created this wonderful techno world with the idea that it could help make our lives easier. The difference between technology being of help and being a hinderance to our daily goings-on is often a small amount of missing information.

This blog will be a resource to answer common and not-so-common technology questions that my clients and colleagues encounter in their daily travels through their lives-supported-by-technology. Feel free to post your questions and I'll answer those that seem to be coming up most frequently.