Virtually free

Parallels and VMWare Fusion at up to $90 a pop get most of the attention when it comes to solutions for running Windows at the same time as Mac OS X. Sure, you could use Apple’s included Boot Camp, but you have to reboot every time you want to switch platforms. So how does a freeware maven cope?

LowEndMac has the lowdown on how to use VirtualBox. As recently as a year ago, the Mac version of this free alternative wasn’t ready for prime time, but things have changed a lot since then.

VirtualBox is now backed by Sun Microsystems and an exploration of the website shows strong support from forums, mailing lists, bug tracking and IRC. Installation takes about half an hour. If you’re up to it, this is your freeware path of choice.

Update: Installation time corrected to about half an hour.

Posted Tuesday, July 22, 2008 in

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Getting the jump on GIMP

wilber Wouldn’t it be great if there were a freeware version of Photoshop. Many point to GIMP as the answer, but there hasn’t exactly been a stampede in that direction. One reason is because you need to have X11 running at the same time. With Leopard this isn’t quite the nuisance it used to be, because X11 is now pre-installed. And it should be pointed out that even with X11 running, the interface — while not perfect — still looks pretty good.

Luckily, progress is being made on making GIMP more Mac-friendly over at the Wilber loves Apple project. Installation is easier and there is an active forum to help you along the way. They say a native version is in the works, but there is no word on when it will see the light of day.

Perhaps most daunting of all is that GIMP has a reputation for being hard to learn. Mac users are accustomed to jumping in and intuitively figuring out a program. You likely won’t be able to do this with GIMP, but there is help for those willing to persist. Tutorials and support forums abound, and you can find a good roundup of them at Techzilo. The tutorials are aimed at everyone from the beginner to the expert looking to create special effects.

Posted Saturday, July 19, 2008 in

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