[webcookie]

My boyfriend's family is considering buying an iMac (an old indigo one from powermax.com). I went over the software that his dad insists must be on his machine. He uses IncrediMail (http://incredimail.com) for his email, and he really enjoys it because it allows you to choose different backgrounds, clipart, etc (not into the simplistic, obviously). Is there a program similar to this for Mac? He also uses some print shop program made by Broderbund. Are there any spectacular print shop programs for Mac? Also, another thing that isn't software related, but I didn't want to make two posts; his printer and scanner are connected via those really big plugs they used to use for those things, not USB. Is there some sort of adapter to plug these into to make it USB? Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[cpac]

Ok, for print shop: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23205 ought to do the trick.

As for that email crap - it's an outlook plug-in, so no there's not mac version. Your friend should try explaining to his dad that sending people email with animated .gifs and sounds built into the email is (1) annoying as hell (2) something not likely to show up in most people's email readers properly (3) more likely to be identified as SPAM by all the filters out there. By contrast, with Mail.app he can send nice pretty pictures and things just by dragging them into the email, and can send nice pretty fonts too - all without annoying other users too much.

[Mostly though, this dad sounds like he's stuck in 1987 in terms of computer banners and "isn't it cool to make my little newsletter with clip-art..." somebody should show him what he can do with iLife, and how *easy* it is...]

As for the printer and scanner, I'd just do some searching on one of the mac (or even PC) retail sites to see if they have appropriate adaptors. I'd hold out more hope that the printer will work than that the scanner will -- but who knows?

[thePurpleGiant]

We actually have the print shop alive and well on the mac, check it out here.

Incredimail only works in Outlook Express, no other email program, Mac or Win supports it. Nothing similar that I am aware of.

As for the printer, uses a parallel port plug it seems. but a lot of printers use this, but also have a USB hole at the back too. Check and see if it has this. I would not recommend getting an adaptor, they exist, but are slow, and buggy. And expensive. A new printer would be much cheaper, and easier!

[Earth Mk. II]

Originally posted by cpac:
As for the printer and scanner, I'd just do some searching on one of the mac (or even PC) retail sites to see if they have appropriate adaptors. I'd hold out more hope that the printer will work than that the scanner will -- but who knows?

Actually - with SANE, it's more likely that an older scanner can be made to work than an older printer.

There's a Mac OS X binary pachage, and a GUI frontend for it.

[Mike S.]

What do you mean Incredimail only works in Outlook Express? Do you mean it's the only client that can properly interpret the ugly ass garbage it sends?

The client itself appears to be a standalone package on Windows, I encountered it on a neighbors PC. Hmm, looking at the site perhaps it's been changed from the version he has (it keeps nagging to upgrade to a later beta version but they don't want to).

The UI (button bars) is different in those screens then what he has on his computer.

[hyperb0le]

You probably won't find much similar to IncrediMail for OS X. HTML E-mail is pure evil.

That said, Mail.app can compose and view HTML E-mail. Just drag whatever image you want into the message, and it is attached. You can change formatting the same way you would in any OS X app. However, I would strongly advise against sending HTML E-mail.