The Cross-Platform Mac Handbook: Keeping Your Mac in a Digital World
Authors: David L. Hart
Venue:  (1999)

From the Book: PrefaceIf you use a Macintosh either at home or at the office, you almost certainly have had to work with a person who, poor soul, doesn't use a Mac. You may need to exchange files, revise documents, or share the same network printer. This book is written for those of you who have ever faced situations in which you've wanted to interact with users on other platforms and have been told, "You can't do that with a Mac." The Cross-Platform Mac Handbook shows you that you can.As one of the Macintosh "power users" at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, I find myself interacting with my colleagues on Windows NT and UNIX systems daily. Whether the file is going between a UNIX, Windows NT, or Mac system, however, I have found that I rarely have to leave my desk to work with, or even on, the other systems. This capability is due not just to my efforts, though. The networking and facilities staffs provide the Ethernet that allows Mac users to exchange files and print over an AppleTalk network. The Desktop Systems group has installed and configured the tools that let Mac users move files between the Windows NT and UNIX servers in the building. As a user I take advantage of these, but I need to know how best to convert and work with files that arrive in a UNIX or Windows format.In a large organization, the networking, system administration, and user applications that comprise a well-connected, cross-platform Mac are not maintained by a single person, but it helps to know a little about how all the parts work. The goal of The Cross-Platform Mac Handbook is to pull together enough information in these three areas to help you get your work done on your Mac.Thisbook does not cover all of these areas in great depth, but rather focuses on those areas that are particular to Macs. For example, it doesn't discuss how to configure Windows NT Server from start to finish, but it does cover how to find the settings that allow Windows NT Server to support Macintosh services. Again, let me emphasize: This book is a starting point for the wide variety of subjects described here, not a definitive reference on any of them.PREREQUISITESFirst of all, you should have a Mac. This Mac can be yours or can simply be on your network. Second, this book will focus on Mac OS 8 and above. This is mainly a practical matter. I use Mac OS 8.5 at work and Mac OS 8.1 at home. If you use a version of System 7, I can't guarantee that everything in this book will work, but most tips will work. On the other hand, Mac OS 8 has a number of cross-platform features built in. If you need to work cross-platform today, an upgrade of your operating system or perhaps even your hardware is probably in order.Third, you'll need an Internet account that gives you Web access. If you're still feeling your way around the Mac, you may need to follow the Web pointers in this book to more information. But even if you're an experienced Mac user and can follow the limited instructions in this book, you'll still need to get to the Web to find much of the software you're going to need.Finally, you don't need to be an expert to make the most of this book, but you should be comfortable using a Mac. You might learn a few tips or tricks here, but for the most part the book assumes you can navigate your way through the Finder, select an option from a menu, choose a printer, and configure a control panel. Nothing terribly complex, but a skill level beyond Square 1 is required. If you are an expert in a particular area-say, a UNIX networking expert who has to support Macs on your network-you should also find this book helpful. If you are looking for an introduction to the Mac OS, you have a number of excellent books to choose from.WHY THIS BOOK?The main reason I'm writing this book is because there is really no other book out there quite like it. Most computer books cover one operating system or one application (or a single application that has versions on more than one operating system). But in today's Internet world, just about every computer and user comes in contact with many operating systems, at least through files, disks, or communications that began on another platform.In my reading of Mac mailing lists and electronic and print magazines, I occasionally see a really useful cross-platform tip that resolves an annoyance for which, up to that point, I had found only a clumsy work-around. (I sure wish I had saved all those little snippets of information.) And in answering questions from my co-workers, I have come to realize that a lot of Mac users run into the same problems but may not have the answers.... Now, let it not be said that this idea is totally unique. When I began writing this book there were some related titles scheduled to be released. But none planned to cover the breadth of material in this book, such as UNIX-related integration, for example, or sneaker-net file exchange and conversion topics. Or cross-platform standards and applications. Or Internet and Web serving. If you have a cross-platform problem, chances are this book can tell you how to solve it, or at least point you to the resources that can.CONVENTIONSBefore we get to the book proper, I need to explain a few words about notation. This book would have been a monumental undertaking without the Web and the many resources out there. Therefore, you will find a lot of URLs and references to Web sites in this book.URLs will be printed in italics. And to save a lot of repetitive typing, a lot of ink, and maybe a few trees, I've omitted the leading "http://" and trailing "/" from URLs. This is becoming more common these days because many URLs already begin with "www." So if the book refers you to something that looks like blithering.com, you'll have the best luck by entering that notation into the Location area of your Web browser. Finally, I tried to avoid breaking a URL across lines, but if it could not be avoided, long URLs are hyphenated following a slash (/); hyphens located elsewhere in a URL are part of the URL.Also, from my previous book, the Mac OS 8 Web Server Cookbook, I learned an important fact about the life span of URLs. They are always decaying and turning into file-not-found messages, so I've tried to limit my use of long, very specific URLs. This may require you to click on a link or two when you arrive at a site, but it will save you the frustration of chasing down broken links. However, despite my precautions, some of these URLs will break. If you find a broken link, visit the book's Web site and send me an e-mail message.In a nutshell, I like my Mac. I like the fact that, from my Mac, I can work with colleagues who use Windows 95/98/NT or UNIX systems, and I don't have to use them. Networking and applications software developers have provided tools to let all these systems work together. If there's one message I hope to send with this book, it's this: Keep your Mac. It's a digital world.