MAC Software

I am very interested in purchasing a new MAC Book. Before I spend all the cash I want to be sure there is plenty of HAM related software available. Any MAC people out there can help me? I want to be able to do some digital stuff with it, RTTY, Packet, and the like. Also please let me know any good resources on the net relating to MAC and Ham stuff. Thanks for any help!

73
KD4WUO / AG
(with 5 wpm code)

 

Try Googling "Amateur Radio Mac". Plenty of info.

 

I have a Mac Mini at work and a MacBook at home, but am just getting into ham radio now.  I'd give the following Mac developers the first shot, especially since they have trial versions of the software:

Dog Park Software

Black Cat Systems (who also offers a USB to Icom CIV interface.

Here's a good site that lists some software from the above, plus others, such as  CocoaModem.

Also don't forget there's Parallels, which I'm using on the Mini with WinXP, Vista, ubuntu, and am installing Solaris this week.  VMware has a beta out of Fusion, it's competitor to Parallels on the Mac.

There's also Crossover Mac, an implementation of WINE for OS-X, which in my experience doesn't work as well as WINE on ubuntu (on a PC).  But they have a very generous 60-day trial to see if it will work with the Windows software you want.

I have NOT tested any of these emulations with USB to serial hardware connections for ham radio software and gear.  If you go that route, you can do that and let me know what works best for you.

Anyway, hope this gets you started in the right direction.

 

Thanks for the replies and links. I don't mind paying a little for good software, however I do NOT want to run Microsoft.

But from the links provided looks like I should be fine!!!

73's

 

My previous computer was a Windows machine so I already had a bunch of ham software and hardware for Windows. But I now have an Intel iMac. (I needed a new computer - but I was tired of, in effect, beta-testing XP for the past 5 years and they still don't have it right so didn't want that again- and frankly, Vista scared me)

I use Parallels with a Windows XP virtual machine to run all my old Windows based ham software and RigBlaster Plug and Play, although that wasn't primary reason for needing the XP capability (I have certain apps I need when I work at home, to ensure compatibility with Windows machines at work).

The only problem I ran into was there are some subtleties in how the XP virtual machine interacts with the iMac sound card and USB peripherals that took a little time to figure out how to make the RB PnP to work.

Over time, I plan to go to entirely Mac-only ham software, since it is awkward to have to switch back and forth. And actually I'm teaching myself Objective-C and there will come a point when I'll be able to write native Mac applications myself.

 

About the only app I miss when in OSX doing radio stuff is Ham Radio Deluxe. I'm just so used to it's interface and features.

But I wouldn't hesitate to order a MacBook. I love my MacBook Pro. And in the event you can't do what you need in OSX, you can always dual-boot in to XP.

 

a really good site for OS X and legacy Mac OS os
http://www.machamradio.com/

 

I primarily run Parallels using the WinXP on the BootCamp partition. I have a few things that won't run with Parallels but will when booted straight into XP. Since I generally spend a good part of the day with Parallels running, my BootCamp installation gets Windows and Symantec updates regularly, something that didn't happen when I had to boot into Windows to do that, and did as little as possible.

 

there is alot being developed right now. linux has alot but MAC is just getting into ham. i would go ahead and get it. if you just need log boooks then there are alot, but when you get into packet or telnet dx stuff, you might have to wait for the delevopers to come out with the stuff you want.

 

I thoroughly recommend CocoaModem. Super, professionally designed and executed, free, highly functional.

http://homepage.mac.com/chen/cocoaModemPage/index.html