One of the only major disadvantages of switching to Mac is that there are far fewer games available for OS X than Windows. For example, Steam is a hugely popular gaming application on Windows which allows users to download and update an array of great games from developers Valve - the makers of Second Life.

Sadly it’s not available on Macs and usually, the only way to use it on a Mac is to install a virtual environment such as Parallels, VMware or boot in Windows using Bootcamp.

However, the former is expensive and usually results in poor game performance and of course, both methods require purchasing Windows. It’s far better - and cheaper - to run games natively in OS X if possible. But how?

That’s where CrossOver Games comes-in. CrossOver Games is based on what’s known as the “Wine” platform which means it allows you to play Windows games on Mac (or Linux) computers without purchasing a copy of Windows. Best of all, it’s only around $40 which is a snip compared to buying a virtual environment or Windows. CrossOver Games comes from the same makers of CrossOver which allows you to run many Windows applications on your Mac in a virtual environment. The advantage of CrossOver Games however is that it squeezes every last drop out of the Wine platform in order to handle the demands of games.

The app is designed for those with little technical knowledge and holds your hand throughout the setup process. You should be up and running within a matter of minutes. It won’t work for all games but the good news is that all the major ones - such as World of Warcraft, Half Life and the Steam platform, work perfectly and have been awarded “platinum” status for their stability on the Wine platform. You can find a full list of the specific games that work within Steam (most of which have been awarded at least silver status) here.

If you’ve been disappointed by gaming using a virtual environment or with Boot Camp and only miss Windows for gaming, CrossOver Games is a great solution.

One of the frustrating things about having multiple Gmail accounts is managing them all at the same time. Until recently, I’d been using the Firefox Gmail Manager Plugin but it’s an absolute pain because having two different Gmail accounts open in separate tabs automatically logs you out of both accounts after a few seconds. This is even more annoying if you’ve got other Google apps open at the same time because it logs you out of those too. The best answer I’ve found to this problem is Mailplane.

Mailplane was actually created back in the days when you needed access to your Gmail account from your desktop but IMAP support wasn’t yet available. Nowadays you can consult Gmail from any mail client like Mail.app or Thunderbird but unlike Mailplane, none of them are made specifically for the use of Gmail or make managing multiple accounts so easy.

Like a mail client, Mailplane works outside of your browser. Along the top of the interface, you have buttons for replying, sending, printing, forwarding etc much like any other mail client. There are also buttons for quickly adding photos (with special integration for iPhoto) and managing downloaded items. Alternatively, you can drag and drop attachments such as photos and documents onto mail while you’re composing it which is another very nice feature of Mailplane. A similar feature also works for taking screenshots and sending them instantly via Gmail.

You can add as many accounts as you want using the Accounts button. When new mail arrives, a Mailplane icon in your Menu bar will indicate how many are waiting to be read and each account features a number next to it indicating the amount of mail in that particular inbox. I like the fact that by clicking on the Menu bar icon, a drop down menu shows you the subject heading of unread mail in each inbox. The big advantage I’ve found though is that managing multiple inboxes with Mailplane is so much easier than doing it in your browser.

Although you can’t have more than one Gmail inbox at the same time, Mailplane makes switching between them much quicker and less hassle that in Firefox. In future, it would be nice to see a simultaneous open inboxes feature in the app but until then, it’s the best way of managing multiple Gmail inboxes I’ve found.

Tom and Elena have already explained how to stream movies from your Mac to a PS3 and an XBox. To complete the series, I’m going to explain how to stream movies from Mac to your Wii. The good news is, it couldn’t be simpler using a nifty little app called Wii Transfer. Wii Transfer not only allows you to stream movies to your Wii, but also photos, music and it even allows you to backup your Wii profiles.

Here is how to in 3 easy steps.

1. Download the Wii internet channel

Fortunately, Nintendo have seen sense and stopped charging $10 for it. The browser is now available for free. Just go to Wii Shopping on the main menu to download it.

2. Convert your videos for streaming

In the main interface, click on the “Movie” tab in the left-hand menu and drag and drop your movie files into it. Wii Transfer will then convert your films into a format the Wii can read so you may have to wait a while for this.

3. Setup sharing

Go back to the “Sharing” tab. You’ll see an IP address like: 10.0.1.197:9000. Enter this into your Wii internet browser. Read the rest of this entry »

One thing you can usually guarantee with Apple’s OS releases is that they will work properly. That wasn’t the case with Snow Leopard - released exactly two months ago today - and the compatibility problems that have dogged it hark back to Microsoft’s disastrous release of Vista. I’m not for one minute arguing that the functionality of Snow Leopard is as bad as Vista and the incompatibility problems are far fewer. But the number of problems being discussed by users on this site alone suggest that for the first time in Apple OS releases, they got it badly wrong.

Apple Mail in particular has caused a huge number of problems as the comments following a post I wrote addressing Snow Leopard incompatibility issues with it prove. Mike’s frustrations are typical of many:

Massive problems here. Mail crashes occasionally, Aperture crashes all the time, especially when trying to export. CS3 has crashed. I mainly see the crashing when going into the dialog boxes (i.e export etc). I am not going to go into work-arounds, that’s not my job, I paid a fortune for all of my apple gear to get away from this type of issue. Apple should have gotten this right before releasing it.

He’s absolutely right to be so angry. The least Apple users deserve is that Apple’s own software works with what was merely a revised version of Leopard. And as he found out, it’s wasn’t only Mail that caused problems. Adobe’s CS3 was a well publicized victim of Snow Leopard. Since we update programs on a regular basis here at Softonic, it’s been unavoidable for us to notice the large number of updates rushed-out by developers in the wake of Snow Leopard’s release and the volume of frustrated users finding that programs suddenly aren’t working anymore.

InformationWeek reported that at least 100 applications were incompatible with Snow Leopard on its release. Users at Wikidot are keeping track of those programs still incompatible including at the time of writing major packages such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe ColdFusion. And to complete the surreal Vista-esque scenario, there were even security issues on Snow Leopard’s release. We had the security hole created by Guest Accounts and a vulnerability in Java both of which put your Mac at risk of hijacking.

Don’t get me wrong. Snow Leopard was far less problematic than Vista on balance. Minor incompatibility problems are to be expected with completely new OS releases but Snow Leopard was hardly a revolution - it was merely a tweak of Leopard so it shouldn’t have been hard for Apple to get it right. That is, unless they rushed it out in advance of Windows 7 which seems like the most likely reason for the problems.

For many Apple users, the release of Snow Leopard will forever be remembered as the mark of the devil - 10.666. Let’s hope they get it right next time.

I’ve barely been able to think this week due to the Microsoft marketing machine going into overdrive. Mainstream, and even not-so mainstream media, have been singing the praises of the new operating system like it’s some kind of revelation.

In my humble opinion, it’s clearly not a revelation. It’s yet another blatant copy of Mac OS X by Microsoft and merely the final version of Vista that they messed-up so monumentally 3 years ago.

If you’re in two minds about whether to upgrade, here are 7 reasons not to believe the hype or make the switch:

1. Little difference to Vista

Yes, there are a few juicy new features such as the “Superbar”, Libraries and it’s quicker but it remains essentially Vista. As some people are already realizing, Windows 7 isn’t much more than a Vista Service Pack. If, Vista is Windows 6.0 then Seven is merely 6.1.

2. It’s expensive compared to other options

A cursory glance at other operating systems shows that Windows 7 is still very expensive. Ubuntu and other Linux releases are free, and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard costs only around $75 and just $45 for a version upgrade.

Windows 7, depending on the version chosen, costs between $119.99 and $219.99 for the upgrade and between $199.99 and $319.99 full version.

3. XP and Vista work fine

XP was released in 2001 and remains a good option thanks to the service pack. Even though it’s 8 years old, it still remains the world’s most widely used operating system and almost completely dominates the netbook market. As for Vista, despite an awful start, Microsoft updates have served to clean up many of it’s problems if not solved the bloatedness and speed issues which plague it. If you’re happy with your current Windows, why change?

4. It’s still built on the same old insecure infrastructure

Compared with previous versions, Windows 7 is more secure, yes. But at the end of the day, it’s still based on the same old vulnerable NT kernel that Windows 3.1x was based on 17 years ago. It’s still also necessary to activate the firewall and make sure antivirus updates have been kept up to date. Other systems are more secure where to install anything you need to be the Administrator.

5. Upgrading XP requires a clean install

While Vista users can choose a convenient “Upgrade” option which takes less than 30 minutes to install Windows 7, XP users  - which is the vast majority of Windows users out there - have to perform a clean install. Even a brief glance at the BBC’s guide to upgrading to Windows 7 tells you that there is no way offices and general home users are going to go to the trouble - or even feel confident - to perform a clean install of a new operating system.

6. Incompatible programs

Windows 7 will be compatible with far more programs than Vista was on release and most major developers have been updated their software for it. But there will inevitably be tools or small business applications designed for particular businesses which don’t work well with it. The only solution to this is the XP compatibility mode only available in the more expensive editions.

7. Windows remains a closed system

Years ago almost everyone had Windows installed so interoperability wasn’t an issue. Now there are many users sharing Windows with Mac OS X and Linux. While these two operating systems have endeavored to facilitate coexistence, Windows hasn’t. Thus while Mac and Linux can access Windows files and install the two operating systems together, this is not the case in Windows 7, which still reads HFS or EXT3/4 natively.

Will you be one of those that sticks with what you’ve got and doesn’t upgrade to Windows 7? Do you think that Windows 7 is worth upgrading to? Have your say.

So it’s almost crunch time for Windows users. Is it really worth paying $120 to upgrade to Windows 7? Here are 7 reasons in favor:

More Speed

By almost all accounts, Windows 7 is considerably faster than Vista (which isn’t hard) but this will be one of the most important draws for most users. No amount of fancy features can make-up for wasted time waiting for Aero graphics to render, applets to load and painfully slow startups. Windows 7 is faster in almost every department.

The ‘Superbar’

Out goes the old Taskbar and in comes the “Superbar”. Ok, Microsoft have clearly copied the Dock on Apple Macs but there are worse things they could have chosen to pinch. You can preview thumbnail windows of open applications windows using “Peek” simply by clicking on it’s icon. You can also “pin” favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access and re-arrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging.

Manage files with Libraries

Forget folders, Libraries is the new management concept in Windows 7. Libraries basically eliminate the old faithfuls such as “My Documents” and “My Pictures” and bring everything together under one umbrella. Nothing is actually physically stored in Libraries however which makes it more of a reference point for locating files wherever they are stored. This makes it much easier to locate photos and video stored on an external devices or networks (i.e. virtual folders).

Enhanced Built-in Search

Windows might still lack something as good Spotlight on Macs but the search improvements in Windows 7 are a darn sight better than Vista. The use of Libraries is largely to do with this as Windows 7 will even search virtual and network folders that aren’t physically stored on your machine. Even better, clicking on a result brings-up a preview of it and searches are much better organized by category. Read the rest of this entry »

This week is only about one thing in the computer world - the release of the Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7. With the ghosts of the Vista release fiasco still haunting them, some are also questioning whether its success or failure could also mark a historic moment in the evolution of Microsoft. Will it be the operating system that restores some pride to the much maligned company and gets it back on track in the operating system world or could it spell the beginning of the end of Microsoft’s domination of the PC market?

One thing we can say with certainty is that it can’t be worse than Windows Vista. The only way is up for Microsoft in terms of operating systems which isn’t a bad place to start from. Vista was not only delivered two years late but caused all manner of incompatibility problems with third party software and hardware (including even Micrsoft’s own Zune!) and had users flocking back to Windows XP. It says something that one of OnSoftware’s most popular posts ever was a simple list of Vista themes for XP proving that users liked the look of Vista but hated the bloated Aero engine and frustrating functionality.

The timing of the release is also probably better for Microsoft. Apple have recently proved that they’re not immune to new operating system cock-ups with basic incompatibility problems surrounding the release of their latest operating system edition, Snow Leopard. And Microsoft executives must have breathed a sigh of relief when Google announced that its new operating system Chrome OS won’t be launched until mid-2010. However, Google have announced that they will be releasing the code for it later this year which could yet throw a spanner in the works for Windows 7. Read the rest of this entry »

Spotify continued adding to its service today by allowing users to download tracks directly from Spotify onto their hard drive. Of course, users have been able to purchase MP3 tracks for a few months now but only by right-clicking tracks and being taken to 7digital’s website. Now everything has been streamlined and can be done directly within the Spotify interface. From now on, users will see a “Buy” button (which annoyingly for many paid-up Premium members can’t be removed or deactivated) next to tracks which when clicked, allows you to enter card details.

Note that the new download purchase option will initially be available in the UK and Germany, France, Italy and Spain with Sweden, Norway and Finland following in a few weeks’ time. It’s not clear how much each track costs but Spotify say once purchased, you will be able to download them a further 3-5 times depending on the label. There is no DRM attached to tracks so they can be transferred to any external device and most tracks are in very high quality 256/320kpbs MP3 format. This all gives Spotify a distinct advantage over iTunes downloads which only allow 20 second previews and one download per song.

However, while I can see that this purchase option will appeal to free users of the service so that they can download the odd track they really like, it will surely appeal less to Premium users. Those that are already paying around $10 a month for ad-free listening will probably see no reason why they should stump-up extra cash just for the pleasure of owning tracks. Especially now that they can use Spotify on their iPhone or Android mobile and use the offline listening function to access music when no internet connection is available.

They say 13 is unlucky for some and today will be a nightmare for those of you who dread lengthy Microsoft updates and the restarts they often involve.  Microsoft are issuing their biggest security update ever today involving 13 bulletins which will address 34 vulnerabilities. Six are listed by Microsoft as definitely requiring a restart while the rest “may require a restart”.

Reading through the Executive Summaries, it appears that eight of the updates are classed as critical and will close backdoor loopholes on Windows, Internet Explorer and Office. One of them includes a loophole caused by using Internet Explorer 8 with Windows 7. There are two critical updates relating to Service Pack 3 for Windows XP and Service Pack 3 for Office.

On the Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRSC) blog, MSRSC’s Jerry Bryant explains:

Among the updates this month, we are closing out two current security advisories. Vulnerabilities in SMB Could Allow Remote Code Execution and vulnerabilities in the FTP Service in Internet Information Services. Usually we do not go into this level of detail in the advance notification but we felt that it is important guidance so customers can plan accordingly and deploy these updates as soon as possible.

Although the restarts are a pain, you’re advised to let Microsoft Windows Update install them as soon as possible as there are so many critical fixes in this latest batch.

Note that you can keep up-to date with details of the latest Windows updates by subscribing to Microsoft Technical Security Notifications. You can choose from Basic Alerts for general users, Comprehensive Alerts for IT managers, Security Advisory Alerts for those updates related to security issues and finally Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRSC) Blog Alerts for first-hand explanations of the fixes and updates.

One Firefox plugin I’ve come to rely on is Gmail Manager Add-On for Firefox. This free plugin allows you to monitor as many Gmail accounts as you want in the Firefox status bar. It never worked perfectly - sometimes new mail wouldn’t register properly for example - but now unfortunately it seems to have stopped working completely.

The inbox counts don’t work at all and clicking on an account simply takes you to the Gmail login page instead of your inbox. According to one blogger, this is due to a security update in Firefox 3 which blocks the plugin and may have affected other Gmail plugins as well.

The only answer is to downgrade to Firefox 2 but that’s not exactly ideal. If like me, you’re lamenting the loss of a trusty Gmail add-on, here are some functioning alternatives to try.

Gmail Notifier Designed by Google, Gmail Notifier is all you need if you just need to check one account. It displays an icon in your system tray to let you know if you have unread Gmail messages, and shows you their subjects, senders and snippets, all without your having to open a web browser. A Mac version is also available. Note that it doesn’t work if you’ve got the Google Toolbar installed which leads me onto…

Google Toolbar This is worth installing for several reasons of which one of them is the Gmail checker. It isn’t very sophisticated however. An open envelope notifies you when you’ve received new mail and clicking on the drop down arrow next to it reveals all the subject headings of mail in your inbox. Clicking on any one of them, or the envelope itself, takes you to your inbox. Shame their is no inbox count reading or customizable sounds for when new mail arrives though.

Gmail Notifr A Mac only extension which sits in your Menu bar and supports multiple accounts. Gmail Notfr displays in digits how many e-mails you have waiting for you. It conveniently supports Growl alerts and doesn’t install any daemon background processes unlike Google’s Gmail Notifier. However, you can’t define how frequently you want it to check for mail (so it might be a bit slow at notifying you of new mail).

Gmail+Growl This works with Gmail Notifier and as the name suggests, is a very simple plugin for Mac users that uses Growl alerts to notify you of new Gmail. Unfortunately, it only supports single accounts but the great thing about using Growl is that you can customize the alerts.

GmailAssistant A third party Windows only application which supports multiple accounts. If you want a Gmail checker that’s completely independent of your browser on Windows, then this is a good choice although the configuration is very limited. You can’t define the frequency you want it to check for new mail or save your preferences for each account.

Yesterday I made an appeal to OnSoftware readers and you came through in flying colors. The appeal was to help fix my Acer Aspire laptop which, after an over zealous cleaning session with CCleaner, refused to boot.

Even safe mode wouldn’t work and to make matters worse, my CD/DVD drive is damaged meaning I couldn’t boot from a Windows disc. Fortunately, one of you pointed out that most Acers usually have a “hidden” recovery utility known as PQSERVICE which can be activated by pressing “Alt” and “F10″ on startup.

I’ve had the Acer Aspire 1414 for over 4 years now and had no idea this facility existed. For some strange reason, the bios does not allow you to boot from the USB drive in Acers (at least on my model) so PQSERVICE was my only hope. PQSERVICE is actually a hidden partition of your hard disk designed for exactly these kinds of emergencies. Note: activating it wipes your entire hard disk - any files, folders or programs you had installed will be automatically deleted.

As soon as I saw the bios screen, I pressed Alt-F10 and it immediately launched “Acer Recovery Tool 1.0.0″ a rough screenshot of which you can see below.

It appears to be a Symantec tool which works very smoothly and quickly. Within 10 minutes and a few auto-restarts, I had a completely new clean install of XP and wasn’t prompted to enter the Windows XP CD key at any point. It was a darn sight faster than reinstalling XP from a CD.

Although I lost some of my non backed-up files, folders and photos, it was a small price to pay to regain a functioning laptop which would otherwise have had to be thrown-away. Thank you OnSoftware readers and Acer - all is forgiven.

Here’s a conundrum for you. Normally we’re full of hints and tips at OnSoftware but this is an appeal for help from you the readers and also a warning of the dangers of using  CCleaner. Basically, I’ve got myself into a lot of bother after an over zealous cleaning session with it and can’t start Windows on my Acer Aspire 1414. Since my CD/DVD drive is broken, I can’t use a Windows XP disk to boot so the only option available to me is to perform a Network Boot.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do this which is why I’m appealing for help. Why on earth the bios won’t let me boot from a USB drive I have no idea but it’s a glaring error by Acer. The problem started after using CCleaner to uninstall programs, clean the hard drive and “fix” the registry. On restarting, my Acer Aspire booted as far as the Windows XP logo before going straight to the blue screen of death and now won’t even let me start in Safe Mode. The Acer bios gives me only one other boot option - a Network Boot - which I’ve been unable to figure out. A search on the internet reveals network booting involves a scary world of PXEs and DHCP which I’ve found very hard to understand. All that I know is that I have to connect my Acer laptop to another laptop with an ethernet cable!

The blue screen of death error code I’m getting is a “C000021a (fatal system error) The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly”. It’s clear that the problem is related to the session login part of Windows startup i.e. the bit where you click your username and enter your password to use Windows. I don’t see why this should stop me at least starting in Safe Mode but if I ever do get it started again, I’m going to remove the session manager completely. Beware all those that currently use it and CCleaner at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve just bought a spanking new Mac and plan to share it with your beloved or another person you should seriously consider adding a separate profile for each person. Adding a new user account means that you’ve got your own desktop and folders which you can deface and manage to your heart’s content without affecting the other user. You can also surf the net and manage your own web browser without worrying what the other person will find or see meaning you’ve both got a greater degree of privacy.

Adding a new user profile is straightforward on a Mac although new users may be initially confused by the fact that they have to unlock their Mac to make changes and also overlook the discreet but all important “+” symbol which allows you to add a new profile. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to the Apple icon in the top left and select “System Preferences…”

• Select “Accounts”

• If the padlock at the bottom of the panel is locked, click on it to unlock it. You’ll be prompted for your Mac admin password.

• Click the “+” symbol near the bottom left corner of the panel.

• You can choose to select from 4 different grades of account - Administrator, Standard,  Managed with Parental Controls or Sharing Only.

• Fill in your details and you’re done. If at any point you want to remove an account, just select it in the accounts list on along the left hand side and click the “-” symbol.

Windows: If you thought that FIFA 10 would be the final nail in the coffin for Pro Evo then think again. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 proves to be a real return to form for the popular soccer game series. The graphics are more realistic than ever, the controls have been refined, and the tactics section has been completely reworked. Try it for yourself by downloading the six-team demo.

Mac: As mobile devices advance, there’s an increasing demand for software that facilitates closer integration between your phone and your Mac. BluePhoneElite (now updated to version 2.2) is probably one of the most powerful out there, breaking down the barriers between the two devices. Amongst the many benefits of it are that it allows you to extend the functionality of both your Mac and Bluetooth mobile device.

iPhone: Parking isn’t the most exciting thing about driving, and yet Parking Mania has managed to create an entertaining casual game out of it! The aim of every level is to move your car into a specified parking space. You do this by tilting to steer, and sliding your thumb up and down to accelerate, brake and reverse.

Mac: One of the only bad things about switching to Mac from Windows is the loss of games. Despite everything, PCs are still more popular than Mac for gaming. CrossOver Games comes from the same makers of CrossOver which allows you to run many Windows applications on your Mac in a virtual environment. Like CrossOver, CrossOver Games is designed for those with little technical knowledge and holds your hand throughout the setup.

Windows: Believe it or not, there are people who need to be reminded of when it’s time to leave work… and TimeStamp is the perfect app for them! This cute little program lets you mark the time you start work and the time you finish as if it was a real punch clock – it even features a “punching” sound effect. A great way to control your working hours.

Mobile: Take control of nitro charged monster trucks, and charge of danger filled courses in Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks. This is a 2D game, where the aim is to compete courses in the best time possible, with the highest score. Mix care with speed for the best results, there is a surprising amount of subtelty needed here to succeed!