Volume Number: 23 (2007)
Issue Number: 3
Column Tag: From the Editor

From the editor

by Edward Marczak, executive editor

Welcome to the March issue of MacTech magazine. Right away, I need to thank everyone involved with this publication. We've been getting absolutely great feedback from readers. Also, as an organization, MacTech has been firing on more cylinders than ever before. Of course, the authors need thanks as the content has been wowing everyone -- myself included! This month is no different, and I personally have to thank the authors involved in March as there were some short turnaround times for the articles, and everyone is still getting over their Macworld hangover! Contributors this month all picked topics that they were passionate about, and it shows. This leads me to two things.

First, I'm really thrilled to welcome Jeffrey Rochin to the MacTech staff. A former "formal" educator -- chemistry, physics and Science Department Chairman -- Jeffrey brings a lot to his role at MacTech. He's listed on the masthead as a "Staff Writer" which means helping with reviews and other articles, but he'll also be helping out various ways in our production process, helping catch all of those little errors before they get to the printer. He is a long time Apple Consultants Network member, has been using Apple products since the ][s, and currently runs a consulting practice out of the San Jose, California area. Welcome, Jeff, and we all look forward to the improvements and knowledge you bring!

Second, it's back to the authors! We're thrilled that author Dean Shavit was not only able to write an article about the new MacFUSE, but also interview Amit Singh who ported it to the Mac. Check inside for extensive MacFUSE coverage.

From there, we have two other returning authors that made their first appearance in February: Ben Greisler and Allen Hancock. Ben brings us the basics of IP failover. Did you know this high availability feature comes standard with OS X Server? Ben leads the way there. Allen, on the other hand, talks about the software that makes him more productive. Learn the tips and tricks here that will make your Mac life easier as well.

Philip Rinehart from Yale University and the MacEnterprise Project brings us a comparison of the major means of virtualization on the Mac today: Parallels and VMware, with a little Crossover thrown in for good measure. Virtualization is hot, but how do you choose the right solution? Check out "Virtual Reality" to help with that decision.

An author from a different University, Criss Meyers, writes about the differences in the Apple Partition Map (APM) partitioning scheme versus the newer GUID Partition Table (GPT). Didn't know your new Intel Mac was using anything different? See what GPT brings to the table.

As always, you'll find Kool Tools reviews, Ben Waldie's AppleScripting column, along with Mac In The Shell and our third installment of the MacTech Spotlight: this month, we're featuring Tim Standing from SoftRAID. Tim's article in January, "Using RAID as Backup" has gotten an amazing response, both through the magazine, and from people contacting him directly! He took some extra time out to share with us how he started, what keeps him going now, and what it's like to have to program after pulling someone out of a burning building.

Third, I want to mention that the authors that grace these pages, and many subscribers to MacTech are some of the most influential in the Macintosh universe. Do you know who the most influential people are? We could take a guess or two, but we want you to tell us! Vote on-line in the second annual MacTech 25, which highlights the 25 most influential technical people in the Mac community. Find out more and place your votes at http://www.mactech.com/mostinfluential/.

Enjoy the issue, and remember: never hesitate to contact us with questions, comments and ideas! We're listening at feedback@mactech.com. See you next month!

Edward Marczak