please help computer idiot

[chloed]

I have an apple imac apparently,and i want to order cd's from various fhs,do all cd's work on all computers or will i have to check compatability.
thank you chloe

[Rod Neep]

You will certainly need to check for compatibility.

There are some weird and wonderful file formats out there being used by different FHSs. If the files are PDF files, then you should be OK, (using Adobe Acrobat Reader) although I have encountered some that make it difficult for some Mac users, depending on the way that the files have been created.

Regards
Rod

[johnpritt]

As an iMac user myself, I agree with Rod. I ordered some records for Lancashire (not from ACDB) and to my disgust/horror discovered that they came with a programme to be installed -- and of course this was a windows-only application.

Fortunately (if that is the word) I have a recent iMac that runs at a reasonable speed, and also had installation disks for Windows (from a previous life), so I bought Virtual PC, installed that, then installed Windows, then installed the reader programme, and was able to work with the CDs.

If this isn't an option for you, check very carefully what the FHS says about its records. As Rod says, if they are PDF files, and assuming you are running OSX or have Acrobat Reader installed (in any case, Acrobat Reader is a free download), then you should have no problem reading them. (Mac OSX will open them in Preview which is part of the system software, if you don't have Acrobat.)

If nothing is mentioned, ask. Asking doesn't cost you anything. Buying Virtual PC is not a cheap option (particularly if you have to buy a version with Windows).

[chloed]

thank you john and rod, i have got that adobe reader installed, and i recognise the term pdf files, i understand now, i will have to be careful when ordering genstuff.