PC's vs. MACS

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 1 Mar 2004 9:53 am

the ONLY problems we are encountering with our new web site (www.jerrybyrdfanclub.com)
are the folks with MACS that cannot get the music. Is there a simple FIX?

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 1 Mar 2004 10:35 am

I couldn't reach it at that address Ray; I would be glad to try and troubleshoot it if I can see the site.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 1 Mar 2004 3:32 pm

Ray,

You're right, it won't play on a Mac. When I post an .mp3 on the web I don't bother with putting a player on the page with it, I just make a link to the .mp3 and the browser, on whatever platform, plays it the way the user has it configured for playing media files.

Cal

Billy Henderson · Post by **Billy Henderson** » 1 Mar 2004 4:10 pm

I have a Mac and it is in a zone of its on. For me it is as useless as T_ T$ on a boar hog. Sorry

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 1 Mar 2004 4:47 pm

Yes there is a simple fix using basic HTML.

I suggest putting a link to the actual MP3 for folks whose browser does not auotomatically play the song.

For example, at the bottom of your main page put:

Click Here if you do not hear the music.

Also, because some browsers have trouble with spaces in file names, I suggest you name your songs without spaces in their titles. So sun spots.mp3 becomes sun_spots.mp3.
[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 01 March 2004 at 04:57 PM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 1 Mar 2004 4:53 pm

Click on edit in my above post to see the HTML code.

If you need more help with your excellent site have your web designer email me.

I'm moving this to Computers.

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 2 Mar 2004 8:25 am

We are indeed sorry about that yet are duty bound to provide a system that will adequately serve the vast majority of viewers/listeners.

Ray, not to pick on you but if you really want to follow that philosophy you should create a page that follows web standards.

You (or your web designer) have used FrontPage to create the site. It's a PC-only, Microsoft-only solution, calculated by MS to make things difficult for other users. This is why professional web developers have such animosity toward Microsoft. When non-professionals such as yourself (no offense intended here) create a site with FrontPage and its proprietary extensions, only to get complaints from non-PC users, they naturally assume it's the fault of the other platform. It's not. Microsoft, by virtue of their size, willfully ignores standards everyone else uses. And it is intentional.

To provide audio files for your users, it is not necessary to embed a call to a specific player. As Joey and Cal noted, the proper way to do so is to display a link to the file. Then, as long as your user's browser is configured correctly, their default player will launch automatically. Also, there's nothing about an MP3 file that requires MediaPlayer 9. Requiring your visitors to upgrade just to hear an audio file is something most people will not do.

It is very easy to create a page that can be viewed and heard by everyone who visits your wonderful site. Joey volunteered and I will be glad to do the same. Do you really want to exclude any portion fo your potential audience?

BTW, it's not just WebTV/Mac/Linux/UNIX folks who can't hear the files. It's also PC users who don't use Internet Explorer. That means excluding anyone using Mozilla, Netscape, Opera, Firefox, or any another browser *even on a PC*.

Sorry for the rant. Again, I don't mean to pick on you. I just get tired of non-PC users getting blamed for things that are directly a result of Microsoft's exclusionary tactics.

Nicholas Dedring · Post by **Nicholas Dedring** » 2 Mar 2004 10:20 am

Windows MediaPlayer for Mac is a piece of utter, complete crap. MSoft has an issue with making decent gear for anyone else's operating system... it's not a coincidence. WMedia files are also not as good as mp3s, they don't stream as well, and so on. I can hear embedded, non-linked music on my mac when I call up websites, but they tend to be built with Flash stuff...

If you have a page of mp3 links, the users will be able to hear them, whatever platform they use. It does make rights management more difficult, though.

Edward Efira · Post by **Edward Efira** » 2 Mar 2004 10:21 am

there are a lot of alternative to WMP on a mac, most of them freeware. For instance, try VLC, you can download it from versiontracker.com, it plays all audio and video formats that neither Quicktime or WMP can play.
Ed

------------------
SHoBud Pro III 8&5
ShoBud Pro I 4&4
Emmons SD 12 PP 7&4
63'Vibroverb, 64'Showman, 65'Deluxe Reverb
and more...

Nicholas Dedring · Post by **Nicholas Dedring** » 3 Mar 2004 9:43 am

Does VLC play the WMP files, tho? That's a big problem I have usually... the WMP on mac sucks, but it's hard to find something else that can work with that codec. Is VLC the answer on this???

Edward Efira · Post by **Edward Efira** » 4 Mar 2004 7:06 am

Yes, VLC plays WMP files, and so does MPLAYER and others.
By the way, there is no problem for viewing www.jerrybyrdfanclub.com with standard SAFARI under Mac OS X v.10.2.3.
Ed

------------------
SHoBud Pro III 8&5
ShoBud Pro I 4&4
Emmons SD 12 PP 7&4
63'Vibroverb, 64'Showman, 65'Deluxe Reverb
and more...

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 4 Mar 2004 8:49 am

If you did the audio files as Quicktime then they would be platform independant AND play back automatically if embedded in a webpage on macs too.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 04 March 2004 at 08:50 AM.]

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 9 Mar 2004 9:51 am

I find each of the above suggestions most worthy of consideration by those regretably encountering problems with my site.

Over the years, I've been able to learn and master any number of truly technical skills however when it comes to the computer, I'm not one of the many that are highly skilled. I did the best I could with what knowledge I had and employed a reputable techy for that which I could not accomplish single handedly. I researched my options and Front Page seemed to be the one that most pointed to as being my best choice.

I just don't have the funds to do it all over again, a different way. I hope some of you will realize I did the best I could.

Edward Efira · Post by **Edward Efira** » 11 Mar 2004 8:35 am

Ray,
nothing to be sorry about, it's a great site, well designed and perfectly accessible to mac users!
in the end, I command you for the great contents (the most important thing in my view)

------------------
SHoBud Pro III 8&5
ShoBud Pro I 4&4
Emmons SD 12 PP 7&4
63'Vibroverb, 64'Showman, 65'Deluxe Reverb
and more...