Thread
FTP Mac to Windows and other questions
I'm not sure where to post this so here it is..
I have a relative who's going to graduate school via a distance learning program at a college in WA. She just got done with her first week where they are required to attend classes on the campus. They where doing stuff in Unix and learning about Telnet, FTP, HTML, ect. Anyway, the "professors" pretty much are requiring a Windows machine for the distance learning.
From what I understand they are going to be working on files and sending them via FTP to a Unix server? (I'm not quite sure where the Unix part comes in but she has a Windows program that is supposed to allow her access to a Unix command line.) When she brought up OS X to one of the professors it was just dismissed.
My question is can she use a Mac to transfer files by FTP (using Fetch or a similar program) to a Windows machine or a Unix (I think yes due to the OS underpinnings) machine? I have recommended that she by an eMac, load up the ram, buy Virtual PC 5 and should be good to go.
The other option is that she purchase a Windows machine and just "be done with it.' What do you think? Which is going to be the easiest way to go. Since I'm not sure what all will be required software wise I'm having diffuculty giving her advice.
Confused in Colorado
I have a relative who's going to graduate school via a distance learning program at a college in WA. She just got done with her first week where they are required to attend classes on the campus. They where doing stuff in Unix and learning about Telnet, FTP, HTML, ect. Anyway, the "professors" pretty much are requiring a Windows machine for the distance learning.
From what I understand they are going to be working on files and sending them via FTP to a Unix server? (I'm not quite sure where the Unix part comes in but she has a Windows program that is supposed to allow her access to a Unix command line.) When she brought up OS X to one of the professors it was just dismissed.
My question is can she use a Mac to transfer files by FTP (using Fetch or a similar program) to a Windows machine or a Unix (I think yes due to the OS underpinnings) machine? I have recommended that she by an eMac, load up the ram, buy Virtual PC 5 and should be good to go.
The other option is that she purchase a Windows machine and just "be done with it.' What do you think? Which is going to be the easiest way to go. Since I'm not sure what all will be required software wise I'm having diffuculty giving her advice.
Confused in Colorado
You need more info on what they're doing.
There is absolutely zero problem with using FTP on a Mac to upload files to a Windows or Unix server. This happens all the time (and do you really think all the ftp sites on the internet have Unix servers serving the Unix users, Windows servers serving the Windows users, and a Mac server for the Mac users? It just doesn't happen.
FTP is platform agnostic. Any OS can ftp to any other OS and back.
However, you might want to check that FTP is all that they're doing.
At least one distance learning establishment I'm aware of uses MS Exchange for the group scheduling/calendaring, and there's no effective Mac client - meaning you have to have a Windows machine to view the class schedules.
Then again, of course, it may just be a narrow-minded, brain-dead professor who doesn't know any better. Wouldn't be the first time.
There is absolutely zero problem with using FTP on a Mac to upload files to a Windows or Unix server. This happens all the time (and do you really think all the ftp sites on the internet have Unix servers serving the Unix users, Windows servers serving the Windows users, and a Mac server for the Mac users? It just doesn't happen.
FTP is platform agnostic. Any OS can ftp to any other OS and back.
However, you might want to check that FTP is all that they're doing.
At least one distance learning establishment I'm aware of uses MS Exchange for the group scheduling/calendaring, and there's no effective Mac client - meaning you have to have a Windows machine to view the class schedules.
Then again, of course, it may just be a narrow-minded, brain-dead professor who doesn't know any better. Wouldn't be the first time.