Apple Preparing to Begin Testing of OS X 10.8.3

[Wreckie]

Originally Posted by SirYossi

If you have apple replace it keep your papers it is a matter of time that all seagate HD are replaced. Run the serial number to see when the computer was built. When it was sold and built are two different things. You could buy the computer in Aug but it was built in April thus having a faulty HD. Go to apple with date of manufacture and show them that. Computers can sit in stores or warehouses for months before they are sold. I would not give up - did you get apple care with it? I think they switched to the WD HD sometime in Aug or Sept 2011. I got mine in Dec 2011 from apple refurb store and ran the serial number and it told me mine was built the week before - could not figure out why such a new imac then i noticed a small overbuffing blemish on the stand - that blemish that can be covered saved me $300

Serial tells me that it was built week 14 (March), so it should qualify?

[greenchiliman]

I'll have to breakdown and finally upgrade to computers newer than my 2006 macbook pros

[SirYossi]

Originally Posted by Wreckie

Serial tells me that it was built week 14 (March), so it should qualify?

I think apple extended it recently to include spring and mid summer ones
check the policy notice i think it was updated a week or so ago

[Wreckie]

Originally Posted by SirYossi

I think apple extended it recently to include spring and mid summer ones
check the policy notice i think it was updated a week or so ago

still this: "Our records show that this iMac has a Seagate hard drive, but it's not affected. No further action on your part is needed at this time."

[BillyBuggins]

Hi,
I am very new to Apple thought systems having bought my iMac in August '12.
I installed the latest OS in December, but frankly I have no way of knowing whether its an improvement or not.
I came to Apple when Microsoft brought out Windows7. The previous XP and I got along very well, as it seemed intuitively easy to use and met my needs.
Emails,surfing, photos and documents.
In seeking an alternative to Windows7 I was told that Apple was much easier to use, was intuitive etc..
Ha!
After four months of wrestling with Mail and Launchpad and other weird and apparently irrelevant programmes, I decided to try installing Windows XP using Bootcamp.
"Easy!" I was told by AppleSupport.
Well, needless to say I gave that up because it wasn't. Might have been if I wanted to instal Windows7, but Windows7 was what I was trying to escape from.
So I find myself baffled by Apple's OS. I don't find it intuitive. Other Apple users tell me that I should use another mail programme -Mailplane? gets mentioned. I am told that Bootcamp is pretty useless, and that I should buy something from the AppleStore which works better.

So seeing as installing Microsoft Office on a Windows XP OS on an iMac is not a job an Ordinary Joe can do, what is the Apple equivalent to Office or Word even?

[Alekto]

Originally Posted by BillyBuggins

So seeing as installing Microsoft Office on a Windows XP OS on an iMac is not a job an Ordinary Joe can do, what is the Apple equivalent to Office or Word even?

http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php

Thank me later.

[BillyBuggins]

When I go back onto the mac I will download your recommendation.

[talmy]

Originally Posted by BillyBuggins

So seeing as installing Microsoft Office on a Windows XP OS on an iMac is not a job an Ordinary Joe can do, what is the Apple equivalent to Office or Word even?

If you really need Office, Microsoft does make Office for Mac. However I find it cumbersome (I also find the Windows versions cumbersome). NeoOffice, LibreOffice, and OpenOffice (they are basically the same) produce nearly 100% compatible files and are somewhat more difficult to use however they are inexpensive (the latter two are free). They do suffer from poor integration with OS X as they were designed to be cross-platform. NeoOffice is best in this regard but still misses the mark with Lion/MtnLion features.

If you don't need the compatibility and aren't writing large documents (like books) Apple Pages is fast, simple, and inexpensive.

IMHO Macs do have a greater ease of use (I've used Macs for 7 years now, but still use Windows and have for decades, as well as Linux) however they are certainly different. The online tutorials and the Apple Store classes are invaluable.

[BillyBuggins]

I am a simple fellow of average intelligence! I am also 66 and perhaps that is part of the reason why I find myself increasingly frustrated.
When I was a kid we didn't have a fridge or a washing machine or even a home telephone.
My first computer ran Windows 98. I considered Windows XP and Outlook Express great because they were SIMPLE to understand.
I don't WANT to spend hours trying to understand then use an OS, because to me a computer is a tool. An amazing tool, and one I just want to be able to fire up and use, full stop. I want to apply myself to composing a letter or an email, not trying to figure out how to do it; and it is because I could do that with XP. that I resent the complexity of Mountain Lion. Ease of use is what counts, not so much the clever stuff you can do with a Mac, because quite frankly I'm not interested.

[jamin100]

Your only real option then is to go back to xp. It can be installed on a machine with mountain lion but you'll need a snow leopard DVD to install the xp drivers.

You also won't be able to use the bootcamp assistant because as you've found out it only supports w7

Unfortunately you will either have to learn how to do it or pay someone to do it for you.

Technology changes and you need to learn how to use it I'm afraid

[BillyBuggins]

Thanks Jamin and all who have taken the time to respond. I have heard of virtual xp programmes that can be run on more up to date platforms. I might look into that one. Otherwise I think Talmi's Pages might suit.
Jamin you are quite right that things move on, as they must. Many of my generation struggle with the latest stuff. Some of us worry about what it is doing to our human ability to interact and "emote."
But you will find all this out as you too get older!

[jamin100]

There are a few virtual program's you can use to run windows in osx

Virtual box is free
VMware fusion & parallels cost money