I'm Getting a Mac (welcome the newbie)

[yzeater]

Hey Guys-
My name is Stephen and I'm new to this world. I've always used PC's except for Apple IIGS's in fifth grade. So...what do I need to know? Can you help me with the basics? Any information will do. I'm getting a Powerbook G4 500, should it be substantially faster than my Hewlett Packard 500mhz 64mb ram computer? What can / should I expect? I know I ask a lot of questions, but...I'm a newbie! Thanks a lot
-Stephen

 

[beatle888]

before you purchase your Mac why don't you
tell us what your going to use it for, what you
think you'd like to dable in and what you expect
it to do. that way everyone here can par you
up with a nice system.

also list the software that you need and want
to run. that way we can tell you if there is a
version that runs in osx.

as far as what you need to know. well:
• if your going to go osx then get jaguar.
• you'll want ATLEAST 256mb of ram.
• make sure the person your buying the
computer from has all the CD's originaly
shipped with the computer/if they say it has
OSX jaguar on it it's not going to do yo any
• a lot of people that don't need to use
graphics applications find the ibook a wonderful laptop
• dont buy from ebay unless you know what too expect (pictures from every angle and get
in writing that its in perfect condition)
• http://www.versiontracker.com for updates
and freeware
• http://www.macaddict.com for fun
• reformat the harddrive once you get your
computer ( Im assuming it's gonna be used?)
and do a reinstall of jaguar.
• the combo drives in laptops are slow just to
let you know.
• maybe since your knew to the mac you could
get an easy to use reference book on the os
and how it is organized.



but most of all talk to everybody here about
what you need your mac to do BEFORE you
buy. your choice of hardware has me a little
confused. the tibook 500mhz doesnt have
a very good graphics card and Quartz Extreme
wont be active with that video card. i almost
think you'd be better putting that money into
a PowerMac thats upgradable if you need some
power. if not then maybe a fast ibook.

 

[yzeater]

Well I'll use the computer for normal Microsoft word, excel, powerpoint, and I'll dabble in a little photo and video editing. It'll also function as more or less an MP3 player. I'm a high school student (motorcycle takes all my money) and I've found a really killer deal on this powerbook. That help you at all?

 

[beatle888]

well just make sure this tibook is in good
condition. are you purchasing this through
the mail? if so make sure you know what your
getting and if the seller says it's in mint condition
you better get it in writing BEFORE you buy it.
This will help to prove your "case" if you
get the tibook and it has nasty scratches or
cracks.

have you seen the 700mhz ibooks?

 

[hesdeadjim]

i agree with beatle888, you might want to think about an ibook. you can't go wrong with a brand new computer over an older one and it sounds like you will not need a lot of power. also, since you are in high school, i assume you will want to play games and the iBook should help with that.

with that in mind, they are a lot of good reasons to get the TiBook. one is the G4 processor. OS X is great with the G4, (really just "good" with the G3), and a lot of software takes advantage of the G4 now. Plus, for the ladies, the TiBook looks great and makes you look like you have style. The iBook is just cute, the TiBook is sexy. So, either one should be good. If you want to be a casual gamer, you might think about the iBook. Also, if you are unsure of the seller, the iBook is good deal. If you trust the seller and the merchandise, than if the TiBook is at a good price, jump for it. It should be able to handle mild gaming anyway.

 

[chmorley]

First, welcome to the good side!

Yes, a 500 MHz G4 will be faster than your current computer.

If you want to run OS X and do video editing, the TiBook makes more sense than any G3. If you were only doing word processing, I'd say G3 vs. G4 thing doesn't matter much, and higher megahertz might be a better indicator of performance for "pedestrian" tasks. If you're doing video editing, though, having AltiVec seems to make a big difference.

Look into setting up a wireless LAN. It is very very easy with Macs. The TiBook has worse reception than other Macs, but I love mine. I can surf the internet, edit photos and publish them on my web site, and print all from the comfort of my living room chair.

Virtual PC will allow you to run PC applications. Windows 2000 or XP seem to run fastest. It is not a replacement for a PC, though, as it is slow.

Remember that you don't have to hit return when you are typing in the forums.

Check MacNN and VersionTracker to keep up to date.

Useful utilities are PTHClock, PTHPasteboard (multiple clipboards), and ClearDock (all free). Notes is a great, free notepad. You can find them all at VersionTracker.com.

Chimera and Mozilla are the fastest browsers. Mozilla is more stable, Chimera more impressive (pretty & fast), but clearly a beta.

Come to the forums if you have questions.

Take all advice with a grain of salt.

Chris

 

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by chmorley
Virtual PC will allow you to run PC applications. Windows 2000 or XP seem to run fastest. It is not a replacement for a PC, though, as it is slow.

Win 2000 is slow? I've heard people say that windows 2000 on VPC is the most useable windows...XP is the slowest. But if you turn off all the eye-candy its faster.

Anyway, welcome to the forums.

 

[Angelus]

Welcome!

Hey congratulations on your decision.
I got my first mac(powerbook 667) three weeks ago and i have to say it really is a beautiful computer.As someone else here said,install Jaguar because its very fast and responsive.With regards to the RAM,256MB is the minimum but if your strapped for cash to buy more,it shouldn't cause any problems in terms of speed.Mine came with 256MB and only slowed down if i had about 4 internet windows open along with iTunes and Mail.I did however upgrade this to 512MB and it has much more room to breath so i would recommend it if you have the cash.
Oh and here is a sample of what to expect from your powerbook apart from the gorgeous UI.For the past 5 years i've used my mum's pc and it used to crash frequently.So anyway i got my powerbook three weeks ago and have been using it constantly.Now normally i go to this internet cafe in town to play counterstrike on LAN but on every single visit i've made over the past two months the pc crashes at least once.Bear in mind that each visit lasts only 2 hours and yet the pc crashes at least once causing me to reboot.Now my powerbook on the other hand has yet to give me any problems and believe me when i say that it will bring a big smile to your face to see the dialogue box"this application has unexpectedly quit,no other applications have been affected".
Now i finally get the whole "macs are easy to use and stable" thing which you guys talk about.I absolutely love my mac.

 

[yzeater]

Man you all are good! Well as for the one I'm getting, it should be very nice. It's from somebody I know (a mac user with 3 powerbooks, an I-mac, powermac G4), so I trust it to be in very good condition. Also, I'm getting a very lucrative deal on this thing. More questions!! Angelus, do they make CS for mac? A few of my friends play it, and I was thinking about getting hooked like they are. chmorley we already have a wireless LAN at the house, the mac should work without problems on that, right? Can you guys explain more about the browsers? I thought they made IE for mac, is that no good? hesdeadjim, what does the ibook have on the powerbook I'm looking at? Just processor speed, and why is it better with gaming applications? Well thanks a lot guys (sorry I ask so many questions)
-Stephen

 

[vniow]

Browsers...........

A lot of people here use Chimera, a stripped down Mozilla derivative that's fast and reliable. (for the most part.)
It's still a beta (v0.5), but it comes highly recommended by MR members.

You can still use Mozilla which is less buggy and a bit more site-compatible, but it's also slower and more bloated.

MS still makes IE for the Mac (it comes with Jaguar), but most people use Chimera as their default and only use IE for sites not compatible with it.
You can get Mozilla or Chimera @ Mozilla.org

Enjoy your new toy!

 

[chmorley]

Originally posted by Over Achiever
Win 2000 is slow? I've heard people say that windows 2000 on VPC is the most useable windows...XP is the slowest. But if you turn off all the eye-candy its faster.

Unfortunately, when it comes to VPC, even the fastest is slow. Win2k is the fastest I've used, but others are reporting that XP is a close second. I haven't used it. Regardless, none is a replacement for a real PC.

IE for the Mac works, but on my TiBook 667 it is the slowest and most crash-prone browser. If you interested in speed, accuracy and reliability, Mozilla is probably the way to go. If you can tolerate some hiccups for a prettier interface and greater speed, try Chimera.

Chris

 

[beatle888]

how long do you plan on using the computer?
if you need a computer that's gonna last you
4 years i don't think the 500mhz would suit
you. however if you are ok with the fact that
you will probably want a different computer
in 2 years than go for it.

 

[yzeater]

I'll probably have this for a year before I get the top of the line (mac or PC) for college

 

[beez7777]

as far as browsers go, chimera is great, but personally i like omniweb. i think it looks cooler, and even tho it has its bugs and crashes every now and then its still a nice browser

 

[jkojima]

New to Mac Experience

Sounds like you are getting yourself a good deal. As far as I know, CS is NOT currently available for the Mac OS. That's okay though, you don't want to get addicted - it's like crack for gamers. Trust me, I've been there. Spend more time in iMovie being creative instead, or riding that bike!

Note: as sexy as the TiBooks are, the motorcycle is going to get you more dates.

I fully agree with everyone when they talk about RAM. Promise yourself that whatever amount of RAM comes in your TiBook, double it. I'm currently testing out a 700mhz iBook with 128mb of RAM and in OS X it is MUCH SLOWER than a 400mhz Powerbook G3 with 192mb, just 64mb more. Every megabyte obviously counts. The market price for RAM is at its lowest point ever - this is a good time to buy.

You'll definitely want Jaguar (OS X 10.2) for all the reasons outlined above, but also for its new Rendevous networking technology so you can transfer your old files from that PC to the Mac. I've had problems in earlier versions of OS X trying to properly connect to a PC environment.

Most importantly: have fun!!

 

[Sun Baked]

I'll keep it short...

 

[yzeater]

How does ram work in the powerbooks? Are there like four slots, as would be normal on a PC, or has apple created a different system? BTW, what is the price of ram these days?

 

[macmax]

Hi:
Chimera works really well for me.

There is a big downside if you are getting an apple,mac.

Everything is going to change soon!
You will be in a corner spreading the good news and behold to all of those that don't convert.

You will be lost inside a room loving and hugging your mac forever, did no one tell you that this is not a machine with a great os, but a cult,YES, A
CULT!!!!AHHAAHHAHHAHAHHAHAH!!!!!

Welcome my friend and brother form now on!!!

Long live the Mac!!!

 

[beatle888]

holy hell! then by all means get it.
you lucky dog. i guess i assumed you were
scraping for pennies. well enjoy it should be
incredible. oh and guess what? "dragthing" is
soooo cool. it gives you multiple docs that
or extremely configurable. I've actually
changed the way i use the finder. and with
cutom icons and "candybar" to managed them
i've made my computer not only look something
other than OSX (to the untrained eye), but i've
also changed the way i Navigate with OSX. it's
all done with over sized docs that sit on the side
of the computer screen. then when i hover over
one of the docs edge (or tab if you choose to use
tabs) and a doc that actually looks like a folder
window or panel, the way i have it set up.

this is just me experimenting. i am close to
a very interesting way of computing using
these over sized docs that swish out from
nowhere going from a semi transparent to
a more opaque background.

 

[vniow]

Originally posted by macmax


You will be lost inside a room loving and hugging your mac forever, did no one tell you that this is not a machine with a great os, but a cult,YES, A
CULT!!!!AHHAAHHAHHAHAHHAHAH!!!!!

Welcome my friend and brother form now on!!!

Long live the Mac!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Join us..................
well, most of us. I don't have one yet.

 

[jkojima]

RAM

The Powerbook G4 has two slots for RAM, not the usual three or four found in most PC desktop systems. Your model of Powerbook will use a 144-pin SO-DIMM, running at 100mhz or 133mhz. If that sounds like greek to you, go to a reputable site like Crucial.com and use their online configurator to find the proper memory for your 'Book.

I'm Canadian (eh) so I'm not entirely sure about the U.S. price on RAM, but I know my local dealer was selling 512mb of laptop RAM (of the type I listed above) for about $150 Canadian, or I guess $3.50 U.S.

As a sidenote: the same RAM that works in your HP laptop is *likely* the same type used in your Powerbook G4. I say likely because I don't know the exact model of HP that you have.

In terms of RAM, I'd suggest buying as much as you can reasonably afford - but beware that this RAM will not be forward compatible with any new system you will buy in the future... this type of memory has already been superceded by faster types in the PC arena and by logical extension, Apple's next models will be upgraded too.

 

[yzeater]

Originally posted by beatle888
holy hell! then by all means get it.
you lucky dog. i guess i assumed you were
scraping for pennies. well enjoy it should be
incredible. oh and guess what? "dragthing" is
soooo cool. it gives you multiple docs that
or extremely configurable. I've actually
changed the way i use the finder. and with
cutom icons and "candybar" to managed them
i've made my computer not only look something
other than OSX (to the untrained eye), but i've
also changed the way i Navigate with OSX. it's
all done with over sized docs that sit on the side
of the computer screen. then when i hover over
one of the docs edge (or tab if you choose to use
tabs) and a doc that actually looks like a folder
window or panel, the way i have it set up.

this is just me experimenting. i am close to
a very interesting way of computing using
these over sized docs that swish out from
nowhere going from a semi transparent to
a more opaque background.

Duaaaa...I couldn't do that with my PC. How hard was that to set up?

 

[beatle888]

simple, i just downloaded the "custom icons",
the icon manager application and
the doc application dragthing candybar

after that, all you have to do is think of ways
to use all the settings. it is a very simple
application to use. i would say that the software
is easy to learn as an email application....actually
easier


ok this is the last graphic i swear.
I finaly decided to go with a look
that does not incorporate the "OFFICE"
type of iconalogy (does that make sense)?
I decided to move away from the idea of
tabs and go for something a little more subtle.
If you look at the edges of these docs you can
see that there is no trimed border...it looks
like a sheet of thin colored glass over my
desktop. very modern looking....very minimal.
I wanted the docs to be sorta hidden. the
picture below shows three docs that i will
populate with sweet icons like the one click
email buttons in the above pick for all my
quick contacts.

now just so you know i usually only have one
doc open at a time but, just to show what im
talking about I brought the main ones out.
if you (like a conductor of an orchestra)
gesture to the upper right of the screen with
the mouse (without clicking) the top doc
swooshes out. same thing with the upper left
of the screen, swoosh.
this is so cool....its almost like minority report

 

[SilvorX]

Hey Guys-
My name is Stephen and I'm new to this world. I've always used PC's except for Apple IIGS's in fifth grade. So...what do I need to know? Can you help me with the basics? Any information will do. I'm getting a Powerbook G4 500, should it be substantially faster than my Hewlett Packard 500mhz 64mb ram computer? What can / should I expect? I know I ask a lot of questions, but...I'm a newbie! Thanks a lot
-Stephen

yikes...HP makes cruddy pcs , i own a hp 466 mhz computer...y the heck would they only put 64 megs of ram on the puter...geesh...
its just like putting only 128 megs in a g3 imac for osx...
u'll probably be happy with the pb g4 500, it'dd be bout 1 ghz *approx* intel speed or so i think...
im switching soon too...hopefully lol

 

[yzeater]

Man you're helping so much! Let me throw a couple more questions out there. What is juguar, is it different than OSX or OS 10.2? Will I ever go back to PC?