Just Orderd a 15" MBP any advice for a switcher?

[Xander562]

ok so i just ordered a MBP and am soooo excited that i will be finally getting away from winblows.
Here are the Specs

15.4" Display
2.0Ghz Intel Core Duo
1GB RAM
256 VRAM
100GB HD
4x Superdrive
+ included software

all for a grand total of:
$2,299.99
or
$2,149.99 after rebates.

wow, my first mac. WOO HOO!
So, what advice can you give a switcher? Any must-have programs for a mac?
Tips etc?

 

[catracho]

First advice:

Calibrate your battery

And of course, enjoy your new mac!

 

[emw]

First and foremost - congratulations. Looks like you picked a nice box. I got the same one through work (though with 2GB of RAM), so I know what you're working with.

There are a number of good software utilities out there, and here's a link to an MR Guide on where to find software.

Things you'll probably want to get (either freeware or commercial) include:

- An FTP application, as there's no good built-in one on OS X

- CoreDuoTemp, which is a fun utility to show the temperature of your CoreDuo

- Opera and/or Firefox and/or Camino, just to have some browser options. I use primarily Safari, but occasionally you'll want to try something different.

What are some of the things you're hoping to do with your Mac? That will also help us to fill in the list for you, since things like Photoshop or such are useful, but expensive if you're not needing anything beyond what iPhoto will help you do.

The nice thing with these Macs is they come with such great stuff built-in, there's not a tremendous need out of the box to go spend a ton of money.

 

[wxboss]

Take some time and look through Apple's Intro into OS X. It will be a help so that you're not wondering what to do once you power on your MBP.

By the way, congratulations and welcome aboard .

 

[X5-452]

Congratulations! Sounds like you got an excellent machine.

 

[xfiftyfour]

i got my first mac last august (though i'd used and loved them before that!)

congrats on the MPB - i'm *very* jealous, hehe... you'll love it, i'm sure!

also, something some haven't mentioned: if you have programs you still want to be able to run in Windows, look into Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/) or Bootcamp (http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/) for your new intel, depending on your needs.