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Advice for a new mac user :)

And yeah, I'd get the 15" over the 12", but that's just because I like working on that gorgeous screen.

And don't be tempted by any PC laptops. I use a Thinkpad at work - IBM's freakin flagship, and it sucks compared to my PB. I will have to say that it's built like a tank though, while the PBs are more delicate. But the software on it (Windows, Outlook, etc) always has weird little problems that every once in a while escalate into severe problems that make me lose work. (At work I'm paid by the hour to put up with it, but at home I use a Mac. :) )
 
gear02 said:
I have read that office 2004 is very buggy. What's everyone's opinion on it? Is it worth it? What other options do I have if at school pcs are standard?
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I switched from WinXP to a PB 12" 2 months ago. It's perfectly usable standalone and great with an external display if you need more space.

I also got Office 2004, and have used it every day at work with zero problems. Might be an overkill for school, but I haven't found it buggy at all. I find Entourage is pretty good, especially the project center which I use a lot.
 
gear02 said:
I'm just looking for helper apps. Things like media player classic for windows. You know, things that make your life much easier. I'll work on getting my gui neat and cool later, but I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know what software mac users use (other than photoshop, which I'm sure is a stereotype mac users love ;) ).
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As everyone else has said, you get what software you need for what you want to do. But most of the fun stuff you might want to do is already covered by what comes with your Mac, between Mail, Safari, and iLife.

iTunes replaces (and is many times better than) Media Player/RealPlayer/MusicMatch Jukebox. iPhoto lets you do the basics of digital photography (you'd only need Photoshop to do more serious image editing, and even then, the $99 Photoshop Elements will more than cover that).

The only major programs I've installed to my Mac are Office and Photoshop Elements, personally. I tried the Mozilla and Camino browsers, but liked Safari better, and now that AOL lets you access your mail via IMAP, I use Apple's Mail for an email client. I haven't honestly needed anything else of any consequence.
 
chaos86 said:
i know you already got your mac but somebody else whos about to choose a computer might be reading and since nobody else disposed of this awful thought i guess i must:
1) theyre ultra thin because they skimp on the essentials like the masses of connectivity in the pbooks
2) my understanding is that the centrino is the mobile equivalent of the celeron (has a low power mode for when unplugged like the g4) but if its anything like the celeron then you can expect to subtract about a third to a half of the speed when comparing it to a pentium 4. like 2.4 ghz celeron/centrino feels like a 1.2 to 1.8 ghz p4 would.
3) ibm notebooks have that annoying as hell mouse blob stuck between the keys instead of a trackpad
4) you dont get aluminium cases with the pcs, they feel like your work machine- plasticky and structurally weak

correct me if im wrong pc guys, this is second hand info from my girlfriends pc techie dad but he usually knows what hes talking about.
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well, I haven't gotten my pbook yet, but I'm dead set on it. For anyone who's reading, let me state facts in addition to above. Powerbooks are well built (ibooks too) compared to PC laptops. My 15 inch work computer will probably snap into two if I don't take it home in its 15 pound leather bag. I'm pretty sure I can just get a neoprene sleeve and stick it in my backpack.

I don't think centrinos are slower than pbooks, and I think it's inappropriate to compare across platforms.

The trackpoint, or nipple as some people call it, is annoying and can be also found on dells now. However, it's all a wash since apples ONLY HAVE ONE MOUSE BUTTON!! Just get a small external optical usb mouse and you're fine.

OSX is much cooler than WinXP. Microsoft releases security patches, Apple releases content updates. Enough said.

I'm not a apple fanboy, and I'm still a heavy Windows user (by choice, not forced). I think if you want a desktop, get a windows machine. If you want a laptop, get a mac. At least for me ;)
 
how confining is the 12 inch screen? Is the smaller, more portable 12 inch pbook worth the hardware and screen difference compared to the 15 (i.e. is the 15 inch not as portable as the 12?)
 
I think it's more a matter of resolution than it is one of size, unless you have problems reading smaller type. My old PB has the same resolution as the 12", and, while it's not extensive, I think it's more than adequate for use while mobile. If you didn't have a desktop, my advice might be different. However, you're going to the store, so you can see for yourself. For your usage, I think the only difference between the 12" and 15" is the screen, period.

To be more exact, though, the 15" has a bigger, higher-res screen (1280x854 vs 1024x768), a better graphics card, gig ethernet (not likely a big deal), and comes with slightly different video out and video adapters. It is also available in a slightly faster configuration. In the end, though, for you, it just has a bigger screen.
 
Centrino NOT a Celeron

Couldn't resist.... The Centrino is NOT a Celeron processor. It's a Pentium M processor. In many cases it out performs the Pentium 4 laptop varieties. Centrino is a fancy name for a Pentium M processor with an Intel 802.11b wifi card built in (in addition the manufactor must pay a royalty to Intel for the "special" naming convention)... A Centrino is the top laptop for general computing and mobility. Probably not the best for gaming, but it has a much better battery life (still will do gaming however). The Celeron is a system for low end users. It's fine for checking email, browsing the web, and writing Word documents. That's it. So... to recap:

PC Laptops:
Pentium 4 -- Gaming, desktop replacement, (really, really) crappy battery life
Pentium M / Centrino -- General usuage, compiling, some gaming, great battery life
Celeron -- Low end usage, no gaming, wake me when it's done compiling code, so - so battery life :D
 
hcuar said:
Couldn't resist.... The Centrino is NOT a Celeron processor. It's a Pentium M processor. In many cases it out performs the Pentium 4 laptop varieties. Centrino is a fancy name for a Pentium M processor with an Intel 802.11b wifi card built in (in addition the manufactor must pay a royalty to Intel for the "special" naming convention)... A Centrino is the top laptop for general computing and mobility. Probably not the best for gaming, but it has a much better battery life (still will do gaming however). The Celeron is a system for low end users. It's fine for checking email, browsing the web, and writing Word documents. That's it. So... to recap:

PC Laptops:
Pentium 4 -- Gaming, desktop replacement, (really, really) crappy battery life
Pentium M / Centrino -- General usuage, compiling, some gaming, great battery life
Celeron -- Low end usage, no gaming, wake me when it's done compiling code, so - so battery life :D
Click to expand...

oh yeah, i should have caught that and corrected the guy. Nice catch!
 
gear02 said:
The trackpoint, or nipple as some people call it, is annoying and can be also found on dells now. However, it's all a wash since apples ONLY HAVE ONE MOUSE BUTTON!! Just get a small external optical usb mouse and you're fine.
Click to expand...

Just an FYI..

Control+mouseclick (or trackpad button click) counts as a right-click, if you're not multi-button mouse equipped.
 
tristan said:
And yeah, I'd get the 15" over the 12", but that's just because I like working on that gorgeous screen.

And don't be tempted by any PC laptops. I use a Thinkpad at work - IBM's freakin flagship, and it sucks compared to my PB. I will have to say that it's built like a tank though, while the PBs are more delicate.
Click to expand...


I second that.

1) I haven't read the other posts so this might be redundant.
2) I think if you're going to get a desktop replacement, get the 15"
3) If you want a mobile machine to supplement a desktop, get the 12"
4) ThinkPads are durable as hell... whereas our PB's are not so much.

Happy buying!
 
My school has a very very nice deal with Microsoft. Last year I was able to get the Education version of Office XP for $10.

This year, they had Office 2004 and I got that for 30 dollars (it goes down as it ages see). Not a bad deal really.

So check out what you school and what your school library offer in terms of software before you go spending lots of money.

Mike

BTW: On a side note, I found it a little odd that the CD that Office 2004 for Mac was on was bundled by Dell...weird.
 
Heresy?

Here's the thing. As the proud owner of a brand spanking new 15" PB, I love the thing like a child. It's fast, beautiful to look at, and does everything I need which includes running Word, Photoshop, and Final Cut Express.

But, I also have a 14" iBook from work and that thing is a tank. I do plenty of graphics on the iBook and it's been fine for everything I want to do except video editing. If you only plan on running Office and aren't into gaming or graphics, you might want to consider saving some dinero and going with one of 'em.

Granted, they may not be as spiffy to look at, but they're a pretty good bargain.

If you STILL want a PB, I say you can't beat a 12" PB for portability. I was at the Genius Bar in my local Apple Store and saw this girl walk up and pull one out of her purse. That was when I realized just how compact those suckers are!
 
Champale said:
Here's the thing. As the proud owner of a brand spanking new 15" PB, I love the thing like a child. It's fast, beautiful to look at, and does everything I need which includes running Word, Photoshop, and Final Cut Express.

But, I also have a 14" iBook from work and that thing is a tank. I do plenty of graphics on the iBook and it's been fine for everything I want to do except video editing. If you only plan on running Office and aren't into gaming or graphics, you might want to consider saving some dinero and going with one of 'em.

Granted, they may not be as spiffy to look at, but they're a pretty good bargain.

If you STILL want a PB, I say you can't beat a 12" PB for portability. I was at the Genius Bar in my local Apple Store and saw this girl walk up and pull one out of her purse. That was when I realized just how compact those suckers are!
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i'm picking the pbook over the ibook because I need this thing to last me 3 years, and I feel that the better specs of the pbook will do better for me in the long run. Am I wrong with my assumptions?
 
gear02 said:
i'm picking the pbook over the ibook because I need this thing to last me 3 years, and I feel that the better specs of the pbook will do better for me in the long run. Am I wrong with my assumptions?
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My iBook is a late 2001 Model. Runs great...I really should put some more RAM in it though. What does that tell you about the longevity of the iBook?

Mike
 
Brother Michael said:
My iBook is a late 2001 Model. Runs great...I really should put some more RAM in it though. What does that tell you about the longevity of the iBook?

Mike
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My iBook was late 2001 and it runs like crap... so that's why I upgraded.

Plus it had 378 MB of RAM.

However it was the 500 mhz model.

Man I hate iBooks :mad:
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am speaking to you from my new 12 inch G4 powerbook :D

I would tell you more, but I just realized it was 12:33am. Time flies when you're having fun :)
 
gear02 said:
One more non buying question. Last time I played with macs, I got really confused by the folder structer (home, applications, etc). How do you guys organize your software and where do you install your programs?
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I'm not sure this got touched by anyone....

I put all my apps into the Applications folder - Applications->Utilities if it's a utility. About the only other distinct folder (excluding apps that come in folders of their own by default, like, say, Office) is Games, also under Applications. Since most apps are just that - apps, no extra files - it's pretty simple.
 
jsw said:
I'm not sure this got touched by anyone....

I put all my apps into the Applications folder - Applications->Utilities if it's a utility. About the only other distinct folder (excluding apps that come in folders of their own by default, like, say, Office) is Games, also under Applications. Since most apps are just that - apps, no extra files - it's pretty simple.
Click to expand...

When I had my ibook 2 years ago I had no idea what the home folder, app folder and all that stuff is. I also wasn't used to the fact that there were no installation programs (usually).

Now I'm sticking everything I install in the apps folder. I just installed adium and the first thing I looked for was an install program. I'm still shocked that all I had to do is move the ONE file to the app folder. My brain isn't geared to work like that!
 
gear02 said:
I'm still shocked that all I had to do is move the ONE file to the app folder. My brain isn't geared to work like that!
Click to expand...

well technically its a 'package' which is a file that, when opened will run a program but when one 'shows the package contents' (ctrl+click>show pkg contents) will show that its really got a whole bunch of files and folders hidden in it. but new mac users need not know that.

this whole idea messed my brain up too when i switched to the light side about 5 years ago.
"to uninstall you just drag it to the trash?!?! what, no uninstaller to get all those dll files from all over the place and to remove the registry keys and to change the system.ini and win.ini files?!?! WHAT, no dlls, registry, or win or system.ini?!?!? cool! what no 600 hour windows updates when i buy an new computer?!?!"
haha just threw that one on the end for laughs. youll be glad you switched... again...
 
thanks guys!

quick questions. I think I have to register the machine in order to be covered under the warranty. Where do i go to do that?

Also, when it booted up it asked for my name and address. Where do I go to access and change this information? I can't seem to find the place.

Thanks!
 
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