Hi, possible switcher here. The first time you boot up a Windows PC (such as a Dell or HP) it is preloaded with tons of programs that I end up deleting immediately. Then, I create a restore point. Then, I cautiously install my programs and carefully monitor the computers performance for a while until I feel I have finally got things in order. What I mean is, with a new Windows machine there is a whole list of things that should be done when you first get the computer. I may be getting a Mac Pro within the year and wonder if anyone can give me any tips about stuff I should do when I first boot up? Thanks!
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any new Mac Pro tips?
- Thread starter Crabtree99
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There are a few very small things to do in order to get things exactly the way you like them...but you won't know your personal preferences until you use it for a while.
So just use it the way it is to get used to it first.
As far as uninstalling stuff and being all careful to see how it runs, you don't have that problem at all with Mac OS X. Don't even worry about it. It doesn't come with a bunch of bloatware and crap like Windows.
Just make sure you get things like stuffit expander, VLC, or any other utility that people will recommend and you are good to go.
So just use it the way it is to get used to it first.
As far as uninstalling stuff and being all careful to see how it runs, you don't have that problem at all with Mac OS X. Don't even worry about it. It doesn't come with a bunch of bloatware and crap like Windows.
Just make sure you get things like stuffit expander, VLC, or any other utility that people will recommend and you are good to go.
Having been there and done that, I feel your pain. The truth is you will not have to do any of that stuff with your new Mac. Some reinstall the OS as soon as they boot a new Mac in order to only install the printer drivers and languages that they use. That is a bit too anal for me but if after a while you feel like doing that you can do it at any time.
Good luck in your decision making.
Good luck in your decision making.
Step 3.
Change background to not look like a nub.
Step 4.
Change every other setting until its perfect.
Step 5.
Download useful software such as iStat (either dock of app version), adium (msn), Burn (for burning), Transmission/ Bits on Wheels (torrents) and anything else you can find.
Step 6.
Enjoy!
Additional Mac Apps To Get
Textwrangler (Free)
Transmit (like $20 or so but best FTP program I have ever used)
Grid Wars 2 (Free Game, but addictive as heck)
Adium (All chat profiles in one program Free)
Also, add 8GB Ram for total of 10GB (NewEgg has iRam for cheap and it is great flawless ram).
Swap out the stock drive and put in a much faster 3GB or 10krpm drive (or wait for velociraptors to update their form factor to fit mac pro)
Be sure to de-authorize your itunes account and photoshop apps prior to dumping your old PC.
External storage drives for time machine (I use external to keep one off site in case of theft or fire).
Good luck and welcome to the light!
Textwrangler (Free)
Transmit (like $20 or so but best FTP program I have ever used)
Grid Wars 2 (Free Game, but addictive as heck)
Adium (All chat profiles in one program Free)
Also, add 8GB Ram for total of 10GB (NewEgg has iRam for cheap and it is great flawless ram).
Swap out the stock drive and put in a much faster 3GB or 10krpm drive (or wait for velociraptors to update their form factor to fit mac pro)
Be sure to de-authorize your itunes account and photoshop apps prior to dumping your old PC.
External storage drives for time machine (I use external to keep one off site in case of theft or fire).
Good luck and welcome to the light!
You will love your MAC...
I switched too. Only regret is that I wish I had done it sooner. I always set my PC's up the same way as you... it would take hours but I had to start clean. I like the same thing on my Macs:
I always reinstall the OS right out of the box. Insert the OS, and restart your MAC.. hold down the C key until you see the grey screen and spinning gear. Do and "Erase and Install" then select the options to customize. I do not install all the printer drivers, only HP printers. I also do not install Garageband or any trial software. You recover approx 6 gigs of hard drive that way. Since it's your first time, call Apple Support and they will walk you through this and stay on the phone with you. You will actually get a human being that speaks English and you won't be on hold for hours.
Then after Leopard is all installed and I have added any other new software I install a program you can download from the internet called Macaroni and run it. It goes in your System Preferences. It allows you to remove all the "localized files" or all of the files in foreign languages you will never use. In it's setup you select all the languages... English is the default and will not be removed. Then run it. You will also add another several gigs of space back to your hard drive.
All of this takes from start to finish barely over an hour. Nothing like the drama of reinstalling Windows. Then you will need a support group because you will have a difficult time not having anything to fix or tinker with. I was totally lost for months... nothing to do, nothing ever messed up or needed tweaking. I went through such withdrawal.
I also got a book on "Switching" to understand the OS better. There are a lot of differences. So much you don't need to worry about. Please let us know how you like your MBP after you get it.
I switched too. Only regret is that I wish I had done it sooner. I always set my PC's up the same way as you... it would take hours but I had to start clean. I like the same thing on my Macs:
I always reinstall the OS right out of the box. Insert the OS, and restart your MAC.. hold down the C key until you see the grey screen and spinning gear. Do and "Erase and Install" then select the options to customize. I do not install all the printer drivers, only HP printers. I also do not install Garageband or any trial software. You recover approx 6 gigs of hard drive that way. Since it's your first time, call Apple Support and they will walk you through this and stay on the phone with you. You will actually get a human being that speaks English and you won't be on hold for hours.
Then after Leopard is all installed and I have added any other new software I install a program you can download from the internet called Macaroni and run it. It goes in your System Preferences. It allows you to remove all the "localized files" or all of the files in foreign languages you will never use. In it's setup you select all the languages... English is the default and will not be removed. Then run it. You will also add another several gigs of space back to your hard drive.
All of this takes from start to finish barely over an hour. Nothing like the drama of reinstalling Windows. Then you will need a support group because you will have a difficult time not having anything to fix or tinker with. I was totally lost for months... nothing to do, nothing ever messed up or needed tweaking. I went through such withdrawal.
I also got a book on "Switching" to understand the OS better. There are a lot of differences. So much you don't need to worry about. Please let us know how you like your MBP after you get it.
Actually AOL for Mac is Back! http://daol.aol.com/software/mac
Also, the previous poster is correct.
MAKE SURE YOU CALIBRATE YOUR DISPLAY ON YOUR MAC!
If you are reading this and have not calibrated your display then do yourself a favor!
System Preferences / Displays / Click Color Tab / Click Calibrate
Follow the instructions...easy as pie and no extra gear required!
Also, the previous poster is correct.
MAKE SURE YOU CALIBRATE YOUR DISPLAY ON YOUR MAC!
If you are reading this and have not calibrated your display then do yourself a favor!
System Preferences / Displays / Click Color Tab / Click Calibrate
Follow the instructions...easy as pie and no extra gear required!
I'm not sure if 10.5.3 is shipping with the new MPs but, run a software update, after you have things running, and you're confident that there are no hardware issues. I had to do a number of updates after I got mine (EFI, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, Graphics etc..). Also don't change more than one thing at a time, so you have a chance to trouble shoot if there are any problems (mem)
Before you start tweaking and configuring, learn the system first. Learn what everything is and where it is and what it does first before you start messing around with deleting stuff. Don't hose your system the first week you have it.
Then, once you're comfortable in an OS X environment, feel free to start tweaking.
Then, once you're comfortable in an OS X environment, feel free to start tweaking.
Wouldn't simply not installing the languages in the first place be more effective? Why install them only to uninstall moments later? When I reinstalled I just chose not to install either the printer or language drivers in the first place. Or am I wrong in thinking that if the OS doesn't have those extra languages installed, that programs also won't install those localized files?
But wait... there's more...
I thought the same thing, however, any added software has languages in it. I added some publishing software, finance software, iwork etc. They all had languages to remove which Macaroni removed and then shows you what it takes off... not to mention while it works you see your empty hard drive space growing.
I thought the same thing, however, any added software has languages in it. I added some publishing software, finance software, iwork etc. They all had languages to remove which Macaroni removed and then shows you what it takes off... not to mention while it works you see your empty hard drive space growing.
Yes... I almost got that one instead of Macaroni... I'll be the first to admit that we who have switched from PC's worry about far too much stuff and tinker with too much. Hard, hard habit of many decades to break. I think we watch our drive space more closely too.
Let's face it to run a PC you almost need to know how to build a robot. To run a Mac you need to know where the power button is.
don't forget to give it a bath or shower (your choice).
serously, though, do software update 2-3 times to make sure you're completely up to date before you install anything else.
istat menus is great. i always change my safari default to blank window and set the "appearance" color to graphite. I hate that blue color everywhere.
set up time machine as soon as you can.
I sually delete all of the extra languages and printer drivers i won't need when i do an install. For a system that you're never supposed to need to reinstall, i sure seem to be reinstalling it a lot. I've done the leopard install process 8 times now since it came out. Sadly, that's only on 2 different machines. hopefully you will have a better time than I have had w/Leopard.
serously, though, do software update 2-3 times to make sure you're completely up to date before you install anything else.
istat menus is great. i always change my safari default to blank window and set the "appearance" color to graphite. I hate that blue color everywhere.
set up time machine as soon as you can.
I sually delete all of the extra languages and printer drivers i won't need when i do an install. For a system that you're never supposed to need to reinstall, i sure seem to be reinstalling it a lot. I've done the leopard install process 8 times now since it came out. Sadly, that's only on 2 different machines. hopefully you will have a better time than I have had w/Leopard.
Where do you get this game, these days?
I did some research and saw some screen shots, and it looks interesting, but I can not locate a download.
no bloatware? I found myself deleting half the Ilife crap that came with it. Iphoto? get aperture. garageband? idvd and imovie?
To be honest, I'll use the latter 3 programs about once every 3-4 years. Get your mac, it's a wonderful machine, but really think about what you're going to use and do a fresh install with only those programs you really need installed.
To be honest, I'll use the latter 3 programs about once every 3-4 years. Get your mac, it's a wonderful machine, but really think about what you're going to use and do a fresh install with only those programs you really need installed.
