Apple Newb Questions

[UWF404]

I've decided to get myself a Powerbook and have newbie questions:

1. Will the Powerbook Wireless card be compatible with my Linksys G Router?

2. Will it be easy to setup the Mac laptop on my Windows home network?

3. File compatibility issues with Windows? Mainly Office and Adobe files.

4. Any benefits to buying the Apple Airport Router? If so, how would I integrate the router in my Windows home network?

5. Will it be easy to add more memory ?

Thanks in advance!

 

[edesignuk]

1. Will the Powerbook Wireless card be compatible with my Linksys G Router?

Yes.

2. Will it be easy to setup the Mac laptop on my Windows home network?

Yes. GUIDE: Networking Windows with OS X.

3. File compatibility issues with Windows? Mainly Office and Adobe files.

Provided you have the Mac version of the Adobe/Microsoft apps you will have no problem here.

5. Will it be easy to add more memory ?

Yes.

 

[mcarvin]

. Will the Powerbook Wireless card be compatible with my Linksys G Router?

Yup. AirportExtreme is Apple's consumer-friendly name for 802.11g.

. Will it be easy to setup the Mac laptop on my Windows home network?

I have an easier time setting our Macs up than the Windows laptop

. File compatibility issues with Windows? Mainly Office and Adobe files.

None that I can remember. I was in a mixed-platform art department and the worst that ever happened was this one guy who couldn't manage to send attachments from PC Outlook to Mac Outlook without the attachment getting all fouled up. He quit, life went back to normal.

. Any benefits to buying the Apple Airport Router? If so, how would I integrate the router in my Windows home network?

The only advantage I can think of is OS X's Airport Admin app which puts a nicer-than-average GUI on the router's control panel. My D-Link router has a pretty easy-to-use web-based GUI, so I don't miss the AEBS.

. Will it be easy to add more memory ?

On my TiBook 667, I think the RAM is underneath the keyboard but I'm not sure where it is on the newer models. I'm sure Apple made it easy to do though.

Good luck with it!

 

[slughead]

4. Any benefits to buying the Apple Airport Router? If so, how would I integrate the router in my Windows home network?

Well I suppose one benefit is that you wont have to lug around as much heavy cash.

Apart from Airport Express (with airtunes and whatnot), there is no reason to get an Apple basestation.

And even then, the Airport express is pretty pricey, does not bridge with 99.99% of non-apple routers, does not have an extendable antenna, cannot route wired computers, and is really supposed to be used for limited applications.

Without bridging, computers not wirelessly connected through the Airport Extreme cannot use the printer sharing or air-tunes functionality.

There's no reason why the airport express couldn't emulate a hub, other than Apple is mean .

 

[daxdagr8t]

Adding more ram ony require you to get the four super soft screws which is a pain to remove.Thus, you need a really pointed or brand new size 0 screwdriver. The screws are so soft that i end up rounding all four of them.

 

[jared_kipe]

If you don't already have a router, I would have to recommend an Airport Express router at the moment. You can use it with 10 computers (good for home network) and you can send print jobs and music to it. And for the price, you can't go wrong.