First PB comes tomorrow! What to do first after opening? Next?

[Greenone]

Hello -

This will be my first laptop ever. Please skip to next paragraph to get to my point! For now I just wanna start by saying: I'm so excited I can barely stand it (full time grad student who needed this weeks ago, too!). I ordered the 1.67 15" BTO, 100/7200rpm and just bought a gig of ram from datamem.com (only $104.00 and guaranteed!) so I'll have 1.5 after installing it. I bought one of those lap desks so I can sit on couch comfortably with it and also so it won't get too hot (has holes), I bought one of those typical laptop/mac locks, a laptop bag/backpack, and MS Office for Macs (teacher/student one). I plan on buying something to protect the screen and maybe also keys - but not sure how necessary they are.

So what should I do first? After that and after that? I'm assuming there will be one of those "quick set-up directions" thingies but I'd like to hear it (read it) from you guys. You might have additional, valuable suggestions/tips.

Will I have to charge the before anything else? When it's charging, can I also be using it, or is that a silly question? I DID see the thread in which someone included the info about how to keep your battery alive longer, which I appreciate. Just didn't answer all my questions. Moving along... Once it's charged (or, if I can be using it while it's charging), do I just start installing the discs/cd's that it comes with? Anything else worth telling me? Oh - like - should I check for wobbliness first, before getting too attached to the machine, or check for dead pixels right away? What should I look for when inspecting it (what are common problems I haven't already mentioned)? Anything else at all that you'd like to add, besides chill out for crying out loud and/or do that happy new laptop dance?

Ok thanks - sorry this was so long...

 

[NewbieNerd]

Are you a teacher or a student?!? Haha, just kidding...that's for another thread.

Congrats on the new laptop. I have a 3+ year old dell laptop but we just got a new iBook. I really hope to get at least one of a 17'' pbook or a 20'' iMac, but we'll see, hehe.

You can certainly be on the laptop while it is charging, but at least for me the iBook didn't completely recharge all the way until I stopped using it. I don't know if it's a big deal or not.

There will be one of those set up things where you put in your name and info and stuff, it figures out your wireless if you have it, which is cool, that's about it I guess. I don't know if it's your first mac, but just play with it and get used to it! You need to go to the applications folder and drag the Microsoft Office folder to trash I think, unless you can input your registration code directly. If not, just put the cd in (that cd drive is so cool!), it will show up on the desktop, then just double click on it and go from there. Afterwards, if you want to add anything to your dock at the bottom, just find it in the applications folder and drag it wherever onto the dock. To remove anything down there, just drag it off the dock and it will disappear.

Just play around with the expose, dashboard, all the goodies. I LOVE APPLE! STEVE, IF YOU CAN HERE ME, I WOULD LIKE A JOB!!

 

[Greenone]

Are you a teacher or a student?!? Haha, just kidding...that's for another thread.

Congrats on the new laptop. I have a 3+ year old dell laptop but we just got a new iBook. I really hope to get at least one of a 17'' pbook or a 20'' iMac, but we'll see, hehe.

You can certainly be on the laptop while it is charging, but at least for me the iBook didn't completely recharge all the way until I stopped using it. I don't know if it's a big deal or not.

There will be one of those set up things where you put in your name and info and stuff, it figures out your wireless if you have it, which is cool, that's about it I guess. I don't know if it's your first mac, but just play with it and get used to it! You need to go to the applications folder and drag the Microsoft Office folder to trash I think, unless you can input your registration code directly. If not, just put the cd in (that cd drive is so cool!), it will show up on the desktop, then just double click on it and go from there. Afterwards, if you want to add anything to your dock at the bottom, just find it in the applications folder and drag it wherever onto the dock. To remove anything down there, just drag it off the dock and it will disappear.

Just play around with the expose, dashboard, all the goodies. I LOVE APPLE! STEVE, IF YOU CAN HERE ME, I WOULD LIKE A JOB!!

Thanks a lot! I haven't used a mac in years but even way back then, I only knew how to write a paper and well...well e-mail was barely known then - that's how long ago I used my Mac Plus!

 

[strydr]

Congrats on your purchase. First off, I would suggest getting a screen/key keeper. Also, I use my PB at a desk most of the time, and a external keyboard/mouse make a huge difference. If you are going to use in multiple locations, get a second power cord (I have a iGo, it has adapters to charge other things while charging the PB). I bought a iCurve for the office, it keeps the PB cool, and angles it nicely.

Keep it safe, and it will last you forever. Abuse it, and it will still last longer than you need. I droped (it sliped off) my PB from 4 Ft. in the air, running, lid wide open- it hit a wooden chair, then ricocheted to the ground. The screen bent slightly, but only I can notice it. Other than that, nothing else wrong. No HDD problems, OS is still perfect..

 

[erickg]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Mac and OSX Greenone! I think you'll really enjoy it a lot and you're getting a machine most of us would really envy.

Just to add my 2 cents. Turn on the powerbook before installing the extra ram and see if everything is running properly, then shutdown and install the extra gig of ram. Secondly, go into System Prefs > Energy Saver > Options and set the processor performance to Highest. People on the forum, including myself, have noticed quite a large difference in speed between the Automatic and Highest setting.

There's a ton more to find out and do, but I'm sure the other members will fill you in about most things and the rest you will enjoy finding out yourself.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Mac and OSX Greenone! I think you'll really enjoy it a lot and you're getting a machine most of us would really envy.

Just to add my 2 cents. Turn on the powerbook before installing the extra ram and see if everything is running properly, then shutdown and install the extra gig of ram. Secondly, go into System Prefs > Energy Saver > Options and set the processor performance to Highest. People on the forum, including myself, have noticed quite a large difference in speed between the Automatic and Highest setting.

There's a ton more to find out and do, but I'm sure the other members will fill you in about most things and the rest you will enjoy finding out yourself.

Hi

I can only double that. You don't need the extra RAM right away. Wait with installing it for some time/days. Just see first if everything works perfect.

my suggestion:
first thing: unpack everything
NEXT: before pressing the power on - connect the power and then press on.
NEXT: just follow the steps on screen - it will lead you through the installation
NEXT: in your apps folder locate MS Office and start it. If your CD-Key works (what I would assume) just use it. If not trash that one and
NEXT: install Office by dragging the folder to your apps from your CD.


Do you have wireless and DSL?

Cheers
LaForge