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Got my ibook finally. Slowly switching

W

whiteangel

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 29, 2004
115
0
Manchester
After going down to the city centre to find that all the shops have closed, I was devastated. I spent the previous few days reading all about OS X and about people's experience switching, and decided I really want it. Even though its going to make me very very broke and I had to refund my MCAD tests to squeeze out more money. I had to take the chance and go to a bigger shopping centre that was very out of the way. Turns out, Apple had stopped shipping for 3 weeks and the only laptops they had were the 14" ibook with superdrive and the 17" powerbook. I was deciding between a 14" ibook and a 15" PB. The salesman told me that I could expect new stock in about 3 weeks. My goodness! How can I stand the wait. After some sulking and attempt to melt my boyfriend's heart to buy the ibook with the superdrive which is 140pounds more expensive than the one I wanted to get, I finally managed to leave the shop with an ibook right before the whole place shut down.

Now ...the ibook :D
When I opened the box I totally did not regret getting the ibook over the PB as I love the white theme! Most of my clothes are baby pink or white so it kinda shows. :p

I've never used a Mac before. Everytime I see a person in my CS department using one, I'd think to myself "Wow thats nice. Too bad I can't get it as its so expensive and everyone else is on Windows." All I could do was to pay money to install windowblinds and attempt to make my XP look like OS X. Now I finally found the courage to switch, to move away from the crowd and dare to be different.
The whole OS is awesome, although I am still not used to how everything works. Even a simple thing like trying to install XCode I had to keep around in circles until I realize that the installation file is already in my computer. I am not familiar with how things are installed and you drag and drop the icon after which you eject whatever they put on your desktop.
I admit that although I am a CS student, I have no idea what is going on. But really seriously everything is very easy, its just that I am not used to it. Like I do not know how to switch between open windows of a program.
I think I need to go and read a manual of some sort. Never thought I'd have to do that but I better.

The 256MB RAM is really pushing it. I am not even using any memory intensive program and the amount of memory left is only 3mb??

I will like to get a USB mouse for my ibook. Any recommendations? I'm really leaning towards the apple one, but it only has one button. I am just not used to not having a back button, a right click button and a wheel.

I will like to upgrade my RAM as well. But from what I understand the ibook can only accomodate one RAM? So if I want to upgrade to 512MB, instead of buying another 256MB to add on, I need to buy a 512MB and throw the 256MB away? Please correct me if I am wrong and help me save money. As I am really really broke.
:eek:

So happy that I switched. I still have my PC now (going to sell it when the term starts. Hopefully some idiot will buy it.) but after copying my music over, I don't know what else to do with it anymore. So I shut it down and attach its wireless keyboard and mouse to my ibook so I can use a mouse and not the trackpad.
 
I'd recommend the "Panther Missing Manual" book for a good starter book.

As for RAM. There is 256 on the motherboard. You have a totally empty slot on your iBook. So getting 512 will bump it up to 768. That should do you nicely for pretty much everything you'll want to do.

Congrats. I have a 12" iBook myself. I love it.

Oh and if you like the Apple style of mice but want a 2nd button plus a scroll wheel, http://www.macmice.com
 
whiteangel said:
I admit that although I am a CS student, I have no idea what is going on. But really seriously everything is very easy, its just that I am not used to it. Like I do not know how to switch between open windows of a program.
I think I need to go and read a manual of some sort. Never thought I'd have to do that but I better.

The 256MB RAM is really pushing it. I am not even using any memory intensive program and the amount of memory left is only 3mb??

I will like to get a USB mouse for my ibook. Any recommendations? I'm really leaning towards the apple one, but it only has one button. I am just not used to not having a back button, a right click button and a wheel.

I will like to upgrade my RAM as well. But from what I understand the ibook can only accomodate one RAM? So if I want to upgrade to 512MB, instead of buying another 256MB to add on, I need to buy a 512MB and throw the 256MB away? Please correct me if I am wrong and help me save money. As I am really really broke.
:eek:
Click to expand...


It takes time for new users to get used to it, but I'm sure you'll love it even more after you play with it more :D

As for the mouse, I have no problem with the Apple mice, but then again as a switcher, I'm sure you're more used to the two button mouse... Me being a purist, I wouldn't go any other way :D

As for the RAM, you can ADD one stick to the iBook. There's one free slot for extra RAM, so you can just add another 256 MB stick to that (at least, as best I know, and that was the way it was for my old iBook). So you don't have to worry buying a 512 MB stick.

As to the current RAM issue, there's often weird memory allocation issues when it comes to how OSX uses memory. The computer sets a good partition of your HD open for VM, so try not too clutter up your computer with more than 80% of its total capacity.

Best of luck! Keep us posted :)
 
welcome.

I just recently got one of the refurb 1.2 ghz off apple.com. It wus a good deal and i do not regret it. Although i have already had several problems with panther (never had good luck with panther).

Even as a long time mac user id say ibooks and emacs are awsome deals right now.

ah yes almost forgot. I still ahve the 256 meg ram....hoping to slowly put mula away and just go all out and get a 1 gig module. :D
 
Cool!

I have decided to try and open up my ibook after I finish ogling at it :D to see if there is an extra slot for me. If there is, the first thing i'm gonna is to order a 256RAM ( i think 512MB in all is enough for me as the only other thing i do is program. And I don't do graphics as I have no creative talent, so not much worry.)

The next thing I'm gonna do is to sneak out tomorrow when my boyfriend is having driving lessons and buy a mouse and hopefully sneak back before him. I am soooo tempted to get the one button coz its so Apple. i mean if i'm gonna go apple why not go all the way right. Get the whole designer package, instead of spoiling it with an ugly mouse that doesn't match my ibook.

Seriously the ibook is great value for money as it comes with more bundled software than powerbook. Already broke to the brim I can't afford having to fork out money for AppleWorks.

Now I'm off to find out what other things I can do with my ibook. The sad thing is my new creative web cam doesn't work with ibook... sob sob
I doubt my digicam works as well as its so old. :(
 
Congratulations!! :D

Welcome to the best operating system on the planet. ;)

Panther is so great, and in a week you'll be flying around wondering how you could ever have been lost.

Now, as for mice...I just bought a 12" iBook and was in the same situation as you regarding mice, should I get Apple or something else? Well, I ended up going for a Kensington mouse. It's not white (metallic), but it's very small, optical, and has a retractable USB cable, and it's pretty cheap.

Again, congratulations on your iBook purchase!

:D
 
Got my 512MB RAM! yippie!!

The great news is that i decided to go for a 512MB upgrade instead of a 256MB so now I have 768MB. Should be enough for my programming right.

I woke up this morning with a programming job so going to earn some money to ease the pain. ;)

As I went for the 512MB ram, I decided to make up for it by buying a cheap basic mouse. 2 buttons with a wheel. I can give up the 2nd button but I am too used to the wheel. I was really really tempted to go for the Apple mouse. Oh well I'll buy it when I strike it rich :D
 
Excellent. I think you'll be happier with 768 MB of RAM. 512 total woulda been alright but 768 is just about perfect without getting too high in price.
 
Congrats!

Welcome to our happy family!

OS X may take some getting used to if you're a long time Windows user but once you get the hang of it, you'll love it. It's such an elegant interface!

I know you already bought a mouse but I have had good experiences with a wireless mouse from Kensington (sp?). You get the wheel as well as the extra button.

That said, I also bought a bluetooth mouse from Apple. Really like it a lot. I guess it just depends on what you're used to.

Enjoy!
 
Congrats

It's always nice to hear that yet another computer user has switched teams. Anyway, the Apple mouse is nice, but the fact that it has only one button is quite disturbing to us PC-converts (I switched in March). I found that http://www.macmice.com makes a great Apple mouse look-alike that works amazingly well and has both a right button and a scroll... it works great, I have two- one for my iBook and one for my G5 PM :).
 
Bluetooth apple mouse...

I know I bought a mouse already. And its cheap and good...

Thing is I earned a little bit of money doing some freelancing. So I was thinking should i use the money to get a Bluetooth apple mouse, or get the airport extreme to make it wireless. My place has a wireless router. But it will only move me to my bed thats all. And if I work on my bed I can't connect it to my hifi to play music. So kinda not very useful?? Which one will you choose? As the ibook is not bluetooth equipped I'd have to get the bluetooth dongle too.

Another thing. I am an international student so I chose a laptop which I can easily move around after one year of studying. I seldom move my laptop around, should I take out the battery to prevent it from spoiling? I spoilt my first laptop battery by leaving it in the laptop all the time. After 1year plus it wouldn't hold any charge anymore.
 
Anyone with a similar problem?

Sometimes when I want to move my mouse, the cursor will jump to another edge of the screen. I find that the cursor is abit 'unstable' not really going to places I ask it to go.

Does it happen with macs or is it just me? :confused:
 
I cant remember the link, but there is an app called sidetrak that turns the side of your trackpad into a "scroll wheel"
i have an iBook and like it alot, also, if you want to show off, hold down shift while minimizing a window or using expose...
 
thejazzman10 said:
I cant remember the link, but there is an app called sidetrak that turns the side of your trackpad into a "scroll wheel"
i have an iBook and like it alot, also, if you want to show off, hold down shift while minimizing a window or using expose...
Click to expand...
i don't mean when using the track pad. It happens when I use my usb optical mouse.

I'm clumsy with the trackpad. Always end up with 2 fingers on it accidentally :eek:
 
whiteangel said:
Sometimes when I want to move my mouse, the cursor will jump to another edge of the screen. I find that the cursor is abit 'unstable' not really going to places I ask it to go.

Does it happen with macs or is it just me? :confused:
Click to expand...

Are you using a mousepad--if so what kind? If you use the optical mouse on a shiny or reflective surface it will act exactly as you've described...
 
paulypants said:
Are you using a mousepad--if so what kind? If you use the optical mouse on a shiny or reflective surface it will act exactly as you've described...
Click to expand...
i'm using a mousepad called the Barracuda. I did not have this problem with xp though :confused:
 
whiteangel said:
I know I bought a mouse already. And its cheap and good...

Thing is I earned a little bit of money doing some freelancing. So I was thinking should i use the money to get a Bluetooth apple mouse, or get the airport extreme to make it wireless. My place has a wireless router. But it will only move me to my bed thats all. And if I work on my bed I can't connect it to my hifi to play music. So kinda not very useful?? Which one will you choose? As the ibook is not bluetooth equipped I'd have to get the bluetooth dongle too.

Another thing. I am an international student so I chose a laptop which I can easily move around after one year of studying. I seldom move my laptop around, should I take out the battery to prevent it from spoiling? I spoilt my first laptop battery by leaving it in the laptop all the time. After 1year plus it wouldn't hold any charge anymore.
Click to expand...

Buy the Airport Express(this is what lets you connect you ibbok to your stereo). The Aiport Extreme is the bigger wireless base station. If you need a dongle anyway there is no real point in getting a BT mouse. You might as well plug in a usb mouse.

I have never heard from a mac battery go bad from just leaving it in, but oh well, maybe others know more.
As weeks and months pass you'll be even happier with your book than the first day(and that says a lot). I know I am. Have fun.
 
whiteangel said:
i'm using a mousepad called the Barracuda. I did not have this problem with xp though :confused:
Click to expand...

I had the same problem with my mouse but it is easy to fix in OS X. All you have to do is go into the System Preferences then click on the mouse icon. I believe it is the Keyboard/Mouse icon. I'm not on my iMac right now so I'm not positive what it's called. Anyways, after you get into the mouse settings you can change how fast you want the mouse to move. It is a really easy change that will allow you to correct any mouse that is acting funny.

P.S. (just incase) the system preferences is the little light switch on your dock. :)
 
edge9in said:
I had the same problem with my mouse but it is easy to fix in OS X. All you have to do is go into the System Preferences then click on the mouse icon. I believe it is the Keyboard/Mouse icon. I'm not on my iMac right now so I'm not positive what it's called. Anyways, after you get into the mouse settings you can change how fast you want the mouse to move. It is a really easy change that will allow you to correct any mouse that is acting funny.

P.S. (just incase) the system preferences is the little light switch on your dock. :)
Click to expand...

I followed what you said but the cursor is still abit jumpy at times. :(
 
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