Guide to being a Mac know-it-all

[LACOSTE]

Owning a Mac is a great privilege, and its a fandom where newbies, pros, afficionados and apple know-it-alls can marvel at Apple computer in an equal plane.

But how does a newbie try to upgrade the status to a Mac know-it-all (our favourite learned friend)?

Do we drabble on a little applescript?
Or spend hours maulling over Pro application books?
Enrol at a graphics design course?
Rain hell and flame PC-loyalists?
Scour gold mines like this site and do mac-only tricks?
Work for apple?

 

[kretzy]

I think the most important thing is having a good usable knowledge of OS X. In addition, being familiar with most of the current hardware is pretty important.

 

[Chundles]

Owning a Mac is a great privilege, and its a fandom where newbies, pros, afficionados and apple know-it-alls can marvel at Apple computer in an equal plane.

But how does a newbie try to upgrade the status to a Mac know-it-all (our favourite learned friend)?

Do we drabble on a little applescript?
Or spend hours maulling over Pro application books?
Enrol at a graphics design course?
Rain hell and flame PC-loyalists?
Scour gold mines like this site and do mac-only tricks?
Work for apple?

Just keep learning, read threads entitled "Help!" and see what the more senior members have to say.

I've owned a Mac for over a year and have been using them for donkey's years (only at school, my parents won't go Mac as Dad needs some highly specialised software that is Windows only - fair enough, he keeps his machines in good nick so they work very well) and still learn something new pretty much every day.

EDIT: Hah!! An Aussie threesome....

 

[mad jew]

Use this site to ask questions, peruse threads and read our guides.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

 

[kretzy]

EDIT: Hah!! An Aussie threesome....

Perhaps more appropriately known as a hat trick - seeing as we just flogged the South Africans in the one-dayer today.

Where's MJ when you need him? Then we could have a foursome.

EDIT: I had a feeling he'd come to the party.

 

[Applespider]

I think there are very few Mac know it alls - just 'know it alls' in certain fields

There are some who know OS X inside-out, develop for it and can quote the human interface guidelines.

There are others who know how to use OS X pretty well but are whizzes at using graphics or audio or video applications.

There are general all-rounders who dabble in numerous areas but probably wouldn't describe themselves as a 'know it all' in any.

 

[LACOSTE]

..there are very few Mac know it alls - just 'know it alls' in certain fields...

...who know OS X inside-out... and also all-rounders.

Yeah lol, I was just wondering what good steps to take to have a good all-rounder proficiency at using macs. Its just that a friend is thinking of opening a new apple store here in sydney in months time, and i was thinking of working there someday.

 

[LACOSTE]

Oh and for the aussies...
go the awesome foursome and thanks for the replies.

lol great day of cricket eh?

sigh... anyways... yeah im just reading guides and stuff and their helping heaps. this site is a goldmine!

 

[Chundles]

Hussey - where were you in England?

That man has done so much for the Aussie cricket team this year. Looks like Gilly's form is back with a vengeance.

I hope we thump the South Africans and the Bangladeshis (reckon we could be the first test team to make 1000 runs in a an innings, been done here domestically but not internationally) and then it's time for the Ashes showdown - the Poms are going to do it real tough trying to retain the Ashes down here. We'll get them back but I think it's the start of an era of tougher, closer Ashes battles and that's a good thing in my opinion.

Oh yeah, read MacRumours....

 

[mad jew]

If you're wanting to work in an Apple retail outlet then I strongly recommend this site as a means of comparing XP with OSX. The majority of any business expansion will be from switchers so it's always nice to know some of the facts.

Otherwise, just keep using OSX on a regular basis and remember that it's far more intuitive than Windows so if you come across something you don't know, then try to work around the problem yourself before coming on here will cement that knowledge firmly in your brain.

 

[Chundles]

MacWorld is a good site for hints and tips with lots of graphics to help you visualise what you want to do.
Oh, and learn to type in white so that Mad Jew can have fun looking for hidden messages in your posts. Anchorman is the greatest movie ever.
Oh and welcome to the wonderful world of the MacWorld Expo San Francisco, WWDC, MacExpo Paris and the ninja-like Apple special events. All of which are on at ungodly hours on this side of the planet.

Next time you notice one coming up, probably sometime this month, watch my posts go from normal to incoherent as lack of sleep saps my motor skills.

 

[LACOSTE]

lol... i'll take ur advice about cementing brains madjew

That site u showed me is a little surprising,

How can OSX rated 1/10 for video editing, and Windows XP was rated 7/10?
I think that bit is bogus lol

 

[LACOSTE]

All of which are on at ungodly hours on this side of the planet.

Lol yeah i know, I stayed up at 3 am to watch for the macworldSF reveals.

oh and i'll learn to type in white

"PC's suck Mac rocks" <<<<<<< maybe i'll put these everytime i post.

.... and yeah i am currently learning to be proficient at apple script... i'm struggling a little with a beginner's level book, i dont have any programming background ... sigh.

 

[kretzy]

lol... i'll take ur advice about cementing brains madjew

That site u showed me is a little surprising,

How can OSX rated 1/10 for video editing, and Windows XP was rated 7/10?
I think that bit is bogus lol

I thought so to when I first read that, but then he explains that Windows Movie Maker comes as a part of the OS whereas iDVD comes packaged with makes.
I ate Krispy Kremes for the first time yesterday. See the wonderfully random possibilities when white text is utilised?
Generally though, the site is full of excellent and useful information. I referred to it a lot before I bought my Mac.

 

[mad jew]

Yeah, as max_altitude said, the comparison doesn't include iLife because retail versions of OSX don't include iLife. They're the first people to admit it's a limited comparison, but I find it very objective and informative all the same.

They have a page dedicated to the site's scope.

 

[Applespider]

Yeah, as max_altitude said, the comparison doesn't include iLife because retail versions of OSX don't include iLife.

But since every Mac that comes with OSX also comes with iLife, it's unfair to say that they don't match up without giving a comment in the movie/photo sections to that effect. I could understand if only some Macs came with iLife bundled but since they all do, it's near as dammit being in the OS!

If the main purpose of their site is to allow people to figure out what works best for them, it's not really giving a clear guide.

 

[mad jew]

I think it's fair to not include iLife. They give a good explanation as to why they didn't rate iMovie in the video section, plus it'd really add to their already comprehensive workload IMO.

 

[CoMpX]

My screen name is MacKnowItAll, so I just feel like I should post in this hread. To consider myself a Mac know-it-all, I know all of the rumors of stuff that may come out and I always know of all hardware and software releases right when they come out. Also, how to use OSX although I am pretty unfamiliar with Terminal and I have no idea how to use AppleScript

 

[Applespider]

I think it's fair to not include iLife. They give a good explanation as to why they didn't rate iMovie in the video section, plus it'd really add to their already comprehensive workload IMO.

Gosh... I'm going blind! I swear I went and had a quick flick through there before posting and missed that entirely...

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I think it's fair to not include iLife. They give a good explanation as to why they didn't rate iMovie in the video section, plus it'd really add to their already comprehensive workload IMO.

I don't think it's fair comparisment... not only because iMove is bundled (for free) with any new Mac, but because there are free video editing software out there for the Mac, too... actually this was one of many points that made me stop using the site for recommending Macs.