Hey everybody,
It seems that my new MacBook Pro is finally on its way so I am preparing for the switch from XP to OS. I am pretty much set but still have some questions which I couldnt find an answer for yet. So here we go:
1. Partitions I:
Do I need different partitions on a Mac as well? On Windows I always had my System Volume which I tried not to touch at all and then had another partition with all my data to be able to reinstall Windows without having to backup all my data. How does that work on a Mac? Do I need to reinstall Mac OS at least once a year as well because it has become terribly slow? Any other reasons why I should have different partitions?
2. Partitions II: I am going to keep a copy of XP running on my Mac as well. Id like to install it via BootCamp and then use it either with BootCamp or with Parallels or VMWare (prolly the former). Do I have to define the Windows partition beforehand? Because I guess the OS will come preinstalled, right?
3. iTunes Migration:
I use iTunes on my PC and it is kinda weird. I have most of my music in a separate folder on a separate disk but it seems that iTunes converted some of my songs to some other format and stored them in the iTunes Library folder. This makes the folder pretty big. I once used a tool to rename most of my music and get the ID3 Tags right. Of course the program kinda screwed up (well, I was lazy and set it on automatic mode without checking). So now it seems that most of the messed up tracks ended up in the iTunes library folder. How does the file system in Mac OS work? I once read that iTunes somehow uses its own internal organization for the music on my hard disk and changes the file names, etc. So far most of my MP3 are neatly named and Id like to keep it that way if possible? What exactly is going to happen once I copy my music to my Mac?
4. Mail Migration
I still havent decided whether Ill make the switch to iMail or keep using Outlook or Entourage (or whatever it is called on a Mac). I want to achieve two things:
a) Being able to migrate easily from my Outlook (a LOT of mail, contacts, rules, all the stuff Id like to have my inbox on the Mac looking like it looks right now on my PC, or at least similar, without having to manually set up all the folders, rules, etc. again)
b) Ill get the iPod Touch as well and want to sync with it. Are there any problems syncing with Entourage/Outlook
c) I need my mail program to work seamlessly with my calendar (setting reminders, attaching contacts to stuff, etc.). Can iCal / iMail handle that?
I think that is it for the moment. Id really appreciate any help. Thanks from Germany.
Basti.
It seems that my new MacBook Pro is finally on its way so I am preparing for the switch from XP to OS. I am pretty much set but still have some questions which I couldnt find an answer for yet. So here we go:
1. Partitions I:
Do I need different partitions on a Mac as well? On Windows I always had my System Volume which I tried not to touch at all and then had another partition with all my data to be able to reinstall Windows without having to backup all my data. How does that work on a Mac? Do I need to reinstall Mac OS at least once a year as well because it has become terribly slow? Any other reasons why I should have different partitions?
2. Partitions II: I am going to keep a copy of XP running on my Mac as well. Id like to install it via BootCamp and then use it either with BootCamp or with Parallels or VMWare (prolly the former). Do I have to define the Windows partition beforehand? Because I guess the OS will come preinstalled, right?
3. iTunes Migration:
I use iTunes on my PC and it is kinda weird. I have most of my music in a separate folder on a separate disk but it seems that iTunes converted some of my songs to some other format and stored them in the iTunes Library folder. This makes the folder pretty big. I once used a tool to rename most of my music and get the ID3 Tags right. Of course the program kinda screwed up (well, I was lazy and set it on automatic mode without checking). So now it seems that most of the messed up tracks ended up in the iTunes library folder. How does the file system in Mac OS work? I once read that iTunes somehow uses its own internal organization for the music on my hard disk and changes the file names, etc. So far most of my MP3 are neatly named and Id like to keep it that way if possible? What exactly is going to happen once I copy my music to my Mac?
4. Mail Migration
I still havent decided whether Ill make the switch to iMail or keep using Outlook or Entourage (or whatever it is called on a Mac). I want to achieve two things:
a) Being able to migrate easily from my Outlook (a LOT of mail, contacts, rules, all the stuff Id like to have my inbox on the Mac looking like it looks right now on my PC, or at least similar, without having to manually set up all the folders, rules, etc. again)
b) Ill get the iPod Touch as well and want to sync with it. Are there any problems syncing with Entourage/Outlook
c) I need my mail program to work seamlessly with my calendar (setting reminders, attaching contacts to stuff, etc.). Can iCal / iMail handle that?
I think that is it for the moment. Id really appreciate any help. Thanks from Germany.
Basti.