Moving From Windows To Mac, Any Advice?

[colourfulclock]

Hi,

I've just bought a new Macbook (white), upgraded to 4GB of RAM.

I've ALWAYS been a Windows person, and this is really my first home computer Mac experience.
Can you give me any advice?
Things I should look out for that are different?
Should I install virus software?
What free applications should I get which are essential?
Do I defragment? Registry clean?

I think I'll also use Windows in bootcamp for some things (games), but I'll wait until Apple releases a Windows 7 supported version. I've heard there might be overheating issues if I run Windows on a Macbook? Is this true? Also, can I access files on the Windows partition from my Mac?

Should I buy iWork or MS Office Mac? I hear Office Mac is fairly buggy, so I'm leaning towards iWork. Its also cheaper.

Wow, lots of questions!!

Thanks for your help!

 

[jmann]

Installing most applications only consist of drag and drop. Here is a good guide that has a lot of OS X software. My favorite is Adium, and Growl. Get those. No need for virus software, registry cleaning, or defragmenting. You don't have to do that with a Mac.

 

[PeggyD]

Check out Apple's How to tutorials, especially PC to Mac: The Basics.

 

[chrisandersen]

1. Spend a lot of time here on the this forum.
2. No antivirus
3. No defrag, etc.
4. Get iwork and get used to it.
5. Games in bootcamp? Don't know. I use VM fusion for the apps I have to have windows run.

Good Luck !

 

[icafelawrence]

I've never used virus protection and never had a problem. Most of my other Mac user friends say the same. I have one friend who did have virus protection, and its scans never found anything.

I like Tweetdeck and Quicksilver for free apps that rock.

Look at Parallels for running windows, that way you don't have to reboot, you can just open windows along side Mac OS X

DEFINITELY iWork. I have both, and iWork is so much better

You might also check and see if there's an apple specialist in your area and inquire as to whether they have any free seminars or classes or anything.

Also check for a local Apple User Group that you can join!

 

[arjen92]

You don't need anti virus, however there is anti virus for mac. In the case a genius makes a virus for mac (although that chance is really small because of the target "mac users" is small, the os is based on an os used and repaired for more than 25 years; unix, the os doesn't have adminstrator rights, you always have to give your password for big software, whereas in windows you can install everything without password, and active x).

So most mac users that have anti-virus do it because they don't want other "windows" friends get virusses, sended by them. (you can have viruses, but they are designed for windows, so they won't effect your mac, but when you send them through (without you knowing, for example an infected picture or whatever) the receiver with windows will have trouble). But I personnally think that will happen. Only if you watch porn and download illegal software. And if it does happen, so what, windows is the dark side anyhow let them rot (but I guess you're more friendly).

I suggest you get perian to make quicktime play everything. Macrumors has guides for some stuff like stuff. Check it out. You could learn alot without having to ask.

My sister (who is a student on a university with only windows and office) only has iwork. But she has to save everything as a .doc document. And be aware that sometimes the lay-out will change when saving it as .doc. That's why my other brother also uses office, I use office as well because my school mates use office 2007 which I can't read without office.

Definetely check out the how to tutorials Peggy D suggested.

You might have to take a month to get used to the thinking pattern of a mac, but it will be better.

p.s. I don't want to be a spoiler but which games do you want to play on the macbook (white). The macbook doesn't have a graphics card, only a chipset. This isn't ideally for gaming. I have a 8800 GS gaming card in my mac. which serves enough (crysis on high), but when I play the sims on the mac side on my sisters macbook pro 13" which does have a graphics card/chip set (it's kinda both) the sims 3 won't render everything really smooth when going from the town-hall to your house, where as on the iMac it does. So don't be surprised it high-end games doesn't work to well for you. (you could all ways buy an xbox or playstation 3 )

 

[bunnykicker]

the mac operating system is FAR superior to windows. i switched from a windows computer to a macbook about year ago and i'll never go back.

it definitely takes some getting used to but it's soo much better once you do. you can't truly understand that statement until you see for yourself.

exposé and spaces alone is enough to leave windows behind.

as you heard from most responses, anti-virus software is not necessary because nothing in the operating system can be accessed without administrator passwords by anyone, including yourself, unlike windows.

i have both iWork and office for mac. iWork pwns office. if i need to open a file on a windows computer i just save it as .doc file or export to .pdf. either works very well and i've never had formatting problems when crossing over.

give it some time. everything mac is much more user friendly than windows once you learn to speak its language

 

[MacKiddyWiddy]

the only fault i had when getting used to mac was to make all of the icons in folders automatically move around when i englarged or made windows smaller, if you need help with this PM me, its really simple but after being a windows person for a few years, you always look for the most difficult way