New iMac user blues

[floridaoj1]

Hey all....

I didn't see an intro thread, so I guess I'll just start posting here.... Greetings to all...!! I'm mark, hello...

I hope I can learn some things here that will help me out of my frustrations....? I'm not the most computer literate person out there, but I get the basics I think....

I just started using an iMac a couple days ago (yes, x-mas present).... I have to honestly say, I HATE IT....! I always wanted a mac, always dreamed of having one, and now that I have one, it's the most user-unfriendly computer I've ever had, the complete opposite of my Iphone....

I plugged my Iphone into it to sync, and nothing...? I can't even access my music on Itunes, even when I login...? There seems very few programs on this iMac, I can't even see a word processor, my old piece of crap $300. Conpaq had 5 times as many programs on it..? I'm just disapointed...?

I;m bummed about this new iMac computer because It's replacing a $300 Conpaq cheapest model in the store computer, and to be honest, the $300. Conpaq is beating it and making me want to take this new one outside and throw it into my fishpond with a stress relieving scream...

I hope by posting this I might get some relief from my frustration, and advice on how to get the most out of my new iMac computer, cuz my wife will kill me if I throw it out the window.......

Thank you,
mark

 

[McGiord]

the fear of the unknown...


vent a little bit, and then get your hands dirty

First run all the software updates -> apple menu -> software update

In iTunes, you need to set up your account and then copy all what you had in your old computer to your library and you will be ready to continue having fun

Surely some other members will post some nice links with good guides about all the recommended basics to install a bunch of goodies.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

For a first time Mac user, you will have a learning curve to get through. OS/X does things differently than it's Windows counterparts.

As for a word processor, it comes with Text Edit and if it was purchased with the iMac, you would have iWork which has Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet) and Keynote (presentation maker). If you don't have that, you can buy it rather cheaply. Also you can get MS Office for Mac or OpenOffice for free.

Syncing your iPhone should be easy. Go to iTunes and Preferences and then select Devices. Make sure the checkbox 'Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically is NOT checked.

Once I got through my learning curve, I have discovered that the Mac is more user friendly to me than Windows ever was. Be patient and keep at it and you will likely learn to love it.

Keep searching and asking questions here on the forum and we can help you out when you need it.

 

[JosephDuffy]

I know you may be annoyed, but if you could provide some definite questions, we'd be happy to help.
From what you've posted, here's my reply:
Macs have many programs/applications built in, try double clicking the "Macintosh HD" icon on your Desktop and click "Applications", you'll find plenty in there, including TextEdit, a text editor. But for Word etc, you can purchase Office 2011 Mac.
I hope some of this has been useful.

 

[Hellhammer]

You have to transfer your music from your old computer to your new one. This would be the case with ANY computer, Mac or PC. iTunes does not let you transfer music from iPhone to a computer (to prevent copying).

There are plenty of word processors for OS X, for example Pages (which is included in iWork suite, trial can be downloaded from Apple's site) and Word (part of MS's Office for Mac suite). There are few free ones too, e.g. OpenOffice and NeoOffice.

It's normal that it will feel a bit hard in the beginning but give it some time and you'll learn the tricks. You will also have to do your own research how to do things with a Mac.

 

[keaide]

Mac Life has a nice article about what you can do with your new iMac. You can find it >>here<<.

Or try some tutorials from Apple >>here<<.

You can find many useful tutorials via iTunes (video podcasts) by searching for Apple and "find out how".

 

[rdowns]

I'm not the most computer literate person out there, but I get the basics I think….

Apparently not.

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

 

[floridaoj1]

the fear of the unknown...


vent a little bit, and then get your hands dirty

First run all the software updates -> apple menu -> software update

In iTunes, you need to set up your account and then copy all what you had in your old computer to your library and you will be ready to continue having fun

Surely some other members will post some nice links with good guides about all the recommended basics to install a bunch of goodies.

Thanks for letting me vent..! I'll look for the updates.. Looking forward to learning more..!!

For a first time Mac user, you will have a learning curve to get through. OS/X does things differently than it's Windows counterparts.

As for a word processor, it comes with Text Edit and if it was purchased with the iMac, you would have iWork which has Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet) and Keynote (presentation maker). If you don't have that, you can buy it rather cheaply. Also you can get MS Office for Mac or OpenOffice for free.

Syncing your iPhone should be easy. Go to iTunes and Preferences and then select Devices. Make sure the checkbox 'Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically is NOT checked.

Once I got through my learning curve, I have discovered that the Mac is more user friendly to me than Windows ever was. Be patient and keep at it and you will likely learn to love it.

Keep searching and asking questions here on the forum and we can help you out when you need it.

Thanks for the great info and advice, I'll do it all...
Yes, the "learning curve"... I feel it..! It's like trying to drive in England where the steering wheels are on the wrong side of the car, or visa versa if you live in England like my next door neighbor does half the year...

 

[Imperatore]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I'll be in the same boat as this guy soon. Thanks for those links, will help me a lot when it arrives.

 

[floridaoj1]

I know you may be annoyed, but if you could provide some definite questions, we'd be happy to help.
From what you've posted, here's my reply:
Macs have many programs/applications built in, try double clicking the "Macintosh HD" icon on your Desktop and click "Applications", you'll find plenty in there, including TextEdit, a text editor. But for Word etc, you can purchase Office 2011 Mac.
I hope some of this has been useful.

I will try that, thanks so much..!
Yes, it's like trying to write left handed....? But learning new things is good, and it's nice to have support... I;ll doo all the things you described...!!

You have to transfer your music from your old computer to your new one. This would be the case with ANY computer, Mac or PC. iTunes does not let you transfer music from iPhone to a computer (to prevent copying).

There are plenty of word processors for OS X, for example Pages (which is included in iWork suite, trial can be downloaded from Apple's site) and Word (part of MS's Office for Mac suite). There are few free ones too, e.g. OpenOffice and NeoOffice.

It's normal that it will feel a bit hard in the beginning but give it some time and you'll learn the tricks. You will also have to do your own research how to do things with a Mac.

Thanks, I'll look for those programs, and I'm sure like you said there's lots of others.. Cool..!

No worries, I'll get the hang of it I think, it's just something that I'm not used to, and maybe wasn't expecting to be so different... When I got my iPhone it was so flawless and effortless to use, I may have had similar expectations with this iMac, not realizing that it's much more complicated and would take more effort to figure out...
Thanks so much..

Mac Life has a nice article about what you can do with your new iMac. You can find it >>here<<.

Or try some tutorials from Apple >>here<<.

You can find many useful tutorials via iTunes (video podcasts) by searching for Apple and "find out how".

Cool..! Thank you..!! I'm reading now........

Apparently not.

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

Ooohhh, attitude....... I like you..!!! <3

Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen it....?

 

[rkaufmann87]

There is a lot of information out there about transitioning from a PC to a Mac. Here are some great sites to go to. Don't just gloss over them, spread some time reading them.

http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2477

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/15/mac-101-moving-files-from-your-old-pc-to-your-new-mac/

http://switchtoamac.com/

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/categories/C7/

http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/#iphoto

http://www.apple.com/iwork/tutorials/#pages

http://macs.about.com/

 

[mrt209]

I think you should go to the Apple store and get some one-on-one training, it'll help you a lot. You can go to seminars as well, just check the website of your local apple store.

Been using Macs my whole life, so when I used Windows for the first time I felt the same way

 

[ironace]

along with everything else everyone has posted lifehacker.com posted this just the other day..... may be helpful to you: http://lifehacker.com/5717450/set-up-and-get-to-know-your-new-mac

Stick with it you will love it and remember if you have a question just ask in this forum.

 

[floridaoj1]

There is a lot of information out there about transitioning from a PC to a Mac. Here are some great sites to go to. Don't just gloss over them, spread some time reading them.

http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2477

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/15/mac-101-moving-files-from-your-old-pc-to-your-new-mac/

http://switchtoamac.com/

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/categories/C7/

http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/#iphoto

http://www.apple.com/iwork/tutorials/#pages

http://macs.about.com/

Thank you, I will open each on and read it all...! Thanks...

I think you should go to the Apple store and get some one-on-one training, it'll help you a lot. You can go to seminars as well, just check the website of your local apple store.

Been using Macs my whole life, so when I used Windows for the first time I felt the same way

That's a really great way to phrase it that you had Macs all the time and felt weird using a PC.... I guess it's just what we get used to isn't it..??? Thanks...!

No Apple store training though, I don't go to malls, and I've never been in an Apple store, nor ever will be, as long as I can buy stuff online..... It's just not my thing....?

Thanks for letting me know others can be just as out of place as me using what I was comfy with.... That lesson could be used in lots of parts of our lives....

along with everything else everyone has posted lifehacker.com posted this just the other day..... may be helpful to you: http://lifehacker.com/5717450/set-up-and-get-to-know-your-new-mac

Stick with it you will love it and remember if you have a question just ask in this forum.

Thank you..... reading it now...

 

[bearcatrp]

No Apple store training though, I don't go to malls, and I've never been in an Apple store, nor ever will be, as long as I can buy stuff online..... It's just not my thing....?

You should give it a try if it's not to far away. Know anyone who has been on a Mac for awhile that lives close by? They could help you though the growing pains. Otherwise, come back here for more advice. Plenty of knowledgable folks to help. Just ignore the jerks. There are a few here too. Keep reading the posts here. You will learn allot. Good luck.

 

[bearcatrp]

I didn't see anything improper so don't know why. Hell with em if they have a problem. Go here.....
http://www.macnn.com/

Pretty good folks over there too.

 

[revelated]

I'm not trying to be smarmy. Seriously.

Did you bother going through the tutorial that shows after you power on the Mac the first time and that guy finishes singing? Cause it does, I think, answer a few questions. The rest is, as noted by others, a matter of research and patience.

 

[floridaoj1]

I'm not trying to be smarmy. Seriously.

Did you bother going through the tutorial that shows after you power on the Mac the first time and that guy finishes singing? Cause it does, I think, answer a few questions. The rest is, as noted by others, a matter of research and patience.

I figured out a lot of my questions tonight, thanks mostly to you guys and your links and answers... On a scale of 1-10 where I was was a 2 when I posted this topic, and I'm about a 4-5 now... There's still a lot to learn, but I at least have a grasp on the essentials thanks to the replies here....

I mostly do video editing and art and music, and the Imusic has been hard to get used to, but I'm getting the hang of it.....

Thanks guys...
You're all great...

 

[MacDawg]

Welcome floridaoj1

Just for future reference... there is a new users introduction where new members are welcomed

'Official' New Member Thread: Welcome

And to be fair, there are also Forum Rules and FAQs posted at the top of the page

As far as quoting others goes, this comes from the Forum Rules:

Sequential posts. Combine your comments into one post rather than making many consecutive posts to a thread within a short period of time.

From the FAQ:

To quote more than one previous post:

Click the multi-quote icon (it looks like a double quote mark) next to each post you would like to quote.
Click the Post Reply button at the top or bottom of the page.
Type your post in the Message box, which will contain all of the quoted posts.
Click the Preview Post button to check if your post came out as you want it.
Click the Submit Reply button.

Good luck with your iMac
You can find a lot of great information in the links provided above
And you will find a lot of help around here as well... just give it a chance

 

[John T]

I think you should go to the Apple store and get some one-on-one training, it'll help you a lot. You can go to seminars as well, just check the website of your local apple store.

Now, this is good advice!

Many years ago when I was getting more and more frustrated with having to regularly clean out the Windows Registry and get rid of viruses etc, a friend demonstrated his Mac to me and I was immediately converted. I haven't touched a Windows machine since! When you get used to it, you'll find your iMac so much more intuitive and easy to use.

There's nothing better than being face-to-face with someone who can show you how and answer your questions.

 

[floridaoj1]

Now, this is good advice!

Many years ago when I was getting more and more frustrated with having to regularly clean out the Windows Registry and get rid of viruses etc, a friend demonstrated his Mac to me and I was immediately converted. I haven't touched a Windows machine since! When you get used to it, you'll find your iMac so much more intuitive and easy to use.

There's nothing better than being face-to-face with someone who can show you how and answer your questions.

I guess after doing quite well with numerous computers over the past decade or so I feel, if this Apple computer requires classes(and I'm sure they aren't free of course) in order to use it, I think my Christmas iMac will end up back at the apple store for a refund.... If this computer is so user unfriendly that someone has to take classes to figure it out, I'm not interested...

I"m learning all the time, but it's so frickin awkward and takes so much longer to do the things I want it to, I'm still not impressed... Unlike my iPhone, which was the most user friendly and easiest to use thing I ever bought....! This iMac I think was designed by the devil himself just to torment anyone who turns one on............

 

[bearcatrp]

Just give it a week of playing around and you will figure it out. Not much different from when you started on pc's. As was posted earlier, takes a little time but once you get the hang of it, you won't regret it. But ultimately, it's up to you. If your not happy, bring it back. Your iPhone can use iTunes on a PC too.

 

[MacDawg]

I guess after doing quite well with numerous computers over the past decade or so I feel, if this Apple computer requires classes(and I'm sure they aren't free of course) in order to use it, I think my Christmas iMac will end up back at the apple store for a refund.... If this computer is so user unfriendly that someone has to take classes to figure it out, I'm not interested...

I"m learning all the time, but it's so frickin awkward and takes so much longer to do the things I want it to, I'm still not impressed... Unlike my iPhone, which was the most user friendly and easiest to use thing I ever bought....! This iMac I think was designed by the devil himself just to torment anyone who turns one on............

Why not let us take one problem at a time for you?
What is your most frustrating thing at the moment?

The more we know about what is specifically causing the frustration, the better we will be able to target solutions for you

 

[jzuena]

I guess after doing quite well with numerous computers over the past decade or so I feel, if this Apple computer requires classes(and I'm sure they aren't free of course) in order to use it, I think my Christmas iMac will end up back at the apple store for a refund.... If this computer is so user unfriendly that someone has to take classes to figure it out, I'm not interested...

I"m learning all the time, but it's so frickin awkward and takes so much longer to do the things I want it to, I'm still not impressed... Unlike my iPhone, which was the most user friendly and easiest to use thing I ever bought....! This iMac I think was designed by the devil himself just to torment anyone who turns one on............

If your numerous computers were all running Windows, then they were really all the same, so I would expect the transitions wouldn't seem like much. Macs don't run Windows (by default), so the transition is bigger. The Apple classes others are talking about are free when you buy a new Apple computer.

 

[biggd]

I guess after doing quite well with numerous computers over the past decade or so I feel, if this Apple computer requires classes(and I'm sure they aren't free of course) in order to use it, I think my Christmas iMac will end up back at the apple store for a refund.... If this computer is so user unfriendly that someone has to take classes to figure it out, I'm not interested...

I"m learning all the time, but it's so frickin awkward and takes so much longer to do the things I want it to, I'm still not impressed... Unlike my iPhone, which was the most user friendly and easiest to use thing I ever bought....! This iMac I think was designed by the devil himself just to torment anyone who turns one on............

Haha while I think your exaggerating, I understand. I was once really lost on the Mac, especially with no "second mouse click"
After 3 months and googling alot I would never go back to windows.
For me windows is much easier, but everything is better on a mac