New Powerbook, now what? (Partition? transferring files, etc.)

[Bhennies]

Hello all, I have a new powerbook (my mobile rig) and I'm wondering what I can do to make it the most efficient machine possible. I already have 1.25 gigs RAM in it (thrown in today).

1)Should I partition the drive (60 gig)? The reason would be so that I could keep a disk for rare usage of audio files and large photoshop files when I don't have my 7200 RPM FW HD with me. If so, how big should the OS drive be?

2)Also, how do you do a basic install (dropping foreign language support, etc.)?

3)What's the best way to transfer files from my g4 tower? FW, ethernet, etc? (I don't want to clone the old drive- too much extra crap I don't want anymore).

4)I am not a mobile user for sure (my first laptop) so what's this I hear about calibrating the battery?

If there's anything else I should know, please feel free to tell me. I want this thing to be as fast and efficient as possible. Thanks so much everyone!

 

[varmit]

1) No real reason to partition the drive unless you are paranoid about lossing files. If you want to make a fail safe install because you are paranoid, partition the drive with one partition about 5 to 10 gigs and the other with the rest of the drive. Put OSX on both drives and just use the larger one normally. Then, if for any reason the system becomes currupted, you can boot to the smaller drive and get your projects and files that are important. Now OS X takes about 2 gigs on install so I would give room for the OS and some programs that if the OS on the large drive gets corrupted, and you need to do a presentation right away, you can do it.

I only say to do this if but if your files are so important that you can't have any lost files due to an OS corruption.

While waiting to hook up your FW HD, just keep the files in order in your User folder. Audio in the Music folder, photoshop in the Pictures folder, so on and so forth. Then when you hook up your FW HD, transfer them on over.

2) Basic install, pop in the cd, hold down c on start up and it will boot from the cd-rom. Then you can choose how you want to do your install.

To do partitioning, after the cd-rom boots, cancel, and though the menu at the top left, choose Disk Utility, then you can do some resizing or formating of the drive. By the way, from what I said above, make the small drive first or closes to the beginning of the drive, larger drive second.

Getting rid of the languages use something like Monolingual, http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13031

3)Ethernet should do it, don't need a cross over cable, Macs are smart. Then just though Network in the Finder and get your files.

4) I don't know about calibrating, but just be sure to fully discharge your battery every once in awhile. Meaning run your laptop on the battery till it warns you it is running on its last bit of juice. Then plug it in and charge it back up, and do this weekly. This will keep the battery from wearing out.

Other Advice: I would just say get a good comfortable bag to carry everything you need. Maybe a mouse with retractable cable, or blue tooth, because its a little tricky using the touch pad to do Photoshop and the wire can get annoying when packing it away.

Other than that you should be ready to go.

 

[atari1356]

3)What's the best way to transfer files from my g4 tower? FW, ethernet, etc? (I don't want to clone the old drive- too much extra crap I don't want anymore).

Definitely firewire.

Have your Tower turned on, and shut down your PowerBook. Plug a firewire cable into the tower, then connect the other end to the PowerBook. Turn the PowerBook on while holding down the "T" key. Your PowerBook will show up on the desktop of the Tower as an external hard drive. Copy over what you want.

When you're done drag the PowerBook's hard drive to the trash icon to "eject" (unmount) it. Then unplug the firewire cable.

It's fast, and easy.

 

[Whigga Spitta]

would the Firewire method be of any use when transferring files from my XP machine to my PB? what are the differences in speed between Ethernet and FW?

 

[Bhennies]

would the Firewire method be of any use when transferring files from my XP machine to my PB? what are the differences in speed between Ethernet and FW?

Thanks everyone for your responses. Very helpful.

anyway, I don't know whether or not it'll work with XP, but I just tranferred most of my files and it worked very well and very quickly (very easy to activate as well).

Windows is very tricky with Firewire drives, so it may not recognize the format (the Powerbook shows up as an external Mac formatted HD). Give it a try, though.

 

[atari1356]

would the Firewire method be of any use when transferring files from my XP machine to my PB? what are the differences in speed between Ethernet and FW?

It wouldn't work, since Windows XP doesn't recognize Mac formatted drives.

 

[Whigga Spitta]

well then ethernet is the best option...hopefully it won't take days to transfer my 10 gigs of music to my PB.