Thinking of ditching my Dell for a MacBook Pro got some ?'s

[jedmonds]

1. With my current iTunes library, how do I transfer everything from my PC to my mac? Can I just use an external hard drive, copy everything from my PC to the external hard drive, and the macbook pro will be able to read the drive correctly?

2. If I run boot camp with Windows XP Can I just use my copy of MS Office for PC's? When running boot camp, what would you recommend me partitioning the drive to for Apple and PC apps, since I am going to be running both. Also, if I need more room for Mac apps down the road, can I repartition everything later?

3. Any recommendations on websites I should read up on for people transitioning from PC's to Mac's?

4. Any tips for noobs?


I think that is all for now...LOL...

 

[tecknical]

1. With my current iTunes library, how do I transfer everything from my PC to my mac? Can I just use an external hard drive, copy everything from my PC to the external hard drive, and the macbook pro will be able to read the drive correctly?

2. If I run boot camp with Windows XP Can I just use my copy of MS Office for PC's? When running boot camp, what would you recommend me partitioning the drive to for Apple and PC apps, since I am going to be running both. Also, if I need more room for Mac apps down the road, can I repartition everything later?

3. Any recommendations on websites I should read up on for people transitioning from PC's to Mac's?

4. Any tips for noobs?


I think that is all for now...LOL...

1. backup your library on DVD's or use an external HDD
2. you can run MS Office in boot camp. partition the drive however you want, but make sure its at least 40GB for windows, and you can always delete the windows partition, it wont affect OS X
3. umm..dont know much about that, i didnt use a website
4. do it, its worth it

 

[szsz]

The Mac-specific version of Office offers much more elegant programs than the versions you are accustomed to. It's the only possibly lovely product with Microsoft branding. Try it.

 

[Chris Rogers]

1. With my current iTunes library, how do I transfer everything from my PC to my mac? Can I just use an external hard drive, copy everything from my PC to the external hard drive, and the macbook pro will be able to read the drive correctly?

Yes, it will read the external hard drive correctly. It was surprisingly easier than I thought. Just plug and play just like you would do between 2 PC's

BUT when you try to use the HDD with Time Machine, it will format it, so make sure you take everything off of it that you need.

You should make the switch ASAP, it's sooooooooooooooooo much better. I'm working on 'converting' some guys at work.

 

[LeahM]

1. With my current iTunes library, how do I transfer everything from my PC to my mac? Can I just use an external hard drive, copy everything from my PC to the external hard drive, and the macbook pro will be able to read the drive correctly?

2. If I run boot camp with Windows XP Can I just use my copy of MS Office for PC's? When running boot camp, what would you recommend me partitioning the drive to for Apple and PC apps, since I am going to be running both. Also, if I need more room for Mac apps down the road, can I repartition everything later?

3. Any recommendations on websites I should read up on for people transitioning from PC's to Mac's?

4. Any tips for noobs?


I think that is all for now...LOL...

I switched in March..

But, if you have wireless in your house, you can transfer/copy all of your music through your network, I'm not sure how it happens but when I opened my iTunes, the network was connected to my Dell

I read A Dummies Guide to Switching to Mac. And also I began reading MacWorld and MacLife, those are two magazine that I enjoy reading, but then again, I'm not very technical and they were easy to follow along.

 

[neverownedapc]

dude, you got a dell........................whatever happened to that guy form the commercials? didn't he end up in jail?

and my only available input is on the tip your looking for part and like tecknical: do it x2

 

[jedmonds]

Thanks all for the info. I think I may hold off, reading the macrumors site, it looks like there will be some price drops announced, and maybe even new versions of the MacBook Pro...I think I may have to BTO mine, since I would rather have a 7200RPM hard drive then a 5400RPM. I assume apple stores carry just the vanilla version of the macbook pro?

 

[raymondu999]

they carry the standard models, and the built-for-bear ones, with 7200 drives, the 2.6ghz option, and for 17", hires.

 

[robanga]

Apple.com has all the instructions on how to migrate the iItunes library from a PC to a Mac. I did it wirelessly last year. They also have instructions on other things like how to migrate address books etc.

 

[Am3822]

I read Apple's 'Switch 101' or whatever it's called before I switched and also did some web search for specific questions (latex on the mac, for example).

Last, but in no way least, these forums are great -- there are useful guides and people are always willing to lend a helping hand.

 

[ViViDboarder]

The slower drive is for conservation of battery life and background noise. Do you know the seek time difference between the two drives? Or are you just looking at bigger numbers?

Usual seek time differences are probably something like 2-3 seconds.

Weigh your options. I'm a VERY intensive computer power user and I am getting by just great with a 5400rpm drive. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

 

[tsice19]

As far as partitioning is concerned, you might want to consider using Disk Utility on the Mac OS X install discs to set it up like this:

1) Partition big enough to install OS X
2) Partition big enough to install Windows
3) Huge FAT32 Partition for storing files from both Win. and Mac OSX.

This way, we never have to repartition, since Windows and Mac OS X take up minimal space and everything you save is stored in one spot.

Of course this might not work for you, and I've never tried it, but it is just a thought for thinking.