Total newbie - be kind!

[sb22]

Hi!

So being a fan of the iPhone and iPad in our house I have always been tempted by a shiny Macbook each time I pop into the Apple store.

And on Sunday I gave in to temptation. I'm a woman, it's what I do.

I only got the 11inch, which suits our needs tbh as we have just upgraded to an iPad3 the week before.

i have never owned a mac. I'll be completely honest when I say I was lured in by its looks and the experience I've had with the iPhones and iPad. Only time i used a mac was retro rectangular ones and the bright orange ones at school

And so far, I love it. Taking some adjusting from my heavy Dell but I'm getting there.

So - what do I need to know? What should I know? And Snow Leopard - is it worth it?

What about protecting it from scratches etc?

Any advice is welcome.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So - what do I need to know? What should I know?

To learn more about Mac OS X: Helpful Information for Any Mac User by GGJstudios​

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This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ by GGJstudios
The F.A.Q. includes the following topics:

• BATTERY INFORMATION
• BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE
• AC POWER
• CALIBRATION
• BATTERY LIFESPAN
• CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH
• CHARGING
• WHAT IS A CYCLE?
• BATTERIES ARE NOT COVERED
• BULGING OR SWELLING BATTERY

______________________________________________________​

And Snow Leopard - is it worth it?

Current Macs come with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion or OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, no 2012 Mac will run Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, thus I don't really understand the question in relation to your new (2012?) Mac.

What about protecting it from scratches etc?

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Maybe have a look at Advanced Search or MRoogle to find similar threads while you wait for more answers:

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[trevolly]

Glad you are enjoying your new purchase....

If you bought in new from Apple then I would think you are asking if Mountain Lion is any good (you should have Snow Leopard installed on the Air already). If you did purchase new then you are eligible for a free upgrade to Mountain Lion, visit your Apple web site for more info.....

For protection there are several ways, you can buy a "sleeve" which works just fine. Or some companies do a "hard shell" which clips on to the Air, not my favourite.... Or you can buy a film that is hardly noticable and will stick on to the Air, best ones are by Zagg.

Hope this helps

 

[Macman45]

Well, if it's a new Mac, you should either have Mountain Lion already installed or Lion with a free upgrade to the new OS (ML)

As for cases, I use a Speck clear shell on both my MBA and my MBP, once a month, I take off the shells and clean the Macs with a microfibre cloth. No chemicals, a little dampening of the cloth with plain old water for stubborn marks.

Speck Shells:
http://www.speckproducts.com

I'd check to make sure you have the latest OS though...Snow Leopard is 2 Versions behind Mountain Lion now.

 

[kodeman53]

Any advice is welcome.

The best advice is to read the threads in this forum, first, then ask questions.

You might also read the threads in the OSX forums to learn more about OSX.

 

[KPOM]

So - what do I need to know? What should I know? And Snow Leopard - is it worth it?

I'm guessing you mean Mountain Lion. Yes, it's worth it, since it's a free upgrade if yours didn't ship with it. Here's how to tell. Click on the Apple icon on the far left. Select "About this Mac." If your OS X version is 10.8.0, you have Mountain Lion already. If it is 10.7.4, then you have Lion. Claim your upgrade here within 30 days of your purchase date.

 

[Stingray454]

Welcome I'm sure you'll love you new 11":er, I sure do. Perfect size if you ask me! Works great both on the desk, in the couch in front of the TV, watching a movie / checking mail in bed or where ever you need to use it. And best of all, it's perfect to bring on trips, vacation, meetings / school and similar.

There's not real "need to know", most stuff is quite self-explanatory. Macs are a bit different from iPhone / iPad when for example installing programs and such, but just ask (or Google) when in doubt - it's quite easy to do all that once you try it. Personally, I like Thunderbird for e-mail, Firefox for web browsing, Twitteriffic for twitter, Skype, Spotify, VLC for playing movies, and MS Office for work / assignemts. That probably covers 95% of my use right there

What about protecting it from scratches etc?
Any advice is welcome.

Personally, I don't use any covers for it - I love the aluminum look and feel of the Air. Just a little common sense goes a long way - like, don't let your dog play with it, and don't store it in a bag together with your keys and other sharp metal objects and so on. That said, my girlfriend uses a hardshell (pink, of course ) and likes it very much - the Air doesn't get much hotter than usual, it doesn't get very bulky, and looks nice. You can always check ebay for alternatives.

 

[sb22]

Oh guys (and any girls) thank you so much already, i clearly have a LOT to learn but seems like I'm in the right place. Lots to mull over already.

And yes, mountain lion, wtf was i talking about snow leopard for, must have missed that!
Didnt realise it was a free upgrade, I had £13.99 staring at me on the app store but i will follow the link!

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[mmomega]

If you do not want a case but still want to protect your Mac from scratches I would suggest Best Skins Ever to wrap your laptop.