What do you do first?

[Aranince]

I'm curious to what people do after they open the lovely Apple packaging and power on their Mac for the first time. Do you install updates? Download your favorite apps? Do you change the wallpaper? Post what the first few things you do with your fresh new Mac.

I haven't gotten mine yet, but I'll probably scan for updates, move the my files over, change my wall paper then will probably install a few apps like iWork, FireFox, Adium, probably XCode and MacVim, then reorganize the dock to my liking.

 

[O. Frabjous-Dey]

Configure WiFi. Install all system updates. Get Firefox, Quicksilver, and VLC. Copy over files from my old backups manually (to keep from messing up the clean install). Tweak the preferences.

I generally download more programs when I start to need them. If I never need them, they shouldn't be on my hard drive.

 

[keltorsori]

Ditto previous poster. As I usually side-grade once a year, I look at my new machine as an opportunity to clean out all the cruft. I reinstall all my apps from scratch, move my documents over from backup, and start anew. Run software update and get all updates installed and happy before you start though, not absolutely necessary, but never a bad idea.

 

[applefriend2008]

To all potentially new macbook owners:

The first thing you should do with your macbook is FULLY charge it!!
I researched it and apple says thats the first thing you should do.
Just thought id share. :-D

 

[PeggyD]

First I plug in the power then do an Erase & Install, choosing not to install unneeded languages, printer drivers, etc. Then I transfer users, settings, apps, etc. from a previous Mac or FireWire drive. Don't try transferring from a Time Machine backup on a Time Capsule via ethernet. I just got home from my user group meeting to find the transfer failed. So now I'm doing an Erase & Install again & will transfer via FireWire Target Disk Mode from my old MBP to my new (refurb) MBP.

 

[i.shaun]

I'm curious to what people do after they open the lovely Apple packaging and power on their Mac for the first time. Do you install updates? Download your favorite apps? Do you change the wallpaper? Post what the first few things you do with your fresh new Mac.

I haven't gotten mine yet, but I'll probably scan for updates, move the my files over, change my wall paper then will probably install a few apps like iWork, FireFox, Adium, probably XCode and MacVim, then reorganize the dock to my liking.

Well I just re-installed everything. The first thing I did was pop in my "Airport Extreme" disc.

Next, I ejected it. I'm not ready for that yet. I configured my wireless connection, then ran updates.


Once updates finished, I installed a few CDs (airport, eyeTV, etc. . )I then:

-Created my own "Photo", "Files", and "Apps" directories, and copied all my stuff over. I copied my entire iTunes directory into the default "Music" folder, deleting the blank iTunes library. I move my new directories into the finder sidebar, eliminating the old ones. I don't like having "microsoft user data" and other things with my files. This just makes it more convenient for me.

-install all apps I use, and re-register payed ones. I create Aliases as I go, and drag them to the desktop, and later my new "apps" folder.

-I configure my dock properly, with all programs on it that I want

-I go into system preferences and do all the settings, including displays, wallpaper, screen saver, hot corners, mouse speed, network, etc..

-I open my programs, and Import all saved data (RSS feeds, Macros, Events, torrents, etc..

-Open iTunes and skip through prompts to go to my saved library. Begin playing music from the Mac, rather than the iPod.

-Check miscellaneous settings in specific programs to ensure they're properly configured.

-Open Safari, and begin visiting websites that I use regularly. I sign into all I can, telling Safari to remember the passwords.

-I change generic folder icons in my finder sidebar (from my custom directories) to better looking icons.

-I begin using my mac again!

 

[Aranince]

To all potentially new macbook owners:

The first thing you should do with your macbook is FULLY charge it!!
I researched it and apple says thats the first thing you should do.
Just thought id share. :-D

Interesting. Fully charge before use? Or can I begin the setup while it's charging?

First I plug in the power then do an Erase & Install, choosing not to install unneeded languages, printer drivers, etc. Then I transfer users, settings, apps, etc. from a previous Mac or FireWire drive. Don't try transferring from a Time Machine backup on a Time Capsule via ethernet. I just got home from my user group meeting to find the transfer failed. So now I'm doing an Erase & Install again & will transfer via FireWire Target Disk Mode from my old MBP to my new (refurb) MBP.

That also sounds interesting. Is it worth to do the erase and install to remove the unneeded languages for someone new to OS X? How much space does it save?

 

[PeggyD]

Interesting. Fully charge before use? Or can I begin the setup while it's charging?

That also sounds interesting. Is it worth to do the erase and install to remove the unneeded languages for someone new to OS X? How much space does it save?

I do the setup while it's charging. Then once it's set up I let the battery drain completely then charge again. After that I'll let the battery drain completely once every month or two.

I think the problem may be one user account on the old MBP. It also was a problem with FWTDM although not exactly the same.

Extra languages & printer drivers can take up 5-10 GB or so.