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Coming over from PC to Mac - Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Leroux

Leroux

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 8, 2008
7
0
I am in web development and graphic design, running Adobe Creative Suite. I am going to purchase a Mac Pro; coming over from a PC. Any help with configuring my new system would be greatly appreciated.

AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Pro - Auto-enroll S3135LL
Apple Cinema HD Display (23" flat panel) M9178LL/A 1
Mac Pro Custom 1
One 16x SuperDrive 065-7203
Accessory kit 065-7220
Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core) 065-7536
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s 065-7190
Apple wireless Mighty Mouse 065-7694
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) + Mac OS X 065-7708
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB (Two dual-link DVI) 065-7537
2GB (2 x 1GB) 065-7175

Ordering From OWC

4.0GB OWC Matched Set (2GB x 2) PC6400 DDR2 ECC 800MHz 240 Pin FB-DIMM Modules (OWC64FB2MPK04GB)
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/64FB2MPK04GB/

640GB Western Digital Caviar SE16 SATA-II 16MB Cache 7200rpm 8.9ms (WDGWD6400AAKS)
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Western Digital/WD6400AAKS/

I am thinking of buying 1.0TB Newer Technology miniStack v3 7200RPM 32MB Performance to use with Time Machine.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/MS3S7H10TB32/

Looking at APC - 1500VA Battery Back-Up System.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...=product&tab=7&id=1157067061643#productdetail

Looking at Sonnet Technology Tango Express Combo FireWire 400/USB 2.0 to add more USB Ports.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sonnet Technology/FWUSB2E/

What are you thoughts on NTFS for Mac® OS X for accessing my old external drives and files?
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/


Also can I move the HD that comes with the Mac to the second slot and put the new one in the first; install Win XP on the second drive? I have purchased Parallels Desktop 3.0.

Thanks for any help in advance. :confused:
 
Well first, I want to wish you luck and congratulate you. You'll love it (hopefully). :eek:

The only thing that I can really comment on is the NTFS software by Paragon. I use it and it works very very well. I've never had a problem with it.

Oh, and good idea not ordering ram from apple. :)
 
You'll be very impressed.

One word of advice, don't buy any hard drives off Apple. Keep the stock 320gb drive, and move it so it is not your primary drive (as the 640gb Caviar drive is much faster).

Remember you don't need to purchase software to read NTFS on OS X, only if your going to be writing to the NTFS drive. You can plug it in, copy across your files, format it as HFS (Apple's file system), and dump your files back. There is also free sofware available, namely NTFS-3G http://www.ntfs-3g.org/

The Cinema Display is one of the best displays available for the price (contrary to what most of the uninformed users think), however it is not really necessary unless you are doing colour critical work, which it appears you are.

Parallels Desktop allows you to emulate an operating system whilst in OS X. If you want to install Windows onto a separate hard drive, and natively boot into Windows, you should use the software that comes free with OS X, namely bootcamp.

If you have never used a mighty mouse before, its a love it or hate it situation. Go to an Apple store and test it out. Also be aware that the Apple wireless keyboard is missing a number pad (the wired keyboard has one).
 
Thank you so much for the information

Thank you both for the information! I am so excited :) I look forward to the exerience. I have heard so many wonderful things about Mac's.

Nick9191 you gave me much to think about. Can you recommend a good wireless keyboard; also a good replacement for the mighty mouse if I don't like it?

Have a great day!
 
Forget all your windows tricks, just remember software tricks. Start calling Ctrl Cmd, as thats what you will be using now.

Basically, go in with a blank mind, and be ready to learn, thats how i did it, and im pretty much upto speed, just learning all the neat tricks so far ^^
 
MattZani said:
Forget all your windows tricks, just remember software tricks. Start calling Ctrl Cmd, as thats what you will be using now.

Basically, go in with a blank mind, and be ready to learn, thats how i did it, and im pretty much upto speed, just learning all the neat tricks so far ^^
Click to expand...


Thank you; I will keep that in mind. Have a nice day! :)
 
Leroux said:
Thank you; I will keep that in mind. Have a nice day! :)
Click to expand...

Congrats!! Nice setup! One word of important advice. Please, Please Please Think "Mac like" not "Windows like" and you'll totally enjoy your experience. :)
 
Leroux said:
Thank you both for the information! I am so excited :) I look forward to the exerience. I have heard so many wonderful things about Mac's.

Nick9191 you gave me much to think about. Can you recommend a good wireless keyboard; also a good replacement for the mighty mouse if I don't like it?

Have a great day!
Click to expand...

The Apple wireless keyboard is a nice keyboard, it just takes some getting used to.

http://www.apple.com/keyboard/

as you can see the wired keyboard has the number pad whilst the wireless doesn't, just like the Mac laptops.

If this is something that will annoy you, then you'd have to buy the wired version, or buy a PC keyboard, and use some software to change the functions of some of the keys (since various important controls for things are on the keyboard, for example ejecting the CD drive, volume, brightness, dashboard, expose etc.). Razer make some great keyboards.

Some people love the mouse some hate it. It does have a right click which can be enabled in system preferences I believe. it also has a 360 degree scroll wheel, however due to the very nature of the wheel it can become clogged up.

http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/

Again if you hate it, Razer, Logitech, and Microsoft all make some great mice.
 
nick9191 said:
The Apple wireless keyboard is a nice keyboard, it just takes some getting used to.

http://www.apple.com/keyboard/

as you can see the wired keyboard has the number pad whilst the wireless doesn't, just like the Mac laptops.

If this is something that will annoy you, then you'd have to buy the wired version, or buy a PC keyboard, and use some software to change the functions of some of the keys (since various important controls for things are on the keyboard, for example ejecting the CD drive, volume, brightness, dashboard, expose etc.). Razer make some great keyboards.

Some people love the mouse some hate it. It does have a right click which can be enabled in system preferences I believe. it also has a 360 degree scroll wheel, however due to the very nature of the wheel it can become clogged up.

http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/

Again if you hate it, Razer, Logitech, and Microsoft all make some great mice.
Click to expand...


Thank you! I will look into all of this. If it is ok before I make the purchase, I will post a final configuration, and make sure it is ok?

Take care! Have a good day and a better tomorrow! :)
 
Congrats! Awesome rig!!!

Maybe you are already aware of these...but here are a few critical-somewhat less known- software "gets".

QT Pro license
Install Perian plugin for QT http://perian.org/
Install Flip4Mac for QT http://www.flip4mac.com/

Screencapture: Screenflick or Screenflow

"Power User": Quicksilver

System Maintenance:
IceClean or OnyX

P2P:
Transmission
Xtorrent

Back Up:
Synk Standard or Pro
SuperDuper

Task Management:
Things http://www.culturedcode.com/things/

FTP:
Transmit

ENJOY!!!
 
jaduffy108 said:
Congrats! Awesome rig!!!

Maybe you are already aware of these...but here are a few critical-somewhat less known- software "gets".

QT Pro license
Install Perian plugin for QT http://perian.org/
Install Flip4Mac for QT http://www.flip4mac.com/

Screencapture: Screenflick or Screenflow

"Power User": Quicksilver

System Maintenance:
IceClean or OnyX

P2P:
Transmission
Xtorrent

Back Up:
Synk Standard or Pro
SuperDuper

Task Management:
Things http://www.culturedcode.com/things/

FTP:
Transmit

ENJOY!!!
Click to expand...



Thank you! I am going to look at all of this now, the more input the better. Have a good day!
 
HLdan said:
Congrats!! Nice setup! One word of important advice. Please, Please Please Think "Mac like" not "Windows like" and you'll totally enjoy your experience. :)
Click to expand...
How true. Time after time family, friends and clients get MACs and put their PC hats on to use. Then the complaining begins.
I tell them, "It's a MAC not a PC, it works this way not that way."
 
nick9191 said:
If you have never used a mighty mouse before, its a love it or hate it situation. Go to an Apple store and test it out. Also be aware that the Apple wireless keyboard is missing a number pad (the wired keyboard has one).
Click to expand...

Any USB mouse will work. If you like the one you are using now keep it. Same with the keyboard. I like the older Apple wired keyboard and don't like Apple mice. I like the lowest priced Microsoft optical mouse. Works well and sells for $19.95

Why not just use what you have?
 
ChrisA said:
Any USB mouse will work. If you like the one you are using now keep it. Same with the keyboard. I like the older Apple wired keyboard and don't like Apple mice. I like the lowest priced Microsoft optical mouse. Works well and sells for $19.95

Why not just use what you have?
Click to expand...

I didn't know if I could... thanks for the information. Have a nice day!
 
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