First 12 hours as owner of a mac.. It ain't good!

[Pelorus]

Check out your local Mac user group too?

My local does a lot of support for free, leaving the harder stuff to our local AASP (faster and better than the Apple Store)

 

[Jophster]

Re Comments

Hi Everyone!
Thanks for the posts.

I have just done a re install and this thing is working really well now!
I think I yanked out the DVD a little too early last time.

So happy I own a Mac, regardless of how good it maybe!?
Now, time to tangle with the operating system!

Thanks everyone!

 

[McDughf]

I'm glad you like it Joe. I was actually surprised at some of the responses here on this thread.

I guess some people forget that

a) not everyone can afford a new Mac
b) Everyone buys on impulse now and then - its just the rush I guess

I remember when at a SFX convention many years back, the two divided camps were Definately PC Lovers and Mac People. I owned both systems back then so it wasn't really much of a big deal.
The difference was, when I talked to any PC Owner, their first instinct was :
"So, What Spec Are you running" and no matter what your response was, it was followed by a
"Haaaaa, I've got so and so" {which is better then yours - not actually said but heavily implied...}

Then I would go talk to some Apple People, and when the topic of systems came up, I would say I have an Apple Mac. The Response Was always "Welcome Friend" or similar vein.

Seems like the good old days are starting to get forgotten, the day Apple stopped putting "Welcome To Macintosh" On the OS Loading Screens...

So, I hope this is the start of a beautiful friendship Between You And your first, and since you missed it at the Apple Store I guess I'll Say it instead :

"Enjoy Your Mac!"


Barney

 

[patrixl]

I remember when at a SFX convention many years back, the two divided camps were Definately PC Lovers and Mac People. I owned both systems back then so it wasn't really much of a big deal.
The difference was, when I talked to any PC Owner, their first instinct was :
"So, What Spec Are you running" and no matter what your response was, it was followed by a
"Haaaaa, I've got so and so" {which is better then yours - not actually said but heavily implied...}

It's like I always say, specs is what sells PCs, while usefulness and friendliness is what sells Macs - something that can't be rated easily with money, while specs can.

Seems like the good old days are starting to get forgotten, the day Apple stopped putting "Welcome To Macintosh" On the OS Loading Screens...

Then again the initial screen has "welcome" in like 10 different languages, though it only does it once (thankfully).

Patrix.

 

[duke49er]

So to recap:

You bought a used product from eBay and it's not working properly coupled with the fact you don't know how to use certain features and this is Apple's fault?

Yes my friend, you ARE a PC.

 

[Jophster]

Ironing Out

This machine really is ideal for what I want it for.
It is a step up from my netbook but still not quite good enough to warrant sale of my beloved desktop!
The OS is certainly proving quite a steep learning curve and slowing me down but now I am on Safari things are pretty much the same everywhere.

A few questions hopefully some people can solve for me...

Firstly, I am finding the machine just a tad too hot for lap use, I have heard stories of these original models being ridiculously hot so far its just a little uncomfortable; can anyone recommend something to cool it down a little more?

Secondly, I have realised that now I have two actual computers (my netbook didn't warrant this...) I am in desperate need of a NAS for storage of all my video and music etc etc.

For the mean time while I am repaying debts from buying this, I want to simply be able to play my iTunes music from my Windows Desktop.
I would have thought that it would have been simple using iTunes built in sharing service but it is not the case.

I can see my MBA Shared Library on the PC but not vice versa, any ideas?

Thirdly, I have quite quickly noticed the absence of a second mouse button, should I just use the two finger tap or is it a habbit I should try to cull and find alternatives?

Thanks for all the help! This kind of forum is definitely lacking in the Windows Community!

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Make sure that your desktop is sharing music in iTunes, and also make sure that the Macbook Air is set to look for shared libraries. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling iTunes on the PC, as it needs about 3 or 4 startup services to work properly and it's very easy to disable it without meaning to.

And just get used to the 2-finger right click. It's really nice once you adjust... better then a separate mouse, although I still miss my right trackpad button about 2.5 years later...

 

[couto27]

hi

i would like to to share my story has well.
i bought a macbook air rev A for my girlfriend in christmas, £500 on ebay.uk the auction states ,pristine condiction ,not a single problem , and it was true.

i like so much that , after a few hours using it , i bought a second macbook air rev A , has well in ebay.uk for myselft , this time the auction was a little more expensive £620. but with original microsoft office 2008, ilife 2009 and a superdrive.

i didnt find any hardware problem ,the screen looks great, no marks , both are in great condition.
both came with their original box and dvd's cables etc.

i made the hardware test on both and theres no problems

i made a new install mac osx in both macbook air using utility disk erase 35 times (some users arent aware of this when doing a fresh install)

my girlfriends air has 220 cycles in battery , mine has 40 cycles only


i couldnt be more happier with both mb air.

right now the air is a great bargain , 3 hours of battery is more than enough , the performance is great for the average user.

the only upgrade will be doing in a few months will be a 128ss runcore.

i just dont understand why some people just complain that much.

 

[ayeying]

hi

i would like to to share my story has well.
i bought a macbook air rev A for my girlfriend in christmas, £500 on ebay.uk the auction states ,pristine condiction ,not a single problem , and it was true.

i like so much that , after a few hours using it , i bought a second macbook air rev A , has well in ebay.uk for myselft , this time the auction was a little more expensive £620. but with original microsoft office 2008, ilife 2009 and a superdrive.

i didnt find any hardware problem ,the screen looks great, no marks , both are in great condition.
both came with their original box and dvd's cables etc.

i made the hardware test on both and theres no problems

i made a new install mac osx in both macbook air using utility disk erase 35 times (some users arent aware of this when doing a fresh install)

my girlfriends air has 220 cycles in battery , mine has 40 cycles only


i couldnt be more happier with both mb air.

right now the air is a great bargain , 3 hours of battery is more than enough , the performance is great for the average user.

the only upgrade will be doing in a few months will be a 128ss runcore.

i just dont understand why some people just complain that much.

35 times is a little excessive... and it can take a very long time. Just a regular zeroing hard drive with 1 pass is fine. That includes SSD users also.

 

[Jophster]

In response...

Make sure that your desktop is sharing music in iTunes, and also make sure that the Macbook Air is set to look for shared libraries. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling iTunes on the PC, as it needs about 3 or 4 startup services to work properly and it's very easy to disable it without meaning to.

And just get used to the 2-finger right click. It's really nice once you adjust... better then a separate mouse, although I still miss my right trackpad button about 2.5 years later...

Hi Thanks for that, I will try reinstalling iTunes on the PC but I genuinely don't think that is the problem.
I think it is more to do with a networking issue.

Anyone have any ideas on cooling the machine down?

Thanks!

 

[smirk]

Hi Thanks for that, I will try reinstalling iTunes on the PC but I genuinely don't think that is the problem.
I think it is more to do with a networking issue.

Could it be a Windows 7 firewall issue?

 

[Jophster]

Not Likely

Could it be a Windows 7 firewall issue?

Hi
Weirdly, it seems to have just appeared in my Mac's iTunes sidebar!
Not complaining, maybe it just needed a bit of time to recognise?
N.B I did change DHCP service into a manual IP on the Mac.

Ok so, last question, I need to find a way to cool down my mac, does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!
Joe

 

[Gadgetman99]

This machine really is ideal for what I want it for.
It is a step up from my netbook but still not quite good enough to warrant sale of my beloved desktop!
The OS is certainly proving quite a steep learning curve and slowing me down but now I am on Safari things are pretty much the same everywhere.

snip!

You will love it. Like I said in an earlier post, I too got a Rev A off ebay a few months ago. The person I got it from had already reformatted and reinstalled the OS before shipping (and left it in sleep mode at the setup screen). I had the unboxing experience and it really felt new. I had no idea about the different revs at the time and quickly found out about the hinge issue and slower graphics on the Rev A. The following week I was in Best Buy and they had their Rev B's on clearance, so I got one and sold my Rev A on ebay (and even reinstalled so the next person would get the "new" feeling too). At the price you paid, I am sure you will be happy. Like you said, better then a netbook. So enjoy, and welcome to the Mac world!

 

[stoconnell]

Anyone have any ideas on cooling the machine down?

Thanks!

There are a lot of threads on this forum regarding coping strategies to cool down the MBA (esp. the Rev A). Some things to try .. in no particular order

1) Purchase Coolbook to undervolt the CPU
2) Reapply thermal paste
3) Use click2flash plugin on the browser
4) Use one of the laptop stand/pad things with a fan in it
5) Only rest the taper on your legs, which has the benefit of keeping the vent uncovered.

 

[couto27]

Hi
Weirdly, it seems to have just appeared in my Mac's iTunes sidebar!
Not complaining, maybe it just needed a bit of time to recognise?
N.B I did change DHCP service into a manual IP on the Mac.

Ok so, last question, I need to find a way to cool down my mac, does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!
Joe

My air doesnt get hot unless i use it in my bed.
Cool down a MacBook air in winter?are you sure? Whats the average temp of your house...

 

[Gadgetman99]

There are a lot of threads on this forum regarding coping strategies to cool down the MBA (esp. the Rev A). Some things to try .. in no particular order

1) Purchase Coolbook to undervolt the CPU
2) Reapply thermal paste
3) Use click2flash plugin on the browser
4) Use one of the laptop stand/pad things with a fan in it
5) Only rest the taper on your legs, which has the benefit of keeping the vent uncovered.

I use a Targus dual fan laptop pad when watching flash video (youtube). Seems to keep it cool enough to deal with.

 

[ARF900]

As you stated yourself there were a lot of problems with 1st gen air, I dont know what to tell you about cooling, a fan just wouldnt do it as it is unibody.

As for two finger click its really a preference. You can go in system preferences and set it up so pressing the bottom right corner of the trackpad will be a right click. whatever habit you want to get into. Personally I love two finger click, after you get used to it its great.

 

[daze]

I don't mean to hit the original poster on the head but buying anything used has certain drawbacks which he/she has already run in to. Live and learn.

As for getting used to how OS X works? Well, give it time and it may even grown on you. As others have pointed out, reinstall the OS, and everything else with it. You should then have much fewer problems. Since you come from a Windows background, you should be used to reinstalling operating systems several times by now.

Otherwise, welcome to the other side, the non-dark side.

Daze

 

[colourfastt]

My groat: go to the nearest bookstore and buy a book on using OS X. Most of them are written for the beginning user and are quite helpful, and will answer most of your questions. A must for switchers.

 

[coast1ja]

I like that you bring up the benefits of an MBA compared to a netbook. I stepped up from a netbook to a Rev. A and now to a Rev. B. There was a HUGE difference between the netbook and Rev. A. Most people, including most mac users think the MBA is a total slouch (especially the Rev. A). I am currently typing on a 2.66 15" MBP with a 256gb SSD... and for the majority of users, I wouldn't really expect much of a difference in productivity. The MBA could serve as a primary machine for most people. I would not suggest it for video editing or running VMs, but most people just use office apps and browse the web, so for the average user, the MBA is all you need! I'm glad you like your new MBAs, and you will like them more and more!

 

[colourfastt]

I like that you bring up the benefits of an MBA compared to a netbook. I stepped up from a netbook to a Rev. A and now to a Rev. B. There was a HUGE difference between the netbook and Rev. A. Most people, including most mac users think the MBA is a total slouch (especially the Rev. A). I am currently typing on a 2.66 15" MBP with a 256gb SSD... and for the majority of users, I wouldn't really expect much of a difference in productivity. The MBA could serve as a primary machine for most people. I would not suggest it for video editing or running VMs, but most people just use office apps and browse the web, so for the average user, the MBA is all you need! I'm glad you like your new MBAs, and you will like them more and more!

I bought a Rev C a few months ago and now I almost never turn on my MBP. The Air is so much better.

 

[Scottsdale]

There are a lot of threads on this forum regarding coping strategies to cool down the MBA (esp. the Rev A). Some things to try .. in no particular order

1) Purchase Coolbook to undervolt the CPU
2) Reapply thermal paste
3) Use click2flash plugin on the browser
4) Use one of the laptop stand/pad things with a fan in it
5) Only rest the taper on your legs, which has the benefit of keeping the vent uncovered.

YOU REALLY THINK THAT IS WHAT A MAC BUYER SHOULD HAVE TO DO? That's a major problem... the original MBA was/is junk. If one cannot afford to buy a v 2,1 MBA I say they buy a MacBook. If cannot afford a MacBook, buy a PC. The first MBA was pretty to look at, but it wasn't like you could even watch a video on that "beautiful" display. Other than that... it was a blazing inferno... far too hot to run normally or act as all other Macs could during normal operation.

Bottom line is Apple couldn't overcome the Merom CPU taking too much power and running too hot, the 3100 Intel graphics that was a dog and incapable of successful video playback paired with the CPU, the PATA drive connector limiting throughput and PATA drive that has truly limited space, the slower RAM, and the combination of failures that didn't allow it to be a "Mac." Anyone that has to go through the list you're advising isn't a NORMAL MAC BUYER! And that is the problem. The original wasn't intended for the buyers who are now using it. And the tech enthusiasts like you are only okay with all of the failures because it was so inexpensive compared to the original $3099 price tag. The average/normal Mac user cannot or doesn't want to do all of that, they just want their Mac to work. Look at what this OP has gone through... it's insane!

Yes it was beautiful to look at but otherwise fairly useless other than to consider it a fancy typewriter/basic word processor. Sure there are some that are going to disagree with my assessment but think about yourself that loves the original MBA, AT THAT MASSIVELY DISCOUNTED PRICE POINT, and think about the average work required to use a Mac... does it make sense to do all of these things on this list that still cannot overcome the original MBA's inherent component problematic makeup?

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

you get what you pay for Lloyd

 

[Jophster]

For Me..

A lot of people are having conversing views on my purchase.
Here is my view:

The MBA Rev A is the cheapest MacBook you can buy with an INTEL CPU.
It is the cheapest laptop they sell that is cast in Aluminium.
It is the ultimate upgrade from a netbook.

And for £200 it is the best bargain I have ever found. (Including £300 compensation from delivery service)

For me, this is also only a test machine, to see if I like OS X amongst other things, because I am planning to buy a 27" iMac in June.

People who think I was wrong to buy this, there maybe some essence in that, but for now, I am loving it very much and it is nice to have a second machine again.

I am going to start another thread about a few more hours into the experience.
Feel free to participate in that too!

 

[playalistic]

YOU REALLY THINK THAT IS WHAT A MAC BUYER SHOULD HAVE TO DO? That's a major problem... the original MBA was/is junk. If one cannot afford to buy a v 2,1 MBA I say they buy a MacBook. If cannot afford a MacBook, buy a PC. The first MBA was pretty to look at, but it wasn't like you could even watch a video on that "beautiful" display. Other than that... it was a blazing inferno... far too hot to run normally or act as all other Macs could during normal operation.

Bottom line is Apple couldn't overcome the Merom CPU taking too much power and running too hot, the 3100 Intel graphics that was a dog and incapable of successful video playback paired with the CPU, the PATA drive connector limiting throughput and PATA drive that has truly limited space, the slower RAM, and the combination of failures that didn't allow it to be a "Mac." Anyone that has to go through the list you're advising isn't a NORMAL MAC BUYER! And that is the problem. The original wasn't intended for the buyers who are now using it. And the tech enthusiasts like you are only okay with all of the failures because it was so inexpensive compared to the original $3099 price tag. The average/normal Mac user cannot or doesn't want to do all of that, they just want their Mac to work. Look at what this OP has gone through... it's insane!

Yes it was beautiful to look at but otherwise fairly useless other than to consider it a fancy typewriter/basic word processor. Sure there are some that are going to disagree with my assessment but think about yourself that loves the original MBA, AT THAT MASSIVELY DISCOUNTED PRICE POINT, and think about the average work required to use a Mac... does it make sense to do all of these things on this list that still cannot overcome the original MBA's inherent component problematic makeup?

cosign! ++