First boot precautions (charge, settings, ect)

[TooSmooth]

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Hello everybody, I ordered my air from apple (13.3/4/128) on Tuesday and it is slated to arrive tomorrow.

Is there any recommendation as far as charging the computer before using it or running the battery down right away ect.?

Also are there any recomended settings for a first time OSX user? Based on a little reading it seems like I should not install the lastest firmware if I have the option.

 

[monaarts]

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Hello everybody, I ordered my air from apple (13.3/4/128) on Tuesday and it is slated to arrive tomorrow.

Is there any recommendation as far as charging the computer before using it or running the battery down right away ect.?

Also are there any recomended settings for a first time OSX user? Based on a little reading it seems like I should not install the lastest firmware if I have the option.

Install the latest updates, there has been an update released for the mba's that fix the problems the previous update caused. What I do with every new laptop I get is let the initial charge run out (0%) and then let it sit over night in the dead state... The next morning, plug it in and let it charge to 100% and let it stay plugged in for at least a few hours after it hits 100%.

It's a great laptop. I have the 13/4/256 and I love it. I use mine for basic stuff most of the time, but fire up photoshop, illustrator, iMovie, etc every few days... It is noticeably quicker than even the new Mbp for most every day tasks (opening safari, for example).

If I could go back in time to the day before I bought my MBA, I would still buy it. I hope you enjoy your new, awesome, light, and snappy toy!



- Joe

 

[KPOM]

There are several threads here about the battery. Check Apple's support site, as well. http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

Your system will likely arrive with a near fully charged battery. Just start using it. There is no need to "prime" it first. Perhaps once every 2 months, "calibrate" it by running it down and recharging it. All that does is help keep your battery monitor accurate. If you skip calibration, it won't affect your actual battery life.

The 13" Air is a great system. I had an "Ultimate 13" and recently switched to an "Ultimate 11" since I wanted the extra portability. That said, I'd easily recommend the 13" Air to just about any average notebook user. Since you are new to OS X, also check out the Switch 101 and Mac 101 items at the bottom of the support page. http://www.apple.com/support/

I found that once you get used to using the "command" key instead of the Ctrl key, and the two finger click instead of the right click, the rest is easy, particularly since Windows 7 is so much closer than any previous Windows version to the Mac UI.

If you aren't playing Starcraft or another game where people have reported a drop in frame rates with the 10.6.7 update, go ahead and install it. Apple released a patch for the 13" model yesterday that fixes the issue with iTunes.

 

[TooSmooth]

Thanks for the informative replies guys!

I have never owned an OSX computer before but have used them at school over the years. I am sure the transition should be fairly smooth.

 

[j4c3k69]

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Always charge before first use.

 

[GGJstudios]

Always charge before first use.

Not required. Mac portables ship with the battery partially charged. It's perfectly fine to turn it on and start using it without charging it.

OP, be sure to calibrate the battery within the first few days. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[TooSmooth]

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Thanks, that was a good read

 

[emx620]

Not required. Mac portables ship with the battery partially charged. It's perfectly fine to turn it on and start using it without charging it.

OP, be sure to calibrate the battery within the first few days. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

Oh boo GGJ, I was hoping to beat you to the punch on this thread and post the typical "This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions" along with the handy dandy link

 

[j4c3k69]

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"Be sure to fully charge your portable when you plug it in for the first time, and then run Software Update to ensure you have the latest software"
Found it here:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.htm

 

[GGJstudios]

"Be sure to fully charge your portable when you plug it in for the first time, and then run Software Update to ensure you have the latest software"

That doesn't say you can't use it before it's fully charged. You can.

 

[Wang Foolio]

GGJ - you beat me to it. Fully charge when you plug it in the first time does not mean fully charge before you use it.

 

[j4c3k69]

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GGJ - you beat me to it. Fully charge when you plug it in the first time does not mean fully charge before you use it.

You are right. But if you do Safari will feel snappier!

 

[TooSmooth]

Do you guys use antivirus programs with osx?

 

[GGJstudios]

Do you guys use antivirus programs with osx?

There has never been a virus in the wild that runs on Mac OS X. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some education and common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

 

[TooSmooth]

Thanks for the link.

Also,
When at home is it best to use the macbook till the battery is very low/done then charge it. Or should I use it while it is plugged in instead, thus keeping a full charge at most times when at home

 

[GGJstudios]

When at home is it best to use the macbook till the battery is very low/done then charge it. Or should I use it while it is plugged in instead, thus keeping a full charge at most times when at home

Run on battery when you need to, and plug in when you can. Just be sure you don't run on AC power all the time. Read the Battery FAQ I posted for details.

 

[TooSmooth]

I am a little bit confused with the caffeine app with regards to the icon

Is the application preventing the computer from sleeping when the coffee cup is full or empty (icon)

 

[GGJstudios]

I am a little bit confused with the caffeine app with regards to the icon

Is the application preventing the computer from sleeping when the coffee cup is full or empty (icon)

When the cup is full, your computer won't sleep. When the cup is empty, your normal energy saver settings will work.

 

[munkery]

New to Mac? Check out the links in my sig.

 

[rkaufmann87]

Do you guys use antivirus programs with osx?

H..ll no!

You also don't have to run regular maintenance programs. All Macs do daily, weekly and monthly maintenance in the background automatically. If you want to monitor it download the Maintenance Scripts widget, it is called Maintidget. You can easily find it with a Google search.

 

[TooSmooth]

H..ll no!

You also don't have to run regular maintenance programs. All Macs do daily, weekly and monthly maintenance in the background automatically. If you want to monitor it download the Maintenance Scripts widget, it is called Maintidget. You can easily find it with a Google search.

What about trim? I installed the patch and did the disk utility free space clean up. Will I need to do that every so often or will the MacBook do it automatically?