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Made The Switch

Ladybug

Ladybug

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 13, 2006
1,874
1,014
Well I finally got up the nerve to pull the trigger and make the switch to Mac. I ordered a maxed out 20 inch Intel iMac and I still can't believe I did it :D

ATI Radeon X1600-256MB SDRAM
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM-2x1GB
500GB Serial ATA drive
SuperDrive 8X
WL kybd, Mse & Mac OS X

I've been reading the forums here since Jan of this year and lusting after this puppy since I first saw it. I'm currently running XP on a Dell XPS 3.2ghz system. I'm switching to Mac for my own peace of mind. The internet is just becoming overrun with security problems aimed at Windows users and I've had enough.

I'm looking forward to participating in the forum, and hope to contribute someday. I'm so excited I don't know if I'll sleep while I wait for my new baby to arrive. :D
 
Congratulations!

We've got the same iMac at home (except for the 2GB of RAM *jealous*) and though I use my PB most of the time, it is an awesome computer! The screen is superb and it just runs so well (even with only 512MB).

It might take a while to get used to OS X, but you'll soon see the benefits. If you've got any questions, everyone here is always willing to help! :)

BTW, all Mac orders should come an insomnia warning!
 
max_altitude said:
Congratulations!

We've got the same iMac at home (except for the 2GB of RAM *jealous*) and though I use my PB most of the time, it is an awesome computer! The screen is superb and it just runs so well (even with only 512MB).

It might take a while to get used to OS X, but you'll soon see the benefits. If you've got any questions, everyone here is always willing to help! :)

BTW, all Mac orders should come an insomnia warning!
Click to expand...

LOL, thank you for the warm welcome. I'm looking forward not only to having a new computer *this one is 3 years old* but also to using OS X.

I ordered an iBook recently for my husband and he can't be more thrilled with it. While I personally find it a bit slow for my taste, it does all he wants, internet, email, office files, pdf's.

I'll have to tough out the insomnia for a bit, because I plan to spend a lot of time tinkering. I'll be installing Boot Camp for my Windows Games, and Parellels for a few other apps I can't afford to buy Mac versions of right now. I'm sure I'll have loads of questions once the machine arrives. Again thank you for the welcome.

lilstewart said:
Welcome to the bright side! :) Great machine to start out with, too. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks so much. I'm just so excited, is this silly or what. :D
 
Ladybug said:
Thanks so much. I'm just so excited, is this silly or what. :D
Click to expand...

No, It's perfectly normal! :D

I think I checked the Fed Ex tracker, refreshing the page a few hundred times while I was waiting for mine.

I think you'll be more than pleased with your decision.
 
Ladybug said:
I'm switching to Mac for my own peace of mind. The internet is just becoming overrun with security problems aimed at Windows users and I've had enough.
Click to expand...

Congrats on making the switch.
 
miniConvert said:
That's going to be an awesome machine! If the Apple website is on a go-slow for a little while then we'll know it's just you doing order tracking every 5 seconds ;)
Click to expand...

LOL..I'm so busted :)

FFTT said:
No, It's perfectly normal! :D

I think I checked the Fed Ex tracker, refreshing the page a few hundred times while I was waiting for mine.

I think you'll be more than pleased with your decision.
Click to expand...

I'm fairly certain I will FFTT. I've been wanting this ever since I heard Apple was switching to Intel processors. I was hoping Apple would allow us to install XP in some fashion. This will allow me time to transition over. Thanks for the encouraging words.

amac4me said:
Congrats on making the switch.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much Amac4me.
 
I know you'll be anxious to try all the options like Boot Camp and Parallels, but I always advise people to test run your system " as shipped " adding absolutely nothing until you know your system is working correctly.

I would also be cautious with Parallels until we hear a bit more feedback
from others.

I'm not sure if Boot Camp has all the drivers together yet for things like
iSight and the Front Row remote while Booted into Windows.

Just keep in mind that boot Camp and Parallels are cool,
but they are still beta test programs.

Also be darn sure to back up any work you do while booted into Windows.

The best part of having both Mac OSX and Windows is that you can run all your online activities in OSX thus allowing you to run a clean Windows install offline, without any A/V or spyware apps to bog down your gaming performance.
 
FFTT said:
Just keep in mind that boot Camp and Parallels are cool,
but they are still beta test programs.

Also be darn sure to back up any work you do while booted into Windows.
Click to expand...

FFTT, provides SOUND advice here Ladybug. drivers may be an issue with you rBT wireless mouse & keyboard in WinXP Boot Camp as WinXP SP2's implementation of BT is seriously lacking, & quite frankly pathetic that they havent updated their solution. keep your old PC's SUB keyboard & mouse for the first 2-6 weeks just to be sure.

Quite frankly; this high your running off of is gauranteed to not leave you fatigued. I felt the same way the first 8 days I used a PowerMac G4 733Mhz machine 4-5 years ago before I took my first nites sleep more than 3 hours. I think you'll find you wont have time or even a want to play games in WinXP; as you'll be eager to learn how to navigate OS X and with fun & style! I also think that your high of OS X will enlighten your mind to focus on your projects and the reason of owning a computer than burden you with cautious attitudes of holding back your abilities worrying about Virii & worms & spyware.

Cheers, & I envy you! Wish someone out there had $1900 CAN to throw me on loan to leave WiNXP!;) :eek: :D
 
Ladybug said:
Well I finally got up the nerve to pull the trigger and make the switch to Mac. I ordered a maxed out 20 inch Intel iMac and I still can't believe I did it :D

ATI Radeon X1600-256MB SDRAM
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM-2x1GB
500GB Serial ATA drive
SuperDrive 8X
WL kybd, Mse & Mac OS X

I've been reading the forums here since Jan of this year and lusting after this puppy since I first saw it. I'm currently running XP on a Dell XPS 3.2ghz system. I'm switching to Mac for my own peace of mind. The internet is just becoming overrun with security problems aimed at Windows users and I've had enough.

I'm looking forward to participating in the forum, and hope to contribute someday. I'm so excited I don't know if I'll sleep while I wait for my new baby to arrive. :D
Click to expand...

Sister Ladybug, Welcome to the family!:)
 
FFTT said:
I would also be cautious with Parallels until we hear a bit more feedback
from others.

.
Click to expand...

I realize its all in beta and things won't work perfectly. I do plan to do a full transition away from XP as soon as thats possible. I will as you say try to get familar with Mac before I tinker too much. I appreciate the advice.

Prom1 said:
FFTT, provides SOUND advice here Ladybug. drivers may be an issue with you rBT wireless mouse & keyboard in WinXP Boot Camp as WinXP SP2's implementation of BT is seriously lacking, & quite frankly pathetic that they havent updated their solution. keep your old PC's SUB keyboard & mouse for the first 2-6 weeks just to be sure.
Click to expand...

I assume a standard USB Logitech keyboard and a USB MS Optical Intellimouse will work on the Mac for my windows needs?

chasemac said:
Sister Ladybug, Welcome to the family!:)
Click to expand...

You guys are so warm and welcoming. I really think I'm going to like it here :D Thanks
 
Welcome Ladybug,

Congrats on the purchase. Your time over the next few days will be completely unproductive as you click refresh on your order status page every 5 seconds, curse FedEx to an unbelievable hell for not giving you an update every 30 minutes at least, and finally be eternally grateful to them for delivering your machine. It's a rollercoaster, but we understand... how many threads have been out there about this people?

Anyway, I know you'll enjoy the iMac. The only concern I have is your eagerness to jump to Boot Camp and Parallels right away. I suppose right from the start is the best time to do it if you were going to do it soon, but personally, I would just keep the pc around for a while until further kinks are worked out of bootcamp (as in, when leopard, 10.6, is released) and we get more feedback here on parallels (I don't think many people have tried it).

Again, enjoy the mac and the countless moments playing with Photobooth.

-DCBass
 
gauchogolfer said:
I want to add my welcome, Ladybug, and I'm envious of your new setup. I've found this forum to be a great resource, if a bit of a time sink :rolleyes:

Cheers.
Click to expand...

hehe me too. Spend waay too much time on this site.
anyway....

Welcome ladybug.
Your new machine sounds awesome. Thats exactly the setup I'd like to get for my wife and I at home.
Let us know about your experiences.
Everything from the insomnia, to the sweaty hands before opening the box, everything.....
 
I just got this from VersionTracker Daily news and macfixit.com
about Parallels Workstation.

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20060418090923458

Tuesday, April 18 2006 @ 09:00 AM PDT
Parallels Workstation (Virtualization) software (#4): Version 2.1b4 released; No way to migrate Virtual PC disks
Version 2.1b4 released Parallels Workstation 2.1b4 has been introduced, bringing the following significant feature enhancements:

Introduced full screen mode
Introduced dual-monitor support
Improved real CD/DVD support
Improved, easier to use interface.
Better sound support, including a fix for Windows 2000 guest OS
Networking kernel panics resolved
Bridged networking issues fixed
WiFi networking issues fixed
Fixed some of the issues encountered when entering "Sleep" mode when a VM is running
Many other minor bug fixes


The cool thing about Parallels Workstation Virtualization is that SO MANY people want it to work, so there will be a huge combined effort from both Mac OSX and Windows users to insure it's success.


One other thing many new MacOSX users are not aware of is that they can use Apple Remote Desktop to access dedicated Windows server applications
without any need to actually install Windows on their machines.

Unfortunately, I'm the wrong person to ask about how this works, but
one of our networking Gurus should be able to help you with that information.
 
Way to go

I'm going for the MBP myself, and I too am making the switch. PCs are so annoying with the interface and user friendly applications. Macs run so much faster and are more reliable. Congrats. By the way, what are you doing that you need a 500 GB HD? Just wondering...
 
crazydrumma said:
By the way, what are you doing that you need a 500 GB HD? Just wondering...
Click to expand...

Thanks so much guys.. I do a lot of computer generated graphics. I use Xenodream and Photoshop mainly. Files are saved at high resolutions as well as reduced sizes for the web and posting to groups.

I also have a very nice collection of mp3's *obtained legally in case anyone is wondering*. In addition I'll be installing XP twice over if I use Boot Camp and Parallels, and I want room to grow. Doesn't help if you're a packrat like me either lol.

I'm currently testing out a photo sharing website if anyone wants to see what Xenodream is all about. http://artenigma.net

Xenodream is the one app I need to run in Windows. I can replace everything else I have with a Mac version later on, but Xenodream will likely never be ported over to the Mac according to the developers. They are however interested to know if it works well under Boot Camp/Parellels. Being a beta tester for this program in addition to being a user means I get to be the guinee pig :D

I'm so excited for you CrazyDrumma. I had my eye on the MBP myself but really can't justify the need for a portable at this time. Let us all know when you get it ordered.

Apple says my computers estimated ship date is the 24th. It was all I could do to get to sleep by 4am this morning. :p
 
Welcome! I had the same start as you did, just a few weeks ago. My iMac doesn't have all the bling that yours does though ;)

Unlike many people though, I've been running bootcamp problem free, even with a bluetooth keyboard. Never had to re-pair, I can hold option when starting, etc. Not sure why it's so random, but the kinks will be worked out soon enough.
 
Welcome, Ladybug. Any chance you'll use the Boot Camp feature? Have you been able to find substitutes for any of the Windows only applications you won't be able to use on the Mac OS X platform?
 
Subiklim said:
Unlike many people though, I've been running bootcamp problem free, even with a bluetooth keyboard. Never had to re-pair, I can hold option when starting, etc. Not sure why it's so random, but the kinks will be worked out soon enough.
Click to expand...

Thats most encouraging to hear Subiklim. Thanks for the update and welcome yourself. :)

sethypoo said:
Welcome, Ladybug. Any chance you'll use the Boot Camp feature? Have you been able to find substitutes for any of the Windows only applications you won't be able to use on the Mac OS X platform?
Click to expand...

I will be using both Boot Camp and Parellels. I have found Mac versions of my software and most of the games I play except for Xenodream :( However Xenodream works well in Crossover Office under Linux so I'm hoping it will work as well under Parellels.
 
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