New iMac owner

[K20]

Hey all, I recently purchased my first Mac system on Monday evening after realizing my PC laptop was dying. I used PCs exclusively for 12 years and it was an impulse decision to get an iMac after feeling frustrated with PCs in terms of hardware and Windows.

Anyway, I got the 20" iMac Core 2 Duo with 1gb ram, 250gb hd and I'm loving it so far in the first week of ownership


One question though, my iMac has frozen 3 times in its first week! The first freeze happened while having a few applications open, but has not occured since. The other 2 freezes happened today only while quitting games of Warcraft 3. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Fleetwood Mac]

Its unlikely the whole system froze on you. It was probably just that one application went haywire and crashed its selft. In a prolonged beachball or freezed situation, Fore Quitting the rogue application usually sorts out the problem. You can FQ an application by holding the option and command (clover) keys and then pressing the escape key. Try it now if you like. Anyways, this will open a lovely dialogue that tells you which application is problematic if there is one. It does this by showing the applications name in red and including a message the right which says (not responding). If it doesn't show anything like that there probably isn't anything wrong and you should just let the machine run. I found when I got my first machine with OS X that I thought it was frozen a couple times a day, when really it just took a couple minutes to sort something out.

So let it run for a minute, then try Force Quite, and if neither work you can always hold down the power button.....Although if the latter of those options occurs frequently there may be a problem with your system. Nothing is perfect, but OS X is pretty good, welcome to the Mac.

 

[Gosh]

One question though, my iMac has frozen 3 times in its first week! The first freeze happened while having a few applications open, but has not occured since. The other 2 freezes happened today only while quitting games of Warcraft 3. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot!

I'm a convert since May. Found OS X remarkably stable! However regular maintenance helps keep it on song. If your Mac was left on thro the night (not in Sleep mode) it would have done daily maintenance itself in the early hours of the morning. See link below and consider Cocktail or Onyx - but only run the very basics until you get to know Mac!

http://www.applelinks.com/p5/index.php/more/mac_os_x_system_maintenance_utilities_roundup/

In any event worth going to 'Disk Utility' and seeing what 'Verify Disk Permissions' kicks up. The first few days can stress-out any computer with new programs being loaded up.

Good luck!

 

[puckhead193]

if it still happens you can try reinstalling OS X....
WHen i first got my imac it was locking up and keral panic a lot. I reinstalled OS X and its fine now. A pain to do but w.e. its all good now

 

[SE30]

my first post..

I recently bought the same machine as you - it's so much faster than anything I've ever owned before - I'm as happy as a little girl..

Now - here are a couple of tips that every mac user should know --

A) repair permissions every 2 weeks
(You do this with the "Disk Utility" application in the "Utilities" folder)

B) You can always "Force Quit" applications that freeze up -- hold down the mouse on the icon in the dock if the application freezes - you will see in the menu an option to "Force Quit" the application. This can also be achieved by holding down Control-Command (apple key)-Escape all at once.

C) Software Update is important too. There was a recent firmware update for our mutual computer so you should keep up to date with the current bug fixes.

hope this helps!

Paul

 

[K20]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I found out that the command-option-esc works out

 

[emptyCup]

A) repair permissions every 2 weeks
(You do this with the "Disk Utility" application in the "Utilities" folder)

B) You can always "Force Quit" applications that freeze up -- hold down the mouse on the icon in the dock if the application freezes - you will see in the menu an option to "Force Quit" the application. This can also be achieved by holding down Control-Command (apple key)-Escape all at once.

I think regularly repairing permissions, even when you do not have permission problems, is just Mac voodoo. But it doesn't hurt anything either.

Many good ideas in (B). You can also Force Quit by selecting it under the Apple Menu. Switch out of the locked up application, using the Dock or clicking on the desktop or another window, and select Force Quit from the Apple Menu. It will show you a list of your app.s and which are "not responding".

 

[SE30]

yeah, well I agree it's not a panacea to repair permissions, however it's probably a good idea to do once every 2 weeks or so, just because - it feels right!

I think regularly repairing permissions, even when you do not have permission problems, is just Mac voodoo. But it doesn't hurt anything either.

Many good ideas in (B). You can also Force Quit by selecting it under the Apple Menu. Switch out of the locked up application, using the Dock or clicking on the desktop or another window, and select Force Quit from the Apple Menu. It will show you a list of your app.s and which are "not responding".

 

[backsidetailsli]

brings back memories
same case for me
congrats!

 

[TyPod]

Congrats on the new iMac.

 

[pink-pony115]

I felt the same way about my old compaq. Welcome to the wonderful world of mac.

 

[jesteraver]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Apple

 

[jesteraver]

my first post..

I recently bought the same machine as you - it's so much faster than anything I've ever owned before - I'm as happy as a little girl..

Now - here are a couple of tips that every mac user should know --

A) repair permissions every 2 weeks
(You do this with the "Disk Utility" application in the "Utilities" folder)

B) You can always "Force Quit" applications that freeze up -- hold down the mouse on the icon in the dock if the application freezes - you will see in the menu an option to "Force Quit" the application. This can also be achieved by holding down Control-Command (apple key)-Escape all at once.

C) Software Update is important too. There was a recent firmware update for our mutual computer so you should keep up to date with the current bug fixes.

hope this helps!

Paul

+1

I usually only do that when its too late LOL

 

[joelovesapple]

Man I know exactly how you feel. Those imacs are blazingly fast. I have never used anything even half as cool in both functionality and looks. But my god it is quick.

I'm loving the wonderful world of Apple as you put it!

 

[Paul S]

I've had my 20" iMac for about a month and a half, and I learn cool new things everyday.

Sidenote: Do you drive an RSX-S?

 

[lorductape]

another pc bites the dust...

 

[K20]

I've had my 20" iMac for about a month and a half, and I learn cool new things everyday.

Sidenote: Do you drive an RSX-S?

Yep, I sure do man.

Pics are in another forum in the "post pictures of your car" thread

Although sad to say, the car is in the shop...a BMW 760 collided into my rear passenger side...so its in for repairs, at least i'm not at fault!

 

[Paul S]

Yep, I sure do man.

Pics are in another forum in the "post pictures of your car" thread

Although sad to say, the car is in the shop...a BMW 760 collided into my rear passenger side...so its in for repairs, at least i'm not at fault!

That sucks.

I've had an ITR, S2000...pretty much all Honda's, except my 4Runner. Love the H.