New SR MBP Thoughts

[jsbarone]

Supposedly tomorrow, June 11th I'll be receiving my first Mac, a 15" 2.4ghz Glossy Macbook Pro. I've actually got butterflies in anticipation of getting it tomorrow---I'm very excited, anxious, and truthfully---a little apprehensive. As a person who has very little OSX experience I know it's going to be a hurdle to get used to a whole new world, but at the same time I know I'll love it.

I'm going to try and document my impressions and thoughts as a Mac Noob, and hopefully post it all here along with any questions or concerns I might have. Before tomorrow comes, however, I do have a few questions.

Is there another resource for us switchers that I might consult if I have any problems? Do you guys have any recommendations or words of advice for me?

I'm thinking of taking pictures and video of the whole "unboxing" process, especially since I've noticed a lack of them (especially videos) in the internet. I'll post here when I get them.

 

[66217]

Is there another resource for us switchers that I might consult if I have any problems? Do you guys have any recommendations or words of advice for me?

I think that you can find almost all the answers related to a Mac and the Spaghetti Monster in MacRumors.com. Don't hesitate to ask, someone will surely be able to help you.

My advice: Relax, and enjoy your Mac. After a month you will start understanding OS X completely and would start finding a lot of cool software that makes your Mac experience happier.

Some examples of good software are in this link.

 

[elithrar]

Browse around this forum; there's been quite a few switchers asking about applications and 'what do to after I open the box'. Basically though, you'll want to grab a small handful of applications to suit your needs; straight up I recommend an IM program (Adium), a better burning program (Toast or Burn), some more advanced image editing programs (GIMP and/or Seashore), codecs for Quicktime (Perian & Flip4Mac), and NeoOffice if you need an Office-like app. All of those are free by the way, and very good.

Other than that, hunt around with Google and search "OS X hints" (or tricks, or tips) and read up on what you can really do. A lot of people, myself included, make the mistake of thinking OS X is a really dumbed down OS. It's not

 

[jsbarone]

First thoughts: I love it! The screen is so crisp, clean and sharp (15" MBP Glossy). Battery life is way better than my Windows Laptop---not sure how it compares to other Macs. Everything runs very fast. I'm installing bootcamp now and will do the Windows Install when I get home.

I'm working on getting a few things figured out (I'm an OSX noob), like how to maximize a window (for real---filling the screen) and where to turn off the lack-of-use screen dim. I want screensaver only when plugged in.

If you guys can point me in the direction of those answers I'd be stoked---I know they're basic, but I'm very new. No LOL's. The biggest thing is that "true maximizing" part.

Thanks,

 

[smartalic34]

in regards to the "maximize a window" question, the short answer is: it doesn't exist. the idea is that a user only needs to expand the window to see all of the content, and that expanding a window to cover the entire screen is a waste of space. hence, the green "+" button at the top left corner of every window serves the "smart" function of expanding to view content appropriately, and not full-screen. if you so desire full screen, dragging from the bottom-right corner of windows will allow manual re-sizing, but the idea is that full-screen maximize isn't necessary... hope this helps!

 

[jsbarone]

Thanks for the reply. After posting I figured I'd use my Applecare Support and I asked them a few questions about it and other features. The woman I talked to was awesome----smart, didn't snicker and my idiotic question and was very nice. Are they all like that?

 

[TheSpecialist]

Thanks for the reply. After posting I figured I'd use my Applecare Support and I asked them a few questions about it and other features. The woman I talked to was awesome----smart, didn't snicker and my idiotic question and was very nice. Are they all like that?

I've had a few cases I had to talk to Apple for some problems with iTunes. I live in The Netherlands and got someone on the phone from Belgium (a neighbour country just south, nearly the same language but other accent). He was very nice and helped me out 100%, i've had some other cases for school (we use 100% macs for the graphical study I do), and I had to do the business and take care of the problems. Again, the guy I spoke on the phone was very nice and helped me out really good. A big plus for Apple support.