OK I bought a powerbook 12" but erm how do I ?

[StueyB]

Hi peeps,

Firstly let me say that I have kinda half been converted now but im still struggling. I managed to pick up a new 12" PB from Dixons for £600 ex VAT and have been well impressed so far (except for having to re install as Dixons messed up the imaging.

I have worked out how to use install and use apps etc, but a few questions I have re: converting from a PC.

1. How Do I maximise rather than re sizing the screen and dragging it out all the time ?

2. How do I "send" a shortcut to the desktop, ie In windows I can right click -> send to desktop but on the PB I have to create an alias in the folder and then drag it onto the desktop.

3. Lastly, apple usually get most of the basic stuff right BUT the install media was DVD and I have a cd writer. Will it be ok to just back up on a PC with DVD Writer ?

 

[robbieduncan]

Welcome to the forums! I hope your new Mac is cool.

To answer your questions:

1) You don't. I'm serious. The green button in the upper left area of a window works something like maximise, but not really. In some apps it will maximise. In others (and this is the correct behvaiour) it will make the window as big as it needs to be to show all the content.

2) I'm not I'm sure I understand this one. Do you mean from the Finder (Windows Explorer on a PC)? Of from Safari?

3) Should be OK. As long as what you get is an exact copy it should be fine.

 

[russed]

1. How Do I maximise rather than re sizing the screen and dragging it out all the time ?

umm.. well the green button (top left) i think is supposed to to this but from my experience sometimes it does what you want, other times not, but if you do resize a window to how you want it (i.e. have a full screen web browser) it will tend to stay that way!

2. How do I "send" a shortcut to the desktop, ie In windows I can right click -> send to desktop but on the PB I have to create an alias in the folder and then drag it onto the desktop.

i dont know about shortcuts to the desktop but that is what the dock is there for - just drag your application into the dock and it will stay there soyou can quickly launch your favourite apps. Do that and you will never need a shortcut again!

3. Lastly, apple usually get most of the basic stuff right BUT the install media was DVD and I have a cd writer. Will it be ok to just back up on a PC with DVD Writer ?

well i dont think apple intended for people to copy the media - and why have 3 cd's when you can just have one dvd? but if you want to back it up i think it should work but i have been reading in the case of the tiger dvd that if you dont do it properly it adds some form of files that make it no longer bootable (or something like that) so rendering it useless.
look here


well anyway - you have got a good comp for the price it looks like. i have a 12" pb and love it. have a search around for the useful apps threads which may come in handy.

 

[superbovine]

The title post the is like a boy buying a condom for the first time. "So, I bought the condom, and we are going have sex right? But, how do I erm.."

 

[andrewfee]

1. How Do I maximise rather than re sizing the screen and dragging it out all the time ?

It might take a while to get used to, but the green button isn't maximize; it's the "zoom" button. It basically toggles between a user defined size, and one that should fit all the content in the smallest window possible.

Window management is totally different in OSX, and once you get used to it, infinitely superior. (PS: use F9-F11 for Exposé)

2. How do I "send" a shortcut to the desktop, ie In windows I can right click -> send to desktop but on the PB I have to create an alias in the folder and then drag it onto the desktop.

Again, this is somewhere that OSX and Windows differs - generally "shortcuts" to things are stored in the dock. The only thing I can suggest is that if you want to do that, drag them to the desktop, but hold down the command and option keys (apple + alt) as this will create an alias automatically. (you should see the cursor change)

If you haven't already, you might want to hit [command] + [J] to bring up the view options, and enable "keep arranged by" so that you can just drop the icons anywhere and it'll stay tidy.

3. Lastly, apple usually get most of the basic stuff right BUT the install media was DVD and I have a cd writer. Will it be ok to just back up on a PC with DVD Writer ?

No idea, sorry.