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| Comments on "Question on Switching to Mac" |
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 | Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 13:18:38 mst
Comment ID: #1
Name: John Harris
E-mail: John.Harris00 at gmail.com
So much for a new model, that was keeping me as a hold out as well.
iLife, which should come with your new Mac, will have iWeb, which allows you to build web-sites rather quickly.
Tying that in with iPhoto to allow you to add your own photos to your site.
Bryan, and anyone else, if you do have questions feel free to e-mail me for general tech help. I'm happy to point people in the right direction (and it gives me experience in different problems.)
And Diana, in the Back To Mac? post, you said you run Linux, what flavor of Linux are you running your boxen?
John. - Running Debian since 1999.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 13:38:45 mst
Comment ID: #2
Name: Diana Hsieh
E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com
URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog
John, I used to run a RedHat Linux web and sql development server. I used a variety of laptops and home-built desktops over the years for that. The last machine was an old Sony Vaio ultra-light laptop that Paul bought in like 1997. It ran continuously for years, such that the screen pretty much died and the battery was so bad that it would only run with the battery removed. However, remote access still worked fine, so I continued to use it until I got the Mac. (Now I can do all my web development from the BSD guts of my Mac, and that makes me very happy.) I also had my own co-located RedHat Linux server in years past.
I never tried the other flavors of Linux besides RedHat, and I can't recall why I picked that. It was big and easy at the time, I think. I've also done web development on a variety of Unix platforms (e.g. Sun). And I even worked in the NeXT lab (which provided internet accounts for all of WashU's school of Arts and Sciences) for two years as an undergrad. I loved those NeXT computers! Unsurprisingly, given Steve Job's influence, the current Macs are very much like them.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 14:23:24 mst
Comment ID: #3
Name: KPO'M
E-mail: ka84796(at)comcast.net
Don't be surprised if there are new models released over the next few weeks. Apple is trying to de-emphasize Macworld Expo, so the primarily software-related announcements didn't surprise me (though I was expecting the Mac Mini update to be announced). Too many people were delaying purchases until after Expo, and I think Apple wants to get back to a 'regular' update cycle.
That said, my advice is to research the software first and see what Windows applications have Mac equivalents and which ones don't. The more Mac software the better, since even under Fusion or Parallels on the Intel processors, running an OS within another OS slows things down a bit. If you need to run Windows, load up the Mac with at least 2GB of RAM, preferably 4, and get an OEM copy of XP Pro (it runs so much better than Vista under OS X) to tide you over until the more streamlined Windows 7 is available. I use VMWare Fusion, which runs XP acceptably even on a MacBook Air. I recommend installing Windows on a Boot Camp partition since it gives you the option of running Windows natively (it's the same as running it on a regular PC).
As for Mac software, the new iLife looks nice, though also note that Picasa has just been released for Mac, and Google expects to add geotagging as well (though I don't know about face recognition). iPhoto has a strange way of handling photos. It puts them all into a single file, whereas Picasa leaves your files right where they are and just indexes them. That said, the new editing features look nice. iLife comes with iWeb, and at this point you might as well spring the extra $49 for the 2009 upgrade when you get the iMac.
Check out refurbished models available from Apple's website. Also check out MacMall and other authorized retailers, as you can often save $100 or more on build-to-order configurations.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 15:11:38 mst
Comment ID: #4
Name: Kevin McAllister
E-mail: kevin(at)mcallister.ws
URL: http://logicaldisconnect.org/
If you have no Mac experience at all some of the conventions will take a little getting used to, the fact that the menu bar is fixed at the top of the screen instead of tied to window. The apple switch site can prep you for some of them other obvious ones. TUAW of course has some good beginner tips. And if looking for an app to do something I usually will check out: http://osx.iusethis.com/ for suggestions.
And For home use I expect you'll be using browser (Safari or Firefox) and mail and the iLife suite, all of which work great.
If of the off-chance you're an emacs use, Aquamacs is great, or if you want a powerful text editor I was impressed by TextMate.
For office docs I prefer OpenOffice over the iWork programs, you can of course get the MS programs if you want them, but, my office is nearly all Mac and we get by fine with OpenOffice.
And finally I recommend everything made by the OmniGroup. http://www.omnigroup.com/ Their apps are the type that you either need them or you don't, but I use OmniOutliner several times a day for quick brainstorming, project organizing, taking notes. And OmniGraffle is the best diagram drawing app I've used this side of Visio (supports visio import/export). And of course if you're the GTD obsessed type I have had great success with OmniFocus.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 16:45:44 mst
Comment ID: #5
Name: KPO'M
E-mail: ka84796(at)comcast.net
Using the Command key instead of the Ctrl key is another Mac convention that takes some getting used to. Another thing to keep in mind is that closing the last open window of an application doesn't quit the application itself. Do that through the menu, or by pressing Command-Q. I actually find the window and title bar approach more organized in OS X than Windows since it clutters the screen less and makes it obvious which application is in the foreground. Another tip is that if you drag your application folder to the Dock, it operates a little bit like the Start menu. Click and hold the mouse button over the Application folder, and it will expand to show you the items inside (the folders inside won't cascade automatically, though). It's good for opening applications that you don't leave on your Dock.
Macworld has a lot of tips and tricks books that are good. However, the transition is pretty easy, as is moving back and forth between Mac and Windows on a daily basis. I use Office 2008, but note that it doesn't support Office for Windows Macros (that feature is coming back in the next version of Office). The new iWork 2009 suite looks nice, though sometimes iWork files have formatting issues when saved as Office files.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 17:06:57 mst
Comment ID: #6
Name: Conrad
Does anyone know how to turn of mouse accel? This is a feature I loath. Here's how it works: When you move your mouse quickly, the pointer will accelerate in proportion to the speed of the move instead of the distance. So you can move your mouse very quickly over 1cm of pad space and cause your pointer to move completely across the screen, or you can move your mouse very slowly across your entire desk and your pointer will only move across a fraction of your screen. So it's speed dependent instead of distance dependent.
Thanks to this annoying feature I'm always mis-clicking because whenever I approach the thing I want to click on I slow down, and with this feature on, I can never reach the actual thing I want to reach. Windows also has this feature but it can be turned off.
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| Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 19:22:34 mst
Comment ID: #7
Name: John Harris
E-mail: John.Harris00 at gmail.com
Diana - Not bad, when I was in High School we first tried using Red Hat for a web server; CLI scared the tech of the school, but I stuck to it... and then they replaced it with Windows 2000 Web Server.
I got to play with a NeXT box once, and that was a joy. Easy to understand, great to use.
I myself am looking into purchasing a new Mac, though I'm still on the fence about MacBook or iMac. My Powerbook is still going strong (well two fans have died...and then I think the Hard Drive is going.) I'm really just waiting for it to finally give up the ghost (it's been seven years too.)
John.
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| Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 9:50:50 mst
Comment ID: #8
Name: Bryan Armentrout
E-mail: bryan.armentrout(at)gmail.com
Thanks, everyone!
I appreciate your insights. I think I will wait a couple of weeks and see what shakes out. If nothing happens, I will pull the trigger and join the Mac club.
Bryan
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