NEW to MAC...seriously new. GONNA NEED HELP!

S

spgmr2005

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sorry if i get too in depth...

the last time i used a mac was about four years ago. i had to type something...that was it. no more did i ever use a mac. i always thought of Mac computers as the Nintendo of the computer world: everything should be easy.

will it be a steep learning curve for someone that is pretty tech savvy on a PC and knowledgable on computers in general?

i want a macbook(might consider macbook pro 15in 2.16Ghz) for all of the obvious reasons: it just makes using a computer fun and safe. i really want to create my own web blog, so i was wondering if a 2.0Ghz macbook with a 1Gb RAM suffice enough to endulge my video editting needs.

any help would be great. thanks
 
spgmr2005 said:
will it be a steep learning curve for someone that is pretty tech savvy on a PC and knowledgable on computers in general?
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It shouldn't be hard at all. The biggest difference between Macs and PCs is that on the Mac, Apple pretty much takes responsibility for making the whole system run flawlessly, hence there won't be any need to worry about hardware compatibility, drivers, BIOS and so on.

There are a few philosophical differences between Macs and PCs as far as the interface goes. Windows programs, by default, take up all of the screen. Mac programs generally are set to take up only as much screen space as you're likely to need. Windows programs get installers and uninstallers, while Mac software is usually just drag-and-drop to install. Most importantly, a PC user will regularly have to install drivers and extra software, while Apple make every effort to ensure you hardly ever need to: almost every mouse, digital camera, printer or scanner should run straight from the box without needing to load any extras.

So no, your learning curve shouldn't be too bad at all. A lot of things are the same, a lot of things are simpler, but overall everything is well explained, with meaningfully labelled options and careful attention to the user interface. Every button and label has been thoughtfully placed so as to minimise confusion.

so i was wondering if a 2.0Ghz macbook with a 1Gb RAM suffice enough to endulge my video editting needs.
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It sounds fine. iMovie has grown up over several years and runs okay even on older 500mhz Macs.
 
As Symphonix mentions, the learning curve is not difficult. Other new ways of using a Mac, is the menu bar, for each app is located on the top of the screen, versus on the top of App. Another difference is Mac programs, mostly the ones that you download are in .dmg format, which opens like a mounted disk on your desktop. As Symphonix mentioned, you often just drag the file to install it, then drag the .dmg to the trash, and your done with installing the program on the Mac.
In my experience, most switchers from windows, are not use to drag and dropping as much as Mac users. When in doubt about something, drag and drop it.
Dealing with videos, you will need to download flip4mac to view window media files on the Mac. VLC is another program every Mac users has, which opens several media files, including some of the tricky .avi format, generated from a PC. FFmegx is another program you may want to check out, if your doing much converting between formats.
As far as Unix goes, some regular maintenance will keep you Mac running smooth, which basically requires you to repair the permission. There is no disk defrag on the Mac, as in windows.
 
Also, be open to learning the aspects of the Mac that are different from the PC. Many PC users approach the Mac hoping that it will function like Windows, and then become frustrated with it when it doesn't do things the way Windows does it. That's like expecting vanilla to taste like chocolate, and then getting annoyed that it doesn't taste like chocolate (thanks fyke :D). It's just not going to happen.

However, if you're open to the differences, you'll learn quicker and begin to enjoy your Mac. Many that have done this have realized that using a computer can be fun and a joy, and can be more than just a tool. They wonder how they could have gone without using a Mac for so long. I know this sounds like fanboi-ism, but it's the truth. So much FUD has been going around for years about the Mac that once Windows users get past those preconceived notions and are open to actually use the system , they fall in love with it.
 
You might want to look over your vanilla/chocolate metaphor again, nixgeek. I think vanilla _will_ taste like vanilla. Most of the times. ;)

But yes, I guess that's the main mistake switchers make, whether it's people who come from Windows, linux or OS 9.
 
spgmr2005 said:
will it be a steep learning curve
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I'd recommend just jumping in. I went from Free- / Open-BSD to a MacBook very recently and it's been great (don't worry, I still use the BSD pooters). On the Mac, things are often just downright intuitive. In fact, the entire computing experience is somehow very pleasant and relaxing. Just kick back and you're sure to love it.

wrt hardware, I don't know a thing about video editing but would just in general recommend as much RAM as possible even at the expense of CPU speed (if there's a pricepoint to stay under). The 1 GB on this MacBook does well for the most part, but there've been a couple times when things started to lug down with the swapping. ...hth...
 
fryke said:
You might want to look over your vanilla/chocolate metaphor again, nixgeek. I think vanilla _will_ taste like vanilla. Most of the times. ;)

But yes, I guess that's the main mistake switchers make, whether it's people who come from Windows, linux or OS 9.
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Duly noted (see the post again). Next time I'll post after having my morning coffee... :eek:
 
thaks for all the help guys...or gals. symphonix, nixgeek, and powermac...thanks for the help. i am definitely open to learning how to use a mac. i've been frustrated for years with all of the extra "crap" that you need to make a PC run properly. running spyware and antivirus check-ups get boring and annoying extremely quickly. the only thing i think about when i hear PC is "internet". that is all i find my PC good for. Can't wait to start having fun with my mac. thanks guys.
 
spgmr2005 said:
thaks for all the help guys...or gals. symphonix, nixgeek, and powermac...thanks for the help. i am definitely open to learning how to use a mac. i've been frustrated for years with all of the extra "crap" that you need to make a PC run properly. running spyware and antivirus check-ups get boring and annoying extremely quickly. the only thing i think about when i hear PC is "internet". that is all i find my PC good for. Can't wait to start having fun with my mac. thanks guys.
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I'd max out the memory... But that's just me... POWER HUNGRY and congrads on the new mac! :)
 
spgmr2005 said:
thaks for all the help guys...or gals. symphonix, nixgeek, and powermac...thanks for the help. i am definitely open to learning how to use a mac. i've been frustrated for years with all of the extra "crap" that you need to make a PC run properly. running spyware and antivirus check-ups get boring and annoying extremely quickly. the only thing i think about when i hear PC is "internet". that is all i find my PC good for. Can't wait to start having fun with my mac. thanks guys.
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Also I find most PC using people having the book by David Pogue Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition helps them immensely in the switch process. IMHO the reading is funny, easy and very useful.
 
Another great book is The Macintosh Bible... This book has the history of Apple and its OS models explains a little bit about Jobs Vs. Gates... and is a great help if your looking to understand Apple in General.
 
I wouldn't say this is a valid recommendation as os x is based on freebsd and apple's gui is closer to most *nix environments than a windows environment. With that said, I have a couple of friends that moved from windows to mac and they are loving it. They are not the most computer literate, but they are able to do so much more on the mac and worry less about getting things like antivirus subscriptions...


jpb5151 said:
I'd recommend just jumping in. I went from Free- / Open-BSD to a MacBook very recently and it's been great (don't worry, I still use the BSD pooters). On the Mac, things are often just downright intuitive. In fact, the entire computing experience is somehow very pleasant and relaxing. Just kick back and you're sure to love it.
Click to expand...
 
Hi all,

Thanks for this really helpful post; I'm getting myself my first Mac (MacBook 1,83 Ghz, 2GB RAM -> more power :) ) and was wondering as well how the switch would work. So far everything sounds promissing and I can't wait to get to know my new love better ;)

I'm also going after that 'Missing Manual' book btw, sounds like a nice, funny help. THanks again for the info people!
 
marleenvente said:
Hi all,

Thanks for this really helpful post; I'm getting myself my first Mac (MacBook 1,83 Ghz, 2GB RAM -> more power :) ) and was wondering as well how the switch would work. So far everything sounds promissing and I can't wait to get to know my new love better ;)

I'm also going after that 'Missing Manual' book btw, sounds like a nice, funny help. THanks again for the info people!
Click to expand...

I'd read the manuals first... before buying the Mac... Not to scare you at all Mac's are different than PC's :) lol... They just Work... PC's just crash :p
 
Alright I admit,

I went out this morning and got my Missing Manual, 'The book that should have been in the box' on my bedside table already :) Since I have to wait about 1,5 weeks till my shiny new macbook gets delivered to my door, there's little I can do more than drool and dream about it while reading the manual and more of this usefull stuff online :)

And since my PC crashes about 4 times a DAY (that is, even while using Skype and IE at the same time or playing even the simple patience kind of games) I am really looking forward to that 'Macs-don't-crash-feature'!
 
yes... it's a small game of mine to see just how long i can have as many programs running side by side for.

currently, it's standing at 16, and about 5 days. but i've had more.

generally, i 'll have safari, itunes, iphoto, flash, illustrator, photoshop, word, font book, mail, adium msn, ffmpegx video encoder, iSync, Fetch FTP, Dreamweaver, Quicktime, VLC, Activity Monitor, Amadeus audio editor, and oboe backing up my itunes library a;ll working at the same time, and it';s still very much usable.

ha ha i love macs.
 
Yeah, it's a lot different working on OS X. It has such good window management that you can still work with many programs open. If I don't watch it, I end up with like 15 programs open, about 5 of which I haven't used sense last week :).
 
OMFG!! i can't wait to get my shiny new black macbook. i'm obsessing over it already. i want to make a video of me opening the box to my first laptop which just so happens to be my first mac! YES!! here's the spec sheet on my macbook: 2.0GHz Core Duo, 80Gig HDD, 1Gig RAM, Superdrive, and all the goodness that a mac can offer. I'm gonna buy hat book, too.
 
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