New MacBook Pro User. Wow!

[Superbike81]

They had a Christmas sale at our base exchange of $200 off all MacBooks and iMacs, so my wife bought me the entry level 13" MacBook Pro, ended up only being $950.

So far, it's weird coming from using Windows for so many years. Everything feels different, but I think I like it, and I think in the end I might like it more for everyday use. Although I'll always have a Windows desktop I think.

I love the multi-touch gesture enabled trackpad, it's amazing! I've always used a mouse along with a laptop, because I hate touchpads, but this one is so incredible. Instead of having to use the scroll bars to scroll around, I just swipe with two fingers like on the iPad. If I want to go back or forward on a website I just swipe three fingers left or right. I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to another laptop without these features. I also really like the backlit keyboard, and the battery life is incredible! Been browsing the net for a few hours at three ticks above minimum brightness and it's still showing 8 hours of battery life remaining!

I think as far as notebooks go, I'm now a Mac convert, but I'll still keep my Windows desktop.

Can't wait for the Mac AppStore in a couple weeks!

Anyone have any advice for a new Mac user? Maybe websites to check out with tips and tricks or new user introduction tutorials?

 

[col.bris]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Just for the record if you really and I mean really really want to run winows (any version) at the same time in a window then download parallels then you will have best of both worlds however I would just enjoy Mac os . As a Mac support specialist let me know what you want to know and I will send you the links. The built in help with every app is for most people more than you would ever need. You will find that iTunes is more stable with osx Merry Xmas

 

[pik0]

Ditto on the Parallels recommendation. It's pretty cheap and allows you to migrate your old windows system to a virtual machine on the MBP. This will ease the transition in to the Mac world as you slowly transfer all your documents and try Mac versions of apps.

The coming Mac App Store on 1/6/2011 will be a real game changer...

Piko

 

[King Hal]

Congrats Superbike. I did the same thing some months ago for photo editing and also now much prefer the MacBook Pro to my Toshiba Windows 7 laptop. Boot up and shut down times are much superior. If I could only migrate all of my Outlook mail to the Mac Mail I'd move over wholly. BTW I don't want to spend the extra for Office 2011 business just to get Outlook for Mac. Any other solutions?

 

[Hasty]

Just one thing to add, check out the keyboard commands.
Once you have a few of them commited to memory working on the laptop becomes very fast.
Have fun.

 

[MikesTooLz]

Yep, just play with it and you will get the hang of things. I got my first mac not to long ago and haven't gone back to windows.

its like they say, "it just works"

 

[SweetPoison]

So ~ you can do everything on a Mac that we do on Windows? I am seriously considering....

 

[MikesTooLz]

So ~ you can do everything on a Mac that we do on Windows? I am seriously considering....

yep, and things are not as complicated.

If your thinking of getting one you should sign up for one of the free beginner training sessions they have at the Mac Store every day. They will show you everything about the mac and what you need to know to switch over and there in store sessions are free unless you want to purchase One-to-One sessions (around $99 for unlimited one-to-one training sessions for a year on any topic you choose)

I have sat in on a few of the in store training sessions including the iPad ones and they are helpful.


also, since itunes is made by apple, it doesn't have nearly as many issues as you would have running it under windows.

The automated backup system called Time Machine is really great and it comes built in. Everyone should be performing backups of their computers because its not a question of IF your computers hard drive will ever fail, but WHEN will the computers hard drive fail. With time machine you just plug in any external hard drive and select that drive to be used for time machine and your done. All your files a automatically backed up for you on a regular basis.

 

[SweetPoison]

Thanks, Mike. I almost went to one of those training classes at our Apple Store when I got my iPad. And they are free, you are right ~ They are all so nice and helpful in there!

Also ~ is it true that Macs do not get computer viruses?

 

[MikesTooLz]

Thanks, Mike. I almost went to one of those training classes at our Apple Store when I got my iPad. And they are free, you are right ~ They are all so nice and helpful in there!

Also ~ is it true that Macs do not get computer viruses?

Are there viruses for Mac OSX? Yes however its very unlikely to get one. You can download both paid and free anti-virus's for the Mac. However its not a strict requirement like on windows. For the most part running an anti-virus on your mac would be more likely to catch a windows virus and prevent you from sending it to a windows user without knowing. Like if you download a file with a windows virus your mac wont be effected, but you can still send that file on to your windows friends if you don't know there is a windows virus in it.



Another thing about the Mac OS that I find great is how they deal with windows. On Windows you tend to use most things at full screen like browsers etc...and just switch back and forth between them one at a time. On the Mac you press the Green + up on top and it will maximize the window to fix exactly as much space that is needed and not the full screen. This way I'm able to to a lot more at once having multiple things open on the screens at one time without making things like websites smaller then what they should be displayed at. Most people wont need this but I have two 22' monitors connected to my Mac and be working on around 6 things that I have open and in view. It was a bit strange not seeing the maximize button to maximize everything at first, but I quickly started to like how apple handles the window sizing.

Another example: Microsoft Word, I cant stand using it in anything but full screen. However using Pages on the Mac OS is great without needing to take up the entire screen. I can use the rest of the screen to monitor other things or also for dragging and dropping things between apps much easier.



But in the end its all up to you, you pick whats best for you. in my case I hadn't even given macs a try, I figured windows had everything i needed and I was used to it. When I started to see Macs at my work I figured I better become familiar with them and boy was I surprised.

 

[col.bris]

Marie buying a mac would be the best experience your paddy will be in heaven and you will be happy as you will have less problems as Mike said ... It just works . As for virus issues I have 400 computer sites whom have Macs that I have delivered a huge number of computers to over the past years and since osx began I have not sold one virus package to any one of my clients as they don't need it. If however they install windows 7, vista or xp on to the Mac yes then they need virus protection for the windows install. Osx is bullet proof does not crash easy to operate and fully cross platform compatbility meaning sharing files and connecting to windows networks. The macs also come with iphoto, and video software that makes viewing both movies from your movie camera and Picts from your still camera a breeze.. My answer to you is. Just do it

 

[SweetPoison]

Another example: Microsoft Word, I cant stand using it in anything but full screen. However using Pages on the Mac OS is great without needing to take up the entire screen. I can use the rest of the screen to monitor other things or also for dragging and dropping things between apps much easier.

When I started to see Macs at my work I figured I better become familiar with them and boy was I surprised.

This is very interesting to me. I agree to, every time I go into that Apple store, I see those Macs and I am very intrigued!

So I wouldn't hook my iPad up to my windows computer any more?

 

[SweetPoison]

Marie buying a mac would be the best experience your paddy will be in heaven and you will be happy as you will have less problems as Mike said ... It just works . As for virus issues I have 400 computer sites whom have Macs that I have delivered a huge number of computers to over the past years and since osx began I have not sold one virus package to any one of my clients as they don't need it. If however they install windows 7, vista or xp on to the Mac yes then they need virus protection for the windows install. Osx is bullet proof does not crash easy to operate and fully cross platform compatbility meaning sharing files and connecting to windows networks. The macs also come with iphoto, and video software that makes viewing both movies from your movie camera and Picts from your still camera a breeze.. My answer to you is. Just do it

But will I be in heaven, Colin? Lol! I have a kazillon questions but I don't wanna hijack the OP thread any more.

Look for my thread.

 

[Superbike81]

I don't mind all.

I really am pleased so far! I am still getting accustomed to the changes but it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be.

 

[henry2]

first off sir

Welcome to the dark side we have milk and cookies and you get the hang of it without alot of problems ..just sit and play around it for a while ..i mean the laptop not the other body part