Sorry, my mistake. Some of the Apps are donationware. As a poor student I am using them now with the intention of paying them back when I start to earn money!

Warm Regards,

(Mr.) Jamie Kelly

macwindows.com for switchers.

macsurfer.com as all the news.

macintouch.com
macfixit.com
xlr8yourmac.com
macosxhints.com
all have troubleshooting & enhancement info.

And these (in addition to apple’s guide.apple.com) are searchable resources for software:
macupdate.com
versiontracker.com

tidbits.com is a Great online magazine (even if not printed).

I’ve yet to find anything in the windows world like what the Mac universe online has to offer. And, although OS X is essentially virus free, it only happens because we keep current with our updates (after waiting for guinea pigs to test the waters) and we stay informed. There’s a free (currently) antivirus product called ClamXav if you ever feel the need. I don’t use a product yet but can’t stand Symantec/Macafee on XP so I’d never let that touch my Mac. Symantec has caused problems in the past.

I’ve read that VMWare’s product is faster/better for running XP in a virtual machine. Parallels might have caught up. Running a VM and running PPC code in Rosetta requires TONS of RAM. 1G is just NOT enough. 2 is comfortable and more is always better.

Jamie Kelly isn’t quite right about the listed freeware. Quite a few are donationware so if you like/use them, you should donate to see them continue. As s/he mentioned, little snitch is an excellent outbound firewall according to what I’ve read. VLC plays a plethora of video that QT does not. Not sure the point of WhatSize as the Finder’s Get Info command should tell you as well.

Oh, be sure to turn on the context (“right”) click via two finger tap (if not already). It’s phenomenal — especially for a windows user. Drag and drop is excellent and functional on OS X.

Allwell, I feel sorry for you. M$ has you so brainwashed it’s sad.

Everyone, it’s Mac, not MAC. MAC = Media Access Control which is an Ethernet term.

I’ve been using Macs since ‘84 and owned my first (Mac II) in ‘87. I became a Windows power user over the last several years due to my company’s change to XP during the dark days of the latter 90s. I have had to develop a very thick skin as there’s so many annoyances with XP. Vista is lipstick on a pig (though reportedly intensely and impressively more secure than XP; it definitely shows that M$ is more security focused now than Apple). Vista’s just as annoying and more!

Seriosly, enjoy. And don’t look back.

“All well and good, but the ONLY reason a Mac is better at this moment is that XP is old and Vista sucks worse with every patch.”

That’s actually TWO reasons my friend. And there are numerous positive reasons why a Mac is 1,000,000 times better than a PC, but there’s not enough time in the day to explain.

Just get a Mac, and move away from Registries and DLL Hell.

Welcome to a world of creativity, productivity, innovation, and a future that is extremely overwhelming with even more good things to come!

Paul

The whole game changes in a couple years when Microsoft replaces Vista with whatever new Windows they come up with. Isn’t that worth waiting for?

If you have to get a Mac, at least install Windows on it–it’s WAY too soon to give up on Windows. Microsoft has done great (or at least profitable) things in the past, and they will do great things again. Hang in there–you will see in a few years.

Resist temptation. If you’re going to learn a new system, let it be from Microsoft–not OS X, Linux, or any other flavor of UNIX.

And really, Vista may be a pain, but it’s starting to offer some of the features Macs have anyway

Welcome to the Apple Revolution!

I got my first Mac in 1997 (an original iMac) and haven’t looked back.

A few people have mentioned some nice Apps, I have a few gems I love:

• Adium – Instant Messaging, multi-protocol (free).
• Audio Hijack – Record Streaming Media to your HD (shareware).
• Backdrop – provides a plain background (ideal for recording your desktop).
• BatChmod – Apply specific Permissions to entire folders (free).
• Camino – web browser (free).
• Carbon Copy Cloner – amazing system backup (bootable) (free).
• Cyberduck – amazing ftp client (free).
• EasyFind – old skool search App (free).
• Final Vinyl – Record your old records to mp3 (free).
• Firefox – another browser (free).
• Flip4Mac – WMV plugin for QuickTime (free)
• Perian – DivX plugin for QuickTime (free).
• Handbrake – DVD to m4v convertor (free).
• iPhoto Library Manager – Manage your libraries (shareware).
• iStumbler – browse available networks (free).
• LCDtest – test for dead pixels on your screen (free).
• LineIn – Pass your sound right through from mic to speakers (free).
• Little Snitch – my favourite App! Monitor outgoing connections (shareware).
• MacThe Ripper – DVD extractor.
• Mactracker – database of every Mac ever made (free).
• NetNewsWire – RSS App (free).
• Pac the Man X – need I explain? (free).
• Pixelmator – nice lightweight Photoshop style App (shareware).
• Quinn – Tetris game (free).
• Senuti – get music off your iPod onto your Mac (iTunes backwards – get it?) (free).
• Skim – Free PDF reader – fast (free).
• Skype – voIP client (free).
• Solitaire XL – Solitaire game (free).
• TextWrangler – amazing text editor (free).
• The Unarchiver – replacement for ZIP tool in OS X (free).
• TinkerTool – system tweaker (free).
• Transmission – my favourite torrent client (free).
• Transmit – ftp client, mega fast connection to iDisk (shareware).
• unpkg – pkg inspector (free).
• UnRarX – Rar viewer for OS X (free).
• Visual Hub – cool convertor for video (shareware).
• VLC – cool alternative to QuickTime Player.
• WhatSize – check the size of any file or folder (shareware).

Well that’s my favourite little Apps from my MacBook HD, I hope you find some of them useful.

Jamie.

Welcome to what computing can and should be!

I decided to switch in 2004 when I realized that adware/spyware and other malignancies had totally hijacked my machine and were, in effect, trying to blackmail me (want these pop-ups to stop? just buy our software!). Since reformatting meant starting over, I decided to REALLY start over. My dual 1.8 G5 is still humming along as I write this, listening to iTunes, and sharing the screen with my MacBook so I can write test questions for a national certifying exam without moving files between machines.

It is such a pleasure to use machines that work as advertised. I can’t imagine ever returning to the absolute mess that is windows. I think I’d quit using computers rather than do that.

Again, Welcome!

A couple of quick tips — some of which you may already know — to kick your productivity into high gear:

1) The Dock is highly configurable, both in its display preferences AND content. You can drag any file, folder or even a disk to the (right side) of the Dock for easy, universal access (applications can be placed on the left side of the Dock). Like the Windows Taskbar and Start menu, the Dock is always available no matter what window clutter you may be facing. The Dock can be hidden, popping up when needed by firing the cursor to the Dock’s position.

2) Expose is a fantastic window management technique and is deeper than meets the eye. You can invoke the three Expose modes using Function keys, dead corners of the display (handy if you just use the laptop’s trackpad), or use multi buttons on a mouse. A valuable, undocumented feature of Expose is that you can DRAG-AND-DROP between windows or off the Desktop. This is a fast, intuitive way to grab text, images or documents to be placed into other documents or folders. In fact, if you use a multi-button mouse to trigger Expose, you can immediately TURN OFF Expose once you’re hovering some item you grabbed to drop in that exposed Window. So, grab with mouse, expose all windows with other mouse button, hover over your exposed destination window, hit that same secondary mouse button to deactivate Expose, the desired window pops up immediately and you drop your items in. WICKED-FAST!

3) Mac OS X Leopard’s “Quicklook” feature. The fact that you can preview files — even some non-Apple ones like multipage Office documents — by simply hitting the spacebar in the Finder makes the act of perusing files fast and dare I say a joy.

You already are using Time Machine. ‘Nuff said.

Hope these help.

Oh, one more little helper: if you have several windows open in an application or Finder windows open, if you hold the Option key while closing ONE window then ALL windows of that application will close at once. Handy to get out of a busy, just-completed Finder process or something.

And then, there’s system-wide spell checking (key: shift+Command+ the ; key) and system-wide dictionary (place cursor over word and key: Control+Command+D (the Command key is the one with the Apple and “cloverleaf” icons, ether side of the spacebar).

Enjoy!

I’m long past the point now where I tinker with things endlessly to find out how they work, I just want it to work when I need it. I’ve been using a MacBook Pro since October 2007 and it’s been a revelation for me personally. It’s made Apple a fortune as well, because since buying the MacBook I’ve also purchased an Airport Extreme, 500GB Time Capsule, Aperture, iWorks, a couple of external drives for Time Machine (while I’m out and about) and a few of other third party applications to boot.

I’ve found that I’ve become so much more productive with my photographic hobby as a result of switching to the Mac, on top of that I’ve had time to create my own personal website which doesn’t look like it was created by a child.

I’m so damn happy with m MacBook Pro that I’m hoping to replace the Windows PC with a top of the range iMac in a couple of months time as well.

As many have said already, welcome to the fold and it’s great to hear that you’re enjoying your time with the Mac.

You now know why so many Mac developers like me have doggedly continued working on our Mac software in the face of everyone and his dog telling us to write for Windows instead.

It’s just plain fun and even a one-man show like me can write decent software for the Mac.

Dan

I totally agree with your comments about Apple support people too.

Enjoy. (and take some time to try some of the fun stuff like the camera software, putting yourself in Paris on iChat while you video chat, etc)
en

enjoy your new found bliss. remember you may encounter occasional glitches, nothing is perfect. but as someone who is also particular about his machines, you will truly enjoy digging into the mac system. there is a logic, and symmetry to the the mac world that is sorely missing on the other side.

Welcome to the bright side…
check out the Mac websites… we have a great forum over at MacMinute.com/cafe.

Regards,
David (DLC)

I’ve been an enthusiastic Mac user since 1994, so when friends ask me purchase advice, my first sentence requires me to state my OS bias. Those who have chosen to take me up on my advice have never looked back. I fancy myself a tinkerer, so it seems paradoxical to some people that my computer of choice does not reflect a strong desire to fully understand its arcane inner workings. When asked, I state simply “I don’t have to understand how to make a hammer to use a hammer”. My computer is a tool that allows them to do other things; having to constantly maintain the tool itself sucks the joy out of using it. I’m sure you feel like several former Windows users feel. The marginal amount of pleasure/pride you felt being able to “master” your Wintel box pales in comparison to the joy you feel using a truly productivity focused machine. Welcome!

Apple rocks, and still we are virus free and screaming along at 64 bits!

Craig
Springfield, MO/Sacramento, CA

My experience with the Apple Store and it’s employees was the same as yours. They even allowed me to “trade” my 3 week old 8GB iPhone for a 16GB model without charging me a restocking fee. They were so pleasant and eager to give me a great in-store experience. They even helped me with AT&T. No Windows reseller has ever given my PC using wife that type of customer service.