Calling all mac users!

Paul, you will find there are a fair few of us on this board, I think there is a definite correlation with quality hifi and quality computers!

The 20 inch is a lovely model, I think you are going to love it. plus of course you get the DVD burner.

As such you will get the full ilife package, enabling you to edite DVideo imported direct via firewire into imovie (No software or wizards required), make it into a work of art, then import direct into iDvd to create your DVD master piece! (We did this for our wedding and honey moon, very satisfying)

iPhoto exists to store your photos, it will recognise your digital camera and launch ready for import. You can resize from a thumbnail up to full size up to 25000 photos in real time (This simply does not exist on a PC)

The bluetooth is also great as assuming you have a bluetooth phone it will sync with you address book, which is updated via your mail app, all this is free and works. If you have an ipod you can also back up all your phone contacts to that as well.

Basically I think your computing experience is looking rosy, My wifes Dad finally bought a mac and confessed last night on ichat (video with us and him) that he has fallen in love with his LOL

And of course if you get in any trouble there is plenty of experience here and on apples discussions board, which although mega moderated is full of advice.

Have fun me old son, welcome to the other side!

Yes I know I am biased, but its fun doing what you want on a computer.

I hate to just copy everything that Gary has said... but at the end of the day he is spot on..!

I made the move to Mac at home just over a year ago and its the best move ive ever made... Simple, reliable and at the end of the day its great fun.. Id add iTunes and garageband to Garys list of apps that are just a breeze to use...

Cue Topcat to wax lyrical about his recent conversion!!!!

Regards

Neil

Hear hear!

Paul if you decide to go ahead congratulations - welcome to the fold!

Of course one possible additional benefit is.....

You could save yourself the sort of aggro displayed on kenc's thread!!

Regards,

JonR

Paul --

Congratulations! You won't regret it. Just one point: why 2 x 512 MB? If you went for a single 1 GB DIMM, you'd have 1.25 GB total RAM, with an easier upgrade path to 2 GB. I know that matching the DIMMs can give slight performance increase, but buying a 1 GB DIMM now gives you greater flexibility.

Anyway, enjoy your purchase!

Cheers,

Tim
_____________________________

Os nid Campagnolo yw hi, dyw hi ddim yn werth ei marcho...

Paul,

With the others here. I made the switch from PC to Mac about two or three months ago, after fourteen years of PCs, and I have never enjoyed using a computer so much. You don't realise how much the average PC is lacking in usability and the like until you sample a modern Mac.

I will sadly have to keep my desktop PC for those odd occasions where my Mac can't help - such as hardcore PC development - but otherwise I can't see me ever wanting to go back.

I'd agree with Tim on the memory front, and go one step further and say 'ditch the ram and replace with 2x1Gb DIMMs' - a 2Gb 20" iMac G5 with the wireless airport express and bluetooth represents my 'sensible shoes' choice for a Mac desktop, though if money were no object it'd be a G5-Dual 2.5 with 4Gb RAM and a 30" display...

My advice is: just do it. You will be back, I guarantee, telling us all how much you wish you'd done it years ago. Mark my words

John

Hehheh, Agreed, agreed, and agreed.

Yep, my Mac is now just on 17mnths old, and my first ever; my PC languishes in the other room.

My mac fulfills all the promises of how a computer can change/enhance you life, with none of the drawbacks of the PC.

It's huge fun, it works, is reliable, and an absolute pleasure to use. I too had misgivings contemplating the 'switch' but I was at a point where I couldn't take to much more of the PC experience, as in it was becomming all too much work and hassle.

Just looking after/maintaining it keeping it uptodate re virus, malware, spyware etc, etc, took up a far greater percentage of my time on/with it, than actually achieving anything with it that was purposeful/productive.

Having a Mac is the most liberating thing I've ever experienced re a computer in the home; if It wasn't for that, I think I would've seriously got rid of the PC, and hence computing in the home, simply because the headaches were beginning to outweigh the benefits.

As the others say, once you've tried it, there'll be no turning back.

Best Regards

John...

This is my last upgrade.... after this my system will be finished...:-)

Switchers...great!

Paul, re-reading your post you want Bluetooth, but are ordering from your dealer. AFAIK, Bluetooth can only be factory fitted, which would mean purchasing from the Apple Store. You may want to check with your dealer on this.

HTH,

Cheers,

Tim
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Os nid Campagnolo yw hi, dyw hi ddim yn werth ei marcho...

Yea, I am not sure what dealer you are refeering to but provided you are in the UK really on John Lewis is worth considering, as they offer a further years garentee on top of apples year.

Otherwise get it from apple, as you will be getting the very latest kit.

(When I bought mine from JL in March I later found out it was shipped to JL in August the previous year)

So I would go with apple, no matter how nice the sales man was.

Tim, John,

quote:

---

Just one point: why 2 x 512 MB?

---

quote:

---

I'd agree with Tim on the memory front, and go one step further and say 'ditch the ram and replace with 2x1Gb DIMMs' -

---

Is there an advantage in having more RAM than your OS and applications need? In other words, if I'm using, say, 512 MB of the 1 GB that's available, do I gain anything in beefing up my computer's RAM to 2 or 4 GB?

And as long as I have the ear of some IT types who use Macs... I've ordered broadband for home, so in a week I'll be saying good bye to dialling up and painfully slow 56k pron -- erm, I mean Naim forum -- downloads. Is there anything I need to do once I have broadband service to make my Mac less prone to infection or attack? (I read through Ken's Fight Club thread regarding security, passwords and Windows XP, but the chief protagonists in that discussion were using some crazy language that sounded like English but apparently was a strange derivative as I didn't understand a bit of it even though I recognized the words.)

Joe, long-time Mac user (Mac Classic > Mac IIcx > LC475 > Performa 6300CD) but recently a modern, made-in-this-decade Mac user

Joe, OSX has the UNIX built in fire wall which seems to be good for most things.

I am not as careful as perhaps I should be, but I do leave the fire wall on and thats er it really.

So far (2 years) not so much as a sniff of a problem.

I have used limewire which seems to be the most dogey bit of software so probably worth steering clear of.

I am probably being stupid but really what other risks are actually present for the mac? And I mean actual not theoretical.

They update the secturity software quite often and that will pop up on your software up date, I like the fact that the discription usually starts 'Fixes a potential security threat...' as apposed to 'shit heres a patch to fix a problem...'

iGary,

quote:

---

I am probably being stupid but really what other risks are actually present for the mac? And I mean actual not theoretical.

---

I don't know, which is why I asked. The only thing I got out of the whole XP thread on security and passwords is that PC users need to be much more clever and informed than I could ever hope to be. But the fact that PCs running Windows are the overwhelming targets of attacks doesn't mean that Macs aren't or can't be.

Personally, I've never had a problem with any of my Macs, but only the last two I've owned were even connected to the Net. And until I bought a G5 the other month, I was running such an old, out-of-date Mac (a Performa 6300CD with System 8.1) that the chance of it being targeted was so remote that my protection against viruses was essentially 100% guaranteed. Hackers would have to be perverse -- not to mention remarkably stupid -- to put their programming talents to use targetting an eight-year-old Mac. But I assume there are enough OS X users out there to at least take some precautions against hackers.

Joe

P.S. I assume this warning falls under theoretical as opposed to actual threats, but it's clear that OS X could be hit, which is why I'm a bit concerned.

Perhaps the Macs' best defence against hacking has been its limited market share compared to the Windoze hegemony.

Hackers who go to the trouble of attacking purely Mac-based systems are unlikely to make as much of an impact as they would with PC/Windows, which are much more widespread.

I reckon hacking is a vanity-thing, else why bother?

But Jon like myself I wouild imagine most mac users a tadge complacent.

Therefore if someone was to do a killer virus for mac users they have the potential to take us all out imagine that!

Anyway just spotted this looks very interesting and free (alwasy good news)

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24449

You're right of course Gazza, point taken, we can't afford to be complacent!

Your link looks useful - only trouble is it says for OS 10.3 - may work on lower but no machines to try it on!!

JR

I don't know if it will work on anything lower Jon.

Its doing its thing right now, and is apparently set to check incoming mail, but as with the Mcfee product I tried (Virex) there is no real information given to you that anything is happening.

Norton was good in that regard, it had a menu item with info on what was happening unfortunately apart from that it was junk

Try http://developer.apple.com/internet/security/securityintro.html fopr starters. Although it says "for web developers" it's actually pretty straightforward (esp. if you scroll past the top section on UNIX) and start with teh "OS X out of the box section".

Lots of links to other sites as well.

Matthew

quote:

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Originally posted by garyi:

So I would go with apple, no matter how nice the sales man was.

---

Well the only reason for using the dealer is the dem.. guess it's the analogy of getting a hifi dealer to do a dem then pissing off and getting it off the net because it's a quid cheaper..

As I understand it, they'll order it direct from Apple so there's no difference in the kit that'll arrive.

I figure take out the applecare in the course of the first year as if that TFT goes out after a year it's gonna hurt!

Basically I have no qualms about buying online or buying direct, it all comes down to not wanting to abuse dealer hospitality..

Any other benefits going direct with Apple?

cheers,
Paul

Thought some of you former PC users might be interested in this widget: a three-button mouse that matches the current Apple aesthetic. It is a bit pricey, admittedly, but it's the only mouse I've found that looks like the supplied Apple mouse but has a scroll wheel and left and right buttons.

Got one last week. I know, I know, I could have bought a Logitech mouse for half the price, but it would have clashed with the keyboard. (Guess this is what you worry about when computer security isn't the top concern. )

Joe



P.S. A wireless and "aluminum" version are also available.

We love Macs - may the conversion continue. Big Brother must not be allowed to win.

What are macs like for freeware? Assume someone has never had to pay for software, they are not going to get on with macs, are they?

In a month, I may have to buy a PC (most likely an ultraportable) with **my own money** for first time. My main collaborator uses macs, and gets all giggly talking about them, but I am along way from persuaded.

Alex, amen to that. Hallelujah!

Freeware? Dunno, I'm still in my Mac honeymoon period and I haven't really explored freeware so far. Interested in answers to this...

John

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mekon:
What are macs like for freeware? Assume someone has never had to pay for software, they are not going to get on with macs, are they?

In a month, I may have to buy a PC (most likely an ultraportable) with **my own money** for first time. My main collaborator uses macs, and gets all giggly talking about them, but I am along way from persuaded.

---

Put it this way the last copy of Mac Addict Magazine had 105 freeware and shareware progs on the coverdisc... i wouldnt say it would compete with PC based on the size of the respective markets alone... but for my modest needs there seems to be plenty about.. Ive yet to find a need for something that isnt available or not already included as part of the package... To qualify that i use my mac at home for mainly playing with music, photos, videos, games, web etc so the sort of utilities ive picked up are progs to expand the capability of iTunes so you can be shall we say more flexible on how you manage the music libraries etc and various bits of editing software.. i have to say that the whole iLife package is pretty shit hot as it stands though..
Also the fact that there are developer tools included as std on mac must promote plenty too..

Neil

"Also the fact that there are developer tools included as std on mac must promote plenty too"

Interestingly (perhaps) Microsoft would just love to give everyone you their development tools (i.e. Visual Studio.NET) for free. That they don't is becuase if they did they would pretty much kill of all the competition and find themselves in more multi year anti-trust suits.

Matthew

quote:

---

Originally posted by garyi:
But Jon like myself I wouild imagine most mac users a tadge complacent.

Therefore if someone was to do a killer virus for mac users they have the potential to take us all out imagine that!

Anyway just spotted this looks very interesting and free (alwasy good news)

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24449

---

There is one bug that i think we all seem to have though and that is the upgraditus one! It seems to be a mutation of the Naim one causing allsorts of nasties such as..

Take a look at my new luck fuck off big screen/you'll only see your systems true potential when you plug in the full 30inches!

Which iPOD mini/20/40GB? MP3/AAC/lossless? and then this talked about iSupply?? (assuming its not a windup!!! cant see any din sockets on my pod!!)

Airtunes.. plus monster cable upgrade pack?

iSight.. how long before we talk about zoom capabilities?

go for 1 X 1GB simm to protect your future upgrade path..

The writing is on the wall guys...

'Tis true, Hawk.

I'm already drooling after one of those new G5 iMacs!

Regards,

JonR