I'm thinking of doing it. I'm not concerned about operating the machine itself, but I don't know a damn thing about the "logistics".
Will I have to buy a different wireless router? Will my ancient Telus modem (don't ask, I have both) connect right to the machine and work?
Will peripherals that I currently use (printer, second monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse, speakers) plug right in?
It will be a laptop, but it will spend most of its time as a "workstation" here on the regular desk and I hope to just take all my stuff that's connected to my PC and connect it to the new gadget.
I am a stupid, impatient "man" and I will be making the switch reluctantly. If it takes several hours (or, heaven forbid, days) to straighten everything out, I'll just stick with the PC sitting under my desk and continue being the fatter guy in the commercials.
Most importantly, I want to spend as little time on the phone with my ISP provider. I'm sure I'll have to spend some time with them, but the littler the betterer.
Is this a big deal?
No, there are plenty of people on here to help.
I'm thinking of doing it. I'm not concerned about operating the machine itself, but I don't know a damn thing about the "logistics".
Will I have to buy a different wireless router? Will my ancient Telus modem (don't ask, I have both) connect right to the machine and work?
No new router. Don't know about Telus setup.
Will peripherals that I currently use (printer, second monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse, speakers) plug right in?
Yes, except the keyboard and mouse which will probably work. Like 99% chance.
It will be a laptop, but it will spend most of its time as a "workstation" here on the regular desk and I hope to just take all my stuff that's connected to my PC and connect it to the new gadget.
Mine is the same except my desk is a couch.
I am a stupid, impatient "man" and I will be making the switch reluctantly. If it takes several hours (or, heaven forbid, days) to straighten everything out, I'll just stick with the PC sitting under my desk and continue being the fatter guy in the commercials.
I've been a Mac user damn near 20 years and I am still straitening things out.
Don't get to the point where you are frustrated with something, just ask.
Most importantly, I want to spend as little time on the phone with my ISP provider. I'm sure I'll have to spend some time with them, but the littler the betterer.
You should just have to add the new MAC address but I don't know for sure. If you had Shaw, you just plug it in. I can't imagine Telus would be that much different.
Like you said you are getting a laptop and want to plug in all the things your PC typically had. If you are planing on getting the new aluminum macbook I would recommend a USB Hub (20 bucks at most places). I bought mine at the apple store and it works great, basically it gives me 5 ports instead of 2.
Depending on how you want it set up, I have the new macbook but most of the time is is set up basically as a desktop. I have it closed with 2 monitors, wireless keyboard, and wireless mouse.
Like you said, you have 2 monitors, you have 2 options here.
1) Use the laptop's screen as 1 monitor and only 1 of your other monitors as the other screen. Personally I dont like this but there are a lot of people who dont mind.
2) Have your laptop closed and use 2 monitors.
It works pretty well, it basically takes both your external monitors and makes 1 big monitor out of it. The downside to using this with a mac is when you expand a window it will go over 2 windows and not snap like it does in windows.
I had no problems with what you noted when I made the switch. I won't say it'll be flawless because my sister in law owned one of the only printers in the world that wouldn't work on a mac, so it does happen. Anytime I've run into an issue at all google has pretty much dealt with it immediately.
Ask anything and everything you can. if there's something your windows machine did that you wish your mac would do, it probably already does it. There are a ton of little things that don't get talked about a whole lot (like how to take a screenshot and such).
I'd REALLY recommend heading into itunes and taking a look at the Apple Quick Tips podcast. Basically just a weekly video of a handy little trick you can do with your mac. There's a ton in there now and I've found a lot of cool things that nobody ever told me about (like how you can convert any web receipt from a web purchase instantly to a pdf and send it to a designated folder on your computer.)
You'll have to relearn all your productivity software, and you'll have to relearn all the keyboard short cuts. In addition to this, you'll need to relearn the basics of window managment as there are significant differences between how windows behave on both OSX and XP/Vista.
If you're not willing to put in a few hours to retrain your muscle memory, don't switch. But if you are, you will probably (IMHO) find a much nicer work environment then Windows XP/Vista.
Newer Macbooks (aluminum case) use the "Mini-Display Port" instead of DVI now. Be sure you buy the correct adapter for your Macbook.
And keep your standard PC mouse. Trust me, Apple can't design a good mouse. It's beyond their engineers.
If your Telus setup is anything close to normal, then all you should need to do is connect the Macbook to your network and it will work without any effort on your part. If your setup is atypical, you'll need to call Telus.
Typical: phone cable from wall to modem, modem connects to router using network cable, computer connects to router using network cable or via wireless connection. (Telus has modem/routers now, so it's possible you only have the one device, in which case ignore the second part).
Peripherals:
Consult the manufacturer's website/documentation to find out if the device is supported on OS X. It is very possible everything will work just fine, but you will want to verify that before taking the plunge.
And keep your standard PC mouse. Trust me, Apple can't design a good mouse. It's beyond their engineers.
I cannot possibly agree with this statement any more. The mighty mouse is complete garbage. That being said. If you're on the laptop, start using the mousepad it's probably the greatest thing about the computer. Enable multi-touch and use the four finger swipe to bring up every window open (in the space) or reveal the desktop. Two fingers to sroll, and two finger tap to right click.
But never ever ever ever ever ever use an Apple mouse.
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Who is in charge of this product and why haven't they been fired yet?
I've been thinking about it for a while and it's coming on time for a new computer.
Maybe the straw that broke the camel's back was fighting with my machine for 20 minutes the other night just to get it to run spybot.
Run
"Cannot run. Must download updates".
Download and install updates.Run
"Cannot run. Must download updates"
What? I just did that. Fight fight fight.
"Cannot run. Must download updates".
Probably my fault, but it is frustrating as hell. I've bought the whole "mac is easier" pitch.
I'm assuming you already know that you'll have to start wearing skinny jeans, cardigans that are one size too large - leave it unbuttoned! - and either an "old", preferably raggidy t-shirt underneath or a dress shirt with a skinny tie, now that you are getting a Mac right?
There are some things you have to get used to on a Mac. One thing that bugs me to this day is that when you open a window, and try to scroll down, sometimes the cursor moves off the scroll bar and onto a window behind it. Then you are on another page (assuming you have another page open). But that is a tiny thing. I love it though, and don't want to go back.
Once you go Mac, you never go bac! Bada Boom! OK that was bad...
Nice engineering, but I still dislike it because it's a Mac and Mac OS and conforming to the "Mac is cool crowd"...When it's not cool by any means. It's just a different choice in the market place that has unfortunately gained all this annoying pop culture caché. And that logo would bug me to no end. I would end up running bootcamp and having a PC installation (neccessary because of my preferred software and interests that don't run on Mac OS) with a custom GUI and figuring out some way to remove all trademarks from the casing or covering them up. I hate trademarks unless they are my own design or art.
I am a big fan of good aesthetics, innovative engineering, and sleek industrial design. I just don't like the fact that you are basically forced to go with one choice and that is the Mac for features like this. It doesn't mean I won't adopt them. I love that Macs are x86 architecture now. I've been hacking my Mac keyboard to work in Windows and even having the F13-F19 buttons doing useful things. Even the eject button and media controls and on scree displayed icons work in Windows now.
There are some things you have to get used to on a Mac. One thing that bugs me to this day is that when you open a window, and try to scroll down, sometimes the cursor moves off the scroll bar and onto a window behind it. Then you are on another page (assuming you have another page open). But that is a tiny thing. I love it though, and don't want to go back.
Once you go Mac, you never go bac! Bada Boom! OK that was bad...
I had this problem too and found that enabling spaces was a big help. Took about a day to get used to, but once I did it really cut down on the clutter and accidental clicks that switched windows.
Nice engineering, but I still dislike it because it's a Mac and Mac OS and conforming to the "Mac is cool crowd"...When it's not cool by any means. It's just a different choice in the market place that has unfortunately gained all this annoying pop culture caché. And that logo would bug me to no end. I would end up running bootcamp and having a PC installation (neccessary because of my preferred software and interests that don't run on Mac OS) with a custom GUI and figuring out some way to remove all trademarks from the casing or covering them up. I hate trademarks unless they are my own design or art.
I am a big fan of good aesthetics, innovative engineering, and sleek industrial design. I just don't like the fact that you are basically forced to go with one choice and that is the Mac for features like this. It doesn't mean I won't adopt them. I love that Macs are x86 architecture now. I've been hacking my Mac keyboard to work in Windows and even having the F13-F19 buttons doing useful things. Even the eject button and media controls and on scree displayed icons work in Windows now.
The table for the uncool kids is over there.
But really, how did you hack your keyboard to get it working in Windows? I flip between both platforms a lot and only use the Apple keyboard so I could really use something like that!
But really, how did you hack your keyboard to get it working in Windows? I flip between both platforms a lot and only use the Apple keyboard so I could really use something like that!
The Mac keyboard will work out of box when you plug it in USB but only for the regular keys.
The other ones like fn, eject, F1, F2 (Brightness), F3 (expose), media controls, F13-F19, et. won't work off the bat unless you manually keymap them through the registry or some available programs out there. You also need to run bootcamp on Windows start-up. Option functions as Windows key and Command functions as the Alt key. I had these switched on the left side so that Option is Alt and Command is Windows (disabled in games), and on the right side, command is volume down and option is volume up.
F13 is Printscreen, the other ones do some general stuff like media controls (F18, F19 is prev/next track). This is a bit superfluous as with bootcamp in windows, the F7-F12 media controls already work with onscreen display but I turned off the Fn key to default off so that I could actually use F1-F12 for other things, when I need to use the media controls, I need to hit Fn and then the appropriate F key. It was also bringing up the On Screen Display and that was bugging me.
Yep yep. If you have any questions at all during your transition (or anytime), just post them here. Tons of people (including myself) will be more than happy to help out.
Grats on what should be a decision you won't regret!
Ok so I made the switch today. Now I have a few questions.
1) What is the easiest way to get my photos/videos etc.. off my XP machine to the mac? I have them all back-up on to this that the box says will work on a mac. Can I just "restore" the back up on my Mac?
2) What is the best/easiest way to transfer my itunes libray from my PC to the mac? I am already having issues syncing my ipod with the PC machine (all the songs on the ipod not showing in itunes) so I am not sure the ipod method with work?
That is all for now but I am sure I will have more questions later.
Thanks
Edit:
Can I file share between the mac and PC. Is so how and that may answer the above two questions.
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Last edited by Mccree; 05-03-2009 at 12:17 AM.
Reason: more questions
Ok so I made the switch today. Now I have a few questions.
1) What is the easiest way to get my photos/videos etc.. off my XP machine to the mac? I have them all back-up on to this that the box says will work on a mac. Can I just "restore" the back up on my Mac?
2) What is the best/easiest way to transfer my itunes libray from my PC to the mac? I am already having issues syncing my ipod with the PC machine (all the songs on the ipod not showing in itunes) so I am not sure the ipod method with work?
That is all for now but I am sure I will have more questions later.
Thanks
Edit:
Can I file share between the mac and PC. Is so how and that may answer the above two questions.
1: I've got a WD drive that I use with my Mac; however, if you've been backing up your PC through a specific software application, you may not be able to 'restore' your files to the Mac; it would depend on how the files are saved on the portable drive. When you look in the drive, can you see the actual folders and files? If so, just drag them to a folder in your Mac. If not, you may need to copy the files from your PC onto your drive by dragging them (not using the 'backup' functionality), and then dragging them off onto your Mac.
2: Senuti is a great program for music file management: it lets you get around all of the file protection issues that iTunes has.
3: Yes, you can share files between Macs and PCs; it would involve hooking both up to the same network, setting the folder on the PC to be shared (which involves giving it a name), and then from the Mac, Connect to Server and type the IP address of the PC, as well as the name you gave the folder. If you're going to be going back and forth between the machines a lot, I recommend this. If you're doing a one-time transfer, I recommend just doing it with your portable drive.
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The Big Switch (PC -> Mac)
OK that was bad...
